In the Summer 2009 issue of The City there is a superb piece of writing that diagnoses a creature that I come across quite a bit online and sometimes in the flesh up in D.C. – the evangelical hipster. John Mark Reynolds wrote the piece, where he diagnoses the persona of these individuals:
Secularists should stop worrying about a theocracy: Anderson finds young Evangelicals to be like young Mark Studdock in the C.S. Lewis novel That Hideous Strength—more spaniel than pit bull in their desire to charm rather than snub those that despise them. In fact, Anderson’s article essentially accuses young Evangelicals of being just like the characters Mark and Jane Studdock. Like Mark, young Evangelicals desire admission to the “inner ring” of the culture more than any other temptation. Like Jane, they are lightly educated, but take their thoughts very seriously. Unlike Mark and Jane, young American Evangelicals are given Blue Like Jazz rather than Taliesin through Logres.
Although I have often seen this, I’ve never quite put my finger on it like Mr. Reynolds does. The admission to the inner ring of the culture is THE temptation for me and many folks who have moved beyond Left Behind and Christian bookstores and think they have it all together. To me, the solution is to take a stand and appear to be a (gasp) fundamentalist on some issues. I realized some years ago that one thing which makes men like Tolkien great is that he had beliefs and he stood for them. We can easily quibble with his obscurantist stands on motor cars, roads and airplanes, but he had reasons for believing and he believed! He was not a perpetually vacillating ninny who never arrived at a position and did not stand up for the Creeds and culture which gave him birth. Read the rest of this entry »
Christianity Today’s Katelyn Beaty interviewed sociologist Christian Smith for the current issue. Smith’s new book, Souls in Transition, looks at the religious attitudes and practices of 18-29 year-olds. The idea that this phase of life is now a prelude to married life has come out in several things that I’ve read. Some good examples are an article about twentysomething “child-men” from the City Journal (warning: some crude descriptions of a crude young male culture), Joel’s post dissecting the attitudes of “Our Mad World,” and Christianity Today’s recent article “The Case for Early Marriage.” Here is Smith’s explanation of this development:
Much social transformation since the 1960s and ’70s has created it. A higher proportion of American youth are spending more years in higher education. They are waiting a lot longer before they get married and have kids. That’s partly related to wanting to stay in school longer. It’s partly related to wanting to be “free” longer. It’s also associated with things like the availability of artificial contraception. Read the rest of this entry »
While it’s traditionally called the “Second Letter of Clement,” Michael Holmes notes that it’s neither by Clement nor a letter. 2 Clement is actually a sermon or some other kind of address, the first complete Christian sermon outside of the New Testament. The author and date are difficult to establish, although Holmes discusses some interesting theories.
2 Clement seems to be addressing baptized Christians (Holmes also notes another historian’s theory that it is addressed to catechumens), urging them to live in a manner that will please Christ and will ultimately result in a favorable judgment by him. Here was one of the more striking exhortations:
For if we do the will of Christ, we will find rest; but if we do not – if we disobey his commandments – then nothing will save us from eternal punishment. And the scripture also says in Ezekiel, “Even if Noah and Job and Daniel should rise up, they will not save their children” in their captivity. Now if even such righteous men as these are not able, by means of their own righteous deeds, to save their children, what assurance do we have of entering the kingdom of God if we fail to keep our baptism pure and undefiled? Or who will be our advocate, if we are not found to have holy and righteous works? (2 Clement 6:7-9)
As an evangelical Protestant, I found this kind of language jarring at first. Ligon Duncan also noted the importance of works in 2 Clement as opposed to the emphasis on the cross in this interview about patristics with Sovereign Grace Radio. Read the rest of this entry »
I know this is a bit choppy, but I made it for my personal use and it might not be reader-friendly. This is a condensed commentary on Matthew 5:4 for the homegroup I am leading right now. We are going through the Sermon on the Mount.
Matthew 5:4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted”
- This beatitude connects to the previous one in that “being poor in spirit” acknowledges one’s poverty and need for help. Important to note that the Sermon on the Mount doesn’t advocate “works righteousness”, nor is “law” for Jews only. It begins with our poverty and need of grace.
- Being “poor in spirit” will manifest itself in mourning.
