Well, it looks like Mac users have much to be excited about these days. From innovative industrial designs, the runaway IPOD phenom, to the tres chique Mac Mini, Mac chatter is alive and well. I must confess that the PC world has looked pretty boring these days. Personally I have too much investment on the PC side to ever switch (plus, you just don't convert in these matters), but I just read something that would at least make a Mac usable in my eyes. What you may ask could cause such possibilities? Video coolness? ITunes Smootheness? No, Bible Software Excellence.

Logos Research Systems has just announced that a Mac version of the absolute Best Bible Software on earth will be engineered for the Mac by year's end.

• Press Release
• Logos Bible Software for the Mac Main Page

Mac people, smile, for God loves you too!

--------

MP3s of God's truth, lofty words, beatuiful teaching, testimony to saints gone before, has many days lingered in me to lift me out of dark days of soul. To dream, to hope, to long for God - I have been aided immensely by Ravi Zacharias and John Piper - they have been frieds to point me to Truth and the God of all Truth. This morning a long traffic jam afforded a lengthy listening to a biography on the life of David Brainerd.

Brainerd, who lived but to the age of 29, who for the last 7 years of life literally spit up blood due to chronic tuberculosis...all the while giving himself to missions to the Indians in New England. Living in lonely isolation, sick and many times depressed this man's life has become an inspiration to so many.

A few quotes - these come from "The Life of David Brainerd" by Jonathan Edwards:

O I longed to fill the remaining moments all for God! Though my body was so feeble, and wearied with preaching and much private conversation, yet I wanted to sit up all night to do something for God. To God the giver of these refreshments, be glory forever and ever; Amen." (p. 246) February 21, 1746. "My soul was refreshed and comforted, and I could not but bless God, who had enabled me in some good measure to be faithful in the day past. Oh, how sweet it is to be spent and worn out for God!"

I continued wrestling with God in prayer for my dear little flock here; and more especially for the Indians elsewhere; as well as for dear friends in one place and another; till it was bed time and I feared I should hinder the family, etc. But oh, with what reluctancy did I find myself obliged to consume time in sleep!"

Highly recommended reading - and if reading is a challenge, listen to the audio version - you can aquire that as well:

• Reading - "Oh, That I May Never Loiter on My Heavenly Journey!": Reflections on the Life and Ministry of David Brainerd
• Audio CD - Men of Whom the World is Not Worthy
• David Brainerd's Blog - A blog which is rolling up entries from David Brainerd's journal in 1745

Linger well outside of our present age which is indeed fading away - and long that your hearts might dwell on wonderful, glorious, light giving, things which are eternal

Out...

--------

Wesley J. Smith, a senior fellow at the Discovery Institute and consultant to the Center for Bioethics and Culture has some good things to say about human personhood. What constitutes being human? Is it form? Is it function? Is it mere genetics (or do downs syndrome children not qualify)? Or is there something more essential. Interesting debate between bioethicists can be found on Smith's blog Secondhand Smoke: Personhood Theory: Why Contemporary Mainstream Bioethics is Dangerous

Out...

--------

I'm not sure why I was asleep on this, but this is a very cool story that is a couple of weeks old. Amazing story of the work of faith in a crisis situation...

Weblog: Is Ashley Smith's Hostage Story a Testimonial? - Christianity Today Magazine

Fox News Story

--------

Many times amidst the buzz, it is tough to get a perspective on what is really happening. I found this helpful - Rev. Robert Johansen on Terri Schiavo on National Review Online

Such a sad situation in our country - why the zeal to have this woman dead?

--------

Been enjoying Justin Taylor's blog - He has a few good links about Biblical translation philosophies... Very helpful - Between Two Worlds: Bible Translations --------

Justin Taylor of Desiring God Ministries has a good blog entry on the Emerging Church...

Two books coming out soon should be of interest:

1. DA Carson's - Becomming Conversant with Emergent - Zondervan 2005 - coming in April 05.
2. Scott Smith's - Truth and the New Kind of Christian: Accessing the Emerging Effects of Postmodernism in the Church ocming in September from Crossway

My take so far on the bazillion (is that a word?) blog entries, I have read, books, etc. is this:

The Good

• Calling the church to “LIVE the gospel” - The gospel is not just believing things, but being transformed and changed so that we are, and we serve, and we share Christ with others.
• Calling the church to give a rip about the poor because our hearts are way too cold and our actions at times non existent in loving the least of these.
• Calling the church on its captivity to “modernist management techniques” etc. That we cannot manage everything so tightly, life is messy, ministry with people is messy, and managing it all to death can dishonor our God whom we serve.
• A strong desire for depth of community - realizing the bigger is not always better/more successful/etc. {I would add that bigger does not have to mean bad either}

The Not So Good (formerly know as The Bad but "remimagined for our postmodern times")

• Though the gospel is not just believing things, we must believe in HIM - and Jesus is not defined to be whatever we or "culture" believe him to be. He is defined by his own self revelation in Scripture, his own Word, his own propositions saying "I am...." . We sure hate it when others judge us and do not let us speak for ourselves. Life with God is by faith and trust in God's truth which saves us. We believe in God, the identity of his Son, his atoning work, his dire warnings, etc. Not just whatever I imagine Him to be.
• Philosophy that undermines the very nature of the Faith 1) Denial of linguistic ability to transcend one's culture or language game (ala Wittgenstein) 2) Too heavy an emphasis on Reader Response Hermenuetics. Yes, we have bias' but if the Scirptures are a Word from outside - truly from God, they serve as the norm which can correct our bias' and misperceptions about reality 3) Following of subjective feelings devoid of a Biblical worldview by which to judge our feelings, perceptions, "spiritual leadings, etc" - very scary if we only listen to "the voice within"
• Pluralism, Syncretism and the Denial of Doctrines which do not tickle the contemporary ear. This is nothing new in history. We do not like that Jesus claimed for himself to be the unique, prexistance Son of God, The unique Savior of humanity, the unique payment for sin and the Lord of Lords. That we must have faith in this Jesus (not he Jesus of our imagination or our inner voices) in order to be reconciled with God. We don't like thinking that "all the religions out there" are mistaken about God and Jesus - not mistaken about all things, but judged by Jesus himself if they deny his divinity. We do not like gehena (Hell), I don't think it is a fun-fun, joy-joy place either, but it is not love to be silent about a teaching Jesus reminded people about so much - If we do not turn to him, we perish.

The Ugly

• Well that would be my crooked nose that I broke two times in college.

Out...

--------

Yesterday on the radio I heard a few minutes with Donald Trump. Expecting some wisdom from this sage on gaining riches what I heard was astonishing. What followed was not a litany of wisdom for the masses of moshes out here the jungle, no, what followed was a sad line of self-promotion and ads. A book written about...who? Trump. Then a succession of ads from Trump's mouth promoting "Carfax, Casinos, and Commodities" I stopped and thought...this is "success?" What is Donald now producing? I thought to myself - as a culture will we not do anything if paid. I thought to myself "have we not prostituted ourselves to material gain" Do we not all do this in some way or another - or perhaps there is escape through a Biblical value - that of generosity. What is the extent of my own prostitution to the idols of gold and silver? What extent do we serve money and not God? Jesus was pretty clear about serving both...

No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

Saint Augustine once said this in reference to material things:

“Suppose brethren, a man should make a ring for his betrothed, and she should love the ring more wholeheartedly than the betrothed who made it for her….Certainly, let here love his gift: but, if she should say, “The ring is enough. I do not want to see his face again” what would we say of her?...The pledge is given her by the betrothed just that, in his pledge, he himself may be loved. God, then, has given you all these things. Love him who made them.”

Peter Brown, Augustine of Hippo (Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1969) p. 326 (Tractate on the Epistle of John, 2:11)

Love him who made them...Out

--------

The In-action Heroes...

Some truth in there somewhere...somewhere.

--------

Jonathan Edwards once wrote:

We may rejoice in the enjoyments of the world, but not in such a manner as to place the rest of our souls in them.

Jonathan Edwards, On Procrastination

I think this must apply to College Basketball - especially while the Heels win...Not trying to put my hope in hoops, my affections on assists, nor my treasure in trifectas, but it sure is fun to watch great games.

The second round Wake Forest vs. West Virginia game is ridiculous right about now...double OT.

Out...

--------

What then of Evil? So many questions throughout time have been asked...why? If God, then what is this? In Psalm 21:8-13 we see a glimpse of the true relationship of God to evil. Sometimes we can think that we care more about the evil and pain caused by human beings than God...yet the heart of God cares more deeply, the hand of God will yet act more completely. For all such evil is a direct affront againstHim, the author of goodness, and the one against whom people rebel. Look at what this Psalm teaches us.

• The Hand of God will find out his enemies (Here "find out" was a word that was used to describe the attack of an enemy with a weapon - not simply seizing him as the NIV translates)
• He will make his enemies as a "fiery furnace" - describing large ovens in the ancient world used for metal working - they consume everything. Enemies of God -- who oppress, who work wickedness -- shall be consumed...
• The success of those who plot and plan against the Lord (verse 11) - will be a great failure.

The devised schemes of evil - moral evil from the devices and schemes of people - shall find a strong dead end at the strong hand of God.

Knowing this...what does it provoke in the one who desires to trust God, and not oppose him. To love him, not despise him...in such souls, the call outward is this:

13 Be exalted, O Lord, in your strength! We will sing and praise your power.

Yes, the evil is about us, and in us...yet there is one whose fierce discontent with it is greater than mine. Run to him for forgiveness and refuge, call to him for peace and resolution, trust him to handle those who oppose him, while you LOVE THEM in his Son's name.

His advice to us is as clear as his right to pour out wrath on evil:

8 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Out... --------

A rather long discussion going on at the Evangelical Outpost surrounding the so-called ethics of Peter Singer. This is the same guy who has endorsed bestiality (see article in the Daily Princetonian) in some cases...

Some good advice at the end of the article:

But Singer is trying to push the envelope. In his world of extremes, if bestiality can be pushed into philosophical discourse, then the debate over whether Boy Scouts should have gay scout leaders or over San Francisco's new sex-change policy for municipal employees starts to seem quaint. If he busies mainstream Americans with trying to put out brush fires like this one on our left fringe, then the long, slow burn in the center of the culture war becomes less relevant. It becomes almost...normal. And that's what radicals like Singer want.

We should know what guys like this are saying, but we should continue to advocate the good, the right and the true with our intellectual efforts - and not only chase around arguments of people advocating bizarre things. Use him as "Exhibit A" perhaps, but focus on why the life of babies matter, what life is, when it begins, why it is valuable...

Out...

--------

This Psalm begins with a desperate cry and acknowledgedment of a great need for mercy. This mercy comes from a belief about God; that his mercy would come only according to something of God’s very nature. The plea for mercy is according to the steadfast love of God and from his wells which are full of mercy, no, abundant mercy. David cries out to God for his transgressions to be “blotted out” – literally to be wiped away. The Psalmist (David) shows his awareness of the breadth and the reality and the sickness of his sin – it is ever before Him. He also knows against WHOM he has sinned. The context of David’s life could have brought forth a litany of candidates whom he had sinned against. Adultery with Bathsheba, Murder and Deception with Uriah, his hypocrisy exhibited before Nathan, the prophet of God...All of these people could have been listed as those who had been wronged by David. David knew a deeper reality; all sin is ultimately against God. He also was well aware that God, our holy and just God, is right in judging his sin. David’s problem of sin was not isolated to a few incidents of disobedience, jaunts in adolescence as it were, No! David knew that sin was with him from his birth – he was conceived in it; it stained his very nature. What did God desire of him? God desires none other than Truth in his inner being a heart of integrity, upright before the Almighty. When one sees the reality of our sin and the desire of God for righteousness – we realize how short we fall and the cry that flows from the human heart upon this realization follows in this Psalm. There is indeed, a heaviness and burden of carrying our sins – so the soul does cry out for what is voiced loudly in these passages. First, a desire to be clean, to be cleansed, to have a new heart is needed in the soul laid b are by God. Second, a desire to have the bones God has crushed (under the burden and guilt of our sin), would be able to rejoice. If God can clean me, restore me, and lift me out of my mess – yes even glory might rise in the soul. This then leads to a testimony, if God would forgive and have mercy, cleanse and bring rejoicing – there will be a life change, a change of heart wrought in contrition. “Then I will teach transgressors your way” “His praise will be on our lips” How shall all of this occur – through sacrifices – no, this is not what God requires (verse 16), but rather a broken and contrite heart (verse 17). Repentance in light of the reality of our sin – not through our own efforts (sacrifices) but through contrition (repentance) is where forgiveness and mercy shall be found. In such realities the walls of he holy city, Jerusalem, might be restored, and the joy of the Lord, the goodness and favor of God, may rest upon his people. --------

So often in our day, we miss so much of the natural beauty of the world God has made. This week I am surrounded by the ocean - an immensity of waters which cover two thirds of the globe. Oh what grandeur to be such a wee small speck floating in a boat upon such a vast sea. This morning I awoke to a sunrise of such brilliance that I had to wake up my wife to share (of which she delighted and then went back to sleep-smile). After the rising of the sun I spent time mulling two revelations - the Word and the Works of God. The Word took me to Psalm 8, 51 and the book of Romans - pondering the exalted state of humanity in nature, yet his fallen nature in such need of grace and redemption. God's works in view was the mists coming off the waves of the sea. In seeing such sprays of brilliance, I thought to myself - Why so many tiny acts of beauty, repeating again and again, but so many not seen by human eye. As I thanked God for the delight of looking at the seas (the same seas which wreak havoc in other seasons of life) I sensed that not one of these little crests and their sparkling mists are ever not seen. For indeed the watchful mind of He who rides upon the waves, strolls in the clouds, uncontained by the vastness of all the universe, yet deeply present with all - yes, He has seen, yes, he has delighted in the waves...and this morning he was gracious to share his pleasure.

For this I am grateful - for I have seen God in a place where eyes do not regularly peek.

Out...

--------

An interesting look at resurgent spirituality in France...

The accelerated growth of Islam in France, to nearly 5 million adherents now, has rightly received much attention from the American media. But few people realize that French evangelicals have experienced healthy—sevenfold!—growth since 1950, and that evangelistic influences such as the Alpha course are revitalizing faith in the nominally Catholic and practically secular nation.

The French Reconnection - Christianity Today Online, Accessed March 2, 2005. Emphasis Added.

Now France is still a radically secular place...and all signs are not great, but this indeed is encouraging. If the gospel is revived on the continent of Europe, there may yet be hope for those lands. If not...the minaret shall ever rise in the places which was once a seedbed for the gospel.

Out...

--------