A couple of posts ago we discussed the utility of the academic discipline of philosophy in the study of theology.  I mentioned that the minister of God…

…has a responsibility to have the subjects of his calling and profession well in hand.  And there IS a role for having at least a rudimentary understanding of important philosophical concepts as they apply to doctrine and theology.  This can be demonstrated from church history, as some of the most important ecumenical councils of the church applied philosophical language and concepts in settling important matters of doctrine in opposition to heretical teachings being introduced into the church.

One of the greatest theologians of the church, Augustine (354-430 A.D.), said that Christians should in a sense “plunder the Egyptians.” In other words, now that they are Christians they should not be afraid to take the “gold and silver” from the pagan world of learning and appropriate them to God’s purposes. All such disciplines should, where appropriate, be devoted such ”to their proper use in preaching the gospel.”  Here’s an excerpt from one of Augustine’s writings, On Christian Doctrine:

WHATEVER HAS BEEN RIGHTLY SAID BY THE HEATHEN, WE MUST APPROPRIATE TO OUR USES:

Moreover, if those who are called philosophers… have said aught that is true and in harmony with our faith, we are not only not to shrink from it, but to claim it for our own use from those who have unlawful possession of it. For, as the Egyptians had not only the idols and heavy burdens which the people of Israel hated and fled from, but also vessels and ornaments of gold and silver, and garments, which the same people when going out of Egypt appropriated to themselves, designing them for a better use, not doing this on their own authority, but by the command of God, the Egyptians themselves, in their ignorance, providing them with things which they themselves were not making a good use of; in the same way all branches of heathen learning have not only false and superstitious fancies and heavy burdens of unnecessary toil, which every one of us, when going out under the leadership of Christ from the fellowship of the heathen, ought to abhor and avoid; but they contain also liberal instruction which is better adapted to the use of the truth, and some most excellent precepts of morality; and some truths in regard even to the worship of the One God are found among them. Now these are, so to speak, their gold and silver, which they did not create themselves, but dug out of the mines of God’s providence which are everywhere scattered abroad, and are perversely and unlawfully prostituting to the worship of devils. These, therefore, the Christian, when he separates himself in spirit from the miserable fellowship of these men, ought to take away from them, and to devote to their proper use in preaching the gospel. Their garments, also,–that is, human institutions such as are adapted to that intercourse with men which is indispensable in this life,–we must take and turn to a Christian use. (Augustine, On Christian Doctrine, translated by DW Robertson, Jr.)

What do you think?  I welcome your comments… (SEK)

Recently I was talking with a friend in the ministry, and we were exchanging thoughts about coursework in our ongoing seminary studies.  In the course of our discussion I happened to mention that one of the books I was having to read for an upcoming course on the doctrine of God was very philosophical.  I told him I was finding it ”over my head” in respect to its discussion of modal logic and its application to the classic evangelical understanding of God’s nature.  I was taken back when he shrugged it off and said, “Aaah, that stuff’s not useful or important… the average Christian isn’t interested.” 

Perhaps, but does that render it unimportant?  As a pharmacist, I was required to study in great detail the pharmacological mechanisms, toxicities, adverse effects, medical uses, etc., of drugs in pharmacy school.  The vast majority of persons who are prescribed the drugs I dispense couldn’t care less about most of these things.  They just want it to work.  They want it to do what it’s supposed to do.  But does that mean that I wasted my time studying these things in such detail?  Hardly.  As an expert in medicine, my patients expect me to know these things.  Indeed, I have an ethical and legal RESPONSIBILITY to know these things.  They are relying on my knowledge to keep them safe.

Similarly, a theolgian/minister (any minister worth his salt will also be a theologian) has a responsibility to have the subjects of his calling and profession well in hand.  And there IS a role for having at least a rudimentary understanding of important philosophical concepts as they apply to doctrine and theology.  This can be demonstrated from church history, as some of the most important ecumenical councils of the church applied philosophical language and concepts in settling important matters of doctrine in opposition to heretical teachings being introduced into the church.

To illustrate this, Paul Helm, one of my favorite professors of all time writes the following:

 A BIT OF LOGIC

There are important differences between:(1) (p and q), and
(2) not both (p and not-p) and
(3) (p entails q).