Our faith is a “crying one”:
“We need, then, to observe that the Christian life, according to Jesus, is not all joy and laughter. Some Christians seem to imagine that, especially if they are filled with the Spirit, they must wear a perpetual grin on their face and be continuously boisterous and bubbly. How unbiblical can one become? No. In Luke’s version of the Sermon Jesus added to this beatitude a solemn woe: ‘Woe to you that laugh now.’1 The truth is that there are such things as Christian tears, and too few of us ever weep them.”[1]
- “I fear that we evangelical Christians, by making much of grace, sometimes thereby make light of sin. There is not enough sorrow for sin among us. We should experience more ‘godly grief’ of Christian penitence, like that sensitive and Christ-like eighteenth-century missionary to the American Indians David Brainerd, who wrote in his journal on 18 October 1740: ‘In my morning devotions my soul was exceedingly melted, and bitterly mourned over my exceeding sinfulness and vileness.’ Tears like this are the holy water which God is said to store in his bottle. Such mourners, who bewail their own sinfulness, will be comforted by the only comfort which can relieve their distress, namely the free forgiveness of God” (Stott, John).
James 1:27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
I am preaching on this text this coming Lord’s Day (8/31/09). After reading Matt Harmon’s ( Grace Theological Seminary) “ten theses for further discussion” from his talk about the relationship between the kingdom of God and social justice (here and here), I got to thinking some more about these issues and I noticed how much it has in touch with the epistle of James, which I am preaching through right now.
Pastor John Svendson from El Segundo First Baptist Church, who was a mentor to me of sorts in my formative years of theological training, outlined James 1:27 as follows:
“Real Religion”: A Social Dimension (looking outward Jm 1:27a) and A Spiritual Dimension (looking inward Jm 1:27b)
I am going to use this brief concise outline in my own preaching of this text. It sums up well the entire book of James, which is primarily concerned about our outward action as a reflection of inward piety. American Protestantism has usually gravitated towards one end of the spectrum, either being very engaged socially at the expense of orthodoxy or being very engaged to personal sanctification within an orthodox paradigm, albeit disengaged from social action beyond one’s family and local Church community. It is easy to say that we want to live in the middle: to be faithful to Scripture in personal piety and in social engagement, but much more difficult to live out…it requires tension, which most of us don’t like. James hits us on the head when he tells us that our “religion” is pure only when we do BOTH: care for widows and orphans and those who are afflicted AND “to keep oneself unstained from the world”. The challenge is to engage the world and yet remain undefiled by it. Christians love to escape from the world or find themselves all to comfortable in the world. Let us embrace the tension that Scripture gives us.
If you don’t care for those who are “afflicted”, then your orthodoxy means nothing…your religion is worthless.
If you don’t care for Scripture and personal piety, then your social engagement, though noble, proceeds from moral and epistemological bankruptcy. It is deficient.
Let us tend to both (caring for the afflicted and personal piety), knowing that each is at stake in the other!!!
…is not guaranteed protection from hardships, trials, & pains in this life. In fact, we are warned about it, that it WILL come, and when it does, to ENDURE. 1Pe 1:6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials,
1Pe 1:7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith–more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire–may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
As my husband reminded me in his sermon this morning, if Jesus was not spared from trials yet persecuted even, then why should we be surprised that we should encounter sufferings? If the apostles & those of faith of old were not spared suffering, then why should we expect differently? Who are we? If we are God’s chosen, we should embrace whatever trials may come our way, especially those choices in which we have chosen poorly or outright wrongly.
Jas 1:2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,
Jas 1:3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
Jas 1:4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Even in this command, there’s a difficult struggle. But, endure. Seek Him. Lean on His understanding, His strength, His joy, His power.
As human nature, a mortal sinful state, and as followers of Christ, of Whom the darkness is contentious & at enmity towards, we WILL be persecuted, ridiculed, criticized, scrutinized. So do we cowar and remain quiet? May it never be! (Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes,)
1Pe 1:6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials,
1Pe 1:7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith–more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire–may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
I dare say that all have encountered trials in many ways than one, believer and non alike. But to those who believe, oh the blessed assurance! This life is tainted. Seek God in it. Deal with it. and praise Him still! This time is passing. A new day is coming… HALLELUJAH!
I’m excited that the New Calvinists are challenging the American-evangelical synthesis that blesses the assumptions of American life with religious approval. At the Desiring God blog, Paul Tripp states it about as strongly and as well as it can be said:
I read a book on stress a few years back, and the author made a side comment that I thought was so insightful. He said that the highest value of materialistic western culture is not possessing. It’s actually acquiring.
