One Day Again...

Happy in Truth

2012-02-17T10:50:00.005-05:00

Answer these two questions:

1. Do you want to be happy?

2. Do you want to be happy in deception or in truth?

If we all want to be happy in truth then we all have a commonality that speaks to a purpose for which we exist. Man does not go through life neutral. He seeks and searches for happiness. Who told him to look for it? And nobody wants to be deceived. Who told us to desire truth?

Technological Distractedness

2011-02-22T10:30:00.003-05:00

Intentional Failure

2011-02-17T21:33:00.003-05:00

"Some set up a wrong standard of sanctification before their eyes, and, failing to attain it, waste their lives in repeated sessions from church to church, chapel to chapel, sect to sect, in the vain hope that they will find what they want.

There were people whose whole religion seemed to consist in going about complaining of their own corruptions, and telling everyone that they could do nothing of themselves... But I never like such complaints when I see ground for suspecting, as I often do, that they are only a cloak to cover spiritual laziness, and an excuse for spiritual sloth."

-J.C. Ryle in Holiness

These are two separate descriptions from two different chapters, but the first paragraph struck me as leading to the second. If we let ourselves get lazy and slothful, we will want to withdraw from people who start to sense it (usually caused by rebuke). And then as a way of hiding it from our new friends we self-depreciate or complain about our "corruption" to mask the root cause: laziness. In other words, we setup unattainable goals out of laziness, never intending to reach them, and then "confess" our inability to hide our intentional system of failure. This was eye opening for me.

Despair

2011-02-16T17:24:00.003-05:00

"For many years I looked at life like a case at law, a series of proofs. When you're young you prove how brave you are, or smart; then, what a good lover; then, a good father; finally, how wise or powerful. But underlying it all, I see now, there was a presumption. That I was moving on an upward path toward some elevation, where I would be justified, or even condemned. I think now that my disaster really began when I looked up one day, and the bench was empty. No judge in sight. And all that remained was the endless argument with oneself, the pointless litigation of existence before an empty bench. Which, of course, is another way of saying, despair."

- Quentin in After the Fall by Arthur Miller

Tim Keller used this in a sermon and I thought it was so powerful in showing that outward works will never grant an inward peace.

Absolutes Assumed

2010-12-19T15:26:00.006-05:00

John Piper's newest book, Think, has been excellent. The following quote made me write in the margin, "Absolutes assumed just in thinking/communication".

"Relativists employ the law of non-contradiction and the law of cause and effect whenever they talk about their belief in relativism and its relation to the world... People keep saying all is relative, when they know their very thinking and talking involves principles that are not relative."

In other words, as soon as someone attempts to communicate they assume enormous and far reaching absolutes. The first assumption (law of non-contradiction) is when they say they have A in their pocket that it does not mean they have non-A. The second assumption (law of cause and effect) is when they speak (cause) it will have an effect (communication). Now, these assumptions really start to matter when someone attempts to communicate their beliefs because they make more assumptions on top of the first two. They may assume that right and wrong exist, or that altruism is good and exploitation is bad. So when you communicate your worldview or defend your beliefs, you are admitting absolutes and meta-standards exist, even if you think they don't. Piper puts his finger on the motivation behind embracing a self-contradicting non-standard standard like relativism.

"People don't embrace relativism because it is philosophically satisfying. They embrace it because it is physically and emotionally gratifying."

Lord of the Leaves

2010-12-13T21:19:00.005-05:00

We accept that laws dictate and arrange the world around us. Storms, movement of atoms, or just a fresh breeze are all seen as being governed by something. Be it laws of nature or constants in the universe. But because we are conscious and leaves of a tree are not, we automatically reject the idea that something governs us. Leaves do not "choose" their destination due to wind and weather. The shape and weight of the leaf may play a part in the direction and movement, but ultimately it is the wind that governs. What if we are governed in a similar way? An unseen but active hand guiding all we do? And what if the laws and constants we sense in the natural world are merely fingertips, gripping and maintaining all that we see?

A Son of Adam

2010-12-12T13:53:00.003-05:00

Why do I constantly make commitments to myself and others only to not keep them? Is it the resemblance of a covenant that forces my neck to go stiff? Is it just laziness? I typically settle for lower quality things over what I know is better. Like my first parents I give in to what I know is less in exchange for what is great. Is this man's constant plight? To knowingly choose what he should not? Thousands of years separate me from Adam, and yet truly I act as his descendant.

"Oh Adam's sons, how cleverly you defend yourselves against all that might do you good." -Aslan

Eternal Pleasure

2010-01-01T12:40:00.004-05:00

Part of the reason moments of pleasure or joy are so enjoyable is because deep down we know we are tasting something other worldly. This is why addiction is so easy to fall into. We know a moment of pleasure is not something man deserves to have access to, so we seek it all the more. We become so desperate that any means, no matter how damaging, will suit our aim to feel more pleasure. Rather than straining to satisfy an unquenchable thirst by chasing rain drops, we can drink from the cup that promises us to thirst no more. And we should remember that any moment of pleasure or joy is undeserved. You will either pursue the moments themselves, or pursue the source of them. The first is illusive and damning, the other is illuminating and freeing.

What Could Cause This?

2009-12-24T08:59:00.002-05:00

The cause of all of this must be infinite in power, knowledge, and glory. What sustains of all of this must be mighty, sovereign, and loving.

Psalm 19:1 The heavens are telling of the glory of God ; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.

Luke Plagiarized

2009-12-02T13:29:00.006-05:00

I found this to be a very cool fact about the Gospel of Luke.

"Stephen Farris has shown that the Greek of Luke 1-2 is filled with grammatical and stylistic nuances not found with the same frequency elsewhere in Luke, or in a sizable selection of other ancient Greek writings surveyed, but that make good sense as a very wooden, literal translation of Hebrew or Aramaic into Greek. Farris emphasizes that these features are not the kinds that lend themselves to conscious imitation by one who might want to give his writing a biblical flavor, because they involve the frequency and usage of various prepositions, articles, adverbs and adjectives rather than the more readily reproducible vocabulary or parts of speech. Luke therefore most probably relied on earlier tradition for these chapters."

In other words, there were already writings about Jesus available at the time of Luke writing his Gospel. This emphasizes Luke's care as an author and the closeness of his and earlier writings to the events of Jesus' life.

Atheism Remix

2009-12-01T10:04:00.000-05:00

the campus church - atheism remix from the campus church on Vimeo.

A great video to watch, if you've got 80 minutes. If you don't then watch it in two sittings like I did. The first 4o minutes are a fantastic presentation and argument put forth by Dr. Mohler. The second 40 minutes is a Q&A that I found to be very informative and comforting.

Martyn Lloyd-Monday: No Vestige of Hope

2009-11-23T09:32:00.004-05:00

I took two weeks off because I had all four wisdom teeth pulled. Back up and running now, and to kick it off with a solid quote from D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones about how there is no hope outside of Christ.

"Let me assert it very dogmatically; there is no hope whatsoever for this world apart from our Lord Jesus Christ. Have you found any? I say again, search your newspapers, your books on history, philosophy, poetry, science; go the complete round; where is there any vestige of hope? There is none. But God has purposed to restore all things in Christ Jesus our Lord. He is the only way."

-D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
-An Exposition of Ephesians 3: The Unsearchable Riches of Christ

Martyn Lloyd-Monday: How To Hunger & Thirst

2009-11-09T08:23:00.005-05:00

A fitting post for my birthday since Martyn Lloyd-Jones was probably the most influential author that I read after leaving a life of sin and deception. The following quote has been a favorite of mine for a long time. He is expounding on the opening progression of the sermon on the mount

"I am poor in spirit; I realize that I have no righteousness; I realize that face to face with God and His righteousness I am utterly helpless; I can do nothing. Not only that. I mourn because of the sin that is within me; I have come to see, as the result of the operation of the Holy Spirit, that blackness of my own heart. I know what it is to cry out, 'O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me?' and desire to be rid of this vileness that is within me. Not only that. I am meek, which means that now that I have experienced this true view of myself, nobody else can hurt me, nobody else can insult me, nobody can ever say anything too bad about me. I have seen myself, and my greatest enemy does not know the worst about me. I have seen myself as something truly hateful, and it is because of this that I have hungered and thirsted after righteousness. I have longed for it. I have seen that I cannot create or produce it, and that nobody else can. I have seen my desperate position in the sight of God. I have hungered and thirsted for that righteousness which will put me right with God, that will reconcile me to God, and give me a new nature and life. And I have seen it in Christ. I have been filled; I have received it all as a free gift.

Does it not follow inevitably that, if I have seen and experienced all that, my attitude towards everybody else must completely and entirely changed?"

He inevitably arrives at the conclusion that seeing our own emptiness and God's fullness should change our treatment of others. In other words, inward change is the only way to true outward change.

Calvinism Resources

2009-11-07T11:56:00.014-05:00

While I do not normally promote that I am a Calvinist like some kind of badge, or enjoy using labels that can bring confusion, I think some of the following resources would be helpful to any Christian thinking about the topic.

First, a great place to start is with J.I. Packer's introductory essay to John Owen's, "The Death of Deat h in The Death of Christ,". Not only will this give you an accurate account of the origins of the 5-points of Calvinism, but Packer makes a solid and winsome argument for Calvinism. I would not, however, recommend Owen's book for a beginner which is why I have provided a link to the introduction.

Next, after establishing the history and basic framework of Calvinism it would be good to read two well studied men debate the finer points of Calvinism. In the book, "Debating Calvinism," I found many of my knee jerk objections to Calvinism made by Dave Hunt and then promptly destroyed by Jame White. This is a fantastic read for people on both sides of the fence.

Now, by this point you are either going to be strongly against, leaning toward, or convinced. If you are either of the two latter then, "The Sovereignty of God," by A.W. Pink would be a great book to read next. Pink is exhaustive, scholarly, but very easy to understand. I suppose this would be good if you are still strongly against Calvinism but open to hearing one of the most lengthy arguments for its main foundation.

After this much reading you are either going to walk away from Calvinism or agree with it and want to know more. It is at this point I recommend J.I. Packer's, "Knowing God," due to its rich content and laymen level of reading. This was probably the most influential book in my life as it dealt with my ignorance and many questions about God. The book is not a treatise on Calvinism, however Packer's Calvinistic convictions are quite obvious throughout the pages of this wonderful book.

Now it is time to place all this information within a solid framework . The best book for this is, "Systematic Theology," by Wayne Grudem. This is yet another rich resource of scholarly information put into the language of the laymen. Grudem also has lectures available in the iTunes store podcast section to couple the reading of his book with lectures he has given on each chapter.

Finally, a shorter and less "classroom" like approach to the broad area of theology. John L. Dagg's, "Manual of Theology," is a wonderful resource for concise and readable chapters on theology. I describe Dagg's writing as more devotional or conversational than Grudem. Both, however, are very helpful in dealing with biblically defining and defending Calvinism and other theological issues.