That’s the bit of logic. What it is says is that there’s a significant logical difference between two propositions being consistent (1) , two propositions being inconsistent by being self-contradictory (2), and one proposition entailing another proposition, such that if the first proposition is true, then the second proposition must be true (3).

This may seem abstract and remote. Abstract it is, but not remote. By neglecting such simple, basic logical distinctions some are led to some ludicrous ideas about systematic theology.

Then He said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” (verse 5)

God is a holy God.  In his book, The Pursuit of Holiness, Jerry Bridges writes:

God is often called in Scripture by such names as the Holy One, or the Holy One of Israel.  Holy…is used more often as a prefix to His name than any other attribute.  Holiness is God’s crown.

We see this in Isaiah 6, where Isaiah records his vision of the LORD in His temple.  The seraphim cry out, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory” (Isaiah 6:3).  Only once in sacred Scripture is an attribute of God elevated to the third degree, and that is His holiness. 

But there is more.  We must not only recognize God’s holiness, but we are to be holy ourselves.  Quoting from the Old Testament book of Leviticus, the apostle Peter writes:

As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:14-16)

Meditate with me on the holiness of God today.  Consider Peter’s admonition of the Lord’s command to, “Be holy, for I am holy.”  Will you pursue God’s holiness today?

With savages, the weak in body or mind are soon eliminated; and those that survive commonly exhibit a vigorous state of health.  We civilised men, on the other hand, do our utmost to check the process of elimination; we build asylums for the embecile, the maimed, and the sick; we institute poor-laws; and our medical men exert their utmost skill to save the life of everyone to the last moment.  There is reason to believe that vaccination has preserved thousands, who from a weak constitution formerly would have succumbed to small-pox.  Thus the weak members of civilized societies propogate their kind.  No one who has attended to the breeding of domestic animals will doubt that this must be highly injurious to the race of man.  It is surprising how soon a want of care, or care wrongly directed, leads to the degeneration of a domestic race; but excepting in the case of man himself, hardly anyone is so ignorant ast to allow his worst animals to breed…. We must therefore bear the undoubtedly bad effects of the weak surviving and propagating their kind…”  (Charles Darwin, The Descent of Man, 1879, London: Penguin Books, p. 159)

1. Womanhood
2. Race
3. Abortion
4. Prophetic perspective
5. Sovereignty of God
6. Gospel

NOTE: In this video you will note that Piper does not attempt to tell you who to vote for.

Dawkins, the bestselling author of The God Delusion, who this week agreed to fund a series of atheist adverts on London buses, states that his new book will also set out to demolish what he calls the “Judeo-Christian myth.” 

Blogger Justin Taylor states, “For a Christian perspective on fairy stories, I know of nothing better than Tolkien’s essay, On Fairy-Stories.”  Here’s the essay in PDF.

Here are the lyrics…

The journey from your mind to your hands
Is shorter than you’re thinking
Be careful if you think you stand
You just might be sinking

It’s a slow fade when you give yourself away
It’s a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
Daddies never crumble in a day
Families never crumble in a day

1. Can you earnestly do all the parts of this job “to the glory of God,” that is, in a way that highlights his superior value over all other things? “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).

2. Is taking this job part of a strategy to grow in personal holiness? “For this is the will of God, your sanctification” (1 Thessalonians 4:3).

3. Will this job help or hinder your progress in esteeming the value of knowing Christ Jesus your Lord? “I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:7).

4. Will this job result in inappropriate pressures on you to think or feel or act against your King, Jesus? “You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men” (1 Corinthians 7:23).

5. Will this job help establish an overall life-pattern that will yield a significant involvement in fulfilling God’s great purpose of exalting Christ among all the unreached peoples of the world? “Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20).

6. Will this job be worthy of your best energies? “Whatever your hand finds to do, verily, do it with all your might” (Ecclesiastes 9:10).

7. Will the activities and environment of this job tend to shape you or will you be able to shape it for the Christ-magnifying purposes of God? “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2).

8. Will this job provide an occasion for you to be radically Christian so as to let your light shine for your Father’s sake, or will your participation in the vision of the firm tend by definition to snuff your wick? “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

9. Does the aim of this job cohere with a growing intensity in your life to be radically, publicly, fruitfully devoted to Christ at any cost? “If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Mark 8:34).

10. Will the job feel like a good investment of your life when these “two seconds” of preparation for eternity are over? “You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away” (James 4:14).

