How Shall We Then...Blog?

"Piece" Sells...

2012-01-27T09:31:00.001-06:00

as it is written:
  “None is righteous, no, not one;
  no one understands;
  no one seeks for God.
All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
  no one does good,
  not even one.”
“Their throat is an open grave;
  they use their tongues to deceive.”
“The venom of asps is under their lips.”
  “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”
“Their feet are swift to shed blood;
  in their paths are ruin and misery,
and the way of peace they have not known.”
  “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
  Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

(Romans 3:10-20 ESV)

We taste death every time that we draw a breath

And it don’t any get better

No matter how many years we have left

On this planet, we inhabit to wreak havoc for generations to come

We live by the sword, and we die by the gun

The type to shoot first, no asking

I just reload when I’m finished

Watch the light leave your eyes, then turn and ask your wife,

“Hey babe, what’s for dinner?”

Because if I’m not carvin’, I’m starvin’;

You bet your life that I can eat for days

For me, Valhalla is always rising

And my left eye’s looking crazy

Just like bulls on parade

We rally with a pocket full of shells

Doing what’s right in our own eyes

And you know we love to give ‘em hell

So, I’m not buying in to what you’re saying

Because in the end, “piece” sells

Profit margins increasing every year

While filling up school lockers like prison cells

Click goes the hammer, clank goes the slammer

But that homeboy had new Jordans

And Gilbert Arenas was the answer

Because I’m a pro when it comes to this

Catch him slippin’ in the lunch line

Bullet wizardry, a masterpiece

My own private Columbine

So now I stand before the Judge

No period to my sentence

A life of run-on pain

Like I was Prefontaine (minus the finish)

Lines drawn in the sand

Crossed every time without repentance

Treated darkness like a friend

Only to find it to be the very bane of my existence

Pushed life to the limits

Until death started pushing me back

Now it’s too late for a plea…

Verdict:

Sin is still whack.

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

(James 4:1-3 ESV)

Soli Deo Gloria,

Shon

Posted via email from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

Inexhaustible (Ever Since Ever Since)

2012-01-25T10:30:00.001-06:00

“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell me, if you have understanding.
(Job 38:4 ESV)

There He was, is, and is to come...ever since ever since.

Existing in the solitude of His Trinitarian excellence

A community of perfection to which no other can compare

Invisible. Spirit. Physical. With one voice They agree

Let there be…LIGHT!

BOOM! There’s your big bang

Voice echoing through the darkness to give it a name –

He owns it…

Before that it was nothing; just a figment of imagination

Until He brought it to fruition in an instant

Yet, thoughtful and patient

Two attributes which get lost in a humanistic sense

Because for us it’s microwaves, drive-thrus and art without evidence

But His attention to detail is a show of His benevolence

Inexhaustible…

Who would’ve thought to make every star, tree, plant, and animal?

They can’t be store-bought

A storehouse of works to behold

For, every eye to behold them since knows there’s a story being told

“I AM that I AM” –

That’s the name that He gave

It implies that He don’t need you to breathe and He don’t need you to save Him

HE SAVES MEN

From Hell and everything that comes with it –

From pimps to false prophets to run-on sentences

Lustful deeds and all of the things I hide

Never get missed by His all-seeing eyes

Wiser than wise…I’m sick and He knows it, but He heals me by His Word

(Wow. A Great Physician and a Poet)

Or else please tell me what you could possibly comprehend

About One who can truly kill a man and then bring him back again?!

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound

Of the living Word who can take a man from six feet deep

To where mercy is found.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
(Revelation 1:8 ESV)

Soli Deo Gloria,

Shon

Posted via email from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

Everyday, Apocalypse.

2012-01-18T14:25:00.001-06:00

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

(John 1:1-5 ESV)

And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for
  “‘In him we live and move and have our being’;
  as even some of your own poets have said,
  “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’
  Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man.

(Acts 17:26-29 ESV)

Everyday is an apocalypse…

From the cars on the street to the people that we meet

God is revealing…Himself.

He is constantly letting us know that we are not alone.

Also, that we are not our own.

But still we press on.

We press on as if everything that has ever happened

In the course of our existence was nothing more than a random, happy little accident –

A very precise, everything just right…”accident”.

Nothing more than a big “Oops” or “Uh-oh” that brought about change.

From ooze to the zoo to you – we’re all the same

“You might be free, but your relatives swing from trees

And throw feces in cages…isn’t that amazing?!”

No, it’s scathing and seriously inconsiderate.

It’s akin to taking the Artisan’s work and using it in a birdcage to catch pigeon sh**.

Art without evidence is a scientifically manufactured illusion

To free us from the notion of Divine inclusion, or better yet intrusion

And yet, we ignore the body of work like a crime scene at the dinner table.

So Cain didn’t kill Abel…it was an “evolutionary process”.

“The survival of the fittest shows us how much we have progressed”.

What a mess; but it’s our best guess

That we feed to our sons and daughters

We’re ignoring the fact that chaos can only produce more chaos

And never produce order.

Creation’s primary goal is not to self-create or to replicate;

Creation resonates

It is the thumbprint of a Creator –

So let’s do away with just looking at scientific data

And all the other formulas to make us too scared to admit it

Ignore all you want, but the truth is you still need some dirt to play with…

Ex nihlo, nihlo fit –

Out of nothing, nothing comes

Yet still our textbooks read as if two zeros make a sum?!

But the only way that a zero can compute is with…One

The binary code of nature binds us to a Creator

But in a rebellion of thought mankind screams out:

“There is no God…and we hate him.”

Equating the concept of an almighty God to the Wizard of Oz

And yell at me to get off my yellow brick road

While clinging tightly to the curtain of “chance”

Trying not to reveal that it’s just fool’s gold

“Just click your heels three times to wake up from your dream

You’ll have all the answers you need if you simply believe…”

In what?! You know what the scarecrow, tin man and lion have in common?

They all have no chest, so they follow with no conscious

On the whims of a little girl’s dream, they reach the end of the road

Only to end up back in Kansas with nothing to show

But we behold Topeka it in its beauty; people of every tribe, tongue and nation

A place where wayward sons can stop along the journey to their final destination

Just one of the many havens that display the vast glory

Of a Maker who is benevolent

Who made Himself a God-send and not one of Maury’s guests

Never worry about second-guessing who our Father is

Because our DNA is the proof we need to show us that we are known to Him

None like Him, so there’s none like us

He is holy, wholly Other; so I’m wholly broken dust

Made whole again by the sacrifice of His offering

Of a Kinsman Redeemer’s love

Lisping to us in the spoken word

Healing us from the greatest lie we’ve ever heard

The hiss from the serpent’s lips

That has thrown the true origin of our species off course

And has left us an inheritance of a violent wind

And blindness as a curse

But our Creator heals the calloused eye

And He also masters the storm

So even if all around me were swept away

His eye is on the sparrow –

Amidst the turbulence, this is my calm

Remember this:

The Devil is only in the details

Because his Maker saw it fitting for him to exist

So, in other words, there are no “maverick molecules”…

Everyday is an Apocalypse.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Shon

Posted via email from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

Dust To Glory: A Ghetto Love Story

2012-01-06T12:40:00.001-06:00

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. - (Hebrews 4:14-16 ESV)

A king without a castle born to an unwed mother

All the while, rumors circulate that he was fathered by another

Homeless for a while, then raised in the ghetto

Along side the hoodlums, riff-raff, rebels and winos

But He went to synagogue

Because that’s how his mom and his step-dad raised him

He’d grow up to be famous

But who really knew that then?

Coming up poor ain’t a means to an end

It’s hated, it’s shameful and often equated with sin

But not Him…

He left the block for the wilderness to fulfill the call in His life:

“Hey, why don’t you slow down? Take it easy…maybe even get you a wife.

Word is your real father, man, is crazy rich.

You’d never have to work a day in your life if he broke you off a pinch.

But if not him, come with me…I got a grip you can hold.

You can have anything you want. I got it under control.”

“Hell, No.”

Home is where the heart is

So the hood was His home

And used His life to let the hood know

That they were never alone

He became the people’s champion

So they gathered around Him

Politicians start to panic

While His family starts to clown Him

Pharisees start hatin’

And they call Him a “Birther” :

“This dude is sayin’ he’s from heaven

But he ain’t nothin’ but an earthling.

Everybody here knows him from that Nazerene block

No good can come of that place, they’re some real bad stock.”

But He didn’t stop

So now they wanna stop Him

His friends start to worry

That somebody’s gonna pop Him

Cool by Him

Because He already knew the risk

His death was the outcome

For which he sought to exist:

“Don’t be scared, homies…

They’re comin’ to get me

But I’m takin’ all the heat

Because that’s why the Father has sent me

Dying for the lost

So that they could be found

So that the end of your life won’t be the end

But a crown of life eternal

Given because you’ve be down since the beginning

And you’ll carry on ‘til the finish

Because my Father gives you permission

And don’t begin to think you chose this life for a second

I chose you first so now we’re forever connected

Blessed be the one who hears the words that I speak

And doesn’t shrink away from danger in the face of the Beast

Because the Devil is a lion

He desires to eat you

He can feast all he wants

But He can never defeat you.”

So whatever happens below

Just remember He’s above it

So when you see the storms coming

Don’t worry…

Just love it

It was death by love

Love in humiliation

Stepped out of eternity

To become the promised seed of the nations

Subjecting Himself to the same perils and temptations as “we”

Because He cares for little men in really tall trees

And for prostitutes on the track who believe the lie that they’re stuck

And for the addicts who think they’ve had and they’re about to give up

Listen to what comes after…

He is still speaking

So put one ear to the floor and the other to the rafters

Feel the earth move and know for certain

If He ceased to speak, it won’t happen

In His hands, it is stable

No one can ever knock Him off course

Even when the kingdom of Heaven suffers violence

And the violent take it by force

Solus Christus,

Shon

Posted via email from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

Resolve

2012-01-05T07:19:00.001-06:00

Resolved:

Not to make any empty resolutions of delusions of grandeur

Like losing 20 lbs. or not being a man-whore

Because everything that I could ever dream to be

Would be unattainable or unrealistic babble…

Just to end up coming up short

To watch the crows and vultures gather

To pick at the carcasses left scattered

On the boulevard of broken dreams

Of things that don’t even matter…

Yeah, it would be cool to get some fresh new clothes

But my skin is the issue and it’s getting old –

It’s not the complexion that’s the problem

But it covers up my intentions –

A heart full of apathy, neglect, impenitence and impotence

If I want to see real change in my current situation

I don’t need a new scene or diet

I need propitiation...

