Visual Christmas Story

This video from the Skit Guys tells the Great Story at a swift pace.  Watch and wonder.  "Come, thou long-expected Jesus!"
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A Good Word on a Dark Day

I appreciate John Piper's reflections on the suffering Savior on this day when violence struck Newtown, Connecticut.
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Christmas Contentment

 
It’s especially fitting at Christmas time to reflect on Pastor Jeremiah Burroughs’s 1648 book, The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment.  “Christian contentment is that sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit, which freely submits to and delights in God’s wise and fatherly disposal in every condition” (p. 19—note “every”).

There’s a “mystery of contentment” (ch. 2):  “It may be said of one who is contented in a Christian way that he is the most contented man in the world, and yet the most unsatis­fied man in the world; these two together must needs be mysterious” (p. 42).  “Mark, here lies the mystery of it, A little in the world will content a Christian for his passage, but all the world, and ten thousand times more, will not content a Christian for his portion” (p. 43).

This “passage/portion” distinction is really crucial.  It's like the interplay of Philippians 3 and Philippians 4:  in ch. 3 Paul is all restlessness and striving—discontent because he can’t get enough of Jesus (so he “presses on” to know Christ more fully); but in ch. 4 Paul is restful, at peace, non-anxious, joyful in the Lord, and content whether he has plenty or faces poverty.  The key is choosing your pleasures wisely: “If God gave you not only earth but heaven, that you should rule over sun, moon and stars, and have the rule over the highest of the sons of men, it would not be enough to satisfy you, unless you had God himself” (p. 43).

As for trusting God with your situation in life, Burroughs says this:  “Here lies the bottom and root of all con­tentment, when there is an evenness and proportion between our hearts and our circumstances” (p. 46).  Thus a believing heart thinks this way:  “The Lord has been pleased to bring down my circumstances; now if the Lord brings down my heart and makes it equal to my circum­stances, then I am well enough” (p. 46).

How do you calm your fretful heart?  “I know nothing more effec­tive for quieting a Christian soul and getting contentment than this, setting your heart to work in the duties of the immediate circum­stances that you are now in, and taking heed of your thoughts about other conditions as a mere temptation.”  Say to yourself:  “Well, though I am in a low position, yet I am serving the counsels of God in those circumstances where I am; it is the counsel of God that has brought me into these circumstances that I am in, and I desire to serve the counsel of God in these circumstances” (p. 52). 

Burroughs also says it more briefly:  “He has all things who has him that has all things” (p. 68).  “Many think, O if I had what another man has, how happily and comfortably should I live!  But if you are a Christian, whatever your condition, you have enough within yourself” (p. 78).  When “if only” beckons, sin is lurking very close by—beware!

“My brethren, the reason why you have not got contentment in the things of the world is not because you have not got enough of them—that is not the reason—but the reason is, because they are not proportionable to that immortal soul of yours that is capable of God himself”(p. 91).  That’s a 17th century way to say:  this world’s trinkets will never satisfy your heart’s deep longings.  There’s a God-shaped void in your soul and nothing can fill it but the all-satisfying and eternally magnificent Lord of glory himself (Gen. 1:27; Eccl. 3:11).

Burroughs sees this life as a voyage, and at Christmas this is vital:  “When you are at sea, though you have not as many things as you have at home, you are not troubled at it:  you are contented.  Why?  Because you are at sea” (p. 94).  “Thus it should be with us in this world, for the truth is, we are all in this world but as seafaring men, tossed up and down on the waves of the sea of this world, and our haven is Heaven; here we are travelling, and our home is a distant home in another world” (p. 95).

Wealth burdens the traveler four ways:  1) trouble (in one’s family and one’s dealings with others); 2) danger (“the sweet of prosperity invites the Devil and temptation”); 3) duty (of those given much God requires much); and 4) account (we’re all stewards, and those with great wealth have a great account to give to God) (pp. 103-107).

We must know three things about “God’s ways”:  1) “God’s ordinary course is that his people in this world should be in an afflicted condi­tion” (p. 115).  2) “Usually when God intends the greatest mercy to any of his people he brings them into the lowest condition” (p. 116).  3) “It is the way of God to work by contraries, to turn the greatest evil into the greatest good” (p. 117). 

And thus, “There is no work which God has made—the sun, moon, stars and all the world—in which so much of the glory of God appears as in a man who lives quietly in the midst of adversity” (pp. 122-23).  Does the glory of God shine in your life this Christmas?

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Powerball Mania

As of yesterday, the Powerball jackpot had reached $550,000,000.  And today's news indicates that winning tickets have been sold in Arizona and Kansas City.

Playing the lottery is actually a huge gamble.  Now I know you can buy a Powerball ticket for a mere $2.  It's not that spending $2 is a “huge” deal.  What’s enormous is the risk that, if you did win, your life would unravel in chaos and isolation and disaster. 

Just consider some of the big winners of recent years.  Of course, there are stories of careful millionaires who've invested their winnings wisely and kept their heads on straight.  But there’s also a lot of sorrow and human wreckage strewn along Lottery Lane.

