Dungy returns to Colts

Tony Dungy returned to coaching the Colts a week after his son's apparent suicide. He said, "It was the right time to come back." He continued, "we went through the grieving process and now we're starting with the healing process." During the funeral and after he returned to the Colts he urged parents to make sure they hug their children every chance they get. As a father I cannot even begin to imagine the regret and and blame that you would naturally place at your own feet. If only you were there more, if only you tried harder, if only... The questions will probably always remain unanswered for the Dungy family, but I do hope that the grace of Christ will reign in their lives affording them the hope to make it through the struggle of this life.

Irresponsible and Inexcusable Journalism

The Los Angeles Times has committed a journalistic faux pas. An April Fool's joke ended up on their front page! The reporter who wrote the article admitted that they found their information on the internet and did not even check the source or seek further confirmation of the validity or invalidity of the piece. If they cannot be trusted with so little a story should we venture to trust them on matters far more important? HT: Between Two Worlds

Sermon Fodder

Some good material here.

I am Satan!

Some people claim that they are Jesus Christ. Others claim to be Satan. Roy Lee Henson was arrested for walking around and screaming wildly in Lake County, FL. The only clothing which he was sporting were his boxers around his ankles. So in FL we have a dirty, freaky, white boy running around naked claiming to be Satan. I don't know, maybe he was thinking Santa and was just too drunk to say it correctly. Actually a naked Santa is almost a more frightening image than a naked white Satan. Don't worry - he probably is not really Satan. Now if he only had some horns... UPDATE: Speaking of the Devil: this story is horrid. This is what happens when Catholicism mixes with Animism. Such a deadly brew is what is found in this story of killing the "demons." Only true undiluted Christianity will have the truth which sets the captives free.

Merry Christmas!

Immanuel, God with us. In the fullness of time God sent his son born of the virgin Mary. The eternal and almight creator took upon himself the form of his creation. God became man. He dwelt amongst his people. He tabernacled with us. He became the Word of God incarnate, deity with humanity. He came with a purpose. To set the captives free. He came seeking to save those who were lost. Our creator became our redeemer. He lived the perfect life and died the perfect death for our sakes - that those who believe in him might have everlasting life. That is the true meaning of Christmas.

"I am that Person" Jesus Christ

Jose Luis Espinal adds a new spin on taking the Lord's name in vain. On Friday a Manhattan Civil Courts Judge ruled that Espinal could legally change his name to Jesus Christ. When asked why he wanted his name changed to JC the unmarried and unemployed Espinal said, "This was not done for any reason other than I am that person. You're dealing with the real deal." While Espinal claims to be the real deal I believe the beloved apostle of the true Christ hits the nail on the head when he writes, "Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour" (1 John 2:18). So while Espinal claims to be Jesus Christ God's holy word states otherwise. A little later on John admonishes his readers to test all those who come claiming to be prophets from the Lord:

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error. 1 John 4:1-6

Instead of being a true believer, one who confesses that Jesus Christ who has come in the flesh is from God, Espinal confesses that he himself is Christ. His name change exhibits in all its depravity the spirit of the antichrist.

James Dungy, Dead at 18 yrs. old

Although I am an Eagles, fan having been born and raised in and around Philly, I must confess that my favorite coach in the entire NFL organization is Tony Dungy head coach of the Indianopolis Colts. A few days ago NFL.com posted a great article on Dungy's leadership style (I haven't been able to find the article. I bookmarked it on my desktop which is currently having video card issues). The article was nothing but positive yet what it failed to mention was Dungy's faith in Jesus Christ. I don't know much about Dungy's Christianity but one thing seems true is that it is public and evident to all who surround him. It is with much sadness then to learn of the death of his son James today. He was eighteen years old and was found dead in an apartment in the Tampa Bay area. There is no foul play suspected. Many in the NFL have offered their prayers and support. I cannot imagine loosing one of my children. I honestly don't even want to conjure the thought. Even though I don't know him and will probably never meet him I prayed for him and for his family. Even for a Christian, the loss of a child is devastating. He needs to be reassured of the hope of the gospel even more. I pray that this may be so. It is a sad day for a great man of God. May the Dungy family find rest in the one and only true rock of salvation. UPDATE: It is confirmed that James Dungy has committed suicide although they will not know the official cause of death for a few weeks. Upon reading the initial report of his death and given the fact that there was no foul play suspected I pretty much thought it was a suicide. More importantly than knowing what caused his death physically is why he chose to die. This is the awful burning question which will haunt his family for the rest of their lives.

BUSTed for Praying in Jesus Name

Maybe this is only something a guy would notice, but since I am one I thought it was rather funny. Get it? i am not sure if "busted" was intentionally placed over the bust. The site which this shirt is on, Cafe Press, certainly looks interesting. I am not into Christian t-shirts even if I would agree with their theology (seems to be Reformed?), but the clothing certainly is interesting. I wonder the responses they have had to the "Allah Hates You" t-shirt! Or how about the "Gay Men Must Be Blind" shirt. I have to admit that the design on that one is pretty cool.

Praying in the Name of Nobody

In the armed forces of the United States it is no longer kosher to pray in Jesus' name. It has become increasingly difficult for evangelical Christians to adhere to their biblical faith by offering prayers in the name of Jesus Christ. Instead if they want to pray in public the only deity which can be mentioned is a generic "god." Interestingly though it doesn't seem that Muslims and Jews are facing the same restrictions. At least not as harshly. To remove Jesus is to render Christianity void and meaningless. If there is no Christ there is no gospel, no hope, no salvation and no future promise of eternal reconciliation with the Father. There is only despair and misery. Christ must remain and his name must be held out and louldy proclaimed from the rooftops, boot camps, aircraft carriers and barricks. Christ is to be above all and over all. There is no other option. May those Christian chaplains pray boldly as Daniel did many years ago. May they continue to faithfully pray in the blessed and wonderful name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Child Pornography & Redemption

Today the New York Times reports on a disturbing tale of a Justin Berry (NY Times requires a free membership – this article does contain graphic and disturbing material) who began offering pornographic images of himself online at the mere age of 13. It is a story of sin and misery, but also a story of redemption and hope. Trapped as an under aged victim in the hands of manipulative adults he soon assumed the role of the adult perpetrator. He began selling himself with the hopes of receiving gifts and money. He quickly established a thriving porn business racking in thousands of dollars a month with over 1,500 members who subscribed to his site. It began with a young thirteen year old teenager longer for friendship and companionship. Yet it brought all the wrong kinds of relationships.

His life fell apart in 2003 (then at the age of 16). A drug addict, a child porn-star, and a victim of repeated molestations, Justin began taking other young teenagers down the same path. Then in June 2005 he was contacted by a reporter who was writing a story on child pornography on the web. The reporter convinced Justin to go to the F.B.I. and after a slow start his life began to take a new direction. He received immunity and became a federal witness bringing many sexual predators to justice. He began to restore relationships with his family and the article even hints to his return to Christianity. Of course, that could mean a lot of things, but what the gospel says is that Jesus Christ is the only hope for people like Justin. Those trapped deep within their own sins and transgressions can only find hope and peace through Jesus Christ. If Justin found Christ and turned his life to him then his life which was once a tragedy has now become a masterpiece of the sovereign creator-redeemer of the universe. May it truly be so!

A What?

A Win! After loosing the past ??? games (too many games to want to remember) the Eagles finally squeaked by the St. Louis Rams winning 17-16. Overall it was a rather ugly game. Both teams combined for 28 penalties in the game. Also neither McMahon nor the Rams QBs broke 100 yards throwing. McMahon was sacked four times and threw three interceptions. Yet he did throw the game winning pass to Mike Bartrum for a three yard touchdown. One shining moment was rookie Ryan Moats 59 yard rushing touchdown. Even though a win is way too late for any playoff hopes it still feels good inside. Maybe we'll have a few more this season?

