At Bethlehem Baptist Church and at Desiring God we use the term "God-centered" a lot. Here is one simple way to tell what we mean and test yourself to see if you are God-centered.
The psalmist describes the motivation of God in saving sinners like this:
Both we and our fathers have sinned... Yet he saved them for his name's sake, that he might make known his mighty power. (Psalms 106:6, 8)
God was motivated to rescue them and us from our sin and its penalty "for his name's sake." What does "for his name's sake" mean? It means "that he might make known his mighty power."
What we mean when we say God is "God-centered" is that he acts like that. He saves for the sake of his name. He saves to make known his own power.
And what we mean when we say we are God-centered (or desire to be) is that we like to have it that way. It satisfies us to have God save us for God's sake. We are happy that this is the way it is. We get pleasure in seeing it and savoring it.
"I don't need to be a prophet or a son of a prophet to know what your God is, I only have to watch your life. When Jesus Christ is just something you do at the beginning of the week, but yet throughout your life you are a practical atheist, I know who your God is and it is not the one who is the One true God. When you have just enough Christianity to make you moral and comfortable in the south, I know who your God is. If I could look into your mind to see what occupies your mind I will know what your God is." - Paul Washer
This video is a disturbing trend in the church that Barack Obama has attended for over 20 years. Apparently the preacher is a friend of the church and one who has spoken on many occasions. Jesus said "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." I am not political and this blog is not political. But there comes a time, where one has to look at the candidates and their close associations, and what that may indicate about the candidates attitudes, beliefs, values and feelings. As these things continue to unfold may we be in prayer that God would give discernment to each of us in our voting in the November election.
The mediatorial righteousness of Christ will answer to all the fears, doubts, and objections of your souls.
How shall I look up to God? The answer is—In the righteousness of Christ. How shall I have any communion with a holy God in this world? The answer is—In the righteousness of Christ. How shall I find acceptance with God? The answer is—In the righteousness of Christ. How shall I die? The answer is—In the righteousness of Christ. How shall I stand before the judgment seat? The answer is—In the righteousness of Christ.
Your sure and only way under all temptations, fears, conflicts, doubts, and disputes, is by faith to remember Christ, and the sufferings of Christ, as your mediator and surety, and say, ‘O Christ! you are my sin—in being made sin for me; and you are my curse—in being made a curse for me. Or rather, I am your sin—and you are my righteousness; I am your curse—and you are my blessing; I am your death—and you are my life; I am the wrath of God to you—and you are the love of God to me; I am your hell—and you are my heaven.’
Here are the messages available for download from the recent New Attitude 2008 Conference. I have listened to John Piper's message on "fighting the fight of faith" which I would highly recommend. To go to these messages simply click on this LINK.
It is the study of the doctrine of salvation. In Christian systematic theology it is used to refer to the study of how the life and death of Christ effectually brings people to salvation. In the broader context of salvation, the idea is essentially synonymous with the concept of redemption and includes a past, present, and future sense.
"Conviction of sin is a state of the mind and heart when the individual takes sides with God against himself." -Paris Reidhead, Getting Evangelicals Saved
Tenth Presbyterian Church has a Spiritual Health Survey for its church. Why not take some time to look through it and see how you would do. You can also download as a PDF, simply click on this LINK.
The interpretive fallacy of reading into (eis-) the text of Scripture a preconceived theology in order to make it fit with what those presumptions require. Eisegesis is to be contrasted with exegesis which involves the arrival of meaning from or out of (ex-) the biblical text, without the presumption of meaning dictating the results.
Ezekiel 36:22-32 22 "Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone. 23 I WILL show THE HOLINESS OF MY GREAT NAME, which has been profaned among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I AM the LORD, declares the Sovereign LORD, when I SHOW myself holy through you before their eyes.
24 " 'For I WILL take you out of the nations; I WILL gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. 25 I WILL sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I WILL cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. 26 I WILL give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I WILL remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I WILL put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. 28 You will live in the land I gave your forefathers; you will be my people, and I WILL be your God. 29 I WILL save you from all your uncleanness. I WILL call for the grain and make it plentiful and will not bring famine upon you. 30 I WILL increase the fruit of the trees and the crops of the field, so that you will no longer suffer disgrace among the nations because of famine. 31 Then you will remember your evil ways and wicked deeds, and you will loathe yourselves for your sins and detestable practices. 32 I want you to know that I am not doing this for your sake, declares the Sovereign LORD. Be ashamed and disgraced for your conduct, O house of Israel!
As you read the verses, one can see the promise of the new covenant, from Ezekiel, that is going to be fulfilled in the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ into the world. Ask yourself the following questions as you read and then absorb these truths into your theology. 1. Who is going to be doing this thing? 2. Who will this be for primarily? 3. Why is it that God will do it this way? 4. What is God going to do? 5. If this is a picture of regeneration and I believe it is then how much is God doing? 6. Can you count all the "I WILL'S" and then follow up with the question I will what? 7. Again, how much of this is God doing? 8. How much are you doing? 9. Again for clarity, why is God going to do it this particular way? 10. Can God do this however He chooses to do it? 11. Can God do this with whomever He decides to do it? 12. Isn't that part of the definition of what it means for God to be sovereign?
Brothers and sisters in Christ, this describes what happens when you were born again by the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit!
Dr. John Piper has outlined in a recent article, an expanded vision for the Bethlehem Institute. Below are some of the sub-themes that reflect Dr. Piper's vision for God and the ministry to which he has been called. If you should want to read the whole article simply click on this LINK.
A vision that stresses the sovereignty of God,
the truth that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him,
the inerrancy of Scripture,
rigorous thought with disciplined habits of mind,
intense affections awakened by a true vision of God,
cultural awareness and discerning engagement,
creative and compelling expressions of great old truth in fresh ways,
global concern, especially for the unreached peoples of the earth,
courageous, risk-taking readiness to suffer and die for Christ,
a wartime lifestyle that prefers simplicity over luxury and generosity over riches,
serious friendships that last a lifetime,
corporate life and worship in the local church,
and a respect for history and what we can learn from it.
From the CT blog site: Everyone seems to want an easy way to heaven nowadays. They want salvation without repentance, religion without a cross, and redemption without a cost. This is exactly what the modern evangelical church has been selling for decades, and we are starting to bear the fruit of this disaster.
There is a disturbing trend among young evangelicals in regards to the commandments of God as well as an attention to sound doctrine. It is a trend that has been noticed by the campaign of one Barrack Obama, who disguises his heretical liberation theology as Orthodox Christianity while his Biblically inept followers buy his message of “hope” hook, line, and sinker. Consider the following.
"“McCain doesn’t want to talk about his faith all that much,” Brody said. “Barack Obama is comfortable talking about that. … He’s speaking evangelical talk, so to speak, and that resonates.”
