Challies.com Book Giveaway

Here is this months book drawing from Challies.com. You can click here or on the banner below to enter.

Some Questions to Ponder

I was thinking the other day about all of the preconceived ideas we have and how often if we really delve into them we find they are not grounded in scripture but the world that surrounds us. Over time I will probably comment on some of these but for now I simply bring them up to think about.

1) Why is it frowned on for a family to have lots of children, and I do not simply mean more than two?

2) Why is it assumed that one is automatically to go to college after High School?

3) Why is it seen as absurd to some that a girl would decide to prepare for marriage rather than college?

4) For that matter where did the concept that everyone has a right to go to college start?

5) While I am on the question of education when did IQ begin to be the ends of education?

6) Where does the concept of marrying later so as to get done all one can while single come from?

7) Why is it seen as strange by so many if ones children do not spend inordinate amounts of time playing video games?

8) Where did the idea of people needing peer groups come from, especially for children and teens?

9) Why is one looked on with questioning if ones children do not partake in organized sports?

10) Why is there such a pull for people to have their children educated in public schools?

11) Why is valuing the biblical model, as presented in scripture, of the family seen as outdated?

As Christians we are called to be pilgrims and different from the world around us but all too often, and I am guilty of this, we begin to assume the presuppositions and mindset of the world that surrounds us rather than those of scripture. This begins when we spend more time consuming the world’s offerings rather than feeding on the Word of God.

I pray these questions are ones that get us to think about how we come to their answers rather than simply to answer them. It is when we question how we come to conclusions that we best see what our world view is.

Around the Web and Blogosphere (4/25/08)

You can go to the Together for the Gospel web site and down load the messages for free. If you want the panel discussions you can get them at the Sovereign Grace Ministries site. I have listened to the first five messages and as usual they were great.


Over at Unashamed Workman Colin Adams has written The Seven Commandments of Illustrations. I will have to go and check my sermon for this week. Truth is these are very good guidelines to be thought of when preparing a sermon.


At the Banner of Truth Geoff Thomas writes on Limited Atonement. This is often a hot topic with many people but if anything this article should help those that disagree better understand what Limited Atonement.


Coming in October of 2008 is the new ESV Study Bible. I have way too many bibles already but I may have to break down on this one. I have the Reformation Study Bible which I really like but this may be different enough to warrant adding it to my wish list. I highly recommend the ESV as it reads very well and from what I can tell it is faithful to the original languages. You can also read more about the ESV from Scott head at These are the Generations of…. in his post: Thoughts on Bible versions and a plug for e-Sword. By the way I also use e-Sword and it is a great study tool.

More on Expelled – A Clash of World Views (Updated)

Well we did make it to see Expelled: no intelligence allowed and was pleasantly surprised at how well the film was done. It did a very good job of contrasting world views, hence my own sub title above for the movie. Many others will give much more detailed reviews as I do not remember all of the names and comments. The whole motif of the Berlin Wall that represents the wall that Darwinian Evolutionary thought in academic institutions has set up to keep out any competing ideas was very well done. I can see how this will inevitably infuriate people but while it may make people angry it is very much the truth if one simply opens their eyes to what is going on.

However it is very obvious that academia has a world view (atheistic/Darwinian) that it does not want to relinquish. They appear to be willing to do what ever it can to hang on to the reins of academia. In a setting such as universities, not to mention public schools, that often tout themselves as places of “Free Thinking” they are anything but that.

A number of the interviewees, specifically Richard Dawkins, let the cat out of the bag, if it was not out already, that the main goal in all of this is to do what ever is needed to deny God. Dawkins goes as far as rather believing in aliens or some other form of life “seeding” earth rather than admit to the possibility of there being a God. However he never answered, at least in the clip shown, where the aliens would have come from other than he felt they had to also come through some evolutionary process.