• In 2006 Sandra Hayes split a $224,000,000 Powerball jackpot with a dozen co-workers.  She later said, “I had to endure the greed and the need that people have, trying to get you to release your money to them.  That caused a lot of emotional pain.  These are people who you’ve loved deep down, and they’re turning into vampires and trying to suck the life out of me.” (source)
• In 2002 Jack Whittaker of West Virginia hit the Powerball jackpot:  $315,000,000.  But later, as a devastated man, he lamented how his windfall was to blame for his granddaughter’s fatal drug overdose, his divorce, hundreds of lawsuits, and an absence of true friends. (source)
• In 2009 James Groves of New York City won a 50% share of the Mega Millions $336,000,000 jackpot.  But promptly thereafter he was flooded with calls from friends and acquaintances wanting money.  “It’s a dream turned into a nightmare.” (source)

I could go on with stories of lottery winners’ lives ruined by bankruptcy, cocaine, pros­ti­tution, violence, and suicide.  But I’ll spare you.  My point is simply this:  Americans were lining up to buy 6.3 million tickets per hour yesterday (source) because they yearn for joy—for pleasure, for true happiness.  In fact, the human heart is spring loaded to seek happiness—God made us that way.  We've been designed to crave maximum delight in the all-satisfying presence of the Lord, here and now by foretaste, and one day with unspeakable joy in eternal presence of Christ!  But in this world we also lust after idols—after what’s created rather than the Creator, delights that don’t last, rewards that can never really satisfy our deep longings. 

John ends his first letter this way:  “Little children, keep yourselves from idols.”  So guard your heart:  don’t let yourself run after this world’s fleeting pleasures, but pursue the glorious joy of Christ with all your strength.  How foolish and sad it would be set your heart on a passing payoff.  Frankly, today’s jackpot—whether we speak of money or status or power or fame (etc.)—isn’t worth a thing compared to “Jesus priceless treasure.”  The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up.  Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field (Matthew 13:46).
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Premarital Sex

Kevin DeYoung has drawn attention to Tim and Kathy Keller’s book, The Meaning of Marriage, posting an excerpt about why sex before marriage is both morally wrong and personally harmful (from pp. 225-27):

“The modern sexual revolution finds the idea of abstinence till marriage to be so unrealistic as to be ludicrous. In fact, many people believe it is psychologically unhealthy and harmful. Yet despite the contemporary incredulity, this has been the unquestioned uniform teaching of not only one but all of the Christian churches—Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant.

The Bible does not counsel sexual abstinence before marriage because it has such a low view of sex but because it has such a lofty one. The Biblical view implies that sex outside of marriage is not just morally wrong but also personally harmful. If sex is designed to be part of making a covenant and experiencing that covenant’s renewal, then we should think of sex as an emotional “commitment apparatus.”

If sex is a method that God invented to do “whole life entrustment” and self-giving, it should not surprise us that sex makes us feel deeply connected to the other person, even when used wrongly. Unless you deliberately disable it, or through practice you numb the original impulse, sex makes you feel personally interwoven and joined to another human being, as you are literally physically joined. In the midst of sexual passion, you naturally want to say extravagant things such as, ‘I’ll always love you.’

Even if you are not legally married, you may find yourself quickly feeling marriage-like ties, feeling that the other person has obligations to you. But that other person has no legal, social, or moral responsibility to even call you back in the morning. This incongruity leads to jealousy and hurt feelings and obsessiveness if two people are having sex but are not married. It makes breaking up vastly harder than it should be. It leads many people to stay trapped in relationships that are not good because of a feeling of having (somehow) connected themselves.

Therefore, if you have sex outside marriage, you will have to steel yourself against sex’s power to soften your heart toward another person and make you more trusting. The problem is that, eventually, sex will lose its covenant-making power for you, even if you one day do get married. Ironically, then, sex outside of marriage eventually works backwards, making you less able to commit and trust another person.”

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First Things First

I appreciate today's blog post by David Mathis challenging Christians who lose themselves in politics and invest all their passion and energy in the cause of electing this or that candidate.  Our mission is to make disciples; as followers of Jesus, we really do have "bigger fish to fry."
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Mormonism and the "Cult" Question

It is at least intriguing, and possibly disturbing, to read that “The Billy Graham Evangel­istic Association (BGEA) recently removed an article from its website that listed Mormonism as a ‘cult.’  The change followed Mitt Romney’s home visit to Billy Graham last week, where the evangelist pledged ‘help’ to the Mormon presidential candidate’s campaign” [Christianity Today online 10-19-2012].

Here’s the BGEA’s justification for this action:  “‘Our primary focus at the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association has always been pro­moting the Gos­pel of Jesus Christ,’ Ken Barun, chief of staff for the association, told CNN in a statement.  ‘We removed the information from the website because we do not wish to participate in a theo­logical debate about something that has become politicized during this campaign’” [CNN online 10-16-2012].