Quit Using Facebook/Twitter To Glorify Yourself

2009-11-06T08:39:00.006-05:00

I have been growingly concerned with how much boasting and pride I see on facebook and twitter, and have been wanting to write about it for a while. After reading Psalm 5, I think I know how I want to proceed. First and foremost let me say that I struggle with this all of the time, so this entry is convicting me as I write it. Facebook and twitter are a means of people "seeing" me, so it is incredibly easy to do things that draw attention to myself instead of God. That is why I try to recite a verse to myself before doing an update or post...

Matthew 6:1
Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

This always echos in my mind when I read over so many facebook and twitter updates. Many Christians make it their aim to practice their righteousness in order to be seen. As you read this I hope you feel the conviction to stop or the caution to steer clear. Now, verse 2 makes it very clear that what Jesus is saying is applicable to what many of us do in the public arena of the social web today.

Matthew 6:2
Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

Jesus warns us like this in three different ways: when we give to the needy, pray, and fast. I'm sure you may want to object at this point and say, "How does anyone do this on facebook or twitter?" Well, it is actually quite common and very easy to fall into. Someone makes sure to mention how they are using their Saturday to give to charity (give to the needy). Someone makes sure to mention how early they have to get up for a prayer service that only a few people attend (prayer). Someone rails against a certain food or form of entertainment because they abstain (fast). Reading over these I'm sure you can think of a time you or people you know have done this. Now, this became more urgent to me when I read Psalm 5.

Psalm 5:5
The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers.

David makes it very clear that what Jesus is talking about is not just something we do horizontally to those around us, but it is something vertical toward God as well. But what does it mean, "shall not stand before your eyes"? What it means is that when you are boastful you align yourself with the evildoers that God hates, which is exactly what Jesus says in Matthew 6. He says over and over, "Do not be like the hypocrites". So you are not just turning toward man to boast, you are removing yourself from the presence of God and standing in the way of sinners (Psalm 1:1). This is why Jesus repeated this warning three times and in three different ways. Reading over this has helped and convicted me, I hope it helps you as well.

Jesus is the Center of History

2009-11-05T09:51:00.001-05:00

Taken from, "Vintage Jesus," by Mark Driscoll, the following quotes are about the impact Jesus had on history. My favorite quote, by far, is the one from Napoleon.

Stephen Neill:

"He who says 'Jesus' says also 'history.'"

H.G. Wells:

"I am an historian, I am not a believer, but I must confess as a historian that this penniless preacher from Nazareth is irrevocably the very center of history. Jesus Christ is easily the most dominant figure in all history."

Philip Schaff:

"No great life ever passed so swiftly, so quietly, so humbly, so far removed from the noise and commotion of the world; and no great life after its close excited such universal and lasting interest."

Kenneth Scott Latourette:

"As the centuries pass, the evidence is accumulating that, measured by His effect on history, Jesus is the most influential life ever lived on this planet."

Napoleon Bonaparte:

"I know men and I tell you that Jesus Christ is no mere man. Between Him and every other person in the world there is no possible term of comparison. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I have founded empires. But on what did we rest the creation of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded His empire upon love; and at this hour millions of men would die for Him."

Suffering Brings Steadfastness

2009-11-04T15:09:00.004-05:00

Just today I was discussing how trials bring about our good with a friend of mine. After I got home I realized that James already wrote about this in an incredibly clear manner...

James 1:2-4
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

What an sweet and comforting truth! We are to count it all joy when we suffer because it produces steadfastness. The reasoning here is just awesome. James tells us to be joyful when we meet trials because we already know that when our faith is tested we become more steadfast. He is rooting this on previous knowledge and experience, hence him saying "for you know". The reason this can be said to any Christian is because every new convert goes through the trial of persecution. It does not necessarily have to be grievous persecution, but it will not doubt come. So from the very early days of our faith, we have been tried and our faith has grown and increased steadfastness is the result. So, Christian, fuel your joy with the knowledge that every trial has made you more steadfast. James concludes his thought on being steadfast in verse 12...

12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

More emphasis on how remaining steadfast is linked to our joy. We will be blessed and receive the crown of life if we remain steadfast. Despair is a wild spiral down from this glorious truth, and joy is a lifted head of steadfast faith.

Work out your own Salvation?

2009-11-03T11:06:00.006-05:00

Sanctification is often an illusive idea for Christians, myself included. Too often people run to one extreme camp or the other. Some become legalistic, placing heavy burdens on the shoulders of Christians, over emphasizing rules, good habits, and being "holy". Other people stress grace and God's mercy rather than attempt to define any principles at all in fear of sounding legalistic. When this subject came up in my counseling class today, I immediately thought of Philippians 2:12-13

12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

When you first read this is sounds very strange. Work out my own salvation? What does that mean? I thought it was God who saves! A careful reading illuminates what sanctification looks like.

The first thing to note is that we are commanded to work out while God works in. This is helpful in that we are limited to an outer work. You can not sit down and change your own wicked heart, it is God who does that. In other words, God must work in for our salvation so what we can work out our salvation. Hence the word "for" squeezed in between the two. Paul is saying "work out your salvation because God is working in you". He is not saying, do this so God will work in you, he is saying do this because God works in you. Imagine, right before the word "for" the question "Why?".

The second thing to note is the different words Paul actually uses. The word he uses for "work" is a different word and aspect than the word for "works".

The word for work in the Greek is κατεργάζεσθε which means cause, perform, work out. It is a 2nd person plural present imperative which means Paul is using it as a command to the Philippians. He is essentially saying, "Hey, you all, do this."
The word for works in the Greek is ἐνεργῶν which means do, be effectual, be mighty in. It is a present active participle which means Paul is saying this is something God is continually doing.

Paul is not saying that we do some work outwardly and God does some work inwardly and it is a mutual effort from both parties like a three legged race where two people are tied together. The work being done by both parties is different in substance (one is outward one is inward) and different in aspect (one is commanded one is continual). So Paul is saying that we are to outwardly show what God is continually doing in us. Think about that for a minute. We are not outwardly working to be saved, we are outwardly working because we're saved. Remember that word "for" squeezed in between the two statements?

This setup is pivotal in never boasting because any outward work is based on the continual inward work that God is doing. Realizing that God is continually and inwardly working on us is the only way we will achieve the attitude that Paul prescribed: "with fear and trembling". Once you grasp this truth, that God is mightily and continually working inwardly on your heart, then you will fearfully and reverently attempt to work outwardly to show this. In fact, Paul uses the same word for the final "work" as he did when he said "works". This means we will do mighty and effectual things for God's good pleasure as an outpouring of the continual mighty and effectual work being done in us. Is there still a tension here? Yes. But this sheds light on the inter-workings of sanctification that hopefully fuels the fearful outworking of our salvation.

Martyn Lloyd-Monday: Why Does God Allow War?

2009-11-02T09:41:00.003-05:00

In his book, "Why Does God Allow War?", Martyn Lloyd-Jones grapples with a common question posed to Christians and people of faith. However, he does not even begin to answer the question until the second to last chapter. The book is only 126 pages long, but he is careful to place man and God in their proper context before attempting to answer a difficult question. This excerpt is worthy of note:

"It is only as we suffer and see our folly, and the utter bankruptcy and helplessness of men, that we shall turn to God and rely upon Him. Indeed, as I contemplate human nature and human life, what astonishes me is not that God allows and permits war, but the patience and the long-suffering of God. He suffered the evil, perverse ways of the children of Israel for centuries; and now for nearly two thousand years He has patiently borne with a world which in the main rejects and refuses His loving offer, even in the Person of His only-begotten Son. The question that needs to be asked it not 'Why does God allow war?' but rather, 'Why does God not allow the world to destroy itself entirely in its iniquity and its sin? Why does He in His restraining grace set a limit to evil and to sin, and a bound beyond which they cannot pass?' Oh, the amazing patience of God with this sinful world! How wondrous is His love!"

He reminds me of Paul in this little exchange. So caught up in the love of God and the view of man's helpless estate he does not even let the question take root. Similar to Paul, meditating on all that God has done causes him to cry out in praise rather than cynically question.

What's The Difference?

2009-10-31T09:59:00.004-04:00

On October 31st, 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenburg, Germany, opposing the Roman Catholic practice of selling indulgences. To commemorate this historical moment I would like to highlight his very first thesis.

1. When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said “Repent”, He called for the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.

This reminded me of something I wrote about the difference between confession and repentance:

Confession and repentance are no doubt related, but they are in fact, very different. Confession is the acknowledgment of a wrong while repentance is the sorrowful turning away from the admitted wrong. Too often in Christian circles we accept/offer confession without repentance. This leads to pattern behavior and passive justification of the wrongs repeated. One starts to think, "Well I continue to confess how cruel I am, so I need not make any adjustments. At least I'm confessing to being a cruel person." Without repentance we are merely self loathing parrots who repeat practiced lines that get us crackers in the form of pity while never changing the dirty newspaper in our tiny cage.

In light of what Martin Luther started with in his 95 Theses, it should not surprise us that 500 years later the Catholic church still emphasizes confession over repentance. You do not go to your Catholic priest to repent, you go to confess. While the Catholic church no longer sells indulgences, the heart of the matter remains: Confession vs Repentance. Martin Luther was right to start with a life of repentance in his refutation.

Do You Possess Yourself?

2009-10-30T09:07:00.007-04:00

I consistently, and probably always will, struggle with patience. It is only when I think of patience in terms of choosing instead of reacting that I have any victory. The times where I lose my patience are when I view it as an emotion that I lack rather than a decision that I make. Is it an emotion? Or is it an internal choice whereby we hold our tongue and thoughts captive? Henry Scudder, in his book, "The Christian's Daily Walk," captures the idea of patience beautifully:

"A man without patience, is not his own man: he has not power to rule over his own spirit, Prov 25:28, nor yet of his own body. The tongue, hands, and feet of an impatient man will not be held in by reason. But he that is patient, enjoys himself, and has rule over his spirit, Prov 16:32; no affliction can put him out of possession of himself."

This is extremely helpful when battling impatience. Rather than waiting or striving for some unseen emotion, take possession of yourself, rule over your spirit, and have your body in submission.

Despair or Declare?

2009-10-29T14:17:00.005-04:00

Psalm 3

v1-2 1 O Lord, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; 2 many are saying of my soul, there is no salvation for him in God.

Is this despair? Or is it a declaration on the basis of hope? In light of the rest of the Psalm, I think it is a declaration to ward off despair. We have two options when trouble arises:

Despair
- Lose hope
- Give up
Declare
- Take hope
- Have faith

I believe David fights off despair through declaration to God. This admits two things:

God is the answer
There is hope

v3-4 3 But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. 4 I cried aloud to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy hill.

This is a past tense statement while the opening two verses are a present tense statement. In other words, David is showing why he had hope in his declaration: he recounts the past when God answered his cry. Note the progression...

God his his shield (safety)
Glory (adornment)
Lifter of my head (joy)

Similar to the progression of the Gospel:

God saves
Imputes glory
Our joy is the result

Basically, the Gospel is our reason to cry out to God rather than fall into despair. He has proven that He can save us, shower us with glory, and bring us joy.

v5-6 5 I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me. 6 I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around.

