Georgia goes to bed

Strange but true, when our yellow lab whose name is Georgia goes to bed at night she goes under the bed. Last night Nancy was able to get a photo. Nite-Nite!

Bible Reading Plans for 2009

Here are great options to get you started into Bible Reading for the 2009 year. Thanks to Between Two Worlds blog site for this article.

The ESV Bible Reading Plans can be accessed in multiple ways:

• web (a new reading each day appears online at the same link)
• RSS (subscribe to receive by RSS)
• email (subscribe to receive by email)
• iCal (download an iCalendar file)
• mobile (view a new reading each day on your mobile device)
• print (download a PDF of the whole plan)

There are about 10 plans available. Go to that link to access each plan in any of the options above.

Here are the three I would recommend:

ESV Study Bible (ESV Literary Study Bible contains the same plan)

With this plan there are four readings each day, divided into four main sections:

• Psalms and Wisdom Literature;
  
• Pentateuch and the History of Israel;
  
• Chronicles and Prophets; and
  
• Gospels and Epistles.

The introduction explains:

In order to make the readings come out evenly, four major books of the Bible are included twice in the schedule: the Psalms (the Bible’s hymnal), Isaiah (the grandest of the OT prophets), Luke (one of the four biblical Gospels), and Romans (the heart of the Bible’s theology of salvation).

The list of readings from the Psalms and the Wisdom Literature begins and ends with special readings that are especially appropriate for the opening and closing of the year. The list of readings from the Pentateuch and the History of Israel proceeds canonically through the five books of Moses and then chronologically through the history of the OT, before closing the year with the sufferings of Job. The list of readings from the Chronicles and the Prophets begins with the Chronicler’s history of the people of God from Adam through the exile, followed by the Major and Minor Prophets, which are organized chronologically rather than canonically.

I plan to print out this PDF, which is designed to be cut into four bookmarks that can be placed at the appropriate place in your Bible reading.

Daily Reading Bible

With this plan you go through:

• the NT twice,
  
• the Psalms twice, and
  
• the rest of the OT once.
  

If you like this plan, you may want to pick up a copy of the Daily Reading Bible (available in hardcover and paperback). It's not in the style where the Bible itself is rearranged by readings. Rather, it is a normal Bible, except that there are marginal notations that indicate where you are to start and stop reading.

E.g., on January 1 you are to read Genesis 1-2, Psalm 1, Matthew 1-2. When you open to Genesis 1, you'll see in the outer margin a notation that says in bold, JAN 1. That's where you start reading, until you get to JAN 2 at Genesis 3.. At the bottom of the page of Genesis 1 there is a box that says, JAN 1: Ps 1; Matt 1-2--which indicates the other readings for that day. Hope that makes sense. (Here's a sample from Matthew.)

M’Cheyne One-Year Reading Plan

With this plan you read through:

• the NT twice,
  
• the Psalms twice, and
  
• the rest of the OT once.

The plan begins with the four great beginnings or "births" of Scripture: Genesis 1 (beginning of the world), Ezra 1 (rebirth of Israel after her return from Babylonian exile), Matthew 1 (birth of the Messiah), Acts 1 (birth of the body of Christ). John Stott says of this reading schedule: "Nothing has helped me more to gain an overview of the Bible, and so of God’s redemptive plan."

If you go with this route, I'd recommend D.A. Carson's For the Love of God (vol. 1 and vol. 2 are available--vols. 3 and 4 are forthcoming). Carson's introduction and preface--which includes a layout of the calendar--are available for free online.

Since there are four readings each day, it's easy to modify this one so that you read through the Bible once in two years, by reading just the first two readings each day for the first year and the second two readings each day for the second year.

And here are a couple of plans from NavPress:

The Discipleship Journal Reading Plan

With this plan you read through the entire Bible once.

The unique advantage of this plan is that there are "catch-up" days:

• To prevent the frustration of falling behind, which most of us tend to do when following a Bible reading plan, each month of this plan gives you only 25 readings. Since you'll have several "free days" each month, you could set aside Sunday to either not read at all or to catch up on any readings you may have missed in the past week.
• If you finish the month's readings by the twenty-fifth, you could use the final days of the month to study passages that challenged or intrigued you.

Bethlehem Baptist Church makes available the bookmark-method for this plan:

• Bookmarks for 1st half of the year
• Bookmarks for 2nd half of the year

Book-at-a-Time Bible Reading Plan

This book-at-a-time approach takes you through the whole Bible once in a year. It has two readings each day:

• the first reading alternatives between OT and NT books (about 3-4 chapters a day), with the Gospels spread throughout the year;
• the second reading is about a chapter a day of the wisdom literature and Isaiah.

As with the Discipleship Journal Plan, there are only 25 readings a month, allowing for catch-up and/or reflection.

Happy reading!

The social cost of pornography

From the Between Two Worlds blog site:

Hadley Arkes, Pornography: Settling the Question in Principle

Roger Scruton, On the Abuse of Sex

Pamela Paul, From Pornography to Porno to Porn

Norman Doidge, MD, Acquiring Pornographic Tastes

Jill Manning, The Impact of Pornography on Women

Ana Bridges, Pornography's Effects on Interpersonal Relationships

Kirk Doran, The Economics of Pornography

Gerard V. Bradley, Moral Principles Which Govern the Legal Regulation of Pornography

James Stoner, Freedom, Virtue, and the Politics of Regulating Pornography

Hamza Yusuf, Climbing Mt. Purgatorio: Reflections from the Seventh Cornice

Because of God's choice

Sovereignty and Free Will

Probably the most asked question from Christians is the following:
How does the Bible reconcile the sovereignty of God and the free will of man?
In this short audio Dr. John MacArthur gives a very good explanation of the why and how this is Biblical. If you are struggling with this question may I recommend that you listen carefully!

Sovereignty and Free Will- MacArthur

Higher Education

This is an actual sign in the window of Burger King in Memphis, TN. Hmmm...no problem here.

A Devotion for Christmas

It is rare when our immediate family comes together at the same place at the same time. Butner (25) has his own job, apartment, friends and Anna (21) is living full time in another city. Therefore the opportunity to spend time and just enjoy one another seems to be the exception now and not the rule.

