Driscoll Talks Straight to Men

I love listening to Mark Driscoll preach. I know some people think he is too harsh... however, I would simply disagree. For the longest time the pulpit has been filled with pastors who are afraid to offend anyone. Driscoll knows how to tell it like it is... in the sermon below he addresses marriage and men... pulling no punches. If you are a man.... I would suggest you listen...

Driscoll will have you laughing.... and before you know it he will be yelling at you...

Enjoy...

A Pastor Acting Like Jesus? What?

Apparently in Chichester NH there is a pastor of an Acts 29 church who is letting a convicted child murderer live with his family. David Pinckney decided that when Raymond Guay was told he would serve three years of parole in NH that he would invite him to stay with him. However, I don't need to say much more for you to realize this has caused some serious uproar in a little town where not much happens on a daily basis.

I feel like pastors can never get a break. Either people are calling them hypocrites (which is deserved at times) or they are getting mad at them for actually acting like Jesus. This man has taken a sinner into his house and people are flipping out. So... should Christians really act like Christ? or just say they do?

Read the article about this situation here. Then come back and lets discuss the role of acting like Jesus in our daily lives.

Saint Patrick's Day

Well... I am in the middle of midterms and stressed out. However, spring break is right around the corner. Since I am slammed with papers and tests I have not been writing many posts. My goal is to not simply post random ideas or thoughts. I typically like to spend time researching and putting a lot of thought and time into my entries. However, being in Seminary typically limits the amount of time I get to spend on outside (non-Seminary) work.

So... because it is Saint Patrick's Day... I thought I would RE-post a blog entry done by Mark Driscoll that I thought was insightful and interesting. If you don't know who Driscoll is visit his blog.

This is a little about the history of Saint Patrick.... that most people really don't know or take the time to learn.... enjoy...

Vintage Saints: Saint Patrick

from TheResurgence by Mark Driscoll

“I am a servant of Christ to a foreign nation for the unspeakable glory of life everlasting which is in Jesus Christ our Lord.” – Patrick

My family name was originally O’Driscoll until it was changed a few generations ago by relatives hoping to more fully assimilate into American culture after immigrating from Ireland. Though I was raised Irish Catholic, I knew virtually nothing about Saint Patrick other than the green beer, parades, shamrocks, leprechauns, and drunken Red Sox fans that celebrated in his honor every March 17th.

Technically, Saint Patrick is not even a saint, as he was never canonized by the Roman Catholic Church. Additionally, Patrick was not even Irish. Rather, he was an Englishman who was a Roman citizen that spoke Latin and a bit of Welsh.

Patrick was born around 390 A.D. When he was roughly 16 years of age he was captured by pirates and taken to Ireland on a ship where he was sold into slavery. He spent the next six years alone in the wilderness as a shepherd for his masters’ cattle and sheep.

Isolation

Patrick was a rebellious non-Christian teenager who had come from a Christian family. His grandfather was a pastor, and his father was a deacon. However, during his extended periods of isolation without any human contact, Patrick began praying and was eventually born again into a vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ. Patrick endured the years of isolation in rain and snow by praying up to 100 prayers each day and another 100 each night.

In his early twenties God spoke to Patrick in a dream, telling him to flee from his master for a ship that was waiting for him. Amazingly, Patrick made the 200-mile walk without being caught or harmed to find a ship setting sail for his home, just as God had promised. The sailors were out of food for the journey, and after Patrick prayed a herd of pigs miraculously ran toward the ship, providing a bountiful feast for the long voyage home.

God Speaks to Patrick

Upon returning home, Patrick enrolled in seminary and was eventually commissioned as a pastor. Some years later God spoke to Patrick in a dream, commanding him to return to Ireland to preach the gospel and plant churches for the pagans who lived there.

The Roman Catholic Church had given up on converting such “barbarians” deemed beyond hope. The Celtic peoples, of which the Irish were part, were an illiterate bunch of drunken, fighting, perverted pagans who basically had sex with anyone and worshipped anything. They were such a violent and lawless people, numbering anywhere from 200,000 to 500,000, that they had no city centers or national government and were spread out among some 150 warring clans. Their enemies were terrified of them because they were known to show up for battles and partake in wild orgies before running into battle naked and drunk while screaming as if they were demon-possessed. One clan was so debased that it was customary for each of their new kings to copulate with a white mare as part of his inauguration.

Unique Missionary Strategy

In faith, the forty-something year-old Patrick sold all of his possessions, including the land he had inherited from his father, to fund his missionary journey to Ireland. He worked as an itinerant preacher and paid large sums of money to various tribal chiefs to ensure he could travel safely through their lands and preach the gospel. His strategy was completely unique, and he functioned like a missionary trying to relate to the Irish people and communicate the gospel in their culture by using such things as three-leaf clovers to explain the gospel. Upon entering a pagan clan, Patrick would seek to first convert the tribal leaders and other people of influence. He would then pray for the sick, cast demons out of the possessed, preach the Bible, and use both musical and visual arts to compel people to put their faith in Jesus. If enough converts were present he would build a simple church that did not resemble ornate Roman architecture, baptize the converts, and hand over the church to a convert he had trained to be the pastor so that he could move on to repeat the process with another clan.

Patrick gave his life to the people who had enslaved him until he died at 77 years of age. He had seen untold thousands of people convert as between 30-40 of the 150 tribes had become substantially Christian. He had trained 1000 pastors, planted 700 churches, and was the first noted person in history to take a strong public stand against slavery.

Roman Opposition

Curiously, Patrick’s unorthodox ministry methods, which had brought so much fruit among the Irish, also brought much opposition from the Roman Catholic Church. Because Patrick was so far removed from Roman civilization and church polity he was seen by some as an instigator of unwelcome changes. This lead to great conflicts between the Roman and Celtic Christians. The Celtic Christians had their own calendar and celebrated Easter a week earlier than their Roman counterparts. Additionally, the Roman monks shaved only the hair on the top of their head, whereas the Celtic monks shaved all of their hair except their long locks which began around the bottom of their head as a funky monk mullet. The Romans considered these and other variations by the Celtic Christian leaders to be acts of insubordination.

In the end, the Roman Church should have learned from Patrick, who is one of the greatest missionaries who has ever lived. Though Patrick’s pastors and churches looked different in method, they were very orthodox in their theology and radically committed to such things as Scripture and the Trinity. Additionally, they were some of the most gifted Christian artists the world has ever known, and their prayers and songs endure to this day around the world, including at Mars Hill where we occasionally sing the “Prayer of Saint Patrick” and the Celtic hymn “Be Thou My Vision.”

Theologia Viatorum

My buddy Steve Duby is the kind of guy that reads Systematic Theology for breakfast. He is extremely smart... and would never say that himself. He loves theology and is planning on teaching it after getting his PhD. We have had numerous conversations about theology and I always leave knowing more than I did when I entered the discourse.

It would be worth your time to SUBSCRIBE to Theologia Viatorum ... Steve has been studying theology for years and is in the middle of doing lots of research and writing for independent studies.

Trust me... you will be happy you took the time to read his stuff!

ESV Giveaway!!

If you go to Boomer in the Pew Blog ... you will find a giveaway of a Calfskin ESV Bible. This fits perfectly with my last post about Bible translations. If you blog you should definitely go to this site and register to win... well worth your time.

What Translatioin Do You Use?

I have had a couple people ask me why I use the ESV (English Standard Version) translation of the Bible. So I decided to write a post defending why I believe this is the best translation for everyday use.

I believe that the Scriptures are the authoritative, inspired and inerrant Word of God to mankind as revealed in 2 Timothy 3:16, and 2 Peter 1:21. They are altogether lovely, true, precious and unfailing. The Word points to Christ, Who is truth itself, the living Word, and is therefore to be diligently embraced, read, and studied.

There are numerous English translations out there today. These translations are based upon the underlying philosophies and guiding principles of the translators of that particular work. On one end of the translation spectrum are the versions which adopt a “word-for-word” approach while the other end contains those which follow a “thought-for-thought.” For an example of where some common versions fit on this spectrum, please see chart below…



The word-for-word process attempts to render a literal reading of the original languages (Hebrew, Greek or Aramaic), relying on interpretation only when the text demands clarification. The philosophy which drives this approach is that interpretation is the cooperative work of the preacher/teacher and the believer and not necessarily that of the translator. On the other hand, the thought-for-thought process follows a highly interpretive translation procedure, driven by a philosophy of textual simplicity. With this tendency comes a decreased accuracy and faithfulness to the original text and a subsequent loss of many of the rich nuances therein. While the thought-for-thought method retains a high degree of readability, it also carries with it an inherent reliance upon the translator to interpret scripture for the reader.

When I was at Toccoa Falls College, they made us use the NASB in class, which was completely fine. I still typically use the NASB for thorough Biblical study. However, while the NASB served well for serious study, contextual flow was slightly altered, thus rendering it less ideal for the purpose of reading and preaching. Given that the ESV retains the precision and accuracy of the “word-for-word” approach while allowing for a greater degree of clarity of expression, it became the primary teaching/ preaching, and reading text for me.

Therefore, I use the ESV on a daily basis with some reference to the NASB when dealing with the original language or pursing a more in-depth study of the Scriptures.

Though I use the ESV, I do see the value in the thought-for-thought translations and like reading the Message on occasion. However, I would discourage using it to do detailed studies.

6 Year Old Soccer Prodigy

I saw this and thought this kid was ridiculously skilled @ soccer... not to mention the video has a sweet Spanish rap song in the background. Best of both worlds right there!

War ... Should Christians Support It?

I am currently in the middle of writing a review of the book War in the Bible and Terrorism in the Twenty-First Century for my Old Testament class. This particular book has a lot of differing opinions on the subject of war, from a pacifist view to a just war approach. I am finding the different essays (chapters) to be very interesting, causing me to ponder my own position.

So... What is your stance on war? Should Christians be involved in war? I would really like to hear your opinion on the subject. Feel free to leave a comment and get this conversation started.

Proper Perspective

My friend Nate Hoag pointed out that Chris Sharma (pictured below) NEVER encounters difficult circumstances... therefore, to grasp a proper perspective on "difficult circumstances" you need to look at a picture of Nate climbing.

So here it is...

Difficulties In Life

“You know, don’t you, that I’m the One who emptied your pantries and cleaned out your cupboards, who left you hungry and standing in bread lines? But you never got hungry for Me. You continued to ignore Me.”
Amos 4:6 – The Message

I was reading Amos the other day and came across this passage. God is speaking through Amos to Israel, His chosen people. It is obvious that He has been trying to get their attention, however, they continue to ignore Him. While I read these words, I felt a deep conviction within my soul.

How many times has the Lord been trying to get my attention through circumstances in my life? See… the problem is my pride. I truly believe that I can handle everything that comes my way… on my own. It is hard for me to admit that I need Him on a daily basis.

If you think about it… when “bad” things happen to you… the first person we think is abandoning us is God. However, what if the reason for these difficult situations is that the Lord is really trying to draw us back to complete reliance and dependence on Him? This would absolutely change the way we handle circumstances that seem hard.

Moreover, on a personal note, I tend to find myself caught in a never-ending cycle. I will come across difficult times and (like I mentioned) I will think God is withdrawing from my life. Then I will try to handle these incidents on my own… thinking that God doesn’t want me to draw near to Him anyways. Inevitably, I will draw back to the Lord and things will seem great for a while… then the cycle starts all over again.

However, when I read this passage I felt the Spirit speaking directly to my soul. What if God was the director or initiator of these issues in my life? This idea completely changed the way I view difficulties. When they arise, I must turn and find refuge and strength in the Lord not in my own abilities.

Don’t misunderstand what I am saying. I am not contending that ALL your bad circumstances are caused by God to get your attention, although it might be a possibility. Either way, my point is that in all our difficult times (caused by God or not) turning to the Lord for strength and perseverance should be our primary response.

So the next time it feels like the Lord is pulling away…. Intentionally draw near to Him with everything you have.

I would love to hear your stories of how God caused difficult circumstances in your life to grasp your attention… the comment section is wide open… take advantage of it…

Slow Down!

We live in a society that is obsessed with busyness. If you ask anyone how they are doing... I am positive that within their answer the word "busy" will arise. Why are we so busy? I think we are scared of what we will find if we slow down... if we take a minute and simply breathe.

Even while I was watching this video I found myself being impatient. My encouragement would be to just slow down.... sit... be still....

STOP giving into the mentality that being busy is being productive... One of the most productive things you can do today is simply be....

Watch for the things that happen around you everyday that you never notice... they are there... just take a second and enjoy them.

Five Reasons You Should Get A Feed Reader

I know it has been a long time since I posted any entries. I just got done writing an 18 page paper on Colossians 1:15-20 and it consumed this past week. However, I was reading through my google reader and came across a post that discussed the benefits of having your own reader for blogs. I thought it was good stuff and decided to share with those who read my blog. Check it out...


1. You never miss a blog post from your favorite sites.

Once you subscribe to a feed, your feed reader will make sure that you see every new post from that feed. Whether you want to read your websites once a week, once a day, or every ten minutes, any unread items will be saved for you.

2. You can scan a ton of articles quickly.

When using a feed reader, you can quickly filter through the articles that you don't want to read. When surfing the web, you have to shuffle through different interfaces, type in web addresses, and surf bookmarks. This takes a ton of time. It’s much better to have the content you want delivered to you than to have to go find it every time you get online.

3. Melting-pot learning.

One of the great side-effects of using a feed reader is that you begin to learn about various memes in a melting-pot fashion, where ideas flavor each other. You'll learn new ideas over time, and understand the relationships between them.

4. You can save articles for later.

Feed readers allow you to save articles to read for later. In Google Reader, you can put a star next to items you like and come back later to read them in full. You can also tag articles and search for them later.

5. You can always be up to date with Engage.

You can always be updated when I post a blog... Now that is a great reason to get a reader huh?

What is an RSS Feed?

John Piper Directly Addresses Obama's Abortion Statement

Mark Driscoll on Nightline

Who Am I ?

I remember sitting in an auditorium at the University of Central Florida my freshmen year of college, looking around at hundreds of people making their way to a seat before our Statistics class began. In that moment I realized that I was only a number to the professor who was down in front. Being a number is somewhat frustrating. No one cares who you are they just want your money and tests turned in promptly. It was a feeling that I did not particularly care for, however, many individuals walk around every day with this same sense of worthlessness.

As Christians the Bible is clear who we are in Christ. Although people throughout society might be asking themselves, "Who am I?" ... Christians can turn to Scripture to answer that inevitable question. The following is a list of verses that discuss who we are in Christ. Although there are millions of Christians all over the world... we are definitely not just another number to Jesus.

Eph. 1:1 - I am a saint.

Eph. 1:3-4 - I am chosen in Christ to be holy and blameless.

1 Thess. 1:4 - I am a chosen son/daughter, and dearly loved by God.

1 John 5:18 - I am born of God.

John 1:12 - I am a child of God.

Rom. 8:14,15 - I am a son/daughter of God.

Eph. 3:12 - I may approach God with freedom and confidence.

Heb. 4:16 - I may approach the throne of grace with confidence to receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Gal. 4:6-7 - I am an heir of God.

Rom. 8:16-17 - I am a joint heir with Christ, sharing His righteousness with Him.

Rom. 5:1 - I have been justified, fully forgiven and made completely righteous in Christ.

Col. 2:13-14 - I have been made alive with Christ who has forgiven all my sins. The debt against me has been canceled.

Rom. 8:1 - I am forever free from condemnation.

1 Cor. 6:15-17 - I am joined to the Lord.

2 Cor. 5:18 - I am reconciled to God.

1 Cor. 6:20 - I am not my own. I have been bought with a price. I belong to God.

John 15:1,5 - I am a part of the true vine, sharing in its life.

Heb. 3:14 - I am a partaker of Christ, sharing His life.

1 Cor. 12:13 - I am a member of Christ's body.

1 Pet. 2:9,10 - I am a member of God's own people, a royal priesthood, a people for God's own possession.

1 Cor. 3:16 - I am a temple of the Spirit. His life dwells in me.

1 Cor. 2:12 - I have received the Spirit of God into my life so I can understand what God has freely given me.

Col. 1:13-14 - I have been rescued from the dominion of darkness, transferred to the kingdom of His beloved Son.

Acts 26:18 - I have been taken from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God.

2 Pet. 1:4 - I have been given His exceedingly great and precious promises so I may participate in His holy nature and escape the corruption in the world.

Phil. 3:20 - I am a citizen of heaven.

Eph. 2:19 - I am a fellow citizen of God's household with the rest of God's family.

1 Thess. 5:5 - I am a son/daughter of light. I am of the day.
Eph. 5:8 - I am light in the Lord.

Eph. 2:10 - I am God's workmanship, born anew to do His work.

2 Cor. 5:19 - I am a minister of reconciliation.

Matt. 5:13 - I am the salt of the earth.

Matt. 5:14 - I am the light of the world.

2 Cor. 2:14 - I spread the sweet aroma of the fragrance of Christ.

Rom. 8:29 - I am going to be fully conformed to the likeness of Christ. God has already decided that.

Rom. 8:39-40 - I am secure in Christ. Nothing will be able to separate me from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus my Lord.

These passages should fill us with joy, knowing that we are cherished by the Lord through Christ.

World Views?

Gerry Breshears is a professor of Theology @ Western Seminary. He offers what I believe is a helpful outline for what entails a world view. When discussing Christian apologetics it is elemental to understand what makes up and constitutes a world view. The following should be read and understood if one wants to engage others with the truth, rationality, and pertinence of Christianity.

What's a World View?

Basic assumptions, values, allegiances by which we interpret the world around us.

Assumptions: Things presumed true where no proof is necessary or possible. They cannot be disproved except in deep personal crisis or the persistent power of the Spirit.

Values: Qualities or traits we cherish or esteem by we assess the worth, goodness, or importance of things and persons.

Allegiances: Loyalty or faithfulness to an individual, group or cause which brings us to choose what will enhance that relationship.

Where's this in the Bible? Rom.12:1-2; Eph. 4:17-24; Mark 7:6,7, 21; Matt. 22:36-40; Deut. 6:4-6

What are the basic world views? What religions come from them?

Naturalism: Atheism; Deism; Scientism
Organic: Polytheism; Animism; New Age; Paganism
Theism: Judaism; Islam; Touched by an Angel; Christianity

What is ultimately real?

Naturalism: Space-Time, Mass-energy; Natural law; The cosmos is all there is or ever will be.
Organic: Living energies
Christianity: YHWH, the triune God of the Bible

What's the nature of the universe?

Naturalism: Evolved from eternal mass energy; Random application of presently operating natural law
Organic: Eternal network of energies
Christianity: Created physical spiritual reality

What's the nature of human?

Naturalism: Evolved animal, no more, no less; Complex electro-chemical machine
Organic: Temporary energy convergence
Christianity: Created physical spiritual reality; Image of YHWH, the triune God

What's the human predicament?

Naturalism: Economic, educational, environmental
Organic: Out of touch with the higher level energies
Christianity: Trying to be like God on our terms; Broken relation with God

What's the solution?

Naturalism: Humans must provide the solution; Economy, education, environment; Human government
Organic: Humans must provide the solution; Shamans, magic
Shaman: A spiritually adept person who can see into the spirit worlds to gain knowledge which enables us to achieve harmony with the cosmos. Shamanic activities include divination, control over the elements, and escorting the souls of the recently deceased to their place in the next world.
Magic: Manipulation of substances, energies, and minds including humans and spirits by word (rituals, incantations, chants, curses, spells) and objects (charms, amulets, crystals, herbs, potions, wands, candles).
Christianity: God provides the solution; Atonement of Christ; Salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone; Spirit enabled heart initiated obedience.

What's the goal of my life?

Naturalism: Eat, drink & be merry; Grab the gusto! Life is its own meaning. Advance the human race.
Organic: Become one with the cosmos; Save the salmon. They are one with us.
Christianity: Glorify God and enjoy Him forever; Spread life and grace.

What happens when I die?

Naturalism: You atoms rejoins the universe; Life happens and then you die.
Organic: Your energy rejoins the universe; Reincarnation to achieve higher spiritual levels.
Christianity: See God; Resurrection of the body; Eternal personal existence with or away from God

How can I decide right and wrong?

Naturalism: If it feels good, do it; Indulge yourself; Do what gets accepted
Organic: Maximize harmony with cosmic energies. Be true to your spiritual self; Follow the guidance of the higher energies.
Christianity: Live like Jesus; Obey God from the heart; Love God, love neighbor.

What difference does it make?

1. Religion is the backbone of culture, providing moral and spiritual insight for life.

Religion is repressive. For the good of civilization, get it out of public life.

Christianity is a primitive religion. Jesus is just a man with some helpful insights.


2. Human life from conception to natural death is sacred and worthy of protection.


Human life is good while it is fulfilling and making a contribution. Death is a good option when that is no longer true.


3. Marriage is the God-ordained life long covenant bond between a man and a woman.

Marriage is a human contract between any two people contingent on mutual satisfaction.


4. Humans have both dignity and depravity. Encourage children to express desires which are Christ like but restrain others.

Humans are good by nature but corrupted by society and religion. Encourage children to express themselves authentically.


5. Life is a sacred stewardship from God in a broken world. It=s fulfillment comes in eternity.

Life is existence in an improving world lived for present happiness and fulfillment.


6. God has defined the best human life. We will be most fulfilled as we follow His leading.

Life is full of good moral options. Non-judgmental tolerance is the highest virtue.


What will you do?

Romans 12:1-2

Apologetic Approach to Evil.

The problem of evil has been accurately assessed as the most serious intellectual obstacle that stands between many people and religious faith. This issue is grounded on the fact that a number of related and essential beliefs about God appear to be incompatible with the evil we encounter in the world. Christians believe that God is completely good (omnibenevolent), all-knowing (omniscient) and all-powerful (omnipotent). The problem is that these claims about God do not seem to be consistent with the amount of evil in the world. If God is good and loves human beings, if he is all-knowing, and all-powerful, it seems reasonable to believe that he is able to deliver his creatures from evil and suffering. Ronald Nash unpacks the basic idea of the problem of evil when he writes,

“Given these claims, it seems to follow that God wants to eliminate evil, that God knows how to eliminate evil, and that God has the power to eliminate evil. But evil exists. In fact, great amounts of evil exist. Indeed, great amounts of apparently senseless and purposeless evil seem to exist […] In short, the existence of evil seems inconsistent with our belief in God’s goodness or omniscience or power. Troubled by their reflection on these difficulties, many have found it easy to take the additional step and conclude that the existence of evil in the world makes it unlikely that God exists.”

This is evidenced in a statement made in a debate on God by Sinnott-Armstrong, “There is lots of evil in the world. There would not be so much evil if there were an all-good and all-powerful God. Therefore, there is no such God.”

Responding to the problem of evil apologetically is a difficult journey to embark, however, it must be done. This argumentation seems to leave Christian thinkers in a horrible predicament. On the one hand, they cannot deny any of the factors that make up the problem of evil, much of it apparently gratuitous or meaningless. However, as theists, believers must affirm their belief that this world with all the evil was actually created by a good, loving, omnipotent and omniscient God. Christian apologists’ goal is to show how the Christian worldview is consistent with the problem of evil. However, one needs to be aware of the two sides of this argument.

Apologetically, the problem of evil can be a very sensitive subject to address. The reason for this is the two sides to this argument, the intellectual side and the emotional side. Intellectually, one wants to face in rational terms the question of whether the reality of evil is incompatible with the God of theism. However, the emotional side of the problem of evil is personal and can be detrimental to apologetic efforts. When one is going through an emotional time of suffering the intellectual approach of discussing conceptual ideas will usually be of little help. A time like this usually calls for emotional, spiritual, and psychological support. Apologists should be discerning when entering into an apologetic discussion.

Intellectually, Christian apologetics need to be honest and agree that the problem of evil is undoubtedly the greatest obstacle to belief in God. William Craig makes this point in a debate, “When I consider the depth and extent of suffering in the world, then I have to admit that it makes it hard to believe in God.” Understanding that, one needs to seek to give a rational account of the co-existence of God and suffering from a Christian worldview.

One might notice that while describing the problem of evil the word “gratuitous” was used frequently. Everybody admits that the world is filled with suffering. However, although we are often unable to see any reason for why harm befalls us, it does not imply that these apparently gratuitous evils are indeed gratuitous. Craig gives an example of this when he writes,

“Everyone of us can think back on experiences of suffering or hardship in our lives, which at the time seemed pointless and unnecessary but, when viewed in retrospect, are seen to have been ultimately to our or others’ advantage, even if we would not want to go through them again.”

As a Christian apologist, one must show how although there is evident suffering, that evil is not gratuitous and actually fits in to his or her worldview.

For example, Romans 8:28 reads, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to his purpose” (NKJV). This verse is often misunderstood to mean, “All things work together for good, period.” Due to this error, millions of people think the promise in this verse applies to them. However, a proper interpretation of this passage would pertain to a large audience who loves God and are called according to his own purpose. Another misconception concerning this verse is that everything works for good during the earthly existence. On the contrary, all things work together for good when viewed from the perspective of eternity. When one is sharing this he or she needs to explain these common misconceptions and how the existence of evil does not mean that God does not exist, in fact that all things actually will work together for those who love the Lord and are called by him.

Knowing that the problem of evil has not been solved by this short text, it is imperative that one remembers the words of Peter. “Always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience” (I Pet. 3:15-16a, ESV). The issue of evil is philosophically difficult, however, one must not run from it but engage individuals with gentleness sharing the hope they have in Christ despite the suffering (Romans 8:18).

Provocative Christian Living

For the past two days I have been sick in bed. I won't go into the gross details, however, it was not pretty.

Today I wanted to introduce you to a blog that I read on a regular basis. Dan Lacich is a pastor at Northland in Longwood, Florida. He was one of my high school football coaches and a man that lived out his relationship with Christ on a daily basis. His blog Provocative Christian Living is definitely worth your time reading.

Recently he has been doing a series of posts called, "Provocative Bible Verses." His most recent entry discusses the text Matthew 5:48. I thought it was well done and really enjoyed reading it, therefore, I wanted to pass it on to those of you who are not familiar with Dan's blog. So read the following post and be sure to visit his site.

Provocative Bible Verses: Nobody is Perfect, But They Should Be!

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:48

Nobody is perfect is one of the few remaining truisms that has nearly universal agreement among people of every cultural milieu, philosophical system, or religious ideology. It is the standard way of accounting for our short comings both major and minor. We may want to do better and we may want others to do better but there is always the caveat that we know perfection is impossible.

Yet here comes Jesus again with one of his incredibly uncomfortable statements, “Be perfect just like God is perfect”. Talk about raising the bar to a ridiculous level! At least it certainly seems that way. How in the world are we supposed to be perfect like God the Father when we already know that as human beings we can’t be perfect. Jesus Himself seems to acknowledge that we will continue to sin when He teaches the disciples to pray and tells the to ask to be forgiven just as we forgive others. A prayer like that assumes that sin will be an ongoing reality even in the life of the most dedicated of Christ-followers. If that is the case, then how are we to be “perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect”.

Well like all verses in the Bible, context is everything. We need to read the first 47 verses in Chapter 5, the beginning of what know of as The Sermon on the Mount. It is Jesus’ most complete teaching on what the life of a Christ-follower should look like. In what He has already said He has consistently raised the bar. Murder is not just physically killing someone, it is also hating them from the heart. Adultery follows a similar ideal. Retaliating against a person who slaps us, loving our enemies, and being a person who forgives are among the hard things Jesus calls us to in those verses. Each of those things follows on the heals of Jesus saying that He came not to abolish but to fulfill the law. So in some way, what He is teaching has always been the intent of God’s law. There is a sense that what Jesus is saying is that we have stopped short of understanding what the Father has always called for. We have restricted our definitions of what is right and wrong to what we can accomplish with a minimal of effort. What Jesus is saying is that we can not and must not sell ourselves or God short.

This idea of not coming up short is found in the word He uses for “perfect”. It is the Greek word, “telos”. Among other things it has the idea of reaching the goal or the end. A “tele-vision” is something that sends a picture to an end user, just as a tele-phone sends a voice to the end or goal. Telos also has the idea of something being complete. So when Jesus tells us to be perfect as the Father is perfect we need to understand that He is placing before us a goal. There is something that we are striving for. The goal is in fact to become complete in Christ. In order for that to happen there must be no halfway measures. We can’t say, “I never killed someone so I must be okay”. We must ask about our heart and our attitude towards others, not just the external appearance or action. We can’t be content with a little cleaning up of our lives that is better than most. We must always be looking to the Father for the model of how we live.

There are two dangers however that we must be aware of. One is pride. We can easily become spiritually proud thinking that we have accomplished perfection on our own. This was the sin of so many of the Pharisees in Jesus day. The second danger is despair and a feeling that we can’t be good enough to be perfect like God so we give up. I think in both cases that Philippians 1:6 guards us against both these errors, “He who began a good work in you, will bring it to completion at the Day of Christ Jesus”. The word for completion in that verse is the root word “telos”. God is working in you to bring you to complete perfection in Christ. So you need not despair because He WILL see it through and you can not be proud because HE will see it through.

Of course as in all things in our walk with Christ, we are required to put our whole self in. There are no halfway measure or efforts that are acceptable. We are to be radically, provocatively, sold out 100% for Jesus. Yet in being sold to Jesus, we will all the while know that when we fail, He forgives us and carries us on to the goal and that when we succeed, it is ultimately because of His grace and for His glory.

Guilt-Driven Christianity

I recently came across an article by Dr. Alvin Reid titled "Saying Goodbye to Guilt-Driven Christianity." I thought it was well done and raised some points that many Christians often think about yet barely discuss. Since I am busy with class I will simply post the article and let you discuss it if you would like. Hope you enjoy...

There is a story told about the time Sir Conan Doyle, the English writer who created the fictional character Sherlock Holmes, decided to play a practical joke on 12 of his best friends. The story goes that he sent all 12 of them a telegram that simply read: “Flee at once … all has been discovered.” Within 24 hours, all 12 had fled to other countries.

Sadly, many—if not most—Christians live with the same guilt. We feel guilty if we stay out too late on Saturday and sleep through church on Sunday morning. We feel guilty if the physical components of our relationships with our girlfriends or boyfriends “go too far.” We feel guilty if we don’t give money to the Church or spend the right amount of time in prayer. Unfortunately, many believers are driven to do these things—pray, tithe, attend church, remain sexually pure—by a rabid sense of duty.

This ought not to be. While these things are good things and goals to be sought after, and while guilt should be a natural reaction to sin from a regenerate heart, the Christian faith should never be driven by a sense of duty, guilt or entitlement. Instead, we should be driven to lives of holiness by passion—passion for God, passion for the lost, passion for the Gospel, passion for each other.

If we move from passion and excitement as motivation to duty and guilt, we lose the great idea of our faith. The great idea of our faith is that the Creator-God has made a way for regular folks like us to know Him. This great idea allows both for eternal life with Him in heaven and purpose in this life. This is an idea of freedom, is it not?

Imagine for a moment that you have no recollection of the life and message of Jesus Christ. And imagine that someone who knows this message well comes to tell you about the Christian faith. They say to you:

Jesus came to earth and died so that you could attend weekly meetings and give Him a slice of your income. You should, therefore, modify your behavior so as to fit in and believe exactly like we tell you to believe and resist getting too excited, for that would be in bad taste. Then you will fulfill your duty and rid yourself of guilt.

Would that be something you would accept? Probably not. Would those sentiments be true to the life and message of Jesus Christ? No, they wouldn’t. And yet that is where many of us find ourselves today.

Now imagine again that you know nothing of the life and message of Jesus Christ, and someone who knows this message well comes to share it with you. Their life is compelling and authentic. Perhaps they don’t fit all the Christian stereotypes, but they are driven by an otherworldly passion and commitment. They say to you:

The reason we don’t do things so well and there exists so much sorrow, death and injustice is that our sin permeates this world. Yet, this great God became like us because of His great love and, amazing as it seems, sacrificed our sin and guilt on the cross. If only we will accept his gift of salvation and surrender to His leadership, God will ignite a new passion inside of you.

Would you be more likely to connect with that message? Probably. Would those sentiments be truer to the life and message of Jesus Christ? Yes, they would. They comprise the great idea of our faith.

A guilt-driven faith will certainly go through the motions. It will drive you to action. But a passion-driven faith forces us to tell everyone we know about the great idea that can change the world. It will drive you to a lifestyle. And we would long for our neighbors, friends and families to embrace this great idea!

The Great Awakenings in the Church have come in no small part because men recaptured a sense of passion rather than guilt. John Wesley, an ordained, Oxford-educated minister, did not become a leader in the Great Awakening until he found an inner passion for Jesus Christ. Once that happened he seemed outlandish to others, and he eventually had to preach in the fields. The same could be said of Whitefield and Edwards, Finney and Spurgeon, Luther and Savonarola. They embraced a passion for the great idea of Christianity.

Our faith is certainly not comprised only of passion. It is also pure, revealed truth. But the truth of our faith is more than mere, propositional fact; it is a great idea that is worthy of infectious passion.

It seems a passionless faith may be one reason so many find our faith unattractive and disingenuous. We must revive the great idea of our great God. We must rediscover the great commission and great commandment. We must pursue a passion-driven Christianity. If our faith is to become a transformative, redemptive power within the culture, we need to flee guilt-driven, duty-centered puppetry and call down a passion for the great idea of the Gospel.

Youtube Debut

I am almost done with the first week of this intercession course. It is going well, however, the work load is extremely overwhelming. Therefore, I am going to again take this opportunity to post a little something that won't take much time.

In my Biblical Interpretation class we had to take a Biblical passage and creatively present it ... while not sacrificing the actual meaning and context. So my group (Evan and Lauren Perkins) decided that although it was tempting for us to do something serious... we wanted to incorporate Jerry Springer somehow (such a Biblical show). Therefore, we thought it would be funny to take 2 Samuel 12:1-14 and reenact it on the Jerry Springer show. This passage is where David is confronted by Nathan (Prophet) for committing adultery and having a man killed. What better place to have a confrontation than the Jerry Springer show... however, since we needed two guys for David and Nathan we decided that Lauren would play Sherry Springer ... Jerry's cousin that is filling in for him.

It is kind of hard to hear some of the lines... so turn it up and listen carefully. Hope you enjoy...



I know... this was actually a Seminary class... haha.

Thanks to Drew Hill for video taping this little skit!