If you’re a go-getter you never stop. And so the guy who is lavishly successful doesn’t quit, because there are greater levels of success. “My house could be bigger, I could drive better cars, I could have more power, I could have more money.”…
You can’t fit God’s dream (if I can use that language) for his church inside of the American dream and have it work. It’s a radically different lifestyle. It just won’t squeeze into the available spaces of the time and energy that’s left over.
And I’m as much seduced by that as anybody. We have sold our four-bedroom house because our kids are gone, and we’ve bought a loft in Chinatown, Philadelphia. And we’re amazed at how simple our life has become. We’re grieving over how we let our life get so complicated.
Last year, for example, I put almost $2,500 worth of gas in my car. This year, I’ve put $159 in the first quarter. It’s because we’re walking places, and that slows our life down, and we’re near the people in our church because we’re within walking distance of the church. And we’ve had so many natural encounters with people because of that.
We’re living in a much smaller place. We got rid of most of our stuff. As we went through it, we laughed about how we just collected stuff. All that stuff has to be maintained. It grabs your heart, it grabs your schedule, it grabs your time. It becomes a source of worry and concern and need to pay.
So we’ve just been confronted with how all of those things that aren’t evil in themselves become the complications of life that keep us away from the kind of community that we need in order to hold on to our identity.
Let me be clear about a couple of things. First, I’m a beneficiary of the American dream and of the incredible opportunity that America offers to so many of its citizens. I’m not suggesting a political overhaul that would deny that to others, but rather that we as Christians may want to reevaluate how living a fully American life might compromise the higher priority of living a fully Christian life. Second, as in so many things, I’m much more in the thinking and talking phase of this than in the acting phase, so I don’t want to pretend that I’ve got it figured out. I did think that this was worth sharing, though.
I think that the New Calvinism seems to share some of the same concerns that the Emerging church movement does. The best example of this that I know is Mark Driscoll’s ties to the Emerging leaders early in his career, before they parted ways. Adherents of both seek a more authentic commitment to God and the Christian life than they find in the American evangelical mainstream. What’s so exciting about the New Calvinism, in my opinion, is that it addresses the concerns of the Emerging movement in a biblically faithful and confident way, in contrast to some in the Emerging movement’s uncomfortableness with traditional doctrines. As I’ve said before, I’m watching the New Calvinist movement with great excitement.
If you want to see what I’ve written on the New Calvinist movement, check here for of my posts with this tag.
If you want to see my analysis of the Emerging movement from the perspective of challenging the American-evangelical synthesis, you can see it here.
Time magazine had recently cited the “New Calvinism” as one of the most important ideas in the world. While I am excited about such as a Calvinist myself, I was somewhat surprised by the omission of Pentecostalism.
Jenkins calls Pentecostalism,“the most successful social movement of the past century” (Jenkins 2002:8). Jenkins, P. (2002) The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity. Oxford:Oxford University Press.
Anyhow, on my list of ideas shaping the global scene, I would add “Pentecostalism” to the “New Calvinism”, much to the shagrin of most Calvinists and Pentecostals. However I, along with a growing consticuency, find myself planted with feet in both camps and predict that the Evangelical Church, not too far from now, will be filled with either Reformed Christians (confessional and neo-Calvinist TULIP types) or Pentecostal/Charismatics (or perhaps a hybrid of both). Recent polls that I have looked at suggest that the two growing sects within Christendom fall into these two groups, whereas all others are declining or holding par.
Hodge also preached on prayer as a means of communion with God. Prayer in his view can be solemn and formal “in the use of articulate words and on set occasions in the closet, family or sanctuary” or it can be ejaculatory “and thus constant as the bubbling of a spring of living water” or it can be on the highest level “the unuttered aspirations and longings of the soul after God, like the constant ascent of the flame towards heaven.” As this last phrase intimates Hodge’s injunctions occasionally reveal mystical language.[1]
Ascension Day often gets overlooked, but it is a most glorious truth that we celebrate today…the risen, exalted Christ, reigning from on high, expanding His kingdom and subdoing His enemies.
I listened to Speaking of Faith program (transcript and audio here) from 2006 today that talked about how globalization has impacted religion. You might be familiar with the rather Eurocentric thesis that said that secularism would accompany modernization, just as it had in Europe. In fact, sociologist Peter Berger held this view as well, before realizing that it just hasn’t played out that way.
Rather, he said, modernity has brought pluralism and increased contact with multiple points of view. People don’t live in areas where everyone shares a common belief system, where religion is taken for granted.