On Christmas morning I took time to read from And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. The previous day I heard a sermon by Erwin Lutzer called “Space, but no room.” In the message he said, isn’t it amazing that the very Son of God comes to planet earth and is not born in a fancy palace made for a king, but in a manager. The fact that when Jesus finally arrives into this world there is not a single room available in the inn. Isn’t that typical for many today in our culture? There is technology like never before, we have time saving devices for which most of the world would marvel, and yet we have little room or time for Jesus. However, we read in the Bible that the world did find a place for Christ. And the very spot in which they made room for Jesus was at the cross. Yes, when Christ confronts us with our sins then we can receive and bow before Him as Lord, or shout as they did back then, crucify Him, crucify Him! Allow me to make the point one more time there was no room for Him in the inn but there was room for Him on the cross.
And yet when you read the words of the Lord Jesus in one gets a glimpse of His grace and mercy;
“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.
“In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.
“If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.

As a point of interest, the word for place and is the Greek word “topos” is the same word for room that we read back in Luke 2:7. So now connect all the dots and here the gospel message during this Christmas season. When Jesus comes there is no place for Him. However later on we see that the world does have a place for Christ and it is on the cross. And then we read in “...while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” And though we have no room for Him, except for room on the cross, He has a room that He prepares for us. What? How in the world can this be? For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. Even though I would never want to make room for Him because of my sinful nature, yet now by His grace, through faith I now turn from my sins and turn to Christ alone. The room I didn’t have for Him is the room that He now prepares for me! Isn’t that amazing grace?

Did you hear about this?

I recently read this article from Challies.com called the Right Measure. Have you ever heard of a Boeing 767 running out of gas while 28,000 feet above the ground. Well click HERE for the rest of the story.

The top 10

Here are the top 10 "evangelical" stories of the year according to Christianity today. I was surprised that Rick Warren didn't make the list in some way, shape or form.

Family Christmas 2008

So what is the gospel? (Alan Cairns)

The latest church stats should concern us

Here is a recent article from CAMPONTHIS blogsite:

This is a most disturbing and yet revealing article. Not to surprising that the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ (that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone) has been so distorted, accommodated and dumbed-down today that most American Christians, and therefore possibly most churches, do not affirm its efficaciousness as the only hope for the lost for eternal life. Even an atheist, according to Pew survey, will somehow get to glory though he/she rejects the very existence of God! Unbelievable (pun intended). Is it any wonder why I keep saying that the gospel matters; that truth matters; that doctrine matters; and that theology matters.

A review of Rick Warren 2004-2008

Here is some excellent research and articles that are provided by Lighthouse Trails Research Project website regarding Pastor Rick Warren. Hopefully this will provide some good information for those who are trying to understand Warren's background, beliefs, church and where he may be heading in the future.

Click on this LINK

Dr. Bukk says "take time for devotions"

What is legalism?

Here is a good article by Tony Reinke on the dangers of legalism. As we head into 2009 this is a good reminder for all of us who are disciples of Christ.

Ah the ole “L” word. Many of us use the word in our vocab. But what is it and what does it mean? That’s a question I’m asked on a frequent basis and one I like to revisit annually on this blog.

I can distinctly remember the time when this question begged for clarification in my own life. At one time three events collided (and all took place in the same week). I think each event reveals why clarifying the dangers of legalism are necessary and worthy of revisiting frequently.

First was a conversation with a woman who had decided to permit her daughter to skip church in order to participate in soccer games. “I don’t want to be legalistic about church,” she said. Another encounter was with a man who defined legalism as “living by lots of rules.” And the third encounter was with a man who labeled Christians who abstained from alcohol as legalists.

Let me say from the start that I’m not saying these people are right or wrong in their convictions. What is important to see is that each statement (I believe) reveals a superficial and fundamentally flawed view of legalism.

Let me explain.

Rules are not the problem

Almost 900 passages in the Bible contain the phrase “do not.” Which is to say that the Bible contains quite a lot of prohibitions. Jesus condensed some chief prohibitions for us: “You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother’” (). There are a lot of rules in the Bible.

Which is to say that if you apply the entire Bible to the Christian life, you can end up with a long list of helpful rules and reminders (i.e. the “one anothers”). Doesn’t this fact explain why Jonathan Edwards was compelled to compose his long list of resolutions?

See the fundamental danger of legalism is not living with rules or not living by rules—whether you attend church every week or not, whether you drink wine or not. Legalism points to a much deeper heart issue.

A false gospel

At its most dangerous level, legalism is a soteriological problem. That is, legalism is a false gospel and a false hope. Legalism is the lie that says God’s pleasure and joy in me is dependent upon my performance rather than the finished work of Christ.

It is legalism that causes the Pharisee to look proudly into the sky in the presence of a tax collector. It is legalism that causes a poor missionary in Africa to think God is more pleased with him than an American Christian businessman driving a Mercedes. It is legalism that causes the preacher behind the pulpit to think God is more pleased with him than the tatooed Christian teenager sitting in the back row.

Legalism is the lie that God will find more pleasure in me because my obedience is greater than others or that God looks at me with disgust because I am not living up to His expectations. It is the failure to remember that God’s pleasure in us comes outside of us (in the finished work of Christ). Legalism causes the heart to forget that God sings over us because of the work He has done, not because of what we have done ().

Believers equally bring pleasure to God because the pleasure He receives in us is the purchased pleasure of the substitution of Jesus Christ. Any imagined superiority to other Christians (not rules or a lack of rules) is the sure sign of the legalist.

The irony of legalism

The great irony (and danger) of legalism is this: If you think God is more pleased with you because you take your child to a soccer game instead of church, if you think God is more pleased with you because you do not live by rules, and if you think God is more pleased with you because you do drink alcohol—you are just as legalistic as the man who thinks that perfect church attendance, lists of rules, and abstaining from alcohol makes him more pleasing to God.

Rules are not the problem.

And whether our convictions are biblical or unbiblical is another issue altogether. Legalism is not so much objective (are my convictions biblical or not?) but subjective (what do my convictions get me?). And this is what makes legalism dangerous whether your convictions are biblically accurate or not.

From what I hear, often what is labeled as legalistic too often focuses primarily upon rules or a lack thereof rather than the gospel.

As I’ve seen in my own heart, what sustains self-righteous legalism is a failure to boast only in the righteousness of the Cross of Christ. Once I take my eyes off the Cross I begin boasting in my list of rules or boasting in my lack of rules. Either way, I know I have fallen into legalism.

Here is a comment posted in reference to this article from Jon Wymer

One way of thinking about legalism that I find helpful is this: when my standing with Christ is defined or determined by anything other than his bloody work at Calvary. The silk-shirted, beer-guzzling emergent can be just as legalistic as the three-piece-suit, King James only fundamentalist.