Vegan, egalitarian, legalistic behavior modifications

Won’t bring me lasting peace; just new sensations

Pragmatic emotions to feel as though I’m getting something accomplished

While I’m locked in the wardrobe waiting for Aslan

Eating Turkish Delight instead of the King’s meat

Because “man can’t live on bread alone”

(And this stuff is so sweet)

And there I go…

Trying’ to get back to old days via new ways

Like a has-been actor who thinks he’s still got the chops

But I’m just a hack character

Waiting to break out and my performance needs enhancement

But I’m already broken, so a new role ain’t the answer

I’ll do my best work when I’m just a feature

And my features improve drastically

When I’m not the star of this picture

Attributes augmented by the perfect performance

Of the Lead Role Majestic

Whose method is conformity

My independent work showed me

For what I was to the people

But it never portrayed the truth about problems that haunt me

Or how to defeat evil –

So I played myself to the bone

As a notorious scene-stealer

But it couldn’t pay the bills and never guaranteed a sequel…

I’m done with low-budget “the grittier, the better”

This may be the Year of the Dragon

But the Script says there’s gonna be rain in the weather

So I’m giving’ up on my best life now until Eden’s made right

And the only way to becoming a better man

Is by living out life as the Bride…

True resolve found in the love of Another

Say hello to the married life.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Shon

Posted via email from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

Night of the Meek

2011-12-25T07:20:00.001-06:00

A night of the meek where the weak find wings
A night where the unlikely so mightily brings
True peace on and goodwill towards men
By turning the world upside down -
God covered in skin

Through blood and water
Comes the only consolation
For all of our shortcomings, sin and frustrations
Freedom for the nations
Which at once would be lost
If the Son of Man had not come
And leveled the cost

Meek and mild He came
Born of a virgin mother
Chosen to the task because the Father saw fit
That she had known no other
So that a lowly carpenter
Who could barely meet ends
Would become caretaker
Of the One in whom all ends meet
And would hold him in his hands

For the shepherds who were barely trusted
To care for a flock
Are now the first to hear the news
Of how redemption is sought
As kings from the east now make it their work
To lay gifts at the feet of a Prince
Who will never clamor for worth

For He is worthy...

I AM in a manger means we're no longer estranged
As far as the curse is found
Christ has engaged us

Lift every voice to sing
"Merry Christmas, everyone
The Meek has inherited the earth
YOUR KING HAS COME!"

Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon

Posted via email from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

Like It Or Not...

2011-11-07T10:12:00.001-06:00

Whether you like it or not

This life ain't all about you

Don't matter how much money you got

Or all the girls that are on your jock, dude

'Cause it won't really matter

If you stack that paper to the ceilin'

'Cause when they put you in that box

That's the beginning of your end, see

Or better yet

Let's just call it the next verse

You crossed over like John Edward

When they put you in that hearse

And now it's a sad song

Thought you'd be dead 'n' gone

But you can never die dead enough

'Cause eternity is way too long

So whether you like it or not

I gotta spit some of this truth to ya

You don't really think them dollars gonna mean a thing

When it comes to your end, do ya?

Like PRo said:

"This is court, but your money matters hardly;

you can ball and never get a trophy -- similar to Barkley."

Man, if you thinkin' that's some really hard speech

It ain't nothin' compared to the hard words of the Lord

When he's speakin' from the judgment seat

Life after death -- no biggie

'Til he opened the book for a spirtual audit

Leo DiCaprio -- say hello to the duely departed

Matthew 7:21-23, 16:26, 25:31-46; Luke 12:16-21; Philippians 3:8; Hebrews 9:27-28; Revelation 20:11-15

Soli Deo Gloria,

Shon

Posted via email from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

Evangel-Lies: Prophets of Profit

2011-11-06T22:30:00.001-06:00

This is the sort of thing that makes me physically ill...the sort of thing that gets exported from America as "Gospel" (not all of the time, but unfortunately it is the majority report). Men like this turn the truth of God into a spectacle for their own gain, and never blink twice. Remember that Jesus saves FROM the "American Dream". In the words of Lecrae: "God is the Gospel, not a new Bentley..."
Nigerian Fake Pastors and Church Business Exposed from Maku Zikya on Vimeo.

Posted via email from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

Radical Christianity: How Should We Then Live?

2011-10-22T19:33:00.001-05:00

Get it here.

Posted via email from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

All By Myself (An Honest Assesment)

2011-10-21T10:24:00.001-05:00

By myself, I'm nothing more than a spiritual fool; feeding on opiates and anything else I can use to quell the stir of echoes that I hear in my head...whatever I can use to convince myself that I'm not dead.

Dead to the world; sleepwalk it off. I lose myself in every moment -- never do what I ought. Since no conscience abides, I lay law to the side. Now the throttle's wide open for one hell of a ride...

Because who needs brakes when you've got a wall? No guts, no glory. Which way does Niagra fall? In a barrel with no hesitation...I'm not just looking to make name, but to be the main presentation...

ALL BY MYSELF -- a vain beast in the kingdom of animals; food, sex and shelter is all I wanna get a handle on. All the rest is gone -- succor for the masses that need faith, hope, love...and green lawns.

Psalm 14:1; Proverbs 24:16, 27:20; Romans 1:18-25

Posted via email from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

Blind, Crippled & Crazy...For Her: The Hard Truth About Lust

2011-10-17T10:50:00.001-05:00

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.
(Matthew 5:27-30 ESV)

"Look, but don't touch."

This seems to be the common suggestion given these days as a way to handle lust. If you can pull this off, it supposedly demonstrates a heightened ability of self-control. You hear it all the time; "I love my wife, but it doesn't hurt to look every now and again". As long as you don't "sample the merchandise", you're golden. The ladies aren't exempt from this either. But, what is even sadder is when I hear a married woman say something to the effect of how she doesn't mind if here husband looks - as long as he doesn't cheat - because he's gonna look anyway. The only thought that runs through my mind when I hear someone say that is, "you're lying". This is the answer you get because they've just settled for having someone there, but not really having their heart. This begs the question: Is it really worth having at all? Should we not expect a higher standard of the person who has vowed to spend the rest of our lives with? And if you're single, there's no magic switch for turning off the emotions of lust. While, indeed, you have more liberty in your life than say one who is in a marraige, that liberty cannot be abused. Making a habit of lusting will become just that - a habit. If you continue to give way to it, you will reap its harvest. It won't just go away even after you've entered into marraige because you've made a career out of not being faithful with your eyes (and now the heart wants to follow).

As we have seen from the Scriptures, looking is adultery, which makes it grounds for divorce (Matt. 5:31-32). To make lame excuses for looking in a society where we are bombarded with images and words that seek to do nothing but provoke our lustful desires, we must remember that the bond between a man and woman is as much spiritual as it is physical. So, the best way to combat this is not to resolve to use mere behavior modification tactics to curb destructive and corrosive behavior. After all, an alcoholic is still an alcoholic even if he's trapped on a desert island with no where for miles to buy a beer. Christ gives us the gory anlogy of ripping and tearing off limbs and body parts (not to be taken literally, of course) in Matt. 5:29-30 of our passage. The point of the gruesome imagery is this: TRUE LOVE CARRIES WITH IT A VISCERAL HOSTILITY TOWARDS ALL IMPOSTERS.

In other words, if we are truly compelled by the love of Christ, then we will listen to his words. And in turn this will carry over into a steadfast vigilance and zeal for our significant others (Song of Solomon 8:6). If you are in a commited relationship, you shouldn't get all geeked up off of the fact someone else is trying to make a move on you or is consistent in their blatant disregard for that bond. It should make you angry. Mind you, I'm not telling you to drill someone in the face for making a pass at you, but you should say or do something. Because if you don't take the proper measures, the second you begin to mildly entertain any sort "flirting", you've already stepped into the realm of marital unfaithfulness. The true enemy in adultery is my "inner-me". So all vigilance first and foremost must be turned on the fleshly desire to give in to temptation to throw discernment and caution to the wind.

Here's an illustration--

Say you and your wife have an argument. Okay, sure. It happens. But, let's say also that while you and your wife are having issues, a young attractive female at work (who you already know has a "thing" for you) becomes your sounding board. She becomes your encourager. Now, the next time you get into it with your wife, the first thing you think is, "I bet ___ from work would never think that way about me...". And there you are on a downward spiral toward infidelity and spiritual destruction -- all because you failed to (as Steven Lawson would put it) hear the hiss of the serpent in the statement.

For us to understand these principles clearly, our minds and hearts must be renewed from this fallen world. We must take every thought captive to the Word until it is brought under submission to it. There is not a soul with a half a bit of sanity who thinks that they can go knocking on Potiphar's door (cf. Genesis 39) and expect to make an escape from the snare the awaits them. Lust is a drowning machine; the deeper you wade into the current, the more it pulls you under. Lust is a liar. It promises you everything you could possibly want, but never truly delivers. Lust is a thief. All the while it's showing you "the goods", while robbing you of your own. Lust is a deciever. It disguises itself as passion, yet is as promiscuous as ever. Lust is a killer. It murders you from the inside out.

But you can't blame her really. The girl can't help it. She's just like her dad (John 8:44, 2 Cor. 11:14)...

"Now if I listen to this radio, then I might have to split open a swisher and fill it wit green pine--and if I listen to this TV, then you would catch me chasin' plenty chicks 'cause homie, they fine--but I DDT my mind, put my flesh in a figure 4--yeah, sometimes I fall, but this right here ain't gone kill me though--even if I have to be a blind amputee I promise that my Father here is purgin' me of all of my impurity--Bang on 'em! Bang on 'em! Go hard, Father! Reign on 'em! Reign on 'em! Show you God--'Cause every time I slow up, that's when my Father show up--make way for an escape and I'm right back scrappin' like, 'What up?!'--Tell my TV to shut up--what you sellin', I don't want it--hide that Word inside my heart--Ron Artest, gon' and guard it--So I don't want yo goodies, baby--you can keep yo cookies, baby--I know they got M&M's, but this road I'm on is slim 'n' shady." - PRo (Covenant Eyes)

Proverbs 5:1-23; 6:20-34; 7:6-27; 9:13-18

Soli Deo Gloria,

Shon

Posted via email from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

Workin' For A Livin': Daily Bread That Is Needed Daily

2011-09-23T11:09:00.001-05:00

"Jesus came not to give bread, but to be bread." - John Piper

Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
(John 6:28-33 ESV)

The work of first and most importance in the life of the Christian is that of faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior. Then, and only then, can any other good works pleasing to God be accomplished. This work, it should be noted, is not one that we accomplish in and of ourselves as we see later in the passage; it is accomplished completely apart from us as an act of mercy by a benevolent God (John 6:44). The work that is done by human means is important (2 Thess. 3:6-15), but the true work that ultimately gives life is not accomplished by us. Our work is just as terminal and finite as we are (Genesis 3:19). But, Christ is eternal, and therefore the work that he accomplishes is eternal as well.

Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:

“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,

and whose sins are covered;

blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”

(Romans 4:4-8 ESV)

Believing in the One who God has sent is referred to as doing the work of God. As we learn in Romans 9:14-18, human will and exertion are not enough to save us from the wrath of God. The offense of sin is judged by the magnitude of the one for whom it has offended. God is eternal; so, in order to be redeemed from our fallen state, we must be saved by a state of the same measure (John 17:1-26; Galatians 6:7-10; Ephesians 2:1-10)

Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon

Posted via email from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

Old Post, New Life: I'm Not American...I'm...Kuyperian?!

2011-09-16T14:48:00.001-05:00

I originally posted this article on January 24, 2006. However, due to recent discussions and developments in our current politcal climate (on both sides), I thought this would be a good time restate some things of first importance on the political matters at hand, as well as try to help shed whatever light that I can gather on the subject to bring these thing to there much deserved place at the forefront of our hearts and minds. Grace and peace...

"Do not bury our glorious orthodoxy in the pit of spurious conservatism." ~ Abraham Kuyper (Dutch Theologian, Statesman, Journalist and Prime Minister of The Netherlands)

Jesus Christ is not running for office in 2008. Regardless, of what the conservative religious right might lead you to believe, it just won't happen.