Brody says Obama is trying to woo moderate evangelical voters away from McCain. He noted that Obama is not going after the old-guard evangelicals, but younger, more moderate evangelicals that will not automatically reject him because of his support for abortion and gay rights.
Obama was endorsed by a major pro-choice group last week, and his campaign says he “respects” the California Supreme Court decision to overturn the state’s ban on gay “marriage,” according to Fox News."
Like it or not, this speaks volumes about the young evangelicals being turned out by the church growth movement. Caught up in easy-believism, these professing Christians have little consideration for the government’s bloodthirsty slaughter of unborn babies or state supported perversion of marriage. The things that grieve the heart of God fail to register in the countenance of these unconverted evangelicals, who cannot tell the kingdom of Christ from that of Caesar.
The cause of this trend has its roots in the methodology of the modern “church growth movement”, which gets caught up in numbers at the expense of truth. Unsatisfied with Biblical worship, they have replaced it with entertainment. Unsatisfied with the preaching of the Word, they have replaced it with short anecdotes and feel-good motivational speeches. Unsatisfied with Biblical doctrine, they have replaced it with pop-psychology. Unsatisfied with Biblical discipleship, which includes “teaching to observe all things”, they have replaced it with behavioral modification techniques; and all for the sake of “churching the unchurched”. The problem: The unchurched are simply joining the church without being converted. The church’s “big tent” philosophy is as dangerous as it is unbiblical.
"Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Matthew 7:13-14)
The main problem with the church growth movement is that they are trying to attract goats into the church by offering them goat food, and hoping that this will somehow turn them into sheep. The results are that the church is full of goats, or at best, malnourished sheep.
So what is the solution? We must return to preaching sound biblical doctrine (sheep food) that has the capability of converting souls, “For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” (1 Peter 4:17). Of course, we may have to suffer a little loss in the area of church growth, but a few true converts will be much better than many false ones.
Sanctification [saynk’-tuh-fih-kay‘-shun] - (Latin sanctifare, ”to consecrate, or make holy,” from Greek hagiazo, “to purify”)
Refers to the state or process of being set apart for special use. In Christian theology, is in reference to the change brought about by God in the believer which began at the point of salvation (justification) and continues throughout the life of the believer until the final state of glorification. The word (hagiasmos=sanctifcation/holiness) occurs several times in the NT (e.g., Rom. 6:19,22; 1 Cor. 1:30; 1 Thess. 4:3,4,7; 2 Thess. 2:13; 1 Peter 1:2).
We took out the stitches on Nancy's minor arm surgery yesterday. (And yes, I do make house calls) It reminds me that in a spiritual sense "by His wounds we are healed." Sin has left us mortally wounded and without the stitching together of Christ, we will be eternally doomed. Only Christ can do spiritual surgery that pays for the penalty of our sin by His death and then gives us power over sin by His life.
Step into the average service these days and you will likely see that the services are designed more to remove the fear of God than to promote it. - Steven J. Lawson
John E. Ashbrook from his book, The New Neutralism II, "A debate is a conflict which clarifies a position. A dialogue is a conversation which compromises a position." * First, new evangelicalism determines to reject Biblical separation.
* Secondly, new evangelicalism determines to find acceptance by the world.
* Thirdly, new evangelicalism determines to add the social gospel to the Scriptural gospel....
"Men imagine that the Most High is moved by sentiment, rather than actuated by principle. They suppose that His omnipotency is such an idle fiction that Satan is thwarting His designs on every side. They think that if He has formed any plan or purpose at all, then it must be like theirs, constantly subject to change. They openly declare that whatever power He possesses must be restricted, lest He invade the citdel of man’s “free will” and reduce him to a “machine.” They lower the all efficacious Atonement, which has actually redeemed everyone for whom it was made, to a mere “remedy,” which sin-sick souls may use if they feel disposed to; and they enervate the invincible work of the Holy Spirit to an “offer” of the Gospel which sinners may accept or reject as they please.
The “god” of this twentieth century no more resembles the Supreme Sovereign of Holy Writ than does the dim flickering of a candle the glory of the midday sun. The “god” who is now talked about in the average pulpit, spoken of in the ordinary Sunday School, mentioned in much of the religious literature of the day, and preached in most of the so-called Bible Conferences is the figment of human imagination, an invention of maudlin sentimentality. The heathen outside of the pale of Christendom form “gods” out of wood and stone, while the millions of heathen inside Christendom manufacture a “god” out of their own carnal mind. In reality, they are but atheists, for there is no other possible alternative between an absolutely supreme God, and no God at all. A “god” whose will is resisted, whose designs are frustrated, whose purpose is checkmated, possesses no title to Deity, and so far from being a fit object of worship, merits nought but contempt." —A. W. Pink (1886–1952)
From the Outbox blog site: “Is the church like a cruise ship whose mission and staff are focused on attracting people to its own programs and giving people a good time so that their consumer impulses are satisfied, their felt needs are cared for, and they believe that their money has been well spent? Or is the church an aircraft carrier whose mission and staff are focused toward equipping and empowering our people for their ministries every day in the world?”
On aircraft carriers there is a spirit of anticipation, readiness, and a communal life which is intensely supportive, but outwardly focused. The mission of an aircraft carrier is not to entertain but to equip—not to attract, but to deploy. Aircraft carriers evaluate success not by the number of people who come onboard, but rather the number of missions engaged. On an aircraft carrier people listen intently for the orders of the Commander in Chief, rather than sitting in the sun waiting for the next activity on the schedule.
As a former pastor I know that one of the key decisions for a Christian is "choosing a church." Therefore I have included a helpful article done by Mark Roberts on this subject. Let me say this, once you become part of the body then you need to stay attached to the body. Of course exceptions apply for example: 1. God calls you and family to a ministry not provided or supported by your local church. Also God may call a person, couple or family as missionaries. 2. The preaching and teaching have fallen into a form of heresy. 3. The leadership has an obvious violation of integrity and they have gone through proper Biblical confrontation but will not hear or repent.
There may be other reasons but they don't come to me at this point. However it is my experience that people come and go in regard to church like they buy a TV, computer or automobile. In America when people attach and become member they just reattach to any other church as it fits their own definition based on what they want. Unfortunately they rarely see the wake of devastation they can leave behind especially in a small body of believers. And when asked why they left, often the problem that they saw in the church they were not willing to be involved in the solution. There was a couple in our church, Joe and Mary Smedley that came to me complaining about the nursery for their grandchildren. When I asked their adult children and themselves to brainstorm, propose a solution and get involved in this ministry using their gifts, they got offended and left the church. Seriously that is what happened and these people, most Christians would consider, "seasoned" and "mature" Christians.
Well with that as a preliminary ramp up, here is the article on "choosing a church" - Part 1 and Part 2.