11. Does this job fit with why you believe you were created and purchased by Christ? “Everyone who is called by my name…I have created for my glory” (Isaiah 43:6-7). “You have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:20).

12. Does this fit together with the ultimate truth that all things exist for Christ? “For by him all…have been created by [Christ] and for him” (Colossians 1:16).

By John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: desiringGod.org

The nature of free agency constitutes much the most important problem in the whole range of philosophy. Indeed, it would be no exaggeration to claim for it an importance greater than all the rest of philosophy together, after man’s rationality is admitted. The connections of this problem with theology are manifold and vital. As is one’s philosophy of the will, such, if he is a consistent thinker, must be his theory of providence, of foreknowledge, of the decree, of original sin, of regeneration, of the perseverance of the saints, of responsibility. The most momentous things to man, in all the universe of space and time, are responsibility, sin, penalty, and redemption. But one of the clearest of our intuitions tells us that free agency is essential to a just responsibility, to guilt and merit, to reward and penalty. What, then, is free agency? What are its real conditions? This must ever be the question of questions. (Robert Louis Dabney, “Discussions”)

Much of the controversy over free will in the contemporary church is perpetuated by misunderstandings and caricatures of the issues rather than on true understanding of the issues. 

“It is strange how people, when talking about free-will, talk of things which they do not at all understand,” Charles Spurgeon once said.  This certainly seems to be true of many Southern Baptists today. Unfortunately, some of the most popular “expositions” on the subjects of free will, Calvinism, Hyper-Calvinism, and Arminianism have also been some of the most inaccurate and misleading, and have therefore served only to muddy the waters that much more. Incredibly, many of these inaccurate and misleading assessments have come from persons who have earned doctoral degrees and/or faculty appointments at Southern Baptist seminaries. D.A. Carson in his book, Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility: Biblical Perspectives in Tension, makes the following observation concerning the way in which denominational leaders handle these issues which, ultimately, boil down to one’s views on what he calls the ‘sovereignty-responsibility tension’:

I would be prepared to argue that any Christian leader’s handling of the tension between divine sovereignty and human responsibility will affect large areas of his theological understanding, evangelistic practices, and ecclesiastical methods. This is not to say that the tension by itself is determinative, still less the camp of one ecclesiastical or theological tradition. Nevertheless, the sovereignty-responsibility tension certainly affects the outlook of the individual. More significantly, the local church, or some larger identifiable group such as a denomination or a segment of a denomination, is massively influenced by the shape of the sovereignty-responsibility tension which is promulgated (implicitly or explicitly) within its borders and believed to be true.

Carson is exactly right, and we can see evidence of the truth of this assertion both today, and throughout the history of the church.  Truly, how we understand one doctrine can have a far-reaching ”domino effect” on how we ultimately understand other doctrines. 

The evolutionist is locked into an intellectual box from which there is no rescue.  Evolutionary theory is naturalistic by necessity — everything must be explained in purely naturalistic terms.  Only nature can explain nature, and there is no other source of meaning or truth.  Thus, in the end the theory of evolution — and the theory of evolution alone — must explain everything about humanity.

This predicament was made clear in a lecture recently given by geneticist Steve Jones at University College London.  Speaking on his chosen topic, “Evolution is Over,” Jones argued that human evolution has reached an end because of changes in human health and human behavior…

Read the entire article here.

“To suppose that whatever God requireth of us that we have power of ourselves to do, is to make the cross and grace of Jesus Christ of none effect.”

– John Owen (17th century Puritan)

“Death by Love is unique among Driscoll’s books in that it is serious in tone from the first page to the last; gone is the sometimes-irreverent humor and gone is the biographical theme. In place comes a deadly-serious look at deadly-serious theology. . . . . While I have struggled in the past to recommend Driscoll’s books, I have little hesitation in recommending this one.”

If you want to read Challies’ entire review, you can do so by clicking here.  In the meantime I’ll continue to wait for my copy to arrive!

“If any man doth ascribe of salvation, even the very least, to the free will of man, he knoweth nothing of grace, and he hath not learnt Jesus Christ aright.” — Martin Luther

“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God…”  (1 Peter 4:10-11a)

O that we would all model our speech in this way…after the very pattern of Scripture!

