The Raven

Go See Courageous!

2011-10-31T13:31:00.000-07:00

You will find this movie review to be different than those I’ve written in the past. I don’t intend to give extensive details regarding the plot of “Courageous”. What I do intend to do is encourage you to see it. In the theater if possible. Not because the actor’s performances are so riveting or the cinematography so captivating but rather because the Gospel is proclaimed and the message is undeniably important. I wholeheartedly support the message in this film and encourage everyone to do their small part by providing financial support.

Written by brothers Stephen and Alex Kendrick, the same men who brought you “Fireproof”, “Courageous” chronicles the lives of five men, Adam, David, Nathan, Shane and Javier. Four of the five are Sherriff’s in Albany, GA, while one struggles to make ends meet by working mediocre, unreliable jobs. After tragedy befalls one of the family’s the man runs to Scripture to cope. What he finds in God’s Word dramatically revolutionizes his thoughts regarding fatherhood. Through Scripture he feels challenged to be a better father and asks the other four men to hold him accountable. They take it a step farther and join his quest committing themselves to growing in fatherhood and asking for accountability.

In short, I HIGHLY recommend “Courageous”. My personal opinion is that it would make a great date night movie (don’t forget the tissue it’s a tear jerker). Men, prepare to be challenged to evaluate how you are doing as a father and husband. You may find it appropriate to humble yourself and make some changes at home. Guys, if you are single surround yourselves with older, godly men who treat their wives and children as they ought. Study them. Ask them questions. Learn from their examples. Dig into Scripture. What does God say about fatherhood? By God’s grace Grace Christian Fellowship church is crawling with godly men who are exemplary fathers and husbands. Don’t take that gift lightly, but instead take advantage of it and immerse yourselves in their lives. Who knows, they may even find you a wife.

While I have a captive audience I want to honor my own Daddy, Jim Spurgetis. Not only is he my Dad and church elder he has also been my boss for the past four years. As I was crying my way through “Courageous” I was reminded of the immense gift I have been given in the form of my parents. My Dad is the hardest working man I know, and by his example all five of my siblings and I (two boys, four girls) have followed suit. Particularly my two brothers who desire to provide for their families as faithfully as he has for ours. Being a self-employed Attorney he carries a daily burden from the office few can rival but handles the pressure with grace and a ton of prayer. While my parents are now officially empty nesters they have hardly stopped parenting. He continues to work six days a week to provide for those no longer living at home, but still in need of his financial support. Financial support is only one way to be a good father. Every so often my siblings, Mom and I will receive an email or letter from my Dad which contains encouragement, Scripture and more often then not some confession of sin. He has been humbled by the truths he has read in Scripture and cannot keep it to himself. My Dad still takes my sisters and I on dates even though two of us are already college graduates (two are still academically plugging away at their respective Colleges) and all four of us are technically old enough to be married. As a result of this example I know my brothers will treat their daughters with the same care they need and deserve, and my sisters and I will settle for nothing less when choosing a husband. My Dad regularly talks to my brothers though neither one live in Spokane and are busy with their own lives. They call him seeking advice or just to talk sports (quiz him, I dare you to find an athlete or sport he does not know). The point is they love spending time with him and value his opinion and want to know what he would do if he was in their situation. At the same time my Dad chose his wife very wisely. My parents would be the first to admit their thirty-five year marriage has not been perfect, but that means they have tons-o-wisdom ready for the taking. If you ask, they will tell you what they did wrong and what they learned. I could go on and on and on. While all I have said above is true and important the greatest lesson my Dad taught is the Gospel. Every single week night my siblings and I were required to be home for family dinner. If we were invited to a friend’s house we had to call Dad at work to ask his permission. More often then not he said “no”. This response incurred our wrath, but he didn’t care. He cared more about spending time with us and honoring the Lord by leading a family devotion after dinner. My parent’s examples of the importance of spending daily time in Scripture and being involved in a local church has born much fruit. Because of God’s grace and through their examples all six of us are walking with the Lord and are involved in local churches. None of us missed a beat when we left for college. Even though we all endured growing pains when we left home and we sometimes made bad choices and didn’t care about attending church we still went. Why? My parents instilled in us the importance of frequenting a good local church and the Holy Spirit wouldn’t let us forget it. By God’s grace I will one day marry a man who displays the same godly character my Dad has displayed all my life and he will be the kind of Father to my children that my Dad has been to me and my five siblings. I love you Dad (and Mom)!....Stephanie Spurgetis

Moneyball, the Movie!

2011-09-29T16:22:00.000-07:00

Brad Pitt gives a fantastic performance as Billy Beane, Oakland Athletics' General Manager, in “Moneyball”. Based on Michael Lewis’ book of the same name “Moneyball”, rated PG-13, chronicles the A’s 2002 season in which Billy Beane builds his team within the strict confines of a mediocre budget.

After three of his top players are lured away to other teams with promises of bigger salaries, Beane decides to take a long hard look at how he and his staff evaluate players. On several occasions we find Billy arguing with his scouts over the importance of skill before outward appearance or how pretty their girlfriends are. Billy is met with extreme opposition when he chooses to sign Chad Bradford as his relief pitcher simply because Chad throws funny. Billy argues Chad is one of the greatest relief pitchers in MLB, but his pitching style has kept Chad from being hired by prominent teams.

When Billy meets Peter Brand (Jonah Hill), a recent graduate from Yale with a degree in Economics, he finds a kindred spirit who focuses on the statistics of a player’s performance and who believes you can build a team with significantly less money simply by scouting the undervalued players and using them in positions their stats determine to be best suited to their abilities. Things in the A’s clubhouse get a little chilly when the A’s Manager, Art Howe (Phillip Seymour Hoffman), defiantly refuses to follow Billy’s instructions. However, Billy stubbornly will not back down and firmly supports Peter in their quest to becoming a great team built strictly on statistics.

I confess I am not an avid baseball fan, but I found this glimpse into the inner workings of a professional sports team to be fascinating. The cold hard truth is if you are a professional athlete they essentially own you and can trade your life like you are stock on the NASDAQ. I recommend this movie to those who are sports fans, avid or mildly interested. I did feel that “Moneyball’s” two and a half hour running time could have been cut to at least two hours, but then I remember Baseball season is very, very long so wouldn’t the movie reflect that? That realization, however, did not stop me from thinking it drug on a little too long. There is no sexual content and foul language is kept to minimum. “Moneyball” does a masterful job of showing that professional sports is an unpredictable world in which to live. Unless you are Derek Jeter, Randy Johnson, Alex Rodriquez or Ichiro Suzuki....Stephanie Spurgetis

The Controversy at the Heart of the Reformation

2011-09-09T16:08:00.000-07:00

Martin Luther

In the Autumn of 1517 Martin Luther inadvertently initiated the Reformation. He posted Ninety Five Theses on the Wittenberg church door and a spiritual earthquake shook Europe. Luther was absolutely convinced that men were blind to the truth about themselves, and Luther knew that pride was the culprit. Luther, more than any reformer, saw the Bad News with clarity. Oxford theologian, Alister McGrath, observes that "by late 1514 Luther had arrived at the fundamental insight that the proper disposition for justification is humility…God humiliates man, in order that he may justify him; he makes man a sinner, in order that he may make him righteous─and both aspects of this matter are increasingly seen by Luther as works of God.”
In other words, Luther saw that the goal of the gospel was a humbling faith. Luther was convinced that the conviction that one is under God’s wrath is a first sign of God’s favor.

All of this Luther summed up in his most important theological work, The Bondage of the Will. “Bondage” was Luther’s response to a previous work by Erasmus (1456-1536) A Diatribe Concerning the Freedom of the Will (1524). The bastard son of a Catholic priest, Erasmus was the greatest intellect of his day. Because he was critical of the Roman church, most of his peers assumed that he was sympathetic with Luther. He was under great pressure to take a stand. Was he for or against the disruptive Reformer? His Diatribe was an attempt to stake out his position.

The doctrine Erasmus chose to debate surprises us. He didn’t start where we would expect—the authority of scripture, or justification by faith alone. Instead, he tackled Luther’s teaching on sin, expressed by the bondage of the will. Lets pause to define “the bondage of the will.” When theologians talk about the bondage of the will they are not saying that you are not free to marry whom you like, or take that job you have always wanted in a neighboring state. No, the bondage of the will is about my willingness or ability to know God, love him, or choose to follow him.

Erasmus saw that the bondage (or freedom) of the will was the practical question upon which the Reformation turned. In other words, how serious is sin? How great is its impact? Has the Fall so crippled my will that I am unable to seek God, desire God, or turn to God without his help? Or, is there a residue of ultimate spiritual good remaining in my fallen heart? Will men and women seek and pursue God out of the natural goodness of their heart? In effect, Erasmus said, Sin is not that serious: The will is free.

Luther responded with the Bondage of the Will, a classic in Christian literature. Here is how Luther responded. Sin runs deep. It is comprehensive. It is devastating. It affects the total man: intellect, will, and emotions. Man has no natural love for God or attraction to God. Therefore, the will is bound! This is how Luther concluded to Erasmus.

Erasmus

“I give you hearty praise and commendation on this further account—that you alone, in contrast with all others, have attacked the real thing, that is, the essential issue. You have not wearied me with those extraneous issues about the Papacy, purgatory, indulgences and such like—trifles, rather than issues—in respect of which almost all to date have sought my blood (though without success); you, and you alone, have seen the hinge on which all turns, and aimed for the vital spot.”

Purgatory and indulgences, “extraneous issues?” How could Luther say that? Because Luther knew that if sin bound the human will so that it could not, nor would not turn to God, then God must initiate my salvation. And, if sin is this crippling, there is absolutely no hope for anyone through human effort. We are bankrupt. Our only hope is justification by faith alone. And, if salvation is by grace through faith alone, then the whole edifice of Roman Catholicism, built on works righteousness, must come crashing down. The debated doctrines—purgatory, justification by works, the sacramental system, indulgences, the authority of the pope, the need for priestly mediation, etc.—were all just sophisticated tools for earning God’s favor. But, if we cannot earn God’s favor then these are unnecessary.

Luther and Erasmus agreed that the freedom of the will was the central issue. And human freedom was great or non-existent depending upon one’s view of sin.

Here is how Luther’s biographer, Roland Bainton, described Luther’s thought.

“Man’s part, therefore, is to humble his proud mind, to renounce the sinful self-sufficiency which prompts him to treat himself as the measure of all things, to confess the blindness of his corrupt heart, and thankfully to receive the enlightening Word of God.”

Luther was not the only one who thought this way. The other Reformers stood in solidarity with him. “In asserting the helplessness of man in sin, and the sovereignty of God in grace, they [the magisterial reformers] were entirely at one.” For example, in his Institutes John Calvin (1509-67) wrote, “I have always been exceedingly delighted with the words of Chrysostom, ‘The foundation of our philosophy is humility;’ and still more with those of Augustine, ‘As the orator, when asked, What is the first precept in eloquence? answered, Delivery: What is the second? Delivery: What the third? Delivery:’ so, if you ask me in regard to the precepts of the Christian Religion, I will answer, first, second, and third, Humility.’”

Why is this important? On the surface the Reformation seemed to be about the authority of scripture and justification by faith alone. However, underneath were stronger currents dealing with sin, man, and ultimate issues. The strength of the Reformation was its willingness to grapple with, and own, the wrath of God, the reality of final judgment, and the helplessness of man in sin. If these doctrines were true, and they are, we are bankrupt, and there is no remedy but Paul’s message—justification by faith alone. This was the gospel the Reformers preached, and it turned the world upside down.

A Corrupt Moral Foundation

2011-09-02T15:10:00.000-07:00

When termites eat at the foundation of a house it is not readily apparent. The damage is often not visible. The problem becomes visible when something shakes the building the foundation gives way, and the structure collapses.

In the same way, sexual morality is essential. The family is the moral foundation of civilized society, and the family is as strong as the sexual morality upon which it rests. However, the termites of relativism are chewing on that foundation. Consider the following.

The goal of the sexual revolution of the sixties was to separate sexuality from marriage. The revolution was successful. However, that was not enough. It was soon followed by the demand for homosexual rights, an attempt to separate sex from its natural object, the opposite gender.

The last 10-15 years have produced even further deterioration. Dr. Leonard Sax, Dr Mark Regnerus and others report how American teens are now even separating the act of sex from relationship. Young men "hook up" with women. They may not even know each other. It doesn't matter. Its not about relationship. It is about sexual expression, or sexual pleasure. In many cases, the young men are reluctant to kiss because kissing implies affection. “There has been a profound shift in the culture of high-school dating and sex, with no strings ‘hooking-up’ replacing dating," writes Dr. Leonard Sax. "‘Kids don’t date nowadays,’ agrees physician and bioethicist Leon Kass. ‘Traditional dating is dead,’ concurs journalist and author Barbara Dafoe Whitehead.’”[1] Dating and relationship have been replaced with "hook ups," and for many young adults relationships just gets in the way.

Of course, in all of this the female is the loser. She wants relationship, but isn't getting it. The male also loses. He needs relationship, and in the long run, he doesn't get it either. As a result the institution of marriage is unraveling. For the first time in U.S. history, recent surveys show that the percentage of unmarried households now exceed the percent married.

The foundation is getting increasingly weak.

The gospel is the solution. However, for the gospel to be a solution its sexual ethic must be incarnated in local churches. Fruits of the gospel are male servant leadership, lasting marriages, a stay at home mom caring for her well-disciplined children, and sexual purity. The gospel connects sex with relationship. It turns our sexual desires toward the opposite gender. It tells us that the natural venue of sex is marriage.

This is a social foundation that cannot be shaken. Lets build it together.

[1] Dr. Leonard Sax, Why Gender Matters, (New York: Broadway Books, 2005) pg 120

Southern Seminary Report

2011-08-30T20:11:00.000-07:00

Judy and I just returned from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY where I was honored to speak at a Connecting Church and Home Conference. God blessed us with new friends, brothers and sisters on the same team, serving the same Lord, filled with the same passion for his Kingdom. The rise of the "new Calvinism" which Time Magazine said was one of ten prominent trends of our time was conspicuous here. Southern Seminary filled the void created by the leftward move of the nineteenth century Princeton Theological Seminary.

Boasting about 3,000 students, Southern Seminary is the largest in the world. The President, Albert Mohler, has been used by God to make this one of the premier Protestant theological institutions in the world.

Another highlight was worshiping with the Sojourn Church in Louisville. Sojourn is a ten year old Acts 29 church. About 3,600 people attend on three separate campuses. It felt like Mars Hill in Seattle, except we found the music and worship more engaging. Sojourn Church is Southern Baptist. Many of the staff at Southern Seminary attend.

It was great to travel, but we missed our little church in Spokane. It is good to be home.

"The Help" Reviewed

2011-08-22T10:04:00.000-07:00

Emma Stone stars as Eugenia ‘Skeeter’ Phelan in Director Tate Taylor’s PG-13 screen adaptation of Kathryn Stocket’s novel “The Help”. A new college graduate, Skeeter returns to her parent’s cotton farm in Jackson, Mississippi where she is instantly confronted with her family and friend’s disapproval that she not only graduated without a husband but is seeking a job in journalism. Returning home means Skeeter is expected to eagerly fall back into her role as the daughter of one of Jackson’s foremost prominent white families and involve herself in the weekly bridge club and Junior League and do all she can to quickly procure a husband.

While Skeeter does what is expected of her she also does something for herself and lands a job at the local newspaper writing the housekeeping advice column. Knowing full well she knows nothing about house keeping Skeeter seeks out her friend’s, Elizabeth Leefold (Ahna O’Reilly), African-American maid Aibileen Clark (Viola Davis) for help in answering her reader’s questions. Meanwhile, Skeeter’s close friend Hilly Holbrook (Bryce Dallas Howard) is using her influence as the community’s social leader and head of the Junior League to lead her campaign against the “colored” help using the same indoor bathrooms as their white employers. It is with this issue Skeeter begins to see how the African-American maids are treated so differently from white people.

Following this social awakening Skeeter is determined to write a book from the maid’s perspectives in order to reveal the truth of such injustices. However, Jackson, Mississippi in the early 1960’s was no friend to the African-American and it proved a challenge to convince even one maid to agree to tell her story for fear for her life. Eventually, however, Aibileen musters up her courage and she and Skeeter begin a dangerous partnership which could prove socially detrimental for Skeeter, but deadly for Aibileen. Aibileen’s friend, Minny Jackson (Octavia Spencer), is eventually convinced to join them and the three women, one white, two African-American, begin a journey which could prove to be fatal for them all, but a source of freedom too.

I highly recommend “The Help” as a movie and book. For those book to movie purists I was pleasantly surprised at how the movie rarely strays from Kathryn Stocket’s original creation. A few minor details are added, such as Sissy Spacek’s hilarious portrayal of Hilly Holbrook’s mother, Missus Walters, but overall the story remains the same. Parents, due to the realistic portrayal of racism I would not recommend “The Help” for anyone younger then Junior High. However, the worldview presented here is one I do recommend and encourage a discussion with your children following the film. The director and actors skillfully bring to life the injustices of racism and prove that no matter what the color of your skin we are all made in the image of God and deserve to be treated as such. There is absolutely no room for racism in this world and “The Help” is a skilled reminder of such.... by Stephanie Spurgetis

Where have all the Boys Gone?

2011-08-21T17:57:00.000-07:00

Dr. Leaonard Sax, M.D., PH. D, a physician with a large practice in the suburbs of Washington D.C. has done parents and educators alike a great service with his 2009 book, Boys Adrift: The Five Factors Driving the Growing Epidemic of Unmotivated Boys and Underachieving Young Men

Dr. Sax chronicles the increasing withdrawal of primary and secondary school males from responsibility and from life itself. "I’ve seen hundreds of families," Sax writes, "where the girls are the smart, driven ones, while their brothers are laid-back and unmotivated. The opposite pattern—with the boy being the intense, successful child while his sister is relaxed and unconcerned about her future—is rare" (pg 4). A few paragraphs later he continues. "But here’s what’s really strange, and new, about this picture: That young man isn’t bothered by his situation. His parents are. His girlfriend, if she hasn’t left him yet, is at least having second thoughts about him. But he’s oblivious to their concerns as he surfs the Net on the computer they’ve provided, or plays video games on the flat-screen television they bought for him."

Earlier this summer I reviewed Kay Hymowitz' Manning Up which describes the same phenomenom amongst adult men aged 20-40. Our culture is radically hurting, and the wound is deepening with each passing day.