All in all I would recommend this movie and I have heard in a comment to one of the reviews that the DVD will have much more footage of the interviews. This is not a religious or even Christian movie and does, I think, a good job of making sure that the message is that academia is locking out freedom of thought. While the topic of God was not avoided a number of the IDers interviewed were agnostics or would have at least not held to a Christian view of God. So this movie simply portrays the clash of world views and that for now one world view, academia’s Darwinian thought, hold the keys and does not want to let other in to play.

On the negative side as with any documentary, especially one aimed also as entertainment, there has to always be some healthy skepticism about editing. Michael Moore is probably not alone in editing footage to put people in the light they desire them to be and portray a message that is desired. With Expelled we need to make sure that we do not simply take Ben Stein’s version of things as sufficient. We should take the given data and place it alongside other data and see what results. Also, personally, the added breakaways to extraneous footage to make a point was for me not necessary but I realize it was part of the entrainment side of things.

Here area a few more reviews of the movie

American Vision: Expelled: The Movie—Part 1 & Expelled: The Movie - Part 2
Parchment and Pen: Expelled: Evolution vs. Intelligent Design - A Review
The Constructive Curmudgeon: Break Down the Wall: A Movie Review of "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed"
He Lives: Expelled, the Review
Pulpit Magazine: Expelled

Reviews of Expelled

Here some reviews of the movie Expelled:
Triablogue: Expelled: A Brief Movie Review & First Impressions on Expelled
Bock’s Blog: Interesting to See Reviews on Expelled April 18.08
Answers In Genesis: Expelled Reviewed
CampOnThis:  Expelled: ....... no intelligence allowed 

Now I admit that the above reviews do not include the many anti-Expelled reviews on the internet, just Google “Review of Expelled.” I simply put some on that I ran across that seemed to be fair reviews and gave an overview of the film. As with many documentaries there will be those that do not like what they see and will thus write not so glowing reports of the film while those that like the outcome of movie often write elaborated reviews. So I chose the four above and while there are many more out there these should give a feel for the movie.

Now some thoughts on the movie, or better yet its premise, that I admit I have not seen yet.

I am not sure if I will see the movie at the theaters as they cost so much and with 5 people to pay for there is a side of me that asks if this is a good use of the funds available. Also, I am sure as with most movies of this type I will probably be left wanting. I think the premise is good, that the academic world is not really open to free thinking, but I pray that Christians do not again see this as some great, or even the greatest, witnessing tool sent by God. All too often Christians seem to think that every movie or other entertainment event that somehow has Christian overtones, or undertones, is such an event. Truth is from what I have seen and heard the focus is mainly on evolutionary thought versus Intelligent Design (ID) and I do not think that ID is the answer to the evolutionary debate. Yes, I do believe there is an intelligent designer but why can we not simply call Him God. Disguising God by some other name such as “Intelligent Designer” seems to sort of be a bait and switch and an attempt to get a foot in the door but is it necessary. What ID does is simply say that we as Christians can play on the scientific community’s court and to their rules and here is how we see creation by your standards. True the people in academia who own the court do not like to play with others the truth is until we as Christians lose the fear of simply saying that even though there is plenty of proof of what we believe the only proof we truly need is the infallible word of God we will always be fighting an uphill battle. The reason for this being that the scientific community will invariably continue to change the rules to meet their needs and until God changes their hearts they will not believe, in a saving manner, simply based on good argumentation.

So at the end of the day I will probably rent the movie when it comes out and I do think that it may be a good place to begin conversations but let us not see it as the panacea for evangelism as was done with so many things to precede it. Also, it is good that the world, whether they buy into it or not, see the often one sidedness of the academic institutions our tax dollars often pay for.

By the way I would imagine that my unashamedly young earth views would probably be laughed at by both sides as many IDers seem to not see it as viable.

Christian Contentment

In reading this month’s 2008 Puritan Reading Challenge book, The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment by Jeremiah Burroughs, I was struck by a point with regards to The Mystery of Contentment.

Burroughs in Chapter 2- point two: A Christian comes to contentment, not so much by way of addition, as by way of subtraction (pg 45) says: “

“That is his way of contentment, and it is a way that the world has no skill in. I open it thus: not so much by adding to what he would have, or to what he has, not by adding more to his condition; but rather by subtracting from his desires, so as to make his desires and his circumstances even and equal.”