Incorrect Bible study

Here is a short video clip of how many Bible studies are done in the home. This is NOT how to do Bible study. Notice in this clip how the facilitator is asking each of those participating how they feel and what they think. Folks the question is not what you think but actually what is God saying to us through His word. The cardinal rule in Bible study is as follows:
The interpretation of any Scripture is equal to what the author meant at the time he wrote it. Therefore it becomes our job through prayer and the Holy Spirit to use good Bible study methods in order to arrive at the author's intended meaning.

Dr. Filbert Bukk returns for Christmas

My first cousin once removed Dr. Filbert Bukk was able to spend time with us during the Christmas season. Dr. Bukk has a consulting company and is considering his own podcast soon as part of this blog site.

Photography by Anna B.

You might be Emergent if...

This is from the book "Why we're not Emergent (by two guys who should be), Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck

• You listen to U2, Moby and Johnny Cash's Hurt (sometimes in church), use sermon illustrations from The Sopranos, drink lattes in the afternoon and Guinnes in the evenings, and always use a Mac;
  

• if your reading list consists primarily of Stanley Hauerwas, Henri Nouwen, N.T. Wright, Stan Grenz, Dallas Willard, Brennan Manning, Jim Wallis, Frederick Buechner, David Bosch, John Howard Yoder, Wendell Berry, Nancy Murphy, John Franke, Walter Winks and Lesslie Newbigin (not to mention McLaren, Pagitt, Bell, etc.) and your sparring partners include D.A. Carson, John Calvin, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, and Wayne Grudem; if your idea of quintessential Christian discipleship is Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King Jr., Neslon Mandela, or Desmond Tutu;

• if you don't like George W. Bush or institutions or big buisness or captalism or Left Behind Christianity;

• if your political concerns are poverty, AIDS, imperialism, war-monerging, CEO salaries, consumerism, glorbal warming, racism, and oppression and not so much abortion and gay marriage;

• if you are into bohemian, goth, rave, or indie; if you talk about the myth of redemptive violence and the myth of certainty;

• if you lie awake at night having nightmares about all the ways modernism has ruined you life;

• if you love the Bible as a beautiful, inspiring collection of works that lead us into the mystery of God but is not inerrant;

• if you search for truth but aren't sure it can be found;

• if you've ever been to a church with prayer labyrinths, candles, Play-Doh, chalk-drawings, couches, or beanbags (your youth group doesn't count);

• if you loathe works like linear, propositional, rational, machine, and hierarchy and use words like ancient-future, jazz, mosaic, matrix, missional, vintage and dance;

• if you grew up in very conservative Christian home that in retrospect seems legalistic, naive, and rigid;

• if you support women in all levels of ministry prioritize urban over suburban, and like your theology narrative instead of systematic;

• if you disbelieve in any sacred-secular divide; if you want to be the church and not just go to church; if you long for a community that is relational, tribal, and primal like a river or a garden; if you believe doctrine gets in the way of an interactive relationship with Jesus;

• if you believe who goes to hell is no one's business and no one may be there anyway;

• if you believe salvation has a little to do with atoning for guilt and a lot to do with bringing the whole creation back into shalom with its Maker;

• if you believe following Jesus is not believing the right things but living the right way;

• if it really bugs you when people talk about going to heaven instead of heaven coming to us;

• if you disdain monological, didactic preaching;

• if you use the word "sotry" in all your propositions about postmodernism-if all or most of this tortuously long sentence describes you, then you might be an emergent Christian.

Santa Claus or Jesus?

The sights of Christmas

Open letter to Rick Warren

This letter to is from Joseph Farah to Pastor Rick Warren regarding his agreeing to participate in the inauguration of Barack Obama.

I'm writing to share my profound and abject revulsion at your agreement to offer the invocation at the inauguration of Barack Hussein Obama as president Jan. 20.

I understand you want this to be a time of "healing" for our nation. I understand you consider Obama to be your "friend." I understand your desire to bring "civility" to our society.

However, when we read the Bible, we see there are times for men of God to stand up to leaders, like Nathan did to King David, and confront them with the absolute truth of God's word and His laws. That's what all Christians should do when confronted with leaders embracing evil.

Evil?

That's a strong word.

But I use it advisedly.

Let's focus on just one of Obama's evil policies, though there are dozens more we should consider.

Barack Obama is opposed to any and all restrictions on the killing of unborn children and has pledged to work against the few that remain. In fact, as a state legislator in Illinois, he pushed a law that would require the killing of babies born alive after unsuccessful abortions. You know he will also open the floodgates to the use of U.S. taxpayer dollars to fund abortion overseas through groups like Planned Parenthood and agencies such as the United Nations Population Fund. You should note the U.N. supports forced abortions and sterilizations in China. He has even promised to sign into law the Freedom of Choice Act, which would make illegal even peaceful efforts to persuade mothers from aborting their babies. In essence, Obama holds and has pledged to enforce, a radical pro-abortion position that will curtail free speech, freedom of religion and ensure that many more innocent lives will be destroyed.

I call that evil.I would hope you, a pastor of the gospel of Jesus Christ, would also call that evil.

I'm trying to imagine Jesus giving an invocation at the inauguration of such a man. I think you will agree, it's unimaginable.

So why are you ready, willing and eager to do this thing?

I ask you, as a brother in the Lord, to examine your heart, your mind and your soul as to your motivations for offering this prayer.

Yes, we are commanded to pray for our leaders. But there is no suggestion in the Bible that we are ever to be used as political pawns by praying at their events – especially when they are promoting the wholesale slaughter of innocent human beings.

I understand your yearning for civility.

I yearn for it, too.

But civility begins with the understanding that we are all made in the image of God. It begins with the rejection of the shedding of innocent blood. It begins with the church standing boldly upon its absolute convictions in the Word of God and in His laws.

I'm sure you would not want to invoke God's blessing on the inauguration of a figure like Adolf Hitler, whose rise to power brought the destruction of millions of lives.

So, in principle, you agree there is a time for believers to stand up to elected leaders and rebuke them – even publicly. Apparently, you don't believe that time is now – that the deaths of untold numbers of born and unborn babies is not justification enough for such a stance.

I disagree.

I want you to know that.

God will not bless the Obama administration's plans for murder, no matter what you say on Jan. 20. It's time for Rick Warren to decide whether he stands with the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob or if he stands with the world and his "friend," Barack Hussein Obama.

Is the altar call Biblical?

One of the best articles I have read on why this pastor and church DO NOT use the altar call method. His name is Laurence A. Justice and here is the LINK to well written and clearly researched article. It continues to amaze me how we as evangelicals don't go back to the clear teaching of God's word on these things. We are caught up in tradition, culture and a desire for success that can be measured in terms of numbers.