Now we have another progression. David sees God as sovereign in v5 and has courage in v6. This is the practical application of the Gospel. If God can save you and bring you joy then he must be trusted with control over your life. Realizing this brings a wonderful mixture, as we see from David, of comfort and courage. He had comfort in his rest and courage against his foes. We have comfort resting in Christ and courage to face our enemies.

v7-8 7 Arise, O Lord! Save me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked. 8 Salvation belongs to the Lord; your blessing be on your people!

The conclusion that came from David realizing the reality of God's sovereignty and goodness culminates in v7-8. David asks to be saved on the basis of God's victory over his enemies. In other words, to recap... David is in trouble, cries out to the Lord in hope, sees that God is sovereign and good in his protection, and David concludes that salvation belongs to the Lord.

The Gospel: Man realizes his trouble > Cries out on the basis of God's victory and power > God saves

God Roasted Them

2009-10-28T10:13:00.000-04:00

John Piper recently wrote about the harshness of God's punishment used in Jeremiah 29:22-23:

Because of them this curse shall be used by all the exiles from Judah in Babylon: “The Lord make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire,” because they have done an outrageous thing in Israel, they have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives, and they have spoken in my name lying words that I did not command them.

Often I find myself discussing God's judgment in the Old Testament as if God answers to man. The argument men make against God's punishment is rooted in a low view of God and a high view of man, and I thought a good response was John Piper's following exposition:

I am shocked by the term “roasted.” Why such a description? It actually happened, that’s why. Nebuchadnezzar roasted them. And why did it happen? Why such an outrageous physical horror and why such an outrageous physical word used to describe it?

Because speaking false things about God and committing adultery does not feel outrageous to us. But roasting someone in the fire does. So God correlates the two so we would learn what is really outrageous in the world. Demeaning God and breaking covenants.

The combination of man's sinfulness and stupidity result in God having to use wretched punishment to send the message that man is wretched. We are so dumb and blind that we need shocked and awakened from our decrepit death. This all culminates at the cross. A hideous death for hideous sinners.

Devotions Are Boring

2009-10-27T10:53:00.002-04:00

For a long time I have struggled with the idea of having a "quiet time" or "devotions" at the start and end of each day. Should I do a daily Bible study? Go through a devotional book? Get on a Bible reading plan to read the entire Bible in a year? A Psalm a day? A Proverb a day? Lately I have been rewarded after taking a very simplistic principle and applying it to my time alone with God. The principle is this: Study to know more, love more, and act more. It may seem too simple or too bumper sticker, but there is a logical progression in the principle. Know more comes first because until you know more things about God and His word you will not love Him or people more than you do now. Love more comes second because after knowing more you will love God and people more which will fuel acting and serving God and others. Act more comes last because it is the logical result of loving God and others more. While there is a progression here, you should not take "know more" and only focus on it, reasoning that once you know enough you can start to love God and others more. They are all three connected. Knowing more is pointless unless it drives you to love more, and loving more is meaningless if it doesn't push you to serve God and others. So if you start to study and find that after a while you are not loving more, then you are not knowing more, you are simply reading things and they aren't landing on your heart. This is why fluffy devotional books tend to collect more dust than dog ears, because it does not fill you with knowledge that leads to love which leads to service. C.S. Lewis assisted me in this principle:

"I tend to find the doctrinal books often more helpful in devotion than the devotional books, and I rather suspect that the same experience may await many others. I believe that many who find that 'nothing happens' when they sit down, or kneel down, to a book of devotion, would find that the heart sings unbidden while they are working their way through a tough bit of theology with a pipe in their teeth and a pencil in their hand."

This gets to the root of what I am attempting to say, but from a different perspective. Lewis is basically saying that deeper issues like theology and doctrine, rather than shallow inspirational fluff, cause you to think, study and know truth about God. In other words, if you read about God's omniscience it will land deeper in your life and heart due to the very depth of the topic demanding your attention and thought. This will help stir embers of love and zeal instead of the flash burn from an inspiration-a-day calendar that says "God knows more than you, so trust Him". Feel free to share your thoughts, ideas, or practices with reference to your devotional time.

Martyn Lloyd-Mondays

2009-10-26T09:05:00.004-04:00

Everybody picks a day of the week to have a theme. My favorite author/preacher is D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones so I'm going to have Martyn Lloyd-Mondays. The following is taken from his third volume, "The Unsearchable Riches of Christ," of his eight volume Ephesians set. The reason I pick this quote, which may seem outdated, is that it is quite applicable today in light of the logical positivism that so many people hold to.

One of the surest signs of a Christian understanding is that we see through the utter folly of Victorianism and Edwardianism, with their utterly false optimism. They believed that the world was advancing and developing and progressing quite inevitably. With Tennyson they sang about the coming of 'the Parliament of man' and 'the Federation of the world'. The twentieth century was expected to be marvellous, all as the result of secular knowledge, especially scientific, and education and culture. As regards the Bible they would hold on to the ethical, moral teaching of our Lord in the Sermon on the Mount. But, of course, they were too clever, they were too scientific, to believe in miracles or the supernatural. As long as we taught everyone the 'ethics of Jesus' all men would embrace and love one another and there would never be another war. We do not hear so much about that now, and of course it is not surprising. After having experienced the horrors of two World Wars, and in the light of what is happening in the world at the present time, there is little evidence to suggest that we have arrived at the golden era in which men, having achieved sanity as the result of education, turn their swords into ploughshares. The evidence points to an almost opposite conclusion. The foolish vapid optimism of the Victorian and Edwardian periods, which lingered on to 1914, and which some tried to revive even after 1918, presents rather a pathetic aspect today.

If you change a few words, dates, and names, this is something that is precisely accurate to today. Like a sniper preacher, shooting from 50 years ago, the doctor is right on target even today.

Christians and Halloween

2009-10-24T13:05:00.005-04:00

With the annual celebration of Halloween just around the corner it is important, as Christians, to respond in a balanced way. Too often the public Christian response to things like The Da Vinci Code, The Golden Compass, or Halloween is imbalanced and reactionary.

The balanced view of anything that is not explicitly listed as a sin in God's word should be a redeeming view. When I say, "redeeming view," what I mean is to assume an attitude of undaunted hope in Christ's ability to redeem not just people but the culture. An example of the church having a redeeming view is when thoughtful books and discussions were had in response to The Da Vinci Code. Rather than overreact and respond in fear, some Christians responded in hope knowing that Christ could use the popularity of Dan Brown's book to edify his body and make his name known. Having this attitude shows the gospel in a practical way. The church looks at something that is not giving God glory and redeems it so that it can. This is what the gospel does to sinners. It comes at someone who is not giving God glory and redeems them so they can.

God is Better Than Evil?

2009-10-23T09:40:00.006-04:00

In his book, "The God I Don't Understand," Christopher J. H. Wright has a chapter entitled The Defeat of Evil. In it he addresses the tension between God's sovereignty and the existence of evil. When he said the following, it illuminated something to me:

"God demonstrated his sovereignty by showing that he can take what is done as an existing evil in the world and use it to bring about his own good purposes. God remains good, and God remains sovereign."

Wright was using the story of Joseph being sold into slavery by his brothers to show that God can use existing evil to bring about his good purposes. This immediately made me think of the Gospel. The central element of the Gospel message is an evil that took place as part of God's good purpose to save sinners. This was just the beginning of what started to become clear to me. Evil, at its core purpose, seeks to corrupt, take over, and destroy whatever it sets its sights on. Like a disease it seeks to destroy us from the inside out. Now this is where it gets really cool. God is better than evil at its goal of inward takeover and destruction. He showed this perfectly when he defeated death by using death. In other words, God defeated evil through evil. He, in a sense, corrupted evil from the inside. So God is better at what evil attempts to do than evil itself. He does this same takeover/destruction with the Gospel. He destroys sinners from the inside out; the old man dies and a new one is born in his place. What a glorious and life giving takeover the Gospel is!

Book Review: I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist

2009-10-22T10:04:00.006-04:00

"I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist", by Norman L. Geisler and Frank Turek is a book that attempts to make a systematic case in defense of Christianity. I say, "systematic," because they go to great lengths to build their case in the proper order with each chapter building off the last. In other words, if you want a book where you can hop around from chapter to chapter, I would not recommend this book.

My summary of the book is as follows. It is a well crafted scientific, philosophical, historical, and textual argument for Christianity. Starting with a defense that truth about reality is knowable and working all the way to evidence for Christ's resurrection, their argument is like a snowball rolling down a large hill, getting larger and larger as it goes. While reading this book I felt like I was watching a wise cracking lawyer lay out fact after fact reinforcing his case, growing more and more confident as he goes.

My two criticisms of this book are what I would call the "sassy" tone the authors sometimes have. It comes across as slightly arrogant and would probably turn off some skeptics who read this book. My second criticism is Norman Geisler's insistence on grinding his "free will" axe in the last two chapters. To those who think views on free will do not affect the Gospel, I put forth Norman Geisler's Gospel presentation at the end of this book as exhibit-A.

However, the overall good in this book completely overshadows my two criticisms. I would recommend this book to anyone, whether you are a Christian looking for solid arguments to defend your faith or if you are a skeptic who thinks you've got enough proof to reject Christianity. This will be a book I reference often.

John Calvin : 500 years

2009-10-21T12:26:00.003-04:00

We are celebrating the 500th birthday of John Calvin in our children's ministry at Clifton Baptist. I thought it would be a good time to outline the opening of Calvin's, "Institutes of the Christian Religion". First I would like to quote his self proclaimed purpose in his address to King Francis I of France.

"My purpose was solely to transmit certain rudiments by which those who are touched with any zeal for religion might be shaped to true godliness. . . . The book itself witnesses that this was my intention, adapted as it is to a simple and, you may say, elementary form of teaching."

Take note of the pastoral care that John Calvin had as the purpose behind writing this book. Second, notice his humility in calling what I consider to be one of the greatest works ever written as an, "elementary form of teaching."

The Knowledge of God and That of Ourselves are Connected

How are they interrelated?

1. Without knowledge of self there is no knowledge of God
The idea here is that without an honest and true view of ourselves we will never aspire after God. It is the knowledge of our sinful estate that makes us discontent. Discontentment will almost always lead to searching. Since God is the antithesis of our depraved state He is alluring to us. The phrase, "irresistible grace," takes a deeper meaning in light of this. Could a starving man resist a warm meal?

2. Without knowledge of God there is no knowledge of self
It is only by looking at the original painting to truly be able to scrutinize a replication. Basically, we need to see God as He is, perfect and holy, to scrutinize our imperfect and wretched existence. We must view the source to understand or examine the product. We are not just bearers of God's image, we are His creation.

3. Man before God's majesty
Man can not truly grasp the severity of his sinfulness until he compares himself to God's majesty. Not only will he not grasp his sinfulness, he will not be deeply affected by it. Knowledge of sin does not equate a deep sorrow over sin.

Tim Keller on Miracles

2009-10-20T11:30:00.006-04:00

In his book, "The Reason for God", Tim Keller has a chapter entitled Science Has Disproved Christianity in which he addresses criticisms of Christianity based on the false conclusion that science has disproved God/Christianity. The first question Keller discusses is, "Aren't miracles scientifically impossible?"