How true this is for me. When I become discontent with my circumstances I immediately think of all that that needs to be added to bring contentment but it never does. Rarely if ever do ask myself if I need to change my desires. Burroughs is so right that we need to seek after the heart of God and make sure our desires are aligned with His.

Burroughs quotes another author on page 47 as saying: "The way to be rich is not by increasing wealth, but by diminishing our desires." The issue is that we need to seek after godly contentment and not contentment as defined by the world around us.

This, however, does not mean a Christian will never be discontented as Burroughs touches on in Chapter 2 for the first point (page 42): "It may be said of one who is contented in a Christian way that he is the most contented man in the world, and yet the most unsatisfied man in the world; these two together must needs be mysterious." The point being that while we are content in Christ being in this world should leave us with a manner of discontentment that will only be met when we are spending eternity with God at the time of our final rest.

So let us not allow the world to impose its desires and lead us to a discontentment that is not pleasing to God. But at the same time let us foster an understanding that this is not all there is and thus have a godly discontentment with the world around us. The truth is we are to be content with God but discontented with the world. Our contentment with God is to grow daily as we walk with Him and as we walk with Him in our pilgrimage in the world our discontentment will invariably grow as we long for eternity with Him.

Around the Web and Blogosphere (4/10/08)

Charley at HomeDiscipling Dad has some good thoughts on the whole issue of being “Peer Dependent” in his post: Peer Dependent or God Dependent?



Over at the Reformed Baptist Fellowship they link to a great message on the Lords day by Alistair Begg. You can go to Truth For Life and listen to it on line, here, or sign up for the Podcast and listen to it for free, here. If you sign up for the Podcast you will also be able to get the other messages on the Sabbath. I am looking forward to listening to the other messages as the one I have linked to above was the last in the series on the Sabbath.



There is a good quote over at Unashamed Workman on preaching from Philip Ryken’s new book entitled City on a Hill. Ryken says:

“What ministers are to do is preach the Word - that is, the Word of God. A faithful minister does not preach the latest news. He does not preach his private opinion, his personal experience, or his political agenda. He does not even preach his own theological tradition, although of course he does preach within it, insofar as his system of doctrine is derived from Scripture. What he preaches is God’s eternal, infallible Word, as written in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments.”




Thanks to Fide-O for linking to this, below is a video on Oprah that is not overly long and it definitely gives a good view into Oprah’s beliefs. What is scary about all of this is the number of Christians that watch her. Watch the entire video and you would be hard pressed to say she is a Christian as she does not hold to any orthodox beliefs that that I can tell. As far as the book that is spoken of at the end I do not know anything about it but I would agree with the title and that is “Drink the Kool-Aid” of Oprah.

Updated SGCF Website

I just finished redoing the church website using iWeb.

You can check it out here:  Sovereign Grace Christian Fellowship.

Around the Web and Blogosphere (04/4/08)

Tom Ascol has a funny video form when he spoke at a conference in Brazil: Every Interpreters Nightmare. As he explains the funny part starts about 1:45 into the video. This does show how we need to be careful of using idioms as many will not get the connection to what we are trying to convey, “If you get my drift.”

After finishing March’s Puritan book in the 2008 Puritan Reading Challenge, The Godly Man’s Picture by Thomas Watson I would highly recommend it. But this comes with the warning that you need to be prepared to be convicted as Watson pulls no punches as to what God desires of His people. But he does so in a manner that will lead one to seek to truly be the man or woman God has called them to be. This is a book replete with scripture to show that God has not hidden what He desires but it is plainly there for all to see, in His Word.

Justin Taylor from Between Two Worlds linked to a good article by Michael Gerson: Osama’s Abortion Extremism. This article reveals that while abortion may not be the most pronounced topic for Obama he does have views on the subject and his voting record would show that he even supports partial birth abortion by his opposition to the ban on such a vile act.

