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Tetullian on the Ability to Know God From the Scriptures

2011-10-11T06:03:00.001-07:00

"So that we might obtain an ampler and more authoritative knowledge at one of Himself and of His plans and will, God has added a written revelation. This revelation is on behalf of everyone whose heart is set on seeking God, that seeking they may find, and finding they may believe, and believing they may obey."

-Tertullian, Apology, cited in Gregg R. Allison, Historical Theology (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2011), 139.

On the Death of a Visionary

2011-10-04T22:45:00.000-07:00

After arriving home this evening from church, I took some time to help my wife straighten up the house and clean out our vacuum cleaner. After vacuuming some of the floor in our house, I sat down to eat, fired up my trusty iPad (upon which I am now typing this), and went to Facebook with the intent of viewing a post that I had been tagged in. No sooner had the screen finished loading when I saw some posts near the top of my newsfeed which implied that Steve Jobs, Apple's eminent leader, founder, and former CEO had passed away. I was a bit startled by the nature of these claims. Because these posts were semi-ambiguous and suspect as to the definiteness of their interpretation, I decided I'd head over to his Wikipedia article to confirm.

I didn't even need to proceed to actual article about him as his death was featured on the front page. Heading back to Facebook, I took some time to gander through my newsfeed at all the posts which had something to say about the death of this soon-to-be-legendary baron of computers and business. In my opinion, he was the greatest business leader of our time in terms of his influence and impact over American culture. For this even, In my mind, I morned his loss.

I have been fan of Apple for some time, longer than many current Apple users. Long before the company started dominating every market into which it did business, during my freshman year of college (2002-2003, to be specific), I told many of my fellow dorm dwellers how I thought Apple's product and design were vastly superior to the typical Windows-based PC. Most of them laughed at me and quickly dismissed my opinion. Personally, I consider Apple's present success (which started to gain noticeable momentum not too long after that time) to be a vindication of my opinions then—opinions which I still hold today. While some of my more computer-savvy friends would still disagree with me, none of them will ever convince me to use a slow, boring, confusing, unintuitive, Windows-based excuse for computer in place of a Mac (unless of course, Steve Jobs' designs and vision are truly incapable of being carried on!).

I bought my first iMac in 2006, my iPod in 2008, and got a new iMac and an iPad both this year. I am also a huge fan of Apple's software and apps, many of which I use on a daily basis in the work of sermon preparation. I have been throughly satisfied with every product I have used. Although I must do so indirectly, I would extend credit to Steve Jobs for much of this. Jobs poured his vision, creativity, and genius into every product of hardware and software that Mac has put out during his time as CEO. When he began his second stint as CEO back in 1997, Apple had been suffering from declining sales and languishing brand power. It mainly appealed to a niche market of diehards who loved Apple for the simple sake that it was Apple. Today, its success as one of the world's most dominant, influential, and popular companies is inseparably linked to Jobs' work as its leader. If anyone were to collect, arrange, and package Steve Jobs' thoughts and ideas on leadership as well as his leadership practices and put them into a book, a great service would be done to many potential readers.

Yet in spite of all the positive superlatives I could potentially attribute to Jobs, I must sadly mention how his life and death profoundly remind me of Jesus' words in Matthew 16:26, which says, "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?" (ESV) Ad victorem spolias. As great as an impact as Jobs has left on this world, it will all be for naught one day. Jobs' sudden passing is a lesson to all of us both of how brief and how influential a single life has the potential to be. I am inclined to think of my yet unborn son and how one day I will tell him the legend of Steve Jobs. At the same time, I will also emphasize to him the futility of gain and riches in this life if not used for the glory of God and the fulfillment of the Great Commission.

May we all focus on God's kingdom (Matthew 6:33) and run in such a way as to win the prize of the heavenward calling that is found in Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 9:24; Philippians 3:14). Ad victorem spolias.

Made to Stick and Biblical Theology

2011-09-23T08:38:00.001-07:00

Recently, I have been reading Chip and Dan Heath's riveting and intriguing work, Made to Stick, which has begun to cause me to reexamine and rethink how I teach and prepare messages and sermons. As with many books, I am still only halfway through whereas I could have already been finished by now if I read at a brisker pace. I have hampered my own progress by spending too much of my spare time (which honestly, may not be that much to some people) on old NES games and such. Nevertheless, the book has captured my attention with numerous "aha" moments and several lightbulbs going off in my head, corresponding to the ideas that are "sticking" to my mind.

The main goal of the authors was to discover why some ideas, advertisements, TV shows, commercials, websites, and other forms of information last and are easily remembered whereas others simply die. In doing so, they sought to differentiate between truly "sticky" concepts and those which form the "great trash heap" of those which are discarded almost as soon as they are heard. The brothers came to this journey from different backgrounds. Heading up his own non-profit educational organization, Dan was interested in finding ways to more effectively teach academic subjects so as to make it easier for students to retain and recall the information they hear in the classroom. Chip, a professor at Stanford, wanted to study why certain concepts thrived in the social and intellectual marketplace whereas others flickered out. What they found was that they were both after similar principles. What they would discover in their quest has the potential to make communication and influence much more effective for those who deftly and carefully apply their principles, for it extends to all aspects and arenas of life.

So what is it that makes pieces and avenues of information "sticky?" The authors discovered six core principles that can be abbreviated into the acronym, SUCCESs (the last "s" is intentionally uncapitalized as it is only there to make it a complete spelling):

Simple (focus on the core, indispensable part of the idea or concept)
Unexpected (in that it violates and disturbs peoples assumptions)
Concrete (in that it is not abstract and is in terms that you can easily see, touch, and taste)
Credible (in that it is believable or supported by a believable source)
Emotional (in that it appeals to people feelings)
Story (in that it is told entirely in story form or that it utilizes stories for support)

The assertions made by the book apply at all levels of influence–from websites used by millions of people to one-on-one conversations. For instance, one specific question that this knowledge applies to is "why did Facebook, despite starting after MySpace which had many more users, overtake and completely obliterate it in the race to become the most-used online social network?"

Another one, which has yet to be answered is "who will win the brewing battle between Facebook and Google+?" But not only do the principles of stickiness apply at this large, macro level. They have applicability for the normal, day-to-day, common and mundane. Even in my humble and rural locale of Springhill, LA and the surrounding communities, teachers surely want to know ways that they could make the information they teach five days a week stay in the minds of their students.

Yet the most profound and meaningful though which has yet entered my brain through reading the book is this: Jesus was a master at all of these principles. While there are at least some occasions we know of where He walked through the Old Testament verse by verse with his disciples (see Luke 24:27), most of the time He taught people in parables. Just think about it. Even if you are not familiar with the actual content of the New Testament, you have probably at least heard of some of the more familiar parables, such as "the Good Samaritan" or "the Prodigal Son." The titles are themselves an example of these principles at work, since Jesus Himself never used the titles. They arose as a result of familiarity with the stories. These two parables, out of the many that Jesus told, especially reveal how masterfully He utilized these principles. Let's focus on the Good Samaritan, which is in Luke 10:29-37. First, going in reverse order, it was a story. Secondly, it would have struck the emotions of any sensing human being as he or she could identify with the pain of the man being robbed and beaten. Thirdly, it would have been credible in its day, since robberies were fairly common on dessert roads. Fourth, it was concrete. By simply hearing the story, one can visualize the man being assaulted by the robbers as he is walking down the road, along with the Samaritan later treating the same man's wounds. Fifth, details of the story were certainly unexpected in that day and time as it would have been virtually inconceivable to most Jewish men that a Samaritan would help a Jew when a priest and Levite had already left him for dead. Finally, the simple, core idea emerges when Jesus asks the one who questioned Him, "which of these men was the neighbor to the man who fell among robbers," leaving him with no option but to realize that to be a neighbor was to be like the Samaritan.

Now, one may complain and say (probably rightly) that Jesus wasn't actually using these principles, since He didn't set out with such a controlling methodology. Notwithstanding, since they meet the criteria given, it is thus appropriate to speak of Jesus using these principles. It is astonishing to me, and at the same time to surprising, how beautifully Jesus put on a clinic of how these principles can work.

Yet there is a not so subtle bit of irony here when one also takes into account Jesus' words in Mark 4:11-12, where He said, "To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, so that
"they may indeed see but not perceive,
and may indeed hear but not understand,
lest they should turn and be forgiven."

What was going on here? Was Jesus intentionally being deceitful? Why then, did He teach in such a way as to make His ideas memorable? In part, we have to remember that it was not yet time, at the time Jesus actually told the parables, for all the details of the Gospel to be made clear. Jesus first needed to die on the Cross and be raised from the dead prior to all the facts of the Gospel being made obvious. In the end, what I think Jesus did was tell His parables in such a way that the stories themselves would stick with their hearers, and then their meaning would become clear in light of Jesus' work on the Cross and His resurrection and ascension, when the apostles would later preach to these very same people who had heard the parables from Christ.

UPDATE

As of Wednesday, October 6, 2011, I've finally finished the book. I can say after reading it in its entirety that I heartily recommend it to anyone willing to give it a shot. A lifetime of mastering these many principles lays before me, and it is a challenge I am excited about taking on.

Two Deaths In Britain

2011-07-30T16:44:00.000-07:00

Recently, two rather noteworthy Britons died and entered into eternity. These two individuals could not have been further apart in terms of differences, among which were basic matters such as their genders and lifespans, along with more profound issues including their beliefs, values, lifestyles, and quite likely, their eternal destinies. Both of these individuals gained a level of notoriety that few individuals experience in this life. Yet like so many of the items separating them, the reasons for which each one achieved their recognition are completely polarized.

One may justifiably wonder, why write a post linking these two individuals? Indeed, why should I even see their deaths as connected except for their proximity in time? I confess that the only answers I can give are largely subjective. Yet the nearness in their passings calls observers to consider the lives each one lived, and such a consideration has the potential to yield a bountiful harvest of lessons, principles, and warnings.

John R.W. Stott was born April 27, 1921 in London, England. A little over sixty-two years later, in the same city, Amy Winehouse was born. While there are many details of their lives I could discuss here, there are already sufficient articles and writings which discuss the details of their times on earth. What I want to highlight is the irony in their deaths occurring so close to one another in light of the vast divide between the way their lives played out and. In terms of what they lived for.

Without actually obtaining proof, I am confident that more individuals alive today in the Western world have more knowledge of Amy Winehouse than they do of John Stott. Likewise, I am assured that many more people off the street would more readily quote the lines of a Winehouse tune than those from one of Stott's tomes. This reality would have been reversed by default in previous generations, perhaps even if Winehouse had existed in those times. Nevertheless, at the present it would seem that Winehouse has had the greater sway over our culture, and her Klout rating would probably be higher than Stott's were it possible for such information to be procured.

Now, one might legitimately complain that it is wrong to measure their lives in such a categorical fashion by comparing levels of influence. But to any with such gripes, I would calmly remind you that influence is a measure which all people must line up to, whether they want to or not.

Personally, I will admit that despite the content of some of her songs, I found Winehouse's voice to be among the most distinct of all artists I've ever listened to, and I've heard quite a few by the common man's standard. Although I did not always understand what she was singing until consulting the lyrics, the "soulful" quality of her voice helped her songs (at least the ones I listened to) stay in my mind for some time.

I have not read enough of Stott's writing to offer such an appraisal of his style as I have with the musical style of Winehouse. However, what I have read of his works leads me to see him as one who tried to be considerate of the gamut of views that surround whatever theological topic on which he happened to be writing while resolutely defining and defending that which was true to the message of the Bible.

Currently, I'm working through Stott's magnum opus, The Cross of Christ. It is a work that expounds and articulates one of the most glorious truths proclaimed in the Scriptures, namely that "while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom. 5:8b, ESV)

One of the most helpful chapters that I've read so far is titled, "The Problem of Forgiveness." Therein Stott explores a question that has surely been pondered by many a believer and raises it himself when he writes, "if we sin against one another, we are required to forgive one another. We are even warned of dire consequences if we refuse. Why can't God practice what He preaches and be equally generous?" (Stott 89) That is a question I myself have wondered. If we as Christians have to forgive others' wrongs against us, would it not seem reasonable that God ought to simply forgive sin against Him without the need for retribution and punishment? But such a line of reasoning, as Stott makes clear, has severely failed to adequately appraise both God's holiness as well as sin's seriousness. He writes, "For us to argue, 'we forgive each other unconditionally, let God do the same to us' betrays not sophistication but shallowness, since it overlooks the elementary fact that we are not God. The crucial question we should ask...is not why God finds it difficult to forgive, but how He finds it possible to do so at all." (Stott 90) While there is much more I could quote from Stott, I'll simply leave it at that for now. Plus, that wasn't the main point of this post. Thinking again of the irony in Stott and Winehouse passing so close to one another, I wonder how many others have noted such a connection. While much of the world was reveling in the scandal surrounding the death of one of the more unique pop entertainers of the recent era, what was likely a smaller group was mourning the loss of Cross's most faithful soldiers and celebrating his reception of his reward from Christ. Truthfully, I was a part of both groups.