Democracy and Religion in Tension

In a recent op-ed contribution to the New York Times Pankaj Mishra argues that while the West often blames Islamism for the suppression of democratic ideals it is often in fact caused by a form of secularism which stands opposed to religion. Mishra points to Turkey as a test case and in particular the trial of Orhan Pamuk. Pamuk is on trial for mentioning the Armenian genocide along with the slaughter of 30,000 Kurds. The suppression of this genocide and slaughter, the disallowance of free speech, is actually caused by Turkey’s secularist democracy.

Mishra argues that for too long the West has argued for this east versus west, religion versus democracy worldview clash when in fact such a clash is quite different then previously perceived. In fact it is argued that for Turkey the problem is not one of Islamic extremism, but democratic authoritarianism. It is actually Turkey’s pursuit of democracy which has led to the suppression of free speech and the denigration of human rights.

Therefore as Mishra contends, one is too quick to see religious fundamentalism as the universal evil, the paradigmatic bad guy. It is to easy to blame religion when we actually need to be taken a harder and closer look at our own democratic ideology. Mishra writes, “The destructive potential of modern nationalism should not surprise us. Traditional religion hardly played a role in the unprecedented violence of the 20th century, which was largely caused by secular ideologies - Nazism and Communism. Secular nationalism has been known to impose intellectual conformity and suppress dissent even in advanced democratic societies.”

To a certain extent Mishra is correct in the case of Turkey. The country’s pursuit of democracy has often squelched religious and political freedom. With the Advent of Atatürk Turkey became reformed toward a western democracy. After Atatürk’s death Kemalism arose and instead of pursuing a furtherance of democracy the government and more particularly Turkey’s military sought to stabilize the fledgling democracy through autocratic methods. So in effect Turkey sought to keep its democracy stable and secure through the suppression of what democracy strives for. A paradox indeed!

So Mishra is correct to note that democracy gone bad, as in the case of Turkey, can have a stifling affect on freedom. However, religious fundamentalism, particularly in Islamic countries, cannot remain exempt from this charge of suppressing freedom. Does Indonesia, the heaviest Muslim populated country, fall out of Mishra’s radar? This is a country where true democracy would help stabilize and correct and otherwise backward and suppressive Islamic fundamentalism.

Again what Mishra also fails to recognize in placing some of the blame at the feet of democracy is that particularly in the case of Turkey they cannot be classified as a full and true democracy. They are striving towards democratic ideals but they still have a long way to go. So to conclude we can correctly state that democracy gone awry is often to blame for suppression of speech and basic human rights, but on the other hand Islamic fundamentalism as seen is such countries as Indonesia is not without blame. Today the story is often more complex than just ascribing only one guilty party. There are often much more factors to blame and while we must not be too quick to blame religion we must also not be too fast to place all the blame at the feet of democracy. As Mishra concludes we must carefully question our democratic ideologies, but we must also take a hard look at the Islamic suppression of western and Christian freedom.

Boiling Blood

Some blogs I read just to get my blood pressure up. Some are provocative helping you to think about complex issues and others are just down right frustrating. Here are some blog posts that have been provoking my thoughts/anger lately. Scot McKnight, the self-professed pacifist, has written a post on the death penalty which has provoked many, not just myself. I wish I had more time to work out in writing my own thoughts. Maybe someday. Needless to say for the most part I disagree with McKnight. Another blood boiling moment was evoked by emergent. They emergent movement, conversation or whatever it is called will be meeting with some postmodern Jewish leaders for ecumenical dialogue. No suprise there. It was only a matter of time. Well I am starting to get bothered again just writing this so that is enough for now. I thought I would share the maddening madness.

Gospel According to Peanuts

Brent Thomas reminds us of Charlie, Snoopy, Linus and the whole Peanuts gang's Christ centered Christmas. From the reading of Luke 2:8-14 to the singing of Hark the Herald Angels Sing, Charlie Brown's Christmas is full of Christ. Can't wait to watch it this year.

Blah, Blah, Blah

I don't like noisy toys. You know the ones I am talking about. We have a whole bag of them in our basement. And every time you walk near the bag about ten different toys go off making all kinds of annoying noises. If you have children you have a LFT (least favorite toy) as Michele Norris calls them. Unfortunately we have more than I would like. Norris has a nice little piece (Wishing for a Silent Night in Toyland) about noisy toys and the headaches they cause. In the end of reviewing a few obnoxious noisemakers she settles for the mind inspiring creativity found in Lincoln Logs. Not only do these quieter toys make less noise they also allow for more creativity and thought in the child's mind. So if your child receives some annoying gifts for Christmas at the very least take out the batteries and even better suffocate Talking Elmo making sure that his whinny little voice is never heard again. Just make sure you hide the body. :)

Why am I so smart?

Because I drink a lot of coffee! :)

Turning the Other Cheek

Billy Joe Daugherty was calling people forward to profess faith in Christ. One man began walking down the isle and instead of confessing Christ he clocked Daugherty in the face. It was an altar call gone awry. He was preaching on giving praise and thanksgiving. With blood coming down his face he continued preaching. Forgiving the unforgiveable Daugherty said, "We don't forgive because we feel like it. We forgive because it's the right thing to do." Another reason to add to my list against performing altar calls! :)

Militant Islam & Russia

Militant Islam is on the rise in Russia and the Russian government is doing something about it. Very interesting article.

Missions, Orality, and the Bible

About a month ago I made brief mention about oral based cultures and the dangers of using solely a chronological bible study approach. Dave Revnak added some helpful comments to my post offering good clarification. On his blog he also points to a recent article by John Piper entitled Missions, Orality, and the Bible. Here are nine questions which Piper raises.

1. Will we Westerners who have had the Bible in our languages for five centuries and who have access to Greek and Hebrew in which the Bible was verbally inspired keep this privileged position for ourselves?

2. Or will we humble ourselves and labor with all our might to help other peoples and cultures have the same access we have to a full and right understanding of the scriptures so that they do not have to depend on cultural outsiders telling them what God’s words say and what they mean and how they should be applied culturally and religiously and missiologically?

3. Will we tell pre-literate and less-literate peoples and cultures that all authoritative religious truth comes from God through a single inspired book, and that all oral communication about God and his ways, no matter where it happens anywhere in the world, depends for its final reliability on this book, the Bible?

4. Will we clarify for them that, although all other holy books may have some helpful religious insights, nevertheless they do not have any final authority from God, but only the Bible does?

5. Will we tell them that this Bible was first written in Greek and Hebrew, the languages that God used when centuries ago “men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21)?

6. Will we make sure they understand that if they remain only oral and do not someday raise up a generation who can read this book and study it in the original languages, they will remain dependent on outsiders for the divine truth God has given only through the Book?

7. Will we joyfully concur that access to the words of God in the Bible in one’s own language is a blessing greater than health and life, and that the golden rule gives us the privilege and duty to give other people and peoples the blessing that has come to us without our deserving it or planning it?

8. Will we labor for the long-term strength of the church among all unreached and less-reached peoples, by empowering them with the ability to read and study the Bible in the original languages, in the desire that the Lord may come very soon, but in the sober possibility that he may delay his return for centuries?

9. Will we labor to reverse the Western cultural trend away from reading, in the conviction that, when one moves away from reading, one moves away from a precious, God-given, edifying, stabilizing connection with God’s written word?

It should be our supreme desire to have all the nations worship Christ and have the ability to study his word in the original languages. God has revealed himself in words and it should be our mission that others may come to know these words. More importantly to know the Word - Jesus Christ - who today is known through the word of Scripture.

