Pastor's Pen

Passing Time at Elephant Park

2013-09-14T15:12:00.001-05:00

The last few weeks before school started my daughter and I rode our bikes down to the beach to go swimming. On the way back she liked to stop at a little park that had a few swings, jungle gym and a rather old slide. We would sit on the swings, talk or maybe spin on the merry-go-round. As I sat there I realized it wasn't that long ago that our boys (now teenagers) used to beg to play at the "Elephant Park". They were so young and full of energy wanting to be pushed on the swings, chased on the jungle gym and go down that ridiculous slide with an elephant painted on it. (Hence the name Elephant Park) Now one of our sons has moved a few hours a way, our other son is a Sophomore in high school and my daughter is going to be thirteen.

Where did the time go? They were just little kids and now they are growing up. I say this to remind you that you desperately need to spend time with your children, play at the Elephant Park and make the time count. Make memories of family times and one to one time with your kids. I've realized that as much as I have been involved in their lives my family still needs to be my priority. When we look at the Bible we see that God always takes first place as He should. But Genesis 1 and 2, Ephesians 5 and 1 Peter 3 establish the wife as next in priority followed by your offspring.

If we are not careful we can get caught up in work or recreation and forget the family. Do not do this! Play at the park, go out for a picnic, take the kids to an amusement park even drag them complaining to Niagara Falls because you know what? It creates memories that will last and hopefully your kids will say as I've heard mine say "Dad remember the time..." I crave memories and continue to make them even if they are just sitting on a swing at "The Elephant Park".

Grace Sweet Grace

2013-07-14T17:42:00.002-05:00

I was reading Ephesians 2:1-10. It begins by saying we were all dead men walking. We were dead in our sins, following the course of the world, we were following Satan, being disobedient and living out our sinful desires. We were defying God and going against Him but God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

We were enemies of God and yet in his rich mercy he loved us and made us alive. You have been saved by grace God's unmerited favor. In other words you were nothing special. God did not look down and say "Hey, there's Tom he is a good fellow. There's Mary she is doing so good I'll save her." Instead we were lost dead in sin and God said "I love you and I'll give my unmerited favor to you not because of who you are but because of who I am. You were saved by God's merciful love alone and then raise to sit with him in heavenly places. Do you understand to be with Jesus in heavenly places adopted and sealed together with him just because he wants you to be there.

Paul continues "that we might see the immeasurable riches of his grace." His grace will be revealed even greater in the ages to come. Saved by grace what a sweet sound. Not by our own work but grace is a gift from God you have nothing to do with it. How humbling and yet how powerful that God would save a wretch like me just because he can. thank you Jesus for your sweet grace.

The Love of God

2013-04-27T13:45:00.000-05:00

1 John 3:1 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. What kind of love has God given us? He has the kind of love that makes us his children. John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. Once we have trusted in Christ alone for salvation we are God’s children. God has taken us poor frail sinful humans and made us his sons. We are his adopted children. Doesn’t that stir something in your heart? Doesn’t make you want to cry out thank you LORD God for changing me from a stranger and a hater to a child of God.

That is the very reason the world doesn’t get along with us. We are God’s son and the unsaved world is serving the other master Satan. So like their father they hate us. They don’t understand those crazy Christians and don’t expect them to understand. They don’t know us because they don’t know the Father.

1 John 3:2 Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. So we are God’s children right here right now and what we will be has not yet been revealed. But we know when Jesus appears we will be changed. 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. We will change into that which is incapable of decay and we will be like him pure and undefiled for all eternity. We will also be able to look upon God in all his great glory. That’s our God and that is his love for us.

Rejoice children of God you are adopted. Rejoice in his love because you will be changed rejoice because of God’s love we will live incorruptible out into eternity.

2013-04-07T20:39:00.001-05:00

Ten Big, Daily Reminders

by Matt Reagan | March 20, 2013

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I wake up lost every morning. At least that’s what it feels like. Perhaps something similar is true of you.

Somehow during the night I’ve forgotten the big realities about God and the universe and myself and the gospel. I desperately need to steady myself with biblical truth rather than stumbling forward to live from unbelief.

I tend to forget the big realities during the day as well. I regularly catch myself living on the idiotic assumption that I will constantly remember the things that really matter — and that I will act in line with them. I assume that the realm of the seen and touched will not overwhelm the realm of the unseen and hoped for.

But in reality, whether it’s night or day, I don’t stay awake to what’s truly important for very long. I am like that college kid who sits in church on Sunday morning trying to keep his eyes open after an irresponsibly late Saturday night. My eyelids droop by default, and my mind wanders from the glories of the Bible to superfluous, naturalistic daydreams (that may or may not end with an embarrassing full-body twitch that snaps me awake again).

So I’ve learned over time to put structures in place that remind me of those unseen things, especially during my bleary-eyed, half-conscious mornings.

One effort is this list of ten truths. I hung it up next to our dining room rocking chair (my preferred spot for study and contemplation). It’s developed over the years as a list of the daily reminders I need most. Many of them overlap substantially, but a double reminder only reinforces the original purpose.

I’ve added a short commentary for each in hopes that something here might help you in your pursuit of remembering the biggest truths that we can be prone to assume and forget.

1) God exists. (Exodus 3:14; John 8:58)

It seems so simple, so basic, but I tend to wake up a naturalist, and a narcissistic one at that. I assume that all there is in the world is what is in front of my face. My bed, my wife, my kids, and most importantly myself. The simple yet ultimate existence of God immediately clears my lens, makes me small, and infuses meaning into every step. God exists — and that changes everything.

2) God loves you. (Romans 5:8; John 16:27; Jeremiah 32:40–41)

Another massive biblical reality, this immediately counters my hesitation to embrace God’s ultimate authority, reminding me that he has set his affections on this little speck of a person. He is far from indifferent toward me.

3) Jesus died for you, and the Father has now bound himself to give you only good things. (Romans 8:28; Romans 8:32)

This draws me quickly to the central reality of all history: the cross. It is an objective truth set in time and space, so it immediately draws my gaze away from my own capacity to garner acceptance from God through my efforts. Furthermore, the outworkings of the cross make clear that even the harshest trials will come to me as blessing, for my ultimate good, no matter how bad I feel at the time.

4) God sees you as perfect. (Hebrews 10:14; 2 Corinthians 5:21)

My self-absorption, anxiety, and self-pity know no bounds. They must be beaten into submission by the beauty of imputed righteousness. The question, “How am I doing?” is met head-on with the answer, “Perfect.” In that regard, every day is a good day.

5) That is because of Jesus’s perfection, not yours. You deserve hell. (Romans 3:10;1 Timothy 1:15)

There are two main purposes here: first, to counterpunch when my flesh looks for a way to subtly claim credit for the perfection that is mine only in Jesus; second, to maintain a sense of trembling gratitude for my salvation. While I enjoy the glory of the gospel, there should always be an awestruck voice in the back of my mind that is whispering, “I shouldn’t be here.”

6) You will die. (James 4:14, Hebrews 9:27)

Nothing brings clarity to me like this simple and straightforward reminder. How quickly I assume my earthly immortality, and how often I need to think of myself as a terminal cancer patient.

7) You will live forever in the new heavens and new earth. (Romans 8:18, Hebrews 10:34)

I don’t want to be a clear-headed fearer of death, like some atheistic poet. I want to glory in the guarantee of indescribable bliss that is just around the corner. And I want to live like it’s real — because it is.

8) For now, you are an exile on the earth. (Hebrews 11:13–16)

This keeps me from feeling at home when I’m not at home (especially in my own home). It prepares me for not fitting in, for weird looks when I speak with conviction about Jesus, and for holding loosely to every bit of earthly life.

9) Nothing on earth is truly worth putting your hope in. (Jeremiah 2:13; Galatians 6:14)

This is a practical specification of #8. It is right for me to remember that I will inevitably be disappointed by every earthly pursuit or relationship or emotional experience. It runs me back to my true Home and the true Bridegroom.

10) You have no right to be unhappy. (Philippians 4:4; 1 Peter 1:8–9)

This is a summarizing application of all the previous reminders, but it merits its own slot. How quick I am to become “blah” when there is a treasure trove of happy reality at my disposal! I must beat this into my discontent little brain. I can be plenty unhappy, but I have no right to be.

These reminders flee from my mind like stray socks in an armful of laundry. Every time I pick one up, another falls. By the time I read #10, #1 is beckoning again. What a grace that #4 is still true!

2013-04-07T20:35:00.001-05:00

Ten Big, Daily Reminders

by Matt Reagan | March 20, 2013

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I wake up lost every morning. At least that’s what it feels like. Perhaps something similar is true of you.

So I’ve learned over time to put structures in place that remind me of those unseen things, especially during my bleary-eyed, half-conscious mornings.

I’ve added a short commentary for each in hopes that something here might help you in your pursuit of remembering the biggest truths that we can be prone to assume and forget.