"It is one thing to say that science is only equipped to test for natural causes and cannot speak to any others. It is quite another to insist that science proves that no other causes could possibly exist. . . . There would be no experimental model for testing the statement: 'No supernatural cause for any natural phenomenon is possible.' It is therefore a philosophical presupposition and not a scientific finding."

In other words, you can not in one swing say that science only tests natural causes and in another conclude that this means no supernatural causes exist. It would be like taking a metal detector to the beach and stating that there are no non-metallic substances on the beach based solely on the fact that you are unable to detect them with your instrument.

The Gospel in Psalm 2

2009-10-19T11:17:00.003-04:00

Psalm 2

2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed

4 He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision.

6 As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.

7 I will tell of the decree:The Lord said to me, You are my Son; today I have begotten you.

8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.

12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

The Gospel:

- Man is sinful and rebels against God (v2)
- God judges man (v4)
- He raises up a King (v6)
- The King is God's Son (v7)
- His heritage will be the nations (v8)
- Those not in submission will perish (v12)
- Those in His refuge are blessed (v12)

The Prodigal God Resources

2009-10-18T12:55:00.004-04:00

The Prodigal God is by far one of the best books I have ever read. If you want a fresh but biblical outline of sin, man, and the Gospel, then this book has what you need.

Mark Dever: "This brief exposition is unsettling and surprisingly satisfying. Like seeing something as familiar as your own home, or your own self, with new eyes."

John Piper: "The Prodigal God is vintage Keller - biblically faithful with a fresh angularity. That is, Keller seizes a great truth and comes at it from an angle and with language that help us see it in new ways."

Keller has now put together a 6 week sermon series designed for churches and small groups to go through along with the reading of the book. The official site has the sermon audio for free, but you can also check out the store to pick up the leader guide, DVD's of the sermons, and the books. I highly recommend this book and plan on using this for my own small group.

The Meaning of the Millennium

2009-10-16T14:40:00.001-04:00

An Evening of Eschatology
The Meaning of the Millennium
A Conversation with John Piper, Doug Wilson, Sam Storms, and Jim Hamilton

On September 27, 2009, Desiring God and Bethlehem College & Seminary hosted “An Evening on Eschatology” at the Downtown Campus of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis.

Premillennialism (represented by Jim Hamilton): The return of Christ happens before (pre-) the thousand-year reign of Christ, which is a reign of the risen Christ on the earth.

Amillennialism (represented by Sam Storms): The return of Christ happens after the thousand-year reign, a reign that occurs in heaven, in the intermediate state, and not upon the earth. Those who have died in faith and entered into the presence of Christ share his rule and reign during the current church age in which we now live.

Postmillennialism (represented by Doug Wilson): The return of Christ happens after (post-) the thousand-year reign, which corresponds to the Christian age, and the reign of Christ from heaven leads the church to triumph by and through the gospel to such an extent that the Great Commission will be successfully fulfilled, and the Christian faith will pervade all the cultures of all the nations of men. All Christ's enemies will be subdued in this way, with the exception of death, which he will destroy by his coming.

Listen

Watch

Download: Audio / Video

John Piper: 30 years of ministry

2009-10-15T13:24:00.004-04:00

John Piper's testimony & story of 30 years of ministry: click here

His passion for preaching and spurring fellow believers on to joy in their salvation was a goal he had 30 years ago. He still, even today, continues to set his sights on this goal.

His candidate sermon is just as powerful as his preaching today, although his voice pitch is a little different, the passion and the sincerity is still there.

Listen to his candidate sermon: click here

Philosophy of truth?

2009-09-25T12:28:00.004-04:00

Do you need a philosophy of truth before speaking about what is true and false? And if so, does said philosophy of necessity need a foundation that is, in and of itself, truth? Pilate asked a question of Jesus that strikes at this quandary...

John 18:38 Pilate said to Him, "What is truth?"

How would you answer Pilate's question?

Reminder of Rescue

2009-06-12T08:42:00.002-04:00

Whenever God tells the children of Israel not to fear because He rescued them from Egypt, it is a reminder of two things. The first is a reminder that they were once slaves and are now sojourners. This reminder humbles and brings low. Slaves are owned and do the work of their master. That ownership has been broken and they are now sojourners doing the work of God. So their ownership changes along with their direction, existence, and work. The second is a reminder that God is the one who rescued them and now leads them. This establishes a position of thankfulness, reverence, and fear. It also gives reason to have no fear of what God asks them to do. He is the one who not only now owns them, but is the one who freed them from a seemingly impossible situation. Why fear anything once rescued? Why doubt the leading of the one who blessed you? As Christians, we can think in the same way. The one who rescued us from bondage is the one who now leads us. Why fear persecution or trials being owned by Almighty God? Fear only the one mighty enough to save you. No longer slaves to sin, but now sojourners in a foreign land. Follow Christ, and do His bidding. For confidence, boldness, and peace, look to these reminders.

Taste of Vomit

2009-06-11T08:37:00.000-04:00

We pick and chisel at sin, thinking if it be less frequent that we've had some type of victory. Not that sin would cease in this life, but that our salvation would be made sure by a distaste and disenchantment with our most favorite sin. O that Christ would sweeten our tongue making sin taste like dung.

You Are Dying

2009-06-10T14:51:00.004-04:00

If we would remind ourselves daily that we are dying then we would see through the veneer fog of the present and press forward for what is eternal, for what is to come.

Death Was Necessary

2009-06-08T09:56:00.004-04:00

Jesus coming changes the need for death as punishment commanded so often in the Old Testament. He died the ultimate death and underwent the ultimate punishment. So the death, genocide, and stoning of the Old Testament should make us look to Christ. I'm sure the men and women of Israel looked forward to a time when all the death and killing was no longer necessary. God warned Adam that death would be the result of sin, and so it was. The Old Testament doesn't make God a tyrant, it makes Him someone who honors His word. And in honoring His word and promise, Christ came, removing the need for death and providing a way to defeat death. This makes Christ all the more beautiful. He is the answer, He is the fulfillment, He is the ultimate solution. So when people question God's goodness because of what happened in the Old Testament, they are ignoring glaring facts: death was the necessary result of man's actions and God was keeping His word. And secondly, Christ came as a gracious solution to man's problem.

Fear Evil

2009-06-07T10:41:00.002-04:00

To admit evil exists only to use it as a reason against God's existence must be a truly frightening position. In one quick swoop a person claims something dreadfully awful exists with no context of ultimate good to place it in. What sort of horrendous fear must slowly grow deep within those who affirm evil yet deny God? It is like saying, "There is deadly poison all around me, and that's proof there is no antidote!" At any moment evil can touch you, and what is your antidote? Well you just claimed there isn't one. You better walk lightly on the thin ice of life.

Conquerors or Cattle

2009-06-05T18:45:00.000-04:00

In a discussion about entertainment on Tim Challie's blog, a commenter said the following (I edited slightly):

"I only have to work 38.75 hours a week. When I come home I have my meals made for me and my house cleaned. My clothes are laundered. I have music played for me and books read to me. The only thing I really do is chew my own food and bathe and type on a computer. I’m only a brain and a pair of typing hands. In comparison to just about anyone from any civilization across time, I’m a cow, coddled and fat."

The person who made this comment was obviously using hyperbole, but the more I read it, the more it became unsettling. It reminded me of a sermon by John Piper where he reflected on how he was initially worried that in ministry he would primarily encounter Christian men who ran their homes like over bearing dictators. He was shocked to find the opposite problem in what he described as, "A remote control, a bag of potato chips, and feet propped up." This was alarming to me when I heard it, but with just a glance at America and I knew it was true. God help us... help us to be different, courageous, and diligent. Are we conquerors or cattle?

Explain Evil?

2009-06-04T14:52:00.005-04:00

To seek an explanation for an evil event is a natural response, but it is passively an attempt to legitimize evil itself. Rather than weep and mourn as we should, we seek an answer with the commonly asked question, "why?". Lets pretend for a moment that a satisfactory answer could be found. Upon finding it would it not deepen the wound by stating, "Ah, see, this terrible thing can be explained away." It would kill compassion and numb every emotion directed toward evil. Mourning over an evil would seem foolish and would be denigrated by the sought and discovered explanation. But the plight of man has been and will be, till Christ returns, to seek to legitimize and explain away evil, especially our own.

Supernatural Fact

2009-06-03T10:24:00.002-04:00

"Astronomers now find they have painted themsevles into a corner because they have proven, by their own methods, that the world began abruptly in an act of creation to which you can trace the seeds of every star, every planet, every living thing in this cosmos and on the earth. And they have found that all this happened as a product of forces they cannot hope to discover. That there are what I or anyone would call supernatural forces at work is now, I think, a scientifically proven fact."

-Robert Jastrow

For the record, this man was not a Christian, but an agnostic.

A Common Problem

2009-06-02T09:20:00.003-04:00

The common bond between all men is that we eventually die. Every part of us fights against this fact; hospitals, medicines, doctors, etc. Man does everything he can to sustain life and prolong the time before death. So man has a common problem. But doesn't every problem have a cause? If so, what is the cause for this shared problem? And also, doesn't every problem have a solution? If so, what is the solution for this common problem?

An Accurate View

2009-06-01T10:20:00.004-04:00

Without an honest and true view of ourselves, we will never aspire after God. It is knowledge of our sinful estate that makes us discontent. Discontentment will almost always lead to searching. Since God is the antithesis of our depraved state, He becomes alluring to us. The phrase, "irresistible grace", takes on a deeper meaning in light of this. Could a starving man resist a warm meal?

Finished Product

2009-05-31T10:59:00.004-04:00

As some of you may know, I've been messing around with graphic design for a while and have been attempting to get t-shirts printed at threadless

You may remember my entry, "Experimenting with Graphic Design", where I showed the process of sketching, inking, scanning and vectorizing. The following is the result of that work and is up for vote for 5 more days.

Tim Keller Defends Belief in God

2009-05-29T11:07:00.002-04:00

Tim Keller is a wonderful speaker and thinker, you'll not regret watching this.

Expect Evil?

2009-05-28T11:14:00.003-04:00

Our existence is subordinate or imperfect in comparison to God's existence. If all that we see is inferior and flawed, evil and suffering should not be so alarming. Yes, it should still upset us, since that is no doubt part of its purpose. But it, as they say, "comes with the territory". If we acknowledge that our existence is imperfect and corrupted then we should come to expect horrific things to happen. We should also look forward with hope to a time when nothing is tainted and all is made new.

3 Simple Questions

2009-05-27T09:54:00.003-04:00

Is it wrong to tell someone something you believe to be false? Is it also wrong to withhold something you believe to be true? How then, can you charge a person of faith with hatred for merely what is good according to the way you answered the first two questions?

We Long For Wrongs Righted?

2009-05-26T10:22:00.004-04:00

Why, when someone acts in a way we deem, "wrong", do we feel they must be judged and punished accordingly? Some might say that it is an effort made to help safe survival of man to progress. But at its core, judgment and punishment are wanted and bring some satisfaction to the person longing for them. Seeing a criminal judged and punished does bring some feeling of safety, but primarily we feel better because order has been restored; a wrong has been exposed and condemned by what we judge to be a proper and right response. This commonality exists because it is stamped on all of us. A great wrong was committed and a great response has been offered. We all need Christ, and to pacify our sense that a wrong needs righted in ourselves we look to others to find satisfaction in their wrongs exposed, judged, and punished.

