July 31, 2008
Preaching at Wellspring Church
I'll be preaching at Wellspring Church in San Leandro, CA on Sunday, August 10. The subject will be "Singleness and Marriage Matter" and my message will deal with some of the themes in With One Voice: Singleness, Dating, and Marriage to the Glory of God. If you are so inclined, I would appreciate your prayers for my preparation. It has been awhile.
Ligonier Ministries 2009 Nat'l Conf: Holiness of God
R.C. Sproul announces the 2009 Ligonier Ministries' National Conference, whose theme is "The Holiness of God":
When I was preparing to lecture on the holiness of God years ago, I came across this quote from John Calvin’s commentary on Isaiah 6:3: “The angels never cease from their melody in singing the praises of God, as the holiness of God supplies us with inexhaustible reasons for them.” I was reminded that the Protestant Reformers’ understanding of the Creator’s transcendent purity was crucial to their recovery of the biblical doctrines that had been all but lost in their day. Knowing the Lord’s perfect holiness drove them to Scripture, where they found that the righteousness of Christ is the only way anyone can be reconciled to God. In turn, God’s holy love, wrath, knowledge, power, and character gave them inexhaustible reasons to praise Him, as Calvin said. God’s holiness informed the Reformers’ teaching on His unsurpassable worth and motivated them to do all things soli Deo gloria — to the glory of God alone.Speakers include Thabiti Anyabwile, Alistair Begg, Donald A. Carson, J. Ligon Duncan III, Sinclair Ferguson, W. Robert Godfrey, Steven J. Lawson, R. Albert Mohler Jr., R.C. Sproul, R.C. Sproul Jr., and Derek Thomas.
The Conference runs March 19-21, 2009 in Orlando, FL, and will include a mini-conference observation of the life and legacy of John Calvin, whose 500th birthday occurs in 2009.
July 29, 2008
Atty. Gen. Changes Wording of CA Marriage Amendment
The LA Times reports:
Supporters of Proposition 8, the proposed state constitutional amendment that would ban gay marriage, said they would file suit today to block a change made by California Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown to the language of the measure's ballot title and summary.Read the whole thing.Petitions circulated to qualify the initiative for the ballot said the measure would amend the state Constitution "to provide that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California."
In a move made public last week and applauded by same-sex marriage proponents, the attorney general's office changed the language to say that Proposition 8 seeks to "eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry."
Jennifer Kerns, spokeswoman for the Protect Marriage coalition, called the new language "inherently argumentative" and said it could "prejudice voters against the initiative."
The original wording of Proposition 8 reads: "Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid and recognized in California." Given that Steve Smith, campaign manager for No on Proposition 8, applauded the language change, and the fact that some consider Attorney General Jerry Brown a possible candidate for Governor in 2010, this alteration of language (contrary to the desires of those who circulated petitions to qualify the ballot initiative!), seems highly suspect.
Math Performance: Gender Similarities or Differences?
Dr. Hyde (University of Wisconsin) and her colleagues have been studying gender differences in mathematics performance and ability. Last Friday, they published their most recent findings in Science magazine. Their study has generated a bit of a stir among the mainstream media, with headlines such as "Girls as Good as Boys at Math." But not all respondents are striking the same chord. For example, Heather MacDonald of the Manhattan Institute takes issue with Tamar Lewin's New York Times summary and with Janet Hyde's report itself.
What does it all mean? Well, while I won't seek to unduly control the academic & career choices of my daughter(s), I can say that dessert on her third birthday and thereafter will be granted to Karis (squirmy girl on my left) upon (a) successfully eating her dinner and (b) successfully adding (if not multiplying) any pair of whole numbers less than 10.
More on Obama/McCain Joint Appearance at Saddleback
The folks at Saddleback have set-up a website describing the August 16 joint appearance between Senators Barack Obama and John McCain (moderated by Pastor Rick Warren). Ticketing information will be available August 1st.
This historic forum will be the only joint event for the two, and the last public appearance for either candidate prior to the two-week hiatus during each party’s national convention.Due to Secret Service mandate, tickets will be required for the event in the main auditorium, but the program will be broadcast live in multiple venues on the Saddleback campus, as well as on several national broadcast networks and online. It will also be streamed live on www.SaddlebackCivilForum.com.
Related: My previous post
July 28, 2008
Free Preaching Class with Bryan Chapell
Bill Mounce is the President and founder of BiblicalTraining.org, a ministry that seeks to provide seminary-level classes free of charge via the Internet (accessible by some of the poorest of the poor in the majority world). They have launched a new Foundations course called Communicating the Gospel. The new class is a combination of Gary Parrett's class on Christian Education, Bryan Chapell's class on preaching, and Ron Pyle's class on small group (which should be published by August). Byran Chapell is the author of several books, including Using Illustrations to Preach with Power (Crossway, 2001). Chapell's preaching curricula in this course contains three parts:
The Heart of a Christ-centered MessageCheck out this course, along with a list of many more Foundation courses. The goal of the Foundation set of courses is to education laypersons and lay leaders in local churches.
If we speak with the voice of Jesus, it is important that we speak the message of Jesus throughout the whole of scripture. The goal is to understand how all Scripture focuses on Christ. This is the unifying principle that binds all Scripture together.