1) God exists. (Exodus 3:14; John 8:58)

2) God loves you. (Romans 5:8; John 16:27; Jeremiah 32:40–41)

3) Jesus died for you, and the Father has now bound himself to give you only good things. (Romans 8:28; Romans 8:32)

4) God sees you as perfect. (Hebrews 10:14; 2 Corinthians 5:21)

5) That is because of Jesus’s perfection, not yours. You deserve hell. (Romans 3:10;1 Timothy 1:15)

6) You will die. (James 4:14, Hebrews 9:27)

Nothing brings clarity to me like this simple and straightforward reminder. How quickly I assume my earthly immortality, and how often I need to think of myself as a terminal cancer patient.

7) You will live forever in the new heavens and new earth. (Romans 8:18, Hebrews 10:34)

8) For now, you are an exile on the earth. (Hebrews 11:13–16)

9) Nothing on earth is truly worth putting your hope in. (Jeremiah 2:13; Galatians 6:14)

10) You have no right to be unhappy. (Philippians 4:4; 1 Peter 1:8–9)

These reminders flee from my mind like stray socks in an armful of laundry. Every time I pick one up, another falls. By the time I read #10, #1 is beckoning again. What a grace that #4 is still true!

2013-04-07T20:34:00.001-05:00

Ten Big, Daily Reminders

by Matt Reagan | March 20, 2013

Subscribe to...

I wake up lost every morning. At least that’s what it feels like. Perhaps something similar is true of you.

So I’ve learned over time to put structures in place that remind me of those unseen things, especially during my bleary-eyed, half-conscious mornings.

I’ve added a short commentary for each in hopes that something here might help you in your pursuit of remembering the biggest truths that we can be prone to assume and forget.

1) God exists. (Exodus 3:14; John 8:58)

2) God loves you. (Romans 5:8; John 16:27; Jeremiah 32:40–41)

3) Jesus died for you, and the Father has now bound himself to give you only good things. (Romans 8:28; Romans 8:32)

4) God sees you as perfect. (Hebrews 10:14; 2 Corinthians 5:21)

5) That is because of Jesus’s perfection, not yours. You deserve hell. (Romans 3:10;1 Timothy 1:15)

6) You will die. (James 4:14, Hebrews 9:27)

Nothing brings clarity to me like this simple and straightforward reminder. How quickly I assume my earthly immortality, and how often I need to think of myself as a terminal cancer patient.

7) You will live forever in the new heavens and new earth. (Romans 8:18, Hebrews 10:34)

8) For now, you are an exile on the earth. (Hebrews 11:13–16)

9) Nothing on earth is truly worth putting your hope in. (Jeremiah 2:13; Galatians 6:14)

10) You have no right to be unhappy. (Philippians 4:4; 1 Peter 1:8–9)

These reminders flee from my mind like stray socks in an armful of laundry. Every time I pick one up, another falls. By the time I read #10, #1 is beckoning again. What a grace that #4 is still true!

2013-03-25T19:53:00.001-05:00

The New Testament gives us three broad categories to help us think about and work through our temptations and sins. All of our debilitating short-term and life-long habits are not resolved the same way.

Not only is it different strokes for different folks, but it can also be different stokes for each of us depending on what temptation we are dealing with.

I have found how many times these three categories can interrelate and interact with each other to help us overcome our temptations, sins, and sin patterns: amputation, mortification, and limitation.

Amputation

In Matthew 5:29-30 the Savior is teaching us that if our eye offends us we should pluck it out or if our hand offends us we should cut it off. This, of course, is hyperbolic language which is not to be taken literally.

He is using the cut it off language regarding our sin patterns, not our body parts. At times the best thing we can do for ourselves is amputate or cut off the things which are tempting us to sin.

Amputation examples include:

· Push yourself away from the table rather than overeating.

· Stop drinking alcohol if you’re addicted.

· Break up with a relationship which is immoral.

· Go on a TV fast, while using your time to read the Bible.

· Get off the couch and go for a walk.

The amputating mindset is mostly geared toward our external habits and behaviors. In some cases you can accomplish instantaneous victory, though instantaneous is not always the rule.

There are some things a person can quit cold turkey. They can cut it off and that is the end of it. In other cases the battle is more intense. And it is also not outside the realm of possibility the LORD is allowing your temptations because He is seeking to do a greater work in you (2 Corinthians 12:7-10).

Mortification

In Romans 8:13 Paul introduces another idea for overcoming our sin problems. He asks us to mortify the deeds of the body. This is different from cutting off something.

The implication here is all sin cannot be eliminated the same way, i.e., amputation. To mortify means to make dead, to reduce the vitality of something until it dies, or to take its strength away.

Let me illustrate with the common cold. If my child had a cold, two of the things I would want to do is wipe her nose and keep her hands clean. This is analogous to amputation–I’m doing behavioral things to fend off the sickness.

This will bring partial and limited external resolution to her problem, but it is not the total answer. Her problem is much deeper—it’s internal. The disease is in the body.

There needs to be an interior solution. Therefore, in addition to this behavioral approach I want to give my daughter medicine which I trust will suck the life out of the disease that is defiling her internally.

I can tell my child to stop coughing, but it would not be helpful or encouraging to her. She can’t quit instantaneously. Her problem is deeper than external remedies. It will take time.

Mortification examples include:

· People who struggle with fear, bitterness, lusts, condemnation, anxiety, worry, cynicism, guilt, shame, self-righteousness, coveting, sinful desires, and anger need to understand the process of mortification.

These temptations are matters of the heart. For example, the solution for anger is not just a behavior modification. James says anger finds its source in the heart (James 4:1-2).

The angry person must do more than stop yelling. There must be work accomplished in his heart in order for him to gain true victory over his sinful anger.

Limitation

The writer of Hebrews 12:1 appealed to us to lay aside any weight which hinders us in our race for the LORD. He does not imply the things we should lay aside are sins. They are weights which hinder.

Sometimes we can have non-sin things in our lives which can be sinful for us because they impede our walk with the LORD. In such cases it would be wise to limit these practices, even though the Bible would not say it is a sin.

Limitation examples include:

· There are many illustrations of this. The television, technology, shopping, alcohol, friends, Facebook, and money are just a few examples of non-sin things which can work against us and even lead us into sin.

Four Keys to Your Sanctification

It is important for us to have a comprehensive view of our temptations, weaknesses, hindrances, and sins. Four main keys to biblical maturity are:

1. Self-awareness: I know how I’m tempted.

2. God-awareness: I know what God wants me to be.

3. Humility: I desire to be all the Father wants me to be.

4. Action: I’m going to amputate, mortify, and limit whatever keeps me from making God’s name great in my life.

We need to think realistically about the how and why we sin as well as think about biblically informed methods to conquer them. Of course all of our effort is done under, in, through and by the grace of God.

Whatever effort we put into our fight for joy is all of grace. Nevertheless, in this fight we do have a personal responsibility to God to work out our salvation as he works in us (Philippians 2:12-13).

Hopefully, this biblically informed understanding will serve you in the long run and give you hope and help as you seek to submit your life to the LORD (James 4:6-8).

2013-03-17T08:50:00.002-05:00

The Imbedded Creational Link Between Spirituality and Sexuality

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Posted by Alan Burrow on Jan 31, 2013 in Idolatry, Immorality, Marriage Sex Children Family

Have you noticed how the culture war flash points are all sexual? Abortion, gay marriage, gender interchangeability, sex education, pornography, no fault divorce, all of these are connected to sex and sexuality. This shocks Christians, but it shouldn’t. It is not only predictable, it is inevitable. You see, there is an embedded creational link between sexuality and spirituality. We were created for monogamy in both, and when a society loses one, it won’t be long before it loses the other. Why? Because God would have it so.

The Apostle Paul, when describing the death spiral of humanity in turning away from God, portrays it as a spiritual/sexual two-step. (Rom 1.21-27.) Of all the cultural manifestations Paul could name, the ones he does name are sexual – proceeding from general immorality to homosexuality and lesbianism – and in each case Paul says God gave humanity over to these things because of prior spiritual infidelity toward God. (Ibid.)

When we turn back to Genesis, we see that second only to being a spiritual being, made in God’s image, man is a sexual being, made male and female. (Gen 1.27.) And just as God joinedAdam and Eve to Himself spiritually, so He joined them to one another sexually. (Gen 2.24-25.) Thus the so called “state of nature” was not a state of random spirituality and sexuality, but of monogamy in both. True religion and true marriage were not conventions society imposed to help the evolution of the species. They were the starting point, the base line, and departure from them results in the devolution of the species. Throughout the Old Testament, God calls idolatry adultery. (E.g., Jer 3.8, 12-14; Hosea 1.2; 2.2-5.) This is because He created marriage to reflect the spiritual union between Himself and humanity. The Church is a restoration of what the human race was created to be. (Eph 5.30-32 (quoting Gen 2.23-24).)

