Borrowed Light

Blogging as Manna

2013-06-19T11:22:00.000-04:00

John Newton extracted this principle from the Israelite’s hoarding of manna:

The truths by which the soul is fed,
Must thus be had afresh;
For notions resting in the head,
Will only feed the flesh.

However true, they have no life,
Or unction to impart;
They breed the worms of pride and strife,
But cannot cheer the heart.

Nor can the best experience past,
The life of faith maintain;
The brightest hope will faint at last,
Unless supplied again.

We need a daily supply of grace. Newton firmly believed that with each new day we must encounter the God of grace anew. Otherwise we will wither. We cannot maintain a life of faith drawing on yesterday’s manna. Our God is a daily God.

Blogging is often used by God to bring us our daily manna.

If you aren’t aware of this (and at home with this) as a blogger you will get burned. 95% of what you write will disappear into the wasteland only a few hours after your write it. A few people will read it. Some will feast. Others will skip right over it looking for bread elsewhere. And then it’s gone.

If you write to be epic blogging will be a discouraging enterprise. For every article that has decent reach you will write a hundred more that only your mom will retweet. Such is the nature of manna. It seldom seems like much at the time but it is subtly sustaining people in their walk with Christ.

Therefore, write to give people daily grace. Be comfortable that at most you will only be used by God to sustain someone for the day.

Now there is one sense in which blogging is nothing like manna. In actuality what you write doesn’t appear into the ether. It gets swallowed up and stored somewhere in Al Gore’s basement—forever able to be accessed. In this sense what you write doesn’t get maggots and eventually disappear. It stays forever.

While it is true that our blog articles usually vanish from people’s minds this does not mean that we do not need to be careful and Christ-honoring with all of our words. What we say stays forever. And therefore we blog with an eternal perspective all the while knowing that the Lord is simply using us at times to provide daily grace.

Today in Blogworld 06.19.13

2013-06-19T08:49:00.001-04:00

Should We Stop Saying “The Church Hurt Me”?

Thabiti says, “yes”, and I agree.

7 Disastrous Results of Letting Your Personal Fulfillment Drive Your Ministry

Sadly, “pastors often use ministry for their own personal fulfillment and success”. Eric McKiddie offers 7 results.

How to Ask for Forgiveness

This is helpful.

We Are A Kanye

Odd Thomas reflects on Kanye’s newest album and song “I Am A God”.

This can save you some time folding laundry (or help you if you get a job at a clothing store):

7 Reasons Preachers Should Spend Time Preaching to Teenagers

2013-06-18T11:17:00.000-04:00

I have been preaching to teenagers for about ten years now. Truthfully, I’m probably more suited to teaching/preaching to adults that teens. I am not your typical youth pastor. But I love teens and I love preaching the gospel to them. I believe that my time spent with teenagers helps me to better preach to adults*.

Here are seven reasons why preachers should spend some time preaching to teenagers:

It forces simplicity. In sermon prep I constantly ask myself if I can say something more simply. This helps me to give any audience the fruit of my labor and not the sweat.
It helps with illustrations. I am terrible at illustrations. Working with teenagers has helped me to only be terrible and not abysmal.
It prepares me for questions. Teens will ask silly questions. And teens will ask amazing questions. I consider inquisitive teenagers with every sermon I preach.
It keeps me from assuming an audience. It has been said that people do not care how much you know until they know how much you care. This is very true with teenagers. You have to win their hearts before their ears. I never assume that I have an audience and this forces me to spend time thinking about a “hook” every week.
It forces focus. When preaching through a difficult passage of Scripture it can be tempting to get lost in all the debates. Preaching to youth reminds me to focus on what really matters and save the intellectual debates for scholars.
It is fun. When teenagers know that you love them they are quick to listen. Their questions and their vigor makes for a ton of fun.
They respond and often awkwardly. Teenagers will often immediately respond to a sermon. And they often respond awkwardly. This forces me to be intentional in the way that I aim for response. I don’t ever assume that they will apply the sermon in a fitting way.

I would encourage every preacher of the gospel to spend some time preaching to teenagers—at least a few times every year. Few things will hone your preaching skills like ministering to teens.

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*I want to say here that I do not—nor have I ever—viewed ministering to teenagers as a stepping stone to the “big show”. If you view preaching to teens as merely a means to an end they will see right through it, and frankly such a view is dishonoring to Jesus. Having said that, preaching to teens is great preparation for preaching to adults.

Today in Blogworld 06.18.13

2013-06-18T09:34:00.001-04:00

When My Dad Loved Me at My Worst

Great story by Justin Holcomb.

3 Mistakes We Make When Talking about the Sovereignty of God

Ministering to youth often helps us think about the way we talk about weighty theological issues.