This looks like an interesting movie: Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed with Ben Stein. The movie reveals the strangle hold Darwinian thought has on the educational system. While I think, I have not seen the movie, that the focus is on the exclusion of Intelligent Design from our intuitions of higher learning the bigger picture is that those that hold an evolutionary opinion of origins are so fearful of being found lacking in substantiation for their beliefs that they close the door on any other thought as to the origins of man. The trailer is here.

Called to be Pilgrims

What is it about the world that so draws us to itself? As I read through scripture it is clear that we are called to be pilgrims in this world as we journey to our final destination, the better country, a heavenly one (Heb 11:16). Many passages look at the believer as a sojourner, an exile and a stranger in the world. The picture is that what God calls us to is not to find our home here but to see our place as our final destination

Passages in scripture that speak to believers as sojourners:
Gen 23:4 - Abraham refers to himself as a sojourner and foreigner
Gen 47:9 - Jacob calls himself a sojourner
Psalm 39:12 - David refers to himself as a sojourner
Phil 3:20 – Paul speaks of where our true citizenship resides, in heaven
1 Peter 1:17 – Peter refers to the believers as being in exile
1 Peter 2:11 – Paul in urging believes to be honorable refers to them as sojourners and exiles

This is not a call to remove ourselves from the world but as the puritan Thomas Manton said; “We cannot get out of the world when we please, but we must get the world out of us.” We are to do the work that God has for us to do while He has us here but not let the world take up residence in our hearts. My fear is that too many have become comfortable in this world and allowed it to impinge on the work we are to do in glorifying God.

We should ask ourselves; “if the things of this world were removed and all that was left was God, His Word and His people would we be satisfied. This question is important because if we were to truly live as that which most pleases God would we not give up much of what the world offers and be left with the God, His Word and His people.

The end result is that we as believers should look different from the world around us. This is not a forced difference but one that results from simply living as God dictates in His word. As we live to glorify Him we will stand out in this world and in so doing we will be the light we are called to be. As much as we try and think that we need to look like the world to reach it is would seem that is the difference in us that God uses to draw people to Himself.

In scripture we simply see people living as God dictates in His Word and God drawing people to them. Nowhere do we see “Ex-Gladiators for Christ” or “Former Pharisees for Christ” but we see people changed by the Spirit to be simply Christians. But, today we have so many groups that seem to portray all that is to change is ones viewpoint but in reality when we become a believer we become a new person (1 Cor 5:17).

So let us be the pilgrims we are called to be and not let the world steal our affections.

Update on Homeschooling in California

Here is an update from HSLDA on the recent issue of homeschooling in California:

Court of Appeal Grants Petition for Re-hearing

On March 25, the California Court of Appeal granted a motion for rehearing in the In re Rachel L. case—the controversial decision which purported to ban all homeschooling in that state unless the parents held a teaching license qualifying them to teach in public schools.
The automatic effect of granting this motion is that the prior opinion is vacated and is no longer binding on any one, including the parties in the case.

The Court of Appeal has solicited a number of public school establishment organizations to submit amicus briefs including the California Superintendent of Public Instruction, California Department of Education, the Los Angeles Unified School District, and three California teacher unions. The court also granted permission to Sunland Christian School to file an amicus brief. The order also indicates that it will consider amicus applications from other groups.
Home School Legal Defense Association will seek permission to file such an amicus brief and will coordinate efforts with a number of organizations interesting in filing briefs to support the right of parents to homeschool their children in California.

“This is a great first step,” said Michael Farris, chairman of HSLDA. “We are very glad that this case will be reheard and that this opinion has been vacated, but there is no guarantee as to what the ultimate outcome will be. This case remains our top priority,” he added.


I would agree that this is a good first step but the fact that the step had to be taken at all speaks volumes about where we are as a society and the leanings that exist towards socialism and the state knowing what is best for our children. Please keep this in prayer as simply because this wave of resistance to homeschooling seems to have been held back I am sure there are more to follow.