The Hands of a Christ-centered Message
How do we look at Scripture and see a redemptive message everywhere we turn? The goal is to understand how to interpret Scripture so as to communicate the Christ who is there. Our messages must proclaim that all is a result of God's grace, both salvation and sanctification.
Theology of ChangeHow do Christ-centered messages effect change in the way we live our lives each day? We obey God because we love him, not to avoid punishment or to get things from him. Threatening people with punishment or enticing them with "stuff" cause people to respond to God out of selfish motivations. Encouraging people to obey God because of our love for Him and gratefulness for His love for us produces holiness. If grace is not put into the equation of human works and divine acceptance, then legalism or moralism results. The rules don't change but the reason we obey changes. We motivate by grace, not by guilt.
July 26, 2008
You Cannot Serve God and Money
Matthew 6:24 reads “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” Though this passage is well known, what makes it somewhat odd is the idea of serving money. We tend to think of money serving us rather than the other way around. In What Jesus Demands of The World (Crossway, 2006), John Piper writes a succinct, helpful explanation of this passage:
The surprising thing here is that serving God is compared to serving money. But how do you serve money? Not by helping money or meeting money’s needs. You serve money by treasuring it so much that you shape your whole life to benefit from what money can do for you.So it is with God in the way Jesus sees the service of worship. We do not help God or meet God’s needs (“The Son of Man came not to be served,” Mark 10:45). Rather we serve God by treasuring him so much that we shape our whole life so as to benefit from what he can do for us. And, unlike money, what God can do for us above all other treasures is be for us everything we have ever longed for.
July 25, 2008
Greg Laurie Loses Son Christopher (33) To Car Accident
Pastor and evangelist Greg Laurie (Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, CA) lost his thirty-three year old son Christopher in an automobile accident yesterday (July 24). The Christian Examiner reports:
RIVERSIDE, Calif. — Christopher Laurie—the 33-year-old son of Harvest Crusade evangelist Greg Laurie and his wife, Cathe—died July 24 in a car crash in Riverside County in Southern California, ministry publicist Laura Swickard McGowan, said.Read the whole thing.According to local news reports, Christopher Laurie was traveling on Highway 91, when he entered a carpool lane that was being closed down by Caltrans. The car driven by Laurie then plowed into a Caltrans vehicle.
Please be in prayer for the Laurie family as they enter a difficult season.
July 24, 2008
How Sweet and Awful Is The Place
This is the amazing hymn to which the Together For The Gospel 2008 Slideshow is set:
How sweet and awful is the place
With Christ within the doors,
While everlasting love displays
The choicest of her stores.While all our hearts and all our songs
Join to admire the feast,
Each of us cry, with thankful tongues,
"Lord, why was I a guest?""Why was I made to hear Thy voice,
And enter while there's room,
When thousands make a wretched choice,
And rather starve than come?"'Twas the same love that spread the feast
That sweetly drew us in;
Else we had still refused to taste,
And perished in our sin.Pity the nations, O our God,
Constrain the earth to come;
Send Thy victorious Word abroad,
And bring the strangers home.We long to see Thy churches full,
That all the chosen race
May, with one voice and heart and soul,
Sing Thy redeeming grace.
(HT: Challies)
Rick Warren Defends His Upcoming Presidential Forum
Rick Warren responds to the concern that the August 16 Presidential Forum, a joint appearance with Senators Barack Obama and John McCain to be hosted at Saddleback Church, is co-sponsored by the social justice group Faith in Public Life, whose board president is Meg Riley, a Unitarian Universalist minister who previously ran the denomination's homosexual advocacy office.
Warren says he is not troubled that a left-wing advocacy group will be co-sponsoring the forum at his California church. "Really we just are...co-hosting [the event]," says the pastor. "[T]hey came up with the original idea, but...actually we're in total control of the format, the program, the questions. It's at our church; and so it's not their event, it's our event."Read the whole thing.
(HT: Challies)
July 23, 2008
The Purpose of Marriage: Children and Societal Stability
In light of the upcoming CA vote on the marriage amendment, concerned Christians are wondering how to interact with others about this crucial issue. It may be tempting to immediately resort to the Bible, but that will probably be less than convincing to secularists or those of other religious traditions.
An August 2003 Weekly Standard article from Maggie Gallagher is, I believe, an outstanding example of how to winsomely persuade others that unisex marriage is bad for society. Though somewhat dated now, the issues she raises remain quite valid. Her bottom-line is that children need mothers and fathers. Meanwhile, nearly 40% of U.S. babies in 2006 were born out of wedlock. Gallagher articulately rebuffs the discrimination/civil liberties argument and the predictable "what about infertility" (deliberate or unplanned) response. She reasons entirely from secular categories to secular people. The co-author of The Case for Marriage: Why Married People Are Happier, Healthier, and Better Off Financially
Marriage is the fundamental, cross-cultural institution for bridging the male-female divide so that children have loving, committed mothers and fathers. Marriage is inherently normative: It is about holding out a certain kind of relationship as a social ideal, especially when there are children involved. Marriage is not simply an artifact of law; neither is it a mere delivery mechanism for a set of legal benefits that might as well be shared more broadly. The laws of marriage do not create marriage, but in societies ruled by law they help trace the boundaries and sustain the public meanings of marriage.Another excerpt:In other words, while individuals freely choose to enter marriage, society upholds the marriage option, formalizes its definition, and surrounds it with norms and reinforcements, so we can raise boys and girls who aspire to become the kind of men and women who can make successful marriages. Without this shared, public aspect, perpetuated generation after generation, marriage becomes what its critics say it is: a mere contract, a vessel with no particular content, one of a menu of sexual lifestyles, of no fundamental importance to anyone outside a given relationship.
