Today I went for a jog and took a long an audio biographical sketch of the Puritan Theologian John Owen. Owen, who lived at the height of English Protetantism 1616-1683, and served as Oliver Cromwell's personal chaplain and theologian wrote close to 22 volumes which survive and are read today. Some of his life and doctrine I'm not sure if I fully can assent (certainly I cannot make a judgement either way without reading him in source) but some of the quotations I pulled out were astonishing and exhortive in my soul. Thought I would share:

On our friendship with Christ Christ is our best friend, and ere long will be our only friend. I pray God will all my heart that I may be weary of everything else but converse and communion with Him John Owen, God's Statesman, p. 153.

Friendship is most maintained and kept up by visits; and these, the more free and less occasioned by urgent business ...
John Owen, Works, VII, 197f.

On Leadership of the Church
I am leaving the ship of the Church in a storm, but while the great Pilot is in it, the loss of a poor under-rower will be inconsiderable
The Correspondence of John Owen, p. 174.

On Study and Insight into The Scriptures
I must now say, that, after all my searching and reading, prayer and assiduous meditation have been my only resort, and by far the most useful means of light and assistance. By these have my thoughts been freed from many an entanglement.
Works, I, p. lxxxv.

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In 1 Kings 12 we find the intriguing story of the transfer of power in the Kingdom of Israel. Solomon has gone the way of the earth and power is to be conferred to his son Rohoboam. Israel assembles to make Rehoboam King, another leader Jeroboam returns from Egypt and with the assembly asks the new young ruler to lighten the load upon the people and they will serve him as their king. Rehoboam receives to lines of counsel.

The first is from the old and the wise who had counseled Solomon in his day. Rehoboam may have been exposed to the proverbs of Israel (many penned by his father) and may have know that:

The glory of young men is their strength, gray hair the splendor of the old. Proverbs 20:29
Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life. Proverbs 16:31
Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed. Proverbs 15:22

The counsel of the wise is this - If you will be a servant to this people today and serve them, and speak good words to them when you answer them, then they will be your servants forever.

Rehoboam, however, also had another voice to listen to, one of youth, one of his buddies, one full of the spirit of indolence and folly.

The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly. Proverbs 15:2

The young men Reheboam, give this insight to the fledgling ruler - ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s thighs. And now, whereas my father laid on you a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.’ ”

Upon taken this advice, the kingdom is fracture into two factions, and Rehoboam's leadership is undermined. Indeed, their is wisdom in the counsel of the experienced, the seasoned, the elder before us.

Finally, a Great Reminder is found in 1 Kings 12:15 So the king did not listen to the people, for it was a turn of affairs brought about by the Lord that he might fulfill his word, which the Lord spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

Even in the midst of the folly of Rehoboam, God was Sovereign, fulfilling his purposes for his people. This is a great encouragement to me. Even as I make decisions today - some wise, some foolish - the gracious hand of providence leads us forward. Such a bulwark to know that -In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.

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Reading a magazine tonight and watching basketball. Came across quite an absurdity from the world of Western higher education.

A World Magazine quick take on the Unethical Teaching Ethics reads:

Princeton University has Peter Singer, an ethics professor who advocates the killing of some unwanted persons. The University of Manchester now has Paul Agutter, an ethics professor who actually tried to poison his wife.

The Reuters news service reports that the British school has hired the convicted criminal to teach a course titled "Therapeutic Cloning: Ethics and Science." Mr. Agutter served seven years in jail for attempted murder after he tried to poison his wife's drink with nightshade in 1994. He was dubbed the "Safeway poisoner" because he tried to cover up his crime by poisoning drinks in a Safeway store.

Medical ethics lecturer Piers Benn of Imperial College London defended the hire: "I can't see any logical contradiction between being able to think about ethical questions and being able to do rather criminal acts." WORLD March 27, 2004: Quick takes - Emphasis Added.

