Love the Church

Hungry?

2012-01-28T22:30:00.000-05:00

Friday Pastor Andy and I took the men in LeaP II (Leadership training) to a midstate cabin for a prayer retreat. We had a great time that evening playing games (should Christians be playing Liar??), talking and laughing--some of it continuing late into the night. We spent all of Saturday morning praying--not even stopping to eat. In fact, we didn't eat supper Friday or breakfast Saturday. In the afternoon on the way home we stopped at a restaurant to break our fast.

On the ride to the cabin there were a lot of good-natured jokes about food. The banter continued throughout the night--including odd suggestions like trying one of the stuffed heads mounted high on the cabin walls. The gallons of juice we drank couldn't fill any gaps and by the time we ordered our food we were famished. Couldn't wait until the waitress brought our meals.

Veteran of a 40-day fast, Jesus would have chuckled at how soon we were to eager to satisfy our hunger. And..., perhaps asked if we were anywhere near as hungry for righteousness.

Men and women are different

2012-01-23T13:32:00.001-05:00

I just found out a friend is getting divorced.
Betty and I are trying to help a couple who have signed divorce papers.
More than one or two couples in the church are unhappy with their spouses.

The reasons why married couples struggle are many and diverse. There are almost always some main taproots that are spiritual such as pride and unforgiveness. But what often looks like the main problem is how different men and women are. Betty and I were married 20 years before we stumbled across a book about this that was a huge help.

Anyway, here's Brian Regan to help you--at least for the moment--chuckle over the differences instead of simmer.

The stage is set

2012-01-20T14:12:00.000-05:00

Today is Friday. By Tuesday, we need pledges totaling $1.5 million in order to move ahead with even a partially completed ministry center. $1.725 million to complete it. Based on the original pledges--and what's been added in the last few weeks, that means in the next four days God will have to provide another $209,000--somehow! Or $434,000 if we're going to finish off the fellowship hall and kitchen too.

We've asked our people to consider giving more than their original commitment. The elders did so first, and along with some other early responders, promised $258,000. And we're praying more will be promised in the next 4 days. But let's face it, this is almost unthinkable for our blue-collar congregation living through a severe recession. And with our $2 million borrowing cap, we won't be able to just borrow more if we "almost make it".

The stage is set.

For a miracle. The purpose of our church is to glorify God. Well, if this miracle happens, it's going to. There simply doesn't seem to be any way this can be done--humanly speaking.

The stage is set.

The distraught father asked Jesus to heal his son... "If you can". Stunned, Jesus looked at him and retorted. "If you can! All things are possible to him who believes" (Mark 9:23). All things. Of course, to guard against presumption 1 John 5:14-15 adds the caveat that we get what we want if it matches God's will. Well, there's no doubt God gave us the land. That..., was a miracle.

So it seems to follow that He gave it to us to build on it. But to do so, He'll need to show up in power. SOMEHOW, to provide. The stage is set for God to amaze us. We've tried to be good stewards. For years we've done multiple services, video venues, sat people in the lobby and opened the auditorium doors... Now, it's time to expand. But only God can do it. The stage is set.

39 years of death

2012-01-18T10:33:00.001-05:00

On Sunday it will be 39 years that the Supreme Court made it legal for doctors to perform abortions on girls and women who sought them. Since then, over 55 million mothers have surgically ended pregnancies. What might have been never was. With a stroke of the pen the high court overturned state statutes all across America which prohibited what had always been regarded as a ghastly business.

Except by pregnant women who had no plans to be.

Sarah Weddington's name is not well-known but she was the attorney who urged Nora McCorvey to become a litigant against the state of Texas in the case that became known as Roe vs. Wade. During the trial Nora was only identified as "Jane Roe" and did not reveal her role in the case until the 1980's. At the time, part of the legal push to permit Nora to abort her baby was fabricated testimony that she had been raped. In fact--as she admitted in 1987, she'd been pregnant by her boyfriend.

False testimony, an attorney with an apparent agenda, mythical finds in the Constitution, none of this matters any longer. Permission to abort is the law of the land. We who believe human life is sacred because God only made people in His image, can no longer count on government to protect the most vulnerable and innocent in our society. Police will not stop a mother desperate to get rid of her baby, or arrest a physician making a killing with his/her abortion practice. And substituting innocuous words like "terminate", "tissue", "fetus", will not make a small baby less a baby, or make a baby who is killed, any less dead.

This blog entry may be mostly for my soul. I've been somewhat ambivalent about abortion over the years--at least in my response. There's no way to justify violence, I'm not convinced demonstrations do anything except polarize and anger people, and the political winds for "right to choose" blow briskly each election cycle. So what do we do?

Vote your convictions. I realize it's harder and harder since elected officials--and those trying to get elected, can be very vague; even reverse themselves. (I confess I do not use this as a litmus test because being prolife does not guarantee that someone will be a good leader. I think choosing a candidate--especially to be president, demands looking at the total package before pulling the lever.)

Support your local pregnancy center. Whether that's by giving a financial gift, or volunteering in some capacity whether as office help or in counseling frightened women. If you know someone who's pregnant and doesn't want to be, offer to take them to a center to consider all options. Prolife people are sometimes depicted as angry people who hate women. I hope we aren't. We sinners who have been rescued by the gospel have no room for righteous indignation. We should offer the same kind of forgiveness and reconciliation we've been offered in Christ, by a gentle God who has every right to be mad at us.

Susquehanna Valley Pregnancy Services: http://pregnantwecare.com/

Cornerstone pregnancy Center: http://cornerstonepcs.com/contactus.php

Some thoughts on Tim Tebow

2012-01-09T11:26:00.004-05:00

Since my son now lives in Colorado Springs, I feel the need to take an interest in Colorado football. (That, plus my Redskins are out of contention. And in need of a quarterback. I don't do sports' posts. Usually.)

Yesterday I watched my first Tim Tebow game. Putting an exclamation point on his trademark comebacks, he completed an 80-yard pass to Demaryius Thomas in the opening salvo of OT to send the banged up Steelers home to think about what might have been. Tebow and his Broncos get ready for the top-seeded Patriots.

As the game ended, the gritty quarterback who's brought college tricks to the big league and made them work, sank to the ground in prayer. Taking a knee to celebrate beating Miami in OT in October, what's become the 2nd year quarterback's MO became an iconoclastic trend mimicked by admirers around the country. In fact, last month the Global Language Monitor website accepted "Tebowing" as a word--akin to getting print in yesteryear's Webster's Dictionary.

Tim has taken a beating in the press--both sports and conventional, because..., well, it's hard to know where criticism of him as a quarterback ends and criticism of him as a Christian starts. He's admittedly a very unconventional quarterback. And yes, next weekend may bring the Bronco miracle to an end. But I wonder how much flak he'd attract if the man was an agnostic. That he's an outspoken Christian seems to gall a lot of people. Why? What are they afraid of?

Look, I confess that every time some winning Christian athlete uses the first 10 seconds of an interview to throw out the name Jesus Christ, I'm a little embarrassed. First, it can suggest that Jesus is for winners and against the losers. Second, it can sound more like the guy's trying to score points for gutsiness than proclaiming God's fame. Third, sometimes these same athletes show up in the news with DUI's, or pulling a gun at a party, or otherwise trashing what they said yesterday on national TV by what they did today.

I'm not seeing that with Tim. In fact, I wonder if that's what troubles his critics. He's a likable football player who tries hard to win, who is humble about his successes and circumspect about his failures, who respects opponents and seems to genuinely love others, is doing some good things with his money like building hospitals in the Philippines, and a competitor who kneels to pray. His words in interviews are unapologetic but nonconfrontational, and..., well, he seems genuine. And seems to have figured out how to pursue winning without letting it define him--or his Savior. Earlier in the season with his team down to the Bears in the fourth quarter, a mic'd up Tebow prayed as he headed back out onto the field, "No matter what, win or lose, Lord, give me the strength to honor you."

In other words, he's too good to be true. Unbelievers are more comfortable with people of faith who fail because it seems to validate their faithlessness. What they don't get is that the gospel is only for failures. At some point, Mr. Tebow's image is going to take a legitimate hit when he does or says something to mar his testimony. He'll regret it, and the rest of us will wring our hands at the public blow to Christianity. Maybe instead, we should rejoice because it just might allow the real gospel to go public and make the issue the man Jesus Christ instead of the man Tim Tebow. It may happily restate that the gospel has always been the good news of Christ's work, not ours. And that the gospel is not just for unbelievers, but also for Christians--who regrettably but inevitably still sin. After all, Jesus always lives to intercede for us (Hebrews 7:25).

The New Year

2012-01-02T19:18:00.000-05:00

Welcome, 2012! Some people I know are very glad to see you send 2011 packing. Last year they lost a job, or buried a husband, or tried to end their lives, or watched their marriage disintegrate, or got deployed, or watched a romance fall apart, or... [feel free to fill in the blank].

I hope that many people get to walk a different path this year. "God, mend their relationships, heal them, provide work for them, dig them out of that financial hole, give them a new friend, may they see daylight at the end of the tunnel." But the gritty truth is that like last year and all the years before it, skulking in the shadows of times of joy and happiness, lie disappointments, regrets, sorrows, and tragedies that mean to appear at the most unwelcome times. What then?

I know we're all ready for prosperity. But the rest? ...I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Writing this from prison makes the author credible. Suffering's been his experience, not simply a hypothetical possibility. In fact, his bona fides include frequent beatings, being stoned and left for dead, whippings, threats from his own people, being shipwrecked, sleepless nights, threats from robbers and rivers, and being cold and exposed to the elements (2 Cor.11:23- 29).

Paul insists that for the Christian there's more to life than simply hanging on for dear life when the bottom falls out. What he means is not that Christ is an invisible swim buddy who keeps you from emotionally drowning, but that by going to the cross for us, the worst life can throw at us has been rendered toothless. Which puts everything else in perspective.

Joy

2011-12-21T10:07:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I took our old computer to the dump. Actually, the toxic substances recycling center. Getting out of the car I lifted the hatch. To the guys removing the computer I joked, "Just make sure you let the bird seed!" The bags of seed I had picked up earlier were stacked behind the computer.

"Did you say that because I was whistling?" the one in glasses grinned. I was too embarrassed to admit I hadn't heard him (aging ears). "Maybe you thought I was a bird!" he laughed and I instantly liked him. I whistle too and was glad to meet a fellow featherless friend.

I don't hear near as much whistling as I did when I was a boy. There are probably a lot of cultural reasons for that (in addition to my waning hearing!). I do wonder if we are in general, a more miserable people. Odd if that's the case since we Americans are more prosperous than ever. But then, prosperity has not brought us more satisfaction. Which could be instructive for those who crave what we have.

Although the Bible is peppered with references to "joy" and "rejoice", the grounds of joy the writers point to are not possessions or privilege. Occasionally they say joy is the result of what someone else has done, but in most cases the joy experienced or pursued is the result of God and His work. O Tidings of comfort and joy..., comfort and joy...

Jesus came to the earth to destroy the works of the devil. I hope you find reason to whistle this season.

The Christmas Gospel

2011-12-15T15:59:00.000-05:00

After we hitched the trailer to the SUV, my wife and I went to a tree farm for a Christmas tree. No, not the cut-your-own kind. The trees were neatly stacked upright on frames: scotch, pine, fir, you name it. We got a really fragrant white pine that was a little dirty. I hosed it off first and let it dry before planting it in our living room.

It's a figure of speech. We already have hardwood floors.

There are all kinds of mouthwatering cookies around the house ridiculing my good intentions. Along with more treats from some of the children in my wife's Sunday school class.

Betty just called in from the kitchen asking about an address for the Christmas cards we're distributing--you know the ones, the one-page glossies with our picture on. "Don't forget to pray for us!" The kind we find in our church and street mailboxes.

Betty's been making forays to the malls and elsewhere to find the right presents for the grandchildren. And others. In both our immediate as well as extended families, we don't exchange many gifts anymore so that task isn't as all-consuming as it used to be. But it takes time. Betty bakes some presents too.

At night we pull the plug on the outdoor lights, head to bed, and wonder what holiday assignment was left undone. Sunday is our Christmas program and a lot of people are putting a lot of time in getting ready. Then next week are the Christmas eve services.

We used to all sleep around the tree downstairs in the family room but with two married children and one on the other side of the world, that's not going to happen this year. I don't care what Betty says, I am not going to let a perfectly good bed upstairs go to waste!

If you enjoy Christmas traditions and practices in your family, you know the warm feeling of familiarity and sentiment. It's a wonderful time of year. But behind the carols on the radio and the glossy advertisements selling the hottest presents of the season, can lurk some dark shadows. This year people were killed by other shoppers on Black Friday. People fighting over dolls and flat screen TVs? And finding a place to park at the mall can raise any American's blood pressure. Family members get irritated that someone else has bought Grandma what they were going to buy. Parents disappointed that little Johnny and little Janey seem bored by their very expensive gifts. Extended families dueling over the best dates for family feasts. Church members upset because so-and-so got the lead part in the pageant instead of them. A wife upset that her husband won't help put up the decorations.

Selfishness, sin, and neglect, all happening within sight of the birth of the gospel, the good news. How good is it that He came!

From Legalism to Sanctification

2011-12-12T13:38:00.000-05:00

"Legalism is seeking to achieve forgiveness from God and acceptance by God through obedience to God." C.J. Mahaney's (The Cross-Centered Life) pithy definition gets at why obeying God in word and deed can be a problem. It's not a problem that we obey--that's very good, but why we obey. If we obey hoping God will forgive us, or so He might accept us, perhaps unknowingly we actually blaspheme God. I don't think that's too strong of a word and here's why: whether we realize it or not, banking on our own efforts curses God's Calvary effort. It dismisses Jesus' work as adequate. Because the Bible says we are forgiven by faith in His work alone, obeying to be forgiven in essence refuses the gift. It's declaring that Jesus dying as a sin sacrifice is not enough. "I have to somehow complete His work."

Imagine your parents giving you a Christmas gift and hearing you say, "Oh thank you! This is awesome! I promise even if I have to work overtime, as soon as possible I'll pay you for this." Mom and Dad would exchange horrified looks. For weeks they imagined the look on your face as you unwrapped your present. They thought you'd receive it with joy. You did but... How pained they are to have their child think he needs to repay them for what they freely gave.

It's not that obedience is wrong; it's very right. But it's the difference between obeying to get, and obeying because you've gotten. The person who recognizes that God declares him righteous solely by his faith alone in the work of Christ, now happily obeys God and wants to as a result of being justified. She doesn't obey so she'll be forgiven, but because she's been forgiven. The difference is enormous.

Justification saves us and it is God's work alone. We ...are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. (Romans 3:24-25)

Once we have been justified, we are confident God accepts us, confident God's forgiven us of all past, present and future sin, and no longer live in fear (1 John 4:18). The rest of life is one of obedience in response to God's mercy and salvation. We call it sanctification, the process of being made holy. Unlike justification which is God's solo project, we are sanctified by a partnership of our own efforts (1 Timothy 4:7), and the Holy Spirit's work (Philippians 2:13).

Legalism's curse is not just keeping--or judging others by rules not found in the Bible, it is keeping those rules that are there, FOR THE WRONG REASONS.

More on Legalism

2011-12-05T16:21:00.000-05:00

Several weeks ago when I preached on legalism, I got some of the blowback I expected. What I heard was similar to what I would have thought or said just 6 or 7 years ago. I used to be afraid that if I taught a gospel stripped of any works--which I truly believed it was, people would take advantage of it and think I meant they could sin with impunity. "Hey, it's all covered by the blood." Now I worry about other things when I preach the gospel.

I had two main purposes in the sermon:

Warn us not to judge the faith of others by behaviors the Bible doesn't address.
Present a gospel that is effective solely because of Christ's work, not an 80 or 90% deal to which we add our 10 or 20% of effort.

It was in the judging part that the greatest confusion occurred. I pointed out that half a century ago, some Christians condemned other women of faith for wearing lipstick or silk stockings, or condemned Christians who played cards. These are no longer issues for most Christians because we've admitted Scripture doesn't prohibit any of them.

Then I went further and suggested that smoking and drinking in moderation are in the same category. Some object that they're evil practices because they can harm the human body which is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor.6:19-20) and with which we're to honor God. I went out on a limb and insisted that it doesn't say--or mean, that you drink in moderation or can't smoke. OR, if it does, then other behaviors potentially harmful to the body are just as wrong. Such as large intakes of sweets or transfats. Two of my personal favorites come to mind: donuts and chips. Or eating lots of salt which causes strokes. Or enjoying dangerous hobbies like racing, skydiving or even skiing.

Face it, we can be very selective in what we interpret "honor God with your body" to mean. We're sure it includes not smoking, but maybe less sure it includes, "GO GET SOME EXERCISE YOU COUCH POTATO!" Anyway, the context of the verses in 1 Corinthians 6 has nothing to do with eating, smoking or drinking. It's not criticizing what's physically unhealthy, but what's spiritually unhealthy; don't use your body for sexual sin and thus dishonor God with it.

Some thought equating smoking with eating bad food--or failing to exercise was mixing apples and oranges. After all, a person has to eat, but doesn't have to smoke or drink. True. Irrelevant. My point was that when we think of other Christians who smoke or who drink in moderation as spiritually inferior--or disobedient, we don't have a biblical leg to stand on.

What if our children hear the pastor say it's ok to smoke and drink? First, simply because the Bible doesn't prohibit something doesn't mean it can go on in my home or yours. I would never have permitted our children to smoke at our house. Or drink before they were 21 and legally allowed to do so. And even though I know the Bible doesn't forbid drinking, I don't drink at all, and it's what I advocate. I told my son, "You know that although the Bible condemns drunkenness, that I don't believe or teach that the Bible forbids all drinking of alcohol. But I think that's the wisest course of action, and in this culture, best serves our Savior."

I worry about causing a worse disaster by my words than that a young person feels free to smoke a pack of Marlboros or get a six-pack of Bud. I fear that unless I clearly disrobe the gospel of works, some young person might conclude that he/she can become acceptable to God by behavior. Or add something to Christ's work by behavior. I have seen that again and again in the church: people who believe that they are born again because they behave. At least they do on the outside.

In trying to strip the gospel of all works in that sermon, perhaps I didn't make enough qualifications, enough "yes, buts". If I overstated the case to the degree that someone understood me to not just open the door to smoking but say, adultery, it was not because I want to be loose on adultery. It's because I want to be tight on the gospel. I fear confusing the gospel is an even greater risk than endorsing sin. I have come to agree with Martyn Lloyd-Jones, the British pastor of the last century who said: If your preaching of the gospel doesn't provoke the charge from some of antinomianism [refusing to keep rules], you're not preaching the gospel."

In Christianity, legalism means to add some behavior to the work of Christ as a requirement of faith. John Hendryx, a prominent blogger has given this helpful definition of legalism: "Legalism is a distortion of the gospel which denies that Jesus Christ is completely sufficient for salvation. That some additional element of self-effort, merit or faithfulness on our part is necessary to either attain or maintain a just standing before God. (Gal.3:3)”.

Now for the "Yes, but". Does a true Christian sin willy-nilly? No. No. No! For several reasons:

When God saves, He changes the heart. Which leads to obedience. (1 John 3:6-9 makes clear that the person who claims to be a Christian yet has an ongoing practice of sin, is not truly born again.
When God does a true work of grace and saves a person, He changes her heart with the result that the works God prepared for her to do, do follow (Phil.1:6; Eph.2:8-10).
Those works are not perfect. Or constant. But because God the Spirit lives in her, obedience to God is initiated by Him. She responds but the initiative is supernatural; it's His (Phil.2:13).
Because of Christ's love for us in the gospel, a desire to please Him has replaced our old desire to find pleasure in sin (2 Cor.15:14-15).

It would break my heart to discover that any of my words led people into sin. But it would break into even smaller pieces if my words conveyed a muddied gospel embedded with hints that avoiding things like smoking or drinking could add to it--or take away from it. Which is what I fear behavioral teaching can so easily do without meaning to. Love God and live as you please. (Augustine)

Thank You Lord

2011-11-24T11:35:00.001-05:00

One of my favorite holidays is today. Thanksgiving is custom-made for a man whose best future was eternal hell but is now the proud owner of adoption papers stamped by the King of heaven. And there's more. As a recovering depressive, I know how easy it is to crawl inside a bottle stuffed with dark clouds, shortcomings, fears, unfulfilled expectations and get coated with a suffocating dark tar of gloom.