Actions vs. Words

2009-05-25T08:34:00.002-04:00

Men see meaning in your actions as much as they hear meaning in your words. We should strive to make sure both meanings match and compliment each other rather than one destroying the other. How often do we empty the Gospel almost as soon as we've finished proclaiming it?

Idolatry = Hatred Part 2

2009-05-23T11:25:00.004-04:00

I was asked if hatred toward God in the realm of idolatry and disbelief is witting or unwitting, the following was my answer:

I think in a general sense, it is unwitting; general disbelief or other religions that someone might be raised to believe. But I think there are specific actions that are wittingly hateful toward God and His law, repetition of sin that deep down we know is wrong or intentional rebellion against things we naturally perceive to be wrong (ie: lying, stealing, etc.)

Ultimately it is all hateful because it is the opposite of love. When a child disobeys their parents because they get caught up in the excitement of eating a cookie because it is their favorite, they aren’t actively hating their parents, it is more passive, but hate is still present. In that moment their love for their parents isn’t as strong as their longing for the cookie. But when a child intentionally does something because they want to disobey and the cookie is just a means to disobey, that is active hatred. In other words, something can entice you to disobey, but a lot of the time the act of disobedience itself is what’s enticing. The two are different in the realm of passive vs active, but they are both carried out in the absence of love. If someone is enticed by disobedience, they are being tempted to stand in opposition to the law maker. What could be more hateful?

Why I Hate Religion

2009-05-22T07:44:00.000-04:00

Mark Driscoll says it better than I could...

Sketching Tips

2009-05-21T14:03:00.000-04:00

I was having trouble sketching for my lastest WIP, King Pong, and a simple sketching trick helped me out. I was struggling with the size of each part of the sketch maintaining what I was sketching from.

First, get a ruler and create a grid of squares over what you are sketching from. Then make a grid, larger if necessary, on the paper you will be sketching on. This allows you to have smaller frames of reference for each piece of the sketch and makes increasing the size of the object a lot easier. Note the difference in size in the following sketch:
(you can click the images for larger versions)

Second, once your sketch is satisfactory, go over just the sketch not the grid with ink.

Third, get yourself a nice eraser, and once the ink is dry, erase your sketched grid.

Fourth, scan your image, make it black and white, up the contrast once or twice, and if you have Illustrator, do a live trace. I did a live trace, and then printed it out because sometimes on certain spots the ink is too weak and it needs to be re-inked so you can re-scan the image and get a better live trace.

Finally, add color.

Sleeping with Snakes

2009-05-20T10:32:00.002-04:00

If sin be evil and should be fled from, why would you embrace it as an old friend so often? Would you slumber with venomous snakes? Or dance on thin ice above awaiting doom? Such actions would be the behavior or someone out of their mind or someone longing to be hurt. Do you long to be hurt? Are you out of your mind? If no, then forksake your old friend with whom you've enjoyed so many hours of destruction to your own soul. Pluck out the needle of death from your arm! Rise from this bed of ashes you seem content to lie in and let Christ be your portion, day and night.

Incomparable Grace

2009-05-19T09:26:00.002-04:00

The nearer I stand to God the greater dishonor I can bring him. If He pulls us close and blesses us with even a whisper of grace, let us honor Him as our king through obedience and faith. Would you work less and show less loyalty to your job after being promoted? We honor those that bless us in ways that seem like favors from an ant in comparison to the grace of God in our lives. A drop of grace from God would drown a lifetime of favors and blessings from men.

Lukewarm Gospel

2009-05-18T12:31:00.012-04:00

Men would sooner believe the Gospel we preach if they saw it deeply seated and burning within our chests. Are you cold? Lukewarm? What Gospel are they seeing compared to the one we are proclaiming? Often our own actions and choices contradict the very Gospel we say we believe.

So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.
Revelation 3:16

Busyness Doesn't = Godliness

2009-05-17T14:42:00.005-04:00

Busyness is often a mask we hide behind, feigning Godliness on the surface while creating a dust cloud of distraction and unavailability. We think if we have a list of things we have done or are doing that we are somehow safe from rebuke. Let us remember the words of the Psalmist:

Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!

God is to be exalted, not us. This verse should humble even the busiest man.

They Are Dead

2009-05-15T11:08:00.000-04:00

John Piper, as usual, gets to the heart of the matter with passion, love, and unwavering boldness.

A Curious Case Indeed

2009-05-14T10:35:00.003-04:00

No spoilers are contained in this entry. In the movie, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", Brad Pitt plays the role of a man who was born old and is getting younger. The movie starts off with a clock maker who wishes he could bring back his dead son, so he makes a clock that runs backward in honor of the fallen sons of war. I enjoyed that the movie, in a very creative and epic way, dealt with the common bond between all men: human life moves in an irreversible direction toward death. Instead of growing old and having regrets like the old people around Benjamin, he grows younger, and as he does he forgets where he has been and what he has done. Growing old and remembering our past actions and having regrets is a picture of what is to come. All will give an account for their actions, and growing old is a whisper of that reality. "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", is a curious case indeed. I highly recommend this movie.

Collision Movie

2009-05-13T16:19:00.004-04:00

I am very excited to see this. The trailer is like something from a Bond movie or something. Very well done.

7 of Diamonds Means What?

2009-05-12T12:54:00.006-04:00

Without universals or absolutes, particulars have no meaning. I can take a random card from a deck and place it face up on a table. Apart from the foundational framework within the whole deck, an individual card lacks any meaning. Color on paper is all you are left with. What meaning is held within a 7 of Diamonds without the whole? It means nothing. But when placed within the context of the whole or viewed in relation to the whole, meaning springs forth.

Experimenting with graphic design

2009-05-11T13:01:00.012-04:00

I've been experimenting with sketching, inking, scanning, and vectorizing. The following is a WIP I started on yesterday.

Sketch

Ink

Add Color

The WIP can be found on Threadless.com under "Shuttle-Cock"

I no longer live in solitude

2009-05-09T13:21:00.005-04:00

I trust in you for life to live, and air to breath.
Purity fills my lungs.
I no longer live in solitude.
No longer bound.
My heart beats with great devotion.
This is the start to a new beginning.

-August Burns Red
-Redemption

Gospel Coalition - Mark Driscoll

2009-05-08T08:39:00.002-04:00

Mark Driscoll will make you laugh and then punch you in the gut a second later. That does not have to be a metaphor, but that is how I meant it. The following sermon is very practical and helpful to pastors dealing with troublemakers in the congregation. Driscoll did an excellent job handling the text while offering practical advice on possible negative types of people to watch out for, and how to handle them.

4.21.09
Mark Driscoll
Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth
2 Timothy 2:14-26
Formats: Audio/Video

Spiritual ability?

2009-05-07T08:55:00.002-04:00

Much like our ability to think and reason, what if we have a spiritual ability along the same lines? We trust our ability to think and reason and have no empirical evidence to prove the ability exists. One might say, "I can prove I have the ability to reason empirically because you can observe me doing it right now." Which of course is as empirical as observing someone acting on their spiritual ability (ie: praying). We are also unaware of our ability to reason until it is acted upon by an outside source; parents teach children to speak, read, and learn. What if a spiritual ability does exist, but we are unaware of it until acted upon by an outside source?

Idolatry = hatred?

2009-05-06T09:28:00.005-04:00

God gave of Himself in creation; His creativity (I say this with reverence), and most importantly His image. Then, to restore what was damaged He gave of Himself in His son. He continues this by grace through salvation and forgiveness. Selfishness and idolatry should be seen in deep shades of repulsiveness in light of this reality. Imagine cursing and spitting in the face of someone who loved you and continually gave of themselves for you. This is a dim glimmer of the hatred within idolatry and disbelief. They are truly the actions of children of wrath.

Confession vs Repentance

2009-05-05T09:01:00.004-04:00

Confession and repentance are no doubt related, but they are in fact, very different. Confession is the acknowledgment of a wrong while repentance is the sorrowful turning away from the admitted wrong. Too often in Christian circles we accept/offer confession without repentance. This leads to pattern behavior and passive justification of the wrongs repeated. One starts to think, "Well I continue to confess how cruel I am, so I need not make any adjustments. At least I'm confessing to being a cruel person." Without repentance we are merely self loathing parrots who repeat practiced lines that get us crackers in the form of pity while never changing the dirty newspaper in our tiny cage.

Intellectual Lethargy

2009-05-04T08:29:00.004-04:00

"Intellectual lethargy is undoubtedly the greatest sin of many Christians today. They never grow in knowledge, they end where they began. They are always talking about first experiences, but they never entered into the riches to which Paul refers; they have never climbed the mountain tops and breathed the pure air of God's holy truth. They are content with the ordinary level; they are ignorant of the more advanced teaching because it demands an intellectual effort."

-D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
-The Unsearchable Riches of Christ

Wired for belief?

2009-05-02T10:49:00.004-04:00

To say that people believe in God because over time we evolved with a, "God center", and that those who believe tend to survive better is no stronger an argument than saying we survive better while believing because we are made for belief. What if widespread belief is whispering of a deep need in man? And since arguing for a, "God center", can not be proven and is ultimately just another belief, it is undercut by its own claim.

Is your life a tragedy?

2009-05-01T17:49:00.003-04:00

Don't let your life be dictated by, "The American Dream", let it be dictated by something greater. Don't let your life be a tragedy. Do not store up treasures where moth and rust destroy. How big is your shell collection?

Sermon Notes - Feed the Flame of God's Gift

2009-04-30T12:23:00.008-04:00

4.21.09
John Piper
Feed the Flame of God's Gift: Unashamed Courage in the Gospel
2 Timothy 1:1-12

Main point: Keep feeding the white hot flame of God's gift of unashamed courage to speak openly of Christ and suffer for the Gospel

Where does the main point come from?
Is it the point of the whole book?
How do we fan the flame?
Do it!

1. v6-8

Keep feeding it (v6)
The gift (v7-8)
How does he get the power?

2. Is the main point an isolated thought or the burden of the whole book?

1:16, 2:3, 2:9, 2:10, 2:12, 2:15, 2:24, 3:1, 3:10, 3:12, 4:5, 4:6, 4:7, 4:16

3. How do we feed it?

By linking 1:2 with 2:1 (By the grace that is in Christ)
How do I get the grace? (see 1:2)
- God's word mediates the grace

All epistles open: grace to you / end: grace with you
Why?
As you read, grace comes to you. After you're done, the grace with go with you. Hold it!

4. Do it!

Your faith is authentic (v3-5) and I'm speaking to you as a father to a child
- Paul says, I believe your faith is real, even though it came from your mom and not your dad. My faith is from my parents too. Dad wasn't there spiritually for you, but your faith is real, my beloved son.
Paul gives himself as a pattern for suffering and God's sustaining grace.
- You'll suffer, but don't be ashamed
  - Because the Gospel is powerful
- I'm your father, I'm in jail, and I'm not ashamed
The power (v9-10)
- The grace of God was not given to you when you were converted, but before the world began
  - Your name is written, before the world was formed, in the lamb's book of life

Conclusion: Your calling, courage, salvation, power, has nothing to do with you and are they are not dependent on you.

