on-line references

Peter Cockrell found this very helpful summary of on-line resources. It's worth the effort to bookmark.

old?

From Warren ... "Inside every old person is a young person wondering what the hell happened."

a sin is a sin

All sinners are equal in the eyes of a holy and just God. But are all sins really equal?

1. Christ tells Pilate that the Jewish leaders have committed a worse sin than him, saying “he who has handed me over to you has committed the greater sin” (Jn. 19:11).
2. Certain sins in the law are distinguished in a particular context as an abomination to God, implying that others are not as severe (e.g. Lev. 18:22; Deut. 7:25, Deut. 23:18, Isa. 41:24).
3. Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is set apart as a more severe sin than blasphemy of the Son (Matt. 12:31)
4. Proverbs 6:16-19 lists particular sins in such a way as to single them out because of their depraved nature, separating them from others.
5. There are degrees of punishment in Hell depending on the severity of the offense (Lk. 12:47-48).
6. Christ often evaluates the sin of the Pharisees as greater than the sins of others. “You strain out a gnat while you swallow a camel” (Matt. 23:24). If all sins are equal, Christ’s rebuke does not make any sense. (See also Lk. 20:46-47)
7. Related to the last, Christ also talked about the “weighter things of the law” (Matt. 23:23). If all sins are equal, there is no law (or violation of that law) that is “weightier than others.” They are all the same weight.
8. Unforgiveness is continually referred to as a particularly heinous sin (Matt. 6:14-15; 18:23-35).

Michael Patton takes a good look at the question are all sins really equal in God's sight. I have to agree with his conclusion although it certainly is more popular in Christian circles to say the opposite. Check out his article and let me know your thoughts.

Technorati Tags: sin

the peccable jesus

Gerald Hawthorne wrote:

Not only is Jesus [our] Savior because of who he was and because of his own complete obedience to the Father's will (cf. Heb. 10:5-7), but he is the supreme example for them of what is possible in a human life because of his own total dependence upon the Spirit of God. Jesus is living proof of how those who are his followers may exceed the limitations of their humanness in order that they, like him, might carry to completion against all odds their God-given mission in life - by the Holy Spirit. Jesus demonstrated clearly that God's intended way for human beings to live, the ideal way to live, the supremely successful way to live, is in conjunction with God, in harmony with God, in touch with the power of God, and not apart from God, not independent of God, not without God. The Spirit was the presence and power of God in Jesus, and fully so.

Sam Storms provides an easy to understand explanation of the peccable nature of Jesus with the above being the implication thereof. He argues that Jesus was peccable (capable of sinning, although remaining sinless) rather than impeccable (incapable of sinning). Jesus does this not through the power of His own divine nature but rather through the power of the Holy Spirit - the same Spirit that lives in all those who belong to the Father.

You shall be holy, for I am holy. - 1 Pe 1.16

Technorati Tags: Christian living, Christology, justification, sanctification

when you're not really leading

I've always thought a prerequisite to being a leader was that you have some number of followers. Jon Ferguson writes the following:

You know you're not leading when ...

• You wait for someone to tell you what to do rather than taking the initiative yourself
• You spend too much time talking about how things should be different
• You blame the context, surroundings, or other people for your current situation
• You choose not to speak the truth in love
• You are more concerned about being cool or accepted than doing the right thing
• You seek consensus, rather than casting vision for a preferable future
• You aren't taking any significant risks
• You accept status quo as the way it's always been and always will be
• You start protecting your reputation instead of opening yourself up to opposition
• You sleep a little too sound
• You procrastinate to avoid making a tough call
• You talk to others about the problem rather than taking it to the person responsible
• You don't feel like your butt is on the line for anything significant
• You think what you say doesn't matter
• You ask for way too many opinions before taking action

Any clear misses?

HT:TR

Technorati Tags: leadership

personal evangelism

Pulpit Magazine posted Practical Steps for Personal Evangelism by Jesse Johnson.

Live a Transformed Life
The most eloquent and fluent Gospel presentation is muted if unbelievers identify you by patterns of sin in your life. The more holy and the more set apart our lives are, the more powerful our evangelism generally will be. In fact, the consistent testimony of a changed life is one of the more compelling proofs of the truth of the Gospel (Rom 12:1).

Pray Relentlessly
I have seen in my own life that in times where I am not praying for evangelistic opportunities, I have a hard time identifying them. However, the more I pray and ask God to open opportunities for evangelism, the more opportunities I seem to have. Prayer is not only answered by God bringing more non-believers into our lives, but is also answered by God allowing us see the opportunities that are already present. A sign of godliness is earnest prayer for the lost (Rom 10:1).