As a recovering depressive, I now have access to a bottle that is filled with grace including my deliverance, my bride of 39 years (tomorrow), my children who are all walking in faith, elderly parents still in good health, our house, plenty to eat, wear and drive, good friends, brothers and sisters in Christ, colorful birds, sunshine, at least a little remaining hair... Don't you have a bottle of grace too? What do you have that you did not receive? (1 Corinthians 4:7)

Pride by Another Name [Self-Pity]

2011-11-07T10:44:00.000-05:00

I store it everywhere so it's always within easy each. Maybe you do too. There's a bottle on the shelf of our marriages, one in the break room at work, and containers strategically located in places at school. There's always one handy when the family gets together, an app on the cellphone, and a nice big one for the church.

Self-pity is like the edible note God gave John in Revelation 10:9-10. In my mouth it's as sweet as a cinnamon bun (yummm!!), but in my stomach it's like raw, rotten eggs. What began as an opinion turns into a conviction: I HAVE BEEN WRONGED! I have been treated differently than I deserve to be. If he/she would only know what a wonderful person I am, how hard I've worked, how much I've put up with, how capable I am or worthy of being admired, I would have been treated better."

It's my natural refuge when someone criticizes my preaching. Or how I handled a situation. Or appears to have a better idea than mine. Or leaves the church. We don't like..., ok, I don't like to admit it's self-pity because it sounds so petty and self-absorbed. It is. And in biblical language, beneath the costume of self-pity lurks pride. "I deserve better." Even though I realize there are many other people treated like this--or worse, I shouldn't be. "People shouldn't be like this to me, think about me in those ways, or speak to me like that." The one we think is treating us with too little regard may be God, spouse, a sister, boss, someone we thought was a friend, or someone in the church.

First, since self-pity is the fruit of believing I deserve certain things, that I'm entitled to certain things, basic theology on the human condition can help: I am a sinner and the only thing I rightfully deserve is God's judgment and hell. Having been relieved of that in Christ, everything else is a bonus.

Second, since God is sovereign and always up to something (actually a lot of somethings since He's great at multitasking), maybe it's not even about us! Maybe the other person's criticism isn't accurate but it's his/her way of trying to drown out what God's trying to say to him/her. Or, maybe we're feeling sorry for ourselves because we weren't invited to something. Unknown to us, it had nothing to do with us. But in our pride, we assume the world revolves around us and surely, why we weren't invited was because of something the other person has against us. Surely, it was about me.

Maybe not. Self-pity can lose it's power as God grows greater in our eyes, as people matter more and more, and as "me" takes its rightful but limited place. Professionals urge us to think well of ourselves; God urges us to think rightly of ourselves.

Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. Romans 12:3
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Philippians 2:3
We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty. Luke 17:10

Friday books

2011-10-28T07:55:00.001-04:00

Other than your Bible, a basic tool to take believers' concern for the world's lost to the next level--as well as impact those lost people through prayer, is Operation World, the Definitive Prayer Guide to Every Nation. Released a year ago, Jason Mandryk's 7th edition is a gold mine of info about the world's nations, its people groups, their religions, the gospel work that is or isn't going on among them, and what to pray for. Which is where we come in. You may not be called to Craigslist all your stuff for an airline ticket to a dot on a map where there's an unreached people group and no cell service. But you are called to be involved in getting Christians to that spot, keeping them there, and interceding for their success. When God saved us, we all became enlistees to serve Christ in His mission of building and expanding His kingdom. Prayer is a contribution everybody can make to that effort. The book will set you back about $13.50 at CBD and under $13 at Amazon.

Just watch out. It has been proven time and time again that believers who pray for other people often are moved to get involved in some way with those same people. You might end up spending money, time, or something else on their behalf.

Representative of this are founders of the e3 Partners mission organization, Tom and JoAnn Doyle. "Operation World changed our lives! In 1999, my wife and I began praying for a country each night in Operation World. God opened our hearts wide for lost people, especially in the Middle East. Every night as we would read about Iran, Israel and other nations, our hearts were gripped with the need to reach these countries for Christ. Within two years, God called us to leave senior pastoring a local church in the Colorado Springs area, and to go to the very places that we had been praying for! So as you pray through Operation World, just remember, God may radically change your world to reach His world."

Is your faith real or imitation?

2011-10-26T14:28:00.000-04:00

I was a sinner.

Condemned.

What could I do?

"I can rescue you," I heard Jesus say.

I turned in faith and He forgave me, made me God's son.

I rejoiced.

And went on my way.

That was a year ago. I've shared my story of being rescued with a lot of people who've wished me well. Privately, my wife tells me she's not seen much change in me. It's true, I've still got a few things that make me human: a short temper, I don't help with the kids all that much, and I do enjoy some me time on certain websites that some of those people at the church would probably object to. And no, I don't worry myself too much with people around me who are lost like some say I should. But hey, I'm saved! That's what matters!

I should probably read my Bible one of these days but I've found it's really hard to understand. Some of our friends keep saying I should come to worship, but I don't see the need. I can just as easily talk with God in my garage or out on a trail in the woods.

I do pray. Just the other night our daughter was 45 minutes late for her curfew and hadn't checked in. I was really praying then!

I'm a pretty good guy I think. Ok, so maybe I don't help a lot of people but at least I don't hurt anybody. That should count for something!

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. 2 Cor.13:5

They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. Titus 1:16

The Lord knows those who are his... Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness. 2 Tim.2:19

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ Matt.7:21-23

The Main Missionary question

2011-10-24T13:22:00.000-04:00

Is all mission work equal? Not anymore. Not when 90% of our missionaries are deployed to "Christianized" people groups. Not when only a penny out of every $100 given to missions goes to those working among people who have no Christian near enough--or none who speaks their language to tell them about Jesus.

I'm done hunting

2011-10-20T11:15:00.001-04:00

It was poor judgment on my part. We scheduled our wedding 2 days before the opening day of Pennsylvanian's deer season. Course, at the time I wasn't a hunter. Nor the son of a hunter. There wasn't one in the family; not my dad, not his dad. Nor my other grandfather. Except for the family I'd married into, my closest hunting relative was an uncle. So, no need to avoid a late November wedding lest hunting season conflicted with future anniversaries.

The next year my company closed on the first day of deer season so Betty and I decided to celebrate our first anniversary in the woods. Hunting. Our rifles were mostly window dressing. Neither of us had any intention of hunting. Good hunters work hard at minimizing odors and sounds but my wife and I talked irritatingly loud, ate our picnic lunch noisily, and generally drove other hunters away.

During the day we heard gunshots, watched as a fox ran by, but hadn't seen any whitetails. Mid-afternoon that began to change as one doe after another soundlessly appeared. Beautiful animals, regal, elegant, so stealthy. By the 4th or 5th one I was hooked. The change from spectator to hunter was all but instantaneous. In the 38 years since, I've taken several nice buck and numerous does with both rifle and bow.

Now I'm done. After last season, I quit. I've threatened to write the PA Game Commission a letter but probably won't. What drew me to hunt deer--seeing them, has been reversed by Game Commission rules which have severely reduced the state's deer herd. Especially on state land where I hunt. It's not unusual to hunt several days without seeing so much as a tail. I love to hunt even if I don't bring home venison. But with not seeing deer in the woods becoming the norm, I'm done.

I have other hobbies and nobody will suffer if I don't hunt. But what if that's our thinking about sharing the good news? Could not seeing fruit lead us to say, "Fine, I'm done."? In that case, others might suffer. God assigned each of us to be on mission right where we are. Wherever a believer doesn't act on his/her assignment, there's a hole in the coverage. Are each of us attentive to the Spirit's promptings? Are we available for God to use in someone's journey towards God's salvation?

Admittedly it's discouraging when we don't see fruit from our efforts. But do not be dismayed. God always gets his man. Or his woman. Or his child. Our job is to tell. His is to call.

Muslim-proof gospel?

2011-10-10T11:25:00.003-04:00

Osama Bin Laden is dead. So is Fazul Abdullah Mohammed (Somoli who directed 1998 Kenyan & Tanzanian US embassy bombings). Drones took out Ilyas Kashmiri (Mumbai attack leader based in Pakistan) as well as Al-Qaeda's American-born Al-Awlaki in Yemen. In a matter of months four of the world's most notorious jihadists have been taken out of play.

But Al-Zawahiri was crowned OBL's heir. It's like frogger: take out one and another takes his place; men dedicated to the destruction of the west and Israel. Hate, a bloodlust stirred by religious zeal, and revenge drive them to inflict as much destruction and death as they possibly can.

While I realize these are professing Muslims, I do not think they have much in common with the world's Muslims--the vast majority who go to mosques, recite the Qur'an in Arabic, but have no plans to dress up as a bomb. The debate will not end about whether the many peaceful Muslims or the few jihadists are most faithful to Muhammad's words. But this much we know: they all need the good news, they all need to discover the God who--instead of shedding His enemies' blood, shed His own on their behalf.

What will it take to reach the planet earth's 1.52 million Muslims with the good news about Jesus? What technology will be required, what resources and plans? In addition to the willingness of growing numbers of gifted Christians to die, I think it will be love that leads to risk-taking. Will well-intentioned strategies or goals matter if none of us will take some risks for Jesus? Start a gutsy conversation with a Jordanian Arab on a plane or a woman wearing a Hijab at the supermarket. Set aside some time to pray with your spouse or children for Muslims (get "Operation World" to guide you). We--every person who claims to love Jesus Christ--could decide that lost Muslims are no longer acceptable. Think of it.

update on Pastor Nadarkhani

2011-10-05T14:17:00.000-04:00

And found it. Following international pressure including words from the white house, Iran scrambled for a more legitimate crime for which to execute Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani. The government now says they're going to put Nadarkhani to death for rape, extortion, and security issues (specifically, they say he's a Zionist--an agent of Israel). Huh? Despite court records clearly stating apostasy was the sole issue originally, it looks like they'll try to dodge the world's condemnation with this legal sleight of hand. Keep asking our Father to intervene!

Quick, PRAY!

2011-09-28T13:53:00.000-04:00

A pastor in Iran may be executed as early as today because he will not renounce Christ. Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani was condemned to death in September for "apostasy" even though there is no such clause in the Iranian code of law. Ask God to intervene! http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/09/28/iranian-pastor-faces-execution-for-refusing-to-recant-christian-faith/

Friday books

2011-09-23T16:29:00.000-04:00

At every wedding I channel Jerry Bridges: "preach the gospel to yourself every day." I believe talking to ourselves is not a habit to break, but a discipline to cultivate. In Spiritual Depression Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones suggested that we Christians often "...allow our self to talk to us instead of talking to our self. He asks, Have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself? I remember the "WOW!" that echoed in my stunned silence the first time I read those lines. I am better at listening to/endorsing my natural inclinations than bringing supernatural truth to bear on them.

Note to Self--Joe Thorn's book on preaching to yourself, gives you a tool for doing what Bridges suggests, and makes much of Lloyd-Jones' warning. It's the perfect book for your quiet time with each devotional just about a page and a half. It's written by you, to you. But I think you'll agree that most chapters have the eerily familiar voice of the Holy Spirit. Which explains why it seems as if someone's been reading your mail.

Dear Self,
Too often you let your sin anchor you in place. You do not move beyond it or even see beyond it. In some cases this turns into a form of self-pity when you are grieved by your sin, but not so deeply that you are moved to repent and discover joy in your salvation. You feel victimized, defeated and beyond help. In some ways that actually relieves you of a sense of responsibility. After all, what could you have done?

Now that's talking to yourself! At April's Gospel Coalition conference I picked up copies of this for all the staff and elders. Ask one of them what they thought.

9-11-01

2011-09-12T13:24:00.001-04:00

My youngest son was 15 when it happened. Driving to the office with the radio on that Tuesday morning, I was stunned to hear announcers reporting that a plane had hit one of New York City's World Trade towers. At work we switched on the TV in the youth room.

We watched in fascinated horror as a second plane hit the second tower. And then the Pentagon. And then as the two towers collapsed on Manhattan. And then the story of yet another plane crash: flight 93 buried itself in a Shanksville field.

It was a defining day. It changed our president. It changed our military mission. It changed our intelligence efforts. It changed America.

And it changed my son. Sometime after 9-11 a huge American flag appeared on his bedroom wall. Four years later he enlisted in the army. The last two, a consequence of the first. Putting on the uniform is not something I would have chosen for him, but I'm proud that he did.

The 9-11 attackers were all Muslims. No revision of history will change that fact, or the fact that they saw themselves as pilots on a religious mission. Prior to 9-11 I wonder how many Americans even knew there was a world religion call Islam. Or that its adherents are only second in number to Christianity's. Or that it's the fastest growing faith in the world. Or that some interpretations of its holy book lead followers to force others to convert or die. Or that there are already nations of the global family governed by its code. In fact, the Islamic legal code of Shariah is practiced completely or in part by 35 countries.

I pray for Muslims. I hope you do too. And there should be no animosity towards them. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ... (2 Cor.4:4). We who now know Christ were once every bit as blind. It's just that the gods we worshiped most likely produced self-indulgence rather than self-deprivation. Does that make us more noble--or Muslims less worthy of God's grace?

I'm thankful there are Muslims who are assuring Christians and others that they do not want to force us to convert..., or put us to death if we don't. Some point to the Qur'an's assurance, there is no compulsion in religion (Surah 2:256). But their affection for both Muhammad's words and deeds, makes Muslims preshaped to be receptive to the indoctrination--mainly by Saudi Wahhabism--that it is the duty of every Muslim to expand Islam by all means necessary, including armed conquest.

Therefore, as we pray for the light of the gospel to shine on these people created in the image of God, we can never forget that we have a nation to defend. The pluralism which has resulted from our founding fathers' wanting to establish a nation of unparalleled liberties, will not serve us well if we turn a blind eye to obvious threats from foreign powers or those cropping up among us at home. Endurance of the republic demands both our prayers, and our vigilance.

Good resources on good sex

2011-09-03T21:20:00.012-04:00

In light of my sermon tomorrow morning on married sex, here are some good books for couples whether you're dissatisfied with your sexual relationship, or you just want to make sure to keep the fires stoked.

Uncovered: Revealing the Secrets of a Sexy Marriage by Susie Davis
Sheet Music by Kevin Lehman
Intimate Issues by Linda Dillow & Lorraine Pintus
The Gift of Sex by Cliff & Joyce Penner
Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas
Laugh Your Way to A Better Marriage by Mark Gungor
A Celebration of Sex by Douglas Rosenau
For Men Only by Shaunti & Jeff Feldhahn
For Women Only by Shaunti Feldhahn

the sermon the hurricane drowned

2011-08-31T09:09:00.000-04:00

Hurricane Irene left so many people without power, or a mess to clean up, or unable to get around swollen creeks that many missed my sermon Sunday on women dressing modestly. Admittedly, not a fashionable topic.

Growing up Anabaptist I remember hearing sermons on how women should dress. Having left the Mennonite church over 20 years ago I never thought I'd be one to one day preach that sermon. But what some Christian women are wearing--and not just teenagers or the twenty-somethings--in effect shouts down the gospel, and undermines their brothers--some of whom are in a life and death struggle with the lusts of their sinful nature.

Let's forever reject the notion that godly women are supposed to be ugly, or unfashionable. I say, "Ban the burkas!" I don't see anything in Scripture that applauds the notion that some extreme Christian groups have that her clothes should successfully erase a woman's form. Ladies, God made you look like that. And while it's dangerous to say this is ok or that isn't, personally I don't know that your knees need covered up.

But ladies, the real question is, do my clothes glorify God? Do they let me make much of Jesus or are they busy making much of me?

When you shop, as well as asking, "Does it look good on me?", ask "Does it look modest on me?" Too many fashion designers are selling you tops which you may not even realize from your view in the mirror, put your breasts on display--especially when you lean forward. If I'm the person you happen to be talking to at the time, I'm put in a predicament: do I look away while we're talking and appear rude, or try to continue looking at your face while doing battle with the male magnets in my eyes? Young women (and some older) wear strapless gowns or dresses to proms and weddings--sometimes even to worship--which are at risk of succumbing to gravity. While watching men pray for fabric failure, every few minutes the woman has to yank the slipping assembly up again.

Sisters, the more skin that's exposed, the more underwear parts that are not covered up, the more many men around you waver. Brothers, we have a responsibility to learn to control our own bodies [and minds] in a way that is holy and honorable--not in passionate lust like the heathen who do not know God. (1 Thess.4:4-5). Our control is not the ladies' job. But ladies, please help us. We desire to glorify God and point people to His gospel. You can make that more difficult..., or more likely.

To hear the entire sermon, click on http://www.keystonechurch.org/sermons.php

Are spending cuts or protracted debt immoral?

2011-08-11T16:23:00.000-04:00

Here's a question: if I owed you boatload of money you know I'll never be able to pay back, would you keep loaning me money? Think of the $14 trillion America's in debt. Once despised, debt has become a way of living not only for individuals, but for the government. Some critics swear it's driving us off a precipice while others insist it's good for the economy. Kinda like arsenic is good for your fever blister.

The political brinkmanship both parties played last week before the S & P downgrade of US creditworthiness, shows that our so-called debate over the national debt really isn't a debate; we're on two different planets. At least two. Conservatives insist we must stop spending money we don't have while liberals ("progressives" if you prefer) insist we must spend play money because the innumerable federal programs they pay for help so many people in need.

This blog's not for analyzing national politics but when holding the line on spending is labeled "immoral" by people like NY Senator Chuck Schumer, I'm going to wade in. Suddenly, everybody's got religion--even on Capitol Hill where they're asking, "What would Jesus do?" Democrats insist that because Jesus favored the poor in his teachings, he would condemn the proposed cuts in increased spending demanded by Republicans. And Republicans claim that because delaying coming to grips with our soaring debt could bankrupt future generations--or even this one, Jesus would insist we get our financial house in order.

At the crux of any discussion on the morality of a federal budget and debt must be right thoughts about borrowed money. My wife and I are not wealthy by American standards but proportionate to our income, we try to give away a lot of money. Yet, we have never donated someone else's money. Or borrowed money to donate to someone. I once heard of a pastor who borrowed $50,000 to give to his church's building project. That's just looney.

The Bible says that borrowing turns people into slaves. Meaning, since the lender could call in the loan at any time, we must dance to his tune. We are not free to do as we wish (think of China playing a flute in 2025). And, we have a spiritual/moral obligation to repay any loan (Let no debt remain outstanding... Rom.13:8).

What would Jesus do? It's true that He advocated for the poor. He condemned the rich who mistreated them. He condemned all the people who were unconcerned about them. But when he was preaching to thousands on a hillside, what Jesus wouldn't do is have one of His disciples write a letter to Rome demanding that they feed his audience. He fed them Himself. King David and King Solomon did not use the Israeli treasury to feed those who were in need. It was not the government's responsibility to feed the poor, that was the responsibility of the citizenry; to be generous. Too often I see people apply Scriptures for individuals, to government. Careful.

Interestingly enough, the very people attacking conservatives for not caring about those in need, give away the least. Arthur Brooks' book Who Really Cares? studied who gives the most to charity. Armed with certain assumptions, he was stunned to learn that conservatives give 30% more than liberals. Google's research was even worse: conservatives give twice as much as progressives. Noted liberal columnist Nicholas Kristof says "We liberals are personally stingy." In 2008 he wrote, Liberals show tremendous compassion in pushing for generous government spending to help the neediest people at home and abroad. Yet when it comes to individual contributions to charitable causes, liberals are cheapskates.

If there's no personal sacrifice, can you really claim to be compassionate? If to meet John's need I reach for your wallet instead of mine, would you call me compassionate? When congressional representatives vote to increase taxes to fund both their worthwhile and their worthless programs, there is no personal investment or sacrifice.

And who with a straight face can define compassion as voting to spend money you know you won't have? That too is immoral and something for which future generations will demand an accounting.

Part of the "immorality" charge against those promoting spending controls and tax breaks is that very wealthy people and large businesses are using tax loopholes to pay little or no taxes. Looking for additional revenue, critics want them to pay "their fair share". I could not agree more that our tax system is inequitable. Which will not change until we send enough people with moral backbones to Washington to eliminate all tax breaks for anyone--especially those who can afford lobbyists--and impose some sort of a flat or fair tax. Now THAT would be moral.

Is there something sinister in the Campus Crusade name change?

2011-08-08T10:39:00.000-04:00

You may have heard a couple of weeks ago that the worldwide ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ is changing its name to "Cru". I heard it mentioned briefly on the news but didn't know much about the rationale. One thing I heard that was instructive was that founder Bill Bright's widow Vonette said a name change had long been in the works and that Bill had been supportive of it. Having recently learned what fears name changes can spark, I was reluctant to judge CCC until I heard more.

I hear some believers are afraid CCC is throwing Christ overboard since they've dropped His name. That's hard to imagine for a ministry which has historically been so driven to evangelize. Can anyone say "Jesus Film"? Now I'm learning that donors are dropping their support of individual Cru missionaries for no other reason than that their organization has changed its name. If these men and women are still doing the same work and have been faithful, that's ungodly in the middle of an economic perfect storm where more and more faithful servants of Christ are being forced from their mission fields due to insufficient support.