As these two individuals have passed, I am ironically reminded of the one aspect of Stott's theology that I consciously disagree with. Without getting into the reasons of why, Stott advocated a view of Hell known as annihilationism, which argues that instead of existing eternally in conscious torment (which is the orthodox view of Hell), people simply cease to exist. Speaking as a human, in some ways I wish that for the sake of Winehouse and others that Stott was right on this one, as that would be preferable for them. Yet even here, I must let the teaching of God's word override any such man-centered feelings.

All in all, despite my one major disagreement with Stott, I would highly recommend his writings and even say along with D.A. Carson that The Cross of Christ is a must read. While I have on occasion enjoyed some of Winehouse's recordings, I cannot offer such strong recommendations for them.

I feel like this post has not really had a clear focus throughout other than pondering the proximity of the deaths of these two British individuals and the ironies of that nearness. I do not really feel the need to explicitly state which one would be better to emulate, as I think most observant individuals can make that conclusion rightly. Yet even many who would so answer the question would still make the wrong choice in experience, and that may be the most significant irony of all.

The Capstone to Fedor's Legacy, or Can Anyone Beat This Guy?

2011-03-10T06:04:00.000-08:00

Even if you are not an mma enthusiast like me (which many out there comparatively would make me seem a casual fan), you have probably heard of Anderson Silva. He is consistently ranked as either the number one or number two pound-for-pound greatest fighter in the world. And he has the record and highlight reel to back that claim up. For instance, in the photo you see to the left, his kick to the face of Vitor Belfort (who is an mma legend in his own right) effectively ended their fight a little over half way into the first round. Just so you can get an idea of how talented Silva is, I have placed a video below.

In 32 mma fights over the span of the past 11 years, he has only lost four times. His last "defeat" was in 2004, and the reason he lost was because he was disqualified. His three losses prior to this (his only real ones) were all by submission. Thus he has never been knocked out once in his whole mma career...an impressive feat indeed, although it appears he has not fought many individuals who are especially known for being knock-out artists. Nonetheless, he has dominated in this sport in a way that precious few other fighters can hope to compare with. He has all of the tools a fighter could hope to possess...he can knock out opponents in a variety of ways and pull off great submissions. He has also shown himself to be uncannily durable in that he hardly ever seems to feel hurt, and on the rare occasion that he took a beating, he has held on to win. I think he could truly be called the Michael Jordan of the mma world. Is there anyone who could hope to beat Silva before he retires?

I think there is one such man, and I also think that a fight with Silva is precisely what this man needs to finish his own career on a high note. Fedor Emelianenko is one of those precious few fighters whose own career accomplishments compare to or even exceed Silva's. Like Silva, in a professional career spanning the past 11 years, Fedor has only lost three times. Although his first loss (way back in 2000) was officially recorded as a TKO, it was really due to doctor stoppage because his eye was cut; this was effectively a fluke loss. Thus in 33 fights, Emelianenko was essentially undefeated. He has shown knock-out power in his hands, lightening-quick reflexes, and a resilience that can be described in a way that is nothing short of incredible (see his own highlight video below). He has been repeatedly called the best fighter on the planet by many other individuals involved with and competing in mma and is considered by many to be among the greatest fighters ever, perhaps even the best ever.

Yet in his last two fights, Fedor has suffered defeats that are humiliating for a fighter of his caliber (although the first of these two was arguably a fluke). The latter of these defeats obviously had a profound effect on Fedor, at least in the moments that followed the fight as he stated he was considering retirement. Since then however, Fedor, along with his fighting camp, have made statements that imply he will likely continue competing. One writer has suggested Fedor's legacy may be at stake, depending on what route he takes. While some critics like Dave Doyle may be tempted to write off Fedor, even recommending that he retire, I think the Last Emperor still has some good fights left in him. If Randy Couture can adjust his training and continue fighting well (well into his forties to be specific), then Fedor, at 34, ought to be able to retool his preparation methods and continue on as well. In doing so, he also needs to return to fighting top-tier opponents in order to truly put a worthy capstone on his already beyond hall of fame level career. While a bout with fellow mma great Dan Henderson is rumored to be in the works, I think there is a more noteworthy opponent for Fedor to take on at 205 lbs.

In my humble opinion, Fedor and Silva are the two biggest legends who are still actively competing in mma. As such, it would be a match for the ages. Just as I have mentioned already about Fedor's rumored fight with Henderson, there is already another fighter who many people want to see take on Silva. Several people including casual mma fans, fellow mma fighters, and individuals involved in the UFC organization have stated that the fight they would most like to see in the upcoming years is a match-up between Silva and Georges "Rush" St-Pierre (who himself has to get through Jake Shields first). While I cannot elaborate here on why I think Fedor vs. Silva would be better than a Silva vs. GSP match-up (although this article makes a good point), I will simply offer at this point that I believe Fedor and Silva are more on the same "legendary" status than GSP and Silva (though I think GSP has already established himself as an mma legend in his own right). While GSP certainly has a chance of handing Silva his first legitimate defeat in years, I think Fedor has even more of a chance and would have more motivation to do it were he to be offered such a chance. I also think it would be a much more dramatic showdown as it would be the premier trophy of the already decadently decorated career of Fedor. In other words, the comparative advantage of Fedor potentially beating Silva outweighs that of GSP potentially beating him. It would have more benefit for Fedor than it would for GSP.

Of course, I know that in the end, I am only musing. UFC would have to overcome the obstacle of signing Fedor in the first place, and Silva would still have to be around fighting at that time. Could it happen? Do mma fans think it even should happen? I have no clue...but I do think that Fedor vs. Silva would be a great fight to watch, and could be a great finish for either man, but especially for Fedor. I'm sure a lot of fans out there would disagree with me and say this is not something that ever needs to materialize. But for all the hype of a GSP-Silva superfight, I'd like to throw out another legitimate option that fans could cry out for. If enough people were calling for it, who knows...maybe Fedor, Silva, Dana White, and all their associates might listen.

A Quote Well Said

2011-02-16T07:36:00.000-08:00

I was perusing the link list sent out by Al Mohler when I came across this article. I thought this quote was quite apt and it captures much of my feelings and opinions regarding the homosexual movement, especially those in it who would so arrogantly and ignorantly label committed believers as "homophobic."

"To suggest that advocating (the sinfulness of homosexuality) is homophobic is unconscionable. The Bible is not homophobic anymore than it is incest-phobic, adultery-phobic or necrophilia-phobic. There is a divine value system which religious people subscribe to and which is very much their entitlement. That it doesn't conform to liberal idealism doesn't mean that its proponents should be written off as narrow-minded or worse, bigoted." -Rabbi Yitzhak Schochet

No H8 Is Nothing But Repackaged H8 From a Different Source

2011-01-31T17:41:00.000-08:00

This was originally going to be published on January 31 (it wasn't actually written until Feb. 10), so I'm a bit behind. I delayed because I thought that perhaps that I may be writing this simply to a strong reaction to a particular news item that took place recently. Nevertheless, I can't be afraid to speak my mind just because others won't like it, so here goes.

Although I realize there is a measure of risk involved in writing a politically charged post and that it is not the job of the American government to endorse and promote my personal beliefs and values, it does have the role of protecting my right to free speech, and some recent events have made me want to say my piece.

The issue of homosexual rights has been on my radar for sometime now. In reality, the larger issue in my mind is the growing view that homosexuality is a morally acceptable lifestyle, especially by individuals who claim to be followers of Christ. I know I cannot expect the world at large to share my convictions; in fact, I am assured that in general most individuals will not. Though I know suffering is to be expected, I still hate it when I see so many taking strong, overt, and outrageous stands against right values.

This matter has loomed on my mind for some time. It has been fueled by many different circumstances and happenings. It has been on my mind due to no small consequence of many so-called followers of Christ who want to make a case for the legitimacy of homosexual practice. There are many such organizations and even an entire denomination (note: there are others that support homosexuality to some degree or another) that advocate the idea that there is no sin associated in general or with specific forms of homosexual practice. The recent controversy surrounding the enshrinement of as well as the subsequent over-turning of Proposition 8 also has caused me to ponder this matter. Then there is the issue of many so-called "Christian" music artists who have even abandoned families in their pursuit of a homosexual lifestyle. Sadly, I have even seen a dear friend of mine from college leave his family for this lifestyle, all the while trying to proclaim that Christ is his Lord.

This article I read recently pushed me past the boiling point. Although I'm sure many would chide me for what I'm about to say, I cannot be afraid to speak my mind. Essentially, because Chick-Fil-A donated money to a cause promoting traditional family structure and a right understanding of marriage, many people were in an uproar, some saying they would not ever eat their food again. Consequently, Chick-Fil-A's founder, Truett Cathy, issued a prompt statement which basically said the company would not discriminate on the basis of sexual preference.

I've enjoyed Chick-Fil-A's food for quite some time. I have also appreciated the subtle (or not so subtle) support of certain Christian values, and I support their decision to financially back organizations which promote a right (that is, biblical) view of family and marriage.

The acceptableness of homosexuality can no more be defended from Scripture (and therefore cannot be seen as a legitimate lifestyle choice in God's eyes) than the acceptableness of adultery, incest, pederasty, theft, murder, or any other sin which is clearly prohibited by God. Now (and this may surprise some of you), I also think it is important to point out that the temptation to be homosexual, that is, the inward desire, is not in itself sinful. For what it is worth, I am aware of the high level of sophistication often associated with such attempted defenses and I do not doubt the intelligence of individuals who take such positions. Nevertheless, such defenses are little more than finely adorned, fine sounding, and fancy attempts to bypass the impregnable and ultimately incontrovertible fortress which is the Scriptures. To state what I just said more plainly, they are going against the Truth head-on, and ultimately, they cannot win. Take this illustration of a car crashing into a brick wall. One could simply plow straight on into a brick wall from a street which runs into it. Or the driver could do something more fancy with a ramp in which he or she jumps into the wall. Then again, one could use a larger ramp and pull off several fancy maneuvers and flips on his or her way into the wall. Either way however, at the end of the day the result is the same--a car crashing into a brick wall. I see the arguments of many proponents of the "homosexuality is legitimate" position as analogous to the last part of the brick wall illustration. At the end of the day, no matter how fancy their arguments and reasoning are, it still "crashes" into the brick wall that is Scripture.

There are innumerable matters related to this one. Perhaps most important is where we derive our authority and knowledge of God from. The logic of many non-Christians (obviously) and even from professing believers in the "emergent church" camp (i.e., Brian McLaren, Peter Rollins, and I think, unfortunately, even Rob Bell) has been to question the authority of Scripture (and let me say this--if you listen to any of those men whom I just listed, please stop and instead listen to Mark Driscoll [sermons here], Mark Dever [podcast here], David F. Wells [no podcast unfortunately, although you should read this book], and John Piper [sermons here], all of whom are much more faithful to the Scriptures [which is evidence they are more led by the Holy Spirit-see Ephesians 5:18 and Colossians 3:16]). Often, the source of authority that generally replaces Scripture as sufficient is experience. But what about when experience leads me to trust the Scriptures with confidence? Who are you, and what is your experience to question otherwise? I'll elaborate more on these questions later.

Another matter is the fact that many matters of equal importance have been ignored by the church in favor of using political methods to uphold our convictions. At the same, the church is starting to wake up to many of these issues, which include but are not limited to sex trafficking, caring for the poor both in the U.S. and abroad, caring for the environment, and others. This is actually something many "believing" proponents of the legitimacy of homosexual practice would champion as well. The mistake I believe they make is to dismiss the former in favor of the latter. That is, in their pursuit of other important matters, they either willfully or passively write of homosexuality as unimportant or even outright accept it (just as the church has become passive about divorce, fornication, and to some extent many sexual sins). The answer is not to stop caring about some sins in favor of others but to care about all sin and how it mocks and perverts God's goodness and glory.