Start the Conversation
Because of your love and compassion for your neighbors and co-workers, develop a relationship with them. Get to know their names, their interests, their joys and their trials. Ask them questions, and listen to the answers. I am always surprised about how many Christians don’t even know the names of their neighbors. It is not likely that your neighbor will randomly knock on your door and ask what he must do to be saved. Instead, start the conversations with them, and watch how God may develop relationships that lead to the Gospel being proclaimed.

Explain the Gospel
In the course of your relationships with friends and neighbors, talk about spiritual things. Ask questions in a loving way, and be prepared to explain what you believe, and why it is different from their beliefs. Explain why you have an eternal hope. Explain who God is, that he is holy and that he is the creator. Explain why man is sinful and in need of a savior. Explain how Christ is that savior and how his death and resurrection can restore us to a right relationship with God. And finally, tell them what a saving response looks like by challenging them to count the cost, deny themselves, and become a follower of Christ.

Don’t be discouraged
The worst-case scenario in evangelism is that people reject the Gospel. They do this because they are spiritually dead and blind to the things of God (Eph 2:1). The evangelist has an impossible task, one for which it seems we are completely insufficient (2 Cor 3:5-6). But we rely on God who can bring the dead to life, and we are faithful with the opportunities that God gives us, trusting him with the results.

Peter Cockrell reposted this excellent piece. I commented to Peter that I thought Johnson unnecessarily restricted "Live a Transformed Life" to that of living a holy life (which I took implies righteous). I love Peter's response:

I would say it like this: transformation is more than being set free from personal bondage to sin, but not less than it. All other areas of transformation (including miracles and the corporate testimony of the body of Christ) serve the ultimate reason for, and power of, the gospel, namely deliverance from sin so that we can see and savour God. I think a text that could be driving the author’s comments might be Titus 2:10, where believers are exhorted to “adorn [”make attractive” NIV] the doctrine of God our Saviour”. The context demands moral transformation rather than miraculous attestation. Compare verse 10 with verse 5, where the same kind of thing is said negatively, i.e. not causing the word of God to be “reviled” by inappropriate behavior.

Technorati Tags: evangelism, missional

hunter on being a christian

In the NextWave, Todd Hunter writes:

Effectiveness in evangelism depends now on “the Christianity” of Christians.

Thus we need a new story to tell. We need a version of the Gospel that naturally and routinely affects our actual life—not just our death and afterlife. It is clear from Jesus and the major writers of the New Testament that life has always been the focus of the authentic Gospel. For instance:

John the Baptist, preparing the way for Jesus said: "Change your life. God's kingdom is here…those who came to confess their sins were baptized into a changed life. It's your life that must change… What counts is your life. (Mt. 3, The Message)

Jesus, announcing the Gospel said: "Time's up! God's kingdom is here. Change your life and believe the Message." (Mk. 1, The Message)

Paul, describing the work of God in us, said: We're being shown how to turn our backs on a godless, indulgent life, and how to take on a God-filled, God-honoring life. (Titus 2, The Message)

Peter, expressing the outcome of the resurrection said: Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we've been given a brand-new life… As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God's life, a life energetic and blazing… (1 Peter 1, The Message).

I like that. I don't know if I would say we need a new story in that I don't think the story has changed. I think we often lose sight of the true story and reduce it to death and afterlife. That is wrong to do but the true story is not a new one.

Technorati Tags: Christian living, evangelism, missional

god's will in healing

Is it God's will to always healing? I would say yes or no depending on the context of the question. Does God always heal? Clearly not. Is God's bent toward healing and restoration? Yes. Does God delight in redeeming the effects of Sin? Yes.

I like John Michael Talbot's spin.

JESUS WILLS WELLNESS
Mark 1:40-45

I will do it. Be cured ... Go off and present yourself to the priest and offer for your cure what Moses prescribed. That should be a proof for them. vv. 41,44

Jesus wants to heal us of our sickness. In all the gospels we never see Jesus refusing to heal anyone! The sacraments of the church confirm this truth.

NO CONFLICT WITH RELIGION

There was no immediate conflict between the healings of Jesus and the established institutional religion of the Jews. This is also true of overt Christian expressions of institutional religion.

James 5:14-16 is the scriptural base for the sacrament of the anointing of the sick. "Is there anyone sick among you? He should ask for the presbyters of the church. They in turn are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the Name (of the Lord.) This prayer uttered in faith will reclaim the one who is ill, and the Lord will restore him to health. If he has committed any sins, forgiveness will be his. Hence, declare your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may find healing."