Of course, many couples fail to live up to this ideal [monogamous, faithful, heterosexual marriage]. Many of the things men and women have to do to sustain their own marriages, and a culture of marriage, are hard. Few people will do them consistently if the larger culture does not affirm the critical importance of marriage as a social institution. Why stick out a frustrating relationship, turn down a tempting new love, abstain from sex outside marriage, or even take pains not to conceive children out of wedlock if family structure does not matter? If marriage is not a shared norm, and if successful marriage is not socially valued, do not expect it to survive as the generally accepted context for raising children. If marriage is just a way of publicly celebrating private love, then there is no need to encourage couples to stick it out for the sake of the children. If family structure does not matter, why have marriage laws at all? Do adults, or do they not, have a basic obligation to control their desires so that children can have mothers and fathers?Read the whole thing.THE PROBLEM with endorsing gay marriage is not that it would allow a handful of people to choose alternative family forms, but that it would require society at large to gut marriage of its central presumptions about family in order to accommodate a few adults' desires.
July 22, 2008
Mohler-Dobson Interaction on Obama (Con't)
The James Dobson - Albert Mohler interaction on Barack Obama was very provocative. Many topics arose, including (predictably) abortion and homosexual marriage. There was also an energetic exchange on whether evangelical interests have shifted away from traditional issues such as abortion and marriage toward other concerns such as poverty and climate change. Dr. Mohler noted that he had read virtually all of Obama's writings (I believe it) and that he regarded Obama as "probably the most liberal presidential candidate to gain a major party nomination in the history of our nation". To see that Barack Obama is to the left of President Clinton (and many others), consider that Obama:
1. Defeated, on several occasions, the Born Alive Infant Protection Act in Illinois (though he's given an explanation for this, he has not, to my knowledge, explained his decision in light of the fact that the U.S. Senate voted 98-0 on an almost identical bill, now a U.S. Law.)
2. Is a co-sponsor of the Freedom of Choice Act, which would protect a woman's right to abortion throughout her pregnancy even if a future Supreme Court repealed Roe v. Wade. (His recent comments about possibly supporting restrictions to late-term abortions are nonsensical in light of his co-sponsoring this bill, and standing before Planned Parenthood in July 2007 promising that “the first thing I’d do as President is sign the Freedom of Choice Act.”)
3. Publicly criticized the Supreme Court's April 2008 Five-Four decision to support the Partial Birth Abortion ban.
4. Has pledged to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (passed overwhelmingly by both houses of Congress and signed into law by President Clinton) as well as the "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy (also instituted by President Clinton). Apparently, neither is sufficiently inclusive.
On a related note, Newsweek has an outstanding cover story this week on Obama's religious pilgrimage. It shows some of the strands of his liberation theology.
Note: Previous post on this topic.
July 21, 2008
Mohler & Dobson on Obama & McCain
Dr. James Dobson and Dr. Albert Mohler discussed Senators Barack Obama and John McCain in a Focus on The Family radio broadcast scheduled to air today. It seems Dr. Dobson has shifted his position, and may endorse McCain.
Update: Having listened to the radio broadcast, I posted a summary and a few reflections.
Obama, McCain: Joint Appearance at Saddleback Church
Yesterday, Dr. Rick Warren, founding pastor of 22,000-member Saddleback Church in Orange County, CA, announced that Senators John McCain and Barack Obama will be making a joint appearance at the Saddleback Civil Forum on Leadership and Compassion on Saturday, August 16. A two-hour (5-7 PM) forum with the two presidential candidates will be held in a non-debate format and will be open to the media. Per the request of both candidates, all questions will be posed by Pastor Warren, and each candidate will receive approximately one hour of direct, uninterrupted interaction with Warren before the audience. The announcement reads (in part):
"We're honored that the candidates chose The Saddleback Civil Forum on Leadership and Compassion for their first joint appearance, an unprecedented opportunity for America to hear both men back-to-back on the same platform," Warren said. "This is a critical time for our nation and the American people deserve to hear both candidates speak from the heart -- without interruption -- in a civil and thoughtful format absent the partisan 'gotcha' questions that typically produce heat instead of light."The primaries proved that Americans care deeply about the faith, values, character and leadership convictions of candidates as much as they do about the issues. While I know both men as friends and they recognize I will be frank, but fair, they also know I will be raising questions in these four areas beyond what political reporters typically ask. This includes pressing issues that are bridging divides in our nation, such as poverty, HIV/AIDS, climate and human rights."
"While debates typically focus primarily on the candidates' positions and only secondarily on how they'd lead and make decisions, this Saddleback Civil Forum will reverse that ratio," Warren continued. "Since the oath of the President is a commitment to protect the Constitution, it's critical to know how each candidate interprets the nature of its principles. Leadership involves far more than promoting programs and making speeches, and since no one can predict what crises will happen over the next four years, it is vital to know the decision capacity and process of each man."