God created spirituality and sexuality such that neither can stand still. They are either moving toward monogamy or away from it, and they don’t stop. Thus America moved from Christianity to deism to humanism to the polymorphic spirituality we have today. At the same time, America moved from dedicated marriages to men having mistresses on the side to couples openly living together to the polymorphic sexuality we have today. When a society insists on the right of every individual to invent and pursue whatever spirituality they want, the same society will insist on the right of every individual to invent and pursue whatever sexuality they want. And that society will rage at anyone or anything that stands in the way – namely the one true God and marriage as He created it.

This is why conservatism and “family values” will not save the day. Only a genuine return to the one true God through Christ will reverse our current course. I am not saying Christians shouldn’t use political means to resist further erosion. But we must understand that that is a rear guard battle that will at best only slow down our rate of descent. Only a massive revival which sees tens of millions of Americans coming to Christ will turn this ship around. It is impossible to have “family values” for very long without Christ. Why? Because God would have it so

2013-03-06T21:05:00.000-06:00

13 Reasons Christians Don’t Have to Be Afraid

by Jonathan Parnell

Fear is like the monster under my kids’ beds — its power is fueled not by what’s really there, but by whatmight be, what we imagine could be. Fear is a hollow darkness in the future that reaches back through time to rob our joy now by belittling the sovereign goodness of God.

But if we are in Christ, if we cling to him by faith, we don’t have to fear. Really, we don’t.

John Piper explains why in a 2001 letter he wrote to the people of Bethlehem. The point of the letter is to highlight several promises in the Bible that we can remember when the temptation of fear assaults us.

13 Reasons Not to Be Afraid

We will not die apart from God’s gracious decree for his children.

James 4:14-15; Matthew 10:29-30; Deuteronomy 32:39

Curses and divination do not hold sway against God’s people.

Numbers 23:23

The plans of terrorists and hostile nations do not succeed apart from our gracious God.

Psalm 33:10; Isaiah 8:9-10

Man cannot harm us beyond God’s gracious will for us.

Psalm 118:6; Psalm 56:11

God promises to protect his own from all that is not finally good for them.

Psalm 91:14

God promises to give us all we need to obey, enjoy, and honor him forever.

Matthew 6:31; Philippians 4:19

God is never taken off guard.

Psalm 121:4

God will be with us, help us, and uphold us in trouble.

Isaiah 41:10, 13

Terrors will come, some of us will die, but not a hair of our heads will perish.

Luke 21:10–11, 18

Nothing befalls God’s own but in its appointed hour.

John 7:30

When God Almighty is your helper, none can harm you beyond what he decrees.

Hebrews 13:6; Romans 8:31

God’s faithfulness is based on the firm value of his name, not the fickle measure of our obedience.

1 Samuel 12:20–22

The Lord, our protector, is great and awesome.

Nehemiah 4:14

2013-02-21T21:02:00.001-06:00

How Much Money Am I Supposed to Give Away?

by Tim

It is a question every pastor faces on a regular basis. It is a question every conference speaker faces in panel discussions or Q&A sessions: How much of my money do I give to the church? How much should I give to the church?

My answer is short: Enough that it matters. Let me explain what I mean by that.

In Corinthians 16:2 Paul instructs the church to take a weekly collection in which each person is to give “as he may prosper.” This tells us that there will be different levels of giving. Some will give more and some will give less. God has prospered us differently—he has given us all different levels of income and wealth and with it different amounts to give back to him.

(Aside: For various reasons I do not believe that we are instructed or obligated to give the tithe, the flat 10% that was a minimal expectation in the Old Testament. Those who demand tithing today usually fail to understand the Old Testament context where the tithe was a tax as much as a donation; it was a means of providing for the civil and religious structures in that society. Since we are no longer a theocracy, the tithe is no longer operational. It may be a helpful bit of information to include in a discussion but it’s not the place to begin.)

When I say we are to give enough that it matters, I mean that we should give enough that it makes a difference to our lives, to our lifestyles. Erwin Lutzer says it well: “Those who give much without sacrifice are reckoned as having given little.” We are meant to give enough that there are things we cannot do and cannot have because of our dedication to the Lord’s work. Let me be clear that I do not mean that we should do without food or we should do without paying our bills. The sacrifice is to be ours and not the bank’s or the landlord’s. Giving “as he may prosper” is not calling us to give beyond the ways the Lord has prospered us. There are theological traditions that insist that going into debt in order to “plant a seed” will ensure God’s provision in return. God may choose to do that, but wisdom dictates that we ensure that we are able to pay our bills and feed our children. We are to be generous, but we are to be wise as well.

For some people, giving away 10% may mean they are giving enough that it matters. Maybe they cannot have quite the vacation they would otherwise have; maybe they are buying a used car instead of a new one; maybe they are saving for an extra couple of years before fixing up the kitchen or putting the down payment on that home. For other people this may come when they are giving 2% of their income. For others it may come when they are giving 75%. My encouragement is to keep raising the amount you give until you feel it, until it matters.

Giving that does not impact our lives at all is not sacrificial and, therefore, not enough. C.S. Lewis expresses this in a helpful way: “If our expenditure on comforts, luxuries, amusements, etc., is up to the standard common among those with the same income as our own, we are probably giving away too little. If our charities do not at all pinch or hamper us, I should say they are too small. There ought to be things we should like to do and cannot because our charitable expenditure excludes them.”

How much am I to give? Enough that it matters. Enough that I am sacrificing some comforts and some experiences I would otherwise enjoy. What the Lord teaches those who give this way is that the joy of giving, both now and eternally, for outweighs what we could have had instead. We don’t give because God needs our money; we give to show our gratitude and our dependence, and in return he returns joy. So many Christians can attest that there is a powerful, humbling kind of delight in tallying up the giving for a previous year and thanking the Lord for allowing so much to be given away. That car or kitchen or house pales in comparison to the joy of making so small a sacrifice to the One who sacrificed all for us.

2013-02-11T11:49:00.001-06:00

I was reading through the plagues that God brought on Egypt in Exodus chapters 5-13. When you look at these passages there is the repeated phrase “Pharaoh hardened his heart’ or “God hardened Pharaohs heart”. In Romans 9:10-18 we are told that God has prepared people who are evil and disobedient to show his great power and holiness. Pharaoh is one of the people mentioned in Romans 9:17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth."

Pharaoh through his hardness served God’s purpose as he held Israel captive for many years until God sent Moses to deliver them from bondage. I would ask you to take not that when Moses demands that Pharaoh release Israel Pharaoh’s reply is “Who is the LORD that I should obey his voice and let Israel go?” Pharaoh in God’s great timing was about to become an object lesson as to who God was and how great his power. Exodus 9:15-16 For by now I could have put out my hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth. But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.

Exodus 10:1-2 I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I may show these signs of mine among them, and that you may tell in the hearing of your son and of your grandson how I have dealt harshly with the Egyptians and what signs I have done among them, that you may know that I am the LORD."

As we observe the world around us with its various nefarious leaders we shouldn't scratch our heads and wonder what this all about. Rather we can sit back and observe God’s working thorough the good as well as the bad to show his great power, his grace and his judgment to all men so they may know who is this God.

2013-01-30T21:14:00.002-06:00

Women in Combat and the Undoing of Civilization

by Denny Burk on JANUARY 23, 2013 in NEWS, POLITICS

Our civilization just took a gigantic leap backward today, though I’m wondering if anyone will notice. Today Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta removed a rule that restricts women from serving in the front lines of combat. The U. S. military already has women serving in various roles in forward areas, but this latest move crosses another line. Here is the report from the Associated Press:

Leon Panetta is removing the military’s ban on women serving in combat, opening hundreds of thousands of front-line positions and potentially elite commando jobs after more than a decade at war.

The groundbreaking move recommended by the Joint Chiefs of Staff overturns a 1994 rule banning women from being assigned to smaller ground combat units. Panetta’s decision gives the military services until January 2016 to seek special exceptions if they believe any positions must remain closed to women.

I understand that we are living in times of tremendous social change. Americans have by and large cast aside the “quaint” view that men and women are different and that they ought to have roles and responsibilities that correspond to those differences. So for many people, I’m sure this news merely appears as the next stage of progress toward equality in our society. I have a different view.

Are the fortunes of women in our country really enhanced by sending them to be ground up in the discipline of a combat unit and possibly to be killed or maimed in war? Is there a father in America who would under any circumstance risk having his daughter shot or killed in battle? Is there a single husband in this country who thinks it okay for his wife to risk being captured by our enemies? To risk becoming a prisoner of war? Is this the kind of people we want to be? Perhaps this is the kind of people we already are. I would sooner cut off my arm than allow such a thing with my own wife and daughters. Why would I ever support allowing someone else’s to do the same? Why would anyone?

