The Commercial You Won't See During the Super Bowl

If you don't keep your remote control at the ready during the big game, you'll probably see commercials that are funny, touching, disappointing-- and some that are crude, lewd, and profane. What you won't see is the pro-life commercial that NBC refused to air. Here it is for your viewing pleasure.

Men as Mules?

Scott Thomas, pastor, on the subject of men in the church-- [ouch]:

Emasculated men are the norm. Most young men have brokenness with their fathers. Macho men are typically posers. They are hiding behind their toughness so others will not see their frailty. They hide behind their academia, their success, their busy-ness, their sexual prowess, etc. Emasculated men are not necessarily effeminate, but they are hiding from their own weaknesses.

The problem is that only men can build men and too many pastors are broken as well and have their own father issues. That’s usually why some go into ministry—to get validated.

Anthony Bradley said at an Acts 29 event, “Your church will suck if you do not have strong men.” The typical church is made up of 39% men and 61% of women. Most boys raised in church will abandon it as a young man. If a mother comes to faith, the rest of her family follows 17% of the time. 93% of the time it is true with the father coming to faith (Barna Research).

We prefer the men in our church to be mules. A mule does not act like a jackass and they are able to carry larger loads and endure longer than a horse. They are tamer than a jackass but do not seem to want to run like a stallion. I think many pastors prefer a mule to a stallion. Stallions are designed to run and not be penned up in a stable. We are generally afraid of stallions because we are afraid of our own masculinity, our leadership, and our “importance” to the Christian community. We are afraid that the stallion will steal our oats and our affirmation by “our” people. Since our own fathers did not affirm us, this is seen as a threat. We value Steady Eddie instead of Daring Dan. Christianity is a radical following of Jesus. The problem with being a mule is that it is almost always sterile.

The Heavenly Father delights in us as His sons and expressing this fact advances the gospel. We are accepted in spite of our sin through the person of Jesus and thus, we are reconciled to our Father. Jesus came to men and called them to follow; to leave their nets and to follow Him. Men are looking for others to lead them into a radical adventure of the gospel. They are attracted to the crazy ideas, not the boring. Most churches invite men to pass out bulletins and mow the grass as the great adventure. That’s why they prefer staying home on Sundays watching masculine sports on TV or doing masculine things at home.

Source

The Universal Lottery

What are the odds that the world as we know just "happened"? Click the poster for a better view.

Source

Questions on 1 John 4:7, Part 4

A final question from one of our congregants regarding 1 John 4:7, which reads:

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.

Their question:

Can we get to know God by being loving even if we don't read the Bible or associate with people who claim to know God?

My answer:

In one sense, yes, by practicing love, we get to know God by thinking and living the way he does. But remember that John is talking to believers here ("Beloved"). Thus, the knowledge that he is talking about is not coming to know God as your Savior in the sense of conversion; rather, it is of a believer coming to know God more and more in our understanding and the experience of fellowship and personal relationship. The basis of this fellowship is made possible by Jesus' death and resurrection, but our understanding and experience of it is deepened by daily godliness: walking with Christ and in the way he walked. See 1 John 2:1-6 for more along this line.

How the Years Go By

This weekend, John MacArthur will have completed 40 years of ministry at Grace Community Church.

George Beverly Shea, shown in the photo, will celebrate a different landmark-- he will turn 100 on February 1. Here's a story of the song "How Great Thou Art" and how the team of Billy Graham and George Beverly Shea made it perhaps the most popular hymn of the twentieth century.

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9

Questions on 1 John 4:7, Part 3

1 John 4:7

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.

In light of this verse, I was asked the following question:

Can we be born again by our love even if we don't ask forgiveness for our sins or ask God to come into our hearts and submit to Him?

My response:

John is not saying that we're born again by loving others. In the context of the entire paragraph (1 John 4:7-12), John is very clear that our sins are taken away only by what Jesus did, not by what we do. Rather than understanding this verse to be saying, "Because you love others, God will save you" we should hear it as "Everyone who truly loves shows that he has been born again, having the new life of God in him." This is a matter of assurance of our new birth through the demonstration of that new life, not about receiving regeneration by acting like it or earning it.

Here's the whole passage again: 1 John 4:7-12

7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

This is NEXT

This is for all of you in our QuarterLife ministry (though the rest of you are welcome to read it too).

"Next" is the brand new name of a ministry to young adults under the leadership of Joshua Harris that used to be known as New Attitude. Whatever the reason for the new name, their website, webzine, and conference look to be great resources.

Hard to Do

"It's difficult to stand on a pedestal and wash the feet of those below."

- Chuck Colson, quoted in Biblical Eldership by Alexander Strauch

Our elders are reading this book together and discussing the "Servant Leadership" chapter tonight. The publisher makes a sample chapter available on "Pastoral Leadership," the shepherding role of elders in the church.

Questions on 1 John 4:7, Part 2

1 John 4:7

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.

Here's another question I received about this verse. [See yesterday's post for the first in this series.]

There seems to be people who are able to love others with a generous heart beyond themselves and yet don't claim to know or love God. Does God give them this love even if they don't acknowledge it is from God?

Yes, people who are not godly can show kindness to others. This love is from God, yet it is not borne out of a relationship with God. This is part of what we call "common grace"-- the goodness of God experienced by and expressed through those who have not necessarily been redeemed. We readily acknowledge that our understanding of "total depravity" means that we are completely sinful, but not that we are as bad as we could be. And that's a good thing, or else our world would be a completely unlivable place.

Yet this love is not the purest, truest kind of love. If this love to others does not flow out of a life whose first love (highest allegiance, first commitment) is to God, then that love to others will be tainted by sin, usually variations on self-centeredness: manipulation, greed, lust, or milder forms of insecurity or indulgence.

The Cyber Hymnal

In preparation for this Sunday's sermon on the Beatitudes (see previous post), I was reading D. A. Carson's commentary on Matthew. In it, he quotes this verse from the well-known hymn by Charles Wesley (right) titled "O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing":

He speaks, and listening to his voice
New life the dead receive,
The mournful, broken hearts rejoice,
The humble poor believe.

It was a verse that I grew up singing as part of that hymn, but in reading it again I realized that I hadn't heard it in a while. Sure enough, our current hymnal includes five stanzas, but not that particular verse.

This is not all that unusual for modern hymnals. Lots of hymns from centuries past had many more than five verses. But, of course, I was now intrigued to see if there were other verses to this hymn that I knew, or perhaps many others that I wasn't even aware of.

Did I Google it? No, I just went over to The Cyber Hymnal. They have thousands of hymns (over 7,300) that you can search or browse by title, author, composer, tune, etc. And, you can here sound files of the hymn tunes as well. [It's kind of rinky-dink synthesized music, but it gets you the melody.]

If you go to "O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing", you'll find 19 verses and learn that this isn't even the whole original poem! Here's the background given by The Cyber Hymnal:

Wesley wrote this hymn to com­mem­o­rate the first an­ni­ver­sa­ry of his con­ver­sion to Christ. This or­i­gin is re­flect­ed in the lyr­ics, “On this glad day the glor­i­ous Sun of Right­eous­ness arose.” The stanza that be­gins “O for a thou­sand tongues to sing” is verse seven of Wes­ley’s orig­in­al po­em. This work first ap­peared in Hymns and Sac­red Po­ems in 1740.

Go here to learn more about Charles Wesley and browse through many of his hymns. You probably recognize several of them.

Next Sermon - Matthew 5:1-12 on 02/01/09

On Sunday, we will enter the text of what has come to be known as Jesus' "Sermon on the Mount." Because the three chapters of Matthew that contain this body of teaching have many sections, we will go through these chapters as a slower pace. We covered chapters 1-4 in seven sermons, but we will treat chapters 5-7 in ten sermons. Even so, we will have to combine many of these sections to get through at that rate.

This week is Matthew 5:1-12, which includes the introductory verse and the famous "Beatitudes":

1 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.

2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Questions on 1 John 4:7

This past Sunday, we began to work through our theme for early 2009 called "Here Is Love." We will be memorizing 1 John 4:7-12 together, and we started with just verse 7.

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.

I received a few questions on this verse last week, and I have received permission to share the questions and my responses here. The first one went something like this:

Is love something that we can decide to do, since it is given to us as a command?

Here's my response:

Is love an unpredictable, uncontrollable feeling, or is it an act of the will? I believe that saying love is either/or-- either pure emotion or pure decision-- is neither accurate nor wise. Love that is pure emotion is not very dependable, and love that is pure decision is not very desirable.

I think we can conclude from this verse and many other places where we are commanded to love God, our neighbor, and so on, that love does have an element of our will involved. There is intentionality and commitment that should be expressed in action. Many have lost these aspects of love and instead focus exclusively on the emotional dimension. We know this contributes to the high divorce rate, but there are so many other ways that our society is damaged by this understanding of love.

But, to strike the right balance, we must always pursue the emotional side of love as well. We can't manipulate it, but we can develop genuine concern and care for others through cultivating our own hearts in the realities of the gospel: God showed immeasurable mercy and grace to us in Christ when we were completely undeserving.

Video - What It Means to Fail at Evangelism

There's just one week now until a few elders and I head up the Desiring God Conference for Pastors. Here's this year's main speaker, Mark Dever, clarifying what it means to fail at evangelism:

The Mystery of Preaching

My sermon for tomorrow is written, but I'll go over it a couple more times at least, revising and reviewing, before tomorrow morning. Here's a quotation from the late James Montgomery Boice that captures some of the mysterious ways that God works through preaching, and how it makes life for preachers both "hard" and wonderful.

[New] life begins to grow within, and just as in the case of pregnancy there is a period when a woman is not even aware that she is pregnant, so there can be the same thing spiritually. The life is there, but the person does not yet know what has happened. However, things are starting to change. The person is beginning to have an interest in spiritual things. He finds himself hungering for the Word of God. He reads it. He begins to feed upon it. Then, as the months go by (sometimes longer and sometimes shorter), there is the point in a service when someone may say, "If you want to receive Jesus as your Savior, put up your hand," and so he puts up his hand and comes forward and the counselor says, "Well, now you're born again." That is indeed how it may seem, but actually he was alive when the Word did its work. It is just that now the birth has taken place. This is what makes preaching so exciting! The hardest day of the week for me is Sunday. It is also the best day of the week. The thing that makes it the best is that I never know what is going to happen. I come to church. I do not know who is going to be there. I preach. I do not know all the problems of the people I am preaching to. I know some of them, and I try to be as sensitive as I can, but one generally does not know the deep things in the heart. People sit and listen, each with his or her own problems, all at their own particular points along a line of spiritual pilgrimage. God takes the Word that is preached and speaks it to the heart, and afterward somebody will come up and say: "I don't know how you knew it, but what you said was exactly the thing I needed to hear. How did you know it? Did somebody tell you about me? Somebody must have." I also have had people get angry and say, "So-and-so told you about me and you were preaching at me." I did not even know who they were, but the Holy Spirit has a way of applying the Word forcefully. That is the way He brings about conversions.

Quoted in Feed My Sheep: A Passionate Plea for Preaching.

[Title link is to publisher's site, or here for Amazon.]

Sumo-Size Me!

Here's a great illustration from Joshua Harris. It is taken from a two-part sermon series called "The Good Recession" in which he tries to help his congregation see how Christians can grow through hard times.

Recently, I was reading about Japanese sumo wrestlers. (Touching base with my heritage a little.) If you are familiar with sumo wrestlers, they gain hundreds of pounds. These men are huge. And they do this by eating massive amounts of food. They train their bodies not to feel full. They literally stretch their stomachs, massaging their intestines to make room for food. Isn't that gross? They reset their definition of a normal meal so they can gain hundreds of pounds. In a similar way, our definition of need, when it comes to possessions, is completely out of proportion. We're like those sumo wresters that have redefined their needs so that we can take in more and more. Our definition of need has been super-sized by our culture of consumption. So we think that we need not only to eat, but to eat food that we love, and preferably to eat out. We think that we not only need to be clothed, but to wear the latest fashion and have five of everything. We think we need more than just a roof over our heads. We want a bigger house, with a big yard. We think we need multiple cars, four-wheel drive vehicles to drive on paved roads. And the list could go on and on. I'll be honest with you, when I read Jesus' promise in Luke 12 to provide for my needs by feeding me like a raven and clothing me like a flower, my heart doesn't leap for joy. I feel like a sumo wrestler who has been given a salad for dinner. You see my heart and my values need to be adjusted by God's Word. My definition of need needs to come into line with Jesus's definition. One of the potential spiritual benefits of an economic recession is that as we tighten our budgets, as we change our lifestyle, we can actually begin getting a clearer picture of what we actually need. We have a lot more than we really need. We have so much to be thankful for. We have so many opportunities to be generous and share. There's so much that we can do without. Seize this as an opportunity to have your need-o-meter reset.

Video on the Issue of Abortion

From Ligonier Ministries and R. C. Sproul:

It was 36 years ago [on] January 22, that the Supreme Court came to a verdict in the case of Roe v. Wade, the case that legalized abortion. This case is still as controversial today as it was in 1973 and continues to be in the forefront of our day. In light of this anniversary, we are offering streaming video of Dr. Sproul's series, Abortion. If you would like to be able to present an intelligent, well-reasoned defense of the unborn without engaging in a shouting match, this series can help.

Follow the link in the quotation to purchase the CD audio, or go here for the links to the free streaming video.

BibleMap.org

I saw this at the ESV Bible Blog:

BibleMap.org integrates Google Maps and the ESV text to create an interactive Bible atlas.

BibleMap.org recently added two major features to enhance the usability. Users are now able to link directly to any location or chapter, allowing bloggers, pastors, teachers, or general students of the Bible to send people directly to a biblical location or chapter on Google maps. Also, as you browse the site it now continues to
regenerate the URL so you can easily send people directly to a biblical location.

Here’s the format for the links:
http://www.biblemap.org/#Corinth
or
http://www.biblemap.org/#Joshua_12

Understand? You can easily make your own link by adding any place name or Scripture reference. Here, try this link that I made up to go with this week's sermon text: http://www.biblemap.org/#Matthew_4

You should see a window with the entire ESV text of Matthew 4, with the names of cities and other geographical features highlighted (Nazareth, Capernaum, and Jerusalem in red; Jordan in blue), corresponding to markers on the map.

Note: The site says it works best in the Firefox browser, and I found that to be true. Microsoft Internet Explorer had trouble when I zoomed in and out, while Firefox worked like a charm.

Inaugural Prayers in Review

I guess I owe you a follow-up on the post yesterday on the various prayers of the inauguration, so here are some highlights.

You can view a video that shows you Rick Warren's prayer, while this site breaks it down very skillfully, showing that while it was a richly biblical, yet pretty "inclusive" as well. Of course, that's not the way everyone sees it.

Rev. Joseph Lowery, pastor and civil rights leader who closed the ceremony, began his prayer with the final verse of the song that some have called the "African-American national anthem: "Lift Every Voice and Sing." You can learn more about the song here and here.

And, from the Sunday afternoon event, Bishop Gene Robinson prayed this (video at top, scroll down to read text). Here's some analysis-- not comprehensive, but he has some good points to make about Robinson's prayer.

And this, well, it doesn't have any religious significance, but it's pretty cool. Make sure to go full screen.

Inauguration Prayers

We know Barack Obama will be sworn in as the 44th President of the United States today, so the real question on everyone's mind is: "Will Rick Warren pray in the name of Jesus?"

By now I'm sure you've heard of the controversy swirling around Obama's selection of Warren to give the invocation at today's inauguration ceremony. The noise came primarily from those who focus on Warren's support for Proposition 8, California's recent decision to ban gay marriage in spite of the state supreme court's ruling that it was unconstitutional.

Of course, the temptation is great to dilute the prayers at these events in order to serve the interests of civil religion, the notion that religion is good as long as it is vague enough to refer only to morality and inspiration. In this vein, the generic term "God" is far more preferable than specifically Christian terminology such as "Father, Son and Holy Spirit" or "Jesus Christ."

Here is a spot on the web that reproduces all the inauguration prayers (since 1937, when this tradition started). For fun, you can use your browser's "Find" tool to see everyone who used "Jesus" in his prayer. [In Internet Explorer, look for the drop-down menu by the magnifying glass on the upper right side.]

It's also interesting to note that, unlike previous inaugurations of both parties who had clergy of Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish faiths represented, this year's events are all variations or mutations of Protestant Christianity: a white conservative evangelical, a white liberal homosexual mainliner, and an African American liberal. I guess this is the new cross-section of faith in the United States.

Watch the Lights

Martin Luther King Jr. was not an evangelical, but the Christian faith shaped a large part of his identity and strategy.

I ran across an interesting quotation about him that reveals how difficult it is to attempt social and political change on a religious foundation. That's not to say that we should never attempt anything like this, but we must realize that the underlying beliefs and motivation will often either be misunderstood or edited out by those to whom we speak.

Every preacher who has been around a while finds consolation in the promise of Isaiah that “the word shall not return void.” To preach well is success. I recall rallies when, in the course of his preaching, King would hold forth on the theological and moral foundations of the movement. The klieg lights and cameras shut down, only to be turned on again when he returned to specifically political or programmatic themes. “Watch the lights,” he commented. “They’re not interested in the most important parts.”

Source

Next Sermon - Matthew 4:12-25 on 01/25/09

We're back in Matthew on this coming Sunday. You'll see some familiar elements: Matthew cites fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, and John's message now comes from Jesus. There are also some new elements: calling disciples and doing miracles. How do you think this further develops our understanding of the King and his kingdom?

Matthew 4:12-25

12 Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee. 13 And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

15 "The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—
16 the people dwelling in darkness
have seen a great light,
and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death,
on them a light has dawned."

17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

18 While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21 And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

23 And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. 24 So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, epileptics, and paralytics, and he healed them. 25 And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.

The Prodigal God

I had an evening this past week when I was able to give some extra time to reading. I had just obtained Tim Keller's book The Prodigal God, a new take on Jesus' familiar parable from Luke 15:11-32 that we usually call "The Prodigal Son." I thought I would see if I could knock it out in one sitting.

It's a small and relatively short book, but that is not indicative of its impact. Of course, the title itself is provocative-- What does he mean calling God prodigal? Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, explains:

The word "prodigal" does not mean "wayward" but, according to Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, "recklessly spendthrift." It means to spend until you have nothing left. The term is therefore as appropriate for describing the father in the story as his younger son. The father's welcome to the repentant son was literally reckless, because he refused to "reckon" or count his sin against him or demand repayment. This response offended the elder son and most likely the local community.

In this story the father represents the Heavenly Father Jesus knew so well. St. Paul writes: "God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not reckoning to them their trespasses" (2 Corinthians 5:19 - American Standard Version). Jesus is showing us the God of Great Expenditure, who is nothing if not prodigal toward us, his children. God's reckless grace is our greatest hope, a life-changing experience, and the subject of this book. (xiv-xv)

The uniqueness of this book lies in Keller's focus on the elder brother in the story. He notes that Jesus begins the story with these words: "There was a man who had two sons."

He then develops this basic idea: there are two kinds of sinners that correspond to these two sons. One is a blatant rebel, a free spirit, an iconoclast. He does not pretend to conform or respect tradition. When this person, like the younger brother, comes to the end of his sin, he freely admits to his wrongdoing.

On the other hand, you have those who do all the right things and yet still-- deep down inside-- they resent authority, seeking only to get what they want by following all the instructions and playing by all the rules. As with the elder brother in the parable, it becomes clear that his obedience has not been out of love for the father, but because of his calculated desire for what he thinks he has coming to him.

I trust you can see where this leads. This book is one that is most effective in challenging a compliant but complacent Christian. If you are one who has "doing the right thing" down but often find your heart not always inclined toward God in the way it should be, this will be a very helpful book. The author brings a clear gospel application to the problems he draws from the text. I'll need to go back and read it again-- this time more slowly.

Here's the simple website for the book, which also has free audio of Keller preaching a sermon on this text that covers some of the themes contained in The Prodigal God.

How Society Has Lost Its Voice

Roger Scruton, writing in The Times of London, describes the disappearance of singing in our culture. He's an Englishman who's lived in the United States as well.

Music is no longer something you produce. It is something you consume. And it is available everywhere, for free, without effort, in a thousand varieties. Why trouble to sing when you can get a far better noise by pressing a button? As for those difficult skills that were once required to get a household through a winter evening — piano-playing, part-singing, chamber music — these now fall on the wrong side of a new class divide: the divide created by digital technology, between those who merely use it, and those who depend upon it like an umbilical cord.

*****

The new media, which were supposed to put people in closer contact with each other, have in fact increased the distance between them. Music is going the way of meals, drinks and sex, all of which are ceasing to be occasions for bonding and becoming sources of solitary addiction instead. Humanity is being divided in two by its own inventions. On the one side are the IT-savvy nerds, who do not relate to each other directly, but have mastered all the ways of achieving satisfaction from digital substitutes. On the other side are the savages, as Aldous Huxley might have called them, who sit down to meals with their families, and who drink and sing madrigals with their friends like Samuel Pepys. And the two classes are increasingly estranged from each other, since the moments in which they might have united, as people unite through singing, no longer exist.

Here's the whole column-- and he's not the only one who is noticing these things.

As you might imagine, my primary concern is for congregational singing in worship (though the loss of whistling down the street is sad too, don't you think?). How do the ways we most often use and experience music then affect the way that we participate in music, if we do at all?

Are these just inevitable changes, or do we set boundaries, develop habits, or create experiences and opportunities so as to impede or at least offset these trends?

Video: The Gift of Evangelism

In a little more than two weeks, I'll be heading up to the Desiring God Conference for Pastors, featuring Mark Dever as the main speaker. Here's Mark commenting on the gift of evangelism.

Free Song - "I Have a Shelter"

If you've joined the digital revolution in music, I'm here to point you to another free song download. It's from Sovereign Grace Music's album Come Weary Saints. Follow the link and look for the "Free Song!" button.

Here are the lyrics for the free song, "I Have a Shelter":

I have a shelter in the storm

When troubles pour upon me

Though fears are rising like a flood

My soul can rest securely

O Jesus, I will hide in You

My place of peace and solace

No trial is deeper than Your love

That comforts all my sorrows

I have a shelter in the storm

When all my sins accuse me

Though justice charges me with guilt

Your grace will not refuse me

O Jesus, I will hide in You

Who bore my condemnation

I find my refuge in Your wounds

For there I find salvation

I have a shelter in the storm

When constant winds would break me

For in my weakness, I have learned

Your strength will not forsake me

O Jesus, I will hide in You

The One who bears my burdens

With faithful hands that cannot fail

You’ll bring me home to heaven

© 2008 Integrity’s Hosanna! Music (ASCAP)/Sovereign Grace Worship (ASCAP) (Admin. By Integrity’s Hosanna! Music) Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI)(Admin. By Integrity’s Praise! Music)

"A Terrible Indictment of Human Nature"

The reality of sin shapes our society in ways that we often don't think about, explains John Stott in his classic Basic Christianity:

Much that we take for granted in a civilized society is based upon the assumption of human sin. Nearly all legislation has grown up because human beings cannot be trusted to settle their own disputes with justice and without self-interest. A promise is not enough; we need a contract. Doors are not enough; we have to lock and bolt them. The payment of fares is not enough; tickets have to be issued, inspected and collected. Law and order are not enough; we need the police to enforce them. All this is due to man's sin. We cannot trust each other. We need protection against one another. It is a terrible indictment of human nature.

On a more positive note, just try to imagine how radically different the New Heavens and New Earth will be. Think of all the energy and creativity that we'll be able to put toward God-glorifying activity!

Source

John 3:16 in Pop Culture

Did you hear about the star quarterback for the Florida Gators who won the college football championship game last Thursday night? Tim Tebow is well known for his Christian testimony and his missionary work, not just his football prowess and Heisman trophy from last year.

There was an interesting little story that came out the day after the game. You may have seen John 3:16 written in his eye black during the game. Apparently, sometime during the game, "John 3:16" was the top search item on Google, as recorded by Google Trends.

I guess his little message got the attention of many viewers. But some have noted that this also indicates just how biblically illiterate our country now is (and also just how internet driven we are).

Here's a brief photo essay from TIME on John 3:16 in pop culture.

Inaugural Bibles

The Wall Street Journal has an interactive page showing which Bible was used for each United States presidential inauguration, and which verse the President chose.

"President-elect Barack Obama will use the same Bible at his inauguration that Abraham Lincoln used in 1861 when he was sworn in. See which Bibles and verses other U.S. presidents chose."

Source

Week of Prayer - Praying for Your Pastor

Here's my last post for our annual Week of Prayer. It's by Ligon Duncan on Praying for Your Pastor. What's more appropriate to pray for on a Saturday night?

Because I have a congregation that loves me more than I deserve, I am often asked by them: "how can I pray for you?" I've tried to put some thought into how I answer that question. So, maybe these ideas will help you pray for your pastor, or tell others how they can pray for you.

Pray -

1. That [your pastor] would know and love the living God, would have a saving interest in Christ, being purchased by His blood, and thus would be bound to the Lord by the indissoluble bond of the Holy Spirit.

2. That [your pastor] would know, embrace and ever more deeply understand the Gospel and be shaped by it in life and ministry.

3. That [your pastor] would be useful servant of the Lord, that he would know and love God's word, God's people, and God's kingdom; that he would be used to build it up and so that it prevails even against Hell's gates.

4. That [your pastor] would study, practice and teach the Word of the Lord, by the grace of the Holy Spirit.

5. That [your pastor] would love to pray, because he loves to commune with his God, and that he would be a man of prayer, characteristically.

6. That [your pastor] would be ever dependent upon and filled with the Spirit; and that he would possess true Spiritual wisdom.

7. That [your pastor] would be holy unto the Lord. That his tongue and heart would be wholly God's.

8. That [your pastor] would be kept from pride, and especially spiritual pride. That the Lord himself would be gracious to slay pride in him, and that your pastor would endeavor to always be putting pride to death, by the grace of the Holy Spirit.

9. That God would give [your pastor] guidance as to where to focus his efforts in ministry.

10. That He would protect [your pastor] from himself, from the enemy of his soul, and from all earthly enemies.

11. That no decision which [your pastor] ever makes or desire that [your pastor] ever pursues would restrict his ability to pour his whole soul into the Gospel ministry.

12.That many would be converted and many built up under [your pastor]'s ministry, to God's glory alone.

13. That the Lord would bless [your pastor]'s wife, [. . . ], with holiness and happiness, Gospel assurance and Gospel rest.

14. That God would make [your pastor] a decent husband and father.

15. That [your pastor] would be a good friend to his wife, and love her self-sacrificially.

16. That [your pastor] would be a good daddy to his children. That they would love God, their parents and the church.

17. That [your pastor] would be a testimony in the home so that his wife might be able to respect him when he is in the pulpit, and so that [your pastor] will be able to feed her soul, along with the rest of the congregation.

Week of Prayer - Texts to Pray for Our Children

Jon Bloom of Desiring God posted this...

Recently a good friend shared with me these verses that he and his wife have prayed for their two daughters (now teens) since they were babies. I find them very helpful and have included them in my prayer folder for my children. I thought I’d pass them along to you as well. (Thanks, Chris!)

That Jesus will call them and no one will hinder them from coming.
Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” And he laid his hands on them and went away. (Matthew 19:13-15)

That they will respond in faith to Jesus’ faithful, persistent call.
The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)

That they will experience sanctification through the transforming work of the Holy Spirit and will increasingly desire to fulfill the greatest commandments.
And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 22:37-39)

That they will not be unequally yoked in intimate relationships, especially marriage.
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? (2 Corinthians 6:14)

That their thoughts will be pure.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (Philippians 4:8)

That their hearts will be stirred to give generously to the Lord's work.
All the men and women, the people of Israel, whose heart moved them to bring anything for the work that the Lord had commanded by Moses to be done brought it as a freewill offering to the Lord. (Exodus 35:29)

That when the time is right, they will GO!
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

Little Prayers, Little God

A quotation from John Stott, reminding us not to pray for ourselves only, as it reinforces in our own minds a limited view of God, his power, and purposes:

I remember some years ago visiting a church incognito. I sat in the back row. I wonder who’s in the back row tonight. You know they often slip in there incognito. I’m not going to tell you the church. You won’t be able to identify it; it’s thousands of miles away from here. When we came to the pastoral prayer, it was led by a lay brother, because the pastor was on holiday. So he prayed that the pastor might have a good holiday. Well, that’s fine. Pastors should have good holidays. Second, he prayed for a lady member of the church who was about to give birth to a child that she might have a safe delivery, which is fine. Third, he prayed for another lady who was sick, and then it was over. That’s all there was. It took twenty seconds. I said to myself, it’s a village church with a village God. They have no interest in the world outside. There was no thinking about the poor, the oppressed, the refugees, the places of violence, world evangelization . . . .

Source

Week of Prayer - A List of Everything They Prayed for in the New Testament

Again, JP:

How do you keep your prayers from sinking into mindless ruts of repetition?

One way is to make a list of what they prayed for in the New Testament, and pray that.

That's what I did for myself. I keep the list at my prayer bench and review it periodically and sometimes pray right through it.

You might want to print it out and do the same.

Video - The Motive for Doing Evangelism

Here is Mark Dever, the main speaker at this year's Desiring God Conference for Pastors, on the motive for doing evangelism.

Week of Prayer - 9 Ways to Pray for Your Soul

Another set of verses on prayer from John Piper, titled 9 Ways to Pray for Your Soul:

Here are some ways to pray for yourself so that you're praying in sync with the way God works.

1. For the desire of my heart to be toward God and his Word.
Incline my heart to Your testimonies and not to gain. (Psalm 119:36)

2. For the eyes of my heart to be opened.
Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from Your law. (Psalm 119:18)

3. For my heart to be enlightened with these "wonders."
[I pray] that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened. (Ephesians 1:18)

4. For my heart to be united, not divided, for God.
O Lord, I will walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name. (Psalm 86:11)

5. For my heart to be satisfied with God and not with the world.
O satisfy us in the morning with Your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. (Psalm 90:14)

6. For strength in this joy, and endurance during the dark seasons.
[I pray that God] would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man. (Ephesians 3:16)

7. For visible good deeds and works of love to others.
[I pray that you] will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord...bearing fruit in every good work. (Colossians 1:10)

8. For God to be glorified.
Hallowed be thy name. (Matthew 6:9)

9. In Jesus' name.
He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, will he not also give us all things with him? (Romans 8:32)

Jesus Is Not a Brand

I've read plenty of commentary on marketing and the church, so I didn't expect that this article titled "Jesus Is Not a Brand" would add anything to the conversation. In some ways, I was surprised to see this as the cover story for Christianity Today, since it seems like it's a debate that was hotter in the 90's.

It's a bit on the longer side for an online article, but I think it is a thoughtful and balanced approach, acknowledging the practical realities of the market culture in which we live, yet calling the church to the right kinds of counter-cultural resistance.

Here are a couple of excerpts to whet your appetite. You can read the entire article by following the link above.

The champions of better church marketing say that withdrawal and resistance are not options for a local church that seeks a public presence. We live in a commercialized culture that accepts that virtually everything is for sale. There is simply no way to be in the public arena without engaging in marketing. Even if you do not intend to market your church, that's how consumers are going to perceive your outreach. They will take it in through market-conditioned filters. If we ignore this fact, we will probably wind up doing bad marketing, and that doesn't do anyone any good.

So, unless we completely withdraw from any kind of evangelism, marketing is inevitable. And if marketing is the language of our culture, we might as well be fluent in it, right? After all, if you were a missionary in a foreign country, you would learn the language. Marketing is just the latest incarnation of classic evangelistic models such as persuasion and example.

Thus goes the argument.

*****

There are indeed similarities [between evangelism and a sales pitch]. But evangelism and sales are not the same. And we market the church at our peril if we are blind to the critical and categorical difference between the Truth and a truth you can sell. In a marketing culture, the Truth becomes a product. People will encounter it with the same consumerist worldview with which they encounter every other product in the American marketplace.

Thus our dilemma: The product we are selling isn't like every other product—it isn't even a product at all. But if the gospel is not a product, how can we market it? And if we can't avoid marketing it, how can we keep from turning it into the product it isn't?

Week of Prayer - 10 Reasons to Pray the Scriptures

Again, from John Piper's files of resources for his own congregation's Week of Prayer, a helpful collection of texts compiled as Ten Reasons to Pray the Scriptures:

Here are some of the reasons you should pray and meditate over biblical truth.

1. Biblical truth saves.
Take heed to yourself and to your doctrine; hold to that, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers. (1 Timothy 4:16)

2. Biblical truth frees from Satan.
You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. (John 8:32)

3. Biblical truth imparts grace and peace.
May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. (2 Peter 1:2)

4. Biblical truth sanctifies.
Sanctify them in the truth; Your Word is truth. (John 17:17)

5. Biblical truth serves love.
It is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment. (Philippians 1:9)

6. Biblical truth protects from error.
Attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God...so that we may no longer be...carried to and fro by every wind of doctrine. (Ephesians 4:13-14)

7. Biblical truth is the hope of heaven.
Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood. (1 Corinthians 13:12)

8. Biblical truth will be resisted by some.
The time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own likings. (2 Timothy 4:3)

9. Biblical truth, rightly handled, is approved by God.
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15)

10. Biblical truth: Continue to grow in it!
Grow in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 3:18)

The news is not always as bad as it seems.

Did you seem some of the recent news stories on the effectiveness of virginity pledges among teens? They weren't very encouraging for those of us who believe in abstinence before marriage. But here's a new angle to this story, from an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal.

The chain reaction was something out of central casting. A medical journal starts it off by announcing a study comparing teens who take a pledge of virginity until marriage with those who don't. Lo and behold, when they crunch the numbers, they find not much difference between pledgers and nonpledgers: most do not make it to the marriage bed as virgins.

Like a pack of randy 15-year-old boys, the press dives right in.

"Virginity Pledges Don't Stop Teen Sex," screams CBS News. "Virginity pledges don't mean much," adds CNN. "Study questions virginity pledges," says the Chicago Tribune. "Premarital Abstinence Pledges Ineffective, Study Finds," heralds the Washington Post. "Virginity Pledges Fail to Trump Teen Lust in Look at Older Data," reports Bloomberg. And on it goes.

In other words, teens will be teens, and moms or dads who believe that concepts such as restraint or morality have any application today are living in a dream world. Typical was the lead for the CBS News story: "Teenagers who take virginity pledges are no less sexually active than other teens, according to a new study."

Here's the rub: It just isn't true.

Find out why when you read the rest of the column here.

Week of Prayer - Promises of Answered Prayer

This is our annual Week of Prayer at EFCMM. Praying does not come easy for many of us, but this should be no surprise-- we need the life of the Spirit and the truth of the Word to do what is expected of a believer.

Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis has just concluded their own Week of Prayer, which means that I can pass on to you some great resources to direct your thoughts to prayer. Here are some passages that they collected that speak of God's promises to answer our prayers. I'll post more like this here over the remainder of the week.

Promises of Answered Prayer to Encourage Us to Pray with Hope

Jeremiah 29:11-13
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me. When you seek me with all your heart,

2 Chronicles 7:14
If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

Matthew 7:7-11
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

Romans 8:26
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

Isaiah 64:4
From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him.

Isaiah 65:24
Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear.

Jeremiah 33:3
Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.

Lamentations 3:25
The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.

Psalm 145:18-19
The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. 19 He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them.

Psalm 10:17
O LORD, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear

Psalm 34:15-17
The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry. . . 17 When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.

Matthew 18:19-20
Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them."

James 4:8
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.

John 16:24
Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

Psalm 37:4-5
Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act.

Psalm 38:15
But for you, O LORD, do I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer.

Psalm 102:17
He regards the prayer of the destitute and does not despise their prayer.

John 14:13-14
Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

John 15:7
If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

John 15:16
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

Matthew 21:22
And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith."

Psalm 55:16-17
But I call to God, and the LORD will save me. 17 Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan, and he hears my voice.

Psalm 56:9
Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call. This I know, that God is for me.

Psalm 50:15
Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.

Psalm 81:10
I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

1 John 5:14-15
And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.

Philippians 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Zechariah 13:9
And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call upon my name, and I will answer them. I will say, 'They are my people'; and they will say, 'The LORD is my God.'"

Next Sermon - Matthew 4:1-11 on 01/11/09

Here is the text for this coming Sunday's sermon. What does this story reveal about the uniqueness of Jesus? What does it teach us about our experience with temptation?

Matthew 4:1-11

1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." 4 But he answered, "It is written,

" 'Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.' "

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple 6 and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,

" 'He will command his angels concerning you,'

and

" 'On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.' "

7 Jesus said to him, "Again it is written,

" 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.' "

8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me." 10 Then Jesus said to him, "Be gone, Satan! For it is written,

" 'You shall worship the Lord your God
and him only shall you serve.' "

11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.

Video: What Is the Gospel?

Last week, I posted about our elders attending the Desiring God Conference for Pastors. This is the second of a series of videos that I'm passing on to you.

Mark Dever will be the main speaker at the conference. He is the pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., and the founder of 9Marks Ministries. Here's how they describe the organization at their site:

9Marks wants to help local churches re-establish their biblical bearings and re-think their ministry methods. We exist to help local church pastors and leaders in the discovery and application of the biblical priorities that cultivate health and holiness in the local church.

In anticipation of the conference, here is Dever's answer to the question, "What is the gospel?"