Sax notes five primary causes. First, he blames our educational system which is primarily geared to a female friendly style of learning. Second, he blames the prevalence and use of video games. “The average teenage boy today spends more than thirteen hours a week playing video games, compared with five hours per week for the average teenage girl" (pg 58). Third, he blames the over-diagnosis of ADHD, and the following prescriptions of Ritalin, etc. After withdrawal from these drugs the average user is often passive for life. Fourth, citing falling sperm counts and increasing bone brittleness in boys, he argues that environmental changes have affected the male endocrine system which produces testosterone. Last, he blames the devaluation and disintegration of the masculine ideal. From my perspective he gets closest with this fifth observation.

While all of these have contributed to the problem, the author ignores the elephant in the room, Feminism. He makes a case for all male High Schools, noting that males do better when they do not have to directly compete with females, but the larger reality seems to escape him. That reality is the same phenomenon in home, church, business, politics, the military, and government.

Many men, when mandated to compete with females simply withdraw. Men don't want to be females, and they don't want to be in an environment where they must compete with them. They want to compete with men. They want to identify with men. They want to feel like men. Our culture gives men little opportunity to feel this way.

By contrast, the contemporay script is androgyny, no sex differences in work, task, or funciton. Androgyny does not produce masculinity, i.e. the use of masculine strength in the service of others. It has the opposite affect. Dr. Sax gets close to the issue when he writes, "'Deconstructing' all images of the ideal husband and father, is not likely to result in a father who insists on his wife sharing equally in all sacrifices. The result is far more likely to be a selfish young man who doesn’t feel any strong obligation to the children he has fathered. In the United States, more than one in three babies is now born to an unmarried mother (35.7 percent to be exact). The growing trend away from married couples with children cuts across all racial and ethnic boundaries.”

Despite this concern, I highly reccomend this excellent book. It will greatly serve parents, especially fathers, educators, and leaders in the church. Readers will be deeply enriched. Dr. Sax writes simply and directly about a subject that is crucias to each of us.

It is also crucial to the survival of our civilization.

As always, your comments are welcomed.

John Murray

2011-08-20T12:20:00.000-07:00

Just finished the Life of John Murray by Ian Murray, one of my favorite historians. Through the biography of Murray (1898-1976) the reader gets a glimpse of the theological collapse of Princeton in the 1920s and the rise of Westminster Theological Seminary.

Born in Scotland, Murray fought in the first World War. He lost one eye and returned home to spend a significant amount of time in recovery. In 1924 He crossed the Atlantic to study theology at Princeton Theological Seminary.

During his student days Princeton was morphing from the bastion of theological orthodoxy that it had been for 100 years, into a nursery for theological liberalism. This ultimately led to the defection of Princeton's famed professor of New Testament, Gresham Machen (1881-1937), and many other faculty members. They moved up the road to Philadelphia and founded Westminster Theological Seminary. The goal was the continuation of Princeton's tradition of theological orthodoxy.

By this time Murray had graduated and had returned to Scotland for ministerial work. Machen wrote Murray in Scotland and asked him to join the faculty at Westminster. Murray agreed and ended up spending the rest of his life in Philadelphia.

Biographies are one of the best ways to learn history. This book is a good example. It will be useful to anyone interested in the history of theological currents in twentieth century North America. It is also useful for those who have read Murray's writings and want to know more about the man. I heartily reccomend.

Preach the Final Judgment

2011-08-18T09:58:00.000-07:00

I was a law student at Gonzaga University for one year. My grade for the entire year’s work was based on one exam in each class at the end of the year. Papers, quizzes, and homework contributed nothing to my final grade. The entire years work rested on the output of one exam in each class. The pressure was tremendous. I spent the entire year thinking about, preparing for, and hoping that I would do well on that exam. My answers would be judged by my professors and I would be graded accordingly. The stress was incredible.

Similarly, each of us faces a final exam. It is ultimate. By contrast all other exams are trivial. In addition, the requirements are impossible, and the stakes are infinitely more important. How we perform will have eternal, irreversible consequences. It is the final judgment. It is not a popular subject today. It was not a popular subject in Paul’s day, yet he was willing to trust his evangelistic efforts to the proclamation of this event.

To put Paul in a modern perspective, lets assume you had an opportunity to present the gospel to a room full of Harvard philosophy students . Would you start with the final judgment? That would be the last subject on most of our minds. To do so would be very controversial. It would take great courage. We would need to overcome the fear of rejection.

But, that is exactly what Paul did.

The Areopagus was the council that ruled Athens. It’s prestige was great, going back centuries. It was the forum for the social elites, the center of the secular intellectual world of the first century.

However, when asked to share the Christian message to the Areopagus Paul spoke with amazing boldness. He didn’t speak of God’s love. He didn’t make lavish promises of a happy, trouble-free life. Instead, he warned them of the judgment to come. At the climax of his testimony he boldly proclaimed—

“God Has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead” (Acts 17:31).

People were no different then. First century intellectuals were no more open to news of a final judgment than they are today. The Areopagus were just as offended as a group of Ivy League philosophy majors would be today.

Why did Paul discuss the final judgment? His presentation of the gospel flowed out of very specific assumptions about God and man. The final judgment is reality. Every human being is hurtling toward this, the great defining moment of our existence. God expects perfection. It takes great humility to accept this. God engineered the gospel to reverse the affect of the Fall. That means He engineered it to produce humility. That is why Paul told the Areopagus the truth. He explained the final judgment because it is true. He explained it because it humbles pride.

P.T. Forsyth (1858-1921) wrote, “The question of judgment is where all other questions end. It is the central question in religion. How shall I stand before my judge? …The question is not about our views; nor is it about our subjective state—how do I feel? But our objective religion—how do I stand?” And T. David Gordon, from Grove City College adds, “The great seriousness of the reality of being human, the dreadful seriousness of the coming judgment of God, the sheer insignificance of the present in the light of eternity—realities that once were the subtext of virtually every sermon—have now disappeared, and have been replaced by one triviality after another.

How about you? Where do you stand on this important subject?

King of the Jews!

2011-08-16T08:06:00.000-07:00

"There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews" (Luke 23:38). This text is a picture of true spiritual authority.

Pilate and the Sanhedrin exercised authority in typical, worldly fashion. They used their authority to advance themselves, protect themselves, and empower themselves. In other words, they used others to enrich themselves. In both cases Jesus was a threat to their popularity or power. The expedient course of action was to liquidate him. It was not to serve him.

By contrast, Jesus showed us what God's authority looks like. It is counter cultural, counterintuitive. Jesus used his authority to enrich others at his expense. The placard over his head announced his crime. He claimed to be king of the Jews. Here is the irony. He is and was King of the Jews. In fact, he is and was King of the Universe. He is Lord of Lords and King of Kings. He has been given all power and authority. But, how did he use his authority? He allowed others to crucify him for their advancement. He allowed his enemies to torture him to death that he might secure their forgiveness. This included some of those performing the dastardly deed.

Husbands, here are our marching orders. This is how a godly husband/father exercises his authority. He spends himself for the advancement and welfare of his wife and children. Spiritual leaders, here are our marching orders. This is what true spiritual authority looks like. Those who lead in business and politics, here are your marching orders. On the Day of Final Judgment all of those to whom God has given authority will give an accounting to this standard.

Let us use our authority like Christ, for the advancement and welfare of others!

Family or Christ?

2011-08-15T12:50:00.000-07:00

Jesus went to great lengths to convince us that family is never ultimate. For example, he put little trust in his biological family. After his ministry began his own hometown rejected him (Luke 4:18-32).

When his family approached him expecting special attention, he made it clear that the family he first identified with were those who heard the word of God and performed it (Luke 8:19-22).

Jesus even told us to hate our families (Luke 14:26) "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple." Of course by hatred he meant, "Love God so much that by comparison your love for your family is hatred."

He warned us that some members of our family would be the first to turn on us and persecute us even unto death (Luke 21:16–17) "You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. You will be hated by all for my name’s sake. "

For someone who loves their family, this is a problem. I love my family, especially my wife and children. So, how do I interpret this? What is the solution? The solution is a call to a deeper love for God, and dependence upon God not family. It is also a call to a healthy distrust of sin first in myself, and second in those closest to me. Last, it is a call to gratitude for faithful, loving, Christ-centered family members. This is a luxury none of us deserve.

Gospel Powered Humility

2011-08-14T17:41:00.000-07:00

Have been preaching through the content of my forthcoming book, Gospel-Powered Humility published by P&R, and to be available in Sept 2011. You can access these talks here.

Humility is a crucial subject, and nothing is harder to preach about, especially when you clearly feel the smarting evidence of your own personal pride.

Paul understood his own pride with great clarity. He also understood the arrogance of those to who God sent him. That is why he preached a humbling gospel. In Romans 1:16-3:26 Paul gives us a clear picture of how he presented the Good News. His gospel presentation contains 1200 words explaining the bad news, but only 188 words explaining the Good News. Why? We are proud, and our pride hardens us to our tremendous spiritual need. Paul knows that he needs to carefully humble his hearers with an clear exposition of spiritual reality. Only then will we be thirsty for the refreshing water of the gospel.

In the words of Martin Luther, “The gospel tastes best to those who lie in the straits of death, or whom an evil conscience oppresses. For in that case hunger is a good cook as we say, one who makes the food taste good. For when they feel their misery, the heart and conscience can hear nothing more soothing than the gospel; for this they long, on this they are eager to feed, nor can they get too much of it.... But that hardened class who live in their own holiness, build on their own works, and feel not their sin and misery do not taste this food. Whoever sits at a table and is hungry relishes all, however, he who is sated relishes nothing but is filled with loathing at the most excellent food."[i]

As always your thoughts would be appreciated.

[i] Ewald M. Plass, editor, What Luther Says, An Anthology, Vol. 2, (St. Louis: Concordia, 1986) pg 563

American Credit Downgrade: What it Means and Why it Matters

2011-08-02T11:18:00.000-07:00

The potential downgrade of US government debt has been the subject of recent media headlines. The United States is at one of those crucial historical turning points. The enemy is not out there. It is in our midst. This great nation is on the road to financial insolvency.

At the bottom of money is morality. Our views of family, church, the individual, God, and a host of other issues (all ultimately theological) come to bear upon how we utilize our assets. This applies to individuals, families, and nations.

That is why there has been such a snow storm of confusing opinions on the subject. Last week the Wall Street Journal published an important article that provides a history of the problem. It will also motivate you to pray much for our nation and our elected representatives.

SGM Board Meeting

2011-07-31T07:04:00.000-07:00

This last week the Sovereign Grace Ministries Board met to discuss C.J. Mahaney and the accusations made against him. For all of those interested the conclusions are stated here.

The Number Destroyer of Marriages

2011-07-27T10:17:00.000-07:00

What is the number one destroyer of marriage? Is it infidelity? Yes, infidelity wreaks havoc on marriages, but it is not number one. Is it hobbies? Yes, hobbies can behard on marrages, but they are secondary? Is it squabbles over money, or in-laws, or sex? Yes, all of these are responsible for much marital grief, but they are not number one.

I submit that the number one destroyer of marital harmony and intimacy is the small, insidious, seldom noticed sin of bitterness. You don't keep short accounts. Little wounds accumulate. They don't get healed. Eventually they become infected and kill your relationship. Twenty years into marriage you find yourself sleeping in separate beds.

Here is how it works. Your spouse does something to wound or hurt you, an unforgiven grievance from 12 years ago comes to mind. You combine them, and the pain is doubled. Now the resentment is amplified. "Forgiving is the hardest thing you will ever do," notes Andree Seu. "That's why most people don't do it. We talk about it, cheer for it, preach on it, and are sure we've practiced it. But mostly the illusion of having forgiven is that the passage of time dulls memory. The ruse will come to light with hair-trigger vengeance when fresh offense hurls in to empty out the gunnysack of half-digested grievances."

Only Christians have a really solid basis for forgiveness. It is the gospel. The gospel is why we forgive. The gospel reminds us that our sins were infinitely heinous in God's sight. Yet, despite this, God so longed to forgive that he sent his only begotten Son to be tortured to death in our place. Now that is mega-forgiveness. It is gross hypocrisy to accept this from Christ and not give it back to our spouse. Their offense against you, no matter how serious, is always finite, but your offense against God is always infinite.

Forgiveness is not a feeling. It is a repeted, heart-felt, act of the will. That is why Jesus, when Peter asked how many times he should forgive, responded 70x7 (Matt 18:22). Those who want happy marriages and increased intimacy do the same.

Summer Reading

2011-07-22T10:33:00.000-07:00

I'm back from vacation feeling tanned, rested, and ready.
Here are some of the books that I read while gone with appropriate comments.

Redeemed by Fire: The Rise of Popular Christianity in Modern China by Xi Lian, a Chinese historian living in the West, cataloged the rise of Christianity in China. When Christianity was the religion of foreigners it won little access to the hearts of the Chinese people. However, when Mao took control of the country in 1948 the western missionaries fled or were forced out. The Chinese Christians that were left (fewer than 1 million) began to slowly evangelize their brethern. No longer was Christianity a religion for outsiders. It was now indigenous. Despite intense persecution by the Communist Party, it spread rapidly. Today there are probably more Christians in China than in the U.S. However, Lian is careful to note that, lacking access to historical Christian theology, the belief system of most Chinese Christians is a syncretism of the Bible, Pentecostalism, Buddhism. Animism, and mysticism.

This book was full of helpful information, but that was all. For someone not familiar with China, it was hard to put the information in context. In addition, he wrote mechanically. The book lacked passion.

A personal favorite was A Personal Odyssey the autobiography of Thomas Sowell. Sowell is not a Christian, but he is a leading conservative, African American economist. Sowell tells the story of his rise from the slums of Charlotte, N.C. during the depression, his experience in the Army during the Korean war, his undergraduate work in economics at Harvard, his masters degree at Columbia, and finally his doctorate at the University of Chicago under Milton Friedman and others. Subsequently he taught at various institutions including Rutgers, Cornell, and UCLA.

Sowell's ideas were influential during the Reagan presidency. Although considered for various cabinet posts, he rejected the offers, deciding instead to pursue his studies at Stanford's Hoover Institute, where he was, and is, a resident scholar.

Having read and enjoyed some of Sowell's books, I found his biography interesting. Sowell writes well. It was not only the history of his life, but the history of the middle of the twentieth century in North America. Would that we harkened to Sowell's common sense advice on Economics.

Movie Review: Tree of Life

2011-07-13T21:48:00.000-07:00

“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding…when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” (Job 38:4,7) These bright words blazed into the darkness of the theater as the opening scene of the 2011 film The Tree of Life starring Brad Pitt, Jessica Chastain, Sean Penn, and Hunter McCracken in an artistic exploration of the human condition. The rest of the film subtly brings to life director Terrence Malick’s parallel of the cosmic grandeur of creation with a very ordinary, dysfunctional suburban family in Texas in the late 1950’s. Malick makes a bold attempt to capture the reality of suffering and grief, the incomprehensible otherness of the Creator, and the frail yet beautiful faith in God that can live between the two.

Tree of Life is not a typical plot-driven movie. There is very little dialogue. The movie opens with the mother receiving notice that her 19-year-old son has died in the Vietnam War. The screen quietly eavesdrops on the grief of mother, father, and brother… unfolding into the whispered questions to God, “Why?” and “Who are we to you?” The film then segues into a slow sequence of swirling images and views of galaxies and planets as they form. A young earth’s volcanoes erupt, and recurrent images of the ocean’s waves show life emerging. Dinosaurs roam the landscape very realistically. An asteroid hits the earth. We are propelled forward in time to the suburbs, to the family as it used to be. It begins with the young groom and bride starting their home, and the birth of the three boys. The family prays before their meals, and before bed. They attend church. Many everyday events of a child’s life are shown in their truth and beauty through the incredible cinematography. We see the harshness of the father, the quiet love of the mother, and the rough camaraderie of the brothers. The eldest son begins to rebel under the heavy hand of his dad, and the rest of the film explores the emergence of his hate for his father and his own chaotic, adolescent desires. The end of the film provides a reconciliation of past and future, faith and unbelief, grief and peace, and father and son.

I would recommend watching the Tree of Life. Although it hints at evolution, and falls short of its goal to sum up all existence, this movie succeeds in ways few movies do. It explores human suffering while humbly implying God’s right to do as He wishes. While remaining mysterious about the nature of God, Malick is not leaving an agnostic message. His film ends with the singing of the Agnus Dei (Latin for the words of John the Baptist, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”) The mother character prays, “Keep us. Guide us to the end of time.” A childlike voice answers, “Follow me.” Other Biblically veiled dialogue occurs when the oldest boy struggles with wrong desires, and says, “What I want to do, I can’t do. What I do, I hate.” (Romans 7:15) He also prays, “Always you were calling me.” The tree of life from the title is the big oak in the front yard on which the boys play. Yet the film title serves to point us to the true Tree of Life in the achingly beautiful City of God depicted in Revelation 22. Everything on Earth should make us hunger for heaven.

In the end, Malick paints a masterpiece of a story: suffering makes us feel life’s beauty more intensely, and look beyond ourselves, leading us on a quest to seek the One who made all life. As the mother says at the end of the movie, “The only way to be happy is to love.” Loving God through faith in the gospel is the key to solving the riddle of our existence...Brian Huseland

Reccomended Podcasts

2011-06-23T16:17:00.000-07:00

Many of us like to listen to edifying intellectual content when working out, driving, etc. Here are a couple of reccomends.

First is Al Mohler's daily radio broadcast, The Briefing. For thirteen to fifteen minutes Dr. Mohler sums up the news each morning from a Christian perspective. In addition, about weekly Mohler interviews an author on an important subject. Titled Thinking In Public Mohler's interviews are both helpful, instructive, and keep one in contact with the broader intellectual currents of modern culture. Both arer free downloads at itunes, or can be accessed at http://www.albertmohler.com/

I am also enjoying two other podcasts. NPR supplies both. I am generally going in a different direction from National Public Radio, but I find these two podcasts helpful. The first is Planet Money a weekly 20 minute program on economics. The other is This American Life. Like the Mohler podcast they are free through iTunes.

The Basis for Grace

2011-06-20T10:57:00.000-07:00

In his book, The Deep Things of God: How the Trinity Changes Everything, Fred Sanders suggests that the Trinity is the basis for grace. Grace is unmerited favor. In the words of A.W. Pink, grace is "favor shown where there is positive demerit in the one receiving it.” The things that makes God's grace so amazing is that he gave it when he had absolutely no need. Nothing outside of him compelled him. The Trinity is the reason we can make this statement.