There is more that needs to be said, but I'll save this for another time.

Where Do the Panthers Go From Here?

2011-01-13T21:06:00.000-08:00

Well, as I'm trying to post more often, I'll probably be writing about some things that are by no means to be considered of chief importance. Nevertheless, I'll write on them anyways. I figure football is a good place to start, specifically with my favorite team.

In the worst year since the 2001 NFL season, the Panthers fared better by only one win, resulting in a horrendous 2-15 season. The only blessing that has come out of it is possessing the number one pick in this year's draft. With a possible lockout on the horizon, however, it may be some time before the possible fruition of the Panthers do with that pick is seen. With all this in mind, there are a few options.

One is to simply use the number one pick. There are some guys up for grabs who certainly have the potential to become superstars. Among them is Georgia's A.J. Green, who is a sensational receiver and arguably the best prospect at wide-out in several years. He has all the physical tools you could ever want in a receiver (speed, height, good hands) and seems to play intelligently. Not only this, but the Panthers have needed another legitimate receiver for years. While Steve Smith has been an anchor player for several seasons, and I believe has at least a few good years left, he is getting older and has talked about wanting a trade. Either way, the Panthers cannot expect him to carry the passing game on his shoulders any more. Green would not only provide immediate assistance, but would probably become an extremely reliable, if not superstar-level receiver for years to come. Of course, a great receiver can't do much if the QB isn't throwing the ball well, and that is certainly a questionable situation right now for the Panthers as well.

Speaking of quarterbacks, the currently (in)famous Cam Newton is up for grabs. While Jimmy Clausen could legitimately claim some excuses for his poor performance this past season, I am inclined to agree with one writer who described Clausen as having a "Matt Leinhart sense of entitlement," which will get him no where. Also, Newton is without question at least an above-average quarterback. Though his passing numbers may not be the highest, he has shown himself to have both a powerful and accurate arm. He has drawn some comparisons to another controversial quarterback, Vince Young, but Newton has every bit, if not more accurate arm than Young, and certainly a stronger one. Also, if this past season is any indication, he has what it takes to be a team leader. Yet it would be a gamble to make such a high pick largely on the basis of one season. All in all, it could be an interesting roll of the dice if for some reason they decide to take a chance on Newton.

There is also some talk of drafting a great defensive player, and this draft is already producing two standout candidates that have come up in talks related to the Panthers. Clemson's Da'Quan Bowers and Auburn's Nick Fairley have both been the subject of some speculation. Bowers is already being described as the next Julius Peppers. Fairley hasn't yet at the time of this writing even declared for the draft. While I have not had the pleasure of seeing Bowers play (probably because he played for Clemson), I've heard he's quite the force on the field. After watching the National Championship Game on Monday night, Fairley seemed to be more than just a "fair" prospect on defense. He looked like someone who, as the digitized version of Lee Corso so often said in NCAA football video games, "plugs up the whole line." Either way, one of these players would not hurt a bit. Of course, there are needs on the other side of the ball too, especially at the o-line, which brings me to the next option.

There is always the possibility of trading the pick down in favor of getting multiple picks. Doing that of course would mean saying bye-bye to Green, Bowers, Fairley, and probably even Newton. But it would result in the Panthers still being able to draft a number of good players. This strategy has worked well for teams in the past (the Patriots, anyone?) and could prove to have more utility in the long run (the Patriots again).

After reviewing all the options, I have to say none of them seems to be the clear cut. Going off my gut, I believe the wisest move would be to go with Green or to trade down. At the same time, good defensive players are rarely bad moves, and Newton just seems downright intriguing. For now, we'll just have to wait until April.

Back In Business

2011-01-13T15:34:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm going to be trying to get back in the swing of things from here on out...after all, writing is good and useful for several things. It's good for the heart...writing helps to sort through, express, work out, and in all other ways deal with my desires and motives. It's good for the soul...it helps to clarify and work through one's emotions. It is certainly good for the mind...it is a healthy way to develop one's abilities to appraise and interpret the information he or she receives in day-to-day life.

To start off I'll just be doing some minor modifications to the blog design. For now it will just be basic changes, but hopefully down the road there will be some more advanced redesign.

On Divine Providence

2010-08-31T12:05:00.000-07:00

"A Christian doctrine of providence will not be content with conceiving God as one who unilaterally moves people about like so many otherwise inert chess pieces. That way fatalism lies. But neither does God let the pieces take control of the board. Rather, God convincingly persuades some of the pieces freely to play of their own accord in a way that so corresponds to God's will that we can speak (albeit hesitantly) in terms of dual agency (Hesitantly, because God and human agents are not on the same ontological level)."

-Kevin J. Vanhoozer, Remythologizing Theology (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2010), 367.

On The Son Becoming Flesh

2010-08-31T11:22:00.000-07:00

"The kenosis of the Son is a function of His 'taking the form of a servant,' specifically, a 'human form.' Kenosis involves a change not in the content of God's being-in-communicative-act but only its form. God the Son continues to be all that God is under the veil of humanity. The subject of the life of this human hero, Jesus, is the divine Author, the Son of God. In this is love: that the Author, while remaining all that He is, nevertheless pours His uncreated self into a created form of space and time, blood and bone, in order to communicate His light and life to others."

-Kevin J. Vanhoozer, Remythologizing Theology (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2010), 358.

A Tidbit On the Trinity

2010-07-30T08:29:00.001-07:00

Each of the three divine persons is fully God, has a distinct existence of his own yet is not who he is apart from his relation to the other persons. Unlike human persons, for whom relations are "accidents" that either may or may not be, we cannot think of the divine persons apart from their communicative relations. God is love because his being is a dynamic communion (persons-in-relatedness) and because God communicates himself as love in three ways (persons-in-distinctness). The former aspect marks the definitive difference between the Creator and creature. Unlike human persons, the life of Father, Son, and Spirit is one of eternal mutual indwelling. The three persons interpenetrate one another in a way that is unique to the divine being: one cannot understand divine personhood by deriving it from some generic concept of personhood.

-Kevin J. Vanhoozer, Remythologizing Theology (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2010), 149.

A Few Quotes

2010-07-21T14:34:00.000-07:00

Even if the dialogue (between God and Abraham in Genesis 18:22-33) is ultimately an example of divine pedagogy, must we rule out the possibility that human communicative act make a difference to God? I Think not. For what Abraham learns is "the kind of response expected fro YHWH's elect so that the divine blessing may be mediated to the nations." Abraham does not argue and win, but argues and learns: about God and how to participate rightly in the drama of redemption. It is not that God needs humans to do what is right. It is rather that God has decided not to execute his plan apart from human participation in it, just as he has decided not to be God without humanity.

-Kevin J. Vanhoozer, Remythologizing Theology (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2010), 40.

A final detail in Jesus' death scene deserves comment. Just before he "breathed his last" (exepneusen), he cried out in a "great voice" (megalen phonen). The content of Jesus' utterance is not mentioned, but that is because it is beside the point: only one who still had life and energy could shout so vigorously. Jesus does not submit to death but permits it. Truly, no one takes Jesus' life from him (Jn. 10:18). Perhaps this is why the centurion, when he saw "that he thus breathed his last," confessed Jesus as the Son of God.

-Ibid., 56.

Video Game Rentals and My Approach To Reading (and Probably A Lot of Other Things Too)

2010-07-13T16:33:00.000-07:00

While I was in the library today reading through David Hesselgrave's Paradigms In Conflict, I wandered over to the "new books" shelf which is in the front part of the library, near the entrance, just past the lending desk. Actually, I know it does not simply contain new releases, thus I'm not sure what the precise unifying factor is for the shelf. Nevertheless, several of the books are brand new, so my label of "new books" will function just fine. While my eyes were perusing over the shelf, I happened to notice Kevin Vanhoozer's Remythologizing Theology, which happened to draw my interest. Being curious to read it (just not today), I figured I would look it up on Amazon to see how much it was, thinking that perhaps I could simply add it to my library one day. However, at the price of $130.99, it is not a title which I will be looking to purchase anytime soon. Thinking further though, I realized that once I'm done with my missions class, I'll have roughly the next two weeks to read through it. Therefore I decided to check it out.

Later on, as I was driving to meet up with my fiance, I recalled how as a child, I would often rent games once a week (usually on a Friday afternoon) to play on my Nintendo Entertainment System. The number of titles that I popped in my old NES in those days is quite beyond my memory's ability to recall. Yet what I recall clearly is how great a surface level at which I played these games and how the next week, I was already eager to move onto another title.

After my recollection of my childhood videogaming habits, I connected that approach to how often I briefly become interested in various books and never really dive into them full-fledged, attaining a respectable understanding of the content which they contain. So many works appeal to me at times and only capture my fancy for a short period of time. Even less do I make it to the level of application with books.

So, I share all of that to set out to be more like this guy and read more great works this year, not only grasping their content but also finding valuable ways to apply the knowledge found to life and ministry. Stop one for this summer is...Remythologizing Theology.

Time To Write Again

2010-06-15T21:53:00.000-07:00

Ah yes, as the date of my previous post reveals, it has been over half a year since I updated this. But now is as good a time as any to refresh this collection of my reflections and thoughts. And so many eventful things have happened in between then and now...occurrences which I will hardly be able to adequately and thoroughly retell here on this post. In short, this post is mainly for the sake of updating and to let those precious few of you readers out there that more posts will come in the future.

For one, I am now engaged. One gift I have hoped to receive from God has been provided in a way that far exceeds all of the expectations and hopes I had in approaching marriage. There is so much I could say about Kelly, how we met, and where we are going. However, I will try to sum it up by saying that she is such an amazing, beautiful, and godly woman. I am so thankful to the LORD that He has graced my life with such a partner in serving Him. She causes me to love Him more and more each day. This is without a doubt the most eventful happening (or rather, series of happenings) that has occurred within these past few months. Since this blog is not here mainly to be a retelling of my personal experiences, I will not go into detail about them here. I would like to post at some point about my reflections on going through the process of engagement as well as preparations for marriage. These will come later though.

Another item is that I am closer than ever to finishing seminary (duh!). Yes, that is an obvious truism, but it is a significant fact for me nonetheless. As Kelly and I prepare for marriage, we are also preparing to go into the next step of a lifetime of service to the LORD and the church. How will we fulfill the Great Commission and what context will the LORD have us serving in? These are questions which presently I do not yet have a solid, concrete long-term answer for. But He is opening some opportunities for us in which to serve in the near future that we are both excited to see unfold further.

Well, there is probably more to discuss...for instance, it would be profitable, at the very least for me personally, to recount and further reflect on the readings I have done this past year for seminary and otherwise. Yet it is now late and I put this post up mainly for the simple purpose of finally updating this. More will come soon.

Live Blog Session #1

2009-10-10T11:54:00.000-07:00

So, liveblogging didn't work out as hoped due to the lack of wireless at the camp we're staying at. Yet I am able to do what might be the next best thing. On our free time today, we came into Mt. Airy (the town on which Mayberry in "The Andy Griffith Show" was based, if you didn't know). At the original time of posting this, I was in a local book store called Pages right in down town. I'm going to post my "unfiltered" notes from this morning. They are essentially a summary of what my good friend Peter shared on. So here it is.

We began by praying. Peter read from Psalm 77:11-20 to open. It was an emotional experience for him. He began to choke up a bit as he recalled how blessed he was to have us as a family. Then he went into “boasting in his weakness,” talking about his memory skills. He made the point that in his forgetfulness, he is reminded that he is constantly forgetful. This is a link to many people in the Bible, as many in the Bible were forgetful (i.e., the people in the time of the Judges). He gave the example of the children of Israel in Exodus 32, where they made the golden calf. He then set the context of how the LORD had delivered Israel from Egypt. They passed safely through the waters into the wilderness where they were led by the LORD who appeared to them as a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. The people began to complain because they seemed to lack food. As he read the text about the Israelites making the golden calf, he said how he began to think, “the nerve of these people, how could they forget the LORD?” But then it hit him…he (and likewise all of us) forgot the LORD on several occasions.

With all of this he set the foundation for his talk. He stated how his talk would not be innovative per se, nor did he hope for it to be. Rather it was to remind us of truths we need to be reminded of lest we drift into idolatry.

