Christianity in Politics

A recent article in The New York Times took up the issue of Christianity in politics and, though I disagree with much the article says (and would LOVE to discuss that!), I thought the author made an interesting point that I wanted to mention here.

The author offers a critique of American politics and how politicians seem willing to parade adherence to a "faith" before the public MERELY for "tactical reasons," for appearances' sake.

In this I would have to agree with the author of the article. There ARE serious problems with those candidates who APPEAR to be Christian or "religious" for no other reason but that a majority of the American public associates "religious" people with "moral" people, those of character and integrity.

It does seem as though we have lost the days in which our politicians actually WERE people of character and integrity. Those days have been replaced by days in which politicians simply want to APPEAR to be people of character and integrity.

The author goes on to argue that these "tactical" politicians are embracing something akin to Pascal's famous "wager" (the idea that the non-Christian takes a much greater risk in betting that there is no God than the Christian does in believing that there is a God--if the Christian is wrong, it's no big deal; but if the non-Christian is wrong, he or she will face the fires of hell for eternity) by "believing" in God because it is politically the least risky position.

Comments?

Children's evening on Sunday

On Sunday night, the children of our congregation led us in singing praise to God with their program on the Christmas story. They did an excellent job of presenting what is the great wonder of Christmas...Jesus, the Lord of glory, the image of the invisible God. It was heart-warming to see the young children singing songs and reciting Bible passages that they had memorized. We trust that the Spirit will continue to use those words now hidden in their hearts, so that they might all grow to love and serve the very same Jesus they sang about.

Psalm 127:3 (ESV), "Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward."

Psalm 119:10 (ESV), "I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you."

Evolution and Pregnant Women?

I stumbled across a news story today that documents a recent "scientific" find. And since it dovetails with what we have been discussing on Sunday nights, I thought I would share it with you. Here is what the article states: "Anthropologists studying the human spine have found that women's lower vertebrae evolved in ways that reduce back pressure during pregnancy."

Now I am intrigued by this article. The study cited in the article was conducted only on humans (19 pregnant women) and, as a result, found that "the lumbar, or lower back, curve in women extends across three vertebrae, as opposed to two in men." That was what they found. So far, so good. Obviously I have no problems with the findings such as they are stated. But the conclusion they reached is an entirely different story: "What they found...was evidence that evolution had produced a stronger and more flexible lower spine for women."

Talk about leaps in the dark and flights of fancy! Where in the world did that one come from? What ever happened to science reporting on observable and justifiable facts? Did these "scientists" actually test and observe the vertebrae evolving into what it looks like today? If not, how do they know that evolution was the cause? And if they don't know that evolution was the cause, why splash it all over the conclusions. Why not simply report what they found, namely, that women's bodies are different from men in a special way that makes them better able to bear children.

An equally possible explanation to the one they put forward (in fact, it is MUCH MORE likely than is evolution) is that a personal and intelligent Creator intentionally created women different from men, specially designing them to carry children.

Christmas Cantata, December 9

Wow! What a day we had on Sunday. The choir sung beautifully and the orchestra played equally as well. If you missed our Christmas cantata on Sunday, you missed a wonderful time of worship. Let me encourage you to make it a point to be with us next year...to bring a friend (or two!)...and to arrive early, because we had quite a crowd!

Thanks go out to Tammy and to the choir, handbell choir, and orchestra for all their hard work and dedication. Thanks also go to our sound guys, especially James Jordan and Chris Carter, and to all who gave their time and talents to make this special service possible.

As a result of the singing and the preaching, many of you told me that you experienced the reality of 1 Corinthians 14:25, that the secrets of your heart were laid bare and, falling on your face, you were led to worship God and declare 'surely God is in this place'." What a testimony to our great God and Savior! May He be praised this Christmas time for the great things He has done and continues to do!

Why I'm (begrudgingly!) a Gator fan

The Heisman Trophy awards were held this past Saturday evening in New York. This is the highly-sought-after award that goes to the best overall player in college football. It has been in existence since 1935, I think.

This year, Tim Tebow, the Florida Gators' sophomore quarterback, won the award, marking the first time in history that a sophomore has won the Heisman Trophy.

Well, I have to admit that I haven never been much of a Florida fan--there is too much Auburn in me to cheer for Florida! But I will say that I am now on the bandwagon (at least as much as my Auburn blood will allow me to be). And the main reason for that is Tim Tebow.

Now, let me explain. All the hype surrounding this young man for the last two or so years did nothing to win me over. I have to confess that it actually turned me off a bit. But what won me over to Tebow's side was his evident profession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and his desire to live a life that is pleasing to God.

During the Heisman award ceremony, I saw a side of Tim Tebow that I didn't know about before. Perhaps I wasn't listening. Perhaps the press wasn't talking about this aspect of Tebow's life. I suspect it was probably more the latter than the former, because the Sunday papers (the next day) mentioned nothing about Tebow's faith when the TV ceremony had been chock-full of it.

This is what I learned from the TV ceremony: Tim Tebow is a committed Christian, whose parents were (from what I could tell) missionaries in the Philippines. Tebow openly and repeatedly discussed his faith in Christ and the fact that his parents taught him the Bible and had him memorizing it from his earliest days.

Tebow's comments painted the entire Gator football program in a positive light, from the athletic director to the head coach, Urban Meyer, to the assistant coaches, down to the players and fans themselves. It was a day that every Gator fan and many non-Gator fans should be proud of, day when a super athlete who is ALSO a man of character and deep faith was honored in our society.

So, as much as it may pain me, I must admit that I am now a fan and will be praying for Mr. Tebow in the future!

Pray Acts 13:42, 44

In this week's staff meeting, we read from Acts 13, and I made much of asking the staff to pray according to vv. 42 and 44. I'd like to ask the same of you.

Let me explain. In verse 42 we are told that after Paul preached in the synagogue in Antioch (in Pisidia) and "the people begged that these things [that Paul had just been speaking about] might be told them the next Sabbath" (v. 42, ESV). In other words, they couldn't get enough of Paul's preaching; they actually begged to hear more! Then we are told in v. 44 that on the next Sabbath, "almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord" (ESV)! Apparently that is far more people than had gathered the first Sabbath and had heard Paul the first time. We know this because we are told that the religious leaders became envious when they saw the crowds on the second week and "began to contradict what was spoken by Paul" (v. 45, ESV).

The point I want us each to see and to pray for is not just that the people were gripped by an overwhelming desire to hear God's Word preached, though that is definitely true and clearly what I would love to see happen here on the Coast. The point that I want us to see and to be praying for is that those who heard Paul the first week apparently went right out and told people about Paul and what he had said. Apparently, they invited people to church the next Sabbath, saying things like this: "You have got to come and hear the Word of God!" and "You will not want to miss this!"

Please pray:
1. that I and my fellow ministers around the community would preach the Word faithfully, clearly, and yet provocatively.
2. that it will penetrate through to the hearts and minds of the people who hear and will trigger something within them.
3. that those who hear would be like the first-week-listeners in Acts 13:42 and tell others about what they have seen and heard.
4. that "almost the whole city" will gather to hear the Word of God preached.

Soli Deo gloria!

John 14:6

On Sunday, I preached on John 14:6, the well known verse in which Jesus says, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." I responded to an article that I had come across that actually argued that John 14:6 taught that Jesus was ONE AMONG MANY WAYS rather than the ONLY WAY TO GOD. The article claimed that John 14:2 taught that there are MANY ROOMS in the Father's house and that Jesus goes to prepare only ONE of those many ROOMS for His followers. The idea is that the other rooms in the Father's house are left open for other religions' followers. Here are some of the reasons I gave on Sunday as to why this article is way off base:

1. The "rooms" (i.e., the many rooms) and "place" (i.e., the place that Jesus goes to prepare) of v. 2 are two different words in the original Greek. We would expect, therefore, that they would refer to two different things unless the context tells us otherwise. (And the context doesn't tell us otherwise.)

2. Jesus' whole point in the passage really has nothing to do with the "rooms" themselves but with the fact that there is ample space for all His disciples in His Father's house.

3. Verse 6b uses absolute and universal language to state that "no one" comes to the Father (and, thus, to His house) except through the Son. Jesus doesn't say, "you" (in speaking to His disciples) cannot come to the Father except through the Son. He doesn't say, "some" cannot come to the Father except through the Son. And He doesn't say, "Christians" cannot come to the Father except through the Son. He uses absolute universal language to rule out any ambiguity: "no one" or "nothing" comes to the Father except through the Son.

4. This understanding of v. 6 just mentioned in #3 above is necessary. If Jesus is not the only way to God, if there are other ways to God besides Jesus, then Jesus' death is an utter waste. Why would God put Jesus, His only Son, whom He loves, to death if there were other ways to get to heaven? even ONE other way to get there? The God who would do such a thing would be an evil and capricious God, not the God of the Bible. The first rule of Biblical interpretation (Scripture interprets Scripture) prevents our interpreting John 14:1-6 in any way besides that Jesus is the ONLY way to God. The teaching of Scripture about the nature of God prohibits our understanding John 14 to be teaching that Jesus is only one of many different ways to God.

5. If Jesus' death is meaningless and God is capricious and evil, then all of Christianity collapses!

John 14 clearly is teaching that Jesus is the ONLY way to heaven ("Father's house" = heaven, because, as v. 3 says, it's where Jesus will be; and, as v. 6 states, coming to the Father's house is the same as coming to the Father).