“Being dead to the world means that every legitimate pleasure in the world becomes a blood-bought evidence of Christ’s love and an occasion of boasting in the cross. When our hearts run back along the beam of blessing to the source in the cross, then the worldliness of the blessing is dead, and Christ crucified is everything.” - John Piper
James White provides a powerful argument regarding the doctrine of election. This is a doctrine worth much time and study as it relates to practically living out the Christian life. May I encourage you to watch this video and take a few notes along the way.
I was an only child and Hamilton was like my older brother while I was growing up in Albany, GA. His parents Dick and Adelaide Jordan were some of my parents best friends. While I was in college Hamilton was in the White House. And over the years we played a lot of basketball and tennis together. The thing I will always remember most about Hamilton was his great sense of humor. He had the art of "cutting you down" in a way that could make you laugh at yourself. It wasn't done in a mean way but it was just his style. He has an older brother whose name is Lawson and a young sister whose name is Helen. Over the years we lost contact but have always remained one of my fondest childhood memories as one of those people who really encouraged me along the way. Nancy to this day still has the hand written recipe for chocolate pecan pie (see below) that his mother would make on holidays and special occasions. I just happened to catch this story on the internet and wanted to put this up on the blog site in honor of my "big-brother."
"The evangelical church must shoulder much of the blame for the drainage of scriptural knowledge from our society, a knowledge that was commonplace only a few decades ago. Far too concerned with excellence in our musical productions, entertainment of our young people, and creation of worshipful experiences, we have all but neglected the systematic teaching of the Word. Surely our churches are still bulging with Bible studies, lectures and even sermons, but it is becoming increasingly rare to find the Word of God maintaining its centrality in the Christian community. Bible studies are often a mere sharing of ignorance, sermons are seldom expository and pastors and conference speakers work hard at keeping their audience happy and meeting their felt needs. Ministers are being trained, not to be shepherds of the flock, but presidents of a corporation. As a result, not only is the unbeliever ignorant of the Word, but often the Christian also is as well. Ignorant Christians live foolish lives as they bounce from mystical experience to entertaining programming in hopes of finding an anchor. A return to the priority of the Word is the great need of the moment." -Gary E. Gilley,
When is the last time you heard a message on sin? Do you remember the first message that Jesus preached in Mark 1:15? It was as follows: "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!" You might say repent of what? Friends repent of your sin, the very thing that you have exchanged in lieu of the glory of God.
From Francis Turretin blog site he writes: In the clip above, Paul Washer preaches a short but powerful message from Scripture on the sinfulness of that estate whereinto man fell.
It's really a simple set of syllogisms:
1. All men are sinners;
2. You are a man;
3. Therefore, you are a sinner.
4. All sinners deserve death;
5. You are a sinner;
6. Therefore, you deserve death.
7. There is one way to be saved, namely by faith in Christ alone for salvation;
8. If you have not believed on Christ alone for salvation, you are still under condemnation;
9. Therefore, believe: repent of your sins and trust in Christ alone for salvation. For there is no other way to be saved. Your works will not save you: they will only render you more guilty. Your will cannot save you: it is the slave of your desires. Only God can save you: therefore, trust in Him! Turn to Him in repentance, and beg Him for mercy, aware of the heinousness of your sins, and the justice of hell that you deserve.
Describes the “emptying” of Christ at the incarnation. The Greek word kenoo (”to empty”) is found in Phil 2:6-11 where Christ humility is described through the incarnation. Debate exists concerning the meaning of the Kenosis. Did Christ lose divine attributes and thus “empty” himself, or did he give up rights for the independent use of his divine attributes, without actually giving them up? Most theologians would opt for the latter, believing that if Christ “lost” divine attributes he would no longer be divine; indeed, he would never have been divine in the first place considering the essential divine attribute of immutability (the inability to change in essence).
From the Tominthebox News Network - Religious Humor/Satire blog site
San Francisco, Ca - A recent ruling by the California Supreme Court rejected the legal definition of marriage as "between a man and a woman." While this news has been overwhelmingly received by gay and lesbian communities, others are also finding reasons to celebrate, like Richard Potter, a self-proclaimed narcissist. Potter, who claims to have been in love with himself for over 10 years, was exuberant upon hearing the news.
"I'm still speechless," Potter told TBNN. "I've been wanting to marry myself for years now. This new decision to not limit marriage to just between a man and a woman finally opens up the door for me to plan that big day that I've waited for so long."
Potter has already started planning his "big day." The ceremony will take place at the Park Street Unitarian Universalist Church on Saturday, June 21st of this year. The sanctuary will be decorated with yellow and white roses. Potter, who will wear a dark grey tuxedo, will exchange vows with himself before a crowd of special friends and family. The wedding will be officiated by Park Street's pastor the Rev. Tricia Kirkwood-Hansen-Smyth.
"I'm so in love with myself it drives me crazy," said Potter. "Sometimes in the morning when I'm combing my hair I just stand there and look at my own face longingly in the mirror and just admire my own beauty. Or at other times I just like to snuggle up with myself on the couch on a rainy evening and watch a movie. Whether I'm cooking dinner, or just having a night out on the town, I'm so happy with me and want to make that known to the world out there by committing myself to myself."
"I think what Rich is doing is a beautiful expression of his love for himself," said Kirkwood-Hansen-Smyth. "We know that self-love is the purest form of love. The Bible says somewhere to 'love your neighbor as yourself' I think. Well, I think Rich, more than many, really gets it. He's making that first and foremost commitment to himself, to love himself for the rest of his life, and then, and only then will he truly be able to love others.
Potter also noted to TBNN that being married to himself will finally allow him to file for extra benefits for his spouse and to be able to file 'Married Filing Jointly' on his taxes each year.
P.S. News flash just in on where Potter will be going to church on a regular basis. Just click on this LINK.
If you will notice on the right hand sidebar there is a new feature called "Pilgrim Daily Verse." This will be a new Bible verse each day. May I suggest that you use this to memorize or just meditate as part of your daily devotion.
I want to say something that could offend some who read this blog but that is not my intent. In teaching over the years it has been my experience that many sit under teaching and preaching of God's word without ever seriously reading or studying their own Bibles. People have a right to be ignorant of Bible doctrine and they practice that right daily. I want to consider myself a Bible purist in the light of only preaching and teaching what the text says and not what I want the text to say. Obviously we all come to the Bible with our own values, beliefs, attitudes and feelings that often color the way we read. However my goal has been by the grace of God to try and discover what the author meant by what he wrote and teach it that way!
So here is my problem with those who sit passively and listen to others preach and teach without learning how to study for themselves. They end up talking to others who are able to passionately convince them of teaching and doctrine that isn't consistent with what the Bible says. For example I had a call within the past year (names are changed to protect the innocent) from a woman whose husband was telling her about the deeper spiritual life. When she questioned him further he started telling her that he heard that if you prayed for the gift of tongues, then you could receive it and have a deeper work of the Spirit. What? This boils down to a subsequent work of the Spirit based on the speaking in tongues. Folks reading this blog site, do you really believe that? When you were justified by faith at that time you received Jesus in full. Let me quote Colossians 2:9-10 as one of the verses that speaks to this issue theologically: Col. 2:9 For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, Col. 2:10 and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority; I would suggest that those who believe in a subsequent work of the Spirit do some research on the phrase "have been made complete." It is just so amazing to me how supposedly "mature" Christians are looking for some magic bullet that they have missed from their spiritual life. Then one day, Martha Smedley, living in a cave, in the Rockies proclaims that someone can have the deeper life, by speaking in tongues and they start to salivate.