Total Depravity and Human Responsibility

Is "lectio divina" dangerous?

If you want to get up to speed on the term "contemplative spirituality" in which lectio divina qualifies then here are some good evangelical links.

LINK #1

LINK #2

LINK #3

LINK #4

LINK #5

LINK #6

And listen to this audio segment from Chris Rosebrough from Extreme Theology blog site:

Lectio Divina - parody on Rob Bell

Pride is deadly

Romans 8:1

How the devil steals your church

This is an excellent post from Pastor Ken Silva at Apprising Ministries blog site:

There is a progression that takes place in liberal theology: It begins with a corrupt bibliology, a corrupt view of the nature and the inspiration of Scripture. They have a corrupt theology because once you are picking and choosing from the Bible what you want, your theology has to suffer from it, because your human reason is corrupt… every major theological seminary that has turned from orthodox Christianity began with disbelief of Biblical doctrine. There wasn’t a single exception.

This corrupt Bibliology then lead them to the next step. Their theology began to be touched by it, their view of the Cross, the Virgin Birth were both immediately questioned; then came the miracles of Christ… And finally they had emptied the Gospel of all its content; they were simply using the outward shell so that they go on collecting money from the people and the churches; because they knew that if the people in the pew knew that they were apostate, they’d throw them out. So the strategy was hang on to the trust funds; hang on to the money we’ve got; hang on the properties we control, and we will gradually educate the laymen into this new approach to theology.

And then finally we will take control of everything. The gradual process of feeding you theological poison until you become immunized enough so that you don’t know what’s happening to you. And when you wake up to what’s happening to you, it’s too late they’ve got everything. That is not a baseless charge, I stand prepared to prove that the Cult of Liberal Theology in the United States has deliberately and consistently followed this methodology to entrap, control and dominate the denominations and the churches of the United States and our educational institutions. (The Cult of Liberalism, available from Walter Martin Religious InfoNet)

The information age will blow your mind

Are you ready to see the rate at which information is coming at us? This short video shows us the world as it is now, and what advances are likely to take place in our generation. After looking at this you will be able to agree with this principle "we are all dumber than we are smart." Like my old boss used to say there is a limit to how smart you can be but there is no limit to how dumb you can be. Folks, may we not be dumb to the gospel of Christ. (Click on this LINK)

Knowledge of God

We live in a time where people know about God but they don't know God. How are we to know Him if we don't know His word? And why are so many being told that doctrine is divisive instead of critical for Christian growth into Christ-likeness.
In this short audio clip, Paul Washer discusses an indictment against the church in the lack of the knowledge of God. May we as a people of God get back to the word of God so that the word of God may get back into us!
Knowledge of God

The "Porpoise" Driven Life

Christmas Tree 2008

Last night was the official lighting of the family Christmas tree. Now that we are "empty nesters" there was not the usual struggle to get the kids to participate. Nancy and I teamed up and got everything done in a couple of hours. We fixed a pot of peppermint coffee and talk about the ornaments collected over the years. This is really a great time of year, if one can get away from all the commercialization of Christmas.

We need to take some time to reflect on Christ who came as fully God and yet as fully man to save us from our sins. Americans today have grown up in a culture of "if it's to be then it's up to me." But Jesus plainly says in "apart from Me, you can do nothing." Isn't that the struggle with Christianity among those who reject the truth of God's word? We will either be man focused and die in our sins or God-focused and embrace the cross, cast ourselves on the mercy and grace of the Lord Jesus and gain eternal life. There is no amount of logic or reason that can get someone into the kingdom because only Jesus can accomplish that feat.

Merry Christmas to each of you that may be regulars or even new to this blog. And without further adue let's get on with the official Christmas tree lighting for the 2008 year!

Christmas Tree Part1


Christmas Tree Part2

Give Jesus a 60 day trial? What?

This hot off the press from "A little leaven" blog site:

Rick Warren's December 3rd, 2008 appearance on Hannity and Colmes was a mixed bag.

We'll give Warren props for not caving in on the issue of Jesus being the only way. But, once again Warren stoops to new lows in his quest to remove the offense of the cross by asking Allen Colmes to give Jesus a 60 day trial and "see if he won't change your life".

Warren, like a bad used car salesman is trying to sell the gospel via bullet point benefits. Once again Warren skirts the issue of man's sin and rebellion against God and he doesn't call men to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ but instead asks non-believers to "give Jesus a 60 day trial" claiming that "if Jesus doesn't change your life then you can get your money back".

Is there a way for us to have a recall on Rick Warren? We don't want him representing us Christians anymore on Television. We want a different representative. We want one who is not ashamed of the Gospel and will boldly condemn men's sins, call men to repentance and placard Jesus Christ's death on the cross for the forgiveness of sins.

Warren's seeker-sensitive mushy non-offensive approach to "selling" Christianity is truly embarrassing.

Santa Christ?

This article by Sinclair Ferguson
I took the hand of my toddler son (it was several decades ago now) as we made our way into the local shop on the small and remote Scottish island where earlier that year I had been installed as minister. It was Christmas week. The store was brightly decorated and a general air of excitement was abroad.

Without warning, the conversations of the customers were brought to a halt by a questioning voice from beside me. My son's upraised index finger pointed at a large cardboard Santa Claus. "Daddy, who is that funny-looking man?" he asked.

Amazement spread across the faces of the jostling shoppers; accusing glances were directed at me. Such shame--the minister's son did not even recognize Santa Claus! What likelihood, then, of hearing good news in his preaching at the festive season?

Such experiences can make us bewail how the Western world gives itself over annually to its Claus-mass or commerce-mass. We celebrate a reworked pagan Saturnalia of epic proportions, one in which the only connection with the incarnation is semantic. Santa is worshiped, not the Savior; pilgrims go to the stores with credit cards, not to the manger with gifts. It is the feast of indulgence, not of the incarnation.

It is always easier to lament and critique the new paganism of secularism's blatant idolatry than to see how easily the church -- and we ourselves -- twist or dilute the message of the incarnation in order to suit our own tastes. But, sadly, we have various ways of turning the Savior into a kind of Santa Claus.

Santa Claus Christianity
For one thing, in our worship at Christmas we may varnish the staggering truth of the incarnation with what is visually, audibly, and aesthetically pleasing. We confuse emotional pleasure -- or worse, sentiment -- with true adoration.

For another thing, we may denigrate our Lord with a Santa Claus Christology. How sadly common it is for the church to manufacture a Jesus who is a mirror refection of Santa Claus. He becomes Santa Christ.