An Alternative to the TGC and T4G Statements about SGM

I could sign this one. Great job by David Murray.

Why It’s Often Better to Say Less

This is interesting and helpful.

British guy does baseball commentary. This is funny to me:

Today in Blogworld 06.13.13

2013-06-13T09:41:00.001-04:00

How to Deal with 3 Kinds of Hate Mail

Thankfully, I haven’t yet had anything that I would call “hate mail”. But if you have this looks like solid advice.

Bold, Daring Audacity v. Pretty-Boy Preachers

This is short and to the point.

Last Known Photos of Famous People

I found this interesting and slightly chilling.

Stephen Colbert is Ruining America

Hmmm…this one makes me think.

Do you struggle to tell your dad, “I love you”? So does this guy:

Today in Blogworld 06.12.13

2013-06-12T08:52:00.001-04:00

Get Rid of These Six Things

I think following Tim’s advice here would be helpful. I’m just not sure that I can do it.

Should Christians Try to Legislate Their Morality?

This is an important question for us to be able to answer.

How Do We Rest in the Face of Horrible Calamity?

What happens to our emotions if we really believe in the sovereign wisdom and goodness of God in horrible persecution?

The Sufficiency of Scripture

I’m preaching on this topic on Sunday. I bet I use this a little.

I wish this weren’t true. He even calls out my “side-hugging”:

10 Books that Shaped My Theology of Suffering

2013-06-11T11:06:00.000-04:00

In Torn to Heal I encourage readers to develop a robust theology of suffering and to not be surprised to have to use it. This language comes from Peter’s exhortation in 1 Peter 4. As I’ve sought to obey Peter’s exhortation I’ve found a few books very helpful in this quest.

Certainly the Scriptures are the most helpful. If our theology of suffering doesn’t match up to Scripture then it isn’t worth much. There have also been a few other books that have helped me greatly:

D.A. Carson, How Long, O Lord? provides a biblical and theological framework for understanding suffering and evil. If you want a book that is a little more intellectual to help you think through issues related to human suffering then this is your book.
Richard Sibbes, The Bruised Reed, absolutely broke me and healed me at the same time. Sibbes has a way of opening up wounds and then pouring the gospel in.
Wesley Hill, Washed and Waiting, is the reflections of a man that is suffering and struggling with unwanted sexual desires. More than many others this book helped me see how the gospel not only heals us but it also afflicts our fallen inclinations.
Randy Alcorn, The Goodness of God, is a helpful little book that really shines in giving anecdotes and illustrations to give life to a book like D.A. Carson’s. I owe a great deal to Carson in providing the framework for my theology of suffering. But I owe a great debt to Alcorn in helping me put words to that framework.
John Piper, Desiring God, along with many other works from Piper were influential in laying a God-centered foundation of a theology of suffering
Christopher J.H. Wright, The God I Don’t Understand, gave me permission to be comfortable with mystery and questions that remain unanswered.
Samuel Rutherford, Letters of Rutherford, was used by God several years ago to awaken in me a desire to value Christ above comfort. Reading the passionate letters written from prison by this man of God caused me to question my own devotion to Christ.
William Bridge, A Lifting Up for the Downcast, has been personally beneficial in my own battle with depression and discouragement. He not only diagnosis the reason for our depressive episodes but provides sweet counsel.
David Murray, Christians Get Depressed Too, put words to my developing thoughts that things like suffering/depression can still be used for God’s glory.
Robert M. McCheyne, Memoirs and Remains, modeled for me what humble brokenness looks like. His dedication to Jesus assisted me in thinking through the trials that come with mission and ministry.

If you want to develop a theology of suffering I would suggest getting these 10 books. (Of course I’d also be honored for you to give my book a read as well).

Today in Blogworld 06.11.13

2013-06-11T09:05:00.001-04:00

10 Writing Tips From a Real-Life Editor

Greg Bailey shares 10 tips.

Fighting the Tyranny of Ministry Success

“So what do you do if your frustration level is rising because you do not see your service attendance, podcast numbers, or Twitter followers escalating as much as you’d like?”

8 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me Before Seminary

These are good.

The Dangers of Online Christianity

“Social media can be a great way to glorify God. However, it can quickly become an addiction and feed our narcissism.”

What if you have all 31 of these?

Do We Need to Wait for the Spirit?

2013-06-10T11:07:00.000-04:00

Let’s imagine that you are attempting to do an in-depth study on the book of Acts. Today you are going to tackle Acts 1:1-5. You find yourself studying and applying Acts 1:4;

And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father… –Acts 1:4

Clearly from this text we see that Jesus’ charge to his disciples—prior to his ascension and after his resurrection—was to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the Spirit before they took the gospel to the ends of the earth. So how do you apply this passage? What does this mean for the church of the 21st century?

