"Atheism turns out to be too simple. If the whole universe has no meaning we should never have found out that it has no meaning." - C.S. Lewis
"It just recently occurred to me exactly how backwards our society is when a person is insulted that we tell them they are NOT degenerated pond scum."
"He who affirms that Christianity makes men miserable, is himself an utter stranger to it." - C.H. Spurgeon
"When you are arguing against God you are arguing against the very power that makes you able to argue at all." - C.S. Lewis
"The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried." - G.K. Chesterton
"I now maintain nothing is literally right or wrong because there is no morality…” — atheist philosopher Joel Marks
"Maybe the atheist can't find God for the same reason a thief cannot find a policeman." - Author unknown
"There is darkness without, and when I die there will be darkness
within. There is no splendor, no vastness anywhere, only triviality for a
moment, and then nothing." - Bertrand Russell
If you are an atheist you ultimately believe the same as Bertrand Russell even if you never admit it to yourself or others with such words of hopelessness. You come from nothing. You are going to nothing. Your existence is a random accident. You can claim your existence is a product of wonderful genetic mutations, sublime occurrences and evolution but that still leaves you with a problem. You have to invent a meaning for your life. Bertrand Russell was very aware that there was no meaning...no beauty...no purpose to an existence that did not begin with a Creator.
http://www.blogos.org/gotquestions/atheist-fairy-tales.php
http://www.thepoachedegg.net/the-poached-egg/2012/05/apologetics-atheists-quotes-on-atheism.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rabbi-adam-jacobs/a-reasonable-argument-for_b_831185.html?ir=Divorce
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rabbi-david-wolpe/why-are-atheists-so-angry_b_833662.html
“I date my break [from atheism] from a very casual happening. I was sitting in our apartment on St. Paul Street in Baltimore. . . . My daughter was in her high chair. I was watching her eat. She was the most miraculous thing that had ever happened in my life. I liked to watch her even when she smeared porridge on her face or dropped it meditatively on the floor. My eye came to rest on the delicate convolutions of her ear — those intricate, perfect ears. The thought passed through my mind: ‘No, those ears were not created by any chance coming together of atoms in nature. They could have been created only by immense design.’ The thought was involuntary and unwanted. I crowded it out of my mind. But I never wholly forgot it or the occasion. I had to crowd it out of my mind. If I had completed it, I should have had to say: Design presupposes God. I did not then know that, at that moment, the finger of God was first laid upon my forehead.” - Whittaker Chambers, Witness (New York, 1953), page 16.
Either God is infinite or energy/matter is infinite...meaning something has always been here which absolutely boggles the finite human mind. Since science dictates that something can't come from nothing, one of those two things must be true. The problem for atheists is the Law of Cause and Effect which basically states that something can't come from nothing. Atheists like to talk about being logical and scientific and basing their beliefs on what can be observed. However, their explanations of the origins of the universe, i.e. The Big Bang Theory, directly contradict long held scientific laws.
http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=3716
So the very framework they cling to calls their entire belief system into question from the very beginning. That's a problem and an honest atheist will admit as much.
http://www.worldoncampus.com/2011/10/ask_a_former_atheist
http://saddleback.com/mc/m/5e22f/
http://www.bloggingtheologically.com/2012/01/14/in-what-way-has-god-hallowed-his-name/
http://news.yahoo.com/rise-atheism-america-110700315.html
http://www.outreachmedia.org.au/email/Apr_12_jpg.jpg
http://blogs.christianpost.com/christianlife/combating-atheism-with-sola-scriptura-6461/
http://www.christianpost.com/news/popular-atheist-blogger-announces-conversion-to-catholicism-76905/
http://niddriepastor.com/2012/08/12/jesus-never-existed-well-ok-then-maybe-he-did/
http://www.amazon.com/Not-Gods-Type-Rational-Academic/dp/0802431941/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1342556663&sr=1-1&keywords=Holly+Ordway
http://www.apologetics315.com/2012/09/former-atheist-richard-morgan-interview.html#more
http://www.btylerellis.com/2014/07/31/college-graduate-becomes-a-christian-after-2-years-of-weekly-investigative-studies/?platform=hootsuite
http://www.biblegateway.com/LeeStrobel/2012/09/in-the-nick-of-time/
http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/06/listening-to-young-atheists-lessons-for-a-stronger-christianity/276584/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=M8XSa79sU0M
http://www.biblegateway.com/blog/2013/06/lee-strobel-the-last-bible-verse-i-read-as-an-atheist/
http://www.apologetics315.com/2013/06/alister-mcgrath-interview-transcript.html#more
http://www.worldmag.com/2009/10/strange_collocation
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/07/15/the-six-types-of-atheists/
www.toughquestionsanswered.org/2013/02/08/can-secularists-survive-without-christianity
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2013/12/13/christmas-gift-for-atheists-five-reasons-why-god-exists/
http://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/pop-atheism-and-power-gospel/
http://www.btylerellis.com/2014/07/31/college-graduate-becomes-a-christian-after-2-years-of-weekly-investigative-studies/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/11047072/Richard-Dawkins-immoral-to-allow-Downs-syndrome-babies-to-be-born.html
https://jamesbishopblog.wordpress.com/2015/04/08/atheists-are-freethinkers-unlike-those-subjected-to-religious-dogma-a-reply/
https://jamesbishopblog.wordpress.com/2015/05/23/former-atheist-astrophysicist-sarah-salviander-explains-her-journey-to-christianity
http://seanmcdowell.org/blog/former-french-atheist-becomes-a-christian-an-interview
http://hopebeyondreason.com/2015/08/09/antonyflew
http://michaelminot.com/2014/10/talking-with-atheists/
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/five.atheists.who.lost.faith.in.atheism/61784.htm
http://reasonsforjesus.com/how-science-morality-led-biologist-and-former-atheist-wayne-rossiter-to-christianity/
https://www.premierchristianity.com/Past-Issues/2017/April-2017/When-sceptics-convert-3-former-atheists-walking-the-path-of-CS-Lewis
http://crossexamined.org/interview-with-a-former-skeptic-3-important-lessons/
https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2016/june/nicole-cliffe-how-god-messed-up-my-happy-atheist-life.html
https://www.str.org/blog/why-evidence-will-not-convince-some-atheists#.XEu5IvZFzIU
Tuesday, September 13, 2016
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
It's All a Gift
“No one knows who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” - Luke 10:22
"You should always look at yourself and think, 'I can't believe I'm a Christian.' If you're a Christian, it's a miracle." - Tim Keller
"Belief in the Gospel is not in our DNA. Belief in the Gospel is a miracle God is constantly performing." - Ray Ortlund
"Your faith will not fail while God sustains it. You are not strong enough to fall away while God is resolved to hold you." - J.I. Packer
500 posts. That's a lot of time, thought and effort...and guess what? Every single one of them was a gift. Many were directly inspired by topics that I was wrestling with or by things the Holy Spirit was showing me. But every post was only done because I was given the ability, opportunity and insight by the God of the universe.
We like to think we are in control of so many things. But as I read today..."proximity does not equal control." I did not control my last breath or heartbeat. I don't control the saving work of the Spirit in my life. I didn't go out and seek faith in Jesus and call it my own. It's all a gift.
God has taken it upon Himself to hold on to me. My assurance of salvation does not lie in myself. It lies with a covenant-keeping God.
http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/the-incalculable-wonder-of-being-a-christian
"You should always look at yourself and think, 'I can't believe I'm a Christian.' If you're a Christian, it's a miracle." - Tim Keller
"Belief in the Gospel is not in our DNA. Belief in the Gospel is a miracle God is constantly performing." - Ray Ortlund
"Your faith will not fail while God sustains it. You are not strong enough to fall away while God is resolved to hold you." - J.I. Packer
500 posts. That's a lot of time, thought and effort...and guess what? Every single one of them was a gift. Many were directly inspired by topics that I was wrestling with or by things the Holy Spirit was showing me. But every post was only done because I was given the ability, opportunity and insight by the God of the universe.
We like to think we are in control of so many things. But as I read today..."proximity does not equal control." I did not control my last breath or heartbeat. I don't control the saving work of the Spirit in my life. I didn't go out and seek faith in Jesus and call it my own. It's all a gift.
God has taken it upon Himself to hold on to me. My assurance of salvation does not lie in myself. It lies with a covenant-keeping God.
http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/the-incalculable-wonder-of-being-a-christian
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Confessing Our Sins
http://www.desiringgod.org//blog/posts/confessing-our-sins-together
http://feedingonchrist.com/confess-sins-one-another/
Saturday, April 26, 2014
Evidence for the Eternal?