What kind of a society puts its women on the front lines to risk what only men should be called on to risk? In countries ravaged by war, we consider it a tragedy when the battle comes to the backyards of women and children. Why would we thrust our own wives and daughters into that horror? My own instinct is to keep them as far from it as possible. Perhaps this move makes sense with an all volunteer force, but what if the draft is ever reinstituted? Are we really going to be the kind of people who press our wives and daughters to fight in combat?

I cannot improve upon John Piper‘s 2007 article for World magazine in which he writes:

If I were the last man on the planet to think so, I would want the honor of saying no woman should go before me into combat to defend my country. A man who endorses women in combat is not pro-woman; he’s a wimp. He should be ashamed. For most of history, in most cultures, he would have been utterly scorned as a coward to promote such an idea. Part of the meaning of manhood as God created us is the sense of responsibility for the safety and welfare of our women.

Everyone in America ought to be scandalized by this news, but I’m wondering if it will even register on the radar of anyone’s conscience. To the extent that it doesn’t, we reveal just how far gone we are as a people. God help us.

2013-01-22T17:03:00.001-06:00

Downstream, in the Moral Sewage

by Tim

All through history there have been the few who have benefitted at the expense of the many and the rich who have benefitted at the expense of the poor. Sometimes the progressive have benefitted at the expense of those who are falling behind. Many cities have produced endless amounts of waste and have flushed it into rivers that have delivered that waste, and all the death and disease that attends it, to people who live far downstream.

I thought of this as I read an article Al Mohler wrote for The Atlantic (he wrote the article, they chose the photo, unfortunately). Helen Gurley Brown died two weeks ago and Mohler wrote about her life and legacy as one of the most important and most underestimated agents of the sexual revolution. “Since 1960 we have experienced a moral revolution that has transformed every dimension of American life, and the death of Helen Gurley Brown is a reminder that the sexual revolution did not happen by accident. Like all revolutions, this one required moral revolutionaries.”

Her contribution was in creating the cultural category of the “single girl” and in convincing that single girl to liberate herself from all the traditional sexual mores. The single girl could and, indeed, should, have sex freely and with as many partners as she desired.

When Brown’s Sex and the Single Girl hit the bookstores in 1962, it lit a firestorm of controversy. A former advertising writer, then recently married to a leading Hollywood producer, Helen Gurley Brown dared to scandalize the nation, virtually inventing the “single girl” as a cultural category. Brown urged young women to see themselves as empowered by sex, money, and men—but without any need for the traditional commitment to marriage.

Her argument was so scandalous at the time that no major publisher would touch the book. The bookstores were filled with books offering advice to young wives and mothers, but Helen Gurley Brown was openly inventing a new cultural category, the sexually liberated single girl.

The single girl “is engaging because she lives by her wits,” declared Brown, who pointed to her younger self as a prime example of the empowered single girl she now celebrated.

And, most central to Brown’s vision, the single girl is having sex, a lot of sex, and enjoying romantic relations with men, lots of men.

Most scandalous of all was Helen Gurley Brown’s insistence that married men were not off limits for sexual affairs—not by a long shot. Married men, she advised, were among other things, “frequently marvelous in bed and careful not to get you pregnant.”

As I read about Brown’s life, I was deeply saddened and disturbed on at least a couple of different levels.

The first is that this revolution she began is one she herself indulged in for a time before falling into more traditional patterns. As Dr. Mohler says, “She was a living contradiction, who argued that being the single girl was the ideal, but then married; and that married men were fair game for adulterous affairs, but then drew the line at her husband.” Like so many revolutionaries, she sparked a revolution but demanded no moral accountability of herself. When she stepped out of that revolution and when it went far beyond what she could ever have imagined, no one called her to account. Like so many revolutionaries, she was a walking contradiction, which is to say, an utter, outright hypocrite. Her revolution continued even after she had grown tired of it or perhaps stopped believing in it.

The second observation is that young women today are convinced that their bodies are all their own, that they can hook up with whomever they want whenever they want without emotional scars. What is tragic is that they think this is their own idea, that they are the revolutionaries. What they don’t see is that they are swimming downstream from someone else’s sewage. Like a city that pumps waste into a river and watches it disappear around the bend on its way to the next place, Brown created moral sewage, and a whole generation—several generations—are mucking around in it, bearing all the consequences. And in some way we are all downstream from the revolutionary sinners, the ones who create new categories for sin, who create new and shocking ways to sin, and who so often eventually step back to watch us flounder in their mess.

Mohler aptly summarizes her impact: “A single individual cannot accomplish a moral revolution, but such revolutions cannot happen without individuals who are willing to make their arguments in public, push them with energy over decades, and never sound retreat. Helen Gurley Brown was not just a celebrity. She was a moral revolutionary who lived long enough to see the sexual revolution become our mainstream culture.”

2013-01-09T21:49:00.001-06:00

When A Rock Sunk Slowly

The day had been another mind-blower for the disciples.

As they rowed toward Capernaum it was hard to stop talking about what they had seen. Five thousand men, plus women and children, and Jesus had fed them all! With one boy’s lunch! The power Jesus commanded both thrilled and unnerved them.

And they had felt the heady momentum of surging public support when the massive picnic turned into a “Jesus for king” rally. The people had begun to understand! The Messiah had arrived! The kingdom was beginning to emerge right before their eyes.

And then it had all ended so strangely. Surprisingly, Jesus was visibly disturbed by the crowd’s enthusiasm and he moved quickly to douse it with hard, confusing words. The people’s support soured to disillusionment.

Jesus could be so hard to figure out.

And why had he been in such a hurry for them to get to Capernaum that he had them row by night? And why were they to leave without him? They had taken the last boat on the shore. If Jesus intended to join them in Capernaum by morning, it was going to be one whale of a walk.

Then the wind picked up and the waves grew stronger, pushing against every pull of the oars. This was going to add hours to the trip. Adrenaline-fueled discussion was replaced by fatigue-fueled irritability. One of them commented that at this speed, Jesus would probably beat them there on foot.

Just then another shouted, “What’s that?” All eyes strained sternward. A form was approaching in the murky dark. Peter stood up on the small rear deck and looked hard. It could not possibly be what it looked like. But soon it was unmistakable. Someone — or something — was walking toward them across the water! An unearthly fear seized the men. One spoke in a hushed panic: “It is a ghost!” The rowers found new energy.

But a familiar voice called to them, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”

Jesus? It sounded like Jesus. But he was walking on top the water! Maybe a spirit could do that, but not a human! Peter motioned to the rowers to stop. It was Jesus. Mouths hung open but no one had words.

Except Peter. “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” Every astonished face turned to Peter. No one else had even thought of that yet. Jesus responded, “Come.”

So Peter sat on the gunwale, swung his legs over the side, and carefully put his weight on what should have engulfed him. Then stood up. There was a collective gasp from the boat. One degree of surreal to another. Then he began to take tentative steps toward Jesus. The others held their breath.

Suddenly Peter froze. He looked down at the waves drenching his legs. There was panic in his eyes. Then he began to sink, as if into mud. He reached out toward Jesus and cried, “Lord, save me!” Jesus stepped forward, reached out, grabbed his arm, and pulled him up. Peter, looking intensely at Jesus, was breathing hard.

Jesus said to him with affectionate firmness said, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

* * *

Peter showed remarkable faith in asking to follow Jesus out on to the water. No one else did.

But when he began walking, what held him up? We might quickly assume it was his faith. But that’s not accurate. Peter’s faith wasn’t keeping him afloat. Jesus was. Peter knew that. That’s why he didn’t just leap out of the boat on his own. He asked Jesus to command him to come. What Jesus did was honor Peter’s faith by commanding the water to bear his weight.

Lesson #1: faith is not faith in our faith in Jesus, it’s faith in the power of Jesus’ word.

But once Peter was outside the safety of the boat, on uncharted waters, everything started feeling precarious. Why? Well, because people don’t actually walk on water. We may be so familiar to the story that the ridiculousness of walking on water doesn’t strike us. But it struck Peter at that moment.

And he started to sink.

But have you ever noticed that Peter the Rock didn’t sink like a rock? The last time you jumped into a pool, how gradually did you sink? There’s something profound going on here.

Peter began to sink when his faith shifted from the firmness of Jesus’ word to the instability of his circumstance. And when he did, it was Jesus letting him sink — slowly. And for Peter that was a grace.

Why? Because Peter’s sinking produced his cry to Jesus. It quickly got Peter to stop looking to the world or himself as the source of truth and salvation and got his focus back on his Savior. When he did that Jesus pulled him back up.

Lesson #2: Jesus’ word is truer and stronger than what we see or feel, and when we doubt that, sometimes he graciously lets us sink to help us refocus.

Trusting in Jesus and his word over our perceptions is difficult to learn. That’s why the Lord takes us through so many different faith-testing, faith-building experiences.

And when he does, it is never for just our own benefit. He’s displaying his power so others’ faith will be strengthened too. And, like the rest of the disciples, once Jesus and Peter were back in the boat, we end up saying to the Lord, “Truly you are the Son of God” (Matthew 14:33).