The most obvious lesson for us to learn is that it is vital for us to wait on the Holy Spirit before doing things. The disciples needed the Spirit’s power before they were able to complete the mission of proclaiming the gospel in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. We too would be fool-hearted to launch into mission without the Spirit’s powerful presence.

The Problem

The biggest difficulty with the above interpretation is that what Luke has written here is meant to be descriptive and not prescriptive. He’s telling his readers what happened, not what his readers ought to do in response. In fact if you keep reading through Acts you will discover that the apostles did receive the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. And what is even more astounding is that when Gentiles become followers of Jesus they too receive the gift of the Spirit.

This means that the condition which Jesus mentioned in Acts 1:4 has already been fulfilled—always and forever. Therefore, believers do not need to sit around and wait for the “Spirit to come” before they engage in mission. He already has come.

The way, then, that we apply Acts 1:4 is to realize that the Spirit is vital to our mission. But we do not stop there. We celebrate the fact that Jesus has kept His promise and we have the indwelling Spirit. We have the Spirit that is needed to engage in the mission of Christ.

This isn’t permission to launch into out own missions, doing so upon a whim. This is permission to boldly engage in Christ-exalting mission because we know the Spirit is always present when Christ is exalted.

A Lesson

This little illustration shows why it is important to always read a text in its context; not only it’s immediate context but also read a text within it’s place in God’s unfolding story or redemption. If we fail to do this we will apply passages wrongly. We will find ourselves praying for things that God has already provided.

You and I don’t need to “wait on the Spirit” in the same way that the early apostles did. So let’s get busy.

Today in Blogworld 06.10.13

2013-06-10T08:54:00.001-04:00

What’s in “The Look”?

“The one who looks with lust has placed himself at the very center of the universe and functionally believes that others exist for his pleasure.”

No Whiners

“Nothing good comes from feeling sorry for myself when people don’t like my ideas, or misjudge my motives, or forget all the good I’ve done in the past.”

Is She Up For This? Questions for a Potential Pastor’s Wife

This is an important article.

Lay Aside the Weight of Sluggishness

Spiritual sluggishness has its roots in doubt. Jon Bloom gives some advice for laying aside our sluggishness.

This is cool:

Painful Loss and Urgent Need for a Dear Brother & Sister in Christ

2013-06-08T10:45:00.000-04:00

My friend Brian and his wife Kassie are hurting right now. A few days ago Kassie wrote in response to John 5:

We’ve had some dark days lately. Honestly, sometimes we just don’t even know if a pool of healing exists for us. But something we do know is that a lot of you are lifting us up, and we really appreciate that. Eventually God will give us the comfort we yearn for, and we thank you for your part in pleading for us.

One of those “dark days” is that Brian & Kassie are grieving the loss of their unborn child. This loss will be especially trying for the couple (and their three young children) because they are in Spain, away from family, serving the Lord.

To compound their problems they are without a vehicle. Now that’s not quite as bleak as it sounds. They do have funds available from their ministry fund to reimburse their travelling expenses. But what is happening is that a good chunk of their expenses are being soaked up because they have to buy train tickets or rental cars (which are quite a bit more pricey than here in the US).

I told Brian that it’d be easier to inspire people to help them with a car if I could tell people that they had to use pack goats to transport their young children. While that, thankfully, isn’t the case, their work is significantly hindered by a lack of personal transportation. As Brian told me, “it is a stewardship issue”.

Personally, I believe it will be vital for their healing to be able to “get away” from the crowded streets of Granada occasionally. They can’t do this at present. This family needs our help. Brian and Kassie are people that really love the Lord, they are raising three sweet children, and are attempting to share the gospel in a very dark place in Granada, Spain.

There are two ways that you can help. First and foremost dedicate to praying for this family. Pray for healing. Pray for a resolution to their car situation. And pray that the Lord would use them to further His kingdom in Granada, Spain.

Secondly, you can give. This gift is NOT tax-deductible because it will be for personal property. They need about $6,000 to get a dependable car for a family of five. Think outside the box. Don’t ask “what can I spare?”, ask “What it will take to get them a car?”

You can send checks to:

New Life Church

427 S. Highway 71

Anderson, MO 64831

In the memo-line be certain to put Brian & Kassie Car Fund

Let’s figure out a way to bless this family with a car.

The Gentleness of Jesus

2013-06-07T11:42:00.000-04:00

A couple days ago I shared a question that haunts men, young and old. Today, I want to tell you today about how gentle Jesus has been with me.

At a very early age I developed an unhealthy view of human sexuality. A whole combination of factors caused me to view sex as something that gave someone value and identity. Combine this with easily accessible pornography and the curiosity of young boys and I didn’t stand a chance.