John Piper has done the Church a service with this incisive assessment:

Since Campus Crusade for Christ announced (and explained) that it will change its name to Cru, some donors have withdrawn support from Crusade staff. I am writing to say: That’s not a good reason to withdraw your support.

Here are some factors to consider:

Glenn Beck ridiculed the change as he wadded up the report and threw it away. His entire focus was to attack the wimpy people who avoid using the name Christ for fear of giving offense. The problem with Beck is that he cared nothing about dealing with the real problems created by the name "Campus Crusade for Christ."
The problem was not “Christ”. The problem was the limiting word “campus” (when CCC ministers to millions that have nothing to do with any “campus”) and “crusade” (which for millions of people has one main connotation: Medieval crusades against Muslims). Beck’s approach is not responsible journalism but careless hype for the religious right.
Bill Bright was moving toward a name change much earlier, and Vonette Bright approves of the change that is being made.
The fact that one of the earliest names for the Christian Movement in the New Testament was the fairly innocuous “The Way” (Acts 9:2; 19:9, 23; 24:14, 22) did not imply that these radical followers of Jesus were ashamed of the Name (Acts 5:41).
The fact that “in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians” (Acts 11:26), does not signify that the disciples were ashamed of “Christ” in the years before the Antioch mission.
The fact that the church I serve is called Bethlehem Baptist Church does not mean that I value being a Baptist more than being a Christian. Nor should the Christ-exalting faithfulness of any church be judged by the absence of “Jesus” or “Christ” or “Christian” in the name.
There is no parachurch movement or denomination where all the leaders are equally theologically astute or articulate or solid. Therefore, our alignment with, and support for, missionaries and churches should be discriminating. No one should be assumed as doctrinally sound because of being a part of any organization. Neither should we assume they are unsound. The individual is key to what the individual believes. In our support of missionaries at Bethlehem we are far more concerned with their personal beliefs and commitments and practices than we are with the organization they are connected to.
In my judgment Campus Crusade seems to be more doctrinally awake and sound today than in decades gone by. But in the end that is not decisive when it comes to whether I would support any particular Crusade staff. What the staff believes is decisive in the end.
Therefore, I encourage you: Don’t drop your support from Crusade staff simply because the organization made a decision you disagree with. That would be like saying to a fellow-soldier on the frontlines: I’m not giving you any fire-cover because I don’t like the new name the Colonel gave to your unit. Is the soldier faithful and fruitful? That is the decisive issue.

Must see video

2011-08-05T12:21:00.000-04:00

There are any number of good reasons to click this link and watch John Piper interview Jon Knight. It will be a very fast 24 minutes. What I especially love is how the church was the church to this good but lost "elder brother" who has gone through very deep waters: a son born blind and with many other problems, and a wife with cancer.

http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/interviews/john-piper-interviews-john-knight-part-1?utm_source=Desiring+God&utm_campaign=65de85a270-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email#ooid=kxZzVoMjrpNj44HxJnDWmRE5mIN7Elns

John Stott, 1921-2011

2011-07-29T09:58:00.001-04:00

Even the New York Times and the BBC noticed. John R.W. Stott, the man once called the "Evangelical Pope" died in London Wednesday at the age of 90--just four years after his retirement. Former pastor of London's All Souls Church, in his spare time Stott wrote more than 50 books including Basic Christianity and The Cross of Christ. Of the latter, Stott's friend J.I. Packer claimed, "This, more than any book he has written, is his masterpiece."

You may never have heard of the man but 6 years ago TIME magazine ranked Stott among the 100 most influential people in the world. An Anglican, Stott turned down the chance to be a bishop in favor of influencing evangelicals across denominational lines. He crafted the Lausanne Covenant which united evangelicals in the mission to reach the world for Christ. In its obituary Christianity Today praised Stott as "An architect of 20th-century evangelicalism [who] shaped the faith of a generation". His imprint on the landscape was massive.

Single and celibate all his years, he contended: "The gift of singleness is more a vocation than an empowerment, although to be sure God is faithful in supporting those He calls." He left no heirs, except for the millions who received his teaching in conversations, preaching and books. I think his greatest contribution was The Cross of Christ in which he claimed the cross was where, "Divine love triumphed over divine wrath by divine self-sacrifice." Brother, now enjoy what there Christ accomplished for you.

Oslo killer crazy?

2011-07-25T11:57:00.001-04:00

Crackpots and all varieties of religious or political zealots have made bloodying civilians the yellow brick road to notoriety. Being their SOP, jihadis are instant suspects in any breaking news horror crawling across the 24-hour news channel. (Of course, there was Tim McVeigh...)

When the first alerts on Olso popped up Friday, I figured Muslim rage had migrated from Europe to Scandinavia. Instead, it turns out the suspect's a blond-haired Norwegian with conservative and right-leaning politics who hates Muslims. Oh yes, and he's being described as a "Christian fundamentalist". Outstanding.

Bullets and bombs leave nearly a hundred dead. Make that, a man leaves nearly a hundred dead. The analysts should start unraveling him momentarily but let me see if I can predict the result: the man is insane, or "ill".

Yes, I've found them already. Comment left on the Huffington Post: "This man is obviously mentally ill." In fact, I've found half a dozen statements insisting his mental illness is "obvious", or that "only" someone mentally ill would do such a thing. Really? Obviously? As of yet there's been no psychiatric examination, no court trial, but this is all obvious? Why?

Just for the record, I do believe some people are insane, and I do believe there are such things as mental illnesses. However the belief is widespread that whenever an awful crime occurs, it proves the perpetrator is mentally unhinged. It is the only explanation left since words and concepts like evil, wicked, sin are being purged from the language. As one Canadian observer said about a child pornographer, "He is obviously sick and mentally ill. No one who does that is not."

For those who inhabit a godless world, mental illness is the only explanation left to explain awful crimes. It's interesting to note several things about Norway that may be related:

As a socially liberal nation, in addition to not having a death penalty no crime gets you more than 21 years in prison.
On any given Sunday, only 4 % of the people go to some sort of church.
More than half the people don't believe in--or doubt the existence of God.

Most who don't believe in a God do believe that people are essentially good. That leaves them nowhere to turn when someone truly horrible surfaces like a mass murderer who slaughters defenseless children with exploding bullets. Having eliminated the possibility of real evil, they cannot even label as such someone who classically fits the bill. Nor can they see the evil that is resident even in their own hearts--a problem that God longs to solve.

I cannot pass judgment on Mr. Breivik without passing judgment on myself. God says that people are by nature bad, and not just a little bit; we are totally depraved. That doesn't mean we're all as bad as we could be, but that every part of our being has been contaminated by sin: body, intellect, emotions, cravings, fears, and attitudes. That's true of a mass murderer, and true of me. Indeed, I am the "chief of sinners". There is no hope for me, or for Oslo's butcher...except in Jesus Christ. He can and will rescue us from ourselves, our sin, the wrath of God, our lovelessness, and our fears (such as, of being overrun by Muslims).

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. (1 Timothy 1:15-16)

Friday books

2011-07-22T08:51:00.000-04:00

The gospel I grew up with was polluted with works. It's not that anyone ever specifically claimed that a person's works augment Christ's work on the cross, but it was implied. Never really trying to intellectually make these two incompatibles compatible, I simply drifted through life believing that Jesus died to save me yet somehow I had to help save myself by what I did.

Which turned me into a stubborn moralist. Despite teaching orthodox theology I scrutinized myself and others by a measuring bar of behavior and attitude. Even once I concluded that Jesus' work and His alone saved people completely, my functional faith formula still demanded human works. Which made me impatient with others who didn't measure up, and drove me to the depths of despair when I didn't.

Tim Keller talks about me and similar species in his must-read The Prodigal God in which he unpacks Jesus' well-known parable we say is about the prodigal son (even though it's really about 2 sons). If you're wondering why anyone would label God the prodigal, Keller explains: The word "prodigal" does not mean "wayward" but, according to Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, "recklessly spendthrift". It means to spend until you have nothing left.

Keller sees not just one lost son, but two and takes aim at the moralists who think their goodness is just another way to get God to do their bidding. These were not just the Pharisees of Jesus' day, but the many elder brothers who dot our churches today. Seriously, this is one "Friday book" no Christian or professing Christian should skip. (Great for unbelievers too.) It's just 133 pages long, and the book's small to begin with. Keller has a brilliant mind but talks and writes in a way easy to understand.

What is the problem [with the elder brother kind of person]? Pride in his good deeds, rather than remorse over his bad deeds, was keeping the older son out of the feast of salvation. The elder brother's problem is his self-righteousness, the way he uses his moral record to put God and others in his debt to control them and get them to do what he wants. His spiritual problem is the radical insecurity that comes from basing his self-image on achievements and performance, so he must endlessly prop up his sense of righteousness by putting others down and finding fault.

a world of hurt

2011-07-14T14:00:00.001-04:00

"Am I going to throw up?" Forces of queasiness were launching probing actions in my stomach. Within the hour I started to feel drained and exhausted. A searing headache .

My unease went beyond sickness. I'd started with a sore throat 2 days before but these didn't seem like cold symptoms. What they mirrored were symptoms I'd had 3 weeks earlier when the doctor told me I had Lyme Disease--a diagnosis the huge bullseye on my leg made easy. 5 more days of antibiotics attacking bacteria left courtesy of a tiny tick 4 weeks ago.

Colds. Lyme. Flat tires. Falling out with your mother-in-law. Your marriage ends. Teenage son is put in jail for DUI. You lose your job. An investment goes south. DISHNET goes out for the entire fourth quarter of the last game of the NBA finals. Seriously! OK, so it wasn't lifethreatening but we all have our burdens to bear.

Whether just inconvenient and trivial, or terminal and lifechanging, things don't always go right. Maybe often don't go right. Does that surprise you? In this world you will have trouble. Maybe that's one of Jesus' promises you haven't memorized. He was trying to warn his followers: expect stuff to go wrong. But immediately following the warning came this reassurance: But take heart! I have overcome the world.

Sitting upright on a recliner the last few nights, hoping to fall asleep, I ask God to heal me. But if he doesn't--or it takes longer than I think it should, Jesus has not failed me. He's never broken this promise in the midst of troubles: I will never leave you or forsake you. Troubled..., but never alone or without heaven's resources.

Friday books

2011-07-08T12:36:00.000-04:00

Since I'm going to preach on the gospel the next few months, some Friday Books will be gospel reads. Like Milton Vincent's excellent The Gospel Primer. Just 53 pages of "Learning to see the glories of God's Love". Like Vincent, I was a Christian for many years before starting to figure out that the gospel which saved me was what I needed to live by--and rest in. Its power courses through our veins because of our relationship to God through Christ but is too often the missing link that explains a lot of defeat, joylessness, self-effort, and despair in believers.

The gospel also reminds me that my righteous standing with God always holds firm regardless of my performance, because my standing is based solely on the work of Jesus and not mine. On my worst days of sin and failure, the gospel encourages me with God's unrelenting grace toward me. On my best days of victory and usefulness, the gospel keeps me relating to God solely on the basis of Jesus' righteousness and not mine.

So Geoff, thanks for picking this up for me at that worship conference.

No big deal?

2011-06-26T13:22:00.002-04:00

Completely fine with not sounding real PC, it is a nation's constant readiness to wage violent war that makes peace most likely. Similarly, in the Christian life the only peace we get comes from waging a cunning, relentless, take-no-prisoners war against indwelling sin. Ephesians 4:27 warns us that like marijuana, even our "small" sins become gateways through which the enemy can get a foothold in our lives and lead to even more God-dishonoring stuff.

I started swearing when I was about 12. Not just the damns and the hells but in short order I'd memorized and perfected the full Glossary of Foulness in fine fashion. Peers at school were my tutors. Public school, but years later at my Christian high school it wasn't any different. I turned it off when I got home and back on the next morning at the bus stop.

I once got into a name-calling fight with an older kid that my dad tried to referee. My opponent pointed out that I had called him an SOB but for some reason my dad didn't say much to me about it. Although pretty foul in school, it was in the workplace where I got immersed in a world of profanity and vulgarity.

When God rescued me at age 25, it was my tongue that despaired me the most; how would I ever beat this sin? Despaired because although I'd been a lifelong churchgoer, I understood almost nothing about the "new man", or how the power of God worked in a believer to do what I could not do.

Thankfully, within 2 years my tongue had been mostly tamed and I banned from my mouth even the milder words that some Christians think nothing of. For 25 years I had a nearly 100% success rate. Then my high school age sons started using some of the "think nothing of" words, and though I fought it for some time I soon decided they weren't hills I wanted to die on. I still chided them but since it wasn't regular, left the occasional offense pass.

It was about then that I was just beginning to recognize and hate my pharisaism so I found myself letting "crap" or "suck" slip out of my own mouth--almost as if to prove to myself I had shed the mantle of the self-righteous. Guess what else started showing up again; something would go wrong in my shop and I'd "?*$!".

A friend who struggled with various addictive behaviors once told me it seemed that when he stopped using smokeless tobacco it was the bellwether to other victories. Conquering the smallest addiction seemed open the door to bigger victories.

We are not saved by what we do but by what Christ did; on the cross, and what he did in us. He has made each of us a new person. Now our response to His grace is to ruthlessly war against the God-dishonoring stuff threatening us that's big, and small (Romans 13:14). But it may be the smaller stuff--that's the bigger deal.

Should you get an ESV?

2011-06-21T09:00:00.000-04:00

Since I will begin to preach from the ESV (English Standard Version) in January, some people in the church wonder if they'll have to replace their NIV's or will they still be able to follow. It would be good to get the ESV, but it's probably not necessary. Compare them side-by-side:

Lk.14:25-27

NIV: ²⁵ Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: ²⁶ “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. ²⁷ And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

ESV: ²⁵Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, 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. ²⁷ Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

1 Cor.15:33-34

NIV: ³³ Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” ³⁴ Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God—I say this to your shame.

ESV: ³³ Do not be deceived:"Bad company ruins good morals." ³⁴ Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.

1 Pet.2:9-10

NIV: ⁹ But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. ¹⁰ Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

ESV: ⁹But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. ¹⁰ Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Westminster Seminary bookstore has ESV study Bibles 40-43% off: http://www.wtsbooks.com/category-exec/category_id/619/nm/ESV_20Study_20Bibles/parent_id/21

Christian Book Distributors has ESV Bibles up to 44% off: http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/cms_sp?sp=65042&event=1003MTRN|58674|1003

This fun is personal

2011-06-18T08:59:00.002-04:00

I'm glad to be a role model for any of your sons!! Read Kiersten Hess's blog, June 16 entry. http://mylifelivingbyfaithhebrews111.blogspot.com/2011/06/it-happened.html

Just for fun..

2011-06-17T09:25:00.000-04:00

Friday books

2011-06-17T09:16:00.000-04:00

With resolve in her voice Irma declared "I'm going to start praying 30 minutes a day!" Two weeks later the best she's done so far is 12.4 minutes.
Kevin told friends he was going to start reading a Christian classic a month. Starting with Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, he (Kevin, not Bunyan) got bogged down in the third chapter and never finished. He feels guilty.
Trevor slumps across the keyboard, the computer now black. He wonders if he'll ever be able to go more than 2 days without looking at pornography. "If Lauren finds out she'll kill me. I tried confessing to God my wounds from the past but nothing's changed. I tried keeping myself extra busy but I still seem to find time for this dark hobby."
Candice came home from the woman's conference and admitted to her husband, "I feel like a real washout. Our speaker was so vibrant, so in love with Jesus and she says her secret is fasting and Bible memorization." With a sigh she shook her head. "Maybe I'm not even a real Christian."

Although I know intellectually that God just wants me to love Him with everything I am and have, I sometimes find myself deciding how close to or far from that goal I am by measuring prayer minutes, comparing myself to other's evangelistic zeal, etc. And despairing.

I can only describe Larry Osborne's Spirituality for the Rest of Us as a breath of fresh air. Originally published in 2007 as A Contrarian's Guide to Knowing God, Osborne, a west coast Free Church pastor known for the multiple worship venue innovation, gives hope to Christians who don't fit the spiritual-growth molds cast by well-intentioned Christians. Like pastors. But even if you don't read many Christian books, or don't fast, or don't pray as long as someone else, or don't positively confess, or aren't as emotionally as bouncy as others about Jesus, or can't seem to memorize Scripture, maybe you can still know Him deeply even if you don't do things like I do, or like someone else does.

Larry introduces the book with a frustration I resonate with: the "must see" marriage conference (or book, or retreat) that told him and his wife how to have a great marriage.

We viewed our relationship as characterized by oneness of spirit, soul, and mind--a connectedness that made us one. But the books and conferences informed us that we were doing it all wrong. We weren't eating enough meals together, the TV was on too much, our date nights were far too rare, and our prayer time as a couple was sorely lacking. The message was clear: The fact that we had a strong marriage didn't matter; how we got there was what mattered most. And we'd apparently gotten there the wrong way. Their tools for building a strong marriage had somehow become the measure of a great marriage.

I think you'll be surprised--maybe initially even alarmed at chapters like "Why Results Don't Matter" and "Glass House Living", but press on; it'll be well worth it.

Friday books

2011-06-10T08:31:00.003-04:00

In 1908, London's Times newspaper asked numerous authors to respond to the question, "What's wrong with the world?" Journalist G.K. Chesterton had the shortest answer: "Dear sirs, I am. Sincerely yours, G.K. Chesterton.

Chesterton was a Christian and knew his heart because he knew his Bible. I think only a believer has a true shot at being humble. If the person actually succeeds he/she won't know it. But since God says he gives grace to humble people, it's something to reach for.

Spurgeon said that humility is to make a right estimate of one's self. The trouble is that without the corrective lenses of Scripture and the Spirit of God--and, the people of God, we will always think better of ourselves than we should--or worse than we should. Living in a culture still bowing to the idol of self-esteem we may even think humility is dysfunctional.

Actually, widespread humility would transform our churches, families, and groups. And perhaps free us more than we could imagine if we could just endure the painful work the Spirit's going to do. Several years ago we began using C.J. Mahaney's Humility: True Greatness as a text for training church leaders. To your soul, this tiny book is worth more than twice its weight in gold. In addition to yourself, others near you will be blessed because of what God does in you through it.

...where there's an absence of edifying words there's also normally the presence of pride and of self-righteousness, because those who are proud are too preoccupied with themselves and think too highly of themselves to care about building others up or to be sensitive to their true needs. It's the humble who are perceptive; they're skilled in discerning the work of God in others because they care about others and want to serve others. (p.121)

On Bible translations (#2)

2011-06-06T14:42:00.001-04:00

January 1 of 2012 is when I take an ESV Bible into the pulpit for the first time. As I announced to our congregation months ago I will trade in my 1984 NIV. Although that version can still be purchased, I expect Zondervan will eventually phase it out and publish only the 2011 NIV. With which I have a few issues.

The ESV is something of an old friend. When I was in seminary, I came to appreciate the RSV (Revised Standard Version) for its readability and accuracy. Which had not been widely used in evangelical churches because it still retained the "thees" and "thous" of the King Jame's Version, and because when originally published in 1946, conservative readers were troubled by some words and phrases they thought diminished key doctrines.

But under Dr. J. I. Packer's direction, scholars redid the RSV translation and in 2001 Crossway published it as the ESV, the English Standard Version. In future posts I will compare the ESV and NIV text to give people in the church an idea whether or not they will want to replace their NIV. (Personally, I think it's close enough that some will choose not to and not be lost when the ESV's publicly read.) But in this post I wanted you to hear recommendations by church leaders from across the denominational spectrum.

Friday books

2011-06-03T11:19:00.006-04:00

Starting today, most Fridays I'll post an excerpt from a recommended book. Today, one of my alltime favorites which was just republished in a 25th anniversary edition, Desiring God. It first introduced me to the ministry of John Piper. It's not for light evening reading but a half hour with it will do for your heart what an hour in the gym will do for your body.

Who is it for? Spiritual pro or novice; whether you've already achieved heady heights in your sanctification, or if people wonder if you're really saved. The book's not so much for those who are something, but those who crave something: being happy in God. Though many serve God, fewer find delight in Him. They are like marines who dutifully soldier on despite finding their work tedious, dangerous, and unsatisfying.

The subtitle Meditations of a Christian Hedonist stirred controversy when the book came out in 1986 because a hedonist is a pleasure junkie who is derided by all but other hedonists. But it would have been hard for Piper's point to be better made: following Jesus was never meant to be dreary duty, but delirious delight. It's not a job, it's a joy--at least for those who have been trained by God. Since hedonism is the single-eyed devotion to indulging in one's pleasure, finding pleasure in God can rightfully be called Christian hedonism.

...Christian Hedonism as I use the term does not mean God becomes a means to help us get world pleasures. The pleasure Christian Hedonism seeks is the pleasure which is God Himself. He is the end of our search, not the means to some further end.