I suggest that we cross the line from self-examination to introspection when, in a sense, we do nothing but examine ourselves, and when such self-examination becomes the main and cheif end of our life. We are meant to examine ourselves periodically, but if we are always doing it, always, as it were, putting our soul on a plate and dissecting it, that is introspection. And if we are always talking to people about ourselves and our problems and troubles, and if we are forever going to them with that kind of frown upon our face saying: I am in great difficulty-it probably means that we are all the time centered upon ourselves. That is introspection, and that in turn leads to the condition known as morbidity. (Spiritual Depression, 17)

When we become too focused on ourselves, even for what we consider a good reason, this can lead to morbid introspection, followed by spiritual and mental depression and loss of our Christian joy.  We must examine ourselves and strive for holiness (Hebrews 12:14).  But we must also remember to look to Christ, and focus on what our Lord has achieved on the Cross.

You can view more detailed videos on the ESV Study Bible here.  I believe it is going to be an excellent tool for all Christians who want to study the Scriptures in a deeper way. 

“…It’s a strategy of unbelief. The ‘minister’ wants to grow his church, the ‘minister’ wants to see success, and so he’s looking for all these programs and all these techniques to get people to come in… But he never goes over the bridge and gets to the Word. If you want power in your Church, be an expository preacher; preach the Word because that’s where the Spirit is. Isn’t that God’s strategy? If we believe God’s strategy, we’re going to preach the Word.”

- R.C. Sproul

Oh, may the Lord save us from our man-contrived ideas of how to win the lost, and let us get back to the Bible.  We will keep people with whatever we win them with, and we must seek to win them with the Word of God, which alone has power to transform lives to the glory of God!

Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might, and His arm rules for Him; behold, His reward is with Him, and His recompense before Him. — (Isaiah 40:10)

This verse brings to mind two others:

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. — (2 Corinthians 5:10)

 and

Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with Me, to repay everyone for what he has done. — (Revelation 22:12)

Few other thoughts are as sobering as to contemplate these truths that we must stand before our Lord to give an account some day. I pray that I will be able to do so with joy, and not with sorrow. It will only be by His grace and His grace alone that I will be able to do it with joy.  May God grant that it may be so.  

We read from Isaiah 40:10 quoted above that, “Behold, the Lord GOD comes…[with] His recompense before Him.”  I am drawn to this verse & the (sobering) word, “recompense.”  Webster’s Dictionary defines this as follows:

recompense: to give something to by way of compensation (as for a service rendered or damage incurred).

This gives added meaning to the remaining part of 2 Corinthians 5:10, which says that each of us will recompensed “…according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”   What a very powerful, yet sobering thought.

May the Lord our God help us to live in light of that Day!

Pre-Game Coin Toss Makes Jacksonville Jaguars Realize Randomness Of Life

* Existentialism is a philosophical movement which posits that individuals create the meaning and essence of their lives, as opposed to it being created for them by deities or authorities or defined for them by philosophical or theological doctrines. (Source: Existentialism. (2008, September 15). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 13:32, September 15, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Existentialism&oldid=238499563 )

Saw it first on Justin Taylor’s blog

• We learn the dangers of leaving our “first love” (Rev. 2:5).
• We learn the dangers of being weak in our devotional life. We read that Abraham frequently called upon the Lord (e.g., Gen. 13:4), but we never read such about Lot.
• Moreover, had Lot taken time to wait on God and get His perspective, Lot might have realized that God had already purposed to destroy the city of Sodom, and might have decided to go elsewhere.
• We learn the dangers of separating ourselves from fellowship with men more godly than ourselves. See Hebrews 10:25 and Proverbs 27:17
• We learn the dangers of worldliness. God never blessed worldliness, and He never will. The life of Lot is a warning against it. His story is told in Genesis to warn others not to make the same mistake.
• We learn the dangers of following the Lord “from afar.” Like Peter after him, when the Lord Jesus was taken prisoner, he followed the Lord, but only “from afar.” And like Peter, he found the way unpleasant and hard.
• We learn the dangers of worldly compromise. As part of Abraham’s clan, Lot was called out of the world; not to go into the cities and mingle with other races, but to dwell in tents as a separate tribe, lest their character be polluted and their testimony silenced. Instead, Lot mingled with the world. As a result, his character was polluted and his testimony was silenced. Lot is an example of salt that has lost its savor (cf. Matt. 5:13).
• We learn the dangers of having a negative influence upon our family. Lot lost his influence with his family because his life did not measure up to his words. Hypocritical lives are seen through by their families; and, when seen through, they are despised. Our nearest relatives understand inconsistency, if they understand nothing else about Christianity. The eye of the child drinks in far more than the ear. Ultimately the angels were able to get Lot’s wife and daughters out of Sodom, but they could not get Sodom out of them.
• We learn that a worldly, compromising Christian cannot be a joyful Christian. Lot was daily “vexed” while he lived in Sodom (2 Peter 2:7-8). Lot wanted to have his cake and eat it too. He wanted Christ, but also the world. He spent his time trying to make heaven’s Gate wider and the Cross lighter, but he never succeeded. As a result, he lacked peace, he lacked assurance, and he lacked the joy of his salvation, he failed to progress in his walk with God, and he failed to impact others for Christ.
• We learn that there is no safety in unforsaken sin.  We must turn from known sin and come out from the world (2 Cor. 6:17).

• Lot started out well. But he acquired riches and with his wealth came trouble.
• Lot made a selfish and worldly choice (Gen. 13:10-13).
• Lot was so greatly influenced by Abraham that his character weaknesses did not show up until they separated.
• Lot, who had lived a separated life unto God (Gen. 12:1-5; Heb. 11:8-10), appears to have lost sight of his noble calling.
• Lot began to leave the separated path, eventually moving into Sodom-lock, stock, and barrel. He returned to worldly associations and living (Gen. 13:12, 13; 19:1). His descent into worldliness is evident:
  • Worldliness creeps in by small degrees… so we must watch over our lives carefully.  Consider:
    • He looked toward Sodom (v.10
    • He pitched his tent toward Sodom (v.12
    • He dwelled in Sodom (v.12)
    • He sat at the gate of Sodom (19:1)

Note that after moving his tent as far as Sodom-Lot gave up the tent life altogether. He bought a house in the suburbs of Sodom, while his uncle Abraham was content living in a tent (see Heb. 11:8-10). Lot ceased to be a “stranger and exile on the earth” (Heb. 11:13).

• While Lot did not cease to be a good man, he did cease to be a faithful witness for his Lord and God. Lot moved into Sodom, and Sodom moved into him. The end result of his “living on the fence” was that Lot lost his influence:
  • The people of Sodom despised him (Gen. 19:9),
  • His relatives mocked him (Gen. 19:14),
  • His daughters shamed him (Gen. 19:30-38),
  • Having lost his place in the “Hall of Faith” (Heb. 11), Lot appears to have died in obscurity. There is a painful silence in the Scriptures about his latter end.

Lot’s compromise with the world ended up costing him, and his family, dearly. Lot lost everything-wife, family, possessions, and testimony (Gen. 19:24-38).  He barely escaped destruction because “he lingered” (Gen. 19:16; cf. 1 Cor. 3:10-15).  Author J.C. Ryle asks us to consider:

• When did Lot linger? The very morning Sodom was to be destroyed.
• Where did he linger? Within the very walls of Sodom itself.
• Before whom did he linger? Under the eyes of the very angels sent to bring him out of the city-even then, “he lingered”!

How about you?  Are you lingering when you should be moving forward in your Christian life?  Are you “hanging out” in a life of worldliness when you should be pursuing your Lord and Saviour?

In our next post we’ll be looking at some of the practical lessons we can take away from our study of Lot.  Please stay tuned!

“Lot is like a lighthouse set upon the rocky shores of time to warn believers at all times and in all places against shipwreck.”

As we saw yesterday, the lives of men and women in the Old Testament were written down for our instruction, and today I invite you to remember Lot. In his book, All the Men of the Bible, Herbert Lockyer writes,

“Perhaps there is no Bible figure who represents so many men of today as Lot of Sodom.  Where you can find one Abraham, one Daniel or Joshua, you will find a thousand Lots.”

 LOT — WHO WAS HE?

• He was the nephew of the great and faithful patriarch, Abraham (Gen. 11:27).
• Like his uncle, he was a religious man.
• With Abraham, he left all to follow God (Gen. 12:1-5).
• He was a partaker of the blessings of God (Gen. 13:2-6).
• Lot was a true believer-a converted person-a real child of God-a justified soul-a righteous man. The Holy Spirit who inspired the Scriptures has put this beyond controversy in 2 Peter 2:6-8…

if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard);

As the old writer John Charles Ryle points out, if we do not make this point clear, several of you would perhaps say after our discussion, “Ah! Lot was a bad man, a poor, wicked, dark creature, an unconverted man, a child of this world!-no wonder he did what he did.”  Let’s remember that a true Christian may have many a blemish, many a defect, many a fault, and yet be a true Christian nonetheless. We do not despise gold because it is mixed with much dross. We do not undervalue grace because it is accompanied by remnants of the sinful nature. We will see that Lot paid dearly for his sinful choices, but do not forget that Lot was a child of God.

In our next post, we’ll discuss Lot’s progressive descent into worldliness.  Stay tuned…

In one of his letters to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul recounts several of the experiences of Israel in the wilderness following their exodus from Egypt.  Then Paul tells us the purpose for which these stories are recorded:

“Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.” – 1 Corinthians 10:11, ESV

Paul specifically tells his readers that he does not want them to be “unaware” (NASB) of these things, because they have been recorded for our benefit, our learning, so that we might learn from them and take heed to our own lives that we don’t make the same mistakes.

There is much we can learn from studying the lives of Old Testament characters.  For example, Jesus Himself exhorts us to, “Remember Lot’s wife“ (Luke 17:32). 

With this in mind, over the next few posts I’d like to share with you some insights from the life of another Old Testament figure — Lot, the nephew of the great patriarch Abraham.  Please follow along with me over the next few days as I share some powerful practical insights – and warnings– which can help us in our Christian walk.

–Thomas Brooks
Smooth Stones Taken From Ancient Brooks:
Collected Sayings of Thomas Brooks, compiled by C.H. Spurgeon

Truly this is one of the most common questions I have gotten since coming to my current staff position. In his article, “How Could God Command Genocide?”  Justin Taylor shares what he thinks are a few important pieces in addressing the question.

If I have any message to give from my own bed of sickness it would be this—if you do not wish to be full of regrets when you are obliged to lie still, work while you can. If you desire to make a sick bed as soft as it can be, do not stuff it with the mournful reflection that you wasted time while you were in health and strength. People said to me years ago, “You will break your constitution down with preaching ten times a week,” and the like. Well, if I have done so, I am glad of it. I would do the same again. If I had fifty constitutions I would rejoice to break them down in the service of the Lord Jesus Christ. You young men that are strong, overcome the wicked one and fight for the Lord while you can. You will never regret having done all that lies in you for our blessed Lord and Master. Crowd as much as you can into every day, and postpone no work till to-morrow. “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might.” (Ecc 9:10).

Have an enjoyable - and productive - Labor Day.

Justin Taylor recently posted an interesting evaluation of Storms’ book along with an excerpt on his blog, “Between Two Worlds.”  Read his post by clicking on the title, ”Do You Care What Christ Thinks of the Church?“

And I dare not leave out the hard saying which I once heard from an experienced Christian: “I have seen many strik­ing answers to prayer and more than one that I thought miraculous. But they usually come at the beginning: before conversion, or soon after it. As the Christian life proceeds, they tend to be rarer. The refusals, too, are not only more frequent; they become more unmistak­able, more emphatic. (emphasis added)

While acknowledging this phenomenon as a mystery, Lewis then uses the example of our Lord Jesus to remind us that our dependence on spiritual ‘experiences’ may indeed be an indication of weakness, and not of strength. 

This very closely parallels my own experience.  Early in my Christian life, just after my conversion and for a few years afterward, God seemed to manifest His presence in powerful and unmistakable ways every few months.  As I began to grow in Him, it seems those ‘experiences’ have become much more rare.  However, I also have become aware of the fact that I am much less dependent on such experiences to sustain me.  I thank the Lord for His work in my life.  And I pray that He will continue to mold me and make me into a true man of God.

I have often contemplated the biblical command in 1 Corinthians 10:31 which says, “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”  In his short but excellent article, “How to Drink Orange Juice to the Glory of God”, Dr. John Piper tells us that everything we do-even drinking orange juice-can be done to the glory of God.  In fact, Piper draws this conclusion:

It is sin to eat or drink or do anything NOT for the glory of God. In other words, sin is not just a list of harmful things (killing, stealing, etc.). Sin is leaving God out of account in the ordinary affairs of your life. Sin is anything you do that you don’t do for the glory of God.