At the age of 15 I committed what felt like the unpardonable sin. And I did it knowingly and willingly. I was not a victim of my circumstances. I knew that I was doing something wrong—but I didn’t care. What I desired more than the pleasure of God was the pleasure of creation. For me it had less to do with sex and more to do with identity and value. I had finally proven to myself, the world, and all my buddies that I wasn’t a loser.

I continued in this downward spiral for a couple of years. Then I was saved by Jesus.

On Being Chocolate Cake

A flood of guilt washed over me. I sat through youth group lessons where we passed around a piece of chocolate cake where everybody would take a bite. At the end the leader would point to the disgusting looking, crumbled, and barely recognizable piece of cake and say—“who wants a bite now?” Nobody likes a chocolate cake once it has been passed around. In the same way nobody truly wants someone that has been “passed around”.

I was that chocolate cake.

As the gospel began taking root I learned that God starts over and rebuilds cakes. He makes me desirable again. What a relief. I was being built up into something beautiful; something desirable. I was a new creation. My past no longer had to haunt me. I wasn’t that half-eaten chocolate cake anymore. I was a new piece.

Then I fell again.

What now? Would Jesus rebuild that cake? Could I be made whole again? I struggled with all of these questions. And I struggled with them as I was going to school to prepare for ministry. I had a nagging sense of guilt and shame and worthlessness.

During this time I met my future wife. For the past year God had really been shaping me and changing my views of sexuality. I had grown leaps and bounds. But I still had the nagging guilt and the nagging questions. The goal in our relationship was purity. For the first time in my life I was in a relationship dedicated to godliness and purity in this area. I hoped to marry her.

One day in class all of my fears were confirmed. In an ethics class we were discussing sexuality. In that class the professor made this statement: “If you have engaged in sex outside of marriage you have forfeited every chance for a godly marriage!”

There it was. He had given voice to every fear that I had in my heart. I must have turned white as a ghost sitting in my chair, trying to hold back my sobbing. After what felt like an eternity in the purgatory of that Ethics class, we were finally dismissed. I ran back to my dorm room, feeling dirty, ashamed, and hopeless.

Washed

My only refuge felt like taking a shower. And there in the depths of that pain, Jesus welcomed me. The Spirit brought to my mind verses that I had memorized. “There is therefore now no condemnation for those that are in Christ Jesus…” “If any man is in Christ he is a new creation, behold the old has gone the new has come”… “If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness…”

I hadn’t forfeited any chance for a godly marriage. This was one of the most painful days of my life, but it was necessary. This was the day that I began actually believing that I was accepted. Had that professor not voiced that hellish view I doubt I would have been brave enough to confront those feelings below.

For the next several months I grew in understanding who I really am in Christ Jesus. The past seemed to lose its grip on me. During this time I married the girl that I supposedly had forfeited. In my case, true love didn’t wait—I blew it time and time again—but the Lord still provided for me the helpmate that he had created for me years before.

I’d be lying if I said that things from the past didn’t still occasionally haunt me, and those feelings of guilt and shame creep up from time to time. Like when I felt certain that the Lord would have my son be born with some sort of disease, just to teach me a lesson that sin has consequences. Jesus rescued me from those dumb thoughts as well.

It took years (maybe I should say it is taking years) for me to really feel and believe that I am deeply accepted and loved by Jesus. But I am and that truth is pretty firmly established in my heart.

End of story…right?

If you have stuck around—and I hope you have—this is actually where I show the gentleness of Jesus. It took about ten years for the Lord to uproot those feelings of guilt and shame from my past sin.

He began His gospel work by firmly planting my identity in Himself. By helping me see that I am forgiven…no matter what. That I am accepted by Him…no matter what. It took times of pain for him to accomplish this, but He has done it well. At times I’ve been brought to what felt like the pit only to be met with His loving acceptance.

Once he firmly established in my heart His love for me, THEN he began some deep gospel work. For almost ten years he didn’t really confront the idolatry in my heart. He very gently assured me of His love and care…

And then he started ripping me to shreds.

He started killing me. Rocking my worldview. Exposing my faulty identity. Taking it all away until I had nothing left. I had developed a view that I was sexually pure because I didn’t do the bad stuff. Through the Lord’s help I had conquered sexual immorality, pornography, and all of that. That is to be celebrated, but not rested upon. He kicked down this self-righteousness as well.

Purity isn’t simply not doing the bad stuff—it’s so much more. And here I began seeing that for ten years the Lord convinced me that He wants that tattered and broken and detestable chocolate cake. Once I became convinced of this the Lord gently began his work of throwing away that old cake and rebuilding something whole and new in its place.