By John Bloom

2012-12-31T15:36:00.001-06:00

Jesus, Savior, Messiah

I recently preached a message on Mark 1:1-8 and I admit I am still thinking through that passage of scripture. “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” Mark 1:1 The Bible is about the good news of Jesus, Jehovah is salvation that’s what Jesus name means. He is our salvation! Jesus came to give us the greatest gift. He gave us the gift of forgiveness and freedom from sin, salvation from sin, from hell and from death. We don’t have to worry because we are saved from a useless, boring and dead end life. We are no longer restricted to this world’s story of success no longer comfortless. We are saved by Jesus marvelous grace.

Next in that verse we see that he is the Christ! Jesus is the Messiah the anointed chosen one. He is the one whom the Jews have longed for and hoped for. He is the king to come the one who will rule with a rod of iron over sin and death and he is our king as well. He is the one to bow down to in humble adoration. Jesus Christ is great I Am. There is none like him and there never will be. Rejoice because the babe born in a manger is the King!

He is the Son of God. God sent his son his only begotten son to die for us and set us free from the bondage of sin. He rose again giving victory to all who trust in him. God so loved the world that he was willing to die for us. Friends take the verses of Mark 1:1-8 and write your own incredible story of Jesus and send it to us at faithport@yahoo.com.

Happy New Year from your friends at Faith.

2012-12-02T20:24:00.001-06:00

Slave of Jesus Christ by the disciplestongue

I recently had the opportunity to challenge my church family concerning the mission of the church. Time didn’t allow me to conclude the way that I had hoped, so I’ll do so here.

The New Testament authors all humbly and gratefully identified themselves as “slaves of God.”

• Titus 1:1 – “Paul, a slave of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ” (cf. Romans 1:1; Philippians 1:1).

• James 1:1 – “James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

• 2 Peter 1:1 – “Simon Peter, a slave and an apostle of Jesus Christ.”

Of this humbling, yet honorable term, William Barclay writes:

(i) To call the Christian the doulos [slave] of God means that he is inalienably possessed by God. In the ancient world a master possessed his slaves in the same sense as he possessed his tools. A servant can change his master; but a slave cannot. The Christian inalienably belongs to God.

(ii) To call the Christian the doulos of God means that he is unqualifiedly at the disposal of God. In the ancient world the master could do what he liked with his slave. He had the same power over his slave as he had over his inanimate possessions. He had the power of life and death over his slave. The Christian belongs to God, for God to send him where He will, and to do with him what He will. The Christian is the man who has no rights of his own, for all his rights are surrendered to God.

(iii) To call the Christian the doulos of God means that the Christian owes an unquestioning obedience to God. Ancient law was such that a master’s command was a slave’s only law. Even if a slave was told to do something which actually broke the law, he could not protest, for, as far as he was concerned, his master’s command was the law. In any situation the Christian has but one question to ask: “Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?” The command of God is his only law.wilt Thou have me to do?” The command of God is his only law.

(iv) To call the Christian the doulos of God means that he must be constantly in the service of God. In the ancient world the slave had literally no time of his own, no holidays, no time off, no working-hours settled by agreement, no leisure. All his time belonged to the master.”

(The Letters of James and Peter, rev. ed. [Philadelphia: Westminster, 1976], 293; emphasis in the original).

By way of application, we had considered the following in our series together through Titus:

Paul was always driven by the reality of who he had become in Christ. His understanding of the grace of God (I Corinthians 3:10; 15:10; Ephesians 3:7) and of his own unworthiness (I Corinthians 15:9; Ephesians 3:8; I Timothy 1:15) helped him easily claim the responsibility of “commissioned slavery.” How much of a bearing on your daily mindset and pursuits does your position have? What drives your work ethic? What motivates you in the business and ugliness of the work place? What compels your relationships with people? What influences the way you plan for tomorrow and dream about the future? What summarizes your goals for this year? Does the awareness that you are God’s slave and Christ’s ambassador influence your thinking and regulate your interactions and plans?

O church, you’re on a mission as a “slave of God”! Fulfill your calling until the rest that awaits.

2012-11-05T07:24:00.001-06:00

A Prayer for America on Election Day

Monday, November 5, 2012

Americans will soon head for the voting precincts as the 2012 election is at hand. Already, millions of our fellow citizens have voted through early voting options. Millions more are soon to be headed to polling places across the land. In any event, millions of citizens will participate in the first duty of freedom — the freedom to vote.

There is so much at stake. We hear every election cycle that the stakes have never been higher. In one sense, this is usually also true. There is always the sense that there is more at stake this year than last, and, given the way issues unfold, that perception often seems validated by the times.

Christians face the responsibility to vote, not only as citizens, but as Christians who seek to honor and follow Christ in all things. But, beyond the vote, we also bear responsibility to pray for our nation.

First, we should pray that God will bless America with leaders better than we deserve. Democratic systems inevitably reflect the electorate’s decisions, and these decisions reveal underlying worldviews. And, truth be told, all we can expect from democracy is the government we deserve. We must pray for a government and for leaders better than we deserve. May God grant us mercy as he reigns and rules over all things, including this election.

Second, we should pray that Americans will be motivated to fulfill the responsibilities of citizenship, yet also that we will be stripped of an unhealthy and idolatrous confidence in the power of government to save us. God has given us the gift of rulers and governments in order to restrain evil, uphold righteousness, and provide for civil order. No human ruler can save. No government official or office holder can heal the human heart, solve the sin problem, or accomplish final justice. These powers belong to God and God alone.

Third, we must pray that Americans will vote by conscience, not merely on the basis of celebrity or emotion. Christian citizens must vote to uphold righteousness and contend for righteous and just laws. But, at the same time, we must repent of moralism and the tacit assumption that better laws would produce better people.

Fourth, we must pray that Americans will vote to defend the least among us — and especially those who have no vote. This starts, but does not end, with concern for the unborn and for the recovery of respect for the dignity and sanctity of every single human life at every stage of development, from conception until natural death.

Fifth, we should pray that God will prick the conscience of the nation on issues of morality, righteousness, and respect for marriage as the central institution of human civilization. So much ground appears to have been lost on these issues. We need to pray that much ground can be regained. Marriage itself is on the ballot this year, both in the presidential election and in specific measures in four states. There is much work to be done, and so much is at stake.

Sixth, we should pray that God will protect these candidates and their families. They have been through an arduous ordeal and now face the deadline of the vote. They are physically exhausted and now face the judgment of the people. They are public figures, but they are also flesh and blood human beings, who are fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, sons, and daughters. Their families have withstood much. We should pray for their marriages and their children. May God protect them.

Seventh, we should pray that the election is conducted with honor, civility, respect, and justice. We must pray that we do not face another round of litigation after an election. This brings democracy into disrepute. May there be a clear winner, not a contested result.

Eighth, we must pray that Americans will be prepared to accept the results of the election with respect and kindness. This will be no time for rancor, condemnations, and conspiracy theories. Instead, we must pray that God will settle the hearts of the people. May Christians be ready to respond with prayer, respect for office, and a gentle spirit. Others will be watching.

Ninth, we should pray that this election would lead to even greater opportunities to preach the Gospel, and that the freedom of the church will be respected, honored, and protected.

Tenth, we must pray for the church, praying that the church of the Lord Jesus Christ would be strengthened in the truth, grounded in the faith, and empowered for witness and ministry. May the church, the sign of the coming kingdom, be faithful to declare the Gospel — knowing that this is the only message that will save.

May God grant us mercy and grace as we seek to fulfill our responsibilities as citizens — and our responsibilities as Christians. This world is not our home, but we do bear responsibilities as followers of Christ as we are living here.

May God bless America, not because this nation deserves to be blessed, but because He is a God of grace and mercy. Oh God . . . save us from ourselves.

2012-10-16T13:38:00.003-05:00

The Highest Beauty

by Michael Reeves

God’s holiness.

“Oh dear!” you might sigh — and I’d understand, for without the Trinity, holiness does have the smell of mothballs about it, the look of a Victorian matron administering castor oil. And much of what purports to be holiness has just that aura about it: all prickliness and prudery. People even say things like, “Yes, God is loving, but he is also holy” — as if holiness is an unloving thing, the cold side of God that stops God from being too loving.

Balderdash! Poppycock! Or at least, it is if you are talking about the holiness of the Father, Son and Spirit. No, said Jonathan Edwards:

Holiness is a most beautiful, lovely thing. Men are apt to drink in strange notions of holiness from their childhood, as if it were a melancholy, morose, sour, and unpleasant thing; but there is nothing in it but what is sweet and ravishingly lovely. ’Tis the highest beauty and amiableness, vastly above all other beauties; ’tis a divine beauty.[1]

What is holiness, then? The words used for holiness in the Bible have the basic meaning of being “set apart.” But there our troubles begin, because naturally I think I’m lovely. So if God is “set apart” from me, I assume the problem is with him (and I can do all this in the subtlest, most subconscious way). His holiness looks like a prissy rejection of my happy, healthy loveliness.