You can read the whole thing by clicking here…

How the people of New Park Street Baptist Church did pray!  They actually prayed down revival.  But prayer must be personal as well as corporate.  Could Spurgeon himself pray?  He could; he actually seemed to walk in a spirit of continuous prayer.  Though not given to long formal prayers, he prayed “without ceasing.” He stated, “You cannot measure fire by the bushel, nor prayers by their length.”  He believed that and practiced it.  Actually, he spent only one or two whole nights in prayer in his entire life, but he walked with God in such depth that he could move from conversation with a friend and then into prayer in a moment.

(Spurgeon: Prince of Preachers, p. 29)

Indeed.  According to Spurgeon, “Prayer meetings are the throbbing machinery of the Church.”  

Real people. Real sin. Transformed lives. A compilation of heartfelt letters written from a pastor to his people that explains Jesus’ work on the cross.

Death by Love is a unique book on the cross of Jesus Christ. While many books debate the finer points of the doctrine of the atonement, what is often lost are the real-life implications of Jesus’ death on the cross for those who have sinned and have been sinned against. Written in the form of pastoral letters, Death by Love outlines the twelve primary effects of Jesus’ death on the cross and connects each to the life of a different individual.

Driscoll, one of America’s most influential pastors, and Breshears, a respected theologian, help readers understand, appreciate, and trust in Jesus’ work on the cross in a way that will transform their lives. Both deeply theological and intensely practical, this book shows how everyone can find hope through the death of Jesus Christ.

Check out the trailor below:

You can read a chapter, download the art, and purchase the book here.  In short, I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy.  It should be a great read… Either way, I plan to find out!

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brothers to dwell together in unity!

It is like the precious oil upon the head,
Coming down upon the beard,
Even Aaron’s beard,
Coming down upon the edge of his robes.

It is like the dew of Hermon
Coming down upon the mountains of Zion;
For there the LORD commanded the blessing–life forever.

Thank you Gary, Freda, and the rest of the gang.  I am so grateful to all of you! — Scott

JOY. A delight in life that runs deeper than pain or pleasure . . . not limited by, nor tied solely to external circumstances . . . a gift of God . . . a quality of life and not simply a fleeting emotion . . . the fullness of joy comes when there is a deep sense of the presence of God in one’s life . . . Jesus made it clear that joy is inseparably connected to love and to obedience (John 15:9-14) . . . There can also be joy in suffering or in weakness when suffering is seen as having a redemptive purpose and weakness as bringing one to total dependency upon God (Matthew 5:12; 2 Corinthians 12:9).

Source: Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, ed. Walter A. Elwell (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1984), p.588

“Love seems the swiftest, but it is the slowest of all growths. No man or woman really knows what perfect love is until they have been married a quarter of a century.”
Mark Twain

I believe Mark Twain was onto something.  Today I’m celebrating 25 years of marriage with my lovely bride, Debi, and I can honestly say I love her more now than ever.  We were young when we got married… too young to know what we were getting ourselves into!  But by God’s grace our marriage has survived and thrived, and all in spite of ME!  The woman a man marries can make or break his success in life.  It really is a general truism:  “Behind every good man is a better woman.”  At least in my case, I am a better man because of Debi. 

I prayed often as a young man that God would provide the perfect wife for me, and I honestly believe He honored that request.  I thank God for Debi, and look forward–by God’s mercy and grace–to another twenty-five years together.  It was famed philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche who is quoted as saying, “It is not a lack of love, but a lack of friendship that makes unhappy marriages.”  While I don’t agree with many of Nietzsche’s other philosophical statements, I think he hit the bullseye with that one.  Certainly, after all these years Debi continues to be not only my companion in life, but also my best friend.  Sola Deo Gloria…

To God be all the Glory!

Here [Waltke] shows how Satan’s original act of temptation is an archetype or sorts. All of the temptation that would follow through the long line of human experience would mimic this one. Satan tempted the second human being in the same way he tempts the 20 billionth (or whatever I happen to be). As I read this portion of the book and reflected on it, I could see that this really is the model of temptation. It is not just Satan who works in this way, though, but all human beings. We are prone to following Satan in luring others into sin in the same way.