The throwing away hurts. So does the rebuilding. But He has done it and is doing it. With the delicacy of a surgeon, the love of a Father, the gentleness of a Mother, the tenderness of a doting Husband, and the power of a resurrected Messiah, the Lord is making me whole.

Today in Blogworld 06.07.13

2013-06-07T09:35:00.001-04:00

How Our Elders and Deacons Work Together

Articles like this are important for our church right now as we transition to an elder/deacon model.

6 Things We Need to Learn from Youth About Preaching

I’ve thought for awhile that future preachers ought to start by spending some time preaching the gospel to teens. Here are six lessons one could learn from doing that.

Confession as Idle, Lustful Babbling: 5 Errors

Here are 5 ways we might exploit and pervert the confessional act

22 Maps Showing How Different Americans Speak

Of course the soda/pop/coke divide was on there.

I’m not sure what is more amazing, that someone was able to do this or that someone actually took the time to do this:

An Open Letter to @LifeWay

2013-06-06T11:51:00.000-04:00

Dearest LifeWay,

I want to begin by saying that I am very pleased with LifeWay. Southern Baptists are blessed to be served by such a great organization. For the most part I believe that you are successful in your mission to be “the best provider of relevant, high quality, high value Christian products and services.”

I am writing you today to discuss one area of curriculum that I believe is lacking; namely, the gospel presentation for VBS. For as long as I can remember LifeWay has used the ABC’s as a gospel presentation. And every year there is a song encouraging kids to admit, believe, and confess.

As the parent of a little boy (5) and little girl (2) I deeply appreciate the simplicity of this gospel presentation. Such a gospel presentation is helpful for my son. The Lord is working on His little heart, and he largely understands the gospel message, but at times he is tripped up on the “what must I do to be saved” part. The ABC’s answer that question.

The ABC’s are a fair and biblical response to the question, “Brothers, what must I do to be saved”. For those asking this question it is helpful for them to even have a memorable song that lays out for them how someone becomes a Christian.

However, I believe the ABC’s by themselves are an inadequate whole gospel presentation. I understand that the "admitting” and “believing” attempts to help children see that they are sinners and that belief in Jesus is necessary. I appreciate this, but it seems forced and minimalistic.

When I share the gospel with children I front load it with gospel proclamation (i.e. God-Man-Christ or Creation-Fall-Redemption). I want children to know who God is, what He requires of us, what sin is and its consequences, and how Christ frees us from sin and restores us to God. That is the good news of the gospel. Admit, believe, and confess is not the gospel. It is the only fitting response to the gospel but is not the gospel itself. When people understand the gospel and are then asking “what do I do to be saved” that is when I would share with them something like the ABC’s.

It seems that about every year the ABC’s lesson is during the middle of the week. It is assumed that in the material the gospel story will be presented throughout the week in the teaching segments. That is good. However, it reads as if everything is driving towards the response. This should be done. But only if the gospel message has been emphasized.

As it stands, only one part of the gospel—our necessary response—is presented as the gospel. When children and teachers think about the gospel message in VBS they naturally think of the ABC’s. That is what stands out in the VBS material. In my opinion that is backwards. Explaining to people the necessary response to the gospel isn’t the gospel and doesn’t have the promises of gospel power (Romans 1:16) attached to it.

My suggestion is that instead of emphasizing the ABC’s as presentation emphasize the gospel story and train leaders how to use the ABC’s to answer the response question. In other words transfer a Gospel Project method to your VBS literature.

I look forward to seeing how God continues to use LifeWay material for the furtherance of His kingdom.

In-Christ,

Mike Leake

A good chunk of this letter is a tweak from this article.

Today in Blogworld 06.06.13

2013-06-06T09:21:00.001-04:00

Singing to Silence the Enemy

I was blessed by reading this.

“Radical” Three Years Later

It’s been three years since Radical hit the shelves. David Platt reflects upon the last three years.

The 3 Worst Qualities of the Gospel-Centered Movement

Yep.

Everything I Know About Pastoral Ministry I Learned Riding with Pastors

This article shows the importance of influence and also has several gems for our own use.

I found this interesting:

The Question that Haunts Men, Young and Old

2013-06-05T11:13:00.000-04:00

Somewhere an awkward boy is asked THE question. The question that causes every gawky young man to squirm and feel a little squeamish. It’s a question that will slowly shape his identity:

“You been gettin’ any…”

Here, with budding hormones raging, his sexual identity is slowly shaped. He learns the lesson: those that are “getting” sex are the ones of value. It is from these words that the inept lad will begin his quest to be everything but inept—he’ll be somebody and he will do it by means of sexual conquest.