In reverse logic, Paul wrote that the reason "many among you are sick and infirm, and why so many are dying" is that many receive Eucharist or the Lord’s Supper unworthily and "sin against the body and blood of the Lord" by not "recognizing the body." (1 Cor 11:27-31)

HEALING IS FOR ALL

Additionally, Jesus said, "Signs like these will accompany those who have professed their faith … they will be able to drink deadly poison without harm, and the sick upon whom they lay their hands will recover." (Mk 16:17-18) This promise of healing is for "those who have professed their faith," not just for an elite few.

Healing is not the result of clever words or sacred knowledge. It is the result of faith, love, and the power of God. As Jesus said, "If you are ready to believe that you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer, it shall be done for you." (Mk 11:24)

Healing is part of the Kingdom of God. Does that mean we all realize this now? No but I don't grasp a teaching other than God's desire is to heal.

Technorati Tags: healing

mac is back

I took my MacBook Pro in for repair last Friday and it's back already. I'm very impressed and I'm back blogging.

So - good news/bad news - you decide.

then and now

I got this from a friend. I thought it was funny, interesting, etc.. You can decide for yourself.

Scenario: Jack goes quail hunting before school, pulls into school parking lot with shotgun in gun rack.
1977 - Vice Principal comes over, looks at Jack's shotgun, goes to his own car and gets his shotgun to show Jack.
2007 - School goes into lock down, FBI called, Jack hauled off to jail and never sees his truck or gun again. Counselors called in for traumatized students and teachers.

Scenario: Johnny and Mark get into a fistfight after school.
1977 - Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up buddies.
2007 - Police called, SWAT team arrives, arrests Johnny and Mark. Charge them with assault, both expelled even though Johnny started it.

Scenario: Jeffrey won't be still in class, disrupts other students.
1977 - Jeffrey sent to office and given a good paddling by the Principal. Returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again.
2007 - Jeffrey given huge doses of Ritalin becomes a zombie, tested for ADD. School gets extra money from state because Jeffrey has a disability.

Scenario: Billy breaks a window in his neighbor's car and his Dad gives him a whipping with his belt.
1977 - Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college, and becomes a successful businessman.
2007 - Billy's Dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy removed to foster care and joins a gang. State psychologist tells Billy's sister that she remembers being abused herself and their Dad goes to prison. Billy's mom has affair with psychologist.

Scenario: Mark gets a headache and takes some aspirin to school.
1977 - Mark shares aspirin with Principal out on the smoking dock.
2007 - Police called, Mark expelled from school for drug violations. Car searched for drugs and weapons.

Scenario: Pedro fails high school English.
1977 - Pedro goes to summer school, passes English, and goes to college.
2007 - Pedro's cause is taken up by state. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that teaching English as a requirement for graduation is racist. ACLU files class action lawsuit against state school system and Pedro's English teacher. English banned from core curriculum. Pedro is given his diploma anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he cannot speak English.

Scenario: Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from 4th of July, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle, and blows up a red ant bed.
1977 - Ants die.
2007 - BATF, Homeland Security, FBI called. Johnny charged with domestic terrorism, FBI investigates parents, siblings removed from home, computers confiscated; Johnny's Dad goes on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again.

Scenario: Johnny falls while running during recess and scrapes his knee. He is found crying by his teacher, Mary. Mary hugs him to comfort him.
1977 - In a short time, Johnny feels better and goes on playing.
2007 - Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces 3 years in State Prison. Johnny undergoes 5 years of therapy.

Technorati Tags: humor

i'm liking rob bell more

Well, for what it's worth I'm liking Rob Bell more and more ... not necessarily theologically speaking (I don't have much data) but in the way he lives out his faith. Todd Rhoades posted the following from this abpnews article.

On the “emergent” Rob Bell:
When asked whether he is an emergent church leader or claims any affiliation with the movement, Bell simply said, “No.” Discussing the role of the emergent church movement, he said he understood it to be “simply a conversation asking, ‘What does it mean to be the people of Jesus?’” Addressing anyone who is critical of such a movement, Bell said, “I wonder whether that person is a Christian. That seems like a conversation they ought to have.”

On Who the Real Pharisees Are:
Bell had much stronger words for those who are “scared” by those who offer a new approach to theology, calling them “the original Pharisees.” “They’re obsessed with absolutely minutiae issues surrounding, ‘What words do you use to define the Bible?’” he said. “They absolutely obsess about people who, in their minds, don’t use the exact proper definitive language they’ve agreed upon somewhere.” And Bell insisted he is not worried about offending “fundamentalists,” adding that each time he does so, “there are a thousand people who are now listening.”