God did not create and redeem us because he needed friendship. He had the other members of the Trinity to relate to from all eternity. His social needs were filled to the brim. He did not create us because there was any lack in his happiness or joy. The other members of the Trinity brought infinite delight to each other. God was completely happy and satisified. So why did God create? He does all things for his glory. He acts to share his happiness (his glory) with his creatures. He creates to see his glorified exercised so that he can further delight in it. The one thing he did not do was act from need.

Because of the reality of the Trinity “God did not have to save us," Sanders observes. "There was no external necessity imposed on him, nor did he have any internal need. The perfect blessedness of God would not have been compromised by the final failure of humanity. God did not save us to rescue himself from sadness over our plight. He saved us freely, out of an astonishing abundance of generosity…God created freely and also redeemed freely” (Pg 65).

This is impossible for us to understand. We are creatures. Need motivates everything we do. We are God's opposite. We are infinitely incomplete and needy. God created our need to be met by himself. Even our love for God is tainted by our need for God. But God loves without need. He gives himself without reference to any personal gain.

Contemplate this in light of the cross, an act of love, suffering, and deprivation for the good of others without paralell. On thing is clear. God is not like us. He is holy, and his holiness expresses itself most perfectly in his love for uworthy sinners, i.e. through the grace that is unmerited favor and that rests on a Trinitarian foundation.

New Green Lantern Movie

2011-06-20T10:32:00.000-07:00

Director Martin Campbell’s film adaptation of DC Comics’ “Green Lantern” starring Ryan Reynolds (The Proposal), Blake Lively (Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants) and Peter Sarsgaard (An Education) is a fun twist on the age old reluctant superhero story.

Years before Earth’s existence a group of aliens called the Guardians of the Universe formed the Green Lantern Corps to act as an intergalactic police force. The heart of the Green Lantern’s powers were harnessed from the green essence of the Emotional Spectrum of Willpower. The Guardians believed the greatest weapon is one’s will and so taught the members of the Corps to harness their will and use it to fight evil. The greatest member of the Corps was Abin Sur whose fearless pursuit of Paralax, the ultimate being of fear, left the villain in prison and the universe safe from Paralax’s terror. However, when Paralax escapes from prison Abin Sur is fatally wounded leaving him little time to find his replacement.

Hal Jordan (Reynolds) is the irresponsible, womanizing ego maniac one has learned to expect from a reluctant superhero. After losing his job as an Air Force test pilot Hal is unexpectedly chosen by Abin Sur’s ring to be the newest member of the Green Lantern Corps. After learning the nature of his responsibilities Hal is forced to choose between the Corps and an empty life of selfish pursuits. Hal has little time to contemplate his life’s direction before he is thrust into action by Dr. Hector Hammond (Sarsgaard) who has been infected with Paralax’s spirit of fear. When the life of hundreds of partygoers, including Hal’s on again/off again girlfriend Carol Ferris (Lively) are threatened, he springs into action saving the lives of many and ultimately having the decision of becoming the newest inductee into the Green Lantern Corps made for him.

I enjoyed this movie but am aware that it is not for everyone. If you enjoy cheesy otherworldly superhero charged films then you will enjoy “Green Lantern”. I am grateful for the writer’s understanding that not all the viewers are Comic enthusiasts and so the historical background is detailed and much appreciated. Sexual content is limited to Hal waking up with an unidentified girl and foul language is slim to none. While the theme of good concurring evil is redemptive Hal’s solution to finding the good is to look inside himself and see what everyone else has seen all along. This is a politically correct, self esteem charged film, but enjoyable all the same...Stephanie Spurgetis

A Story of Faith and Love

2011-06-15T12:14:00.000-07:00

Just finished Richard Wurmbrand's 1969 classic, Tortured for Christ. It is a tale of amazing faith and love.

Born in 1909 to Jewish parents, Wurmbrand grew up in Rumania. He was an atheist in his teens. After conversion in his young adult years he became a pastor to the church in Rumania. At age 35 (1944) the Russian Army invaded. For four years Wurmbrand enjoyed great success evangelizing atheist Russian soldiers. In 1948 the Communist regime imprisoned him for eight years. Three years were spent in solitary confinement in a lightless cell 12 feet underground. The tortures were extreme. It is hard to understand how Wurmbrand survived this abuse.

Nevertheless. He was freed in 1956 and immediately returned to aggressive evangelism in the Underground Church. He was imprisoned a second time. Eventually, when Western churches offered to buy Wurmbrand's freedom, his Rumanian brothers urged him to go and tell those in the West what was happening. Wurmbrand made it to freedom and eventually testified before the U.S. Senate.

He founded "Voice of the Martyrs." In addition he wrote several books about his experiences. His testimony was not just about himself, but about the thousands of Christians imprisoned and tortured like himself. Wurmbrand died in 2001.

I was encouraged by Wurmbrand's accounts of supernatural grace. How could I endure the kind of torture and depravations Wurmbrand and his brothers faced? God would enable me as he did Wurmbrand. God gave them supernatural love for their torturers. “A flower if you bruise it under your feet," notes the author, "rewards you by giving you its perfume. Likewise Christians, tortured by the communists, rewarded their torturers by love. We brought many of our jailors to Christ. And we are dominated by one desire: to give communists who have made us suffer the best we have, the salvation which comes from our Lord Jesus Christ.” (pg 66). “In our darkest hours of torture the Son of man came to us, making the prison walls shine like diamonds and filling the cells with light. Somewhere far away, were the torturers below us in the sphere of the body. But the spirit rejoiced in the Lord. We would not have given up this joy for that of kingly palaces.” (pg 73).

God also gave them supernatural grace to endure the pain.

This is a book worth reading. It is reality therapy to those pampered by Western freedoms. It will make you grateful and thankful. It will fill you with hope!

Review: “Thor: The God of Thunder”

2011-06-10T15:11:00.000-07:00

When reading the credits of “Thor” I was astounded to find Kenneth Branagh as the director. Written by Ashley Edward Miller, Zack Stentz and Don Payne, this PG-13 retelling of the mythological story of the god of Thunder moves us away from Branagh’s typical link to Shakespeare and directly into the heart of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and his younger brother, Loki (Tom Hiddleston), are the Princes of Asgard learning how to be effective rulers from their father, King Odin (Anthony Hopkins). Many years later, when Thor is to be crowned king, his coronation ceremony is interrupted by a breech in Asgard’s security causing the arrogant warrior to take matters into his own hands. In a reckless fit of rage Thor ignites a centuries old war with the Frost Giants of Jotunheim ultimately resulting in his exile from Asgard to Earth.

While on Earth, Thor loses access to his hammer, the source of his unmatchable strength, and is lowered from god to mere human standards. It is here he meets scientist Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), who not only thinks he is an egotistical brut but belongs in a mental hospital. Eventually, however, Thor is able to convince her he is worth trusting and she ultimately comes to his rescue with perfect timing. Through Jane’s example Thor learns to put others before himself resulting in a series of events benefiting Asgard as opposed to his earlier actions which only brought harm.

I recommend this movie for teens on up. I enjoyed watching the larger then life characters on the big screen, but feel the effect will be just as pertinent from the comfort of your own home. The message of the importance of humility, especially in those in high profile positions, is impossible to miss as is the display of laying down your life to serve others even when they are wrong. Hint: be sure you watch all the way to the bitter end, even ALL the credits. Staying true to their reputation, you will not want to miss Marvel’s tantalizing hint into the next installment of their comic empire...Stephanie Spurgetis

Where Have The Men Gone?

2011-06-08T11:26:00.000-07:00

A pastor friend recently described a large evangelical church in downtown London with over 1,000 single males between the age of 20 and 35. Although they work responsibly, their relationship with the opposite sex is ambivalent at best. Few are seeking mates. The same phenomenon repeats itself regularly in many North American churches. This is a dramatic change from expectations as recently as 25 years ago.

Manning Up: How the Rise of Women Has Turned Men into Boys, by Kay Hymowitz describes and chronicles this modern phenomenon in secular society. For anyone desiring to understand sex, marriage, and dating patterns in North America I strongly reccomend. The author carefully chronicles the rise of what she calls the "child-man," i.e. men between the age of 20 and 35 locked in cycles of perpetual adolescence. Hymowitz is not only a good sociologist, but she also writes well, a rare combination.

Why the child-man? Why are young single men giving themselves to potty humor, video games, beer drinking, hooking up, and disrespect for the fairer sex? What happened to marriage and the pursuit of adult male responsibility?

In the seventies George Gilder (See Men and Marriage) accurately predicted that to the degree women, motivated by the feminist movement, usurped the traditional male roles in marriage (i.e. leadership, protection, and provision) that men would abandon those institutions and turn to worthless, or worse, aggresively harmful, pursuits. Although Hymowitz doesn't reference Gilder, her book records the fulfilment of his prophecy .

As Gilder predicted, men are abandoning marriage. In the seventies the median young adult male was married by age 22. Today the median is 28 and rising. This means half of men marry after age 28. And, the more education a person has the later the marriage. A college degree bumps it to age 30, and a post graduate degree even later. This is a problem because women are most fertile in their mid twenties. By age 35, when many today are beginning their familes, the biological clock is ticking down. By age 40 one in five women are infertile. This means that the fertility rate of those deferring marriage is also dropping rapidly. In this demographic it is currently 1.7 children per female. The fertility rate must be 2.2 to maintain a level population. This means those without college are reproducing, but those with higher IQs are not. This does not bode well for the long term health of our culture. In addition, it is a grave threat to our entitlement programs like social security, medi-care, etc.

The solution? Manning Up. Hymowitz suggests that early marriage civilizes men and channels their energies into productive applications. She is right. This is the solution, but cultural expectations of delayed marriage are so deeply rooted in the millenial generation that nothing short of the gospel will solve this problem.

As Christians we cannot change culture, but we can ensure that the church maintains it prophetic posture. We are the people who cherish male and female, with their God-stamped distinctives, as a reflection of the glory of God. We cherish sexual purity. We love marriage, and we see children as God's glorious blessing. However, many join our congregations "stained" by the worldly values recoded by Hymowitz. It is our job to help them. It is our duty to encourage marriage, fidelity, fertility, and chastity. God help us to be the counter culture that pleases him.

The Wages of Sin

2011-06-03T20:39:00.000-07:00

Premarital Sex in America: How Young Americans Meet, Mate, and Think about Marrying by Regnerus and Uecker was an eye-opening read. Regnerus, a professor of sociology at the University of Texas, and Uecker, from the University of North Caroliana, have teamed up to give the reader an inside look at how America's emerging adults relate to the opposite sex.

The effects of the 1960s sexual revolution have been immense. In the sixties and seventies sex outside of marriage existed. This is nothing new. But everyone knew it was wrong. Skip forward fifty years and our cultural moral compass has turned upside down. "The majority of young adults in America," writes the authors, "not only think they should explore different relationships [sexually], they believe it may be foolish and wrong not to" (pg 171). The authors prove that 96% of 18-23 year olds in a romantic relationship are currently engaging in regular sexual intercourse. Tragically, the frequency of sex is higher and the age at first sex are actually lower amongst professing evangelicals.

Although sexual liberation and feminism seek to free women, in the sexual arena, these movements have only furthered the enslavement of females and enhanced the liberty of men. "Sexual economics" are predicated on a transaction. The female give sex and the male gives commitment, love, and security. When there are more available women than men, (the situation in our universities), the odds are tipped even more in the man's favor. He gets sex at an even further discounted cost. In general ladies are the net losers.

Regnerus and Uecker chronicle the changing attitudes toward love and realtionships, the increasing desire to delay marriage, and the ensuing falling fertility rates which threaten western culture. All of these are tied to and affected by the sexual attitudes of our culture.

These details and others are the subject of this book. I expect it to make a significant contribution to this field of study. Anyone interested in the long term effects of feminism, or the sexual liberation movement will be helped by the material in this book.

Thomas Brooks On Gratitude!

2011-05-11T15:11:00.000-07:00

Thomas Brooks (1608-80) one of the great Puritan expositors wrote the following.

"Is not Christ your treasure? Is not heaven your inheritance—and will you murmur? Has not God given you a changed heart, a renewed nature, and a sanctified soul—and will you murmur? Has He not given you Himself to satisfy you, His Son to save you, His Spirit to lead you, His grace to adorn you, His covenant to assure you, His mercy to pardon you, His righteousness to clothe you—and will you murmur? Has He not made you a friend, a son, a brother, a bride, an heir—and will you murmur?When you were dead, did not He quicken you? When you were lost, did not He seek you? When you were wounded, did not He heal you? When you were falling, did not He support you? When you were down, did not He raise you? When you were staggering, did not He establish you? When you were erring, did not He correct you? When you were tempted, did not He support you? and when you went in dangers, did not He deliver you?—and will you murmur? What! you who are so highly advanced and exalted above many thousands in the world? Murmuring suits none so badly as saints.”

The Language of Humility (Part Two)

2011-05-07T20:46:00.000-07:00

(The first blog in this series discussed the importance of gratitude. This blogs moves on to define gratitude).

To think hard about biblical thanksgiving let’s start with what it is not. It is not politeness. It is not a something that all nice people do. Although thankful people are socially agreeable, biblical gratitude is more than good manners. You can practice good etiquette by continually saying “thank you,” and not get near the biblical idea of gratitude. In her book The Gift of Thanks, Margaret Visser observes that “polite people” may say “thank you” up to 100 times per day and yet experience “little or no grateful emotion.” In other words, you can go through the outward show of politeness but not even sniff heart-felt gratitude.

Not only is it more than politeness, it is also unnatural. We must be trained to be grateful. The social sciences confirm what we, who believe in Original Sin, already know. Children must be taught to be grateful, and they often push back. One experiment set out to measure children’s propensity for gratitude. The children studied spontaneously said hello and goodbye 27% of the time, but they only thanked their benefactors 7% of the time, and then often only after great pressure from their parents. There is a reason for this. Gratitude is the language of a humble heart, and our hearts are not naturally humble. They are naturally proud.

Last, biblical thanksgiving is not something we do to manipulate others. Dad gives the car keys to his teenage daughter. She says “thank you” because she knows if she does her father is apt to let her use the car more frequently. To the uninitiated this looks like gratitude, but in reality it is the exact opposite. True thanksgiving is not outward. It is not just a matter of words. It is not an external formality.

True gratitude is a matter of the heart that expresses itself with words of thanksgiving. Gratitude is the language of humility, and humility matters greatly to God. It should also matter to us because God makes amazing promises to those who pursue humility. For example, he

“God exalts the humble” (Jam. 4:10).

He “dwells with the lowly” (Isa. 57:15).

He exalts those that humble themselves (Phil 2:5-11).

He “lifts up the humble” (Ps. 147:6).

God “gives grace to the humble” (Jam. 4:6).

God looks to and is intimate with the humble (Isa 66:2).

God also honors the humble (Pr. 15:33).

In other words, thanksgiving is the language of the humble, and humility always attracts God’s attention

It is equally true that God aggressively

“Humbles the proud (Ezek. 17:24).

He opposes the proud (James 4:6).

He withdraws from the proud (Ps. 138:6).

He repeatedly promises to bring down the proud (Pr. 18:12, 29:23).

Anyone who really believes God’s promise to bless the humble, as well as his threats to judge the proud, will joyfully and single-mindedly pursue humility.

Again, here is our important point. Gratitude is the language of the humble. Jesus said, “Out of the heart the mouth speaks.” Therefore, a humble heart increasingly gushes gratitude and thanksgiving. True heart-felt gratitude is a neon sign pointing to humility.

We can say it this way: thanksgiving amplifies humility, and humility amplifies thanksgiving.

What is the connection between gratitude and humility? Why do we say that thanksgiving is the language of humility? Thanksgiving implies need. It assumes that I don’t deserve the favor bestowed. Most people don’t thank the waitress who delivers their food. Why? They paid for it. They deserve it. In Luke 17 Jesus described a servant whom his master commanded to prepare dinner. “Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded” (Luke 17:9) Jesus asks? It is a rhetorical question. It has an obvious answer. No! He doesn’t thank the servant. Why? Because the servant is a slave. He owes his master this service.

By contrast, we thank the person who gives us an expensive birthday gift. Why? We have done nothing to deserve it. We are humbled. The giver was gracious and we were needy. It was a matter of grace. It was an expression of unmerited favor. (Anecdote: Ruths Coffee Cup).

In the same way, we deserve nothing from God’s hand but judgment. We deserve judgment, but he gives us eternal life at his Son’s expense. In addition, this gift is infinitely expensive. Therefore, we are duty bound to live life in constant thanksgiving to God.

Gratitude is the language of humility. Why? It also assumes that I am the creature and God is the Creator. Gratitude is the heart-felt confession that God is God, and I am not. Gratitude humbles me. It forces me to face reality. Creature hood means we have no rights. God created us. Therefore, everything we possess is God’s gift. For this reason, the object of true gratitude is always ultimately God. A grateful heart assumes that God is his Creator. It assumes that he is a creature. Since everything—talents, I.Q., height, appearance, parents—are gifts, the proper response of the creature is unceasing thanksgiving.

Therefore, true heart-felt gratitude confesses that I have no rights. It says,

“I did not create myself, God did. I am not responsible for my I.Q. or its lack. I did not choose my DNA. I did not pick my hair color, my height or my facial features. I did not choose my gifts or their lack. I did not choose my parents, nor did I pick the generation into which I was born. I did not even pick my race, or the country of my birth. All of these, and infinitely more, are God’s gracious gifts.”

They were given to me by a gracious God. If this is true, the appropriate response to everything is heart-felt, overflowing gratitude. This is why we say that thanksgiving is the language of humility. Every word of thanks confesses that all or some of these facts are true.

When a professional athlete boasts that “I am the best. I am the greatest” all of this is denied. He might be the most talented athlete, he might be the one with “game,” but if so, it is God’s gift. His speed, his size, or his athletic ability are ultimately gifts. His attitude should repulse us. His boasting says, “I am my own god. I made myself. I am responsible for myself.”

Boasting is the speech of naked arrogance. It is a claim to deity. It is the opposite of gratitude. In summary, thanksgiving is a confession of our ever-dependent creature hood. It is the language of the humble.

When I ask one of my friends how he is doing, he always responds with joy, “Better than I deserve.” This is the speech of the humble. It says “I have been redeemed by Christ’s death on the cross.” It looks at the cross and assumes,

“I deserve crucifixion, and I am not getting it. In fact, I will never get it, and the reason is God’s amazing grace and love. I will never get the judgment I deserve. Christ went to the cross and took it in my place. That is why, for eternity, I will never cease to “abound with thanksgiving.”