Yes, I have had personal encounters, phone calls and emails from some of these wing nuts. (I mean that in love) I once was sent a package of information along with a tape and was exhorted to read the letter, listen to the tape and read the enclosed books. When doing research on the author I found him to be un-Biblical, un-orthodox and a false teacher who had and still deceives many with false teaching. I even met for lunch with one of the members of his church and personally asked the person to leave the church and take his family out from under the false teaching. Needless to say neither one of us finished lunch that day and there was a rather tense ending to our meeting. In the past year I received a call from someone who is well known in Charlotte in regard to all suffering being a direct result of sin. This person wanted to send me a book, and again the author in my opinion and ministry is false teaching that hurts the body of Christ. Again this person buys into it hook, line and sinker and has home meetings where others are instructed in what I am calling a distortion of Biblical truth. Last example, I sat under the teaching of a Bible teacher who started out with this statement. "I can't find anyone else who has taught this particular text like I will tonight but this is the way I see it." One of the first statements I remember a professor making in seminary was if anyone ever starts out with a "unique" take on a particular section of the Bible then you need to be very suspicious of that person. Folks we have almost 2000 years of some great theologians, scholars and pastors who have come before us. This is also why I am a huge fan of church history and going back to see what the early church fathers had to say about various texts.
In summary, Christians today need to listen carefully to what is being preached and what is being taught by those in leadership. Do these teachings reflect the position of the orthodox church over the years? Could it be that their ears are being tickled and they don't even realize it? Let me conclude with something that will sound harsh but again I don't mean it that way but what I have found to be true. Most of the false teaching, complaining unnecessarily and incorrect take on the Bible has come from the female side of the family. There are some exceptions to this but it holds true for the most part. The men are too busy with jobs, 401 K's, sports and other things and have left the spiritual issues of the family up to their wives. If you look at the Wednesday night activity in the church then I simply rest my case. However men according to the word of God are to take the spiritual leadership in the home. And because they have not we in the church are suffering the consequences of that lack of male spiritual leadership. I want to encourage all Christians to once again pick up their Bibles and be proactive in reading and studying the word of God. If you don't know how then find solid Biblical teachers who are willing to teach and disciple you. It's time for the church to understand and live out the cry of the early church fathers who said with all their hearts "we will only believe and do what the Bible says."
If you are ever in Charleston on Sunday looking for a church may I recommend Pierpont Baptist. Nancy and I consider this our church home in South Carolina and always love the preaching and people. Pastor Greg Smith is a godly man who soundly preaches from the word of God. This morning the message was on Matthew 22:15-22 which Pastor Greg titled "Taxation and Worship." Each time we show up there is such a warm and friendly feel to the church and one senses a love for the Lord Jesus. Check out the website. So if you are in Charleston come by and enjoy worship that is God honoring, Christ exalting and Holy Spirit empowered!
In the past couple of years I have had the privilege of attending seminary at Columbia International University in Columbia, SC. One of the advantages of this seminary has been its broad range of student from over 40 different countries. Between classes there is often time to meet and discuss with foreign students their impression of American Christianity. I got to know a dear brother in Christ whose name is Joseph Kim who shared with me that he reads the Bible about 4 times a year. The spiritual maturity of those outside America seem to be so much further along than those of us in the American church. In my teaching experience over the last 10 years in church I would say that probably less than 5% of the people have even read the Bible through 1 time. When I first started into full time ministry I used to take men to lunch and ask the following 3 questions: 1. Are you have devotions on a regular basis? 2. Are you being discipled or are you discipling someone in the church? 3. Are you using your spiritual gift(s) withing the body of Christ? There was only 1 person in all the lunches that could answer yes to all three of those basic questions.
I received feedback from a friend of mine whose son indicated that he thought I was too negative. Well am I being negative or realistic when you look at the answers to the questions above? Am I skewing the facts to be negative or am I just reporting that which is objective?
If you are reading this blog site right now just ask yourself these same questions and honestly answer these questions: 1. Have you read through the entire Bible and are you doing so this year? 2. Do you have regular devotions? 3. Are you discipling or being discipled? 4. Do you serve in the church consistent with your gift mix?
Is it surprising then why there is a lack of spiritual maturity in the church today? Don't hear me wrong, reading the Bible, discipling others and serving according to your gift does not automatically guarantee spiritual maturity. But it does seem that those who manifest some of those disciplines listed above are making some progress in this area. My point is that overall we are not challenging those in the church, nor is there healthy accountability to encourage God-centered living!
As a former pastor can tell you from personal experience that what people sing about and raise their hands about on Sunday morning can be very different from what you see when you enter their home on Monday morning. It looks good, talks good, smells good and walks good on the outside but when you start to peel back the onion the inside doesn't match the outside.
In other articles I want to cover questions regarding theology that is preached and practiced in sub-culture groups with the church. Hopefully it will help those reading this blog to identify potential false teaching and bad doctrine that can lead to misapplication of Scripture.
This LINK was sent to me from a very politically astute young man. OK, I may be biased because he is my son but check this out from the political grape vine.
As part of my devotion this morning I read and meditated on King Nebuchadnezzar's prayer in Daniel 4:34-37. The Bible is replete with examples and stories regarding the SOVEREIGNTY of GOD and these verses provide a powerful illustration. First let's start with a definition of God's sovereignty: This means that God plans and carries out His perfect will as He alone knows is best, over all that is in heaven and earth, and He does so without failure or defeat. Sovereignty is a statement about God’s control over all things in His plan and His executing that plan.
Read what King Nebuchadnezzar learned about God in the following verses: Daniel 4:34-37 (NLT) His rule is everlasting and His kingdom is eternal All the people of the earth are nothing compared to Him He has to power to do as He pleases among the angels of heaven and with those who live on earth No one can stop Him or challenge Him saying, 'What do you mean by doing these things?'
Just read these verses and absorb them literally as meaning exactly what they say. Can Americans in the church today handle this kind of definition when it comes to the sovereignty of God? If you ask many people today they will define the sovereignty of God as follows: God is as sovereign over my life as my free will allows Him to be. That may be our cultural definition but it IS NOT A BIBLICAL DEFINITION!
Observations about the sovereignty of God in Daniel 4:34-37: 1. King Nebuchadnezzar had a rule of a kingdom that was temporal but he recognized that God's kingdom is eternal and His rule of that kingdom is everlasting.