On marriage: The reason there is so much misery in marriage is not that husbands and wives seek their own pleasure, but that they do not seek it in the pleasure of their spouses. The biblical mandate to husbands and wives is to seek your own joy in the joy of your spouse. Make marriage a matrix for Christian Hedonism.

Enjoy!

Please God!

2011-05-25T16:00:00.000-04:00

With the death toll over 500, cry out to God that He would hold back the scourge of tornadoes which has battered our land for over 2 months.

"Father, in justice, remember mercy. As a nation we have refused to bow before you and have defied Your will. In word, deed and spirit we have mocked and ridiculed You--yet feel free to claim your name anyway. We are proud of our self-effort, our luxuries, and our self-sufficiencies. We have forgotten that Your hand provides all good things. We know we deserve judgment. Grant mercy. In Jesus' name Your saints cry out for ourselves and our fellow citizens: grant mercy. Stay Your hand. We beg you. Amen."

Another date-setter exposed

2011-05-23T15:13:00.000-04:00

Well, it's May 23rd and we're still here. Pseudo-prophet Harold Camping should rejoice that he's not going to be measured by Deuteronomy 18 and found wanting. His $100 million effort to convince the world (FamilyRadio bought ads and billboards in Iraq, Vietnam, Israel, the Philippines--and just about anywhere else that comes to your mind) May 21 would be the rapture, has been exposed for what it was: unbiblical. The civil-engineer-turned-Bible-teacher Camping may just be out to lunch (he promotes some other quirky teachings in addition to his odd numerical way to calculate the end of the world) or he may have actually convinced himself that he alone is the repository of truth.

OK, guys like this drive me up a wall but it's the followers that most exasperate me. Unless he/she doesn't have a Bible--or never reads it, there's really no reason any believer should fall prey to this nonsense. Jesus devoted a whole chapter to talking about the end times and punctuated what He said with a statement that couldn't be clearer. No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father (Matthew 24:36).

Maybe Camping's followers are too lazy to do the spadework in the Bible themselves, preferring to be spoonfed their beliefs and theology. I'd like to think there's no one in our church like that; that we're all Bereans. I'd like to think that.

Remodeled or Recreated?

2011-05-23T11:09:00.004-04:00

How major was Christ's makeover on you?

My favorite pastime is to dig into a remodeling project around the house. I love the smell of sawdust, fresh paint, varnish, and the sight of completing a work of art. (Betty would be happy simply with a different look. I protest that I want it done "right" but what I'm really after is a masterpiece.)

I've added closets, a basement bedroom, refinished oak floors, added crown molding, replaced light fixtures, given the bathroom a facelift, and painted, painted, painted. And some day, I'm going to build that kitchen I've got on the drawing board! For now I'm redoing our bedroom.

Initial plans were modest: replace all the yesteryear luan doors, close up a window (thanks Dave!), install new carpet, and paint (get this: Buddhist temple scarlet and gold). Oh yes, and refinish the furniture I made 37 years ago.

I started with the furniture. I'd come in from the garage covered with sawdust and declare, "I'm having the time of my life!" I was. I had planned only to re-stain the pieces and replace the hardware. But hey, why not do it right? Let's replace the pathetic excuse of a baseboard, add some profile to the square top, and..., oooo, chamfer the corners of the face! Within a few short years of building the set I had been unhappy with the original design. It had been pretty basic since at the time I was a novice woodworker.

before

after

Anyway, the craziness continued. Since I was replacing the entry door anyway, why not widen the opening so we could someday get a wheelchair through if necessary? (No giggling if you're under 45. Age does odd things to the mind!) So I did.

The door bottom wouldn't clear the old carpet so I cut it away on a curve just beyond the sweep of the door. Seeing the oak floor beneath, Betty said, "That looks nice. Are you going to let it like that?" If you'd like. But first I'll have to sand it and refinish it. So I did.

The room is not very large so every door that comes out into the room complicates arranging furniture. So I replaced bifold closet doors with bypassing doors, and the bathroom door with a pocket door.

I've been chipping away at this project for 4 months now and still have a few ahead of me (redoing the half bath too). But when it's done it'll look good and be functional.

I think.

It's all surface stuff, a facelift to the 40 year-old ambiance. Nothing's changing behind the walls, ceiling or under the floor. It will improve the appearance and make things more convenient, but won't improve the nature of the house or its structure whatsoever.

Is that how you view what God did in you through Christ? A makeover, a remodel job? A change in future destiny and that's it? Now it's time to pull myself up by my bootstraps and grind out this Christian life. My effort.

It's true, in the Christian life we certainly aren't passive. The Bible is full of action commands like speak, do, do not, strive, forget, take up, make every effort... Nevertheless this is neither a solo job nor even one we start which God only joins once He's convinced we're really serious about it.

Do you understand the magnitude of what happened to you when Jesus' blood was applied to you and your sins? The effect was as drastic as if God had turned you from a plant into a lion. God doesn't do remodeling projects; He's more into creation. When He regenerated you, he created a new man, a new woman. He didn't just add paint and accessories, your structure is brand new. ...if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17)

That's why Paul talks so much about the "new man". Why he says that Christians no longer live but that Christ lives in them. It explains the language that we've died and now our lives are hidden with Christ in God. The gospel does not come upon a person merely to change his/her philosophy, but to change THE PERSON. The gospel comes upon us--not just with words, but with power.

By the power of the gospel, God has made us holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation (Colossians 1:22). You're no longer a sin house but a God house. You've gone from totally depraved to totally saved. From a mess to blessed. From condemned to redeemed. Not just a makeover, but a new creation.

Our position before God has changed, our position with the world and Satan has changed, our future has changed, but so have we!

Because you're now a child of God, you have all the rights and privileges of His sons, His daughters--including 'round the clock support. Because your heart's been changed from stone to flesh, that old carelessness about your sin has been replaced by a sensitivity to it and sorrow over it--even if you don't immediately see full victory over it. Yet because you're new--and newly related to God who now lives in you, you can hope for victory over your seemingly unyielding sin. Because you're new, you can be confident that even when you mess up, God moves in to convict and restore and show love through it all. Because you're new you believe the Scriptures will make sense to you in a way they couldn't possibly before. Because you're new you know Satan has no more claim on you--and his accusations are all bluffs. Because you're new, God will use you, and because you're new, you are marked by hope, not despair.

A makeover is nice; new is better.

For parents going nuts

2011-05-16T11:16:00.002-04:00

Parenting 001
([click on the faint 'Parenting 001' link above to read.] This is too good not to reproduce for all you parents out there who are going crazy--not just with your kids, but with your assessment of yourself as a parent. I spent most of my parenting years feeling like a failure and know I wasn't unique. Maybe this will be a little blessing from heaven for you. Funny doesn't hurt either. KR)

Is Obedience Legalism?

2011-05-06T12:53:00.000-04:00

Last fall Charisma magazine published a letter to the editor from a gay reader who objected to an earlier article lumping homosexual behavior together with other sins like adultery, fornication, and infanticide.

The reader was incensed, claiming the article in essence "rebound [him] by a spirit of legalism". He scolded the author for forgetting that "Jesus and His cross replaced that law for me. And I doubt that He would consider my God-given sexuality as a sin since it does not violate God's law of love for self and others." He then referenced Matthew 22:36-40.

My TV fare is pretty boring: movies, an occasional sporting event, and reruns of Everybody Loves Raymond. In last night's episode, Ray's police brother Robert toyed with arresting him and his father for gambling. The two had been playing poker with some of Frank's cronies. Not wanting to seem led by his father who warned him against playing too aggressively, Ray bet big and lost $2300 to his dad. What he couldn't understand was Robert's dismay at the fact that they were gambling. "Nobody got hurt!" To which Rob replied, "Oh, so if no one got hurt, it's not against the law?"

Increasingly that is what people without a religious framework think: no harm, no foul. However God identifies sin not just as something that hurts another, but something that offends his glory. Worshiping other gods doesn't "harm" in the sense we usually think, but it is the most grievous of all sins, the first one God gets to in the 10 commandments.

Furthermore, no professing Christian can sweep aside God's self-revealing 66 books--or even 39 of them--and replace it with a bite-sized Bible called "Christ's law of love". First, this so-called law contains no specifics. What one person decides is love will undoubtedly be disputed by numerous others. Who decides? Me? Based on what? A word from God? A subjective inner voice that overrules the Word from God He's already given?

And then there's the legalism piece. Many Christians would rather be called "scum" than a "legalist". It's the scarlet "A" in the church, even worse than being called a fundamentalist. Seems like nowadays you're a legalist if you call for righteous obedience to God's law." Really? Au contraire, there is no legalism in obedience.

A common use of legalism is to describe mandates and no-no's that groups and churches require of their people which cannot be found in God's revelation: such as forbidding women to use makeup or wear shorts. But legalism is actually banking on my words and deeds (doing good ones and avoiding bad ones) to save me. Over against that, biblical obedience is the glorious and thankful response of believer who has been saved.

The same Jesus the letter-writer pointed to for his defense is also the one who wondered, "Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord, but do not do what I say?'" (Luke 6:46). The Word of the Lord insists that homosexual behavior is sin that is part of the old life--not the new (Romans 1:24-27, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10). Like my pride, my lies, my cursing, it is something to repent of--not rejoice in.

I agree with Chuck Colson that when we teach grace we make it so free it is dangerous; dangerous in that a hearer might misunderstand and abuse grace. Yes, that's the independently operating nature of God's grace. But today's licentious, antinomian [people who are "anti-law" or anti code] environment requires that we be just as forthright that obedience is not simply optional for the Christian. Jesus died so that those who by faith receive the benefits of His work on the cross, might be a cause for praise to their heavenly Father for the "...obedience that accompanies [their] profession of the gospel..." (2 Corinthians 9:13).

Jesus in the storm

2011-04-30T10:05:00.000-04:00

I learned this morning that the storm system which spawned over 200 tornadoes across 6 southern states Wednesday and Thursday, is the next to worst system ever recorded in the US. Although the death toll has reached 342, the hundreds unaccounted for are sure to drive the final tally horrifically higher. I suspect the projected insured loss figure of $2-$5 billion won't even be in the ball park when the aggregate loss numbers are eventually added up.

Yesterday Kevin Watterson and John Horst--Keystone Missionaries with CrisisResponse who are based near New Orleans--loaded trailers with equipment and gear. Last night they arrived at Hope Church in Madison, Alabama which will be their operating base for now. If you can break free from your job next week, they could sure use your help. Teams are already en route from Wisconsin, Montana and Texas. Just give Kevin a call at 610-637-0202 to get directions. Lancaster, PA folks are about 11 hours away.

Hurricane Katrina graphically taught us that disasters can be opportunities to show and speak the love of Jesus Christ. Even if you can't come, you can pray in these kinds of ways:

Comfort those who have lost loved ones
Provide food, water, shelter for those who need it
Heal the injured
Activate local churches to serve for the glory of Christ
Provide financial help
Open hearts of those devastated to the glorious gospel

Present with the Lord

2011-04-28T13:24:00.001-04:00

Yesterday David Wilkerson and his wife were in a head-on crash in Cherokee County, Texas. Gwen was injured but Pastor Wilkerson was killed. Absent from the body, present with the Lord. As a servant of God, visionary, mover and shaker, David Wilkerson was a lion among cubs. Even many who've heard of the wonderful work of Teen Challenge to rescue and serve drug addicts, do not know the Spirit-driven life of the evangelist who founded it. Way back in the late 1950's, he brought the hope of the gospel to hardened gang members like Nicky Cruz. (Grab a copy of Cross & the Switchblade.)

In 1987 this small town Pennsylvania native founded Time Square Church in New York City, today a church of thousands. Someone once said last words are lasting words and you might well find that to be the case in his final post of a daily devotional on the World Challenge website.

To believe when all means fail is exceedingly pleasing to God and is most acceptable. Jesus said to Thomas, “You have believed because you have seen, but blessed are those that do believe and have not seen” (John 20:29).

Blessed are those who believe when there is no evidence of an answer to prayer—who trust beyond hope when all means have failed.

Someone has come to the place of hopelessness—the end of hope—the end of all means. A loved one is facing death and doctors give no hope. Death seems inevitable. Hope is gone. The miracle prayed for is not happening. That is when Satan’s hordes come to attack your mind with fear, anger, overwhelming questions: “Where is your God now? You prayed until you had no tears left. You fasted. You stood on promises. You trusted.”

Blasphemous thoughts will be injected into your mind: “Prayer failed. Faith failed. Don’t quit on God—just do not trust him anymore. It doesn’t pay!” Even questioning God’s existence will be injected into your mind. These have been the devices of Satan for centuries. Some of the godliest men and women who ever lived were under such demonic attacks.

To those going through the valley and shadow of death, hear this word: Weeping will last through some dark, awful nights—and in that darkness you will soon hear the Father whisper, “I am with you. I cannot tell you why right now, but one day it will all make sense. You will see it was all part of my plan. It was no accident. It was no failure on your part. Hold fast. Let me embrace you in your hour of pain.”

Beloved, God has never failed to act but in goodness and love. When all means fail—his love prevails. Hold fast to your faith. Stand fast in his Word. There is no other hope in this world.

a gentile remembers Passover

2011-04-21T21:30:00.004-04:00

I don't think I would have enjoyed being a slave. Duh. Who would? Not the girls snatched, duped or forced into the sex trades today, not the kidnapped Africans Europeans brought to America a 150 years ago to work as household slaves and field hands, and not Abraham's descendants in Egypt.

For the people, it had started out well. Abraham's great grandson had risen from a slave to Pharaoh's vice president in Egypt. When famine brought Canaan and much of the region to its knees, Jacob's starving sons sought food in Egypt. Long story short, the whole family was reunited in Egypt, given land and a place of honor.

The Israelites had a lot of babies and subsequent pharaohs feared the mushrooming Israelite population would one day make them a military threat. So they made their invited guests slaves.

After 400 years of that, God tapped a man of Jewish blood who had been raised in the palace, to be prophet-leader of His suffering people. It could have been so simple. Seeking an audience with the pharaoh, Moses demanded their freedom. No way.

Offended by the negativity God began flinging plagues one right after the other at the Egyptians. Let my people go, or else. Let them go. Let them go! At times, the pharaoh would capitulate, only to go back on his word.

After nine plagues the final showdown was at hand. God was going to gain glory, free his people, bend an unbendable king. This is your last chance: release your slaves or I will kill every firstborn son in every household. Be he young or old, slave or prince, he will die at My hand.

Driving home to the pharaoh the point that He makes distinctions between His people and those who oppress them (Exodus 11:7), God said no Jewish children would die that night. But it wasn't automatic. God instructed the Jewish people to kill a lamb, smear its blood around their doorframes, and stay inside the house. Every time He saw a house with blood, He would pass over it and no one there would die.

Which is exactly what happened. During the night this most sophisticated north African culture became a screaming horror with a death in every household. Young men in their prime, the elder sons who would carry the family name, defend the family's honor, receive the largest inheritance, died. All of them. Only Egyptians. The Israelites were saved by the blood.

This, the oldest--and most important of the Jewish holidays, Passover started this past Monday evening. Just one day, then followed by the seven day Feast of Unleavened bread. In Passover God revealed from generation to generation, that it is blood that frees from death.

Tomorrow is Good Friday. Commemorating the once-for-all Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7) who on a cross, freed us from the judgment of God by His blood just like Yahweh did for the Jews 3500 years ago.

Randy (a man from our congregation with cancer) spoke with me after worship Sunday, though obviously weakening. Yesterday I visited him at home and his words were much fewer. A few hours ago he died. Not even 60 yet. Left two young girls at home and a grieving wife. That's the tragedy. Then there's this victory: by the blood of the Passover Lamb, he has entered into his eternal home, into the glorious presence of the Lord bearing not one spot or wrinkle. Not because he was the best man possible, but because Jesus was the best substitute possible for Randy's sin. Glory to God! Shalom!

Where the main thing was the main thing

2011-04-18T10:42:00.003-04:00

[Note: broken audio links at end of post have been replaced by working video links]

The waiter was pushing a large stainless steel cart loaded with plates and glasses down the corridor. At McCormick Place corridors can be--I don't know, maybe 80-100 feet wide, which made the conferee traffic look sparse. When several glasses from the waiter's cart slid off and exploded, I looked for some place to set my belongings out of the way and help clean up. But by the time I turned around, three brothers were on their knees demonstrating the gospel we'd all assembled to rejoice in.

I meant to blog from the Gospel Coalition Conference in Chicago last week but alas, no time. What an incredible 3 days of worship, wonder, and fellowship with like-minded believers. I'm very grateful to the church for this privilege--especially to enjoy it with my wife.

We came--over 5000 strong, from varied denominations, varied states and countries, various races and people groups, all in love with God's gospel of Jesus Christ. The theme was preaching Christ and the gospel from the Old Testament, but there were many there who were not preaching pastors. As my wife testified yesterday, everyone benefited from the plenaries and workshops--pastor or not.

You could do worse than spend an hour watching one of these messages. Here are links to several.

Tim Keller on Exodus 14 ("Getting Out"): http://thegospelcoalition.org/resources/a/getting_out

Alistair Begg on Ruth ("From a Foreigner to King Jesus"): http://thegospelcoalition.org/resources/a/from_a_foreigner_to_king_jesus_ruth

James MacDonald on Psalm 25 ("Not According to our Sins"): http://thegospelcoalition.org/resources/a/not_according_to_our_sins

One of the most invigorating things I witnessed was a mass of young pastors--the 20-30 something crowd, who clearly love the gospel and biblical preaching. The new church is in good hands with such men.

traveling

2011-04-06T16:21:00.000-04:00

After visiting some friends on the west coast, Betty and I will be in Chicago next week for the Gospel Coalition Conference. I hope to blog from there but you can also check our their website where I assume sessions will be posted as soon as available. http://thegospelcoalition.org/conferences/2011/

Until then, enjoy a sample of a wonderful gospel-centered, gospel-driven song. Begins a little eerily but it's worth waiting for what comes.

on Bible translations (#1 )

2011-04-05T16:15:00.000-04:00

In January I'm going to switch from preaching from the NIV to the ESV. Keystone's ESV fanboys and girls who have to translate on the fly while I read couldn't be happier, but some of the NIV loyalists may need therapy. Even my daughter is distraught because of the new NIV her mother and I gave her last year for her birthday.

The 2011 NIV has replaced the 2005 TNIV (Today's New International Version), but I suspect it will also eventually replace my 1984 version. Since I'm not wild about what's just been published, I thought it might be a good time to make a change.

The new NIV did not swing the ax on all the masculine wording like the TNIV did, but it did enough to land it more in the gender-neutral class of translations (such as NLT and NRSV) than those which stick to the original rendering (ESV, NASB, HCSB). Opting to regularly alter words from the original text is to interpret the text rather than merely translate it. Admittedly, no translations can avoid some interpretation in what goes to print, but it's a problem when a translation team brings an agenda to their efforts. The result is an end-around play that violates the reader's own interpretive conclusions and spoonfeeds him/her what the translators think.

I'll have numerous posts on the NIV and the ESV over the next few months, some of which will be articles by others. The one below is by Dr. Russell D. Moore of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, who is also preaching pastor of Highview Baptist Church in Louisville, KY. His 2005 article--originally published in the Journal for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood*, is about the TNIV. Some of the same concerns appear to remain in the new NIV.

I Want My NIV: Gender Issues, Bible Translations, and the Rise of Evangelical Individualism
by Russell D. Moore
A gender-neutral Bible translation would never have flown in my home church. Actually, no Bible translation would have made it long, except one. I grew up in a KJV-only church. It is not that my congregation defended the King James Version as the only inspired text. Nor did we disparage other translations as deficient. In truth, we did not really know there were other translations. Everyone had always used the old King James, from the five-year olds memorizing verses for “Sword Drills” to senior adult ladies crocheting texts to hang in their living rooms.

There were, of course, many drawbacks to this one common text, drawbacks that explain the need for contemporary translations. But in moving beyond this era, we must admit that we have lost something. A pastor could say “and the glory of the Lord shone round about them” in virtually any context, and the congregation would know exactly to what he was referring. As teenagers, we read and meditated on the same texts our parents and grandparents and great-grandparents had worked through in the generations before.

That era is now long gone, and I do not really want it back. I do not usually preach from the King James Version (although I love it), largely because we now have translations that are more accurate, translating the original words of God into contemporary language that unbelievers and believers can understand. What I do want back, however, is the sense that the Bible forms the church, and, thus, that the Bible belongs to the community—not just to the individual.