Dare I burst my own bubble now? I must.

For the reality is that I am the cold, selfish, vicious one, full of darkness and dirtiness. And God is holy — “set apart” from me — precisely in that he is not like that. He is not set apart from us in priggishness, but by the fact that there are no such ugly traits in him as there are in us.

“God is God,” wrote Edwards, “and distinguished from [that is, set apart from] all other beings, and exalted above ’em, chiefly by his divine beauty” (for the connection between holiness and beauty, see verses like Psalm 96:9).[2]

Now the holiness of a single-person God would be something quite different. His holiness would be about being set apart away from others. In other words, his holiness would be all about aloof distance. But the holiness of the Father, Son and Spirit is all about love. Given who this God is, it must be.

Edwards again: “Both the holiness and happiness of the Godhead consists in this love. As we have already proved, all creature holiness consists essentially and summarily in love to God and love to other creatures;so does the holiness of God consist in his love, especially in the perfect and intimate union and love there is between the Father and the Son.”[3]

The holiness of the triune God is the perfection, beauty and absolute purity of the love there is between the Father and the Son. There is nothing grubby or abusive about the love of this God — and thus he is holy. My love is naturally all perverse and misdirected; but his love is set apart from mine in perfection. And so, the holiness of the triune God does not moderate or cool his love; his holiness is the lucidity and spotlessness of his overflowing love.

It all dramatically affects what it means for the believer to be holy, to be godly — in other words, what it means to be like God. Being like another God would look quite different. If God is a being curved in on himself, then to be like him I should be like that. If Aristotle’s eternally introspective God is God, then plenty of navel-gazing seems to be just what’s called for.

For what we think God is like must shape our godliness, and what we think godliness is reveals what we think of God. So, what, for example, if love and relationship were not central to God’s being? Then they wouldn’t feature for me either as I sought to grow in God-likeness. Forget others. If God is all single and solitary, be a hermit. If God is cruel and haughty, be cruel and haughty. If God is the sort of oversexed, beer-sloshing war-god beloved of the Vikings, be like that. (Though please don’t.)

But with this God, no wonder the two greatest commands are “Love the Lord your God” and “Love your neighbor as yourself.” For that is being like this God — sharing the love the Father and the Son have for each other, and then, like them, overflowing with that love to the world. Or look, for example, at Leviticus 19, where the Lord famously says, “Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy” (Leviticus 19:2). What does holiness look like there? It means not turning to idols but coming to the Lord with proper fellowship offerings (Leviticus 19:4–8). That is, it means fellowship with the Lord. And it means not being mean to the poor, not lying, not stealing, and so on (Leviticus 19:10–16) — that is, it means: “Do not hate your brother in your heart . . . but love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:17–18). Love for the Lord, love for neighbor — that is the heart of holiness and how the triune God’s people get to be like him.

The beautiful, loving holiness of this God makes true godliness a warm, attractive, delightful thing. It is not about becoming more mean and pinched, for this God is not mean and pinched. Holiness for God, said Edwards, “is as it were the beauty and sweetness of the divine nature,” and so “Christians that shine by reflecting the light of the Sun of Righteousness, do shine with the same sort of brightness, the same mild, sweet and pleasant beams.”[4]

And most essentially, to know and enjoy the God who is love means becoming, like him, loving. “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love” (1 John 4:7–8).

2012-10-02T05:59:00.002-05:00

Questions for Our Pro-Abortion Friends, Church Leaders, and Politicians

By Kevin DeYoung

What shall we call the unborn in the womb?

If the entity is a living thing, is it not a life? If your person began as a single cell, how can that fertilized egg be something other than a human being? Isn't it more accurate to say you were an embryo than that you simply came from one?

So when does a human being have a right to life?

Shall we say size matters? Is the unborn child too small to deserve our protection? Are big people more valuable than little people? Are men more human than woman? Do offensive linemen have more rights than jockeys? Is the life in the womb of no account because you can't hold him in our arms, or put him in your hands, or only see her on a screen?

Shall we make intellectual development and mental capacity the measure of our worth? Are three year-old children less valuable than thirteen year-olds? Is the unborn child less than fully human because he cannot speak or count or be self-aware? Does the cooing infant in the crib have to smile or shake your hand or recite the alphabet before she deserves another day? If an expression of basic mental acuity is necessary to be a full-fledged member of the human community, what shall do with the comatose, the very old, or the fifty year-old mom with Alzheimer's? And what about all of us who sleep?

Shall we deny the unborn child's right to life because of where he lives? Can environment give us value or take it away? Are we worth less inside than outside? Can we be justly killed when we swim under water? Does where we are determine who we are? Does the eight inch journey down the birth canal make us human? Does this change of scenery turn "its" into persons? Is love a condition of location?

Shall we reserve human dignity only for those humans who are not dependent on others? Do we deserve to live only when we can live on our own? Is the four-month old fetus less than human because she needs her mom for life? Is the four-month old infant less than human when she still needs her mom for life? What if you depend on dialysis or insulin or a breathing apparatus? Is value a product of fully-functioning vitality? Is independence a prerequisite for human identity? Are we worth only what we can think, accomplish, and do on our own?

If the unborn life is human life, what can justify snuffing it out? Would it be right to take the life of your child on his first birthday because he came to you through sad and tragic circumstances? Would you push an 18 month old into traffic because she makes our life difficult? Does a three year-old deserve to die because we think we deserve a choice?

What do you deserve now? What are your rights as a human person? Did you have those same rights five years ago? What about before you could drive? Or when you used training wheels? Were you less than fully human when you played in the sandbox? When you wore a bib? When you nursed at your mother's breast? When your dad cut your cord? When you tumbled in that watery mess and kicked against that funny wall? When your heart pounded on the monitor for the first time? When you grew your first fingernails? When you grew your first cells?

What shall we call the child in the womb? A fetus? A mystery? A mistake? A wedge issue? What if science and Scripture and commonsense would have us call it a person? What if the unborn child, the messy infant, the wobbly toddler, the rambunctious teenager, the college freshman, the blushing bride, the first-time mother, the working woman, the proud grammy, and the demented old friend differ not in kind but only in degree? Where in the progression does our humanity begin and end? Where does life become valuable? When are we worth something? When do human rights become our rights? What if Dr. Seuss was right and a person's a person no matter how small?

Why celebrate the right to kill what you once were? Why deny the rights of the little one who is what you are?

2012-09-20T05:55:00.002-05:00

The Gospel of Jesus’s Wife? When Sensationalism Masquerades as Scholarship

Thursday, September 20, 2012

The whole world changed on Tuesday. At least, that is what many would have us to believe.Smithsonian magazine, published by no less than the Smithsonian Institution, declared that the news released Tuesday was “apt to send jolts through the world of biblical scholarship–and beyond.” Really?

What was this news? Professor Karen King of the Harvard Divinity School announced at a conference in Rome that she had identified an ancient papyrus fragment that includes the phrase, “Jesus said to them, ‘My wife.’” Within hours, headlines around the world advertised the announcement with headlines like “Ancient Papyrus Could Be Evidence that Jesus Had a Wife” (The Telegraph).

The Smithsonian article stated that “the announcement at an academic conference in Rome is sure to send shock waves through the Christian world.” The magazine’s breathless enthusiasm for the news about the papyrus probably has more to do with advertising its upcoming television documentary than anything else, but the nation’s most prestigious museum can only injure its reputation with this kind of sensationalism.

A Fragment of a Text, an Even More Fragmentary Argument

What Karen King revealed on Tuesday was a tiny papyrus fragment with Coptic script on both sides. On one side the fragment includes about 30 words on eight fragmentary lines of script. The New York Timesdescribed the fragment as “smaller than a business card, with eight lines on one side, in black ink legible under a magnifying glass.” The lines are all fragmentary, with the third line reading “deny. Mary is worthy of it,” and the next reading “Jesus said to them, ‘My wife.’” The fifth states, “she will be able to be my disciple.”

The papyrus fragment, believed to be from the fourth century, was delivered to Professor King by an anonymous source who had secured the artifact from a German-American dealer, who had bought it years ago from a source in East Germany. As news reports made clear, the fragment is believed by many to be an authentic text from the fourth century, though two of three authorities originally consulted by the editors of the Harvard Theological Review expressed doubts. Such a find would be interesting, to be sure, but hardly worthy of the international headlines.

The little piece of ancient papyrus with its fragmentary lines of text is now, in the hands of the media, transformed into proof that Jesus had a wife, and that she was most likely Mary Magdalene. Professor King will bear personal responsibility for most of this over-reaching. She has called the fragment nothing less than “The Gospel of Jesus’s Wife” — a title The Boston Globe rightly deemed “provocative.” That same paper reported that Professor King had decided to publicize her findings before additional tests could verify the fragment’s authenticity because she “feared word could leak out about its existence in a way that sensationalized its meaning.” Seriously? King was so concerned about avoiding sensationalism that she titled the fragment “The Gospel of Jesus’s Wife?”