Do you have cancer? Like all disease, it is an affect of the fall. However, there is cause for great hope. Because God is sovereign, your suffering is no accident. In fact, God is now using it to channel his love into your experience, to prepare you for eternal glory (Rom. 8:18). Besides, as bad as your experience with cancer feels, you are not getting what you deserve. And you never will. So be thankful.

Did your business just fail? God is sovereign. It is no accident. God is working through it to express his love for you. Besides, you are not getting what you deserve, so be thankful.

Are you anxious and depressed? Be thankful. You are not getting what you deserve.

Thanksgiving is the confession that I am God’s debtor. I owe him everything. He owes me only judgment. Words of gratitude from humble lips confess that I really believe these truths. They confess their ongoing dependence upon God. I need him. He does not need me.

In summary, humble people attract Gods’ attention. They attract God’s favor. We are not saved by being humble. We are saved by faith plus nothing. What I am saying, however, is that God gives special favor to Christians that pursue humility. True heart-felt

The Language of Humility! (Part One)

2011-05-04T14:37:00.000-07:00

On a cold winter morning Jeff’s alarm went off. He, groaned, sat up, and put his feet on the floor. It was cold. With great sincerity he prayed, “Father, thank you for a good night’s sleep. Thank you for the soft mattress and warm blankets. God, I am even thankful for the alarm clock.”

He stumbled to the bathroom, eyes half open, mind partially there, reached for the electric razor. “Father, thank you for this shaver. Most people throughout history have shaved with a sharp knife, if at all. And while I am at it thank you for the central heating and electric lights.”

He groped his way into the kitchen, plugged the coffee pot in. “Father, thank you for this coffee pot. A gift from you. I am so grateful. No water to boil. Just plug and go. Hot Coffee! What a privilege. God, you are so good to me.”

Returning to his bedroom he opened his bedroom closet to a row of shirts, slacks, and shoes. Just yesterday he read about the average father in Southeast Asia who feeds his family on a $100 per month. He has nothing left for clothing. He prays, “Father, how great is your grace. Thank you for these material blessings. I am so unworthy.”

He gets dressed and settles into his favorite chair for prayer and Bible reading. Now he comes to the real reason for gratitude. “Father, thank you for the gospel. You chose me from before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in your sight. Why me? It wasn’t my virtues. You didn’t foresee goodness in me. That is clear. It was astounding love and grace given without assignable cause, plain and simple. Father, thank you for sending your Son to rescue me from the futile ways of my forefathers. Thank you for saving me from the wrath to come. Thank you for saving me from hell. You sent your Son to experience the horrible wrath I deserve. You did this to unite us in friendship and love. How can I comprehend such mercy? How can I thank you enough? I am so grateful for your kindness. Thank you for showing amazing grace to an unworthy sinner.”

Jeff is a man who knows what he deserves. He takes nothing for granted.

“And Father, while I’m at it, thank you for this Bible. Most Christians have never owned one, nor would they have been able to read one if they had, but I have 6 different translations, and could easily buy more. I am so grateful. And, while I am at it, “thank you for my wife and three children. Yes, they have problems. It is not all roses. None are perfect. Sometimes there is conflict, but I want to thank you for your obvious grace in their lives.”

On the way to work he takes a mental inventory of his schedule. At 10:00 he must mediate a conflict between two subordinates. “Father, thank you for this problem. How good of you to allow me to help these two. I don’t know how I am going to resolve this conflict, but I want to thank you in advance for the grace that you will provide.”

Lunch arrives. He bows his head in deep and profound gratitude. He knows that 85% of the world lives on less than $200 per month, and that huge swath of the world’s population go to bed hungry every night. He deserves worse, and he knows it. He doesn’t say grace perfunctorily or mechanically. He prays a short prayer of profound, heart-felt gratitude.

Can you relate to Jeff? Probably not. He sounds a bit Pollyanna, maybe even over the top. If you are like most Christians you know you need to be more thankful, but gratitude is a “fly-over virtue.” Yes, you are grateful, but your thanksgiving is often mechanical, and not especially sincere. Even worse, in many “circumstances” thanksgiving doesn’t even cross your mind. You know you are supposed to give thanks and be grateful, but you rarely think about it. Most significantly, you don’t consider this failure a big deal. You often grumble, complain, and give in to self-pity, but doesn’t everyone? What’s the big deal? Doesn’t God know that we are human?

But, this is not God’s perspective. Gratitude is foundational to vibrant Christianity. Its opposites—grumbling, complaining, discontentment, and self-pity—are rampant and violent statements of unbelief. They reject the gospel. They say, “I assume that I deserve God’s grace,” a grace that cost the Father his Son. They deny God’s sovereignty and his goodness. They suggest, that “God can’t be trusted.” They proclaim this message: “God isn’t really that good!” The failure to live in constant overflowing gratitude makes a simple statement: “I deserve better than I am getting.”

No well-informed Christian would ever say this out loud, but that is how God sees it. That is what ungratefulness says to God, to the angels, and to everyone watching.

Functionally, grumbling, complaining, and self pity strip God of his glory. Since God values nothing more than his glory, throughout redemptive history he has responded to this sin decisively. He aggressively punished the “grumbling” of the Jewish people. Moses called it the sin of “despising God” (Num. 14). None of us would ever think of despising God, yet that is how God sees ingratitude and its various manifestations. God consigned the grumbling Jews to death in the wilderness. For failure to be thankful they were barred from the Promised Land.

After God judged Korah, Dathan, and Abiram the Israelites grumbled a second time. How did God respond? He put 14,700 of them to death (Num. 16:49). Note: This sin wasn’t even one of the biggies—drugs, sex, or drunkenness. It was just a little grumbling.

Paul knew these stories. That is one reason that he emphasized gratitude. In fact, he exulted in it. He exhorted the churches he served, “In everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6).

Although the Corinthian church tolerated members that practiced incest, drank too much wine at communion, and even denied the resurrection, Paul began his letter to them with gratitude. “I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus” (1 Cor. 1:4). Paul was not flattering them. He was sincere.

Paul’s exhortation to gratitude also applies to our speech. “Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving” (Ephesians 5:4). How about corporate worship? “Singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:19-20).

But just being thankful isn’t enough. He commands the church at Colossae to “abound” in this virtue. “So walk in him…abounding in thanksgiving. (Col. 2:7). Some translate it “overflowing” with thanksgiving.

We can sum up Paul’s exhortations this way. Gratitude is the right way to respond to every circumstance in life. “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thes. 5:18). Gratitude and thanksgiving are not “fly over” virtues. Just the opposite. The Christian mind is to be thankful in every circumstance. In fact, Paul commands us to “overflow with thanksgiving.” We should pray with thanksgiving. We should worship with thanksgiving.

With all of this in mind, lets return to our friend, Jeff. Was his gratitude excessive? In light of these texts, I don’t think so. He was just practicing biblical Christianity. In fact, he was probably not thankful enough! He was just responding appropriately to the truths about God, man, creation and redemption that the Bible reveals. What seems excessive to us was just a fervent attempt by Jeff to be biblical, to be godly, to be the normal Christian that scripture commends.

Do you and I see it this way? By William Farley
(Continued in Part Two)

Whats So Great About the Resurrection?

2011-04-29T17:25:00.000-07:00

Romans 4:25 proclaims that Jesus was "raised for our justification." For years I read this little clause with consternation. What does it mean?” What is the connection between Christ’s resurrection and our justification?

To understand the answer we must remember that Jesus died a criminal’s death. In fact, he experienced one of the most heinous forms of capital punishment ever devised by man. His crime? He was a liar. He claimed to be king of the Jews, and the Jews and Romans were convinced he wasn’t. The plaque on his cross read “King of the Jews.” In other words, his crime was this: He claimed to be King of the Jews.

Three times he claimed that he would raise himself from the dead. His contemporaries knew this was impossible.

He talked more about hell than anyone in the Bible, and said those that tried hardest to please God by being good, the Pharisees, were most apt to go there. His first century contemporaries believed that God would never send a sincere person to hell. In that assumption they are just like us today.

Last, he claimed to be God. He said he was one with YHWH. “I and the Father are one.” “Before Abraham was I AM!” Men worshipped him, and he did not stop them. He commanded the winds. and they stopped. His disciples prostrated themselves in worship.

He commanded demons and they fled.

From birth every Jew learned that death was the penalty for sin. When Jesus died on the cross their assumptions were confirmed. He was a liar and imposter. Had he been sinless death could not have taken him. He was the sinner they assumed he was. He was certainly not God. He was not the Messiah. His statements about Hell, judgment, and the futility of performance based acceptance were obvious exaggerations. Now they could dismiss him.

In other words, the Jews and the Romans crucified Jesus because they thought he was unrighteous. His death confirmed their suspicions.

That is one crucial reason why God raised Christ from the dead. God raised Jesus to justify him, to declare his righteousness. This ideeas was behind Paul's words to his disciple, Timothy, (1 Tim. 3:16) “He was vindicated by the Spirit” (1 Tim 3:16). It is also what Paul meant when he opened the letter to the Romans saying that Jesus " was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead" (Rom. 1:4).

In other words, Christ’s resurrection was his justification. It vindicated his claims. Because Jesus did not sin, the grave could not hold him. “God raised him up,” declared Peter, “loosening the pangs of death, because it is not possible for him to be held by it” (Act 2:24). Jesus resurrection was the Father's declaration, “This man is innocent! He is righteous. He obeyed me perfectly. All of his claims are true. All of his statements are absolutely true. Believe in him! Submit to him! Worship him!”

If God raised Christ his claim to be King of the Jews was true. He is Lord of Lords and King of Kings!

If God raised Christ his claim to Messiahship is true. He fulfilled all the OT prophecies.

If God raised Christ his claim to deity was true.

If God raised Christ then all of his words were true. His threats about final judgment were true. His warnings about Hell were true. His offer of salvation was and is completely reliable. His declaration of love for the common man is true and trustworthy. We can bank our life on it. His statements about the exclusivity of the Christian religion were true. “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father except through by me” (Jn.14:6).

Most importantly, Christ’s resurrection was also our justification. Faith not only unites us with Christ in his death, it also unites us Christ in his resurrection.

This is Good News indeed! It means that Christ’s justification is our justification. It means that when God raised his Son to justify him, we get justified also. Despite our sins and failings, God declares us “not guilty” because we are raised with Christ in his justification. His righteousness becomes ours. His justification becomes our justification.

This is what Paul meant when he said, Jesus “was raised for our justification.”

The Greatest Threat to U.S. Sovereignty: The National Debt

2011-04-28T15:16:00.000-07:00

A recent article in Time Magazine (of all places) sheds considerable light on our looming National Debt Crisis. Our federal, State, and local debt poses a greater threat to United States sovereignty than all the external threats, such as communisn, Islam, etc., combined.

Take a moment to read this essay. The title, "You are what you owe," pretty much says it all. If every American citizen read these words and took them to heart, willing to make the necessary sacrifices, the current problem could be dealt with. Whether we have the national will to do this will become apparent.

Check out the New Jane Eyre Movie!

2011-04-28T09:43:00.000-07:00

Director Cary Fukunaga took a risk when he tackled Charlotte Bronte’s classic masterpiece “Jane Eyre” (rated PG-13). Starring Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland), Michael Fassbender (Jonah Hex), Jamie Bell (Billy Elliot) and Judi Dench (Quantum of Solace) “Jane Eyre” has been done and redone time and time again. The actors change but the characters and story remains the same.

Mia Wasikowska stars as the title character. An orphan cast off by her Guardian and Aunt, Mrs. Reed (Sally Hawkins), Jane Eyre grows up in Lowood School for Girls. Here she is treated with cruelty and contempt but receives an excellent education thus providing her with a way of escape. After eight years at Lowood Jane advertises for a governess position receiving a reply from Alice Fairfax (Dench), the housekeeper of Thornfield Hall. Jane accepts the position and moves into Thornfield where she spends her days teaching Adele Varens a young French girl who is the ward of Edward Fairfax Rochester, the owner of Thornfield Hall.

Mr. Rochester (Fassbender) is rarely at home and Jane lives at Thornfield for many months before meeting him. Over the course of time Mr. Rochester comes to enjoy Jane’s company finding her to be his intellectual equal and that he can easily converse with her. It is during these times together that Jane falls in love with Mr. Rochester and experiences deep jealousy with the introduction of competition in the form of Blanche Ingram (Imogen Poots). This jealousy, however, is not what eventually drives Jane from Thornfield and into the home of St. John, Diana and Mary Rivers, three siblings living together on the Moors. Jane eventually makes a life for herself with the Rivers family and even finds a job teaching at the local girls school. This is not where the story ends but I cannot tell you more without completely ruining it.

I have never claimed to be a book to movie purist, however, when it comes to “Jane Eyre” I am fiercely loyal to Charlotte Bronte’s original story. While the basic premise is still intact Fukunaga, and screen writer Moira Buffini, took some creative liberties. For instance, we meet St. John Rivers before we meet Mr. Rochester. By starting in the middle of the story the director is forced to create flashbacks in order to tell us Jane’s history. There were also multiple important details left out in order to adhere to the two hour time limit. Details I feel are needed in order to give the viewer the complete picture. I have concluded that if I had not already read the book multiple times and viewed other versions of “Jane Eyre” I would have been sorely confused about easily explainable details.

If you know the story of “Jane Eyre”, have read the book and seen the movies, I suggest you wait until this version is on DVD. I feel that it is not worth the high price of admission. However, if you do not know the story, or am indifferent about liberties taken, then by all means watch it. I personally prefer Masterpiece Theatre’s 2006 version starring Ruth Wilson and Toby Stephens...by Stephanie Spurgetis

The Power of a Good Book

2011-04-27T13:35:00.000-07:00

As any avid reader will testify, there are books and then there are books. Some contain information but little else. Others lift us into the very presence of God exerting a gravitational pull on our thought life, bringing us back to key ideas for days, sometimes weeks, and in small cases even years. For these I search, sifting through the many to find one of these rare pearls.

I think this is what Ian Murray had in mind when he wrote, “The best Christian literature is not written for the mind and intellect alone; it appeals also to the heart, the conscience, and the will. A good book does something to us, something that God put first in the spirit of the author. A book should not simply convey knowledge; it should uplift us, it should make us want to pray, and we should rise from it with an ambition to live nearer to Christ and to serve him better. Books of lasting value are books that feed the soul, and there is a ‘taste’ about them that lives on from one generation to another.”[1]

Have you encountered a book like this lately? If so, please respond with a few of your favorites. It would be a blessing to myself and anyone else reading this blog.

[1] Murray, Iain, Banner of Truth Magazine, Issue 487, pg 5

Mark Driscoll preaches to 20,000 at Qwest Field

2011-04-25T12:25:00.001-07:00

See the attached link with video of the Mars Hill Easter service. We are deeply thankful for God's grace.

To the Golden Shore

2011-04-25T12:18:00.000-07:00

Just finished To the Golden Shore: The Life of Adoniram Judson, a deeply moving biography. The last time a biography impacted me this much was twenty years ago when I read the biography of Girolamo Savonarola, A Crown of Fire, by Pierre Van Passen.

Judson and his wife, Nancy, were some of the first foreign missionaries from American soil. They left New England for Burma in 1812. Over the next 40 years thousands followed to remote locations like India, Pakistan, Africa, and South America.

Several aspects of Judson's life impacted me. First, his dedication, his perseverance in the face of enormous obstacles, and his willingness to suffer. Judson and his wife modeled what it meant when Jesus told us that a grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die before it can bear much fruit. They died and much fruit followed. Jesus modeled this principle. Paul did also. If we live, it is because someone else has died.

Judson and Nancy arrived in Burma in 1813. It was a superstitiouis nation, completely isolated from the outside world. Only a handful of foreigners lived there, and they were persecuted. The government was despotic. It methodically oppressed the native people, who enjoyed no civil rights. Anyone could be imprisoned at any time for any or no reason. Torture was routine, life expectancy was short, disease was rampant, and the people were illiterate.

Progress for the Judsons was slow. It was six years before Adoniram and Nancy gained their first convert. That is because the Burmese were deeply enslaved by a rigid form of Buddhism. However, soon after the first convert a slow trickle of other baptisms began to occur. All the while, Judson gave himself relentlessly to translating the Bible into the Burmese language.

In the meantime death stalked his little family. Their first child was still born. The second lived 6 months. The third died at 24 months. In 1822-24 Adoniram was incarcerated in the Burmese Death Prison for 17 months. This prison was a literal Hell on earth. Nancy kept him alive by bringing food and provision. The effort exhausted her to such an extent that she died a few months after Judson's release. At her death he descended into a deep depression that lasted for three years.

Slowly he began to recover. He married his second wife, Sarah. the widow of a fellow missionary whose who had died of Tuberculosis. She proved to be a delightful companion and help-mate. She gave Adoniram eight children of which five survived.

To find out how God used his suffering, his impact on the missonary movement, and the triumph of his last years, you will need to buy and read this book. I couldn't put it down. One night I laid in bed reading until 12:30. I haven't done that since reading the Tolkien's Trilogy in the 1980s. To the Golden Shores both humbled and encouraged me.

Parenting Conference

2011-04-12T15:32:00.000-07:00

Judy and I just returned from a parenting conference at Christ Presbyterian Church in New Braunfels, Texas. New Braunfels is a suburb of San Antonio. Austin lies 45 minutes in the opposite direction. The bumper stickers from Austin read, "Keep Austin Weird." That pretty much says it all. Austin is the San Francisco of Texas.

With the exception of Austin, the South is a different place. People are respectful, courteous, well dressed, deferential. It was Hawaii hot. Ninety five during the day dropping to 65 at night. All in all, we had a wonderful time, relaxed, and made some new friends.

Piper and R.C. Sproul: A moving Tribute!

2011-04-02T17:43:00.000-07:00

Justin Taylor has written a moving tribute to two elderly, influential evangelical statesman, John Piper and R. C. Sproul. Many of you reading have been deeply impacted by their books. Take a moment to reflect on their legacy. They will not be with us long.

Driving Miss Daisy!

2011-04-01T16:12:00.000-07:00

Winner of four 1989 Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actress, Driving Miss Daisy has stood the test of time continuing to bring laughter, joy and tears. Adapted from Alfred Uhry’s play of the same name, this beloved movie, staring Jessica Tandy, Morgan Freeman and Dan Ackroyd, still strikes a chord as it skillfully navigates the subjects of racism, friendship and growing older.