From eternity, God planned to do you good.

Gospel Coalition - John Piper

2009-04-29T11:25:00.005-04:00

John Piper's ministry and sermons have always been a huge encouragement to me. This sermon was empowering and wonderfully passionate. If you are struggling with fear in your witness or your call, this message is for you.

4.21.09
John Piper
Feed the Flame of God's Gift: Unashamed Courage in the Gospel
2 Timothy 1:1-12
Formats: Audio/Video

Summer Reading

2009-04-28T09:55:00.011-04:00

What is the best way to approach a summer reading list? Hopefully my experience and advice can be of service to others who have failed to get through the large stack of books they tried to read last winter/summer break.

In my own life, there is always a pile of books that I can't wait to dive into. What tends to happen is that I pick up one and either A) Enjoy it and take my time or B) Dislike it and rarely touch it. This ends up slowing me down and leaving my stack of "want to read" books barely touched.

This summer I put together a plan to help me get through more books and enjoy each one in their own way. I have my DUTY list and my LEISURE list. I used the word "Duty" because it challenges me to take serious my time of reading the books on this list. I also kept the "Duty List" short to insure I get through each book. The "Leisure List" has books that look like easy/fun reads, and is a bit longer because some of the books may be a quick 1-2 day read.

The idea behind these two lists is that my "Duty List" will be a time of strengthening, growth, and training. The "Leisure List" is designed to give me an escape from heavy or challenging reading, but to keep my mind afresh and enjoying reading as a hobby.

I hope this helps, and feel free to comment with your own summer reading list or ideas that you use when reading.

Don't Waste Your Summer

2009-04-27T10:02:00.003-04:00

As final exams pass us by and papers are turned in, let us remember to not waste our summer. Relax, enjoy some leisure, but do not waste your summer. Study God's word, know Him more intimately, improve your walk, spend more time with your family, do things that have eternal significance, substitute some TV and read a book with your wife, play less XBOX and Playstation and look at God's creation, breathe in the fresh summer air and know that God has made it.... but do not waste your summer. The following video emphasizes a similar theme, but I will let John Piper tell it to you...

Sermon Notes - The Gospel and Idolatry

2009-04-26T12:24:00.005-04:00

4.21.09
Tim Keller
The Grand Demythologizer: The Gospel and Idolatry
Acts 19:21-41

My notes from the conference:

Acts 19:23-41
-Paul always took on and challenged the idols of the people.

To be effective:
-Discern, Expose, Destroy
-Idols

DISCERN: If idols are confronted, after salvation a person's life will be greatly changed. If they are not confronted, they run the risk of living an unchanged life.

Every community, culture, or person looks to something as an idol.
-Something to save them

What is an idol?
Anything in your life that is so central that losing it would strip all meaning from your life.
-It is when you take a good thing and make it an ultimate thing.

EXPOSE: When you threaten idols, anger and chaos will follow.

3 kinds of idols to expose:

1. Personal

Money
Romance/Love
Children

2. Religious

Truth - the "rightness" of doctrine
Gifts - mistake gifts for fruit
Morality - I'm loved because of what I do

3. Cultural

Family
The individual
Politics

DESTROY: When the idols are opposed, it is violent.

Paul risked his life to confront idolatry.
Jesus gave his life.
- You'll always take your life into your hands when you confront/destroy idols.

Objectively: Jesus died, conquered death
Subjectively: We need to see this

Gospel Coalition - Tim Keller

2009-04-24T13:47:00.011-04:00

I am going to provide links to all of the sessions for those who are interested. It was truly a powerful conference, and I'm thankful for their willingness and graciousness in putting these videos up for anyone to watch.

4.21.09
Tim Keller
The Grand Demythologizer: The Gospel and Idolatry
Acts 19:21-41
Formats: Audio/Video

Timothy Wright

2009-04-24T12:06:00.004-04:00

By The Associated Press The Associated Press – Fri Apr 24, 3:27 am ET

NEW YORK – The Rev. Timothy Wright, the Grammy-nominated gospel singer and composer known for his up-tempo praise songs and powerful mass choir sound, has died. He was 61.

Full story: Yahoo News

Authority and experience

2009-04-08T12:22:00.003-04:00

The idea that we are autonomous and our own authority is contrary to the entire idea of authority itself. Authority, to maintain any level of actual legitimate authority, must of necessity exist above the object that is subject to it. In other words, it is nonsensical to say you are your own authority because you can't be above yourself and subject to yourself simultaneously. And if you are your own authority, then that means you make your own rules. Does this mean being autonomous makes our lives one big game of Calvin Ball (from a cartoon where a young boy makes up rules as he goes to play a game)? If that is the case then you aren't really your own authority because you can change the rules at any point which means you really answer to no one, not even yourself. You simply adapt the rules to your liking and continue playing the game how you want. This, in my estimation, is far more dangerous than someone who believes in an authority that exists outside of himself.

Experienced based truth is also nonsensical. To say, "I will derive my own truth from my own experiences," is a redefinition of truth while claiming to be the definer and molder of truth. One must think very highly of themselves and their experiences to say such a thing and actually believe it. For something to be true the opposite has to be false. So how can experience be a source for truth? You might say, "These things have happened to me, and they are what I base my views on." But since much of our experience is out of our control, this sort of truth finding is as reliable as rolling dice or flipping a coin. Do you know what will happen to you next week? No? Then your "truth" is subject to change, which removes any idea of truth from your definition and allows for things that were once false to now be true. Truth then becomes merely what you think for the moment, and nothing more. The delusional man that goes on a shooting spree has his own "truth", so how can his actions be wrong or his ideas false? I'm sure his experience has played a major role in bringing him to anger, violence, and murder. So how do you know that you're right? You're just as convinced as the mad man with the gun.

Perfect man?

2009-04-07T17:16:00.002-04:00

Is it reasonable to look within man for truth? Man who is born with imperfections, dependencies, and a mortal body that slowly dies from the moment of birth? Is it not more reasonable for man to see his nature being imperfect and ultimately corrupt as a reason to look for his antithesis as the source for truth? An imperfect, dependent, mortal being should naturally assume the existence of a perfect, independent, immortal being. This should then lead to a subordinate view of man below the perfect immortal being that must of necessity be above and superior to all that exists. Therefore, faith and belief in a god is far more reasonable than the denial of any superior existence. Those who deny the possibility of a perfect being existing passively deny their own imperfection, deem themselves a god among mortals and should then define perfection by their imperfect perception and existence. Is this not the behavior of insane men? Did not Hitler take this view to its logical end? He deemed himself a god among men and became the one who sought to define perfection while ridding the world of what he thought to be imperfect. Men who deny any god yet live peaceably with other men deny their own supposed godlike nature by living equal to and not above other men. If they be a god, they are not one worthy of worship, let alone worth listening to.

Christ is worthy, we are not

2009-03-26T16:29:00.002-04:00

Truly Christ is the only one who has conquered death. He subdues and changes our dead hearts! Only the one who has defeated death itself could do such a thing. The power of Christ should bring us to an awestruck, thankful, and humble position. We rail and cry and demand what we want, but what have we done to deserve a position of demand? We are wretched creatures bound to a limited existence with no ability in ourselves to change our estate. The only one in a position to make demands of anyone is the reigning Lord Jesus Christ. God has put Christ next to Him and will have Him judge the earth. So stop making vain demands and cling to the only one worthy.

Free will is unnatural?

2008-05-21T11:48:00.001-04:00

If we are merely the product of natural selection, is any decision we make truly free? If chemicals have fired, mixed, and grown, and the result of that is our existence/thoughts, how can any form of "free will" exist? A thought is one of two things: It is either the result of an intentional will or the result of chemical reactions. It cannot be both because one cancels/contradicts the other.

Convert to Atheism? (revised)

2008-05-17T11:18:00.002-04:00

** Below is the same basic argument with revisions due to flaws and weaknesses that were exposed through criticism. Thank you to everyone who contributed in the discussion that has led me to a more sound argument. **

Men are not naturally "Atheist", they become Atheist. To claim that a man is naturally Atheist is untrue unless the concept of God is automatically pure nonsense to him. Take the youngest child with the earliest stage of intellect in place. When you try to explain God to them, you are not met with immediate distrust and rejection. They have the natural capacity to understand the concept of God. Now try to explain that an engine exists inside a car and makes it go. Numerous questions and even mistrust may follow. They have the ability to be taught and to learn what an engine is, but the built in capacity to grasp the concept of an engine is not there as it is with God. We have a natural schema built in for knowledge of God. This is common and easy to access empirical data.

If this schema was not built in, then men would see the concept of God as pure and un-intelligible nonsense from the earliest age. Sure they can be "indoctrinated" but eventually, ideas of Santa Claus or Unicorns are seen as untenable because evidence is lacking as well as a schema. If this schema for God were not there, men would not see fit for constant written or spoken denial of God. So men, in a sense, become Atheist. They deny knowledge that they already knew to begin with. So the Atheist who uses any energy to deny God’s existence ends up confirming his own innate knowledge of the very thing he wishes to deny. In other words, with every word written and spoken in an effort to deny God’s existence, the Atheist proves he was born with a schema for knowledge of God that he is now opposed to. Because if the Atheist’s natural state of mind was “Atheist”, then the concept of God would be so foreign and stupid to him, he would not waste a single second denying such nonsense.

Convert to Atheism?

2008-05-10T13:03:00.002-04:00

Men are not born Atheists, they become Atheists. To claim that a man is born Atheist is untrue unless the concept of God is automatically pure nonsense to him. Take the youngest child with the earliest stage of intellect in place. When you try to explain God to them, you are not met with confused bewilderment. They have the natural capacity to understand the concept of God. Now try to explain that an engine exists inside a car and makes it go. Bewilderment or blind trust will no doubt follow. They have the ability to be taught and to learn what an engine is, but the built in capacity to grasp the concept of an engine is not there as it is with God. This is blatant and easy to access empirical data.

If knowledge of God was not built in, then men would see it as pure and un-intelligible nonsense from the earliest age. They would not see it fit for their constant written or spoken denial. So men, in a sense, become Atheists. They deny knowledge that they already knew to begin with. So the Atheist who uses any energy to deny God’s existence ends up confirming his own innate knowledge of the very thing he wishes to deny. In other words, with every word written and spoken in an effort to deny God’s existence, the Atheist proves he was born with knowledge of God that he is now opposed to. Because if the Atheist’s natural state of mind was “Atheist”, then the concept of God would be so foreign and stupid to him, he would not waste a single second denying such nonsense.

Truth?

2007-12-13T11:35:00.001-05:00

Where does the idea of truth come from? What makes something true? Why do we think in the realm of true and false?

If something is true then it can never be false. For example, 2+2=4. If that is true, then it can never be false. If there exists a possibility for it to ever be false then it was never true. But, some may say, it is now 1 o'clock and in an hour that will not be true, it is only true for that moment. However, we know that the passing of a moment verifies its existence. If it is now 2 o'clock, that verifies the truth that it was previously 1 o'clock. So it does not prove things can be momentarily true because they can still be seen as true once the moment passes. The fact that I'm now 26 years old verifies that it was true to say I was 25 last year.