"I don't think God lets anyone peek around the curtain of eternity if they are not going to stay." - Tim Keller
Bottom line...start and end with the inspired Word of God.
From Hank Hanegraaff...
What we have in Heaven Is for Real is something not even the biblical writers had the temerity to do. Among the biblical writers who "spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit" (2 Peter 1:21), not one dared say that like his Lord he spoke authoritatively about heaven from firsthand knowledge. Think about the apostle Paul. In the Bible we are told that he was "caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell" (2 Corinthians 12:4). Unlike Colton Burpo, Paul was not permitted to speak about his "surpassingly great revelations" (v. 7). Nor did any one of the biblical writers dare prophesy the century of Christ's return—one of Colton's revelations was that his father Todd would be alive to fight in the battle of Armageddon.
https://soundcloud.com/askpastorjohn/how-real-is-the-book-heaven-is
http://blogs.lcms.org/2014/review-heaven-is-for-real
http://www.challies.com/articles/what-the-bible-says-about-the-heaven-books
http://www.reclaimingthemind.org/blog/2015/01/trust-peoples-near-death-experiences
Bottom line...start and end with the inspired Word of God.
From Hank Hanegraaff...
Popular
interest in near-death experiences (NDEs) is at a fever pitch. From Raymond
Moody's Life after Life to Eben Alexander's Proof
of Heaven, to Mary Neal's To Heaven and Back, to
Todd Burpo's Heaven Is for Real—and,
of course, now the movie—NDEs have titillated the masses for the better part of
a generation. New revelations ranging from the physical characteristics of the
devil (three heads, earless, a nasty nose, and moldy teeth) and demons (green,
long fingernails, hair made of fire), to descriptions of God the Father (blue
eyes, yellow hair, and huge wings), God the Son (sea green-bluish eyes and a
rainbow-colored horse), and God the Holy Spirit (bluish but hard to see), are
captivating the minds of millions of evangelicals. The problem is there are
significant liabilities associated with NDEs.
First, we should note that the substance
of an NDE is inevitably informed by the worldview of the celestial traveler.
And that is precisely the problem. The objective reference point of sacred
Scripture has been supplanted by the subjective experiences of those who have
allegedly had a foretaste of heaven. Thus, while Scripture knows nothing of
human preexistence, Betty Eadie—in concert with her Mormon
presuppositions—alleges that while being embraced by the light, she recognized
the very Jesus that she had previously encountered in her preexistence. In like
fashion, Raymond Moody and Eben Alexander—in accord with their
presuppositions—view life after life as devoid of the judgment of an altogether
holy God. As such, what I said in yesterday's Daily e-Truth bears repeating:
the subjective recollections of near-death experiencers are wildly divergent
and mutually contradictory; and thus, logically, they can all be wrong, but
they cannot all be right.
What we have in Heaven Is for Real is something not even the biblical writers had the temerity to do. Among the biblical writers who "spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit" (2 Peter 1:21), not one dared say that like his Lord he spoke authoritatively about heaven from firsthand knowledge. Think about the apostle Paul. In the Bible we are told that he was "caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell" (2 Corinthians 12:4). Unlike Colton Burpo, Paul was not permitted to speak about his "surpassingly great revelations" (v. 7). Nor did any one of the biblical writers dare prophesy the century of Christ's return—one of Colton's revelations was that his father Todd would be alive to fight in the battle of Armageddon.
https://soundcloud.com/askpastorjohn/how-real-is-the-book-heaven-is
http://blogs.lcms.org/2014/review-heaven-is-for-real
http://www.challies.com/articles/what-the-bible-says-about-the-heaven-books
http://www.reclaimingthemind.org/blog/2015/01/trust-peoples-near-death-experiences
Friday, April 18, 2014
Holy Week 2014
“Only through weakness and suffering could sin be atoned - it was the only way to end evil without ending us.” - Tim Keller
"Loving like Jesus loved means one thing - sacrifice."
"Our sins have to be Christ's sins or we shall perish forever." ~ Martin Luther
“If Christ is risen, nothing else matters. And if Christ is not risen—nothing else matters.” — Jaroslav Pelikan
"Through Christ, death has lost her sting. Christ is the Death of death." ~Martin Luther
"How can we remember his death w/o sorrowing over the sin which made that death necessary?" - C.H. Spurgeon
"'Why do bad things happen to good people?' That only happened once and He volunteered." - Sproul, JR.
"The issue on which everything stands is not whether or not you like Christianity, but whether or not He rose from the dead." - Tim Keller
http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/the-problem-of-palm-sunday
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindeyoung/2014/04/17/maundy-thursday-4/
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2014/04/17/when-jesus-said-farewell/
http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/the-greatest-prayer-in-the-world-maundy-thursday
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindeyoung/2014/04/18/how-can-this-be-a-good-friday-meditation/
http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/it-is-finished-good-friday
http://www.rzim.org/blog/new-testament-studies/loves-unveiling-day-12-loves-extremity/
http://glennpackiam.typepad.com/my_weblog/2011/04/n-t-wright-on-the-atonement.html
http://www.bloggingtheologically.com/2013/03/22/did-jesus-really-have-to-rise-again/
http://www.bloggingtheologically.com/2014/04/20/sent-one-sends/
https://www.unlockingthebible.org/meaning-significance-resurrection-jesus-christ/
http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/have-you-found-what-you-re-looking-for-easter-sunday
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/2014/04/19/holy-week-day-8-sunday/
http://www.rzim.org/blog/worship-and-spirituality/ravis-easter-meditation/
http://www.rzim.org/blog/new-testament-studies/four-gardens/
http://patriotpost.us/pages/309
"Loving like Jesus loved means one thing - sacrifice."
"Our sins have to be Christ's sins or we shall perish forever." ~ Martin Luther
“If Christ is risen, nothing else matters. And if Christ is not risen—nothing else matters.” — Jaroslav Pelikan
"Through Christ, death has lost her sting. Christ is the Death of death." ~Martin Luther
"How can we remember his death w/o sorrowing over the sin which made that death necessary?" - C.H. Spurgeon
"'Why do bad things happen to good people?' That only happened once and He volunteered." - Sproul, JR.
"The issue on which everything stands is not whether or not you like Christianity, but whether or not He rose from the dead." - Tim Keller
http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/the-problem-of-palm-sunday
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindeyoung/2014/04/17/maundy-thursday-4/
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2014/04/17/when-jesus-said-farewell/
http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/the-greatest-prayer-in-the-world-maundy-thursday
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindeyoung/2014/04/18/how-can-this-be-a-good-friday-meditation/
http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/it-is-finished-good-friday
http://www.rzim.org/blog/new-testament-studies/loves-unveiling-day-12-loves-extremity/
http://glennpackiam.typepad.com/my_weblog/2011/04/n-t-wright-on-the-atonement.html
http://www.bloggingtheologically.com/2013/03/22/did-jesus-really-have-to-rise-again/
http://www.bloggingtheologically.com/2014/04/20/sent-one-sends/
https://www.unlockingthebible.org/meaning-significance-resurrection-jesus-christ/
http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/have-you-found-what-you-re-looking-for-easter-sunday
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/2014/04/19/holy-week-day-8-sunday/
http://www.rzim.org/blog/worship-and-spirituality/ravis-easter-meditation/
http://www.rzim.org/blog/new-testament-studies/four-gardens/
http://patriotpost.us/pages/309
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Christmas
"Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will be with child ..." (Luke 1:30)
No matter how troubled Mary was, her heart had been cultivated by faith, and she responded to the news with composure, dignity, and faith. She did not scream or fall on her face. She simply asked the angel a question: “How will this be … since I am a virgin?” (v. 34).
She asked with expectancy. “How will God do this, with me being a virgin and all?” It is not a question of doubt. It is a question rooted in faith. Mary immediately believed Gabriel. She did not laugh as Sarah did when she overheard the conversation between her husband and the Lord that she in her old age would bear a son. When confronted with the miraculous, Mary asked how will.
Unbeknownst to Mary, this same angel had visited her relative Zechariah and brought him astonishing, impossible news. When Gabriel told Zechariah that he and Elizabeth in their old age would have a son, an amazing son, Zechariah asked, “How can this be?” (v. 18, author’s paraphrase). Not how will. How can. The difference exposed his heart. He did not believe the angel, and it did not go well for him. Mary was blessed by the angel above all women. Zechariah was struck dumb.