Jessica Tandy stars as Mrs. Daisy Werthan. An elderly Jewish widow living alone in Atlanta, Georgia in 1948. Our first encounter of Miss Daisy comes as she accidentally drives her car in the opposite direction then intended leaving it totaled. Miss Daisy’s son Boolie (Aykroyd) steps in before she has a chance to try it again. Booley hires Hoke Colburn (Freeman) as Miss Daisy’s African American chauffeur. Hoke’s presence at Miss Daisy’s house is met with meager hospitality. Despite Miss Daisy’s insistence that she does not need a chauffeur Hoke refuses to back down namely because he is Boolie’s employee, not hers.

Over the course of twenty years we watch as Miss Daisy and Hoke grow older, forming an unbreakable bond. We watch as Miss Daisy teaches Hoke to read and has him drive her to her brother’s ninetieth birthday party taking him out of Georgia for the first time. Together they endure the racism permeating the South, but not just against African Americans. When Miss Daisy’s synagogue is bombed she comes to realize they have more in common then she thought. Miss Daisy and Hoke come to depend on one another remaining lasting friends until the bitter end.

Having not seen “Driving Miss Daisy” since childhood, I was looking forward to taking a two hour trip down memory lane. With surprise I realized I had gotten so wrapped up in the lives of Miss Daisy and Hoke that I cried at the tenderness found in their relationship. Race, religion and age had melted away leaving only a deep friendship with a bond tighter then a lot of people ever experience.

I heartily recommend this film. Having no sexual content, violence or foul language I find it to be appropriate for the whole family. However, warn your kids that this is no Pixar film and allow them to opt out until they are old enough to rent it for themselves thus truly appreciating the story for what it is....Stephanie Spurgetis

Kevin DeYoung on "Love Wins!"

2011-03-30T14:55:00.000-07:00

The Christian blogosphere has been in major upheaval over Rob Bells new book, Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived

Bell is the pastor of the "other" Mars Hill Church, but this one is in Michigan. He ministers to about 10,000 on a give Sunday. 50,000 people download his Sunday sermons. This means he is influential, and that is the problem. Last week "Love Wins" was number 4 on the Amazon.com best seller's list.

In "Love Wins" Bell asserts that, in the end, everyone goes to Heaven. In other words, he is a universalist. This is just old fashioned unbelief in a new disguise. I think Jesus called them "wolves in sheep's clothing." We are concerned, and you should be also. If everyone goes to Heaven why waste time on church, belief, creeds, serving, or comittment. As the apostle Paul noted, why not "eat and drink for tomorrow we die."

If you or someone you love is interested in this book, or influenced by it, you need to read Kevin DeJung's review. You can find it here.

Posted by Bill Farley

New Sovereign Grace CD Available!

2011-03-30T14:16:00.000-07:00

Easter will be here soon, and the newest Sovereign Grace Ministries music CD, Risen, has been released. Go here to obtain great prices on the CD until April 4, then it reverts to the regular price.

I have been listening for several days and can highly reccomend. Thirteen songs proclaim the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the implications for daily life.

Buy and enjoy. We will sing some of these songs on Sunday morning. Pastor Bill

Great Book on Church Planting

2011-03-25T11:22:00.000-07:00

Just finished Darrin Patrick's book, Church Planter: The Man, the Message, the Mission. In three sections this book discusses the man who plants, his message,and his mission. The book is a general exhortation. If you are looking for specifics on how to church plant, this is not the book to buy. However, if you are looking for solid advice on what kind of man is a successful church planter, the content of his preaching, and the character of his mission, you can do no better than this book.

Especially helpful was the chapter about the leaders dependence, the importance of preaching sin and idolatry, and the chapter on contextualization. The chapter on contextualization might be the best discussion of that subject that I have encountered to this date.

If you plan to plant a church, or be involved in a church plant, this book is must reading. Here is a favorite quote. “The whole of our ministry as Christian pastors must be characterized by the supernatural—that is, by what is not possible without God’s help, by what we are unable to do through our natural abilities.”[1]...Bill Farley

[1] Darin Patrick, Church Planter, (Wheaton: Crossway, 2010) pg 64

Eight Questions to Help Your Kids Get Something out of the Sermon

2011-03-20T21:09:00.000-07:00

Here is a useful, helpful blog to help you help your children get more out of the Sunday Sermon. I think you will find it most helpful.

Readers Digest Version of Rob Bell's New Book

2011-03-20T16:03:00.000-07:00

A fire storm has been raging in the blogosphere about Rob Bells' new book Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived . The reason for the firestorm is apparent: Rob Bell is a universalist. If you want to spend your time other than pouring over hours of debate about this book, read this blog. My friend Tony Reinkie put it together. It is excellent, to the point, and gives one brief overview of why all the commotion.

Overflowing with Thanksgiving!

2011-03-17T12:06:00.000-07:00

Gratitude is foundational to vibrant Christianity. Its opposites—grumbling, complaining, discontentment, and self-pity—are rampant and violent statements of unbelief. They reject the gospel. they assume grace—grace that cost the Father his Son. They deny God’s sovereignty. They suggest, that “God can’t be trusted.” They proclaim this message: “God isn’t really that good!” The failure to live in constant overflowing gratitude says, “I deserve better than I am getting.”
No well-informed Christian would ever say this out loud, but that is how God sees it. That is what ungratefulness says to God, to the angels, and to everyone watching your life.

Functionally, grumbling, complaining, and self pity strip God of his glory. Since God values nothing more than his glory, he has responded decisively throughout redemptive history. He aggressively punished the “grumbling” of the Jewish people. Moses called it the sin of “despising God” (Num. 14). None of us would ever think of despising God, yet that is how God sees ingratitude and its various manifestations. God consigned the grumbling Jews to death in the wilderness. For failure to be thankful they were barred from entering the Promised Land.

After God judged Korah, Dathan, and Abiram the Israelites grumbled a second time. How did God respond? He put 14,700 of them to death (Num. 16:49).

Paul knew these stories. That is one reason that he emphasized gratitude. In fact, he exulted in it. He exhorted the churches he served, “In everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6).

Although the Corinthian church tolerated members that practiced incest, drank too much wine at communion, and even denied the resurrection Paul began his letter to them with gratitude. “I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus” (1 Cor. 1:4). Paul was not flattering them, or trying to butter them up. He was sincere.

Paul commends thankful speech. “Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving” (Ephesians 5:4). How about corporate worship? “Singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:19-20).

But just being thankful wasn’t enough. He commands the church at Colossae to “abound” in this virtue. “So walk in him…abounding in thanksgiving. (Colossians 2:6–7). Some translate it “overflowing” with thanksgiving.

In summary, gratitude was the right way to respond to all circumstances. “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thes. 5:18).

To the apostolic mind, gratitude and thanksgiving were not “fly over” virtues. Just the opposite. The Christian mind is to be thankful in all circumstances. In fact, Paul commands us to “overflow with thanksgiving.” We should pray with thanksgiving and do worship with thanksgiving.
Do you and I see it this way?

2011-03-16T16:35:00.000-07:00

Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell and Donald Sutherland star in director Kevin Macdonald’s historical epic film The Eagle (Rated PG-13). Adapted from Rosemary Sutcliff’s novel “The Eagle of the Ninth” this film lands us in the year 140AD in the northern part of Great Britain where we meet a young Roman centurion named Marcus Flavius Aquila (Tatum).

Twenty years earlier Aquila’s father was serving as commander of the ninth Roman legion in North Britain where he and all his men mysteriously disappeared along with a Roman eagle standard. Aquila’s father was the last to hold the eagle standard and questions of his loyalty to Rome have plagued the family since. Determined to redeem his family’s honor Aquila serves as a Roman centurion who has been posted in Britain as a garrison commander. However, an unexpected battle wound puts an early end to Aquila’s military career leaving him depressed and restless.

While living at his Uncle’s (Sutherland) estate in southern Britain, Aquila hears rumors that the eagle standard has been sighted in Nothern Britain. Aquila decides to recover the eagle with the help of his British slave Esca (Bell). While traveling through north Britain Aquila and Esca encounter one of the survivors of the ninth legion, Guern. Recalling the ambush twenty years earlier Guern remembers the eagle standard was taken by the Seal People. Continuing on their travels Aquila and Esca encounter the Seal People several weeks later. Lying to protect Aquila, Esca identifies himself as a chieftain’s son fleeing Rome and introduces Aquila as his slave. Because of Esca’s family station the two are accepted as guests of the Seal People.
Eventually Aquila and Esca leave the hospitality of the Seal People. Whether or not they have found the eagle and have it in their position is up to you to discover. While there was no sexual content and I don’t recall much profanity, if any, I do not necessarily recommend this film. The Seal People were barbaric in appearance and action and I found them to be frightening. I also found I was a little bored in places, but not for lack of action. If you do watch this film, I recommend renting it. Don’t waste your money at the theater....Stephanie Spurgetis

American Church In Crisis?

2011-03-12T18:09:00.000-08:00

It is not uncommon to hear people complain at the news of a church plant. "We don't need new churches," they say. But David T. Olson argues the opposite. In his book
The American Church in Crisis: Groundbreaking Research Based on a National Database of over 200,000 Churches the author points out that only 17.5% of Americans attend church regularly and that percent is precipitously dropping.

The population of America has increased by 100 million people since 1970, an increase of 50%, and the church is losing ground. About 4,000 churches are planted each year even while about 3600 close. That is a gain of about 400 churches. However, to keep up with the population growth Olson contends that we need to gain about 4,000 churches per year, an increase of 10 fold.

Truly, the North American church is in crisis and vigorous, sustained church planting efforts are the solution. In the words of Tim Keller, "The vigorous, continual planting of new congregations is the single most crucial strategy for 1) the numerical growth of the Body of Christ in any city, and 2) the continual corporate renewal and revival of the existing churches in a city. Nothing else--not crusades, outreach programs, para-church ministries, growing mega-churches, congregational consulting, nor church renewal processes--will have the consistent impact of dynamic, extensive church planting. This is an eyebrow raising statement. But to those who have done any study at all, it is not even controversial."[1]

[1] http://download.redeemer.com/pdf/learn/resources/Why_Plant_Churches-Keller.pdf

Continue In Prayer!

2011-03-12T14:48:00.000-08:00

In Colossians 4:2 Paul exhorts the Colossian church to “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.”
The word “continue” implies that the Colossians are already praying. Paul doesn’t exhort them to start praying. He asks them to “continue” in prayer. Jesus expected every healthy believer to be about prayer. For example, Jesus said “and when you pray,” (Matt 6) not “if you pray.” Paul expects the Colossians to be like the early church after Pentecost. Luke tell us that they “devoted themselves…to prayer” (Acts 2:42). Paul expects the Colossians to be a people of prayer. Prayer is not optional.

We should pray because we are needy. Jesus was the only perfect person. He was God. He was the only person who didn’t need to pray. But, that is not what we find. He rose early to pray. (Mark 1:35) "35 And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed." He even spent whole nights in prayer. (Luke 6:12) "12 In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God."

Paul saw prayer the same way. Notice how he begins his letter to the Colossians. "And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding" (Col. 1:9). This letter closes with a snapshot of Epaphras imitating Jesus and Paul in this important matter of continuing in prayer. "Epaphras…greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers" (Col. 4:12).

Paul also exhorts the Colossians to continue steadfastly in Prayer. “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.” Webster defines “Steadfastness” as “firmly fixed in place. Not subject to change. Firm in belief, determination or adherence.” In other words, one who prays steadfastly starts and never gives up. For example, I have been praying for the salvation of certain relatives for over twenty years. It hasn’t happened yet, but I will not give up until I or they are dead.

I prayed for a mate for my oldest daughters for 36 years. Eventually God was faithful. I have been praying for revival for over 20 years, and I have not given up. Please join me.

I have been praying to overcome certain weaknesses for 40 years and am still working on them. I haven’t given up. Jesus’ story of the persistent widow (Luke 18:1ff) encourages me. She went to the judge for justice, but because she was a poor widow he ignored her. She didn’t give up. She pestered him continually night and day until he finally gave in. Here is Jesus conclusion. "And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Luke 18:7-8).

Let us turn to God in prayer.

Are You Called to Full Time Ministry?

2011-03-08T17:18:00.000-08:00

C.J. Mahaney interviews James Campbell for four minutes on how to know if you are called to full time ministry. It might be the best thing I have ever heard on this subject. If you have ever given any thought to full time ministry, take a momen and watch it here. Here is a quote.

"Ministry is a privilege not a right. You don’t get it because you want it. You get it because a community of believers affirmed that level of giftedness and calling in you. God is not calling you full time until he needs full time what you are doing part time. One is not in full time ministry because they can do things. You are in full time ministry because you can get people to do things.”

Mission: This Will Provoke Weeping!

2011-02-25T17:58:00.000-08:00

An 18 year old North Korean orphaned student gave this testimony at the Lausanne Conference on World Evangelism recently held in Cape Town, South Africa. John Piper spoke, but this nine minute testimony brought the house down. Watch and weep!

The Gospel and Porn!

2011-02-25T10:55:00.000-08:00

Porn is a plague on modern culture. The cost to human flourishing is incalculable. Ultimately, understanding and applying the gospel is the solution. Here is a four and one half minute interview with John Piper, Tim Keller, and Don Carson that will help anyone struggling with this issue. Enjoy!

Would love your feedback.

A Great Movie!

2011-02-23T16:54:00.000-08:00

Colin Firth delivers an Oscar worthy performance in “The King’s Speech” (Rated R). Based on a true story “The King’s Speech” chronicles King George VI’s public battle with stuttering. At first glance one would not think a speech impediment would be an appropriate movie topic, however, I found the film to be entertaining and informative.

Our first glimpse of Prince Albert, Duke of York, the second son of King George V, (Colin Firth) comes in 1925 as he is giving a speech in Wembley Stadium at the close of the British Empire Exhibition. Accompanied by his wife, Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter), it is clear Prince Albert’s stuttering not only makes him uncomfortable, but the crowd as well. After many unsuccessful attempts at treatment Prince Albert finally gives up, determined to live a full life despite his impediment. But, his wife convinces him to try just one more therapist.

Geoffrey Rush performs beautifully as the unconventional speech therapist Lionel Logue. Breaking all Royal etiquette rules, Lionel convinces Prince Albert that he can help him no matter how off beat his methods may seem. Through the therapy process, Lionel and Prince Albert become friends, an almost unheard of connection between Royalty and commoners. Years pass and Lionel digs deep into Prince Albert’s emotional past attempting to find the root cause of the stutter believing that attacking the root was necessary to treat the symptoms.

When George V dies in 1936, the Prince of Wales (Guy Pearce) becomes King Edward VIII. However, King Edward is torn by his duty to his country and his love of Wallis Simpson, an American socialite (Eve Best), who has not only been divorced once but is still married to her second husband. When Prince Albert points out to his older brother King Edward that he cannot marry a divorced woman and retain the thrown, King Edward abdicates in order to marry and Prince Albert succeeds him as King George VI. The emotional scene of King George’s first speech as King in 1939 when England makes a declaration of war on Germany, thus entering World War II, makes the whole film worthwhile.

Expecting to receive a creative history lesson, I was blown away by the performances of the entire cast of “The King’s Speech”. I highly recommend this movie and, if you are able, suggest seeing it on the big screen before renting it. The accents can, at times, be slightly difficult to understand, but it was fun to feel Lionel’s larger than life personality resonating from the monstrous screen. The R rating comes from a few profanity laced scenes during Prince Albert’s speech therapy lessons, but the cardinal rule for this film is context, context, context. Aside from these few brief profane scenes the film is clean and free of all sexual content and references. I give “The King’s Speech” five out of five stars...Stephanie Spurgetis

Top Ten Sovereign Grace Songs

2011-02-21T19:49:00.000-08:00

As Most of you know, one of the best things about Sovereign Grace Ministries is their music. Here is a list of the top ten favorites. I think you will find them interesting.

When To Correct a Brother?

2011-02-16T16:20:00.000-08:00

Often we are in agony wondering whether we should "forbear" with our brother's foibles and weaknesses (Eph 4:2), or "restore them in a spirit of gentleness" as prescribed in Gal. 6:1. Between Two Worlds has an excellent short discussion here on this crucial subject. I found it most helpful. It is a tool to use in marriage, our parenting, or our relationships at church.

As always, your thoughts on this short essay are appreciated.

Tim Challies Nails It!

2011-02-15T07:08:00.000-08:00

If you have ever wondered what is wrong with the gospel preached by many evangelicals, take a moment to read this short post by Tim Challies. He hits the nail on the head. This message should be trumpeted throughout Christendom.

Parenting and the Cross

2011-02-12T14:59:00.000-08:00

Every repetition of the fifth commandment in scripture ends with the reminder that there are consequences for obedience or disobedience. Col. 3:20 is no exception. “Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.”

Although we are justified by faith alone and made righteous with Christ’s righteousness because we believe, it is still possible to please or displease God. Col. 3:20 tells us that obedience “please the Lord” just as disobedience “displeases the Lord.” A mature Christian is able to hold these two truths in tension.

Here is the first truth that we must hold in tension. If you are a Christian, failure to obey God will never cause him to reject you. You are clothed in Christ’s righteousness. He is as pleased with you as he is pleased with his Son. Rom. 8:35 asks the rhetorical question, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” The answer is “No person, No thing, or No failing.”

But there is a second truth. Your works, or their absence, can cause God to be either pleased or displeased with you. God is a father. Fathers love their children, even those that deeply disappoint them. They never quit loving their children. They can be upset with them, but they will never reject them. They will never cast them out of their family. They cannot be disinherited.

But because they love them, they will discipline them, and the discipline can be exceedingly painful. Because he struck the rock, rather than spoke to it, God barred Moses from entrance to the Promised Land. Moses was saved. He was deeply loved by God. He stood next to Christ in glory on the Mount of Transfiguration, yet he suffered greatly for his sin.

Because of David’s adultery and murder the sword never departed from his family. Remember, David was the man after God’s own heart. Hebrews 11 lists him as one of the heroes of faith. But the suffering that his sin unleashed in his family was off the charts.

Therefore, our text reads. “Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.” This means children can either please or displease God. In each case there are profound consequences.

Negatively: Disobedience displeases the Lord. In scripture, rebellion against parental authority is exceedingly serious. As we have noted, it is always rebellion against God. Again, that is how God sees it. Listen to God's Word on this subject.

(Ex 21:15) "“Whoever strikes his father or his mother shall be put to death."

(Ex 21:17) "“Whoever curses his father or his mother shall be put to death."

(Dt 21:18-21) " “If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and, though they discipline him, will not listen to them, then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gate of the place where he lives, and they shall say to the elders of his city, ‘This our son is stubborn and rebellious; he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard.’ Then all the men of the city shall stone him to death with stones. So you shall purge the evil from your midst, and all Israel shall hear, and fear."