There is an ever-persistent trend of late by many conservative Church congregations to try and "politicize" the Gospel. That is to say, that if we can censure and monitor every aspect of our society under the auspices of Christian principles (or as the "fundamentalists" like to call it, "returning to our roots"), then America would be a better place - and don't forget to vote Republican. This, as one writer put it, is a two-thousand year old Galatian error.

I can't tell you how many times I've recently had conversations with people who believe this way. They are thoroughly convinced that if we put prayer back in schools and keep the ten commandments in front of the courthouses, viola--problems solved. These are noble intentions, but there are far-reaching consequences of this sort of logic that are not being considered by those that hold this view. So, I want to pose the same question that I asked of a friend of mine who happens to be in this school of thought:

If the Law of God couldn't make the Israelites any better, then what makes you think that making the Bible the "Law" in America would make us as a nation any less corrupt?

And here in lies the controversy of this movement known as Christian Reconstruction. But as it has been stated before, religion and politics don't mix. Never more clearly can it be seen than when one takes a long hard look at the misguided (although, well-meaning) plan of "reconstruction". If carried out to fruition, this movement would only subvert and distort the truth of the Gospel. The reasons can be seen in the following conclusions:

1. The Church stops focusing on evangelism (the salvation of souls) and begins to focus on political hot-button issues and agendas.

It has become a trendy thing to turn Sunday Morning sermons into political rallies. I'm not saying that certain societal woes should not be dealt with on Sundays, but it needs to remain in its context. Pastors should be about the business of shepherding the flock; teaching the congregation in accordance to the Word of God is the way to help them keep in step with the Holy Spirit. Inviting your favorite politician to give a speech on how and who to vote for will only cause a tension (unnecessarily, I might add) between the Church and the rest of the world. It becomes "us" against "them". But isn't it "them" that we are seeking to save? There is also the lingering danger of seriously dividing the Body of Christ over non-essential issues. I have seen it time and again; if a fellow brother or sister in the Church doesn't vote on the right side of the political party line, he or she is considered a heretic! This is the same sort of muddle-headed thinking that brought about the Salem witch hunts. If sound doctrine is in place, discernment will follow.

2. The separation of Church and State is perilously blurred.

By this, I mean that the Church seeks to usurp the power of the government and strong-arm people in to "right living". This is not evangelism, it's nothing more than behavior modification. We are never to force anyone to believe what the Church believes. We are simply to proclaim the Gospel of Christ and allow the Spirit to change the hearts and minds of those that hear. Trying to force the issue will bring about ghastly consequences. For example, most people want to have prayer put back in schools. Okay, fine. But if you're a Christian, what is stopping you from praying? It is a right that no one can take away from you. Why would you want to force someone to pray who may not even worship in the same manner as yourself? That's false worship. God finds no glory in it. I expect the non-believer to not want to see the Ten Commandments in front of the courthouses, I expect atheists to want to take "God" out of the Pledge of Allegiance. Abortion will be accepted, Gay marriage will pass, etc., etc. The light of the truth is not in them. Christianity as a federal law will ultimately fail, due to the fact that it skews the purpose of the Gospel. The Church becomes the Pharisaic and intrusive. How exactly does one legislate policies against the Sin? The heart of man is the heart of the problem. Christians obey the law of God because they have been given a "new heart". We live the way we do because the love of Christ compels us. Trying to force those who have yet to be (or who never will be) quickened by the the grace of God through the spirit would be the equivalent to Jesus grabbing the rich young ruler in a headlock and forcing him to follow. There's no love in it. No true Christian is ever saved in this manner, so why would we expect anyone else to be any different?

My major concern in all of this is the enthusiasm and fervency with which some fellow Christians hold to this view (in reformed and non-reformed circles). If carried out, this sort of mindset snuffs out the great commission. Christians do not conquer through military or political might, but through the love and sacrifice of Christ on the cross. Anything else makes for sloppy evangelism until it all eventually boils down to elephants and asses: Christians becoming fat and lazy in their spiritual lives hiding behind the guise of "political correctness" and "conservatism" while holding grudges against those who aren't like them, forgetting that we too used to be stubborn mules lost in the darkness. Much like fascism and communism, two bad ideologies on opposite ends of the spectrum come full circle to make an even worse situation than the one that you had before. The truths of our religious beliefs are tainted and have become a leveraging tool for election strategies. A vivid illustration of this could be seen in the comment that a political analyst made after the democratic party lost the last election: "the democrats need to get 'born again'". This statement turns the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit in to a farce.

It is time for Christians to check their allegiances. Christ shows no partiality to any man, political party, or country. In the imitation of our Lord and Savior, we should do likewise. That being said, none of this is written to discourage individual Christians from taking up political causes or even hold political offices. By all means, if God permits, we should take the opportunity. However, I think that the Church trying to become an empirical legislative branch of the government is a grave error. It is trading away the liberties that we are granted as individual living stones which are free to go out into the world and seek the lost, for becoming a solid concrete entity which will eventually stunt the growth of the Church altogether. It also causes us to run the risk of being at odds with scripture on the way we should view the civil magistrates and government officials of our country. We are to submit to them, because they have been ordained by God's providential hand (regardless of how we may feel about them personally). They are there for our protection and we should pay them the respect and honor due to the office in which they hold - whether we voted for them or not!!! When they overstep their boundaries and begin to rule willingly up and against the Kingdom of Heaven, Christian citizens may rightly come together and make their voice heard as is our right. We must learn to use separation of Church and State for its proper purpose and advantage, not to our own undoing. The church and the state alike both have an obligation to wield their respective swords responsibly (the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God in the church and the sword of wrath in government) .

I don't see Christians as conservative or liberal. I definitely don't see them as republicans or democrats. We are either biblical or unbiblical - discerning or indiscretion - in the world or of the world. These are the lines in the sand that must be drawn. Any neutrality in these areas, or granting priority to party or politician, is a vote against Christ.

As J.I. Packer summarizes:

"The Church's sphere of authority relates to the civil gorvernment at the level of morality. The church has the responsibility to comment on the morality of governments and their policies on the basis of God's word, but should not appropriate to itself the power to set such policies. Whereas these assessments may foster political action among Christians, they should act in their capacity as citizens rather than as a representatives of the church. In this way the gospel works through moral persuasion and the working of God's grace among citizens."

"Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For the same reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed. Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments, 'You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,' and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." ~Romans 13:1-10 (ESV)

"Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor." ~1 Peter 2:13-17 (ESV)

Soli Deo Gloria,

Shon

Posted via email from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

"The Good Shepherd": Perseverance (and Preservation) In the Atoning Work of Christ

2011-09-16T10:12:00.002-05:00

"Believing doesn't make you a part of His flock; being a part of His flock allows you to believe." - John Piper
So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
(John 10:7-18 ESV)

The definite redemption of the saints is in view here; it is not only definite, but also universal. Jesus came not to save some particular type of people, but a particular people made of every tribe, tongue, and nation (Revelation 5:9-10). Also to be noted, if you are in Christ, you cannot fall away, because as his sheep we only hear His voice and no other. By his atoning work on the cross, he seals them, thereby they are unable to fall away from their faith in an ultimate sense...
If these words of Christ don't bring confidence to the life of Christian faith and the assurance of salvation, I don't think that anything would (John 17:12; Jude 24).

Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon

Posted via email from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

Why “Let Go and Let God” Is a Bad Idea

2011-08-20T11:59:00.001-05:00

What is “let-go-and-let-God” theology? It’s called Keswick theology, and it’s one of the most significant strands of second-blessing theology. It assumes that Christians experience two “blessings.” The first is getting “saved,” and the second is getting serious. The change is dramatic: from a defeated life to a victorious life; from a lower life to a higher life; from a shallow life to a deeper life; from a fruitless life to a more abundant life; from being “carnal” to being “spiritual”; and from merely having Jesus as your Savior to making Jesus your Master. People experience this second blessing through surrender and faith: “Let go and let God.”

Keswick theology comes from the early Keswick movement. Keswick (pronounced KE H-zick) is a small town in the scenic Lake District of northwest England. Since 1875, it has hosted a weeklong meeting in July for the Keswick Convention. The movement’s first generation (about 1875– 1920) epitomized what we still call “Keswick theology” today.

People who influenced Keswick theology include John Wesley, Charles Finney, and Hannah Whitall Smith. Significant proponents of Keswick theology include Evan H. Hopkins (Keswick’s formative theologian), H. Moule (Keswick’s scholar and best theologian), F. B. Meyer (Keswick’s international ambassador), Andrew Murray (Keswick’s foremost devotional author), J. Hudson Taylor and Amy Carmichael (Keswick’s foremost missionaries), Frances Havergal (Keswick’s hymnist), and W. H. Griffith Thomas, and Robert C. McQuilkin (leaders of the victorious life movement). People who were influenced by Keswick theology include leaders of the Christian and Missionary Alliance (A. B. Simpson), Moody Bible Institute (D. L. Moody and R. A. Torrey), and Dallas Seminary (Lewis Chafer and Charles Ryrie).

Beginning in the 1920s, the Keswick Convention’s view of sanctification began to shift from the view promoted by the leaders of the early convention. William Scroggie (1877– 1958) led that transformation to a view of sanctification closer to the Reformed view. The official Keswick Convention that now hosts the annual Keswick conferences holds a Reformed view of sanctification and invites speakers who are confessionally reformed.

Keswick theology is pervasive because countless people have propagated it in so many ways, especially in sermons and devotional writings. It is appealing because Christians struggle with sin and want to be victorious in that struggle now. Keswick theology offers a quick fix, and its shortcut to instant victory appeals to genuine longings for holiness.

Keswick theology, however, is not biblically sound. Here are just a few of the reasons why:

1. Disjunction: It creates two categories of Christians. This is the fundamental, linchpin issue.
2. Perfectionism: It portrays a shallow and incomplete view of sin in the Christian life.
3. Quietism: It tends to emphasize passivity, not activity.
4. Pelagianism: It tends to portray the Christian’s free will as autonomously starting and stopping sanctification.
5. Methodology: It tends to use superficial formulas for instantaneous sanctification.
6. Impossibility: It tends to result in disillusionment and frustration for the “have-nots.”
7. Spin: It tends to misinterpret personal experiences.

You can tell that Keswick theology has influenced people when you hear a Christian “testimony” like this: “I was saved when I was eight years old, and I surrendered to Christ when I was seventeen.”

By “saved,” they mean that Jesus became their Savior and that they became a Christian. By “surrendered,” they mean that they gave full control of their lives to Jesus as their Master, yielded to do whatever He wanted them to do, and “dedicated” themselves through surrender and faith. That two-tiered view of the Christian life is let-go-and-let-God theology.

The Keswick Convention commendably emphasized personal holiness and left a legacy of Christian service, but holy and fruitful living by no means distinguishes Keswick theology from other views. All of the major views on sanctification have adherents who are exemplary, inspiring Christians, and disagreeing with a particular view of sanctification in no way questions the devotion to Christ of those who hold that view.

We shouldn’t determine our view of sanctification by counting up who we perceive to be the most holy Christians and seeing which view has the most. Scripture, and Scripture alone, must determine our view of sanctification.

As John Murray reminds us, “The cause neither of truth nor of love is promoted by suppressing warranted criticism.” Constructively criticizing a faulty view of sanctification can actually advance the cause of truth and love.

by Andrew Naselli

Posted via email from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

Free Indeed: Mr. Puritan Goes on the "O" Show (Pt. 2)

2011-07-04T04:26:00.001-05:00

It's been a long time comin'...but the newest installment is finally in.