Mary asked, “How will?” She knew that if God says something—anything—we can believe him. God is true. He is trustworthy. Jesus is a man of his Word. (From "Becoming Myself" by John Eldredge)
"At Christmas God moved into very bad neighborhood and began rehabilitating it." - Tim Keller
http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/five-truths-about-the-incarnation
http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/mary-s-model-for-mothers
www.bloggingtheologically.com/2013/12/21/living-in-her-old-testament-faith
http://www.lizcurtishiggs.com/2013/12/the-women-of-christmas-the-wondrous-gift-is-given/
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tullian/2013/12/25/christmas-for-the-weary-and-heavy-laden/
http://kellerquotes.com/the-greatest-gift/
http://kellerquotes.com/the-message-of-christmas/
http://www.rzim.eu/a-christmas-message-from-john-lennox
http://www.rzim.org/a-slice-of-infinity/questioning-gabriel/
www.rzim.org/a-slice-of-infinity/the-santa-delusion
http://www.rzim.org/a-slice-of-infinity/which-virgin-birth/
http://pastormark.tv/2011/12/21/who-was-saint-nicholas
thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/2011/11/28/immanuel-the-real-meaning-of-christmas
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Nelson Mandela
Written by Ravi Zacharias...
I’m sitting at the airport in Bahrain, about to catch aflight
to Jakarta. The television screens are full of coverage for a man of
courage, conviction, and influence. Every now and then his picture with
his winsome smile is shown with the words under it: Nelson Mandela,
1918-2013.
Looking at the dates, I thought first of my mother. She was born just two years before him but passed away nearly four decades before he did. Yes, she had a short life span. She did not make a world impact but it was because of her that I am a free man today. Her life and example were for me, life-defining. Nelson Mandela, by contrast, changed history for millions, if not for the world. A different role, a different call. So it is that each one of us has a part to play, whether of great influence or of small influence, but equally important.
Yet, as I look at his picture and consider his legacy, I mourn the loss of not just a person, but an example for all politicians. While his early years were more aggressive, his veteran years spoke of wisdom gained through steps and missteps. Where are the leaders like him today? Many of those who are eulogizing him have evidently not learned from him. For one, he bore no hatred towards his oppressors. Even his period of violence was short-lived and tempered. When he acquired freedom he did not ask the oppressed to “go and vote for revenge.” After his time in prison, he did not use the microphone to whip up hostility, division, and frenzy or go on diatribes blaming his predecessors for doing everything wrong. He did not use language that some in the media do, some verbiage that is too vulgar to even repeat. He wanted to correct society, not change, penalize, or pollute it. He won supporters to his side with grace and dignity, not by bullying.
On one occasion I nearly met the man. It was my loss when it didn’t come about. I was in Cape Town after having spoken to the framers of the Peace Accord in Johannesburg when I received a call from his office where his staff was trying its best to bring about a meeting between us. But a strong bout of pneumonia, which he had contracted in prison, hit him hard at that time and actually plagued him for the rest of his life. Not meeting him was a loss I felt. I would have loved to have asked him a few questions. One I would like to have asked is, “Deep inside, did you ever feel like giving up?” I suspect I know the answer, but just to be inspired, I would have liked to hear this one-time boxer turned freedom-fighter in his soft voice express his determination to never give up.
The world has become a dangerous place. We need the Mandelas who know when to lead, how to treat their opponents, and when to step down. There is so much hatred in speeches today, such inflammatory rhetoric. There is such an unyielding quest and clinging to power that we shudder at the seduction so evident. What wewin
the masses with is what we win them to and we are subjecting a
generation to ignoble speech and lacerating rhetoric: How will this win
them to noble ends?
Two remarkable decisions among many show how Mandela bore no contempt for his adversaries. Journalists have pointed this out. You’d think they themselves would be instructed by it. When he received the NobelPrize
he chose to share it with his predecessor, President F.W. de Klerk.
This was an incredible move, truly walking the second mile. He never
wanted to play the hero. He knew the fight wasn’t about him. Also, at
his inauguration he invited the white jail warden to be present as his
personal guest. Mandela cautioned leaders that hatred beguiled the mind
and was an emotion leaders could not afford without reaping the
whirlwind. He would give no place to mockery that masqueraded as
statesmanship.
Our own leaders today would do well to learn from Nelson Mandela rather than just giving grandiose speeches about him. What he began still has a long way to go. I am a Christian and I admire the courage and sacrifice of people such as Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. and Nelson Mandela. Even if we are not all on the same page theologically, we are on the same page for the protection of people who are exploited or abused. It is a noble end. But the way our media and political leaders frame the problem actually digs a hole deeper than the one they are trying to fill. They poison the soul but expect healing. When language comes easily for those who have the microphone, it can become fatally fluent.
I spoke once at the Islamic University in Malaysia, one of the oldest such universities of the world. I was asked to present a defense of Christianity to a primarily Muslim audience. It was a nerve-wracking hour, with sophisticated scholars in the audience. I would not compromise my convictions. I needed to build a bridge without surrendering ground. “How does one handle this?” I thought. I did my best and the response was truly gratifying. Even the head of the Islamic Studies department, the professor who was my host, said some of the kindest words afterward in her office.
That evening I was taken out for dinner by a professor who specifically asked if we could have an hour. His name was Professor Living Lee, a geologist by specialty. He told me this story. Some years ago the late vitriolic Muslim apologist Ahmed Deedat was presenting a defense of Islam at the same university. Ironically, he was from South Africa too. He had a bent to abusive language and inflammatory speech, mocking opponents and inciting anger in his supporters towards those of a different view. He provoked all the baser emotions for a supposedly elevated cause. Deedat had delivered his talk at the university in his usual hate-filled style, mocking Christianity and calling it nonsensical and unlivable, among other charges. When Professor Lee, one of the few Christians in the audience, questioned his charge, Deedat called him to come to the front. Professor Lee walked forward. Deedat raised his hand and with a full swing slapped him with a stinging hit to the face. Professor Lee was nearly knocked to his feet. Deedat then barked, “Now turn the other cheek!” It was obvious what he was trying to do. Suddenly he paused and said, “We can do this quicker. Give me your shirt!” Professor Lee unbuttoned and took off his shirt. “According to Jesus, you should now offer your trousers, too, shouldn’t you?” Deedat said. Professor Lee turned to the audience, apologized to his students and faculty colleagues, took off his trousers, and quietly walked out of the room in his underwear. The audience was in a dazed, stunned silence. Outdone by a gentle but equally determined scholar, Deedat looked utterly juvenile and like a man who had just been hoisted on his own petard.
Dr. Lee went back to his office and put his face in his hands, his spirit swirling with indescribable emotions. He wept though he knew he had done the right thing in standing his ground. A few moments later there was a knock on the door, then another, and another, and another. When he opened the door, he saw students and colleagues lined up to apologize to him for the pain and foolishness just displayed.
Deedat was freewheeling in rhetoric but a slave to pride. Quite incredibly, he spent the last few years of his life smitten with a stroke, unable to speak. The only weapon he had was lost to him. But in reality, Deedat could never have attained greatness because he was already too great in his own eyes.
Mandela had a cause greater than himself and is so remembered. He spent the last few years of his life quite unwell. But his example continued to speak for the freedom of all mankind. His spirit fought for the dignity of man, and he never compromised the dignity of anyone in fighting for it.
So when we read 1918-2013 we would do well to remember that though the span of Mandela’s life is finished, the span of our human struggle is not closed. But if our leaders do not know how to use speech supported by character and instead use words only to provoke hostile instincts, we will kill others with hate and the bracket around dignity and freedom will be closed. Not everything that is fatal is immediate. We are near the edge of that precipice. We have a choice. We all have a platform.
I cannot end without mentioning one wound that Mandela probably wished he could have healed: the break-up of his family. The price for him was huge and the pain must have been deep. It was a price my mother would not pay: We five children would have been the cost. It is a sobering reminder for all of us. Our nation and our homes need healing. The national struggle and the heart of a child will shape the future. Politicians and parents play that role. No momentary gain had dare violate eternal truths.
I pray for our leaders. I pray for our families. May God guide and help us.