Belief and Disbelief

Some people believe in witches while others disbelieve the extent of the holocaust. Some beat others with bibles and some think that Jews died from various diseases not gas chambers. Both of their beliefs has brought them jail time. The witch hunters need to visit an insane asylum while the historian David Irving needs to visist Auschwitz. Then they will realize that their belief and disbelief is only misbelief.

A Theologian’s Task

Religion, the fear of God, must therefore be the element, which inspires and animates all theological investigation. That must be the pulsebeat of the science. A theologian is a person who makes bold to speak about God because he speaks out of God and through God. To profess theology is to do holy work. It is a priestly ministration in the house of the Lord. It is itself a service of worship, a consecration of mind and heart to the honour of His name.

Herman Bavinck’s Inaugural Address as Professor of Systematic Theology in the Free University of Amsterdam

Football's Biggest Crybaby

The biggest crybaby in football is history. At least for Philly. Terrell Owens is gone. I never wanted him in Philly and although he may have made some good plays he is not worth the money they are paying him. He was just a headache. But thankfully he is gone. Bye bye T.O. can't say we'll miss ya. Even though the Eagles lost I thought rookie Reggie Brown had a great game - 94 yards on five catches and his first NFL touchdown. We won't even miss the crybaby.

Pray for Turkey

From November 5-7 the country of Turkey is the focus country on Operation World's Pray Today website. Please join us as we pray for the 65+ million Muslims who live without Christ in the least reached nation in the world.

The Supra-Cultural Gospel

The gospel transcends culture and worldview. It is not confined to any one culture, worldview, or people group. It is the good news for every culture, every worldview, and every people group. Yet, somewhat paradoxically, it is always wrapped up in culture and worldview. While it transcends culture and worldview it can never be separated from culture and worldview to exist as a bare gospel. The gospel message, indeed the entire Scriptures were written in a cultural context and we must know biblical culture in order to appropriate Scripture for our culture. The gospel is wrapped up in the culture in which it was written. God predetermined that his word would be written in a historical-cultural context. Therefore his word is enveloped in culture. Yet, his word transcends culture – it can be placed into every culture and applied to every person because it is the revealed will of the Lord for all of his creation.

The Christian and the Old Testament

Many Christians today either outright dismiss the Old Testament or there are others who give lip service to it but in practice see no relevance in it. Yet all of Scripture is clear – the Old Testament is essential for the Christian believer for it contains the very words of God. There are numerous reasons as to why the OT offers an essential message for Christians. Here are a few brief ideas in no particular order.

1. The Sovereign Plan of God. In the providence of God he has determined to provide his people with a twofold covenantal book. The Lord of the Old and New Testaments did not plan and purpose for the writing and establishment of the OT only for the purpose of it being superseded by the New Testament. The Holy Spirit has sovereignly preserved the whole Bible over thousands of years.
2. Progressive revelation. The OT begins the story of creation, fall, redemption and the NT fulfills it. We are left in suspense with the ending of the OT. We have reached the height of the problem. How will God solve this problem of sin and depravity set forth in the OT? Well, that is what the NT completes. It is the rest of the story, the grand finale, and the climax of the Biblical story. Christ is shown to be the answer, the redemption from the fall into sin. Without the NT it would be like reading a mystery novel with never finding out “who did it?” With the NT alone it would be finding out “who did it” without knowing what they did.
3. The OT is foundational to the NT. The NT cannot be properly understood without the OT and vice versa: the OT cannot be properly understood without the NT. The Bible is a unity and Christians should view it as a complete whole. We should not call ourselves NT Christians, but biblical Christians. The Old Testament is the foundational structure for the New Testament superstructure. And the NT is the only interpretive lens for understanding the OT biblically.
4. 1 Corinthians 10:6. “Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did.” The history of the OT is a historical lesson for Christians. The sins, failures and accomplishments of the Saints in the OT serve as illustrations of what the NT teaches didactically. For example, David’s sin with Bathsheba serves as an example of how Jesus defined adultery in Matt. 5:28. David’s lust began with a look and was carried out into the physical act of adultery. Yet, this story also highlights the radical forgiveness of God found ultimately in Christ (Psalm 51).
5. It is the Story of Jesus. This is what Christ himself argues. Luke 24:25-27: He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.[1]
6. Shadow and Reality. The OT paints a picture of the need of Christ while the NT shows the reality of Christ. In the OT the absolute necessity of Christ is set forth with all the rules and regulations of the OT. The sacrificial system points to the need of a perfect sacrifice which was fulfilled by Christ on the cross. Christ is needed in the OT, but Christ is here, present in the NT. The shadow becomes reality.[2]
7. Jesus’ use of the OT. Our Lord himself continually quotes and alludes to the OT. He provides clarification on its stipulations and also fulfills the law perfectly like no other could. Also for Christians who seek to follow Christ shouldn’t we understand his exaltation of the OT as God’s words and then seek to do likewise?[3]
8. Paul’s use of the OT. Paul quotes the Old Testament approximately ninety-three times. Ladd argues that the purpose of Paul quoting the OT is not so much to prove the validity of prophecy but to show the NT continuity with the OT.[4] In other words, Paul uses the OT to provide justification for the NT.
9. Timothy 3:16-17. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Paul here particularly referring to the OT says that the words of God are profitable for numerous things. The OT Scriptures are important and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.
10. Deuteronomy 32:45-47. “When Moses finished reciting all these words to all Israel, ⁴⁶ he said to them, "Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of this law. ⁴⁷ They are not just idle words for you-- they are your life. By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess." The words of Scripture are the words of life. For both the OT and NT saints the OT is made up not of idle words, but words that give life. All of Scripture holds out words of life to those who will hear it call.

---

[1] See Edmund P. Clowney, The Unfolding Mystery: Discovering Christ in the Old Testament (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R, 1988); Charles D. Drew, The Ancient Love Song: Finding Christ in the Old Testament (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R, 1996, 2000) and Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., The Messiah in the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1995).

[2] See Tremper Longman III, Immanuel in Our Place: Seeing Christ in Israel’s Worship (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R, 2001) and Vern S. Poythress, The Shadow of Christ in the Law of Moses (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R, 1991).

[3] Graeme Goldsworthy, The Goldsworthy Trilogy: Gospel and Kingdom (Paternoster Press, 1981, 2000). He writes, “The Christian cannot be committed to Christ without being committed to his teaching. It follows that Christ’s attitude to the Old Testament will begin to convey itself to the Christian who is carefully studying the New Testament” (19).

[4] George E. Ladd, A Theology of the New Testament. Rev. Ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1974, 1993): 432-434. He writes, “Paul’s use of the Old Testament is not so much to seek a one-to-one equating of prophecy and fulfillment as to place the new redemptive events squarely in the stream of Old Testament redemptive history” (433).

Anti-Christian Riot in Egypt

The showing of a two year old play in a Coptic church in Alexandria, Egypt sparked a riot brining about 5,000 Muslims descending down upon the church. Police had to use tear gas and rubber bullets in order to quell the crowd. One man was killed after being trampled in the mob. Muslims tried to storm St. George Church as they pelted the building with stones. The DVD was a taped performance of a play entitled "I was Blind but now I can See." It portrays the story of a Christian who turns to Islam and later becomes disillusioned with his new faith. He is later "saved" by a Muslim. Egypt's Ministry of Interior described those rioting as "fanatic elements" but one has to wonder if 5,000 people are all fanatics confused about the true nature of Islam or 5,000 people who see the very heart of Islam as being anti-Christian.