The meat of his talk was to discuss the proper place of missions in the Christian life and spoke on two extremes. One extreme is to put missions in the “church” category. He noted there is a reason why we aren’t “immediately zapped into heaven” when we are saved; this is because we are to share the gospel. The other extreme is to view missions as “the be all, end all” of the Christian life. He then quoted John Piper—“Missions exists because worship doesn’t.” This notes that missions is not an end unto itself, but rather a means to the end of worship. In missions, we seek to bring the nations into enjoyment of God’s glory. “You can’t commend what you don’t cherish.” The gist of what Piper said is, “We will not praise what we do not prize.” If people are captured by something in their hearts, they will praise it. It is important to remind ourselves of the Gospel. It is important that we cherish the Gospel.

He proceeded from here to share a personal reflection on Romans 5:6-11. When he was in France, he was stationed in a Podunk town in the Alps. This was a bit of a struggle at times as he didn’t have many people to talk to, since there were no other missionaries, and he didn’t speak French well. When he would go downtown, every single time, he would pass by a run-down mansion. He asked about it, and heard it used to be ran by the Nazi’s in WWII. Apparently people in France believed it to be haunted.

Later on, Peter shared with us an imaginitive vision he had at one point overseas. He imagined all of us (the FLC) worshiping the LORD before the throne; everything was sweet. But then behind us, he heard a German voice singing—none other than Hitler. This disturbed Peter, but no one else seemed to notice. This bothered him that Hitler was apparently in heaven. He went up to Jesus and asked Him about it, having a difficult time believing he was there. Then Jesus stooped down to write something on the floor of heaven (John 8:1-11). Peter read that passage and was reminded that in God’s eyes, all of us are sinners redeemed by grace. Just as much as Hitler was an enemy of the world (and of God), so are we by nature even more enemies of God.

An enduring passion for missions comes from a heart that is steeped in the Gospel.

We never graduate from the gospel. If we don’t feel a passion for it, we need to keep reminding ourselves of it

Some Thoughts on the Thessalonian Church and Paul's Theology of Work

2009-09-10T14:49:00.000-07:00

Among the Pauline corpus, I Thessalonians stands as unique due to its overwhelmingly encouraging tone. For basically the first three chapters, Paul has no direct instructions or corrections to give the Thessalonian believers. This stands in contrast with letters like Galatians or Philippians where Paul gets to direct instructions, warnings, or other teachings more quickly. In fact, the first direct instructions in this book do not appear until chapter four. Considering the amount of writing Paul devotes to prayerful thanks and requests on behalf of the Thessalonians, as well as his largely positive report of their ministry, this book should lead the reader to see this historic local church as healthy. Yet the fact that Paul does address issues within such a church should call the reader to pay attention all the more. If a church viewed so highly by the Apostle has problems, it ought to make every other church take notice and see what problems could affect even what may have been the most positively viewed of churches by Paul. What were these problems, and how did Paul deal with them?

The first issue the reader should pick up on is that something was lacking in the faith of this church (3:10). From the direct context, it is difficult to discern what the specific missing part of their faith was, but it is clear Paul was praying to be able to rectify it. Although the immediate context makes it clear the faith was strong even in the face of persecution (3:2-4, 6-8), apparently there was something Paul wanted to supply to their faith. While it would be valuable to delve to some depth as to what this specific issue was, for now it will suffice to say that it must have at the very basic level had something to do with them being encouraged in their faith as well as their hope in Christ.

The next clear issue Paul confronts has to do with temptation related to sexual immorality and lust. History shows that Thessalonica was chock full of opportunities for pursuing lasciviousness. Whether it was general prostitution, cultic activities, or some combination of both, there was a chance to pursue such lusts nearly everywhere around the Thessalonian church. Paul deals with this issue simply by reminding the Thessalonians of their need to flee from such pursuits and instead seek to be self-controlled. Paul reminds them that self-control plays a vital part in their sanctification, that is, becoming like Christ and better representing Him to culture which surrounded them. Paul also brings to their recollection the fact that God will discipline those, that is believers, who practice such actions.

There may have been a tendency among church members in Thessalonica to get overly entangled in others’ affairs to the point that they were neglecting their own daily duties such as working with their hands. Paul’s instructions in 4:11-12 certainly imply this. Paul also seems to come back to this issue in 5:12-14. In dealing with this problem, Paul simply encourages them to make it their goal to lead a quiet life and to work faithfully so as not to be dependent on anyone else for material and physical needs. This is important as it leads to the church having a good reputation which will bring glory to Christ and potentially help outsiders to see the Gospel.

Sandwiched in between Paul’s two discourses on working hard is an account of Christ’s return and the believers’ hope. Paul’s detailed account here implies that there was probably some confusion on the part of the Thessalonian church regarding these realities. There may have been some discouragement and some ill-founded conclusions resulting from this confusion. Paul’s solution is to remind the Thessalonians of the clear aspects of Christ’s return, most fundamentally of which was that it had not yet occurred. He goes into the nitty-gritty issues related to the believers hope leaving the Thessalonians (as well as readers today) with no doubt about what awaits believers at the second coming of Christ. Paul also instructs them about the clear implications of how believers’ ought to live based on this hope. Paul commands them to encourage one another, both with the details of Christ’s return as well as to how they ought to live based on this hope.

There was also an unfortunate anti-charismatic streak within the church. This is addressed by the clear command in 5:19-20. Paul tells them not to quench the Spirit’s fire, which is a metaphorical way of describing the Spirit’s work among believers. He also tells them not to despise prophecies. Yet at the same time, this is not to result in an uninformed, mindless approach to the work of the Spirit. Verse twenty-one makes it clear that the church is to test all things according to the standard of the clear revelation of God, the Scriptures. Even with all of this instruction however, the Thessalonians still seemed to need further instruction.

“Laziness” is not an adjective which should describe any follower of Christ. Excessive rest, cessation from activity, and other such practices are not to be found in the believer’s life. Such actions are sinful, in fact. Rather, believers ought to be among the hardest working and most strictly disciplined of individuals. Paul goes so far as to command believers to disassociate themselves with those are idle. The Apostle also views the idle as ones who do not follow his teaching (II Thess. 3:6).

Paul’s teaching on work is laid out plainly in II Thessalonians chapter three. This is not the only place where Paul talks about the contrasts of working hard and idleness, but it is perhaps the most succinct yet thorough treatment of the subjects to be found in Scripture. Here Paul instructs believers as to the attitude they should have towards work and idleness as well as what it means to work hard. He also gives instructions as to how to deal with others who are being idle.

Paul’s first instructions in this passage are on dealing with those who have been characteristically lazy and as the NASB refers to them, “unruly.” Other believers are not to associate with such individuals. Yet this probably does not mean complete ostracizing as Paul later states to warn such people as fellow believers (3:15). Such treatment may seem harsh to the modern-day reader, yet this stringency reveals the seriousness of how problematic idleness can be in the life of the believer as well as the church as a whole.

Not only does Paul give instructions on labor through his words. His own life served as an example to the Thessalonian church as to what it meant to work hard. His example still stands for readers today. To get a full appreciation for this fact, one ought to survey all of Paul’s epistles as well as the book of Acts to see just how disciplined Paul was willing to be for the sake of the Gospel. Yet even in this passage, Paul gives a quick statement that is to the point about his example—he worked night and day so as not to be a burden on anyone else. The implication here is being a financial burden as he reminds the Thessalonians that he and his associates did not eat anyone’s food without paying for it.

Working is necessary to be able to eat. If a man is not willing to work, then he is not to eat. The sense here is that such men are commanded not to eat. Thus if someone wants to simply sustain himself or herself, that person must also be about the business of working. People ought to earn the food they eat and not force others to unnecessarily upkeep their well-being. While there are sometimes exceptional cases where some may be inured, sick, or otherwise poor in spite of working hard where benevolence is called for, the norm is for every believer to contribute his or her grunt of the share of working hard.

Another aspect of idleness may surprise some. Apparently, idleness is not merely the cessation of activity, but also the act of participating in wasteful activities. In verse eleven of chapter three, Paul addresses those to whom he terms “busybodies.” The Greek word here is a participial form of “περιεργαζομαι,” which connotes the idea of busying oneself with needless matters. Not only is it problematic for the believer to be lazy, but it is also important for him or her to not waste their time by meddling needlessly in the affairs of others. While there is certainly a place for being mutually involved in one-another’s lives as believers, it can cross lines when it is taking away too much from working hard. Instead of spending so much time socializing in a shallow manner, believers ought to settle down, working heard to earn the food they eat.

What is Paul’s desire in all this? Verse thirteen states it well, namely that believers never tire of doing what is right. Doing what is right is hard work in and of itself; yet at the same time working hard in such a way so as to not needlessly depend on others is an integral part in doing what is right. Working hard is surely a way in which the church can bring glory to God and help others to see the Gospel more clearly. Remembering this call to never tire in doing right should be motivation to work hard. “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” (Eph. 5:16 NIV) Amen.

Some Reflections on Jesus' Prayer in John 17 and Christian Unity

2009-09-02T20:29:00.000-07:00

In John 17, the High Priestly prayer of Christ, readers are given a first-hand view of what the Lord Himself asked for prior to His crucifixion. His words here reveal His heart for His followers. While all of the requests have their end in the first request Christ makes—that He and His Father be glorified—one request stands out among all the others. The first request Jesus makes in this prayer for His followers is that the Father keeps them in His name in order that they may be one even as Christ and the Father are one. (v.11) Later, in verse twenty-one, this plea for unity is repeated. This time however, it is extended for all of Christ’s followers throughout all of history. The request is mentioned once more in verse twenty-two and then again in verse twenty-three, “that they may become perfectly one.” (ESV) Thus Christ makes this cry for the unity of His followers four times in the course of His prayer. Considering the repetition of this request, it surely must weigh heavily in the heart of Christ. Yet what is it that will actually unite Christ’s followers? In addition, why is Christ so concerned that His followers be unified? Finally, how can this unity be actualized in day-to-day life among Christ’s body, the church?

Verses six and twenty-six form somewhat of an inclusio of the main body of the prayer. The phrases “Ἐφανέρωσά σου τὸ ὄνομα τοῖς ἀνθρώποις οὓς ἔδωκάς μοι ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου” (I manifested Your name to the people whom You gave to Me out from the world) and “ἐγνώρισα αὐτοῖς τὸ ὄνομά σου καὶ γνωρίσω,” (I made Your name known to them and I will continue to make it known) by cluing readers in with the similar verbs “φανεροω” (I manifest, make visible) and “γνωριζω,” (I make known) show that the themes of this prayer are built on knowing the Father through Christ. This of course agrees exactly with what was stated in the first part of the prayer, that they know the Father and Christ whom the Father sent. This is the ultimate reality around which Christ’s followers throughout the ages will be united—that they know Him and the Father. The believers’ common relationship with Christ is a fellowship in which the unlimited love of God should flow freely, destroying man-made, worldly divisions in its path. It is this shared fellowship with the Father and with Christ that fundamentally unifies Christ’s followers. It may be important to clarify here at this point that this knowledge is not merely cognitive. This knowledge is primarily experiential.

Closely related to this is receiving and keeping the words of Christ (v.6-8). In fact, this unifying bond is inseparable from the first, for no one can know the Father without receiving the word of Christ. Those who follow Christ are united through believing and obeying His word. Not simply as individuals are they to fulfill this, but as communities, even as one community. Belief in the Word of God, revealed supremely in Christ, is a unifying force which transcends and overcomes all social, political, and economic constructs. All anthropological barriers must topple over and crumble under the weight and force of the conviction produced by faith in God’s word. Christian unity is rooted in mutual/communal reception of God’s word. A few specific points of belief are mentioned in this chapter as well.

Perhaps what most directly unifies believers is the sustaining power of the Father. Christ’s first request for unity springs from His asking the Father to keep them in His name. (v.11). It is ultimately not the effort of believers themselves or even faith which unites them so closely. Without the power of God keeping them by grace, followers of Christ would not remain so. The power of God should not be minimized as a factor in that which unifies Christ’s followers.
Turning to the question, “why?” one must consider the overarching request which this whole prayer is intended to fulfill. It is also Christ’s first request, found in verse two—that the Father glorify Christ so that He may glorify the Father. The entirety of the prayer which follows (including every subsequent request) flows out of this initial petition. All of the other requests are in the end means of fulfilling this overarching one. Thus the unity of believers plays an integral role in bringing Christ and the Father the glory they deserve. This is the most basic reason why Christ pleads for the unity of His people.