I’m sitting at the airport in Bahrain, about to catch a
Looking at the dates, I thought first of my mother. She was born just two years before him but passed away nearly four decades before he did. Yes, she had a short life span. She did not make a world impact but it was because of her that I am a free man today. Her life and example were for me, life-defining. Nelson Mandela, by contrast, changed history for millions, if not for the world. A different role, a different call. So it is that each one of us has a part to play, whether of great influence or of small influence, but equally important.
Yet, as I look at his picture and consider his legacy, I mourn the loss of not just a person, but an example for all politicians. While his early years were more aggressive, his veteran years spoke of wisdom gained through steps and missteps. Where are the leaders like him today? Many of those who are eulogizing him have evidently not learned from him. For one, he bore no hatred towards his oppressors. Even his period of violence was short-lived and tempered. When he acquired freedom he did not ask the oppressed to “go and vote for revenge.” After his time in prison, he did not use the microphone to whip up hostility, division, and frenzy or go on diatribes blaming his predecessors for doing everything wrong. He did not use language that some in the media do, some verbiage that is too vulgar to even repeat. He wanted to correct society, not change, penalize, or pollute it. He won supporters to his side with grace and dignity, not by bullying.
On one occasion I nearly met the man. It was my loss when it didn’t come about. I was in Cape Town after having spoken to the framers of the Peace Accord in Johannesburg when I received a call from his office where his staff was trying its best to bring about a meeting between us. But a strong bout of pneumonia, which he had contracted in prison, hit him hard at that time and actually plagued him for the rest of his life. Not meeting him was a loss I felt. I would have loved to have asked him a few questions. One I would like to have asked is, “Deep inside, did you ever feel like giving up?” I suspect I know the answer, but just to be inspired, I would have liked to hear this one-time boxer turned freedom-fighter in his soft voice express his determination to never give up.
Nelson Mandela
The world has become a dangerous place. We need the Mandelas who know when to lead, how to treat their opponents, and when to step down. There is so much hatred in speeches today, such inflammatory rhetoric. There is such an unyielding quest and clinging to power that we shudder at the seduction so evident. What we
Two remarkable decisions among many show how Mandela bore no contempt for his adversaries. Journalists have pointed this out. You’d think they themselves would be instructed by it. When he received the Nobel
Our own leaders today would do well to learn from Nelson Mandela rather than just giving grandiose speeches about him. What he began still has a long way to go. I am a Christian and I admire the courage and sacrifice of people such as Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. and Nelson Mandela. Even if we are not all on the same page theologically, we are on the same page for the protection of people who are exploited or abused. It is a noble end. But the way our media and political leaders frame the problem actually digs a hole deeper than the one they are trying to fill. They poison the soul but expect healing. When language comes easily for those who have the microphone, it can become fatally fluent.
I spoke once at the Islamic University in Malaysia, one of the oldest such universities of the world. I was asked to present a defense of Christianity to a primarily Muslim audience. It was a nerve-wracking hour, with sophisticated scholars in the audience. I would not compromise my convictions. I needed to build a bridge without surrendering ground. “How does one handle this?” I thought. I did my best and the response was truly gratifying. Even the head of the Islamic Studies department, the professor who was my host, said some of the kindest words afterward in her office.
That evening I was taken out for dinner by a professor who specifically asked if we could have an hour. His name was Professor Living Lee, a geologist by specialty. He told me this story. Some years ago the late vitriolic Muslim apologist Ahmed Deedat was presenting a defense of Islam at the same university. Ironically, he was from South Africa too. He had a bent to abusive language and inflammatory speech, mocking opponents and inciting anger in his supporters towards those of a different view. He provoked all the baser emotions for a supposedly elevated cause. Deedat had delivered his talk at the university in his usual hate-filled style, mocking Christianity and calling it nonsensical and unlivable, among other charges. When Professor Lee, one of the few Christians in the audience, questioned his charge, Deedat called him to come to the front. Professor Lee walked forward. Deedat raised his hand and with a full swing slapped him with a stinging hit to the face. Professor Lee was nearly knocked to his feet. Deedat then barked, “Now turn the other cheek!” It was obvious what he was trying to do. Suddenly he paused and said, “We can do this quicker. Give me your shirt!” Professor Lee unbuttoned and took off his shirt. “According to Jesus, you should now offer your trousers, too, shouldn’t you?” Deedat said. Professor Lee turned to the audience, apologized to his students and faculty colleagues, took off his trousers, and quietly walked out of the room in his underwear. The audience was in a dazed, stunned silence. Outdone by a gentle but equally determined scholar, Deedat looked utterly juvenile and like a man who had just been hoisted on his own petard.
Dr. Lee went back to his office and put his face in his hands, his spirit swirling with indescribable emotions. He wept though he knew he had done the right thing in standing his ground. A few moments later there was a knock on the door, then another, and another, and another. When he opened the door, he saw students and colleagues lined up to apologize to him for the pain and foolishness just displayed.
Deedat was freewheeling in rhetoric but a slave to pride. Quite incredibly, he spent the last few years of his life smitten with a stroke, unable to speak. The only weapon he had was lost to him. But in reality, Deedat could never have attained greatness because he was already too great in his own eyes.
Mandela had a cause greater than himself and is so remembered. He spent the last few years of his life quite unwell. But his example continued to speak for the freedom of all mankind. His spirit fought for the dignity of man, and he never compromised the dignity of anyone in fighting for it.
So when we read 1918-2013 we would do well to remember that though the span of Mandela’s life is finished, the span of our human struggle is not closed. But if our leaders do not know how to use speech supported by character and instead use words only to provoke hostile instincts, we will kill others with hate and the bracket around dignity and freedom will be closed. Not everything that is fatal is immediate. We are near the edge of that precipice. We have a choice. We all have a platform.
I cannot end without mentioning one wound that Mandela probably wished he could have healed: the break-up of his family. The price for him was huge and the pain must have been deep. It was a price my mother would not pay: We five children would have been the cost. It is a sobering reminder for all of us. Our nation and our homes need healing. The national struggle and the heart of a child will shape the future. Politicians and parents play that role. No momentary gain had dare violate eternal truths.
I pray for our leaders. I pray for our families. May God guide and help us.
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Halloween
Halloween: Trick or Treat? from 10ofthose.com on Vimeo.
Vast armies undead do tread through the night and
In hordes march towards hapless victims to frighten.
They stumble in step with glass-eyes on the prizes;
Bunched hither, hunched over in monstrous disguises;
In sizes not lofty but numb’ring a throng;
To unleash on their prey the dreaded DING DONG.
Small faces with traces of mother’s eye-liner,
Peer up to the resident candy provider.
And there to intone ancient threats learnt verbatim;
They lisp “TRICK OR TREAT!” Tis their stark ultimatum.
Thus: region by region such legions take plunder.
Does this spector-full spectacle cause you to wonder?
Just how did our fair festive forebears conceive,
Of this primeval practice called All Hallows Eve?
The answer, if anyone cares to research,
Surprises, it rises from old mother church.
On the cusp of the customary All Saints Day
The Christ-i-an kinsfolk made mocking display.
These children of light both to tease and deride;
Don darkness, doll down as the sinister side.
In pre-post-er-ous pageants and dress diabolic,
They hand to the damned just one final frolick.
You see with the light of the dawn on the morrow,
The sunrise will swallow such darkness and sorrow.
The future is futile for forces of evil;
And so they did scorn them in times Medieval.
For this is the nature of shadow and gloom;
In the gleaming of glory there can be no room.
What force is resourced by the echoing black?
When the brightness ignites can the shadow push back?
These ‘powers’ of darkness, if such can be called,
Are banished by brilliance, by blazing enthralled.
So the bible begins with this fore-resolved fight;
For a moment the darkness…. then “Let there be Light!”
First grief in the gloom, then joy from the East.
First valley of shadow, then mountaintop feast.
First wait for Messiah, then long-promised Dawn.
First desolate Friday and then Easter Morn.
The armies of darkness when doing their worst,
Can never extinguish this Dazzling Sunburst.
So… ridicule rogues if you must play a role;
But beware getting lost in that bottomless hole.
The triumph is not with the forces of night.
It dawned with the One who said “I am the Light!”
http://sukofamily.org/?p=3237
http://steadfastlutherans.org/?p=33326
Vast armies undead do tread through the night and
In hordes march towards hapless victims to frighten.
They stumble in step with glass-eyes on the prizes;
Bunched hither, hunched over in monstrous disguises;
In sizes not lofty but numb’ring a throng;
To unleash on their prey the dreaded DING DONG.
Small faces with traces of mother’s eye-liner,
Peer up to the resident candy provider.