Now, this taken-for-granted status is lost with the coming of pluralism because you realize there are other possibilities of belief and of life. And therefore people are forced to make choices, and that is a very big change.
I’ve described modernity as a gigantic transformation from destiny to choice. People must choose what they believe, how they define themselves, how they are to live, which is quite a burden. I mean, it can be a liberation, but it’s also a burden. And then you have to ask, what are the ways in which people can cope with this loss of taken-for-granted status?
There are three options, as he sees it:
One is to try to restore taken-for-grantedness in the entire society, the totalitarian system. Now, the other little more plausible project is to forget about the larger society and to create a taken-for-granted subculture. So, if you like, it’s the sectarian option. You create little groups, tightly controlled, and within those groups, whatever the religious tradition is, it again becomes taken for granted. There are lots of examples of this. It’s also difficult because of the turbulent pluralism outside. So you have to keep very tight controls over your members. The third possibility is to engage with the pluralism and to enter into dialogue with the alternatives that exist to your own traditional belief system. That is difficult also. There are no risk-free options in any of this. But it’s possible, and many people go that way.
This helps to conceptualize the different responses we see around the world to modernization and globalization, I think.
All I got to say is that I strived to be genuine and authentic in my time of youth ministry. The youth needed to hear about Jesus more than what movies I watched, what games I play, what sort of clothes I am wearing, etc. The youth pastors that made the greatest difference in my own life were those who loved Jesus, taught His Word, and prayed for me. They weren’t “cool”…they just loved their wives and kids. They didn’t have the latest tech gadget in hand…they carried the Bible. They didn’t search for profound wisdom in some song or movie…they just quoted Scripture. They didn’t just tell funny jokes…they weeped for the lost.
I realize a need to “contextualize” Scripture to the youth culture, but a ministry that simply loves in the name of Christ is what will endure. We have prostituted and trivialized the Gospel in the name of “contextualization”.
I am sick and tired of overhyped attractional ministry paradigms that sell Jesus like He is a ShamWow. God Help Me…God Help His Church!!!
About two years ago, our 20s and 30s group at church watched most of the NOOMA videos from Rob Bell, pastor at Mars Hill in Michigan. I liked them as we watched them, but I didn’t realize until later that Bell had his share of critics as well as admirers. Greg Gilbert, director of research for the president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminay, writes a comprehensive, 3-part review of the series.
A lot of times in our culture, you see commentators pull out a careless or offensive phrase in order to take the object of their criticism to task. This is particularly evident in the politics of soundbites (Oh no! John McCain said he doesn’t know how many houses he owns! Howard Dean said capturing Saddam didn’t make us safer!). Gilbert refuses to do this in his review. He gives Bell credit for his talents and even some of the messages of the videos (see part 3 for his comments on each video). He seeks to get a whole picture of Bell’s theology (see especially part 2), which makes his critique that much more powerful.
Gilbert writes that NOOMA ultimately presents people as imperfect creatures that don’t realize that God has already forgiven us and relates to us; once we do, we can begin to live like Jesus. Without highlighting the necessity of God’s wrath, the Cross, or repentance, Gilbert contends that Bell reduces Christianity to “a banal moralism.”
Reading Gilbert’s review, I can see why I liked the videos when I first saw them. When Christians are watching them, the focus on Christ’s life can be very edifying, and Gilbert points out some of Bell’s successes in this area. But I think that Gilbert really makes a cogent point that Bell doesn’t present the full gospel in a way that helps unbelievers come to Christ. I want to wait on committing to an opinion on Bell generally because I haven’t read his books, but I think that this critique of NOOMA is spot on.
Gilbert is apparently the “reviewer extraordinaire” at Mark Dever’s 9Marks website. I have to say that I am excited about the growing Reformed movement in evangelicalism today. As my friend Rick said in our conversation a couple of weeks ago, Reformed theology has an intellectual weight and engages culture in a way that modern evangelicalism often doesn’t. I think that many of the most exciting things in evangelicalism in the coming years are going to come from what Time Magazine dubbed the “The New Calvinism.” See Rick’s comments on this trend, which introduced me to Time’s article, here and here.