I like that kind of attitude.

warnock on challies

Adrian Warnock writes the following regarding Tim Challies' new book The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment;

Tim Challies takes us from the turbulent marketplace of ideas that is the modern western church back into the world of the Scriptures. Sadly, today many people fall into the trap of being naively blown from one wind of teaching to another. Others become so expert at straining out the gnats of what they believe to be error that they are unable to learn from anybody. Instead they believe themselves to be the guardians of "true" doctrine. Tim shows us from the Bible itself how to avoid both errors. Tim's reliance on the Bible is refreshing in an age when doctrinal pillars of our faith are being challenged by prominent preachers, and there is a constant search for novelty in parts of the Church. This book, like no other I have seen, aims to give ordinary Christians like you and me the tools we need to learn how to discern truth from error. I wholeheartedly urge you to get yourself a copy and read it, and then buy one for a friend.

This sounds like a very interesting read. Warnock outlines dates in which you can find Challies discussing his book on various other blogs if you're interested.

mac attack

No, no, no - I was not attacked by John MacArthur ... far worse, my MacBook Pro broke. Well, not "broke" broke ... I tried to upgrade the RAM from 2GB to 3GB and failed. Turns out there is something wrong with the logic board - or so they say at the Genius Bar (and who's going to argue with them?). Anyway, it's out for a week or so for repair.

I've decided this would be a good opportunity to take a blogging break - especially since Jonathan Brink perceives I make a post "every 6 seconds". He's right, I've been spending too much time. I may make a post from time to time if something pressing comes up but I hope not.

And therefore, I bid you adieu for a week or so ... peace.

rufus - ouch

I love this by Rob Rufus:

"Truth by itself is a very dangerous thing. Fundementalism is very crude and very harsh and it's done more damage to the world than anything else. Jesus Christ didn't just come with truth - He came with grace."

HT:DB

I remember when we finally had to come to grips with the church situation in Germany and we joined a Baptist church. I never thought I would see the day but I found comfort when I heard the pastor-teacher say, "Cessationism is the greatest lie causing the greatest damage that we Baptists have pushed on the church."

Whether cessationism or any other "ism", we have to be very careful not to teach more than what the Bible teaches and even then we have to remember to always season our zeal with grace.

presence of the spirit

Among the best books I ever read is Gordon Fee's Paul, the Spirit and the People of God.

"For (Paul) the Presence of the Spirit as an experienced and living reality was the crucial matter for Christian life from beginning to end."

HT:DB

scripture - why?

“I think if we were given the Scriptures, it was not so that we could prove that we were right about everything. If we were given the Scriptures, it was to humble us into realizing that God is right, and the rest of us are just guessing.” - Rich Mullins
I am not sure if that's something I'd teach (I'd have to think about it a lot more); but I sure relate to the sentiment.

HT:TR

Technorati Tags: Scripture

abiding in christ

“In a nutshell, abiding in Christ means allowing His Word to fill our minds, direct our wills, and transform our affections. In other words, our relationship to Christ is intimately connected to what we do with our Bibles!”

- Sinclair Ferguson, In Christ Alone (Lake Mary, FL: Reformation Trust Publishing, 2007), 114.

HT:PC

Technorati Tags: discipleship, Scripture

christians want to be tased

In a strange twist inspired by Andrew "Don't Tase Me, Bro" Meyer (see below for original video), Christians are buying the "Self-Taser".

The slogan "Tase me, Bro!" can be heard in churches across America. Already popular among Charismatics (apparently the charge causes people to jump and yell. Some even fall on the floor and writhe in pain) the Self-Taser should also have broad application in non-Charismatic circles where self-discipline and even church discipline can now rely even less on the Holy Spirit.



Or the MC Hammer version of "Don't Tase Me, Bro".



Or a more contemporary rap version ...

Technorati Tags: humor

rick warren responds

I like Rick Warren - well ok, not everything but overall he seems like a pretty good guy. Some condemn him because he is an Armenian and subsequently must believe in a works based salvation. I'm a Calvinist and I don't agree with that view of Armenians so I can still like Warren. Some condemn him because he chooses to use a lot of versions of the Bible to get to his point. I think it is unfortunate that he does that. He could say the same thing without quoting any version of the Bible but then I suppose some would condemn him for that. I don't. Some condemn him because he is just so doggone popular. I don't - but I have to admit, that bothers me for some reason.

Anyway - I haven't found his "heresy" yet so I'll stick with liking him. But that's off topic. WorldNetDaily did a three part piece with Rick Warren that I thought was very interesting. In part one, Warren responded to critics among his fellows evangelical travelers. In part two the senior pastor – called by Newsweek one of "15 People Who Make America Great" – discussed his fame, his unconventional approach to ministry and his visit last year with Syrian leader Bashar Assad. In part three, he responds to concerns about the pitfalls of partnering with government and his massive AIDS initiative.