And there to intone ancient threats learnt verbatim;
They lisp “TRICK OR TREAT!” Tis their stark ultimatum.
Thus: region by region such legions take plunder.
Does this spector-full spectacle cause you to wonder?
Just how did our fair festive forebears conceive,
Of this primeval practice called All Hallows Eve?
The answer, if anyone cares to research,
Surprises, it rises from old mother church.
On the cusp of the customary All Saints Day
The Christ-i-an kinsfolk made mocking display.
These children of light both to tease and deride;
Don darkness, doll down as the sinister side.
In pre-post-er-ous pageants and dress diabolic,
They hand to the damned just one final frolick.
You see with the light of the dawn on the morrow,
The sunrise will swallow such darkness and sorrow.
The future is futile for forces of evil;
And so they did scorn them in times Medieval.
For this is the nature of shadow and gloom;
In the gleaming of glory there can be no room.
What force is resourced by the echoing black?
When the brightness ignites can the shadow push back?
These ‘powers’ of darkness, if such can be called,
Are banished by brilliance, by blazing enthralled.
So the bible begins with this fore-resolved fight;
For a moment the darkness…. then “Let there be Light!”
First grief in the gloom, then joy from the East.
First valley of shadow, then mountaintop feast.
First wait for Messiah, then long-promised Dawn.
First desolate Friday and then Easter Morn.
The armies of darkness when doing their worst,
Can never extinguish this Dazzling Sunburst.
So… ridicule rogues if you must play a role;
But beware getting lost in that bottomless hole.
The triumph is not with the forces of night.
It dawned with the One who said “I am the Light!”
http://sukofamily.org/?p=3237
http://steadfastlutherans.org/?p=33326
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Legalism
“There is nothing in the law of God that will rob you of happiness; it only denies you that which would cost you sorrow." - Spurgeon
"The pursuit of a trivial life is not befitting for creatures made in the image of a weighty God full of glory." - Kevin DeYoung
"To be a disciple of Jesus is to fight sin with sober belief in God's warnings AND abounding delight in his promises."
https://soundcloud.com/askpastorjohn/what-is-legalism-episode-157
As Piper points out in the audio clip above, the word "legalism" is not in the Bible. However, the Pharisees offer the prime example, as they made their law-keeping behavior the foundation of their right standing with God. I think my definition would be similar to that..."the concept that our works rather than Jesus' imputed righteousness through the cross gains us approval in the eyes of God".
I went to high school with a couple friends like that. On one hand they would talk about the Gospel but on the other they were constantly pointing out how wrong it was for other students to talk the way they did or to listen to the music they did. Of course, they had a point. Swearing and music that is marked by prideful rebellion are not glorifying to God nor edifying to man. But they were only concerned about the behavior of these students. The posture of their hearts or their relationship, or lack thereof, with God seemed to be of little concern. Their desire to point out bad behavior revealed what an idol their own behavior had become in justifying themselves. They hadn't been broken yet to understand how God's grace was the ONLY thing that could save them and so they extended little grace to others. (And by his grace, one of those friends, is now one of the most grace- and truth-filled women I know who has a deep love for others and a desire that they would come to know Christ as Lord and Savior.)
I now hear legalism being used in another way. I recently taught through the book "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan. It was very similar in it's message to David Platt's "Radical". Both books centered on what it truly meant to be a Christian...and therein lies the rub. On one hand, the Bible speaks quite clearly about the qualities of someone who is born again - they love God, they bear fruit, they have gifts of the Spirit, etc. On the other hand, a Christian is not ultimately nor primarily defined by what he/she does but what God has done for them. It is God who justifies and who grants the gift of faith. Who we are is not what we do but what has been done for us.
But I don't think this needs to be an either/or argument. We just need to get the order right. God absolutely initiates His work through His Spirit into our hearts and lives. It begins with God and it continues with God. The cross justifies us in His sight. It is not a jumping off point for our sanctification where we are handed the baton and God then says, "OK, the rest is up to you. Because of Jesus you have my approval. Now go do good so you can keep it."
I haven't read David's book but I can assure you that is not Francis' message. We were created for relationship with God. Do we not have a response to Him when He comes to us and initiates saving faith in our hearts? Are we to just take that gift for granted and become indifferent toward His love for us? Of course, not! Yet we seem to so easily fall into the trap of believing that we have no part to play in this story. We seem content to drift through life, creating what happiness we can on our own...all the while knowing that heaven awaits us like a well-funded retirement account so we can still rest well at night.
We have lost the concept of being a disciple. We barely see Jesus as teacher let alone Lord. We don't see the need to sit at His feet and make Him our primary treasure and example. What we really want Him for is to be there when we run out of options and our illusion of control gets thwarted yet again. In short, we still think our life is our own and we will do anything to hold on to that mirage. The original sin remains firmly implanted in our hearts. We want to be God.
So, when someone like Francis comes along and says, "Wake up, Christian! Your life was meant to be poured out for God and for others," we immediately get defensive. "Hey, that sounds awful legalistic Francis. After all, the Gospel is about grace and not about my behavior. My Christian life can't be defined by what I do. All my sins and shortcomings have been forgiven so I don't need to try and be perfect or pursue holiness or live radically...whatever that means."
We have a real problem with the Law. We either still use it when it suits us, i.e. I am really good at keeping "these" commands so I will use those to make me feel like I am being a good Christian....or I know I can't be perfect no matter how hard I try so why really try at all. The Law still has an essential part to play in the life of the Christian. Yes, it shows us our sin and it causes us to run back to the cross of Christ where forgiveness and grace flow like a never-ending stream of life. But the Law still tells us how we are to live! It still has a purpose. It still instructs us on how God designed His creation. The Law isn't meant to rob us of joy by thwarting our plans but it is meant to give us joy by aligning us with God's will so that we may enjoy blessings rather than the consequences that inevitably flow from our sin.
There are many commands that are good and right for us to pursue and follow. Notice that I said commands...not suggestions. This isn't God saying, "If you are really in the mood, give this a shot for me." No! Making disciples is not up for debate. Obeying God is not for just when you are feeling spiritual. Putting God first and putting yourself last isn't just for the really "holy" people. These are things that are meant to be part of the Christian life. Yes, we will do them imperfectly...we will stumble and fall...and we will repent knowing God will never leave us nor forsake us. But we can't just phone in the part we are called to play.
It is not legalistic to point out the commands of God on how we are to live. If we aren't following His Word, the issue is not with the Bible or the one who comes along and points out the disconnect. The issue lies with us. If we don't want to make disciples then we need to be seriously praying for the Spirit to ignite that desire and fervently searching for the obstacle preventing us from desiring to follow our Lord. These are battles we must fight. These are issues we must tackle. We can't be passive. God's ambassadors can't afford to coast along. We need to wake up while there is still time.
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. 14 This is why it is said:
15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. - Ephesians 5:8-17 (NIV)
Jesus. Renew the fight within us today. May we fight to rest. Fight to receive. Fight to be still and believe you love us. Fight to honor you. Amen.
"The pursuit of a trivial life is not befitting for creatures made in the image of a weighty God full of glory." - Kevin DeYoung
"To be a disciple of Jesus is to fight sin with sober belief in God's warnings AND abounding delight in his promises."
https://soundcloud.com/askpastorjohn/what-is-legalism-episode-157
As Piper points out in the audio clip above, the word "legalism" is not in the Bible. However, the Pharisees offer the prime example, as they made their law-keeping behavior the foundation of their right standing with God. I think my definition would be similar to that..."the concept that our works rather than Jesus' imputed righteousness through the cross gains us approval in the eyes of God".
I went to high school with a couple friends like that. On one hand they would talk about the Gospel but on the other they were constantly pointing out how wrong it was for other students to talk the way they did or to listen to the music they did. Of course, they had a point. Swearing and music that is marked by prideful rebellion are not glorifying to God nor edifying to man. But they were only concerned about the behavior of these students. The posture of their hearts or their relationship, or lack thereof, with God seemed to be of little concern. Their desire to point out bad behavior revealed what an idol their own behavior had become in justifying themselves. They hadn't been broken yet to understand how God's grace was the ONLY thing that could save them and so they extended little grace to others. (And by his grace, one of those friends, is now one of the most grace- and truth-filled women I know who has a deep love for others and a desire that they would come to know Christ as Lord and Savior.)