But we treat some truths as unchanging. We think 2 plus 2 equals 4 now, and will always equal 4. If we say that 2+2=5 is a possibility in the distant future, then the truth of 2+2=4 is undercut. The very reliability of math would be demolished. However, we treat and trust math as very reliable. We think and act as if 2+2 will always equal 4. Therefore, to us, true and false are eternal concepts. It will always be true that I was 25 last year and 2 plus 2 will always equal 4. So we, as finite creatures, at our foundational thinking level, think in infinite terms. This leaves two possibilities. An infinite "thing" exists, and we are thinking rightly, or an infinite "thing" does not exist, and we are thinking wrongly.

If we think in the realm of true and false by a mere evolutionary process, then does truth even really exist? Is it not just something we created? A mere means by which we converse, a way in which we choose to look at existence? And if we created the idea of truth, then we can create a new idea. I can choose to ignore "truth" and think in my own terms. But is such a thing even possible? I can say 2+2=100, but 2 dollar bills added to another 2 dollar bills will not suddenly become 100. If I say gravity does not exist and then jump off a building, I will fall. The things around us simply are. So if something is "there", it cannot suddenly be "not there" just because I say so. So truth must come from somewhere. Truth is, in a sense, imposed upon us. I cannot fly by saying gravity does not exist or create money merely by stating exaggerated addition.

But why do we, as humans, think in terms of true and false? Why do we not just merely exist and act on instinct alone? Even if a man says, "There is no such thing as true and false! All is relative!" Such a man is insisting his view is true and that the opposite is false. This kind of thinking self destructs. Or some say, "There are no absolutes, I trust gravity to keep me in place because it always has. And I trust 2+2 to equal 4, because it always has." Yes, but if your friend was always on time, would you place such a trust in him? "I trust my friend will always be on time because he always has." Such thinking, when placed in another situation, looks quite foolish. People around you would protest, "But what if there is an accident? Or if he forgets?" Would such a person cross their arms and say, "No, he will always be on time because he always has." But alas, such is the reasoning of many. "Gravity will keep me here because it always has and my bank account will stay as it is because it always has." But what if gravity stops? Suddenly, the earths rotation stays the same, but the laws of gravity change. Or what if 2 dollars suddenly became 1 dollar? If there are no absolutes, then such things are possible, and faith placed in gravity or math is really quite foolish. Someone who is sick and claims they are not is often referred to as "delusional". So I suppose someone who has faith in absolute things but claims they do not could also be referred to as "delusional". And I don't suppose anyone should really take what they say seriously.

Is Reason Sufficient?

2007-07-31T08:17:00.001-04:00

It has been said that to claim “reason is insufficient” would be self defeating because it is by reason that such a conclusion is arrived at. Such a statement, aside from seeming too confident in reason, seems inaccurate due to the fact that reason is quite simply the most dependent function of the human mind. One may read the previous statement and think to themselves, “Well how can you say such a thing and even trust it?” I would respond by pointing out that reasoning must of necessity have input to even function on the minutest level. Without information, reason is just an engine without gas.

Picture a child sitting in a bare room with nothing inside. The child observes his/her surroundings and takes in information. Based on this information the child can decide to move, sit still, lie down, etc. Like gas in an engine, this enables reason to function. Apart from information intake the child would not be able to reason about anything. “I can think. I can see. Can I move? I can. I will move over here.” Without knowing that movement is possible or that observation is the means by which the brain takes in information, reason would be at a stand still.

One might conclude from the above argument that a person’s reason is only as good as the information it receives. If the same young child was shown videos of little children jumping off buildings and slowly floating to safety, he/she might reason incorrectly about what would happen if they were to jump from a high location. So the real question is not about the sufficiency of reason, but the reliability of the information received through observation. Someone might say, “We conclude what is right and wrong by reasoning with our minds.” After stating this you must show what information influenced your reason to come to such a conclusion. You must also prove that this information is reliable. Essentially, you have reasoned that reason is how you determine right from wrong. What influenced your reason to reason that reason is reliable? Is the information that has been observed trustworthy? What makes it trustworthy? Have we simply reasoned that the information is trustworthy? If so, what information lead us to reason that information itself is trustworthy? It seems a tad circular does it not? You reach a point when, with reason stripped down, it is seen as insufficient due to its dependent nature.

At this point one might ask, “How can you even trust your current argument if reason is insufficient?” My response is that everyone takes a leap of faith when trusting his or her reason. There is no irrefutable concrete evidence that reason is trustworthy. Even if there were hard evidence for the trustworthiness of reason, it would be by reason that we judge and examine said evidence. One must reach a point where a leap of faith is taken, and a large amount of trust is placed in reason. It is dishonest to claim that no leap of faith is made when trust is placed in reason. Concluding that the faith of a Christian is no more of a leap than that of an atheist who trusts his or her reason.

So the question remains: Is reason sufficient? The gas and engine analogy seems to function well to answer this in a short and simplistic way. An engine cannot run on its own just like reason cannot function without information. An engine will only run as well as the gas put into it just like reason will only function as well as the information plugged into it. It would obviously be easier to see whether or not the best gas was used in the engine by observing how well it ran. It would prove a tad more challenging to see whether or not the best information was plugged into a person’s reason. Pragmatism is not a conclusive way to solve this problem. Thus concluding that reason is not solely sufficient, but highly dependent. Forcing strong skepticism on the anti-faith crowd that places so much confidence in reason and ridicules faith with such derision. Ironically it is faith that they place so blindly in reason’s sufficiency in spite of the absence of any hard evidence, the very thing people of faith are commonly labeled with: blind faith with no evidence.

Naturalism

2007-06-18T11:26:00.000-04:00

Supposing we live in a closed system, a purely natural world, what in nature tells us all men are born with equal rights? Nature, on the contrary, seems to show us quite a different view of man. Deformities, mental retardation, and simple things like size difference show us that no one is born equal. The natural abilities of a midget woman and a seven foot Kenyan man are vastly different. How then, does a purely natural system give we humans any reason to believe in equal rights? If we have merely evolved from animals, why do the principles of 'survival of the fittest' vanish from our minds?

The seven foot Kenyan man is bigger and much stronger than the midget woman. Why would it be wrong for him to capture her, rape her, and claim her as his personal possession? If we are but highly evolved animals then the Kenyan man is using his reason, intellect, and strength to make a decision based on what he wants. Who are we, as fellow evolved animals, to tell him what he desires is wrong? "She has rights!" some may cry. Yes, but why? She was born smaller and weaker than him. Why can't we conclude that a stronger person has more rights based solely on the fact that they are strong? Nature doesn't give us any reason to believe every human has equal rights. A closed natural system can only lead to no rights and no equality, ending in barbaric or sophisticated 'survival of the fittest'. The man who claims there is no supernatural, that we live in a closed natural system, and also claims that humans have equal rights must take reasons and philosophies about the existence of man from outside his closed natural system. This is pure and indefensible contradiction of thought and practice.

How then, would this same man defend and hold to belief in human dignity? Why does life have value? Why is molesting and murdering a child wrong? What in a closed natural system gives self attesting proof that mankind has dignity? In a close naturalistic system we are highly evolved animals, but still animals. A lion may see fit to eat and slaughter his young. How do animals, highly evolved or not, suddenly deem that this is wrong? And not just wrong, but punishable and condemning?

A father, in a closed natural system, is free to do whatever he pleases with his children. They are his offspring, are they not? They are his, if you will, creation. In a closed natural system, what is the difference between destroying a created house and a created infant? Are they not simply the result of my actions? And therefore subject to my decision whether or not to allow them to exist? To hold to naturalism while also clinging to human dignity is also an indefensible contradiction of thought and practice.

A Source For Truth

2007-06-04T17:45:00.001-04:00

Is it reasonable to look within man for truth? Man who is born with imperfections, dependencies, and a mortal body that slowly dies from the moment of conception. Is it not more reasonable for man to see his nature being imperfect and ultimately corrupt as a reason to look for his antithesis as the source for truth? An imperfect, dependent, and mortal being should naturally assume the existence of a perfect, independent, and immortal being. This should then lead to a subordinate view of man below the immortal perfect being that must of necessity be above and superior to all that exists.

Therefore, faith and belief in a god is far more reasonable than the denial of a superior existence. The only reason we know we are imperfect is because something perfect must exist. Those who deny the possibility of a perfect being existing deny their own imperfection, deem themselves a god among men and therefore define perfection by their imperfect perception and existence. Is this not the behavior of insane men? Did not Hitler take this view to it's logical end? He deemed himself a god and became the one who sought to define perfection by getting rid of what he thought to be imperfect.

Men who deny God and yet live peaceably with other men deny their own supposed godlike nature by living equal to and not above other men. If they be a god, they are not one worthy of worshiping, let alone worth listening to.

Circular

2007-05-04T11:26:00.000-04:00

Men sneer and rail against God's Word. They claim, "It is the word of God because it says it is the word of God, how circular!" But I protest with all strength from God. Who claims what the unbeliever says is true? Well the unbeliever of course! "We say this and that about existence, and it is true!" Who is claiming something while at the same time being the attestation that it is truth? That is circular! Life apart from God is circular! No peace and no joy. Just fat headed puffed up blind men running in a circle of self attesting "truth". "We are right because we say so! This is true and there is no God!" God's wrath burns hot for those who deny Him. On the day of judgment I will tremble and testify against those who saw the truth and sneeringly rejected it in pride! I pity the blind men of this world, and I pray for strength to plead with them daily in patience and love.

Lullaby of Death

2007-04-24T22:45:00.000-04:00

What is the parent's course of action when a child needs to be lulled to sleep? A peaceful and kind song of love to calm and lull the child into rest. The child feels warm, good, and happy. A euphoria floods their face as they drift into sleep. It is not necessarily their tired disposition that puts them at peaceful ease, but rather the soothing and kind song of love being whispered and sung. So the main cause, the prodding and soft pushing, is the lullaby itself.

The same child, when blindfolded and running toward the edge of a cliff is again in need of their parent's help. The child's need is now much different. Would a parent not appear to be out of their mind if they tried to lull the child to sleep in an effort to keep them from running off the cliff? A simple game near a cliff would prove deadly. What parent would be mindless enough to behave in such a way? And yet many preachers are just as mindless in their preaching. Lulling people to sleep as they hurl themselves headlong into hell.

This stems from the same lunacy in the above example with the child heading toward the cliff. More concern for someone's feelings trumps the ultimate concern for where they are headed. Don't startle them or upset them! Tell them how grand life can be and how much God loves them. As the child ran toward the cliff who would be hesitant to scream and shout? Who would only softly say, "You are loved, isn't that wonderful?" A patient dying wants cured! The child, if he knew the cliff was there, would want to be spared!

Imagine the conversation between the parent and child after the fact. The child is broken, bleeding, and barely alive. Would the child say, "I'm glad you told me I was loved." What lunacy is this? The child would shout and wail, "Why didn't you tell me?!?" Dare I say, one day many preachers (so called) will hear similar cries from a lake of swelter. All the men whom they have lulled to sleep will be abruptly awakened by the pain of death and the sting of suffering. And no excuse will be available for either party.