Culture and Worldview

Some brief thoughts about culture and worldview: Culture is the “how” and “what” of life. A worldview is the “why” behind the “how” and “what”. Culture is the “how” of life. It is how we live out our lives having been shaped and molded from birth. It is also the “what” of life. What is life made up of? What is the world and what is our place in it? On the other hand, worldview is the “why” of life. It seeks to explain the “how” and “what” of life. Worldview functions to explain how we do things and what those things are in relation to God, the world, and self. While some distinction can be made between the two we must be careful to not press their differences. There is an intricate reciprocity between the two. Culture helps shape and form worldview, but worldview also shapes culture. One cannot exist without the other.

God's Work in Salvation

Will Metzger, in his excellent book on evangelism, argues that salvation is an absolute work of the sovereign and living God. He artfully spends most of his book describing and declaring the depravity of sin and the glory of the gospel. While his book has some detail on methods it is primarily based about the message – the gospel of Christ. He beautifully proclaims the work of our mighty God in salvation:

So God, in Christ, calls to us in our complacency. We hear the outward call offering good news, but we are unwilling. Then the Holy Spirit enters the basement and turns up the heat of conviction. We now have an inner urge, a desire to get out of that house. That desire is fanned into a passionate flame by Christ’s alluring beauty and his provision of a place of safety and love – at home with the Father and adopted into his family. I became willing and choose Christ because of what I desired in my mind was changed by God’s empowering, evocative grace! Sovereign grace gives power to obey, as well as grants pardon for disobedience. My will is freed.

Thoughts on Orality

In a class discussion I was recently asked the following. Below is my answer. About 70% of the world consists of oral cultures -- people who do not, cannot, or will not read. 50% of the world is illiterate and over 70% of the Unreached People Groups of the world are illiterate. Using oral methods like Chronological Bible Storying allows missionaries to win and disciple people from those cultures but many find these methods too "loose" since there is no written Bible. Consider that about 2/3 of the 6809 languages of the world do not have a scrap of Scripture. How can we use oral means to share the Gospel? Is an oral format enough? What if they never get a Bible? How can you adjust your methods while ensuring that you do not change the message? ---------------------------------- Orality has its limits and I think those limits need to be recognized. Chronological Bible Storying is helpful in evangelistic and new Christian contexts. However, it cannot be the end. For discipleship to continue there must be a progression of faith and understanding of Scripture. I think we need to be careful of saying that just because 70% of the world consists in oral based cultures that we should exclude or minimize the written word. Literacy is not a bad thing and I believe it is something that we as Christians should strive to bring to those remaining peoples who have no written language. With that being said I don’t think that written language is an end all either. Both oral and written language communication is helpful and important for sharing the gospel. If a people group were to never receive a written Bible in their own language then I don’t think they would be ostracized from Christ. I doubt the repentant thief on the cross was able to read from the Scriptures, before he entered paradise with his Savior. For salvation one must only hear the word proclaimed and then respond by believing and confessing Jesus is Lord. Nonetheless, for Christian maturation I believe that the written word is needed. God, in the mystery of his providence, has chosen for His Words to be written down. This began with Moses and has been carried on throughout the ages. A danger of having no written Bible is that over time the possibility of the oral word becoming corrupted is too great. God has his word written for its preservation. It has been kept securely for thousands of years. If his word is to have any abiding affect in a culture for many generations than it must become ink on paper. If at the very least just for the sake of its preservation. Another problem particularly with Oral Bible Storying is when one comes to the epistles. Storying is just that – telling a story. Try explaining Ephesians 1 or Romans 9-11 in a story. These texts are written in propositional language and while their truths can be illustrated with stories the truths themselves – the way God has chosen to word his words – are given propositional statements. Some cultures may think more abstractly while other more concretely, but this does not negate the fact that both cultures need to learn and understand communication in both abstract and concrete terms.

Cultural Anthropology

Stephen A. Grunlan and Marvin K. Mayers, Cultural Anthropology: A Christian Perspective. 2nd edition. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1979, 1988. Cultural Anthropology is an introductory book written by two Christian anthropologists for Christian missionaries and pastors. The sub-title declares after all that it is a “Christian Perspective.” Grunlan and Mayers have taken various insights which they have learned from studying anthropology and have applied it to the Christian context. They have correctly noted the usefulness of anthropological study for the task of missions in particular and any cross-cultural encounter in general. One of the most helpful contributions this book provides is its discussion of Cultural Relativity in relation to Biblical Authority. Cultural relativity is achieved when one recognizes that no two cultures are alike and that those differences do not necessarily constitute matters of validity or non-validity. The rightness of wrongness of culture cannot be determined solely by comparing it with another culture. This recognizes that every culture has problems and no culture is superior to the other. Yet, if one held only to cultural relativity than one would slide deep into a morass of relativism. Everything in every culture would become acceptable and right. It is here where it becomes necessary to recognize the authority of the Bible. Biblical absolutes help ground cultural relativity. In fact, biblical authority is the bedrock foundation upon which cultural relativity is built. Biblical authority shows that there are some things within culture and transcending culture which are wrong. Scripture is the ultimate authority in matters of right and wrong. Every culture and every cultural practice must be weighed by the teaching of Scripture. Therefore, “each culture defined the situation (cultural relativity), but it was on the basis of the biblical principles (biblical authority) that the action was evaluated” (260). Such recognition of biblical authority keeps cultural relativism in check. Unfortunately, the book suffered from what I thought were some basic shortcomings which affected its usefulness. First, throughout the book, there is a quiet tendency to drift more toward cultural relativism than toward biblical authority. Of course, this is after all a fine line and I am sure that no one can walk it without falling, yet I do believe that Grunlan and Mayers were in danger of falling off in numerous places. While for the most part I agree with their understanding of cultural relativity and biblical authority I don’t think we should hold to it to tightly. There are many times where the Bible may not specifically speak to an issue and yet one culture may have a better way than the other. Cultural relativity can tend to smack of arrogance in saying that both cultures are right. What actually needs to be done is for both cultures to have a willingness to listen and learn from each other. There may be some things that are “culturally relative” but should none the less be changed for the better of the culture. One of things that what most annoying in reading this book is that for most chapters it read like a dictionary with examples. They would define a term and then provide a few examples from some preliterate culture and then define another term along with more examples. There didn’t seem to be much of a critical evaluation of the terms they were borrowing from secular anthropology. Maybe the inclusion of more in-depth case studies would have proven more helpful than just brief illustrations of the definitions they provided. One can quickly get bogged down in trying to remember what endogamy, proximic communication, sororate marriage, and phratry are. Thankfully they at least provided a glossary of terms at the back. Despite a lot of the profuse vocabulary the book remained rather readable. The illustrations helped move the book along, but after a while they grew tiresome. I would have enjoyed them using more illustrations from western and Middle Eastern countries along with the smaller tribal communities which they primarily used. This book is written for a selective audience. Those interested in tribal missions in particular and those who have an interest in other cultures would benefit from reading this work. I honestly question its usefulness for pastors who already know the culture in which they minister. Yet, for the missionary it does help awaken their eyes to be prepared for what they are about to step into when they first get off that plane and enter into a new culture.