Looking at verses seventeen through twenty, the unity of believers also seems to be related in some way to sanctification. Christ’s request for the sanctification of His followers come after the initial plea for unity (v.11), and it flows right into the next (vv. 20-21). This structure seems to show that sanctification occurs within the community of God’s elect and that with further sanctification comes a strengthening of their unity. Therefore sanctification may be said to be a reason for Christ’s plea for unity.

Verses twenty-one and twenty-three makes it clear that the unity of believers is crucial for the spread of the Gospel. While verses twenty-one only explicitly states the goal that the world may know that the Father sent Christ, it is surely not a theological stretch to say this goal implies a full knowledge of all that Christ was sent for. In other words, this purpose in verse twenty-one has all of the aspects of the Gospel embedded in it. For when is it ever appropriate to separate the knowledge of the mere fact that Christ was sent from the Father from the purposes for which He was sent? This is further confirmed by the next purpose mentioned in verse twenty-three, that the world may know that the Father has loved the followers of Christ just as He loved Christ Himself. For the love of God was most chiefly manifested in Christ’s death on the cross and His resurrection. When the church is not unified, it can make it even more difficult for the blind to see the Gospel, much less believe it. The unity of believers is indispensable in extending the experience of Christ’s love to the lost world.

While the grounds for this unity as well as the purposes for it are abundantly clear, how can this unity actually occur in the life of the church today? Perhaps one basic step is to simply plead with the Lord to establish this unity within the body. Just as Christ prayed for the unity of His followers, so should His elect continue to ask the Father for this today. As has already been said, it is the mighty grace of God which most directly brings unity in the church. If it was important enough for Christ to pray for it, surely it should be dear enough to the heart of the church to pray for it.

Another item to pray for is wisdom in working through theological truth. While theologians often talk of primary, secondary, and tertiary issues within theology, whether or not there are three levels of doctrinal seriousness is up for debate. What is not up for debate however is that there are truths within the Christian faith that must be accepted and adhered to whereas there are other issues which do not “make or break” one being a Christian or not. For instance, issues like Trinitarianism or the divinity of Christ are absolutely not up for debate, whereas believers with differing opinions on the timing of the rapture ought to be able to agree to disagree in a loving manner. While this only represents two issues, the focus here is not to give an exhaustive list of what issues fall where, but to merely give an example. Believers ought to ask God for His wisdom in best interpreting EVERY issue of Scripture, but also for the ability to lovingly disagree. It is important to clarify here that this is not to be a pathway or an excuse for sloppy thinking, nor is it an encouragement to simply ignore theological differences. Rather, followers of Christ ought to carefully and prayerfully think through and articulate their understandings of the finer points of doctrine, but then lovingly come together in spite of their differences once they have considered the various positions.

While there is probably much more that could be done, most basically, believers must focus on exalting Christ and enjoying fellowship with Him together. This mutual enjoyment of the LORD will be the bonds of the fellowship among the saints. May the church of God come to see the fulfillment of her Lord’s prayer. Amen.

Some Reflections On Jesus' Thoughts About Living As a Citizen In God's Kingdom

2009-08-29T21:02:00.000-07:00

Jesus’ teachings on themes within the Kingdom of God, including such ideas as leadership and victory, ran counter-cultural to the norms and expectations of His time as to what these concepts should be and look like in real experience. In fact, Christ’s teachings on subjects like these tend to go on full scale assault against the natural thinking of men throughout all ages. Whereas men tend to view leadership and slavery as opposites, Jesus linked the role of a leader with that of a servant. While this is only one specific subject, it represents well how Jesus’ teaching goes against man’s typical views. All of Jesus’ teachings on such topics might be appropriately summarized in His teachings on the Kingdom of God as well as what it means to live in this Kingdom. These themes are found throughout the Synoptic Gospels. Although each individual theme cannot be fully examined, by looking at a few points and summarizations, one can get a good idea of what Jesus’ teachings were as well as how they paint a picture of life vastly different than that of the typical man.

Even from birth, Christ’s life portrays a vastly different view as to what the life of a King and leader should look like. Rather than being ushered into the most pristine palace, the Servant King was born “in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” (Luke 2:7b,NIV) Christ’s entrance into the world set Him on a path that differed sharply from conventional views on what it meant to be a leader.

Being fully God, Christ perfectly represented and taught what it meant to live in God’s Kingdom. His life exemplified what such a life should look like. Christ spoke a personal mission statement which embodies how He will show what Kingdom living is all about—“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45) This follows His plain command to His followers that “whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.” (Mark 10:44b, NIV) Matthew 23:12 states well Jesus’ view on the principles of God’s Kingdom. In a nutshell, “whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” (Matt. 23:12, NIV) While this statement in and of itself may not fully embody all that life in the Kingdom is, these words typify Jesus’ devastating blows to the self-exalting tendencies of the way men view life.

While the conclusion has already been examined, the entire first part of Matthew 23 gives a firsthand description of life in the Kingdom. Here, he contrasts the self-aggrandizing pursuit of the Pharisees and religious leaders of His day with how citizens of the Kingdom should see themselves. Whereas the Pharisees and scribes sought titles and positions of visible honor, followers of Christ are to wholeheartedly reject such nomenclature among themselves. In fact, followers of Christ are instructed to not give particular titles of honor to anyone on earth as such titles only belong to God.

Christ’s teaching on servanthood and love reach their climax in His Passion as well as on the Cross. Even while Christ was on the Cross and suffering under the intense wrath of God, those observing His crucifixion reveal their preoccupation with their image of Who Christ should be, thereby completely missing God’s perfect image in Christ as He was tortured before their very eyes. The account of this is well captured by the Lord’s apostle Matthew, as he records the account, “Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, "You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!" In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. "He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself! He's the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, 'I am the Son of God.' " (Matt. 27:39-43, NIV) Even in this last hour, men were still proclaiming their falsified view of what life should be like in God’s Kingdom as well as how the King should act. The irony in this is that Christ was perfectly demonstrating and accomplishing both—that life in the Kingdom is primarily centered on selfless, serving love, and that the greatest of all must be the servant of all. Here Christ exemplified citizenship in the Kingdom by being the perfect Citizen, even the King. From birth, to death, to resurrection and ascension, Christ’s love is displayed perfectly in His word from where He invites His followers to share in this love and to continue spreading it abroad. Amen.

A Seminar With Dr. Daniel Wallace and Some Other Cool Experiences

2009-08-24T20:23:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, I had the joy of meeting someone who is on the frontlines of Biblical scholarship, namely, Dr. Daniel B. Wallace. From what I know, he came in primarily to spend some time with our leaders here at Providence and then to share with the church as a whole on Sunday night. He went through much of the information on the reliability of the New Testament as well as how New Testament textual criticism works. Much of the facts he gave can be found in his book, Reinventing Jesus, which I would recommend to anyone who wants to know accurate information about how the Scriptures have been faithfully transmitted from the original sources. While there are many facts that would be profitable to reproduce here and discuss, overall I will simply say that less than 1% of all 400,000 plus textual variants are of any real significance, and even those do not do anything to shake the Christian faith. As my professor Dr. Black (who interestingly enough did his undergrad with Wallace) has said regarding the New Testament, "We haven't lost a word."

Saturday night, I went to a friend's birthday party. While there, I met some folks and had some conversations which brought some experiences in my Christian life back around full circle. As some of you readers may know, I come from a fairly Charismatic background. While I remain unashamedly and uncompromisingly charismatic from a functional standpoint and would like to see cessationism stamped out of the church altogether (no offense if you're a cessationist), since a few months after I finished my undergrad, I have distanced myself a bit even from those I would have once considered Biblical charismatics. For those of you who do not know what I mean by such terms, "charismatic" essentially means the belief that all of the Spiritual gifts, including the so-called "sign gifts" (I use quotes here because such categories are not delineated in the Scriptures) are active in the church today. Conversely, "cessationism" is the belief that the more miraculous gifts ceased at some point in church history (most cessationists would say it was at the close of the Apostolic age near the beginning of the 2nd Century AD).

Now when I say "biblical charismatics," I'm not talking about the average televangelist on TBN...nor any other such peddlers of prosperity/health and wealth theology. While I would not fully condemn proponents of such views, I have no qualms about saying the views themselves are horrific distortions of what the Scriptures teach, and many of the hecklers who preach such messages should probably repent. So if not that, who am I talking about? The ones whom I was once closer to are more of what I'd term the "third wave" type of charismatics. These charismatics for the most part have not done much that I would consider clearly wrong or dangerous, but the fringes of the movement might be associated with such controversies as the recent Todd Bentley revival.

A large portion of the guests at the party I attended were members of a fairly charismatic church (as best I can tell at least). While I did not get into any theological controversies, I had some deep conversations with a few of them. Now, although I was curious as to what they believed and somewhat uncomfortable in speculating their finer points of doctrine, my overall reaction to these conversations was by no means one of fear or discomfort. Quite the contrary, I was overwhelmingly encouraged in my faith and felt a renewed vigor to pray and seek the Lord. One cool fact I found out, namely that Raleigh is "the City of Oaks," related to an experience I had prior to coming to SEBTS. Specifically, a friend of mine shared with me a vision of an acorn which related to my place in God's plans...I'd tell the story here, but that is another blog post.

To get right to the point of all this, my experiences caused me to reflect on what all believers should be unified on, namely, the Gospel. Even while I might not endorse all of the practices and views of my charismatic brothers and sisters, and while I would like to see more of them have a high view of Scripture (especially as opposed to prophetic experiences), I would also like to see my less-charismatic brothers and sisters (especially in the SBC) be more open to the charismatic operations of the Holy Spirit. While there are many theological issues begging to be discussed here, I do not feel like writing on them tonight. For now, I will simply say it is my prayer to see more of the body of Christ rightly understand what the Gospel is, particularly the non-negotiables of the Christian faith, and then to be unified on the Gospel. May the Lord unite His saints. Amen.

Heroism-a very subtle way of linking my blogging habits to those of another blogger I admire.

2008-09-19T22:46:00.000-07:00

You know, I heard how a certain seminary president, whom I admire, generally gets between 4 and 6 hours of sleep a night. Yet while he is wake, he reads voraciously (by most men's standards), writes regularly, hosts a nationally syndicated radio show, and still does all of the duties related to being a seminary president, and this does not even take into account his personal life. I say all of that not to draw attention to the man (who is in my blog roll in case you don't already know who he is), but just to link it to my personal desire, by God's grace, to aspire to some of these habits and accomplishments he has had in his life. Well, I think the sleeping part of it is at least present in my life.

Tonight I had the blessing of going to a concernt unexpectedly. There are very few concerts I would pay money to go to, much less plan extensively to attend; yet free concerts, provided I enjoy the musicians and the music, are events I'll gladly attend. Not only were the tickets free, but they were pretty good seats as the viewing standard goes. The artists headlining the show were Switchfoot and Third Day.

What struck me about the show (and what is to be the subject matter of this post) was how vague and general were Switchfoot's comments about and references to the Gospel. In fact, there weren't really any clear links to Christ, mentionings of His cross, resurrection, or the gift of Himself. While I enjoyed the hit songs I always liked (which are the only ones I've ever liked by them for that matter), something felt sorely missing.

Fortunately, this feeling did not last long. One of the first songs Third Day played was "Creed," which sings of many of the critical elements and facets of the Gospel as well as the teaching of Scripture. They also sang "God of Wonders," and to top it all off, they made several direct statements about Christ and who He is. While I've never been crazy about Third Day's music, I was thoroughly refreshed by the centrality of Christ in their set, particularly the song aforementioned.

Now a surface reading of my post here could make it sound like I'm merely praising Third Day while condemning Switchfoot. That is not in any way my intention, although I suppose I can't completely escape these actions altogether. My purpose here is to simply reflect on how much Christ is really being exalted, and how central and clear is the Gospel within the music of bands that are supposedly and purportedly Christian.

Years ago I would looked at such critical reflection, even what may only appear to be like it, to be wrongly judgmental. The difference between being purely judgmental, emptily pointing fingers, and what I'm doing is simply stated. The former seeks to criticize purely out of tradition and matters of practice. What I am doing is noting my hope to see that which is most valuable, namely Christ, and all of the Gospel which He embodies and brings, be central among those who are purportedly His people. Are there many more artists I ought to consider before making any kind of overarching conclusion? Of course. But if tonight's concert was any indication of what's going on in the world of Christian music, I hope more bands and singers will be like Third Day. Amen.

