Tuesday, November 30, 2010

When the One You Love Becomes the One You Worship

I have a family now.  I think my wife is beautiful.  And my kids...they are great too.  I see them daily.  I hug on 'em constantly.  We go through good times and even some bad times as well. But we go through it all together.  By grace, we seem to grow closer each and every day.

I never thought life in relationship could be so good.  But I never thought it could be so dangerous either.  When the ones you love become the ones you worship, life takes a very sharp turn.  Loving is soon replaced with crushing; asking is replaced with demanding; forgiveness is replaced with fighting; and all because the Creator has been replaced with the creature.

All it takes is one bad day; when we neglect to preach the gospel to ourselves, we place the ones we love on the throne of our hearts.  And it's easy isn't it?  They are visible, Christ isn't.  It's easier to embrace the one seated next to us, than the One who is seated at the right hand of God.

Let's get real.  Sometimes I get tired of being a Christian.  I get tired of "setting my mind on Christ."  There are times when I don't want to read my Bible; and I don't want to pray.  I wish He was here with me - tangible, audible, and visible.  But He's not.  This frustrates me.  I get tired of waiting for glory...and so, I walk over and I scoop up my little girl instead.

I have to be careful though.  If not, I may scoop her up too high and place her on a platform where she is completely unable to stand.  You see, high places are our attempt to adore perfection.   When we adore, we lose ourselves.  We forget the bad stuff in our lives, because the perfection of "good" is right before us.  And this is natural...we were made for this.  But there are problems.  And these problems are the reason I write.  Allow me to list a few.

First, our high places are flawed.  They will never pass a divine inspection.  Because they are created, they are subject to decay, wear, tear and the like.  One day, the high places will come crumbling down.  And when they do, whatever [or whoever!] we have placed upon them, will come crumbling down with them.

Second, those we place on our flawed high places are flawed as well.  They will never pass the inspection for perfection.  Have you ever wondered why we, as humans, want the perfect spouse, the perfect team, the perfect season, the perfect job, the perfect dog, the perfect car, etc.?  Answer: because we were made to worship perfection.  We were made for God.

But people aren't God.  If we look at them hard enough (on the high place) we will spot an imperfection.  This is where life gets abusive.  If the one we worship shows an imperfection, we lose it!  After all, we are placing everything at their feet.  They are our source of satisfaction.  They are responsible for our identity!  If they are flawed, then so are we!

And this is why I crush my little girl sometimes - forcing her, as it were, to be perfect.  This is why I crush my wife sometimes - by getting upset and angry when she doesn't do this or that; or act this way or that way.

When our object of worship shows a flaw, we scream at it saying, "Get perfect!  Stop doing that!  How dare you do that to me!"  And when they begin to fall down from the high place, many times we throw them back up there.  We force them to be something they were never created to be.  This is called abuse.  When they don't meet our expectations of perfection, our lives spiral into despair; and they are to blame!

Sometimes people wise up a bit.  After coming to their senses, they understand that the person is not fit for the high place.  So what do they do?  They throw them down; and they replace them with another.  This is called neglect.  "You weren't perfect, so I'm done with you!  Life is too short not to be happy!  See ya!"

Third, in our fallenness, we try to climb and sit upon other people's high places.  In our sin, we want to be worshipped.  We want the praise of men.  But this is an extremely fickle position.  If we are going to have it, we must fight for it; and fight we do!  As said above, if we occupy the high places we are subject to severe criticism.  Before long, those who worship us will begin pointing out our imperfections.  This is when we get ticked off.  This is when we become immediately defensive saying, "Me!? Well, you were this and that!  You are the one....!!!" And the cycle goes on and on and on and on...

So what are we to do?  We have to live the gospel.  There is simply no other way.

First, we must not place the ones we love on high places.  This is sometimes very difficult.  Christ must occupy the High Place of our hearts.  When we are ultimately satisfied in Him - and accepted in Him, we will not abuse others when they don't satisfy or accept us.  For me this is very practical.  A clean house will not ultimately satisfy me.  Therefore, if I come home to a dirty house, there is no need to overreact.  Christ has purified my life - who am I to complain about a dirty room!

If I am perfectly acceptable in Christ, I won't be tempted to seek acceptance in my children's good behavior.  This enables me to love Emma, Jude, and Camille rather than punish them for being crazy kids.  And when they do sin, I can show them a merciful and just Christ instead of an angry and obtuse father.

When those we love are not worshipped, then many "imperfections" that we once saw turn out not to be imperfections at all; but rather personal idiosyncrasies that make them significant, different, and special.  Those "imperfections" may just turn out to be what we love most about them.

Second, if we are on the high place of our loved ones, we must come down.  This is painful.  Part of sharing the gospel to those we love is to help them identify and mortify their idols.  If we are the idol, we must be prepared to confess our own unworthiness of worship!  This is where we get out a sheet of paper and show them how jacked up we really are.  This is also when we must be prepared to find out things about ourselves that we were blind to.  If we don't understand the gospel at this time, we will be tempted to hop back on the high place by saying, "You're crazy!  I'm not forgetful, lazy, or unfair!"

To sum up, I will give a story that happened just the other day.  I overheard Emma and Katie talking in the other room.  Emma said something to the effect of, "Daddy never does what he says he's gonna do." This was a daggar in my heart.  I almost fell to the floor.  Katie defended me a little.  I was even tempted to enter the room to defend myself.  But I didn't.

I have failed Emma.  We used to go on a date every week.  Now, we are lucky if we go once a month.  This is just one example that entered my mind.  And so I repented.  But I was also painfully thankful  that my little girl saw flaws in her daddy.  I was off of her high place and I was not going to get back on.  Rather, this was the perfect occasion to direct her to the One who is always faithful.  He is always with us.  He is always truthful, gracious, merciful and perfect.

He alone is the One we can both love and worship.

Monday, November 29, 2010

Free Kindle Book - RC Sproul on the Gospel of John

Here is a free commentary on the Gospel of John by RC Sproul.  The Fourth Gospel is my personal favorite.  I have not read any of the St. Andrew's Expositional Commentaries, but I have heard great things about them.

Again, as said before, if you do not have a Kindle device, you can still benefit from Kindle books.  Simply download the program on your computer.  You can read from your screen.  I am a fan of the Kindle device though.  I got mine about 3 months ago and absolutely love it!

I hope you all had a nice holiday.  I sure did.  As you probably noticed, I decided to take last week off as far as blogging is concerned.  I had a great time focusing on my family and how thankful I am for them.

Have a great day!

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Wake Up Parents Before Technology Puts Us To Sleep!

Please excuse the title.  At times I can get a bit emotional, and though I try to filter my emotions before I place them on paper, this could very well be an exception to my rule.  I chose the title to get your attention.  And I hope your attention will be kept as you read.  If I were to condense this post into one sentence, it would be: "Parents, stop being parented by your children."  Or, to state it more kindly, "We, as parents, must not be parented by our kids."

A few articles I read today in the NY Times prompted me to write.  The first one titled "Growing Up Digital, Wired for Distraction" talks about how kids today can barely read a 30-page homework assignment without being distracted by the digital world.  They prefer Facebook, YouTube and texting over reading, writing and arithmetic.  They are tired and distracted in the classroom, while at the same time spending hours upon hours in front of a computer screen, playing games or "socializing" in social networks - sometimes until the early hours of the morning.  Kids today, the teachers complain, cannot write a simple paper, but they can send thousands of text messages in a single month.

What is the proposed solution?  Well, the teachers seem to be split.  The minority (like the Latin teacher) says that the kids need to sort of "come back to reality" and come back to the educational basics (you know, the three R's).  The majority seems to feel differently.  In order to keep the technologically savvy kid's attention, schools need to use technologically savvy methods.

An example the article gives is a teenager named "V".  V, after a year or so in high school, seemed to be doing well; however, after he received his first computer, his grades began to suffer.  You see, V has found a passion for movie editing and film making.  To him, reading short stories and learning Algebra II are a waste of time.  Instead, he needs to be focusing on his career in the film industry.  His Facebook status read one night, "8+ hours of shooting, 8+ hours of editing. All for just a three-minute scene.  Mind=dead."  No wonder he made a D in English.

So what do V's parents do?  The article states, "The $2000 computer V is using is state of the art and only a week old.  It represents a concession by his parents.  They allowed him to buy it, despite their continuing concerns about his technology habits, because the wanted to support his filmmaking dream. "If we put roadblocks in his way, he's just going to get depressed," his mother says.  Besides, she adds, "he's been making an effort to do his homework.""

V did start doing better in school.  What did the school do to bring about the change?  It changed the curriculum in order to facilitate his desires; to meet him "on his own turf."  This philosophy comes from the principal, that the way to reach the students is on their own terms.  He sees his way of educating as a success.  Why?  Because the students are in class and listening. Wow.

The other article by Bob Herbert titled, Hiding From Reality, is about America's sad situation on many fronts - the economy and jobs, the public schools, the budget deficits, and the nonstop warfare oversees.  But here is the quote that got me.  Herbert writes about the educational system, "For all the talk about the need to improve the public schools and get rid of incompetent teachers, school systems around the country are being hammered with dreadful cutbacks and teachers are being let go in droves, not because they are incompetent, but strictly for budget reasons..."

Here we have one article talking about the massive cuts in the school systems over budgeting issues, while the other article sites actions such as this, "Across the country, schools are equipping themselves with computers, Internet access and mobile devices so they can teach on the student's technological territory...[as well as] securing funding (in the millions) for iPads and multimedia centers."

What does all of this mean?  Can we put two and two together?  I understand that the problems run deeper than this; but in this context, one problem is at least this - that our children are making demands that we [and they] simply cannot afford.

Our kids are becoming slaves of technology.  Let's just call it what it is.  And technology is extremely expensive - not only in the monetary world, but in the temporal one as well.  Hundreds of dollars are spent on iPhones as well as hundreds of hours.  Is anyone concerned about this???  I could not help but think about the world in say 20 years - how will people communicate?  Will they communicate?  How will marriages function?  How will parents love their children?  Will they love their children?  How can we love one another rightly when earphones have almost become a regular part of our wardrobe!  How can we experience the fullness of forgiveness when we apologize by way of a text message!?

As parents, we must wake up!  We must lead the way.  I will be the first to confess that I love my phone.  I spent a thousand minutes on my cell phone last month; and I probably sent around 700 text messages.  I will also confess that there is no Biblical principle that addresses this issue head on.  Therefore, most of this is simply my gut feeling, being led, I trust, by a sanctified wisdom and sincere motive.  I would also like to give this disclaimer; because I have no Biblical normative in this area, it is not my intention to bind anyone's conscience to my personal views.  Ridding ourselves and our kids of bad technological use will not save us.  In other words, if you read this and I hear your kid plays video games for 10 hours a day, I will not condemn you for it, though I would express concern.

So here are some suggestions:

First, we must lead our children.  That means we must use technology for the glory of God.  If your child is talking to you, put the phone down; take your eyes off of the computer screen and talk to them.  Drop all technology when your child - or anyone for that matter - is calling for your attention.  This places people over some technological device.  In biblical terms, this is loving your neighbor as yourself.

This also means that we must lead them in how to spend vital resources (i.e., time and money).  I cannot help but think something is wrong when a washed-up quarterback gets paid some $78 Million to play football for five years; and there is talk of a recession.  How is it that when so many are without, almost everyone in this store has, and is using, some type of technological device?  Take a look around...every child has a cell phone - and a good one at that!

I go to an impoverished community every week.  All of those kids are fighting over cell phones and shoes.  They want the iPhone.  They want the Jordans.  Before I get through sharing a gospel message, I usually have to tell them to put up their phones [b/c they are texting] at least three or four times.  A lot of this is learned behavior.  And a lot is allowed behavior.

Second, we must educate our children.  I could not disagree more with that principal (see above).  We have so lowered our educational standards that a child can graduate high school without knowing how to write a single paragraph in good, grammatically correct, English.  I have seen this injustice with my own eyes.

Curriculum must not come down to the child necessarily; but as parents, we must help, love, and lift our children up to the curriculum.   A child hardly knows how he ought to be educated.  Therefore, we must put our phones down and come away from Facebook and the ball game long enough to guide and train the next generation. 

To build a curriculum around V's film-making desires, as a high-schooler (beyond offering a few electives in a related area) is more crippling than helping.  It builds a deserving mentality in the child - that he deserves to be educated in what he wants to do.  But we all know that jobs don't appear simply because we want them.  That's like building a curriculum around basketball because the kid wants to play in the NBA.  This is simply careless.

In another sense, if V wants to pursue film-making, let him drop out of school and pursue it.  And until he reaches that (which may never happen) he can be a server or even a garbage man...and that is just fine.  The most successful people I know (financially speaking) never graduated high school.  Tax payer money should not fund V's film making career.  He should.  That way he will love it more and find more gratification in it.

Third, we must understand why our kids are addicted to technology!  This is where the gospel comes in.  Again, a perfect relationship with technology will not earn righteousness before God.  But being addicted to technology will not fill the void that only God can fill.  We, as parents, must know and understand this.  Many may have missed the comment in the article from a student named Sean who plays video games for four hours after school each day, and twice that on the weekends.

He says, "Video games don't make the hole; they fill it."  The editor cannot believe the comment given the multimillion dollar view where the kid lives.

Did you hear that parent???  Video games don't create the hole; they fill it.  There is a God-shaped hole in every heart; and every heart will reach and consume anything it can to fill it.  Today its video games, cell phones, Internet, and other forms of digital communication.  Our media saturated culture has done a great job convincing this generation that they can fill the void in every life.  Our kids have bought the lie.  Have we?  This creates bondage.  Our kids see no way to a greater satisfaction in Christ.  They cannot come off of the screen long enough to see Him!

That same student, Sean, goes on to say, "Sometimes I wish that my parents would force me to quit playing...because I find it hard to quit when the choice is mine."  Sean is enslaved.  He must be set free.  Only the Son can set this generation free.

Finally, as parents, we must know freedom in Christ so we can lead our children in the same freedom.  We must not buy the lie that electronics and ball games will satisfy us.  We must lead our children through the wilderness to the promised land.  This means we must destroy the bondage of the golden calf (Exodus 32).  We must show them the superior pleasure that is in Christ alone.  He alone is fulfilling.  He alone satisfies.  He alone can captivate us rightly in a way that builds relationships and communication with others, instead of tearing it apart.

Please understand me.  Am I saying throw away the Playstation?  Am I saying get rid of Facebook?  Not necessarily.  Maybe you need to.  Maybe you need to buy one!  I am only saying that we must be awake to the fact that Playstations and Facebook are powerful idols in our day.  How do you know if they are an idol in your life or in the life of your child?  Simply take them away for a time.  Simply ask them to leave it in order to spend time with you.  Watch the response.  If the response if a tantrum, or depression (in V's case) or some other over reaction...its an idol.  Kill it...and replace it with Christ.

Parents, ask your spouse or a good friend if this is a problem that they see in your life.  Parents, talk to your children about the same.  Be open to what they have to say.  If you are not open, it may be an idol.

And remember, this is all for the sake of knowing and enjoying Christ.  Many in our culture are going down this deadly path - and many will need us to pull them out.  May God grant us strength, according to His glorious might for all endurance and patience with joy.  This post is not meant to deprive you and your children of joy; but rather to give joy to you, your children and the generations to come.  May the Lord lavish His mercy upon us all.

Friday, November 19, 2010

So What If He Loves Me

Imagine Jimmy.  He's the good lookin cool kid in school.  When he walks by all the girls get a bit weak in the knees.  On the first day of fifth grade Jimmy gets a few notes passed his way, most of which have the same message..."Sue loves you!  Do you love her?"  or "Jane loves you...do you love her?" 

Jimmy, after a little bit of thought, takes his pick.  It's Jane.  Sue's friend asks him, "Why didn't you love Sue?  She loves you!"  Jimmy, with a cool smirk says, "So what if Sue loves me?"  Well, Jimmy and Jane "loved" each other for about two weeks.  Relationship over. 

These days it seems as if the only evangelistic message is, "God loves you."  The unbeliever, still thinking like a fifth grader named Jimmy, says in return, "So what if He loves me?  Sue loved me too.  Big deal."  So what is the Christian to do?  Can he/she therefore not say the wonderful slogan again?  Well, I wouldn't say that.  But I would say that we have to understand what it means for God to love someone. 

As a culture we have lost the meaning love; and we certainly have lost what it means for God to love.  As Christians we must know what love means.  We must know the kind of love God gives.  John 15:9 gives us a clue.  Jesus says, "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.  Abide in my love."  Books have been written on love, but this verse gives us more than we can chew in one sitting.  Here are a few thoughts.

First, this is a Trinitarian love.  In the way that God the Father has loved God the Son, so God the Son loves us.  Amazing.  Let that sink in a bit.

Second, this love is eternal.  It never ends.  Jimmy stopped loving, and so do many people.  But Christ never stops loving.  As Christians, we are not loved with a fifth grader puppy love.  We are loved with a divine, supreme and sovereign love. 

Third, this love is enduring.  It is bearing.  For many, love begins to dim as the other continues to show their imperfections.  When people sin against us, we tend to run from them.  Christ's love is different.  When we were His enemies, He came to us.  He did not run from our iniquities, He bore them (Isa 53:11).  His love draws sinners to Himself.  When our desire was to make Him bleed, He bled for us.

Fourth, this love is effective.  We've all been in Sue's position (see first paragraph).  The one we thought we loved didn't love us back.  This hurts.  Many have placed Christ in Sue's position.  Christ loved us but we, like Jimmy, gave Him a smirk and went on our way.  Christ is left sulking.  This is not Christ's love.  When Christ loves someone, He changes them.  Remember, "We love because He first loved us" (1Jn 4:19).  When Christ sheds love, He sheds blood.  And that blood changes our smirk into sobbing; our running into embracing; our arrogant pride into an inflamed passion for Him.

Fifth, this love is "in Christ."  In other words, we are loved by God because we are united to Christ.  His perfect righteousness given to us makes us perfectly, justly, and eternally lovable.  Christ's perfect power keeps us at the right hand of God, safely, where His love can be constantly and faithfully bestowed upon us.  Christ's perfect death removed all possibility of His love fading.  Sin gets in the way of love, but Christ paid for all of our sin.  He cleansed us.  His love will never end. 

Last, God the Spirit, the wonderful Comforter, works in us to reciprocate that love.  Because the Persons of the Trinity will always love one another, we can rest assured that we will always love God.  The Father has commanded this.  The Son has accomplished and purchased this.  And the Spirit powerfully and efficaciously brings this about, in us.  Both Christ's love for us and our love for Him are rooted in the eternal councils of the Holy Trinity.  They go deeper than us.  This love runs through our fickle will into the heart of God who is infinite, eternal and unchangeable.

I used to fear that I would one day not love Christ.  But the Gospel of God's love for me changes me and assures me that, by grace, I will never finally say, "So what if He loves me." 

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Free Kindle Book on "Questions Christians Hope No One Will Ask"

I have not read this book, although it does seem to have some great content.  The Questions Christians Hope No One Will Ask was written in response to a survey given to 1000 Christians.  It is now being offered in Kindle format for FREE.  (Note: If you do not have a Kindle, don't worry.  You can download the Kindle program on just about any computing devise for book reading).

I would like to make a few comments about how we go about answering objections to our faith.  As Christians living in 2010, we must be constantly thinking about how we can bring the gospel to every person - that's right...every person.  Our day is one that is saturated with extreme skepticism.  Expect questions from non-believers.  Expect significant questions.  But even if you were to read and memorize every response to every possible skeptical answer, though highly important, it would not be enough.  Allow me a few words of advice in this line.

First, remember who you were without Christ.  You (and I!) were worse than skeptics - we were enemies (Rom 5:10).  We were arrogant, insolent, haters of God.  And He saved us.  Let this sink in.  When speaking with a skeptic, it might be helpful to imagine that you are really speaking to yourself just a few years ago.

Second, remember who you are in Christ.  The unbeliever will probably throw out crazy, less than polite comments about God - about Christ.  Stay seated in your heart knowing that you are seated with Christ at the right hand of God (Eph 2).  No insult, no arbitrary argument, no assault upon Scripture can snatch you from your place IN CHRIST.  This is the basis for showing patience with those who do not know Him.  And always remember, Christ and His Word are not worried about skeptical inquiries.  Rather, it is the unbeliever that should be worried. 

Third, understand that unbelief is the height of irrationality.  In other words, lower your expectations.  Don't come to the table expecting to hear a consistent argument, or even a rational one.  Again, be patient.  Pray.

Finally, understand the bondage of unbelief.  This will help your compassion.  Unbelief is bondage to Satan and the sinful flesh.  Therefore, as the Lord's servants, we "must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting [our] opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will" (2 Tim 2:24-26)."

So, enjoy the book; but with it, enjoy the Gospel in THE Book.  Giving answers to skeptical questions is not about being right; but about showing people how they can be right before God.  In order to do this, we must first be right before God.  We must love this standing and the One who provided it for us on Calvary.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Cam Newton, Idolatry, and Christ

A few things that I have learned about idolatry that I have learned from watching football, esp. Cameron Newton, this season.

First, on worship.  As human beings, we love sitting for long periods of time gazing upon superiority.  The better the athlete, the more talk, praise, and attention he gets.  Sure, the really bad players may get some attention, but only because they are superior in their inferiority!  How many times have we found ourselves discussing how fast a teenager is? Or how much they can bench press?  Or how many yards they have gained this year?  I find it very interesting that little to no effort is needed to commit these stats to memory.  Nor does anyone find it particularly difficult to engage in conversation about the same.  Again, interesting.

Second, on identity.  Cameron Newton’s jersey is sold out until next year.  In some mysterious way, our identity is attached to the life and identity of another.  When they excel we excel.  When they don’t, we don’t.  It’s almost like we take ownership of the merits [and demerits!] of another.  It truly is a great time when a superior athlete is on our team.  Why is this?  There is something deep within us that longs for worship; and also longs to be identified with the object of that worship.

Third, on futility of idolatry.  No athlete is worthy of our worship or identity. As superior to other athletes as they may be, not one of them is perfectly superior.  Not one of them is without sin.  They will fall.  Did Cameron Newton break the rules?  I’m not sure.  I wonder why so many men [and women] find themselves looking and listening, so eagerly and intently, for “Breaking News”.  Do we really care about the individual?  Or are we more concerned with our own identity and fulfillment?  Again, isn’t it interesting that many (myself included) find it almost effortless to search for and listen to news reports on the issue.  In a sense, we long for the conclusion.  But why?  Here is the reality of the situation.  Guilty or not, Cam will probably go pro.  Then he will either get injured or old.  Then he will leave sports.  Then he will die. I hope this news doesn't "break" us.

Fourth, on the abuse of idolatry.  When we raise these kids to the level of idolatry we abuse them.  Cam himself is experiencing the fickle nature of his own identity right now.  Praise from men is highly intoxicating – and intoxicated individuals rarely make good decisions.  In a way, when we feed our idols, we kill them.  In offering Cam praise, we sacrifice him upon our own alters of worship.  But that’s okay, praise keeps him blinded to this; and when that runs its course and doesn’t fulfill him anymore – we will pay him a ton of money.  Yeah, that will keep him in front of our eyes for a few more years!  Then we move on to the next guy.  Cam is left in the dark…sorry man.

Last, on Christ.  Why do we love superiority so much?  There is no doubt we do.  We long for it so badly that we are willing to ravage the slightest hint of it in the creature.  When a kid shows superiority, we adore him, praise him, follow his progress, and even memorize him.  Again, we place our identity in him.  As said before, however, all creatures fall.  And when they do – so do we. 

But Christ never falls.  He never fails.  He never tears an ACL.  He never takes money for selfish gain.  He never gets tired, old, sick, prideful, or “Terrell Owens-ish”.  And he will never retire! He is infinitely superior, with divine strength and endurance, able to save, change, care for, and redeem all who spend all of their Saturdays watching Him!  He is meticulous in all categories of life!  He is majestic, righteous and abounding in all that we need to be satisfied.  He will never let us down; nor will he leave us wanting.  He is the image of the invisible God – the One we were created for!  He is the maker and creator of every beating heart; and thus able to captivate and fill all of our emptiness.  He alone is worthy of our worship; and in Him (identity) we find our life.  Forever.  This season will never end.

I'm not saying watching and enjoying football is bad.  But making idols of players is.  There are many reasons for this, one of which is this:  we cannot show Cam Christ when he is our christ.  And right now, that kid needs Christ.  He needs to know that his identity can be secured and safely hidden in someone other than himself.  

Friday, November 12, 2010

My Top 10 Favorite Books - #10 (Free Book!!!)

Over the past few months, I have had a few people ask me for a "Top 10 List" of my favorite books.  After thinking about it, this has been a pretty difficult task for a few reasons.  First, I like so many books.  It's like asking me which kid I love the most - or, which book of the Bible I love the most.  No ten books shine on my shelves.

Second, my reading habits are weird.  Presently, I am reading about 10 books!  They are all over my desk, on my Kindle (which I love!), and in my backpack (yes, I carry a backpack:).  When I get some time, I pick the one that I feel like reading.  I don't really have a disciplined system.  I wish I did; but I think seminary ruined that for a while!

Third, when I think I have finally found a "top pick", I will read another book and fall in love with another.  There is a lot of really good stuff out there to read.  I have been fortunate enough to tap into a well of great resources and authors.  So, my top ten could easily be my top fifty.

Finally, I don't read books that a lot of people like to read.  For example, I hate reading fiction.  I'm not even a fan of Lord of the Rings.  I know, I know.  Shoot me now!  I had plenty of classmates in seminary that blasted me for being about as exciting as the cardboard box over there from Westminster book store.  All of this to say, that even if I like these ten books, you may not find them interesting at all.  However, I am convinced that they are well worth the read. 

Now for  #10 already.  Thomas Watson's A Body of Divinity is masterfully written, doctrinally rich and very enjoyable.  This book wet my appetite for the puritans.  It was Charles Spurgeon's favorite book; which comes as no surprise; you can hardly read Spurgeon without being overwhelmed by Watson-like word pictures, illustrations and analogies. 

This book is a compilation of Watson's sermons as he preached through the shorter catechism.  Each chapter addresses a particular point of doctrine and can easily be completed in a 20-30 min sitting.  His writing is rather easy for a puritan, though some may have to get a bit acclimated to the style.  Every chapter is also filled with practical applications for living a simple, godly life.

My favorite characteristic about this book, and Watson in general, is his word pictures and analogies.  He says of God's mercy, "The bee gives honey naturally, but only stings when provoked."  This just makes me all happy inside.

Perhaps my favorite quote is this one on God's glory:  "God's glory is more worth than heaven, and more worth the salvation of all men's souls.  Better kingdoms be throne down, better men and angels be annihilated, than God should lose one jewel of His crown, one beam of His glory."

There you have it.  Number 10.  I have decided that I will post the next favorite book on my list every two weeks.  I will also be giving a copy of the book away!  All you have to do is leave a comment (any comment) OR send me an email (smoore1517@gmail.com) to enter your name in the drawing.  And just so you know, the last drawing had 12 names - so your chances should be pretty good!  I will be drawing for this book next Friday (11/19/10).  Happy Reading!!!

Thursday, November 11, 2010

The Gospel and Porn

No, I won't "shut it" about porn.  I am quite aware that even bringing up the subject can cause some to wonder down the porn path.  That's how enticing it is.  But I must keep communicating the dangers of this horrible medium.  WE must speak up.  The snowball is rolling downhill fast.  It has been gaining exponential speed ever since pornographic material was invited into the home with the simple click of a mouse.

It seems that the only ones communicating honestly about the abuse of sex are the secular artists.  With their words, images and expressions, they reach down into our innermost beings and call our sinful flesh to feast at their table.  And they are good at it.  While at the gym the other day, not only did I pass by the front desk with an issue of MAXIM magazine in full display; but I also found my head bobbing to the lyrics, "I kissed a girl and I liked it..."  WHAT THE HECK!

Again, the snowball is rolling fast.  And its getting larger.  It is difficult to go anywhere or listen to anything without getting bombarded.  Sure, there is Christian television and radio...but I don't want to go there.  Most of it, though "clean" is only superficially so.  We go there only to find that the pendulum has swung to the other side.  This get's us nothing but a new Pharisaical friend.  What we really need is the gospel, which powerfully embraces the entire clock with redemptive arms.

The gospel is not afraid of sex - nor is it afraid of porn!  It, like the secular artist, is honest.  In other words, both the gospel and the secular artist are not afraid to say what is really going on!  Notice that I did not say that they (the gospel and the artist) agree on what is right (or wrong) about what is going on.

The gospel praises the pleasures of sex, but never the distortion of it.  The gospel exposes the fact that, yes, indulgence in pornographic material is exhilarating, pleasurable and intense; but it does not leave the individual in the slums.  The artist sinfully feasts in those slums and calls others for company.  When the song is over, however, all the guests are left with no artist and with dirty faces.  Let the guilt begin.

The Krispy Kreme donuts are gone, now everyone sits around trying not to puke.

The gospel, on the other hand, goes to the slums and calls sinners to a superior pleasure!  Again, porn is the horrible distortion of something that is gloriously good.  Porn feeds the human appetite for pleasure and sexual intimacy with something less than glorious.  The gospel doesn't call for an extinction of the appetite, but rather a redirection of it.  A lion who is foolishly addicted to oatmeal should not be encouraged to stop eating; but rather, he should be redemptively redirected to eating steak! 

Here's the only dangerous part - bringing the gospel to pornographers requires taming lions.  But here is the glorious part - the gospel tames lions.  And tamed lions live powerful lives.  As Christians we must live the gospel.  Christ died to set us free.  He tore down the wall that kept us from our Superior Pleasure - God.  This is forgiveness.  This is fulfillment.

Here is the truth...The gospel targets sinners.  Yes, even pornographers.  And when it hits them, it powerfully changes them.  Porn, though tempting, is no longer appealing.  The lion looks at the oatmeal and smirks.  By grace, I am living proof.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Question 5: Were the Ancient Manuscripts of the Bible Transmitted Accurately?

We live in a time of great skepticism.  There are scores of books written whose chief aim is to discredit the Book we, Christians, love so much.  God’s people have always been a people of the Book (Ps. 119).  Therefore, if one “sinks” the Book, the house comes down with it.  With this goal in view, many skeptics propose that the Bible that we have today is not the Bible that was inspired through the ancient authors.  Simply put, they allege that the Bible has not been transmitted accurately. 

Christians, on the other hand, have nothing to fear.  This question, “Were the Ancient manuscripts of the Bible transmitted accurately?” can be answered confidently in the affirmative.

Plummer’s Overview of Textual Issues.  The Old Testament was written in Hebrew (with a few Aramaic portions) between 1400 and 430 B.C.  The New Testament was written in Greek between A.D. 45 and 90.  The original copies of the ancient documents are called the autographs.  All autographs of biblical books have been lost or destroyed, though we have thousands of ancient copies.  The process of comparing and studying these copies to reconstruct the wording of the originals is called textual criticism. 

The above is a great overview for any student of the Bible.  Given the age of the texts and the fact that the originals are simply not around any longer may give rise for considerable doubt; hence, the skeptical agenda.  However, with the tools of textual criticism and the vast number of ancient copies, the wording of the originals is confidently reconstructed.

Plummer notes, “Most scholars, both liberal and conservative, agree that text criticism has served to confirm the reliable transmission of the Old and New Testament manuscripts.  A leading biblical scholar, D.A. Carson, notes that the New Testament autographs can be reconstructed with roughly 96-97 percent accuracy.  Furthermore, no text in question affects Christian doctrine.  That is, all Christian doctrines are firmly established without appealing to debated texts.  Most unsolved issues have little or no doctrinal significance.”

I remember speaking with my New Testament professor one day after class.  I was troubled by these issues of criticism.  Sitting back in his chair, he told me that even if the most scholarly, dedicated, and meticulous atheist were to take all of our manuscript evidence, and set out to compile his own biblical text, he would not be able to derive a heterodoxical book.  Wow.

The Copying of Ancient Texts.  Plummer comments on the quality of textual transmission in the ancient times.  Jewish rabbis and early Christian scribes usually exercised great precision in copying biblical texts.  For example, Jewish scribes followed detailed systems for counting letters in manuscripts and checking for accidental variations.  Likewise, Christian scribes showed great caution, often having multiple correctors read through their copies to check for errors. 

Some Old Testament Evidence.  In 1947, the first part of a cache of ancient Jewish documents was discovered in caves near the Dead Sea.  Along with extrabiblical literature, scholars have found portions of all OT books except Esther and Nehemiah.  These manuscripts are called the Dead Sea Scrolls.  Why was this find so important?  Prior to this discovery, the most significant extant Hebrew Old Testament manuscripts were the Leningrad Codex (A.D. 1008) and Aleppo Codex (ca. A.D. 900).  The Dead Sea Scrolls represent manuscripts and copies of manuscripts from roughly 250 B.C. to A.D. 50, and have confirmed that the Hebrew books of the Bible were meticulously and faithfully copied. Therefore, with this discovery, the Hebrew manuscript evidence is pushed back an entire millennium!

Some New Testament Evidence.  We presently have nearly six thousand ancient manuscripts or portions of manuscripts of the New Testament.  The oldest fragment comes from about A.D. 130.  No other ancient text comes close to having this amount of early textual evidence! 
In his book, One Way to God, Mike Robinson points out, “the errors in thousands of copies are easy to find.  Scholars have pointed out that scribal mistakes in the copies would be similar to writing out a sentence 4000 times and having errors scattered throughout that work.  By comparing all the sentences, it is easy to find the correct and perfect reading.”

I find it extremely encouraging and faith-strengthening to know that our biblical text towers over any other ancient text in terms of the number and chronological proximity of other attestations.  For example, F.F. Bruce writes, “For Caesar’s Gallic War (composed between 58 and 50 B.C.) there are several extant manuscripts, but only nine or ten are good, and the oldest is some 900 years later than Caesar’s day.”  This is just one of many examples.

Question for Reflection.  What is something new you learned about the transmission of biblical manuscripts?  Have you ever read a book by Bart Ehrman or Dan Brown?  If so, how might this information help you to understand and defend your Bible?

For Further Reading on Textual Criticism I would recommend the following:



Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Idols in the Shadows

Our lives and relationships, though wonderful at times, are also stained with sin.  We can hardly live a single day without the possibility/reality of offending or being offended.  Sometimes, we even do everything right, then...WHAMMO! a fight breaks out.  Minutes later, we are left scratching our head saying, "Where in the world did that come from?" or "How in the world did this happen?"

Without fail, if there is a break in relationship, however long that break may last, there is an idol lingering in the shadows.  Idols are tricky that way.  They like to hide, whispering in the conscience, making promises, and thus feeding our sinful flesh.  Idols are by nature small, but in our perception become quite large.  Their lies seep into our innermost being, and, if we are not careful, our hearts will become completely enslaved.  Our hearts then begin to beat idolatrous blood.  If one were to look at our heart, they would see our idol.  If one were to rip out our idol, they would rip out our heart. 

Relationships naturally fiddle with idols.  Others, who do not necessarily want what we want, often get in the way of what we want.  This is precisely when the "WHAMMO!" happens.   Idols demand devotion.  And they keep our devotion by promising what every person deeply longs for - acceptance and satisfaction.  So we cling to them.  We "set our minds" upon them.  The only problem is that idols don't like to share.  They are fragile, easily broken, and thus require constant care, attention, and nurture.  In other words, idols can die.  They die easily.  And when they do, their promises die with them.  We are then left holding on to nothing...but despair. 

Therefore, when another person enters our situation we are immediately on guard.  If the person asks something from us, we immediately run that directive by our idol.  Should the person's request serve our idol - we move forward, albeit selfishly.  Should it not - we resist; or, move forward with resentment.  Depending on how threatened the idol is by the other person, we may even tell the person to "shove off."  WHAMMO!

This is a huge subject, so let me give some practical thoughts.  How do you know when you have stumbled upon an idol?  If a person builds their life on an idolatrous promise, that person will react accordingly when that idol dies or is threatened.  I call these "over reactions."  The Bible identifies these as anger, wrath, malice, deceit, obscene talk, sexual immorality, fear, anxiety, depression and so on.  So when any of these are present, an idol must be present as well.  Look for it.

What do you do when you find it?  This is the crucial part.  We must be careful.  If this is done without great care, you might get cut!  Remember, "WHAMMO!"?  The idol must be dethroned.  It must die (Note: I have been referring to idols in the singular; but it is common to have a multitude of them running around in our lives).  The best way to kill an idol is to take away its leverage - you must peel its greedy fingers from the heart.  How is this done?  Only with the gospel.

You see, the idol whispers things like, "If you don't have me, you will never be acceptable."  or "If I should be out of your life, you will never be satisfied."  What are some idols in your life?  Cell phone?  New car?  Good grades?  Money?  Clothes?  Food?  Beer?  Anything can be an idol.  Be careful.

So, you have to respond to the idol by calling it what it is - a liar.  No earthly thing can satisfy us?  Nor can any created thing pay our debt to make us acceptable.  The promises are simply not true.  Idols are not faithful.  How many times have you been let down?  How many times have your idols lied? 

Did the boyfriend or girlfriend really ultimately satisfy you?  When they didn't, what did you do?  Experiment with sexual behavior?  Yeah...that's it...that will satisfy me!  And when that didn't work, what did you do?  Break up?  Then what?  Depression?  Despair?  Your idol has died...and it must be replaced.  Not with another relationship, but with Christ alone, through faith and repentance.

Christ is the One, in whom the fullness of God dwells bodily (Col 2).  He is the divine righteous One who can pay (and by faith has paid!) your debt.  Only He can fill...only He can satisfy.  Again, only the gospel will do.  How many times have we dethroned one idol only to enthrone another?  A person gives up smoking and soon finds him/herself eating.  We all do it.  As Calvin said, "Our hearts are idol making factories."  The saying goes something like this: "Satan will gladly take a cold to give cancer."

This is why the apostle tells us to set our minds upon Christ (Col 3:1-4).  In Him we have been filled.  In Him we have been forgiven.  Suddenly there is no space left for idols to occupy in our hearts.  Christ kills them when they try.  He is our Victorious King.  Our Warrior enthroned on high!  He will never be dethroned.  Therefore, in Christ, there is no good reason for "WHAMMO!"

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Ricky Martin Comes Out of Oprah's Closet

And Oprah says to Mr. Martin, "Have you ever thought that if every one who was hiding would just come out of their closets, this world would be a totally different place!?"  Mr. Martin replies emphatically, "Yes!!!  Yes!!!"  And the crowd applauds. 

As many of you know, Ricky Martin has announced to the world that he is gay.  This is old news to some.  But to others, it may be a shocker.  Just the other day, however, he was on Oprah to talk about his decision to "go public" with his sexual orientation.  It was both devastating and insightful. 

First, the insightful part.  He just couldn't be silent anymore.  He struggled inside and knew that he was not living out who he really was.  So he wrote a book.  He came out of the closet.  Ricky Martin looks back to this time as the greatest time of his life.  To be open to the world about his homosexuality, and to be accepted, was the most liberating experience he has gone through. 

Why is this insightful?  Well, to come clean and be accepted is something that is not foreign to the human experience.  This is what it means to be human - to live unashamed and fully accepted.  As people created in the image of God, we desire to be fully known and fully embraced.  This is true intimacy.  This is true communion.  This is what we were created for. 

Why is this devastating?  There are many reasons.  First, Oprah rejoiced with him and the crowd applauded for him.  In a sense, Ricky Martin is more of a star today than he was yesterday.  I have stated it before; this is indicative, not of our rising, but our falling as a nation.  Things must change.

Second, this is devastating because people cannot give ultimate acceptance.  In a matter of years Martin's book will be off of the shelves, and his fans will have moved on to applaud another.  Sure they may embrace and accept his homosexuality, but these fans have NOT accepted and embraced him.  Sure, they may approve him now; but let him turn one of then down for an autograph...we will see how accepting they really are.

Third, from a Biblical perspective (which is the only true perspective), when we see people accepting sinful behavior, we do not see selfless love, but selfish idolatry.  Oprah and the audience are revealing their idolatry, not their nobility.  This is the reasoning of the audience: "Ricky is a star.  If I accept him, he will accept me."  This is the reasoning of Oprah:  "Ricky is a star...and he is gay!  If I accept him, those that love him will love me.  Also, this will make one heck of a show!" 

In essence, Oprah and the audience are doing with Ricky what Ricky is doing with other men.  They are consuming him, trying to fill their own emptiness with a creature.  It won't be long before their claps become criticisms.

Fourth, this show encourages misery, and keeps people from true acceptance and intimacy.  A person who struggles with any sexual sin knows that the sinful behavior never satisfies completely.  People's approval pails in comparison to God's acceptance.  Indulgence in sin is always followed by a deeper hunger to have more, and more, and more.  Man's praise and acceptance will never fill the craving.  The creature is not greater than the Creator.  Only repentance and faith in Christ will do. 

Yes, Oprah was right.  If everyone came out of their closet and received approval, this world would be a different world.  But it will not be a better one.  Homosexuality (along with every other sin) must not be embraced with praise.  This only leads one farther down the road to destruction.  Rather, the person must be embraced with the power of the Cross.  This shows true acceptance in that Christ died for the forgiveness of sins.  The sinner must also be met with the Resurrection of Christ - where, by faith, we are seated with Him, being finally united to our Creator.

Let us pray Christian...those who struggle with homosexuality and those who do not.  Let us fight the good fight.  Let us bear with one another in this difficult wilderness.  Let us love holiness and hate sin.  And let us show the world the acceptance and satisfaction that only Christ can give, by grace, through faith.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

The Heidelberg Catechism and Hip Hop

I am presently preaching/teaching through the Heidelberg Catechism with the college group that meets at the University of South Alabama every week.  We go over three or four questions each time, using Kevin DeYoung's book, The Good News We Almost Forgot as our guide.  I feel that the study has been useful - at least I hope so. 

The document was written in the 17th century.  Simply communicating it's name always provokes a yawn or two.  Talking about an old document like this seems almost completely irrelevant to the culture of cell phones, sushi, facebook, and headphones. 

But there is something we must all try to understand.  Cobwebs often accompany profound communication.  In other words, old books that are present in a new day deserve a look - indeed, they demand a look.  Many of us have been lulled to sleep and need to be awakened by words moving with theological inertia.  And that is just what we have in the Heidelberg.

I belong to the typical Presbyterian white middle class.  We take these documents for granted.  We don't read them because we've read them.  Others don't read them because they simply don't know about them.  But once they do...watch out.  Place a catechism in the hands of those in the hood and you get nothing other than Heidelberg Hip Hop.  I absolutely love it.

Enjoy.

HERE IS THE LINK, again.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

As a Nation, We Are Addicted to Porn.

This is a great article that gives some insight into America's addiction to pornography.  The facts stated, if true, are quite alarming.  My first inclination is to believe them.  Pornography is here to stay...and grow...and fast!  

Used to, one would have to go to a gas station, sneak a magazine off of the rack, peek into its pages with one eye while watching the cashier with the other.  Now...its on our phones.  In Europe, phone porn is a $1.5 billion industry.  Coleman notes that before a person finishes reading his article, those numbers will be outdated.  Again, porn is growing...and fast.

Coleman quotes researchers who have linked porn consumption to criminal activity (not to mention the destruction of the family in the home).  The links to crime are nothing less than horrifying.  Porn is like an itch that only gets more intense as you scratch it.  
  
As one hardcore pornography user put it, “Once you become addicted to it . . . you look for more potent, more explicit, more graphic kinds of material. Like an addiction, you keep craving something which is harder and gives you a greater sense of excitement, until you reach the point where the pornography only goes so far.”  And as this user was left by pornography, still wanting, he took matters into his own hands.  His name was Ted Bundy.

I will write more on the content of this article at a later time.  But for now, read it for yourself.  There is much to learn.  As Christians, we must understand what is going on here.  And again, it is so much more than, "Man! People are sick, and need to just stop!" 

The sinful heart will stop at nothing to fill its deepest cravings.  At first, the consumption is cordial, polite and even lawful.  Boundaries are often set like, "As long as I don't go this far I will be okay."  But the boundary is soon approached.  The object of affection is within an arms length...on the other side.  And unless this man is met with the gospel, you better believe he will reach and take.  

Consider this stat from the article: "As of Dec 2005, child pornography was estimated to be a $3 billion industry; and users lured in by traditional pornography often progress quickly to these ever more intense forms."

So what do we do?  We better reach [with the gospel] them before they reach our children.