Mr. Freethinker

A guy nicknamed “Freethinker” left a comment on my blog so I naturally checked out his blog. As a humanist atheist, Freethinker’s blog is a splash of color and life, yet sadness and death. This is the subtitle of his blog: Freethinker: "One who forms opinions on the basis of reason independent of authority; especially one who doubts or denies religious dogma." I left the following in the comments section on his blog. ----------------------------------------- "Freethinker": Thanks for stopping by. Of course the Folsom Street Fair (FSF) is not just for homosexuals. It is for all of those who seek to pervert that which is good. FSF is actually a radical perversion of how sex was intended. Such a perversion is the result of rebellion against God their Creator. Of course, you personify this rebellion in your blog and by your very assumption of being a "freethinker." This is what the Bible says: "For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator-- who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion." I like your definition of a free thinker. Unfortunately it is rather naive. In your free thinking you have only traded in the true God of the Bible for a false and enslaving religion with yourself and/or reason as god. You rule your life and you have traded in one "religious dogma" for another. You are now your own authority. If you are not your own god than from your definition you seem to have placed reason as your deity. For many, reason becomes their sole authority and religion. The very sad thing is that reason is so corrupted. Interestingly, you unwittingly exalt reason as an unquestioned, infallible and sure dogma. The very thing you despise in “religious” people you end up doing yourself with reason. It seems that you have placed a lot of your faith in reason and reason alone. Do you really believe that you can reason independently of all authority and religious thought? This is only possible if you were to exist in a vacuum of nothingness. You are shaped by authority and by religion. I no doubt believe that you are a very religious person. Of course you reject Christianity, but you seem to have developed your own atheistic religion. One of the main tenets of such a man-centered religion is the rejection of Jesus Christ and the only true religion he offers. As the Bible says you have exchanged the truth of God for a lie. I would much rather be labeled as a critical thinker. One who seeks after the truth and determines its validity or invalidity through careful study and attainment of knowledge. Such free thinking to which you espouse only results in a free fall of the mind and soul. Have you ever read completely through and understood that which you so quickly denigrate – the Bible? Do you understand truly the message of Jesus Christ? Yet, by rejecting the God of the Bible and his Son Jesus Christ you have allowed your thinking to become futile and as punishment God has given you over to your sin. However, God is in the habit of saving and changing those who hate him. Paul, one of the main writers of the New Testament hated God before his life was changed after he realized who Jesus Christ was and what Christ had done. In fact, he actually killed Christians, much worse than your denigration with words. Yet, God demonstrates his love for the world in this way – while we were still in our sin, still with our corrupt God hating minds – he sent his Son to die on the cross to take away our sins. If you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ you will be saved. Your mind will be renewed. Your thinking will be aligned with the way it was created to be. You will know your God, your creator. Of course, all this only appears as foolishness to those who are perishing, to those who reject and hate God. Yet it is the greatest wisdom to believe in the one who created you. Whether you believe it or not you were created to worship, you were created religious. Yet, because of the sin of your heart you have rejected the only way to restore true worship to the one and only true God. By believing in Jesus Christ you will restore that relationship. This is not foolishness, but hope and life for now and in the next. Thank you for your time in reading this. Thank you for posting your comment on my blog. Please feel free to respond if you would like. I would very much like to hear your thoughts about what I have said. By the way I agree with you – I would rather listen to Green Day over Stryper any day! I certainly think they are right in Jesus of Suburbia. Many who claim to be Christians have so distorted Christianity that it has become unrecognizable. Too many Christians offer a watered down Jesus tailor made for what people want – what will make them feel good. This is not at all how the Bible presents the almighty Son of God. They are also right: “No one ever died for my sins in hell as far as I can tell.” Jesus did not die in hell; he died on a cross some 2,000 years ago outside of the city of Jerusalem. It was there he died for the sins of those who believe on him. And three days later by the power of God he arose from the dead and now he stands at the right hand of God the father awaiting the time of judgment and salvation. “As far as [you] can tell” Jesus may never have died for your sins, but I tell you the truth – if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved. You will not stand condemned. You will have eternal life. You will not stand at the “end of another lost highway” but you will stand before the One who is the Way and the Truth and the Life. Foolishness…maybe. Words of life – definitely!

Turkey and Austria

Austria is becoming a thorn in Turkey's side in regards to getting the talks for EU membership underway. Austria wants to be able to offer Turkey, what amounts to a second rate EU membership, in case full EU membership breaks down. Turkey adamantly rejects this "second-class status." UPDATE: Talks have begun...

San Fran's Folsom Street Fair

On September 25, 400,000 people from the homosexual community congregated in San Francisco for the purpose of raising money to benefit homosexual and AIDS agencies. The event, ,Folsom Street Fair (click at your own risk - homosexually activities pictured), raised over $265,000. Yet, the interesting thing is that hardly any of the media has picked up the story. Why? Because of what takes place at this event. Let's just say it makes Sodom and Gomorrah look mild. Baptist Press has an interesting article on the event and its lack of media coverage.

Turkey and the Mentally Disabled

The New York Times has an interesting editorial on Turkey's "torture" of the mentally handicap. A recent report released by Mental Disability Rights International claims that 1/3 of those in psychiatric rehabilitation for mental retardation receive electric shock therapy. After having skimmed the report it seems that electric shock therapy is mild compared to some of the other things that mentally handicapped people in Turkey must face. The reality is that this happens in probably just about every country to a certain extent. MDRI's website documents many different cases of abuse in many different countries - Turkey is just in the limelight now because of its hopes of joining the EU. I agree though with the NY Times editorial in that Turkey should take advantage of this to help form a corrective for the sake of their membership in the EU and more importantly for the sake of those who suffer under such corrupt circumstances.

Architeuthis

There is just something that fascinates me about the Architeuthis, or the Giant Squid. There is something all together mysterious about this creature which roams in the darkest depths of the ocean. It defintely seems to be true that the Ocean is the last frontier. There are so many mysteries which we are only beginning to discover. God is surely a creative God. Such creatures only declare the glory and wonder of the Creator of heaven and earth.