Hat tip for the Gilbert article: Justin Taylor’s link to another Gilbert comment on Bell
“To protect people from intoxication is laudable, but it is inappropriate to deprive people of Christian freedom based on their potential abuse. What the church should seek is Christian maturity, discipiling its members into moderation, not only in alcohol consumption, but in all things. While alcoholism is a real problem, even the daily news reports point out that obesity is much more pervasive and potentially devastating. Consistency in Christian concern for teh welfare of others must not stop, therefore, with sobriety but must also include gluttony” (David W. Baker, The NIV Application Commentary: Joel, Obadiah, Malachi, p. 63).
Every year the holidays come and go. I, for one, don’t let go so fast. I have always loved Christmas and all it represents, though as a child, I didn’t know all it represented but I knew I was missing something. When I became a christian, it became all the more clearer why I loved Christmas…Christ. The love and grace that exudes from God and the sacrifice of Christ can never be contained. In our bedtime devotion with the kids tonight, the kids are trying to grasp why God made them…which is to glorify Himself. He made us to love Him.
So, here it is, January 21st, and half of our Christmas decorations are still up. Our articfial tree (which I hesitatingly agreed to buy before Christmas) is still up with all it’s beautiful decorations and lights. It keeps our front room nicely lit. It makes a nice night light too. I still have a few strings of lighted garland up too. They create a great ambience. I delay in bringing them all down. I kinda get the bummed that the “spirit of Christmas” lasts but a month. Maybe 2 (thanksgiving preparations usually extend the holiday spirit a little more). But why? Even if you’re not a believer, surely the “spirit of giving” and the “goodwill toward men” and the “joy to the world” does not end December 26th? But surely, as a Christian, this certainly isn’t true. Now, don’t be a wise guy, I don’t mean we should give gifts and celebrate everyday with gift-giving like we do at Christmas b/c that’s not what Christmas is about. For most, it’s about “love, family, friends”, being with those you care for, fun, etc… and all those things are good. But the ultimate gift, isn’t it, the gift of life from our Creator, and the gift that will keep on giving… the gift of salvation through the blood of Christ, in whom we can live for all eternity?!! Like, whoa. I, too, need to grasp that reality more and more each Christmas. As much as I enjoy the decorating, the meals with friends, creating family memories, singing carols, etc, I hope to echo the gospel that gives us the REAL hope and REAL change that we can Really all believe in, that Christ came to save sinners like us and through Him, there will one day be a day where the celebration will be everlasting…Praise God. Hallelujah and Amen.
I know this is dated a bit but I wanted to post it anyways. This testimony was shared at the request of Christianity Today and can be found here. His wise words inspire us all to life life on the precipice of eternity. He also teaches us not to lament our suffering, but to embrace it.
‘Blessings arrive in unexpected packages, - in my case, cancer. Those of us with potentially fatal diseases- and there are millions in America today – find ourselves in the odd position of coping with our mortality while trying to fathom God’s will. Although it would be the height of presumption to declare with confidence ‘What It All Means,’ Scripture provides powerful hints and consolations.
The first is that we shouldn’t spend too much time trying to answer the ‘why’ questions: Why me? Why must people suffer? Why can’t someone else get sick? We can’t answer such things, and the questions themselves often are designed more to express our anguish than to solicit an answer.
I don’t know why I have cancer, and I don’t much care. It is what it is, a plain and indisputable fate. Yet even while staring into a mirror darkly, great and stunning truths began to take shape. Our maladies define a central feature of our existence: We are fallen. We are imperfect. Our bodies give out. But, despite this, or because of it, God offers the possibility of salvation and grace. We don’t know how the narrative of our lives will end, but we get to choose how to use the interval between now and the moment we meet our Creator face-to-face. Read the rest of this entry »
I am preaching through the book of Hosea and in my sermon preparation for Hosea 2, I made the following observations:
Hosea 2:9-13 (ESV)
(9)Therefore I will take back my grain in its time, and my wine in its season, and I will take away my wool and my flax, which were to cover her nakedness.
(10)Now I will uncover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers, and no one shall rescue her out of my hand.
(11)And I will put an end to all her mirth, her feasts, her new moons, her Sabbaths, and all her appointed feasts.
(12)And I will lay waste her vines and her fig trees, of which she said, ‘These are my wages, which my lovers have given me.’ I will make them a forest, and the beasts of the field shall devour them.
(13)And I will punish her for the feast days of the Baals when she burned offerings to them and adorned herself with her ring and jewelry, and went after her lovers and forgot me, declares the LORD.