Closing of Camp Hope, December 1

Those of you who have seen the movie “You’ve Got Mail” will remember the scene in which Meg Ryan’s character is faced with closing her children’s book store and with dealing with the flood of memories that that sad event brings to her mind. Well, in one sense, closing Camp Hope has produced something similar in myself and in many of those to whom I have spoken lately. True, it was only a part of our lives for a relatively short period of time (not quite 2 ½ years). But it was such a huge encouragement for so many of us during those 2 ½ years, especially in the months that immediately followed the hurricane. Camp Hope helped many of us to go on putting one foot in front of the other. It helped others of us to refocus our priorities away from the things of this world and onto serving Christ and His Church (after all, what will continue to bear fruit when we are dead and gone? the activities we were involved in? our résumé? the money we made? the possessions we accumulated? Or, will it be the work we have done for the sake of Christ?). Camp Hope reminded all of us that God is real, that His Church is real, and that His Church is alive and well and is FAR bigger than Gulfport, Mississippi.

It is always a sad occasion when we are forced to say goodbye to those things that have played important parts in our lives. And such events do bring back a flood of memories. For me, Camp Hope’s closing has brought back memories of the early days, before there ever was such a thing as “Camp Hope;” of the very first crews from Woodruff Road Presbyterian Church in Greer, SC, who came down to build the bath house; of the many Wednesday nights early on that we spent together (outside, mind you!) to eat dinner, to enjoy rich fellowship, and to praise our Great God and Savior; and of the many, many faces that I can still see in my mind’s eye and that I hope I will continue to see for some time to come.

Closing Camp Hope will be a sad occasion. But if we neglect to finish what Camp Hope has started in our midst and fail to refocus our efforts as a congregation on reaching out and serving our community in new and different ways, then Camp Hope’s closing really will be sad. It will then mark not just the end of one chapter of our lives and the beginning of a new one but the end of our attempts to reach and impact our community, a turning of our backs on what we have learned after Katrina.

Please continue to pray for us here on the Gulf Coast, that we will never forget the lessons of Camp Hope. Pray for us as we now start the process of building our new church facility. And thank you for everything you have done to encourage us and to stand by our sides during these most difficult of times. You have been a fulfillment of Galatians 6:2, bearing our burdens and so fulfilling the law of Christ.

Update on church progress

By way of updating you on where we stand as a church, I wanted to let you know that we had a building committee meeting yesterday at the architect's office and looked over some preliminary drawings of what phase 1 of our new building potentially might look like. Hopefully, by sometime in early 2008, we hope to have a final set of plans that can be made available to the congregation. And once we have those plans, I will try to post them on our website for all to see.

The building committee is beginning to get excited about the possibility of finally having our own place again, for the first time since the hurricane. It has been a long time in coming. By the time we move in, we will have been without a building for 3 years! (And what a three years too!)

Please pray for this process and for the remaining variables that we wait on the Lord to bring to resolution.

C.S. Lewis' Birthday

The second birthday that I referred to yesterday is that of C.S. Lewis, who was born on this day, November 29, in 1898. In honor of Lewis, I thought I'd post a few of my favorite quotes from him:

"I believe in Christianity as I believe that the Sun has risen, not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else."

"Christianity is something that if false is of no importance; if true, infinitely important. The world wants to hear that it is moderately important."

"If there lurks in most modern minds the notion that to desire our own good and earnestly to hope for the enjoyment of it is a bad thing, I submit that this notion has crept in from Kant and the Stoics and is no part of the Christian faith. Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered to us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased."

Here is an excerpt from Prince Caspian in Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia...
"Welcome, child," [Aslan] said.
"Aslan," said Lucy, "you're bigger."
"That is because you are older, little one," answered he.
"Not because you are?" [Lucy asked.]
[Aslan answered] "I am not. But every year you grow, you will find me bigger."

How 'bout 'dem apples to whet your appetite?

John Bunyan's Birthday!

This week in history marks a couple of big birthday celebrations: one today and one tomorrow. We'll deal with them in order.

Today marks the 380th anniversary of John Bunyan's birthday. Now most of you will no doubt remember that Bunyan is the author of that blessed work The Pilgrim's Progress which ought to be read by every Christian at least 2 or 3 times (if not once per year!).

In commemoration of Bunyan's birthday, I'd like to share one of my favorite passages from his famous work:

[Christian and Hopeful are locked in the Dungeon of Doubting Castle and have been there since the Wednesday.]

"Well, on Saturday about midnight they began to pray [how like us to take so long to pray!], and continued in Prayer till almost break of day.

"Now a little before it was day, good Christian, as one half amazed, brake out in this passionate speech, What a fool...am I, thus to lie in a stinking Dungeon, when I may as well walk at liberty? I have a Key in my bosom, called Promise, that will, (I am perswaded) open any Lock in Doubting-Castle. Then said Hopeful, That's good news; good Brother pluck it out of thy bosom, and try: Then Christian pulled it out of his bosom, and began to try at the Dungeon door, whose bolt (as he turned the Key) gave back, and the door flew open with ease, and Christian and Hopeful both came out. Then he went to the outward door, that leads into the Castle yard, and with his Key opened the door also. After he went to the Iron Gate, for that must be opened too, but that Lock [was hard to open], yet the Key did open it; then they thrust open the Gate to make their escape with speed; but that Gate, as it opened, made such a creaking, that it waked Giant Despair [the owner of Doubting Castle], who hastily rising to pursue his Prisoners, felt his Limbs to fail, for his fits took him again, so that he could by no means go after them. Then they went on, and came to the Kings high way again, and so were safe, because they were out of his Jurisdiction.

"Now when they were gone over the Stile, they began to contrive with themselves what they should do at that Stile, to prevent those that should come after, from falling into the hands of Giant Despair. So they consented to erect there a Pillar, and to engrave upon the side thereof; Over this Stile is the way to Doubting-Castle, which is kept by Giant Despair, who despiseth the King of the Celestial Countrey, and seeks to destroy his holy Pilgrims. Many therefore that followed after, read what was written, and escaped the danger. This done, they sang..."

Isn't that a great passage! After being stuck in Doubting Castle for days, Christian finally realizes that he should turn to God for help. And, so, he prays and does so all the rest of the night. As a result of his praying, he "remembers" that he has a key in his "bosom" (i.e., in his heart) which is called "Promise" (i.e., the promises of God in His Word). And this key unlocks the gates and lets them out of Doubting Castle back onto the road to the Celestial City.

It's the promises of God that is our key to times of trouble, promises that are hidden in our hearts and brought to mind by the Holy Spirit at the right time.

Beautiful, isn't it?

Late bit about Thanksgiving

I thought I would post a recent article I wrote on Thanksgiving and the origins of it for your reading pleasure...

This month we celebrate a favorite holiday for many Americans, Thanksgiving Day, a day that is usually filled with family, food, and football—and all in large quantities too! Americans have been enjoying this holiday annually ever since Abraham Lincoln officially pronounced it a national holiday in 1863 (though its roots extend much further back, as we will soon see). Of all the holidays that we observe as a nation—and you may be surprised to hear me say this—I believe that Thanksgiving may be the most religious.

I know what you’re thinking: “What about Christmas and Easter?” I admit it is true that Christmas and Easter can and ought to carry a more explicitly Christian message. But I think it is also true that this message has been glossed over to such a degree that it is in danger of being lost altogether by the rampant secularism and materialism of our day. Christmas and Easter today are rarely, if ever, about Jesus. Instead, they are about Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, stockings and Easter baskets, expensive gifts, candy, and egg nog. But Thanksgiving is different. Despite the pervasive influences of secularism and materialism in our world, Thanksgiving has remained focused upon God and His gifts.

From the very beginning, Thanksgiving was oriented in a God-ward direction. In 1621, the governor of the Plymouth Colony in Massachusets, William Bradford, ordered the first observance of Thanksgiving in order to give thanks and praise to God for the colony’s first harvest. The first American observance of this holiday was instituted by the Continental Congress in 1777, following the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the founding of the United States of America. Over the next 30 years, 6 proclamations establishing a national day of thanksgiving were made by George Washington, John Adams, and James Madison (each made 2). Typical of these early proclamations was that given by George Washington in 1789, in which he clearly states the religious purposes of his calling for the holiday (which, in case you’re curious, was set for November 26, 1789). It was to be “a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them [the people of the United States of America] an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.” There is no escaping the explicitly Christian orientation of these original thanksgiving days.

When Abraham Lincoln officially pronounced Thanksgiving Day to be a national holiday celebrated annually, he did so with the following words: “I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.” Again there is no escaping the explicitly Christian orientation of this holiday.

As we celebrate our Thanksgiving Days, let us not forget its explicitly Christian heritage. Let us remember this heritage by remembering the reason it was established and celebrated in the first place—to give thanks and praise to our great God and Savior for His bountiful provision to us.

He has indeed been good to us!

New step for FPC Gulfport

We have been working long and hard on trying to get my sermons on the local radio station...and, from what I'm being told, we have finally succeeded!

Beginning this Sunday morning at 11am, our Sunday morning sermons will air in a 30 minute spot on the local American Family Radio station WAOY (91.7 FM). Please pray for this opportunity, that the Lord would be pleased to use it in the lives of any who may listen.

For those of you who are out of towners, you can listen in to the radio broadcast via WAOY's website (www.waoy.com) or you can always find the Sunday sermon via the podcast on our own website.

Changes in Politics and in the world

I read an interesting article today on world magazine's website (find the link here: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/R/ROMNEY_RELIGION?SITE=NCAGW&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT). The article talks about Mitt Romney's presidential campaign and how it seems to be run by his staffers more than by him personally. The author of the article notes several occasions in which Romney refused to address a particular situation or to give a speech on a specific topic because his advisors told him he better not.

Now, I'm not here to make comments on Romney as a person or a candidate. But the article did remind me of how complex our election processes have become. No longer does the candidate campaign on "the issues." No longer does he/she run based on his/her set of values or what he/she SAYS.

When Abraham Lincoln ran against Stephen Douglas about 150 years ago, the race was decided on what the candidates SAID. A series of debates was set up in which Douglas would speak first for ONE HOUR! Then Lincoln would reply for ONE HOUR AND A HALF! And then Douglas would get a final (paltry!) HALF HOUR to reply to Lincoln's reply.

On another occasion the two candidates debated for over 7 hours! Elections then were decided on the issues, on what the candidates SAID.

Today, elections are decided by what we see on the TV in short, well-crafted and well-constructed (air-brushed) cameos. Romney even has someone on his staff in charge of monitoring his IMAGE. In the debates we listen to on TV, each candidate gets only 1 1/2 to 3 minutes to speak on a given issue. Can you imagine the Lincoln-Douglas debates on TV today?

I guess my whole point, which could be developed in great detail, is that we are not making decisions today based upon what the candidates believe or what they SAY. We don't hear them enough to know what they believe or what they are saying. We make our decisions today based upon how we PERCEIVE the candidate, a perception which is ORCHESTRATED by the media and by staffers whose sole job is to construct and craft and manage his/her candidate's portrayed image.

Glitz and Glamour will win the day in today's election world. Gone (with the wind) are the days of knowing what the candidates actually believe and say.

C

Update on Church Progress

One of our dear friends from Maryland (actually, with as many times as he has been down here, I should say one of our dear family members!) has asked for an update on the church's situation and where we stand with our building progress. So...here goes...

Things really have been (and still are) moving really slowly. This will be a fact of life for us over the next couple of years. Although we have made great strides in our recovery efforts, there is a great deal that still needs to be done. Please pray for our patience as we move forward. We are all children of our age, to some degree, and want to have everything finished NOW; like everyone else in our fast-paced, immediate gratification society, we struggle with waiting on the Lord and being patient.

As far as the church goes, we have engaged a contractor and an architect who are developing the final plans for the first phase of our construction. We will hopefully have plans that we can make available on our website within the next few months (don't hold me to the time period, though, as things seem always to take longer than we expect them to!).

We have received the final approval from the Corps of Engineers to develop the new property north of I-10 (if you remember, the property contained "jurisdictional" wetlands, which required approval from the Corps before development). This means that we will be closing on the property shortly and breaking ground once the plans are finished from the architect and contractor.

We have also just received a contract for the purchase of our downtown property. This should allow us to build a phase 1 that will allow us to get out of the school gym and have our own facility once again (!).

We are thankful for the Lord's provision and ask you to join us in praying for His continued provision, guidance, and blessing as we move forward.

Thank you for your concern for us and for the work here on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

One solution to our problems

It doesn't take much thought to chronicle the problems that we face in our 21st century world. We all know that crime (and, what's more, violent crime) is rampant, that homosexuality and extra-marital sex is on the increase, and that poverty is a troubling problem, along with a whole host of other problems. The difficulty is not in pointing out the problems but in finding helpful solutions that work.

Gene Edward Veith has written a recent article (www.worldmag.com/articles/13473) in which he explores one solution to our problems that has PROVEN to work--and yet you can probably imagine the outcry over its non-political-correctness.

Veith has suggested that the solution to our problems with crime, sexual immorality, and poverty is the traditional two-parent family. He writes:

"Studies have long shown that the chances of a child growing up to become a criminal plummet to almost zero if he is raised by two loving parents. Two-parent families are also the most effective anti-poverty program.
One factor in the development of male homosexuality, according to Christian psychologists, is the absence of a father figure. The boy so yearns for a father's love that he becomes attracted to men. The effect of absent or emotionally distant fathers on daughters is that they so yearn for a father's love that they often become promiscuous."

Now, it must be said, that a two-parent family does not guarantee that children will grow up crime free, sexually pure, and wealthy! Neither is it guaranteed that a single-parent family will necessarily produce children who fail in these areas. Veith is simply pointing out an interesting statistical fact (a fact of science, if you will), and that is that when children are raised according to the way the Bible says they ought to be raised--i.e., in the confines of a home built around the love and commitment of a husband AND a wife--the problem areas of our 21st century world tend to be minimized, alleviated, and almost eliminated.

October 31st, Reformation Day!

October 31st is commonly known as the day on which we dress up and go trick-or-treating. But, this October 31st, i.e., October 31, 2007, marks the 490th anniversary of the posting of Martin Luther’s 95 Theses in Wittenberg, Germany, an event which sparked a movement of reformation within the church in Europe. Although there had been previous reforming movements within the church, this particular movement initiated by Luther succeeded where the others had failed. With the help of the printing press (which was invented in the mid 14th century and became established in most European cities by the early 15th century), Luther was able to disseminate his ideas much more widely than had been possible before. The 95 Theses were actually 95 concerns or areas of disagreement that Luther had with the church of his day. In posting them, Luther was not trying to stir up trouble. He was no insurrectionist. He simply wanted to debate these issues within the confines of the church and could find no one willing or able to discuss them with him.

As he saw it (and many others who followed him agreed with him), the church had drifted from the Bible and from historic Christianity both in its doctrine and in its practice. In its practice, the church had fostered unprecedented levels of immorality and ignorance among the priesthood. For instance, although priests were not permitted to marry under church law, they were permitted to have a concubine, provided they first paid a fine to the Vatican. Luther and his fellow reformers rightly saw this for what it was—sheer hypocrisy. And as far as the ignorance of the clergy goes, we are told by at least one historian of the 16th century that many priests could not perform basic tasks like stating the 10 commandments from memory or even finding them in the Bible.

In its doctrine, the church—according to Luther and his fellow reformers—had diminished the authority of the Bible and exalted the authority of the church to such a degree that the latter now took precedence over the former. This led to many errors in doctrine, the chief of which, for Luther, was the church’s rejection of the historic and Biblical understanding of salvation (justification by faith alone) and its corresponding embrace of the corrupt practice of selling indulgences (i.e., pardon or “indulgence” for sin given in exchange for money). You may remember the famous saying of Johann Tetzel, describing this practice of selling indulgences and its supposed efficacy: “When the coin in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory springs.” It was against such practices that Luther vehemently reacted when he posted his 95 Theses.

The Reformation that was initiated by Luther on October 31, 1517, sought to correct the abuses and errors in the church by working to return the church to its historic and Biblical moorings. Five Latin slogans were developed to summarize the doctrinal “reforms” that men like Luther, and others who followed after him, were seeking in the church. These slogans, all of which are directly and explicitly taught in the Bible, are as follows: sola gratia (salvation is by God’s grace alone and not by human merit), sola fide (salvation is received by faith alone and not by any of our own works), solo Christo (salvation is by Christ alone and not by any other way—not by priests, churches, saints, or Mary), sola Scriptura (salvation and everything we need for faith and the Christian life is found in Scripture alone and not in any other book or human tradition), and soli Deo gloria (salvation and everything in life is unto the glory of God alone and not partially unto God and partially unto ourselves).

The Reformers believed that no man has the right to bind another person’s conscience and tell him or her what to believe. Only God has this right. That is why Luther could say, when challenged, that he would not believe any doctrine until and unless he was shown from the pages of Scripture that God had in fact taught it. “Here I stand,” Luther said, “I can do no other.” This is what we remember on October 31st.

Halloween and our society

In Sunday's newspaper, there was an article in the "Your Life" section that interviewed local school kids and asked them what they were planning on being for Halloween this week. There were many kids that were included in the article, but the front page listed only 6, and all were 3rd graders.

What shocked me most in this article is that 4 out of the 6 third graders listed on the front page were planning on dressing up as psycho mass-murderers! (Two were going as Freddy Kruger from Nightmare on Elm Street, one as Jason from Friday the 13th, and one as Scream from the movie by the same name.)

Now, we can debate all day long about whether or not we ought to allow our kids to participate in Halloween. Some folks will say that dressing up for Halloween is harmless fun for children. Some may disagree, citing the explicitly Satanic roots of the holiday. But there can be NO debate about this whatsoever. How can there be?

How in the world can ANYONE think it is appropriate for any aged-child, much less a 3rd grader, to dress up like a mass murderer? How could anyone think it is appropriate to approve of such wickedness (if not explicitly, by saying it is okay actually to be a mass murderer, at least implicitly, by allowing them to aspire to be one, even if only for one night)?

Where are the parents of these children? Whatever happened to wanting to be a superhero? or something good and wholesome?

To me, this is an indication of at least three things:

1. The Christian worldview is vanishing from our society. The 16th century reformer John Calvin reminded us that one of the reasons that God gave us His law (in the Bible) was to restrain the sins of society at large and to keep all people, regardless of whether or not they believed in Jesus Christ, living moral lives. The fact that this kind of wickedness can be permitted under the rubric of "good clean fun" proves that our society is becoming further removed from the restraining influences of God's law.

2. Christians are becoming more ineffective in transforming our communities. The fact that society at large is drifting further from the restraining influences of God's law proves that the church is becoming less effective in actually transforming our society. When we couple this with the fact that we still live in the "Bible Belt," that part of our country in which a majority still professes to be Christian, we are presented with the convicting reality that that majority which professes to be Christian obviously has no desire to live according to that profession.

3. Our society has lost its heroes. So, in one sense, why should we be surprised that our children are turning to bad (in fact, downright evil) role models, when they do not have any good ones to choose from? The ONLY role models they have are moviestars. Why should we be surprised that they would choose to be like one of them? We desperately need to reclaim our world and our families from Hollywood. We need REAL heroes today, men and women who are honored for their faith, their good works, their virtue, their character, their courage, loyalty, hard work, sense of duty, selflessness, and sacrificial service to a cause greater than themselves.

Until we correct these things, I'm afraid all we can do is grimace at the prospect of 3rd graders wanting to be mass-murderers!

Mike Dubose at Gridiron

Monday night at Gridiron we hosted the new coach of Millsaps College in Jackson, Mike Dubose. As many of you may remember, Mike used to coach at that OTHER university in Alabama. (Although I can't bear to mention the town in which that university is located, I will point out that it begins with a "T" and ends with a "loosa.") Mike played there under Bear Bryant in the early 1970s, was part of the coaching staff under Gene Stallings, and was named the head coach upon Stallings' retirement at the end of the 1996 season. After leaving this NAMELESS school in 2000, Mike returned to coaching at Millsaps in 2002 and was named head coach a couple of years later.

Coach Dubose mentioned a couple of things in his talk that I wanted to share here.

First, he said that the most important factor in determining the success of any program is COMMITMENT. Without commitment from the top on down to the very bottom, no program will be able to sustain success. While any program can get "lucky" and hit it big in any given year, long term sustained success requires commitment from the top of the school, university, athletic program, football program, etc., on down to the players, assistant coaches, trainers, AND fans and supporters.

As Coach Dubose said, this kind of commitment is rare (not only in football...it's rare in EVERY organization or aspect of life today). In his estimation (and I tend to agree), we are producing (and may have already produced) a generation of quitters. Commitment is a foreign concept today. But without it, he reminded us, we will not know sustained "success" in whatever it is that we are doing.

Second, Coach Dubose cited a quote from Gene Stallings that I wanted to pass along. He said that Stallings used to repeatedly tell the coaching staff and players that they should "never confuse work with accomplishment." This is a timely reminder for us today. Our day in one in which we are in danger of violating this very principle. We are coming dangerously close to confusing work with accomplishment. And so we are busy, busy, busy, even frantically so. All the while, we are accomplishing less and less.

Good reminders for us to think on today. Comments?

A Bunch of Everlastings--John Bunyan

A friend recently recommended, for my reading pleasure, F.W. Boreham's A Bunch of Everlastings, which is a small book that talks about the favorite Bible texts of many different men in history. Often the texts Boreham presents were the ones that led the particular individual to a saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Sometimes he cites a text that led that individual to an assurance of faith.

This morning I was reading through the chapter on John Bunyan, where Boreham says this:

"Bunyan felt that he was a blot upon the face of the universe. He envied the toads in the grass by the side of the road, and the crows that cawed in the ploughed lands by which he passed. They, he thought, could never know such misery as that which bowed him down."

Then, to show this, he cites Bunyan's own words:

"I walked to a neighboring town, and sat down upon a settle in the street, and fell into a very deep pause about the most fearful state my sin had brought me to; and, after long musing, I lifted up my head; but methought I saw as if the sun that shineth in the heavens did grudge to give me light; and as if the very stones in the street, and tiles upon the houses, did band themselves against me. Methought that they all combined together to banish me out of the world. I was abhorred of them, and unfit to dwell among them, because I had sinned against the Saviour. Oh, how happy now was every creature over me, for they stood fast and kept their station. But I was gone and lost!"

And, then, Boreham continues: "It was whilst he was thus lamenting his hopeless condition that the light broke. 'This scripture,' [Bunyan] says, 'did most sweetly visit my soul: "and him that cometh to Me, I will in no wise cast out." O, what did I now see in that blessed sixth [chapter] of John! O, the comfort that I had from this word!'"

Boreham goes on to say that in John 6:37, Bunyan saw:

1. The "infinite approachability of Jesus,...that it is possible for the most unworthy to go direct to the fountain of grace."

2. The "infinite catholicity [or, universality] of Jesus" to receive and, thus, not cast out, ALL who come to Him in faith. We do not have to earn the right to come to Him. No one is excepted. No matter what we have done; no matter who we are; no matter where we come from; ALL who come to Him in faith will be received and will not be cast out!

3. The "infinite reliability of Jesus," that Jesus WILL NOT cast out those who come to Him in faith.

What a glorious text! We do not have to earn the right to come to Christ. No one is excepted. No matter what we have done; no matter how great a sinner we are; no matter who we are; no matter where we come from; ALL who turn to Him in faith WILL BE received and not be cast out!

It's no wonder that Bunyan was recorded as saying: "That was a good night to me; I have had but few better. Christ was a precious Christ to my soul that night; I could scarce lie in my bed for joy and grace and triumph!"

Ann Coulter and Christianity

I saw an interesting article about Ann Coulter appearing on TV on the "Big Idea" recently. She created quite a controversy by telling the host, who is Jewish, that the world would be a better place if everyone in it was Christian. She even invited the host to come to church with her!

I couldn't help but laugh as I read the article just from all the fuss that she stirred up.

What I particularly enjoyed was the flustered reaction of the host. He went on and on about how he thought that she was an educated woman, that is, until hearing her say these things. He called Ann Coulter uneducated and hateful for saying that everyone in the world needed to be a Christian, including Jews like himself.

Now I'm not going to defend what Ms. Coulter had to say; nor am I going to disagree with her. I didn't see the interview and don't know where she stands on the issues. I really don't even know anything about Ms. Coulter herself. But I do find it interesting that a professing Christian who tries to take a stand on what the Bible says (regardless of whether or not we would agree with everything that Ann Coulter said) would be perceived as uneducated or hateful. Why would it be hateful to want the best thing for someone? Why would it be hateful not to let a person live a lifestyle that, though they prefer it, is actually not for their good? Love, by definition, means doing what is best for the beloved. If we use that definition, what Ann Coulter was doing was actually NOT hateful but the essence of love itself! Whether the host agrees with her or not, if she has his best interest in mind (and the best interest of the world in mind), which I have no way of knowing whether she does or not (but, my point is, neither does the TV host), then her sentiments are not hateful but are completely loving.

As far as the uneducated part goes, why does standing on Christian principles (as espoused in the Bible) automatically qualify one as uneducated? Such comments either stem from arrogance on the part of people like the host of that show or from their own utter ignorance, or both.

Perhaps one reason why people regard Christians as inherently "uneducated" is because we have abdicated the mind to the scientists or the thinkers of our world. Far too many of us have sought the "safe" ground of subjectivity and private feelings. If you ask such Christians why they know Jesus lives, perhaps looking for a reason for the hope that is in them (1 Pet. 3:15), they will say, in the words of the hymn, "You ask me how I know he lives, he lives within my heart." Christians have enabled non Christians to regard us as uneducated by privatizing our faith and by not being able to articulate the rational basis for it.

The Bible says that we ought to be able to give a REASON for the hope that is in us; it doesn't say anything about giving a personal FEELING. Giving a reason requires that we study and educate ourselves. If every Christian labored to be able to give a reason for the hope that is in them, my guess is that very few in the world would venture to call us uneducated.

What do you think?

Christian Guidance--Does God speak?

One of the most difficult areas within the Christian life is the area of guidance. Does God speak to His people today and still provide guidance for them?


On one side, we have those like Oral Roberts, who would have us believe that God has spoken to them and, in Roberts' case, that He told him to raise $8 million for OR University or else he would be killed by God. And now we have Roberts' son, Richard Roberts, who, with his wife Lindsay, apparently has been caught in a scandal that alleges all sorts of misconduct and hypocritical behavior. The junior Roberts is now claiming something similar, namely, that God has spoken to him directly, telling him (and the rest of us through Roberts) that this lawsuit is bunk. "We live in a litigious society," God says, according to Roberts. "Anyone can get mad and file a lawsuit against another person whether they have a legitimate case or not. This lawsuit...is about intimidation, blackmail and extortion."


Well, how nice and convenient. In both Roberts' cases, they have claimed that God has told them something that just happens to suit their own particular fancies. I am tempted to say quite a bit in regard to the particular situations of Oral and Richard Roberts, especially in light of the evidence that is coming out against the latter and his wife. But, I will refrain, largely because it is possible that the Roberts are not guilty of these charges. I simply want to ask one question:


How do we know these things were from the Lord?

How do we know that it was the Lord who told Oral to "threaten" Christians in order to raise $8 million? And how do we know it was the Lord who told Richard that this lawsuit, which appears to cite several instances of significant ethical misconduct, is only about "intimidation, blackmail and extortion"? How do we know it was the Lord and not the pizza they had the night before that was speaking to them?


While there are at least 5 or 6 things that immediately spring to mind to say in response to these things, I want only to raise 1 point today. And that is this:

God does NOT speak today.

Now, before anyone runs to fetch the tar and feathers, please hear me out. I do believe that God guides His people today. So if we define "speak" to mean "guide" (as I'm about to define it) then I wouldn't really have a problem with it. What I mean is that God does not speak audibly to His people today, as He did in the OT. And God no longer speaks new things to His people today, as He did in the OT. To suggest that He does, is to misunderstand what the canon of Scripture is all about and to misunderstand that it is now closed. With the coming of Christ (Heb. 1:1ff), God no longer speaks to His people; He no longer gives new revelation to His people. That is what the warning at the end of the book of Revelation is all about. God's Book is closed. To say that He still speaks is to say that He still HAS to speak; it is to suggest that the Bible is insufficient, that it doesn't give us all that we need to live as Christians. While the Bible clearly is not an encyclopedia of information on every conceivable subject, it is wholly sufficient for matters of faith and practice. God does not speak new things today, because He does not need to. He has already given us everything we need to live as Christians.

But, even though God does not speak, He does, as we have said, guide His people. This guidance, however, is always according to the revealed and sufficient Word of God. If you believe that God is telling you something or leading you in a direction that contradicts something in His revealed Word, then you can count on the fact that it is NOT from God.

To make application, this means, for Richard Roberts (assuming the charges being made against him and his wife are true--and, having seen the charges that are being made, it would appear that they are true at least to some degree) that God most emphatically DID NOT tell him anything like what he is saying God said--not the God of the Bible, anyway. The God of the Bible leads His people into paths of righteousness (Psalm 23:3)--not paths of UNrighteousness--and He does so for His name sake--not for OUR name sake. There is no sin in God; there is not even any shadow of turning. He does not advocate sin, neither does He condone it in any way. God is holy, holy, holy, and, because He is so, He always advocates holiness for His people.

But we need to say more. We need to say that God can and does guide or lead His people into certain courses of actions. He often does so simply by burdening our hearts with a particular situation or issue. This burdening, however, must always be subject to God's Word. And it must be attended by much prayer and the counsel of other mature Christians. And, even then, the MOST that we can say is that we THINK God is leading us in such and such a direction or to do such and such a thing. Even then, we CANNOT say definitively that God has TOLD us to do this.

We are sinful creatures. And our sin affects the decisions that we make. But, if we have been earnest and diligent in seeking the Lord's guidance, in praying through the situation, and in seeking the counsel of godly men and women, we have every reason to expect that it is God who is leading us in that direction.

But, even then, I still wouldn't say that God TOLD us to do it. Why?

Well, each one of us can still be wrong, and the counselors that we seek for advice can also be wrong (we are all sinners and all too prone to error). In this case, then, we would be ascribing to God's will something that actually was a product of our own sinfulness.

What is more, when we say that God told us to do something, it makes it impossible for anyone to disagree with us. How could anyone say that we are wrong? They would then be saying that God actually did NOT tell you that.

I think that is the real reason that folks like Oral and Richard Roberts say that God has told them to do such and such a thing. It removes the issue from further discussion. People who disagree and argue against them are now disagreeing and arguing against God.

Life and Death

I know I have been remiss in my blogging efforts...alas!

Recently, certain events within the congregation have led me (and others) to reflect upon questions of life and death and pain and suffering. It is at times like this that I am thankful that the Lord placed the book of Job in the Bible. And it is at times like this that I am thankful that the Lord gave us Samuel Rutherford and his Letters.

This morning I was reading in Rutherford's Letters and came across this gem of a sentence:

"It is not long days, but good days, that make life glorious and happy; and our dear Lord is gracious to us, who shorteneth and hath made the way to glory shorter than it was; so that the crown that Noah did fight for five hundred years, children may now obtain it in fifteen years."

In this world, we judge a good life by its length. We say, "It must have been nice for Noah to live so long." Why do we think this way? We have forgotten (or we don't really believe) that heaven is FAR better than this life. Why is it better to struggle with sin, sickness, disease, sorrow, pain, affliction, disaster, etc., for 950 years (or even 70-80 years, for that matter)? We have forgotten (or we don't really believe) Paul's words in Philippians 1:21: "to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (ESV, emphasis added).

No Knowledge of God

On Sunday night, we talked about the 6th commandment and how we, as Christians, are charged with defending and preserving life. We talked about the implications of this commandment on topics like war, abortion, capital punishment, euthanasia, and several others.

Near the end, I read from Hosea 4:2, "There is...no knowledge of God in the land; [instead] there is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed."

I was reflecting on how much this describes our culture.

Just today, I was reading in the news about 50 Colorado high school students who walked out of class because they refused to say the Pledge of Allegiance with the line, "one nation under God."

And then I was reading the headlines for the other stories in the news: murder, immorality, murder, adultery, murder, rape. Only a handful of stories were actually NOT about murder or sexual immorality.

That may be a small and simple example, but it IS an example, nonetheless, of how there is no knowledge of God in the land; and, what do we see instead? we see "swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery." We are turning our world into a hell on the earth. There is no knowledge of God...and evil abounds.

There isn't a POLITICAL problem in the U.S. The Republicans or the Democrats aren't the problems; but neither are they the solutions. There is a SPIRITUAL problem in the U.S. And it demands a SPIRITUAL solution. We don't need to spin our wheels searching for the solution to our world's problems. God has already provided one--the Lord Jesus Christ, dead for sinners. Join me in praying and living that His solution might be seen, understood, and embraced.

Samuel Rutherford

Seeing as how I just returned from Korea, where I was speaking on Samuel Rutherford, I thought it would be appropriate to share the epitaph that is found on his tombstone in the church yard by the Tower of St. Regulus in St. Andrews.

What tongue, what pen, or skill of men
Can famous Rutherford commend?
His learning justly raised his fame,
True godliness adorned his name,
He did converse with things above,
Acquainted with Emmanuel's love.
Most orthodox he was, and sound,
And many errors did confound.
For Zion's King and Zion's cause,
And Scotland's Covenanted laws,
Most constantly he did contend,
Until his time was at an end.
At last he won to the full fruition
Of that which he had seen in vision.

Such was the life of Samuel Rutherford. Would that something similar could be said of us when he are no longer here.

Korea trip in more detail

We are now back in the States after our trip to South Korea, and I wanted to give more details than I was able to before.

We were guests of the Rev. Shu Changwon, there to speak at a conference that he started about 15 years ago to minister to pastors in his denomination, called the KIRP Conference (Korea Institute for Reformed Preaching). Rev. Shu funded the conference for many years from his own stipend and reflected with me often about how hard it was in the beginning to get the conference going. His personal sacrifice and his desire to see the truths of the Reformed faith embraced and practiced by fellow pastors was an encouragement to me.

Rev. Shu was educated in Edinburgh at the Free Church College and at the University of Edinburgh and in London at the London Theological Seminary. He is now serving as the Senior Pastor of Samyang Presbyterian Church in Seoul (a part of the Hapdong denomination). Rev. Shu invited me to speak specifically on Samuel Rutherford--the man I did my Ph.D. on--and I spoke this past Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday on Rutherford as a preacher.

While in Seoul, I was also able to preach and teach at several area churches and seminaries around the area. I lectured on Rutherford at Chongshin Theological Seminary and lectured and preached the chapel services at Daeshin Christian University, which is in Daegu.

On the Lord's Day, I preached in Yang Ui Moon Presbyterian Church--the Assistant Pastor there, Dr. Kim, who is about to become the Senior Pastor next month, was also educated in Edinburgh at the Free Church College and in the U.S. at Greenville Seminary in Greenville, SC--and in Samyang Presbyterian Church. Each church was keenly interested in our situation here after the hurricane and in how they could help and pray for us.

We did get one day to look around Seoul, and Dr. Kim graciously showed us the Gyeongbokgung Palace in downtown Seoul, a palace that dates to the 14th century and the Josean Dynasty, and took Jennifer and I shopping in an outdoor market area that reminded me a lot of the French Quarter but perhaps without the French/Spanish architectural influence! Seoul is a HUGE city that, because of the mountains, offers breathtaking views at many points. Samsung and Hyundai, in particular, are both based there.

The people we meet were extremely gracious and went out of their way to make our visit pleasant. We are grateful to have met these dear brothers and sisters. Please join me in praying for the abovementioned churches and seminaries in South Korea and for the work of the gospel there!

Korea Update

I said I would try to post updates from Korea. Well, I am finally able to do so! We arrived in Seoul on Tuesday late afternoon, after a LONG 15 hour flight from Atlanta. We went right to dinner with our hosts and then checked into our hotel for the night.

On Wednesday morning, we drove a little way to Chongshin Theological Seminary where I was able to lecture to about 50 or so seminary students about Rutherford. A friend of mine from the University of Edinburgh, Dr. Moon Byung-Ho, is now the professor of systematic theology there. He translated my lectures into Korean as I spoke in English.

After traveling back, we had lunch with our hosts at a Japanese restaraunt and then dinner at a local church prepared by several of the ladies in the church. I preached the Wednesday evening service, which again was translated into Korean as I spoke. The pastor of this church has translated over 79 books from English into Korean. And is well known for this valuable service he has rendered.

On Thursday morning, we traveled by high-speed train down to Daegu and Daeshin University, where I preached during their chapel services to about 400 or so students. The chaplain for the university, Dr. Whang, translated the sermon as I preached. After chapel, I lectured for almost 2 hours to a seminary systematic theology class.

After spending the night in Daegu, we took the train back to Seoul today, Friday. We are hoping to meet up with another Edinburgh friend, who is temporarily in Seoul also, to see some of the city tomorrow. Then I will be preaching on Sunday. And the conference begins on Monday.

We are looking forward to seeing everyone again soon and to give a more complete update then.

Trip to South Korea

I will be leaving first thing in the morning for about a week and a half in Korea, where I'll be lecturing in several seminaries and preaching in area churches. I hope to be able to post an update or two from Seoul, where we'll be. If not, I will most certainly be giving a complete update upon my return.

Stay tuned. Same blogger time. Same blogger channel.

The abdication of the mind

Today the average non-Christian is liable to believe that Christianity is a religion of the heart and not of the mind and that to be a thinking person is to be a non-Christian. Such an idea, prevalent as it is, actually is the farthest thing from the truth. Christians have allowed this false dichotomy between mind and heart to exist. We have even fostered it. One hears, quite freqently in many varieties, such nonsense as "I don't want doctrine, I just want Jesus." Well, you can't have Jesus without doctrine. Knowing Jesus means, by definition, knowing things about Him. We cannot separate the mind and the heart. Trying to do so, is something like me saying that I can love my wife without knowing her or anything about her. Love is always a product of knowledge.

Even lust is impossible without the mind. Here we might be tempted to think that we could lust simply by seeing something or someone we want. But without first having some idea developed in our minds of what we want, of what we consider attractive, there would be no lusting. All we need to do to prove this is to recognize that the idea of "beauty" is different. It is in the "eye of the beholder." It has even changed over the generations. What previous generations considered to be beautiful is oftentimes quite different from what our generation considers to be so. Even lust requires the mind.

It is Christianity that has propagated the intellect and the use of education within the world. In America, this was done by the usual targets of a repressive belief system, the Puritans. As Richard Hofstadter, the author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book Anti-Intellectualism in American Life, has said:

"The Puritan clergy founded the tradition of New England intellectualism; and this tradition, exported wherever New Englanders settled in large numbers, was responsible for the remarkably large portion of the country's dynamic intellectual life throughout the nineteenth century and on into the twentieth."

And as Moses Coit Tyler has added:

"In its inception [Puritan] New England was not an agricultural community, nor a manufacturing community, nor a trading community: it was a thinking community; an arena and mart for ideas."

Why has Evangelical Christianity, then, given over the mind to science or some other such field? Why have we thrown the mind out of our worship services and Sunday school classes? Why have we orchestrated the church to "feel" rather than to "think"?

Camp Hope Closing

It is with mixed emotions that we announce that Camp Hope will be closing, effective December 1, 2007, after almost 2 ½ years of ministry in our community. I say “mixed” emotions, because although we are saddened at the transition away from a ministry that has deeply impacted so many lives, we are excited about the possibilities of beginning a new chapter in the life and focus of our church. This is not to lessen the sorrow that we will all experience at losing what has been a huge part of the life of not only our congregation but of the church at-large as well. There is no doubt but that closing Camp Hope will be difficult. Since its inception in the early weeks after the hurricane, it has given our congregation a purpose and a way to show the transforming love of Christ to others, a way to be different—and isn’t that the true meaning of the “holiness” to which God calls His people. I cannot remember how many times perplexed homeowners asked us the question, “Why are y’all doing this?” Few of them could understand why it was Christians who were doing all the work, even the foulest work too. Camp Hope gave us the opportunity to say both in word and in deed, “We love, because, in Christ, God first loved us” (1 John 4:19). It gave us the opportunity to show the compassion of Christ to those around us who were like sheep without a shepherd (Matthew 9:36).

But we knew this day had to come sooner or later. We knew at some point that we would not have the financial means or the volunteer support to continue this ministry. And, sadly, that day has arrived. We are thankful to the Lord for providing for us and for not leaving us nor forsaking us; and we are thankful to you for partnering with us for so long, for praying for us, and for encouraging us to press on after the most devastating natural disaster in our nation’s history. Many of you have become quite close to us, and we have grown to look forward to seeing you again on repeat visits. This, too, will be difficult, as we may never see one another again this side of glory. But, that too, is in our good Lord’s hands.

Please continue to pray for us. The work here is by no means finished. We have a long way to go both in the church and in our community. We are embarking upon a building campaign to replace the church facility that we lost in the storm. Please pray that God would provide the means for us to do this. Please pray also for the work of the gospel here on the Coast. We still have contact with many homeowners. Pray that God will open eyes, ears, hearts, and minds and that many will come to faith in Christ. Pray that we as a congregation will shift our focus on outreach and that new avenues for ministry and, with them, new leaders for those avenues, will arise, so that we can continue to strive to reach our community for Christ.

Please continue to support us financially, if you are able. Although Camp Hope is closing, we still have financial needs—chief of which is replacing our church facility. From the outset, we made a conscious decision as a church to put the needs of the people of our church and community ahead of our need for a building. This means that, with the increase in building costs and labor costs, we are still almost $3 million short of even being able to build a facility that is ½ the size of what we had before the storm.

Please continue to encourage us. Many here are tired; it has been 2 years, and there is still no end in sight. Pray that we will not grow weary in doing good (Galatians 6:9). Plus, with yet another hurricane season upon us, folks here are understandably anxious. Pray that we will rest in Christ and be able to pass that on to our community.

Thank you again for your faithfulness to us! May the Lord bless you and keep you all until we can at last meet again.

Michael Vick and Football Season '07

A recent comment asked if I might be interested in blogging on the topic of Michael Vick's escapades. Well, seeing as how I'm never one to back down from an invitation, I will make at least one or two comments that I have not seen expressed in the media (though, I confess, I have not seen or read terribly much on the Vick situation).

Frankly, I cannot understand why everyone is in SUCH an uproar. Before you jump to conclusions, however, hear me on this: I plainly believe that what he did was wrong; it was against the law, and that is always wrong. I also believe that he was wrong to lie about his actions. There can be no question or wavering on these issues. And from a Christian point of view, we must always be good stewards of God's creation, which clearly includes dogs. God created men and women to be His vice-regents, to exercise dominion over the earth and to subdue it. Man showed his God-given dominion over the animals, for instance, from the very beginning by naming each one of them. But this does not mean that we have license to abuse creation. God has entrusted all of creation to us. Yes, we should protect dogs, just as we ought to protect our environment. So, Vick was clearly wrong in doing what he did.

But, frankly, I think that we do need to remember that they ARE just dogs! There needs to be some perspective kept here. They are not people. I don't seem to remember anything near this kind of outrage for the Kobe Bryant rape case. Granted, the Bryant case was thrown out by the judge. But this was not because Bryant was found not guilty of the charges. The case was thrown out because his accuser refused to testify against him. After the trial, Bryant even admitted that he understood why his accuser considered that she was raped!

To hear some of the media talk, Vick could not possibly have done anything any worse. In the shows that I have seen, the commentators used absolutist language to describe his crimes, saying it is "the most heinous of crimes" and such things like that.

That is what mystifies me. There is something definitely WRONG with our civilization when we put a higher value (or even an equal value) on the life of animals than we do on the life of human persons, who are created in the very image and likeness of God!

Thoughts?

That being said, I, for one, am thoroughly looking forward to football season '07. With all the hype on Ole St. Nick (Saban), you'd think Christmas was right around the corner! It should be interesting!

The United States of Narcissism???

No, I'm not trying to be disrespectful to our great nation by saying this. I am simply picking up on an idea that was expressed by Michael Horton in his book Made in America (pp. 78-80), an idea which is certainly not new but is one that we all should be aware of. In evaluating the condition of our country, Horton says:

"The term narcissism is derived from the ancient story of Narcissus, a young Greek athlete who used to go to a pond to admire his reflection. Today, we have mirrors.

"It is remarkable how closely America (and the West in general) resembles the ancient Greek and Roman civilizations in their decline. Hedonism (the pleasure cult of Epicureanism) was softening the people into effete consumers who spent more than they produced and who sold the future good of the civilization for immediate comfort and self-gratification. Their pools, baths, and spas fed their craving to be pampered. In fact, some years ago I visited Pompeii, the city preserved by the ash from a volcanic eruption. From the richly ornamented frescoes covering the walls to the spacious spas, Pompeii is a testimony to self-indulgence.

"And just as today's crowds huddle in the theater to see heads blown off in increasingly realistic ways, so the Greeks and Romans had their bloody arenas in which cruel spectacles (including, on occasion, the feeding of Christians to lions) entertained the crowds. Alcoholism, homosexuality, and the ethics of self-interest ruled social relations.

"When it comes to narcissism [in the U.S.], perhaps no generation has been more intoxicated with it than our own. Popular magazines such as Harper's published 'The New Narcissism' (by Peter Marin); a New Yorker article by Tom Wolfe pronounced the seventies the 'Me Decade.' [Christopher] Lasch wrote a best-seller describing The Culture of Narcissism as 'the culture of competitive individualism, which in its decadence has carried the logic of individualism to the extreme of a war of all against all, the pursuit of happiness to the dead end of a narcissistic preoccupation with the self.' Ironically, the most insightful critiques of this disturbing vice have come from secular rather than evangelical publishing houses.

"In a television commercial typical of may, an actress concedes, 'Sure it costs more, but I'm worth it.' America's famous opinion researcher, Louis Harris, notes, 'It is not overstating to report that a solid majority of the American people are close to being obsessed with their personal appearance.' So what do we [in the church] do? Why, we write Christian personal appearance books, of course! [Insert tongue in cheek here!] These volumes provide noncontextual endorsements from Scripture to show us how we need to believe in ourselves, love ourselves, rely on ourselves to a greater degree. From the pagans, it's self-centeredness, but from our own brethren it's simply 'being everything God meant us to be.' After all, we're 'King's kids'!"

The church needs to stand against the tide of our culture and hold fast to Truth and to Christian principles and morality. What an opportunity to be different! And isn't that what "holiness" means--being different? Our culture gives us a great chance to be just that! Are we up for it?

Thoughts?

Family Religion

I came across a great quote by Richard Baxter today. Yes, yes, you better believe that he is a dead Puritan preacher from the 17th century. Those of you who know me best will know that I have benefited much from, in C.S. Lewis' words, letting the clean sea breeze of history blow through my soul.

Here is what Baxter says about family religion.

"You are not like to see any general reformation, till you procure family reformation. Some little religion there may be, here and there; but while it is confined to single persons, and is not promoted in families, it will not prosper, nor promise much future increase."

We are all looking for revival, renewal, and reformation...a modern day reformation. But Baxter reminds us that we will not see this modern day reformation until we see a reformation within our families. We need families built upon the Word of God and upon a practical and experiential Christianity.

Amen! And may it be so.

Earthquake in Peru

Most of you will have heard of the disastrous earthquake in Peru. We recently received an update from some of the missionaries we support in the nearby area. Here is what they had to say.

"Thank you very much for your sympathy and kindness. I'm sure you can identify better than most what the Peruvian left in the disaster feel like. Thankfully, none of our churches or mission was affected by the recent earthquake. We center of work is in the northern city of Trujillo, about 10 hours north of the epicenter. I called the missionaries in Peru and they said that you could feel tremors all the way up to Trujillo. For more information, please go to our blog: (http://allenandsandi.blogspot.com).

Here are some prayer requests that come to mind:

* Pray that the gospel would run with freedom during a time when people question God and their faith.
* 80 to 90% of Pisco & Ica were destroyed. Please pray for the rebuilding process. As you can testify, it is a slow and trying process.
* Please pray that the evangelical churches in the region would have the strength, stamina, and sacrificial love to reach out to others hurting in their community.
* Please pray that God would give our mission wisdom in how to respond appropriately.
If anyone is interested, our mission will be sending aid through the local church and/or the National Evangelical Council of Peru, which has already taken steps to collect needed items. If you would like to give, you may send your contributions to the following address:

Christian Missionary Society
Re: Earthquake Relief Fund
PO Box 53363
Knoxville, TN 37950-3363

We will pledge to use 100% of any contributions received by Thursday, August 23 toward buying emergency supplies for those left without water, electricity or shelter, and 100% of any contributions received afterward toward ongoing care of the victims of this natural disaster."

Amazing Faith!

I was recently reading about the life of Allen Gardiner, who became a missionary to South America in the 19th century, and who suffered greatly in the process. I wanted to share his struggles with you, but, most importantly, I wanted to share his faith-full responses to these struggles. Reading it was an encouragement to me, and I trust it will be to you.

Gardiner became a Christian near the age of 28 in 1822. A year later he married. By the time of his 10 year wedding anniversary, 3 of his 5 children had died in infancy, and his wife died too. Gardiner wrote these words in his journal in the midst of his grief over losing his wife:

"My earthly comforts have been removed, and I pass my days in sorrow. Blessed be God! He remembers that we are dust. In my deep affliction he has not left me without mercy and great sources of comfort. The chief of these is drawn from a review of the manifold grace and love which he vouchsafed to my dear wife, making her last days the brightest and happiest of her life...It is ony my earthly affections that weep...I sorrow not as those who have no hope, but have every encouragement to make my calling and election sure..."

Wow! I wonder, would we be able to say, "My earthly comforts have been removed, and I pass my days in sorrow...Blessed be God!" if we were in similar situations?

After his wife died, Gardiner decided to become a missionary and take the gospel to parts of the earth that had never heard it before. He set his sights on the Zulu tribe in Africa, a tribe known for its fierce violence against outsiders. This, however, did not ultimately work out. And, Gardiner set his sights, instead, on the continent of South America. His goal? To bring the good news of Christ to the aboriginal peoples there. Constant persecution and hostile behavior toward him by the tribes he was attempting to reach caused him to return home to England in 1843. He needed to raise more money, supplies, and help in order to return.

For 4 years, Gardiner attempted to raise the necessary funds, supplies, and assistance, all to no avail. His efforts met with great apathy on the part of Christians. Finally, he formulated a plan that he thought would work and that he thought would enable him to get back to South America sooner rather than later. He thought if he could purchase a ship and enough supplies to last for twelve months, they could go. Then future replenishment could be brought to them from additional ships after that 12 month period. Well, they could only raise enough money to purchase the ship and 6 months supplies. So they set off in September 1850, with what they had and arrived in Tierra del Fuego in December.

After a number of mishaps, tragedies, and natural disasters, the missionary party was left stranded after only 6 weeks. They were not able to sail back to England and they did not have provisions enough to live. They needed a resue ship to come for them from England. So they waited.

Back home, no one could be found who was willing to set sail for that part of South America.

So Gardiner and his fellow missionaries waited. Soon, their supplies began to dwindle. As winter set in (in South America), the poor diet and rough conditions took their toll on these missionaries. One-by-one they weakened, became sick, and began to die.

Soon Gardiner himself was too weak to get up. This meant that death was imminent. Not getting up meant not be able to get to the water supply for a drink. After days without food or water, Gardiner wrote the following journal entries:

"I know, O Lord, there is a deep necessity for this trial, or thou wouldst not have sent it...may thy Holy Spirit work in me the grace of true contrition, and renew in me the graces of love, faith and obedience."

And most amazing of all, as he lay dying, just a couple of days before his death, he wrote a final letter to his wife (he had remarried) and his children, and added the following in his journal:

"Great and marvellous are the loving kindnesses of my gracious God. He has preserved me hitherto, and for four days, although without bodily food, without any feelings of hunger or thirst..."

"Yet a little while...the Almighty to sing the praises....I neither hunger nor thirst, though...days without water...Marvellous kindness to me...sinner."

And the angels who looked on this, were amazed at the "manifold wisdom of God" (Eph. 3:10) in so transforming a miserable wretch like Allen Gardiner that he, a mere creature, could praise God to this degree, even under the most extreme and dire circumstances!

Oh for grace to do the same!

Pursuit of Happiness

I was reading this morning from the life of Edward Payson, a 19th century minister from New England, who suffered all his life and died at an early age of 44 years old. I wanted to share an especially poignant quote from him near the end of his life. Here he speaks about where our true happiness lies as Christians.

"Christians might avoid much trouble and inconvenience, if they would only believe what they profess [to believe]: that God is able to make them happy without anything else...To mention my own case--God has been depriving me of one blessing after another; but as every one was removed, he has come in and filled up the place; and now, when I am a cripple, and not able to move, I am happier than I was in all my life before, or ever expect to be."

Whoa!

We live in a world that exalts the pursuit of happiness. Each of us is searching frantically and usually with reckless abandon for happiness. We do not realize that true and lasting happiness can and only will be found in Christ. We are searching for it in health, in perpetual youth, in exercise, in money, in vacations, in relationships, in sports, in jobs. As C.S. Lewis has reminded us, we do not realize that God has something far better in store for us than these finite things can ever offer: We are like children wanting to go on making mud pies in a slum when God has planned for us a holiday by the sea. He has made us for Himself, and we will never ultimately be "happy" with anything else.

Salvation vs. Self-Fulfillment

In reading more of Michael Horton's book, Made in America, I came across a few things that I wanted to share this morning. Horton describes how our culture has shifted, and our church with it, to a all-encompassing desire for self-fulfillment. Making ourselves "happy" is America's new chief pastime. And it is within the church too. Here is what he says:

"We used to think that the good news of the gospel was that sinners could be saved, or salvaged, from the wreckage of original and personal sin. Today, it seems, there is a new focus. In the old gospel, the problem was, 'How does a holy God accept sinners?' For the new one, the problem appears to be, 'How do basically good people accept themselves?'--a shift indeed....But, this is where society is today. And as society goes, so goes the church....

"As Christians began to think less theologically and more sentimentally, they were less motivated by the aim 'to glorify God and enjoy him forever' than by the pursuit of happiness. Today, we have a gospel of health, wealth, and happiness. We no longer exist for God's happiness and glory (esteem), but he for ours. This attitude is reflected even in the name of a church: The Happy Church.

"Jimmy Carter wrote, 'American people are living lives that are wasteful, self-indulgent, purposeless, and meaningless. There is a crisis of spirit'....Carl F.H. Henry, America's foremost evangelical leader, states, 'American evangelicalism is being spiritually thwarted by its affluence. No group of Christians has...more to learn about sacrifice. Our lifestyles are clearly non-Christian...marked by greed, extravagance, self-gratification, and lack of compassion for the needy'....

"Pollsters George Barna and William P. McKay lament: 'Survey data supply ample evidence of the bankruptcy of the commonly held world views of Christians. It is undeniable that as a body, American Christians have fallen prey to materialism, hedonism,...and even to a jaded form of Christianity that rejects much of the commitment required of faithful servants.' According to these pollsters, 'A recent national survey discovered that no fewer than seven out of ten Christians are prone to hedonistic attitudes about life. A similar proportion of born-again people,' they say, 'deny the possibility that pain or suffering could be a means of becoming a better, more mature individual.' Then, 'as a final example, three out of ten Christians agree that nothing in life is more important than having fun and being happy.'

"Thus, the criterion for religion is that it must make me happy. It must be fun and exciting."

Thoughts?

Singing in the midst of the fire

I was reading this morning on the life of Susannah Spurgeon, the wife of the great nineteenth-century preacher Charles Spurgeon. (Yes, I know, I'm reading about more dead people! But what an encouragement!) Susannah was, for all practical purposes, an invalid for most of her life--the result of complications from the birth of her twin sons and a couple of surgeries that may have done more harm than good. As a result of her condition, she struggled with anxiety, self-pity, and pain. At one point, when her struggles seemed to reach a climax, she came to a realization that was prompted by the crackling oak log burning in the fireplace. It reminded her of what the Bible teaches about our sufferings and was a source of tremendous spiritual peace for her. I wanted to share her words with you this morning:

"The fire was letting loose the imprisoned music from the old oak's inmost heart!...Ah, thought I, when the fire of affliction draws songs of praise from us, then indeed are we purified, and our God is glorified...Singing in the fire! Yes! God helping us, if that is the only way to get harmony out of these hard apathetic hearts, let the furnace be heated seven times hotter than before."

What a beautiful and Biblical truth:"when the fire of affliction draws the songs of praise from us, then indeed are we purified, and our God is glorified."

You might ask: "How can anyone in their right mind sing praise in the midst of the fire of affliction?" It's because they know who God is and what He has done for them. It's because they know that He is more delightful than whatever is being taken from them. Spouses, children, health, even possessions, as wonderful as they are, still pale into insignificance when compared with the grandeur and beauty and awesomeness and majesty of our God. We can rejoice in the midst of the fire, because we know that our Father has willed it and will use it for our good and for His glory. We can rejoice because our Father is good and is worthy of our praising Him.

Christianity in America

I am currently reading a book by Michael Horton on Evangelical Christianity in America. I wanted to cite a portion of the introduction this morning for your reading pleasure!

Horton is here talking about the lack of substance and depth in Evangelical Christianity today and how we have come to reflect the shallowness of our culture:

"According to a prestigious research group, Oxford Analytica, the presumed religious revival [that some are saying we are currently experiencing in America because of the proliferation of Evangelicalism in the media] lacks substance: 'Despite impressive statistics and the appearance of surprising vitality, there is evidence that the state of religion in America is not quite what it appears. Almost all the statistical indicators on religion are up,' the group reports. 'But indicators of the social influence of religion are down.'
"The myths of power, popularity, and growth have led to an unhealthy preoccupation with superficial success, methods over message, technique over truth, quantity over quality....
"The Bible commands, 'Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind' (Rom. 12:2). While much fuel has been spent on trying to get people to act like Christians, the Bible insists that we must first think like Christians. The transforming of our minds takes place not through magic, superstitious techniques, or superficial devotions, but through serious and sometimes difficult study. It requires that we know something about the Bible and the people to whom it is addressed, and that we know something about ourselves and the culture in which we live. It is dangerous to pretend one is not worldly when one refuses to critically examine the ways in which one has been influenced more by the spirit of the age than by the Spirit of Christ....
"Let us hope for a day in the not-too-distant future when the world sees a humble church that no longer shelters hypocrisy, that no longer offers stones of legalism when the world needs the bread of life; a church that bids the world , 'Come now, let us reason together' (Isa. 1:18) instead of expecting a national awakening on the basis of slogans, shallow assertions, and unfounded myths. Let us hope that the time has run out for being 'at ease in Zion.' Let us pray for the day when the Christian community will no longer patronize the supermarket of pop religion, when there will be a recovery of passionate, warm-hearted orthodoxy and historic continuity, not with American legends, but with Christian truths."

From Made in America: The Shaping of Modern American Evangelicalism (1991; Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2006), pp. 11-13.

Life of John Bradford

I was reading just today a little of the life of John Bradford, who was one of King Edward VI's chaplains in the mid-16th century. (Yes, he is a dead guy! Surprise, surprise!). In reading about him, I came across a quote that I wanted to share with you.

Bradford became a Christian later in life, at 37 years of age. He began training for the ministry at 38! And was ordained at age 40. Three years after his ordination, the Protestant King Edward VI died and was succeeded by his half-sister Mary (a.k.a., "Bloody" Mary), who was Roman Catholic. Bradford was immediately arrested (within the month!) and imprisoned in the Tower of London for his evangelical faith and preaching. After six weeks in prison, this is what he had to say about his experiences in a letter to his mother (note how foreign this statement is to our twenty-first century ears):

"I thank [God] more of this prison than of any parlour, yea, of any pleasure that ever I had, for in it I find God, my most sweet good God, always."

Imagine thanking God for prison and persecution, not because prison is a good thing in and of itself, but because in the midst of persecution and affliction, he has found God and has grown in his communion with God. Surely this is part of what is meant by passages like Romans 8:28.

Violence in Christianity, part 2

Yesterday, I indicated that I would discuss one more troubling aspect of the article on violence in religion. The comment was that "Christianity...was 'born of an act of incredible cruelty,'" which implies, to my mind anyway, that the professor who spoke these words was thinking of the atonement of Christ upon the cross. If that is what the professor intended, I do indeed take umbrage, for at least a couple reasons.

First, the event of the crucifixion was not cruel, not in the least. In fact, it was exactly the opposite. It was the greatest possible expression of love: the Father loved the Son in that He gave Him a chosen people; the Son loved the Father in that He willingly laid down His life for that chosen people; the Father loved those chosen people so much that He gave His Son, His only Son, whom He loved, for them; and the Son loved those chosen people so much that He willingly endured the humiliation of the cross and gave up His life for them. No, my friends, the cross is anything BUT cruelty. It is the ultimate expression of love. And I for one take umbrage at anyone who suggests otherwise.

Second, the event of the crucifixion was not cruel, but it was violent. I will acknowledge that. There can be no escaping the fact that our atonement was violent. But the cause of this violence is not some defect in God but a defect in us...namely, our sin. Sin is the cause of ALL violence. Sin is the cause of violence between people. As we saw yesterday, the Christian sins when he acts violently. (See Jesus' example in the New Testament, if you question this.) Sin is also the cause of the violence of the cross. It is our sin that put Christ there. The cross is violent, simply because our sin merits violence from a God who is too perfect even to look upon sin. Hebrews 9:22 tells us that there is no forgiveness without violence (but this is a different kind of violence altogether than what the "experts" were discussing at the lecture). The cross is violent because it is the only way that God could be just and the justifier of those who believe in Christ. The cross is violent because God is just and because God is love!

Here again we must remember the context of love: Christ endured the violence that my sins and your sins rightly deserve, so that you and I would not have to endure that violence ourselves but might enjoy perfect peace and felicity forever! Amazing Love! How can it be? That thou my God shouldst die for me!

Christianity was not born of cruelty. And it was not born of violence. It was born of LOVE, and it ushers in grace, and mercy, and forgiveness. Amen!

Violence in Religion

Recently, the newspaper carried an article reporting on a local lecture on violence in religion. Three "experts," all Ph.D.-ers and professors of religion at USM, spoke on Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, and Islam, and their respective relationships to violence.

Now, I was not able to attend the lecture personally (which may have been a good thing!), but I do want to react to the article that was written about it and to what I imagine had to be lurking just below the surface during the lecture. Obviously, I don't have any problem with someone looking at history and concluding that religion has rarely, if ever, existed without violence. One doesn't even have to look hard at history to make this determination. But that is something altogether different than saying what the newspaper article said in its opening lines: "Can religion exist without violence? Apparently not, based on the presentations of three experts."

This is the statement that I am concerned about. It is one thing to ask, "Has religion existed without violence?" And another thing to ask, "Can religion exist without violence?" The trouble comes in when we answer the latter question in the negative, as the article says the lecturers did, because the Bible clearly tells us that Christianity, for one, can and should exist without violence. DOES it exist without violence in reality? That is a different question, one that requires a more detailed response than I have time for here. But Christianity CAN and SHOULD exist without violence, that much should be clear even from a cursory reading of the New Testament.

One other statement that I am concerned about is a throw-away comment made by one of the professors that Christianity was "born of an act of incredible cruelty." I will try to take this up tomorrow.

Expensive proposition

This morning in Bible Study, we talked about Matthew 8:18-22. In this passage, a scribe says to Jesus: "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go." And Jesus responds, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head." To which "another of the disciples" replies: "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." And Jesus rejoins, "Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead."

This is a sobering passage about the commitment that Jesus requires of His followers. Jesus is looking for single-minded and sacrificial commitment to Himself. As He told the scribe, following Christ is not an "easy" thing. It's not something to take lightly. Jesus and His disciples would not be staying in the Ritz-Carlton and eating at 5-star restaurants. Even the animals, in one sense, had a "cush-ier" life. They had places of their own to lay their heads.

And, as Jesus told "another of the disciples," following after Him was more important and a greater priority even than one's duty to one's parents. As important as duty to parents is (N.B., Jesus fully embraced the 5th commandment, although not necessarily the interpretation of the 5th commandment that was put forth by the Jewish religious leaders of the day), following after Christ is more important. NOTHING, not parents, not family, not spouse, not career, not children, not money, not an easy life, not vacation homes, not our retirement package, not even being tolerant to other religions (as in the recent case in the Nevada State Senate)...Nothing is to take precedence over following after Christ.

Following Christ will be hard, Jesus Himself says, and it will require sacrifice. Many of us today may want to follow after Jesus, but we want the "cushy" life too. We want to follow Jesus, but we want to stay in the Ritz-Carltons and eat at the 5-star restaurants while doing so. We haven't counted the cost. Or, we want to follow Jesus but we want to follow Him later, after we have taken care of certain other things (all of which may be good things in and of themselves). We want to follow Him later, but for now other things are more important to tend to.

But, no one can follow TWO masters!