An Autobiographical Deconstruction of Nietzsche

Here is mt stab at getting to the heart of the life and thought of Friedrich Nietzsche God is dead and I have killed him. I am now dead and I have killed myself. This is the chronicle of my great existence. I am Dionysus against the crucified. First, let me begin with the murder of myself. I was born on October 15, 1844 in Rocken in the Prussian province of Saxony (Germany). My father was a Lutheran minister and both of my grandfathers were Lutheran clergymen. I am already dead as to my father and yet remain alive while becoming old as to my mother. My father died while I was at the age of four. I was told that he used to keep me by his side, as he would prepare his sermons or play the piano. After he died I was left as the only male in a household consisting of my sister, mother, grandmother, and two aunts. In 1865 I departed to the University of Leipzig and it was there where I encounter the work of Arthur Schopenhauer. His The World as Will and Representation, awakened me to the reality of suffering and conflict. His pessimism proved to be my optimism. In his work I discovered that suffering and pain were essential to life and in many ways were the foundation of life. To live purely as a rational Apollonian is to self-destruct. One need also be a Dionysian to lavish in suffering, pain, frivolity and the orgiastic. At the age of 24, before I even received my doctorate, I was appointed to a professorship of philology at Basel. I remained at Basel from 1869 to 1879 when constant sickness forced me out of teaching. Suffering seduced me and actually strengthened me. That which does not kill me only makes me stronger. I endured suffering physically and also professionally as my book The Birth of Tragedy was seen by many in philology to be a failure in the field. It is true that my Zarathustra is the greatest of my works, indeed the greatest of all works. I have continually been misunderstood, but do not perceive a time where humanity will come to their senses. It remains for them to see that I am no man, but that I am dynamite. My sister, Elisabeth, has also been an enigma to my mind. My relationship with her has been up and down yet it seems to have remained in the dregs. I have come to realize that in her character is everything, which I wish not to become. Her marriage to Bernhard Foerster, the anti-Semite, has reviled my soul. Her madness is sickness and I no longer which to see her and I have sought to avoid her husband for many years now. The anti-Semitic hubris of Germans is ironic in that Germany has in corrupted culture, learning, and truth. Germans are incapable of any notion of greatness and this is most evident in the arrogance of my brother-in-law. Anti-Semitism has even captured the heart of Richard Wagner. I could not have survived my youth without his music, but now find him as standing against everything, which is German. Wagner was once the hashish I needed to rid myself of being condemned as German. He was an antitoxin of everything German. How then is it possible that he has become a Christian? Is this to explain his hatred for the Jews? While he has been the great benefactor of my life and I have often greatly enjoyed his company I must remain contra Wagner. To become what one is, one must not have the faintest notion of what one is. In not knowing myself I come to best see myself as I am. It was on this day, January 3rd 1889 when I was walking through town and came upon a coach driver whipping his horse. Rage infected my heart at this act of brutality and I rushed to protect the animal. I wrapped my arms around the animal’s neck and was no more. I remain human, all too human. Secondly, let me speak to you of the death of God. I am predisposed to atheism. I do not understand such concepts as sin and guilt. Christian morality is the climactic foolishness of the ages. I am not child like enough to have a conscience, which is pricked by such imaginative doctrines. I have no experience of sin, no perception of guilt. What are these teachings but the herd morality of a religion with a God who is no longer. I am too inquisitive, too questionable, and too exuberant to accept the gross answer, which Christianity provides. God is a gross answer, one that I cannot live with. I will seek to annihilate Christian morality. I am the first immoralist. I am the annihilator par excellence. I reject the lies of Christian truth, the lies of Christian morality. Benevolence is not virtue it is weakness. Humility is arrogance. I do not want to be holy. In fact every “holy” man of whom I encounter I must wash my hands. Holiness reviles me. The God of Christianity is weak. He must be overcome. Where is this God? Is he asleep? Is he unable to hear? Has he forgotten? Is he able? No, he is dead and I have killed him. The bloodstained knife remains in my hands. The acrid smell of his decomposing body is a constant and putrid stench breathed in my nostrils. Where can I escape from his death, where can I run from his ruined presence? God is dead and the only way to escape him is to become him. I shall become God. I shall become the Ubermensch. I will strive with my all to fill the place of God. I shall not be the last man that Zarathustra spoke of. The last man sacrifices the future. I however shall become the future. I will not lie around but instead I will seek to conquer. I know my fate and I know that one day I shall attain, one day I shall become greatly known. This will come about because I am so wise. I have realized that God is dead and that the ultimate goal of my life is to fill his place. I do not want to become God but to become better then him; I want to become more than human. I am war like by nature. I will achieve the status of Ubermensch by waging war on morality, reality, and the truth, which is really all a lie. In essence I will wage war on Christianity. It is here, in Christianity, where all error stems from and flows forth. I do not want to become a victim of Christianity, but to expose the lies, which have been promulgated throughout the ages as the truth. Attacking is one of my instincts and therefore I myself am an opponent of Christianity. I am the Antichrist. Christianity is an oppressive religion, which seeks to exploit its adherents by positing superstition, which only strives on stupidity and weakness. Christians indeed have destroyed Christ. The New Testament has made Christ into a week queer who taught some quasi-feminist morality. The will to power is to be far more exalted. It is in overcoming the follies of religion where one will find the true meaning of this deranged life. It is not to be found in Christ or in the endless meanderings of the New Testament. Christianity is empty, a vacuous religion which seeks to suppress the truth in the name of righteousness. Humanity must relearn the truth and I will be her teacher. Throughout the ages man has only known meager imaginings of the heart, which leads astray. For the one who seeks after pleasure, laziness and immorality let him find it in religion. However for the one who seeks after the truth let him strive against reality, against Christianity, and against our cultural conception of truth. I am the truth and you can become the truth for there is no such thing as truth. Let us return to where we began. God is dead and so am I. I revel in the death of God and glory in the death of self. For God is dead and I have killed him. I am dead and have killed myself. The bloody knife drips wet with a mixed blood for now I have become more than human and more than God. I am the wise. I am the clever. I am a destiny. I am the murderer of God. I am the murderer of myself. I am Apollonian. I am Dionysus. I am all too human. I am the Ubermensch, the superman.

An Ugly Win!

It wasn't pretty but it was a win. David Ackers, suffering through a hamstring injury, managed to kick the winning field goal with 9 seconds left to give the Eagles the victory over a persistent Oakland Raiders.

The Semi-Pelagian Narrower Catechism

This little piece has been making its way around the blogosphere. It is pretty funny. Thanks Scott for pointing it out.

1. Q: What is the chief end of each individual Christian? A: Each individual Christian's chief end is to get saved. This is the first and great commandment. 2. Q: And what is the second great commandment? A: The second, which is like unto it, is to get as many others saved as he can. 3. Q: What one work is required of thee for thy salvation? A: It is required of me for my salvation that I make a Decision for Christ, which meaneth to accept Him into my heart to be my personal lord'n'saviour. 4. Q: At what time must thou perform this work? A: I must perform this work at such time as I have reached the Age of Accountability. 5. Q: At what time wilt thou have reached this Age? A: That is a trick question. In order to determine this time, my mind must be sharper than any two-edged sword, able to pierce even to the division of bone and marrow; for, alas, the Age of Accountability is different for each individual, and is thus unknowable. 6. Q: By what means is a Decision for Christ made? A: A Decision for Christ is made, not according to His own purpose and grace which was given to me in Christ Jesus before the world began, but according to the exercise of my own Free Will in saying the Sinner's Prayer in my own words. 7. Q: If it be true then that man is responsible for this Decision, how then can God be sovereign? A: He cannot be. God sovereignly chose not to be sovereign, and is therefore dependent upon me to come to Him for salvation. He standeth outside the door of my heart, forlornly knocking, until such time as I Decide to let Him in. 8. Q: How then can we make such a Decision, seeing that the Scripture saith, we are dead in our trespasses and sins? A: By this the Scripture meaneth, not that we are dead, but only that we are sick or injured in them. 9. Q: What is the assurance of thy salvation? A: The assurance of thy salvation is, that I know the date on which I prayed the Sinner's Prayer, and have duly written this date on an official Decision card. 10. Q: What is thy story? What is thy song? A: Praising my Savior all the day long. 11. Q: You ask me how I know he lives? A: He lives within my heart. 12. Q: And what else hast thou got in thine heart? A: I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart. 13. Q: Where?? A: Down in my heart! 14. Q: Where??? A: Down in my heart!! 15. Q: What witness aid hath been given us as a technique by which we may win souls? A: The tract known commonly as the Four Spiritual Laws, is the chief aid whereby we may win souls. 16. Q: What doth this tract principally teach? A: The Four Spiritual Laws principally teach, that God's entire plan for history and the universe centereth on me, and that I am powerful enough to thwart His divine purpose if I refuse to let Him pursue His Wonderful Plan for my life. 17. Q: What supplementary technique is given by which we may win souls? A: The technique of giving our own Personal Testimony, in the which we must always be ready to give an answer concerning the years we spent in vanity and pride, and the wretched vices in which we wallowed all our lives until the day we got saved. 18. Q: I'm so happy, what's the reason why? A: Jesus took my burden all away! 19. Q: What are the means given whereby we may save large crowds of souls in a spectacular manner? A: Such a spectacle is accomplished by means of well-publicized Crusades and Revivals which (in order that none may be loath to attend) are best conducted anywhere else but in a Church. 20. Q: Am I a soldier of the Cross? A: I am a soldier of the Cross if I join Campus Crusade, Boys' Brigade, the Salvation Army, or the Wheaton Crusaders; of if I put on the helmet of Dispensationalism, the breastplate of Pietism, the shield of Tribulationism, and the sword of Zionism, having my feet shod with the gospel of Arminianism. 21. Q: Who is your boss? A: My boss is a Jewish carpenter. 22. Q: Hath God predestined vessels of wrath to Hell? A: God hath never performed such an omnipotent act, for any such thing would not reflect His primary attribute, which is Niceness. 23. Q: What is sanctification? A: Sanctification is the work of my free Will, whereby I am renewed by having my Daily Quiet Time. 24. Q: What rule hath God for our direction in prayer? A: The rule that we must bow our hands, close our heads, and fold our eyes. 25. Q: What doth the Lord's Prayer teach us? A: The Lord's Prayer teacheth us that we must never memorize a prayer, or use one that hath been written down. 26. Q: What's the book for thee? A: The B-I-B-L-E. 27. Q: Which are among the first books which a Christian should read to his soul's health? A: Among the first books which a Christian should read are the books of Daniel and Revelation, and The Late Great Planet Earth. 28. Q: Who is on the Lord's side? A: He who doth support whatsoever is done by the nation of Israel, and who doth renounce the world, the flesh, and the Catholic Church. 29. Q: What are the seven deadly sins? A: The seven deadly sins are smoking, drinking, dancing, card-playing, movie-going, baptizing babies, and having any creed but the Bible. 30. Q: What is a sacrament? A: A sacrament is an insidious invention devised by the Catholic Church whereby men are drawn into idolatry. 31. Q: What is the Lord's Supper? A: The Lord's Supper is a dispensing of saltines and grape juice, in which we remember Christ's command to pretend that they are His body and blood. 32. Q: What is baptism? A: Baptism is the act whereby, by the performance of something that seems quite silly in front of everyone, I prove that I really, really mean it. 33. Q: What is the Church? A: The Church is the tiny minority of individuals living at this time who have Jesus in their hearts, and who come together once a week for a sermon, fellowship and donuts. 34. Q: What is the office of the keys? A: The office of the keys is that office held by the custodian. 35. Q: What meaneth "The Priesthood Of All Believers"? A: The Priesthood Of All Believers meaneth that there exists no authority in the Church, as that falsely thought to be held by elders, presbyters, deacons, and bishops, but that each individual Christian acts as his own authority in all matters pertaining to the faith. 36. Q: Who is the Holy Spirit? A: The Holy Spirit is a gentleman who would never barge in. 37. Q: How long hath the Holy Spirit been at work? A: The Holy Spirit hath been at work for more than a century: expressly, since the nineteenth-century Revitalization brought about by traveling Evangelists carrying tents across America. 38. Q: When will be the "Last Days" of which the Bible speaketh? A: The "Last Days" are these days in which we are now living, in which the Antichrist, the Beast, and the Thief in the Night shall most certainly appear. 39. Q: What is the name of the event by which Christians will escape these dreadful entities? A: The event commonly known as the Rapture, in that which it is our Blessed Hope that all cars driven by Christians will suddenly have no drivers. 40. Q: When is Jesus coming again? A: Maybe morning, maybe noon, maybe evening, and maybe soon. 41. Q: When the roll, roll, roll, is called up yonder, where will you be? A: There. 42. Q: Hallelu, hallelu, hallelu, hallelujah! A: Praise ye the Lord! 43. Q: Praise ye the Lord! A: Hallelujah! 44. Q: Where will we meet again? A: Here, there, or in the air. 45. Q: Can I hear an Ay-men? A: Ay-men.