No contradiction? How about, he doesn't know what the heck he is talking about! If one can lecture, pontificate, and teach on the subject of "ethics" but is an extremely unethical and even criminal man, how will the students think he knows anything of his subject matter. Perhaps the situation is worse than I can imagine - perhaps the students do not care. I pray such absurd hypocrisy is short lived - how can a civilization survive with things beyond blurry, where those who are experts in wrong doing are comissioned to teach us right from wrong. God help us.

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I was blessed to speak to a group of college students and athletes today on the topic of "Overcoming fears of Evangelism." Such a privilege to encourage young people to be involved in the wondrous redemptive plan of God in the earth.

I wanted the students to divorce the words "fear" and "evangelism" and marry evangelism with "rejoicing."

Here are a few highlights from the message

Your world wants you to believe that evangelism is a strange thing. The very idea that you claim to know God, a God who has a name, whose name is Jesus, who calls himself the Capital T truth – is offensive to some people. If you believe that sort of thing – keep it to yourself. Part of this is our fault – we have made evangelism a fearful thing – an event kind of like a Christian Super Bowl in which only the truly spiritual participate.

An exhortation to reject fear in favor of rejoicing...

• Rejoice – the gospel is the power of God unto salvation
  
• Rejoice – God will use you in his glorious task of evangelism
  
• Rejoice -- You are secure in him, loved completely
  
• Rejoice – You may be present like a “mid-wife” in the new birth of life in others
  
• Rejoice – God is not defeated, never has been, never will be - he will accomplish his purposes in the gospel
  
• Rejoice – Others will taste and see that the Lord is Good
  
• Rejoice – Your are an ambassador of the most wonderful and glorious God
  
• Rejoice – God is using you to seek out his worshippers
  
• Rejoice – Christ died not in vain – he will save sinners, seeking out his lost sheep using you to do so
  
• Rejoice – You labor in the Lord is never in vain
  
• Rejoice – You have a future rendezvous with your Father – well done, well done, good and faithful servant – enter into the joy of the Lord
  

Don’t waste your life – Mature in your faith, be equipped to give your life away – do not hoard your life, do not hide it from the ugliness of the world, but to give yourself away to it…radically give yourself away!!!
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The season of Lent is upon us. The holy days of the Christian calendar revolved around the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday are all great signposts in a culture to the completed work on redemption by God in Christ. I was thinking this weekend about America's public secular life...What are the "high and holy days" of popular culture in 2004 America? I didn't have to go too far to find the regular, seasonal, convergence celebrated each year by Americans of all walks of life. Could we be in some high and holy days of our culture right now?

Today there are community fellowships, office discussions, and jubilant celebration taking place each weekend during this "Mad" month of March. Religion? Idol Worship? I'll leave those questions for you to answer. But a question can be asked of us as believers. What gets us more jacked up? Easter or March Madness?

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Robert Lewis, Teaching Pastor at Fellowship Bible Church Little Rock has written a book to chronicle a churches efforts to build bridges of influence into the community it calls home.

Part I - Spanning the Great Divide

The first part of the book focuses on the question "What will it take to reconnect church and the culture" - In our day churches have tried many methods of attempting to connect church with people with successes being sporadic. How does the church reach and serve the world from which God has called it out? Some churches are "Seeker" driven, but risk becoming the culture rather than reaching people and influencing culture for the kingdom. Others, promise heaven on earth - health, wealth and abundance - morphing the Christian life into something it is not...dressing up as Lewis puts it "The American Dream in psedopigraphal garb". Others just "preach the Word" without much regarding for the contemporary setting and society the church lives...another problem noted is that so many of our "Christian lives" show so little difference than the lives of those around us. Is there another path to "bridge" the divide between the church and the world - which is faithful to the gospel, the Word of God, yet still effectively engages and influences the world we live in? Lewis describes the experience in his own church of the people growing unchallenged, stifled, and unenthusiastic in their walks? They were "being equipped" but for what?

The second chapter addresses how people in our "Postmodern Age" want "real" rather than just "words" when they hear about faith and spirituality. Putting the questions of the usefulness of the term "postmodern" and whether a "Postmodern Age" is actually possible aside, Lewis is correct in saying that people need to see the living proof of Christ in us and not a proclamation of Christ and the abundant life void of incarnational (lived out) reality. If we are to reach and influence our world we need to "build bridges which balance public proclamation with congregational incarnation. Bridges which are suspended by the steel cables of the Great Commandment as well as the Great Commission" page 40 (note - the bridge building metaphor around which the book lives I found to be very fresh and compelling)

The conclusion of part one is represented on the emphasized statement on page 41 We need churches that would be a community of people who stand firm in the truth over time against raging currents of opposition and who present living proof of a loving God to a watching world

Part one closes with an excellent selection of Scripture (Matt 5:13-16, Luke 6:31-35, Acts 20:35, Rom 12:20,21, Gal 6:9,10, Eph 2:10, 2 Thess 3:13, 1 Tim 6:17-19, Titus 3:8, Titus 2:11-14, Heb 10:24, 1 Pet 3:13) which testifies that believers should be living out good works, loving our enemies, persevering in well doing, so that the world may see and glorify God. A good, albeit brief historical commentary on the love and service of the early church within the Roman Empire is proof that lives of "living proof" truly effect, influence, and transform the world. Proclamation of the gospel (the power of God unto salvation) and good works in the name of Christ make huge impact in the world.

Part II - Designing the Structure

Part two lays out the thesis of the book - that Jesus Christ's "big idea" was to make his church a force of irresistible influence in the world. Jesus promises that the gates of hell shall not prevail over his church and that his people would be salt and light in a harsh and dark world. The result will be praise to God. This idea - a church of irresistible influence is contrasted between churches who are trying to only "meet needs" or "achieve bigger is better success stories" - Such successful big churches many times become islands without bridges, stuffed full, yet not influencing their world, they have little to say to the lost world around them. The church must build bridges of irresitable influence, people of faith must connect and give their lives away in good deeds and service in the communities the church calls home.

Much of the rest of the book is a great look at how one church - Fellowship Bible Church in Little Rock sought to mobilize its people to gives their lives away to become an influence for Jesus Christ in the community. There are great looks at church structure, stories of changed lives (and yes many many who find faith in Christ), as well as the struggle to align the church outward into the community rather than inward, self-focused and self-consumed. The latter parts of the book put great flesh on the ideas communicated Part I and II.

Much more can be said about the book but I agreed with its message almost to a point - although I can always find something to disagree with - smile.

The church must preach the gospel and give itself in good works in the name of Jesus - in doing so God will use us to be involved in what Christian preacher and Apologist Ravi Zacharias called "a proclamation that is not only heard but also seen. We cannot just speak the Gospel. We will have to embody the Gospel. Gipsy Smith once said: 'There are five Gospels Matthew Mark, Luke, John and the Christian. And some people will never read the first four."

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Apologies for a brief step into the world of Western Civilization and Politics, but something is happening in Europe which in my mind is no good sign for things to come. Everyone has now heard of the terrible carnage wrought in Spain last week at the hands of terrorists...see Yahoo! News - Spain PM-Elect Steps Into Controversy Over Iraq The terrible evil of the destruction of lives at the hands of terrorists has shaken the Spanish people to the core. How did they respond? The current government which has backed the US in the war on Terror as well as in Iraq was sweeped from Power on Sunday for new Socialist leadership. Here is the thing that is almost unbelievable. The current government initially was saying the ETA (a domestic terrorist group) was responsible but suspicions rose as to the role of Islamic militants. As it continued to be discussed with links to foreign terrorists begining to emerge, the people suspected that the current political leadership wanted to hide the Islamic connection. The Spanish thought was that this could be reprisal for the Spainards role in Iraq. If this was the work of Islamic terrorists, then it must be because the Spanish were in Iraq. So what do the Spaniards do? They vote out the current government in favor of one who will pull out of Iraq. So here is what may be unfolding today on the continent.

• Terrorists rock a country with a heinous and cowardice act of violence
• That country thinks it may be becaues the terrorists are upset with the role this country is playing in Iraq.
• The people vote out the government that took them to Iraq in favor of a new one which will get them out of Iraq.

Result - Hundreds of Spaniards are dead, terrorists have possibly influenced the politics in a western society by means of terror. The terrorists achieve a victory in having a country back away from a front in the war on terror.

I have questioned in my mind that perhaps Europe neither posesses the worldview/philosophical/religious strength to oppose an Islamic afront on the continent - I never thought there would be evidence of such a direction so early in my own lifetime.

I have spent much time in Europe and have been troubled by the utter lack of conviction about anything at all - how can such a civilization have staying power in such a turbulant and sinful world? I pray for revival of Europe - that the gospel may again quicken hearts and minds to the truth of Jesus Christ. If this does not occur, the Islamization of Europe, which was paused several hundred years ago, may yet again find traction in the spiritual and intellectual vacuum which is now Europe.

Anyway, I hope I am wrong. Praying for Europe tonight.
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An fun little comparison of recent blockbuster movies - Lining up Passion of the Christ with Return of the King, Spiderman, Phantom Menace Box Office Mojo

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Reading a bit online this morning and ran across a great new resource put together by The Jesus Film Project of Campus Crusade for Christ. The Resource "Jesus - Fact or Fiction" is an interactive DVD with extensive video interviews with scholars across the spectrum of expertise. The DVD contains:

• Over 50 Questions answered about Jesus, The Bible, Spiritual Truth, God, and Life After Death
• Expert Scientists, Philosophers, Historians, Theologians and more address life's toughest questions
• Personal Biography and Life Story of each expert
• Personal Life Stories of people whose lives have been changed by Jesus
• Supporting Articles for further review of a subject via a PC DVD ROM
• Suggested Reading Materials
• The award-winning feature film "JESUS," with new interactive apologetic features
• Full-length Audio Commentary of the film by Paul Eshleman
• Making of the film "JESUS"
• How to Use Journey
• Navigational Map insert

The web site associated with this resource also has a tremendous wealth of video and information - highly recommended - http://www.jesusfactorfiction.com

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Many friends and family have shared with us the profound experiences they have had in watching the film The Passion of the Christ. Kasey and I are still hoping to find time to go together, but life on the road with a 2.5 and a 10 month old has proved too much to make it to the movies. Hopefully, in a week or so we will escape to see the film. We continue to pray for its impact on the hearts of individuals, even entire communities and countries around the world. As of Tuesday, March 9th, the film has brought in close to $224,000,000 in just under 2 weeks. We are thankful that so many are seeing the last hours of the life of Christ (very close to the accounts in the gospels) lived out on screens around our nation.

Kasey and I have had a great visit with both of our families during a few days off for spring break. It has been good to be with them during this season of life - grandparents sure love the kids as well :) We continue to see our little Kayla joy bring joy to others - God is using her to brighten lives each day.

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If you leave a white post alone it will soon be a black post. If you particularly want it to be white you must be always painting it again; that is, you must be always having a revolution. Briefly, if you want the old white post you must have a new white post. But this which is true even of inanimate things is in a quite special and terrible sense true of all human things. An almost unnatural vigilance is really required of the citizen because of the horrible rapidity with which human institutions grow old. As we live in a sin-sick world seeking to be transformed, to be changed, to be different, to be more like our Lord it is a startling realization that as we change, so much around us stays the same, even degrades. As God changes us, we still must be ever vigilant to the state of our soul. The unattneded soul soon becomes a darkened post if set adrift in this world. What is the "repainting" in our lives. Worship of God, Digestion of the Truth of God, Practice and exercise of these Truths, New loves and affections for the good, as God the Holy Spirit directs, leads and ultimately transforms us. From glory to glory we change - and here lies therein the key to our becoming. God does not just "repaint" or "maintain" our soul by covering over the wear and the dirt. Unlike human institutions, which we must repaint and maintain with steadfast vigilance, the human soul can be washed, and made clean by living water.

Psalm 51:7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

The soul needs washing, once and continually, so that we might continue to add paint to the posts of God's world.
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Today in studying the account of the construction of Solomon’s temple in 1 Kings 6, I pondered again an interesting description of the building process:

When the house was built, it was with stone prepared at the quarry, so that neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron was heard in the temple while it was being built.

In order to have a construction site not burdened by the raucous sounds of clashing stone and chisels, Solomon had all the work done at the quarry. This construction would go on in a manner suited for such a holy task. Today’s construction sites of whirring nail guns, powerful electric saws, and a cacophony of surrounding traffic and various noise would provide a stark contrast if we were to view the temple construction on a corner down the street. In our contemporary setting there seems to be little time for silence and solemnity. Indeed, our world is full of distractions with little time for the still and quiet reflection that the soul thirsts for. Although, our world has brought an onslaught of distracting forces – beepers, cell phones, instant messaging, e-mail, web logs (smile) – the problem of a busy and scattered soul is not new for our day. In the time of the Bible, warfare, famine, pestilence, enemies on every side, political turmoil were par for the course in our sin racked world. Yet, how did they deal with all they faced? The psalmist has much to say:

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me. The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands. Psalm 138:7,8

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? Psalm 42:2

Oh for some time alone in the silence and solemnity of the presence of God!!! How uncomfortable for us to think of such still and powerful quiet invading our distracted world – but how liberating!

UP now, slight man! flee, for a little while, thy occupations; hide thyself, for a time, from thy disturbing thoughts. Cast aside, now, thy burdensome cares, and put away thy toilsome business. Yield room for some little time to God; and rest for a little time in him. Enter the inner chamber of thy mind; shut out all thoughts save that of God, and such as can aid thee in seeking him; close thy door and seek him. Speak now, my whole heart! speak now to God, saying, I seek thy face; thy face, Lord, will I seek (Psalms xxvii. 8). And come thou now, O Lord my God, teach my heart where and how it may seek thee, where and how it may find thee. St. Anselm of Cantebury - The Proslogion, Chapter 1

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The last few days I was in Xenia Ohio for some speaker’s training. AIA has recently rewritten its “Biblical Principles for Athletic Competition” and is rolling out the materials to all of its teachers around the US. It was a great few days with friends and especially rich as I was able to travel with Mike Echstenkamper, the man who led me to the Lord. We left from Raleigh, NC and flew through Washington on route to Ohio. It was so good to catch up with him, share what is going on in life and hear some wisdom from a friend. The speaker’s training was excellent and I had several meetings with people I serve with in AIA. It was a good time of connecting and also a time of prayer for me as I ponder the next stage of life and ministry. Mike and I also stayed together with a staff couple new to the ministry; their testimony of how God brought them to AIA, after coaching basketball for 17 years, was a powerful story of people following God into the unknown in the next step of their journey. After a packed 2.5 days (sorry for the decimal notation, my math/physics background lingers) Mike and I hopped two planes back to Raleigh – we arrived home weary at about 1 am. The next morning Kasey, Kayla, Kylene, and I engaged more airports on our way to visit with my Mom in Memphis, TN. We are excited to spend some of our spring break time here with my Mom and family. --------

In 1 Kings 4 and 5 we find an incredible time in the life of Israel. Their new king, Solomon, has been blessed by God with wisdom, peace, and stability for the life of the nation. This time of stability and peace gives the nation opportunity to work dilligently on a project of utmost importance - the building of the temple of God. The wisdom and and immense wealth that God brought during the early year's of Solomon's reign were to be marshalled for the glory and worship of God. What of our own wisdom and wealth? Where and how will they be spent? We have the great opportunity to use all that God has given us - be it wisdom, wealth, or talents, to be used to establish and advance the Kingdom of God in our day. As in the time of Solomon, NOW is a very important time. We must always see the gifts in our lives as placed in our midst for the purposes of God. Whether we have an abundance of gifts or what may seem like a small ration (Matt 25 seems to teach that we all have been given something, some more than others) we should use them well for the Kingdom and Glory of God! --------