My Own Personal Bible
This evangelical individualism explains much of what is going on in the current debates over “gender-neutral” Bible translations such as Today’s New International Version (TNIV) and The New Living Translation (NLT). For too long, we have assumed that the Bible is primarily about individual Bible study and personal devotion. Thus, our publishers give us niche Bibles in every possible variety—Bibles for sportsmen, Bibles for teens, Bibles for middle-aged women, even Bibles bound in leather, the color of one’s favorite sports team.

It is perhaps not insignificant that many of the more “gender-accurate” Bible translations originated in attempts to produce a children’s Bible version. For generations, evangelicals have sought to mediate the Scripture to children via “story Bibles” and even animated videos that convey the “important” nuggets of the Bible—often by robbing children of the narrative flow of Scripture itself. When this happens, the result is most often a Christian moralism tailored especially for children: “Jesus shared; you share.”

This phenomenon is grounded in an even deeper contemporary evangelical commitment to the individual as the locus of God’s saving purposes. Our understanding of the church so often seems simply like a place where individuals can learn how to be a better Christian, and where individuals can pool their money together for missions.

And so, supporters of the TNIV make the case that a “gender-accurate” translation is necessary so that little girls can see that the text is written to them—and not just to “men.” It is tempting for those of us who are opponents of such translations to focus only on translation principles, or on the theological implications of tampering with the meaning of the texts. But, beyond this, we must ask a more basic question: Where is the church in this discussion?

Reclaiming the Bible for the Churches
As evangelical Protestants, we do not believe that the Bible is formed by the church, but that the church is formed by the Bible. That is, the church does not invest the Scriptures with their authority. Rather, the church recognizes and is “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets” (Eph 2:20 ESV). Nonetheless, the church is given the responsibility to be “the pillar and support of the truth” (1 Tim 3:15 NASB). Christ Jesus has given to his church pastors and teachers who are to guard the church from error and to protect the flock of God from dangerous wolves.

Contemporary evangelicalism, however, looks too often to parachurch ministries and publishers for this function, often corporations with accountability to donor boards rather than to churches. Thus, publishers flood churches with curricula—and the Bible translations to go with them—often then shaping the “personal Bible studies” of church members, with little or no accountability to the larger Body of Christ. The Christian individual then makes decisions about doctrine, and the words of the Bible itself, not on the basis of faithful teaching from the pulpit, but from the recommendation of a local bookseller. It is in this context, and only in this context, that the TNIV could emerge.

Thankfully, there is in some segments of evangelicalism a recovery of the church’s role in teaching and preaching, including in the arena of Bible translation. When the TNIV was released, the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) and the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) immediately expressed concerns about the translation philosophy behind the new version. The SBC messengers, sent from churches all over the country, moreover, directed its LifeWay Christian Stores not to sell or recommend the TNIV.

This is a healthy development—and not only because it takes seriously the verbal plenary inspiration of the Scriptures and, thus, the importance of accurate Bible translation. It is healthy precisely because pastors and church leaders are talking about Bible translation. What must come of this, however, is not just a general denunciation of “gender-neutral Bibles.” Instead, we must get at why our people want gender-neutral Bibles—because we live in a gender-neutral society.

That means that churches must do more than simply warn against bad Bibles. We must instruct our people what the Bible is all about—what Jesus told us on the road to Emmaus: It is all about Christ (Luke 24:27). This is the reason, after all, that the apostle Paul speaks of the Roman, Galatian, and Ephesian believers—both male and female—as “sons” of God. They are “in Christ”—and find their identity in him. There is a reason why passages about the righteous “man” in the Psalms should not be translated in the plural—because there is no plural group of righteous ones, only one righteous Son of Man.

In order to drive our people back to the glorious truth of the Bible’s focus, we must stop treating our Bibles and our biblical sermons as though the individual believer is the sum and substance of Scripture. We do this with endless “how-to” sermons and moralistic lectures from Scripture. Instead of pointing believers to their identity in Christ, we point them right back to their personally tailored Bible translations with a personally tailored message for them. In this context, a gender-neutral Bible is inevitable.

If, however, churches take seriously the task of instructing believers in the importance of all the words of Scripture—and applying its meaning to the whole body of believers—then perhaps our churches will be less susceptible to whatever fads blow in from Grand Rapids or Downers Grove. This might mean that the Christian seeking a Bible might go first to his pastor’s study, and only then to the bookseller. And that would be a very good thing.

[*additional articles on gender issues from a biblical perspective are available at www.cbmw.org.]

do you "feel" the Spirit... sense Him?

2011-04-02T12:39:00.002-04:00

There's an vast body of beliefs that circulates among Christian circles, and many are held precious by some believers despite having little or no biblical base. I call them part of Christianity's "folk religion". Over time, like mold, some beliefs morph or develop additional growths which distort the original error even more. An example I've written about is the widely believed "generational curse" (see church website). Some people are personally stuck--even held captive by this folk teaching that is not fully biblical.

Praise God for the Holy Spirit! At regeneration, God flooded your soul with His very own Presence. It is wonderful! From His internal control center, He guides us, He corrects us, He empowers us, He sustains us, He refreshes us, He sanctifies us and He illuminates the Word of God to us. These are things we're sure of because God tells us they happen.

But there are some folk beliefs about the Spirit too. For example, have you ever said you "sensed" (or "felt") the Spirit? When a disgruntled member was leaving the church, he insisted he no longer "sensed the Spirit" at Keystone, seeming to imply that the Spirit had beat him to the door. Yet others in the church would gush after service, "Pastor, I really sensed the Spirit today!" I squirm at both kinds of comments. You sense that..., on what basis? Good music? Good message? The message was especially relevant to me? Everyone was enthusiastic? Vancouver, Washington Pastor Cole Brown offers some great insight.

Lies My Pastor Told Me CH4 from Humble Beast Records on Vimeo.

who do you love most?

2011-03-31T09:45:00.002-04:00

Love. God is love. God loves people. God's people love people. But what if believers love people more than God? So much so that we let what would delight them checkmate what HE declares?

Last Sunday I alluded to Rob Bell's new book Love Wins which selectively uses Scripture and church history to pitch an old heresy that eventually everybody gets to heaven. He contends that's as true for the atheist as it is for the Buddhist as it is for the repentant Christian.

Pastor of the massive Mars Hill Bible Church in Grand Rapids, Bell is a spellbinding communicator who has long been recognized as a marquee player in the emerging church world. Looking at the world through Jesus' eyes, his slick 10-minute NOOMA videos have captivated believers from all quarters of the church and across denominational lines.

Committed to reaching people who need Jesus with Jesus, the emerging church has often criticized both the traditional church and the megachurch movement for neglecting the mission while being preoccupied with itself and its programs. There's some merit to the criticism. As a church grows, by nature it turns inward. The expansion of the institution claws for more and more attention to the institution instead of to the mission it was formed to carry out.

Mission is good, but not if we love the object of the mission more than the Designer of the mission. I believe Bell has a great passion for lost people but I think his false doctrine on hell typifies how dangerous it can be to love lost people more than God. We'll be tempted to take our doctrinal cues from people who don't know God, don't know or believe His Word, and don't really have any inclination to submit to someone they can't see or hear. Especially Someone who seems so narrowminded.

What unbeliever wants to hear that unless he repents of sin and casts himself on the blood of Jesus Christ, he is an object of God's wrath (Ephesians 2:3)? Apart from the Holy Spirit convicting her, what unbeliever wants to give anybody the kind of authority God demands over her life? If given a vote, unbelievers would clearly vote hell, judgment, wrath, and sin all out of doctrinal office. Problem is, all those things would still be as true as they were before the vote. And the voters would still be in as much need as before. Really loving lost people means giving them the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

Bell's departure from biblical orthodoxy will not be the last time a prominent Christian goes public with his/her innovative beliefs. In fact, as Christ's return nears, we will hear more and more of this kind of thing--and, many will be duped by their teachings. The Bible says so. It's why we must all be Bereans (Acts 17:11) and compare whatever's being taught with the Word of God.

For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to heart. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 2 Timothy 4:3-4.

[Here's the link to Kevin DeYoung's excellent review of Love Wins. Get a cup of coffee if you're going to read it; it's 20 pages long:
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindeyoung/files/2011/03/LoveWinsReview.pdf]

confessions of a pharisee

2011-03-30T12:23:00.021-04:00

"I thank you God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. For I don't cheat, I don't sin, and I don't commit adultery. I'm certainly not like that tax collector! I fast twice a week and I give you a tenth of my income."

In my lifetime I've come across a couple of people I don't like. Alright, alright, more than a couple. Let me grab my shrink (a preemptive "sorry" to the psychologists in the audience; don't leave mean comments) hat and analyze me. Figure out why.

The bullies are easy; the boys who terrorized me with bodily harm in elementary and middle school. The ridicule was tolerable but the idea of a beating or worse... OK, didn't even need the shrink hat for that one.

I didn't like..., I'll call him Stanley--the guy I worked beside who mocked the faith that he said I didn't possess anyway (he was right). He gave me other reasons to despise him: like opening his window when it was 20 degrees outside (I'm kinda cold-blooded).

I didn't like a college classmate who was pompous and brazen. "Look at me, look at me!" I wanted to say, "Watch out you don't break your arm!"

At church, I don't like... Ha, ha.

Do you have people who rub you the wrong way? When I do I usually justify myself, reasoning, who wouldn't dislike this person? She's got an abrasive personality, or is unreliable, or is critical, or he's overly sensitive, or too loud, or too quiet, or has sinned against me, or is two-faced, or is vulgar, or...

I was confident no one could recognize any inner animosity I had toward them. Hating the conflict that tends to show up when a person levels with someone ("Hey, has anyone ever told you that you're about as dependable as a snowman in June?"), I mastered the art of appearing warm and friendly to all people--even those I didn't care for. "I don't love you, but here's a smile for you anyway!"

Yet I was troubled every time I read something in the Bible like "be devoted to one another in love" or "love your neighbor as yourself" or "bear with one another in love". I'd reason, "OK, I love this Christian brother or sister, but God doesn't say I have to like him or her." I may have been reasoning, but I no longer think it was sound reasoning. Since love is a deeper and more selfless regard than like, how can I possibly love someone I don't at least like?

I don't have time to write what all God did over time--and is doing (the remodeling's a long way from being completed). And this story would probably be more fascinating and coherent if it began at a moment in time, if I had some epiphany, some "ah-hah!" moment. Instead, it's been a slow and subtle awakening, something happening over several years. In stirring up a new passion in me for the gospel, God frequently reminded me of Jesus' story of the Pharisee and tax collector in Luke 18. I came to see that by my dislike of others (no matter why), I was the smug, self-righteous Pharisee congratulating myself for not being as bad as him or her. It wasn't that I didn't believe I had faults; at least about some, I was painfully aware. But suspicions began growing that disliking someone because of their faults may not be "normal", not ok, not understandable even though wrong..., maybe it's self-righteous. Maybe behind my justifications is a conviction that what is wrong with me is not as bad as what is wrong with him. That my faults are not as destructive as his are, my sins not as offensive to others and God as his are.

The pride of self-righteousness. 10 years ago it wasn't a sin I would have thought made God's top 10. Nor thought it applied to me. Now I'm convinced it's in God's top 3. And the hidden root when I do not love someone. It interferes--not just with me being kind, but genuinely loving that other person. Someone has said that we don't make great progress in sanctification until we begin to see the depth of our sinfulness. Spot on. I'm a mess. And only the grace of Jesus Christ working in my heart through the Holy Spirit, offers hope.

the Lamb

2011-03-18T09:19:00.000-04:00

I am not worthy. I have no claim upon the Father's favor, His mercy, His forgiveness, His grace, His love. No qualification, no merit, no currency. But...

worthy is the Lamb...

Worthy is the LAMB...

WORTHY IS THE LAMB!

the grace of courage

2011-03-17T15:05:00.001-04:00

After an earthquake and tsunami, Japan's disaster saga continues to steamroll a grieving and exhausted nation. A reactor at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant is nearing meltdown. The building's damaged, and with no electricity there's no way to keep pumping water onto the radioactive fuel rods. Aerial dumps of water have been somewhat ineffective with much of the water dispersed by winds. Police and fire trucks have also sprayed water from the ground.

What leaves me in awe are the some 50 technicians who stayed behind yesterday as many others were evacuated, risking their lives in hopes of sparing Japan yet another disaster. Because of the heat inside they are probably not wearing as much protective gear as those outside, yet radiation levels were at 400 millisieverts. Most nuclear plant workers around the world don't absorb more than 1 millisievert in an entire year.

I salute them; that's putting it all on the line. As I pray for these selfless people I wonder about my own willingness to shoulder a great risk for others or my God. Football great Reggie White used to say, "God places the heaviest burden on those who can carry its weight." Really? Is it just that you either have the stuff of courage or you don't?

Studying Revelation we keep stumbling over bodies; people who've died for Jesus. The great tribulation will be a religious bloodbath. If my understanding of eschatology is correct neither I nor Christians alive before the rapture will be here to see it. But it will be brutal for those who are.

When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. 5:9

The dragon [Satan]... went off to make war against... those who obey God's commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus. 12:17

He [antichrist] was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. 13:7

If anyone [Christian in the end times] is to be killed with the sword, with the sword he will be killed. 13:10

How will they do it? I used to drive myself crazy trying to think my way through the question: could I die for Jesus? Do I have the guts, the bravery, the courage, the right stuff with which to endure the torture, the sword or the bullet?

No. I think, at my core, I'm a coward. Regardless of what Reggie thinks, God might still place this act of ultimate worship on my shoulders. If He does, my cowardice will not be the thing anyone remembers. They will remember the grace God gives me to face the call. We are warned to stand firm in our faith (1 Cor.16:13), but here's the backstage view: Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ (2 Cor.1:21). May God likewise sustain those brave Japanese workers.

Is Christian "law" adequate?

2011-03-14T10:00:00.004-04:00

Did you hear the latest from the jihad front? Al-Qaeda is publishing a new women's magazine called Al-Shamikha (Majestic Woman). It's a radical mix of interviews with proud widows of suicide bombers and timely tips on how to care for your skin in the sun. It gives ways to get a mujahideen husband as well as how to wage techno-terrorism. Offering something for every woman on your gift list I guess.

I realize most Muslims do not have suicide vests hanging in their closets and that many are chagrined at being lumped together with the likes of bin Laden and Pakistan's Qari Saifullah Akhtar. But many take pride in the thoroughness of their faith. Who can argue? Islam regulates every aspect of life from prayers to diet to marriage to courts to child-rearing.

On the University of Michigan campus in 2009, a Muslim student asked apologist Ravi Zacharias to explain Christianity's rather weak code of life compared to the comprehensive codes of Islam and Judaism.

pray the news

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

"Hi, I'm Keith, and I'm a news junkie." I've searched and searched for a cure, a pill, an antidote but...

OK, actually, I haven't. I don't really want an antidote, and I don't want to stop. I love it too much. Good, bad or indifferent news, I love it all. I want to know what's going on in my community but especially around the world.

Maybe this is nothing more than a pathetic attempt to redeem my sickness; you be the judge. For over 20 years I have prayed the news. As I'm reading or viewing video on the internet about the horrific tsunami that just hit Japan, I pray for the people there, for Japan's leaders, for those who have lost family, for rescue teams, especially for spiritual responses from the tragedy.

As my wife and I drove through Lancaster Tuesday we saw police cruisers barricading a block where a mangled child's bicycle and a pillow lay in the street. I prayed for the child I learned the next day was a 13 year old boy. Riding into the path of a car he broke both hands and wrists, a femur, and received a head injury. Thankfully, he was released from the hospital 2 days ago and apparently will heal.

Living a half mile from the fire station, I pray when I hear the siren go off. When an ambulance screams past me, I pray for the person in it or the person who soon will be.

Disasters, conflicts, wars, accidents, life and death issues, politics..., even sports news can contain matters and people to pray about. Of course, there's one catch: you have to believe God will listen to little old you about anything big or small--even on matters you don't know about personally. He will.

Sister in Christ in jail

2011-03-03T14:27:00.004-05:00

In a sermon recently I referred to Asia Bibi, a Pakistani Christian condemned to death under that country's prejudicial blasphemy law. Voice of the Martyrs describes her plight:

Asia Bibi, a 37 year-old Pakistani woman from the village of Ittanwali, was arrested by police on Friday, June 19, 2009 and faces possible blasphemy charges. Asia (also called Asia Noreen) is the wife of 50-year-old Ashiq Masih, and their family is one of only three Christian families in a village of more than 1,500 families. Many of the local women work on the farm of Muslim landowner Muhammad Idrees, including Asia. During their work many of the Muslim women have pressured Asia to renounce Christianity and accept Islam. In June, the pressure became especially strong.

On Friday, June 19, there was an intense discussion among the women about their faith, with the Muslim women telling Asia about Islam. Asia responded by telling them about her faith in Christ. Asia told the Muslim women Christ had died on the cross for our sins, then asked them what Mohammad had done for them, according to VOM sources. She told them Jesus is alive, but Mohammad is dead. “Our Christ is the true prophet of God,” she reportedly told them, “and yours is not true.”

Upon hearing this the Muslim women became angry and began to beat Asia. Then some men came and took her and locked her in a room. They announced from mosque loudspeakers that she would be punished by having her face blackened and being paraded through the village on a donkey. Local Christians informed the police, who took Asia into custody before the Muslims could carry out their plan. She was held at the police station in Nankana city. Christians there urged the police not to file blasphemy charges, but police claimed they were under pressure from local Muslim leaders.

The Voice of the Martyrs urges Christians around the world to pray for Asia Bibi and her family. Further, we call on the Pakistani government to insure that the rights of Christians like Asia are protected.

In addition to praying for Bibi, Facebook accounts have been set up for her and you can friend Bibi. And we all grasp the enormity of Facebook's leverage when we look back at the Egyptian revolution.

No greater treasure

2011-03-03T13:08:00.001-05:00

Whether you cherish your Bible or its value has grown stale, this record of a tribe getting the complete NT for the first time, will..., well, just watch it.

Putting a pike in the porn dragon

2011-03-02T11:35:00.003-05:00

[a pike is a medieval spear]

I wish I could say that I never looked at pornography. Most of my exposure was ancient and before the days of online porn. I bought a couple of magazines, and I went to 5 movies. Not sure why I can remember that number from about 36 years ago when I can't remember where I parked the car but..., there you go.

I love/hate pornography. Love it because like most men I have a male drip of testosterone the size of a fire hose soaking my brain with sex. What's the old joke? Men think about sex every 30 seconds? (That's when you're young and virile. At 57...!)

But I hate porn--especially the DIY online version, because it simplifies lust and makes it so convenient. Like earlier versions, it too mocks God (Ephesians 5:3; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5). I hate porn because it destroys. And for the record, doesn't deliver any better than a slimy salesman in a cheap suit who talks too fast.

I'm preaching on Revelation 12 right now which showcases God's antagonist, the devil hisself: dragon, angel of light, accuser, demon commander, people abuser. And liar. You can't believe anything he says. Like, "God's depriving you of the good stuff." Puh-lleese! It's the same tired line he used on Eve. Thousands of years later it's still the best he can do: "God is against you, I'm for you. God's trying to limit your fun, your future, your fulfillment. Run with me and I'll make all your dreams come true."

Lies. Try selling that garbage to worn out veterans of crime, drugs, and indiscriminate sex. Lying is the native language of the father of lies (John 8:44). What tells more lies and is more deceptive than pornography? Savaging marriages and destroying children, men, and women for fun and for profit. Statistics a couple of years old put the pornography industry proceeds at over $13 billion just in the US (and about $100 billion worldwide). The volume is understandable when 70% of men 18-24 are watching porn at least monthly. That includes 50% of the men in churches and 20% of the women. Tragically, pastors are watching too. And in every shadow of the porn empire lurks the devil.

Hidden by night's darkness, a user caresses his mouse in a monitor's low glow and buys the lie again and again: click, click, click. Various states of undress, intertwined bodies doing things he has only ever fantasized about, makes the heart pound, the pulse race, and promise...

...what's 's never fulfilled. Lies. Finding no enduring satisfaction the user keeps upping his dose: more time, more sites, more exploration, more hardcore. Maybe this time, maybe this site, maybe this woman--or man, will show him something he's never seen before. Something that will make his quest worthwhile. He hopes.

Of course it never does. Ever. But there's always tomorrow.

The preacher of Ecclesiastes could have easily been a porn user: I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. (2:10). Looking back he admitted his indulgence brought him nothing but emptiness. Satisfaction sought in pleasure never satisfies. The real thrill of married intimacy (clicking a mouse may be a lot easier than working on this, but it sure isn't as satisfying) can never be reproduced, or surpassed. Satan is nothing but a bad counterfeiter of God's promises. His "hope" is a toxic lie which too often destroys before being recognized.