Santa Christ is sometimes a Pelagian Jesus. Like Santa, he simply asks us whether we have been good. More exactly, since the assumption is that we are all naturally good, Santa Christ asks us whether we have been "good enough." So just as Christmas dinner is simply the better dinner we really deserve, Jesus becomes a kind of added bonus who makes a good life even better. He is not seen as the Savior of helpless sinners.

Or Santa Christ may be a Semi-Pelagian Jesus -- a slightly more sophisticated Jesus who, Santa-like, gives gifts to those who have already done the best they could! Thus, Jesus' hand, like Santa's sack, opens only when we can give an upper-percentile answer to the none-too-weighty probe, "Have you done your best this year?" The only difference from medieval theology here is that we do not use its Latin phraseology: facere quod in se est (to do what one is capable of doing on one's own, or, in common parlance, "Heaven helps those who help themselves").

Then again, Santa Christ may be a mystical Jesus, who, like Santa Claus, is important because of the good experiences we have when we think about him, irrespective of his historical reality. It doesn't really matter whether the story is true or not; the important thing is the spirit of Santa Christ. For that matter, while it would spoil things to tell the children this, everyone can make up his or her own Santa Christ. As long as we have the right spirit of Santa Christ, all is well.

But Jesus is not to be identified with Santa Claus; worldly thinking -- however much it employs Jesus-language--is not to be confused with biblical truth.

The Christ of Christmas
The Scriptures systematically strip away the veneer that covers the real truth of the Christmas story. Jesus did not come to add to our comforts. He did not come to help those who were already helping themselves or to fill life with more pleasant experiences. He came on a deliverance mission, to save sinners, and to do so He had to destroy the works of the Devil (Matt. 1:21; 1 John 3:8b).

Those whose lives were bound up with the events of the first Christmas did not find His coming an easy and pleasurable experience.

Mary and Joseph's lives were turned upside down.

The shepherds' night was frighteningly interrupted, and their futures potentially radically changed.

The magi faced all kinds of inconvenience and family separation.

Our Lord Himself, conceived before wedlock, born probably in a cave, would spend His early days as a refugee from the bloodthirsty and vindictive Herod (Matt. 2:13-21).

There is, therefore, an element in the Gospel narratives that stresses that the coming of Jesus is a disturbing event of the deepest proportions. It had to be thus, for He did not come merely to add something extra to life, but to deal with our spiritual insolvency and the debt of our sin. He was not conceived in the womb of Mary for those who have done their best, but for those who know that their best is "like filthy rags" (Isa. 64:6)--far from good enough--and that in their flesh there dwells no good thing (Rom. 7:18). He was not sent to be the source of good experiences, but to suffer the pangs of hell in order to be our Savior.

A Christian Christmas
The Christians who first began to celebrate the birth of the Savior saw this. Christmas for them was not (contrary to what is sometimes mistakenly said) simply adding a Christian veneer to a pagan festival--the Roman Saturnalia. They may have been doing what many Christians have done in marking Reformation Day (which happens to fall on Halloween), namely, committing themselves to a radical alternative to the world's Saturnalia, refusing to be squeezed into its mold. They were determined to fix mind, heart, will, and strength exclusively on the Lord Jesus Christ. There was no confusion in their thinking between the world and the gospel, Saturnalia and Christmas, Santa Jesus and Christ Jesus. They were citizens of another empire altogether.

In fact, such was the malice evoked by their other-worldly devotion to Christ that during the persecutions under the Emperor Diocletian, some believers were murdered as they gathered to celebrate Christmas. What was their gross offense? Worship of the true Christ -- incarnate, crucified, risen, glorified, and returning. They celebrated Him that day for giving His all for them, and as they did so, they gave their all for Him.

One Christmas Eve in my teenage years, I opened a book a friend had given to me as a present. I found myself so overwhelmed by its teaching on my recently found Savior that I began to shake with emotion at what had dawned on me: the world had not celebrated His coming, but rather had crucified Him.

Doubtless I was an impressionable teenager. But should it not cause us to tremble that "they crucified my Lord"? Or is that true only in song, not in reality? Are we not there when the world still crucifies Him in its own, often-subtle ways?

The truth is that unless the significance of what Christ did at the first Christmas shakes us, we can scarcely be said to have understood much of what it means, or of who He really is.

Who is He in yonder stall
At Whose feet the shepherds fall?
'Tis the Lord! O wondrous story!
'Tis the Lord! the King of glory!
At His feet we humbly fall,
Crown Him! Crown Him, Lord of all!

And we might add:

Who is He on yonder cross
Suffers for this dark world's loss?
'Tis the Lord! O wondrous story!
'Tis the Lord! the King of glory!
At His feet we humbly fall,
Crown Him! Crown Him, Lord of all!

Let us not confuse Jesus Christ with Santa Claus.

Quote for the day

I should as soon expect a farmer to prosper in business who contented himself with sowing his fields and never looking at them till harvest, as expect a believer to attain much holiness who was not diligent about his Bible reading, his prayers, and the use of his Sundays. - J.C. Ryle (1816 - 1900)

Rob Bell's - Nooma videos

Here is an excellent review from Greg Gilbert on the Nooma video series from Rob Bell. Even though Rob is an effective communicator it seems that he is preaching and teaching a false gospel. I know those are strong words but when the gospel is only presented as a half truth then it leads to a no truth which results in a lie. The details about Bell and his theology is reflected in the series and this review gives one an excellent breakdown.

Just click on this LINK.

Goats or Sheep?

This is what you don't want to be on that day:

False prophets in these days

A little plain-speaking would do a world of good just now. These gentlemen desire to be let alone. They want no noise raised. Of course thieves hate watch-dogs, and love darkness. It is time that somebody should spring his rattle, and call attention to the way in which God is being robbed of his glory, and man of his hope. - Charles Spurgeon

Wake Up! Wake Up! Wake Up!

This article is by Ken Silva at Apprising Ministries blog site:

Coming on the heels of Saddleback Church Pastors Using Rob Bell Teachings it must be pointed that men like teaching pastor Doug Fields of Saddleback Church have been teaching your youth highly ecumenical Contemplative Spirituality/Mysticism (CSM) right under your nose for years. And yet, you didn’t want to be bothered with looking into the fact that also for years he’s been involved with the spiritually corrupt Youth Specialties of the Emergent Church.