Mr. Puritan is back at it on the Oprah Winfrey Network, sharing his biblical worldview on the freedom of the will, regeneration and what true liberation looks like and how we are to properly attain it; our liberty is totally dependent on the sovereignty and mercy of a gracious God. And now for your viewing pleasure...

Soli Deo Gloria,

Shon

Posted via email from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

THE END IS NEAR...again?!

2011-05-21T12:35:00.004-05:00

I originally posted this on January 11, 2006 because I knew this day would come (pun intended).
But on a serious note, people being misled by false prophecies and teaching is a serious matter, and I pray that this helps to shed some light on why it is so important to use discretion in what we listen to or read on such matters; and also that we remember to let the Scriptures themselves be our guide and final word on how eschatological (end-times/last things) matters will take place. Forget what you've heard...read THE Word.

"If the world were to end tomorrow, I would still plant my apple tree."

-Martin Luther

It never fails. Something catastrophic happens, particularly in the Middle East, and some prophecy "expert" comes running out of the woodwork screaming "Bloody Armageddon". The reason that history seems to be repeating is because people don't pay attention to it. The present generation of the time always has an air of arrogance about itself; they want to believe with all their might that they are way more corrupt than the previous generations. "Those guys were amateurs, but we are the real deal! Rotten to the core!" This may sound like a ludicrous sentiment, but this is really what it amounts to (of course, it is phrased a little differently).

Every generation has had it's share of catastrophes; bad ones, too. They happen all over the world. However, we in the west seem to have a particular "itis" for this kind of thing; Apocalypse-itis, if you will. The danger of becoming too consumed with "The End" is roughly two fold:

1. Falling into the trap of clock watching and date setting.

This is inevitable. Have you ever stopped to watch a clock for one minute? That minute seems like an eternity. And when that minute comes and goes, what do you have to show for it? A minute lost. Nothing is gained in that minute because you stopped to watch it go by. You'll never get it back again. The same thing happens when we stop to watch the "prophetic clock" as well. Yes, we are supposed to be watchful, but this is pushing it far beyond its rational conclusion. We are also to be sober-minded.
This is the first step into our second and most appalling error:

2. Forgetting to spread the Gospel !!

Instead of being productive by being about the business of spreading the Gospel (which is the purpose of the Church in the world), we withdraw into ourselves waiting to make a "great escape"; To hell with everyone else - literally. Knowing the end could come at any moment should further strengthen our resolve to share Christ with the lost, not cause us to abandon our post.

Don't get me wrong, I anxiously await the return of the Lord as much as any Christian. But as long as we are on this earth, first and foremost, we should be engaged in fulfilling the Great Commission. It's not our job to concern ourselves with how and when the end will come. God has graciously given us plenty to keep us occupied. But just in case you do start to feel a little jittery, here's what you can do to take your mind off your worries:

Share Christ with someone. Then, go plant an apple tree.

"While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease."
-Genesis 8:22 (ESV)

"When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him."
-Deuteronomy 18:22 (ESV)

"The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of the law."
-Deuteronomy 29:29 (ESV)

"But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but the Father only...Therefore you also must be ready for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."
-Matthew 24:36,44 (ESV)

Soli Deo Gloria,

Shon

Posted via email from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

...Against Such Things There Is No Law: What I Know About Love (pt. 2)

2011-02-15T10:58:00.003-06:00

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7 ESV)

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
(Galatians 5:22-23 ESV)

But, are we truly free to marry whoever we love?

“Love is not a legal category. Love has never been a legal category. If you think that love makes a family, then what does it mean when a man decides he no longer loves his wife, he no longer loves his children, and he wants to walk out and never pay child support again? After all, ‘It’s love that makes a family’; why should he be forced to pay child support? It doesn’t make any sense to use love as a binding legal category. Besides, would you really want the government inquiring about who loves who? And also, there are plenty of loving relationships that are based on love that we would never even think about having marriage around…so you love your child, you love your sister, you love your best friend. But that’s not a marriage; nobody believes for a moment that that’s a fitting relationship for a marriage. So, what kind of love are we talking about, and in the end, what is the social purpose of marriage? If all marriage is supposed to do is affirm people who love one another, then we need to ask ourselves why do we need marriage in the first place? And the answer is we don’t need marriage if that’s its only purpose! We need marriage for completely different purposes that the advocates of same-sex marriage never want to even think about.” – Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse

In short, what we need to remember this: Marriage is the safeguard for love, not the other way around...

Soli Deo Gloria,

Shon

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What I "Know" About Love

2011-02-14T00:30:00.004-06:00

"For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known." - 1 Corinthians 13:12

The "know" here is not speaking of mere head-knowledge or intellectual ascent ; in fact, it is a different word in the greek ('epignosimai' rather than 'ginosko') - here, Paul is speaking of "know" in the most intimate of context (much like Adam "knew" Eve - Genesis 4:1). So the literal translation would actually read more, "...we will love intimately as we have fully been loved intimately". When understood in context, it sheds much needed light on this passage; everything that we do now, including love, is done "in part" (incomplete). It is this way until the maturation process is completed in the return of Christ. At that point, all other things, save love (1 Corinthians 13:8), will cease because the culmination of God's love for his creation will be fully comprehended. The reason for the ceasing of things like prophecy and tongues is because their purpose will be terminated by the presence of the One in whom they point to...all that will be left is Love unsurpassed and unhindered in the ultimate of intimacy: face to face fellowship everlasting with the Godhead.

Talk about a Valentine's Day...

Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon

Posted via email from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

Robert Frost on Fire and Ice - Desiring God

2011-01-29T17:59:00.001-06:00

Pulitzer-Prize-winning poet Robert Frost died on this day in 1963. The one poem of his that I ever memorized was “Fire and Ice.” This is powerful cadence and rhyme. It gets depravity right.

I think some preachers should ponder what they have to say long enough that sometimes they talk like this.

Fire and Ice
By Robert Frost

Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.

via desiringgod.org

Powerful...ponder it.

Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon

Posted via email from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

The Independence Mirage

2011-01-20T20:59:00.001-06:00

photo by Paul Gallo

I was speaking to a group of high school kids. Several of them had been to our house. Petey was a gamer. He had been over at our house when I broke out a couple of paint ball guns and paired everyone off in duels with a single paintball each. It was awesome.

Anyway, I wanted to make a point about how dependant a human being is. I called Petey to the front. I told him I was going to put him in a chair and get him in a rear naked choke. I had been watching a lot of MMA (mixed martial arts). I realize it is not very pastoral. A rear naked choke is a hold that cuts off the air supply until your opponent must “tap out” or black out. I told Petey just to tap out when he needed to. I put a towel over his head so the class couldn’t see his face and got him in the hold.

He lasted longer than I thought and then tapped. I didn’t let go. My idea was to have him panic and struggle and show that a human being when deprived of something he is dependent on will do almost anything to get it. It was going to be a brilliant point. Petey tapped, waited and tapped again with a little more urgency. I held fast waiting for the struggle I knew Petey was capable of. Instead Petey put his arms at his side and stopped struggling. I released him and took the towel off. I asked, “Petey, why didn’t you struggle?” He said, “ I figured you weren’t letting me go for a reason so I just decided to wait to black out.” I told you Petey was a gamer. The school hasn’t asked me back.

My real point is this. It is comical that human beings even talk about independence. God made us so we need to eat every few hours. We need to drink almost hourly. We can only live minutes without air (unless you are Petey and you are willing to take it to the mat). God made us so that every 5 seconds we would be reminded we are dependent beings. Who gives us air and water and food? Where does it all come from?

I don’t know what we are going to do in heaven but sometimes I dream of God setting me loose to create my own little world. I know I would make some fundamental error. I would create a world where all the creatures would eat the same kind of food. All my creatures would live approximately 4 days before all the food on the planet would be gone and my poor little guys would begin to drop over one by one. God would come by and look at me, smile the smile you smile when you like someone a lot but they are just not that bright. He would then fold up my world into a lump of clay and hand it to me to start over.

The idea that everyone on this planet is breathing and drinking and eating is just astounding. And we have the audacity to think there is such a thing as being independent. It makes God smile that smile again.

-->

via redlikeblood.com

Being a submission grappler, I had to re-post this...great stuff!

Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon

Posted via email from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

Silencing the Haters; Silencing the Devil...

2011-01-03T07:51:00.001-06:00

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2 ESV)

www.p4cm.com

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For the Beauty of The Earth: A Thanksgiving of First Importance

2010-11-25T15:59:00.008-06:00

Today, I would normally be telling you all of the people, things, and places for which I am thankful...

But thanks to Francis Chan, that won't be happening...sort of.

You see, I began reading his book, Crazy Love, this week. In the first chapter, Chan says that where we should began is to stop praying. In other words, stop talking at God and see him for who he really is as he has revealed himself through the created order of the universe (Romans 1:20). I began to think on this quite a bit. Then I ran across this passage:

"Or what about the simple fact that plants take in carbon dioxide (which is harmful to us) and produce oxygen (which we need to survive)? I'm sure you knew that, but have you ever marveled at it? And these same poison-swallowing, life-giving plants came from tiny seeds that were placed in the dirt...Whatever the reasons for such diversity, creativity, and sophistication in the universe, on earth, and in our own bodies, the point of it all is His glory. God's art speaks of Himself, reflecting who He is and what He is like." (Psalm 19:1-4)

Never would have expected what happened next to happen; I was struck by the profundity of God's act of mercy and redemption via a junior high science lesson. Not only that, but also how little do I truly understand worship. I was given this body as an instrument of worship (Romans 12:1), and yet many times my senses are barely engaged in the endeavor (at least as much as they could or should be). I say all of this because it leads back to gratitude. If I have a low idea about the world around me and what its function and purpose is, then I can almost with absolute certainty guarantee that I'm not going to be able to see the Creator for who he is. Once I had read the statement by Mr. Chan and engaged my whole body in the observation of both images and words, I became so struck with amazement that I made this notation:

"Plants point us to the Savior; the attributes of a merciful God shown through his creation (Isaiah 53:1-12; 2 Corinthians 5:21)".

There are so many distractions in life that can cause us to lose our focus. Like crazy kids at Christmas time, we receive gifts only to run off and play while taking for granted the magnitude of the sacrifices that were made in order for us to have said things in the first place. So, my goal is to encourage us all to thank God for the friends and family, our jobs, homes, our health, etc.

But most importantly, we should thank God for Himself. For it is through all of these things that he reveals himself to us (John 1:14; James 1:17; Hebrews 1:1-2).

Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!
Serve the LORD with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!
Know that the LORD, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!
For the LORD is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.
- Psalm 100

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon

Posted via email from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

Broken Bone Hymns by Paul David Tripp

2010-10-07T12:19:00.003-05:00

It’s a bit of a strange word picture, the kind that causes you to wonder and to feel just a bit uncomfortable. But it says volumes about what you need and about what it is that God is doing. If you’re confused about what God’s agenda is in your life, or if it doesn’t always seem like his promises are being fulfilled, then this strange little prayer from Psalm 51 is helpful and clarifying. In his psalm of repentance after his sin against God, Bathsheba, and Uriah, David writes this provocative little prayer, “Let the bones that you have broken rejoice.” What in the world is he talking about and how in the world can it give perspective and hope to you and me?