God offers the porn user hope in the gospel. In fact, I think it's where the only hope exists. Is that where you expect to find it? Maybe all we need are some fences, some borders. Each month an elder looks me in the eyes and asks me if I have looked an anything pornographic in the last month. If I say "yes", he'll expect an explanation why it was an accident. Or wasn't. I'm grateful for the grilling. It's a practice I initiated with all of our elders 17 years ago.

I think friends who care and confront and pray are valuable, and so are tools like Covenant Eyes to help a person trying to get off the treadmill of empty sin. But all the accountability in the world doesn't really change the heart. That heavy lifting is the work of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Without a changed heart, at some point the person pulls the plug on Covenant Eyes; no longer cares if he's caught. He will throw under the bus his marriage, his job, his self-respect, his sleep, and his dignity. Nothing matters more than the rush.

Spiritually, why? Some porn users are just lost. I mean they do not have Christ, they are facing His full judgment, they are headed for hell. I wonder if we may be reluctant to entertain this possibility because so many church members are doing porn and we're afraid to make such a sweeping indictment or to offend. If I've discovered one thing as a pastor it's that folks don't like to have their salvation called into question. But please, let us offend if it might rescue a soul from eternal death. The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery..., orgies and the like. I warn you...that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:19-21).

I once asked a porn user, "When you're looking at porn on the screen, do you have any sense of shame before God, that you're embarrassed at what he sees looking over your shoulder?" He said "no" and I asked him to explain.

"I guess I don't think it's really all that big of a deal." Jesus scratched his head and asked, Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say? (Luke 6:46). We should not reassure porn users who lack any conviction of sin, who have no sense that they are defaming God, and who are crucifying Christ all over again (Hebrews 6:6), that they are truly born again.

Obviously, hope for lost porn users is in receiving the forgiveness and the power found in the gospel of Jesus Christ. ...our old body was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin--because anyone who has been died has been freed from sin (Romans 6:6-7). Repentance & faith. Changing one's mind about his/her love affair with sin, and then turning the other direction. The Holy Spirit moves in and then provides the most addicted the power to break the bondage.

It's really no different for the person we think is regenerate: repentance and faith. Wanting some confidence he is saved so any efforts wouldn't be as pointless as trying to dress a corpse, I'd look for a brokenness over his sin, a longing for deliverance, perhaps even enveloped by a sense of despair. That's good. I think that's the normal anguish served up by the Holy Spirit when we willfully and persistently defy him. Repentance over our sin--with indications we mean business (confession, seeking help, seeking accountability), and then faith in the Lord Jesus Christ who bought us with His own blood. Trusting him to forgive and cleanse. You see, he died for the sin of lust too. Wiped the slate clean. Even the slipups that lie ahead, He died for!

All the world's satisfactions--good or bad--are either cheap or destructive substitutes for Jesus. "I am the bread of life, I am the living water." Offering Himself to those who turn from anything else, he promised, "You'll never be hungry again, never be thirsty again." That's His gospel: "I starved to death for you; I died of thirst for you. My loss means your gain." Jesus came to solve our #1 need which is not a job, or purpose in life, or happiness, or a boyfriend or a bigger house. It's sin: breaking its power, bearing its price. Just like stealing, coveting, lying, or idol-worship, lust is a sin. A SOOOO addictive one. But not even addictions reduce the power of the gospel.

I'm not saying embracing the gospel of Jesus Christ will make porn withdrawal easy. It just makes it doable. After all, the power provided is God's, Maker and Breaker of the universe. It's not the dragon's lies that set us free, it's the Messiah's truth. It's the good news of Jesus Christ and the grace/power he imparts to the believing sinner.

Saved without faith?

2011-02-18T10:32:00.004-05:00

NOT AGAIN!

At one time or another our former youth pastor, current youth pastor, and I have all been accused of teaching that infants and toddlers who die go to hell. None of us believe that. But I understand why people get confused by what we say--and don't say--and jump to conclusions.

I'm teaching a class on childhood conversions and last Sunday we discussed this topic again. We were enjoying a healthy and lively discussion about the spiritual state of a child; say, a 2 month-old boy. Most agreed he has a sin nature even if he doesn't actually "sin". What the class divided down the middle on was if he was in some fashion spiritually "lost" or in some fashion "safe" or "secured" by God. I'm guessing that even those who raised their hands to vote for "lost", didn't mean to say that if he died, he'd go to hell.

I'd certainly never say that. But what I said--and maybe what I didn't say--once again got me in trouble. The reason that I and other pastors are sometimes misrepresented on this is that we are reluctant "go beyond what is written" (1 Corinthians 4:6). What I mean is that we don't want to say, "Thus saith the Lord" when we're not sure He did. Frankly, on this topic there's not much Scripture to work with. The only verse in the Bible that might hint that infants who die all go to heaven is 2 Samuel 12:23. David's infant son had just died and David said, I will go to him, but he will not return to me. At best, it's vague and David's remark may mean nothing more than that like his little boy, he too will one day die. Or could it be that David's confident that his baby--from a God-fearing family--is especially safe (which some Christians believe) whereas another child might not be? Personally, I think the statement is too wobbly to build such an important belief on it.

Certainly no infant or toddler (or a mentally handicapped person regardless of age) can grasp the gospel with its concepts of sin, grace, repentance, and faith. Which leads most people--including me, to assume that the beginning years of a child's life he/she is not accountable to God in the way that older children and adults are. And if they die, they immediately go to heaven. Why? Because the child is not old enough to reject the wrong and choose the right (Isaiah 7:16). This is where the notion of a so-called "age of accountability" comes from. Or as Dr. John MacArthur has suggested, might be better called a "condition of accountability" since the age will vary from child to child.

Knowing that children up to a certain stage can't respond to the gospel, and knowing God's good and gracious nature..., yes, I ASSUME that all children who die go to heaven. John Calvin declared, "I do not doubt that the infants whom the Lord gathers together from this life are regenerated by a secret operation of the Holy Spirit." (OK, so maybe I'm not as confident as he is, but I'm close!)

But I know I end up using cautious language that probably makes people wonder if I really do believe the same thing they do. Keith, why are you so tentative? Because the Bible repeatedly insists that God saves people who respond to his grace by faith. Verses like Without faith it is impossible to please God... and ...we have been justified through faith..., and ...this righteousness comes by faith in Jesus Christ... haunt me.

[When Jesus scolded his disciples for stopping little children from being brought to Him for blessing (Matthew 19:13-15), it gives us confidence that both Father and Son love kids as much as we do. More, actually. Jesus even used their natural humility and trust to point out to listening adults, what should mark their faith. But because the children he held were very young (Luke 18:15 uses the word "babies"), we realize he was describing their nature, not their faith.]

I'm also cautious because I wonder if believing God saves a child through some special arrangement apart from faith, might lead to believing He'd do the same for teens and adults who've never heard the gospel. Maybe also save them in some unique and special way apart from faith? If so, then clearly our mission strategy should change to keeping as many people in the dark about the gospel as possible. Otherwise if they learn of Jesus and reject Him, they would then be accountable to God in a way they weren't before.

Bottom line, Keith: do you really think that all babies/toddlers who die go to heaven? Yes, but my language is not always so..., declarative. Because I'm a biblicist. Like our statement of faith says: the Bible... is the complete revelation of His [God's] will for salvation, and the ultimate authority by which every realm of human knowledge and endeavor should be judged. I believe what's in the Bible; I teach what's in the Bible; I'm confident about what's in the Bible. I hedge on what's not.

praise & suffering shake hands

2011-02-16T13:26:00.000-05:00

Go get a kleenex. I'll wait.

Daily I scan the newspaper obituaries. No, I'm not looking for my name. I'm watching for people I might know, but also if anyone died who's connected to people in our congregation. I'm intrigued by the stories about the lives--even of total strangers. Of course, the younger they are the sadder they seem.

Death is the last enemy. So ruthless, it brazenly taunts those left behind. The closer the survivor was, the bigger the hole, the emptiness. If disease first systematically dismantled the body, survivors have an additional burden of exasperation, questions, anger. Believers who are dying or believers who weather their loved ones' dying, ache and weep like anyone else. But for those in Christ, "to live is Christ and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21). Our passion is that Christ be exalted in our bodies whether by life or by death (Philippians 1:20).

Mission accomplished for Zac Smith and his wife Mandy. Zac was 33 when Christ was exalted in his death last May. The young IT minister on staff at a South Carolina church filmed this video several months before he died. His wife made the second one since his death.

The Story of Zac Smith from NewSpring Media on Vimeo.

A Story | Tears of Hope from NewSpring Media on Vimeo.

Soli Deo gloria.

safely deluded

2011-02-07T16:38:00.002-05:00

20 years ago, British journalist and social critic Henry Fairlie wrote: "The desire for a risk-free society is one of the most debilitating influences in America today, enfeebling the economy with a mass of safety regulations and a fear of liability rulings." If he could only see us now.

Kids 8 and under must be laced in car seats, and up to age 12 for the not-so-tall kids. In Pennsylvania, helmets are mandatory for bicyclists under 12. Some parents won't let their children try fun activities that entail any risk. Labels on plastic toys the size of buckets read: "Don't eat this product". Smoke, radon, carbon monoxide detectors and devices dot our houses. Restaurants stamp their menus with warnings about barely cooked meat so they don't get sued. Depending on the day and the most recent "study", salt, butter, red meat or coffee will kill you. Or bullies (I was a veteran victim) will disturb or jar your child's psyche for life. (I know, I know, some bullying is criminal. Don't send me emails.)

I'm not real fond of risks myself. It's my wife and son who jump out of airplanes. Me, I put chemicals on my icy driveway and wear safety goggles/ear protection when using machinery. Sometimes, anyway. I buckle up. I buy sturdy stepladders. To protect her, when my wife and I walk down the street against the traffic, I keep her on my left. I wear a helmet when I ride my bicycle (probably saved me from a serious head injury last year) and keep the safety on on my hunting rifle until I'm ready to shoot. I have life insurance, health insurance, car insurance, and home owner's insurance.

But if safety becomes the summa bonum, what might happen? There goes your skiing. That's the end of the NFL. My woodworking days are over. So is traveling by car since auto accidents kill about 30,000 Americans each year. (My wife insists air travel is safer but who is she kidding; little car problems--like running out of gas, are big airplane problems.) And parents will make sure little Johnny is always in sight--even if he's 12. No more swimming, no more cheeseburgers (mmmm!!!), no more tree climbing, no more manufacturing, no more experimenting, no more adventure, no more fun.

Taking precautions is good--even wise. But is safety--for ourselves or those we love most, on the verge of becoming an idol? I'm talking as a Christian now, not just an American. If avoiding risk matters most, what happens to God's children? Is this the life He had in mind for us? Had he worshiped safety, would Abraham have ever left Haran? Moses ever left Egypt? Would the Israelites have still mixed it up with the Canaanites? Would Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah still stayed standing while everybody else bowed to the image? Would Hosea have agreed to marry Gomer?

Would Jesus have come?

Would the apostle Paul have gone the places he did for the sakes of some of the obstinate people he talked to? Would 10 of the 11 disciples have been killed for their mission work? Could I again take Bibles into countries where it's illegal? Would you be still willing to approach your nemesis and tell him the gospel? If safety becomes our idol, what does that do to taking risks for God? And how does it affect the next generation whom God will also ask to prepare to suffer for Jesus' sake? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. (1 Peter 2:20-21)

The gospel was conceived in, executed despite, and distributed with great risk: Jesus came to a hostile world to die for the very people who murdered him. The price to follow him is "Come and die". Exactly what 170,000 Christians around the world will do this year. Not metaphorically, but actually be killed for Jesus' sake. Telling people about Jesus is risky. Giving generously to gospel work is economically risky. Refusing an order from your commanding officer could get you court-martialed. Saying no to your boyfriend could risk your popularity. Forgiving your enemy may tell her you're weak and can be exploited. All risky.

Well, my computer's exposed me to way too many electromagnetic fields today already so I'm shutting down. See you. And hey..., be safe out there!

Egypt "My people"

2011-01-31T12:50:00.006-05:00

About a year ago I put a photo of a woman beggar sitting by a Cairo street up on my computer desktop to remind me to pray for Egypt. Would you too? If you're following the news you know that this great land of the scriptures (mentioned almost 700 times in the Bible) appears to be on the verge of a revolution. I have an Egyptian friend who is taking the good news to his countrymen. But I'm also interested because my wife and I were in Egypt in 2008. That's when I photographed the beggar. It was in Cairo that we began a tour tracing the footsteps of Moses--and beyond (unlike him, we actually got to enter the promised land). Egypt was breathtaking. Admittedly Cairo's not the cleanest city and the Sinai is a vast display of rocks and more rocks, but from the pyramids to the Egyptian Museum to Mt. Sinai to the Red Sea to the intriguing Egyptian people, I loved it all and can't wait to return (planning to lead a tour in 2014).

Within weeks the popular uprising which forced out Tunisia's strongman Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, appears to have infected the Egyptians with the hope that they too can force their President Mubarak from power. It could happen today. Then what? I wonder how many of the frustrated who are thronging the streets have thought about who could follow Mubarak into the presidential palace. "Anything's better than this!" is often believed but rarely true. The Muslim Brotherhood is the only significant opposition to the government and now that they have thrown their lot in with the protesters, they could well be in the best position to assume the reins of government.

The West is wary of the Brotherhood which its leaders protest is an unfounded concern. But is it nothing more than the innocuous fraternal religious organization it claims to be? Although operative in many Arab nations, it's home and roots are in Egypt. It began in 1928 and remains strongest in the land of the Nile. Although it has officially endorsed a nonviolent approach to political and religious change, the organization is enveloped by shadows which leave some analysts convinced they are linked with terrorists. That would be unsurprising since their stated goal is to instill the Qur'an and Sunnah as the "sole reference point for... ordering the life of the Muslim family, individual, community..., and state". Which sounds suspiciously like the Islamic republics that jihadis envision.

In Lawrence Wrights' excellent book The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11, he claims early Brotherhood member Sayyid Qutb was a key influence for Bin Laden. It is true that not all voices in the MB do--or did--speak with one accord. Perhaps if they consolidate power moderate voices will prevail.

We can pray that if there is a government change, like the Czech Republic's "velvet revolution" 20 years ago, Egypt could experience a peaceful and bloodless transition of power to a capable ruling authority. And a new dawn of economic, political, and religious hope for all Egyptians. Pray for stability, for peace, for the Christians who are there (only about 10 million of Egypt's 84 million are Christians), and for an environment where my friend can still spread the good news. After all, the Bible says that a day is coming when Egypt and Assyria and Israel will worship God together, and be His blessing on the earth. The LORD Almighty will bless them, saying, "Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance." Isaiah 19:25.

Christians in combat?

2011-01-21T18:13:00.002-05:00

We who believe in the sanctity of human life are not just antiabortion. US sanction to kill nearly 50 million preborn babies in 38 years is simply America's largest and most glaring violation of God's image in human beings. That humans alone carry God's image has other implications right down to our attitude toward someone we don't like. It also puts as at odds with many in the animal rights movement whose propaganda makes no distinctions between people and other creatures.

But as we discussed last Sunday, our critics sometimes tell us we're inconsistent. They ask, even in the case of murder, how can any of you support the death penalty? Isn't that piling sin upon sin by taking the life of someone made in God's image? And what about Christian soldiers who take the lives of men made in God's image, on the battlefield? If Genesis 9:5-6 says that anyone who takes the life of a person is himself to be put to death, why is it alright for soldiers to kill in combat? (Listen to entire 1-16-11 sermon at http://www.keystonechurch.org/sermons.php.)

Here's a little more on that last issue. I used to be a pacifist and pacifists insist that Jesus prohibited battlefield killings. They point to Matthew 5:38-42 where he replaced the OT "eye for an eye/tooth for a tooth" with a new ethic: instead of drawing your sword, give an evil person anything he asks for, do whatever he demands. In verses 43-47 he says instead of hating your enemies, "friend" them. He says that part of what sets us so radically apart from unbelievers is that we even love people who don't love us.

But these are personal ethics. If you live on Oak St., this is how you treat everyone on Oak St. whether they're nice, noisy, or nasty. This is how you treat all the kids at your school--not just the popular ones or ones who are nice to you. This is how you respond to everyone who asks you for something--whether they have a right to your stuff or not (uggh, I need some work here!).

But Jesus said nothing to suggest that He meant for the army to use these instructions as a military code of conduct. The job of the state is to defend its people and to do so requires the weapons (Romans 13:4), the readiness and the will to kill. Trouble arrives quickly if we expand what the Savior said to individuals, to all institutions.

That said, precisely because Christians believe even their enemies bear the image of God, soldiers who love and serve Jesus take life because they must, not because they enjoy it. Which distinguishes them from secularist soldiers who hate their enemy--or from religiously-driven soldiers who feel each kill earns them more points with their god.

General Sherman was right; war is hell. Yet men must stand ready to defend their nations or communities from the designs aggressors have on them. Neither Orwell nor Churchhill actually said it but the quote "We sleep soundly in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm", reflects reality. Those who live in the world's snake pits where it's dangerous to sleep too soundly, understand all too well the peace that only strength can bring to a community or nation. Praise God that one day the Prince of Peace will reappear to put an end to it all!

White as snow

2011-01-14T11:39:00.000-05:00

In another instance, it would have been beautiful. On Tuesday we took 2 of our grandsons to the Pennsylvania Farm Show. Pulling them in a red wagon, we navigated past piles to see the cows, pet the alpacas, laugh at the ducks sliding down a ramp. We stuffed ourselves with nutritious black holes like french fries (yummm!) and chicken nuggets. After the horse pulling contests we headed for the parking lot. It was dark and the snow was falling. Beautiful.

Except that we had 60 miles to drive. Without salt, the roads were treacherous. As we gingerly navigated Rt. 283 we passed three different cars littering the median and ditches like so much thrown away rubbish. The snow continued to fall.

We dropped off the boys and went home. After fixing some food we turned on the outside lights and watched the heavy flakes piling up on our patio and pergola. Now it was beautiful. The next morning we awoke to 7 inches coating everything. It was fluffy, yet heavy enough to collect on the evergreens and overhead wires. The sun peaking over the neighbor's house dappled some of the white with rainbows. In awe I snapped some pictures before grabbing the shovel.

Beautiful. White. No dirt yet, just pristine snow, blindingly white.

I am a sinner. No one knows it better than me. I'm a veteran at sinning and at being forgiven. I will never get this right. True, as the Spirit has sanctified me, I sin less, and especially the sin habits have loosened their grip. I am on a war footing with sin rather than making peace with it. But I will go to my grave and my final interview, speckled with sin. If we say we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and refusing to accept the truth (1 John 1:8, NLT). Unlike the virgin snow, my heart and life looks like snow after it's been driven on, spit on, mixed with mud, and belched on by exhaust pipes.

Yet by the blood of Jesus Christ--at that final interview, my robe will be as white as virgin snow. God will not see me as I really am; but as His Son really is. God once said, No matter how deep the stain of yours is, I can remove it. I can make you as clean as freshly fallen snow (Isaiah 1:18, NLT). Oh glorious thought! Unbelievable grace! Merciful Savior! They washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb and made them white (Revelation 7:14, NLT).

Today the snow's not so white anymore. But the robe Jesus bought me, is. (Yea!! Easter's a'coming!)

Yes, the Bible!

2011-01-05T17:09:00.003-05:00

Today, convictions you have will prompt you to make dozens of decisions: what to wear, what to eat, whether or not to speed on the way to work, how you respond to a subordinate who's insubordinate, what to do if the other kids are bullying someone in the bathroom, whether to lie or tell the truth in the report--even if it makes you look bad, how much money to spend for a car, whether or not your daughter can stay out after midnight, what color to paint the kitchen, what to do when you realize you were wrong, what magazines or online sites to read, which candidate to vote for, how much money to give away and who to give it to, what movie to see, and who to spend time with.

True, types of beliefs are as varied and shaded as Benjamin Moore paints: beliefs you have about health, economics, aesthetics, relationships, priorities, morality, parenting, marriage, and politics. But make no mistake, they are the engines to your decisions.

For example, deciding what to wear today may well be driven by beliefs about yourself and others. I'll choose the black shirt for tonight's date with my wife if I believe that black makes me look especially handsome. The woman wears a low cut blouse on the day she interviews for the promotion believing her male boss can be influenced by a woman's flesh. Even though a guy's not overly concerned about his appearance he won't wear the same shirt Friday he wore Monday because he believes others will notice and conclude he's dirty, can't afford many clothes, or is a slob.

On Sunday I will urge the people of our congregation to start reading the Bible regularly this year if they don't already. My 6-year Bible reading plan takes slackers like me through the Bible in six years (I know some of you SEAL-type Christians do the whole thing in a year), plus has us reread 5 key books annually. Or I'll suggest finding a plan online or use the one in the back of their Bibles.