Well, if I had a hammer I’d nail this to the door of every evangelical church in this nation. There has been a spiritually lethal mix of semi-pelagian and neo-orthodox theological poison injected straight into the blood stream of evangelicalism from most of the youth leaders and youth minsters assembled by Doug Pagitt for Leadership Network circa 1997, which would become the Emerging Church. And now evangelicalism has been brought to its knees to become the base of a new counter reformation announced by Rick Warren as “deeds, not creeds.”

What you will now begin to see is more and more churches preaching outright a non-gospel of good works i.e. ”deeds” not “creeds”, their slur on the actual Gospel of Jesus Christ. But know this: A true look at the history of the Reformation will show that at its core it revolved around justification through God’s grace alone; by faith alone, in Christ alone. And the Roman Catholic Church, from which this spurious CSM orignates and would also contribute mightily to bringing about said Reformation, condemned that Gospel; cursing it, and the Lord’s Reformers to Hell.

Today, I urge those involved with CSM to repent of it, and to forsake it, before God gives evangelicalism over completely to its spiritual deceptions. And spiritual deception is exactly what we’re dealing with; and, Rob Bell is a perfect example. Eyewitness sources have informed me he was once a young man who, at Calvary Church, taught in similar fashion to a MacArthur. But then as he became more and more involved with the Contemplative/Centering Prayer of CSM Bell has continued a rapid drift into “preaching” in words far more consistent with those of heretical “Progressive Christian” Marcus Borg—neither progressive nor Christian—than with men like MacArthur.

I can tell you that nothing good is going to come from this new counter reformation of centered on the self good works vs. the Gospel. You mean you really cannot see that this very same stupid spirituality now being taught openly by ecumenical and interspiritual fools like Rob Bell is what brought about the original Reformation in the first place? Well, here I will stand and say: The evangelical church, right now, today, is every bit as in need of spiritual reform as when Martin Luther stood on this earth hammer in hand. The sad fact is; there are no Luthers left…

And I have no illusions; believe me, I know that “love wins.” I’ve read —in the end love of self will win… So, may God have mercy on those of us will never bow our knee to Baal.

WANTED! A committed Christian

ROMANS 1:16

This is from "the expositor" blog site:
Call me naïve, call me hopeful or just call me a doo-doo, but I continue to be amazed at the number of people who say they are Christians, yet they are either ignorant of the commands of Scripture or just outright choose to reject it. You would think after all I have seen, read or heard, there wouldn’t be much that would shock me….but there is. Perhaps I should say there isn’t much that shocks me anymore, but there is a lot that saddens me about the condition of Christians and the Church. Now let me give this caveat, there are many believers who act, live, speak like Christians; who are committed to Scripture and to faithfully serving the Lord. I always have to put this qualifier after being accused so many times of lumping all Christians into the same basket. So, with that said…

Here are a few examples:

• Pastors and preachers who think it is a good thing to incorporate cartoons clips, sporting goods, extended praise and worship sessions, or themes of dress to get people to church and hold them there.
• People who claim to be Christians, but fins absolutely no problem with doing unethical and even immoral behavior, to accomplish a job task or to benefit personally.
• Leaders who are say they are Christians, and want you to know they are Christians, yet Christian principles are seldom found in their day-to-day practices.
  

Here I guess is where the naïve part comes in, is that I see this every day. I failed to mention my classic frustration with those who say they are Christians, or maybe even will describe themselves as born-again Christians (is there any other kind?). yet they will openly, almost proudly claim, that they are too enlighten to be a part of such outdated concepts such as evangelizing, live holy lives or speaking up on behalf of the Gospel and the cause of truth and righteousness.

I think the most common example I see everyday is when it comes to the pocket book. I have shared this on the radio program many times, but in many cases if you want to divide the goats from the sheep, bring up the subject of money. Whether its giving from the pew or committing finances to a Christian effort, in many cases you can tell the bah-bahs from the nah-nahs when it comes to making or spending cash.

I have seen it from two perspectives, Christian businesses who will not support Christian efforts because they fear their support of that cause will cost them profit and/or influence; or a Christian business who will so easily put their Christianity in a drawer so they can close the sale and make the profit. Why? Why can’t one who says they follow the King of kings, follow Him with everything they have? Why wouldn’t any believer use everything at their disposal to proclaim the Gospel? Why would a the head of a corporation, who will tell you at the supper table that he is a member of such-and-such church, pick and choose their convictions? I am not as much impressed or interested in how many committees you serve on or if your uncle twice removed was a missionary. I would be impressed by seeing someone stand up straight and strong and say, by their words, their deeds, their lives and theirs pocket books, that Jesus is Lord and I stand for the Lord, regardless. And you know what…..I will stand with you.

Otherwise, get with it or get out of the way.

What is happening in the American church?

This video explains the "self-help" and "quick fix" approach that the American church-growth movement continues to endorse. Keep in mind this is not "church" as defined by the Bible but a church prototype that we have invented for our consumer mentalities. If you can tell me what I want to hear, at a time convenient for me, and it doesn't impose on my schedule then I will probably attend.
WATCH THIS VIDEO AND LISTEN CAREFULLY TO WHAT IS BEING SHARED REGARDING THE CHURCH TODAY.

Math "the postmodern way"

Just watch this video and move it over into how "post-moderns" want to interpret the Bible. They have a pre-existing condition in which they arrive at and then use the Bible to proof-text what they want it to mean. However in the mainstream orthodox church we go by this cardinal rule. The interpretation for any one Scripture is equal to what the author intended the text to mean when he wrote it.

Have you heard of the "Seven Day Sex Challenge"

Ed Young who is another one of our seeker-friendly and emerging type pastors offers a seven day sex challenge to his congregation. Hey Pastor Young how about a 7 day challenge to get back into the word of God, or seven days of preaching the gospel to yourself. Hmmm...of course that would be Biblical and not culturally appealing and sexy.
Sadly this is what is going on in many church today which brings the attention to man and leaves God on the sidelines to a large degree. In this context God is the one who allows us to enjoy sex. So our attention becomes the blessing and if we can work into our thinking the Blessor then so be it. A sound reading of the New Testament will quickly yield the church to recognize the most important and most consistent message was Christ crucified.

Quote of the day

“Discernment is not simply a matter of telling the difference between what is right and wrong; rather it is the difference between right and almost right.” - Charles Spurgeon

Is Rob Bell a heretic?

