Hammer and Nail

My New Blog: A Pilgrim's Progress

2009-07-20T10:23:00.006-04:00

This is the final blog post for Hammer and Nail. From now on, I will be blogging at A Pilgrim's Progress. Please come over and comment.

I Can't Wait for This Conference

2008-12-04T16:47:00.004-05:00

I cannot wait for this year's Ligonier National Conference in Orlando. The line-up of speakers is amazing. Alice and I are also looking forward to taking our daughter, Caroline, with us. It should be a wonderful time of worship, learning, and family. To learn more about this conference, click here.

"O Church Arise"

2008-12-03T16:30:00.000-05:00

Interesting Post on the New Capitol Visitor Center

2008-12-03T09:34:00.002-05:00

Read this interesting and sad post on the absence of God from the new Capitol Visitor Center in Washington.

Our New Church Website

2008-11-28T15:22:00.004-05:00

In November 2004, I ran in and completed a marathon - barely. Putting together our new church website did not take that much endurance, but it was still more work than I realized it would be. This being Thanksgiving season, I am very thankful that the website is basically done. I will probably add a few more details (especially photos of the church family), but for the most part it is finished.

To look at the Chevis Oaks Baptist Church website, click here.

In setting up the website, I first looked for an inexpensive site provider that would be user-friendly. After searching for a bit, I came across Weebly. Weebly is better than inexpensive - it is free. I did, however, spend about $20 on a simple domain name for the church. Originally, I had wanted to find a Christian site provider, but the ones I found were too difficult for a non-techno like me to use.

My goal for the site is that it will be useful for both members and visitors. In order to do this, I tried to keep the site simple in design. If you look at the site, you will not see a lot of flashy graphics or anything of that sort. Rather, any user should (I hope) be able to click on the site and quickly find whatever he is looking for.

I'd like your feedback. Please take a few minutes to look the site over, and then return to this post to leave comments. I am certainly open to making changes. I have asked several members of Chevis Oaks to look it over. I'd also like feedback from others from afar.

Thanks for your help!

Christian Kids in Public School: What are Parents to Do?

2008-11-26T12:07:00.006-05:00

What is a Christian family to do if their children attend public school? The reality in this world is that some Christians do have children who attend public school. In light of that, what should these parents do? What do they do if they cannot homeschool or afford private school?

The following are 1o suggestions that have been wandering around inside my head for some time. Some of these will apply to only families with kids in public school, while others will apply to all families regardless of choice of education.

In no particular order:

1. Pray for your children. Trust God to care for their minds while they are in school.
2. Admit that your children are in a secular environment for many hours during the week. Facing this reality will enable you to figure out how to best counteract the secular environment.
3. Teach your children the bible on a daily basis.
4. Preach the gospel to your children over and over.
5. View education as discipleship. The reality is that someone is teaching your kids. What they teach will impact the worldview your children have.
6. Related to # 5, avoid making an artificial division in your mind between education at school and education at home.
7. Talk to your children about what they are being taught.
8. Get to know your kids' teacher(s). They may have some who are Christians.
9. Get to know your kids' friends. Invite them over to your house regardless of who they are.
10. Ask your church family for help. Ask the pastor(s), children's workers, and youth workers to address secular thought and ideas while working with the kids while the church gathers.

If your children attend public school, they will be bombarded with secular thought for much of the week. It is best to admit this, and then decide to battle against it. What is at stake is the worldview of your children. Your church family should be ready and willing to help with this. We must all be open about what is happening, and talk, talk, talk, and talk some more with the children about what they are being taught about the world, and what the bible has to say.

I Pledge Allegiance to the Kingdom of God

2008-11-25T16:15:00.000-05:00

Ever since the presidential election I have heard a great deal of talk by Christians who are fretting that our society is about to come to an end. They usually talk about what they think the new president and his administration will do to affect moral issues in our country.

The problem I see with this line of thinking is that we, as followers of Jesus Christ, are nowhere called upon to rely on secular government to be some sort of moral watchdog. The reality is that we live in a fallen world. It is absurd for us to hope that secularists in government will act in ways that line up with scripture.

When I read the bible, I see us called to be obedient to government as long as this does not violate God's word. However, nowhere do I see Christians told by God to rely on government for the bettering of society.

This problem is related to the idea that the United States is a "Christian country." Many American Christians, whether or not they realize it, act as if God has made promises to the USA like He did with Israel. When we fall into the trap of thinking this way, we will become greatly disturbed when our society shifts away from Christian values.

Please do not misunderstand. I desire that our society follow biblical standards. However, it is downright silly to expect lost people to act as if they are saved. It is also silly to expect government to enforce this.

Nowhere in the bible are we told to pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. Growing up in public school, I probably said the pledge 500 times before I ever gave it much of a thought. I still love my country. That said, my primary allegiance is not to the USA.

I pledge allegiance to the Kingdom of God. It is to God and His rule over this world that I pledge myself completely. My Owner, Maker, and Redeemer is the One to whom I give myself.

It is through Christ's church that society can be transformed. It is through the message of the gospel that lives are changed and people's hearts are opened to a desire to live by biblical standards. It is through the message of Christ-crucified that we can make a difference in this country.

Let's stop depending on our government. Let's stop worrying about our government. It is not going to make this a Christian country.

Instead, let's pledge our full allegiance to the Kingdom of God. It is only through His message of the gospel that hearts can be changed and societies transformed.

Our Words Affect How We Think About the Church

2008-11-20T15:25:00.002-05:00

The words we use and the way we use them show other people both how we think and what we think about. Words are very powerful, so much so that they affect the way we act. This is true in all aspects of life, including the church.

When you hear the word "church," what do you think about? Some folks immediately think about a building. Others immediately think of the group of Christians they gather with a few times per week. Others think about the universal church of all believers. Still others think of the church as being something that falls somewhere in between either two or all three of the above.

How we think of, talk about, and describe "church" will greatly affect how we live out our Christian lives. In other words, how we describe what the church is and does will impact what we do.

For example, if we primarily think of the church as a building, we will necessarily focus much of our attention on the building itself. We will probably care a great deal about how the building looks, how clean it is, and how it is used by strangers. Much of our time and effort will be aimed at the edifice itself.

If we primarily think of the church as a local group of believers, our focus will be on that group of believers. We will spend much time together, meeting regularly and taking care of one-another's needs. Much of our time and effort will be aimed at when we gather together. We will probably care quite a bit about denominational differences.

If we primarily think of the church as the universal church of all believers, our focus will be on all Christians, regardless of what local church they are a part of. We will spend much time with followers of Christ. They may not gather with us during the week, but we still have active fellowship with them. We will probably have less of an "us-and-them" attitude and care less about denominational differences.

I realize that I have not addressed the issue of how Christians should interact with those who do not know Christ (that would make for a post that is longer than any of us desire to read right now. Share Christ with them and love them).

The above 3 categories of church definitions are not as precise as I would like, but they serve a purpose. If we want to be as biblical about the church as we can be, we must lean toward the universal church model. This appears to be what we see described in scripture most frequently. Some would argue this point, saying that the local church is what we most often see. My response to that is that the local church should be a manifestation of the universal church. When we draw a dividing line between the local church and the universal church, we are creating a division that does not appear in scripture.

Of course we should gather with a local body of believers. However, let's avoid any kind of us-and-them mentality toward other followers of Jesus Christ. One way we can do this is by being careful how we think and speak about the church. When we ponder what the church of God is, it clearly is not a building. We should banish that thought from our minds.

God's church does take the form of many local congregations. However, these bodies ought not have strong dividing lines between themselves and others groups of believers. We are all part of the same group that will be living together for eternity in the New Jerusalem.

Let's all try to be careful how we think about church. Let's strive to be as biblical as possible. How we think and especially how we speak about the church will affect how we live out life in the church.

Spiritual Birth by the Will of God

2008-11-19T17:12:00.000-05:00

The more I read the bible, the more I see God's sovereign hand in all things - including salvation.

This morning I began to read through the book of John. I was not looking for anything in particular when I ran across verses 12 and 13 of chapter one. These verses say:

"But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." NKJV

Verse 12 tells us that anyone who receives God by believing in His name has the right to become a child of God. What an amazing right this is! To become a child of God is the best adoption any of us could imagine.

Verse 13 makes it even more amazing. In verse 13 we are told that anyone who receives God has been spiritually born because it was the will of God for this to happen. Take note of the fact that John makes it explicit that this did not happen because of the will of man. It is because of God's will that anyone is born spiritually.

What is going on here? The ordering of what is happening is the key. First, God wills that a person be born spiritually (born again as discussed in John chapter 3). Second, a person who has been spiritually born receives God by believing in his name. Third, that person has the right to become a child of God.

It is clear based on this passage that God initiates salvation (being born spiritually) by His sovereign will. Again, John states that this is according to the will of God, not of man. When a person is born spiritually, he is then able to respond in faith (believing in God). When a person responds to God in faith, he is saved (becoming a child of God).

My experience is that many American Christians are uncomfortable with the idea that it is God who is sovereign over salvation and not man. I could understand this if God was not perfect, loving, gracious, and merciful to infinite degrees. However, since He is these things, why do so many people struggle with God's sovereignty?

My conclusion is that for some people, the issue is a lack of understanding both God's infinite holiness and our utter corruption and spiritual death. If we admit that humans are dead spiritually prior to salvation, then it must be that God alone is the one who can and does make them come alive spiritually.

We are saved by the will of God.

London: World Capital?

2008-11-19T11:34:00.001-05:00

Baptist Press has posted an interesting article focusing on the multicultural situation in London, England. Based on the description, it does sound like London could be the world capital. It certainly makes for an interesting missions opportunity. Here are a few quotes:

"As a coverage by The Guardian newspaper confirmed in 2005, London has become 'a world in one city.' From Algerians in Finsbury Park to West Africans in Woolwich, the newspaper ranged through the alphabet, finding major and minor ethnic/language communities throughout the city: Bangladeshis, Chinese, Indians, Iranians, Jamaicans, Nigerians, Pakistanis, Poles, Russians, Somalis, Sri Lankans, Turks, Vietnamese -- to name only a few groups."

"Altogether, more than 300 languages are spoken by the people of London, and the city has at least 50 non-indigenous communities with populations of 10,000 or more. Virtually every race, nation, culture and religion in the world can claim at least a handful of Londoners."

"Christians contend with one of the most secularized societies in Europe. While 58 percent of Londoners claimed to be 'Christian' in the 2001 census, here's a more realistic estimate: 80 percent have had no personal encounter with Jesus Christ, and only a small minority follow Him as Lord."

To read the article in full, click here.

Voddie Baucham on the SBC and Calvinism

2008-11-18T14:52:00.002-05:00

Voddie Baucham, one of my few living heroes within the SBC, has written an interesting blog post about his experience within the Southern Baptist Convention. Here's a hint: now that people know he is a Calvinist, he is no longer favored among the SBC's elite.

Grace in Rain

2008-11-17T15:43:00.000-05:00

I spent this past Friday and Saturday with my son Bobby and a lot of other Cub Scouts on a campout. Overall it was a good time of hiking, chopping wood, tying knots, learning first aid, etc. I will admit that the sleeping was not the best. I'm pretty sure that I slept well from about 1-3:30 AM. Caffeine kept me awake until one (my mistake), and hard ground gave me fits from 3:30 onward. By the time we left for home on Saturday evening I was ready for a hot shower and a soft bed.

I bring all this up because in the midst of it all I was again reminded of God's great grace even in the small things of life. After we ate lunch, Bobby and the other scouts departed for an hour of "map and compass." Right after they left the campsite (where lunch was served), I began to break down our tent. As I began this process, I was praying to God to keep the rain away. If you have ever taken down a tent, you know that this can be a time-consuming process. This is no small tent; it sleeps seven people.

It had rained for most of the previous night. Despite a nice morning, the clouds began to roll back in as we were eating lunch. As I fumbled with metal poles and ropes of various sizes, I continued to pray that God would keep the rain away until I managed to get the tent into our car. I really did not want to shove a wet, soggy, muddy tent into my trunk. Yuck.

After I had taken all our belongings to the car, had the poles and ropes folded, and the tent was lying flat on the ground, I began to fold it up. I'm not sure how the experts do this, but I simply fold it in half over and over. After each fold, I sort of flop on top of the whole thing, shoving the air out with my body weight. I'm sure it was not pretty to watch.

Somewhat miraculously, I managed to get the tent into a small enough shape to shove it into its bag. After I heaved it into my trunk, I walked over to another close campsite to talk with one of Bobby's scout leaders. We had talked for about two minutes when it began to sprinkle. A few minutes later it was pouring.

As close as I can calculate, in God's providence there were only about 5 minutes between when I finished packing up the tent and when it began pouring. Since luck doesn't exist, this must have been God's doing. God, in His grace, spared me from getting soaked and muddy.

This is not a big issue. This certainly does not deal with salvation. However, it is a small example of how God answers prayer about even small things. I thank Him for being willing to listen to the prayers of a semi-frustrated dad who simply didn't want to get wet.

Blessed to Speak English

2008-11-13T13:00:00.001-05:00

My first language is English. Unfortunately, at least at a functional level, my only language is English. I wish I spoke more.

Despite speaking only one language, I realize that I am blessed. The reason for this is the vast amount of Christian literature that exists in the English language. I doubt that any other language even comes close to equaling what English has.

Just as an example, there are currently many different versions of the bible in English. Every year it seems that a new one appears. Just within this decade the ESV and HCSB have come upon the scene.

If you go to this site and click on the down arrow by the choice of language translation, you will see that while most languages have just one or two choices offered, English has twenty.

Compare this to the hundreds of people groups in the world who do not even have ONE translation of the scriptures in their heart language.

Beyond bible translations, the English language has thousands of good Christian books, magazines, Sunday School literature choices, music cds, etc. There are even multiple Christian publishing houses.

With all this Christian literature available, it seems like English-speaking countries around the world should be the most Christian, at least by percentage of the population. However, this is not the case. Amazingly, Christianity appears to be growing most rapidly in places like China and sub-Saharan Africa. Christians in those locations are usually very blessed to just have one copy of the bible per family or even local church.

To sum up, I'm thrilled that I speak English because of the amazing array of English bible translations, books, etc. However, it is clear that amount of literature does not translate directly to living for Christ.

So what do we do? Let's encourage bible translation into ALL of the world's languages so that everyone can read God's glorious word in his own heart language. Let's also preach and teach that we must live according to the word. Reading it is not enough.

8 Things I've Learned

2008-11-12T14:10:00.000-05:00

Chevis Oaks Baptist church called me to be its pastor in June of this year. Since that time I have learned a great deal (I hope) about pastoral ministry.

The following are 8 things I've learned while serving in this capacity. I'm sure these will not be new ideas to all who read this post; in fact, they are pretty basic. Additionally, most of these are not new to me. They have, rather, become things that I can now understand better through experience.

1. Pastoring is a great honor. I continue to be amazed that I am in this position. Clearly, God does not select pastors based upon any merit of their own.

2. Pastoring is a great joy. In Philippians 4:1, Paul refers to the Philippian church as his "joy and crown." I feel the same way about Chevis Oaks. The people here have welcomed me and my family with open arms.

3. Pastoring is a great burden. Although we are all individually responsible before God for our own spiritual state, I do feel a weight of responsibility within the church. Since the people listen to me preach and teach the bible each week, I am directly affecting their understanding of who God is and what He expects of them.

4. Pastoring can be a lonely position. Since sermon preparation requires quite a bit of time, this means quite a bit of time alone in study. While I greatly enjoy this, it also means a lot of time alone. While this is offset somewhat by visits to homes and hospitals, it still remains, at least some of the time, a lonely position.

5. Pastors get too much credit. When things are going well in the church, the pastor gets too much credit. When things are going poorly, the pastor gets too much blame. Since the church is a body, that means it is made up of many parts. The pastor is one of those parts, but he is not more important than the others. When things go well or poorly (however you define that), the body needs to look at all the parts.

6. Pastors will make mistakes. I've already made a few of these. The pastor is a normal, fallen individual who will do things incorrectly. The church family needs to accept this and be ready and willing to kindly rebuke the pastor when necessary. The pastor needs to be humble enough to accept this.

7. Pastors need the help and support of the body. I have been spoiled by the amount of positive words I have received so far at Chevis Oaks. I hope I have responded in kind. The New Testament makes it clear that all that is done within the church should be done for edification. This must include words that go to the pastor and come from the pastor.

8. Pastoring is too big for any individual. The New Testament is painfully clear that the biblical church model is to have a multiplicity of pastor/elder/overseers. A muliplicity allows for accountability, shared ideas, shared workload, and protection from pride. The tasks and responsibility are too great for any one man.

Barna on the 2008 Election

2008-11-10T13:06:00.002-05:00

Regarding politics, I am a conservative, independent voter who wishes Ron Paul had won the presidential election. However, I am still interested in who was victorious last week. I am always intrigued by what groups vote what way, and why they do so.

Pollster George Barna has published some interesting findings related to the 2008 presidential election. These include:

"Evangelicals chose their candidate on a different set of indicators than did other voters. When asked their primary reason for supporting the candidate they selected, 40% of evangelicals said it was because of the candidate’s position on moral issues. Only 9% of other voters listed that as their driving reason. Other significant reasons for evangelical voters included their candidate’s political experience (23%) and his character (15%)."

"Non-Christians provided Sen. Obama with a lopsided 62% to 36% margin of preference over Sen. McCain. That 26-point gap surpassed the 20-point margin the group provided to John Kerry in 2004 and the 15-point margin awarded to Al Gore in 2000. This shift came primarily from those non-born again adults who have moderate social and political views."

"Three-fourths of atheists and agnostics (76%) gave their vote to Sen. Obama, while only 23% backed Sen. McCain. That is a step up from the level of support Democrats have previously received from skeptics. In 2004, 64% of atheists and agnostics voted for Democratic challenger John Kerry."

"About 5% of America’s adult population associates with faiths other than Christianity (e.g., Judaism, Buddhism, Islam, etc.). Within this group, about half (47%) were registered as Democrats, 30% were independent, and one-quarter (23%) were Republicans. The ballots of this group were most often cast for Barack Obama (62%) rather than John McCain (36%). The support provided to the Democratic candidate is identical to the backing this group provided to John Kerry four years ago (61%). "

"Assessing the voting outcomes by race and faith, the survey showed that there were no statistically significant differences between black born again voters and black non-born again voters. Similarly, there were no meaningful distinctions in candidate preference between Hispanic born agains and Hispanic non-born again voters. Overall, Sen. Obama claimed more than 90% of the African-American vote and three-quarters of the Hispanic vote. He won just 41% of the white vote. Among white voters, faith had a significant correlation with their candidate selection. White born again voters chose Sen. McCain by a 73% to 26% outcome. Whites who were not born again chose Sen. Obama by a 56% to 39% margin. White voters were also more affected by their understanding the candidates’ moral positions and political experience than were other voters. "

"Among voters who had a favorable view of Wicca, Sen. Obama was the favored candidate 64% to 35%. "

If you would like to read Barna's article in full, click here.

Going Door-to-Door: An Interesting Article

2008-11-06T14:21:00.005-05:00

God has placed our church in the midst of a community that is very needy at both a spiritual and material level. This offers us many opportunities as followers of Jesus Christ to reach out to those around us.

I have challenged our church family to give out a New Testament at each door in our community in 2009 (click here for inexpensive NTs). We hope this will show the people who reside near the church building that we care about them. We also hope this leads to more concrete opportunities for service. The ultimate goal is that God will be glorified through the salvation of many sinners.

Since we will be knocking on many doors in the community, this article by Ed Stetzer interested me. One of the main findings is that people tend to be significantly more open to an invitation to a church gathering than they are to a gospel witness. This makes sense since an invitation to attend is much less threatening to a person's worldview and belief system than is a discussion of Jesus Christ. Despite this, I certainly hope that we will have opportunities to share about Christ and the cross.

The article is worth the few minutes it will take to read.

I Didn't Vote

2008-11-05T14:42:00.000-05:00

I didn't vote.

For some people this is probably not a big deal. For others, it is almost blasphemy.

What once was considered simply a right in our country has now been transformed into some sort of "civic duty" or "responsibility." For example, at Baptist Press, I just read an article entitled, "Vote -- it's your right and responsibility."

I didn't vote because I couldn't think of anyone on either ticket that I wanted to vote for. While I certainly did not want Barack Obama to be elected president, I did not find John McCain particularly appealing either. Additionally, I'm tired of the "lesser of two evils" argument. I simply did not want to vote for either evil (if Ron Paul had still been running for president, I probably would have pulled the level for him.)

Regardless, I find it increasingly disturbing how many Christians in this country basically equate love for God with love of country. This is the view of some sort of "Christian America," as if we have inherited the promises of God that He originally intended (and still intends) for Israel.

The bible is clear that for Christians, our citizenship is in heaven. We are to be exiles, aliens, and strangers while on this earth. We are never to feel too comfortable. This world ought not ever feel too much like home. If we always feel as if we just don't quite fit in here, and that we are longing to be somewhere else, this is a good thing. We should be longing to be home - in heaven with God.

Voting ought to be viewed as a matter of Christian liberty and conscience as opposed to a Christian responsibility.

As exiles on this planet, let's not retreat from the culture, but rather engage the culture with the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. While we do this, let's remember that our primary focus is to be the Kingdom of God (Jesus' favorite topic), not the Kingdom of the United States of America.

Fascinating Comment Stream

2008-11-04T15:44:00.003-05:00

As some of you know, once per week I write a satirical piece for Team TomintheBox News Network (TBNN). My pen-name at TomintheBox is "Elder Eric." TBNN is strictly for fun.

Yesterday I posted a silly piece entitled, "Rector Daringly Introduces Jesus to Episcopal Church." The purpose of the piece was to poke fun at the turmoil with the Episcopal Church over the truth of the gospel message.

Every once in a while, TBNN pieces strike a cord or a nerve depending on who is reading. Well, this particular piece has generated a lot of discussion at Stand Firm, which is a site for discussion of Anglican issues. Stand Firm somehow found out about this TBNN piece, and ran a short story about it. What is fascinating is the comment stream. Many people who commented struggled to figure out whether or not the TBNN piece was satire or reality. This is because, unfortunately, many Episcopal churches apparently are not very welcoming to Jesus Christ.

Anyway, if you are interested in reading the comments, click here and scroll down until you reach the comments section. Enjoy!

Pilgrim's Progress - the movie

2008-11-04T10:47:00.003-05:00

I'm not sure that any movie can do justice to John Bunyan's literary masterpiece, Pilgrim's Progress. However, a recent movie telling this story is worth watching. Our family enjoyed watching Pilgrim's Progress - Journey to Heaven. Because the film has a relatively low budget, the special effects are not Hollywood quality. Despite this, the movie is still well-made, well-acted, and faithful to Bunyan's wonderful allegory of the Christian life. Below is a short video that tells more about the film. I encourage you to watch it.

Reformed in Soteriology, Not Ecclesiology

2008-11-03T16:04:00.001-05:00

This sign applies to me in some ways but not in others. The reason for this is that I agree with the Reformers in soteriology. In other words, I agree with Luther, Calvin, etc. on the doctrine of salvation.

However, I do not agree with the Reformers mentioned above in ecclesiology (the doctrine of the church). It is interesting how these men could be so biblical in their view of salvation, but so far off from the biblical model in their view of what the church is and does.

This is a good lesson to all of us (including me) that while we are correct in some of our beliefs, we are probably also incorrect on a few things.

Happy Reformation Day!

2008-10-31T10:40:00.002-04:00

We have much to be thankful for this day, and I'm not referring to ghouls and goblins.

World Champs at Last!

2008-10-30T09:22:00.004-04:00

The Philadelphia Phillies are champions of American baseball.

Being a Phillies fan can be a painful experience. However, right now it is glorious for me. Last night they clinched the championship by defeating the Tampa Bay Rays.

I guess all things are possible. Maybe next year even the Chicago Cubs will win it.

John Piper on People Groups and India

2008-10-23T18:56:00.000-04:00

Frightened By What I Deserve

2008-10-22T15:27:00.001-04:00

For the past two weeks we have been studying Genesis 3 at Chevis Oaks Baptist Church. The more we look at this chapter, the more I realize that I deserve to hang on a cross. I could never pay for my guilt as Jesus did, but I still deserve it. When I think about the details of the crucifixion, I am horrified by it. That is what this video describes.

What is even more amazing is that the spiritual pain for Christ was even worse than the physical torture this video describes.

Praise God for His amazing grace!

Only a Politician Could Root for the Phillies AND Rays in the World Series

2008-10-22T11:28:00.005-04:00

Go Phillies!!!

Too Many Books, Not Enough Time

2008-10-19T14:32:00.000-04:00

I love to read, but don't seem to have enough time to do it right now. There are multiple books sitting on my shelf just waiting to be devoured. Maybe you are in this same situation.

I'm currently reading:

E. M. Bounds on Prayer

Institutes of the Christian Religion

Outgrowing the Ingrown Church

This Momentary Marriage

What's sitting on my shelf waiting to be read:

Biblical Preaching

Essential Church

Francis Schaeffer Trilogy

Restoring Integrity in Baptist Churches

Stand: A Call for the Endurance of the Saints

The Atonement

The Intimate Marriage

Three Views on the Millennium and Beyond

Twelve Challenges Churches Face

If you like to read, but cannot find the time, how do you deal with this? Do you read a book thoroughly, or do you skim?

What are you reading? Do you have any suggestions for good books to add to my shelf?

Church Dissing Fatigue

2008-10-17T20:20:00.003-04:00

I'm suffering from Church Dissing Fatigue.

What is Church Dissing Fatigue? This new disorder, commonly referred to as CDF, is diagnosed when a person grows chronically fatigued from reading blogs which diss and complain repeatedly about the church.

I realize that many local churches are in need of reform in various areas. I also realize that since the church is composed of people, and therefore sinners, there will always be some problems.

I also acknowledge that there are some helpful blogs that not only discuss struggles within the church, but also offer helpful solutions. Blogs like this are usually written in a positive and helpful tone. My friend, Alan, writes a good blog of this sort.

My CDF comes from the multitude of blogs that criticize what may be called traditional churches. The blogs I'm referring to tend to be written from a critical and somewhat sarcastic point of view. The posts often suggest that the writer is the one who has finally figured out what the church is supposed to be and do. The writer rails against the problems that exist in traditional churches and rarely offers helpful solutions.

When I read blogs of this nature, I grow fatigued for one main reason. This reason is the main message that flows from the blog posts: pride. It is prideful for a writer to set himself up as some sort of all-knowing guru, telling everyone else what is wrong with their local church body. Writers like this almost act upset that they are not being consulted for advice on how a church should perform its duties.

This sort of blog writer also often writes in very black-and-white terms. When the traditional church is discussed, the writing suggests that everything is wrong with how the traditional church functions. The blogger usually writes as if he either pities or despises the traditional church.

This is not to say that we cannot know what God wants from His church; He has told us much in the bible. However, He has also given us a good deal of freedom in what the expression of the church looks like. Local bodies in NT times were not all the same; they also weren't all told to look and be the same.

I've decided to take the only remedy I know of for treating CDF: I'm going on a permanent diet from church dissing, negative blogs. They do no good. In fact, all they seem to accomplish is puffing up the writers, while causing dissension in the broader Christian blog world.

Let's build up the church instead of ourselves.

Video: Christians Under Attack in India

2008-10-16T17:15:00.004-04:00

Christians continue to suffer terribly in parts of India. In order to see and hear about this, click here to watch a BBC report.

Please pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ as they face persecution. Pray for steadfastness, strength, and hope.

Going to the World Series!

2008-10-16T09:22:00.002-04:00

Click here.

Different Worship Styles - Same God

2008-10-15T09:55:00.002-04:00

On Sunday we as a family participated in worship services of two VERY different styles. The fascinating thing is that the worship was directed to the same God: the Triune God of the bible.

As usual, we worshiped with our Chevis Oaks Baptist Church family during our morning and evening services. The worship style at Chevis Oaks is fairly standard for a Southern Baptist church. A visitor would probably say that joy dominates our worship services. We also tend to be informal. Although we are certainly reverent, our behavior most likely does not suggest that we are in awe at the presence of God during a gathering. I must say that at the conclusion of our services I always feel edified and loved.

After the evening service we made a quick stop at Wendy's. After that, we did something different. Instead of going home, we drove into the historic district of Savannah to attend Christ Church Savannah's Compline service. Christ Church is a member of the Anglican province of Uganda (this basically means that they preach, teach, and believe the biblical gospel).

Christ Church Savannah was founded in 1733. It was Georgia's first church. While in America, John Wesley (yes, that John Wesley) led this congregation. A few years after Wesley, George Whitefield (yes, that George Whitefield) took charge of this body.

The current church building (pictured here) was constructed in 1838. As we walked into the building, we were struck by what we saw. The candlelight atmosphere, stained-glass windows, and silence of the people present combined to generate a sense of reverence and awe. The Compline service, which takes place each Sunday at 9 PM, is a Christian service "dating back to monastic life in the Middle Ages." During the service, a choir sang from the balcony. The musical pieces were relatively short, holding to the Gregorian Chant style of hundreds of years ago. We greatly enjoyed this 30 minute respite.

What we experienced at Chevis Oaks differed greatly from what happened at Christ Church. Was one style better than another? Was one more acceptable to God than another? I do not think so. The key is that the services were biblical. The gospel was proclaimed in different ways, in different atmospheres. However, it was the same gospel.

"In My Place Condemned He Stood"

2008-10-14T17:05:00.007-04:00

My favorite biblical doctrine and the one I cherish the most is the atonement of Jesus Christ. If I ever return to school (yikes) this is the subject that I hope to study in depth.

Because of this, I enjoy reading about the atonement more than any other subject. The latest book that I've completed on this subject is In My Place Condemned He Stood: Celebrating the Glory of the Atonement. This relatively short text (about 150 pages) is composed of a series of essays by J. I. Packer and Mark Dever. I've enjoyed reading both of these men in the past so I assumed this book would be a good investment of time and energy.

Several positives stand out for this book. First, the subject is at the heart of Christianity so the material itself is automatically compelling. Second, both of the authors are great scholars. Third, they both understand that the atoning work of Christ was a definite atonement as opposed to a potential atonement.

The only negative for me personally is that I struggle a bit with J. I. Packer's writing style. In a somewhat ironic twist, in this book Packer describes John Owen's writings as difficult to read. And I thought Packer was difficult!

The last section of this book by itself, which is not even one of the essays, is reason enough to purchase it. Ligon Duncan has compiled an excellent annotated bibliography (25 pages) on the subject of the atonement. This will come in very handy for later intensive study of this subject.

This book is a good read. If you purchase it, I suggest reading it along with a few other books that may be a bit easier.

Watch this Desiring God Video about James 3

2008-10-13T16:48:00.003-04:00

Click here to read James 3:1-12.

Attacks Continue on Iraqi Christians

2008-10-13T09:54:00.003-04:00

Even CNN, which is not known as the most Christian-friendly organization, is reporting that Christians are coming under increasing attack in parts of Iraq.

According to CNN, "Thirteen Christians have been slain in the past two weeks in the city (Mosul), which is located about 420 kilometers (260 miles) north of Baghdad. At least 900 Christian families have fled in recent days, reportedly frightened by a series of killings and threats by Muslim extremists ordering them to convert to Islam or face possible death, Iraqi officials said."

To read the entire article, click here.

Let's be in prayer for our Christian brothers and sisters who live in very difficult places.

Hebrews 13:3, "Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body."

Appointed to Eternal Life

2008-10-10T16:47:00.001-04:00

Many American Evangelical Christians shy away from the doctrines of election and predestination as if they are some sort of evil. I have heard numerous Christians actually say that it wouldn't be fair for God to elect some people to salvation but not others. Having been raised in an Arminian denomination, I cannot even begin to tell how many times I've heard the doctrine of election described as God's looking into the future to see who would choose Him, and then He elected them.

I do not understand why Christians, at least in this country, generally struggle with accepting the fact that it is God who sovereignly selects who will be saved and who will not. I believe that a fair reading of the scriptures shows this to be true.

For example, in Acts 13:48 we read in the ESV, "And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed" (emphasis mine).

The NASB, NKJV, NIV, and HCSB also use the word "appointed" in this verse. The KJV and Wycliffe New Testament use "ordained."

The context of this passage has Paul and Barnabas in Antioch in Pisidia on the first missionary journey. On a Sabbath, a group of Jews was contradicting Paul. In response to this, Paul and Barnabas said that since they rejected the gospel message, Paul and Barnabas would turn to the Gentiles. That is the conclusion of 13:47. Immediately after this, we read 13:48.

In the original Greek language, the meaning is the same (to see it, click here). Luke clearly writes that some Gentiles were assigned, appointed, or designated to eternal life. Those who were thus appointed were those who then believed. The Greek verb form is a perfect passive participle. The key is that it is passive. This means that someone else appointed those who would believe. Who did the appointing? It is clear that God did.

I have read various people attempt to make Acts 13:48 say something other than it does. The reality, however, is that the language is clear and plain. It is not difficult to read or understand. In Acts 13:48, a certain number of Gentiles believed. They were the ones God appointed to believe.

God is sovereign over the election of who is saved and who is not. When we submit to this truth, it gives us a broader, deeper, and sweeter view of the glory of the cross.

I thank God for saving a wretch like me!

Rights for Plants in Switzerland? - It's No Joke

2008-10-10T10:03:00.002-04:00

It appears that plants are now being granted rights in Switzerland. For more on this lunacy, read here.

The Importance of the Catechism

2008-10-09T11:11:00.001-04:00

Our friend Shannon recently commented on this blog, "You mentioned that you catechize your children. I was wondering if there is a specific approach that you take and if so, are there specific resources you would recommend using?"

Alice and I definitely believe in the importance of catechizing our children. The unfortunate reality is that most Christians do not know the bible well and know even less doctrine. The typical American follower of Christ seems to know alarmingly little beyond the basics of the gospel message.

We want our children to know both what they believe and why they believe it. Because of this, we study systematically through the bible, usually reading a chapter or two per day (some weeks we do a better job of this than others). During our time of bible study, we also use a catechism.

As we catechize, we use the traditional question-and-answer format. We usually go question-by-question, answering together out loud. For example, the most famous question in the catechism we use is, "What is the chief end of man?" After I read the question aloud, we all answer together, saying, "Man's chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever."

There are several different options for what catechism to use. This will obviously depend upon what your specific beliefs are. As Baptists, we have chosen to use a Baptist catechism. This catechism (pictured above) is published by Desiring God Ministries. The website description of this catechism says, "This booklet is a slightly revised version of 'The Baptist Catechism' first put forth by Baptists in 1689 in Great Britain. It is patterned after the well-known Westminster Catechism, and includes some comments in the early sections to help parents make things plain to their children."

To gain a sense for what this catechism is like, you can read it here.

You can order the catechism here.

I highly recommend using some sort of catechism with your children. It is amazing how much even little children can learn in a relatively short period of time. The beauty of the catechism is that kids both like it and benefit from it. They will learn truths that will remain with them for the rest of their lives. If learned at a young age, children may know a great deal of biblical doctrine even before they submit to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

Interesting Book, Wrong Title

2008-10-08T16:17:00.000-04:00

Have you ever read a book that you thought was worth the time, but by the end realized that is has the wrong title? This just happened to me as I was completing Simple Church: Returning to God's Process for Making Disciples.

This book, written by Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger, would be much more accurately entitled something like "Focused Church" or "Streamlined Church." The reason for this is that what they propose is not really simple. Rather, they suggest a process by which churches can focus or streamline what they are trying to do. The church may end up being just as complex as before, but at the end of the process everything will at least be flowing in the same direction.

Let me explain. This book is worth reading because of the research that Rainer and Geiger put into it. The authors looked at churches that were growing compared to those that have plateaued in attendance. They asked many questions and discovered some interesting things.

In general, Rainer and Geiger found that when a church is focused around a common vision of how they will make disciples, and when the people of the church buy into that vision, the church is likely to thrive. However, if a church has several different vision statements and is not particularly focused, that church struggles to make and keep disciples.

It seems that in the focused church the people are able to rally around a common goal. They know both what they believe and what they are doing while together as a church body. In churches that are not focused, there appears to be a decent amount of confusion about what the church is attempting to accomplish.

The results of this book are helpful. They have made me ask why we do what we do. Any church could benefit from this. Additionally, most churches could probably cease certain activities that do not have anything to do with the church's focus.

Now to the title of the book. What Rainer and Geiger propose in this text is that a church be focused. The reality is that they do not suggest simplicity. What the authors want is for churches to look at what they do, ask why they do what they do, focus on one discipleship plan, and give all attention to that plan. This may all continue to happen within the same structure that the church already has in place. Even a mega-church, with thousands of members, could focus by reading this book. That is hardly the same thing as simple.

When I think of simple church, I think about the most basic aspects of the church as we see it in the bible. This type of simple church is followers of Jesus Christ spending life together, serving one another, bearing one another's burdens, and witnessing to the lost. This simple church is about people as opposed to buildings and programs. This is simple in focus and structure.

It is interesting to see what people are saying about simple church (the concept, not the book) on the internet. For example, sites like this, this, and this are all talking about this phenomenon.

Simple Church (the book) is worth the read. However, it needs a more accurate title.

"150? That's Not Bad."

2008-10-06T13:30:00.001-04:00

I recently ventured into our local Lifeway Bookstore here in Savannah. As I was perusing some books (which is always a dangerous temptation), I got into a discussion with one of the ladies who works there. I found out that not only is she a Christian, but she also attends a Southern Baptist Church. After we talked about Baptist life for a few minutes, we began to discuss the specific churches we attend.

It turns out that she is a member of one of the larger SBC churches in the city. Her church averages about 500 in attendance on a Sunday morning. She did not tell me this; I just happen to know it because the church is well-known around town.

This is where the conversation took a turn for the weird. She asked me about where I attend. I told her that I am the pastor of Chevis Oaks Baptist. She asked me how big the church is. I told her that on Sunday mornings we average 125-150 people. That's when she said it.

Her response still rings in my ears. She said, "150? That's not bad."

I have no idea what I said after that. I literally cannot remember the remainder of the conversation. A few minutes later I left the store to drive back to the church building.

For much of the rest of the day I thought about her statement. Obviously, based on this post, I am still pondering it. Several related questions come to mind:

Would fewer than 125-150 in attendance be "bad"?
When does "bad" begin for a church?
What number do you have to reach to be "good"?
What scale of measurement is she using?
Is bigger automatically better?

It is the last question that bothers me the most. As many of us have seen, the American idea of "bigger is better" is ingrained in the minds of many Christians. The line of reasoning goes something like this: people attend a church because other people witness to them; witnessing is good; therefore, bigger churches are full of more obedient people; therefore, bigger churches are better.

There are so many problems with that logic that I don't even want to deal with it. What we must realize is that nowhere in scripture is church size even an issue. It is not commended by God. It isn't even mentioned.

God cares much more about the conditions of the hearts of the people who make up the church than He does about the numerical size of the church. God cares that we love Him and love other people. God desires that we care for the weak among us and lead holy lives. God cares that we build each other up in the faith. God wants us to share our faith in Jesus Christ.

Let's focus on what God cares about, and not play the church numbers game. God simply doesn't care about it.

Atheists Targeting President Over Prayer

2008-10-04T07:06:00.003-04:00

A large group of atheists and agnostics is suing President Bush and others over the issue of prayer. Click here to read about it.

Apparently these atheists believe that freedom of religion and freedom of speech should apply only to those who do not believe in God.

"Spectacular Sins"

2008-10-03T16:30:00.001-04:00

John Piper has written yet another book that confronts a difficult topic head on. In Spectacular Sins and Their Global Purpose in the Glory of Christ, Dr. Piper deals with the issue of God's sovereignty over sin. This text looks at how God can both be in control of all things, and yet very, very bad things still happen.

Piper specifically looks at different accounts in the bible that show God's sovereignty over sin. He shows how God either causes or permits sin in order to bring about His good purposes. Making sure to say that God is not the author of sin or guilty of sin, Piper repeatedly illustrates how God controls events and circumstances to glorify Christ.

My favorite chapters of this book were those that look at specific bible characters, the sin in their lives or those around them, and how God used those situations for His wise purposes. These chapters study the fall of Satan, the disobedience of Adam, the pride of Babel, the sale of Joseph, the sinful origin of the Son of David, and the case of Judas Iscariot.

I appreciate Dr. Piper because he is willing to deal with difficult issues such as this without suggesting that God is somehow lacking in sovereignty. Piper shows how God's complete and utter sovereignty should give us great hope during times of trial. That alone makes it worth buying. It is also a quick read (even for a slow reader like me) - only about 110 pages.

Speaking of buying, this book is on sale right now for only $5.00. Click here to see.

Fireproof - It's Worth the $9.00

2008-10-01T15:58:00.002-04:00

I have been disappointed TOO MANY times by movies. Most that are recommended to me are not even worth the matinee price. Most aren't even worth the cost of a DVD rental.

Fireproof is different. It is worth every penny.

My wife (Alice) and I went to see Fireproof last night. I have to admit being a little skeptical as the beginning of the movie. However, I ended up enjoying the entire film. It was well-made, well-acted, and (this may sound a bit hokey) inspiring.

The best 3 reasons to see the movie are:

1. Fireproof is clear that we need Jesus Christ. Although the movie does not present the gospel in all its detail, it makes it clear that life only really begins by knowing Jesus Christ. This message is not watered-down in any way.

2. Fireproof displays a high view of marriage. The film clearly indicates that marriage is to be for a lifetime. The screenplay does not downplay the difficulties involved in marriage, but does encourage the viewer to work through these difficulties. It is realistic and biblical.

3. Fireproof deals with pertinent issues of our day. This film tackles subjects such as materialism, pornography, communication in marriage, forgiveness, and the devastation of divorce. I admire the writers for not shying away from difficult subjects.

Here is a bonus reason to see Fireproof:

Fireproof is set in Albany, Georgia. Although Albany is located four hours from here, it is still in South Georgia. That means that the scenery in the movie is much like it is here in Savannah (minus the marsh grass). So, if you want to know what the vegetation is like in Savannah, then you have to go see this movie.

Go see the movie. You will be glad you did.

"He Is Not Silent"

2008-10-01T15:30:00.002-04:00

Dr. Albert Mohler is one of my favorite authors. I appreciate his desire to be biblical and to confront secular society with the gospel message.

Mohler has recently penned several books. I just completed reading his new text concerning preaching. He Is Not Silent is a call to preachers to confront our postmodern society with the truths set forth in the bible.

Mohler focuses on the need for expository preaching, the importance of doctrine in preaching, and the challenges of preaching to the postmodern mindset. At the same time, Mohler sounds a clarion call to today's preachers to have the courage and fortitude to preach biblically and keep preaching biblically.

This text is not a "how-to" text for expository preaching. Instead, it is designed to be a wake-up call to preachers and teachers about the need for the proclamation of the clear gospel message in the midst of a society that is confused about religion and spirtuality.

If you have never read a book discussing preaching/teaching as it relates to the current postmodern mindset, then I encourage you to read this book. It is fairly short (about 170 pages) and easy to read. If you have read other texts which focus on the importance of expository preaching, then don't bother with this one.

The Pitfall of Pastoral Pride

2008-09-29T13:25:00.000-04:00

Pastoring a church is a great joy. I continue to be amazed at what a wonderful privilege it is.

Sunday, in particular, is my favorite day of the week because it is when our church family gathers twice. Spending time together and building one another up is something that I look forward to all week long.

Sunday is also a day that I must be careful. Many folks within the church say very nice things to me on that day. This encourages and edifies me. However, there is a danger. The danger that lurks in the midst of this is pride. Once in a while, after someone has said something nice, I can sense myself feeling good about myself. I am not referring here to some sort of healthy self-concept. Rather, I'm talking about feeling prideful in my own actions, skills, and abilities.

When I realize that I am feeling this way, it makes me sick. Over the past few weeks, I have been preaching through Genesis chapter 1. That chapter makes it painfully clear that all abilities come to us as a gift of God. In fact, even our very lives are a gift from His hand. In light of this, pride is absurd.

When we become prideful, we are basically dethroning God in our lives and placing ourselves on the throne. Because of this, God condemns pride.

Proverbs 11:2, "When pride comes, then comes shame; but with the humble is wisdom."

Proverbs 16:18, "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall."

Proverbs 29:23, "A man's pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor."

In Mark 7:20-23, Jesus lists pride among evils that come from within man. He says, "What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man."

Additionally, Paul writes something interesting to Timothy in discussing qualifications for an elder/overseer/pastor. In I Timothy 3:6, Paul says that an overseer should not be, "a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil."

Pride is a sin that all followers of Jesus Christ should resist. When the temptation arises, we should squash it by remembering that it is God who has given us all we have, including our abilities to do any good at all.

As pastors, we must fight against this temptation when the church gathers. In fact, even as we are being edified, we must watch out for Satan's attempt to use this to make us think that we are something special.

As pastors, we should pray that God will constantly remind us that we are profoundly unworthy of our calling.

Two Years in a Row!

2008-09-27T19:10:00.006-04:00

The only team in baseball that matters, the Philadelphia Phillies, have won the National League East for the 2nd year in a row!

Living in Georgia means living in Atlanta Braves country. For this reason, I am a bit of a baseball outcast down here. However, I've been a Phillies fan for all my life. How can I possibly be unloyal to my team?

Also, most of the years of liking the Phillies have been painful ones; they are usually just plain bad. The last few years have been sweet. Go Phils!

What Causes Unbelief?

2008-09-26T12:50:00.001-04:00

Paul tells us clearly in Romans 10:9, "because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."

But what causes a person to believe or not believe? At an ultimate level, what is it that makes someone have faith? What is the root cause of trust or a lack of trust in God?

My guess is that most Christians would say that it is a person's free choice as to whether or not he believes. The would say that each individual's choice is the ultimate reason for his belief or lack of it.

However, is this what the bible says? What do the scriptures tell us is the primary reason a person has faith? John answers this question for us in John chapter 10.

John 10:26 says , "But you do not believe because you are not part of my flock."

The context of 10:26 is Jesus talking with the Jews in the temple during the Feast of Dedication (read John 10:25-30 by clicking here). The Jews want to know if Jesus is the Christ. Jesus talks to them about their lack of belief. Jesus makes it clear that the Jews who He is talking to do not believe because they are not Christ's sheep. Therefore, we can see that in order to believe, a person has to be one of Jesus' sheep.

How, then, does a person become one of Jesus' sheep? Many people would answer by saying that when a person believes, he becomes a sheep belonging to Jesus. However, this passage says the reverse ordering is true. A person only believes because he was already one of Christ's sheep. Therefore, it cannot be that faith causes a person to be one of Christ's flock.

So what does cause a person to be, as Jesus says, "part of my flock."? Fortunately for us, John answers this very question in 10:29. That verse says, "My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand."

The key phrase in 10:29 is, "My Father, who has given them to me..." What we see in 10:29 is that a person is part of Christ's flock because the Father has given him to Jesus. It is the Father in heaven's prerogative, then, who is given to the Son to be his sheep. It is clear that faith does not cause God to give us to Christ because the order of what we see here is:

1. God the Father gives certain people to God the Son.
2. Those people become part of Christ's flock.
3. Those in the flock are able to believe.

The ordering of what we see is extremely important. This passage shows us that it is God who decides who believes and who does not. It is God's sovereign decision who is able to have faith and who does not.

This passage is entirely consistent with what Paul tells us in Ephesians 2:8-9. Paul writes, "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." This verse makes it clear that faith itself is a gift of God.

We also know that passages such as John 10:25-30 and Ephesians 2:8-9 in no way conflict with our calling to evangelize the lost. We know this because of passages such as Matthew 28:19-20, Mark 16:15, and Acts 1:8. The bible never contradicts itself.

So what significance does it have for us that God is the one who ultimately causes belief or unbelief? As believers, our response should be wonder and awe that God would grant us the gift of belief. As sinners, we know that we do not deserve it. It is all of grace.

When we admit that it is God who has caused us to believe, we are saying that faith is not a work, but it is all grace. When this happens, God receives all the glory.

Darwin Foiled

2008-09-25T12:01:00.003-04:00

A Reformed Southern Baptist is...

2008-09-25T10:15:00.000-04:00

The description of this blog refers to me as a "Reformed Southern Baptist." What in the world is that?

I have written previously (click here) about what I believe a Reformed Baptist is. I have also admitted that I have a bit of a Fundamentalist stream in my thinking (click here).

So what is a Reformed Southern Baptist? Quite simply, a Reformed Southern Baptist is a Reformed Baptist who wants to remain in the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). This answer may seem painfully obvious to some people, but it should be noted that many Reformed Baptists have departed from SBC life.

How does this work? How does someone who holds to Reformed theology remain in the SBC? There are several different answers to this question. Some Reformed folks within the convention are determined to change the beliefs in the convention as a whole so that the SBC itself becomes Reformed. Quite frankly, I think this is very unwise. It will just lead to more fighting within the convention. We certainly do not need this.

Others who are Reformed have all but left the SBC. In other words, they are technically in the convention, but have little to do with the convention or other SBC churches. This seems isolationist to me and accomplishes little.

My position on the issue is that I will, when appropriate, talk about issues such as the Doctrines of Grace, God's complete sovereignty, Calvinism, etc. This may occur within or outside the church setting. I'm determined to be open about this. However, I'm also determined to do this in a kind, loving manner. I also have no agenda to change people's minds.

Since I have the wonderful opportunity to preach and teach during the week, issues of God's sovereignty will certainly arise. For example, right now I am preaching through Genesis 1-3 in order to prepare for a series through the entire book of Matthew beginning in December. Genesis 1-3 shows us a completely soveriegn God who is Creator and Owner of all that exists. I certainly hope that at the conclusion of Genesis 1-3 the people of Chevis Oaks Baptist Church see God as sovereign. Why? Because that is what the text shows us. My agenda is to be biblical, but not to force any sort of system.

Currently in the SBC, there is at least some concern and some confusion over issues such as Calvinism, Reformed Theology, etc. Reformed Baptists within the SBC can do ourselves a favor by loving God and loving others first, and discuss issues such as Reformed theology second. Reformed theology must not be what we are primarily known for.

A Reformed Baptist does have distinct beliefs (5 "solas" of the Reformation, believer's baptism, Doctrines of Grace, inerrancy of scripture, independence of the local church, separation of church and state, etc.). These beliefs, however, must not be what Reformed Southern Baptists are most known for. If it is, we will have little impact within the convention.

If Reformed Baptists are most known for lovingly living out the gospel in order to advance the Kingdom of God, then we may be able to influence the SBC in a positive light.

Let's let Reformed Theology be a positive in the SBC and avoid the fighting that has plagued the convention for so many years.

Alistair Begg on Pastoral Ministry

2008-09-24T16:19:00.002-04:00

Although I am happy to be a Southern Baptist, I enjoy looking outside the SBC landscape for both sermons and books. One of my favorite preachers is Alistair Begg. Begg is senior pastor at Parkside Church in Cleveland, Ohio. He also has a radio ministry at Truth for Life. You can download and/or listen to Begg's sermons by clicking here.

I recently completed reading a book about pastoral ministry that Begg co-authored with Derek Prime. The title of the work is On Being a Pastor.

This book is an excellent overview of pastoral ministry within the traditional church setting in both Great Britain and the United States. Since it is co-authored, the text contains many different concrete examples of what pastoral life and ministry is like.

This book is the best that I have read on the subject of pastoral ministry. The reasons for this are that the authors have years of experience, have a high view of biblical authority, write in a humble manner, deal with theoretical and practical issues, and seem to really love the people they are under-shepherding. The book is also engaging and fairly easy to read.

Another positive about this book is that I will be able to use it as a resource in the years to come. For example, if I cannot remember how I should deal with a certain issue, such as church discipline for example, I will pull out this text and read over the section dealing with that. In this way, it is a resource book.

I would recommend this book to anyone involved in pastoral ministry. Even if you do not read it from cover to cover, it will be good to have around for dealing with specific issues.

By the way, if you have never heard Begg preach, listen to some of his sermons. It will be a good investment of your time.

Take a Look at Nature Worshipers

2008-09-23T16:09:00.000-04:00

Click here to watch a video a those who worship nature. It is sad and pathetic. When I watch things like this, I praise the Lord for His glorious grace in saving me from spiritual bondage.

Can You be a Christian and Not be Part of a Local Church Family? Yes and No

2008-09-22T22:00:00.002-04:00

Can you be a Christian and not be part of a local church family?

This is a question that we, as Protestants, usually answer with a hearty "YES!"

The answer I give to the question, however, is "Yes and No." This is how I came to this conclusion:

I believe, as Protestants have historically believed, that salvation is based on God's grace alone. This salvation is confirmed by our faith. Salvation is based on grace alone, not based on works. This may be most clearly stated in Ephesians 2:8-9. If we confess Christ and trust in him, we will be saved (Romans 10:9).

In theory, then, a person can be a Christian without attending any church. He can follow Christ without attachment to a local church body. He can be assured of salvation without being a part of a local gathering.

He can be a part of the universal church of God without being joined with any local manifestation of that church.

This is where it gets difficult. When I look in scripture, I see Christians who want to be with other Christians. I see followers of Jesus Christ sharing life with one another. I read about Christians gathering on a regular basis to build one another up in Christ, to encourage one another during times of trial, to confront one another if one is in sin, and to support each other as they live for Christ as part of the Kingdom of God.

In the bible I do not see Christians who are not part of a local church. There may be instances where a local church does not yet exist (I'm thinking of the Ethiopian eunuch), but that's not what I am discussing. I'm referring to followers of Christ who consciously reject fellowship with a local body. As far as I can see, they do not exist in the bible.

In our day we all know about Christians who have recently moved to a new location and are not yet part of a local body. We also know about those who are too sick to attend anywhere. We are aware to followers of our Lord who have been hurt within church and are a bit "gun shy" of church life. These are not folks I am talking about.

What I am saying is that in the bible we do not see Christians rejecting the church. What we do see is Christians thriving within the church. We see them growing in Christ in part because they are edified by their brothers and sisters in Christ.

So what are we to make of folks who today claim to be followers of Jesus but want no part of church life? We must be careful not to assume anything about their salvation. We ought to try to get to know them and ask to hear their story. If they have no desire to be part of a church, we should love them, serve them, and share the gospel with them. If they continue to reject the church even after we have spent time with them, then we ought to worry about whether or not they know the Lord.

It is normal for Christians to be part of the local church. It is not normal for them to be alone.

So can someone be saved but not be part of a local church? Yes and No.

Question: How Do You Organize Your Library?

2008-09-21T14:45:00.000-04:00

Ever since returning from the mission field, I have been collecting books. It is a passion of mine to read all I can of theology, the church, preaching, Christian biographies, etc. I can't even keep up with the books I have purchased. One problem I have is that there is a discount Christian bookstore within just a couple of miles of Chevis Oaks. It is a great source of temptation (good, I hope).

Back to the subject at hand. Since I am collecting books to form a theological library, I want to organize them in the most useful way possible. Currently, my books are semi-organized according to subject and author. This is not the best system, and is sometimes completely confusing.

So, if you have a personal library (theological or not), how do you organize your books? Do you go strictly by the author's name, the subject, or something else? Please let me know becuase my situation is not good now and will continue to deteriorate as I collect more.

Thanks.

Two Amazing Creation Patterns

2008-09-18T20:45:00.001-04:00

I can't wait for this Sunday. I will be preaching on Genesis 1:1-25 during the morning and evening services (Last Sunday I preached on just Genesis 1:1). It has been a great pleasure this week to study through this text. I am always amazed by how God shows me new things whenever I read over a text that I have studied many times before (with the help of study bibles, commentaries, etc.). In studying Genesis 1, I came across two patterns that I had not previously thought about. You may already be aware of these, but if not, then enjoy. Either way, we should stand in awe of both the splendor and the order of God's creation.

The first pattern, which I had been somewhat aware of but hadn't given much thought, is the five step process that is followed on almost every day of creation (Just in case you are curious, I believe creation occurred in 6 literal 24 hour days. If that labels me a fundamentalist, then so be it).

The five step process goes like this:

1. The announcement - "God said..."

2. The command - "Let there be..."

3. The report - "and it was so."

4. The evaluation - "God saw that it was good."

5. The placement in time - "the evening and the morning, ____ day."

The second pattern, of which I was not aware, is how God first creates locations or spaces on days 1-3 and then fills them up on days 4-6.

Day 1 - God creates light.

Day 2 - God separates the sky from the seas.

Day 3 - God creates land and plant life.

Day 4 - God fills the light with the sun, moon, and stars.

Day 5 - God fills the sky with birds and the seas with sea creatures.

Day 6 - God fills the land with first animals and then humans.

These patterns indicate that God was intimately involved with His perfect creation. There is no suggestion of either a "Big Bang" or any sort of evolutionary process. It seems that the author (probably Moses) went out of his way to emphasize God's active role in even the details of creation. This account portrays God as an artist bringing about a masterpiece. Of course, a human artist can't do it ex nihilo like God did.

What an amazing God we serve!

On a related topic, below is my Genesis 1:1 sermon on Wordle.

Are Large Families a Problem?

2008-09-18T08:16:00.004-04:00

One word answer: No

Psalm 127:3-5, "Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate."

Dr. Al Mohler of SBTS agrees. Click here to read about it.

No Christian is an Island

2008-09-17T17:40:00.002-04:00

We survived two years without a church family. I'm grateful beyond words that that time is now behind us.

Let me explain. In June of 2006, we moved away from Wake Forest, NC. We had lived in Wake Forest for four years for me to attend seminary. While there, we attended Messiah Baptist Church. During that time, we cherished being together with our Messiah friends. It was very difficult to leave.

We departed Wake Forest looking forward to moving to South Asia. As you probably know by now, we lived and served in South Asia from October 2006 until March 2007. That's when our son, Bobby, was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (a form of cancer). We came home in March and headed directly into hospital life.

After Bobby's treatments concluded in May of 2007, we did not know what to do. We spent the remainder of 2007 seeking the Lord's will and assisting Bobby in recovery. By the end of the year, we believed we knew what the Lord wanted us to do.

In January 2008, we resigned from our sending agency. In God's sovereign providence, He allowed me to begin supply preaching at Chevis Oaks Baptist Church in February. In June, the church called me to be pastor. God has provided the entire time.

I review all this because from June 2006 until June 2008 we were without a church home. It was more difficult than I could have ever imagined!

At this point, I must clarify. Within those two years of homelessness, there were many, many Christian people who loved and served us. For example, when we were clueless new folks in South Asia, several experienced foreigners in our city helped us in many ways. We also enjoyed worshiping with them. When we returned home to the USA, many Christians in the Savannah area helped us. Friends at Rothwell Baptist Church in particular have been very generous to us. We still live in their missions house (although we are trying to find one of our own to purchase)! Additionally, friends from all over the USA have encouraged us through e-mails and phone calls.

Still, throughout that time we were not fully engaged in the lives of a church family. Part of the reason for that is that we did not want to get too close emotionally because we knew we were likely to leave. We did join with Rothwell in many activities, but never threw ourselves fully into church life. We were especially trying to keep our children from getting too emotionally attached.

Because of this, even though we had people loving us, we were never fully sharing in the lives of other Christians. It was incredibly difficult because we sensed a need to be encouraging others, helping others, serving others, and building others up in Jesus Christ. We wanted to give of ourselves fully as we were being given to. In some ways, June 2006 - June 2008 felt like wandering through a church desert with water close by but never reachable.

Those two years have made me cherish the church more than I ever have before. I have no idea how some Christians do not join actively with a church family. Every time I am with my new church friends at Chevis Oaks I get so encouraged that I almost can't stand it. I love encouraging and being encouraged. I love serving and being served. I love building others up in Christ and being built up.

As difficult as those two years were, I do think I benefited by coming out of it with a better understanding of both the church and the individual Christian's need for church life. I sense better what the writer of Hebrews (whoever he was) meant when he wrote in 10:24-25, "And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching."

As a follower of Jesus, I desperately need His church. I cannot stand on a spiritual "island." I need to be embedded in the lives of my brothers and sisters in Christ. This extends far beyond just Chevis Oaks, but also to the lives of other followers of Jesus with whom I come in contact.

Christian isolationism doesn't work and isn't biblical. I need others.

The Gospel in 6 Minutes

2008-09-16T12:58:00.003-04:00

Please watch this excellent, heartfelt discussion of the gospel.

Thanks to my friend Nick, from whose website I swiped this video.

Why I Preach and Teach from the NKJV

2008-09-15T16:30:00.000-04:00

Sometimes within church life the bible translation that the pastor uses can be a big deal. In some situations, it even leads to problems. I'm thrilled that is not the case at Chevis Oaks Baptist.

As I have preached in several churches over the last 5 years or so, I have used various translations. Up until this year, I hadn't really decided on which version to use. Quite honestly, I'm not sure exactly why I used certain translations in the past. That changed this year as I began thinking about preaching consistently within one church family.

Since coming to Chevis Oaks, I have been preaching from the New King James Version of the Bible.

As I began to think about what version to use, I first made up my mind to choose one version and stick with it. I at least knew enough to know that the people listening would want consistency in version choice. Over time, some people tend to purchase bibles that are the same version their pastors use so that they can follow along more easily during the sermon. This has already happened here with several folks buying NKJVs.

As I was deciding on a version to use, I held one assumption: there are several good translations of the bible in English. Some people disagree with this and believe one version is simply the best, and should therefore be used due to its superiority. I have yet to be convinced of that. As I have looked at the original languages (I don't claim to be any sort of expert), and then looked at English translations, I have found the following to be good translations: the King James Version (KJV), the New King James Version (NKJV), the New American Standard Bible (NASB), the English Standard Version (ESV), the Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB), and the International Standard Version (ISV). All are basically word-for-word translations that do a good job of expressing the meaning of the original authors. To see a good comparison of several different versions, click here.

When I study, I don't stick with one version. I recommend to any bible teachers that you look at several versions when analyzing any passage. If you can afford it, purchase Bibleworks. It has helped me a great deal.

At a personal level, my favorite translation is the ESV. The reason is that it is a good translation that is also very readable. I don't struggle with any of the language and at the same time I know that it is an accurate translation. The HCSB is similar.

When I blog, I usually bounce back-and-forth between the ESV and NKJV depending on what I am writing about.

Now to preaching and teaching. Why do I use the NKJV? The reason is simple: it is what I think is best for this church family. Many of the members of Chevis Oaks enjoy the KJV. However, there are others who use a modern translation such as the NIV (New International Version). I have found the NKJV to be a good "middle-ground" between those two versions. A person can listen to a sermon from the NKJV and still follow along with either a KJV or an NIV. Since the goal of preaching is to teach people what the bible says in order to bring about a life-change, it makes obvious sense to use a bible that they can understand in the first place.

This is a very small sacrifice on my part. I do it because it is what I believe will most build up the body here at Chevis Oaks. So far it seems to be working well.

"Atheism Remix"

2008-09-13T14:39:00.001-04:00

I love short books. When I say "short," I'm not talking about a 20 page book. What I mean is a book that is 100-150 pages long. For the most part, books of this length get right to the point, don't mess around, and don't contain added fluff.

Atheism Remix is just such a book (108 pages). In this book, Dr. Albert Mohler, president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, analyzes the new brand of atheism that is creeping more and more into mainstream American life. Mohler's purpose is to both discuss the dangers of the New Atheism, and to call Christians to continue to proclaim the truth of biblical theism.

Mohler suggests that atheism is on the rise in American culture. This is due in no small part to the writings of four men: Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris, and Christopher Hitchens. These four men, who Mohler says could be called "The Four Horsemen of the New Atheist Apocalypse," have all written and spoken about the benefits of a naturalistic/materialistic worldview. They see religion as untenable and even dangerous.

Mohler helped me better understand the New Atheism by listing and discussing eight of its characteristics:

1. The New Atheism is marked by an unprecedented new boldness.
2. There is a clear and specific rejection of the Christian God of the Bible.
3. The New Atheists explicitly reject Jesus Christ.
4. The New Atheism is specifically grounded in scientific argument.
5. The New Atheism is new in its refusal to tolerate moderate and liberal forms of belief.
6. The New Atheism attacks toleration.
7. The New Atheists have begun to question the right of parents to inculcate belief in their own children.
8. The New Atheists argue that religion itself must be eliminated in order to preserve human freedom.

I find numbers 3, 7, and 8 particularly frightening.

What are Christians to do in the face of the New Atheism? Mohler writes, "Then, as now, the task is to articulate, communicate, and defend the Christian faith with intellectual integrity and evangelistic urgency. We should not assume that this task will be easy, and we must also refuse to withdraw from public debate and private conversation in light of this challenge."

I highly recommend this book. I appreciate Dr. Mohler's work in opening my eyes to this new strain of an old unbelief.

Other Languages Online

2008-09-12T12:53:00.002-04:00

I was looking for BBC coverage of the awful flooding in India when I realized that I could look at the BBC in a wide variety of other languages. I cannot read these languages, but I still find them fascinating to look at. Some of the most interesting looking are Arabic, Persian, Pashto, Hindi, and Tamil.

"The Truth War"

2008-09-12T11:00:00.003-04:00

I highly recommend almost every book I read. This book, however, does not fall into that category.

John MacArthur, in The Truth War, certainly has much good to say. As is typical with MacArthur, he doesn't pull any punches. MacArthur stresses the importance of biblical truth being objective as opposed to subjective. Biblical truth is determined by God, not by human feelings.

MacArthur rightly criticizes the postmodern view of truth, which suggests that truth is ultimately unknowable. Postmoderns, instead of seeking truth, stress a warped humility that suggests that truth is beyond us. What this leads to is relativism and subjectivism.

In talking about postmodernism's seeping into churches, MacArthur speaks out against the false teachings of Brian McLaren. McLaren has written several books from a theologically postmodern view. His most well-known work is entitled A Generous Orthodoxy. MacArthur correctly criticizes McLaren for his refusal to stand up for the truth of the core doctrines of the Christian faith.

MacArthur also describes emerging churches, which are generally churches that adhere to postmodern thought.

Most of what MacArthuer writes needs to be said. For that, I appreciate this book.

The problem with The Truth War is that it seems somewhat repetitive and redundant. I could have read the first two chapters and that would have been enough. The remainder of the book seems to rehash what has already been said, while adding a few more details.

If you have studied postmodernism before, then don't bother with this book. If you have not looked into the problems with postmodern thought, then I recommend that you check this book out of your local library and read the first two chapters. That will be enough.

Taking the Lord's Supper to a Widow

2008-09-11T11:30:00.001-04:00

This past Sunday we celebrated the Lord's Supper as our church gathered. It was a joyous occasion. This was the second time we have practiced this ordinance since I have become pastor. On both occasions, I believe the church was edified through it.

We have one woman in our church who is not able to attend due to physical problems. She is a sweet, elderly widow who lives with her daughter. This precious lady would have loved to attend the church gathering on Sunday, but her physical frailty kept her from being with us. Although she wanted to celebrate the Lord's Supper with us, she was unable to do so.

Since she was unable to be with us, we took the Lord's Supper to her. The three deacons and I hopped into a car and drove down the road just a minute until we arrived at her place. I had called to make sure it would be all right to come. When we arrived, we talked for a few minutes about how she was doing physically, and how things were at home. She expressed a strong desire to be in church with us, but she just cannot right now. After a few minutes, we served her the Lord's Supper, with me reading from I Corinthians 11:23-26.

This seemed like such a simple thing that all churches should do. It certainly does not have to be the pastor and deacons who serve the Lord's Supper to the home-bound. Maybe next time others within the church will do it. It's not as if visiting those at home is some sort of sacrifice. In fact, it was a blessing to us.

This is an example of a little bit of effort that results in a great deal of edification. Everyone involved in this was edified. I know I was.

We were also being obedient to James 1:27, which is a very challenging and straightforward verse.

Let's serve one another.

A Blog of Edification?

2008-09-10T16:30:00.001-04:00

It is healthy to frequently ask ourselves why we do what we do. The blog-world is no different.

My hope is that this blog will be edifying to those who read it. Like the silly icon the the left, my desire is that the discussions of this blog will build up and encourage all those who read it regardless of background.

As for the specific nature of the edification, we can look to Paul's first letter to the Corinthian church for that. In 14:26, Paul makes a very important statement concerning the gathering of the church. Paul writes, "Let all things be done for edification." The specific nature of the edification is clearly being built up in Jesus Christ. A primary goal, then, of the church gathering is to build each member up in faith in Christ.

I realize that this blog is not a church. It would be absurd to claim that it is. However, as Christians we can certainly learn from what Paul has written to the Corinthians. We ought to be building up our brothers and sisters in Christ in all we do.

Another key verse related to blogging comes from I Corinthians 10:23. Paul writes, "All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify." The context of this passage is a discussion of Christian liberty. How does this impact blogging? I am free to write about a whole host of things on this blog, but will those things build up those who read Hammer and Nail? Will what I write have a positive or negative impact on the Christian walk of a brother or sister who may read this? Also, if an unbeliever reads this, will it cause him to be more interested or less interested in the things of God.

So as far as blogging goes, how can we be certain that our blogs will edify? What rule can we live by? What filter can we use to see if our posts pass the test?

Let me suggest Ephesians 4:29 as a verse by which we ought to test not only our speech but also our writing. This verse says, "Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers." Whenever we are about to speak or write, we should simply ask ourselves whether or not what we are about to say or write will build up another individual.

This all sounds so simple. However, if you look around what we might call the "Christian blog world," you will see much that does not edify. In fact, some of it is downright mean.

We, myself included, will do well to try to edify one another at all times, whether in speech or in type. If we strive to express ourselves according to Ephesians 4:29, we should do well.

Update on Bobby -- Good News

2008-09-09T13:00:00.000-04:00

Click here to read the latest on how well our son Bobby is doing. When you get to his site, read the "Journal" section.

Praise the Lord for His great mercies!

Change in Blog Emphasis

2008-09-09T12:00:00.004-04:00

This blog came into being about a year and a half ago while my son was undergoing chemotherapy treatments for Lymphoma, and we had no idea what we were supposed to do next with our lives.

God has shown us much since that time. First, He has healed Bobby of cancer. For this we give the Lord much praise! Second, God has told us to remain in the Savannah, GA area instead of returning overseas. While this was somewhat difficult to accept at first, we certainly believe it is for the best since it is what God wants. Third, God has given me the wonderful opportunity to serve as pastor of Chevis Oaks Baptist Church just outside Savannah. Our family is thrilled to be able to invest our lives in the Chevis Oaks family.

As for Hammer and Nail, I'm going to somewhat change the emphasis of this blog. Up to this point, the subject matter has kind of been all over the place. My goal is narrow the parameters of what I will be discussing. Although I will still write about issues such as homeschooling, family, history, politics, etc., my primary focus will be more upon pastoral ministry as it relates to the church. This will range from theological discussions and biblical interpretation to preaching and pastoral care.

My hope is that this blog can benefit the readers in the area of discipleship as a whole. I realize that the best form of discipleship is when followers of Jesus share their lives together. This is obviously difficult to do in the world of the internet. However, I believe that through discussions of this sort we can all (including myself) encourage one another to grow closer to Christ. As Ephesians 4:15 says, "but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head -- Christ." This is an excellent goal for us all.

Freemasonry and Christianity Do Not Mix

2008-09-07T15:00:00.000-04:00

I recently obtained a copy of a Freemason's bible (I apologize for the poor quality of the photos, but I was reduced to taking them by my phone camera).

My curiosity was piqued because the reality is that there are many Southern Baptists who are also Freemasons. I wondered how this could be since I have heard that Masonic beliefs contradict with Christianity (read more on this by clicking here).

This bible begins with twenty pictures of King Solomon's temple and discussion of why this is important. This is followed by the image that you see below. This image shows the structure of Freemasonry. It is composed of names such as "White shrine," "Eastern star," "Sublime prince of the royal secret," "Most excellent master," and "Pontiff." There are also all sorts of different knights, princes, and chiefs mentioned.

The most troubling part of this bible comes just after the title page. The troubling section is entitled The Words of a Great Masonic Divine.

After a few paragraphs of positive comments about the bible, this section goes on to say (emphasis mine), "And yet, like everything else in Masonry, the Bible, so rich in symbolism, is itself a symbol -- that is, a part taken from the whole. It is a sovereign symbol of the Book of Faith, the Will of God as man has learned it in the midst of the years -- that perpetual revelation of himself which God is making mankind in every land and every age. Thus, by the very honor which Masonry pays to the Bible, it teaches us to revere every book of faith in which men find help for today and hope for the morrow. Joining hands with the man of Islam as he takes oath on the Koran, and with the Hindu as he makes covenant with God upon the book that he loves best."

The Great Masonic Divine continues, "For Masonry knows, what so many forget, that religions are many, but Religion is one -- perhaps we may say one thing, but that one thing includes everything -- the life of God in the soul of man, and the duty and hope of man which proceed from His essential character. Therefore, it invites to its altar men of all faiths, knowing that, if they use different names for 'the Nameless One of a hundred names,' they are yet praying to the one God and Father of all; knowing, also, that while they read different volumes, they are in fact reading the same vast Book of the Faith of Man as revealed in the struggle and sorrow of the race in its quest of God. So that, great and noble as the Bible is, Masonry sees it as a symbol of that eternal Book of the Will of God."

These direct quotes from this Freemasonry bible leave no doubt that Freemasonry and Christianity do not mix. Why is this? The above wording shows that Freemasonry is a pluralistic religion. Pluralism states that all religions are valid and lead to God in different ways. This is clearly what the above quotes indicate.

Christianity, on the other hand, is an exclusivistic religion. This means that the bible makes very clear claims that Jesus Christ alone is the sole means of salvation. No other religions are valid or lead to God (see here and here). No other religious books are the Word of God.

Since pluralism and exclusivism oppose one another, it is impossible for Freemasonry and Christianity to be reconciled. This has significant implications for churches. There are many folks who want to be both Christians and Masons. However, they can't have it both ways. No one can follow the teachings of both Jesus Christ and Freemasonry.

As oil and water do not mix, neither do Freemasonry and Christianity.

How Sinful is Man? Who Cares?

2008-09-06T12:00:00.001-04:00

I care (see here, here, here, here, and here for this series).

I know many of you do, too.

When we understand the sinfulness of man from a biblical perspective, we are forced to either accept or reject the gospel of Jesus Christ.

What concerns me is that many churches in the USA and around the world no longer stress sin at all. When this happens, the need for the gospel simply ceases. Why would we need a Savior if we do not need saving? Instead of Savior and Lord, Jesus is morphed into some sort of best buddy and good example for us to follow. He certainly is our example, but He is so much more.

When sin ceases to be taught, the doctrine of Hell is also tossed out the window. After all, if sin is no big deal, then God certainly wouldn't send anyone to eternal torment. God, instead, is portrayed by many as simply a God of love. Wrath is never mentioned.

Sin must be preached, taught, and discussed in the church. Not only is it biblical to do so, but it also directly affects salvation. If there is no sin, there is no salvation. If there is no sin, there is no need for the cross. If there is no sin, then Christ's sacrifice is greatly diminished.

We must continue to proclaim the corruption of mankind and the glorious atonement of Jesus Christ!

How Sinful is Man? James 2:10

2008-09-03T17:00:00.001-04:00

James 2:10, "For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it." ESV (To read all of James chapter 2, click here.)

"For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." KJV

"For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all." NASB

"For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all." NKJV

This is both a stunning and frightening verse. We are told quite simply, yet profoundly, that if we have broken God's law even once, then we are just as guilty as if we had broken all of it.

If we look at just the 10 commandments, James 2:10 tells us that we have worshiped other gods, made false gods, taken the Lord's name in vain, abused the Sabbath, dishonored our parents, murdered, committed adultery, stolen, lied, and coveted.

Although the implications of this verse are scary, we can also benefit a great deal from it. The reason is that this verse places all people on the same level before God. No one is better than anyone else. We are all guilty of breaking all of God's law. We have all grossly sinned. We all deserve physical and spiritual death.

If we grasp the depth of these truths, there is then only one logical conclusion: we both deserve to die and are going to die unless someone else saves us. This then ought to cause us to run to the beauty of the gospel message.

Additionally, this verse magnifies the holiness of God. God, who is without sin and perfectly pure, does not simply count individual sins against us. Rather, because He is perfectly holy, He must require absolute obedience from His subjects. If we sin just once, that means that we have eternally blasphemed against God. This is why if we sin once, it is as if we have transgressed the entire law.

When we ponder God's complete perfection and our corruption, it shows us just how amazing and horrific Jesus' sacrifice on the cross really was. God did not in any way forget about any of our sin. Instead, He placed the punishment for all of our lawbreaking upon the head of Christ on the cross. What a great sacrifice!

The forgiveness of our absolute corruption magnifies the wondrous glory of God.

In light of James 2:10, we must cry out, "Hallelujah!" What else can we say?

The Flooding in India Continues...

2008-09-02T16:17:00.005-04:00

The annual monsoon rains continue to bring record flooding to India. The worst of the damage has occurred in the Indian state of Bihar, which is located a short distance from where we lived. Considering the poor infrastructure of much of India, I have no idea how the government is getting food and water to the stranded people.

Click here, here, and here to see and read more about this.

"Respectable Sins"

2008-09-02T13:36:00.004-04:00

Jerry Bridges is fast becoming my favorite author.

I recently read The Great Exchange. It is the best book I've read in quite a while.

Since that was so good, I decided to read another of Bridges' books, entitled Respectable Sins.

Respectable Sins is a challenging book to read because Bridges deals with many of the subtle sins that Christians, myself included, try to rationalize away and "sweep under the rug." For example, Bridges has chapters devoted to ungodliness, anxiety and frustration, discontentment, unthankfulness, pride, anger, etc.

I appreciate Jerry Bridges because he writes as if he is sitting down talking with the reader. Also, he is very transparent, admitting to many of these subtle sins he discusses. One very helpful aspect to the book is that he offers specific bible verses that he uses to assist him when dealing with temptation to sin in these areas.

This is basically a book about sanctification. If you have been a Christian for a while, you probably no longer commit what we often consider to be the "big sins." However, we all still struggle with sins that we (not God) somehow consider to not be quite so bad. God doesn't want these in our lives. Before we can deal with these, we must admit that they exist. That's where this book is helpful. In a straightforward but loving manner, Bridges takes on these various sins and points out how they manifest themselves in our lives.

I highly recommend this book to all Christians. If we want to grow in Christ, we must learn to mortify all sin in our lives, even those sins that society and, dare I say it, the church, have deemed respectable.

How Sinful is Man? Ephesians 2:1-3

2008-08-29T13:00:00.001-04:00

In this series on the sinfulness of man, I've previously posted about Genesis 6:5-8, Jeremiah 17:9, and Romans 3:10-18. Why blog on this topic? The reason is simple. When we accurately understand how dreadful sin is and how corrupt we are, Christ's substitutionary death on the cross takes on even greater beauty.

Ephesians 2:1-3 makes one of the clearest cases for the absolutely corrupt nature of mankind. In these verses, Paul writes, "And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience — among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind." (To read Ephesians 2:1-10, click here.)

The fourth word in this passage is critical. The word is "dead." In the original language, Paul uses the word "nekrous," which means dead. Based on the context of this passage, it is clear that Paul is talking about spiritual death.

As we read the above passage, it is also important to point out what Paul did not say. He did not say that we are "dying." The apostle clearly states that the death has already occurred. We are not in the middle of it; it is rather a past event.

The picture gets uglier and scarier as we look at Paul's description of this spiritual death. Paul describes us all, prior to salvation, as being followers of Satan. Ouch. When Paul writes, "the prince of the power of the air," he is referring to Satan himself. We followed Satan is the course of this world. It is clear that we ran after what this world has to offer. We were not seeking God, but were instead enjoying earthly pleasures.

Paul continues by writing that, "we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind." Instead of being motivated by the things of God, we were driven by lust. This may have been mental and/or physical. Regardless of the specific nature of the sin, they key is that our desires were focused on the things of this world and not on God.

Finally, Paul says that we, "were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind." Due to the corrupt nature of our hearts and minds, which manifested itself in sinful behavior, we deserved the wrath of God. Since sin is an eternal affront to an infinitely good and holy God, all who sin deserve the pure wrath of the God of heaven.

The key to Ephesians 2:1-3, as I stated above, is the word "dead." The reason for its importance is that stresses the permanence of our situation unless saved by another. We, as sinful people, could do nothing about our problem because we were dead. A dead person cannot respond when someone else simply calls out offering help. A dead person needs someone else to take the initiative to rescue him. As dead person cannot even help with the rescue.

Once brought back to life, a dead person ought to respond one way: with great gratitude. In the case of spiritual rebirth, a gracious response should be accompanied by worship and adoration of God.

Ephesians 2:1-3 accurately portrays our wretched state in the eyes of God before salvation. When we contemplate this, it should cause us to both shudder at the horror of it and also bow in awe to the One God who would save us from this state.

Help! What Would You Want in a Church Website?

2008-08-26T08:00:00.001-04:00

I need your help. Specifically, I need your comments.

Our church (Chevis Oaks Baptist) will soon be putting together a website. I'm looking forward to this process, but I'm also no expert. We are blessed to have a few members who are technologically savvy. When all is said and done, they will have done most of the work.

As we construct the church website, I want to make sure that it is done well and addresses all important issues. However, I don't want it to be overwhelming. This is a relatively small church that doesn't need a mega-church type of website (like this, this, or especially this).

The site needs to be user-friendly and beneficial for both members and visitors. We will be placing a link entitled "What We Believe" in an obvious location near the top of the main page.

Other than that, I'm not sure what to have on the site. We can get ideas from other church sites, but I'd also like to hear from you. What do you think is helpful on a church website? What do you think is potentially harmful? What is unnecessary?

Please take just a minute or two to hep with this by leaving a comment. Thanks.

"What Women Wish Pastors Knew"

2008-08-25T10:14:00.005-04:00

I recently realized that I rarely read books written by women. I'm not sure why this is the case. It may be that most theological books seem to be written by men. Regardless, I wanted to read a good book by a woman.

I was pleased when I ran across What Women Wish Pastors Knew at a local bookstore. The author is Denise George, who is the wife of Dr. Timothy George, Dean of Beeson Divinity School at Samford University.

This book is interesting because it is based on the results of a survey of hundreds of women. This survey looked at various aspects of church life through the eyes of women. The purpose of the survey was to learn how women feel about their churches and what they wish their pastors knew about them.

Since I'm a new pastor, this book seemed very appropriate. I'm glad I read it because I learned a great deal about how women view the church in general and the pastor in particular. Before reading this book, I think I knew that women see the church differently than men do, but now I know this to be the case. I do not mean that to be a criticism; rather, it is probably a good thing. Men and women can both bring their strengths to church life, thus building up the body more effectively.

One interesting thing that I learned was what Mrs. George first mentioned. The results show that women want their pastors to know that they are tired and that they hurt. It was beneficial for me as a pastor to be reminded of just how busy young mothers often are. One description of a typical week in the life of a young mother had me exhausted just reading it. I also benefited from being reminded that many women are hurting in a wide variety of ways.

Another interesting piece of information came up in a chapter entitled, "Pastor, we have some problems in our church." Mrs. George discussed the eight concerns that she said kept occurring over and over. They were:

#1 - Men and women working separately
#2 - Lack of respect shown to women
#3 - Women lacking new opportunities
#4 - Women treated as second-class citizens
#5 - Age discrimination
#6 - Men and leadership issues
#7 - Competition among women
#8 - Secularism in the church

Because the above problems were mentioned by many different women, it's clear that they are occurring in many different churches. It was helpful for me to read this, and then think about how these sorts of things may be happening at Chevis Oaks.

If you are a pastor or active male at a church, I would recommend reading this book. It is good for us to be reminded that women and men have different needs, and see the world somewhat differently. The church should be a place where both men and women feel welcomed and needed.

A church only functions well when all its members are working together as Christ intended.

Goodbye Fay

2008-08-23T11:35:00.008-04:00

There are many advantages to living near Savannah, Georgia. It is a beautiful, historic city that is not too big nor too small (population of about 250,000). As far as the weather goes, it's also a good spot. We don't have blizzards, ice storms, fire storms, earthquakes, or dust storms. Because the east coast of the USA is farther west on the Georgia coast (named the "Georgia bite") than it is at either the North Carolina coast or the Florida coast, we don't often take direct hits from hurricanes. In fact, the last hurricane to make a direct hit on Savannah was Hurricane David in 1979.

Every once in a while we do have to deal with tropical weather that does something strange. If you have been watching the news, you know about the weird path of Tropical Storm Fay. Over the last few days, it has dumped vast amounts of rain on central and northern Florida (it now appears to be finally headed westward across the panhandle). Unfortunately for us, tropical storms and hurricanes are strongest on their northeastern quadrant. Therefore, if a storm hits central to northern Florida, we take a hit here in Savannah.

On both Thursday and Friday, we experienced band after band of wind and rain coming in off the coast. The sky would be light for about 30 minutes and then turn dark and ominous. I'm sure we received several inches of total rain. The wind gusts, which probably reached 40-50 miles per hour at times, for the most part knocked down just tree limbs. I'm glad to say that although a few large limbs fell to the ground behind our home, they only crunched part of an aluminum fence.

Things could be much worse here. Much of central Florida remains submerged and the latest reports indicate that seven people have died.

I'm thankful to God for the rain. We needed it. I'm also thankful that Fay didn't seem to do too much damage here.

I'm also thankful to see Fay go.

How Sinful is Man? Romans 3:10-18

2008-08-21T09:00:00.003-04:00

Romans 3:10-18 says:

10 as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one;
11 no one understands; no one seeks for God.
12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”
13 “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.”
14 “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 in their paths are ruin and misery,
17 and the way of peace they have not known.”
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

(To read all of Romans chapter 3, click here.)

Many churches today discount the power and pervasiveness of sin in mankind. However, when we read passages like the one above, we are reminded that sin is man's greatest problem. In verses 10-18, Paul paints an ugly picture of man's state apart from God.

In this passage, Paul strings together several passages from the Old Testament. He proves in graphic fashion that both Jew and Gentile are guilty before God. Additionally, Paul shows us that sin is not some sort of little problem. Sin pervades all of humanity, making all of us evil rebels before a holy God.

Several points stand out from this passage. We see that "none is righteous." None of us can do anything to justify ourselves before God. Also, "no one seeks for God." On our own, none of us even looks for God or has interest in Him. Furthermore, "no one does good." None of our acts count as good in God's sight if we do not know Him.

Later in the passage, Paul uses several specific examples to illustrate the depravity of man. Paul closes by stating, "There is no fear of God before their eyes." No person, on his own, ever fears, respects, or stands in awe of God.

So what do we learn from this passage? It is clear that all people are sinful. Beyond that, we see just how depraved we really are. Sin is not a little issue. Rather, it is a rebellious condition that we cannot overcome. In fact, based on this passage it seems that we actually enjoy it.

Since no one is righteous, no one seeks God, no one does good, and no one fears God, it is quite obvious that we are 100% guilty in God's sight. We cannot rescue ourselves, nor would we even want to do so. We certainly would not choose God over the things of this world.

In light of Romans 3:10-18, we have to admit that someone pure and holy must rescue is from our sinful state. Someone sovereign must change our wicked hearts.

Thanks be to God that He regenerates the hearts of sinners!

Reformation Heroes

2008-08-20T14:16:00.000-04:00

I like this image because it has six of my heroes of the faith. Not surprisingly, they all happen to be Reformed. From left to right, we see Jonathan Edwards, John Owen, Martin Luther, John Bunyan, John Calvin, and Charles Spurgeon. All six of these men have impacted my life through their writings. They all have a high view of the glory of God and His absolute sovereignty over all of life. All six have probably impacted to one degree or another the church family you are a part of.

The above image is actually the homepage picture of Reformation Theology. This is the blog from the Monergism.com website. Monergism "is the doctrine that the Holy Spirit is the only efficient agent in regeneration - that the human will possesses no inclination to holiness until regenerated, and therefore cannot cooperate in regeneration." I'll give a hearty "Amen!" to that. I certainly didn't want God before He regenerated my heart.

I'm very grateful for those heroes of the faith who went before me. I'm thankful to God for their writings. I'm thankful that they helped me see that God is completely sovereign and free. I'm thankful that they helped me see grace for how amazing it really is.

First Day of Homeschool

2008-08-19T21:14:00.001-04:00

To see and hear about our first day of homeschooling for 2008-2009, click here.

The Best Book I've Read in a Long Time

2008-08-19T10:37:00.005-04:00

Hyperbole is all too common is the blog world. I am probably guilty of it myself from time to time. However, that is not the case in this post.

The Great Exchange is the best book I've read in a long time. In this text, Jerry Bridges and Bob Bevington do a masterful job of looking at all of the biblical passages from Acts through Revelation that deal directly with the atonement of Christ.

The authors repeatedly emphasize the absolute necessity on the part of man for someone to take our place. We as sinful people have no righteousness to present to God. We stand guilty and condemned. Bridges and Bevington show time after time how Jesus Christ stepped in and exchanged His righteousness for the guilt of all the redeemed. He bore that guilt on the cross, and paid for our sins so we wouldn't have to.

They say this of II Corinthians 5:21, which happens to be my favorite bible verse, "It would not be an understatement to view this verse, properly understood, as the single key verse of the entire bible."

This book is well-written, gospel-saturated, and fully biblical. I highly recommend it. It is not a text that you will want to read quickly because of the deep truths the authors discuss. The writing style is not difficult; rather, the atonement is such a rich doctrine that it should not be sped through by the reader.

Since the book chapters correspond to the books of Acts through Revelation, the book itself breaks down into 10-15 relatively short reads. Understandably, the chapters on the books of Romans and Hebrews are longer than the rest. The Hebrews chapter is one of the best chapters in any book I have ever read.

In case you aren't convinced, this is what Alistair Begg says about The Great Exchange, "The next time I am asked for my top-ten reading list, this will be included! Clear and comprehensive, it leaves the reader in no doubt that this 'great exchange' is not only the heart of biblical theology but also the pivotal event of human history."

How Sinful is Man? Jeremiah 17:9

2008-08-18T11:00:00.001-04:00

Jeremiah 17:9, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?"

Whenever we read the bible, we must keep context in mind. In chapter 17, Jeremiah is discussing Judah's sin and deserved punishment. In verse 9, the Lord is quoted as saying the above verse. In verse 10, God goes on to say, "I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings."

Although the direct context is Judah's sin, the statement that God makes in 17:9 is a general one that appears to apply to much more than just Judah. Considering that God in verse 10 speaks of "every man," it seems clear that Jeremiah 17:9 is an accurate descriptor of the hearts of all individuals prior to salvation.

What are we to make of this? What is the significance of Jeremiah 17:9?

I think we can come to a few conclusions. First, since the heart is designed to describe the most important parts of a man, we can conclude that man is completely deceitful and wicked. There are no parts of him that are good. Second, it is safe to say that all people are sinful. Third, it is clear that all people are guilty before God. Fourth, all people need a Savior because they deserve God's righteous wrath.

Jeremiah 17:9 accurately shows us the state of man before salvation. He is deceitful and wicked. The verse is very helpful because it shows that there is no room for pride in this world. We are all equally guilty before a holy judge. We all need to be saved, but because we are wicked we cannot save ourselves. We need someone righteous to save us.

How Sinful is Man? Genesis 6:5-8

2008-08-15T19:00:00.003-04:00

I've been thinking a lot lately about both the power of sin and the even greater power of Christ's sacrifice on the cross. The more I ponder the depths of sin, the more I cherish what Jesus endured at Calvary.

That has led me to a question: Just how sinful is mankind?

All Christians (I hope) agree that all people have sinned. However, Christians tend to disagree over just how damaging and pervasive sin actually is. In light of that, in the next few posts I'd like to look at several different bible passages that shed light on this issue. They should help us come to some conclusions about just how chronic, ugly, deadly, and devastating sin is.

(For the sake of this topic, sin will be defined as "any thought or action that transgresses the law of God.")

As with any discussion, a good place to begin is Genesis. After the perfection of creation in Genesis 1-2, we run into the Fall in chapter 3. Interestingly and sadly, the first murder occurs just one chapter later. Then, after only two more chapters, we read this frightening critique of mankind in Genesis 6:5-8, "The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the Lord said, 'I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.' But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord."

We read that man's wickedness was great. That is bad enough. However, what really catches my eye is what happens next. We read that "every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." This is an amazing statement. Basically, all day long every day all of man's thoughts, intentions, and desires were only sinful all the time.

This statement shows us that mankind is completely corrupt. At that time, everything within man (all thoughts and actions) was only evil. The biblical statement is clear in both the depth of the sin and the all-encompassing nature of it. There was not only no good in man, but no possibility of him doing any good.

There is no reason to think that man is any different today. As we look around this world, what we see only confirms exactly what we read about in this passage.

We would all agree, I believe, that once a person comes to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, he is then capable of living a holy life that pleases God. What we see in this Genesis account is the state of man prior to salvation. Unless man has changed significantly since that time (which he hasn't), this continues to be his state prior to salvation.

Genesis 6:5-8 shows us an ugly picture. It is clear that man is, apart from God, morally bankrupt, exceedingly sinful, and totally corrupt.

When we ponder the reality of this, it makes the cross look that much brighter.

I Peter 2:24, "who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed." (NKJV)

"The Beauty of the Small Church"

2008-08-12T20:00:00.002-04:00

As pastor of a relatively small church, I look forward to reading as much as I can about the nuances and peculiarities of small church life. I'm thankful to Les Puryear for putting together a 30 page booklet entitled The Beauty of the Small Church. In this booklet, Les describes various aspects of churches whose average attendance is less than 200.

One of Les' main points, with which I whole-heartedly agree, is that the small church is not broken. There is nothing wrong with a church just because it has 100 in attendance. Related to this, a church of 500 is not automatically better than a church of 50.

What is most interesting for me is that Les describes very closely what I am now experiencing. For example, family is very important in the small church. This is certainly the case at Chevis Oaks Baptist Church. Certain traditions are also important at Chevis; Les talks about this in his booklet. In fact, I've run into very little that Les did not describe.

One other bit of information that Les spelled out is that the vast majority of Southern Baptist churches are small churches. This booklet shows that over 25,000 of the roughly 40,000 Southern Baptist churches average less than 100 in primary worship service attendance. Another 8,300 average less than 200. Meanwhile, less than 2 percent of Southern Baptist churches have over 1,000 in attendance.

Despite these numbers, Southern Baptist denominational leadership is always dominated by pastors of mega-churches and prominent figures from Southern Baptist seminaries. A primary example is that in June Dr. Johnny Hunt was elected as the latest SBC president. He is also pastor of the large First Baptist Church of Woodstock (GA). This is life as it is within the SBC.

Getting back to the topic, if you are a member of a small church, regardless of denomination, this booklet would be helpful to have. If you are a pastor of a small church, it would be a great benefit.

If you want to order copies of this booklet, e-mail Les at lespuryear@hotmail.com with the quantity of booklets you need.

Les, thanks for writing this booklet. I look forward to handing it out to our church members at Chevis Oaks.

Healthy Bobby

2008-08-12T11:29:00.004-04:00

Most of you know by now that our son, Bobby, was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma in March of 2007. We are thrilled beyond words that the Lord has healed him. Below is a very recent photo of healthy Bobby assisting in a Cub Scouts car wash at our church (he is the one with the sprayer). It is wonderful to see Bobby doing regular things that other boys his age are doing. Praise the Lord for His healing power!

"We Don't Have Any Food"

2008-08-11T15:30:00.004-04:00

Today I had a significant reality check.

I received a phone call from a woman who asked for some food from our church's food pantry. Most folks who call to use the pantry have some food at home, but not enough. When I began talking with this woman, however, she said something different. She told me that she, her husband, and her kids had no food right now. I was surprised because most people have at least a little food. She apparently had none. I believed her because she sounded somewhat desperate. I invited her to stop by the church.

When this couple arrived at the church building, I could tell they had been through some tough times. They looked unkempt, thin, and tired. Their hair wasn't combed. They also smelled like old cigarettes. I felt so sorry for them. I was glad to be able to give them some food and tell them that we do this because of the love Jesus has shown to us.

Both of these folks were kind and appreciative. I have no idea how they have gotten into such a situation, but I definitely feel compassion for them. I hope they return again so that I am able to share more of the gospel with them.

As I think about my life, I take much for granted. For example, I never wonder where my next meal is coming from. I know there will be food; all I wonder about is what it will be. I have much to be thankful for, and one of those things is having enough to eat. God has been very gracious to always give our family enough to fill our stomachs.

The next time I begin to complain about something in life, I hope God reminds me of this couple I met today. When you meet someone who has no food, it does put things in perspective.

I Can't Wait for This to be Released!

2008-08-10T17:45:00.003-04:00

I've already pre-ordered the ESV Study Bible. You should, too.

Great News for California (and All) Homeschoolers

2008-08-08T17:12:00.002-04:00

Praise the Lord for this great news from the HSLDA:

In a unanimous decision, the California Court of Appeal for the Second Appellate District today ruled that “California statutes permit home schooling as a species of private school education.”

Today’s decision stands in stark contrast to the opinion this same three-judge panel issued in February, which would have made California the only state in the union to outlaw home education had it remained in effect.

“It is unusual for an appellate court to grant a petition for rehearing as this court did in March,” said HSLDA Chairman Mike Farris, “but it is truly remarkable for a court to completely reverse its own earlier opinion. We thank you for your prayers and give God the glory for this great victory.”

To read the complete story, click here.

John Piper on Why Everything Exists

2008-08-08T14:06:00.004-04:00

Why does everything in the universe exist? Why are we even here? What is the point of it all?

These are deep, important questions to ask. John Piper, one of my favorite authors and preachers, answers these questions here. Enjoy.

Ordo Salutis and a Couple of Questions

2008-08-08T09:39:00.006-04:00

In Latin, ordo salutis means simply "order of salvation."

The "Theological Word of the Day" widget that I just added to this blog explains this well today. This is what it says about ordo salutis:

"Ordo Salutis refers to the successive order of events in the process or event of salvation. This order includes necessities such as predestination, regeneration, faith, justification, repentance, atonement, and glorification. Depending on ones particular stance on theological issues having to do with salvation, he or she will see these events in differing successions. For example, the Calvinist would normally place regeneration before faith in their ordo, while the Arminian would see regeneration as a result of faith. The Roman Catholic would see justification as an event and a process that takes place throughout the Christian’s life, while Protestants would see justification as a definite event resulting from faith. Therefore, the Roman Catholic and Protestant ordo would differ respectively."

I have two questions for the readers of this blog: First, which do you think occurs first, regeneration or faith? Second, why scripturally do you believe this?

Lamb of God, Sin, and World

2008-08-07T00:00:00.000-04:00

John 1:29 says, "The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, 'Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!'" (Read John 1:19-34 by clicking here.)

This verse recounts John the Baptist's famous reaction upon seeing Jesus near the Jordan River. In reading this verse, it is clear that Jesus is the Lamb of God, and that Jesus takes away sin. What is not immediately clear is what John means by "world."

Many people read this verse and immediately assume that "world" refers to all individual people on the globe. If that is the case, then the verse is telling us that Jesus takes away the sin of every individual on earth.

The obvious problem with this interpretation is that if Jesus did, in fact, take away the sin of every individual on earth, then all sin of all time would have been paid for on the cross. If this is the case, then all people will be saved because there is no more sin to be paid for. This, then, means that no one will end up in Hell. However, we know based on various parts of scripture that many people will end up spending eternity in Hell.

So in John 1:29 what does "world" mean?

I believe that when John the Baptist says "world" he is referring to people all over the globe. John was making the point that Jesus would be THE sacrifice for sin that would save people from all over the earth. Jesus was to be more than the Jewish Messiah; He would also be the Savior for people all over the world.

If "world" does refer to people all over the globe, then the verse makes perfect sense in light of what we see in the rest of scripture. Jesus takes away sin of some people. This is what we see when some people go to Heaven and some go to Hell. Jesus takes away sin of some people all over the world. This is what we see in scripture as both Jews and Gentiles repent and believe in Christ. Even some people as far away as Rome trust in Jesus for salvation.

We must be careful when we read scripture. We must interpret bible passages in light of other passages. This verse is one of many that shows us that Jesus died for the sins of His followers - the elect. He did not die for the sins of the entire world; if this was the case then everyone would be saved.

Jesus is the Lamb of God. Jesus takes away sin. Jesus takes away the sin of some people all over the globe.

If God is so powerful and so good, why do bad things happen?

2008-08-06T15:44:00.001-04:00

Voddie Baucham gets it right. In fact, he hits the nail on the head.

Theological Word of the Day

2008-08-05T13:51:00.006-04:00

Every once in a while I stumble across a new widget that I enjoy. Today was a bonanza.

I just added 3 new widgets to the sidebar of this blog. The first is entitled "Theological Word of the Day." Every few days this widget is updated with another theological word and/or concept. It is a good way to remain sharp regarding various aspects of theology. Anyway, if you are interested, just scroll down and take a look.

The other two widgets are called "Daily Bible Verse" and "The Daily Spurgeon." You can't go wrong with either of those.

Church, Baseball, and Steven Curtis Chapman

2008-08-04T15:42:00.007-04:00

This past Saturday was a long, tiring, hot, joyful, fun, and wonderful day all at the same time.

Our family, along with several others from Chevis Oaks Baptist Church, caravaned to Atlanta to see the Atlanta Braves play the Milwaukee Brewers. We had a great time watching the game, talking with our church friends (who numbered about 25 total), and eating lots of unhealthy food. The only bad part was that the sun made it feel like it was about 120 degrees where we sat in right field. The Braves lost, but the game was still very enjoyable. The photo to the left is a view from about where we sat.

After the game, the best part began - a Steven Curtis Chapman concert. Steven is one of the best musicians in Christian contemporary music. The reason we were willing to sit through a hot baseball game was that we wanted to see and hear him play. Steven and his family have recently suffered a great tragedy with the death of their young daughter Maria Sue in a freak car accident. We were curious to see how this would affect his performance.

As the band was setting up all of the musical equipment after the game, the sky grew increasingly dark and ominous. Soon after this it began to rain. The wind blew trash from the stands all over Turner Field. We headed for cover by the food stands. After about an hour's delay, the rain stopped and Steven walked onto the stage.

God had plans that none of us anticipated. Due to all the water lying around, the band could not play. Therefore, Steven just pulled out his acoustic guitar and began playing. In between songs he read from the bible and talked about his family's life since the loss of Maria. It was very encouraging and inspiring to hear him speak about God's faithfulness in the midst of this trial. Despite the pain, he was still able to sing "Blessed be the Name of the Lord" as his first song of the night (this video was taken at a previous concert). He later sang "Cinderella," a song which he wrote about an older daughter, but which speaks a great deal about what has happened with Maria Sue (also previous video).

Although I like Steven Curtis Chapman as a musician, I am even more impressed with him as a person.

It was a great day hanging out with my family and church.

The Death of Alexander Solzhenitsyn

2008-08-04T09:46:00.003-04:00

Alexander Solzhenitsyn, the great Russian writer, died on Sunday at age 89. He is most remembered for writing about the Soviet Union's horrific prison system under the reign of Joseph Stalin. To read more about Solzhenitsyn, click on the articles below by Al Mohler and John Piper.

"One Word of Truth Will Outweigh the Whole World" -- the Death of Alexander Solzhenitsyn

Thank You, Lord, for Solzhenitsyn

The Only Vote that Matters

2008-08-02T08:00:00.000-04:00

With the presidential election fast approaching there will be lots of talk about voting over the next few months. By the time November roles around, we'll probably have heard way more about voting than we want to.

On a much more important scale than politics, there is really only one vote that matters. When talking about salvation, only one person has a vote. That person is God. God elects who is saved and who is not. Many people do not like this because they think it infringes on their free will, is not fair, kills evangelism, or just isn't biblical. However, election is a doctrine that the bible is very clear about. I'll list a few verses that specifically relate to this doctrine:

Matthew 24:31 “And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”

John 6:37-40 “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

John 10:27-29 “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.”

Acts 13:48 “And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.”

Romans 8:29-30 “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”

Romans 9:10-13 “And not only so, but also when Rebecca had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad- in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of his call - she was told, ‘The older will serve the younger.’ As it is written, ‘Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.’”

Romans 11:7 “What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened.”

Ephesians 1:4-5 “Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will.”

Ephesians 2:1-10 “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience - among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ - by grace you have been saved - and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

I Thessalonians 1:4 “For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you.”

I Peter 1:3-5 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

Revelation 13:7-8 “Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb that was slain.”

The Ephesians 1:4-5 passage is extremely important because it is probably the clearest statement in the bible about God's sovereign election of whomever He choses. Paul tells us in those two verses that God literally elects. Paul uses the Greek verb "eklego," which even sounds like our word "elect." Paul then goes on to say that God predestines (very similar in meaning to elect) according to "the purpose of His will." Notice that God doesn't elect by looking into the future to see which people would choose Him. Although this is taught in many churches, it is simply unbiblical. God chooses completely based upon His own will and nothing more.

So what are we to do with this doctrine? We should rejoice in it! If God is all-powerful (which He is), and if He is all-good (which He is), then we can trust Him to do what is right. This extends even to election. The reality is that if God didn't elect anyone to salvation, then no one would get saved. Why is this the case? It's because our hearts are wicked and rebellious against God. If God doesn't elect and then regenerate a human heart, there is no way that person would ever turn to God.

We ought to rejoice, proclaim, teach, and exult in God's election of some sinners to salvation. This is our only hope.

Election should also give us great hope in sharing our faith. If we believe that God has elected some people to salvation, then all we have to do is share the gospel and some folks will get saved. If salvation is up to God, then the pressure is off the person evangelizing. He can simply proclaim the gospel and leave the results up to God.

I praise the Lord for His electing grace! I'm thankful that God has the only vote that matters.

Beach Builders

2008-08-01T16:08:00.006-04:00

One of the nice advantages of living near the beach is that we can go there for just a few hours basically anytime we want. Yesterday we spent some good family time together at Tybee Island playing in the sand and ocean. Bobby and I worked for quite a while constructing what he later dubbed "Castle Alice." It might not look like much in these photos, but it took a lot of work because we were limited to little-kid, plastic shovels that were smaller than my hands. The exterior square is a moat, while the interior is composed of an outer wall and the inner keep. It won't win any awards, but we still had fun making it.

As a new pastor, I hope to learn how to effectively balance family life and church life. I hope days like yesterday go a long way towards this.

If you are looking for a relatively quiet vacation spot, Savannah is a great choice.

Why Do Good Things Happen to Bad People?

2008-07-30T07:00:00.001-04:00

A few days ago I dealt with the question, "Why do bad things happen to good people?" Today I want to talk about what I consider to be a much more interesting question. That question is, "Why do good things happen to bad people?"

We need to first lay some some groundwork. The bible is clear that God is the sovereign Creator of the universe. He is also all-good and the only source of good.

The bible is also clear that all men have rebelled against God's goodness, instead seeking their own way in life. We have all sinned.

In light of the above, it is frighteningly clear that all we deserve from God is His holy wrath. All we deserve is judgment, punishment, and separation from all that is good.

However, our experience tells us that all people, regardless of religious beliefs, receive some good from God. All we have to do is look around to see people enjoying the benefits of family, friends, work, food, clothing, shelter, music, art, nature, etc. All people enjoy these to one degree or another.

Those who follow Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, having accepted His great gospel through repentance and belief, receive all of the above benefits and infinitely more on a spiritual level. As Christians, we know the living God, have been justified, have been adopted, have been reconciled, have been redeemed, have a purpose in life, have assurance of salvation, have peace and hope, and get to enjoy God in heaven for eternity after we die. There are many more spiritual benefits that I haven't even mentioned.

So why do all these good things happen to bad people? I believe the answer to this question lies in the character and sovereign plan of God.

As to God's character, God Himself tells Moses in Exodus 34:6-7 that He is "merciful and gracious." It is in the very character of the Godhead to give positively of Himself and to not always give people the wrath they deserve.

The scriptures also tell us that God is love. I John 4:8 is very clear on this. A core characteristic of God is the sacrificial love described in the bible.

Regarding God's sovereign plan for this world, the bible tells us that God created people for His glory. See Isaiah 43:6-7. God's purpose in creating this world seems to be to glorify Himself through human beings.

We know that within the Trinity itself there is complete perfection. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit live together with no need for anything else. However, God, in his absolute mercy, grace, and love, made the decision to share Himself with others. Therefore, He created. We were created to share in God's splendor and to worship Him in response to this.

When we talk about this, we must keep in mind that it all hinges on the gospel. Something really bad happened to the perfect One (Jesus Christ) so that something wonderful could happen to us. The spotless lamb was crucified so that we wouldn't have to be. II Corinthians 5:21 and I Peter 2:24 describe this great exchange.

So why do good things happen to anyone? The answer lies in the perfect character and wise plan of God. Out of His mercy, grace, and love, He decided to share His goodness with us. We deserve none of it. It is simply a wonderful, undeserved gift designed to glorify the worthy One: God.

What is Your Confession of Faith?

2008-07-29T09:00:00.002-04:00

What is your confession of faith?

I would really like to know what your confession of faith is. If you read this post, please leave a short comment letting me know. I admit that this is more for the sake of curiosity than anything else, but I still think it could be interesting.

I just finished reading the short booklet you see to the left, which is entitled, "A Faith to Confess: The Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689." It is a 66 page booklet which contains the 1689 Baptist Confession in modern English. When I mention "modern English," this does not mean that anything substantive has been changed. It is similar to the a change in language from the KJV to the NKJV.

The 1689 Baptist Confession is the one I agree with most closely. Although I don't hold to every single statement in this confession, I still find it to be the most biblical confession that exists. I know others will not agree with me on this, but this is where I stand.

Why even bother with a confession? Why not just say, "I believe in the bible and that is enough."? I agree that the bible is our supreme authority in faith and practice; however, many different groups (even some cults) claim to just believe the bible.

It is important to have some sort of confession in order to state clearly and concisely what you believe. The process of finding a confession is also a helpful one because it challenges us to look to the bible to find out what we actually believe is true. It is dangerous to just automatically accept your denomination's confession (if you are part of a denomination) without studying it first.

The Southern Baptist Confession of Faith is the Baptist Faith and Message 2000. This is a good confession, but I find it to be lacking in specific areas not related to core doctrines. The 1689 Confession is much more thorough than the BFM 2000; therefore, I prefer it as my own confession.

So what do you believe? Do you have a specific confession? If so, what is it?

Pastoral Free Agency

2008-07-27T15:56:00.004-04:00

It happens every year at the end of both college football and college basketball seasons. The big universities that have had a few losing seasons in a row will fire their coaches. They will then look at smaller universities and colleges to find coaches whose teams had winning records. The big universities will then offer those coaches a lot of money, power, and prestige. The coaches from the small schools will inevitably "take the money and run." This almost always hurts the programs at the smaller schools.

Considering the secular environment of college athletics, it is not surprising that big universities and coaches act as they do.

What is surprising is that churches and pastors often act exactly like what I have described above.

Every year any number of big churches begin to struggle with dropping attendance and poor finances. The real reasons for these problems can be numerous. However, many times the pastor gets blamed (this may be deserved or may not). Then he gets summarily fired. What are the big churches to do? Do they look within their own walls to find another pastor? No, they don't. The big churches look at smaller churches to find out which ones are growing in number. They look at number of baptisms. Search committees from big churches assume that big baptism numbers are automatically a good thing. They then offer offer those pastors a lot of money, power, and prestige. The pastors from the small churches will inevitably "take the money and run." This almost always hurts the small churches.

Within the body of Christ it ought not be this way. One problem with all this is that the big churches are giving far too much credit to the pastor. They act as if the pastor himself is responsible for the baptism numbers rising or falling. In reality, it is the entire church's responsibility to share the gospel. God will open the hearts He chooses to open, and those people should be quickly baptized.

Another problem with the above scenario is that it keeps churches from examining themselves to see what the problems are. If the pastor is automatically blamed for dropping numbers, then no other factors will be analyzed. It may even be a good thing for numbers to occasionally drop if this is God's way of purifying the local church.

Finally, there is the issue of the harm that this does to the smaller churches. It may be that God is moving in a wonderful way in a church with a faithful pastor. When this pastor leaves, it usually harms this church because it is automatically at a loss for leadership, teaching, and vision (not devoid of these things but certainly struggling with them).

Of course, most of this problem could be avoided if churches would follow the biblical model for leadership: multiple elders/overseers/pastors. When a multiplicity is in place, then the loss of one doesn't really hurt the church very much.

Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?

2008-07-25T16:00:00.003-04:00

"Why do bad things happen to good people?"

This is a question that befuddles and perplexes many people. If you spend any time watching TV (which I don't recommend), you will see this issue discussed by all sorts of philosophers, psychologists, and religious gurus. They all attempt to sound intelligent while providing silly answers, but the reality is that they have nothing substantive to say.

So many people are bothered by this subject that many books have been written. I just visited Amazon.com and found these titles on the first search page:

When Bad Things Happen to Good People
Why Bad Things Happen to Good People
When Bad Things Happen to Good People
Why Good People Do Bad Things
If There Is a God, Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?
Why Bad Things Happen to Good Black Women
If God is Good, Why is the World So Bad?
Why Good People Do Bad Things
Why Do Bad Things Happen to So-Called "Good People"?

I cannot speak for or against the quality of the above books because I haven't read any of them. I just find it interesting how many people have written on this topic.

Let's back up a bit. When we look at what scripture teaches and then look at this question, we must realize that the fundamental problem lies in an assumption within the question itself. The assumption made by anyone asking this question is that there are good people. The problem with the question is that there are no good people.

The bible is abundantly clear on this matter. Here are just a few verses to make this obvious:

Jeremiah 17:9, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? "

Mark 7:20-23, "And He said, 'What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man.'"

Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

Ephesians 2:1-3, "And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others."

James 2:10, "For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all."

In light of the obvious wickedness of the human heart, it makes sense that bad things happen to all people, because all people are bad. God, in His perfect holiness, has every right to bring all the bad He wants on any person, for we have all rebelled against Him.

The far more interesting question is this, "Why do good things happen to bad (all) people?"

I'll tackle that one in the near future.

Why is there Evil in this World?

2008-07-22T22:00:00.005-04:00

The presence of evil in this world causes theological problems for some people. Some folks wonder why an all-good, all-powerful God would allow evil to exist. Some people conclude that God must either be limited in His power (which would make Him less than God) or limited in His goodness (which is terrifying to ponder).

Others go so far as to question God's motives and intentions. They say that it is not fair for God to allow evil. They act as if God has no right to do what He wants to with this world. In the end, they basically ask, "God, how dare you allow evil?"

This is a huge issue that minds wiser than mine have tackled. The answers are rarely simple and usually not easy. However, this does not mean that God is in any way limited in His complete goodness or absolute power.

When people ask, "God, how dare you?" they are assuming something very important. They assume that they can see the big picture of what is happening. They are assuming that they understand all the implications and outcomes of the evil they see. By doing this, they are taking over a position reserved only for God Himself. In essence, they are claiming to know as much as God knows. When they do this, they set themselves up as God.

When the "God, how dare you?" question is asked, something else important is assumed. The asker of the question is assuming that God thinks and acts like a fallen human would think and act. The question implies that God may have some sort of impure motives behind what He is doing. When they ask this, they are basically saying that God isn't, in fact, God.

Does God have to prove His power, knowledge, and purity to us? Not in the least. Think of His reaction to Job after Job's lengthy discussions with his friends. God said in Job 38:2, "Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?" and in Job 38:4, "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?" God never feels the need to justify Himself to Job.

Since God is the all-powerful Creator of the world, He then has every right to do whatever He wants to with the world. This by itself does not make God all-good, but it does show that He is all-powerful and absolutely sovereign. In case anyone doubts this, he should re-read Genesis 1.

As for God's goodness, all the evidence we need is the sacrifice of Jesus for sin. God took His Son, who was completely innocent (in a way we can never be), and crushed Him for us. II Corinthians 5:21 says, "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."

God made a sacrifice that wasn't deserved and gave the benefits to a group of rebels. This supreme sacrifice is profound evidence for the goodness of God. It is all we need to remind us that God is all-good.

So how do we reconcile the fact that evil exists with the fact that God is all-good and all-powerful? We ought to come to the same conclusions that Joseph and Job came to. Joseph, when talking with his brothers about their selling of him into slavery many years before, said in Genesis 50:20, "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today." Joseph realized that God sometimes causes evil to happen in order to bring about a greater good. Notice that 50:20 uses the word "meant." God did not simply allow this evil to befall Joseph, but he caused it.

In Job chapter 1, after Job's livestock, servants, and children have been killed, Job responds in an amazing way. Job 1:20-22 says, "Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, 'Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.' In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong."

Later, after Job's health has been taken away, we read Job's response in 2:10, "Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?"

Job recognizes that both good and evil come from God. Job does not charge God with being the author of evil, but understands that God is completely sovereign over it. He trusts that God has the right to use evil to bring about His good purposes. He trusts God to bring about good.

So when we wonder why evil exists, we can rest in the fact that God remains all-good and all-powerful. We can also rest in the fact that God will bring about some greater good from the evil that happens.

Sermon Silence Can be Golden

2008-07-20T14:06:00.004-04:00

This morning I preached from Philippians 4:8-9. Paul writes, "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you."

As I preached, I emphasized the importance of God's children thinking in a manner that honors Him. Paul commands us to meditate (and go on meditating) upon whatever has the positive characteristics mentioned above. Meditation requires time, effort, patience, and determination.

This morning, as I studied the passage prior to the worship service, I felt led by the Lord to discuss the issue of modesty. In most churches these days, the lack of modesty is a significant problem. Some women choose to not wear enough, and many of the men appear to approve of this. I waded into this topic with more than a bit of fear and trepidation.

As I was speaking, I talked about the need for men to think only about what honors God. I didn't mention the issue of lust in particular, but we all knew what I was discussing (this is also an issue for women, but to a lesser degree). After talking to the men, I asked the women to help us men by dressing modestly. I specifically asked the ladies that if they are unsure if an outfit is modest, then they should not wear it.

While all this was going on, something very interesting happened. I could tell that the church was listening because the sanctuary went dead quiet. There was absolutely no sound other than the air conditioning. During most sermons, there is always a little noise such as papers being folded, people moving in their seats, or quiet whispers. As I discussed modesty, there was none of that. Interestingly, it was silent even though I didn't ask for this response in any way. I didn't change my vocal pitch, tone, or volume. It was the subject that grabbed them.

I'm not sure whether or not the people approved of what I was saying, but I know they heard me. I'm interested to see whether or not any behavior change occurs. I pray that the Holy Spirit will make this happen.

Most of the Time I (Regrettably) Act Like a Hyper-Calvinist

2008-07-19T12:00:00.001-04:00

A few months ago, I wrote a post entitled, "I Still Haven't Met a Hyper-Calvinist." That particular post generated a lot more conversation (22 comments, some of which were mine) than most of my posts do. I was trying to make the point that I have never met a person within the SBC who claims to be a Hyper-Calvinist. The comment stream from that post indicates to me that Hyper-Calvinists do exist, but the vast majority are outside the SBC.

Although I am Reformed in soteriology, I in no way embrace the theology of Hyper-Calvinism. However, as I look at my daily Christian walk, I'm sad to say that I often function like a Hyper-Calvinist. For example, although I know I should be sharing the gospel on a regular basis, the reality is that I am not. This does not stem from my theological beliefs, but rather from my own timidity, selfishness, and lack of love for other people. Like the person in the photo, I go through most days covering my mouth about the gospel.

As I look around evangelical churches, I see many Calvinists, many Arminians, and many others in between who live as I usually do: as functional Hyper-Calvinists. My experience is that most Arminians who strongly disagree with Reformed doctrine still live as Hyper-Calvinists.

Since we have moved back to the USA over a year ago, only two people have tried to share what they believe with me, and they were Mormons on mission from Utah. Although I didn't believe any of their false teachings, I was at least impressed by their effort and zeal.

As far as evangelism is concerned, I can't force others to change, but I can change (with the power of the Holy Spirit) one person - me. I intend to live out more of a missionary lifestyle. I hope all my Christian friends, regardless of where they are on the Arminianism-Calvinism spectrum, will do the same.

Thursday Night is Family Night

2008-07-18T13:00:00.001-04:00

In the busyness of life, family time can sometimes take a backseat. Alice and I are tired of this happening. We've decided to block out one evening per week that will be reserved for family time. Thursday night has become family night. Of course, we hope to spend much more time together than just one evening per week, but we want to make sure to set aside that night on our schedule.

We plan to normally just hang out, play games, and/or watch a movie. Last night most of us watched Penelope, a comedy-drama about a girl who is cursed with a pig nose.

Caroline, who had already seen Penelope, watched Zathura instead. It's a fun movie about kids who play a board game that sends them into a series of outer space adventures.

Our goal on most of these nights is going to be to simply have fun together as a family. Movies will be the exception, with game-playing being the norm.

This will in no way take away from our family worship time, which we have now moved to the mornings after breakfast. Today we began studying the book of John. It was a thrill to teach our kids through John 1:1-5. What a wonderful privilege!

Let me encourage you to spend time, both structured and informal, with your kids. If need be, reserve time for it.