The next time he gets the awkward question he can puff his chest and say, “yep, I’ve been gettin’ some”. Now he’s part of the “in” crowd. Inept no more, now he’s a man. Or so he thinks…

In Christ

At some point this awkward boy will be drawn into a relationship with Jesus. Through his new found love for the Lord he will discovery that his sexuality has to change. No more illicit sex. He will get tips for battling pornography and help with not having sex with his girlfriend.

Still the question remains in the background. “You been gettin’ any…” This time, though, with puffed chest he gives a negative answer. “Nope, I haven’t. I’ve been 45 days porn and sex free.” Yet, inwardly he is burning. He can’t wait to get a ring on his girlfriend’s finger so he can finally have an outlet.

Marriage

He’ll get married. He’ll have children. His marriage will go through ups and downs. He will have times of being a good husband. Times of being a dolt. There will be times when the sex is vibrant and frequent—and others when he’s in a parched desert of sexual lack.

Eventually he and his dear wife will attend a marriage conference. Nervous laughs will fill the room as spouses talk about their differences in gender. Finally, the men and women will break apart and have individual sex talks. They’ll be transported back to junior high and the question will be asked again:

“You been gettin’ any?”

It won’t be that crass, of course. But it’s there. Underneath all the tips and pointers. This session will stand out for this man; who somewhere down deep is still that bumbling-hormone-raging-little boy. It will be in this session that he will learn how to change that sexual desert into a lively oasis.

He will go home and apply the principles. They’ll work for a season. And with puffed chest he’ll once again be able to answer that haunting question with a proud affirmative. That is until the facade wears off and his wife discovers that those romantic dinners are only a means to an end. The flames will flicker, the oasis will wither, and he’s back to being the awkward boy that has to sheepishly confess that “he’s not gettin’ any”.

Your Church

This little boy is in your church. He might be a pre-pubescent teen or he might be a fifty year old deacon. He is driven by this question. His identity is wrapped up in his sexuality.

Will your preaching and marriage conferences confront this false identity? Or will you foster it? Will you be bold enough to confront his idol? Will you tell him that his identity is to be found in Jesus Christ and not in his sexuality? Or will you give him tips to help him be a more successful idolater?

I pray that as churches navigate the choppy waters of 21st century sexuality we realize that our answer is in the calmed waters of a sovereign Messiah. It is He that gives identity. And until our identity (sexual and all) is firmly placed in Him we’ll struggle with jacked up sexuality.

I urge you don’t counsel this little boy with a list of do’s and don’t. Confront the question that is haunting his soul and show him how the conquering Lamb obliterates and exposes that question as a foolish foundation.

Today in Blogworld 06.05.13

2013-06-05T09:04:00.001-04:00

The Toughest Conversation I’m Glad I Had

These types of conversations are very tough…but necessary.

Real Purity

Remembering that our purity is found in Christ.

When Two So-Called “Married” Women (or Men) Repent

This is already happening. 13 tips.

I Was a Pragmatist

Confessions of a formerly pragmatic pastor.

Well-played little dude, well-played:

The Ideal Disciple

2013-06-04T11:27:00.000-04:00

Imagine Jesus standing before you. As your head moves towards the sound of His voice you are astonished to hear these words:

What do you want me to do for you?

Put yourself there. Hear his words to you. How would you answer that question?

In Mark 10, James and John answered that question by essentially saying, “make us epic”. In their case Jesus’ question was provoked by their demand, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you”. They respond by telling Jesus that they wanted to sit at the His right and left hand—having a special place of honor.

A blind beggar, named Bartimaeus, answered that question differently. He simply says, “Rabbi, let me recover my sight”. Whereas the sons of Thunder wanted to be epic, Bartimaeus simply wants to be normal.

The Ideal Disciple

I’m convinced that Mark has placed these two stories together to highlight Bartimaeus as an ideal disciple: one who is desperate and sees Jesus as his only refuge. When you don’t realize how utterly inadequate and miserable your condition is, you say dumb things like, “make me epic”. Or, “yeah, we can drink the cup of suffering—we’ve got what it takes, Jesus”. And then you go back and fight with the other disciples about who Jesus loves the most.

Not so with Bartimaeus. He is desperate. And this gospel account would have us notice that Jesus “stops” for the forlorn. When you read something like, “And Jesus stopped…” you ought to stop as well. His face is set like flint to Jerusalem. This narrative is on the heels of the triumphal entry. Stopping Jesus at this point is like stopping a jet cruising down the runway ready for flight—if it stops it is for a good reason.

God wants us to know that He stops for desperate people crying out for rescue.

Bartimaeus fits that bill. He is so desperate that a crowd full of people telling him to shut up doesn’t deter him. He must have Jesus. This blind beggar has recognized what so few people in Mark’s narrative could see—that Jesus Christ is the promised Messiah that is overturning the works of darkness. Rather than striving for a seat of honor in Jesus’ kingdom, blind Bartimaeus just wants a seat.