(HT: Benjamin)
July 17, 2008
Bob Kauflin on Truth and Music
(HT: DG Blog)
Come Weary Saints - Review
I've been enjoying Sovereign Grace Music for about seven years now. I love how each song exhibits a distinctive blend of theological precision and musical excellence. I love how my affections are raised in proportion to spiritual truth being more clearly apprehended. I love how the centrality of the substitutionary death, burial, and resurrection of Christ on our behalf is set forth in various lyrics and melodies. The songs help me remember that just as I received Christ (i.e., by faith), so I am to continue to walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith (Col. 2:6-7).
Of course, many of the songs are also uplifting in tempo. Sovereign Grace Music employs a full array of instrumentation and is not averse to drums and electric guitars. I often play albums like No Greater Love while I'm running and doing other forms of vigorous activity. The energizing aspect is a side benefit, and I naturally enjoy this style of music.
Perhaps that is why the first thing that stood out to me in Come Weary Saints was the relative solemnity of the songs compared to those on other albums. I suppose this was not unexpected: I believe this is the first album Sovereign Grace Music has produced that is specifically aimed at ministering to Christians in sickness and suffering. In the product description, they note:
...all our problems don’t end when we turn to Christ. We still get sick. Marriages end. Children die. Our plans, great or small, are disrupted. We grow weary in the battle.Very true. Which is why this album is a most welcome addition to our home. With twelve new songs, there is much that can be said. Song writers include Steve & Vikki Cook, Stephen and Mark Altrogge, Joel Sezebel and Todd Twining, and Peter Gagnon. Bob Kauflin chips in by adapting older songs by Henri Malan (It Is Not Death To Die) and Samuel Trevor Francis (Oh The Deep, Deep Love of Jesus). Kauflin's rendition of the latter is probably one of my new all-time favorite songs (I've listened to it over 100 times).Scripture assures us that God is sovereignly using our difficulties as tools to make us more like his Son. “We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (Ro 5:3–5) While we know these things are true, in the midst of our hardships we can lose perspective. Problems can loom large, and our hopes can grow dim.
I particularly appreciated the unity of message in Come Weary Saints. Each song seemed to complement all the others, as if variations on the same theme: God's faithfulness in the midst of our sufferings and temptations, ordaining all things for our good that we might enjoy Him both now and forever. One song thanked God for the trials and pain through which our faith is strengthened and we are sanctified (Every Day, by Sezebel and Twining). Others focused on the grace of Christ at Calvary which preserves us day by day. Still others spoke of God's ways being higher than man's. Etc..
I highly recommend this album. The songs are wonderful for personal or family worship, for uplifting background music, and for seasons of spiritual lethargy.
July 14, 2008
Keller/Piper on The Mysterious Distribution of Suffering
I previously mentioned Marvin Olasky's interview of Tim Keller in World Magazine. Here's one exchange:
WORLD: When logical arguments about the reason for suffering sound cold and irrelevant to real-life sufferers, what do you do?That brought a question to my mind, which I record below along with Keller's answer:KELLER: You shouldn't say a darn thing. If you're saying someone is right in the middle of it, then I think your job is to speak when spoken to. There is no decent thing to say other than your own presence, which mediates if you are a Christian.
The existential answer is that only Christianity believes that God has entered the suffering world. We don't know what the reason is that God allowed evil and suffering to continue, but we do know what the reason isn't: It's not that He doesn't love us, because if He didn't love us He wouldn't have gotten involved. Whatever the reason is it's mysterious but it's not indifference. The cross proves that.
CHEDIAK: With regard to our not knowing why God allows evil and suffering to continue: Do we not have some clue in passages such as the Luke 13 account of the Tower of Siloam? It seems that God visits us with suffering as a "megaphone" (CS Lewis) to awaken repentance. "Unless you repent, you shall likewise perish." And the persistence of evil, similarly, is due to God's kindness and patience, intended to engender repentance (Rom. 2:4-5, II Pet 3:9). I suppose there is some mystery in the "Why me?" question, if we suddenly get cancer in our later 40s or something. But isn't the question more like "Why not me?" Each new day is an experience of God's mercy.A most helpful distinction. See also John Piper's post today on the very same issue.KELLER: There are two ways to understand the question of the mystery of suffering - the 'why do we suffer?' question. There is an abstract theological version of it and a practical pastoral version of it. By looking to Luke 13 etc you are trying to answer the abstract theological version--which is, "why do human beings suffer in general?" Your answer is a good Reformed one, which I first heard John Gerstner give many years ago. He said, the real mystery is not why we suffer so much but why we suffer so little--the real mystery is why God is so merciful to us. OK. That is perfectly true. In general, our suffering is less than we deserve and in general the human race suffers so we can have the self-sufficiency knocked out of us.
But that's not the 'mystery of suffering' question for most people. They want to know why some people suffer so much more than others, why some relatively good people suffer horrendously and other relatively bad people get off the hook. Biblically, that is the more dominant question--see it in the book of Job, Habakkuk, and all through the Psalms. The real question is why there seems to be such huge unfairness in the distribution of evil and suffering.