-God is here sending famine and desolation to show that Baal isn’t god…to make it plainly obvious…they can sacrifice all they want, dress up and adorn themselves and prostitute themselves all they want to bring fertility in the land….it will all be vain and Baal will be revealed as a powerless and bankrupt pimp who did his lovers no good, and Israel/Gomer will stand naked and poor, realizing that Baal is no true god and that the Lord is God.
-I am not likening America to Israel, but I do believe that God could very well send nations famine today to make Himself known. If this economic downturn should result in the salvation of sinners who come to realize that the Stock Market isn’t their God, then it is entirely worth it. The great American God, Mammon, will leave its people bankrupt and starving…causing the fortuneless to look up and acknowledge that the Lord is God…so I pray.
I had the opportunity to sit down with Cody Ziemer last week and chat about his fighting career. He attends the church I pastor, Sovereign Grace Fellowship, and is a rising star here in the Idaho Fight League. He recently just won a fight out of state and has an upcoming fight in Las Vegas.
In our chat, he listed Bruce Lee as his fighting inspiration, whom he watched as a young teen. He trains hard and aspires to improve his skills so that he might compete with the elite fighters of the world.
When I asked Cody how his Christian faith integrates into his fighting; he responded by stating that he aspires to be an honorable fighter, who respects his opponents. He said that some folks fight with the sole intent of hurting people and take pleasure in injuring people. Cody prays before every fight for the safety of himself and his opponent.
Cody packs quickness and strength in his 155 pound frame and unleashes quick powerful kicks to the upperbody of his opponents.
Now, some of you might be wondering whether Christians should even box or fight when their success usually correlates with inflicting pain upon an opponent. I simply would state that I think it is a sport and a conscious issue that each Christian needs to resolve in their own mind. The Apostle Paul used an illustration from fighting when he states that he doesn’t throw punches aimlessly in the air…apparently, Paul watched fighting and even incorporated insights observed into his letter to the Corinthians. Such illustrations would make no sense to an audience that abstained from watching fights…so I think it is safe to state that it is okay for Christians to view fighting as a sport…but I would also defer to one’s conscience on teh issue. Here is an interesting post on this topic: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/40136-mma-what-would-jesus-do
I pray for Cody and hope that he excels in his MMA career. I pray for his safety and the safety of all that he fights. I pray that God would be glorified in how Cody conducts himself…not as a brute beast, but rather as a honorable man of God.
This coming Sunday I will be preaching on worship…especially in song. As I have done research and preparation for the message, it has been difficult because there is so much I want to convey and I need to redact my material. Anyhow, song is powerful.
Creation was birthed in song, Song accompanied pivotal moments in redemptive history (Exodus, Incarnation, Last Supper), Song preceded victory in warfare, Song opened up the prison doors for Paul and Silas, Song is everywhere in Revelation. God inhabits the praises of His people and in fact sings over us Himself.
All of this is truly amazing!!!!
Here is a quote from C.S. Lewis that sums up why we sing:
“But the most obvious fact about praise-whether of God or anything-strangely escaped me. I thought of it in terms of compliment, approval, or the giving of honor. I had never noticed that all enjoyment spontaneously overflows into praise…. The world rings with praise-lovers praising their mistresses, readers their favorite poet, walkers praising the countryside, players praising their favorite game….My whole, more general, difficulty about the praise of God depended on my absurdly denying to us, as regards the supremely Valuable, what we delight to do, what indeed we can’t help doing, about everything else we value. I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation”
Storms, Sam. (2002) The Beginner’s Guide to Spiritual Gifts. Ventura, CA: Regal Books.
Dr. Storms stays true to the title and offers an insightful introductory primer on Spiritual gifts, namely the “charismata” mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12 by the apostle Paul. Storms weaves non-technical exegesis in related texts, personal testimonies of his relation to the exercise of gifts, historical citations of the Spiritual gifts, cautions, and encouragement.
At 165 pages, it is not overwhelming and will serve as a very good book for the curious, as well as for an initial study guide for a church that wishes to introduce to its members the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Sam Storms also heads up his own website (http://www.enjoyinggodministries.com), which is a tremendous resource for Biblical Studies, Theology, and Church History. At that site, you will find additional material relating to what he touches on in this book.Read the rest of this entry »
John Piper encourages pastors and hearers to protect the pulpit from trivialities and instead delight in God through the ministry of preaching in the Church.