Not everyone has swallowed that claim.  Pundits find the timing of the change suspicious.  Like CNN’s Roland Martin:  “To those of my fellow evangelicals who are on the religious right, please, stop your fake trumpeting of biblical values if you’re going to run roughshod over your biblical convictions and let your partisan views take center stage” [CNN online 10-23-2012].  Biola University’s Craig Hazen contends that this move “gives the appear­ance that the BGEA might think that—on certain occasions—they will let politics trump princi­ples” [Christianity Today online 10-19-2012].  “Appearance” is the key word here.  The BGEA’s action appears to be politically expedient.

Whatever we’re to conclude about the BGEA’s maneuver, I wouldn’t want anyone to think that Mormonism’s errors are minor matters.  In fact, The Church of Jesus Christ Latter-Day Saints (i.e., Mormon­ism) is decidedly contrary to biblical Christ­ianity.  Consider a few of their claims:  *Mormon­ism (founded in 1830) is the restored apos­tolic church; *God was once a man who progressed to god­hood; *the Trinity is actually three distinct gods; *humans can be exalted to godhood; *Jesus was originally a spirit-child of a hea­venly marriage who later progressed into deity; *Adam’s sin was a noble, vital act leading to godhood; *faith in Christ isn’t necessary for salvation but only to reach heaven’s highest echelons (cf. “The Bible and Religious Cults,” ESV Study Bible, pp. 2631-2).  They also accept other “scriptures,” such as The Book of Mormon, as divine revelation.  These departures from Christianity are serious and sobering. 

And so I encourage followers of Jesus Christ to be in prayer for Mormons, that they would come to faith in the one and only Savior.  And pray as well for the BGEA—for wisdom in this hour.

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Politics and Courage

I appreciate Kevin DeYoung's post in which he lists comments you most likely will not hear in this election season's debates.

What would happen in the public square if all the political posturing and staging and slanted characterization of opponents' views and sound-bite oversimplification (etc.) were somehow erased?  One thing's for sure, it would take courage for a candidate to follow that path.  But maybe, just maybe, people would welcome such radical, respectable conduct, and follow that kind of leader.
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About "The Gospel of Jesus' Wife"

Justin Taylor has collected a number of responses to the recently publicized Coptic fragment.  Click here.
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Church & State

This election season, let’s ponder the oft-cited 2 Chronicles 7:14:  If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.  “My people…”; “their land…”  How should this word to ancient Israel be applied by Christians in today’s world?

In Old Testament times God’s people lived under “theocracy”:  devotion to the Lord and allegiance to government were inseparable; no divide between religion and public life (between “church and state”).  American Christians some­times succumb to wishful thinking that we have a theocracy today—that the rule of God could be “restored” in our land.  But that’s not a biblical hope.  With the coming of Christ and his Great Com­mission, God brought theocracy to an end.

God’s children today are an inter­national, inter-racial, worldwide people—called the church—that can’t be con­tained in or aligned with any one nation-state.  So an Old Testament promise about the “land” of ancient Israel cannot be neatly transferred to our country (or any country) today.  Rather, the application of 2 Chronicles 7:14 would center on the church—i.e., that group who, today, are God’s people:  “my people.”  If we as Christians, in fellow­ships all around the world, repent and pray and humbly seek God, then he’ll forgive and renew his people—his church.  And so, the text relates to the revival of the church, not the improvement of this country.

Here are a few church-and-government challenges believers should grapple with: 

1) Thank God for the gift of the US government—it’s not perfect, but much about it is good. 

2) Submit to the law of the land (see Rom 13:1-7; 1 Pet 2:12-17).  Only when “Caesar” would force you to turn against Christ is it right to play the Acts 5:29 civil disobedience card:  We must obey God rather than men.  

3) Pray for government leaders (1 Tim 2:2)—for wisdom, humility, reverence for God, zeal for the common good, unwavering commitment to justice, and both restraint and courage in “bearing the sword.” 

4) Serve your country, including through constructive criticism.  “Sub­mit” does not mean silence. 

5) Watch your expectations:  the state isn’t supposed to promote or advance the church (or vice versa), so don’t expect it to do so. 

6) Model respectful inter­action with those you disagree with this election season (e.g., other party, other positions). Let it be obvious that “the Christians” don’t use the world’s weapons of twist­ing facts, half truths, smearing opponents, or hitting back.  Break the rules of politics as usual. 

7) Finally, give praise to Jesus as Lord of All and King of Kings.  For all your appreciation of our government and nation, let it be ever so clear to all around you that you exalt Christ as “Commander-in-Chief”!

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Chick-fil-A and Culture Wars

Amidst the ongoing “culture wars” and the ever-escalating clash of conservative and liberal value systems and political agendas in our polarized times, and as we charge ahead to a November election, I’d like to offer followers of Jesus a challenge.

But before I do, let me say what I’m not saying.  I’m not here to advocate supporting any political party or some particular legis­la­tive initiative, nor do I intend to tell anyone how to vote.  Instead, I’d like to encourage you on an entirely different wavelength.

Now about the culture wars—and I’m thinking of last week’s fracas over Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy’s com­ments about homosexuality, as well as the vigorous push-back by pro-gay voices.  We could discuss what Mr. Cathy said, and we could debate what a corporate executive should and shouldn’t say publicly when it comes to his/her beliefs (when do you speak for yourself, and when do you represent the company?).  And we could discuss the range of reactions to his comments, from the reasonable to the ridiculous.

And, of course, we could discuss what the Bible says on the topic—namely, that homosexual practice is contrary to God’s will (so, e.g., Romans 1:26-27; 1 Cor 6:9-10; see www.robgagnon.net for some careful attention to the Bible’s teaching).  Scripture’s message is quite clear, so those who regard the Bible as God’s inspired and authori­tative Word should have all the guidance they need when it comes to the question of homosexual activity.  But that’s not my topic.  I’m approaching the situation from another angle.

I want to probe beneath the surface of these recurring cultural scuffles and examine the implicit (and sometimes explicit) vision for Western society held by many professing Christians—namely, that what we really want to see is a world adhering to traditional, con­servative morality; and that what’s really bringing ruin upon humanity is how people are straying away from such practice.  If only we could do something to bring about (or return to?) a moral utopia here and now in which popular culture truly embraced God’s standards of sexual morality!

But is that God’s vision?  And is that the church’s mission in God’s world?  Here’s my challenge:  don’t set your heart on establishing a morally tidy culture.  Don’t let your imagination settle for that dream.  After all, such a vision is way too small—plus, that goal is way off target from where the Lord has directed his church. 

After all, even if we could somehow persuade every person in North America to abide by conservative morals and affirm tradi­tional marriage and practice sexually purity, if in the process we failed to win their hearts and minds to authentic faith in Jesus Christ, we would have won the battle but lost the war. 

I’m reminded of debates from over a century ago about the social gospel when D. L. Moody raised a valid question:  what good is polishing brass on a sinking ship?  What eternal gain would there be in producing a squeaky clean society if people did not also, first and foremost, come to see their sin and grieve over their rebellion against an all-holy Creator and run to the Savior for amazing mercy and forgiveness and life and adoption into the forever-family of the Heavenly Father? 

Someone might answer that question by saying there would be gain—it would be positive to help people at least lead moral lives even if they don’t embrace Jesus.  But would it?  That kind of “good” influence actually does great harm:  it gives the spiritually lethal impres­sion that by performing well and acting uprightly and doing good deeds and staying clean, people can tip the balance of divine favor to their advantage.  And such human-centered, pride-fueling theology is a heresy the New Testament resoundingly rejects (e.g., Eph 2:8-9; Gal 2:16; Rom 3:24; 2 Tim 1:9).

Are we at risk of giving the world the impression that our grand passion in life is to tell people, “Clean up your act”?  Don’t get me wrong:  societal rejection of godly morality in our day is a serious problem with far-reaching conse­quences (e.g., unstable relationships, rampant lone­liness, disintegra­tion of marriage, broken families, impoverished children).  We want to love people away from those traumas.  BUT we don’t love them truly, genuinely, unless we point them to the eternal Lover of their souls.  Frankly, social reform pales in impor­tance compared to the heart response of faith, of trust, in Jesus Christ, who came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10; John 3:16).  And yet, when God goes to work transforming believers from the inside out, good deeds follow—including moral purity! (e.g., Gal 5:6; Eph 2:10; James 2:14-26; Matt 28:18-20 [“disciples” are taught to obey]).  First things first.

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Pray for Greece!

Greece has been in the news—with the recent elections, the wrenching struggle over accepting the European Union bailout terms (austerity measures and all) and whether there’s any wiggle room in the stiff terms that need to be imposed.  That story is unfolding before us as a new government has been formed to try and lead the Greek people through some very difficult times.

Having just visited Greece in the capacity of a short-term teacher with Training Leaders International for the purpose of building up pastors and church leaders among various immigrant communities in Athens, however, I’m reflecting these days more about the spiritual “state of the nation.”  [Links:  my blog from Greece; some photos from Greece]

What especially has my attention is the odd juxtaposition of two statistics in Operation World’s country report on Greece:  On the one hand, 91% of the population (i.e., 10,228,331 out of 11,183,393 people) self-identifies as “Christian.”  On the other hand, the number of “evangelicals” in the country is 41,372, or 0.4% of the population.  What does it mean that only about one half of one percent of self-proclaimed “Christians” in Greece are “evangelical”?  Let’s probe this with a couple more questions.

What does OW mean by “evangelical”?  Let me quote their definition at length.  Evangelicals are…  “All who emphasize and adhere to all four of the following:

• The Lord Jesus Christ as the sole source of salvation through faith in Him, as validated by His crucifixion and resurrection.
• Personal faith and conversion with regeneration by the Holy Spirit.
• Recognition of the inspired Word of God as the ultimate basis and authority for faith and Christian living.
• Commitment to biblical witness, evangelism and mission that brings others to faith in Christ.” 

So the term “evangelical” is not being used of some politically conservative voting bloc or as a label for people who promote traditional morality.  Rather, the it’s being applied to people who’ve been born again, who have a personal and vital faith relationship with the living Lord Jesus Christ, who embrace the Bible as the uniquely inspired and authoritative Word of God, and who long to live for the honor of Christ in all things.  You can say it many different ways.

Well then, when speaking of evangelicals, does OW envision only to those outside the historic Greek Orthodox Church?  No.  The 0.4% of the population includes evangelicals who are worshipping within Orthodox congregations.  Back to the OW definition:  “Evangelicals are largely Protestant, Independent or Anglican, but some are Catholic or Orthodox.  It is one of the TransBloc movements in this book.”  So, obviously, OW knows that there are evangelical renewal movements in all sectors of global Christianity, Orthodoxy included.  A glaring implication of their statistics, however, is that such movements in Greece are miniscule at best.

So, again, what does it mean to be among the 99.5% of “Christians” in Greece who say no to the concept of Christianity above under the heading of “evangelical”?

Our ministry team peeked into several Orthodox church buildings in Athens and the surrounding area.  A couple of times we were able to listen in on the worship liturgy.  In one instance, the canters sang back and forth a prayer-song pleading with the “Panagia,” the all-holy one, i.e., the mother of Jesus, “Mary, save us!”

We were distraught to hear this:  “Mary, save us!”  How bold, how brazen, to plead for salvation to someone other than the Savior, Jesus Christ.  And further, how unsettling to consider the tenuousness of the salvation experience from that frame of reference—that God is remote, and mercy is insecure…

The more we took things in, the more we came to see how different the religious landscape is in Greece compared to the USA.  Here in the States some 29% of the population is self-described as evangelical.  But in Greece, the religious scene is dominated by historic Greek Orthodoxy, and any group claiming to be Christian but not Orthodox is immediately considered suspect, peripheral, or even cultish; non-Orthodox churches are viewed as culturally marginal.

One of the leading Greek evangelical pastors in Athens explained to us that, if asked what made his evangelical church so different from Orthodoxy, he’d highlight two things.  First, he’d underscore the evangelical commitment to the “solas.”  These Latin phrases (sola scriptura, sola gratia, sola fide, solus Christus) summarize evangelical priorities on the unique revelation and authority of Scripture alone, salvation through God’s grace alone and by faith alone, all achieved by Jesus Christ alone.  Orthodox church-goers need to grapple with the solas.  OW contends, “Most Greeks are ignorant of the gospel message and are unreceptive to any non-Orthodox witness.”

And, secondly, they need to comprehend and experience the love of God as taught in Jesus’ parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32).  The character of the father in this profound story portrays God’s great heart of love for lost and ruined lives—especially how the father scans the horizon for his lost son and then runs recklessly to him, embraces him, assures him of his acceptance, and insists on a grand celebration of the son’s return home.  That kind of a conception of God, of our Heavenly Father, is not brought out in traditional Greek Orthodox churches—and the need to see the Lord God from that angle is an urgent need.

Do pray for Greece!

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Summer Challenges

It’s almost June now—a fine time to check and see if we’re really ready for all that summer brings.  I don’t mean ready with sun-screen or a new BBQ grill, but with spiritual resolve to grow strong in Jesus during this odd season called summertime.  Here are several challenges:

• Don’t "bail" on the church—you need your church family and they need you all year round.  Baseball is seasonal; so are garden­ing and golf and raking leaves.  But being the body of Christ isn’t seasonal.
• Don’t take a vacation from your routine spiritual practice—from reading Scripture carefully (with your own Bible, pen in hand) and responding to God’s Word through prayer.  Summer’s disruptions make it all the more crucial to stay close to Jesus.  The rest of the year our more regular schedules help us keep our bearings and stay on track:  we’re creatures of habit.  But summer throws us a curve.  So brace yourself, and make plans now so that shifting schedules don’t stifle your walk with Christ.
• Make your decisions about what to wear this summer with the good of others in mind.  Your own style preferences or whatever’s the current fashion are hardly the guiding standards.  Gals, your brothers in Christ will be grateful if you choose modesty.
• The flipside of that topic is guarding your eyes and directing your vision away from lustful gazing.  Jesus doesn’t buy excuses like “Boys will be boys” or “I couldn’t help it” (Matthew 5:27-30).  Commit your eyes to honoring the Lord (Job 31:1).
• In an article on the “Summer Mindset,” John Piper counsels all who yearn for R&R:  “Jesus Christ is refreshing.  Flight from him into Christless leisure makes the soul parched…  Don’t let sum­mer make your soul shrivel.”  This is God’s good earth.  “But it is all prelude to the real drama of heaven.  It is a foretaste of the real banquet.”  The heavenly city “has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb” (Rev 21:23).  “The summer sun is a mere pointer to the sun that will be.  The glory of God.  Summer is for seeing and showing that.  Will we have eyes to see?  Do you want to have eyes to see?  Lord, let us see the light beyond the light."

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Digital Bible, Pros and Cons

What do you gain when you use an electronic Bible for personal devotions, Bible study, or with the gathered church during the sermon?  And what do you lose? 

Clearly one gains convenience—not so bulky, and not all that fanning through pages.  In addition, you can find things quickly, whether it’s the text at hand or cross references or other linked resources.  And further, although our digital devices may fail, data backup means the texts, images, videos, and programs we value can live another day.  Considerable plusses.

But frankly, I’m more impressed by the advantages of the printed page.  The big plus, as I see it, is the ease of personalizing a physi­cal Bible.  I bought my Bible in 1976 (for the youth among us, yes, the glaciers had just receded that year…)—it was recommended for “New Testament History” by the Prof my first year at Bethel College.  That Bible has since been rebound three times, and today the binding is faltering yet more; some pages are thin or tattered around the edges.

But when it comes to Bible study or counseling or conversations about Christianity or preaching or teaching or personal communion with the God Who Speaks, my old Bible is the first tool I grab.  Of course, I have other Bibles (in various English translations).  And I also seek to access Scripture in its original lang­uages.  But my “good old” Bible still comes first.

Over the years I’ve added all sorts of brief notes, cross references, codes, and highlighting of every kind (circles, lines, arrows, colors, boxes…).  And over time I’ve developed a “relationship” with the format of these now-yellowing pages:  I can see the layout of chapters; I can visualize certain key passages, and that helps me find them.  Yes, there’s the danger of losing my Bible (I’m concerned about that).  But still, I’d be hard-pressed to overstate the value to me, and to others I serve, of having my one primary printed copy of God’s Holy Word.

The last year I taught at Wheaton College (2005), I assigned students in one class to write a short paper about the electronic Bible.  They were especially to identify any subtle gains or losses accom­panying this technology, and then make an argument in favor of one or the other—printed or digital Bible.  Results:  the vast majority (and note, these were 18- to 22-year-olds) said they wanted their bound book Bibles:  way too much would be sacrificed by relinquishing their familiar, personalized, printed copies of God’s Word.

That, of course, was in a pre-iPhone/iPad age.  The use of such mobile devices is on the rise these days, to be sure.  A recent experience with an adult class at my church revealed that at least half of those present, when encouraged to look up a Scripture passage, did so on their phones.  The digital revolution continues to extend its reach into our lives.  And I’m happy to restate this point:  there are many advantages to using electronic tools for accessing Scripture.

But I end with a word of caution:  be careful what you give up when you choose new tools to access the Bible.  The gains do not come to us without losses.  Let’s ask God to help us be “wise as serpents” (Matt 10:16) when it comes to the handling of his Word.

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"My Chains"

Several of the letters God inspired the Apostle Paul to write were penned in prison.  In fact, it’s on account of declaring the message of Christ, Paul says, that “I am in prison” (Colossians 4:3), and he urges the church to “Remember my chains” (4:18; see also 1:24; 4:10).  Just imagine what it was like—chains on his ankles clanking, sores bleeding, rats scurrying, cold and dark … as he wrote!  Philippians, Philemon, Ephesians, and 2 Timothy are also prison letters.

I don’t know about you, but when my circumstances go south, I’m tempted to wallow in frustration over how things ought to go better for me—why do I have to put up with this?  It isn’t right!  (Etc.)  But that’s exactly what we don’t find in Paul’s Prison Letters.  Despite chains, he’s free to bless and encourage and build up believers as he shepherds them from a distance.  Just think what he says; consider the content and tone of this prisoner’s message as he writes the church at Colossae:

Colossians oozes with gratitude; Paul is grateful to the Lord for his brothers and sisters in Jesus, thankful for how they’ve learned and grown and given testimony to the Gospel in their mission (1:3; cf. 1 Thess 5:18).  How would my gratitude hold up if I were bound in chains?  How about you?

Colossians overflows with praise, with highest worship of the all-glorious, eternal Lord Jesus Christ, the Creator and Sustainer of “all things,” the Head of the Church, who is the very Fullness of God, the Preemi­nent Redeemer (1:15-20).  Praise from prison! (of course, we’ve seen this before [Acts 16:25]).

Colossians reports how Paul boldly, confidently rebukes the false teachers who propagate insidious error (2:8-23).  This is not a letter from a timid man, pining away with his chains, hoping someone might just pay attention to his “two cents” on the matter.  Rather, it’s a definitive, authoritative word, inspired by the God of the Universe, to defend and declare life-giving truth.

Colossians may speak from behind bars, as it were, but it pulsates with hope of Christ’s appearing in all his glory, and to our union with him (3:4).  The Apostle’s anticipation of his Lord’s future full victory will not be squelched.

Colossians looks right past the obstacles of captivity to the advance of the Gospel, calling for prayer that God would open doors, pave the way and help his ambassadors speak the word of Christ—to make it clear, so that many might find true freedom (4:2-4)!

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Trustworthiness of the Gospels

The breakout session led by Simon Gathercole and Peter Williams at the recent Together for the Gospel (T4G) conference is excellent:  a clear, penetrating, fresh, wise word on the trustworthiness of the Gospels.  Take the time and listen carefully:  click here.

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What Demons Believe

The resounding point in chapter two of the Letter of James is that authentic Christian faith is a dynamic reality, that it "works."  If we claim to have faith in Jesus but there is no meaningful expression of that faith in our actions, the claim lacks merit.  Faith without works is dead (vv 17, 26)--lifeless, useless, meaningless.  In other words, "faith" that does not lead to changed living is not true Christian faith.  And the heart that says "I believe Jesus died for me so now I can just live as I please because I'm forgiven and heaven's a done deal" is a heart that lacks genuine faith in Christ:  it is the heart of an unbeliever.  That's because real faith involves trust in and admiration for and a readiness to follow in the steps of the One we trust, the living Lord Jesus Christ.  Faith involves not only knowing truth but loving the God of truth.  No, that doesn't mean real Christians practice their faith perfectly--James is aware of that error too (3:2; cf. 1 John 1:8, 10).  But it does mean that true faith simply cannot be bottled up in the brain:  it must get out and get hands and feet and words--it must "work."


The folly of "faith without works" is driven home vehemently in 2:19:  "You believe that God is one; you do well.  Even the demons believe—and shudder!"  Notice that affirming truth does not add up to biblical faith.  If we say we "believe" that the Bible is true, and if we believe that there is just one God, one great creator God, and if we go on and affirm the doctrine of the incarnation and the deity of Christ and the truth of the sin-bearing work of the Son of God on the cross on behalf of sinners (etc.), that kind of mental assent, valuable as it is, does not save.  In fact, it does no more than what the demons do.  Satan and his vile cohorts acknowledge true information about God--his oneness, even his awesome majesty (note that they "shudder" at the thought of the true God).  But "believing" the facts is not enough, and that's because "believing" the facts is not what it means to have faith.  Authentic Christian faith involves trust, admiration, devotion, and praise; genuine faith necessarily engages the heart and arouses the will, but it is never be content just to sit in the mind affirming abstract information to which we tip our hat.
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Reason and Faith

Organizers of the “Reason Rally” that took place on National Mall in DC on March 24 tried to lay claim on rational thought as the property of atheism.  Some 20,000 people came out to support the cause.

The featured speaker was Richard Dawkins, who applauded the US Constitution as the world’s model for “secular constitutions.”  That’s a clever twist:  yes, the First Amendment states, Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.  But no, that hardly makes it a “secular” constitution.  It would be far more accurate to say the First Amendment affirms a key distinc­tion between religion and state, thus expressing respect for both.

Dawkins and the “new atheists” don’t just speak out against religion, but they openly ridicule and mock religious belief.  This is ironic:  if you want to be seen as the reasonable, objective party in a debate, you don’t throw emotional rhetoric grenades at the opponent.  But that’s just what Dawkins does.  And he calls all atheists to join him:  when Christians affirm miracles, “Mock them!  Ridicule them!  In public!”  Religious claims that transcend science need to be “ridiculed with contempt.”  Maybe he didn’t get the memo:  this was the “Reason Rally,” not the “Ridicule Rally.”

Tom Gilson points out (in the Washington Post, 3-21-2012) that, in The God Delusion, Dawkins devotes an entire chapter to unscientific anecdotes that a religious upbringing is “abusive” to children yet ignores scien­tific findings that spiritually engaged teens are healthier than others in several ways.  Gilson notes how even atheists (such as Michael Ruse) are embarrassed by The God Delusion.  Far from having any exclusive claim to reason, Gilson claims the new atheists “are among the chief offenders of it.”  Especially prominent in their arsenal of reason-defying weapons is the fallacious appeal to emotion and attacking a “straw man.”

What’s more, you just can’t be taken seriously by anyone who knows even a little history if you claim that reason belongs to the atheists.  Here I’d refer to Mark Dever’s long list of brilliant, accomplished, reput­able Christians in all kinds of disciplines on down through the ages presented in his incisive message, “Is Be­coming a Christian Intellectual Suicide?”

On the reason­ableness of Christ­ianity, see also, e.g.:  Harry Blamires, The Christian Mind; J. P. Moreland, Love Your God with All Your Mind; and John Piper, Think.

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Lottery Madness

Not only is playing the lottery fraught with problems (spiritual and otherwise--see, e.g., the DG post today).  But just imagine what a mess it would make of your life to win $640,000,000.00.  I have to think, at the end of the day, that that big check would leave a person wondering who his/her friends really were.  And leave one asking, "What's real in these relationships of mine?"  "Who am I to the people around me?"  "What am I in their eyes?"

Such an odd and sad craze in our day.
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God's Creative Flair

I was struck afresh at the creative flair of the Lord when I spent some time yesterday at Longwood Gardens.  How true it is that beauty in nature points back, ultimately, to a Glorious Creator (e.g., Psalm 19:1; Romans 1:19-20; see also Psalms 104, 148; Job 38-41)!  

A few pictures posted here.

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Intellectual Suicide?

I really appreciated Mark Dever's talk, "Is Becoming a Christian Committing Intellectual Suicide?"  He cuts through some of the stock accusations and caricatures of Christian belief, showing that faith in Christ is quite reasonable.