(Dt 27:16) "Cursed be anyone who dishonors his father or his mother.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’"

(Pr 30:17) "The eye that mocks a father and scorns to obey a mother will be picked out by the ravens of the valley and eaten by the vultures."

These texts are not in the Bible to motivate us to administer the death penalty to our children. They are in the Bible to impress us with the seriousness of these sins, and what they would receive if God were not slow to anger.

They are also here to impress us with the immensity of God’s love. In our place Jesus took the “death penalty” that we and our children deserve. We have all been stubborn and rebellious. Some of us have struck our parents. Some of us have even cursed our parents. All of us have failed to obey our parents or dishonored them. In God’s sight these sins are capital crimes. That is how serious they are. And here is the amazing truth. God is love. How do we know that? God sent his Son to come and take the death penalty in our place.

We will get serious about parenting to the degree that we see the horror of sin and the infinite nature of God’s love, mercy, and grace. We see both the horror of our sin and the love of God at the Cross.

Positively: God wants to Bless children Col 3:20 reads, “Children obey your parents in everything, for this please the Lord." This means it also works the other way. God blesses the child that obeys its parents. Col 3:20 tell us that a child’s obedience “pleases the Lord.” In addition, Eph 6 reminds us thtat the fifth commandment is the first one with a promise, “That it may go well with you in the Land.”

Both the fifth commandment in Exodus and its repetition in Deuteronomy have a promise attached—first, “a long life” and a life that “goes well with them in the land.” (When the Ten Commandments were given the Jewish people knew little of Heaven or eternal life. The rewards were confined to this life).

So brothers and sisters, in light of the cross, lets get serious about parenting. Lets do it because we love our children, and because we are passionate about the glory of God.

Mortifying Porn

2011-02-11T10:54:00.000-08:00

I wish I could make every guy in our church read the book "Closing the Window; Steps to living porn free" by Tim Chester. As a pastor I'm always looking for tools to give males and females (surprisingly 1 in 5 porn viewers is female according to Chester's research) who struggle with lust. This book is now my go to resource. What makes this book so helpful is its gospel centered approach. Yes this book rightfully instill the fear of God into porn users but it also fills one with hope that change is possible through the gospel. Even if one does not struggle with porn this book is still worth reading if one wants to grasp how the gospel affects change. (David Farley)

Temple Grandin, A Movie To See

2011-02-09T16:20:00.000-08:00

Temple Grandin (rated PG) is an Emmy Award winning HBO biopic of a high-functioning autistic woman named Temple Grandin. Directed by Mick Jackson, “Temple Grandin” stars Claire Danes as the title character. We meet Temple Grandin the summer after her high school graduation as she prepares to leave for college. The director uses a series of flashbacks from Temple’s childhood and high school days to draw the audience into her world as an autistic woman growing up in the 1950’s and 1960’s. These flashbacks include a series of pictures which are meant to show us that because she is autistic Temple’s brain processes information completely differently then you or I would, all the while finding answers to difficult problems a person of average intelligence could not comprehend. A difficult science project would become an obsession for Temple until she had conquered the challenge, while you or I would have given up long before. Not only are these flashbacks used as a display for Temple’s brilliance, but we also learn that normal interactions with other humans (such as a hug) leave her flustered and distressed almost beyond repair.

Through the careful guidance and tireless help of family and teachers, Temple goes on to graduate not only from high school, but earned a Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctorate. While studying for her Master of Science in Animal Science from Arizona State University in the early 1970’s, Temple developed more humane ways to handle livestock. This is not an animal rights film. The cattle are still butchered; however, Temple’s work revolutionized common practices in slaughter plants and livestock farms saving the ranchers money and time. Her practices are still widely used today.

I highly recommend this movie. Admittedly I watched it without knowing what it was about and was pleasantly surprised. Having been personally touched by children with autism I cried at the struggles Temple faced to simply learn in a classroom setting or have a normal conversation at a Christmas party. Claire Danes shines as Temple Grandin and obviously put her heart and soul into the role that not only brings awareness to autism, but also to the work Temple Grandin has done in the field of livestock that inadvertently affects all meat eaters....Stephanie Spurgetis

Rare Film Of J.R.R. Tolkien

2011-02-07T20:32:00.000-08:00

The blog Between Two Worlds posted a link to this rare footage of J.R.R. Tolkien smoking his pipe, drinking English ale, and talking about his writing. It appears to be the 1960s. Those of you who have read Tolkien will love it. The footage shows Tolkien at Oxford, where he taught for decades. I was there last summer, so all of this has special meaning. Would love your comments.

Enjoy!

Christianity Isn't Religion, or is it?

2011-02-07T18:46:00.000-08:00

“In a sermon Dick Lucas once preached, he recounted an imaginary conversation between an early Christian and her neighbor in Rome.

“Ah,” the neighbor says. “I hear you are religious! Great! Religion is a good thing. Where is your temple or holy place?”

“We don’t have a temple,” replies the Christian. “Jesus is our temple.”

“No temple? But where do your priests work and do their ritual?”

“We don’t have priests to mediate the presence of God,” replies the Christian. “Jesus is our priest.”

“No priests? But where do you offer your sacrifices to acquire the favor of your God?

“We don’t need a sacrifice,” replies the Christian. “Jesus is our sacrifice.”

“What kind of religion is this?” sputters the pagan neighbor.

And the answer is, it’s no kind of religion at all.”

—Tim Keller, King’s Cross: The Story of the World in the Life of Jesus, p. 48.

The Advantage of Being Criticized

2011-02-02T18:15:00.000-08:00

In his post to pastors, C. J. Mahaney explains that, although painful at the time, the experience of being criticized is a huge boost to our maturity. Whether pastor or housewife, you will probably find this short article most helpful. Take a moment to read it and post your insightful response...David Farley

Wycliffe Bible

2011-01-28T10:50:00.000-08:00

In preparing for Sunday School I came across this portion of the Wycliffe Bible. See if you can tell what famous passage this is? It is amazing how much the English Language has changed.

Wycliffe Bible (Purvey Edition, 1388)

The Lord gouerneth me, and no thing schal faile to me;

in the place of pasture there he hath set me.

He nurshide me on the watir of refreischyng;

he conuertide my soule.

He ledde me forth on the pathis of rightfulnesse; for his name.

For whi though Y schal go in the myddis of schadewe of deeth;

Y schal not drede yuels, for thou art with me.

Thi yerde and thi staf; tho han coumfortid me.

Thou hast maad redi a boord in my sight;

agens hem that troblen me.

Thou hast made fat myn heed with oyle;

and my cuppe, fillinge greetli, is ful cleer.

And thi merci schal sue me; in alle the daies of my lijf.

And that Y dwelle in the hows of the Lord; in to the lengthe of daies.

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps

2011-01-28T10:44:00.000-08:00

A few nights ago my wife and I watched "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps" by Oliver Stone. I'm still not sure what to make of this film but I find myself thinking about it often. Stone does a praiseworthy job of exposing the empty promises of money. Idolatry always enslaves leaving us empty and broken. We all know this in theory yet deep down if we are honest we think that having more money will make us happier. A good companion to this move is Tim Keller's excellent book "Counterfiet Gods". Maybe Oliver Stone read it. Maybe you should read it. This movie is well acted, well filmed, well written, and clean. Warning! If you barely passed your finance classes in college (like me) you may get confused with the Wall Street Jargon...David Farley

Desert Island list

2011-01-28T10:07:00.000-08:00

In Sunday School two weeks ago I (DF) wrapped up the Hermeneutics series by mentioning my Desert Island list. What in the world is my desert island list? If I was stranded on a desert island and could only have five books with me for the rest of my life these are the five books I would chose.  Everyone needs a desert island list. But If you don't aniticipate being stranded on a desert Island and you are serious about understanding your Bible better these are the first five books you should purchase.

1. "ESV Study Bible"  This is the Gold standard for Study Bibles has no peers. If your not convinced I dare you to read it.

2. "The New Bible Dictionary" This is a great tool for looking up the meaning of Biblical words and phrases.

3. "The Evangelical Dictionary of Theology" Not only does this resource contain key words from the Bible it also contains key theological, historical, and biographical entries. Now admit it, this books sounds like fun.  Besides my Study Bible I pull this off the shelf most frequently.

4. "The New Bible Commentary" Commentaries on individual books are almost always better. But since your stuck on a desert island and you don't have room for 66 commentaries this is the the best one volume commentary on the whole Bible. Hats off to IVP who chose an excellent set of editors for this volume. Make sure you purchase the most recent revision.



5. "Systematic Theology" by Wayne Grudem.   This is currently the best selling Systematic Theology on the market. This makes sense since it is highly readable, devotional (yes I said devotional), and theologically sound.

Disappearing Marriage!

2011-01-27T11:41:00.000-08:00

Even though hotly contested today, anyone with basic common sense will confess that marriage between a man and woman is the backbone of civilization. Break or discourage this union and the social house of cards will come tumbling down.

Recent data from the Pew Charitable Trust national survey on marriage just came out, and the trends are discouraging. Marriage is disappearing even as it is redefined. In 1968 72% of adults were married. Today only 52% are. In 1978 28% thought marriage was becoming obsolete. Today almost 40% hold that conviction. Almost 40% of births are to a single parent. This does not portend good news for the rising generation. Lacking fathers there will be a substantial collapse of self-control, capacity for compassion, and ability to defer gratification, virtues that most social research ascribes to the active presence of fathers.

Forty years ago 68% of twenty somethings were married. Today only 26% are. Discouraged by a diminished role for men in marriage and society, single men are reluctant to pursue young ladies. "What do I have to offer?" he thinks.

The deferral of first marriage to a later age is also responsible for falling fertility rates. For our population to avoid decline, the fertility rate must be at or above 2.1 children per female. We, as well as most industrialized societies, are at or below this level.

In his book The Empty Cradle, Phillip Longman notes the lone exception to these trends...patriarchy. By that he doesn't mean abuse by tyrannical males. He means marriages where fatherhood is valued, where men do what God created them to do; protect, lead, and provide for their families.

If this is true the gospel is the ultimate solution to these social problems. For the gospel encourages male servant leadership in both church and home.

As always, you observations are appreciated.

Dallas Theological Seminary

2011-01-21T10:52:00.000-08:00

Just finished reading An Uncommon Union: Dallas Theological Seminary and American Evangelicalism by John Hannah, long time professor at DTS. Founded in 1924 by Lewis S. Chafer, Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS) has had a major and profound influence on North American Evangelicalism.

The first half of the book covers the life and influence of Chafer. Founders are usually visionaries who leave an indelible mark on the institutions they found. This well describes the impact of Lewis S. Chafer. Born in 1871, Chafer studied musical theory for two years before becoming a full time evangelist. At the turn of the 20th century he came under the influence of C. I. Scofield, 30 years his senior and the author of the well known Scofield Study Bible first published in 1909.

Lacking any earned degrees, let alone theological degrees, Chafer founded DTS in 1924. His goal was a seminary that would produce students uninfluenced by theological systems, students influenced by the Bible alone. Although a godly man, this goal displayed Chafer's ignorance. Anyone who thinks himself sufficiently knowledgeable to be a professor at a theological seminary should know that this goal is unattainable. Everyone is influence by a theological system. It is impossible to be completely objective.

However, Chafer was blind to this principle. His premillenial, pretribulational, dispenstional theological grid utterly dominated his own thoughtlife. If anyone approached the Bible with subjective bias, it was he. Nevertheless, this was the theological milieu of DTS in its early years, and the institution suffered accordingly.

However, as the decades passed and new presidents served DTS things changed. In the 50s and 60s DTS became more hardened in Chafer's excentricities, but by the end of the 20th century DTS had more fully entered into the mainstream of theological orthodoxy.

An Uncommon Union was a thought provoking book. At times the ignorat fundamentalism of the seminary's early years depressed me, but by the books ending my mood changed. DTS sailed into the 21st century a major conservative evangelical seminary of significant value.

I reccomend this book to anyone wanting to understand the history of 20th century evangelicalism. It is a significant contributioin to this subject.

Conference Report

2011-01-17T15:47:00.000-08:00

Just returned from Christ Covenant Church in Charlotte, NC where Judy and I conducted a parenting conference. Christ Covenant is a large PCA congregration. The church campus is on about ten acres. The city even named the street "Christ Covenant Street." Churchwise, Charotte is a different world. The picture at the left says it all. The "worship center" seats 2500, and the size of this church didn't seem to be unusual. We saw structures like this everywhere. No wonder Charlotte is called "the city of churches."

We made friends, and were encouraged by many ardent, sincere, zealous believers. God has his people everywhere.

Charlotte feels wealthy, middle class, and conservative. Many of the old churches are merely today's monuments to past decades when spiritual vitality was the norm. Others are pregnant with gospel life. Christ Covenant Church seemed to be in the latter category. Both Judy and I felt honored and deeply priveleged to minister to these special people.

Do We Deceive Ourselves?

2011-01-13T09:37:00.000-08:00

In his true story on WWII espionage, Operation Mincemeat: How a Dead Man and a Bizarre Plan Fooled the Nazis and Assured an Allied Victory, the author notes a crucial ingredient that needs to be present in order to deceive a foreign power's secret service. “ Deception is a sort of seduction. In love and war, adultery and espionage, deceit can only succeed if the deceived party is willing, in some way, to be deceived. The betrayed lover sees only the signs of love, and blocks out the evidence of faithlessness, however glaring.”[1] In other words, we open ourselves to deception when we love something too much.

Paul tells us that spiritual deception works the same way. “The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness" (2 Thessalonians 2:9–12).

The love of something more than the Truth will set us up for deception. In other words, idols are the root cause of all deception. We love popularity, so we refuse to believe the truths that are unpopular. We love a pet theory of God, so we reject verses that contradict that theory.

A seminary education will not insure freedom from deception. Repenting of mental idols is the best way to insure orthodoxy. Daily repentance is the best way to insure walking in the Truth.

[1] Ben Macintyre, Operation Mincemeat, (London: Bloomsbury, 2010) pg 239

Do We Need Church Plants?

2011-01-13T08:59:00.000-08:00

Some complain when they hear of a new church plant. "We don't need more churches." However, in his book Breakout Churches: Discover How to Make the Leap Thom Ranier notes that "eighty percent of the churches in North America have either plateaued or are declining in growth." It is universally acknowledged that the most effective way to evangelize is to plant new churches. In addition, that is the testimony of the Bible. Paul evangelized by planting churches. Evangelism was a church thing. It was not fundamentally one on one persuasion.

What do you think? Do we need more churches?

True Humility

2011-01-10T08:05:00.000-08:00

In yesterday's sermon Dave Nelson exhorted us to true humility. Here is how Spurgeon it.

“What is humility? The best definition I have ever met with is, ‘to think rightly of ourselves.’ Humility is to make a right estimate of one’s-self. It is no humility for a man to think less of himself than he ought…It is not humility for a man to stand up and depreciate himself and say he cannot do this and that when he knows he is lying…It is not humility to underrate yourself. Humility is to think of yourself, if you can, as God thinks of you. It is to feel that if we have talents, God has given them to us, and let it be seen that, like freight in a vessel, they tend to sink us low. The more we have the lower we ought to lie…Humility is to feel ourselves lost, ruined, and undone. ...Humility is to feel that we have no power of ourselves, but that it all cometh from God. ..It is in fact, to annihilate self, and to exalt the Lord Jesus Christ as all in all.”[1]

What are your thoughts? Is this how you see true humility?

[1] C. H. Spurgeon, The Park Street Pulpit, Vol 2, pg 566-67 (Albany, OR, Ages Software, 1997)

The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges - Audiobooks, MP3, M4B, iPhone Apps, Free Downloads!

2011-01-06T13:13:00.000-08:00

You can obtain a free copy of The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges - Audiobooks, MP3, M4B, iPhone Apps, Free Downloads!. Download it to itunes, put it on your ipod, and listen while you exercise or take a long drive. This book is a winner, and this is a great opportunity.

Can My Body Make Me Sin?

2011-01-05T11:33:00.001-08:00

Some claim "My body made me do it!" Is that really the case. In this short video, Ed Welch reminds us that our bodies never cause sin, but bodily conditions can amplify temptation.

A Great Family Movie

2011-01-05T11:02:00.000-08:00

“Tangled”, Disney’s latest Princess installment, captured me from the start with a charm likened to “Beauty and the Beast”. “Tangled” (rated PG) tells the story of Princess Rapunzel (voiced by Mandy Morre), who is stolen from her crib as a baby by Mother Gothel (voiced by Donna Murphy) for the magical healing powers found in her long, golden hair. Eighteen years pass and we learn Mother Gothel has kept Rapunzel locked in a tower her entire life. Upon the approach of her eighteenth birthday Rapunzel’s one request to travel to the nearby city is denied by Mother Gothel citing lack of safety in the outside world.

A chance meeting with bandit Flynn Ryder (voiced by Zachary Levi) provides Rapunzel with the guide needed to get to the city and back before Mother Gothel returns in three days. As you can imagine, traveling with a hunted thief provides much adventure, as does being free from her tower for the first time in eighteen years.

I highly recommend this movie for the whole family (including dads and sons). Several moral messages are skillfully woven within the fun which could be seen as a helpful teaching tool: 1) eventually hidden patterns of sin are always brought to light and there are always consequences for that sin; 2) the sacrificial laying down of one’s life for another brings rewards; and 3) humility breeds joy which is sometimes found in the most unlikely of places. The trademark Disney songs are short enough to keep young children’s attention, the costumes are not immodest like some past Princesses (see Jasmine, Aerial, etc.) and Mother Gothel’s manipulations are kept short and far less scary then past villains (see Ursula, Maleficent, Jafar, ect.). Rapunzel’s zeal for life is fun and infectious while humor is added not only through Rapunzel’s naivety, but also through her pet chameleon, Pascal, and the Captain of the Guard’s horse, Maximus. I give “Tangled” four out of five stars. ...Stephanie Spurgetis

Christianity and Culture

2010-12-31T08:18:00.000-08:00

At Christmas we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. His life completely altered world history. It is easy to overlook this. The trees of current events are so upfront and personal that we are unable to see the forest of Christianity's dominance of history. In addition, the assumptions of cultural pluralism, i.e. all cultures are equally beneficial, make the obvious embarrasing. In all that follows I am going to assume the best definiton of culture that I have heard, culture is just religion externalized.

Christianity is the world’s largest religion. In 2005 the world’s population hit 6 billion. 2 billion are Christian, 1 billion are Moslem, 1 billion are Hindu/Buddhist and 2 billion are a polyglot of different beliefs.
Christianity is also the world’s most influential religion. It affects culture powerfully. To the degree that a culture embraces Christianity it has become dominant in world affairs. It is no accident that the Christian West has prevailed militarily, economically, and technologically for 2,000 years.