Around the Web and Blogosphere (3/26/08)

James McDonald writes on: Abortion Illogic. He also has a pretty cool video on the site as well.

Speaking of abortion. I would recommend watching Doug Phillips talk from the History of the World Mega Conference on the Mayas. This talk spoke of the great achievements of the Mayas and their brilliance in astronomy, mathematics and other areas but it also spoke of their great violence, especially themselves. If we look at their history we see a great nation by many accounts but their great lack of biblical morality and thus the ability to sacrifice their own people and children eventually led to their being wiped out, by themselves no less. We as a nation can boast any number of great things such as technology but our moral base is such that we will sacrifice millions of children for the cause of personal comfort. Is the future of the US to be the same as the Mayas or can we regain the moral compass of the bible and avoid destruction? By the way the other DVD’s in the collection are very good as well.


Dr. Albert Mohler writes: Has the Notion of Sin Disappeared? In this article he notes that: “Perhaps the most interesting angle on the story is the fact that the secular world seems to understand that something has changed when it comes to the preaching of many churches and the beliefs of many who call themselves Christians.” What a sad commentary when the world notices the minimization of sin and the professing church does not seem to.


I recently read an article by N.T. Wright on Christianity Today’s web site entitled: Heaven is not our home. If his goal is to lead people to live the life we are called to now and not just sit back and wait for Christ’s return there are others ways to do this. If one simply reads Hebrews 11 you quickly see the motif with Abraham of him being an alien and stranger that is looking to a promised home, heaven. It was this look to the future promises that was the impetus for his living in the present as it is to be for us. It appears that Wright’s presuppositions about the central mission of the church have driven his understanding of scripture. Yes we as believers are to live as scripture calls us and thus should be salt and light in the world but that does not necessitate tossing out a view that Heaven is our true home and to look forward to that as Abraham did. Again, it is the look to the future promises of God that fuels our present journey that God has us on.

The Lasting Implications of the Cross

This year for Easter I preached from Romans 5:1-11.  The reason I chose this passage was that it is one that follows on Paul’s teaching on justification by faith and shows the implications this has for life after the cross.   That the same faith that saved is the same faith we are to live by.  The message at Easter should be one that speaks of the reconciliation with God at the cross for those that believe and continued reconciliation for the life of the believer until they are called home or Christ returns.

Paul, in Romans 5:1-11, speaks of seven implications of Justification by faith: Peace with God, Access to God, a hope of glory, the ability to rejoice in suffering, the love of God in us, being saved from the wrath of God and continued reconciliation to God.  What was interesting is that the Gospel message that Paul delivers is not one of deliverance from trials or troubles but one that delivers us from God’s wrath to peace with God.  The implications given are not ones that we often hear but is one that needs to be preached often. 

I often wonder, if the only promise we offered when delivering the Gospel message was to have peace with God would people still see it as pleasing.  So often the message that is delivered, and especially at Easter, is one of deliverance from our personal dilemmas but the only dilemma we truly need to be delivered from is our enmity with God.  We are estranged from God due to our sin and only the cross can rectify that.  But that is not the end of the story as salvation is not just about a past event with future implications but instead has implications for the here and now.

So, we need to see that when we share the Gospel the cross is just the start as when God gives one the faith to seek Him it is that same faith that allows us to have the ability to serve and worship Him as He desires.  To find God’s commands as not being burdensome (1 John 5:3) one needs the see that life is to be lived by the same faith that reconciled us to God.  The faith to walk daily is the same faith that saved. 

So let us see that Easter is about the start of a journey and that journey begins at the cross.  It is a journey that is made possible by the gift of faith, a gift from God (Eph 2:8-9).

Around the Web and Blogosphere (3/17/08)

With regards to the homeschooling issues in California Albert Mohler in his article, Overt Hostility toward Homeschoolers, reveals that while some are saying not to worry the court decision has brought out the true colors of those that oppose homeschooling. Reading this article shows me that there is a true fear that homeschooling interferes with the humanist agenda and they would like to do whatever is necessary to stop those that homeschool. Walter P. Coombs and Ralph E. Shaffer whose article is cited by Mohler use the same class warfare language that is often bandied about during elections to try and incite others to rise up against those that homeschool. Please keep this whole issue in prayer because whether you live in California or not the issues here will effect you in some way.

Jim at OldTruth.com has a good quote from Robert Godfrey titled: Worship is Neither Evangelism or Entertainment.

Scott Brown has a link to an interview he did with Doug Phillips on Kevin Swanson’s radio show Generations: Choosing Candidates: What Does the Bible Say? Scott also in his post, Workshop In Expository Preaching, has a good quote from E.M Bounds on preaching from Bounds’ book Power of Prayer

At the Banner of Truth Trust is a good article by Geoff Thomas titled: Preaching Christ from the Old Testament. As he shares the preachers of the New Testament shared Christ from the Old and so should we.

Update on Homeschooling in California

HSLDA reports that:

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell comes to the defense of homeschool families. “The California Department of Education policy will not change in any way as a result of this ruling. Parents still have the right to homeschool in this state,” he said.

This is good news but there still needs to be prayer because obviously while Mr. O’Connell feels this way not everyone does.

You can read the entire HSLDA article here: Defending Homeschool Freedom in California

Homeschooling in California

As many of you may already know there was recently a court ruling that if upheld would prohibit homeschooling unless the parents homeschooling are certified teachers.  Even with this stipulation one has to ask if this means certified for a particular grade and thus it would still limit families from homeschooling.  There are many working on this case to either have the case over turned or “depublished” which would not allow it to be used as precedent and thus less of an issue.  Based on published reports this ruling could affect 160,000 families and possibly more so it is no small matter

What is disturbing in all of this is the mindset of the judiciary that parents have no right to school their own children as they see best for them.  If this is not socialism at its finest I am not sure what is.  If people think that this is a problem of a liberal state such as California they need to understand that the outcome of this case will effect just about everyone as it will create a precedent for every state that has similar feelings.

While this may have caught many people by surprise we should not have been surprised that something like this would not happen eventually.  I simply look at the school systems and the legal system has shown a propensity to lean towards removing parental rights and handing them over to the state.  This is also not only an issue with the state but also with the Federal Government as seen by many leanings toward socialism and thus the governments feeling that it is better prepared to care for children than their parents.

Am I fearful of all these happenings.  Not really, I know that I am called by God’s Word to homeschool and thus I also know God has a plan in all of this and if that plan is that my family has to move then so be it.   My concern is that many in other states will not take notice of this and simply wait until something similar happens.  We should not expect the world to understand the things of God so why would we expect them to understand homeschooling from a biblical context.

I ask that you pray for the numerous homeschool families in California.  Pray that we will do what is biblical and if at the end of the day that is to vacate California so be it as answering to God for what we do is much more important than answering to the state.

Here is a petition you can sign with regards to this situation:  HSLDA Petition

Below are some other Blog Posts and Audio Broadcasts on the subject

Blog Posts:

Home Discipling Dad:  What is Educations Purpose

Reflections on the Times:  Parents: No rights to Homeschool?

Dr. Albert Mohler: A Bolt From the Blue -- A Homeschooling Decision in California

These are the Generations of….. :  California Homeschool Setback

Doug’s Blog: Homeschooling Rights in Jeopardy in California

Broadcasts:

Focus on the Family Broadcast

Cross Talk America

Preaching and the Culture

What is our call as Christians with regards to the culture? This comes to mind due to a recent blog I read about a pastor who is well known for his use of “foul” language and often overly graphic descriptions. This pastor is often defended by persons with equally colorful language. The point is usually that as this is what our culture is like and we need to reach this culture we need to relate to them as such and since the church is growing in an “unchurched area” then this must be OK.

The first point seems to say that since the culture lives a certain way and speaks a certain way we need to preach in the same manner. However, I am not sure this can be defended by scripture. The usual call is to such verses as 1 Cor 9:22 to bolster the claim that we need to do all that we can to save people. I don’t think Paul is saying he is becoming like an unbeliever so as to reach them but that he needed to come to them where they were to reach them. There is a vast difference in coming to someone in the condition they are in and not asking them to change first than to simply take on the persona of those we are to reach.

Before someone chimes in that we all take on culture in some form, you are correct. But this is not about trying to evangelize in Nigerian while traveling around Sweden. We do need to use words that are understandable to the listener but this does not necessitate using inappropriate language which scripture says in wrong, Eph 5:1-4. Simply because the culture sees something as normal does not dictate its normalcy to the believer. So yes there is a level of delivering the gospel that is done in a cultural context but there is also a limit.

As far as the argument that it must be Ok as many are coming to the Lord and the church I would have to say that size is not the arbiter of acceptability. Notice I did not say success because success in our world is often dictated by numbers as this particular pastor and others like him are seen as successes. Acceptableness is deemed by God, not man, and His word. Since scripture is clear that the use of foul language is inappropriate then I have to surmise it is inappropriate in all situations. Size may reveal the blessing of God but as we have seen over the years in the Western Church the number of attendees in a church does not necessarily correlate to spiritual transformation by God. Only time will tell if those that come to see the stage show are truly called of God or if they are there for the entertainment.

The bottom line is we are simply to preach the Word in a clear and understandable manner, as faith comes by the Word of God (Rom 10:17). It is not by ones exegetical prowess or mastery of speech but by the Holy Sprit that men and women are changed. One can claim to hold to the sufficiency of scripture but when one has to turn to means not dictated by God to deliver the message one is not truly showing a reliance on the sufficiency that may be preached.

This is not even necessarily about vulgar preaching, even thought tha is what instigated this, but it is about the vast numbers of preachers that claim to rely on God and His word but in practice rely on everything but His Word and the Holy Sprit to transform people. This is not trying to say that if one is in a foreign country one should not dress as those around them but is about trying to bridge the gulf between man and God with the materials of the world rather than the word of God. We have to seriously seek God’s word for what we are to do rather than our own understanding of how we think things should be.

I pray these thoughts were not too random as this was more me thinking out loud as there are numerous levels in which we let culture dictate what we do. We are often so entrenched in our culture that we become oblivious to it. The only way to combat this is to truly rely on the sufficiency of scripture and the sufficiency of scripture to reach His people through His Word plainly preached

Around the Web and Blogosphere (3/1/08)

Scott at These are the Generations of…. has a link to Family Life Today interview (2 parts) with Dr. Baucham entitled: The Call to Discipleship. This is a good interview and it is good to hear the interaction to many things I have heard Voddie speak on before. You can either pay for the download from Family Life Today or do as I do and sign up for the pod cast for free through ITunes.

Charley at HomeDiscipling Dad has some suggested books to read to help gain a biblical vision for discipling at home. I have read both When You Rise Up as well as Family Driven Faith and they are very good. We have Upgrade and it is on my list to read. By the way I have reviewed Family Driven Faith in the past and here is a link that will take you to a review of each chapter: Links to Chapter Reviews of Family Driven Faith

Paul at the Vaughnshire Farm blog speaks of the term Cultural Secession. Upon reading the post it is a good term as while many speak of those that resist culture are labeled as being irrelevant the truth is it is those that can remain outside, in some manner, the cultural norm that are the most likely to change it. When we become so entrenched in the culture around us we not only become blind to the problems inherent in the culture we also, over time, become unable to be the change agent we need to be.

Voting and the Bible

In this year in which we are to vote for a new president I have been increasingly concerned by the way many professing Christians decide on whom to vote for.  This is not a liberal or conservative issue as I see professing Christians from both viewpoints seeking out wisdom from everywhere but scripture, or at the least not giving supremacy to scripture.  It seems for some Christians the top priority is for a particular candidate not to win so they will vote for anyone to stop that candidate.  For others the top priority is some social issues and they will vote for that candidate no matter what their views are on such issues as abortion.  What I see from this is that there is a severe lack of trust in seeking scripture for an answer and then trusting in the answer that God gives through His word. 

