The Return

My beautiful love comes home tomorrow...


We head here.....


Let's just say I am very happy.

We Become What We Worship

I touched on idolatry last Sunday in my sermon on the Church as the Bride of Jesus, and noticed a couple days ago that the release date has been set for Greg Beale's biblical theology of idolatry. I have read and heard Greg on this subject and I have no doubt that it will be a penetrating biblical analysis of all the relevant texts and our own hearts. Hasten the date of its release (11/08)!

Good Words, Bad Words, and Big Words

I mentioned several posts ago a Desiring God conference that is coming up...here are two wonderful words of wisdom, some of which may surprise you, from Paul Tripp and Sinclair Ferguson.

Paul Tripp describes the heart behind "bad" words and "good" ones (offensive language follows):



Sinclair Ferguson describes how a big term like "imputation" defines the Gospel and calls one to live according to the Gospel:

The Church as the Bride of Jesus

My sermon preached last night at the Crossing Church in Tucson, AZ is now up and is the second part of a 2 part series on the church that I had the pleasure of preaching here in Tucson. This is titled "The Church as the Bride of Jesus".

Playing in the McKale Center

I had the privilege of playing in the McKale Center where the Arizona Wildcats play and the great Lute Olson coaches NCAA basketball. I have never played in a gym that large before. Now, I can say I played where Sean Elliot, Steve Kerr, Mike Bibby, Damon Stoudamire and the great Jud Beuchler played college ball.

Here is the ironic part: we played football. Let's just say its not what I had been told was going to happen...and what happens when you don't get the right tools to get the basketball hoops up.

Now my grandchildren get to here the great story of the day their grandpa played football in the McKale Center.

Cheers to two-hand touch.

(Wikipedia: Image Source)

Orphan

"In you the orphan finds mercy." Hosea 14:3

Increasing Your Vision of the Church

The sermon I preached last evening at the Crossing is now online. The tech team did not mess around in getting that up: great job.

The title is "Increasing your Vision of the Church" (right click and "save as" to download) and is the first part of two sermons on the theme of the church that I will be preaching here in Tucson, AZ.

A Film Worth Every Penny

Go see it. One sentence of review here: The Dark Knight, is an unrelenting and marvelous dark film.

Seeing this in the Imax was truly a breathtaking experience and very memorable.

(Image: Source)

Off to AZ.

I will be leaving for Arizona this evening. I will try to keep updated the next few weeks with occasional blog posts.

I will also be speaking this coming Sunday and the following Sunday at The Crossing Church on the doctrine and nature of the church. I'm glad for this opportunity to speak to God's people on such a great theme that I do not believe I have directly preached on before. I will post the audio when it is up and any sermon notes. I have preached once there before and really enjoyed it.

I'm also looking forward to re-unification with my wife who has been on a international university program learning Spanish in Oaxaca, Mexico this summer. Amen!

(HT: Image Source)

Putting the Stimulus in the Economic Stimulus Package

This is very sad news.

According to PRNewswire adult online porn has been a large beneficiary of the checks that the government sent to many Americans the last few months.

I wonder how much of this was from Christian men and women?

The Courage of Deborah and the Shaming of Men

One of the issues brought up supporting an egalitarian position of women is the story of Deborah in the Old Testament. Old Testament scholar Bruce Waltke interprets Deborah's story as not supporting and confirming the leading authority of women over God's people, but in fact shaming the lack of normative male leadership.

"Deborah, however, who was married, is one clear exception to 'patriarchy' (Judg. 4:4-9), but it is the exception that proves the rule. The narrotor makes his intention clear by shaming the Israelite men at that time for their fear of assuming leadership. Note, for example, how Deborah shames Barak, the military commander of Israel's army, for his failure to assume leadership. After she mediates God's command to him to join battle wtih Sisera, the commander of the Canaanite army, Barak replies: 'If you go with me, I will go; but if you don't go with me, I won't go.' Deborah responds, 'Very well, I will go with you. But because of the way you are going about this [i.e. full of fear], the honor will not be yours, for x will hand Sisera over to a woman [i.e. to shame him]' (Judg. 4:8-9; cf. 9:54). Deborah did not seek to overthrow patriarchy through her gifts, but to support it. Apparently I AM raised up this exceptional woman, who was full of faith, to shame the men of Israel for their lack of faith. If so, the account serves to reprove unfaithful men for not taking leadership, not to present an alternative norm to male authority." (An Old Testament Theology, 245).

God's raising up of Deborah was meant to shame the failed leadership of men not to invent a new standard for leadership. God sometimes ordains that which He does not command. His desire and command that men be leaders does not mean that that is the only leadership He will use, but it does mean that that is the leadership He desires. He has called men to lead, and when they do not He shames them.

Similarly, God called Israel's kings to lead righteously, and when they do not He raises up, in His sovereignty, wicked kings to judge them. He ordains teachers of the Old Testament law to teach rightly and justly, and ordains a man eating grasshoppers to shame them and call them to repentance. Just because God does something in history with someone who is faithful (and even those who are wicked) does not mean that this is what He has commanded as the norm for God's people. In fact, God often in judgment uses what is not proper leadership to shame those who should have executed righteous leadership.

Deborah was indeed an unbelivably courageous and faithful women and this is a call to women to be faithful and full of courage, but it is not a call for women to subvert the calling of men to lead. It is a call for men to step up in leadership and if not to be prepared to be shamed by faithful, godly women.

Those Many Controversial Doctrines

When having a doctrinal discussion, often nowadays this popular reply is the norm:

"There is so much controversy on that issue. People have been arguing that doctrine for thousands of years. It's not a big deal and not that important."

This is a very unwise position to take. Bruce Waltke reminds us:

"...more and more evangelical churches and institutions are overthrowing their heritage, sometimes on the superficial basis that scholars are divided on the issue. The truth is that scholars are divided on most theological issues, including even the doctrines of God's incarnation in the person of Jesus Christ and the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ that validates him as the Son of God. In other words, giving up a doctrine on the basis that scholars differ in their opinions shows that no doctrine is secure and the more liberal perspective and practice will prevail." (An Old Testament Theology, 236)

Simclair Ferguson Series 3

“Isn’t it one of the most astonishing things in the world that the New Testament bars from leadership in the Christian church those who have a controversial spirit—not those who are prepared to engage in controversy—but those who have a controversial spirit."

Tasting, Seeing, and Running

I was blessed by this verse a few moments ago:

"Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see--
how good God is.
Blessed are you who run to him."

Ps. 34:8, The Message

There is a new church-plant coming to Humboldt county led by my good friend Nate Downey. The web-site says it best:

"Town Church is a new church plant with a vision to bring the Gospel message of Jesus Christ to Humbolt County.

Much of The Town Church is currently in planning stages. Official core meetings will begin sometime in the middle of August

If you’re interested in talking with Nate Downey, the Lead Pastor, or you’d like to get involved in the preliminary meetings, send an email to townchurch@gmail.com"

Sinclair Ferguson Series 2

“I have a picture in my mind of an abortion clinic and a line of evangelical people on the one side, a line of secularists on the other both shouting abuse at one another, and I see that the greatest temptation for us as strong believers in Jesus Christ is that in responding to the agenda the world sets for us we respond to that agenda in the very tones that the world uses. Now listen to this the man of God, 1 Timothy 3:3, is not quarrelsome...the thing that makes the difference is the difference."

The Sinclair Ferguson Series 1

One of my favorite preachers is Sinclair Ferguson. In his preaching, he has one of the rarest combination's of deep insight, wonderful articulation, extensive biblical and theological knowledge paired with humility, sensitivity, and sober warmth.

I figured I'd do a series of great quotes from Sinclair. They will come from the series he gave at, Bethlehem Baptist Church Conference for Pastors in 2003. The three teachings he gave there are priceless for any Christian leader, but target pastor's specifically. I think I have listened to those more than any other series of teachings in the last 5 years.

Here is today's quote:

“As evangelicals we have sometimes, indeed all too frequently, been far clearer about what we are against then what we are for…”

It's easy to be against things. The real question is what are you for? This can be a life re-directing quote.

Again: What are you for?

Apostolic Boasting

"If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness." Paul, 2 Cor. 11:30

One odd apostle.

Isn't it Ironic? Don't you Think?

You're having stomach problems. Pretty bad ones for several days.

You receive prescription medication for it. You read on the long handout for the medication the first side effect:

"Nausea..."

This doesn't make you feel better.

Taylor Mali - How I Write Poetry

The thing I love about this little piece by Taylor Mali is sometimes those we respect be it poets, preachers, sports stars, ceo's, authors, pastors, whatever....when we ask them how they do what they do, we expect something like this type of a reply...

No Proof of Revival

1. It is not a proof of revival to have great physical manifestations, divine healing, angelic encounters, visiting apostles in heaven, a love for spiritual things, great signs and wonders, prophetic utterances, radical actions under the claim of "God told me", claims of special anointing, or the feeling and sensation of the presence of God.

2. It is not a proof of revival to have good doctrinal teaching, memorization of Scripture, quoting of the greatest of scholars and Bible-teachers the generations have to offer, understanding of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, wonderful sermonic utterance, knowledge of greek manuscripts, having read hundreds of Christian books, a good knowledge of the surrounding cultural context, or a well-ordered life in fulfilling the God-designed role of a man or woman.

No proof at all.