A Providential Day

2008-03-13T20:14:00.001-07:00

While I am at times hesitant to turn this into an easily accessible report of the usually unimpressive details of my life, I am equally often lacking in any content to write about other than this. Thus being the case, I would rather sacrifice some privacy than miss out on the chance to improve my composition abilities, even if just a little. Thus I shall report on this day, which of all days, was rather special.

In taking evangelism, I have never had the Great Commission thrust so prominently in my face on such a regular basis. Love him or not, Dr. Reid's passion for sharing the Gospel with the lost seems to in some way positively influence nearlly all of his students. This at least is true of me personally. God has used this class to bring much conviction on me regarding my lazy and frequently uncaring attitude towards witnessing and sharing Christ with others. I have had difficulty for several reasons in fulfilling the goal of not only this class, but of God Himself.

Now while it is not excuse, I have had some set-backs. For one thing, I really am not around lost people that much, at least, people who overtly seem to be lost. Most all of my good friends are professing believers who have some form of evidence that supports their claims. I work at a church and attend a Seminary full time. Also, I hardly study in public settings like coffee shops or bookstores. But in reallity, all of these set-backs are just a matter of my own indifference. Also, I have doubted how much God really wants to answer my prayers, specifically, prayers to be a witness and to have opportunities to share Christ with others. Today however, God would remind me just how faithful he is.

I had some extra time today due to the fact my professor was out of town and today was a test day. After finishing the test, I decided I would go out to Starbucks and spend some time studying there, hopefully happening upon a conversation with a lost person. When I sat down however, a fellow student of mine noticed me and we began to get into a deep conversation. This in itself would be an event to blog about, but that is not the present focus. My friend, however, was eager to witness and suggested we go to Kroger and just walk around, looking for people to minister to. It was stretching for me and would help me to get out of my comfort zone. Thus our adventure began. We talked to one woman who turned out to be a believer. She proceeded to tell us her powerful testimony of how the Lord healed her of colon cancer. It was a blessing for each of us. Then we approached a stocker next. He too was a believer. He mentioned however, he was merely an usher at his church. We encouraged him that all roles in the body were equally important in that they were bringing God glory; we could see this put a smile on his face as he realized this truth. As we were leaving, there was one customer service person at the front of the store who I felt I needed to at least ask if she had heard of Christ. I did so to which she responded affirmatively. Yet when I asked her what she thought about Jesus, she simply turned around and walked away. I was at first worried my approach may have been too bold or inconsiderate; yet at the same time I know I was meek in coming up to her. My brother with me reminded me that such responses are to be expected as many who are lost will naturally be offended even at the slightest mention of Christ. This concluded our quest in Kroger. We headed then back to our local chapter of what is perhaps the most popular java distributor in the world.

Back at the local shop that is always characterized by a distinct shade of forrest green usually paired with some shade of beige or grown, not to mention the characteristic white logo that features a woman holding both hands towards her head, we continued our conversation. One of the baristas, who was on break, approached us. My friend had talked to her before apparently. We began to share more of God's word with her. It was so refreshing to see how intently she listened to what we had to say. Her interest and openness to Christ was plain to be seen. So much did she enjoy our time together that she sent us a free drink of our choosing (For the record, mine was a vanilla bean frauppacino with extra vanilla). She also wrote a short note of thanks on each of our cups.

In concluding this account, I should probably reflect more and expound on the lessons I learned from this experience. Yet all I will say is how wonderful it is to share Christ with people. Even the one girl who completely avoided hearing anything deeper about Christ was still exposed to a small seed that could eventually sprout up into a great many provoking thoughts; these in turn may be used by God to draw her to Himself. Only He knows for sure however. Sometimes the rewards of sharing are more present, such as in the case of my newfound barista friend. Either way, May it always be my pleasure and joy, along with that of all the saints, to share the good news of Christ Jesus. Amen.

Greatness-I want to be the guy who ended up with eleven talents.

2008-02-27T22:00:00.000-08:00

It seems I find myself roving through familiar entanglements at different points in my life. The same old problematic issues that I faced in college seem to jump at me again where I am now. Perhaps I have not fully surrendered them to Christ.

Specifically, I am dealing with a mix of possible idolatries-namely, "Christian Rock Star Syndrome," impure motivations, and selfish ambitions. What takes these vices to another level is that they all pus under my calling to vocational ministry.

The specific nature of my calling has shifted around in my heart and mind at different points in my journey with the LORD. At this point, I cannot with sincere certainty make any statements as to a particular goal, not even as specific as planting a church, working in a closed country, or the like. The LORD has not given me any sort of vivid, "tv show in my mind" type of experience as of yet. This is likely a good thing however, as He has revealed to me that He wants me to be pruned and cleansed prior to stepping out into the exact place in His story of Redemption He wants me to be in.

In reality, I have to remember God has me where He wants me. While there are times I wish my life was different, that I were already serving in a full-time capacity in a local church primarily preaching and teaching, I do not know how effective I could expect to be. Honestly, I sometimes I could not properly say that is even my calling. Some of the other ideas that have been floating around in my head as of late are to one day serve as a professor in an evangelical seminary or as military chaplain. Yet whatever I do, I do not want to be mediocre; I want to be great. Yet too often, I want to be great the way I define "great" more than how God views it.

How often have I looked at those in ministry who have had visible success. It seems in general they have always been traveling and preaching, even from an early age. They seem to just have all the right moves...from my vantage point at least. Often I think to myself that I would like to be in their place. While God has redeemed me, along with my perspective, I continue to be drawn to what is appealing to my desires. Yet I must ask, "What are those desires?"

When I take time to really peel away and sift through the layers of my subconscious will, I find passions and ambitions to be respected, recognized, and esteemed. From an early age, I have wanted to be looked up to. Not merely have I wanted to be respected; I have wanted that sense of being honored to be apparent to myself and all around me. Yet what have I really been? I have been an idolator in the name of Jesus. But no more shall this be.

God truly is the centerpiece Who is to be honored, uplifted, adored, praised, glorified, magnified, worshiped, and loved by all-whether by His grace they come to do so during life on earth, or if by the sheer force of His greatness and majesty when He returns again. To worship or hold someone else with highest esteem is absolute idolatry.

God is the only being in the universe Who can magnify HImself while it can concurrently be truthfully said that He is in no way being selfish. In the same sense, He is the only One Who can cause others to do the same; He is still rightly not referred to as being greedy. Since He is the most desirable, most wonderful, most beautiful, and the being most worthy of worship Who exists, He must, to be consistent with His own nature, be most focused on Himself. Since He is also the most satisfying, most gratifying, and most loving being in the universe, it is in the best interests of others to be drawn to Him. It is in my best interest to further His mission; I can show no greater love for others than to attempt to make them disciples of Jesus Christ.
So from now on, I seek to be like the man who had eleven talents...but no longer so I can say I had the most talents and be satisfied mainly in the talents themselves. I wish to be the most obedient in using what the Lord has given me so that I may enter into His happiness which is non-existent apart from Him. Amen.

Recognition

2008-01-22T19:58:00.001-08:00

Ok, ok...two posts in one night is a bit much, but I have been so under par in publishing for quite some time now and this is part of making up for it.

I was blessed this morning to have a very meaningful and insightful conversation with a good friend of mine at Panera Bread of of highway 70 in Raleigh. The Lord used this conversation to elicit and clarify some character aspects which He is still refining in my life. Most notably among these character traits that need work was the desire for recognition, which is really just a form of pride.

The idea of being someone lesser known has never appealed to me. In fact, I have always desired to be well known in a positive light. The respect of and acknowledgment of others is something I have craved. As ashamed as I am to admit it, despite numerous sermons that God has thrown my way (not to mention personal conviction), these are still items which I have desired to hear in my ears. The sights of crowds and the visions of multitudes all lined up to listen to me are still sometimes clearly seen in my mind's eye. Yet what is the core hope here?

I have often sought to compare myself with preachers and other leaders in the church whom I would consider "successful." As pathetic as it really is, I have even looked for similarities between myself and such men thinking that perhaps those similarities will constitute in similar results in my own life and ministry. Imagine if I spent this time in the word instead.

I shared this vain pursuit of mine with a wise man, and this wise man gave an apt reply. Essentially, he told me that more than likely, none of these "successful" men began with the dream of having a mega church or measures of accomplishment by the world's standards. It was more probable that they just wanted to be obedient to Christ and followed through on it. That is the calling that all believers must really pursue.

Now there is a slight danger in pursuing obedience with the rewards we want in the back of our minds. I have certainly been guilty of this in the past. Yet we must remember that there is no greater reward that Christ and His Holy Spirit which the Father gives His children. To imagine that some success would be better is to have not seriously experienced the presence of God...period, much less on a consistent basis.

One may object (as I myself have at times) that it is ok to have dreams to hope for certain events and actions to take place. Of course it certainly is. The issue is the motive that drives us. Is the motive to glorify God through fulfilling the great commandments (Matt. 22:37-40) as well as the great commission (Matt. 28:19-20)? Wonderful. Yet we must take a look and ask the LORD to refine us if it is anything other than this. This is because motives are like a foundation; they are the fuel that propels the vehicle. Any fuel other than that given by the Holy Spirit will at best lead to a break down and a definitive crash off course at worst. May the fire of God purify His people! Amen.

Too Much Downtime On My Hands

2008-01-06T21:02:00.000-08:00

The New Hampshire Debate last Saturday Night grabbed enough of my attention for me to find out about some of the Republican candidates and where they stand on certain issues. I caught a brief part of the Democratic side as well but not enough to really see what the candidates had to say for themselves concerning their positions on the issues at hand. While I feel I have made up my mind in terms of who I would like to see become our next President, some questions have come to my mind since the debate. Obviously, one that stands out above all the rest is "How can we be sure the particular candidate is answering the questions his (or her, should that dreadful scenario work out) actions will follow through on later on?" Also, is the media giivng just attention to each particular candidate? Finally, how much of these candidates records will predict how each one would perform as president? The fact is, most of the issues contain numerous factors and sub-factors, all of which I likely have only the slightest understanding of, much less the ramifications of the possible responses to them. Perhaps I just need to read about the issues more. But then again, regarding the media's voice, how can I be sure? I just hope and pray a godly man (really, I've only seen one that I feel I can be sure of in this year's election) takes office. Even if this is not the case though, may God bring the people in this nation (and in all nations for that matter) to repentance through His Son Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Unending Journey

2007-12-26T21:11:00.000-08:00

Well, Christmas this year has certainly succeeded in bringing joy, fun, and lots of good stuff overall. As I rode back to Wake Forest tonight from Greensboro, I may have just received one of the best gifts ever. What is this gift, you may be wondering? Allow me to elaborate further.

I felt compelled to call an old friend (whose name will remain unmentioned) with whom I had not spoke for quite some time. We discussed general topics (i.e., how we were doing, new news in each of our lives, and our goals and aspirations), yet then moved somehow to more serious dialogue. Now with this particular friend, I had no reservations in talking to this person in a way that assumed the truth of my beliefs simply because I know this individual's background. This old friend of mine, now a skeptic of some extent, really posed some at times difficult questions, not all of which I was able to answer to a degree that brought this friend or myself satisfaction. I must state however that throughout the conversation, there was no true animosity or anger; I definitely care about this skeptic friend of mine and the feeling is mutual. Yet at the same time, this skeptic friend of mine knew that I do not approve of the skepticism that now characterizes this individual's beliefs.

In short, this conversation has made me realize my own deficiency in being able to answer the questions of skeptics in general, a people in particular I hope to see God transform and bring to discipleship through my ministry. I know for certain I still need to think of better ways to answer some of the nitty-gritty, close-ended questions of the skeptics I will face from all sides. After all, anyone who is not following Christ in accordance with His Gospel is at least to some extent skeptical of the Truth. While we may not be able to ever scientifically demonstrate God's existence, may the followers of Christ live in such a way that almost proclaims Christ without any verbal support, and may our verbal support be so well articulated that it leaves even the most doubtful skeptic skeptical about his or her own skepticism.