2. If we take all the people on planet earth with our technology, military prowess, medical advancements and social developments put them all together they will come up to nothing as compared with God. In other words, we as human beings don't add to nor subtract from the God of this universe. Major Ian Thomas has a quote that goes as follows: Jesus Christ who was never ever less than God came to planet earth to live as One who never ever more than man, but man who is never ever more than just a man struts himself around this planet as one who is never ever less than God!
3. God has the power to do whatever He pleases, however He decides and with whomever He decides. Isn't that exactly what this verse means in the context of what King Nebuchadnezzar is saying? God Himself can kill or save a pagan king if He wants to and that will be according to what pleases Him! Can we handle that truth about God? If God were to send every person that ever lived on planet earth to hell then He would still be a just, holy, and loving God. However should God Himself be pleased to save some and not others then who are we to call Him to account. God can and does whatever He pleases and does not check that out with the American church to see if we agree, support and are on board with that theological truth. I have been around men who have studied the Bible for years that have not come to the simple understanding of this important principle about God.
4. No one can or should challenge Him as it pertains to His sovereignty. In the NASB translation it says: And no one can ward off His hand Or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’ In other words a person or group of persons are not going to stop what God has ordained nor should they question it! Whoa, let's see if we can get a grip on this truth. Doesn't this sound a bit like the apostle Paul's argument in Romans 9 after he says that God loved Jacob and hated Esau. And then the argument ensues about the justice of God in the election of some to salvation and not others. Finally in Romans 9:20 we read - "On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it?" Brothers and sisters in Christ may we repent of our pride and submit ourselves to this wonderful truth of God who is sovereign over all people and over all things in the heavens and the earth!
"We are more concerned in the United States about the rights of homosexuals than we are about Who Jesus Christ is and what He did. We’re more concerned with social issues in the United States in the Christian church denominationally than we are with those who are dying in their sins without the Gospel. We are very concerned about everything except the things that really matter. - Walter Martin
There will be a feature from time to time on this blog site called "ask Dr. Buck." These will be real questions posed to Dr. Buck and answers to help people get on with their Christian life. Please understand this will be done tongue and cheek and with some humor mixed with truth. Dr. Buck is not always very tactful in his approach but seems to be very effective in getting his message across. Stay tuned for further details...
It's back by popular demand. The seeker friendly, post modern and emergent church will find out what you want and then give it to you! This is "Burger King" ministry because you really can have it your way.
Martin Lloyd-Jones says: What is preaching? Logic on fire! Eloquent reason! Are these contradictions? Of course they are not. Reason concerning this Truth ought to be mightily eloquent, as you see it in the case of the Apostle Paul and others. It is theology on fire. And a theology which does not take fire, I maintain, is a defective theology; or at least the man's understanding of it is defective. Preaching is theology coming through a man who is on fire. A true understanding and experience of the Truth must lead to this. I say again that a man who can speak about these things dispassionately has no right whatsoever to be in a pulpit; and should never be allowed to enter one. What is the chief end of preaching? I like to think it is this. It is to give men and women a sense of God and His presence.
And yes those are dolphins in the water in pictures 4 and 5. They are very friendly and will swim up right next to the boat. It is against the law to feed them but I have often wanted to.
This is a part 2 post from the other day titled "Mac" attack. It occurred to me when I went to the Apple store at South Park they made the decision to buy very simple. I needed a laptop because the other one I had crashed. So I was prepared to talk the various aspects of computer language that you need when dealing a technology whiz kid. But when I arrived at the store there were only two options: 1. MacBook (White) 2. MacBook Pro (Black)
Here is the song used in the advertisement for the Air Mac. (I love the song)
How simple and effective is that kind of selling and choice making as to a computer? In our post-modern, multi choice have it any way that you want it world, I could either chose a white notebook or a black notebook. Think about it, in the Apple world of laptops you can either get a black or a white. If apple can get away with that then how about the church? Why can't the church talk about the Bible, the inspired word of God as either black or white? Instead in the modern day church if you ask a typical pastor his favorite color you will probably hear the word "plaid." Come on folks, let's move back to the cry of the Reformation "we will only believe and do what the Bible says." The Bible is to be interpreted in a way that we strive to understand what the author meant by what he wrote. And contrary to popular post-modern preaching and teaching there is absolute truth in the word of God and we are called NOT to question it but to obey it! When you get a chance look at the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount that Jesus gave in Matthew 7. At the conclusion He presents: 1. Two gates (wide and narrow) 2. Two trees (good and bad) 3. Two houses (built on rock or sand)
It is obvious that from the standpoint of the Lord Jesus there is black and white. Bottom line there is absolute truth and for those who think differently try this experiment. Set up you desk in the middle of interstate 485 and see if your encounter with an 18 wheeler is absolute or relative. A person can reject the word of God and be in constant disobedience and spend an eternity in hell or God can open the heart and one can receive Christ as treasure and obey Him from delight not duty and enjoy eternal life. It's very simple and the choice is black or white NOT plaid.
Folks, I am convicted over and over again that the church must get back to a God-centered orientation in the Christian life. There is too much man-centered theology that is taught and in a culture like ours it is absorbed in and through every area of our lives. If you get a chance this week look closely at the praise of King David to the Lord in the presence of the people in 1 Chronicles 29:10-14.
I am quoting out of the New Living Translation:
Oh LORD, the God of our ancestor Israel, may You be praised forever and ever! King David recognizes the true and living God of Israel and puts the emphasis where it needs to be and that is to praise God!
Now King David goes on to praise the various attributes of God: Yours O LORD, is
* the greatness * the power * the glory * the victory * the majesty
Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours O LORD, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the One who is over all things. King David here not only praises the attributes but confirms that all belongs to God and that He is over all things. This is a strong statement once again as to the sovereignty of God.
Now look closely at what King David says about the hand of God in all things or about the way God ordains according to His good and pleasing will. Riches and honor come from you alone, for you rule over everything. (Folks if we should want to know how God rules over everything King David is going to explain in these verses.) Power and might are in your hand, and it is at your discretion that people are made great and given strength. (Doesn't that also imply that God is also over those who are small and weak?)
In other words King David is saying that not only is God self-sufficient in all things, which means He needs nothing but He is sovereign over all to the degree that He decides who receives the things that He alone decides to give. If that is true with power and wealth within this sovereign context of God would not it also be true of salvation?
Then King David ends with this: O our God, we thank you and praise your glorious name! But who am I and who are my people, that we could give anything to you? (There is much good theology in these verses. First of all it again is the praise and honoring of God's name and putting Him at the center of our lives. Then we admit that we don't add anything nor can we add anything to the greatness of God nor can we give Him anything that He does not already have. Then he concludes with this statement. Everything we have has come from you, and we give you only what you have already given us.
Again I am impressed with the breadth, width and depth of God in and through all things on heaven and earth. A.W. Tozer said that the greatest thoughts we can ever have are the thoughts that we think about God. Theology starts with theos (God) and means thoughts of God. Shouldn't the church and those in the church get a high and accurate view of God Himself?
