A warning from a trusted voice

Over the years I have read many of Greg Koukl's articles over at Stand to Reason Today I read his take on the beliefs of Brian McLaren. I am greatly concerned that McLaren is now simply "itching the ears" - speaking from the spirit of our current age, telling people exactly what they want to hear. I cannot recommend reading his works unless one has a firm grasp on what actually reads on the pages of the Bible. When one rejects referencing the text of Scripture and simply tells us stories we need to ask what he is telling us. With the overwhelming endorsement of the New Testament - to watch for false teaching, to hold to sound doctrine (a great list list of Biblical and practical reasons for sound doctrine found here) I'm all for being playful in my writing, but not for playing with the revealed truth - neither were the writers of the New Testament. I fear that McLaren is leading many off cliffs of confusion.

11And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers,[a] 12to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood,[b] to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.

A few books I would recommend:

• On Postmodern Evangelical Scholarship - Reclaiming the Center - Confronting Evangelical Accommodation in Postmodern Times Millard J. Erickson (Editor), Paul Kjoss Helseth (Editor), Justin Taylor (Editor)
• Prophetic Untimeliness - A Challenge to the Idol of Relevance by Os Guisness - Book is very helpful on how to pursue "relevance" with "faithfulness" in the midst of the blowing winds of our times.
• Being Conversant with Emergent by DA Carson forthcoming

All of what some in Emergent desires - love for neighbor, compassion for the poor, love for enemy - is found in the same Scriptures as the desire for disciples of Jesus to know the "certainty of things taught" - after all this was the purpose of Luke's gospel. We need to be compassionate, evangelistic believers - loving others in his name and sharing the gospel of the grace of God which rescues us perishing sinners - to say that we are not in peril in our unbelief is to quote Paul (anathema). Wanting to be a authentic, real kind of Christian - that trembles before both the grace and severity of God. And fall upon Christ for my refuge. Out...

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Center for Naturalism

Yes, they are serious. The scholars at the Center for Naturalism have a vision for all of our lives. We who are simply a connected chain physical causes, bound together by the laws of physics, a big blob of determinate matter, have much hope for the world the Naturalist will create for us! FYI - Definition of Naturalism or popularly put by the late Dr. Carl Sagan - The Cosmos is all there is, all there ever was, all tha ever will be. Straight from this site we find the following vision of the world:

Naturalism as a guiding philosophy can help create a better world by illuminating more precisely the conditions under which individuals and societies flourish, and by providing a tangible, real basis for connection and community. It holds that doctrines and policies which assume the existence of a freely willing agent, and which therefore ignore the actual causes of behavior, are unfounded and counter-productive. To the extent to which we suppose persons act out of their uncaused free will, to that extent will we be blind to those factors which produce criminality and other social pathologies, or, on the positive side, the factors which make for well-adjusted, productive individuals and societies. By holding that human behavior arises entirely within a causal context, naturalism also affects fundamental attitudes about ourselves and others. Naturalism undercuts retributive, punitive, and fawning attitudes based on the belief that human agents are first causes, as well other responses amplified by the supposition of free will, such as excessive pride, shame, and guilt. Since individuals are not, on a naturalistic understanding, the ultimate originators of their faults and virtues, they are not deserving, in the traditional metaphysical sense, of praise and blame. Although we will continue to feel gratitude and regret for the good and bad consequences of actions, understanding the full causal picture behind behavior shifts the focus of our emotional, reactive responses from the individual to the wider context. This change in attitudes lends support for social policies based on a fully causal view of human behavior. Center for Naturalism Internet Site, accessed April 10th 2005. Emphasis Added.

Reminds me of a quote from GK Chesterton:

The determinist does not believe in appealing to the will, but he does believe in changing the environment. He must not say to the sinner, “Go and sin no more,” because the sinner cannot help it. But he can put him in boiling oil; for boiling oil is an environment.

GK Chesterton, Orthodoxy (New York: NY, Image books, 1959) 20. Originally published: New York: Dodd, Mead & Co., 1908. Emphasis Added.

One ought to question the man who says he has the ability to "control environments to control the behavior of others Out...

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Preface to the Meditations on the Ministry of the Son of God

For a class I am taking we are writing our thoughts on the ministry of Jesus, the suffering servant, the Word Made Flesh, the Great High Priest, the Son of God...

There are times in life when you know for certain that you are touching weighty and beautiful things. Some set you in a state of awesome reverence, fixing the mind on puzzling glories. Other times bring a state of humble affections of deep appreciation and gratitude. Yet there is a third moment much sweeter than even both of these precious moments. Such are those with Christ that mingle both the weight of glory in the soul with a heart felt, broken, unimaginable unworthiness standing before beautiful truths.

When one looks upon Jesus, the incarnation, the pre-incarnate Logos who becomes the God-Man Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ of God – the soul of the believer does its best to sing, yet the songs still fall short. For glories beheld in the soul are of a species of reality only seen by the mercies of God. For in the vision of Christ we see divine humility, divine power, and divine grace all merging in one act in history. The arrogant and proud will belittle the humility of the Word taking on flesh. The one with too low of self-worth can not believe that the God of heaven would take on such an estate to suffer and die for unworthy people. In Christ we see humanity valued highly – that God the Father deemed the “human” worthy of his own divine Son. In Jesus we also see the purity of humanity in its pristine state – lived so beautifully, so clean in the midst of world so soaked with the fodder and dirt of sin.

The passages (Isaiah 53, John 1, Hebrews 10) bring to mind both the lofty inner chambers of God (the courts of heaven, the word which was with God, who was God) and the brutality of this world in which our redemption was purchased. Such a transaction was not as easy as swiping a magnetic card through a reader, to issue payment for services rendered– no, this redemption was of higher cost, for a possession of higher value. What was it that brought the Son low to be crucified so that he may be exalted to the highest place? The desire to see the Father's own glory displayed in the Universe and displayed through earthen vessels securing their highest happiness in Him. Yes this purchase was costly, the very broken body and shed blood of our Lord. In this act a people was purchased...a people who would declare the excellencies of Him who brought them out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Off to think about things too wonderful to contain...

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Being one who is philsophically interested...

…I had to buy this book – no offense intended by the language…but this is a real book written by a philosopher published by Princeton Univ Press. The product description is interesting to say the least. "On BS" by Harry G. Frankfurt Obviously the title is a take off of St. Augustine’s book "On Lying" We may not choose his words to describe this phenomenon, but we all know this phenomenon all too well. By God's grace may we not be those who intentionally falsify (liars) or ones who "quietly change the rules governing their end of the conversation so that claims about truth and falsity are irrelevant" (what Frankfurt is calling Bull Feces). Out

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Excellent Advice

I wish I had Justin Taylor's time - he has become a prolific blogger with excellent posts. I guess being a researcher and director of Theology affords one some time to think, write, read, and blog! Smile Taylor has an excellent quote from John Owen, the 17th century British theologian Out...

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New Kinds of Christians

Some reviews and descriptions of Brian McLaren's final "New Kind of Christian Trilogy" http://theologica.blogspot.com/2005/04/mclaren-triology.html Now we are finally getting a picture of what this "New" Kind of Christian is...this kind of "new" does not seem new at all.

There have always been new kinds of Christians. The New Testament speaks that their will always be teachers springing up among us to teach "new" ways away from old paths.

Jude 3

Out...

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Religion the Source of All Evil?

An interesting article responding to the belief that "Religion is the source of all Violence and should be done away with" is online at Books and Culture Magazine Books and Culture's Book of the Week: Unbelievable - Books & Culture Reminds me of a similar debate I had in the Campus Newspaper at Virginia Tech A little long but perhaps helpful for your friends who say "Religion Bad, Secular Good"

I am writing in response to the September 25th article entitled Organized Religion Cause for many Social Problems by William Marlow. This article is another in the line of blame which has proceeded from the tragic events of September 11th. We have seen the religious blame the attacks on the secularization of America, we have seen the attacks blamed upon the US government, and now we see the attacks blamed on all of organized religion. Human beings are quick to place blame to the group they personally dislike most. The Marxist blames the capitalist bourgeoisie, the religious blame the secular, and the secular blame the religious. It seems this will continue the lumping together of people for blame instead of looking at what the criminals’ motives and reasons for their crime actually was. As far as the article laying all blame on organized religion some factual questions arose for me while reading. I will openly grant that great and heinous crimes have been committed in the name of religion throughout human history. Whether or not these people were acting in harmony with the teaching of their religion or in contradiction to it, will be saved for another discussion. Marlow’s article, however, greatly simplifies our human problems to lay blame on religion for any and every evil in history. Some factual inadequacies in this article must be addressed: First, Marlow claims that religious logic was “applied to the enslaving of African Americans.” This however ignores several important facts in the British and American slave trades. It is a fact that the slave trade in England and our own country was abolished by the tireless work and initiative of some very religious people. In England, William Wilberforce, an evangelical Christian, dedicated his entire life to the abolitionist cause, fighting for over 40 years in the British parliament to eliminate the slave trade. The Slavery Abolition Act was finally passed one month after his death. Many reasons for the deplorable idea of racial superiority were given in our past; both from the religious (gross abuses of the Bible) and nonreligious (Darwin’s theory of evolution was inherently racist in its root form). Simply stating that the enslavement of African Americans was the work of religion does not do justice to the facts, nor does it do justice to the many religious men and women who have led the civil rights movement in our country. Second, Marlow states “The problems caused by organized religion have certainly outdistanced the good that has ever come from it.” This is stated dogmatically without any argument. How can one know this with such certainty? Or perhaps this is simply a statement the author’s own bias. Such a statement certainly overlooks some very verifiable facts. Many of the top humanitarian charities were founded by openly religious people. The United Way, The Red Cross movement, The Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity, Shriner’s Hospitals for Children and Good Will Industries, just to name a few, were all founded by religious people. Religious belief in America has also led to the founding of innumerable orphanages, hospitals, and homeless shelters at home and abroad. If Marlow has some calculus to quantitatively compare all the evil vs. all the good that has come from religious belief, he should share that with his reader, if he does not, he should restrain from making such blanket statements. Third, Marlow gives us a “rule of thumb”, which again is stated dogmatically without argument: “No matter how sure someone is that his or her religion is the one true path to salvation, that person is always wrong.” I suppose we have to just take his word for it that he is right about this? In saying everyone who thinks they may have some religious truth is absolutely wrong, is not the author saying that he actually knows the absolute truth about all such matters? We must look carefully at what we believe and why we believe it, examining such matters carefully and making a decision as to what we will and will not believe. When you hear someone’s “rule of thumb”, is would be wise to pause and ask “Whose thumb is being used?” Finally, one must not forget that the 20th century was the bloodiest recorded in human history, marked by many atrocities committed at the hands of regimes which openly rejected belief in God. The blood from Hitler’s Auschwitz, Stalin’s Gulag, Mao’s Cultural Revolution, and the killing fields of Pol Pot still cry out that it is not religion alone that brings evils to this world. Human beings are responsible for the evils perpetrated on their fellow creatures; this is the problem of humanity which needs resolution, the problem of the wickedness that lives in our own hearts. Simply pointing the finger at the group with which you disagree most will not solve our problems; the path of grace, love and forgiveness is what is most needed by the human soul. Reid Monaghan

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Tarheels Win

Oh yes, it is good to be from Chapel Hill tonight!

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On the death of the Pope

Al Mohler's Weblog today has a balanced view of the life of Pope John Paul II. Mohler gives a good example of how we can extol and value a virtous leader, yet not accept his office and some of the attendant theological views. It will be interesting to see who is selected to leader the Catholic Church in the coming years. Out...

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Let the Mac Schmack Begin...

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!

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The Life of David Brainerd

MP3s of God's truth, lofty words, beautiful teaching, testimony to saints gone before, has many days lingered in me to lift me out of dark days of soul. 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...

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Wisdom at Wesley Smith's Blog

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...

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Ashley Smith - The gospel being lived in crisis...

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

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Article about the Terri Schiavo Starvation...

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?

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Between Two Worlds: Bible Translations

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

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Emergent Church

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...

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Trump - Prostrate Before the Benjamins

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

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The Place Where Real Men Dwell

The In-action Heroes... Some truth in there somewhere...somewhere.

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Hoops and Hopes...

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...

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Psalm 21:8-13 - Fear and Rejoice! Evil Shall Be Vanquished

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...

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