Let me begin to answer with a personal confession. It’s a bit embarrassing to admit, but I have a low tolerance for difficulty. I confess that I am a project-oriented person. I tend to have a specific agenda for each day. I awake knowing exactly what I want to accomplish and what a successful day will look like. I don’t want to have to deal with interruptions or obstacles. I want the people, circumstances and locations to willingly submit to my sovereignty and participate in my plan. All of this means that it’s counterintuitive for me to view difficulty as something beneficial. I have little time or tolerance for “broken bones.”

But I have a problem. My Redeemer is the redeemer of broken bones. Now, maybe you're thinking, “Paul, what in the world are you talking about?” Well, here it is. “Broken bones” is a physical word picture for the pain of redemption.

In case you failed to notice, God’s work of delivering you and me from our addiction to self and sin and transforming us into his image isn’t always a comfortable process. There are times, in order to make our crooked and fickle hearts straight and loyal, God has to break some bones. I will again confess, I don’t like broken bones!

Now, you have to ask, “Why would a God of love ever bring pain into the lives of the people he says he loves?” The difficult things that you experience as God’s child that may seem like the result of God’s unfaithfulness and inattention or anger are actually acts of redemptive love. You see, in bringing these things into our lives God is actually fulfilling his covenantal commitment to satisfy the deepest needs of his people. And what is it that we need the most? The answer is simple and clear throughout all of Scripture: more than anything else we need him.

Yet this is exactly where the rub comes in. Although our greatest personal need is to live in a life-shaping relationship with the Lord, as sinners we have hearts that have a propensity to wander. We very quickly forget God and begin to put ourselves or some aspect of the creation in his place. We soon forget that he’s to be the center of everything we think, desire, say and do. We easily lose sight of the fact that our hearts were designed for him and that the deep sense of well-being which all of us seek can only be found in him.

We very rapidly forget or ignore the powerfully addicting dangers of sin and think we can step over God’s boundaries without personal and moral cost. We think we are stronger than we really are and wiser than we actually prove to be. We assess that we have character, discipline and strength that we don’t really have. So God, in the beauty of his redeeming love, will “break our bones.” He will bring us through difficulty, suffering, want, sadness, loss and grief in order to ensure that we are living in pursuit of the one thing that each of us desperately needs—him.

It’s time for each of us to embrace, teach, and encourage others with the broken-bone theology of uncomfortable grace. Because as long as each of us still has sin living in us, producing a propensity to forget and wander, God’s grace will come to us in uncomfortable forms. Perhaps you’ve been wondering where the grace of God is in your life at the very moment when you have been getting it. But it has not been the grace of comfortable relief or release; no, you have been receiving the uncomfortable grace of rescue, restoration, transformation and refinement.

So, if you are God’s child, if you’ve ever prayed that God would be near you and would do what he has promised in and for you, then resist the temptation to doubt his goodness in the middle of your moment of stress. It’s time for you and me to stop thinking that we are going through difficulty because Satan is winning or God is punishing us. If you are God’s child and you humbly recognize and admit that the battle with sin still rages in your heart, then tell yourself that those difficulties are the sure sign of his rescuing and redemptive love.

God hasn’t forgotten you. He hasn’t turned his back on you. He isn’t punishing you in anger. He surely isn’t withholding the grace that he has promised from you. No, you’re receiving grace, but it’s grace that is willing to break bones in order to capture and transform your heart. This grace is unrelenting. This grace has no intention of giving up. This grace will not be satisfied with the status quo. This grace does not get discouraged. It will never compromise. It will never become bitter or cynical. This is loving, patient, perseverant, powerful grace.

In those moments when you are tempted to wonder if God has forgotten you, may you preach to yourself of this relentless, transforming grace. May you remind yourself that you are being loved with real love and showered with real grace. And as you limp to his throne once more to thank him for his unyielding grace, may the bones that he has lovingly broken sing a hymn of praise to this One who alone blesses you with his amazing grace.

via desiringgod.org

Posted via email from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

Against Heresies: Why we still need to learn from Francis Schaeffer

2010-09-29T00:23:00.002-05:00

via against-heresies.blogspot.com

As an undergraduate I read almost everything written by J. I. Packer, John Stott, Martyn Lloyd-Jones and Francis Schaeffer. For all their discernible faults, these four men rank among the foremost spiritual giants of the twentieth century and the great moulders of classical evangelical theology, ministry and evangelism in the last sixty years. If you know anything of their lives and ministries they also appear to be conspicuously out of step with the glitzy celebratory culture that pervades twenty first century evangelicalism. Colin Duriez has done a remarkable job of recording the life of Schaeffer. His biography Francis Schaeffer: An Authentic Life has the virtues of being interesting, honest and accessible. Francis Schaeffer was a fascinating human being; born in 1912, he was an only child and grew up in a working class home in Pennsylvania. The story of how he was brought to faith, his call to pastoral ministry, his early encounters with and love of music, art and philosophy, make for fascinating reading. I will in due course write more about the man, how he was moulded by God (including the secondary causes and relationships that shaped him), and his thought and influence. Francis Schaeffer has a lot to teach us about true authenticity in ministry today. We have temptations that he can help us with, sub-cultural maladies that he can help us identify and avoid. There is an ugly superficiality in evangelical ministry, a grubby clamouring for recognition, a lip service paid to our usefulness to God outside of the spotlight. Here are some of the themes that I want to explore in future posts: Schaeffer was a man with an unseen ministry for most of his life, his public significance came very late on. What can we learn from this faithfulness in obscurity, and in working with small groups of people, in an age where usefulness and importance is confused with the size of the church you lead and the conferences you speak at? How did we ever get into the mess of thinking that the best men to follow are easy to spot because they occupy the biggest platforms? Schaeffer was a man of remarkable integrity. In the early 1950s he faced up to the painful lack of reality in his own experience and that of the separatist circle that he was part of. He faced it with courage and honesty and was not afraid to re-think everything he had believed and stood for. In the preface to his book True Spirituality he wrote: I told Edith that for the sake of honesty I had to go all the way back to my agnosticism and think through the whole matter. I'm sure that this was a difficult time for her, and I'm sure that she prayed much for me in those days. It was a crisis of authenticity, and a far cry from the kind of authenticity applauded today that merely apes secular mores. Schaeffer was a man of marked compassion toward people. He was a man who cared for the despair of the Western world, and a man who cared enough to do the hard work in order to understand the thinking and feeling of unbelievers. But beyond that, anyone who has watched his series How should we then live? can see in his eyes and hear in his voice a great sensitivity for those who live without God and without hope in this world. His love for people, for individuals, his ability to speak to large audiences just as if he was speaking to one person sat on a chair opposite him, is something that can teach us a great deal. There is a warmth and a humanity, a sadness and a depth of feeling, a winsomeness and love in his communication of the truth of God that is, in many ways, the missing note in so much apologetic ministry today. The tears of Schaeffer in telling the truth of the gospel are worth more than smugness and hardness that sadly can accompany our own efforts. Pick up and read the books of Francis Schaeffer and the Colin Duriez's biography of the man.

Schaeffer has played a significant role in my spiritual development. Christians should be well advised to take up and read his works. He offers much in the way of having a robust Evangelical worldview up and against a postmodern humanist culture, and how to reach the lost.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Shon

Posted via email from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

Q & A: General Revelation/The Substance of Atheism

2010-09-22T00:30:00.002-05:00

These two questions are sort of linked together, so I decided to post answers to them at the same time...I'm sure there will be more elaborate post on these at another time. Hope you find these answers helpful. Enjoy!

Q: Why is general revelation insufficient for man's needs?

A: General revelation is able to point us to the fact that there is a God, but lacks the ability to communicate to us what the Lord requires of us. Things such as the knowledge of sin, salvation, repentance, the Gospel; these things can only be known through specific or special revelation as God reveals them to us. In short, within general revelation we may come to know that God exists, but it is in special revelation that we discover what the Lord requires, the depth of our sins, and how God reconciles us to himself (Romans 1:19-23, 3:9-26).

Q: Is it theologically plausible to argue that there are no real atheists? If so, on what grounds?

A: We would have to say, yes, based on the evidence of Scripture given in Romans 1:21-25:

For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

Therefore, the argument can be soundly made that Atheism is really just a delusion of a darkened mind that is bent toward idolatry. They may say that they believe in no god, but in fact are gods unto themselves, or they craft one of their choosing.

“Atheism is rather in the lip than in the heart of man.” - Francis Bacon

Hit me up if you have any discussion, questions, or comments.

Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon

Posted via email from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

Reformed Theology Vs. Hyper-Calvinism by Michael Horton

2010-09-12T20:35:00.002-05:00

Before the average believer today learns what Reformed theology (i.e., Calvinism) actually is, he first usually has to learn what it’s not. Often, detractors define Reformed theology not according to what it actually teaches, but according to where they think its logic naturally leads. Even more tragically, some hyper-Calvinists have followed the same course. Either way, “Calvinism” ends up being defined by extreme positions that it does not in fact hold as scriptural. The charges leveled against Reformed theology, of which hyper-Calvinism is actually guilty, received a definitive response at the international Synod of Dort (1618–1619), along with the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms.

Is God the Author of Sin?

The God of Israel “is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he” (Deut. 32:4–5). In fact, James seems to have real people in mind when he cautions, “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one” (James 1:13). Sin and evil have their origin not in God or creation, but in the personal will and action of creatures.

Scripture sets forth two guardrails here: On one hand, God “works all things after the counsel of his own will” (Eph. 1:15); on the other, God does not — in fact, cannot — do evil. We catch a glimpse of these two guardrails at once in several passages, most notably in Genesis 45 and Acts 2. In the former, Joseph recognizes that while the intention of his brothers in selling him into slavery was evil, God meant it for good, so that many people could be saved during this famine (vv. 4–8). We read in the same breath in Acts 2:23 that “lawless men” are blamed for the crucifixion, and yet Jesus was “delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God….” The challenge is to affirm what Scripture teaches without venturing any further. We know from Scripture that both are true, but not how. Perhaps the most succinct statement of this point is found in the Westminster Confession of Faith (chap. 3.1): “God, from all eternity, did, by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will, freely, and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass;” — there’s one guardrail — “yet so, as thereby neither is God the author of sin, nor is violence offered to the will of the creature; nor is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established,” and with that, the second guardrail. The same point is made in the Belgic Confession of Faith (Article 13), adding that whatever God has left to His own secret judgment is not for us to probe any further.

Is the Gospel for Everyone?

Isn’t it a bit of false advertising to say on one hand that God has already determined who will be saved and on the other hand to insist that the good news of the Gospel be sincerely and indiscriminately proclaimed to everyone?

But didn’t Christ die for the elect alone? The Canons of Dort pick up on a phrase that was often found in the medieval textbooks (“sufficient for the world, efficient for the elect only”) when it affirms that Christ’s death “is of infinite worth and value, abundantly sufficient to expiate the sins of the whole world” (Second Head, Article 3). Therefore, we hold out to the world “the promise of the gospel … to all persons … without distinction ….” Although many do not embrace it, this “is not owing to any defect or insufficiency in the sacrifice offered by Christ upon the cross, but is wholly to be imputed to themselves” (Second Head, Articles 5–6).

Here once again we are faced with mystery — and the two guardrails that keep us from careening off the cliff in speculation. God loves the world and calls everyone in the world to Christ outwardlythrough the Gospel, and yet God loves the elect with a saving purpose and calls them by His Spiritinwardly through the same Gospel (John 6:63–64; 10:3–5, 11, 14–18, 25–30; Acts 13:48; Rom. 8:28–30; 2 Tim. 1:9). Both Arminians and hyper-Calvinists ignore crucial passages of Scripture, resolving the mystery in favor of the either-or: either election or the free offer of the Gospel.

