Dluxe's World

The most important thing.

2008-05-06T09:07:00.008-04:00

If you are here now and don't know what all this 'Gospel stuff' is (or don't believe it), this is the most important thing you'd find on this blog:

If you are a Christ-follower, then this is the most important thing you'd find on this blog:

Yes, they say the same thing. The Gospel is everything, for believer and unbeliever alike.

The Apostle John wrote in his account of Christ's life: "Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." (John 20:30-31)

Believe, find your life in Christ, and truly live in His name. That's all.

An Epilouge (Epi-blog?)

2008-05-05T15:25:00.005-04:00

Blogging is a funny thing... With just the click of a mouse, any person with access the internet can set up their own virtual soapbox. It's fitting that one major thought-blog is called 'Instapundit'.

I started blogging because I think better out loud. Since some people found it distracting (or frightening) when I'd argue with myself, I thought perhaps typing would be better. I also wanted a couple geniuses I know to read and challenge me to think better. The funny thing is that a lot of people who I didn't know decided to peek in from time to time. Some of you even stuck around, and I'm humbled that you did.

So, why am I closing up shop now? It's pretty simple really...

First, I simply don't have the kind of time to devote to posting that used to be available to me.
Second, this verse still gives me the shakes: "Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness." (James 3:1)

In the early days of this blog, I wrote garbage but no one read it except the people I had asked to come and correct me. There are now others of you here, and many from the church in which I continue to serve. For me, the line between 'teaching' and 'just thinking' has just been blurred too much - especially when I lack the time to devote towards 'teaching well' here on a blog. God has graciously given me a broadening ministry at our church, and I feel whatever time I have is better spent investing in serving that flock (Acts 20:28-32).

So, if you've been here reading along... Thanks. I'm humbled that you've stayed tuned, especially considering the dreck that filled the last several months. If you've been a regular reader, leave a comment on this thread. I'd love the chance to say thanks personally.

I have only one parting thought to leave you with before closing up shop. But, we'll save that for tomorrow.

Favorite Posts [1] : Under Attack

2008-05-05T09:15:00.002-04:00

Not too long into my blogging career, I had one of those comment threads spring up that make your head hurt... A young atheist stumbled on one of my posts and began attacking the use of the Bible as anything approaching an authoritative book. Predictably, the conversation moved into a back and forth where he would cite a presumably 'wicked' bible passage and challenge me to explain how in the world I could believe the Bible when it contained such ridiculous/evil things.

Comment threads are not the place for hashing this out, so I asked him to email me his top handful of attack verses and promised a series of posts attempting to explain how they are sensible on their own (in context) and fit into the overarching narrative of the Bible.

Some might be surprised that the series of posts I've chosen to list as my #1 favorite is neither the one for which I hold the most affection nor anything close to the top hit-receiver. I believe, however, that this series of posts is unlike any I've come across elsewhere in the Reformosphere and just might be uniquely helpful to some skeptic or new believer in the future. That reason alone is sufficient to make this Under Attack series the most significant thing I believe I've written.

Under Attack - A prologue [1]
Under Attack - Deuteronomy 22:13-21 [2a]
Under Attack - Deuteronomy 22:22-30 [2b]
Under Attack - Judges 19:22-30 [3]
Under Attack - 2 Samuel 6:1-15 [4]
Under Attack - From Robots!! (An interlude) [5]
Under Scrutiny - 1 Corinthians 10:13 [6]

I hope, by God's grace, someone somewhere finds it edifying to their faith.

Favorite Posts [2] : Discontinuing Cessationism

2008-05-01T09:48:00.007-04:00

For most of my life, I didn't have any pressing reason to answer the "miraculous gifts" problem so it remained unanswered. I merrily worshipped in churches on both sides of the divide, never quite thinking that either had it right.

That was until summer of 2006... That summer, there was what I think could be best described as a charismatic 'outbreak' among some Christian students on campus - some of whom I knew. Between needing to respond to that event and contemplating church planting, I dove in to the Word to settle the issue. This (long) series of posts was the result.

Discontinuing cessationism [1]: The Danger
Discontinuing cessationism [2]: The Argument
Discontinuing cessationism [3]: The Scriptures (Prologue)
Discontinuing cessationism [4]: The Scriptures (1)
Discontinuing cessationism [5]: The Scriptures (2)
Discontinuing cessationism [6]: The Scriptures (3)
Discontinuing cessationism [7]: The Scriptures (4)
Discontinuing cessationism [8]: The End

Even as I glance back through these posts, I remember affectionately the time spent studying the Word and thinking through the thoughts of other Godly men. I'd nuance my conclusion ever-so-slightly if I wrote this series today: I'd identify myself as a "Reformed Continuationist". I think that's a more academically correct term, and it avoids the baggage caused by so many errors within the broader 'charismatic' community.

I've had further argument... er, interactions with several people, including three pastors (two from the PCA, one Master's dude) that I bumped into on the Logos newsgroups. I remain unmoved from my position, though I continue to seek/welcome more discussion and challenges.

This was also a well-linked series of posts, thanks especially to Adrian Warnock who linked and emailed some encouragements and challenges along the way. Once you get linked by Adrian, a fair number of other NewFrontiers folk comes along for the ride. I'm grateful for the many friendships - in that strange internet sense of the word - that were made.

*I'd be wrong to not also note that Dan Wallace edited a fabulous ebook from the Cessationist side called "Who's Afraid of the Holy Spirit". I'd recommend you read this regardless of where you land. GREAT STUFF.

Favorite Posts [WWW1] : WWWednesday Videos

2008-04-30T08:50:00.008-04:00

IMHO, the Top 9 that are still live links. I didn't have time to go searching for dead linked vids (though there were some good ones missed). So, let's get to work!

9) ... 6th of the 28th stages of metageneration ...

8) Drink more FANTA, Sensei!

7) Ask a Ninja

6) Japanese Tongue Twisters

5) Kiwi

4) Minesweeper

3) You had a bad WWWednesday

2) Super Bad Brad

1) Business Time (marginally inappropriate)

Favorite Posts [3] : (Mostly) Loco for Logos

2008-04-29T09:27:00.006-04:00

If I was collecting posts based on the number of hits they've generated for this bloggity-blog, this would be the top of the heap by a wide margin.

Shortly after purchasing my copy of Logos Bible Software, I decided to post a simple, 'new user' review. I was sure there were people like me out there - aspiring seminarian/pastor types - who didn't know enough to compare BibleWorks and Logos rigorously, but knew they could make real use of something. My hope was to offer something that might be helpful to those kinda folks.

Surprisingly, Logos picked up the review on their blog, which generated a flood of immediate traffic. Later, they were even gracious enough to put a permanent link in their reviews. I hardly think that this merited that, but it was pretty cool to have the attention.

So, if you're considering buying Logos - Do it. Then read these reviews and I'll tell you why I'm glad I did.

(Mostly) Loco for Logos [1]
(Mostly) Loco for Logos [2]
(Mostly) Loco for Logos [3]

Favorite Posts [4] : Leadership Conference '07

2008-04-28T09:49:00.005-04:00

Last April, I had the distinct joy of attending Sovereign Grace's 2007 Leadership Conference with a couple of my dear friends. It was the first Pastors conference that I ever attended in person, and LC07 set a very high bar for any deal-io that I might attend in the future.

Unlike the bulk of my other 'favorite posts', this post contains no Bible exposition, no ranting, and no ... well, that's pretty much all my posts contain under normal circumstances.

What makes this post memorable is two things: First off, it's a chance to reflect (again) trip memories that still warm my heart and challenge my head. The fellowship and teaching were fabulous* and I'm already watching eagerly for registration to open for LC09.

However, more importantly, it's a chance to cheer for people who (by God's grace) are rightly deaf to the noise of the crowd. What I observed at LC07 was a group of people committed to diminishing their own reputation so long as the name of Christ is lifted up. In a world where we are taught - even in the church - to build bigger barns, it is helpful to be reminded of the humility the Gospel should create and the great calling that we've received.

[LC07 Part 1] [LC07 Part 2]

* Plus, they had Krispy Creme donuts in abundance... Who can argue with that?

Favorite Posts [5] : Thinking Caps at the Ready

2008-04-26T12:45:00.004-04:00

At the 2006 Desiring God conference, Tim Keller gave a typically awesome "Keller-style" message. In the course of his speech, he asked a very provocative question. What will an approach to postmodern evangelism look like? If, as Keller contended, the "Four Spiritual Laws" and "Evangelism Explosion" programs of the past have lost their traction, how will we develop evangelism methods that marry Biblical and Systematic theology?

I started a short series of posts to must on that question, and the initial was picked up by the guys at TeamPyro in one of their blogspotting rolls. As a result there was a lot of traffic for a couple days, though not the ton of commentary that I'd hoped for.

Thinking Caps at the Ready [1]
Thinking Caps at the Ready [2]
Thinking Caps at the Ready [3]
Thinking Caps at the Ready [4] (The Aftermath)

The funny (and awesome!) thing is that Tim Keller just decided to answer his own question. His book, Reason for God, and the follow-up speeches he has been holding at colleges and hip place like Google really seem to be his way of developing and refining an approach. I'd recommend giving them a look.

Favorite Posts [6] : Whitefield for the Weekends

2008-04-25T09:39:00.013-04:00

I once heard someone (Piper? Dever?) admonish budding pastors to makes friends with a dead theologian and walk through the rest of their lives with him. Certainly Piper has cultivated a deep identification with Jonathan Edwards, and Dever's doctoral thesis is still the most about Richard Sibbes available in print.

About the time I heard this admonition, I came across the following quote regarding George Whitefield from J.C. Ryle's biographic article:

On the morning of Saturday, September 28th, the day before he died, Whitefield set out on horseback from Portsmouth in New Hampshire, in order to fulfill an engagement to preach at Newbury Port on Sunday. On the way, unfortunately, he was earnestly importuned to preach at a place called Exeter, and though feeling very ill, he had not the heart to refuse.

A friend remarked before he preached that he looked more uneasy than usual, and said to him, "Sir, you are more fit to go to bed than to preach." To this Whitefield replied: "True, sir"; and then turning aside, he clasped his hands together, and looking up, said: "Lord Jesus, I am weary in thy work, but not of thy work. If I have not yet finished my course, let me go and speak for thee once more in the fields, seal thy truth, and come home and die." He then went and preached to a very great multitude in the fields ... for the space of nearly two hours. It was his last sermon, and a fitting conclusion to his whole career.

After the sermon was over, Whitefield dined with a friend, and then rode on to Newbury Port, though greatly fatigued. On arriving there he supped early, and retired to bed. Tradition says, that as he went up-stairs, with a lighted candle in his hand, he could not resist the inclination to turn around at the head of the stair, and speak to the friends who were assembled to meet him. As he spoke the fire kindled within him, and before he could conclude, the candle which he held in has hand had actually burned down to the socket. He retired to his bedroom, to come out no more alive... If ever man was ready for his change, Whitefield was that man.

I wanted to know that man and that heart. And so, Whitefield has been a companion and inspiration for me ever since.

Because Whitefield preached open-air and (mainly) extemporaneously, most of his sermons in print are from early in his ministry. But even in his youth, Whitefield was a powerful thinker and preacher. My own favorite quote - if I had to choose only one would be this from a sermon called The Righteousness of Christ:

[A]rise, take comfort, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of life, the Lord of glory, calls for thee: through his righteousness there is hope for the chief of sinners, for the worst of creatures. What if thou hadst committed all the sins in the world? … Christ's righteousness will cover, the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ will cleanse, thee from the guilt of them all.

My dear friends, could my voice hold out, was my strength equal to my will, I would wrestle with you; I would strive with arguments, till you came and washed in this blood of the Lamb; till you came and accepted of this everlasting righteousness. O come, come! Now, since it is brought into the world by Christ, so in the name, in the strength, and by the assistance of the great God, I bring it now to the pulpit; I now offer this righteousness, this free, this imputed, this everlasting righteousness to all poor sinners that will accept of it.

For God's sake accept it this night: you do not know but ye may die before tomorrow. How do he know, but while I am speaking, a fit of the apoplexy may seize, and death arrest you? ... Think, I pray you, therefore, on these things; go home, go home, go home, pray over the text, and say, "Lord God, thou hast brought an everlasting righteousness into the world by the Lord Jesus Christ; by the blessed Spirit bring it into my heart!" then, die when ye will, ye are safe; if it be tomorrow, ye shall be immediately translated into the presence of the everlasting God: that will be sweet! Happy they who have got this robe on; happy they that can say, "My God hath loved me, and I shall be loved by him with an everlasting love!" That every one of you may be able to say so, may God grant, for the sake of Jesus Christ, the dear Redeemer; to whom be glory for ever.

Arnold Dallimore, in his superior biography of Whitefield, writes:

Yea, that we shall see the great Head of the Church once more raise up unto Himself certain young men whom He may use in this glorious employ. And what manner of men will they be? Men mighty in the Scriptures, their lives dominated by a sense of the greatness, the majesty and holiness of God, and their minds and hearts aglow with the great truths of the doctrines of grace. They will be men who have learned what it is to die to self, to human aims and personal ambitions; men who are willing to be ‘fools for Christ’s sake’, who will bear reproach and falsehood, who will labor and suffer, and whose supreme desire will be, not to gain earth’s accolades, but to win the Master’s approbation when they shall appear before His awesome judgment seat. They will be men who will preach with broken hearts and tear-filled eyes, and upon whose ministries God will grant an extraordinary effusion of the Holy Spirit, and who will witness ‘signs and wonders following’ in the transformation of multitudes of human lives.

Indeed. May God raise up more Whitefields to preach with broken hearts and tear-filled eyes, aglow in the fullness of the Gospel. I know this is my longest 'favorites' post, but it's not long enough to reflect on a man whose ministry touched so many and has already effected me profoundly.

Whitefield for the Weekend Posts
[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26] [27] [28]

Favorite Posts [7] : (re)Marriage - Matthew 5:31-32

2008-04-24T09:59:00.003-04:00

Most of my recent posts are depressing to me as I look back over them. Either they are complete silliness or rambling drivel. I just haven't had the same time to devote to posting that I used to...

However, a recent series on marriage/divorce was a welcome exception to that trend. While I'm all for silliness and frivolity, there's no place for those things in discussing the Bible. And I enjoyed the chance to just write again about the things I was chewing through in my head.

This series of posts grew out of some questions that came up in our Sunday night Bible study. What a neat thing it is to be able to wrestle with God's Word with other believers...

(re)Marriage - Matthew 5:31-32 [1]
(re)Marriage - Matthew 5:31-32 [2]
(re)Marriage - Matthew 5:31-32 [3]

Favorite Posts [WWW2] : WWWednesday Non-Videos

2008-04-23T09:58:00.006-04:00

If there's been anything consistent around here, it's been WWWednesday posts... Lately, most of them have been videos only. In the beginning, however, there were quips and other content. Here's some of my favorites:

8) Tuscan Whole Milk... MMMMMMmmm
After being listed on Amazon, everyone and their cousin 'reviewed' the creamy goodness. Says one reviewer:

Only three times in my life have I had better milk than this, and twice I'm fairly certain it was laced with flavor enhancing enzymes. The third was a milk so pure, it was actually hand delivered by the dairy farmer, who pumped it from the milk well right there in the middle of his ranch and drove it out to you in his old model T Ford pickup. Regardless, that was some expensive service, but the milk was like unto gold in a bronze world.

7) Jo Frost, the Nanny, don't take no lip.
"I wonder how the Super Nanny trash talks... "[bleep]! You call that weak-[donkey stuff] a manners chart? [Heck]! You ain't even gots no star stickers!"

6) Mark Driscoll vs. Mark Disco
In the 10/11/06 WWWednesday post I noted the following story:

I was saving this for a WWWednesday post, but now most of you have already seen it. Mark Driscoll posted some fascinating thoughts on Jenna Jameson on Monday. Yes, that Jenna Jameson...

Later in November '06, someone came to this blog looking for "Mark Disco"... Prompting this from me:

I post about Mark Driscoll fairly often. But, have you read my posts on his rather odd cousin, Mark Disco?? Oh yes... I've long been a fan of his 'best and farest' [whatever that means] work with the OC Bombers [whoever they are]. And you thought he was just a good dancer!*

5) Best opening line EVAR!!!
The opening line is a classic: "She was the Robochick. He was Billy-O. According to police, her obsession with him led her to drive 900 miles from Houston to Orlando, bringing with her a trenchcoat and wig, armed with a BB gun and pepper spray, and wearing a diaper to avoid bathroom breaks on the arduous drive." Then it gets wei rd.

4) 1st WWWednesday post and Cessationsomething
Noteworthy simply for the trend that it set. One thing I used to do was list search terms that people used to find this blog... I'm particularly fond of one that I mentioned in this post:

It seems that I know a little something about "cessationism or cessationist or cessationists or charismatics or charismata or continuationist or continuationism or charistmatic". Then again, given all those 'or' statements, I imagine google just returned the whole web.

3) The Princess Bride as legal proof
How could we forget and the disgusting/amusing story of Bryan Hathaway?

"Bryan (no relation) was caught getting a little friendly with a deer in a roadside ditch. A dead deer. And this is no first offense, mind you. He'd "previously has served time for killing a horse he intended to sexually assault". As if that isn't enough, check out this gem of a quote from his attorney his court filing:

Whether the term "animal" includes carcasses presented and issue of statutory interpretation... [A]n "organism" is defined as "a living individual; a plant or animal." Thus, the term "animal" refers to a living organism, not a carcass.

In addition defining animal to include carcasses would lead to absurd results. At what point of decompose would the carcass cease being an animal? ... As Billy Crystal noted in The Princess Bride (1987), "There's a big difference between mostly dead and all dead."

It's bad enough that attorneys, once considered intelligensia in our society, are having to argue whether or not fornicating with an animal carcass violates a statute against fornication with animals. It's even worse when, to really zing their point home, the refer to The Princess Bride."

2) "I have only done this once before..."
1) Julie's classic "Sixth Sola of the Reformation"
"Julie @ Lone Prarie seems to be a regular feature of these WWWednesday posts. Her rediscovery of the 6th Sola of Reformation is perhaps the most deserving link yet. I wonder if this will make Piper an 8-point Calvinist instead of the oh-so-yesterday '7-point' variety..."

Favorite Posts [8] : (Pre)Destined for Debate

2008-04-22T10:29:00.006-04:00

In the fall of '06, the Reformosphere was in a buzz about the on again, off again debate between the Caner brothers and James White/Tom Ascol re: Calvinism in Baptist streams. That same month, one of our pastors started a series on reformed theology in our adult class at church.

Eventually we wound up in the death-spiral discussion of the infamous doctrine of predestination. It's funny that the idea of God sovereignly extending grace to thankless sinners can cause so much bile and distress. Actually, it's not funny or surprising after all. Every one of us clings desperately to our own sovereignty far too often - in our thoughts (theologically), in our lives (functually), or both...

Anyway, I decided to write a series of posts recounting my own wrestling with this difficult doctrine. My hope was to give a couple people in our class the chance to chew on things through the week... I don't know if this helped or hurt, but I was blessed by meditating on the grace evident in the Gospel again.

(Pre)Destined for debate [1]
(Pre)Destined for debate [2]
(Pre)Destined for debate [3]
(Pre)Destined for debate [4]

Favorite Posts [9] : Bad Theology Rants

2008-04-21T10:53:00.007-04:00

As I went through all the posts that have appeared on this blog, it is obvious that my favorite literary medium is the rant. My best rants were usually reserved for the completely whack theology that I'd come across...

Here a countdown of my personal favorites:

6) Brian McLaren's novel approach to tough issues
I am a person who often needs to spend a lot of time thinking things through... My brain is underpowered and has too many cobwebs around for me to be willing to just pontificate at the drop of a hat (more on that in a future post).

Even so, something about Brian McLaren's approach to dealing with the homosexuality issue just made my teeth grind together. Again, my brain is slow... But it seems to me that the issue has already been clearly resolved in Scripture. Take it or leave it.

5) Whatever Joel Osteen is, it ain't a pastor
Smilin' Joel-O has been a favorite whipping boy of mine since I first heard him 'preach' on TV. I'm sure Joel is a nice guy, and he may even be a Christian... But he cannot be a good pastor - at least not when held against any Biblical standard of 'pastoring'.

Just for comparison, take a gander at this little juxtaposition of the message in Joel-O's first book and John Owen. Which one is more likely to shepherd the readers toward conformation to the image of Christ?

4) Low-balling marriage for the sake of 'mission'
Another Emergent rant... In this case, I'm rambling about how one emergent pastor (Bill Yaccino) decides whom he'll marry at his church. He seems to think that giving 'spiritual people' their traditional church wedding is a way to be "missional". I beg to differ.

This was the 2nd 'big link' in this little blog's history... Of course, two posts after this I ranted against the owner of the 'watch-blog' that linked in. So much for that budding opportunity at fame.

3) "Snoogums the Chihuahua" and Purpose-Driven Pets
Still one of the top-hit generators on this blog, and the first of two pot-shots taken at the Purpose-Driven man himself, Rick Warren.

I love animals... Really! But there's just something wrong with accepting a theology that says Heaven will include our pets since we probably couldn't be happy in eternity without them. I dunno. I just don't remember see that bit surrounding the endless cries re: the triumph of the Lamb. Perhaps it's in the apocrypha?

This was the 1st 'big link' in Dluxe's World history - and it came from no less than the mega-uber-blogger Tim Challies. I suppose when you link someone, quote them, and describe their comments as "eloquent" good things are bound to happen. Thanks, Tim!

2) The Methodist Chronicles (Part 1 and Part 2)
I was born and raised in a small-town United Methodist church. So, it's not surprising that I keep an eye on the developments within the UMC and feel the need to rant about what I see.

First, I went a little coo-coo-for-Coco-Puffs over the Minnesota UMC's decision to "to fully welcome gays and lesbians and to support gay marriage and the ordination of gay clergy." As I mentioned re: Brian McLaren above, I just can't help but see that issue as settled in Scripture. The post did lead to a fun discussion with my favorite Methodist seminarian (and soon-to-be-pastor), Josh Doughty.

Josh reappeared (on request) for the fun in my second UMC rant... This time, my blowing a fuse was caused by the decision of one church/conference to retain a pastor after he and/or she had undergone a sex-change. I didn't really rant much - instead leaving the insightful commentary to the much more piercing Al Mohler.

1) Beware of the concordance!
This isn't really a rant, per se, but it's absolutely my favorite "They did what??!?!" post of all time. Try to figure out what's wrong with this banner ad I spied while surfing the net one day (church name clipped to protect the guilty).

Once you think you've got it, click here to get the answer from the original post.

Ahhhh.... The internet. Never-ending source of amusement.

This blog will be dead in two weeks.

2008-04-19T20:27:00.003-04:00

I have been blogging here since November of 2005 - nearly two and a half years. And it's time for it to stop.

This blog will be dead in two weeks. It's been a fun ride, but all things come to an end.

For me, there are some compelling reasons to stop trying to keep up with updating a site that was really only intended to be seen by me and a couple friends. God has, through this weird medium of 'the net', been kind and allowed me to chat/connect with many more people that I would've imagined... And I'm exceedingly grateful for the way those conversations have led to 'friendships', challenges to think more clearly, a laugh or two, and a continued deepening in my affection for - and knowledge of - Jesus Christ.

But it is clear that this is the time to cut the blog-line.

For the next couple weeks, I'll be posting reflections on my previous blogging. Mainly, there will be links to old posts that I thought said something meaningful or particularly humorous. I intend to repost summaries of a couple 'series' that I did on here in order to pull the content forward and aggregate the posts for some future surfer who stumbles here. I may post on some of my reasons for quitting, or I might not.

Regardless, start the countdown. This blog will be dead in two weeks.

Wisdom for the Weekend [7]

2008-04-18T07:27:00.002-04:00

In Romans 10 Paul argues cogently for the necessity of preaching the gospel if people are to become Christians. His argument implies that there must be a solid content in our evangelistic proclamation of Christ. It is our responsibility to set Jesus Christ forth in the fullness of his divine-human person and saving work so that through this "preaching of Christ" God may arouse faith in the hearer...

Let me invite you to consider the place of the mind in evangelism, and let me supply two reasons from the New Testament for a thoughtful proclamation of the gospel.

The first is taken from the example of the apostles. Paul summed up his own evangelistic ministry in the simple words "we persuade men." Now "persuading" is an intellectual exercise. To "persuade" is to marshal arguments in order to prevail on people to change their mind about something.

The second New Testament evidence that our evangelism should be a reasoned presentation of the gospel is that conversion is not infrequently described in terms of a person's response not to Christ himself but to "the truth." Becoming a Christian is "believing the truth," "obeying the truth," "acknowledging the truth." Paul even describes his Roman readers as having "become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed." It is plain from these expressions that in preaching Christ the early Christian evangelists were teaching a body of doctrine about Christ.

I pray earnestly that God will raise up today a new generation of Christian apologists or Christian communicators, who will combine an absolute loyalty to the biblical gospel and an unwavering confidence in the power of the Spirit with a deep and sensitive understanding of the contemporary alternatives to the gospel; who will relate the one to the other with freshness, pungency, authority and relevance; and who will use their minds to reach other minds for Christ.

John Stott

Is it a sin to covet a new Bible?

2008-04-17T11:42:00.005-04:00

You can view sample pages and the like here, but if these endorsements don't make you want a new ESV Study Bible I think you need therapy. :)

"The ESV Study Bible is the finest study tool I have seen in fifty years of Bible teaching." Jerry Bridges

"The ESV is a dream come true for me. The rightful heir to a great line of historic translations, it provides the continuity and modern accuracy I longed for. Now the scope and theological faithfulness of the ESV Study Bible study notes is breathtaking. Oh how precious is the written Word of God." - John Piper

"Wow! Concise, lucid, enlightening—the ESV Study Bible is an amazing resource. With its textual fidelity, doctrinal substance, and artistic beauty, the ESV Study Bible will be an immense help to all who hunger for God-breathed Scripture. I wholeheartedly recommend this exceptional resource." - Randy Alcorn

“Outstanding! The ESV Study Bible is a treasure—a beautiful volume, filled with a wealth of resources. It will be just as useful for the seminarian and long-time pastor as it will be accessible to the brand-new Christian.” - R. Albert Mohler Jr.

"I can’t imagine a greater gift to the body of Christ than the ESV Study Bible. It is a potent combination indeed: the reliability and readability of the ESV translation, supplemented by the best of modern and faithful scholarship, packaged in an accessible and attractive format. A Christian could make no wiser investment for himself, a pastor could recommend no better resource for his congregation." - C. J. Mahaney

“Like the ESV itself, this Study Bible sets a new standard in excellence. The craftsmanship invested in every page—from the insightful articles and informative notes to the crisp design and gorgeous illustrations—makes it an invaluable tool for students of God’s Word. As a pastor it’s my goal to get one into the hands of every member of my church.” - Joshua Harris

[HT: Justin Taylor]

"You had a bad WWWednesDAY."

2008-04-16T10:17:00.001-04:00

Mascot Bloopers - Click here for more amazing videos

Tim4G

2008-04-14T15:20:00.002-04:00

Well, Tim is off to Together for the Gospel... Originally, I was registered. Shortly thereafter, $ issues caused me to cancel. Then Tim decided to go.

And now, I alternate between excitement for him and (in moments of lesser sanctification) seething jealousy. Kidding, of course. Mostly. :)

In case you are unawares, roughly 5000 pastors, their wives, and assorted other reformed types are descending on Louisville, Kentucky for this conference. You might even know someone there.

Be praying for the Gospel to truly draw these people together... I'll post any audio/video links I come across so we can feel like we're there too!

Wisdom for the Weekend [6]

2008-04-11T09:26:00.002-04:00

I have tried to sketch six spheres of Christian living in which the mind plays an essential part -- Christian worship, faith, holiness, guidance, evangelism and ministry. If these things are impossible without using our minds and acquiring some biblical knowledge, we must also recognize the corollary, that the acquisition of biblical knowledge must lead into these things and enrich our experience of them. Knowledge carries with it the solemn responsibility to act on the knowledge we have, to translate our knowledge into appropriate behavior. Let me enlarge on this.

First, knowledge should lead to worship. The true knowledge of God will result not in our being puffed up with conceit at how knowledgeable we are, but in our falling on our faces before God in sheer wonder and crying, "O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how unscrutable his ways!"

Secondly, knowledge should lead to faith. We have already seen that knowledge is the foundation of faith and makes faith reasonable. "Those who know thy name put their trust in thee," wrote the psalmist.

Thirdly, knowledge should lead to holiness. We have considered some ways in which our conduct could be transformed if only we knew more clearly both what we should be and what we already are. But now we have to see how the more our knowledge grows, the greater our responsibility to put it into practice. Psalm 119 is full of aspirations to know God's law. Why? In order the better to obey it.

Fourthly, knowledge should lead to love. The more we know, the more we should want to share what we know with others and use our knowledge in their service, whether in evangelism or in ministry. Sometimes, however, our love will restrain our knowledge. For by itself knowledge can be harsh; it needs the sensitivity which love can give it. This is what Paul meant when he wrote: "Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up."

Knowledge is indispensable to the Christian life and service. If we do not use the mind which God has given us, we condemn ourselves to spiritual superficiality and cut ourselves off from many of the riches of God's grace. At the same time, knowledge is given us to be used , to lead us to higher worship, greater faith, deeper holiness, better service. What we need is not less knowledge but more knowledge, so long as we act upon it.

John Stott, "The Mind in Christian Life"

AWESOME ALERT!!!!!

2008-04-10T16:43:00.001-04:00

This is an "all hands on deck" Awesome Alert.

Matt Chandler, John Piper, Mark Driscoll. Doing Q&A.

SWWWednesday and a miss...

2008-04-09T13:45:00.003-04:00

Sorry posting has been so lame. Will try to do better.

Wisdom for the Weekend [5]

2008-04-04T10:11:00.002-04:00

The Reformosphere (see if that term sticks) has been buzzing as of late thanks to the release of Colin Hansen's book Young, Restless, Reformed. This book is an outgrowth of an article Hansen wrote for Christianity Today last year.

As one of the young(er) Reformed-sorts, I've been interested to get hands on a copy of Hansen's book. However, before even reading it I think that Scott Lamb's 'review' is an important read. If I can borrow a hip-hop turn of phrase - "We need to check ourselves before we wreck ourselves."

So, a little modern wisdom for your weekend. Read Scott's article here.

[ht: Challies, naturally]

ChocoWWWate

2008-04-02T09:26:00.002-04:00

Who knew the death of chocolate could be so creepily beautiful?

Or how about frighteningly absurd?

More here.

Enter the April

2008-04-01T08:56:00.003-04:00

Well, March came in like a something and went out like a something. So I suppose that means we're in April...

For me, March '08 wasn't nearly as productive on a reading front as I had hoped. I planned to read some Sibbes, but was bummed to discover that not much of his stuff has made it out on the web. A sermon here and a sermon there. That said, what a preacher! Sibbes just seems to be incredibly adept at encouraging the saints by shining light on the evidences of God's grace in our lives.

Obviously, this consolation is the whole bent of Bruise d Reed, but it's always interesting to see how different pastors have particular themes that God weaves into them.

The other major read I got through in March was Tripp's Age of Opportunity. What a fantastic little book... I keep wondering when I will come across a CCEF book that won't represent a home run. Haven't found it yet. So, if you're a parent of a teen or a pastor with responsibility for ministering to teens or their parents, I would urge you to pick up a copy and feast.

Well, onto April. I'm picking up the month by (re)reading John Stott's Cross of Christ. I raced through it when I was going through my reading regiment over a year ago... But, I really didn't savor it at that time and I honestly think I need to spend some time 'abiding hard at the Cross' for my own soul.

On display, not on stage

2008-03-31T08:46:00.005-04:00

In preparing this section of Matthew 6 for our Bible study, one phrase/analogy kept ringing in my ears.

We are intending to be on display for Christ, rather than on stage for him.

When you go to an art museum, there are various works on display. None of them are shouting at you for your attention, none of them are clamoring for the best spot for display, and they do not speak a word to promote their own glory. They are silent, but at the same time plainly testify to something outside of themselves. Some are contemplative, others are beautiful, quirky, amusing, or even gaudy. But they are unaware of themselves in a wonderful way - simply 'being' what their maker made them... Reflecting the artists skill and personality which brought them into being.

An actor, on the other hand, consciously puts on a different face in every play. The person who appears when the lights may be loud and blaring even though the actor may be quiet and meek. Actors toil at their craft, and no doubt take pride in it. Most walk on stage thirsting for the applause and adulation of the curtain call. They gleefully sign autographs or grant interviews to reporters and critics who want to know them and their gifting. Playwrights write plays for them - having a particular person in mind for a particular role.

They must perform and be noticed, because their next role depends on them being valued and known. Far too often, the craving for attention spills over into a life that can no longer distinguish between the private and the public - never being able to escape the stage. Sure, they point to the mastery of the playwright (to the degree their acting allows them to 'disappear' into the plot), but they are not unconscious of it.

So, it shouldn't be surprising that the word for 'hypocrite' in our passage is the same word for an actor. The hypocrites were out to display themselves and their faux righteousness, stepping on stage and calling all eyes to rest on them. Whatever attention went to God for their giving, prayers, and fasting was secondary to them - a fortunate side-effect of their curtain call and evidence of God's grace surpassing our sin.

We must live our lives before God, humbly willing to take no credit and receive no praises while here on Earth. This doesn't mean we don't talk about our giving or pray in public ever... However, we must have hearts that are content with the Savior alone seeing our lives and being pleased.

Calvin, commenting on these verses puts it so well:

[Jesus] tells them, that God does not need a strong light to perceive good actions: for those things, which appear to be buried in darkness, are open to his view. We have no reason, therefore, to suppose that what escapes the notice, and receives not the testimony of men, is lost... A most appropriate remedy is thus applied for curing the disease of ambition, when he reminds us to fix our eye on God: for this banishes from our minds, and will utterly destroy, all vain-glory. — In the second clause, which immediately follows, Christ reminds us that, in looking for the reward of good works, we must wait patiently till the last day, the day of resurrection. Thy Father, says he, shall reward thee openly.

To express it in a few words, whether a man prays alone, or in the presence of others, he ought to have the same feelings, as if he were shut up in his closet, and had no other witness but God.

Believers do not pray, with the view of informing God about things unknown to him, or of exciting him to do his duty, or of urging him as though he were reluctant. On the contrary, [believers] pray, in order that they may arouse themselves to seek him, that they may exercise their faith in meditating on his promises, that they may relieve themselves from their anxieties by pouring them into his bosom; in a word, that they may declare that from Him alone they hope and expect, both for themselves and for others, all good things. God himself, on the other hand, has purposed freely, and without being asked, to bestow blessings upon us; but he promises that he will grant them to our prayers. We must, therefore, maintain both of these truths, that He freely anticipates our wishes, and yet that we obtain by prayer what we ask.

May God display His beauty and perfections in us, and remove all our ambition for the spotlight and the encores of the crowd.