I now hear legalism being used in another way. I recently taught through the book "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan. It was very similar in it's message to David Platt's "Radical". Both books centered on what it truly meant to be a Christian...and therein lies the rub. On one hand, the Bible speaks quite clearly about the qualities of someone who is born again - they love God, they bear fruit, they have gifts of the Spirit, etc. On the other hand, a Christian is not ultimately nor primarily defined by what he/she does but what God has done for them. It is God who justifies and who grants the gift of faith. Who we are is not what we do but what has been done for us.
But I don't think this needs to be an either/or argument. We just need to get the order right. God absolutely initiates His work through His Spirit into our hearts and lives. It begins with God and it continues with God. The cross justifies us in His sight. It is not a jumping off point for our sanctification where we are handed the baton and God then says, "OK, the rest is up to you. Because of Jesus you have my approval. Now go do good so you can keep it."
I haven't read David's book but I can assure you that is not Francis' message. We were created for relationship with God. Do we not have a response to Him when He comes to us and initiates saving faith in our hearts? Are we to just take that gift for granted and become indifferent toward His love for us? Of course, not! Yet we seem to so easily fall into the trap of believing that we have no part to play in this story. We seem content to drift through life, creating what happiness we can on our own...all the while knowing that heaven awaits us like a well-funded retirement account so we can still rest well at night.
We have lost the concept of being a disciple. We barely see Jesus as teacher let alone Lord. We don't see the need to sit at His feet and make Him our primary treasure and example. What we really want Him for is to be there when we run out of options and our illusion of control gets thwarted yet again. In short, we still think our life is our own and we will do anything to hold on to that mirage. The original sin remains firmly implanted in our hearts. We want to be God.
So, when someone like Francis comes along and says, "Wake up, Christian! Your life was meant to be poured out for God and for others," we immediately get defensive. "Hey, that sounds awful legalistic Francis. After all, the Gospel is about grace and not about my behavior. My Christian life can't be defined by what I do. All my sins and shortcomings have been forgiven so I don't need to try and be perfect or pursue holiness or live radically...whatever that means."
We have a real problem with the Law. We either still use it when it suits us, i.e. I am really good at keeping "these" commands so I will use those to make me feel like I am being a good Christian....or I know I can't be perfect no matter how hard I try so why really try at all. The Law still has an essential part to play in the life of the Christian. Yes, it shows us our sin and it causes us to run back to the cross of Christ where forgiveness and grace flow like a never-ending stream of life. But the Law still tells us how we are to live! It still has a purpose. It still instructs us on how God designed His creation. The Law isn't meant to rob us of joy by thwarting our plans but it is meant to give us joy by aligning us with God's will so that we may enjoy blessings rather than the consequences that inevitably flow from our sin.
There are many commands that are good and right for us to pursue and follow. Notice that I said commands...not suggestions. This isn't God saying, "If you are really in the mood, give this a shot for me." No! Making disciples is not up for debate. Obeying God is not for just when you are feeling spiritual. Putting God first and putting yourself last isn't just for the really "holy" people. These are things that are meant to be part of the Christian life. Yes, we will do them imperfectly...we will stumble and fall...and we will repent knowing God will never leave us nor forsake us. But we can't just phone in the part we are called to play.
It is not legalistic to point out the commands of God on how we are to live. If we aren't following His Word, the issue is not with the Bible or the one who comes along and points out the disconnect. The issue lies with us. If we don't want to make disciples then we need to be seriously praying for the Spirit to ignite that desire and fervently searching for the obstacle preventing us from desiring to follow our Lord. These are battles we must fight. These are issues we must tackle. We can't be passive. God's ambassadors can't afford to coast along. We need to wake up while there is still time.
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. 14 This is why it is said:
“Wake up, sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”
Jesus. Renew the fight within us today. May we fight to rest. Fight to receive. Fight to be still and believe you love us. Fight to honor you. Amen.
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Desire vs. Reason
Why We Really Sleep In
Elise Snickers was a college student pursuing a career in a psychology when she wrote a letter to 54-year-old C.S. Lewis to ask the question: Can personal sin be avoided — or “cured” — by proving to a patient the un-reasonableness of the sin? In other words, can a discovery of the stupidity of a sin be its cure?
In his response, Lewis used two examples to make his point, beginning with why we sleep in late:
A man’s reason sees perfectly clearly that the resulting discomfort and inconvenience will far outweigh the pleasure of the ten minutes in bed. Yet he stays in bed: not at all because his reason is deceived but because desire is stronger than reason.Sins like sloth and rage are, of course, always stupid (Psalm 69:5), always unreasonable, always boneheaded mistakes. But is the expression of sin merely faulty reasoning in need of re-education? Lewis’s answer to the question is clearly “no” — sin erupts out of the molten-hot desires and affections churning in the core of our being.
A woman knows that the sharp ‘last word’ in an argument will produce a serious quarrel which was the very thing she had intended to avoid when that argument began and which may permanently destroy her happiness. Yet she says it: not at all because her reason is deceived but because the desire to score a point is at the moment stronger than her reason.
People — you and I among them — constantly choose between two courses of action, the one which we know to be the worse: because, at the moment, we prefer the gratification of our anger, lust, sloth, greed, vanity, curiosity or cowardice, not only to the known will of God but even to what we know will make for our own real comfort and security. If you don’t recognize this, then I must solemnly assure you that either you are an angel, or else are still living in a fool’s paradise: a world of illusion. (Letters, 3:330)
Scientists can explain why hitting the snooze button is bad for our bodies. But we are not creatures merely driven by reason. We are creatures driven by the desire to gratify desires. Which of course means the life of holiness must be profoundly rooted in new desires and new longings.
Reason and Desires
Reason is valuable for sanctification, but reason alone cannot do the job. In fact, spiritual taste — a new desire that draws us toward God’s holiness — produces in us a spiritual taste for holiness that assists our reason, as Jonathan Edwards says in his Religious Affections. The Bible is where relish and meaning converge on the soul. The relish makes the will of God precious, and reason confirms God’s good motive behind his will. Ideally, delight and reason work in tandem, but reason alone cannot move the lazy body when the alarm starts to blare.Gratifications at War
Because we battle sin on the playing field of the affections, holiness must be rooted in God’s converting grace on a soul and the reorienting of core affections.Only after conversion can God’s awesome holiness become in any way beautiful and attractive to the sinner (Psalm 29:2). And God’s holiness must become beautiful and attractive to us first before our personal displays of holiness will ever overrule the self-driven lust for inordinate sleep and the self-driven lust to have the final word in a heated debate. Unless our hearts are filled with affection for Christ’s glory and for God’s holiness, our hearts can only be governed by the gratification of the self and its anger, lust, sloth, greed, vanity, curiosity, and cowardice.
Still Perplexed
But this doesn’t resolve the profound mystery about sin in our own lives. Lewis is here talking about sin in the Christian.A reborn soul — a living soul — feels the sting of sin like a taser shot to the back of the neck. And this sting is something we experience in life on this side of the resurrection, for which we are humbled and drawn closer to the Savior and his all-sufficient work for us on the cross.
This seems to be Lewis’s hard-learned point about why we are tempted to stay in bed ten minutes too long, knowing the consequences are not worth the flesh’s gratification. The final cure for sin, of course, will be found in our future glimpse of Christ’s glory (1 John 3:2), when the Christian’s reason and affections are purified from all remnants of sin. On that day, we will experience a lot of things for the first time, including our first and full spiritual taste of the delight of God’s splendid holiness rushing through glorified senses unclogged by sin.
Saturday, October 6, 2012
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Saying Goodbye
"Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be." - John Wooden
I haven't posted for almost a month but there is a good reason. 16 days ago I accepted a job on staff at the church in which I grew up in Iowa. I believe God brought the right opportunity at the right time although there have been many days over the past few years when I wouldn't have minded this opportunity. But His timing is right while mine is often colored by frustration, impatience and selfishness. He had more work to do in me here and for me to do here before it was time to move on. Now is that time.
It's been bittersweet saying goodbye to so many friends over the past two weeks. One thing God had convicted me of many years ago was to always act with integrity, honesty and consistency. Basically, He told me to stop being one person to one group of friends and somebody different to another group just to find acceptance. The truth is that people accept you and are drawn to you when you bring two things to the table - authenticity and a sincere desire to simply be their friend and care about them without expecting anything in return. It was very reassuring as I have spent time with many circles - old church friends, softball teammates, co-workers, neighbors, men's small group - that I was able to simply be the same person in every situation. I was able to feel comfortable not because each of them affirmed the person I am but because God made me the person I am.