The law is on their hearts and they enjoyed the tickling comfort from their so called shepherd. Just because a man did not steal the bread, if it fills his stomach and warms his heart he is guilty for eating it. The greater crime is committed by the initiator, but the partaker is not innocent merely because he only "went along" with it. The soldiers that stood watch are guilty along with the wretched rabble that sent our Lord to the cross. Yes we can see how a larger measure of guilt and shame for the lazy preacher, the bread thief, and the ones who cried, "crucify Him!". But all partakers are not absolved and made innocent by their passive involvement.

You sir, who sit and slumber beneath the soft blanket of dead preaching are guilty as well! Stand and be judged!

Trust God

2007-04-17T11:07:00.000-04:00

If God's Word be true and men are dead in their sins and haters of God then it is only by faith in the power of God's choosing, Christ's dying, and the Spirit's moving that we preach to sinners. How else can the dead be made alive? How else can foe become friend? How else can a rebel become a son? Do our words have power? Do we? Does such a thing happen from mere realization and motivation? No! Such a thing is a miracle! A miracle only possible by the Creator of all, the Sustainer of all, the Lord of all.

Shed off speeches of motivation and lectures of morality. Cling only to Christ and His Gospel. Preach only Christ crucified. Trust only God.

Beings of Conflict

2007-04-09T10:26:00.001-04:00

Why is it that every book, story, movie, etc. has the element of conflict? Why are men drawn to a fight? sports? wars? gossip? The answer is simple: we are beings of conflict.

The law of God on man's heart, which is commonly called, "the conscience" is in conflict with our sin nature. The remnant of what was in Eden remains and we know we are made for more, but our rebellion wars against it. This makes conflict alluring to us. Why? Because conflict is the consuming state of our nature. Which team will win the game? Who will win the debate? Did you hear about so and so? Who will win the election? Conflict!

But God brings peace to us. The only peace sufficient for beings ingrained with conflict. The peace of Jesus Christ the risen Savior. I say risen because it is important to note His peace was wrought in His death and secured by His resurrection. His blood bought us, His resurrection secured us. "Are we not secure because He bought us?" you may ask. Of course we are secure because His payment was perfect and sufficient. But we are secured by the resurrection because our second life is made possible by the same power that raised Christ from the dead. Being secured and being secure are quite different. We are secured by His resurrection, by the power, and secure in Christ because we can't be removed from Him.

So, miserable creature in conflict, doesn't being secure sound blissful? Doesn't an unmovable foundation sound glorious? Are you tossed about by lusts, desires, aspirations and the like? Does not Christ smell sweet? There He stands, unmovable and unshakable. He is the antithesis of what we are and yet He died that we might live. Embrace Christ!!

Reformed Pastor Pt 6

2007-03-26T19:36:00.001-04:00

Chapter 2 - Section 2

-No matter how much I study and read, if the ends to why I am doing them be wrong, I am a great hypocrite.

-Knowing much with the goal of helping others and being edified is praiseworthy and wise.

-Before acts of grace the state of grace must come. True mercy, forgiveness, and compassion are not possible apart from knowing these things from God Himself.

-Many men are not proficient because they refuse to learn. There is no end or stopping point. A wise man can always be taught more.

-No matter how lovingly we deliver it, some men will always hate and revile us for telling them the truth.

-You will never preach earnestly to men that you don't fervently pray for.

Reformed Pastor Pt 5

2007-03-19T23:52:00.001-04:00

Chapter 2 - Section 1

-Don't lead a man to living water only to muddy it by a sin filled life. Striving to be holy should bring about a desire to lead men to living water. To be living in sin only to haphazardly attempt to lead men to living water calls the motive of a man's heart into question. Why lead to living water that is apparently too bitter to drink ourselves?

-Paul was stirred by the idolatry of other men. Do we get so stirred? Do we even take notice? The constant denial of God that surrounds us dulls our senses to the rank repulsiveness of men's misleading words. If you smell not the odious stench that pours forth from the Tempter's workers how often do you unknowingly inhale and exhale the same stench?

-If you are weak you are exposed to dangers, your consolations and delight in God are abated, and the sweetness of wisdom's ways have been taken. You are less serviceable to both God and men and bring less honor to your master.

-Men would sooner believe the gospel you preach if they saw it deeply seated and burning within your chest. Are you cold? Luke warm? What gospel are they seeing compared to the one you are preaching?

-If we would remind ourselves daily that we are dying then we would see through the veneer fog of the present and press forward to what is eternal, what is to come.

Reformed Pastor Pt 4

2007-03-07T17:54:00.001-05:00

Chapter 1 - Section 2 - Part C

-A prostitute will enter heaven more quickly than a pharisee because she doesn't need convinced or debated into believing she's in sin and misery.

-Speaking loudly without truth is like shooting a gun with powder and no bullet. It may spark and make lots of noise, but little damage is done to the enemy. Mix your zeal with truth, a truth that is humbling, a truth that has power, a truth that pierces.

-Men see meaning in your actions as much as they hear meaning in your words. We should strive to make sure both meanings match and compliment each other rather than one destroying the other.

-Even if you carry good meat to people, dirty hands can still spoil the meal you prepare for them. Don't let sin sour your delivery of the gospel anymore than our imperfection already does.

Reformed Pastor Pt 3

2007-03-03T09:40:00.000-05:00

Chapter 1 - Section 2 - Part B

-The nearer I stand to God the greater dishonor I can bring Him. If He pulls us close and blesses us with even a whisper of grace, let us honor Him as our King through obedience and faith. Would you work less and show less loyalty to your job after being promoted? We honor those who bless us in ways that seem like favors from an ant in comparison to the grace of God. A drop of grace from God would drown a lifetime of favors and blessings from men.

-The only reason to doubt whether God will bless the work you do is if the message we proclaim has not changed our own hearts. If we do not work for God for whom do we work? If it be for us then every prayer and praise should be done in the mirror since we are worshiping ourself as a god.

-If sin be evil and should be fled from, why would you embrace it as an old friend so often? Would you slumber with venomous snakes? Or dance on thin ice above awaiting doom? Such actions would be the behavior of someone out of their mind or someone longing to be hurt. Do you long to be hurt? Are you out of your mind? If no then forsake your old friend with whom you've enjoyed so many hours of consuming death and destruction to your own soul. Pluck out the needle of death from your arm! Rise from this bed of ashes you seem content to lie in each night. Let Christ be your portion day and night.

Reformed Pastor Pt 2

2007-02-27T08:18:00.000-05:00

Chapter 1 - Section 2 - Part A
-Is this perverting my judgment? Weakening my resolutions? Cooling my zeal? Abating my diligence? (good questions to ask about everything)

-As overseers we are blessed with more available restraint because we are up in front of people. The elevated position should humble rather than puff up. People can and should keep us from sin by confronting and rebuking us. We should in turn be thankful and receive their dealing with our sin. Any help in exposing and ending our sin should be wanted and welcomed.

-As learned men we cannot commit a small sin. The Lord in His grace has blessed us with knowledge and wisdom, and we spit upon that blessing when we sin.

-How often do I secretly cherish what I publicly disgrace? My shame should be great for the odious things that I cling to in the dark. Why does the wretched smell of sin become sweet in the dark? Because the light of Christ makes the Word taste sweet and our sin bitter. Oh that I would cling to the feet of Christ that the most lustrous sin would look like a rusting corpse of poison.

-If I seek to rescue men from Satan's grasp, a careless approach will not do. Great diligence and reliance on God's moving must be in place. How often we rush in headlong to speak of Christ's power and drain our very words of their efficacy by drowning them in mindless zeal.

Reformed Pastor Pt 1

2007-02-20T22:43:00.001-05:00

** Time for a new series **

My thoughts after reading The Reformed Pastor

Chapter 1 - Section 1
-Deal plainly with sin and rebuke. You are the best friend to the man you plainly rebuke. Temporary disapproval from men means nothing compared to the eternal approval of God.

-All studies, even theological and Biblical ones, are worthless if we aren't doing so to seek and know God more.

-Everything we have didn't just come from God out of kindness and grace. Everything we have exists only because God does. Yes He graces us and blesses us, but the very things by which He blesses us only exist because He is God. View all things, especially ourselves, in light of this.

-Men will have less prejudice toward a meek and humble man. The proud man puts of such a stiff air that the very air for open minded listeners is choked and evaporated from the room. Put off pride if you wish men to hear you. Put on humility if you wish men to see Christ rather than yourself.

-"It is easier to chide at sin than to overcome it." We pick and chisel at sin, thinking if it be less frequent that we've had some type of victory. The death of a sin is the only true victory over it. Not that sin can cease in this life, but that our election would be made sure by a distaste and a disenchantment with our most favorite sin. Oh that Christ would sweeten our tongue making sin taste like dung.

Pt 10 Longing For Christ

2007-01-03T13:04:00.000-05:00

Do you long for Christ, or do you long to long for Christ? Longing for Christ should embody the Christian, but how often do we find men saying, "I want to long for Christ much like these great men of the faith"? One should examine such a longing. Instead of being focused on Christ and His commands, you are focused on a 'longing' that you wish to have.

If you wish to long for Christ because you wish to be more like Him, then you do in fact long for Christ. However, if you hope to long for Christ because you see it as something to be obtained, like a good quality, then you do not long for Christ, but have an idol. You have a picture in your mind of what a 'good' or 'honorable' Christian should look like, and you long for that instead of Christ. Longing for a longing is an endless battle. You will never find any form of rest with such a fallacious approach. Long for Christ and Christ alone!

NEXT:

PART ELEVEN: The Bible

Pt 9: God's Love Part 2

2006-12-02T07:28:00.000-05:00

Some men would object, "Does not God love everyone?" A proper response to this is, yes of course. All of mankind is created in the image of God. God, in view of Himself must love all of mankind. Not for mankind's own sake, but because God loves Himself and must therefore love the creatures that bear His image. Again, He loves the Him within mankind, not mankind itself.

The whole idea may sound cold to some, but a question must be asked of those who object to this idea: What about mankind makes us worthy of God's love? We have already answered this: God's love for Himself and the existence of Himself within mankind is the only thing making them worthy. Anyone who objects to this may search endlessly for any quality in sinful man worthy of God's love.

Would it not be logical to say that God would have to dishonour Himself by loving something lower than Him with no rhyme or reason behind His love? God would irrationally love finite creatures despite the unoworthy nature of their sinful existence. Some will say, "You are contradicting the mercy of God! He gives not based on merit!" This is true, with respect to His grace, not His love. Love is seeking the beheld thing's ultimate good. God perfectly loves and honors Himself by seeking His ultimate good which includes saving sinners through the redemptive work of His only Son. Mercy comes into play when we view the worthiness of man receiving a perfect sacrifice in his place. Man deserves hell and Christ paid the price for him; that is mercy. However, we are speaking of God's love for His creatures in this section. To which we have already concluded that there is nothing within man worthy of God's love.

To love something also means you have an intense desire for it or attraction to it. That is how this section should be understood in reference to the word love.

NEXT:

PART TEN: Longing For Christ