Now I am not saying that these professing Christians do not claim to use scripture but even if they are close to the correct interpretation there often does not seem to be an issue if a particular candidate does not meet biblical criteria.  Yes, for believers we do need to vote for candidates that meet biblical criteria.  If a particular candidate sees no issue with the killing of innocent life but has good economic principles and even if they can help some disadvantaged people they would be disqualified from a biblical standard for ones vote.  While I may or may not see us as being a Christian nation it would be unconscionable for me not to vote so as that to be an outcome if God so deems it.  By the way, everyone in some manner votes to have their values upheld so why would not Christians do the same.

At the heart of the matter for many Christians is an apparent fear.  This is a fear that a particular candidate may win so many Christians speak of voting for a lesser of two evils.  When did it ever become OK to vote for any evil?  If there are no candidates that meet the biblical criteria then the call would be not to vote for any of the available candidates.  At the end of the day it is better for the church to have a clear conscience before God, a clear conscience based on His word and not subjective feeling, than to have voted for a candidate that God has said is not qualified.

So the question then seems to be what qualifies a candidate.  Well it is not perfection but scripture does give qualifications that believers need to pay attention to when it comes to choosing our leaders.  In the coming weeks, as time permits, I will mention some of these qualifications but the first would be that they are a brother in Christ.  Yes I said a Christian should be voting for a Christian.  Why, as Doug Phillips says in the CD set mentioned below, for starters scripture says that the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord (Prov 1:7) thus it would sure seem wise to vote for one that is not a fool.  Thus voting for one that is not a Christian is not an option no matter their other views. 

The bottom line is we are not to be fearful and toss out scripture simply because we think the worst thing that can happen is a certain candidate would win.  Actually the worse thing that can happen is we have to stand before God and answer as to why we voted for a candidate that God says was not qualified.   Let us hold firm to our confidence in God and follow His guidelines and not some pragmatic plan that in the end denies the sufficiency of scripture and the sufficiency of God in the voting process.

For a sound biblical look at this topic I recommend a CD set by Doug Phillips:  Biblical Principles of the Ballot Box.  He gives a good overview on how we need to decide on whom we vote for.  

Around the Web and Blogosphere (2/20/08)

Well I was either on a plane or in an airport for 8 hours again today.  The truth is I hardly travel but it seems that lately I have been all over the place for work; today it is Denver on the way to St. Louis.  So, while siting in the airport I looked over the following:

Steve Camp writes: “"God in the Hands of Complacent Sinners"
...the dire need to recover a reverence for God in ministry”  While Steve’s focus is on the emergent folk who have “drank the kool-aid  of the emergent movement” there is a place where this article speaks just as much about the church as a whole.

 

Mark Dever writes: The Bondage of "Guidance".  I would add that often decisions would be much more clear if we just looked to scripture first.  So often people seek the subjective when the objective answers of scripture stare them right in the face because is many times the last place people look for answers to God’s will in a decision.  Simply because scripture does not say “take X or Y job” it does have clear biblical principles that will greatly minimize our choices.  When the choices are down to the minimum the Sprit of God will be the deciding factor.  Saying scripture is sufficient is not something we are to just say but we are to live as such.

 

Scott Brown has a great quote from George Whitefield: I Love those That Thunder Out the Word.  In 1739 Whitefield said: “I love those that thunder out the Word. The Christian world is in a deep sleep. Nothing but a loud voice can waken them out of it..” It is expository preaching through all of God’s word that allows it to be “thundered.”  Not just the parts that people want to hear but all of it clearly exposited.  Scott is part of an Expository Preaching Workshop March 7-8 in Wake Forest.  

At the Vaugnshire Farm blog there is a good post, Parallel Economy, by Paul on how the government often hinders free trade among its own people in the name of economics. By far things are not as bad as in many places in the world but never the less the government in the name of economics does hinder free trade and as Paul mentions it may only get more intrusive.