By contrast, the cultures dominated by Hinduism/Buddhism, Confucianism, Taosim, and especially Islam have been weak and backward. One critic recently observed that middle eastern culture, with the exception of Israel, is still culturally and technologically in the 8th century.

Christianity is dominant because it is all about Jesus Christ, whose birth we celebrated last week. Christ affects individuals and cultures positively. Here is the history since the Reformation.

At the time of the Reformation, 16th century, Spain was the world's dominant power. It was the last time a Catholic country would hold that distinction.

By the 17th century Holland, under the influence of Calvinism, became the world’s greatest maritime power.

In the 18th and 19th century, England, transformed and fortified by 17th century Puritanism, dominated world culture. By 1914 England controlled 25% of the world’s land mass. She exported political liberty, justice, the industrial revolution, the scientific revolution, and capitalism, and thousands of missionaries to her dominions. The nineteenth century, dominated by Great Brittain, witnessed the greatest missionary expansion in history. See The New Shape of World Christianity: How American Experience Reflects Global Faith by Mark Noll.
Then after WWII America, also influenced by Puritanism, picked up where England left off. We have been the world power for the last 100 years.

This is no accident. The Protestant faith heightens the value of the individual, fortifies families, provides a basis for social justice, liberates creativity, and motivates hard work, perseverance and productivity.

This is exactly what the prophet, Daniel, predicted. (Dan. 2:35) “The stone that struck the image became a great mountain that filled the earth.” Jesus anticipated this development. “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches”(Matthew 13:31–32).

Good Books on this subject are The Victory of Reason: How Christianity Led to Freedom, Capitalism, and Western Success (above) by Rodney Stark, professor at Baylor University. Also commended is Human Accomplishment: The Pursuit of Excellence in the Arts and Sciences, 800 B.C. to 1950 by Charles Murray, one of my favorite authors. Murray is not a Christian. He is an agnostic.

Questions for Non Christian Relatives and Friends

2010-12-20T16:05:00.000-08:00

Many of you will spend the holidays with relatives and friends that are not Christians. Some of you look forward to this with trepidation. What is there to talk about? We have so little in common. Often we find conversation difficult. Here are ten questions, supplied by Donald Whitney, to start great conversation this Christmas. Check them out here. God might use some of these to open conversation about deeper things.

Reccomended Christmas Movies

2010-12-17T10:47:00.000-08:00

Christmas classics such as “Home Alone”, “Elf”, “The Santa Clause”, “Miracle on 34th Street”, “Dr. Seuss’s The Grinch Who Stole Christmas”, “Its A Wonderful Life”, “The Nativity Story”, “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”, “Meet Me In St. Louis” and “A Christmas Story” are always a joy to re-watch come December, however, my two favorite Christmas movies remain “White Christmas” and “While You Were Sleeping”.

Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye star as Bob Wallace and Phil Davis in Irving Berlin’s 1954 musical “White Christmas”. After serving together in WWII Wallace and Davis partner as a song and dance duo quickly becoming the most sought after act in show business. Along the way they team up with a sister act, Betty and Judy Haynes, played by Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen. In an effort to save a financially troubled General they served under during the war Bob and Phil eventually move their entire show from New York City to Pinetree, Vermont for the Christmas season. True to its time, “White Christmas” remains profanity free and the only sexual content are a few tasteful kisses here and there. The songs are fun and infectious and the dancing often leaves me awestruck but invigorated. If for no other reason then to experience from where one of the most famous Christmas songs originated, “White Christmas” should be viewed by all at least once in their life time, if not every Christmas season.

Set during a bitter cold Chicago winter in 1995 “While You Were Sleeping” captures the heart from the beginning. Sandra Bullock stars as Lucy Eleanor Moderatz, a ticket collector for the “L” train who looks forward to her daily sighting of Peter Callaghan (Peter Gallagher). When Peter ends up in a coma Lucy is mistaken as his fiance thus causing strife in the family. Eventually she is welcomed with opened arms by everyone but Peter’s brother Jack (Bill Pullman). Jack is less accepting of Peter and Lucy’s engagement, but finds it is not because he doesn’t like her, it is because he does. The everyday life of the Callaghan family is portrayed with love, joy and humor, but Lucy’s neighbor Joe Fusco, Jr. (Michael Rispoli) often steals the scene. Profanity is slipped in every once in awhile and there are a few sexual references, but overall “While You Were Sleeping” offers fun for those in the family of junior high age and older.... Stephanie Spurgetis

The Paradox of the Incarnation

2010-12-15T19:04:00.000-08:00

At this blog you will find a thoughtful, short exposition of the paradoxes that the Incarnation represents. Read, think, meditate, and enjoy.

The Most Important Gift to give at Christmas

2010-12-11T18:33:00.000-08:00

C. J. Mahaney meditates on the most important gift that we can give our loved ones at this Holiday Season. You will be surprised. It is not what you expect. Go here and you will find a wonderful gift idea, one that will do much good, and one that I am sure you have not yet considered. Merry Christmas

The Joy of Sin

2010-12-04T13:24:00.000-08:00

(This is an excerpt from my forthcomin book, The Power of a Humbling Gospel). No one can be used by God to help others grow in humility until they have come face to face with the biblical doctrine of sin. I recently overheard a Christian say, “No matter how badly you think of yourself, no matter how guilty you feel, no matter how deep your sense of moral bankruptcy and failure, you have not yet seen the depth of your sin. It is always worse than you think.” That was Dr. Plumer’s point in the nineteenth century. “The truth is, no man ever thought himself a greater sinner before God than he really was. Nor was any man ever more distressed at his sins than he had just cause to be.”

Generally, this is not how the church sees sin at the beginning of the twenty first century. D. A. Carson, Professor at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, has been conducting missions on college campuses since the 1970s. “The hardest truth to get across to [university students],” he writes, “is not the existence of God, the Trinity, the deity of Christ, Jesus’ substitutionary atonement, or Jesus’ resurrection…No, the hardest truth to get across to this generation is what the Bible says about sin.” Students are resistant to this teaching because it humbles them, and they have been taught since infancy that they are inherently good and wonderful. The therapeutic self-esteem movement has evangelized us more successfully than we have evangelized them. We speak a humbling message to a proud culture, but God can open the heart to its potency.

After all is said and done, all defective views of sin can be traced to unbelief or ignorance. We just don’t believe the Bible, or we don’t know what it says. “In all unbelief there are these two things,” noted Horatius Bonar (1808-89), “a good opinion of one’s self, and a bad opinion of God.”

Bonar’s words sound foreign to the modern ear for several reasons. Either we have never been taught about sin (common today), or we have been taught about it, but do not want to believe it. Pride resists the doctrine of sin. It is a humbling subject. It is an unpleasant subject. Like death, one wants to hear about it or discuss it. The obituaries don’t use the word “death, dying, or died.” They talk about “passing away.” Sin is the same way, but until we come face to face with the doctrine of indwelling sin there will be little growth in humility, few conversions, and little Christ-likeness in our character. We will experience little joy, insecurity about God’s love, and little desire to love others.

How Can God be Loving and Wrathful, Part 2

2010-11-30T22:45:00.000-08:00

Two readers have posted excellent questions to my blog of a few days ago by this same title. On the basis of this blog "Anonymous" even labelled me extremely arrogant and unsaved . I understand his or her consternation.

In his quote D. A. Carson, probably the worlds foremost New Testament scholar (Doctorate from Cambridge) notes that the Bible consistently labels sinners as God's enemies. That is what makes his love so amazing and extravagant. He loves those upon his anger/wrath rests. Is it possible to distinguish wrath from hatred? The Bible often describes God's hatred of evil-doers. "You [God] hate all evildoers" (Ps. 5:5). "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated" (Mal. 1:2-3). Ps 11:5 reads, "The Lord's soul...hates the wicked. Ps 106:40 even tells us that God "abhorred" Israel. And the Israelites were his favorites.

This is what makes God's love so amazing. He loves his enemies (might we say those he hates) with an extavagant love. To understand this we need to remember that love is an action whereas hatred is a feeling. Carson wants us to know that God served and loved us even when he didn't like us. If God did this for us, we are duty bound to do the same.

Reconciliation with his enemies cost him his Son's death by slow agonizing torture. For this reason Jesus tells us to love our enemies. "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father in heaven" (Matt. 5:44-45). Why? God loved his enemies. For this reason D. A. Carson can write "so why should love and hatred be exclusive in us? " If God loved those that he hated, so should we, and we should love them extravagantly. Remember, love is something we do. Hatred is something we feel. We can serve and love those that we don't like.

Hints on how to "Preach the Gospel to Yourself"

2010-11-30T20:17:00.000-08:00

Blake Rispens sent me this link http://www.ordinarypastor.com/?p=3854. It is an ordinary pastor telling us how to preach the gospel to yourself. He puts a unique and important emphasis on delighting in the God the gospel reveals. Enjoy and apply...

Unstoppable (Movie Review)

2010-11-30T10:59:00.000-08:00

Inspired by the true story of the unmanned train incident in Ohio in 2001, director Tony Scott’s latest film “ Unstoppable (rated PG-13) is entertaining and kept me on the edge of my seat. Denzel Washington, Chris Pine (Star Trek) and Rosario Dawson (Seven Pounds) star in this true story of an unmanned, half mile long train charging through Pennsylvania while carrying a toxic load of molten phenol.

We begin in Fuller Yard in Northern Pennsylvania when Dewey, played by Ethan Suplee, a train yard employee, is ordered by the yardmaster (Dawson) to move a train to a different track to make room for an outgoing train full of school children on a field trip. While moving the train, against a co-workers advice, Dewey sets the gears to a low speed and jumps off to switch the tracks leaving it unmanned. While Dewey is off the train the levers fall of their own devices leaving it to pick up speed and causing Dewey to unsuccessfully re-board the train thus allowing it to leave the yard unmanned.

Meanwhile, Will Colson (Pine), a young conductor four months out of training, and veteran engineer Frank Barnes (Washington) begin their day in Southern Pennsylvania with a routine drive of their locomotive to a nearby yard where they pick-up their train for the day. Only after attaching their train to the locomotive and beginning their drive are Colson and Barnes given orders to pull off the track. While idling in the siding, they witness the unmanned train speed past them. Hearing of several failed attempts by the company to stop its runaway train Barnes decides to put his train in reverse and catch the unmanned train, coupling it to his and stopping it from behind.
Knowing full well “Unstoppable” would be predictable I still experienced the intended suspense. Washington, Pines and Dawson perform their roles beautifully keeping me on edge for the full hour and a half. While I do not believe “Unstoppable” must be viewed on the big screen I do recommend it at least be viewed, by ages Jr. High and up, as a weekend rental. There are a few swear words spoken in fits of frustration, and Barnes’ daughters earn their way through college working as waitresses at Hooters, but overall it is clean and focused mainly on the action. (Reviewed by Stephanie Spurgetis)

How can God be both Loving and Wrathful?

2010-11-21T21:02:00.000-08:00

John 3:16 is often called the "end zone verse" because of its ubiquitous appearance on football game posters. "God so love the world that he gave his only begotten Son." God does love us, and the depth of his love surpasses all knowledge (Eph. 3:19). It is higher than the Heavens (Ps 103:11).

However, John 3:16 needs to always be held in tension with another important verse, Rom. 1:18. "For the wrath of God is being revealed from Heaven against all the ungodliness and wickedness of men."

When these two verses collide, as they eventually do with all sober, thinking Christians, they present us with a problem. How can they both be true? Do we just ignore the wrath of God and cling to his love? Or, do we honestly attempt to find a solution? Does God love man and hate man at the same time? If so, can we reconcile these seemingly contrary ideas?

They reconcile at the cross. There God's love and God's wrath meet and shake hands. They become friends. That is because the cross of Christ is simultaneously a display of God's wrath towards sinners and his love for sinners. Jesus stands in our place and God pours out his intense anger on his Son in our place. God the Father does this so that he can lavish his divine love on us. Martin Luther summed it all up with the idea that we see God's love through his wrath.

For these reasons and others noted New Testamen scholar, D. A. Carson, wrote, “The Bible can simultaneously affirm God’s wrath toward people and his love for them: it does not intimate that God’s love and his judicial “hatred” are necessarily mutually exclusive. So why should love and hatred be exclusive in us? (Love in Hard Places, pg 42)

Have you grappled with this idea? Would love to hear your solutions.

Toy Story III: Fun for the Family

2010-11-18T11:06:00.000-08:00

Disney/Pixar does it again in the third (and supposedly final) installment in the Toy Story franchise. “Toy Story 3” (rated G) is fun for the whole family. The original cast of characters are all present. Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and Joan Cusack return as the voices of Woody, Buzz Lightyear and Jessie. All our old favorites are present and accounted for as well as new characters who are introduced with finesse and trademark Pixar humor.

As Andy prepares to leave for college we are reminded of the fun which began fifteen years ago in 1995 with Pixar’s first movie “Toy Story”. As Andy cleans his room in preparation for leaving home to begin his Freshman year of college he finds all the old gang buried in his toy chest. Through a series of unfortunate events all of Andy’s toys, minus Woody, are sent to the curb as opposed to the attic like he originally planned.

Believing Andy has abandoned them they end up at a day care center where they are excited to enjoy kids who will finally play with them. Thinking they have caught their big break Slinky, Mr. & Mrs. Potato Head, Rex, Hamm and the rest settle into their new home looking forward to endless hours of playtime with the toddlers. However, the real test of their friendship comes with the introduction of Lots-O’-Huggin’ Bear (aka Lotso) as the King of the day care. He rules with an iron fist striking fear into the hearts of the new comers. Predictably, Woody arrives to save the day, and his friends, from destruction at the hands of Lotso and his gang of misfits. Eventually they make their way back to Andy where he finds his old friends waiting. What becomes of their fate is left up to you to find out.

I enjoyed this movie from start to finish. While I did get a little misty eyed as Andy and his mom wrestle through their emotions of Andy leaving home, I admittedly laughed the whole way through. Buzz’s spanish mode steals the show followed closely by Ken and Barbie who bring joy and laughter with their stereotypical ditzy personalities. I highly recommend “Toy Story 3” as a family event where dad, mom and the kids can enjoy a night of fun together. - Stephanie Spurgetis

Doe the gospel begin with Sin?

2010-11-13T11:01:00.000-08:00

In his excellent book, The God Who Justifies, James White writes, “Paul’s indictment of the entirety of mankind forms the foundation of the gospel message. There is no good news where the bad news of man’s sinful state is not clearly proclaimed and perceived. The results of sin (The depravity of man) demand a God-centered gospel.”

What do you think? Does White have it right? Do we begin with the knowledge of man lost in sin, or do we begin with the love, mercy, and grace of God? Why or why not?

As always, your thoughts are deeply appreciated.

Humility Always Precedes Conversion

2010-11-11T19:30:00.000-08:00

Over the next few blogs I want to insert some material from a manuscript I am preparing for publication by P&R . It concerns the importance of humility for the Christian life. The first reason humility matters is that it is necessary for conversion.

God saves those who believe, not those who work. But the belief that saves always includes some level of humbling. However, millions confess Christianity whose faith accomplished little or no humbling. Millions attend church regularly that have never been humbled under the doctrine of sin. According to R. C. Sproul, over 75% of North American professing Christians don’t even believe in Original Sin. But true faith, the faith that saves, always humbles. If there is no humbling, it is unlikely that saving faith exists.

This insight began with Augustine (354-430). He suggested that humility is the soil from which all the virtues grow and pride the soil that produces the vices. Up until the Reformation this was generally accepted. John Calvin (1509-1564), who was a student and fan of Augustine, suggested a deeper analysis. Just as unbelief is the source of pride, faith is the beginning and source of humility. Think about it. Real heart-felt faith in the gospel always humbles. After all, it is a message about man in sin, under judgment, standing before an angry God who wants to be our friend. Our predicament is so bad that we cannot improve it with human effort. God is the only One that can solve our problem, and God commands us to respond not by “trying harder.” Rather, we are to abandon all confidence in human effort. We are to merely believe, repent, and live by unmerited favor. No matter how you slice it, this is humbling. By contrast, failure to believe says “I am good enough. Surely, if God exists he will accept me. After all, I am every bit as good as my neighbor.” These express arrogance.

In other words, biblical faith always initiates a humbling process. By contrast, unbelief leaves us in our arrogance. You can profess belief in an orthodox creed and lack this humbling faith. If the above is true, it stands to reason that God has designed the gospel to produce this faith, to humble men and women, to bring them face to face with their moral and spiritual bankruptcy and God’s gracious solution.

That is the contention of this book. I hope to convince you, and change the way you conduct ministry.

In order for this humbling to happen saving faith must assent to several vital truths. For example, I am justified by faith alone. Justification by faith alone implies that I am hopelessly lost, that my moral condition is so desperate that my best efforts will avail me nothing. I am a sinner and cannot save myself. I can only be saved by casting myself on God’s mercy. I find God’s favor by believing not working. This is a humbling message.

Saving faith also confesses that I am not smart enough to make my own rules for life. It agrees with the Bible about who God is, the sinfulness of sin, man’s nature, God’s sovereignty in creation, the nature of Jesus Christ, and a host of other issues. Saving faith confesses that Hell is real, that I am in deep trouble with God, and that I will end up in Hell unless I put my trust in Christ’s sinless life and substitutionary death. Saving faith confesses that Christ is Lord and decides to obey him. Each of these confessions makes us smaller and Christ larger.

Therefore, we should not be surprised at these texts. "You save a humble people” (Psalm 18:27). "The Lord…adorns the humble with salvation" (Psalm 149:4). "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:3). “Poverty of Spirit,” is a synonym for humility. Later Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:3). Becoming childlike implies simplicity, dependence, and above all humility. Each of these texts implies one thing: Humility is a precedent to conversion. If that is the case, our message should provoke a faith that humbles. To do this our gospel must begin with the Bad News and then progress to the Good News.

None of this should surprise us. If the great sin is pride, God must have designed the mechanics of conversion to produce its opposite—humility. Jonathan Edwards noted that humility “is a great and most essential thing in true religion.” Then he notes, “The whole frame of the gospel, and everything appertaining to the new covenant, and all God’s dispensations towards fallen man, are calculated to bring to pass this effect [humility] in the hearts of men. They that are destitute of this, have no true religion, whatever profession they may make, and how high soever their religious affections may be.”