For years I was a "Windows" user and never thought I would use anything different. Then one day my Think Pad crashed and I called my young son (24) computer whiz among his other attributes. He said "Dad, it's time that you and I had that Father and son conversation." I thought wait a minute my son is 24 years old what does he possibly mean?" And he took me aside and said "Dad, now is the time for you to know the facts of computer life - you need to get a MAC!" My reaction was typical of a staunch devoted Bill Gates disciple I cried out "NO WAY JOSE!" In my son's patient, kind and persuasive way, he took me by the hand and led me to the South Park Apple store. And I must now admit life in computer land has never been the same. I am a proud owner of a MacBook and hopefully will continue for many years to come. What a tremendous product, limited spyware to no virus problems that slow the system down and ease of use to the maximum degree. If you are not on board as of yet may I encourage you to check out the apple website and also their clever ads. And now you know why I had a big "MAC" attack!
Watch one of the all time "nastiest" dunks courtesy of Lebron James over Kevin Garnett. The announcer does get a bit carried away with his comment "no regard for human life." But this is still one of the great all time playoff dunks!
I first heard Tim Keller recommend this book by Sinclair Ferguson and then I went online to find it only to discover it was out of print. Well guess what? It is now back in print and I you can download Chapter 1 in order to check it out.
We have a men's Bible study that meets on Tuesday mornings. At the present time we are focused on Philippians 1:27-2:11. Here are some notes that I recently sent out to the guys.
Hey guys,
As we continue in our study of Philippians 1:27-2:11 the main focus will be that of the cross. How much joy could there be at the cross? Well we read in Hebrews 12:2 - fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. I once heard a pastor say that when you come to Christ as Savior and Lord you get two things: 1. A Cross 2. Eternal Life
The progression of thought in Philippians 1:27-2:11 seems to break down the following way: - Unity - Humility - Exaltation
First the apostle Paul proclaims the importance of unity in the body and then he explains it. In the explanation of unity there are three the apostle Paul brings out: 1. The MOTIVES of unity
* encouragement in Christ * consolation of love * fellowship of the Spirit * affection and compassion
2. The MARKS of unity
* being of the same mind * maintaining the same love * united in spirit * intent on one purpose
3. The MEANS of unity
* Do nothing from selfishness * Do nothing from empty conceit * Humility of mind * Regard one another as more important than yourself
Since the apostle Paul is talking about unity which is the end then what are the means by which these Philippians may attain that for their joy? Well the answer to that is shown under number 3 which is titled the "means of unity." This would be the "HOW"
But what is the litmus test that Paul applies to this group in order to know as to whether or not it is happening? Well the answer to that is shown under number 2 which is titled the "marks of unity." This would be the "WHAT"
And if we want to know what should motivate us to the end through the means and the marks then all we need to do is look at the "motives of unity." Refer back to number 1 and these would be the "WHY."
It might seem as if the Philippians don't need further explanation but now the apostle Paul puts on the scuba diving equipment and goes even deeper. He now starts to address the means to this kind of UNITY come in two distinct aspects: 1. Humiliation 2. Exaltation
Wow! Isn't that the essence of what we see as a result of the cross of our Lord Jesus? Therefore shouldn't this be the result of our lives that are united to Him? And therefore shouldn't this be the result of the lives within the body of Christ in the local church. Each person is united to one another at the cross! It is at the cross that we as the body:
* being of the same mind * maintaining the same love * united in spirit * intent on one purpose
Well that is where we are going tomorrow in our study - the principles of humiliation and exaltation which becomes the means to genuine unity that lead to ultimate life changing joy in Christ!
Do you believe in church discipline? I have posted a sample letter for your feedback. This is from one Christian who is confronting another Christian regarding a number of issues they have observed. At the conclusion of the letter I have asked you to fill out a poll on whether on not the person being confronted, if they will not listen, should they be subjected to church discipline? By the way how would you respond if a close friend, business associate, boss or Sunday School teacher were to approach you with this kind of letter?
Mr. Joe Smedley,
First I want to say that all that what follows is from a brother in Christ who loves you and wants to see you have the Spirit of God work fully in your life. I have no malice or hard feelings. I carry no anger or bitterness. In short I hold nothing in my heart against you. Having said that, I cannot get away from the Spirit of God’s prompting to reveal what is on my heart. Please take what I have to say in the spirit of love & concern for you personally, for your family & your ministry.
The reason this meeting has been delayed (since our last meeting) is because I have been resisting the Spirit’s prompting. I really hate this type of conversation. But the Lord is working on me also, to be bolder, to stand up and say what must be said.
I am going to mention many observations. These observations are mine, collected over our many years of association. However, these observations have been confirmed by many people that know both you & I and by some that know only you. I will not reveal whom I have talked with or what was said at this time. Please don’t ask.
Also, these observations are based on many experiences over many years. They are my observations based on my experiences. I will not give specific examples for them. They either ring true or they don’t. I simply will not engage in a discussion on whether an example supports the observation, whether I knew all the facts for that example or if the example was misinterpreted. Such discussions divert attention from the core truth of the observation. These are my observations, based on many years of experience, confirmed by much prayer, study & research.
My prayer is that you will receive each one of these observations in a spirit of humility from a brother who wants the best for you. Take them and prayerfully consider each one, asking the Spirit to reveal if there be any truth in them. Take a long, sincere look at your life and ministry. If there is only a kernel of truth in any of these, it is worth the effort to receive that truth and to allow the Spirit to begin the healing process.
These are the observations:
1. Joe Smedley is so forceful in his dealings that a disagreement or perceived lack of action brings either a complete rebuke delivered intensely or a complete severing of the relationship.
2. Joe Smedley is either completely unaware or he doesn’t care how his personal intensity affects others. He takes reactions to his agenda as either for him or against him. They don’t understand his “gift”.
3. Once Joe Smedley frames an issue, there is no other way to frame it. Woe to the person who tries.
4. Joe Smedleywill manipulate people, events and organizations to affect his vision of how things should be or he will have nothing to do with it.
5. There is no middle ground with Jim. You are either on one side or the other, good or bad, worthy or not, able or not.
6. Joe Smedley will mention or give credence to only those facts that support his conclusions.
7. Joe Smedley will not admit failure or being wrong. In my years of association with Joe Smedley I can only remember 1 time he completely admitted being wrong.
8. Joe Smedley will without hesitation forcefully point out a weakness or flaw in others but will not acknowledge a flaw in himself.
9. Joe Smedley has been quick to point out to others the need to get professional treatment but refuses to go himself. Even when he is showing some of the symptoms – such as outbursts of anger, compulsive behavior etc.
10. Joe Smedley's actions & words convey the attitude that his time is worth more than others.
11. Joe Smedley is uncomfortable in social situations (or any gathering) in which he is not in complete control and will not abide them.
