The Wonderful Cross

The cross was horrific for Christ but wonderful for us.

An Impressive Life

The only person to have survived both atomic bomb attacks on Japan has died.

What an impressive life this man lived. He survived two atomic bombs and lived to tell others about it. May we never forget his story.

May attacks of this sort never occur again.

How Deep the Father's Love for Us

Another personal favorite:

What a Simplistic Idea

(Another brief venture into the world of politics)

This is a simplistic idea and, I think, a good one. It is not original, but it certainly makes sense to me:

Let's bring our military home now, stop making destructive threats, start having real conversations with other countries, and put more time, effort, and money into securing our own borders.

It seems that we would have learned by now that attacking sovereign nations in the Islamic world (see Afghanistan and Iraq) has done little to nothing to make our nation safer. Now we seem to be headed down the road toward attacking Iran, Yemen, or both. When will this stop? Will we eventually invade every country that contains a few terrorists?

One thing we need to do is decrease the motivation of those who might want to harm our nation. How might we do this? Here's something simple: let's get out of their countries, cities, neighborhoods, and homes. Let's get all of our threatening military equipment onto planes and haul it back to the USA.

If our military actually came home, it would defuse much of the tension in the Middle East and beyond. Additionally, it would help our exhausted military families a great deal. On top of that, it would save billions of dollars, some of which could be used to increase security at home.

Bringing our troops home would also be in line with that often ignored document named the U.S. Constitution.

Oh yes, bringing our troops home would also save thousands of lives.

One Pure and Holy Passion

Here is another great song that I miss singing in seminary chapel.

Humbled

My parents' time in Kenya continues to humble me.

In Christ Alone

I can never hear this song too many times.

Another Image is Worshiped

Daniel 3:1-5 -- Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its width six cubits. He set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. And King Nebuchadnezzar sent word to gather together the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. So the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered together for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Then a herald cried aloud: "To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up."

Another image is worshiped.

Are We Fruit Bearers?

Matthew 13:1-9 -- That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: "A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear." (ESV)

As we think about the above parable of the sower and the seed, it forces us to ask an uncomfortable question about our lives. That question is, "Are we fruit bearers?" This question forces us to take a hard look at our attitudes and actions. This is something we would probably rather not do.

Our churches usually let us get away with avoiding this question.

In the modern American church, it is quite possible, maybe even probable, to be in "good standing" in the church while at the same time bearing absolutely no fruit. Nowhere in scripture, for example, can I find anyone being commended for solid church attendance.

The reason so many churched people can get away with bearing little fruit is that most churches are devoid of real community. We do not get involved in people's lives and they don't get involved in ours. We have little fellowship, except for eating. We have no accountability. We live extremely individualized lives.

When a church functions as it should, with its body living together, caring for each other, building one another up, and holding each other accountable, then the people are forced to ask themselves whether or not they are fruit bearers.

This is not a small issue. Rather, it is of primary importance. We are discussing salvation. In the parable of the sower, the first three soils bear no fruit. They represent three kinds of unfruitful people; none are saved. Only the good soil bears fruit, and only it represents those who are in Christ.

A non-fruit bearing Christian is an oxymoron. Simply put, all followers of Christ bear fruit.

The church has the duty and joy of making sure that its people all ask whether or not they are bearing fruit.

If "Evangelical" Means This, Then Count Me Out

A few days ago, I wrote a post entitled If "Evangelical" Means This, Then Count Me In. Today's post is the flip-side to that one.

As is clear from watching the news or just talking with unchurched people, the term evangelical has (sadly) taken on a negative meaning in much of our culture. The primary reason for this is the union between many/most evangelicals and the "religious/political right."

If evangelical means the following (in no particular order), then count me out:

Believing in the truth of scripture but not living it out

Faith without works

Despising sinners (this is an ironic one anyway because we are all sinners)

Expecting the secular culture to act like it is saved

Emphasizing church membership and attendance, but not holy living and community

Stressing the importance of church buildings

Desiring a union between the Kingdom of God and the USA

Wanting the modern state of Israel to wage holy war on its Muslim neighbors (with our help)

Reading tradition into the pages of the bible

Being a card-carrying member of Republican party

Finding heroes in Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly, Judge Antonin Scalia, and Ann Coulter

Arguing for an anti-abortion position, but doing little for the poor

God, guts, and guns! God, guts, and guns!

Wishing everywhere was culturally the bible belt

Wanting the flag and cross to combine

Solas Still Stand in 2010

Here Comes Another Tower of Babel

Genesis 11:1-4 - Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.”

As Dubai is set to open the latest "World's Tallest Building," I cannot help but think back to Genesis chapter 11. As the people of that time constructed the tower of Babel to make a name for themselves, it seems that the owners and builders of the over 2600 foot tall Burj Dubai are doing the same.

According to the above article, "The 160-floor tower, containing 330,000 cubic metres (11.55 million cubic feet) of concrete and 31,400 tonnes of steel, can be seen from as far as 95 kilometres (59 miles) away...The skyscraper is the centrepiece of a 20-billion-dollar new shopping district, Downtown Burj Dubai, which includes 30,000 apartments and the Dubai Mall, which says its space for 1,200 shops makes it the world's largest indoor shopping centre."

As man continues to worship himself, the idols get bigger and bigger.

Resolved...

There are probably about 10,000 posts in the Christian blog-o-sphere with this same name today. Oh well.

This coming Sunday I'll be preaching on Philippians 3:12-14. I am resolved to the best of my ability (which is a gift of God anyway) to live out this passage during the coming year. Paul speaks clearly of his desire to know Christ more closely each day.

Paul writes:

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Paul tells us 5 key things about his desire to know Christ more fully and live in a more Christlike manner:

1. We must admit that we have not attained Christlikeness.

2. We must forget the past and look to the future.

3. We must have a singular focus.

4. We must press, strain, struggle, and work hard for Christlikeness.

5. We must believe that this is what God intends for us.

Philippians 3:12-14 is both a challenging and encouraging passage. Paul, who served the Lord faithfully, correctly realized his desperate need for the Lord. Despite his earthly accomplishments, Paul cared nothing for those things in comparison to his desire for Christ.

As Christ-followers, we should always be drawing closer to Jesus. Let's resolve to have Paul's attitude by striving for Christ.

If "Evangelical" Means This, Then Count Me In

The term evangelical has come to mean many different things to many different people in our culture. To some, it carries a very positive meaning. To others, the word is very negative.

If the term evangelical means the following, then count me in. If it means these things (which are listed in no particular order), then I'm happy to be considered an evangelical:

Taking up our crosses daily

Living a life of repentance

Caring for the poor and needy

Displaying humility in all things

Loving sinners

Understanding that lost people act lost

Believing and living the gospel

Seeking first the Kingdom of God instead of the Kingdom of the USA

Holding a relatively non-partisan position politically

Embracing sacrifice

Understanding that the church is people and not a building

Living a life of service

Washing feet

I Like This View of the World

It is easy to become "Americo-centric" when you grow up in this nation. As Americans, we tend to think the world revolves around what happens in our country. Even when we see pictures of the world, the tendency is for North America to sit right in the middle.

I like the above view of the world. It shows the three most populous continents on earth (Asia, Europe, and Africa). It also reminds us where the vast majority of the lost people in the world reside. Almost all of the 10/40 window fits in this view.

As we think of the world, let's look at it this way for a while.

What Does the Term "Evangelical" Mean Anymore?

I realize that the above question has been asked and answered many times before now. This is nothing new. Regardless, this is a real issue for me. I am occasionally asked by other people if I am an evangelical. I've found that the safest and most accurate answer to that question is, "That depends on what you mean by the word evangelical."

This is an important term because , like it or not, our American culture equates biblical Christianity with evangelicalism.

I plan to write on this issue over the next few days. However, before I do so I would like to hear from you. What do you think the term evangelical means?

Alexa and Humility

Alexa.com is good for my humility. I recently plugged by blog into Alexa and found that A Pilgrim's Progress comes in at # 613,379 in traffic rank in the USA. As for the world, I'm somewhere near # 4 million.

What all this reminds me is that I'm not that important. Ah - humility is good.

Funny & Silly

It's Good to Know How to Read a Map

Click here.

Bizarre Letter

Our church received the following bizarre letter last week. The woman who wrote the letter apparently sent the same copy to all Baptist churches in this area. I've changed names for the sake of anonymity.

Dear Sir/Madam:

My name is "Sally." I was married to "Tommy" and am currently attending RCIA classes with "St. Paul's" Catholic Church in "Smithtown," New Jersey.

In order to take my sacraments, I need to provide the church that Tommy was not baptized as a Catholic. Tommy states that he was baptized in a Baptist church in Georgia, either in Jesup or Savannah, but cannot remember which one. He was baptized in 1992 or 1993.

Could you please check your records and see whether or not you can locate Tommy's baptism record? If a record cannot be found, I have to go through a full annulment which is costly versus a simple annulment. Please contact me at the included e-mail and advise that you have indeed located the record and send confirmation to "Father David" at St. Paul's Catholic Church in Smithtown, New Jersey.

I thank you in advance for your cooperation. If you have any questions, please e-mail me.

Very truly yours,

Sally

There are several troubling things here. It appears that Sally wishes to join with a Catholic church somewhere in New Jersey (that alone is problematic). However, in order for her to do this, she first has to clear up her marital situation. Sally is seeking an annulment (I'm not sure if a divorce has already occurred - she says she "was married to Tommy"). She wants a cheap annulment as well. The problem for her has to do with Tommy's baptism. If he was baptized in a Baptist church, then Sally receives a discount on the annulment. If this cannot be proven, then it will be full price. Additionally, the baptism couldn't have been too significant for Tommy since he cannot even remember where it took place.

Needless to say, I'm not going to search our baptism records to see if Tommy was baptized in our church. Why would I want to help Sally get a cheap annulment? Why would I want to assist her in joining a Catholic church?