John Piper recently posted on his blog some reflections on Fundamentalists and why he doesn’t despise them (http://www.desiringgod.org/Blog/1251_20_reasons_i_dont_take_potshots_at_fundamentalists/). I was inspired by such to reflect on my own spiritual and theological journey in Pentecostalism. Here are 15 reasons why I am grateful for my Pentecostal heritage:
15. I learned that prayer was not merely a monologue in which we throw up our petition and thanksgiving, say “Amen”, and be on our way…but rather a dialogue that may be accompanied by fasting, “pressing in”, shouting; and then silence as we await God’s response to our hearts.
- I pray expectantly and quiet my soul before God, eager for His reply.
14. Worship was more than extolling God’s transcendence, awesome though that is, but was also a participation in His eminence and nearness. The nearness of the Triune God would be manifested in our worship as the Spirit would minister to our hearts.
- I not only look up in worship to the throne of God, where Jesus is seated, but also hold out my hands in eager anticipation of His Spirit’s presence.
13. The Pentecostal Pulpit didn’t depend upon humor, life stories, contrived emotions, or polished intellect, BUT manifested what Paul stated to the Corinthian Church:
1Co 2:1-5
(1) And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom.
(2) For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
(3) And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling,
(4) and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,
(5) that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
- I not only do exegesis in the text of Scripture in sermon preparation, but also fall on my face in prayer, seeking the Spirit’s approval and validating power over the preaching of the sermon.
12. Child-Like faith was preferred over a knowledge that “puffs” up. This doesn’t mean that growth in Scripture was avoided, but rather speaks of the disposition of one’s heart when coming to Scripture.
- I come to Scripture, not seeking some knowledge that will elevate me over my peers, but rather to be shaped, humbled, and broken from adult pride and made like a child. If my Bible reading doesn’t lead to doxology and praise, then I have read it no differently than Satan himself.
11. We supported missionaries who were risking their lives to save people form hell and their stories inspired me to also share the Gospel among the lost around me. My youth group not only played games and had “fun”, but also fasted and raised money for missionaries abroad.
- I love missionaries to this day and consider them my heroes in the faith.
10. If the Biblical Hymnal, the Psalms, speak repeatedly of lifting hands, clapping hands, bowing down, and crying…then such expressions are proper, fitting, and exhort us to worship God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength.
- I worship with all of my being because He is supremely deserving and delights in the sacrifice of my body in worship…the yielding of my bodily members to the praise of His name.
No, this isn’t a post about dating! It’s about the practice of using the prophetic gift. I’m starting from the premise that the gift of prophecy continues today and is to be used for upbuilding, encouragement, and consolation of others (1 Cor. 14:3).
Paul instructs us to “pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy” (1 Cor. 14:1, ESV). I was really struck recently by the phrase “pursue love.” When I think of pursuing something, what comes to mind is chasing after it with all I’ve got. Even though the thing I’m after may be elusive, I can’t give up trying to get hold of it. That’s what we are called to do as far as loving people.
Being a public high school teacher, I have been really stretched in the area of love. Students have stolen from me, used profanity toward me and threatened me. (And that’s on a good day!) Often I have struggled with the “Jonah syndrome”: ‘God, send me anywhere but that classroom!’ Anger, frustration, and resentment build up because of the students’ behavior. I find it to be an hourly battle not to allow my heart to grow callused to them. But I know the Lord has me there for a number of reasons, not the least of which is to give them a glimpse of the Father’s love.
Pursuing love has taken on a very literal meaning when it comes to my students. I have to continually pray and ask others to pray for me that I would love these kids. I have to regularly release my anger and offense to God. I have to keep coming back to the example of Jesus, who loved those who despised and rejected Him.
But we are not only to pursue love, we are to earnestly desire the spiritual gifts especially prophecy. We must be careful not to so emphasize love that spiritual gifts become optional. There should be a longing in our hearts to operate in the gifts of the Spirit that others may be brought (closer) to Jesus. Some ways that we can “earnestly desire” the gifts are: reading Scripture and books by solid authors on the subject, watching others operate in the gifts, praying to receive the gifts, and praying for opportunities to use the gifts. We needn’t be afraid of the gifts if we have the foundation of love.
Yesterday, I had a difficult interaction with a student. He refused to comply with a request I gave him, so I initiated a disciplinary procedure. He was quite angry with me, and expressed that in no uncertain terms. When I got home, I felt that I did not quite have the foundation of love for this student that I should have had. (I had prayed for him in the past, and I felt the Lord had given me some insights into his life.) I prayed for him again, yesterday, that God would touch his life. I also prayed that God would give me His love for him.