Todd Rhoades does a great summary of part one.

On his mistakes:
“Without a doubt, I make mistakes all the time. I always own up to mistakes that I actually do. I just won’t own up to mistakes that weren’t really a mistake.”

On him being spiritually mentored by Robert Schuller and Norman Vincent Peale:
“I’ve only met Robert Schuller twice, I believe. I’ve never had a one-on-one conversation with him. Not once. So how do I even know him?...I’ve never even read a book written by Norman Vincent Peale.”

On his preaching style:
(He recently took two and a half years to preach through the book of Romans)
“People don’t know this...They think I’m teaching on stress every week.”

On his calling:
“People don’t understand that I am fundamentally, foremost an evangelist. It’s what I care about. I don’t care about politics, I don’t care about political correctness, I don’t care about what established groups want me to do. I care about getting people into heaven.”

On why he had a founder of a homosexual rights group speak at Saddleback:
The speaker was “trying to build bridges of love to different groups of people so that Jesus Christ can walk across into their life.”

On being a pawn:
“I’m willing to put up with the misunderstanding. I’m willing to have people go, ‘Ohh, he’s such a politically naive guy.’ Or, he’s a pawn to be used.”

On his enemies:
“I’m to love my enemies. That means I’m to love people who are totally opposed to me.”

On his apology:
“I do apologize, because I apologize for anything done in the name of Christ, that Jesus would disavow. I think Jesus would have disavowed the Crusades. Because the Crusades were largely about territorial land and not even about a personal relationship with Christ.”

On the environment:
“I don’t even care about that debate so much as I care that Christians should be at the forefront of taking care of the planet. And actually, you tell me which side you want to be on, and I’ll tell you which reports to read. OK. I can show you noted scientists who tell you we are near disaster, and I can show you noted scientists you say there is no problem at all. I didn’t sign on to say, I believe all things that the radical environmentalists believe. Not at all. I just thought Christians ought to be saying, We care about the planet too.”

On blogs feeding the fire of criticism against him:
“A lot of Christians then took and read that stuff, reported it on a blog, blogs copy blogs copy blogs copy blogs. And it’s kind of like spreading a feather pillow, you can’t get all the feathers back.”

On how he responds to criticism:
“The general policy is, as much as possible, you don’t respond.”

All three articles are worth the time. I am particularly impressed with how Warren has handled his wealth - he seems to demonstrate uncommon integrity.

Again, Warren is not my hero. I'm not even sure I would recommend much of his writing to anyone. But I like the guy and I'm amazed at the level of anger, hate, etc. that is generated toward him.

are institutions redeemable

"What other church is there besides institutional? There’s nobody who doesn’t have problems with the church, because there’s sin in the church. But there’s no other place to be a Christian except the church. There’s sin in the local bank. There’s sin in the grocery stores. I really don’t understand this naïve criticism of the institution. I really don’t get it. Frederick von Hugel said the institution of the church is like the bark on the tree. There’s no life in the bark. It’s dead wood. But it protects the life of the tree within. And the tree grows and grows. If you take the bark off, it’s prone to disease, dehydration, death. So, yes, the church is dead but it protects something alive. And when you try to have a church without bark, it doesn’t last long. It disappears, gets sick, and it’s prone to all kinds of disease, heresy, and narcissism." - Eugene Peterson

Darryl Dashhouse prefers not to look at the institution as redeemable or not but rather he asks:

• Is there a way to use buildings missionally and in a way that expresses the true nature of the church?
• Can orders of service be structured so that the corporate nature of worship is emphasized, and performance is minimized?
• How can preaching and teaching promote spiritual growth and emphasize the giftedness of the body?
• How can churches move beyond being pastor-driven?
• How can our giving be channeled beyond maintenance to mission and care for the poor?
• How can we recover the biblical emphasis on baptism as initiation into discipleship, and communion as a robust communal celebration?
• How can Christian formation take place that his holistic?

I like this approach. Regarding the institution of church, too many seem bent on either throwing it out or propping it up. I have little energy for either. Instead I recognize that it is here, it is likely not leaving, and I have a sense that it is fundamentally a good thing . As Dashhouse explains, "it's theoretically possible to have discovered that pretty much everyone from the church fathers on got it wrong, and that you are right - but it's highly unlikely. This is especially true in this case, because Scripture is largely descriptive (not prescriptive) in how churches can be shaped." I like his thinking.

Technorati Tags: ecclesiology