Grace for Everybody?

Does God love everybody, or is His kindness simply a cloak for His wrath — fattening the wicked for the slaughter, as some hyper-Calvinists have argued?

Scripture is full of examples of God’s providential goodness, particularly in the Psalms: “The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made …. You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing” (Ps. 145:9, 16). Jesus calls upon His followers to pray for their enemies for just this reason: “For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matt. 5:44). Christians are supposed to imitate this divine attitude.

The doctrine we are talking about has come to be called “common grace,” in distinction from “saving grace.” Some have objected to this term (some even to the concept), insisting that there is nothing common about grace: there is only one kind of grace, which is sovereign, electing grace. However, it must be said that whatever kindness God shows to anyone for any reason after the fall, can only be regarded as gracious. Once again, we face two guardrails that we dare not transgress: God acts graciously to save the elect and also to sustain the non-elect and cause them to flourish in this mortal life. While it is among the sweetest consolations for believers, election is not the whole story of God’s dealing with this world.

When we, as Christians, affirm common grace, we take this world seriously in all of its sinfulness as well as in all of its goodness as created and sustained by God. We see Christ as the mediator of saving grace to the elect but also of God’s general blessings to a world that is under the curse. Thus, unbelievers can even enrich the lives of believers. John Calvin pleads against the fanaticism that would forbid all secular influence on Christians, concluding that when we disparage the truth, goodness, and beauty found among unbelievers, we are heaping contempt on the Holy Spirit Himself who bestows such gifts of His common grace (Institutes of the Christian Religion, 2.2.15).

Is Calvinism a License to Sin?

The first thing we need to say, with Martyn Lloyd-Jones, is that if we are never accused of preaching antinomianism (that is, grace-as-license), we probably have not preached the Gospel correctly. After all, Paul anticipates the question, “Shall we then sin that grace may abound?” precisely because his own argument from 3:9 to this point has pressed it: “Where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more” (5:21). At the same time, some Reformed Christians, especially those liberated from legalistic backgrounds, seem to end Paul’s argument at Romans 5:21, concluding, in effect, “God likes to forgive, I like to sin — the perfect relationship!”

The difference between being accused of antinomianism (literally, anti-law-ism) and being guilty as charged is whether we are willing to follow Paul on into chapter 6. There the apostle answers this charge by an announcement of what God has done! At first, this would seem to favor antinomians, since they place all of the emphasis on what God has done and reject, or at least downplay, the importance of imperatives. Yet in fact, what Paul announces is that God has accomplished not only our justification in Christ, but our baptism into Christ. His argument is basically this: being united to Christ necessarily brings justification and regeneration, which issues in sanctification. He does not say that Christians should not, or must not, live in sin as the principle of their existence, but that they cannot — it is an impossibility. That they do continue to sin is evident enough, especially in chapter 7, but now they struggle against it.

The fathers at Dort recognized the charge that the Reformed doctrine “ leads off the minds of men from all piety and religion; that it is an opiate administered by the flesh and the devil,” and leads inevitably to “libertinism” and “renders men carnally secure, since they are persuaded by it that nothing can hinder the salvation of the elect, let them live as they please” (Conclusion). Yet they would neither surrender the comfort of justification by Christ’s righteousness imputed nor of sanctification by Christ’s resurrection life imparted. Perfection of sanctification in this life is impossible, but just as impossible is a condition known today as the “carnal Christian.” One is either dead in Adam or alive in Christ. Again, some wish to resolve this mystery: either we can be free from all known sin, as John Wesley taught, or we can be in a state of spiritual death, as antinomianism teaches. However satisfying to our reason, such an easy resolution in either direction ignores the clear teaching of Scripture and robs us of the joy of such a full salvation.

So the two guardrails on this point emerge from the fog of legalism and antinomianism: justification and sanctification are not to be confused, but they are also not to be separated.

In addition to these other charges, Reformed theology is often regarded as “rationalistic” — that is, a system built on logic rather than on Scripture. However, I hope we have begun to see that the real rationalists are the extremists on either side of these debates. The wisdom of the Reformed confessions is that they refuse to speculate beyond Scripture and insist on proclaiming the whole counsel of God, not simply the passages that seem to reinforce one-sided emphases. It is not a question of where the logic should lead us but where the Scriptures do lead us. It might be easier to resolve the mystery in simple, either-or solutions, but such a course would certainly not be safer. So let us too strive to read all of the Scriptures together, keeping a sharp lookout for those guardrails!

Who's Watching?

2010-08-28T17:47:00.001-05:00

Matthew 5:14; Mark 4:21; John 8:12; Philippians 2:15; 2 Peter 1:19

Posted via email from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

What's So Good About Great?!

2010-08-22T03:40:00.007-05:00

"Strive for greatness."

That's what I recently saw on a billboard by the freeway. Then, coincidently enough, I was having a conversation with a friend of mine, where he was trying to help me reach my "full potential" with a pep talk that finished with:
"You're good. But you don't just wanna be good...be GREAT!"
"Right", I nodded. I don't think that he believed me though, because he looked at me like I was the biggest loser in the world. I think it had to do with the fact that I didn't seem too enthused with the notion of greatness.

The conversation bothered me, and at first, I didn't really know why. Was it because he was simply regurgitating what he had been spoon-fed by someone else? Was it because he sounded like Tony Robbins or Joel Osteen on crack? I just didn't know. I just sat there on his couch, zoned out for the rest of the afternoon trying to figure out why I was stewing over this. However, as I was driving home later, it hit me;I don't want to be great. Color me an under-achiever, but it's true. I'm not built for it...

I also started to notice how things change as we get older. Think back to when you were a kid. Everyday before you left the house, got on the bus, or got out of the car to go to school, you always heard the phrase, "Be good", or "Have a good day". But, somewhere along the way, good just wasn't good enough anymore. We treat goodness like old clothes that we've outgrown. But, truth be told, I believe that the shift from good to great is due largely in part to what we began to realize as we age; and that is that it is much easier to attain a high level of "greatness" (in a human sense) than it is to achieve the smallest amount of true goodness. From Samson, to David, to our modern day heroes; most individuals that we consider great at something, are usually extremely flawed. When it comes to good, we have to severely lower our standards of what that means to even put it in the same sentence with another human being. I remember a time when I was watching a prison documentary. They were talking to an inmate on death row who had killed his mother and step father in cold blood, but he still considered himself to be "basically, a good person". Yet, even though we lower the bar, the standard remains the same (Matthew 7:11). For us, we use greatness as a cover for our lack of goodness. You can be a great lover, a great athlete, a great teacher, great communicator, great leader, or even all of these great things combined, and still not be a good person. Examine for yourself: How many times have you seen or heard about someone who was "great" at something, yet they weren't a good family man/woman? How many times have we seen great athletes commit some of the most detestable acts, only to have our history books, memories, and legal systems let them off the hook? We have done this for so long that we are now beginning to think that the two words are synonymous, but a quick look at a dictionary will prove that to be very wrong.

The reality is, there is only One who is great (Isaiah 40:9-26). He is great because he is truly good (James 1:17). And while he doesn't share his greatness with anyone, he bestows his goodness on us all, even those who don't care for him (Matt. 5:45; Luke 6:35; Romans 5:6-11; 2 Cor. 5:21). This is the best news of all, because if you're like me, you probably realize by now that no matter how good you try to be, you just can't be "good enough" (Rom. 3:11-12, 21-26). So the real question is, why aim for something I can never be when I can't even attain what I was meant to be (Genesis 1:31)?!

So, I don't strive for greatness, but for gratefulness. I don't need to be great...I need to be good. For that, I need GRACE! (Romans 12:2; 1 Corinthians 15:10; 1 Timothy 1:12-17)

If I'm good, I'm straight. That's what is truly great (Philippians1:6)...

"Nobody knows how bad they are until they have tried very hard to be good." - C.S. Lewis

Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon

Posted via email from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

Church Growth and the Sovereignty of God by Burk Parsons

2010-08-03T02:16:00.001-05:00

It seems that every time I meet a pastor from another church, he asks me the common, unsolicited, ecclesiastical question of the twenty-first-century: “How big is your church?” Most pastors are usually a bit confounded when I respond: “I don’t know.” It’s only when I am pressed for an answer that I provide him with the number of families in our congregation. But if I am in a good mood I may simply explain that our church consists of people of every color and language and is as big as the world-wide church of Christ. It is my hope that in some, small way I might help other pastors obtain a better perspective on the size, growth, and health of the church, locally and globally.

Just this past week I had the opportunity to assist in a Lord’s Day service at Saint Andrew’s Church in Mzuzu, Malawi, in the southern part of Africa. At the beginning of the service nearly 200 were present, but before the two-hour service had concluded, more than 2,000 Malawian worshipers filled the sanctuary. Many walking from miles away in the dense, early morning fog, they dressed in their finest clothes and carried their tattered Bibles — if they were fortunate enough to own a Bible. I could not help but smile throughout the entire service except for a moment when I was brought to tears as they sang the classic hymn of the former slave trader John Newton: “Amazing Grace.”

At the end of the first verse, when the congregation sang the familiar stanza that I have sang more than a thousand times — “I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see”— it was at that exact moment I remembered that our sovereign God has already settled the entire matter of church growth. God will seek and save those who are lost by the very means He has appointed in His inspired Word. He is the sovereign Lord of all creation, and He certainly does not need to rely upon the cleverly-devised, cultic tactics and trendy, “seeker–sensitive” techniques of Madison Avenue to woo those who are blind to His Gospel. In fact, when such carefully-contrived tactics are used, the blind are usually led by the blind who lead them not to the God of the Bible but to the god of some romantic biography in which that god will do anything he must to win the affections of those he has helplessly lost. May it never be. Rather, may God continue to use the clear, unvarnished preaching of His Word by His people to seek and save the lost so that they may see His glory and live coram Deo, before His face forevermore.

via ligonier.org

In the age of mega-church madness, this is a refreshing reminder of how the church of Christ is truly multiplied (Acts 2:44-47).

Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon

Posted via email from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

Trip Lee: The Invasion (Hero)

2010-07-03T01:04:00.001-05:00

via reachrecords.com

Because the world doesn't need a hand up...it needs a Savior (John 1:29).

Posted via email from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

"Upon This Block I Will Build My Church...?" (The Church From A Distance)

2010-06-29T02:19:00.003-05:00

Late last week, I was driving along on the way back home from where I work. Maybe it was something in the air that day, or maybe it was something that I ate -- but as I drove, I started to notice something that I probably should have noticed before:

I noticed that the closer and closer I got to my home, the more and more churches I began to see. All kinds; and not little ones either. I wouldn't say they ALL fit into the "Mega-Church" category, but let's just say that you wouldn't be hurting for leg room in one of these structures.

Now at this point, you're probably thinking, "Wow. So What?". Well, here's the "what "-- I work in an area of Houston, Texas that is a low-income, high crime, "minority"-based area (or what would commonly be known as, "the hood" or "the ghetto"). But I live in a sprawling, middle to high-income, predominantly Caucasian (which I am not, by the way) area, roughly 25 minutes away. Something in me sparked and I asked the question to myself, "Why are there so many more churches being built in the suburbs than there are in the city (or more particularly, the inner-city)?"