Early this morning, this student (I’ll call him Devon) came to my classroom.
“Hi, Mr. Andrews,” he began. “I just wanted to apologize for the way I acted toward you yesterday. I wasn’t angry with you; I just took it out on you.”
I was really impressed by his gesture. “I forgive you, Devon,” I assured him. “Hey, I prayed for you yesterday.”
“Oh yeah, why?”
“I try to pray for all my students.”
“Oh.”
“Can I ask you a question, Devon?”
“Go ahead.”
“Are you disappointed with your father?”
Devon got a rather surprised look on his face and asked, “How did you know that? Have you been reading my files?”
“No, sometimes God shows me things.”
“Are you a psychic?”
“No, I’m a follower of Jesus.”
We continued talking a short while. I could see that God was working in him. We parted with a “man hug,” and I told him I’d see him later that day in class.
There were a couple of good reminders for me in that exchange. One was that God can use me even when I’m going through my own personal difficulties. The other was that when I pursue love, God will open doors for me to use spiritual gifts to minister to others.
I don’t want to be totally obnoxious…but I was thinking about the beloved Hymn “Amazing Grace” and was wondering how a theological Arminian could really sing it.
Traditional Arminian theology believes in “prevenient grace”…essentially meaning that God exerts a measure of grace towards all sinners. Some would even say that God works equally in His grace towards all. Such a view understands that God has done all that he can do to save sinners and it is entirely left up to sinners on how they will respond. Generally, an Arminian would not admit that God does more to save one sinner over another because it would be unfair. Read the rest of this entry »
I once heard Pastor Jack Hayford, who now serves as the president for the “Foursquare” denomination, use the illustration of CPR as being similar to his idea of preaching the Bible. He likened his sermon preparation as an “inhaling” of God’s Word and then the sermon itself as an “exhaling”. I have always liked his illustration for the following reasons:
Pastors are to be consecrated or set apart to the ministry of the Word and Prayer. The primary vocational interests of the preaching Pastor is to diagnose the ills of his people and offer them the healing medicine of God’s Word. Preaching should therefore carry with it the gravity of life and death. Eternal life is at stake in the preached Word.
The preaching of the Word, though foolish to many, is the primary means of grace for Spiritual growth and the necessary means for Spiritual birth.
What does God do when He wants beautiful craftsmanship? Pours out His Holy Spirit
How does God increase IQ? Holy Spirit
How does God increase ability? Holy Spirit
How does God increase ones artistic ability? Holy Spirit
How does God equip Teachers for His people? Holy Spirit
At least, this is the obvious conclusion for God’s intended purpose of filling Bezalel with the Holy Spirit from the following Read the rest of this entry »
I once heard a story about a performer, an acrobat actually: a tightrope walker. He was looking for a new and exciting challenge to his usual routine, and so he travels to Niagara Falls for a very special demonstration. The crowd gathers to watch the spectacular feet. He would actually cross the falls on a tightrope! He sets up, slowly and carefully. The crowd then watches in amazement as he confidently walks across. The next day he returns for another showing of this amazing feet, only this time, there would be another added bonus. He would walk a wheelbarrow across, carrying a tiny little kitten inside. He asks the crowd, “How many of you think I can carry this little kitten across?” The crowd cheers in excitement, and he walks it across without the slightest hesitation. The last day of the routine he decided to do something very special. Before walking across the falls, he again asks the crowd “how many of you think I can carry this little kitten across?” The crowd tells him that they’ve already seen that, and they want to see something new. And so he then asks them, “How many of you think I can carry across a person in this wheelbarrow?” The crowd cheers wildly in amazement. What a surprise, what a delight: they would be witness to this most spectacular feat! Seeing the crowd’s excitement, he asks, “Do we have any volunteers?” And then the crowd suddenly goes silent. They start looking around at each other. “Who will go?” they all ask themselves. But no one would go. They all trusted in the acrobat’s abilities, but none of them had the faith to act on it.
Rick Hogaboam
Chad
mimi
Brian Andrews
joelmartin
Scott Kistler
About two years ago, our 20s and 30s group at church watched most of the NOOMA videos from Rob Bell, pastor at Mars Hill in Michigan. I liked them as we watched them, but I didn’t realize until later that Bell had his share of critics as well as admirers. Greg Gilbert, director of research for the president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminay, writes a comprehensive, 