This narrative screams a question out to us: “which type of disciple are you?”

In reality I am as Bartimaeus; desperate, destitute, no hope to be found except in Jesus. But do I recognize it? Does my prayer life reflect the cries and panting of an impoverished beggar or the smug request of a fool that only sees Jesus as a means to being epic?

The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and so he is still asking today, “What do you want me to do for you?”

I pray that we answer as desperate Bartimaeus-type disciples.

Today in Blogworld 06.04.13

2013-06-04T09:56:00.001-04:00

Desecration and Titillation

Do you love pornography enough to go to hell for it?

Emotion in the Pulpit

Erik Raymond gives us four thoughts on emotion in the pulpit.

8 Reasons to Read Christian Biography

I love Christian biography, I make an effort to always be reading one. Here are 8 reasons you should read biographies as well.

The Pornified Mind and the Glory of God

The more we feast on what is not real, the less we desire that which is.

This is a couple years old but it’s still great:

The Stooping Christ and Social Media

2013-06-03T11:29:00.001-04:00

“…their nobles would not stoop to serve their Lord.” –Nehemiah 3:5

All of the returning exiles were rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. Everybody is wearing a tool belt and getting their hands dirty. Nobody is immune from serving…except for the nobles of the Tekoites. Not these guys. These guys are leaders. Leaders lead, they don’t stoop.

Nehemiah is already leading this gig, so the only position left along the wall is to strap on a tool belt and get to work. The nobles are obviously above doing such a menial job. They remind me of Michael Scott, from The Office.

In an early episode, a sensitivity trainer (Mr. Brown) has to come to the office because of an offensive Chris Rock joke that Michael retold. Mr. Brown very kindly puts the entire office through the training so as not to single out Michael. Towards the end of the episode we are informed that the only signature needed is that of Michael Scott, yet he refuses to sign. His reason?

“I can’t sign this because I didn’t learn anything. I could maybe sign something that says that I taught something”.

Michael Scott couldn’t stoop.

Jesus does.

One of the most astonishing claims of the Bible is that God Himself took upon human flesh. He not only “made himself nothing” by taking on human flesh, but he also “humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death”. And this was no ordinary death, this was “even death on a cross”. Jesus, the King of all kings, the most noble of all nobles, would stoop to any depth to serve the Father.

Do we?

There is a common theme that I observe on Twitter that bothers me. I fear that some pastors today are following the way of the Tekoite nobles instead of the way of Jesus. They appear to be more concerned with being epic than with stooping to serve.

Everyday Twitter dutifully informs me that I have new “followers”. Almost every day I am followed by a leader-man that is obviously destined to be epic. He’s got a rockin’ ministry name. His hair is amazing. His smile could win a beauty pageant. Everything about this guy screams out that he is put together. His bio reads something like this:

Pastor. Disciple of Jesus. A leader that leads other leaders to lead others into Awesomeness. I’m a leader. I encourage others. Check out my website: awesomeleadershelpingawesomeleaders.com

I’m expected to follow Captain Awesome. When I don’t (and I seldom do) then I am quickly unfollowed. I’m not cheesed by them dropping me; I’ve learned to grow content with whatever audience the Lord gives me. But this pattern bothers me still.

For one, it bothers me because I see my own heart in these descriptions. I write so much against “being epic” because deep within me is a drive to be a difference maker. This is an idol that the Lord is uprooting from my heart. So, I’m sensitive to this.

Secondly, it makes me throw up in my mouth a little because it is so opposite the way of Jesus. Doing things like following a ton of people so as to get re-followed might be winning the social media game, but I’m convinced that it’s a wrong-hearted focus that looks more like a Tekoite noble than our humble Messiah.

It is my prayer that we might use social media to help us become more like Christ and not less. I pray that pastors, ministers, and disciples of every ilk increasingly become more like Christ and less like nobles that refuse to stoop.

Today in Blogworld 06.03.13

2013-06-03T10:00:00.001-04:00

Does God Like Making You Suffer?

Great words from Stephen Altrogge.

A Humble Plea for Church Revitalization

I’m with Thom Rainer on this one.

6 Pillars of a Christian View on Suffering

I relied heavily on D.A. Carson’s book, How Long O, Lord?, while working on my book. Here is a video an a synopsis of Carson’s view on suffering.

Heralding the Gospel in Our Jerusalem

Ever notice that it’s harder to share the gospel to your neighbor than it is to share the gospel with people while you are on a mission trip? Matt Chandler helps us to see why this is.

This is insane tornado footage. (You might want to mute your speakers because of some of the language):

What Can We Learn From Voltaire?