As Tim Keller points out in his latest series, Gospel in Life, the city is where cultures, ideas and people merge. In other words, it is where you will undoubtedly find the greatest cross-section of people. So why is it that the churches seem to be running away from this? Is this not exactly where you would want to be? So what's the problem?! Why are churches in "the hood" so scarce when the area is so densely populated?

Answer: I propose that it is because we think to small. We have a microscopic view of a telescopic expansion. It appears that too many ideas that are not based on Scripture have crept in and made a home hearts and minds of many on the topic of "Church Growth". No matter how big the building, the Church itself becomes too "small".

Small Demographic
Most churches nowadays spend a whole lot of time trying to find a niche' audience. This process helps to breed what I would term as a "country club" mentality; only certain types of people can get in and/or are accepted. You have to look the part and sound the part, or else you can't take part.

Small Evangelism

Due to the fact that you only focus on a certain group of people who meet specific criterion, the act of evangelism begins to go the way of the Do-Do bird. Since your main attraction is ultimately looking the part and sounding a certain way, then there is really no need to go into the "gory details" (sin, repentance, salvation, atonement, Jesus, etc.) of the Gospel. Robust salvation in Christ is in danger of becoming easy-believer theology at this point.

Small Preaching

This is where everyone begins to operate on assumption. "Since they're here they obviously believe", so the need for the preacher to dig his heels in and give doctrinal teaching and preaching becomes unnecessary because everyone's "been there and done that". The "gospel" that is delivered is most often downgraded to the felt needs of the particular group. (i.e. Movie sermons, political preaching, etc.)

The Cause

You may be wondering what could cause such a mentality to creep in and begin to contaminate the sweetness and beauty that is the True Gospel? First and foremost, it's fear. I remember a time at a church that I was attending where the life within that small community was vibrant and full of eagerness to hear the Word. Bible studies there were always engaging and sound. But when it came time to go "across the tracks" and promote VBS and witness in a less than desirable neighborhood, you would be hard pressed to have anyone show up. When the few of us (about 10) that went showed up on site to go to work, we were told in no uncertain terms by an officer that it was indeed a rough area to be in and there was the possibility for harm. After this announcement, some of the workers opted to wait by their cars. Then, there were five.

I give this illustration not to criticize, but to show just how powerful a tool fear can be for the Devil to use to lull us back into our comfort zone. After all, is this not what he did to Jesus when he was in the wilderness? The Enemy wants us to take every opportunity to circumvent peril and discomfort, no matter how big or how small. The smaller we are willing to go to achieve comfort, the harder it will be to shake us out of our complacency to reach those who are not like ourselves. In other words, it becomes easier to become a racist or an elitist under the guise of Christianity, rather than love those who Jesus loves. Don't believe me? Then how do you explain the Ku Klux Klan or Black Liberation Theology?

The Cure

Here in the United States, even though we will claim to have made progress by leaps and bounds in the area of race relations, Sunday mornings are still one of the most segregated times of the week. Well, it doesn't have to be this way. We need to return to the source of the Scriptures; where we learn that God is no respecter of persons, status, or wealth. We see in the writings of Paul that more often than not, God chooses the low, the downtrodden and weak, to confound our silly preconceived notions. The Gospel is not to be discriminatory, but promiscuous in the nature of how it is to be shared. My prayer is that the Lord would give us new eyes and a new vision of the His Church -- that we would see it through His eyes. The Church of Jesus Christ is not to be a building of bricks and wood, but living stones -- the people themselves. I've said before and I'll say it again:

People, not a place, do the Church make.

It's not built on my "kind", my country, my hood, or my block. It's built on the Rock. The World is our neighborhood. Therefore, the Church is bigger than we think...where everyone is welcome.

And they sang a new song, saying,
“Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation,

and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,

and they shall reign on the earth.” - Revelation 5:9-10

Study References:

Matthew 16:18, 28:19; John 6:37, 7:24, 17:15-21; 1 Corinthians 1:26-29; 1 Peter 2:5; 1 John 2:2

Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon

Posted via email from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

Gifts or Giver?: Easily Amused by an Overrated Existence (C.S. Lewis & The Weight of Glory)

2010-06-27T02:59:00.002-05:00

"If our condition were truly happy we should not need to divert ourselves from thinking about it." - Blaise Pascal

Mark 4:19; James 1:17

Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon

Posted via email from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

"Not What My Hands Have Done": Justified By What's Been Done For Us - Alistair Begg

2010-05-16T02:39:00.001-05:00

via youtube.com

John 1:29; 1 Corinthians 15:1-8.

Posted via web from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

Bryan Chapell - Is The Bible A Misogynistic Document?

2010-04-26T23:41:00.001-05:00

via youtube.com

This topic comes up in conversations time and time again. Chapell does an excellent job of expounding upon the true roles of biblical masculinity and femininity.

Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon

Posted via web from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

Don Carson - What Is Sin And How Is It Different From Idolatry?

2010-04-26T23:31:00.000-05:00

True Blood, New Life

2010-04-04T04:24:00.003-05:00

If I would've been there, I would've done the same; open him to ridicule and put him to shame.
I definitely would've been the one who hated him the most. So he did what he had to do...
He Killed us both.
And when he rose up, he brought me along; to drink of his cup and sing a new song.
Truest blood shed from his wounds now covers my deepest stains - I'll never be the same.
Now I'm alive in Christ; his death my gain!! - S.W.

(Isaiah 53:1-12; Romans 6:1-11; Colossians 2:12, 3:1)

And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?
- Luke 24:5

He is risen!!!

Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon

Posted via web from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

"...How Sweet the Sound!"

2010-03-08T12:16:00.008-06:00

"So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." - Romans 10:17

Something...Someone...a voice of some kind that whispers in my ear and moves me like a hurricane. From the top of my head to the bottom of my feet-- urging...pushing...compelling...conversing with me...

I AM TRANSFORMED.

Becoming alien to friend and foe alike - a totally different creature than yesterday; I now understand. Transmission to transmission...there is no end.

Comprehend or perish. When He speaks, I listen.

(Genesis 3:8; 1 Kings 19:11-12; Matthew 7:24-27, 17:5; John 1:14; 3:8; 10:4-5; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Hebrews 1:2)

Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon

Posted via web from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

Less Religion Means More Government

2010-03-04T00:01:00.003-06:00

by Anthony B. Bradley Ph.D.

Soviet communism adopted Karl Marx’s teaching that religion was the "opiate of the masses" and launched a campaign of bloody religious persecution. Marx was misguided about the role of religion but years later many communists became aware that turning people away from religious life increases dependence on government to address life’s problems. The history of government coercion that comes from turning from religion to government makes a new study suggesting a national decline in religious life particularly alarming to those concerned about individual freedom.
The American Religious Identification Survey, published by Trinity College in Hartford, Conn., reports that we should expect one in five Americans to identify themselves as having no religious commitments by 2030. The study, titled “American Nones: The Profile of the No Religion Population,” reports that Americans professing no religion, or Nones, have become more mainstream and similar to the general public in marital status, education, racial and ethnic makeup and income. The Nones have increased from 8.1 percent of the U.S. adult population in 1990 to 15 percent in 2008.
According to the study, 22 percent of American 18 to 29-year-olds now self-identify as Nones. For those promoting dependency on government to handle the challenges of everyday life, as well as those who wish to take advantage of a growing market for morally bankrupt products and services, the news of declining religious life is welcome.

The increase in non-religious identification among younger generations highlights a continued shift away from active participation in one of the key social institutions that shaped this country. It may also come as no surprise, then, that according to the research firm Greenberg Quinlan Rosner, voters under 30 are more liberal than all other generations. When asked about their ideology, 27 percent of those under 30 identify themselves as liberal, compared to 19 percent of baby boomers, and 17 percent of seniors. Pragmatic utilitarianism, favorable views toward a larger role for government in helping the disadvantaged, and a lack of ethical norms characterize this young segment America’s population.

The most significant difference between the religious and non-religious populations is gender. Whereas 19 percent of American men are Nones only 12 percent of American women are. The gender ratio among Nones is 60 males for every 40 females.

The marketplace and society in general will both reap the consequences of high numbers of male Nones. If more and more men are abandoning the religious communities that have provided solid moral formation for thousands of years, we should not be surprised by an increase in the explosion of demand for morally reprehensible products as well as the family breakdown that follows closely behind. With consciences formed by utility, pragmatism, and sensuality, instead of virtue, we should expect to find a culture with even more women subjected to the dehumanization of strip clubs, more misogynistic rap music, more adultery and divorce, more broken sexuality, more fatherlessness, more corruption in government and business, more individualism, and more loneliness.

Alexis de Tocqueville cautioned in his 1835 reflections on Democracy in America, that the pursuit of liberty without religion hurts society because it “tends to isolate [people] from one another, to concentrate every man's attention upon himself; and it lays open the soul to an inordinate love of material gratification.” In fact, Tocqueville says, “the main business of religions is to purify, control, and restrain that excessive and exclusive taste for well-being which men acquire in times of equality.” Religion makes us other-regarding.

Historically, religious communities in the United States addressed the needs of local communities in way that were clearly outside the scope of government. For example, as David G. Dalin writes in “The Jewish War on Poverty,” between the 1820s and the Civil War, Jews laid the foundation for many charitable institutions outside the synagogue including a network of orphanages, fraternal lodges, hospitals, retirement homes, settlement houses, free-loan associations, and vocational training schools. These were also normative activities for both Protestant and Catholic religious communities on even a larger scale in communities all over America before Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal.

The reported decline in religious life is an omen that virtue-driven local charity will decline, the passion to pursue the good will wane, and Americans will look to government to guide, protect, and provide. As we turn our lives over to government control, our capacity for independent thought and action are compromised. The real “opiate of the masses,” it would seem, is not religion but the lack of it.

via acton.org

Ideas have consequences. This is a notion that needs to be heavily considered here.

Posted via web from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon

How to Kill and Be Killed 101: Teach the Gospel, Save the World!

2010-02-18T15:01:00.001-06:00

"The fact of sin in Christ's scheme of redemption is fundamental and must be kept to the front. Men must not be allowed to forget the fact that they are sinners and that the wages of sin is death. This is a doctrine that men don't like to hear about. They know that they are sinners, but they try to forget it. This is why often they plunge into all kinds of frivolities in order to get away from the serious thought of sin and its fatal consequences. This is why, unfortunately, in order to comply with or not to offend that kind of sentiment, many pulpits have little or nothing to say about sin.

One thing we may be sure of: as this aspect of man's condition drops out of our preaching, things will steadily grow worse, and men will become more and more set in their evil ways. For if there is no such thing as sin, or no evil consequences to follow, then there is no reason why we shouldn't open all the floodgates of passions and evil inclinations and desires and let things go at full speed, no reason why we should not adopt as our philosophy of life the motto, 'Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.' It is to save men from that stupid, foolish delusion that Christ makes imperative in His plan of rescue the necessity of stressing, and stressing with ever-increasing emphasis, the fact of sin as man's most serious problem...

And here we are directed not only to teach but what we are to teach...

In this campaign for saving a lost world, for bettering conditions, the contents of this Book [the bible] must be carefully studied and taught, line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little, in season and out of season. Thus we should understand and see that careful provision is made, under compotent teachers, for the study of the Word of God...and yet how often we find men in our pulpits searching heaven and earth for something new to preach about, while this treasure-house of wisdom and knowledge, of things necessary to salvation, is neglected, passed by, and overlooked...They have preached on almost everything except Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God whose blood alone cleanses from sin. The thought of sin, from which we need to be saved, has largely dropped out of most of our preaching...