This is an unedited sample of a video done by Rob Bell called "Rain." If you are a new Christian or have been a Christian for awhile you need to become aware of Rob Bell and his teaching. It is NOT and I repeat it is NOT considered to be within the evangelical ORTHODOX camp. As a matter of fact many of today's top evangelical pastors and theologians are calling Rob Bell a heretic in the church. Yes that is strong language but the Lord Jesus says in in the last days false teachers will lead many astray. We had some key church leaders, who unknown to me at the time were embracing Rob Bell and his teaching. In this day of ignore your Bible and be tolerant, Rob Bell has picked up quite a following. However when you examine Rob's teaching against the plumb line of the Scriptures you quickly find he is off base.

Also for those who want to explore this subject in greater depth here is a fairly recent LINK regarding Rob Bell and the Dali Lama appearing at the "Seeds of Compassion" conference in Seattle. If you will notice in the 17 spiritual leaders from around the world the emergent church offers two which are Rob Bell and Doug Pagitt. Again both of these gentlemen are considered to be outside the parameters of the orthodox church. If you want to see a scary video regarding Pagitt's church then click on this LINK.



Listen carefully and see if you hear the FULL gospel as Rob Bell tells us in this video how to have a relationship with God.

10 Hymns of Faith

Saturday morning activity

Nancy was determined for us to walk the new greenway in Charlotte this morning. I offered as many excuses as possible but to no avail. So we got in the car parked near Trader Joes and launched on to what turned out to be an incredible walk and a beautiful fall day. I took the camera for some choice pictures and then put it on video mode just in case. And guess what? Coming the other way to our delight, was our 25 year old son Butner B. It was a good time and already looking forward to our next time out on the new greenway.

Church growth without the full gospel

This is an article from Chris Rosebrough's site called "Extreme Theology." For those in Charlotte who often wonder about Elevation Church and pastor Steven Furtick this article is referring to this kind of church. It appears to be seeker-friendly with large crowds and huge appeal but is it gospel-centered is the real question. The answer, according to Chris Rosebrough's research is NO it isn't and he warns in this article what problems you will encounter from a historical Biblical perspective.

The Center of Your Theology Determines the Object of Your Faith

Warning: This article will be challenging for some of my friends who are Church Planters because it is going to take their Material Principle and weigh it in the balance of Scripture. I am not doing this because I get my gollies by ripping apart other people's theologies. Instead, I am doing this because of my deep love and respect for my friends who are Church Planters.

The charge is bandied about that the new breed of Evangelical Seeker-Sensitive pastors are preaching a Me-Centered Gospel, a watered down gospel or are preaching a Christless form of Christianity. But in my conversations with Church Planters and in taking the time to listen to thousands of hours of their sermons I can definitively state that their theology isn't technically 'Christless' and that they believe with ALL of their hearts that they are fulfilling the calling to which they feel Christ has called them.

The problem lies in their popularized form of Baptist theology and its Material and Formal Principles. The center of their religion is off and as a result they are focusing on the wrong things and are trying to produce the results they are seeking with the wrong tools. I know this sounds like an outrageous and conceited charge on my part. But, please bear with me.

I had the opportunity to speak with and interview a large number of pastors at the Evolve 08 conference. I asked every single one of them the exact same question. Here is the question I asked:

"€œWhen was the last time you preached the Gospel message of Christ crucified for our sins and applied it to the BELIEVERS in your church instead of the unbelievers?"

Sadly, tragically, every single pastor that I asked this question answered with these words, "€œThe believers in my church already know that."

That answer more than anything exposes the scriptural bankruptcy of this theology's material principle. It's focus is not on Christ who is the author and the perfecter of our faith (). It's focus is on ME and the things I need to do to change my life. What my friends in the Baptist stream of the Church Planter Movement have failed to understand is that the gospel message of 'Christ crucified for our sins' is not mere information that applies only to unbelievers but that the Gospel message itself is at the very heart of the Biblical doctrine of sanctification. Without the Gospel you cannot and do not produce Christian disciples. You only produce self-righteous followers of a performance-based religion who have no assurance of their salvation.

Let me demonstrate.

Below I've produced a graphic with "MY Changed Life" in the center and orbiting it are the most common sermon topics that I hear preached by those in the Baptist stream of the CPM.


The Material Principle of this popularized form of Baptist theology is the 'Changed Life'

The Formal Principle of this popularized form of Baptist theology is 'The Bible as Guidebook for Living'

Almost without exception the sermons that I hear from this stream of the CPM are all topical, all of them are based upon 2 to 4 verses ripped out of context and preached as a life application. IF Jesus is mentioned in the sermon He is usually brought in as a moral example. AND the main reason given to people by these pastors to apply these Biblical principles to their lives is that '€œGod has called them to greatness or has a special purpose for their lives'€ . All too often the thorny subject of sin is left out or not mentioned at all.

The method of evangelism that these church planters are employing is to market to people in their community offering them advice for becoming a better parent, having a more fulfilling romantic life, financial advice or career guidance. The assumption is that if unbelievers show up then they can apply these Biblical principles as a means of '€˜trying'€™ Christianity before they '€˜buy it'€™. Once they experience positive change in their lives then that will motivate them to make a commitment to Jesus Christ. But the problem is that what they are buying is not the gospel message of Christ crucified for our sins. Instead they are buying a performance based religion that promises to help them overcome and solve the everyday issues of life. Based upon what is being preached the people in these churches are being led to believe the Bible is merely a guidebook for living and that the primary message of Christianity is about life change. Therefore, the object of this religion isn't Jesus Christ it is ME and the progress that I need to be making so that I can experience life change or the methods I need to employ to form better habits. This is nothing more than a merry-go-round of self-improvement and I don'€™t need a savior for this. In reality, all I need is a good life coach and some good advice.

In this theology those who are having success at experiencing this life change are held up and praised for their changed lives while those who are not nearly as victorious silently suffer as they wonder what they are doing wrong or question whether or not God loves them because of their inability to see positive life change in all of these areas. There is no assurance of salvation for anyone who hops onto this merry-go-round. In a performance based religion you never know if you'€™ve done enough and the entire time your conscience is screaming at you every time you sin and fall short. But because Jesus death for sins is ONLY ever applied to unbelievers in these churches the assumption is that Jesus death on the cross DOES NOT APPLY to believers. This is not an overstatement of the facts. I grew up in a performance based form of Christianity and know this is true from personal experience.

Now let me offer an alternate theology. One whose Material Principle is 'Christ Crucified for our sins'€ and whose Formal Principle is Sola Scriptura (the whole council of the word of God instead of the guidebook for living approach)



Notice that the Gospel Message of Christ Crucified for our Sins is the center and substance of this theology. That means that the Gospel is preached Sunday after Sunday and is the main feature of EVERY sermon and EVERY Bible study.