Assaulted

2007-12-04T20:56:00.000-08:00

Here lately, I have not been as faithful as I would like in making my thoughts known to the world (those of which read this, at least). Nevertheless, due to my desire to consistently be exercising my grammatical and literary muscles, I feel I must contribute something, even if it not a brief yet profound reflection on a theological issue, current event, news item, or some other idea worth considering. Honestly, I feel like I do not have time to deeply ponder over things as much as I'd like to so many commitments with school and work. Unfortunately, one of the first things I find myself sliding to sides of my "activity shelf" in order to make room for those which seem most pressing are my times seeking the Lord through His word and prayer. This may in fact be what is causing me to feel the most strain on my time, considering this is the most vital and important aspect of how my time is spent. In the end, I get less done than I would had I taken the time to be reinvigorated in the Lord's presence. Ah, truly His word is wonderful beyond description...yet I wonder at times why I do not treasure it perpetually more and more. Actually, by God's grace I do find myself wanting it more and more...sometimes I feel the rate of this increase should be faster however.
Finals will come and go, and so will eventually the knowledge which was tested upon them. The knowledge of the Word however is what will remain forever.

Things Are Never the Same, And You Can't Ever Experience Them In the Same Way

2007-11-19T15:18:00.001-08:00

Words will probably fail me in my effort to accurately venerate the life of my grandmother. Mae Daniels Kennedy, my paternal grandmother passed away today, Monday November 19, 2007. While I am certainly saddened by her loss, and even more so that I will not get to see her again on this side of heaven, I am at the same time thankful that she no longer has to suffer through the battles she faced with Alzheimer's and dementia. Now she is completely healed through and through and at the same time more alive than she ever was on this earth.

Some of my earliest memories are closely related to my grandmother...Nanny, as we all affectionately called her on my dad's side of the family. I spent many times over at her house growing up. In fact, when my mom and dad had activities that I could not be a part of for whatever reason, Nanny was generally first in line to watch over me. There are countless times I can remember spending at her house, just enjoying a glass of whatever soft drink my taste buds fancied along with a well proportioned bowl of whatever flavor of ice cream happened to be in her freezer. She was also quite a master of cooking wonderful, fried, southern goodness. To this day I cannot recall a better bowl of scrambled eggs than those she would fix whenever I was so privileged as to be at her house for breakfast.

For a brief period of time, about a month to be exact, my mom, dad and I lived with her and my grandfather due to some moving issues. It was just like home except I got to see her and my grandfather everyday. At this point in time I had begun to develop political interests, and I had the joy of discussing issues with both her and my grandfather.

One aspect of our relationship that always stands in my mind is how proud she would be whenever she got to introduce me to one of her friends...and she had quite a great number indeed. Whether we were in the grocery store, department store, mall or elsewhere, she would always announce my identity to whomever she was speaking with (much to my embarrassment at the time, although I greatly appreciate it in retrospect).

Also I was subtly influenced by her in many ways regarding my faith in Christ. On many occasions, even as a young child, I can recall watching the likes of Charles Stanley and Billy Graham. She would often encourage me to watch the latter whenever he happened to be appearing on television.

There were many other times Nanny spent with me growing up. She was greatly concerned for us and our welfare. In fact, she would often, quite literally, call us every day...many times more than once. I love Nanny very much and wish that I could have her physically near to witness with me some of the milestones in my life which I have yet to come to, such as marriage and children of my own. Nevertheless, I am more grateful than I can express with words for the time that God allowed me to have her in my life and for orchestrating His plans in such a way that I was her grandson.

Above Reproach

2007-10-23T21:27:00.000-07:00

So after a while of questioning, I've finally done it. It has taken me quite some time...building up a library of over 4300 songs (including numerous great hits, cult classics, and those songs that are just plain wierd)...debating the ethicalness of having the music, moving to this day.

This must be prefaced by me disclaiming all attempts to somehow denote this action as ascribing significance to me or the act itself, which at the very least it will have the appearance of such.

While at one time I tried to rationalize the act of obtaining music largely without any money necessarily leaving my bank account (well, pretty much always until this week), now I've realized there really is no way around it. So it all had to go....pretty much every Beatles album (except for the White Album, the only one I actually own), every Police album save Zenyatta Mondatta, every work by Led Zeppelin, a great collection of Michael Jackson, Journey...even all of the Hillsong I had in my library, not too mention most of the stuff I had by David Crowder, Chris Tomlin, Shane and Shane, and so many others. Why? Well, theft is theft...not sharing music.

Music is something I enjoy, and I would consider myself somewhat of a connoisseur. In fact, I might even have been so bold to say that songs and albums were to me what books are to Dr. Danny Akin or Dr. Al Mohler (well, not quite).

I can't deny I miss it...being able to pull up from so much good stuff at a moments notice was quite satisfying in so many ways. At the same time though, this action certainly served a double purpose. While it was indeed to be rid of all that I had gathered by less than honorable means, it was also to make more room in my heart, soul, and mind for that which they ought to be filled with most--the Word. While I do not completely feel this way now, I know as time passes I will grow more thankful to the Lord for the strength He has given me this day to go through with it all. Amen.

Fall Break

2007-10-07T19:45:00.000-07:00

Perhaps few signs of my aging stand out so much as this one. For most of my life in school, any time classes were in recess for any given period of time was a break. Not so anymore. While it is indeed fall break at Southeastern, for me it is nothing more than more time to work out at the church, study for two midterms, and maybe, just maybe get some work done in advance on some papers.

While I would like some time to just "chill", my greater desire by far is to strive for excellence in my studies. Not just for the good grade...not just for the president's list...not even for long-term retention...but my purpose is to use this knowledge as a means of worshiping my Creator and LORD. Efficiency must still be improved.

Faith in Prisons, According to NBC

2007-10-02T19:30:00.001-07:00

Recently, in my humble attempt to stay abreast on world, national, and local news, I started to download NBC's Nightly News podcast. I must say it is nice to watch the news without commercials as well as being able to fast-forward through less interesting details, even if it isn't live. While I probably won't get around to watching it every night, I will likely catch up with the news much more often than previous to this time in my life.

While watching it prior to this posting, I saw an especially interesting report on faith in America. In fact, NBC is currently doing a series on it (which I happen to think is worth checking out). Tonight's edition focused on Christianity and prisons. The news story particularly highlighted a state prison in Louisiana, where a Bible college from New Orleans had been making intentional evangelistic efforts for an unnamed amount of time. The warden of the prison was interviewed. He made remarks of how the prison had drastically changed from what it was like before the believers stepped in and what it has now become. He pointed it all back to the efforts of this Bible college. While he never explicitly stated "it was now much better," or something to that effect, the tone of the story and the mood clearly depicted a positive change. The report also noted that movements were springing up in two other state prisons as well.

Now while these episodes are isolated to local communities, the sheer size and depth ought to at least make Americans wonder. I personally have heard numerous statistical reports that note there are a larger number of inmates who are believers in some sort of faith than there are atheists. Many times, the implied conclusion of these analyses has been that there is no correlation between faith and staying out of prison. This report even noted that skeptics view such occurrences as these as "foxhole conversions." Yet I wonder if they ever think that when everything is taken away, and all one has left is the brick wall of particulars that one has just slammed into, that life is built on more than just these particulars, such as wealth, possessions, and even relationships? I wonder if they consider the reason for such statistics may be that when all of the false and empty hope this world seeks to provide is removed and there is nothing merely external to turn to, that these men finally see that true hope lies beyond and outside of this natural world and what it can provide? Those are just some of the thoughts on my mind as I heard this report and continue to consider it.

Thoughts On a Book

2007-09-30T20:29:00.000-07:00

So I am currently reading Joshua Harris' Boy Meets Girl (special thanks to Allen M.) I wish I had read it several years earlier, even though I may not even yet have a precisely applicable reason for which to read it. Personally, I cannot find many major points of disagreement with Harris, assuming one approaches his suggested methods with the more-strongly implied foundations--a healthy fear of God and a desire to honor Him absolutely in one's relationships. Take, for instance, Harris and his wife's commitment to not kiss each other until their wedding day(which he does not prescribe as a necessary, or even highly recommended). Many would write off such an idea as over the top; some would even hate such a practice. Yet any who would feel this way ought to at once question their reasons for doing so. If they feel that they are truly doing what is best for the other person and what is most honoring to God by kissing at a prior point in the relationship, then let the lips collide with refrained passion. Yet I believe that more often than not, the real reason most people would disregard this idea is simply due to their own want to gratify their sexual desires. Whichever case one falls in, he or she cannot disagree with the point Harris hangs this suggestion on-kissing is only beginning to unwrap the present; once you start, you'll likely not want to stop. The question, "then why start?" naturally follows. It may sound that I view this practice as prescriptive; I do not, yet I believe it is something worth considering and that either way, many individuals could benefit today by placing a higher value and price on their affections.

While there are numerous points that truly "jump off the pages" at me, the above really grabs my attention at how far Harris and his wife were committed to physically guarding themselves. What is even more important is the heart that motivated them to do this. That is where the real issue lies. At the same time though, having external markers and citadels in the forms of guidelines and accountability can only help.

One of Harris' chapters in particular intrigues me. In it he clearly lays out some of the basic principles governing what it truly means to be a man or a woman. Biblical manhood is a concept I have been and will continue to study and grow in all my life, but now especially it is thrust in my face like a friend holding a sign in front of my eyes. As I read these characteristics, I am both reminded of my past failures and filled with the hope of who God is making me to be.

As I consider the possibility of courtship that is looming on the horizon, I am thankful for this short work and the conviction and instruction God is bringing my way through it. While I have not yet read from cover to cover, I would heartily recommend this work.

Learning to Focus

2007-09-23T17:33:00.000-07:00

There are enough blogs on the internet which offer commentary, both insightful and repulsive, on the internet. Likewise is there no lacking of those whose sole purpose is to whine, rant, and otherwise complain about certain pastors, theologians, and issues in Christendom. Was it really necessary for me to say that in order to lead up to my next statement? Probably not. But in some way it helps to contrast what makes this blog unique from all the rest-observations, lessons learned, and other ideas from my personal experience.

The idea of reading with vehement consistency is one which I am still vexed by. Although it is not directly correlated with maturity, for me I feel it is a sign of growing up. Perhaps this goal has become entrenched in my mind as of late simply because of its common placement among men I respect and admire. Yet at the same time I find myself spending too much of my time, to the point which it becomes thrown away, on facebook and myspace. Then again, the more foundational issue is being focused and intentional in my actions. Focus and intentionality, when practiced long enough, will consequently result in efficiency.

Switching gears somewhat completely, sometimes I feel perhaps I am trying to hard to write with good English. Conciseness without trimming of the content is something I'm desperately needing; fortunately I'm learning it more and more.

With that short commentary on my own bloging, I return to the main concern. Putting all of the facts together and finding their points of relevancy is what ultimately constitutes thinking. If only I could recall more facts...but not simply in a reciting manner. Upon remembering them, the real task is putting them to acceptable and worthwhile use. It is at this point I find myself praying for understanding and wisdom.

Some thoughts on fatherhood (and some more of my life posted on the web)

2007-09-21T02:14:00.000-07:00

Today I had the distinct pleasure of hearing one of my heros in ministry, Dr. Albert Mohler, preach in the weekly chapel here at seminary. Dr. Mohler, from what I know about him, exemplifies so many characteristics and traits that I myself want to abound in my own life. He is so much of exactly what I want to be like as a man of God. Perhaps more than anyone I know of in ministry, he exhibits both a high commitment to God and His word as well as to Christian scholarship. Essentially, to put it in Biblical terms, I believe he does an excellent job at loving the Lord with all his heart and mind, the latter of which I believe too many Christians today, myself included, do not.

Now I do not write to give glory to the man, but to God who made the man. However I want to take you through a brief journey of insight here. Although it involves considering great men of God, in the end, what they all have in common lead me (as will be seen through this brief post) to a greater love and appreciation for God Himself.

Dr. Mohler is by no means the only one I could mention. There is no shortage of men in ministry whose lives are full of at least a good number of character features that I myself want to emulate. I must mention fellow seminary president, my seminary president, Dr. Danny Akin as well. Moving into the world of those working full-time in local churches, the list of pastors I could write down here would take me some time indeed even to provide a brief synopsis about each one. For now just mentioning there is a list is enough.

What I have observed when I think about these great men is my own desire to be around them and learn from them. I do not mean merely at a distance, but to truly be mentored by them and have their character rub off on me. A leadership expert once said that "the person you will become tomorrow are the people you are spending time with today." Keeping that in mind, it is my want to be around the most exceptional of men. Fortunately, God has allowed me to briefly be under some men, who although not as well known, certainly deserve to be on the list of great preachers I could mention. Thinking about my present longing and past experiences led me to consider my upbringing.