2013-05-31T11:16:00.000-04:00

Voltaire isn’t an evil robot from an 80’s cartoon, nor is he the bad guy from Harry Potter. Voltaire was an atheist that hated God and the Bible. Near the end of his life he claimed that within 100 hundred years Christianity would be stamped out and known only as a relic of history. Voltaire died in 1778. In God’s irony, within 25 years of Voltaire’s death his mansion housed the Geneva Bible Society. His former residence is now used to churn out Bibles.

Isn’t God amazing? Doesn’t this show us that God is sovereign and that His word will last for ever?

Yes to the first, no to the second. It doesn’t show us anything about God because the story isn’t true. First, Voltaire was a deist not an atheist. Second, there is no record of his having predicted that Christianity would be stamped out within 100 years. Now don’t misunderstand me—Voltaire was no follower of Jesus. Such a statement would not be surprising. But there is no record of his having said it.

Furthermore, it is not true that any of his houses were ever used for a Bible society. It’s a great sermon illustration. It leaves people in awe at the power of God. But it’s simply not historically accurate.

What is true is that the Hotel Gibbon which Voltaire often frequented became a depository of the Bible Society* in 1849. But that is it. Not quite as good of a sermon illustration. And so, like any good fishing story, the catch has gotten a little bigger over the years.

We ought to learn a couple lessons from this false story of Voltaire:

Check your facts and stories. What is intended to be a “point for Jesus” ends up being a point for unbelievers. Christians look like blind people groping for anything to believe in. It’s okay that we look like idiots—after all the gospel is offensive and seen as foolish to an unbelieving mind. But we shouldn’t look like idiots because didn’t fact check.
Let the Word of God be the anchor and the stories be the servants—not the other way around. The fact that this story is not true should not do anything to your faith other than to make you say, “ah man, that would have been a great sermon illustration”. The truth of God’s word is unchanging. If we find out these stories are untrue we have only lost a servant to our gospel proclamation—not it’s foundation.
We will have an eternity filled with TRUE stories like this. God is in the process of rooting out of his kingdom all sin and unbelief and replacing it with passionate worshippers. Therefore, there will be in heaven a million true stories of light overcoming darkness. I can’t wait!

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*Information take from here.

Today in Blogworld 05.31.13

2013-05-31T09:57:00.001-04:00

Unity, Bad Theology, and the SBC: The Heart of the Problem

Dave Miller encourages Southern Baptists to have a solid theology of unity and to live it out.

Think Small

This is helpful advice for anyone.

Doubt Your Doubts

Lore Ferguson is back from her sabbatical. I’m glad.

A Statement From the Calvinism Advisory Committee

This will be presented at the SBC Annual Meeting. I find it a helpful statement.

I just preached on James 3. This is much better:

Why Does God Permit Believers to Lose Peace?

2013-05-30T11:22:00.000-04:00

When a believer loses his/her sense of peace it is a terrible thing. Many of souls have been crushed by this trial. This often leaves those on the outside looking in, as well as those going through the trial, wondering why a loving God would permit a believer to lose peace. William Bridge, in his excellent work A Lifting Up for the Downcast, gives six reasons why “permits his own people and dearest children to be discouraged, and their peace to be interrupted”:

Because “so long as man has encouragement elsewhere, he does not encourage himself in the Lord his God”. Our peace is interrupted so that we might run to Him who is our greatest good.
Because “the interruption of an ordinary blessing does raise it to an extraordinary”. We are at times discouraged so that we might further appreciate the graces we take for granted.
Because “He would not have His children to love their nurse more than Himself.” In other words, so that we will not be ripped off by pursuing inferior lovers.
So that “He might train them up unto more perfection”. “Because as [God’s] comforts do wean us from the world’s comforts, so we have need to be weaned again from these weaners.”
Because “many times the children of God…grow secure, vain, frothy and wanton under their peace and comfort”.
Because Christ is a great surgeon. “He sees that the comforts of His people sometimes are not right laid, and therefore, says He, though I desire this poor wounded soul may be quickly cured, yet because this comfort, this promise, this experience does not lie right, it must be taken off again”. The Lord would have us to be truly and deeply healed.

This book is a great resource for those that feel crushed and those that minister to those that do. Get it here.

Today in Blogworld 05.30.13

2013-05-30T10:53:00.001-04:00

Should I Start a Grassroots Movement to Change My Church?

Kevin DeYoung says no. Read why.

Top 70 Online Resources on the Psalms

David Murray compiles another helpful list.

Brave Enough to Face Brokenness

I like this.

33 Reasons To Abstain from Porn

You shouldn’t need 33, but if you do…here you go.

This is great. Little dog emerges from rubble of OK tornado: