The Day After the Election
Dr. James White speaks truth here that all Christians should carefully hear…
Celebrating Fall
A recent church Fall Newsletter headlined, “Celebrating the Beauty of God’s Changing World” Now, at first glance this may seem like a harmless headliner. It sits on top of a beautiful fall picture of children catching falling leaves. Harmless right? It’s quite picturesque too. Yet, I can’t help to point out how this could be misread. There seems to be a revealing error being communicated here. A fatal error that points to a trend in our churches that has proven to be detrimental to so many. A celebration of gifts rather than the giver. A few years ago this might have never caught my attention and I would have excused it as an issue of semantics and simply displayed grace to the editor. (I’m still willing to dialogue with the editor, because it could be just a matter of retraction and correction.) Yet, this error will more than likely be smiled at as cleaver and cute (with children laughing, of course it’s cute) Yet the effort to make the season less about a Pagan ritual by throwing ‘God’ in the headline doesn’t necessarily excuse the headline as being an acceptable Christian statement. Without ‘God’ in the headline it would read “Celebrating the beauty of a changing world” sounds like a progressive political magazine now, right? Do you see my conflict yet? God is not changing, yet His world is changing. Is this something we should celebrate?
There is at least two types of changing here that could be expressed:1) The change that happens Read more
Atheists in the Foxholes - Who is the Real Enemy?
Perhaps you’ve been following the story of the “Atheist in the Foxhole” story which has taken an interesting turn this week:
“Army Specialist Dustin Chalker alleges that he was forced to participate in public prayers and that the military systematically violates the religious rights of its personnel. Chalker, who has served in Korea and Iraq, is the second soldier to file such a lawsuit with the help of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation. Both lawsuits say that the military permits religious discrimination by fundamentalist Christians who try to force their views on others, especially subordinates. Chalker’s lawsuit lists 18 examples, including presentations at service academies that criticize Islam and functions he was required to attend where Christian prayers mentioned Jesus.”
So my question is this: is Chalker, a self-admitted atheist, truly concerned about the Army criticizing Islam, or does he just want to attack Christianity? If he is a supporter of Islam, maybe he should stay in Iraq (where he is currently stationed) and convert (from atheism – that’s an interesting thought…) to Islam. There may very well be 72 virgins in his future…
I believe people like Chalker just want to make a name for themselves and try to be so ‘hip it hurts” by claiming to be an atheist. The Bible calls them fools and who am I to argue with the word of God?
However, if he is suing the Army and citing 18 examples, among which one is academics that criticize Islam…. And Christian prayer that mentions Jesus – I do believe we have polar opposites here.
I actually went to the website for the foundation of Atheists in the Foxhole. I was curious to see how many “men” and women would support such an organization. It appears that roughly 25 or so nationally are signed up as members. As usual, these type of groups are like a Chihuahua, small yet yippy.
I am sure that Chalker will make the circuit of the news talk shows – he will probably land on Oprah eventually (she will be sure to welcome him with open arms) but I truly hope that he finds this blog – because I have one question for him and it is this- When you signed up to defend this country, just who did you determine to be real enemy? If you answered anyone except the enemy within, you are WRONG my friend. You have lied to yourself so long that you don’t even know what the truth is anymore. There is one truth – and that is Jesus Christ – the subject of your lawsuit. If you have no faith to draw on, how can the men that rely on you as a team member in the armed service have faith in you?
The beauty of this is that Christians can live in the beauty of knowing that one day ALL knees will bow and ALL mouths will confess that Jesus Christ is LORD. The only problem for fools is that it will be too late.
How do we glorify God?
I live right down the street from this amazing used books store that is a treasure chest of books for any theologian. Upon checking out, the owner also included a freebee titled How Do We Glorify God?, by John D. Hannah. This little book is a part of a Series about the Basics of the Reformed Faith.
With Romans 11:36 as its central focus. I found that this book was very helpful in narrowing a basic understanding of what any reformed theologian finds to be dear. With a clear cutting tone. The author holds nothing back about the current status of the church and the need for a “radical perspective”
Many churches have fallen prey to cultural assimilation. They have degenerated into self-serving enterprises whose primary celebration is to exalt God as giver and to validate a message of cultural narcissism and personal advantages. Such churches have accommodated themselves to things that are not eternal. Genuine worship is not like that. It realizes the worth of God and our dependence on him. It is not a celebration of a favored socioeconomic status within a decadent capitalistic state.
Offering several key thoughts about why the church has lost it’s God-Centeredness. Hannah offers the stark contrast of what it means to be God-Centered, placing a spot light on the five solas: Scripture alone, Christ alone, Grace alone, Faith alone and Glory to God alone. This again is an affirmation of Romans 11:36 “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.” After laying this foundation Hannah offers a few answers to the radical reformed questions such as: What is the chief end of man? What is the chief end of God?
The very nature of God’s being, that is, he alone, is the cause of his creative activities. it might be explained this way: God values himself above all else, and because he does, he is himself the end of creation. When the world is consumed in the final judgment and time no longer exists, the ultimate end of God’s handiwork will be known. It will be evident then that God is the final end of all his activities.
One of the most amazing things he points out is how the chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever. (Does John Piper ring a bell?) To live out life in such a way that indicates our love for the father. “True virtue is rooted in an inward perception of the holiness and beauty of God… Only a Christian can have true virtue because only a Christian can delight in God for who he is alone.” This means that all the “good” done in society apart from God is not rooted in him it is grounded in “self-love and the desire to enjoy pleasant circumstances.”
Moreover Hannah forms His thoughts around one question each day. “Will you (God) grant me the privilege of glorifying you today?” His focus isn’t; What are my duties today? His desire and focus is glorifying God through the vehicle of his tasks at hand. Rather than focusing on the tasks themselves. God desires “that he would see himself in me each day.” Hannah points out. To have a radical, God-centered perspective in a self-centered, self-loving culture is to live forth and shine forth Him for who He is and not as a mere giver of pleasing circumstances.
How marvelous a transformation this requires in the lives of believers and how marvelous is the creator who will see to its end. To God alone be all the glory!
Cyclone Nargis
The devastation in Burma is beyond imagination. I urge everyone to help in any way they can.
Gospel for Asia, a well respected evangelistic organization is taking any donation amount to not only get the food, water and shelter to the thousands of people in Burma but they are also taking with them the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ to an area that desperately needs to hear it.
“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 33 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ 37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ (Matthew 25:31-39)
Please remember to keep the people of Burma in your prayers and pray that the missionaries and those going to help with be bold in proclaiming the Gospel.
Click here to donate online directly to Gospel for Asia.
John Piper gives six ways to respond to the cyclone disaster in Burma.
The Point
A story has been floating around the internet the last week or so about Azariah Southworth, the producer and host of a Christian music program called The Remix, who has announced that he is gay. While I don’t wish to discuss Mr. Southworth’s announcement, one of his comments gave me pause -
I know I will be cut off from many within the Christian community, and if so, then they didn’t get the point of the life of Christ. I believe by me living my life honestly and authentically now, I am able to be a better person and a better Christian.
So what is the point of the life of Christ? I would be curious to hear Mr. Southworth’s take on that statement though I am nearly sure it would make my head explode … and not in a good way. I think there is likely a great deal of confusion in the church in the 21st century as to what purpose Jesus had in coming, dying, and being raised from the dead, because rather than holding to the truth of the bible, we have allowed our message to become one that is man-centered rather than God-centered.
In today’s church, it is often about what God can do for me, what Jesus did for me, how the Holy Spirit can empower me and not about God. We are suddenly the center of the story and not God. It is about my sin, not God’s holiness. It is about keeping me out of Hell, not God’s wrath and His justice. It is about my need, not God’s love. So suddenly, we are teaching a self-centered gospel that is about us and we find that we are worshiping the idol of our own importance instead of glorying in the goodness, the righteousness, the holiness, the love of God our Father who sent His son, not so that we would make much of ourselves, but instead make much of God.
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