12. Joe Smedley seems to be uncontrollably drawn to be critical of others, their work and persons, even when their efforts are for the cause of Christ. And he seems to be completely unaware that his words are like daggers in their hearts.
13. Joe Smedley strongly proclaims that God’s plan for the Christian is in the community of believers. We as Christians are to look to Christ and live our lives through and for each other (the “one anothers”). We are to, in Joe's words “get in each others lives”. Yet he has never, to my knowledge, confessed any weakness or offense or need of repentance to anyone – in the church, small group or out.
I think one of the advantages of pastoring a church that closes is being able to reflect on the lessons God taught during the process. In my comments about that four year period of my life I don't want to come across as negative but rather realistic in seeing what happened and learning unto the glory of God. It was in July of 2006 that our elder team met to lay out the goals for the fall and 2007 church year. After a time of prayer, fasting and much discussion the one area that kept coming back up was the importance of church doctrine. Therefore we mapped out what we believed was a God ordained vision to teach those at the Shepherd's Church basic Bible doctrine that we estimated could take one to two years. In addition to my preaching schedule we even planned to teach this on Sunday nights at the Charlotte Swim and Racquet Club. In our kick-off meeting in September 2006 we (the elders) met with some significant resistance as we laid out the plan to approximately 30 people within church leadership. At that time we were handing out "Bible Doctrine" by Wayne Grudem as the text book that we would be using in our deeper study of these issues. Unfortunately one of our key leadership persons (the name will remain anonymous) handed the book back to me and said he/she would not be reading or participating in this vision. As I look back this was the beginning of the end for our church. The next year was painful but I must say a tremendous blessing from the Lord in helping place Nancy and myself in the next ministry opportunity.
This article is from "Against Heresies" Blog Site and it has to do specifically with the importance of doctrine. How sad it is to see from a leadership perspective some of the things most needed by those in the church and yet they are most resisted. The comments and discussions during those years in pastoral ministry helped me to see how much we have neglected especially "the doctrine of God." I think the most feedback from the church came during the preaching of the Trinity and on the attributes of God such as glory, self-sufficiency and sovereignty. All that to lead you into this article again on why doctrine is critical for the church today.
"Evangelicals who are indifferent to doctrine are a danger to Christianity. Church leaders who do not "hold firmly to the trustworthy word as taught" will never be able to bring God's people to mature godliness (which requires instruction in sound doctrine), nor will they be able to ward off infiltrators who teach another gospel (Titus 1:9). Somehow they know better than Paul what is best for the health of the church.
But it is not only leaders who are held to account for their attitude to sound doctrine. The epistle to the Galatians is directed to churches who are departing from the apostolic gospel. If we are indifferent to sound doctrine, and neglect its intrinsic importance, we are guilty of treating the precious truth that we have been entrusted with as worthless. We take care of the things we love. When God entrusts us with the pattern of sound words he tests our love toward him by how we use, abuse, treasure or neglect his revealed truth.
When you cut through the forest of rhetoric surrounding doctrine, what becomes clear is that indifference toward doctrine is often a cover for indifference toward particular doctrines. Personal experience is not a sufficient or appropriate source from which truth for life can be derived. At the end of the day resistance to true doctrine is empowered by a non-negotiable commitment to other doctrines."
In summary, the person who refused to participate in our study of doctrine could not see their own blind spot(s). I can see how these people are not only a danger to themselves but to their families and to the church. They will only allow in their sphere of influence those who can tell them what they want to hear. How can we remain teachable if we don't think anyone can teach us anything more that what we have learned? How do we become humble if we aren't willing to submit our pride and arrogance to those who have leadership responsibilities for us? How do we help others when we refuse to receive help for ourselves? People have the right to be ignorant about Bible doctrine and unfortunately many practice that right daily.
In the past couple of months I have come through the reading of 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, and 1 and 2 Chronicles. It has been a project of mine to highlight all the God-centered verses throughout these books of the Bible. Also I have underlined the specific sections that bring out clearly the sovereignty of God. This morning I was re-reading the following verses in 1 Chronicles 29:11-13 (King David praising the Lord) 11 Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things. 12 Wealth and honor come from you alone, for you rule over everything. Power and might are in your hand, and at your discretion people are made great and given strength. 13 “O our God, we thank you and praise your glorious name! 14 But who am I, and who are my people, that we could give anything to you? Everything we have has come from you, and we give you only what you first gave us!
Look at the things that he lists when he describes the awesomeness of God: 1. The Greatness 2. The Power 3. The Glory 4. The Victory 5. The Majesty
Now observe the reign of God as it relates to extensiveness: 1. God is over EVERYTHING in the heavens and on earth. And again David let's us know that He alone is over all things.
How sovereign is God over all things? 1. God alone gives wealth and honor 2. God alone makes great and gives strength
And how much do we owe to God for these things? 1. Everything we have comes from God 2. When we give to God, we only give what God first gave us!
So as we meditate on these verses what should our response be to the sovereignty of God. It should be thankfulness and praise of His glorious name! May we more deeply and profoundly consider these truths about God in a way that brings us to a proclamation that says "Our God is worthy to be praised!"
I heard a sermon this weekend by A.W. Tozer. He mentioned three distinctions about the man who lives the Christ-crucified life. Tozer said that when a man goes to the cross: 1. He only faces in one direction. If he hears anything behind him he can't turn around to see what is going on. This man only faces and looks in the direction of God. 2. He is not going back. This man doesn't tell his wife that he will see her at 5 PM. Because when a man goes to die on a cross he says goodbye to family and friends, this man knows that he is not coming back. 3. He has no plans of his own. The man on the cross doesn't make plans because someone else has a plan for him. This man has no other plan but to die.
Question: Is that how those in the church are living the radical life of Christ in this the 21st Century? We should be content to get a cross and eternal life! Oh brothers and sisters may we get back to the word of God in community with one another and manifest His greatness as we see, savor and share Christ the hope of glory!
Dr. John MacArthur writes: We must maintain a carefully balanced perspective as we pursue our study of God’s love. God’s love cannot be isolated from His wrath and vice versa. Nor are His love and wrath in opposition to each other like some mystical yin-yang principle. Both attributes are constant, perfect, without ebb or flow. His wrath coexists with His love; therefore, the two never contradict. Such are the perfections of God that we can never begin to comprehend these things. Above all, we must not set them against one another, as if there were somehow a discrepancy in God.
Both God’s wrath and His love work to the same ultimate end-His glory. God is glorified in the condemnation of the wicked; He is glorified in every expression of love for all people without exception; and He is glorified in the particular love He manifests in saving His people.
Expressions of wrath and expressions of love-all are necessary to display God’s full glory. We must never ignore any aspect of His character, nor magnify one to the exclusion of another. When we commit those errors, we throw off the biblical balance, distort the true nature of God, and diminish His real glory.