There have been lots of ups and downs here - financially, professionally, socially and spiritually. I have had lots of things go wrong. I have had the idea that I was in control shattered. I have had the notion that I would have nothing but success turned upside down. There is a great scene from the movie "Instinct" in which Anthony Hopkins' character attacked Cuba Gooding Jr.'s character. As he had this man's life in his hands, he asked him what he had taken from him. After a couple of unsuccessful answers and given one last chance, he finally answered, "My illusions." My illusion that I am the center of the story and that things should turn out the way I envision has been taken away...and I am infinitely richer because of it.
The most important experience I had in St. Louis probably happened my second year here when I joined a small group from the church in which I was taking new member classes. My understanding of Christianity up to that point was mostly head knowledge and a belief that restrictions outweighed freedoms when it came to living a holy and God-pleasing life, which they do, by the way, if you are basing your relationship with God strictly on your behavior, which I would argue is no relationship at all.
But then I walked in on a group of people my age who not only pursued God but delighted in Him. It wasn't a counterfeit love that many Christians default to when their heart isn't really with their Lord. It was real. It was vibrant. It was beautiful.
“In your presence is the fullness of joy,
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” - Psalm 16:11
As Matt Chandler often says, God isn't after our begrudging submission. That brings him NO glory. He is after our joy - our absolute and complete joy IN HIM. Happiness is based on circumstances. It can be taken away in a heartbeat. Joy runs so much deeper. It endures and it strengthens and it is living water to the thirsty. God has taught me a lot about where joy is found. My heart still wanders from Him all too often but I am convicted almost immediately now that nothing good can be found where I am looking. My spirit aches for my eyes to return above.
So, God worked and continues to work. My love for Him is deeper and wider, and consequently, my love for others has grown in step. My men's group just finished a book called "Man Alive". I highly recommend it. When do you feel most alive? The answer may say a lot about the gifts God has given you and the calling that He has placed on this season of your life. I feel most alive when I am helping and loving someone else...when the conversation turns deep, when heartaches and struggles surface, when defenses and walls are laid down and a broken sinner, just like me, aches to be reconciled with their Creator. I love taking people as far in their walk with Jesus as they desire and then stepping back and witnessing the almighty power of the Comforter work. I love being a part of God's redemptive work. It still amazes me every day that He lets a rebellious traitor like me act as His ambassador.
But He does...and it is good...and I can't wait to see what He has in store for me next.
I haven't posted for almost a month but there is a good reason. 16 days ago I accepted a job on staff at the church in which I grew up in Iowa. I believe God brought the right opportunity at the right time although there have been many days over the past few years when I wouldn't have minded this opportunity. But His timing is right while mine is often colored by frustration, impatience and selfishness. He had more work to do in me here and for me to do here before it was time to move on. Now is that time.
It's been bittersweet saying goodbye to so many friends over the past two weeks. One thing God had convicted me of many years ago was to always act with integrity, honesty and consistency. Basically, He told me to stop being one person to one group of friends and somebody different to another group just to find acceptance. The truth is that people accept you and are drawn to you when you bring two things to the table - authenticity and a sincere desire to simply be their friend and care about them without expecting anything in return. It was very reassuring as I have spent time with many circles - old church friends, softball teammates, co-workers, neighbors, men's small group - that I was able to simply be the same person in every situation. I was able to feel comfortable not because each of them affirmed the person I am but because God made me the person I am.
There have been lots of ups and downs here - financially, professionally, socially and spiritually. I have had lots of things go wrong. I have had the idea that I was in control shattered. I have had the notion that I would have nothing but success turned upside down. There is a great scene from the movie "Instinct" in which Anthony Hopkins' character attacked Cuba Gooding Jr.'s character. As he had this man's life in his hands, he asked him what he had taken from him. After a couple of unsuccessful answers and given one last chance, he finally answered, "My illusions." My illusion that I am the center of the story and that things should turn out the way I envision has been taken away...and I am infinitely richer because of it.
The most important experience I had in St. Louis probably happened my second year here when I joined a small group from the church in which I was taking new member classes. My understanding of Christianity up to that point was mostly head knowledge and a belief that restrictions outweighed freedoms when it came to living a holy and God-pleasing life, which they do, by the way, if you are basing your relationship with God strictly on your behavior, which I would argue is no relationship at all.
But then I walked in on a group of people my age who not only pursued God but delighted in Him. It wasn't a counterfeit love that many Christians default to when their heart isn't really with their Lord. It was real. It was vibrant. It was beautiful.
“In your presence is the fullness of joy,
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” - Psalm 16:11
As Matt Chandler often says, God isn't after our begrudging submission. That brings him NO glory. He is after our joy - our absolute and complete joy IN HIM. Happiness is based on circumstances. It can be taken away in a heartbeat. Joy runs so much deeper. It endures and it strengthens and it is living water to the thirsty. God has taught me a lot about where joy is found. My heart still wanders from Him all too often but I am convicted almost immediately now that nothing good can be found where I am looking. My spirit aches for my eyes to return above.
So, God worked and continues to work. My love for Him is deeper and wider, and consequently, my love for others has grown in step. My men's group just finished a book called "Man Alive". I highly recommend it. When do you feel most alive? The answer may say a lot about the gifts God has given you and the calling that He has placed on this season of your life. I feel most alive when I am helping and loving someone else...when the conversation turns deep, when heartaches and struggles surface, when defenses and walls are laid down and a broken sinner, just like me, aches to be reconciled with their Creator. I love taking people as far in their walk with Jesus as they desire and then stepping back and witnessing the almighty power of the Comforter work. I love being a part of God's redemptive work. It still amazes me every day that He lets a rebellious traitor like me act as His ambassador.
But He does...and it is good...and I can't wait to see what He has in store for me next.
Monday, August 27, 2012
This Blog Part 2
I haven't posted lately as I find myself stuck with two many big topics in the hopper and not enough time to whittle down all of the resources I have accumulated for each one. I am hoping that will change in the near future.
But for right now, I came across this today which was taken from a brief blog written by Mike Donehey in conjunction with Tenth Avenue North's release of The Struggle.
Psalm 49:4
“I will incline my heart to a proverb;
I will solve my riddle to the music of the lyre”
After 11 or so years of playing and writing songs,
I’ve finally come to understand that I don’t write,
because I know what I’m talking about,
I write precisely because I don’t know what I’m talking about.
I write to understand.
I write to unriddle my heart.
This was very well said and I can completely relate. I don't blog because I know what I am talking about. I don't lead a men's small group because I have all the answers. I don't witness my faith because I will have a compelling answer for every objection that is raised.
I do those things because I feel called by God to do them and because He is constantly teaching me through them while He is teaching others through me. He is the source of all wisdom and these are simply some of the venues in which He unleashes His insights and understanding. Even more so, these are times when I am still, submitting and ready to listen to what He has to say.
There is no doubt that many of my heart's questions, longings and struggles come out on these digital pages. It is a place where the wrestling is plain to see and where God's promises of seeking Him first resulting in all that we need are put on display. I don't write because I understand. I write because He understands.
But for right now, I came across this today which was taken from a brief blog written by Mike Donehey in conjunction with Tenth Avenue North's release of The Struggle.
Psalm 49:4
“I will incline my heart to a proverb;
I will solve my riddle to the music of the lyre”
After 11 or so years of playing and writing songs,
I’ve finally come to understand that I don’t write,
because I know what I’m talking about,
I write precisely because I don’t know what I’m talking about.
I write to understand.
I write to unriddle my heart.
This was very well said and I can completely relate. I don't blog because I know what I am talking about. I don't lead a men's small group because I have all the answers. I don't witness my faith because I will have a compelling answer for every objection that is raised.
I do those things because I feel called by God to do them and because He is constantly teaching me through them while He is teaching others through me. He is the source of all wisdom and these are simply some of the venues in which He unleashes His insights and understanding. Even more so, these are times when I am still, submitting and ready to listen to what He has to say.
There is no doubt that many of my heart's questions, longings and struggles come out on these digital pages. It is a place where the wrestling is plain to see and where God's promises of seeking Him first resulting in all that we need are put on display. I don't write because I understand. I write because He understands.
Friday, August 3, 2012
C.S. Lewis
"The sweetest thing in all my life, has been the longing to find the place where all the beauty came from.." - C.S. Lewis
"God is basic Fact. He must not be thought of as a featureless generality. He is the most concrete thing there is." - C.S. Lewis
This from a man who at one time scoffed at the very notion that God existed.