I want people to read the Bible because it's got power. As a faithful but lost churchgoer for many years it was the Word of God that brought me to repentance and faith in Christ. Not just once, it was the "often" listening to God which brought me salvation. So I am impassioned to see people absorb this book as God's booming voice more than a religious accessory or home accent for the end table.

Reports that a recent Rasmussen poll claims only 25% of evangelical Protestants (that's us) read the Bible daily, is in sync with a 2003 Gallup poll in which only one in four American Christians said they read the Bible regularly to find direction for their lives. Huh? So how do we find direction? How do we make decisions? How do we know who God is and what he wants? Or who we are and what we should do about it? What yesterday was all about and what today and tomorrow might bring? As "followers of Jesus Christ" how do we know what followership looks like in a marriage, friendship or citizenship? How do we know in what to find hope?

One title I thought about using for Sunday's message was "Stop having devotions!" I think some of us who do "have devotions"--that is, read a few Bible verses each day so we can say that we did, don't read with an ear to hear God's booming voice. We keep religious duties by reading our religious relic, not as one half of the conversation between ourselves and our spellbinding, unbelievable, sacrificing, loving, God. I wonder if that's worth anything.

Oh, how we need the Bible! Not on the end table or bookcase, but like a lifesaving intravenous drip--over time, it accumulates in our souls to make us more and more like the Jesus Christ who saved and sanctifies us. And yes, it may even affect decisions about what to wear!

How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. Psalm 119:9.

where's the other line?

2010-12-20T13:00:00.009-05:00

If you're a parent, you've stood in slow-moving lines keeping parental order while your children wait for their chance to sit on Santa's lap. But if Christmas is the celebration of Christ's birth, where's the line to see Him? Check out this great song by Steve Haupt that's gone viral with his daughter Becky Kelley's music video.

what about santa?

2010-12-15T16:10:00.000-05:00

How should Christian parents handle Santa Claus? Is it OK to tell children there is one--or let them believe it if they hear about him from other children or relatives?

For every Christian parent who thinks it's a harmless fantasy for their son or daughter to enjoy along with their friends, there are three who are adamant that no Christian parent should permit a son or daughter to risk being distracted from the Christ child at Christmas.

I'm not convinced that all the Santa "trappings" are that big of a deal. For example, I don't know that letting little Timmy sit on Santa's lap at the mall and tell him what he wants for Christmas undermines the manger. Or that buying some discount wrapping paper decked out with Santas is a spiritual calamity.

I do think it matters more what Timmy's mom and dad tell him--or let him think about Santa. If l tell my children that the guy at the mall or on TV delivers their presents on Christmas eve--or neglect to correct what friends tell them about Santa, I wonder how that is different from deception? And even if they can't say the word or define it, I think that's exactly what children will look back on it as once they learn the truth.

Why not tell them that Santa Claus is a fable based on fact? Tell them the story of St. Nicholas, bishop of Myra (in modern Turkey) who lived in A.D 200-300's. We don't know exactly when because there's not a single historical document from his day speaking about his life. But biographers writing within 200 years say his parents died and left him with great wealth. Which he gave away. One of the most famous legends is that a poor man with three daughters could not pay the dowry to marry off his eldest daughter. He was even too broke to buy food. The story goes that Nicholas learned of it and threw a bag of gold in the house during the night. He did the same with the second and later the third daughter. He wanted to do it anonymously but the last time the father was waiting and discovered the identity of his benefactor.

Later when he was in the ministry, he reputedly put gold coins in shoes when they were left outside the homes. In the early 300's when Diocletian set out to destroy the church, Nicholas was imprisoned for years. When released he continued to faithfully serve the Lord for several decades. While I don't put much stock in some of the outlandish miracles he's claimed to have performed, to me it's telling that he neither wrote about himself--nor had others write about him. We know that he existed, but he seems to have been quite disinterested in leaving a personal legacy.

Which makes the tale of him being chosen Myra's bishop, plausible--and marvelous. When the bishop there died, Nicholas traveled to the city with other ministers and bishops to select the man's successor. As was his custom, Nicholas got out of bed early and went to the church to pray. An elderly minister was already there and asked him, "Who are you my son?"

"Nicholas the sinner" came the humble reply. "And I am your servant." The aged priest asked him to follow him and they entered a room of the assembled bishops.

"I had a vision that the first one to enter the church in the morning was to be our new bishop. Here is that man: Nicholas." Indeed he was chosen as bishop. His generosity and humility are legendary. But legends usually have a core of truth to them. That's the core our children can benefit from. At least, if it doesn't eclipse Jesus. Nicholas would have hated that.

her heart for God's heart

2010-12-07T12:02:00.028-05:00

More from October's Lausanne Congress in South Africa: story of an 18 year old student originally from North Korea. No wonder the third world is where the Spirit's got room to work. A testimony like this repudiates the prosperity gospel and makes a case for suffering as one of God's most powerful tools in kingdom building.

http://conversation.lausanne.org/en/conversations/detail/11671

[Sorry if you tried the video before only to discover it's just partial; there's a defect in the embedding code. This link should work.]

Is Jesus, food, or both the good news?

2010-12-06T16:03:00.006-05:00

10 days in October
4000 invited guests
198 countries represented
Cape Town, South Africa
International Congress on World Evangelization
Beamed to 650 global sites in 91 nations

They called it Cape Town 2010. Perhaps the largest gathering of international Christians..., ever.

The Lausanne Movement is the brainchild of Dr. Billy Graham. Preaching in more and more foreign countries the great evangelist pondered how the world's evangelical Christians could work together to evangelize an increasingly complex and unstable world. After sharing his vision with 100 world leaders, in 1974 Dr. Graham gathered 2700 Christian leaders from 150 countries in Lausanne, Switzerland (hence the movement's name), a congress TIME magazine described as "a formidable forum, possibly the widest ranging meeting of Christians ever held".

Lausanne launched a movement. A second congress was held in 1989 in the Philippines, and this year's was the third. The impact Lausanne has had on world evangelization and Christian unity has been far reaching. But there's always been a current of tension in each congress as well as in the dozens of conferences sponsored in between, over the relationship of evangelism and social efforts to relieve suffering. Which claim is right?

The primary work of the Church is evangelism
Although the primary work of the church is evangelism, working for things like feeding the hungry should be the result of individual faith and a call on the church.
The work of evangelism and the work of meeting people's legitimate needs are equally the work of the Church, are equally the work of the gospel.

In his address to the delegates Pastor John Piper preached that Christians must respond to all kinds of suffering of all people. Then he added, especially respond to the threat of eternal suffering--in other words, without neglecting social justice, evangelization is at the front of the line. World Vision's Corina Villacorta emphasized that the acts Jesus did when he was here was riddled with compassion for people's sufferings. She decried the inequity between rich Christians and poor ones.

In the face of such tensions Denver Seminary president Dr. Mark Young quipped from Cape Town, "Those primarily engaged in social justice and development ministries quote St. Francis, 'Preach the gospel at all times -- necessary, use words.' Those involved primarily in preaching wish that St. Francis had said, 'Preach the gospel at all times -- If necessary, don't use words.'"

It's not just Lausanne. For over a hundred years this tension has pulled the American church back and forth. Many remember how mainline Protestants in the early 1900's got so preoccupied with social justice issues they dispensed with evangelism. (Remember Glenn Beck famously warning his listeners that if their church talked about social or economic justice, they were code words for communism?) Some of these denominations never recovered biblical Christianity but preached a "social gospel", a form of good news which turned out to be bad news: Jesus got demoted from atoning sacrifice to nice example. Certainly in this case, the food was not the good news.

Fearful of this slippery slope, some Christians wash their hands altogether of things like soup kitchens, health clinics--of anything that smacks of "social services". But repeatedly the prophets, Jesus and the apostles send us to meet people's needs: the poor, the widows, the orphans, lepers, aliens (outsiders). The Scriptures say...

Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts.
Share your food with the hungry..., provide the poor wanderer with shelter..., when you see the naked..., clothe him.
Faith without works is dead.
Whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.
Which of these three was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?
Sell everything you have and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven.

There's no way to dodge the Bible's mandate to care about--and for, those in need. Nor any way to dodge the Bible's mandate that every Christian is a missionary (Acts 1:8, Matthew 28:18-20) tasked with taking the message that Jesus died and rose again to save sinners like me, to other sinners.

Again, it's the relationship between the two that's dicey. Which takes priority--should a local church give both equal attention? In a recent discussion with Capitol Baptist Pastor Mark Dever, Sojourners editor Jim Wallis insisted everything from racial reconciliation to helping the poor should be the church's work--they're "integral" to the gospel he said. Dever agreed that the gospel has social implications and that people genuinely transformed by the gospel should care about anyone in need. And help individually as led. But he couldn't agree that it's the church's main job. That, he said, is evangelism and discipleship.

Manhattan pastor Tim Keller of Redeemer Presbyterian will keep the discussion alive with his just-released book Generous Justice about which he asserts: "All I know is, if I don't care about the poor, if my church doesn't care about the poor, that's evil."

I think I can agree with that. However, the enemy is happy to use bad or good things to supplant the gospel. For example, until Jesus returns, there will always be hunger, poverty, suffering. Jesus said so. True, some of our forebears used that to excuse a lack of concern and assistance for the poor. Because we cannot erase something does not mean we cannot alleviate it.

But the danger to Christ's church remains that if the magnitude of evil, suffering, hunger, AIDS, poverty, and sex trafficking gets to us, we may throw all of our time and resources at those great needs and perhaps neglect the good news whose effects transcend this life.

38

2010-11-27T13:54:00.000-05:00

I love Thanksgiving. Aging has its perks and one is a blossoming realization I'm blessed with blessings I have no "right" to. Traveling abroad has also helped destroy any sense of being entitled to this or that. Clean air, clean water, safe neighborhood, shoes--comfortable ones at that, lots of food, safe transportation, and living in a representative democracy all sing for me.

And then there's Betty. It's a special Thanksgiving when our wedding anniversary falls on it like it did this year. 38 years under the love, mercy and forbearance of a woman my friends like to remind me I don't deserve. They're right.

We met in high school when we were fifteen. In my junior year she was one of two new girls in our class, ones I casually told my mother "were prospects". I don't remember who the other one was. The only class we had together was a lecture where she sat in the back by herself. Which was necessary because there wasn't room to her left and right when she smiled.

l zeroed in on her at a social event our Christian high school held early in the school year to help new students get acquainted. We played a musical chairs style hand-holding game called "Walk-a-Mile". Guys cheated so they could hold hands with the girl of their choice. Once or twice I ended up next to Betty but holding her hand left me speechless.

Several weeks later when some of us went to Virginia to help residents who were victims of Hurricane Camille, I asked her to sit with me on the van ride. I wish I could say it was all good from there. A month later I got my driver's license and we began dating. I thought we were having a good time but about 4 months later she broke up with me. She had been trying to for some time but every night she planned to dump me I'd give her a gift. Even the night she showed me the door I'd given her an early Valentine's Day gift.

Within days she was dating the school jock. What did he have that I didn't? He was tall, good looking, and a talented athlete. Hey, I had..., I had..., well, I was a pretty good ping pong player. Plus, I had a job!

Over the next few months I had several dates but no one made much of an impression on me. My sister asked me if I thought Betty and I would get back together. I shrugged, "But I know that the way I feel around her, I've never felt with any other girl."

6 months later I found out Betty and Mr. ESPN were history and within a month we were back together. Unfortunately the remaining dating years were rocky: I broke up 3 times--the last time 3 months before our wedding day. Part of it was that we were so young, and I wasn't sure I knew what I was doing.

In hindsight, I didn't. The note that accompanied the flowers I gave Betty last week said, "For being what I never knew I needed." We were only out of high school a year and a half when we married; she was 18, I was 19. And I didn't know what kind of woman I wanted or needed. Who can at that age? But over the years I have discovered that God could not have found a more perfect woman. I mean for me; someone who complements/completes me and I complete her.

Like every married couple, we have room to grow. Last weekend we celebrated our anniversary by attending FamilyLife's "Weekend to Remember" in King of Prussia. (I can't recommend that weekend enough; good biblical counsel that will gently but firmly call you to pay attention to your marriage; here's the link http://www.familylife.com/site/c.dnJHKLNnFoG/b.5846045/k.8C0A/Weekend_to_Remember__Marriage_Getaway.htm?fromeventhp=WTRimage.) We had some great talks--some were painful, but all valuable in making this wonderful thing called marriage, even richer. Surely--apart from Jesus, this is God's finest gift!

God and evil, or God over evil?

2010-11-14T07:56:00.001-05:00

How big is your God? How powerful is He? Is your God biblical? Is he sovereign or is He subject? (Those are really the only two options.) The Bible says He's sovereign even over evil. You've got to read John Piper's provocative but glorious sermon on "Is God any less glorious because he ordained that evil be?". It was my guide through some deep waters in the wake of 9/11.

http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/conference-messages/is-god-less-glorious-because-he-ordained-that-evil-be

voting, American style

2010-11-11T16:20:00.002-05:00

The turnout on election day for midterm voting was unusually large--which appears to have favored Republican candidates. Since then we've all been talking about what happened--whether we're happy about it or disappointed, what should have been done or shouldn't, and what it means for the next 2 or 4 years. But in the midst of your political analysis, have you thought about something that's remarkable?

When Betty and I walked in the door of the township building to cast our votes, dead ahead was an armed constable listening to a conversation between a "watcher" and a voter. His presence was the only hint anyone could have had that there might be anything other than a peaceful transition of power.

On Sunday citizens of the West African nation of Guinea got to vote for a president for the first time ever. Former prime minister Diallo ran against opposition leader Alpha Conde but they're still trying to sort out who won. Pre-election violence left 3 dead and it appears that both sides engaged in strong arm tactics to force opponent's supporters from their homes. Charges say as many as 20,000 voters were urged to flee or they would be killed. The effect was to put them far from their polling places on election day so they couldn't vote.

Voting history in the USA is hardly pristine. Despite the lofty language of our Declaration of Independence, there has always been a back seat and a front seat. Women and African-Americans had to fight to get their supposed "equal" right to vote; nor did it come easy for native Americans or Asian Pacific Americans. But now we enjoy an election climate where the average American doesn't expect opposition at the voting booth.

Since my day off each week is Tuesday, election days are always laid back for me and I squeeze voting in among the other items on my to-do list. It can fit it in before or after any errand or task, because I don't have to plan to take a gun for defense, and I don't have to avoid certain times that might be dangerous. Both the voting and the subsequent transition of power--such as a shift in who controls congress, is pretty uneventful. My fellow Americans, we have much to thank God for!

climate change apocalypse

2010-11-04T21:24:00.007-04:00

It was 1968 and everybody was scared anyway. Sons and brothers were dying in rice paddies in an unpopular war, kids were hopped up on weed, LSD and heroin, cities were ablaze, national guard troops were sweeping across university campuses with rifles leveled, and the background music to it all seemed bewildering to anybody over 30. A generation gloomily hummed Barry McQuire's Eve of Destruction as it marched toward the cliff's edge.

Into this powder keg of alarm Stanford scientist Paul Ehlich tossed his bestseller The Population Bomb. In apocalyptic tones he predicted that hundreds of millions of the world's people would die of starvation in the 1970's and '80's. Not a call to action, the author wrote that this WOULD happen "...in spite of any crash programs embarked upon now." 2 million readers bought the book and worried.

The rationale seemed solid. How could food production possibly keep up with the world's exploding population? It had doubled from 2 billion to 4 billion in a single generation, and seemed set to do so again. Ehlich proposed radical solutions like starving any country that refused to implement population controls. He claimed most scientists shared his fatalistic predictions.

He wasn't even close.

42 years later with the world's population approaching 7 billion, food production in both developed and developing countries has far outstripped population growth. The main obstacle to producing enough food is not the birth rate Ehrlich worried about, but political chaos.

The current discussion about global warming (sorry, climate change) has some similar markings: all the scientists agree, the specter is certain doom, it will be a worldwide cataclysm unless we take radical, immediate, and enormously expensive action--which will inevitably hurt the poorest in the world.

I don't begin to have the scientific intelligence or vocabulary to debate the merits of scientific convictions that have become relatively uniform in the last 35 years. But as a Christian I look at everything through the lens of Scripture. Skeptics of the Bible will dismiss my point of view. But my words are mainly for Christians who believe the Book is God's revelation--and therefore accurate about whatever it mentions. It tells us all sorts of things about faith--even faith about the future of climate change.

All the scientists--even the ones frustrated by the alarmism--admit the climate's changed. What they dispute is that humans are mostly to blame because of carbon emissions from fossil fuels. And they dispute that it will lead the world to ruin unless we do something drastic; Kyoto and Cap & Trade legislation come to mind. They suggest our weather changes are normal and cyclical and will not result in a world-destroying--or even radically altering, calamity.

On Sunday I'll be preaching from Revelation 8 about God's first 4 trumpet judgments which are massive, nearly global environmental calamities unleashed not long before Jesus returns; loosed on what appears to be a rather normal, prosperous earth with lush greenery and fruit trees--not an earth inundated by the consequences of global warming (sorry, climate change).

But it is 2 Peter 3:7 that specifically rejects the notion that man can do something cataclysmic to this planet while God looks on helplessly: ...the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. "Reserved" and "kept". In other words, people cannot so damage the planet that they thwart God's future plans.

Yes, we are still stewards of the earth and should take care of it like Adam was supposed to. But abject fear is not warranted for the Christian who believes the Bible. God has a future plan, is still in control, and has no intentions of permitting His handiwork to derail that plan. It's "reserved", it's "kept".

More thoughts on parental discipline

2010-10-25T15:56:00.003-04:00

If you didn't get them, here are the parenting books I recommended during yesterday's sermon on the Grace of a Parent's Authority:

Everyday Talk, by John Younts
Instructing a Child's Heart, by Tedd & Margy Tripp
Kid's Need... Lot's of Love and a Spanking, by Jamie Pritchett
Humility, by C. J. Mahaney

The last one is not a parenting book per se but there are some great gospel parenting tips in it.

Some of you loved the sermon and some of you didn't. I know not even all believers are fans of parents using physical discipline, but I don't think there's a way to get around that it's biblical. Or that it has massive spiritual significance. At the cross, the Father applied all the punishment for my sins and yours to the body of Jesus Christ. Not only made Him bear that physical punishment, but in the most gruesome way ever devised by which to kill someone. The Father planned it and saw that it happened (Acts 3:18). If in Christ He suddenly grew adverse to physical punishment, why not find another way, a less gory way to atone for our sins?

Because Jesus atoned for the sins of others, we call His work the "substitutionary atonement" (1 John 4:10). Because God punished someone innocent--and perhaps because He did it physically, even some in the "Christian" world ridicule the substitutionary atonement as "cosmic child abuse" by the Father. I find this awful/awesome work stupifying, precious and worthy of worship.

Most of the "expert" voices opposing physical discipline look to the social sciences as authoritative, not the Bible. (As one opponent complained, "The Bible frequently condones practices that are outrageous to modern sensibilities.") Physical discipline is blamed for everything from lowering a child's IQ to leading to violent behavior later in life. But the #1 charge is that the spanking parent will eventually abuse. It's almost inevitable, some say. If you discipline with a paddle (what the Bible calls a "rod" in Proverbs 13:24, 22:15, 23:13-14, 29:15), you will sometimes abuse your child. Or make it more likely that your child will abuse his child one day.

This argument is based on a logical fallacy that anything that can be distorted or perverted must be wrong in its original form. Critics who object to the idea that God established husbands as leaders in their marriages use the same argument. 16 years ago someone gave me a book that basically said that just believing this is God's will turns men into abusive tyrants. I will be the first to admit that there are professing Christian men whose "leading" consists of little more than terrorizing their wives. But that's not Bible. It's an aberration of what God says. In the same way, there are parents beating their children with fist or paddle who never ever arrived in the vicinity of discipline; it's all abuse.

The irate mother who slaps her son in the face in the jeans aisle at Wal-Mart isn't disciplining him. Nor is the father who refuses to paddle his daughter but often yells at her. The child whose mother says, "one...., two..., two and a half..." is not being disciplined. Nor is the child who is being told, "You make me sick!" Discipline's objective for the believing parent is to cooperate with God to make a disciple of Jesus Christ. Therefore it is done as an act of worship, done with great love for child and God, and done diligently. And no, not harshly.

In an anti-authority age, I suspect we need more authority in our homes, but not more authoritarians. More moms and dads with the spiritual spine to lovingly establish expectations and enforce them. And be able to say to their children, "I'm sorry sweetheart, what I said to you was wrong. Will you forgive me?" Both will help the gospel make more sense to our children.