I've noticed that young Reformed leaders prefer to look at the suffering issue from the abstract, theological point of view rather than the typical Biblical way or the way most people in suffering look at it. That's OK but you should know the limits of how much it can help people. It is of no use responding to a young husband with two young children who just lost his wife, who says, "why me?"--with the answer, "why not you?" Of course, I know you wouldn't do that (though I'm afraid I've seen it happen.) The strange distribution of evil and suffering is mysterious--God is all-wise and just and we know there is a reason for the distribution but we can't see it from where we stand. We have to trust him. Saying, 'we all deserve even more suffering' is true but not particularly helpful on the distribution issue.
So when in an interview I'm asked about the mystery of suffering, I usually answer the pastoral question, since that is where most inquirers are, or, as in my book Reason for God I separate the two questions and answer each.
Obama and The War in Iraq
Senator Barack Obama writes an op-ed piece in the New York Times, forcefully calling for an end to the military engagement in Iraq. Peter Wehner, former speech writer for President Bush, responds.
Jonathan Edwards' Religious Affections Audio For Free
Christian Audio is offering a free download of the audio book of Jonathan Edwards' The Religious Affections. Simply add it to your cart and use coupon code "challies08" to get it for free. (Challies will be hosting a discussion of this book, as he has previously done with other good books.)
(HT: Tim Challies)
Prodigal Love for the Prodigal Son (C.H. Spurgeon)
Speaking of Tim Keller, I was reminded of the discussion on his forthcoming book, entitled The Prodigal God (Dutton, October 2008). Many have taken issue with Keller's use of the word "prodigal" (see the comments). On the WTS site I saw a link to an old C.H. Spurgeon sermon on the Luke 15 account entitled "Prodigal Love for the Prodigal Son." In ascribing "prodigal" love to God the Father, Spurgeon apparently meant "overflowing" because he notes in the first paragraph that the subject of the sermon will be "the overflowing love of God toward the returning sinner." Excerpt:
See the contrast. There is the son, scarcely daring to think of embracing his father, yet his father has scarcely seen him before he has fallen on his neck. The condescension of God towards penitent sinners is very great. He seems to stoop from His throne of glory to fall upon the neck of a repentant sinner. God on the neck of a sinner! What a wonderful picture! Can you conceive it? I do not think you can; but if you cannot imagine it, I hope that you will realize it. When God's arm is about our neck, and His lips are on our cheek, kissing us much, then we understand more than preachers or books can ever tell us of His condescending love.
July 13, 2008
WORLD Magazine Book of the Year: The Reason For God
Marvin Olasky pens a great article and interview with Tim Keller, author of WORLD magazine's Book of The Year, The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism (Dutton, 2008). Excerpt:
WORLD: What's the difference between proofs of God's existence and "clues of God"—and why is the difference important?Read the whole thing (need to login to access the full text).KELLER: I can give you enough rational reasons to believe in God that fall short of demonstrable proof but that cumulatively give me warrant to say that Christianity makes more sense than alternate views of reality.
There are enough clues of God's existence that when you add them all up it makes more sense to believe in God than to not. That's short of proof. And if somebody says, you haven't proven it to me so I don't have to believe it, they're using a naïve rationality. The fact is, they believe all kinds of stuff they can't prove.
July 12, 2008
Tony Snow (1955-2008)
Tony Snow, former press secretary to President Bush (2006-2007), died this morning as a result of a three-year battle with colon cancer (which spread to his liver). In addition to being a conservative commentator, Snow once had a syndicated talk radio show, The Tony Snow Show.
Perhaps less well known is the fact that Mr. Snow was an evangelical Christian. He wrote an article for Christianity Today in July 2007 called Cancer's Unexpected Blessings. Here's an excerpt:
I sat by my best friend's bedside a few years ago as a wasting cancer took him away. He kept at his table a worn Bible and a 1928 edition of the Book of Common Prayer. A shattering grief disabled his family, many of his old friends, and at least one priest. Here was a humble and very good guy, someone who apologized when he winced with pain because he thought it made his guest uncomfortable. He retained his equanimity and good humor literally until his last conscious moment. "I'm going to try to beat [this cancer]," he told me several months before he died. "But if I don't, I'll see you on the other side."His gift was to remind everyone around him that even though God doesn't promise us tomorrow, he does promise us eternity—filled with life and love we cannot comprehend—and that one can in the throes of sickness point the rest of us toward timeless truths that will help us weather future storms.
Through such trials, God bids us to choose: Do we believe, or do we not? Will we be bold enough to love, daring enough to serve, humble enough to submit, and strong enough to acknowledge our limitations? Can we surrender our concern in things that don't matter so that we might devote our remaining days to things that do?
Snow's article reminded me of a song I've been enjoying from Come Weary Saints. The song is called It Is Not Death To Die:
It is not death to die
To leave this weary road
And join the saints who dwell on high
Who’ve found their home with God
It is not death to close
The eyes long dimmed by tears
And wake in joy before Your throne
Delivered from our fears(Chorus) O Jesus, conquering the grave
Your precious blood has power to save
Those who trust in You
Will in Your mercy find
That it is not death to dieIt is not death to fling
Aside this earthly dust
And rise with strong and noble wing
To live among the just
It is not death to hear
The key unlock the door
That sets us free from mortal years
To praise You evermore
(HT: JT)
July 11, 2008
Church Reform When You're Not the Pastor
Greg Gilbert has three excellent posts so far on the topic.
1. Reform is easier in a small church than in a large one.
2. Do what Christians do---love.
3. Make yourself a help, not a problem, to your church's leaders.
Speaking of being a healthy church member, Thabiti Anyabwile has a new, short book out that spells out ten marks of one:
1. An expositional listener
2. A biblical theologian
3. Gospel-saturated
4. Genuinely converted
5. A biblical evangelist
6. A committed member
7. One who seeks discipline
8. A growing disciple
9. A humble follower
10. A prayer warrior
July 10, 2008
Exaggeration and Overcommitment
My latest article with Boundless webzine has been published. In a nutshell, the article is about how both exaggeration and over-commitment are distortions of the truth. With exaggerations, we stretch the truth to fit our purposes. With over-commitments, we either lie and say we will accomplish what we cannot accomplish, or we neglect our other God-given priorities in order to make our word good. Here's the opening:
I'd already done all the work I could do without the deliverable I needed from Bob. If I didn't get his report, I wasn't going to be able to finish the project on time. He'd told me that he'd have it for me by the end of the day yesterday, and while he meant well, we all knew that Bob just used words differently. End of the day could just as easily mean end of the week. You simply couldn't count on the guy to keep verbal commitments.Check it out.As nice as he was (he always meant well), everyone in the office was starting to make up excuses to avoid having him as a part of their project team.
July 08, 2008
Tough Questions Christians Face - Ligonier Conference
Speaking of conferences, I'm looking forward to attending and live-blogging the Ligonier West Coast Conference entitled Tough Questions Christians Face. From Dr. Sproul's invitation:
Christ has redeemed us to be a light that directs others to Him. Fulfilling this call requires us to be able to deal with the most difficult questions asked about the Christian faith. If we are unprepared for the darkness around us, it will be harder to counter it with the truth of God’s Word.Those six tough questions are:On September 26–27, 2008, during Ligonier Ministries’ 2008 West Coast National Conference in Scottsdale, Ariz., Ligon Duncan, John MacArthur, and I will look at six of the toughest questions Christians face. We will focus on the biblical approach to issues including science, the problem of evil, divine sovereignty, human responsibility, the exclusivity of Christ, postmodernism, and the Gospel.
1. Has Science Disproved the Existence of God? (Ligon Duncan)
2. Why Does God Allow so Much Suffering and Evil? (John MacArthur)
3. If God is Sovereign, How Can Man be Free? (R.C. Sproul)
4. Is Jesus the Only Way? (John MacArthur)
5. Should the Church Embrace Postmodernism? (Ligon Duncan)
6. What is the “Gospel”? (R.C. Sproul)
If you come, look for me typing away in the back of the room and say hi.
Chief Justice Says Sharia Law Could Have UK Role
I don't mean to sound overly alarmist, but yesterday's speech by Britain's most senior judge, the chief justice Lord Phillips, delivered to the London Muslim Council, seems like a step in the wrong direction. Phillips noted:
"It is possible in this country for those who are entering into a contractual agreement to agree that the agreement shall be governed by a law other than English law. Those who, in this country, are in dispute as to their respective rights are free to subject that dispute to the mediation of a chosen person, or to agree that the dispute shall be resolved by a chosen arbitrator or arbitrators."Hmmm. Lord Phillips was quick to add that although sharia law's principles could be used in mediation, this would still be subject to the "jurisdiction of the English and Welsh courts". But isn't sharia law ultimately a law unto itself, a law that claims its authority on the will of Allah? In the minds of those who revere it, can it really be "subject" to the "jurisdiction of the English and Welsh courts"? Equally troubling is Lord Phillips' reflection that advocating the embrace of sharia law in the context of family disputes is not radical. When was the last time a woman had equal treatment in such cases? Read the BBC or the Guardian report.
Cal Thomas classifies the speech as surrender.
C.J. Mahaney on Gospel-Centered Discipline
A great word on how fathers should discipline their children while consistently reminding them of Dad's ongoing battle with sin and Dad's need for a Savior. (Listen to the audio clip.)
July 07, 2008
True Woman 2008: Chicago, IL, Oct 9-11
Looks like an interesting conference. Nancy Leigh DeMoss writes:
True Woman '08 is a call to join thousands of other women who are saying, "Yes, Lord! I want to be Your woman. I surrender my life to be used for Your Kingdom purposes. May my life display Your glory to this generation and the next."General session peakers include John Piper, Nancy Leigh DeMoss, Mary Kassian, Karen Loritts, Fern Nichols, Janet Parshall, Joni Eareckson Tada. Also, pre-conference seminars will be given by Ligon Duncan and Susan Hunt. Numerous workshops will also be held.
Ponnuru on Obama's Empty Abortion Rheutoric
Ramesh Ponnuru writes (in part):
Obama says that the Supreme Court has never interpreted Roe to mean that late-term abortions should be allowed just because the woman "feel[s] blue." At best, he is being highly misleading. To review: Roe said that states could prohibit late-term abortions so long as they made an exception for the health of the mother. The Supreme Court handed down Doe v. Bolton on the same day as Roe. Both opinions were written by Justice Harry Blackmun, who said that they were "to be read together." In Doe, Blackmun wrote that health should be viewed "in the light of all factors—physical, emotional, psychological, familial, and the woman's age—relevant to the well-being of the patient."As a result of Roe and Doe, abortion has been effectively legalized at any stage of pregnancy. The requirement of a broad health exception is the reason that the number of people prosecuted for committing late-term abortions has been vanishingly small since 1973, even though the vast majority of Americans believe such abortions should be illegal.
Obama engaged in a little spin even in the Relevant interview. In the Illinois state legislature he had refused to vote for, and spoken out against, a bill to protect infants who survived abortions. (At some points in the bill's progress he voted "no," at other points "present.") His stand had caused some pro-lifers to label Obama the most pro-abortion candidate ever nominated by a major political party.
He said that the bill was "actually designed to overturn Roe v. Wade," and was not "going to pass constitutional muster." He has said on other occasions that he favored the federal version of the legislation because it included a stipulation that nothing in it would interfere with the right to kill a human being who had not yet been born. This claim is ridiculous. The born-alive bill was never going to "overturn Roe," and the presence or absence of this interpretive clause was never going to make a bit of difference. (And if Obama was using the phrase "pass constitutional muster" to imply a prediction about the fate of the law in the courts, which is how the phrase is often used, then he was wrong.)
Obama's Empty Rhetoric on Abortion
In a recent interview with Relevant magazine (HT: Collin Hansen), a for-profit media group run by twentysomething Christians, Senator Obama sought to clarify his position on late-term abortion, noting:
I have repeatedly said that I think it’s entirely appropriate for states to restrict or even prohibit late-term abortions as long as there is a strict, well-defined exception for the health of the mother. Now, I don’t think that “mental distress” qualifies as the health of the mother. I think it has to be a serious physical issue that arises in pregnancy, where there are real, significant problems to the mother carrying that child to term. Otherwise, as long as there is such a medical exception in place, I think we can prohibit late-term abortions.Obama also responded to the widespread concern on his "No" vote on the Illinois Born Alive Infant Protection Act, or BAIPA:
There was a bill that came up in Illinois that was called the “Born Alive” bill that purported to require life-saving treatment to such infants. And I did vote against that bill. The reason was that there was already a law in place in Illinois that said that you always have to supply life-saving treatment to any infant under any circumstances, and this bill actually was designed to overturn Roe v. Wade, so I didn’t think it was going to pass constitutional muster.Something smelled fishy. Now, Yuval Levin has responded, commenting on the first quote above:
This view would put Obama to the right of Supreme Court jurisprudence on abortion reaching back to the Doe v. Bolton decision that accompanied Roe, and in direct conflict with all the justices he says he admires and with the reigning orthodoxy of the pro-choice movement—including the so-called Freedom of Choice Act, of which Obama is a co-sponsor and which he told a Planned Parenthood audience last July he would make a top priority as president (here’s a transcript and a video, Obama says “the first thing I’d do as president is, is sign the Freedom of Choice Act.”)Levin aptly concludes:After this startling reversal drew some attention over the weekend, Obama offered this clarification to a group of reporters:
Reporter: You said that mental distress shouldn't be a reason for late-term abortion?
Obama: My only point is this — historically I have been a strong believer in a women's right to choose with her doctor, her pastor and her family. And it is ..I have consistently been saying that you have to have a health exception on many significant restrictions or bans on abortions including late-term abortions. In the past there has been some fear on the part of people who, not only people who are anti-abortion, but people who may be in the middle, that that means that if a woman just doesn't feel good then that is an exception. That's never been the case. I don't think that is how it has been interpreted. My only point is that in an area like partial-birth abortion having a mental, having a health exception can be defined rigorously. It can be defined through physical health, it can be defined by serious clinical mental-health diseases. It is not just a matter of feeling blue. I don't think that's how pro-choice folks have interpreted it. I don't think that's how the courts have interpreted it and I think that's important to emphasize and understand.
Clear as mud. Even after this second go, Obama is still clearly at odds with where he was during the primaries and before, with the bill he has championed, with the pro-choice groups who have endorsed him, and with the Supreme Court justices he has said would be his model for future appointments.
July 06, 2008
Whiter Than Snow - Meditations on Psalm 51
I just read the preface and meditations 1-4 of Paul Tripp's collection of fifty-two meditations on Psalm 51. I found them both encouraging and convicting. Entitled Whiter Than Snow: Meditations on Sin and Mercy, this book strikes me as a fantastic devotional aid for those (like me) who are regularly in need of grasping more of the depth of our sinfulness and the magnitude and constancy of God's grace. Tripp shows us that King David's struggles are our struggles as well. And the mercy David found is the same mercy that sustains us every day.
What others are saying:
"Whiter than Snow is music for the sinner's soul. In fifty-two personal, creative, and sometimes poetic devotionals, Paul Tripp responds to Psalm 51 the way a jazz musician improvises on a familiar tune. In making this sweet music, Dr. Tripp makes King David's confession our own, helping us get honest about our sin and opening our hearts to the mercy of Jesus."
- Philip Graham Ryken, Senior Minister, Tenth Presbyterian Church
"Whiter Than Snow: Meditations on Sin and Mercy is convicting and encouraging, cutting and healing. Paul Tripp delves into the misery of sin and the goodness of grace with insight and inspiration. This book wonderfully blessed me, and I pray for its widest possible reading.â€
-Daniel L. Akin, President; Professor of Preaching and Theology, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
Read a brief interview with Paul Tripp about Whiter Than Snow.
July 05, 2008
Tim Keller on the Title "The Prodigal God"
Tim Keller explains his use of the somewhat arresting title The Prodigal God for his forthcoming book. Use of the word "prodigal" as a descriptor of God has caused some controversy (for example, see the comments below this post). Keller sums up the question:
The word ‘prodigal’ is an English word that means recklessly extravagant, spending to the point of poverty, of ‘being in want’ (Luke 15:14.) The dictionaries tell us that the word can be understood in a more negative or a more positive sense. The more positive meaning is to be lavishly and sacrificially abundant in giving. The more negative sense, is to be wasteful and irresponsible in one’s spending. The negative sense obviously applies to the actions of the younger brother in the Luke 15 parable of the two sons. But is there any sense in which God can be called ‘Prodigal’?Read Keller's response.
Conservative Evangelicals Discuss Uniting Behind McCain
AP reports:
Conservative evangelical leaders met privately this week to discuss putting aside their misgivings about John McCain and coalescing around the Republican's presidential bid while urging him to consider social conservative favorite Mike Huckabee as a running mate.Read the whole thing.About 90 of the movement's leading activists gathered Tuesday night in Denver for a meeting convened by Mathew Staver, who heads the Florida-based legal advocacy group Liberty Counsel.
Many evangelical leaders backed other GOP candidates early on and remain wary of McCain's commitment to their causes and his previous criticisms of movement leaders. But with the presidential field now set, many evangelical leaders are taking a more pragmatic view, realizing also that the Democratic candidate, Barack Obama, is making a strong play for evangelical voters and talking freely about his faith.
(HT: Russell Moore)
July 04, 2008
Obama Remaking Himself For General Election
Charles Krauthammer, one of my favorite political writers because of his consistent clarity and wit, has written a pair of articles observing that Obama is now reinventing himself for the general election:
1. On public financing of campaigns: he once pledged to go this route if his opponent did also, now he's the first candidate since Watergate to opt out. Why? He claims its because of all the $20 donations he's received over the Internet -- even as his campaign staff plans a dozen or so high-flyer events, where special guests pay $30,000 or more for face time.
2. On the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), he once pledged to force a renegotiation, take "the hammer" to Canada and Mexico and threaten to walk away. With the primaries over, Obama has completely backpedaled, noting that "sometimes during campaigns the rhetoric gets overheated and amplified." Krauthammer observes:
Today the hammer is holstered. Obama calls his previous NAFTA rhetoric "overheated" and essentially endorses what one of his senior economic advisers privately told the Canadians: The anti-trade stuff was nothing more than populist posturing.
3. Obama pledged in Oct 2007 to oppose any bill which granted retroactive immunity for telecommunications companies that allowed post-Sept. 11 eavesdropping. He's now rescinded that position (conveniently, after the House of Representatives passed such legislation by a 293-192 margin).
4. The DC handgun ban:
Last week, when the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional the District of Columbia's ban on handguns, Obama immediately declared that he agreed with the decision. This is after his campaign explicitly told the Chicago Tribune last November that he believes the D.C. gun ban is constitutional.
5. On Iraq: Withdrawal of troops within 16 months? Now Obama is saying that "when I go to Iraq . . . I'll have more information and will continue to refine my policies."
In summary:
Obama's strategy is obvious. The country is in a deep malaise and eager for change. He and his party already have the advantage on economic and domestic issues. Obama, therefore, aims to clear the deck by moving rapidly to the center in those areas where he and his party are weakest, namely national security and the broader cultural issues. With these -- and, most important, his war-losing Iraq policy -- out of the way, the election will be decided on charisma and persona. In this corner: the young sleek cool hip elegant challenger. In the other corner: the old guy. No contest.Read the whole thing: Part 1 and Part 2. Even a left-leaning editorialist from the NYT has called Obama on his recent spate of flip-flops.
P.S. On the "broader cultural issues" one could mention two obvious ones: his recently stated desire to restrict late-term abortion and to allow faith-based institutions to receive federal money for providing social services. I take both as empty gestures to compete for votes among religious conservatives.
July 02, 2008
Send a Free Postcard to Troops Overseas
Xerox has created an opportunity for millions to send a free printed postcard (designed by American children) to U.S. military personnel stationed abroad. You simply pick a card design, add your own note, and hit send. Xerox takes care of the printing and shipping.
Seems like a good, small way to recognize our troops on Independence Day.
(HT: Chuck Norris)
A Question For Senator Obama
Related: Yuval Levin and Ramesh Ponnuru respond to Obama's recent parsing of his abortion position.
(HT: Joe Carter)
SPONSORS
 |
 |
Search
Categories
Archives
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- August 2007
- July 2007
- June 2007
- May 2007
- April 2007
- March 2007
- February 2007
- January 2007
- December 2006
- November 2006
- October 2006
- September 2006
- August 2006
- July 2006
- June 2006
- May 2006
Recent Posts
- Preaching at Wellspring Church
- Ligonier Ministries 2009 Nat'l Conf: Holiness of God
- Atty. Gen. Changes Wording of CA Marriage Amendment
- Math Performance: Gender Similarities or Differences?
- More on Obama/McCain Joint Appearance at Saddleback
- Free Preaching Class with Bryan Chapell
- You Cannot Serve God and Money
- Greg Laurie Loses Son Christopher (33) To Car Accident
- How Sweet and Awful Is The Place
- Rick Warren Defends His Upcoming Presidential Forum