There has been lots of darkness lately. The headlines scream of man's rebellion to God. Broken lives testify to God being long forgotten. Hardened hearts remind us that many have no knowledge of God. I feel it in moments when the quiet drowns out the noise. The burden in my soul for the lost is pervasive. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by the sheer enormity of it.
And then I hear a story of redemption. I hear a story of God breaking through and changing a life forever. I read about the lost being found.
And I find renewed strength because God is not dead nor doth He sleep. He is still in the miracle business and He still pursues mockers, loves sinners and pleads with the rebellious. He is not overwhelmed. He is at work. Always. Therein lies hope.
And so it is with our friend C.S. Lewis. A changed man and a changed life that God has used to change countless others. We can not have an encounter with God and remain the same. Nothing is ever the same again.
Thank you Lord for the modern day Paul...a man who once argued against you to a man who ended up arguing for you every day thereafter.
http://good-report.com/4130/c-s-lewis-time-cover-story-from-the-archive-sep-8-1947
http://www.verber.com/mark/xian/weight-of-glory.pdf
http://good-report.com/6989/top-50-c-s-lewis-quotes-full-list-gallery
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765605350/CS-Lewis-still-has-much-to-offer-us.html
http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/new-publications-relating-to-c-s-lewis
http://www.relevantmagazine.com/culture/books/enduring-legacy-cs-lewis
An article on C.S. Lewis' brother:
http://good-report.com/5475/profiles-in-faith-major-warren-hamilton-lewis-1895-1973
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/gospeldrivenchurch/2012/07/25/the-beauty-of-conversion/
http://www.bloggingtheologically.com/2012/08/13/the-miracle-of-salvation/
http://www.iamsecond.com/seconds/
"The intellectual life is not the only road to God, nor the safest, but we find it to be a road, and it may be the appointed road for us. Of course it will be so only so long as we keep the impulse pure and disinterested; we may come to love knowledge - our knowing - more than the thing known: to delight not in our talents but in the fact that they are ours, or even in the reputation they bring us. Every success in a scholar's life increases this danger. If it becomes irresistible, he must give up his scholarly work. The time for plucking out the right eye has arrived. " - C. S. Lewis
"God is basic Fact. He must not be thought of as a featureless generality. He is the most concrete thing there is." - C.S. Lewis
This from a man who at one time scoffed at the very notion that God existed.
There has been lots of darkness lately. The headlines scream of man's rebellion to God. Broken lives testify to God being long forgotten. Hardened hearts remind us that many have no knowledge of God. I feel it in moments when the quiet drowns out the noise. The burden in my soul for the lost is pervasive. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by the sheer enormity of it.
And then I hear a story of redemption. I hear a story of God breaking through and changing a life forever. I read about the lost being found.
And I find renewed strength because God is not dead nor doth He sleep. He is still in the miracle business and He still pursues mockers, loves sinners and pleads with the rebellious. He is not overwhelmed. He is at work. Always. Therein lies hope.
And so it is with our friend C.S. Lewis. A changed man and a changed life that God has used to change countless others. We can not have an encounter with God and remain the same. Nothing is ever the same again.
Thank you Lord for the modern day Paul...a man who once argued against you to a man who ended up arguing for you every day thereafter.
http://good-report.com/4130/c-s-lewis-time-cover-story-from-the-archive-sep-8-1947
http://www.verber.com/mark/xian/weight-of-glory.pdf
http://good-report.com/6989/top-50-c-s-lewis-quotes-full-list-gallery
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765605350/CS-Lewis-still-has-much-to-offer-us.html
http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/new-publications-relating-to-c-s-lewis
http://www.relevantmagazine.com/culture/books/enduring-legacy-cs-lewis
An article on C.S. Lewis' brother:
http://good-report.com/5475/profiles-in-faith-major-warren-hamilton-lewis-1895-1973
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/gospeldrivenchurch/2012/07/25/the-beauty-of-conversion/
http://www.bloggingtheologically.com/2012/08/13/the-miracle-of-salvation/
http://www.iamsecond.com/seconds/
"The intellectual life is not the only road to God, nor the safest, but we find it to be a road, and it may be the appointed road for us. Of course it will be so only so long as we keep the impulse pure and disinterested; we may come to love knowledge - our knowing - more than the thing known: to delight not in our talents but in the fact that they are ours, or even in the reputation they bring us. Every success in a scholar's life increases this danger. If it becomes irresistible, he must give up his scholarly work. The time for plucking out the right eye has arrived. " - C. S. Lewis
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Aurora, Colorado
I awoke Friday morning, as many others did, to stories regarding the theater shooting at the midnight showing of the latest "Dark Knight" installment in Aurora, Colorado. My first thought went to my brother and his wife knowing they live nearby and that while it was unlikely they attended the movie, it wasn't beyond the realm of possibility. Thankfully, my brother quickly replied to my text message and he was fine. But many others were not fine...
I have already read people who are blaming video games and a lack of gun control among the reasons why this tragedy happened. That is not surprising given a society that is moving toward the viewpoint that evil does not exist. But it does. Without a belief in absolute truth and objective morality, evil seems like an outdated notion. But it isn't. Without the category of evil, we will forever search in vain for reasons to explain tragedy. It will be a search with no end.
Oprah sent a tweet out this morning asking for a coordinated moment in which her followers should send "love vibes" to the victims and their families. I am glad that Oprah was moved by this event. I am glad she wants to help those who have been affected. But I am utterly dismayed at the belief that love vibes, positive energy or thoughts of light will bring one moment of peace, heal one heart or dry one tear.
I understand the desire to want to help in any way possible. Humanity cries out in moments like this. But let us cry out to the God of the Bible rather than to ourselves. Pray to the God who can heal inside and out. Pray to the God who offers peace beyond all understanding. Mourn with those who mourn. Weep with those who weep. But always point back to the God who has promised us that one day there will be no more tears.
http://aminiatureclaypot.wordpress.com/2012/07/20/so-you-still-think-god-is-a-merciful-god/
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindeyoung/2012/07/21/tragedy-and-moral-language/
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2012/07/20/the-true-knight-is-risen/
http://www.christianpost.com/news/lee-strobel-probes-why-during-first-sunday-service-after-colorado-shooting-78727/
http://www.gotquestions.org/meaning-in-tragedy.html
http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/articles/how-shall-we-minister-to-people-after-the-world-trade-tower-terrorism-of-september-11-2001
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2012/08/04/my-faith-the-danger-of-asking-god-why-me/
http://www.biblegateway.com/blog/2012/07/why-does-god-allow-tragedy-and-suffering/
http://thisoughtabegood.blogspot.com/2008/08/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn-1918-2008.html
I have already read people who are blaming video games and a lack of gun control among the reasons why this tragedy happened. That is not surprising given a society that is moving toward the viewpoint that evil does not exist. But it does. Without a belief in absolute truth and objective morality, evil seems like an outdated notion. But it isn't. Without the category of evil, we will forever search in vain for reasons to explain tragedy. It will be a search with no end.
Oprah sent a tweet out this morning asking for a coordinated moment in which her followers should send "love vibes" to the victims and their families. I am glad that Oprah was moved by this event. I am glad she wants to help those who have been affected. But I am utterly dismayed at the belief that love vibes, positive energy or thoughts of light will bring one moment of peace, heal one heart or dry one tear.
I understand the desire to want to help in any way possible. Humanity cries out in moments like this. But let us cry out to the God of the Bible rather than to ourselves. Pray to the God who can heal inside and out. Pray to the God who offers peace beyond all understanding. Mourn with those who mourn. Weep with those who weep. But always point back to the God who has promised us that one day there will be no more tears.
http://aminiatureclaypot.wordpress.com/2012/07/20/so-you-still-think-god-is-a-merciful-god/
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindeyoung/2012/07/21/tragedy-and-moral-language/
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2012/07/20/the-true-knight-is-risen/
http://www.christianpost.com/news/lee-strobel-probes-why-during-first-sunday-service-after-colorado-shooting-78727/
http://www.gotquestions.org/meaning-in-tragedy.html
http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/articles/how-shall-we-minister-to-people-after-the-world-trade-tower-terrorism-of-september-11-2001
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2012/08/04/my-faith-the-danger-of-asking-god-why-me/
http://www.biblegateway.com/blog/2012/07/why-does-god-allow-tragedy-and-suffering/
http://thisoughtabegood.blogspot.com/2008/08/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn-1918-2008.html
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