Injustice at Catholic Seminaries

As the Catholic Church begins to take a deeper look at their seminaries many homosexual priests are upset. The Roman Church is seeking to weed out all homosexuality and homosexual practice within the priesthood. In light of the recent sexual abuse scandals that have riddled the church many argue that such a move will cut off the problem at its root. However, as expected, most homosexuals are not at all happy. It appears that the Vatican is working on a document which will bar all gay men from the clergy. They will begin at the seminary level in hopes of rooting out any homosexuals which may be thinking they are called into the ministry. One 48 year old gay priest has compared the recent moves of the Roman Church to Hitler’s “Final Solution” by exterminating and persecuting all the Jews. A 30 year old Franciscan seminarian says that the thought of leaving seminary has not crossed his mind and that he desires to speak out against such “injustices.” Others argue that homosexuality is not the issue, but celibacy is. Msgr. Denis Herron, pastor of St. Teresa's Church in NY, believes that a commitment to celibacy is more important than one’s sexual orientation. "Some people can't make that commitment, and that can be heterosexuals or homosexuals," Monsignor Herron said. "I'm concerned that this could turn into a witch hunt." It very well may turn into a witch hunt but are not some witch hunts necessary? The Bible is clear in its denunciation of homosexuality. The question then becomes, “how closely will the Roman Catholic Church follow the teachings of the Bible?” This issue is much deeper than just a few sexual abuse scandals – it is a matter of God’s holy word. Read a TIME article on the Roman Church and Homosexuality. UPDATE: Amy Welborn, in an Op Ed for the NY Times, argues for the validity of such a "purge" of homosexuality from Catholic seminaries for the sake of the people in the pew. She writes, "But a seminary also owes us, the people in the pews, psychologically mature priests who aren't engaged in an eternal and ego-driven struggle with their own problems, who are prepared to serve, to teach and preach - with integrity and honesty."

Bridging the Chasm: Abstract to Concrete

Trying to teach abstract ideas to concrete thinkers is tantamount to trying to explain the difference between red and orange to a person who was born blind. How would you seek to explain grace, mercy, redemption, or righteousness to concrete thinkers without at the same time teaching something that is not really accurate?

Bridging the Chasm: Abstract to Concrete

In order to bridge the chasm of abstraction for those who think concretely the use of examples may prove the best.  Concrete thinkers need to see and hear concrete examples.  Examples, however, can only exist on an analogical relationship between that which they attempt to represent.  For instance, an example of grace can only mirror the reality of grace.  As an example it may have some dissimilarity between the reality of grace in abstraction.  Yet, even though this analogous relationship exists I do believe that is exactly the method Scripture uses.  The Bible does not discuss grace, mercy, redemption, and righteousness in abstraction.  Instead the Bible uses concrete examples from life and history.

First, there is grace and mercy.  Grace (or mercy) in abstraction may be defined as receiving that which we do not deserve.  Yet, grace is made real and concrete when sinners who deserve death and judgment actually receive grace and mercy.  Romans 5:8 best exemplifies the concrete example of grace: “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  The concrete reality of the death and resurrection of Christ display the grace and mercy of God.  

Secondly, there is redemption (or ransom).  Abstractly it may be defined as being saved from something evil or bad.  Yet, here again, we see that the example of Christ brings home the abstraction of redemption.  Scripture uses a variety of metaphors and examples to explain redemption.  First, there is the idea that we are dead in trespasses and sins, yet we are made alive in Christ (Eph. 2:1; Rom. 6:11).  The Devil has captured humanity and is the king of the earth, yet Christ came in order to destroy the works of the devil and to ransom those who were once children of darkness (1 John 3:8-10).  And of course, probably the most prominent event in the Bible is that of the Exodus.  The Exodus is the paradigmatic story of redemption and ransom from out of slavery and bondage.  This event serves as a type of the redemption found in Christ.

Lastly, there is the idea of righteousness.  This concept in abstraction may be defined as holy and moral perfection.  This is even a more difficult concept to explain concretely because the examples are hard to come by – for there are none righteous (Rom. 3:10).  The examples of the cult rituals of OT Israel which prefigured Christ may serve as a helpful example differentiating between righteousness and unrighteousness.  It is probably true that unrighteousness is easier to explain than righteousness – there are more examples and illustrations to use!  

The Bible is full of examples and illustrations to help bridge the gap between abstract thought and concrete thought.  As a side not this is why chronological Bible-telling is so effective and helpful in more orally traditional cultures (non-western cultures).

Lakeshore Baptist Church

Lakeshore Baptist Church was decimated by Katrina. Yet, in the midst of hopeful tears they continue to worship together. All but one of the members homes was destroyed and as Pastor Elbourne describes, they are a church in exile. The pictures are amazing...