The Pharisees were Jesus’ enemies. They resisted him at every turn. Why? They were proud, and their pride barred them from salvation. They refused to do what those that get saved do. They refused to humble themselves. With this in mind Jesus said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:17). For the Pharisee salvation meant renouncing confidence in their righteousness. It meant admitting that, despite their formidable self-discipline, they were “sick.” This they were unwilling to do.

The Pharisees were the neediest people in Israel. They were sinners under the wrath of God, hurtling head long towards final judgment, yet they refused to humble themselves and believe. Why? They were convinced of their goodness. They thought they could merit God’s favor. It is no different today. The default condition of every unbeliever is Pharisee to the core.

If this is true, we should seek to humble those to whom we communicate the gospel. In later chapters we will see that this is exactly what God has designed the gospel to do. We will also discuss ways to help those to whom we minster humble themselves so that they can be converted.

"Eat, Pray, Love," Should you watch it!

2010-10-24T16:07:00.000-07:00

Director Ryan Murphy’s Eat, Pray, Love (rated PG-13 for language and sexual references) was as I anticipated. While Julia Roberts’ laugh is infectious, James Franco’s lazy smile leaves you wondering what mischief he is hiding and Javier Bardem’s accent is enticing this movie left me discouraged.

We are invited to experience the true story of author Liz Gilbert’s (Julia Roberts) quest for self-discovery through Italy, India and Bali. The catalyst for this trip is Liz’s divorce. After a seven year relationship, and an affair with David Piccolo (James Franco), she simply can’t be married anymore. It’s too hard. He’s too unfocused. He’s just not into her. She’s bored. They’ve hit a lull and leaving is the only answer. Stephen (Billy Crudup), proclaims he doesn’t want a divorce. He intends to keep his vows. He wants to work it out. Liz doesn’t give him a choice.

With Stephen and David both gone Liz’s first stop is Italy, remaining for four months where she eats and enjoys life. Next we find Liz in India at a Hindu retreat where she prays for strength to forgive herself for leaving Stephen, finding peace through meditation and the worship of Hindu gods. Next she’s off to Bali revisiting a medicine man she met years before. With Bali comes love through Felipe (Javier Bardem) a Brazilian businessman.

While I enjoyed watching the scenery of these three countries, Julia Roberts’ performance was lacking leaving me bored in parts. I believe the movie is less about Liz “discovering” herself, but more about her justifying her actions in having an affair and divorcing her husband. I do not recommend this movie for any age group. I found Liz’s selfish quest to be exactly what our culture proclaims as truth, when in fact as Christians we are to die to self and lean on God’s grace to carry us. We don’t just give up and leave when the going gets tough. Liz was also quick to jump into bed with David and Felipe even while still married to Stephen or not yet being married to Felipe. Eat, Pray, Love eloquently pays homage to our culture’s “live for yourself” mantra, but left me feeling as if I had wasted my time and money...Stephanie Spurgetis

Movie Review Bio:
I have been asked to periodically provide movie reviews for The Raven. In the event that you read my opinions, I thought it pertinent to tell you who I am. My name is Stephanie Spurgetis. Bill Farley is my Uncle. I work full time as a Paralegal. I earned a Bachelors of Liberal Arts with an emphasis in English and Communications from Washington State University in 2005. In June of this year I earned a Paralegal certificate from the University of Washington. However, despite my temporary lapse in judgment, I still bleed crimson and grey.
I love movies. My favorite being The Sandlot followed closely by The Village. I love to watch them, quote them and dissect them. I love when they make me cry, laugh and cringe, but don’t love when they frighten me. I believe there to be an appropriate You’ve Got Mail quote for every aspect of life and am never one to resist anything done by Masterpiece Theater. I acutely feel the pain of love scorned by Margaret in North and South or Lizzy in Pride and Prejudice but empathize with Fran in Strictly Ballroom. I have an unhealthy love of Amanda Bynes and an even unhealthier love of Ashton Kutcher (please don’t hold it against me). I believe Stardust and Penelope have earned the right to be deemed creative and worthy of multiple viewings.
I am not, however, a book to movie purest. I have adopted E.W Eagan’s quote “Never judge a book by its movie” as my mantra.While some felt director and screenwriter Andrew Adamson too liberally changed C.S. Lewis’s original story in Prince Caspian I thoroughly enjoyed the movie despite Susan and Prince Caspian’s fling. While I loved the book The Power of One I cannot recommend the movie simply because I didn’t like it. However, despite not needing the movie to perfectly match the book, I prefer to read the book first.I have yet to view Sandra Bullock’s Oscar winning performance in The Blind Side because I have not had time to read the book. I have not seen My Sister’s Keeper due to waiting for a friend to finish the book so we can watch it together (I read the book years ago).
Despite this long diatribe on movies the only important thing you must know about me is that above all else I love Jesus. My opinions and reviews will hopefully stem from a Biblical worldview that is constantly being molded by Biblical truth.

Controlling the Video Game craze!

2010-10-15T14:30:00.000-07:00

In many homes the video game craze has all but taken over. What can Christian parents do for sons hooked on this form of entertainment? C. J. Mahaney has some insightful suggestions here. I think you will find them very helpful.

How to Battle Anxiety

2010-10-15T14:21:00.000-07:00

For most of us anxiety is a recurring theme. Here are some great tips on how to battle and defeat this monster. Your thoughts are always appreciated.

Population Collapse or Population Explosion? You Decide!

2010-10-13T17:02:00.000-07:00

Since the early seventies, it has been fashinably assumed that our great global problem is overpopulation. A rash of books from the early seventies like Silent Spring and The Population Bomb have convinced most citizens of the industrialized west that population explosion is a crucial global issue.

However, according to demographer, Philip Longman, the exact opposite is unfolding. His book The Empty Cradle: How Falling Birthrates Threaten World Prosperity And What To Do About It argues that world population growth is slowing dramatically. If current trends continue, t will soon reverse and begin to go South. Nations such as Japan, Russian, Italy, and many other western countries actually have falling birth rates, and the resulting consequence have been falling popluations. The United States would be in this same predicament but for the many immigrants whose fertility rates are above the norm.

This is a problem. Our social programs assume growing numbers of young workers to pay the taxes to fund our government's promises. In addition, growing populations are necessary to fuel increased demand for goods and services that make our economy tick. In addition, no country has maintained a position of world leadership with a stagnant or falling population.

Longman argues for the changes in assumptions and attitudes needed to fuel population growth. This book is cut-across-the-grain reading. It is not politically correct. Nevertheless, Longman has his facts and he cites them loquaitiously.

I recommend heartily. What do you think? Is our problem overpopulation or underpopulation? If the latter, what attitudes in our culture contribute to falling birthrates?

How to Become Becoming one of God's Favorites!

2010-10-08T11:34:00.000-07:00

Although God loves every Christian, he does have his favorites. Isaiah 66:2 describes the qualities inherent in one for which God has special regard. “This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.” God esteems the humble!

Why humility? Humility always metamorphoses into something more beautiful. It is the root of all the other virtues. In this verse it leads to real contrition, which then deepens into trembling at God’s word. It ends by sensitizing us to God’s word, equipping us to hear. Paul’s humility led him to work out his salvation “with fear and trembling” [Ph 2:12]. David’s humility led him to “rejoice with trembling” [Ps 2:11]. Because humility expands our felt need for God it enhances our esteem for His word. The Bible comes alive. We read it trembling with holy joy and fear.

Pride, on the other hand, metamorphoses into something more dreadful. It is the foundation of all vice. Instead of contrition, pride leads to self-righteousness, and instead of trembling at God’s word, self-righteousness deadens us to God’s word. This was Ahab. Rejecting God’s warning through the prophet Micah, he rode out in battle to his death [1Kgs 22]. Deafened by self-righteous pride, Jehoiakim read Jeremiah’s words then arrogantly tossed the prophetic scroll into the fire [Jer 36]. He had no capacity to fear God. In fact, arrogance doesn’t end in ambivalence, it ends in actually despising God’s word. When Nathan confronted David about his sin with Bathsheba and Uriah it was for the sin of “despising the word of the LORD” [2Sa 12:9]. If David, the man after God’s own heart, could despise God’s word so can you and I

Why is humility the key to intimacy with God? Since humility makes us tremble at God’s word, it brings us into real communion with God. It sensitizes us to God. It opens our ears to His voice. It deepens our gratitude, and it unlocks our dependence upon God. It is the chief thing. “This (humility)is a great and most essential thing in true religion,” wrote Jonathan Edwards. “The whole frame of the gospel, every thing appertaining to the new covenant, and all God’s dispensations towards fallen man, are calculated to bring to pass this effect.”

The edifice upon which God builds humility is the revelation of Himself. In His Light we see ourselves. We become humble by looking at God, not ourselves. John Calvin opened his Institutes with this sentence. “Nearly all the wisdom we possess, that is to say, true and sound wisdom, consists of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves… Man is never sufficiently touched and affected by the awareness of his lowly state until he has compared himself with God’s majesty.”

This “majesty” teaches us several things. First, God is indescribably holy. He hates sin and evil. Second, He acts righteously when he rejects every person blemished with imperfection. Third, we are sinners. We are by nature His enemies and under His wrath. Fourth, God only owes us justice. He does not owe us mercy or grace. But fifth, God so loved the world that He died for His enemies, that we might be made perfect in His sight and eternally reconciled to Him.

Our need is incalculable. To the degree that we see God, and ourselves, in this light we will be humble, increasingly contrite, and will tremble with joy, delight, and sobriety at His word.

How should you resond? Humble yourself under God's mighty hand and he will exalt you. The best way to humble yourself is to obey God's commands.

Do You Pray?

2010-10-04T07:28:00.000-07:00

In his book, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, Donald Whitney records the following. “During the 1980’s, more than seventeen thousand members of a major evangelical denomination were surveyed about their prayer habits while attending seminars on prayer for spiritual awakening. Because they attended this kind of seminar, we can assume these people are above average in their interest in prayer. And yet, the surveys revealed that they pray an average of less than five minutes each day. There were two thousand pastors and wives at these same seminars. By their own admission, they pray less than seven minutes a day…To be like Jesus we must pray.”[1]

What do you think? Are these statistics true? If so, why don't we pray more?

[1] Whitney, Donald, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian life, pg 66 (Colorado Springs, NAV Press, 1991)

Overflowing with Thanksgiving

2010-10-01T11:47:00.000-07:00

Paul began most of his letters with profuse thanksgiving. Despite their many problems, Paul always saw the church as a glass half full. Even when his churches faced immense problems, Paul always saw them through the lense of gratefulness. Why?

Paul knew that neither he nor any of the churches he planted were getting what they deserve. If God were just there would be no Christian churches anywhere. We live in a fallen world, and if God were only just this planet would be living Hell, utterly devoid of hope, lacking any gospel light or Christian witness. When the angels sinned God offered them no hope of redemption, and he owes us the same justice.

But, the amazing reality is different. There is hope. Because God is merciful, gracious, and kind there is light in the midst of darkness. There is hope in a fallen world. This light—local churches centered in the gospel—came at infinite expense to God. Therefore, Paul overflows with gratitude.

In other words, humility is the ground of gratitude, and gratitude is the first sign of humility. Humble people are thankful. On the other hand, the opposite of thanksgiving—complaining, self-pity, pouting, fits of anger—are symptoms of pride. A proud heart thinks, “I deserve, I deserve, I deserve, and I am not getting what what God owes me.” By contrast, Paul was humble. We know this because he was incredibly thankful. Paul was humble and thankful because he understood what the cross said about what he deserved.

I remember the story of a Viet Nam vet who lost both legs to a claymore mine. As he lay recovering in a veterans’ hospital, self-pity oppressed him. One day his nurse wheeled him into an adjoining ward. There he saw a man whose face was burnt off, another who had lost all four limbs, a different man completely paralyzed, and one who had lost both sight and hearing. The contrast between his problems and theirs completely changed his perspective. He returned to his ward filled with gratitude for how good he had it.

What the cross tells us about what we deserve has the same affect. It wheels us into an adjoining ward. There I see Jesus suffering as my substitute. I see him taking what I deserve. I deserve crucifixion. I don’t deserve good things from God. In fact, such is the measure of my sin (in God’s eyes) that I deserve to be tortured to death slowly and then cast away as refuse.

Crucifixion was a barbaric form of capital punishment. Since blood loss was minimal, death usually came after two or three days. Spasms tore the wounds against the hard nails. Waves of excruciating pain surged through the victim. The thirst was unbearable. The person being crucified longed for a death that would not come. He longed for the moment when he would finally lapse into unconsciousness.

To the one who resists thanksgiving and yields to complaining the cross says, “You have it upside down. You don’t deserve good. You deserve death by slow torture. Anything short of crucifixion is infinite grace bestowed by a loving God on one utterly unworthy.”

Because of all this, the cross makes us joyful and thankful in even the worst of conditions. No matter how bad your circumstances, you are getting better than you deserve. And because of Christ’s cross, one day God will clothe you in glory and plant you on a New Earth.

Because of the cross Paul would not yield to self-pity, complaining, pouting, or grumbling. Bound in stocks in a Philippian jail, he sang God’s praises (Acts 16:25). Confined in a Roman prison, he wrote to the church at Philippi, "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God" (Phil. 4:4-7).

New Testament scholar, P.T. O’Brien, notes, “Paul mentions the subject of thanksgiving in his letters more often, line for line, than any other Hellenistic author, pagan or Christian.” Why? Paul knew what he deserved. At the end of his life, he wrote Timothy, “Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners of which I am the foremost” (1 Tim. 1:15). He saw both himself and his sins nailed to the cross. This insight banished all thoughts of self-pity.

Therefore, every circumstance in Paul’s life—beatings, shipwrecks, hunger, betrayal, persecution, imprisonment, sleeplessness, hard work, and more— was an occasion for joyous thanksgiving. Even in these circumstances, Paul was not getting what he deserved.

No matter how sour your circumstances, you and I are not getting what we deserve either, and that is why we also should be grateful. In summary, Paul overflows with thanksgiving because he is not getting what he deserves and neither are the Christians he serves.

It is no different for us today. If this is true, in the words of Paul, we should "Overflow with thanksgiving! (Col. 2:7).

Get This Podcast!

2010-09-14T22:04:00.000-07:00

Al Mohler, President of Southern Seminary, and one of the most astute observers of American culture, has two new free podcasts. The first is called "The Briefing," a fifteen minute summary of each day's major new stories presented through the lens of a Christian worldview. You can get it podcasted free to your computer each day. I listen to it on my drive into work each morning.

The second program is more periodic. Titled "Thinking in Public" it is a weekly extended discussion of a topic of interest. It also is available free by podcast to your computer at regular intervals. To find out more go to Albert Mohler.com.

Are the Cities the Future?

2010-09-10T11:51:00.000-07:00

Al Mohler, in a recent blog, here suggests the cities are quickly becoming the nations of the future. What do you think, and should these facts change anything about how we do church?

Whats Wrong With Teen Christianity in America?

2010-09-01T11:48:00.000-07:00

A few days back I pointed you to a Wall Street Journal editorial asking "Why are young people leaving the church?"

A new article entitled "More Teens Becoming 'fake' Christians" just appeared at CNN.com. You can read it here. The author correctly diagnoses the problem. But does she get the solution right? What is good about her solution and what is missing ?

Your observations will be appreciated.

Family and Call of God, Part 2

2010-08-30T10:05:00.000-07:00

A few days ago I posted on "Family and the Call of God." I emphasized that we must leave family in order to really love God. I used Abraham as an example.

But it is also true that God commands us to love our families. The fifth commandment reads, "Honor your father and your mother" (Ex. 20:12), and Paul tells husbands to "love their wives as Christ loves his church" (Eph. 5:25). So, what should we to do, leave our families or love them?

The answer is both. These seemingly irreconcilable commandments culminate and synthesize in the commandment to love God above all other things, especially family. In other words if we love our family members because we love God, if that is truly our motive, then we will leave them in our hearts and love them at the same time. In fact, we will love them more. We will love them because it pleases God, not because we need their relationship. Our love will be disinterested. It will always be for the good of the beloved, not for selfish reasons.

Does this describe how you love your family members? As always your thoughtful responses are welcomed.

Holy Is the Lord!

2010-08-28T12:00:00.000-07:00

A couple of days ago I blogged about Abraham's struggle to leave father, kin, and clan for God and his City. It terminated with God's command to offer up the son of promise, little Isaac. Here is a powerful music video on this theme. Take a moment to watch. I don't think you will be disappointed.

As always your comments are appreciated.

Have We Ignored the Resurrection?

2010-08-27T10:07:00.000-07:00

I have written three books. They have all focused on the cross. Some ask, "Have we focused too much on the cross at the expense of the Resurrection?" That is a valid and insightful question. Here is a short and most prescient response from a pastor/scholar of repute.

Are We Losing our Youth?

2010-08-26T14:03:00.000-07:00

Does the church need to "be cool" to attract young people? Is that the answer to the decline in attendance for the twenty somethings? The Wall Street Journal, of all places, has an interesting take on this question.

Grace Christian Fellowship is a young church. In your opinion, what attracts the the twenty somethings? Even more importantly, what should attract the youth?

Family and the call of God!

2010-08-25T22:27:00.000-07:00

The first recorded conversion appears in Genesis 12:1. It was the call of Abram. This man lived in what is now modern Baghdad. In 2000 BC these people worshiped the moon. Abram worshiped the moon with them.

The Cost of Discipleship

It is important to note that his call to follow God included a call to leave family and kindred. "Now the Lord said to Abram, 'Go from your country and kindred and your fathers house to the land that I will show you." In Abraham's day family and kin were everything, they were God-substitutes, potential idols. Abraham must have been very close to his extended family. They probably thought he was crazy. It is unlikely that they understood. "God told you what?" they must have mocked. But he left, and the reason was the promise of eternal reward. "He was looking forward to the City, that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God" (Heb. 11:10).

Jesus stressed the same theme. "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, and yes, even his own life, he cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:26). The cost to follow Christ has always radical and total.

In Abraham's case applying this principle was costly. God tested Abraham's loyalty by putting his finger on his relationship with his family. He will do the same with each of us. About 35 years after his initial call God asked for Abraham's son, Isaac, as a living sacrifice. Abraham obeyed. We all know the story. At the last moment the Angel of the Lord restrained Abraham and provided an alternate. God honored Abraham's faith. Ultimately, he gave Abraham his own Son in replacement. Such is the love of God. He richly rewards those who forsake family to gain inherit God's promises.

In what way has following Christ cost you with immediate family? How can we reconcile these scriptures with the fifth commandment, "Honor your father and mother?" As always, your comments will be appreciated.

Thanks for reading.