This is sensationalism masquerading as scholarship. One British newspaper noted that the claims about a married Jesus seemed more worthy of fans of Dan Brown’s fictional work, The Da Vinci Code than “real-life Harvard professors.” If the fragment is authenticated, the existence of this little document will be of interest to historians of the era, but it is insanity to make the claims now running through the media.

Professor King claims that these few words and phrases are to be understood as presenting a different story of Jesus, a different gospel. She then argues that the words should be read as claiming that Jesus was married, that Mary Magdalene was likely his wife (and, she argues, the “Mary” in the line above). She argues further that this is evidence that the question of Jesus’s marital status, even as she asserts that this does not mean that Jesus was actually married. More than anything else, she is arguing against the claim that Christianity is a unified body of commonly-held truths.

Those familiar with Karen King’s research and writings will recognize the argument. Her 2003 book, The Gospel of Mary of Magdala: Jesus and the First Woman Apostle, argued that another text from the era presented Mary Magdalene as the very model for apostleship.

A Preference for Heterodoxy

The thread that ties all these texts and arguments together is the 1945 discovery of some 52 ancient texts near the town of Nag Hammadi in Egypt. These texts are known to scholars as Gnostic literature. The texts present heretical narratives and claims about Jesus and his message, and they have been a treasure trove for those seeking to replace orthodox Christianity with something very different. Several ambitions drive this effort. Feminists have sought to use the Nag Hammadi texts to argue that women have been sidelined by the orthodox tradition, and that these Gnostic texts prove that women were central to the leadership of the early church, perhaps even superior to the men. Others have used the Nag Hammadi texts to argue that Christianity was diverse movement marked by few doctrinal concerns until it was hijacked by political and ecclesiastical leaders, who constructed theological orthodoxy as a way of establishing churchly power in the Roman Empire and then stifling dissent. Still others argue that Christianity’s moral prohibitions concerning sexuality, and especially homosexuality, were part of this forced orthodoxy which, they argue, was not the essence of true Christianity. More than anything else, many have used the Nag Hammadi texts as leverage for their argument that Christianity was originally a way of spirituality centered in the teachings of a merely human Christ — not a message of salvation through faith in a divine Jesus who saves sinners through the atonement he accomplished in his death and resurrection.

Karen King, along with Princeton’s Elaine Pagels, has argued that the politically powerful leaders who established what became orthodox Christianity silenced other voices, but that these voices now speak through the Nag Hammadi texts and other Gnostic writings. Writing together, King and Pagels argue that “the traditional history of Christianity is written almost solely from the viewpoint of the side that won, which was remarkably successful in silencing or distorting other voices, destroying their writings, and suppressing any who disagreed with them as dangerous and obstinate ‘heretics.’”

King and Pagels have both rejected traditional Christianity, and they clearly prefer the voices of the heretics. They argue for the superiority of heterodoxy over orthodoxy. In the Smithsonian article, King’s scholarship is described as “a kind of sustained critique of what she called the ‘master story’ of Christianity: a narrative that casts the canonical texts of the New Testament as a divine revelation that passed through Jesus in ‘an unbroken chain’ to the apostles and their successors–church fathers, ministers, priests and bishops who carried these truths into the present day.”

King actually argues against the use of terms like “heresy” and even “Gnostic,” claiming that the very use of these terms gives power to the forces of orthodoxy and normative Christianity. Nevertheless, she cannot avoid using the terms herself (even in the titles of her own books). She told Ariel Sabar of Smithsonian, “You’re talking to someone who’s trying to integrate a whole set of ‘heretical’ literature into the standard history.”

Orthodoxy and Heresy: The Continual Struggle

Those who use Gnostic texts like those found at Nag Hammadi are attempting to redefine Christianity so that classic, biblical, orthodox Christianity is replaced with a very different religion. The Gnostic texts reduce Jesus to the status of a worldly teacher who instructs his followers to look within themselves for the truth. These texts promise salvation through enlightenment, not through faith and repentance. Their Jesus is not the fully human and fully divine Savior and there is no bodily resurrection of Christ from the dead.

Were these writings found at Nag Hammadi evidence of the fact that the early church opposed and attempted to eliminate what it understood to be false teachings? Of course. That is what the church said it was doing and what the Apostles called upon the church to do. The believing church did not see heresy as an irritation — it saw heterodoxy as spiritual death. Those arguing for the superiority of the Gnostic texts deny the divine inspiration of the New Testament and prefer the heterodox teachings of the Gnostic heretics. Hauntingly, the worldview of the ancient Gnostics is very similar, in many respects, to various worldviews and spiritualities around us today.

The energy behind all this is directed to the replacement of orthodox Christianity, its truth claims, its doctrines, its moral convictions, and its vision of both history and eternity with a secularized — indeed, Gnositicized — new version.

Juts look at the attention this tiny fragment of papyrus. Its few words and broken phrases are supposed to cast doubt on the New Testament and the doctrines of orthodox Christianity. A tiny little fragment which, even if authentic, dates from the fourth century, is placed over against the four New Testament gospels, all written within decades of Jesus’s earthy ministry.

“The Gospel of Jesus’s Wife?” Not hardly. This is sensationalism masquerading as scholarship. Nevertheless, do not miss what all this really represents — an effort to replace biblical Christianity with an entirely new faith.

2012-09-19T07:31:00.001-05:00

Recommended Books by Pastor Colson

I began this year with a goal of reading 25 books before 2013. As of this date I have read 22. I am by no means a real book critic or writing in general. But I want to spend a few moments highlighting a few books that I read this year. I will only name three.

One of my favorite books was Jesus + Nothing = Everything by Tullian Tchividjian. I never coulod pronounce his name correctly, but this book is a life changer. Tullian dives into Colossians and helps you get ahold of Jesus Christ. If each Christian could see Jesus as everything, as our all to live for we would stop worrying about behavior modification and fitting somebodies idea of what a Christian looks like. Instead concentrate on Jesus and what he has done and who you are in him. Your life can be lived out in a greater way when Jesus is first and the all of your life.

Another book I thoroughly enjoyed was King’s Cross by Timothy Keller. We used it during our Bible study of the Gospel of Mark. I found it very insightful. It helped our Bible study as we delved into some of the deeper meaning of passages in Mark. If you’re going to be reading through Mark or wanting to do a study of the book make sure to buy this book.

Finally, for biographies I enjoyed The Mighty Weakness of John Knox. This book is not exactly a biography recording his life from birth to the grave but rather it is a look at several aspects of Knox’s character while telling part of his life story. We need more men like this who stood against the present world unflinching in the midst of conflict.

Three great books for you to read I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

Question for Our Pro-Abortion Friends, Church Leaders and Politicians

2012-09-04T22:20:00.001-05:00

What shall we call the unborn in the womb?

So when does a human being have a right to life?

Why celebrate the right to kill what you once were? Why deny the rights of the little one who is what you are?

By Kevin De Young

2012-08-16T07:07:00.000-05:00

Winning Like a Christian Hedonist

by Marshall Segal

Pride is an ugly thing whenever it shows itself. It tinges the cuteness of the smallest toddler declaring their independence and self-centeredness with screams too young for words. It stains the honor of the elderly grandfather losing control of his temper and tongue. And it rears its head on the field of athletic competition time and time again.

Over the last couple weeks, the Olympic Games have proven this, especially in the greatest triumphs. It’s difficult to explain, and sad to witness, but evidently even the most elite athletes feel obligated to defend their domination of the field with exaggerated declarations of their greatness.

One decorated swimmer compares himself to Michael Jordan as the greatest ever in his sport. Meanwhile a wildly celebrated sprinter proclaims, “I’m now a legend. I’m also the greatest athlete to live.”

What is it that compels the most gifted and successful people to clarify their own significance, especially when all the news outlets, Facebook timelines, and the world’s retweets stand ready to do it for them?

Why do they never realize that these embarrassingly prideful sound bytes are splashes of mud on their otherwise sparkling performances? Why do they allow themselves to forever scar the memory of their victory?

Sadly, it’s no different for us who, instead of winning gold medals, more often lose, disappoint, and leave our friends, family, and co-workers relatively unimpressed. Pride.

Though ours may not be plastered on billboards or edited for the latest frontpage story, it is as ugly and pervasive in the things we say and attitudes we carry. Our pride boasts when we win; and it wallows in self-pity when we come up short.