Total Depravity in the News

More verification that our world is lost in sin and misery. Two men were convicted of murdering a transgendered person. After they discovered that Gwen Araujo used to be a boy they killed him/her. A Haitian woman recounts her rape and beatings at the hand of the Haitian paramilitary. Eleven children were found caged in Ohio. Nursing home owners are charged with multiple deaths and negligence in the wake of Hurrican Katrina.

Comment Spam

I don't really want to do this but my hand has been forced. I have turned on a word-verification form for the comments to help eliminate comment spam. Every time I post something it gets spammed. Just type in the words shown and you will be allowed to post your comment - sorry for this inconvenience, but it should help keep things clean.

Evangelism and the Devotional Life

How does evangelism and devotion to Christ fit together? What affect does our time spent in prayer and the Word of God have on our evangelism? There have generally been two responses to this question and with these responses therein lies two dangers. First, there is the danger of seeing ones devotional life as a causal event which produces the effect of evangelism. This view argues somewhat as follows: I just had a great time with the Lord, therefore I am ready to share my faith with anyone. On the corollary it also argues that if you have a devotional time and get nothing out of it or if you skip your devotions then you are unfit to accomplish any fruitful evangelism. This is the error of legalism. The Church has been swept away by the flood waters of such thinking, washing away the true hope and motivation for evangelism. The second error is to think that no devotional life is needed for evangelism. We can just go out and do it without any spiritual preparation. This views sees no conditions whatsoever on the Christian and his purposes in the world. This is the subtle error of antinomianism. It is a rejection of God’s law and the way he intended for his people to obey him. Both legalism and antinomianism are guilty of separating one’s time of devotion away from the rest of one’s life. It is the fallacy of compartmentalization. Legalism argues that a set aside time of devotion to Christ insures a good or at least faithful witness. Antinomianism teaches that such a time of devotion is unnecessary to the task which God has called us unto. Both are affronts to the gospel of Christ and Biblical evangelism. God’s blessing of our evangelism is not dependent on our performance. We have a gospel centered salvation but a performance focused sanctification. This is not the Christian life, but a life lived under the shackles of legalism or antinomianism. The true Christian life is one that teaches that we are saved by grace and that we are to live daily by that grace. Jerry Bridges attacks our sinful thinking of “good days” vs. “bad days.”[1] On a bad day spiritually we see ourselves as too sinful and worthless to evangelize. We skipped our devotions or got nothing out of them. It was a dry time and because of this we think that we are unspiritual, unfit to evangelize. Then on good days we had a time of sweet fellowship with Christ and feel that nothing could stop us. We are hopeful in our evangelism and believe that because of our being filled up with the Spirit our witness will be effective. Every day, our good and bad days “should be a day of relating to God on the basis of his grace alone.” Bridges offers up this earth shattering spiritual principle: “Your worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God’s grace. And your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God’s grace.”[2] Even our good works of evangelism are filthy rags in need of cleansing through the blood of Christ. We must take our eyes off of our performance and place it on our Savior. Our filthy rags are to no avail, but Christ and his perfect righteousness imputed to sinners such as ourselves is the hope of the gospel for all of life. Yet, there is also the danger of forsaking our duty to evangelize because the gospel covers all of our sin. “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” (Romans 6:1-2). We are no longer compelled to evangelize by our guilt, we are to be motivated by the love of Christ. “For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died” (2 Cor. 5:14). Our devotional life and our evangelism must be motivated by love to Christ and not guilt for our countless sins and endless shortcomings. Here we see the necessity of a life of devotion to Christ for the purpose of effective Biblical evangelism.[3] It is the gospel which motivates our hearts to share the love of Christ with others. Without spending time in the Word and in prayer we will not be reminded of his love and we will fail to be compelled to share it with others. We need the gospel every hour, every day of our lives. There is also a danger of seeing our devotions as limited to a set aside time to worship Christ, read the Word and pray to our Father in heaven. I am not advocating that we abandon a set aside time of devotion to Christ, but that we so reorganize our lives that we see not a set aside 15 minutes as our devotional time, but the very entirety of our lives as a living sacrifice of devotion to Christ. It is not our time of devotions, but our life of devotion which counts in the long run.[4] We are to do all things to the glory of our God, our creator and king. [1] Jerry Bridges, The Disciplines of Grace: God’s Role and Our Role in the Pursuit of Holiness (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 1994), 15-17. [2] Ibid, 18, emphasis his. [3] By using the word “effective” I am not referring to the amount of conversions or baptisms but evangelism carried out purposefully for the proclamation of the Word and the glory of Christ. [4] Of course, it must not be forgotten that a life of devotion to Christ presupposes a consistent time spent in the Word and in prayer.

Islam and Peace

We have heard in the Western media that Islam means peace. Therefore it has been deduced that Islam is a peaceful religion which has been hijacked by a few radicalists. While a derivative of the word "Islam" does mean peace the central meaning of Islam actually means submission. Islam is a religion of submission of the whole person to Allah. In a video tape released today, 9/11, a Muslim threatening Los Angeles and Melbourne, Australia says the following: "We are Muslims. We love peace, but peace on our terms, peace as laid down by Islam, not the so-called peace of occupiers and dictators." The Islamic notion of peace is submission of all to Islam. At least this is what the so-called "radicalists" are saying...

Operation World

For many years Patrick Johnstone has produced Operation World. Simply, it is a prayer guide for the nations. It details the nations of the world for the purpose of informing the reader to better pray for those peoples. It looks at the religion, geography, economy, politics, and culture of any given people. Then after the “facts” are given there are numerous suggestions for prayer and outreach. It is simply an amazing resource. There is even a CD and a website. I have my homepage set to Operation World’s Pray Today. This page defaults to the nation scheduled to pray on that specific day. I would encourage you to set this as your homepage and be reminded to pray for the nations every time you log onto the internet. That all the nations of the earth will one day praise his name!

Tensions of Turkish Identity

In one of today's New York Times editorials, the case of Orhan Pamuk - a novelist charged with the “public denigration” of Turkish society - stands to remind us of the underlining tensions of Turkish identity. Pamuk, facing up to three years in Turkish prison, has left the country. Indeed, I would say that there is a multifaceted tension of identity. There are at least three vying for attention: Islamic, secular, and nationalistic. The Islamic consciousness of Turkey longs for a strong Muslim presence and rule in the country. While, the Turkey is considered about 99% Muslim, the majority of those “Muslims” live as secularists even if they profess Islam. An Islamic identity would bring a resurgence of Islam to the table including the stronger more radical forms of Islam. This is a direct tension which would severely limit their options for joining the European Union. Then there is the secular consciousness of Turkey which I would say is the predominate view. This is the thought and lifestyle of those in the major cities and outlying areas. The impact of the West cannot be denied on this Islamic country. Its presence is everywhere, from cell-phones to McDonalds. This Western influence is what is allowing the EU to remain partially open to Turkish membership. Then there is the strong undercurrent of nationalistic consciousness. This identity can actually cut across and flow through the other two yet also remains separated. Those who strongly identify with Mustafa Kemal, the founder of the Turkish Republic, are the military and leaders of the present Turkish government. They fear the EU for what it could do to undermine the country’s Kemalist ideals. Yet, they also fear the Islamic identity for Kemal wanted a more Westernized society and almost paradoxically they fear the western secularist identity as too strong of a break from the past. Turkey is a land in tension. A country that exists between two worlds: the West and the Middle East, secularism and Islam. The next few years are defining for Turkey. If they are able to join the EU I believe a change of openness and democratic secularism will gradually influence the country, yet if they are denied membership than I believe that the option of Islamic rule will gain a stronger foothold in the country. A resolution of this tension will either strengthen Turkey or begin to erode the country. For now we can only wait and see what will happen along with Mr. Pamuk.