Ideally, in God's perfect plan, a boy's father ought to be someone he can look up too and learn from in positive ways. This is something that was lacking in my life. Now in all fairness, I have a good relationship with my father, and my issue is not nearly like so many in our culture today who have been without a godly father. Nevertheless, I realized in seeking out these men of God, what I've really longed for is godly father figures to whom I could look up to and from whom I could receive approval, men I could say I was proud to know and be associated with. Also of course I have wanted to have men like that to simply go to for advice, guidance, and prayer support. Then it hit me...

While my realization and understanding is quite imperfect on the fact that God is my Father, I'm beginning to see that what I would seek in these men is to be found in supreme abundance in Him. I'm in no way denying the importance of being mentored and "fathered" by godly men (or "mothered" by women, if the case may be)...yet how much more could I learn if I simply took the time to draw near to Him? Jesus grew most in His Father's presence, so did the apostles, as did everyone else who ended up in Hebrews 11. So may we all draw near to Him that we may learn from and be like Him. Amen.

Thought for the week

2007-09-19T19:56:00.000-07:00

For me, having the freedom and opportunity to write is reason enough in itself to put up a post here and there. If all else fails, I always have my own thoughts and feelings to reveal. Of course, there is no shortage of issues from all spectrums of life on which to comment. I suppose the only forces keeping me from doing this more is my own laziness in critically observing the issues coupled with my own fear of making strong assertions. Nevertheless, I am overcoming both of these deficiencies.

This week has had its ups and downs, especially in regard to my sleeping schedule. Without any external reasons, I have had no consistent sleep patern for quite sometime now. This week alone had a few especially crazy days. For instance, I had been up for nearly thirty hours straight on Sunday night. I got to bed early on Monday night and ended up awaking around three in the morning. Thus I was tired and took a five hour nap that began at four that afternoon. Waking up at nine that night, I was much too rested to return for any more sleep until today, when I took brief naps interrupted only by my consistent use of the snooze button on my alarm clock from about noon til four. Thus now I am beginning to feel some desire for rest once more. In fact, I think this is enough for tonight.

Six Years Later

2007-09-11T20:26:00.001-07:00

This post is many parts hastened and shortened from what I originally wanted it to be. Why you may ask? Simply because I waited until 11:30PM(EST) to begin this post and I wanted it to go up by today. Thirty minutes for me simply is not enough time to reflect as deeply and edit as carefully my thoughts and words. With this disclaimer, I begin.

I, along with most Americans, can recall exactly where I was some six years ago. An expounding of my personal experiences on that day will not be made. But I take a moment as this is written (and will do so every time I read it once it has been published) to reflect back on those happenings as they unfolded in 2001. In some ways I must marvel at my own callousness and insensitivity when I consider that the most dastardly and despicable, not to mention worst act of terrorism ever committed on American soil took place within my lifetime. Yet I do not write mainly to put forth and encourage patriotic sentiments here, although this is certainly appropriate when looking at the events such as 9/11, which have shaped the face of our nation.

Today, I have not heard one mention of the significance of what took place six years ago. Now I suppose that this could be interpreted positively in some sense, i.e. that America has moved on from its loss. Yet the tone I tend to feel in these instances is one of forgetfulness. What is really interesting to me is how quickly so many Americans flocked to churches in the weeks that followed. Attendances were at record setting highs on those Sundays immediately following 9/11. How quickly America moved on not long after.

And so we stand six years later. Has our nation experienced truly lasting impacts which have made a positive moral contribution to our culture? For that matter, has there been any positive changes on climate and atmosphere of our nation in any specific respect (i.e., improvements in education, improvement in moral conditions, improvement in living conditions) that could truly be preceded and defined by the word significant? In my own humble reflection, I have yet to see any that did not exist before those tragic events. In fact, to me America seems just as smug and complacent as ever.

Now while my article here may connote some Theocratic undertones, please understand that is not in any way what I'm trying to propose. All I am trying to suggest here is that America has really not grown much stronger at large nor has its people in general truly moved toward Christ, or even stronger patriotism and love for the nation. What are the hot debates? Gas prices, homosexual rights, economical issues, and church and state, just to name a few. Of course these debates are important, but the deeper, foundational truths which affect all of these are so much more. Where is the church in all of this? I pray more and more she will be about the business of preaching the good news and living out the hope and love of Jesus, fulfilling His Word. Amen.

A Theological Question of Epic Proportions...For Me At Least

2007-09-06T18:30:00.000-07:00

Learning is such a joy and yet at times such a struggle. I can trace this completely to my ever-growing motivation and passion, which despite being rightly characterized by this adjective, it is still at this point comparatively deficient. I suppose this translates to some weak excuse on my part, but consider it more of a disclaimer. With this out of the way I will now focus on the issue at hand.

Last Tuesday night, in my class on Western Philosophy, a question was posed. While it does not directly jump out of the pages of Scripture at most readers, it has serious implications on one's theology, especially in the light of Who Jesus is. It may not seem like such a pressing matter at first glance, but given some thought it becomes clearly a question to be considered carefully.

Was Jesus "not able to sin" or "able not to sin?" This is the question that so incessantly stirs my curiosity. It burns in my mind; yet I have hardly labored to come to a valid conclusion. Considering that formation of critical thinking and inquiry is at this point one of my main reasons for writing this blog, I will seek to arrive closer to the answer here. After all, the solution is probably not as easily discovered as one might think.

Now let us consider the first option. Jesus, being the very Son of God, yea, God Himself, by default possesses all of the characteristics and attributes of God (If for some reason you need Biblical proof, check out John 1:1-14, 5:18, 8:58; Philippians 2:6). Thus the Bible clearly affirms Jesus was fully God.

Obviously one of God's chief attributes is not being able to go against His nature, and sin is absolutely contrary to God's nature. This is in part because God's nature is so clearly defined as righteous; indeed, righteousness itself is that which reflects God's nature, for apart from Him, no one accomplishes that which is truly good (Psalm 14:1). Also God is completely holy, partly defined as having no sin whatsoever. Numerous portions of Scripture show that sin is in no way likened unto God's nature, but is completely contradictory to His character. In fact, I John 3:5 makes it clear that there is no sin in Christ, period. James 1:13 (ESV) brings this topic to a speedy conclusion, stating that "God cannot be tempted with evil."

Simple right? This settles the debate. Or does it?

Consider that Scripture also affirms that Jesus is fully man, and just like any man He was capable of being tempted (Hebrews 2:18, 4:15). At least, that's the picture these verses seem to paint. Of course this seems at surface glance to be a contradiction of sorts. How can God be tempted? Without diving deeper, we are only left with minimizing or reducing Christ's deity (which cannot be done so without denying Scripture's clear teaching) or denying His humanity. Fortunately, we can also take a more detailed look at the texts in view. The word used in James 1:13 for "cannot be tempted with evil" is really an adjective as opposed to an actual phrase, which would accurately be defined as "incapable of being tempted." The word used in the two Hebrews quotations is a verb which means "to tempt" or "to test." Looking at this shows there could be a linguistic argument of sorts to try define these as two different kinds of temptation, but this is not likely the case as proper interpretation of the Hebrews texts clearly renders this word with the understanding of it being temptation to sin. Thus the debate persists.

Another question should be considered. Could the union of Jesus as God and Jesus as man be separated and acted on one from the other? If so, when Christ was tempted, it could be said that only His human nature was being tempted and not His divine nature. This however seems to be problematic when considering the implications of Chirst being the perfect union of God and Man. Yet I believe this is closer to the answer. For although Christ's divine nature and human nature were separate in essence, they were still fused together in ONE BEING. Thus as a being possessing two complete natures that were in harmony with each other (for man was originally created sinless, in God's image, and Christ did not inherit the sinful nature since He had no earthly father) His human nature could be tempted while His divine nature was not. Thus effectually He is both "not able to sin" and at the same time as a man "able not to sin."

Now I know this debate isn't exactly the most fruitful discussion in terms accomplishing the Great Commission and building God's kingdom. Nor is it even likely to be a question posed to you by an atheist or member of another faith. Nonetheless I hope it has stirred you to think some, which is something I believe followers of Christ (myself included) ought to be doing more of.

They Might Make a Movie About It One Day...

2007-09-04T20:49:00.000-07:00

I do not go to Appalachian State nor do I know much about their football program other than the fact that they were two-time defending champions of what was formerly known as NCAA Division I-AA Football. Having this brief piece of knowledge in my mind, I found it rather interesting that they were going to take on the mighty Wolverines of Michigan today. Of course, like pretty much everyone else (except for those who until today, were the most delusional of App. State fans), thinking it would be a typical season opener-big team plays little team, big team wins by a blow-out. One analyst in the local Raleigh paper predicted a 42-7 point-spread in favor of Michigan. I'm pretty sure 99% of sports analysts across the country would have agreed with him. Nevertheless, the part of what I did know about App. State football was enough to pique my curiosity. I was almost floored with astonishment when I tuned into ESPN and found that they were in the lead. Immediately, out of no spite to Michigan I assure you, I hoped for the seemingly impossible. A real-life Rockyesque/Rudyesque story was unfolding right before my eyes, and I wanted to see it come to its most hope-filled and unexpected conclusion. Fortunately, for me, and likely for many who look back on this game, the real life underdog took home the win.

Now, I'm not one to write on a sports event just to put up my own version of what you could easily read in tomorrow's paper or on a sports website. Nor am I here to draw out some cookie-cutter, Zig Ziglar kind of story about the underdog winning. What then should be said?

I wonder how many of Michigan's fans, deep down inside, were actually pulling for App. State to win. I feel my query is reasonable here, because there is something inside us all that likes to see the underdog win, provided that underdog meets up to reasonable moral and ethical standards. There is something inside us all, especially those of us who are men, who long to have a moment like that, because there is no lack of moments in which we feel like the underdog.

Is there any need for believers to feel this way? I think sometimes we need to remember the reality of the cross, which won the ultimate achievement that made it possible for many "underdogs" to partake in the victory they could never win. That's something I pray we get more and more excited every time we think about it, and remember that more than when we see a movie 30 or so years from now about today's game.

Yes, I know the application is somewhat general; but may we all truly get excited and be talking about the greatest victory of all by Christ.

A New Journey Begins...

2006-07-26T19:41:00.000-07:00

Ok...here it goes. In recent events of my life, it has come upon my conscience with great conviction that I should resume the practice of regularly writing. While feeling led to write narratives and poetry even, I primarily have felt inspired to write for the sake of considering thoughts, ideas, current events, and other mental stimuli at a greater level than simply rearranging and throwing around thoughts in my head. So am I saying that my main purpose in writing this blog is to develop my thoughts and increase certain powers of reasoning? In one sense, the answer is yes. Certainly however, I hope not to simply entertain those of you who potentially read this merely throwing around the best wisdom and opinions I have to offer. Of course, in blogging, I suppose I have little desire to write about anything other than what opinions I can fathom and ideas I can dish out. In other words, I realize my opinions may not have a high price tag in the world's marketplace of ideas. However, as sociology would likely contend, my opinions matter simply because I'm a person; with this basic idea in place, I will feel free to share mine. May God have mercy and protect me from making this some sort of self-exaltation (which I understand, is probably hard to completely do while at the same time maintaining a blog). While this may be a slight oxymoron, maybe this can still be accomplished and provide a win-win situation for both me and those of you (if there are any of you out there) who read this. With that said, I can provide the details of my experience leading up to this.
In the not so distant past, I have seen the value of writers putting their thoughts, ideas, and opinions down on papers. Surely this leads at least in some small respects to their thoughts and philosophies being developed. As one who aspires to one day write books myself, I suppose I could benefit from such activity as well. Who knows, maybe I will be disciplined enough to document my posts with scholarly and other resources to stake any claims I make. Originally, I thought about doing this anonymously, and I may indeed do so in the future, depending on how God's will unfolds in my life. However, for the present, I thought, why not just be honest about my ideas, philosophies, and opinions, and take credit for them? I do not mean this in a prideful sense, but more in the respect of standing up for what one believes in. With all that said, I would declare that the basic purpose of this blog is for me to explore and continually form my worldview, ideas, and philosophies, interacting with you (my friends and readers) in the process. After all, you guys form a good community to be a part of, in my ever so humble opinion. May this journey be a truly profitable one. I've no doubt it will be.