Gospel Hope for the Abuser

2010-10-23T22:57:00.002-04:00

On Sunday I preached that a wife should submit to her husband. (We do things like this from time to time to keep attendance levels manageable.) Near the close of the message I addressed several questions wives might have in the "What if...?" department. What if my husband's passive, or is a tyrant, or fails anytime he tries to lead, or abuses me; am I still to submit--and what does that look like?

Tuesday morning I got awake early thinking about this blog and out of left field God brought an incident to my mind from about 37 years ago that I'd just as soon forget. I couldn't go back to sleep and for the next hour and a half lay there (hey, it was my day off!) thinking about that awful day, with a growing and disturbing suspicion I was to write about it.

Betty and I had been married about a year when we took a trip to the ocean with some friends. We stayed in a boardinghouse and did the typical ocean things: get burnt on the sand, eat junk on the boardwalk, shop. We were with the other couple some, but sometimes by ourselves.

Without going into detail, I'll just say that I wanted Betty to do something one way, but she did it another way. When she came back from a walk with the other woman and I found out what she'd done, I remember raising my hand to strike her while she cowered with her hands raised over her head for protection.

With my hand in the air, I willed it not to go further. Later my rage was replaced by shame. Maybe Betty's fear was replaced by denial because she does not remember the incident. Until several years ago we never talked about it and I never threatened her again.

As I said Sunday, it is Islam that lets a husband threaten and hurt his wife, not Christianity. While the Qur'an counsels a husband to lock his recalcitrant wife in a room, deprive her of sex, and even whip her, the Bible tells a husband to love his wife like Christ loves the Church. It infuriates me when I hear of a man who says he loves Jesus yet hurts his wife, but I know all too well how deep the root of sin runs. Apart from God's grace, I am that abuser.

Back then, I was religious and churchgoing but not a Christian. Once God saved me He began a work in my heart as a husband that I cannot thank Him enough for. I am still on the way, but at a Keystone marriage conference a dozen years ago when Betty said publicly that I was the most gentle man she'd ever met, it was one of the high points of my life. Only God could have changed a man who saw marriage as something for me to see it as something for Him--and us.

Even abusers can find hope in the gospel of Jesus Christ. He saves the repentant and trusting sinner from hell but that's not all He died for; He died to save us from the poison of sin's power--in all its forms. With Jesus, even the abuser can change. His sanctifying power is available to those who will humble themselves enough to admit their sin, and ask the Lord, his wife, and Christian brothers, for help.

the gospel matters most

2010-10-06T10:14:00.001-04:00

Tim Challies is a Canadian blogger and church elder. Last weekend Christian luminaries like Leonard Sweet, Shane Claiborne, Wendy Gritter and Peter Rollins swept into Tim's hometown of Toronto for an emerging church conference called "The Eighth Letter". Each presenter had 15 minutes to share what they thought God's most urgent message would be today if He addressed one to the North American church and added it to the 7 he wrote to Asia's churches in Revelation.

Facing something of a lion's den at the podium, Tim passionately insisted that getting the gospel right is the most urgent thing for the church. Every other good thing pales in comparison. It's worth a listen for every Christian. It's about 2/3 of the page down on the 10/6/2010 entry. http://www.challies.com/

Houston, we have an authority problem

2010-09-20T16:27:00.000-04:00

When I was a high school student trying to be a hippie without the commitment, I didn't have much good to say about authority; any kind. The underground newspaper I published my senior year was full of broadsides against the establishment (60's jargon for authority). I volunteered no alternative and I doubt I ever really thought about what would happen if the president, the police, my parents, my teachers, or church leaders decided I was right and quit.

Anarchy is what happens in the absence of governance. It's when no one calls the shots, no one leads, no one rules; or maybe someone tries to but governs too weakly to influence those they lead, are too weak to restrain the violent or the opportunists in their midst.

Yesterday I began preaching a series of sermons on submission called "Can we learn to love the grace of authority?" "Grace" because I think authority is such a good thing that it can fit into the category of "undeserved blessing." Yet I don't think people in general like it--not even Christians.

Maybe some of our evangelism tips our hand. You know, when we skip the whole sin thing. "Celia, I know you're feeling very alone; just invite Jesus in and He'll be your friend." Or, "Craig, I know you've been battling depression for a while; just trust Jesus and you'll find a purpose for living." Those may be benefits of the gospel, but they certainly aren't the gospel. The gospel is a new and forgiven life from Jesus that requires humbly bowing the knee (Philippians 2:10). Do we shy away from saying so because people--maybe people like us--are allergic to authority, period?

When some Christian parents won't correct their children in love and strength, I wonder if with some it's because they themselves have a bad taste in their mouths about authority. Which leaves them few choices except pleading, yelling, pouting, bribing, or effectively turning their God-given authority over to their hapless child. What a tragic and lifelong price children may have to pay for mom and dad's misunderstanding.

And then there are the husbands who won't lead their wives. Good riddance to the men who have mistreated, bullied, or led their wives harshly. But as the pendulum arcs back the other direction, can't we jump off in the middle and be strong men who are willing to assume our calling to lead our wives like tender shepherds instead of the stereotypical tyrants detractors take us for?

What about the government? Many of us evangelicals are politically conservative. Accordingly, we fume and rant over a government we think is too intrusive, too liberal, too quick to spend money. Some justify cheating it because its laws are ridiculous--or just because it's too confiscatory and they feel entitled to keep what they can get away with. Those of us who wouldn't go that far pay taxes and vote, but do we realize the institution is God's? Pray for it and rejoice in it, accordingly?

Submission to authority has a pecking order: if human authority tells me to sin or opposes God, I must resist it, object to it like Peter and John did (Acts 5:29). And there is a way to submissively disagree with any authority. Even the prophets were able to do that with God. But I hope this series gets us all to peer into the Word and let it checkmate any misconceptions about authority that our friends or culture have instilled in us. Because based just on Genesis 3:1-9 alone, rebellion against any authority God's established is Satanic. Check out the Satanist's pentagram. And then the symbol for anarchy. Hmm.

Mutant Christianity

2010-09-01T10:54:00.000-04:00

This post is for those 35 and younger (hey, I had to pick some cutoff age!). On Sunday Pastor Brandon mentioned a CNN article on a troubling new book entitled Almost Christian. The author is Princeton Seminary prof and United Methodist minister Kendra Creasy Dean who suspects many "Christian" teenagers, actually aren't. Aren't Christians.

Teen or not, what do you believe? About God, Christ, yourself, grand purposes, the world, the future? I'm not talking about the things you don't know, but what you say you do believe.

OK, next question: will you find it in the Bible? You sure? Read the CNN article:

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2010/08/27/author-more-teens-becoming-fake-christians/?iref=allsearch

If you're over 35 and went ahead and read anyway, do you think this is a problem limited to the younger set? Me neither. Luke 6:46.

Not the cape & mask kind

2010-08-23T16:45:00.002-04:00

Friday afternoon Tyler and Becky made each other the same promise I've had most couples repeat at the marriage altar: "...whether you are healthy, sick, or even bedfast."

The next morning Sam died. My neighbor was 65 but had been dying for seven years. A welder by trade, he also served as a pastor for 31 years in various places. Then he fell from a roof and suffered major head trauma. The injury and necessary medications left him physically and mentally disabled. He could speak but not hold a conversation; he could shuffle along to the car sometimes, but not get up and walk on his own.

Instead of letting him waste away in a nursing home, Hannah tenderly cared for him at home. By herself. Weak as he was, her husband still towered over her. She fed him, bathed him, dressed him, cared for the house and grounds, took him to the doctor. She did it all.

Without complaint. No pity party.

"...or even bedfast." A couple of years ago I told her, "You're one of my heroes, Hannah." No cape and mask could substitute for the love-in-practice of tenderly caring for a mate who can no longer care for you, no longer love you, no longer protect you, no longer provide for you, no longer keep you warm on cold nights, no longer take care of himself.

You're still my hero, Hannah. You stayed, you served, you glorified God. Well done.

Daddy's Wallet

2010-08-13T17:13:00.000-04:00

When Chelsea Clinton recently got married somebody wrote out a very large check. Initial speculation put the soiree's price tag between $3 and $5 million but it looks like it came in at a modest $2 million. I guess the checkwriter was the former president. He said his only jobs were to walk his daughter down the aisle, and "pay the bills". I guess he can swing it. But should he?

Last week I read a letter from a hapless father to one of those advice columns in the newspaper. For their daughter, his ex-wife and her second husband were planning a very expensive wedding. Dad was on disability due to a work accident and wondered if he was still responsible to pay for half of a wedding in which he had no say and which he could not afford.

The columnists assured him that he was not obligated to pay more than he could. Then they gave some blanket advice to engaged couples: We strongly urge young couples to help pay for their own weddings and stop bankrupting their parents for one day's festivities.

1 day? Part of 1 day. The ceremony may last 20-30 minutes, the reception 2 hours. Add some minutes here and there and let's call it 4 hours. At an average US cost of $27,000 (not counting the ring or the honeymoon) that's $6700 an hour. If the groom's parents take the initiative, costs are sometimes divided between both sets of parents. But it's still a chunk of change--and you're in my prayers if God blessed you with all daughters!

I'm with the columnists--but my beef goes beyond weddings. For some time its been prevailing doctrine that parents are morally responsible to pay for extravagant weddings, pricey college tuitions, and anything else their kids want that a friend's parents buy her. Parents fall in line as if this is holy writ direct from Mt. Sinai. If they fail, they sin.

Trying to be good parents, moms go back to work, dads take a second job, maybe remortgage the house, or raid retirement accounts or take out loans. The really desperate put some more on a credit card that's not yet maxed out. And the children? Most have no clue the enormous sacrifices their parents are making. That's OK. Sympathy's not the point; financial savvy is. Parents who liberally fund their children's wish lists for 22 years inadvertently handicap them. The studies all say that in general the twenty-something crowd is woefully ignorant about money; "financially illiterate" one said. That's to be expected when Mom and Dad have always picked up the tab. It's like taking the pitches at home plate instead of handing the bat to your children so they can learn to swing themselves.

No student who's paying half of his way through school is going to party away his freshman year. In fact, he's probably too busy with his part time job. The student with some financial skin in the game is both motivated and appreciative for his education in a way that his friend whose daddy's got it covered, isn't. Same with the bride who's been given a wedding budget. Besides how to plan a wedding, she's learning money management. "Oh boy, this requires decisions: if I do one thing, I can't do another. If I get the swans and white doves, I can't invite Cindy and Bryan or my two cousins."

On the matter of college, parents get defensive, "My kids could never afford to go without my help." All three of mine did. They weren't the first or last to do so. Many, many more have paid a part of the costs. There are scholarships, grants, summer jobs, jobs while in school, options to attend a jr. college or less expensive school, loans and the military. For many years, people without money who wanted to attend college, FOUND A WAY to go.

When the time came for our children's weddings, we set a figure we thought we could afford and said, "This is how much we can give you. If you spend more, it's your own responsibility." They made some very frugal choices. Not quite a Bride's magazine splash, but very nice and special nonetheless. On the first day of their honeymoons, they were just as married as they would have been with $20,000 weddings.

Here's the thing: children have no idea what it costs their parents to provide all that they provide. Even once a daughter is 18 and bound for college, nothing's changed because Mom and dad are still picking up the tab for most or all of her expenses. If he's in college or just out, many young people are still living at home off their parents largess. They don't pay rent (a mistake, I think), pay utilities, buy food, stock a kitchen with utensils and small appliances, don't have to buy furniture... If they didn't pay for college, and still aren't paying for most of their living expenses, how will they learn what living really costs, managing income and outgo? Are they ready for marriage like they think? The financial learning curve might be stalled.

Parents can help by starting young. Limit what you buy little children, and as they grow require them to buy some of what they want. I advise engaged couples, "If you have children buy them less than you can afford." Buying them too much stuff turns them into little materialists instead of disciples. Who then grow up with a sense of entitlement instead of a sense of servanthood. Go ahead, buy them some of what they want. But some, they should buy (with allowance money, odd jobs pay, birthday money, etc.), and some, nobody should buy. If you want to help them get a car, go ahead. Help them. College? Help them. Weddings? Give them a budget.

I don't think it is moral to help our kids more than we can. It's certainly not moral to help them more than we should. Requiring them to pay for some things themselves will get them started to seeing the world as it is, not the world mom's and dad's generosity pretends that it is.

I think Gratz would approve

2010-08-05T16:52:00.000-04:00

Parking on Orange I walked down the alley and crossed King St. Opening the Literacy Council door I stepped inside and looked around. "Can I help you?" a woman in the other room asked as she peered around the corner.

"Yes," I replied, handing her a business card. "I'd like to know how the people of our church can help others learn how to read." Her mouth dropped open, "Oh that's so wonderful!"

"Several months ago we buried a longtime church member who didn't know how to read until he was well into adulthood. He was very bright and had been able to fool his boss for a long time."

"That's very common," she explained. "People who can't read often have very good memories and get by with them."

"It's something I've been thinking about for our church for 15 years; helping people learn to read. Kinda slow at getting around to it," I admitted. "Do I understand that you train the volunteers?"

"That's right. And we provide the materials. Sometime it's one-on-one, sometimes as a small group. Sometimes it's for a relatively brief time. We have a lot of people who are functionally illiterate. That is, they can read some words, but not a prescription on a medicine bottle. Or something on a job application. We have people who want to learn to read well enough for citizenship. Or to get their driver's licenses. Or for a job. We have people who want to learn how to read just so they can read the Bible."

I thought of how Wycliffe Bible translators have seen entire cultures transformed. Yes, because of the Scriptures, but first they reduce unwritten languages to writing, and then teach how people how to read their own languages. Who can walk according to the Scriptures if they don't know what the Scriptures say? What possibilities!

I wondered, "Would there be people in our community that we could work with, or would it all be done in Lancaster?"

"Oh no, we have people from all over. There are people many different places waiting for someone to help them. But there might be some whom people would have to come here to the city to help."

"Hmm. Actually, we're a rural church but a growing number of our people have bought houses in the city--including our youth pastor. Maybe some of them would be interested in helping those in the city." I was getting more and more enthused. So was she.

"Pastor Rohrer..., is that right? The woman who handles this just left for vacation a few minutes ago and will be gone all next week. Is it ok to wait and have her call you when she gets back?"

"That would be fine. I'll wait to hear from her."

"Oh pastor, you have no idea what a blessing this is; it's like an answer to prayer!"

I read a book about every five days. Plus the daily newspaper, a couple of magazines, and articles on the internet. How radically different my life would be if reading terrorized me instead of filled me with joy: the Bible would have nothing to say to me, I'd know nothing of other cultures, and I'd know only the opinions of those I surrounded myself with.

So, ...let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16. I'll let you know more when I do. But I think Gratz would approve.

God forgive us

2010-07-31T14:15:00.003-04:00

Is Islam the fastest growing faith in the world? Yes. Is authentic Islam a physical threat to others? Well, moderate Muslims will object but I think jihad Islam is more faithful to the Qur'an than their brand. Is authentic Islam a threat to religious freedom in America? I believe so. Do Muslims need Jesus? Yes. Who is to reach them? Us. Christians, that is. Is burning their holy book a good way to do that? Uh..., I doubt it.

A small Gainesville, Florida church caught the attention of CNN with its plans to burn copies of the Qur'an on the 9/11 anniversary. Dove World Outreach Center stated their purpose on Facebook: "...in remembrance of the fallen victims of 9/11 [ok, that's good] and to stand against the evil of Islam. Islam is of the devil!" Maybe I've missed it but I haven't found any Bible command to symbolically trash other faiths. And I don't see how this shows Christian love. Sounds more like the template of Fred Phelps and Westboro Baptist.

Is it really some sort of compromise with the world to stay away from a soldier's funeral except to pay respects? Is it a sellout somehow not to brandish signs that rage "God hates fags", or not to burn the Qur'an?! Where is the humility? Do Dove's professing Christians forget the days when they too were condemned sinners, justly headed for hell? And that is what some of you were (1 Corinthians 6:11). And where is the love for Christ that usually spawns a love for lost people? Where is the sympathy for those whose eyes are blinded by the god of this age (2 Corinthians 4:4)--as ours once were?

A love for Christ which ignited a love for lost people and reached an Ethiopian diplomat, a Jewish zealot, a Roman officer, a Greek philosopher, and across the centuries has set free millions of others from every tribe, language, nation and religion--including Islam. Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among the peoples (Psalm 96:3). e3's Tom Doyle reports that last year 23,000 American Muslims turned to Christ in faith. I wonder if the ashes of some charred Qur'ans will make that number soar this year... Or plummet. God forgive us.

I wonder if he gets what we don't

2010-07-26T14:49:00.000-04:00

Last year Brandon sent me this link and the comment, "He almost gets it". I know what he meant because Penn Jillette (of Penn & Teller) is a comedian/illusionist who doesn't believe there is a God. But I wonder if there's something he does get that we don't. Or maybe forget.

How much do you have to hate someone...? Loving lost people is not automatic.

For nearly a year I've been sensing this message from God: "You've become so risk-adverse that you're not leaving me with much of a window in which to work." He used Andree Seu's 11-7-09 World editorial Taking Risks for the Gospel to make an incision in my soul. I pulled it from the magazine and have been dragging it back and forth between home and church office, afraid not to be near a message I need to hear repeatedly.

I was never what anyone would call an evangelist, but I used to hope for, think more and pray about talking to people about Jesus. I cared about their need for the gospel. What happened? For one, it feels like life has taken on a fairly structured rhythm and I wonder if there's any room for some new music; am I still available to the Spirit for the unexpected? Am I reluctant to take evangelistic risks? Oh sure, I talk with people about Jesus every Sunday, but they're mostly sympathetic. It's around the guys who seem ready to flip me off that I clam up. And yet, Jesus came for the sick--not the healthy. I'm OK with the healthy, but getting flipped off would just ruin my day.

Knowing I have too tamed my life is why I've started going to the local bar. This too is my community. My field. In this timeless establishment by the tracks are people Christ loves..., and has asked me to love. Men, if you've got a Saturday lunch or evening free, give me a call. Before we go we'll pray, then we'll order a good meal--maybe some wings, talk to people, shoot some pool, and talk with people--maybe even offer to pray with someone. Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mysterry of the gospel... Ephesians 6:19

By the way, the rumor that Penn has become a Christian is false. But we can still pray.

When it's your son

2010-07-22T08:00:00.000-04:00

West Point class of 2010

Tuesday we said goodbye to our soldier son as he headed for his first duty after West Point. Time to start paying back the US army and the US taxpayers for his education. Next to his trailered yellow crotchrocket, we hugged him. I had to let him go before I..., well, you know. With school and his 60-day leave behind him, it feels like this is the inaugural step to what we dread most: overseas deployment.

How can a father think sanely about a soldier son? I am so proud that Cameron is willing to bravely serve his country. But I would give anything to keep him out of harm's way. Is it possible for a father to love both his son and his homeland?

This is how God showed his love among us: he sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him (1 John 4:9). This Father loved both his Son and a doomed race; both His Son..., and us. Glory to God!!!

Flaunt Christ's brand!

2010-07-19T10:35:00.003-04:00

It wasn’t that many years ago I didn’t even know what a blog was. Oh that’s right, the word’s only 13 years old (n. abbreviation for “weblog”, a running journal posted online for all to see and comment on—often with hyperlinks.)

It wasn’t that long ago that I would have laughed at a suggestion to blog. Course I also laughed at the idea of trading my datebook for an electronic gizmo until several back to back scheduling disasters made me desperate.

This blog is mainly for the flock of Keystone Evangelical Free Church in Paradise, Pennsylvania whom I love deeply (see my blog title). For a while now, God has been turning my “like” for the church into a love for the only thing Christ died for.

[I welcome appropriate comments but this site isn’t a democracy. I will delete ungodly or meanspirited stuff.]

Friday night we baptized 3 children and one young man in Ron & Tina Bare’s pond. Baptism is such a packed symbol: washing dirt away, dying, being buried, rising again with Christ… It’s a way of publicly flaunting the brand Jesus put on you. I know sometimes adults wonder how much children understand about the baptism they’re undergoing. Probably not a lot. Then again, I think I’ve only been really grasping its enormity in the last 10 years.

I also think that every child who goes under the waters is something of a rebuke to adult believers who’ve refused to be baptized. On Friday one of the girls being baptized was so scared her whole body shook as she told about 70 people that Jesus had forgiven her sins. Yet she went through with it.

So why is it some Christian adults postpone obeying this order Jesus gave—or ignore it altogether?

Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them (“them” are the folks who say “yes” to the gospel) in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit…

Afraid of the water? Afraid of being in front of people? Afraid of…? I think of what some Christians in certain countries face when they choose to get baptized, it’s like agreeing to wear a target; from then on it’s open season and they’re the prey.

From Jesus’ day to this one, baptism has been the treasured mark of a believer. I’d love to brand some more on October 15, 2010, our next baptism. Maybe the adults will outnumber the children!