FIVE STEPS IN LEADING SOMEONE INTO SIN

Be a theologian. There is little doubt that Satan is a theologian, and a skilled and outspoken one at that. He has had a very long time to study God and, as a leader among angels, once enjoyed free access to Him and close communion with Him. Satan knows God and knows about the character of God. But unlike the theologians we seek to be, Satan is a theologian who despises God with every bit of his being. When he turns to Eve and says, “Did God really say…?”  he brings Eve into a dialogue that opens her mind to a new realm of possibility, one she would not have thought of on her own. He knows God well enough to know what God has said and done.

But there is more. Satan is not only a student of God but also of men. From the moment God first spoke of man, Satan must have been watching and observing. Knowing that man was the crown of creation, Satan was surely looking for an opening, a way to destroy this jewel. He became a student of the ways of men. As a theologian, a psychologist and an anthropologist, Satan has unique skill at leading men astray.

Turn commands into questions. Satan takes the command of God and rephrases it as a question. “Did God really say?” What was a clear statement suddenly becomes hazy. Posing as a theologian he asks, “Are you sure about this, or is this only Adam’s testimony as to what God said? Are you sure? How do you know? Is this really a command? Can we discuss this a little bit? Is it possible that you misinterpreted what God said? Is it possible that there is some context here we’ve ignored?” Waltke says, “Within the framework of faith, these questions are proper and necessary, but when they are designed to lead us away from the simplicity of childlike obedience, they are wrong.” And so we see Satan raising questions of interpretation and authority necessarily designed to create doubt and confusion and to lead away from the simplicity of a childlike obedience.

Emphasize prohibition over freedom. Satan carefully and deliberately distorts, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden” into “You shall not eat of any tree in the garden?” He overlooks the great freedom God gave Adam and Eve and instead overstates the one prohibition. He gets Eve to focus on the prohibition rather than the gift and the freedom. Instead of focusing on the Tree of Life, from which she was free to eat, and on the millions of other trees available to her, Satan got her to focus her heart on that one tree from which she was not allowed to eat. And Eve began to focus not on what she had been given, but on what had been forbidden. And suddenly nothing but what was forbidden could satisfy her.

Doubt God’s sincerity and motives. Satan casts God’s motives as self-regard rather than love. “God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” He convinces Eve that God is limiting her, that He is not giving her the full measure of humanity. He is holding back, reserving for Himself things that she deserves to know and to experience. As Waltke says, we hear this message all around us today. “Be liberated! Be free! Self-actualize! Unleash your inner potential! The Serpent’s message even echoes in the church. Instead of sanctification, the church seeks self-improvement. Instead of holiness, the church seeks happiness.” When you hear such things, you can rest assured that the Serpent is once again at work seeking to convince you that you need to be something other than what you were created to be.

Deny what God says is true. In the final step, Satan flatly denies what is true. “You will not surely die.” The fruit of all of the doubt and the resentment is unbelief. If God’s words happen to hinder us from becoming what we want to be or from doing what we want to do, Satan convinces us that we can safely ignore them. In the church today many people de-emphasize sin because it may hinder the quest for self-actualization or it may make people feel guilty or damage their self-esteem. “Sadly many evangelical churches are in the process of buying into a guilt-free, pain-free, judgment-free gospel.”

In the face of such temptation, the woman yields to Satan’s denials and half-truths. “Having stripped Eve of her spiritual defenses, Satan’s work is done.” Without God, the decision will be made purely on the basis of pragmatism, of what works best to bring about the desired end, on the basis of aesthetics, of what is beautiful, and on the basis of self-improvement, of what will bring her supposed wisdom. It is only one short step from here to outright disobedience.

And so Satan works through questioning, doubt, focusing on what is forbidden and finally on outright denial of the truth. And Eve is only the first to be drawn in and to succumb to the temptation. Every one of us has fallen for the same old trap. If you think of your own life, I’m sure you will think of examples where this pattern was used against you, perhaps just in your own thoughts or perhaps in a book you have read (and there are many books in the bookstores, both Christian and non- where this same pattern is used). Satan’s first tactic worked so well that I don’t think he has ever felt it necessary to modify it too much. The shape of temptation has not changed.