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Giving Thanks for my Mom

On Saturday (2-18-2012) my mother, Connie Nelson, departed from this life and entered the glorious presence of her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  She battled cancer these last few years, enduring a great deal along the way, and facing her affliction with dignity and grace.

I wrote a reflection on her life last year on Mother's Day (May 8, 2011):

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Today, on Mother’s Day, I’d like to offer a short bio of and tribute to my mom.  Grace Constance (“Connie”) Sjolund was born a “PK”—pastor’s kid.  Her mother was an artist (painter) and home­maker, and her father pastored the First Swedish Baptist Church of Minneapolis (now Bethlehem Baptist) from 1928 to 1948.  My mom came to faith in Christ at a young age and more or less grew up in the church.  She met her future husband in the 1940s in the church’s “young people’s group” (Ken Nelson, a farm boy from Wisconsin who came to the City for business school).  Ken and Connie were married in 1951.

I arrived in 1958, the third of four Nelson kids.  The most abiding memory I have of Mom from my childhood and the teen years is that she was always “there.”  When I got sick at school, she was there to come get me.  When the bus dropped me off down the block, she was waiting at home.  She sent Dad off to work each day and made dinner for the family each evening (we ate at 5:45).  When a neighbor boy dropped a hammer from a tree house that landed on my head and I got a nice gash, she was there to clean me up.  When the church youth group showed up to play hockey on our back yard ice rink, she made hot chocolate.  Mom made our house a “home”—though not in a way of claiming center stage.  We all found comfort in her steady presence and support.

I think it’s fair to say that my mom is a care-giver, a care-taker.  She looks out for those around her, always seeking ways to be help­ful.  Her aim is to see to it that others’ needs are met so they can flourish.  Her weakened condition today, due to the current bout with cancer and chemo, seems to aggravate her most because, as a result, she can’t be very “useful.”

My mom is content with simple things and a non-flashy lifestyle.  She and my dad clip coupons and hunt for bargains, and yet there’s no sense at all that they resent this or feel entitled to more.  Frugality and hard work the air they breathed growing up, and they breathe it still.

We Swedes aren’t always the most outwardly expressive folks on the planet, but my mom never fails to have hugs for her kids and grand­kids and the whole clan.  She makes it clear that we’re special to her.

I’ve always known Mom loved the Lord.  All my life she and my dad have been active in church, but it didn’t stop there:  God’s Word and strong faith convictions came home with them.  Mom’s spiritual zeal would seep out now and then—like on special occasions when it just wasn’t enough to recite the standard family table prayer:  she would cut in after “amen” and pray on for some special need or give thanks for a great blessing.  When I was about twelve, Mom found me in my bedroom reading my Bible, and she was quick to say how happy and thankful she was that I was learning God’s Word.

God made my mother with a steady equilibrium about her—so much so that she didn’t flinch in 1991 when Cheryl and I and our three-year-old Elliot moved in with them for four months while I com­pleted my Ph.D. and searched for work.  I look back on this and realize how I took her hospitality for granted at the time.  Perhaps she was too tolerant and patient with our vagabond visitation.

When Mom was diagnosed with a recurrence of cancer this past winter, the doctors told her it was “treatable but not curable.”  Of course, we’ve prayed for her healing—God is able to do that, no doubt.  But until he heals her (whether that’s in this life or the next), the new normal is weakness from chemo and managing nausea.  “No fun” is a serious understatement.  Still, when we talk, she doesn't care to spend too much time relaying all the medical details or rehearsing her woes, so after a bit it’s on to our lives—the kids, our church, how we’re all doing.  No wallowing in today’s trials.

When I think of my mom, there are certain Scriptures that come to mind and just seem to “fit.”  Like…

• Do nothing from selfishness or conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves (Philippians 2:3).
• Jesus said, “Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
• Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).

So today I thank the Lord for my mother!  He has blessed me richly through her spiritual support and steady encouragement.

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Newspaper notice here.

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Contraception Controversy

For a helpful summary of the issues in the recent contraception controversy, see Joe Carter's post.
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Anniversary of Roe v. Wade

Thirty-nine years ago this week the Supreme Court, in its landmark Roe v. Wade decision, swept away virtually all state laws restricting abortion in the first trimester of pregnancy.  Since that time, there have been some fifty million little ones who've lost their lives here in the USA.


The scale of abortion woes is even greater in some other parts of the world, due in no small part to the particularly heinous practice of sex-selection abortion.  Consider the 200 million missing girls.


Note the free download offered by Desiring God, Exposing the Dark Work of Abortion.
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Read the Bible in 2012

I've found, from my own mixed experience, that if I don't plan to read the Bible, I'm basically planning not to read the Bible.  So I put together a Two-Year Plan for 2012-2013.  The two-year pace is very do-able.  I've set it up so you read one chapter each day on the weekends, and two a day during the week.  If you start in and stick to it for 30 days, you'll build a habit that lasts.

I appreciate John Piper's words of wisdom about the need to plan--to prepare in advance so that we're ready to face spiritual challenges that will come.  Planning to be in God's Word is right at the heart of this.

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