In The Dangerous Duty of Delight, John Piper writes this about the war waged against pride by delighting in God as the work of your life (what he calls “Christian Hedonism”):

The nature and depth of human pride are illuminated by comparing boasting to self-pity. Both are manifestations of pride. Boasting is the response of pride to success. Self-pity is the response of pride to suffering. Boasting says, “I deserve admiration because I have achieved so much.” Self-pity says, “I deserve admiration because I have suffered so much.”
Boasting is the voice of pride in the heart of the strong. Self-pity is the voice of pride in the heart of the weak. Boasting sounds self-sufficient. Self-pity sounds self-sacrificing.
The primary experience of the Christian Hedonist is one of helplessness and desperation and longing. When a helpless child is being swept off his feet by the undercurrent on the beach and his father sweeps him up just in time, he does not boast; he hugs.

For the rest of us who will never represent our country in the 100–meter dash or poolside in the butterfly, we face situations every day where we will either succeed or fail.

How will we respond? Will we win with humility and a greater joy in God? Will our failures lead us to find a refuge in Jesus and a contentment in our salvation? The Christian Hedonist — who has made delighting in God, not self, to be the project of his life — shouldn’t boast in his successes or wallow in self-pity over his failures. But in both victory and loss, he clings to the neck of Another. The Christian Hedonist hugs.

2012-08-05T19:35:00.000-05:00

Idols

An idol as defined by Webster’s Dictionary as an image or representation of deity, an image, an imposter, an object of passion and devotion. We could expand the last definition to include anything that’s usurping the proper place of God in our lives.” I have listed below three idols that can interfere in our relationship with worshipping God.

We could make a person our idol. I’m not referring to American Idol although that is possible. I’m talking about making someone your life. That person becomes your major focus. You look to them for love, acceptance and security and if you fail in those areas then you feel rejected and useless. All of a sudden nothing in your mind nothing else matters but their acceptance. It can happen so easily by a slow shift in thinking and soon they become all you need in your life to feel worth living. In our part of the country our football team the Packers is idolized. People worship the Green and Gold like gods. They give complete and undivided attention to the Green Bay Packers. Life becomes focused on each Sunday’s game and if the football gods fail then Monday is a day of mourning. We can get our focus shifted so easily off of God and on to someone.

Maybe your idol is material wealth. If you could just have that large house, those cars that boat you think there would be satisfaction. You have to ask what drives you. Do you think that what you’re after will meet your needs? Will it provide answers for life? Will it make your life worthwhile?

Maybe you are your own idol. Perhaps you’re proud of yourself and your accomplishments and you think if I can just become a manager, the director, a teacher then you will be somebody to be looked up to. You want acceptance, you want people to hang on your every word, people to say your name in hushed tones. You are worshiping yourself. You have become your own idol. Again this comes so easily because we seek the acceptance and applause of others.

The truth is there is only one who deserves are undivided attention. There is only who deserves all worship and that is the Lord. He is our creator. Colossians 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him. He is the creator the one who made all things and those things are for Him! He has provided us freedom John 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. He is our rock our sure foundation, Psalm 62:2 He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved. God is a rock not someone or something. He is our salvation deliverance nothing will move us. So let us worship the God of all and give our full love and devotion to him alone.

4 Reasons Men Like Porn

2012-07-17T07:47:00.000-05:00

Luke Gilkerson July 5, 2012

A Conversation Guide for Accountability Partners

One of the tasks of a good friend or accountability partner to someone who is entrenched in pornography is to help them understand their own heart.Why do they run to porn again and again? Solomon reminds us that “The purpose in a man’s heart is like deep water” (we often can’t see our own motivations) “but a man of understanding will draw it out” (Proverbs 20:5, parenthesis added). A wise friend helps to draw out of others the deeper motivations they are unable or unwilling to see in themselves.

As an accountability partner, it is important to understand the allure of pornography: What deeper motivations keep men coming back to it again and again? What are good accountability questions we can ask to get to the root of the problem?

1. Porn is easy, but relationships are hard.

Relationships, especially our closest relationships, involve work. Every day we are required to care what’s going on in others’ lives. We must put up with sour moods, offensive behavior, and selfishness—both in ourselves and in others.

In contrast, porn offers men a feeling of risk-free intimacy. Pornography offers men a fantasy world where they are required to know nobody, require no romance, and no self-sacrifice for the benefit of others. And for many men the payoff is great: not only can they avoid the messiness of real relationships, they can also feel the delight of a million virtual women catering to their every whim.

Good Accountability Question: Has there been a relationship in your life recently that has been unusually difficult?

2. Porn is comfortable, but life is stressful.

In life things go wrong. Expectations are frustrated. People let us down. Tragedies happen. We get sick. We get tired. We get into sharp disagreements. Life is stressful.

Porn, by contrast, offers a very comfortable world where nothing goes wrong. Porn offers a ready-made setting where we know we will get exactly what we want.

Of course, we know it’s fake. It’s like professional wrestling or “reality” TV. As Chris Hedges says in his book Empire of Illusion, the success of these forms of entertainment lies not in fooling us that these stories are real. “Rather, it succeeds because we ask to be fooled. We happily pay for the chance to suspend reality.”

Good Accountability Question: Have there been any stresses in your life recently which have brought on a feeling of pressure or strain?

3. Porn is exciting, but life is boring.

The word “boredom” first started being used by French authors when they wrote about that feeling of discontentment when life gets tedious. While the feeling of boredom has probably always been around, it is only in the last 300 years we have seen it become a social epidemic. Blaise Pascal said boredom is the plight of a modern man when “he lacks distraction and has no absorbing passion or pastime.”

Boredom is one of the fruit of a leisure culture. As wealth and free time increase, so does our hunger for distraction. As we come to expect constant stimulation and excitement, the day-to-day can seem dull by comparison. With Google at our fingertips, information is everywhere, but we easily become detached, anonymous spectators, rarely taking risks of vulnerable involvement or passionate commitment—rarely acting on what we know. Culturally we are guilty of what Dorothy Sayers calls the sin of tolerance, “the sin that believes in nothing, cares for nothing, seeks to know nothing, interferes with nothing, enjoys nothing, hates nothing, finds purpose in nothing, lives for nothing, and remains alive because there is nothing for which it will die.”

Porn offers a world of sexual excitement to our bored minds. Porn is a highly sexualized form of the image-based culture in which we live, a world where billions of pictures are painting a thousand words at break-neck speeds. Porn offers a fantasy of pure sexual stimulation.

Good Accountability Question: Have you found yourself bored or itching for excitement? Do you feel like your life is mundane?

4. Porn makes men feel powerful, but real life makes them feel powerless.

It is easy to feel small in the world. We intuitively know the world does not revolve around us, but this doesn’t stop us from wishing it did. We want others to pay attention to us, to treat us as important, to put us first. This desire can be so strong at times we can actually begin to feel entitled to it: we want a little corner of the world where we are kings.

Porn offers men a deluge of power. In a man’s porn-fed fantasy, the girls never say no. In pornography there are no social barriers between a man and the woman of his dreams. Pornography sells the idea that beautiful women are trophies–collectibles that show the watching world what a real man really is. Pornography also sexualizes male dominance, allowing men to fantasize about a world where women enjoy being treated as objects.

Good Accountability Question: Have you been in any situations recently that made you feel belittled, unimportant, or disrespected?

The Biblical Goal of Accountability Questions

The reason accountability partners should ask these pointed questions is not to “psychologize” sins away. Rather, the goal of good accountability questions is to use them as a springboard to focus our thoughts on benefits of the gospel of Christ more than the pleasures of sin (Hebrews 11:24-26).

Each question opens a door to living out Hebrews 10:24, “Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.”

· When we ask the question, “Has there been a relationship in your life recently that has been unusually difficult?” the goal is to help others see how they are looking to a particular relationship to make them feel pleasure or fulfillment (thus, a relationship that is always letting them down). We can then point them to the fullness of joy and satisfaction that comes from Christ (John 15:1-11; 16:16-24; Romans 15:13).

· When we ask the question, “Have there been any stresses in your life recently which have brought on a feeling of pressure or strain?” the goal is to help them see that they are using porn as an escape from life. We can then point them to the psalmists who saw God as their refuge (Psalms 46; 59:16-17; 61:1-3; 62:5-8; 91; 142). Instead of escapingfrom reality, we can escape into divine reality.

· When we ask the questions, “Have you found yourself bored or itching for excitement? Do you feel like your life is mundane?” to goal is to help others see if they have been settling for a life of amusement over a life ofamazement. We can then point them to the excitement of knowing God and obeying him (Matthew 13:44; 2 Corinthians 8:1-2; Philippians 1:3-4;Colossians 1:9-14; 1 Peter 1:3-9; 3 John 1:3-4).

· When we ask the question, “Have you been in any situations recently that made you feel belittled, unimportant, or disrespected?” to goal is to help them see they crave power, importance, and esteem from men more than they crave the favor of God. Jesus asked, “How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?” (John 5:44). We can point them to the eternal glory the Father gives to Christ, and that as Christians we share Christ’s glory because He lives in us (John 17:20-24; Romans 2:6-10; Colossians 1:24-29).

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