In this theology sin is dealt with as a serious and deadly problem and every person, including the pastor, has the mirror of God's perfect law held up to them to expose their utter depravity and sinfulness. The solution that is offered to solve this problem is NOT practical steps to experience '€˜life change'. The ONLY solution that is offered for this problem is Christ crucified for our sins. Why? Because scripture is clear that the law cannot save us NOR sanctify us. But that we are saved AND sanctified by the good news that Christ died for OUR sins. The good works that we do are not done out of selfish motivations (I want a better sex life) but they are done because we are NEW creations in Christ and our new nature given to us by the Holy Spirit through the preaching of the gospel () naturally produces good fruit and this fruit is produced as an act of worship to our savior who in His love and mercy rescued us from the bondage of sin through Christ's propitiatory sacrifice for our sins on the cross ().

I offer these passages of scripture as further proof that what I am saying is in accord with sound Biblical doctrine.

For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

18 "For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Notice that Paul said '€œto us who are being saved'€™. The "€œIT"€ Paul is referring to is the message of the gospel NOT the message of the law and the message of principles to be applied for life change.

Paul continues...

"Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

Again notice that Paul says in verse 23 '€œwe PREACH (present active indicative) Christ Crucified'. Paul did not limit this preaching to only unbelievers!!! It is undeniably clear that this message was the center and substance of Paul'€™s preaching to both believers and unbelievers.

Then Paul wrote this...

"And I, when I came to you, brothers,did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

Was Paul actually saying that he ONLY preached Christ Crucified? In a VERY real way that is EXACTLY what Paul was saying. He was making it very clear that "Christ Crucified for our sins" (The Gospel) was the Material Principle of his theology and therefore Jesus Christ NOT Paul and his progress in a performance based religion was the object of Paul'€™s faith.

In fact Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit wrote his harshest letter to the churches in Galatia who had abandoned the message of Christ Crucified for our sins and had replaced it with a performance based religion. Said Paul...

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.

"O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. 2 Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?

So many Christians today talk a lot about 'being in the flesh' versus 'being in the spirit'. But, do they actually know that being on the merry-go-round of a performance based religion is exactly how scripture defines what it means to be in the flesh? Do they actually know that this passage teaches that to 'be in the spirit'€™ means to trust and have faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross as opposed to trusting in your changed life?

Regarding performance based religion, which Paul was all to familiar with, wrote...

"Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. 3 For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh'€” 4 though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. 7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith'€” 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Here's the bottom line. Those members of the CPM who have the 'changed life'€™ as their theological center and material principle are in grave spiritual danger. Even worse, it is more than likely that the people who are attending their church plants have the wrong idea about what the Christian faith is about. I therefore am making an appeal to Church Planters to repent and preach the gospel to both believers and unbelievers every single Sunday. I am making an appeal to them based upon the clear teachings of the Word of God to change their material principle from the 'changed life' to 'Christ crucified for our sins'. Then and ONLY then will they witness the Holy Spirit effecting real and eternal change in people's lives.

Obama supporters post election

Obama Win Causes Obsessive Supporters To Realize How Empty Their Lives Are

Praying for President-Elect Obama

This is a wonderful and excellent article by Ligon Duncan of what we as Christians should delight in doing regarding President-elect Obama in the coming days.

We ought to commit ourselves to pray for our new President, for his wife and family, for his administration, and for the nation. We will do this, not only because of the biblical command to pray for our rulers, but because of the second greatest commandment "Love your neighbor" and what better way to love your neighbor, than to pray for his well-being. Those with the greatest moral and political differences with the President-Elect ought to ask God to engender in them, by His Spirit, genuine neighbor-love for Mr. Obama.

We will also pray for our new President because he (and we) face challenges that are not only daunting but potentially disastrous. We will pray that God will grant him wisdom. He and his family will face new challenges and the pressures of this office. May God protect them, give them joy in their family life, and hold them close together.

We will pray that God will protect this nation even as our new President settles into his role as Commander in Chief, and that God will grant peace as he leads the nation through times of trial and international conflict and tension.

We will pray that God would change President-Elect Obama's mind and heart on issues of crucial moral concern. May God change his heart and open his eyes to see abortion as the murder of the innocent unborn, to see marriage as an institution to be defended, and to see a host of issues in a new light. We must pray this from this day until the day he leaves office. God is sovereign, after all.

For those Christians who are more dismayed than overjoyed about the prospects of an Obama presidency, there should be a remembrance that as our President, Barack Obama will have God-given authority to govern us, and that we should view him as a servant of God () to whom we should be subject (; ). Thus, again, we are to pray for Barack Obama (). We are to thank God for Barack Obama (). We are to respect Barack Obama (). We are to honor Barack Obama (; ).

For those Christians who are more overjoyed than concerned about the prospects of an Obama presidency, there should be a remembrance of our ultimate allegiance: Jesus is Lord (and thus, He, not we, decides what is right and wrong), we serve God not man, and the Lord himself has promised to establish "the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him" (). Thus, where our new president opposes or undermines biblical moral standards in our society, fails to uphold justice for the unborn, undermines religious liberties or condones an ethos that is hostile to the Gospel, we will pray for God's purposes to triumph over our President's plans and policies.

Without doubt and whatever our particular views may be, we face hard days ahead. Realistically, we must all expect to be frustrated and disappointed. Some now may feel defeated and discouraged. While others may all-too-soon find their audacious hopes unfounded and unrealized. We must all keep ever in mind that it is God who raises up leaders and nations, and it is God who pulls them down, and who judges both nations and rulers. We must not act or think like unbelievers, or as those who do not trust God.

For the entire article click on this LINK.

What are good works Biblically?

This is part of a radio show called "Fighting for the Faith" in which Chris Rosebrough distinguishes between works to try and get right before God or works that come from the righteousness imputed to us by Christ. We in the evangelical church need to get a solid hold on the difference and check our hearts as to which kind of works we are offering to God.

Leadership of godly men

In Steve Lawson's book "Foundations of Grace" the following quote appears;
Strong men always proclaim a strong message. They do not read the polls and check the surveys before they give their opinions. In fact, they do not even have opinions-they have convictions. They bleed convictions. They are strong men anchored in the strong Word of God and as such, they bring a message with gravitas and punch. When they stand to speak, they actually have something to say-and they say it, whether anyone listens or not. When they sit to write, they do not skirt the issues-they tackle them. When they address the times in which they live, they do not tickle ears-they box them. They do not have one message for one group and a different message for a different group. Wherever they go and whomever they address, they have only one message-God's message. This is what makes them strong men. They speak God's Word, or they do not speak at all.