Does God so love the world? Emphatically-yes! Proclaim that truth far and wide, and do so against the backdrop of God’s perfect wrath that awaits everyone who does not repent and turn to Christ.
Does the love of God differ in the breadth and depth and manner of its expression? Yes it does. Praise Him for the many manifestations of His love, especially toward the non-elect, and rejoice in the particular manifestation of His saving love for you who believe. God has chosen to display in you the glory of His redeeming grace.
I teach a men's Bible study every Tuesday morning. These are wonderful men who love God and their families. They know me, accept me and allow me to teach with passion without getting offended. It is great to be yourself around others to the degree that even when you mess up they just love you anyway. Lately we have been on the subject of living the gospel-centered life with joy as outlined by the apostle Paul in Philippians. In the past several weeks I have been asking these men about "how" they are living out the Christian life. For example I have asked questioned like: 1. When is the last time you invited a couple over just to pray about specific needs in each others families? 2. Have you in the last year had some people over just for the purpose of sharing the word of God? 3. Are you in community with others where you are fasting on a regular basis? 4. If I were to do an inventory in the last month of your time, energy and money would Christ be at the top of the list? By that question I really mean is Christ the "main thing" in your life? 5. Here are two questions regarding wives: Does your wife know you love her? And does she feel loved? (Guys, go and ask your wives these two questions)
As I said before this is a wonderful study and these guys are real. Each of us is processing through a 21st Century American mentality especially as it relates to our lives in Christ. We are coming to find out that active jobs, wives schedules, kids activities and the ongoing social opportunities have drawn us away from the word of God. I recently heard that at a Christian conference 100 people were asked to give a definition of the gospel and when they came back only 1 person had given a correct Biblical answer. As parents we would hardly accept our children getting F's on all their subjects in school but most of us don't mind if we get an F in the gospel. What could be more important that this topic? And yet the culture consumes us to find other things that continue to grab our attention. Hey folks it's time to get back to the word of God - if not you, then who and if not now, then when?
Your worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God’s grace. And your best days or never so good that you are beyond the need of God’s grace.
In this short video segment you will see Perry Nobels who is the pastor of New Springs Church in Anderson, SC. After a mix of coffins, AC/DC the rock group and who knows what else he is ready to address the congregation. It seems that he is a little defensive about the potential emails that may be sent to him after this service. Instead of a compassionate plea filled with humility Perry says "110 people met Jesus" and then "IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT..." He looks like he may be ready to throw down right there on stage if someone from the crowd were to challenge him. A little iron cage fight with no rules right there with Pastor Perry. I really don't understand the language from a theological perspective that "110 people met Jesus." I sorry if this sounds a bit sarcastic but maybe it's because it is not Biblical language. Didn't the devil meet Jesus in the desert? Is this the strategy of these "new" churches to have people walk the aisles, sign cards, raise hands and meet Jesus. And then they leave never experiencing the saving work of the Holy Spirit, think they are saved and instead are "false" converts that the church can publish on their blog site like a notch on their spiritual belts. Just listen to Perry's response as to what he thinks may be a problem with the service and see if he doesn't sound like he might have a chip on his shoulder. Should we send a group email? Just kidding!
For systematic theology we had to give various book reports. The book I read was by Bryan McLaren which is called a "New Kind of Christian." I tried to be fair and non-biased when I read it but must admit it made my evangelical blood boil. Here is that report as a follow up to this blog article McLaren McEmerge - over 1 million emergers!
The book is called, “A new kind of Christian” by Bryan McLaren. It was helpful in opening my eyes to the postmodern Church and how many of those who attend think about the gospel. As you look around it doesn’t take long to see how the postmodern movement has incorporated a large following. In reading I was able to see the why and how I differ from this thinking today in our church in Charlotte. It was also helpful because as much as I disagree with Bryan McLaren it pushed me far outside of my own spiritual paradigms and caused me to reconsider and reexamine the way I think about and do ministry. There are many today who are searching and looking for and new and improved Christianity that was not the same as their parents. The book helped me see that method in ministry is preferred over the message in ministry with Bryan McLaren and many of those in the post-modern church.
The book had many weaknesses and my word picture would be like that of a Coca Cola that one pours into a drinking glass. If you pour it directly in and fast then foam will start to rise up from the coke and should you drink that it will quickly go away because of no substance. It a nutshell, that is how I would evaluate this book by Bryan McLaren. The basic problem is Bryan’s fictional character Neo is starting to mentor a very fundamental evangelical pastor who is tired, bored and totally burn out on church in general. The book through this fictional character Neo builds a straw man of a typical Bible reading and Bible believing modern Christian as opposed to one that postmodern. He portrays the modern evangelical as a 21st Century Pharisee and is constantly talking about old ways of perceiving and doing things in the church. In part you have Bryan McLaren writing through this character Neo to deconstruct this straw man and then go through the rebuilding of this person as the new kind of Christian which is of course postmodern. When he talks about those who would take a hermeneutical approach to Scripture he concludes with statements like the following: “As a result, the Bible itself begins to vaporize, to disappear, leaving the desired residue of systematic theology, which is all you ever wanted anyway.” Bryan is so intent in telling us how to get outside our own paradigms of word centered theology and main stream thinking that he does not realize the very paradigms that he has formed along the way. I was a former sales consultant and was giving a talk about a man who told a story about oatmeal. He said that everyday of his life when he was young his mother used to give him oatmeal every morning through his entire childhood. He said that as a 55 year old man today he has never had another bowl of oatmeal in 40 years. The rest of the class looked at him and said don’t you see the problem the first 15 years you mother made you eat it and the last 40 years you have been rebelling – the fact is you don’t know whether you like oatmeal or not! To some degree that is exactly how I read this book by Bryan McLaren. It really is like the cotton candy you get at the fair, it looks good but when you take a bite it is quickly gone. I mean if you were to ask this guy his favorite color I think he would say plaid.
I am bothered by the way Bryan McLaren thinks and expresses his philosophy in this book and therefore I would not recommend it. There is little if any talk about the cross, blood, atonement, sin, redemption or suffering all of which the Bible has much to say. Even the title of the book is offensive as if we need a new kind of Christian. And isn’t that redundant if we read correctly 2 Corinthians 5:17 -Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. So then shouldn’t McLaren’s book be titled a new kind of a new creature? He overuses words like journey, process, conversation, and feeling. It seems that he is on a campaign against taking a firm stand and calling something either black or white. I really do think his favorite color if he were to be honest would be gray. This kind of book does appeal to the Christian today who has been saturated in a media driven, technology infiltrated and consumer driven environment. Bryan is going to try and convince the old school Christians (which is everyone that has not moved into a postmodern mode) that there is something beyond what they have ever known or seen in their Christian life. But when you read the book you find that Bryan is trying to jazz up some of the relational basics and play down the importance of a good fundamental understanding of doctrine. Once again I would not recommend the book nor Bryan’s new kind of Christianity!
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