People attend the churches, but rarely are their consciences pricked. They attend the churches but hear little about their sins and shortcomings. They attend the churches, but their self-complacency is never disturbed by what they hear, or at least rarely. They hear and go away feeling no sense of lack on their part and no wish or desire to live more worthily than they are living. Divine unrest rarely stirs within them; no welling up of great and ennobling desires is awakened within them. The people listen and go away to gossip, to tattle, to keep on in their evil ways...

The question is often asked, what is to be the future of Christianity as it comes into competition with other religions and with Communism, Nationalism, Capitalism, and all antagonistic forces? To my mind there is absolutely no need to worry about that matter...The only thing that we need to be concerned about is to see that we carry out faithfully the instructions of our Lord; that we be true to the solemn trust committed to us; that we go on teaching His word, line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little, in season and out of season, and give ourselves no concern about its future. Its future is assured. God is behind it. It cannot fail.

Let us stop worrying about the future of Christianity and get down to the hard work in carrying out the instructions of our Lord."

(Mark 16:15; 1 Peter 1:18-19; Romans 8:3-4; 1 Corinthians 1:17-24; Matthew 16:18; Revelation 1:17-18, 6:2; Zechariah 4:6-7; Daniel 2:34-35)

Excerpts from Francis Grimke`, Christ's Program for the Saving of the World (February 28, 1936)

Soli Deo Gloria,

Shon

Posted via web from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

Hope For Haiti...In This World and the World to Come

2010-02-10T23:56:00.001-06:00

Psalm 34:18; Acts 17:26-27; John 1:14; Hebrews 4:16

Help the Cause here.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Shon

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Truly Overcoming: Putting Grace Before Race (Revisited)

2010-01-28T14:24:00.006-06:00

I originally posted this a few years ago. I'm reposting this, due to the fact that I still think that it contains some things of first importance that need to be said. In a nation that has witnessed the inaguration of the first black president of the United States, there is even more of a reason to keep these things before us. As a Christian first and an African-American second, there is a burden on my heart to speak plainly and clearly about what it means to truly overcome the sins in our society. Using the Word of God and a long forgotten figure in the history of Black America, I seek to accomplish this task. Regardless of race, I pray that all who read are challenged, convicted and encouraged.
Soli Deo Gloria...

'Twas mercy that brought me from my pagan land
Taught my benighted soul to understand
That there's a God, that there's a Saviour too:
Once I redemption neither sought nor knew
Some view our race with scornful eye,
'Their color is a diabolical dye'
Remember, Christians; Negros, black as Cain
May be refined and join th' angelic train.

-On Being Brought from Africa to America, by Phyllis Wheatley (America's First Black Poet)

In light of our most recent holiday (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day) and with Black History month speedily approaching, there's no better time than the present to reflect upon the struggles and accomplishments of African-American people in this country, right? However, in our reflections, sometimes perspective gets lost in the spirit of the chase. We tend to take mantras such as "We Shall Overcome" and "Free At Last" and we rob them of their glory by our shortsightedness. This is why I find it appropriate to reflect on Ms. Wheatley's 'On Being Brought from Africa'. This poem's primary focus is on the overarching sovereignty and purposefulness of God in all of life.

Wheatley says that it was 'mercy' that brought her from her 'pagan' land. She was kidnapped and brought to America on a slave ship when she was about seven years old. Yet, she calls it mercy. Today, this statement may be seen, even in the Christian community, as controversial. Yet to Wheatley, this is a good thing because it brought her to salvation, despite the means that were used to attain it. After all, as she states, it was by this act that her 'benighted' soul was taught 'that there's a God and a Saviour too'. In her biography it states that she was bought by a Boston family that took her in as one of their own and taught how to read and write (Greek and Latin as well), and even more particularly taught her in the way of Scripture. Wheatley, in her reflection upon the events of her life, clearly connects the dots for us. She is well aware that if not for the Hand of Providence putting her on that ship to America, she never comes in contact with the Wheatley family. If she never meets the Wheatleys, she never hears of God or Jesus Christ. This theme of sovereign mercy is unrelenting, even as it turns to the social tensions of her day.

Many saw blacks as being sub-human and evil because of their native ways and skin tone. Wheatley does not shy away from this at all as she recalls:

"Some view our race with scornful eye, 'Their color is a diabolical dye'."

Now, take note of her admonition in the final stanzas:

"Remember, Christians; Negros, black as Cain, may be refined and join th' angelic train."

Notice that the petition is not to all of "white America” or even to the government. Her appeal is to the Christians; Wheatley's primary concern for her fellow Africans is not emancipation, but evangelization. Wheatley understands that the only way for them to be truly free is through the redemptive work of Christ on the Cross. Even as she herself was freed by her family, in the legal sense, all other forms of freedom are subordinate and secondary when it comes to the liberation of the soul through the Gospel. The reference to Cain helps to drive this point home. Cain was "marked" and "blackened" as punishment for the murder of his brother, Abel. Yet, while this was a curse, it was also God's way of showing mercy towards Cain, as it would protect him from the same fate that he had dealt to his brother. If anyone is to murder Cain their punishment will be sevenfold. The color of his skin gives him a chance for redemption; to repent of his sins and find peace with God, with whom, at the moment, he is at enmity (sadly, he does not). Wheatly, being a student of the Bible is well aware of what this imagery conjures up with the Christian family. She is appealing not just to the darkness of Cain's skin, but to the greater darkness of his heart, which is the way of all men who have never encountered Christ. While true that Africans had been "marked" for slavery by the whites due to the color of their skin, behind the horrific history of the slave trade is a glorious history of redemption that is to be unfolded. This is the urgency in Wheatley's message. Seeing the work of Salvation through Christ in her own life has prompted her to seek true liberation of her enslaved people; a liberation by which no government can deliver. So, she restricts her message to the Body of Christ, urging them to remember the darkness that they once knew; calling to remembrance that while they were still in sin, darkened in their understanding, God reached out and saved them by washing them clean in the blood of Christ. Sin is the ultimate "slave master" from which she wishes to free her countrymen; once freed from sin, they will be free to be the bondservants of Christ.

Though short in length, this piece is pregnant with imagery and insight. This summation of it all is this: Even as we look back today, we cannot deny that much of this sentiment has been lost. I believe that Phyllis Wheatley gives us an accurate model of how we should see all of the atrocities of our world from a Christian perspective, be it racism or any other forms of social injustice. Although they exist, we must understand that Providence is at work behind every action, though we may not understand or see it at that moment. Also, we must not lose sight of the fact that all of the wrongs of this world, are brought on by our own inherent sinful natures. We are all 'black as Cain' and 'benighted in our souls' apart from the redeeming work of Christ, regardless of our status or position in the world. It is the church's job as those who have been called out of the darkness, to take the light of Christ back into the darkness, understanding that Christ, and only Christ, is the answer to changing of the hearts and minds of men. Putting grace before race is the only way liberate all men and restore human dignity among the various peoples of the world. No matter what advancements are gained by any group of people or individual-- without Christ, they are still in bondage.

In the words of former slave trader turned Christian hymn writer, John Newton:

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound! That saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found; was blind, but now I see. ’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, And grace my fears relieved; How precious did that grace appear The hour I first believed! Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come; ’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home. -Amazing Grace

Scripture Study References:

Genesis 4:1-16; Psalm 82:3-4; Proverbs 31:8-9; Genesis 50:20; John 8:34-36, 12:32; Romans 8:35, 37-39; Philippians 3:7-9; Revelation 5:9-10

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Faith & Reason: A conversation about religion, spirituality & ethics

2010-01-20T23:55:00.003-06:00

Reading this article brings to remembrance Isaiah 1:17. Be prayerful...

Youth in lawless Haiti at risk for sex trade, slavery, murder
Brace yourself for a new level of horror in Haiti: Vulnerable children and teens sold into slavery and the sex trade, or simply shot in the streets for no reason.
You can take it from an expert on these miseries. Nicolette Gramms, who worked with an human rights agency, the International Justice Mission that specialized in rescuing the victims, writes for The Atlantic that "natural disasters unfailingly bring us new business." She says:
In today's world, the twin causes of human slavery -- poverty and vulnerability -- increase exponentially after natural disasters... Even without the pandemonium unleashed by a 7.0 earthquake, an estimated quarter-million Haitian children are trafficked (into slave labor or the sex trade) within the country each year.
Now, Rev. Mark Driscoll, the pastor of Seattle's Mars Hill Church who is known nationwide for his blunt talking sermons and in-your-face evangelism, has seen the sex trade revving up amid the rubble.
Driscoll and James MacDonald of Harvest Bible Chapel in Chicago raced down to Haiti to assess the damages to the church infra-structure and launch a drive to rebuild places of worship, churcheshelpingchurches.org.
Faith groups offer the fundamental social network for education, welfare and health in a nation with virtually no government -- and that was true before the quake. .
Driscoll's reports on quake deaths of church choirs, pastors who have lost families flocks and buildings included two particularly chilling experiences, posted to his PastorMark Twitter page and Facebook accounts.
Driscoll described those experiences to me in his first interview back in the states last night.
They were standing at the near the entrance to the Evangelical Theological Seminary, a 75-year-old school on a hill that is now sheltering 5,000 homeless Haitians, when they heard, "Pop! Pop!"
They looked just a few feet outside of the refuge and there they found a teenage boy has been murdered "for no apparent reason. He was just shot in the head and left in the street."
Driscoll and Macdonald also saw a glimpse of what lies ahead for many young girls. His posting on line:
If u want a phone, cigarettes or a teenage girl you can get them here in Port au Prince. Like the American who said he's on a relief mission and bought a hungry girl despite our confrontation.
I asked Driscoll more about that scene in a brief phone interview with him last night, minutes after his return last night to the USA.
We were downtown loading up our film crew. There were no police, no medics, to be seen by a huge park with hundreds of people camping out with no where else to go. There was a little cart with a red umbrella and a man selling cell phones and cigarettes -- and a few young girls.
"You want to buy loving?" the guy asked me. I said, "What in the world are you talking about?"
But there was another guy there, who claimed to be a translator for a relief agency, who was negotiating a price for a girl. I asked him what he was trying to do. He said, "Oh, she's a friend of mine. We're just trying to connect."
That's ridiculous. A young girl. A man 20 or 30 years older. I told him this was unacceptable. MacDonald confronted him, too. But there were no police and you could argue all you wanted but the girl took his money and they walked away."
The pastors plan to send the man's photo to the relief agency where he claimed to work but the incident has left Driscoll, a father of four, including a teenage daughter, shaking with anger.
So, if you're within sound or reach of Driscoll or MacDonald this Sunday -- and more than 80,000 people are part of their church networks, millions more download Driscoll's sermons or tune in the MacDonald's radio show -- expect harrowing stories and a challenge from the pulpit that won't mince words. Driscoll says,
We're not going to compete with existing aid groups. We just want to use our influence to help churches effectively mobilize to raise funds for relief...
People are desperate. Young girls are ripe for the worst you can imagine.

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? - Micah 6:8

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. - James 1:27

Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon

Posted via web from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

How Will They Hear Without a Preacher?

2010-01-20T09:00:00.002-06:00

Preaching has fallen on hard times. So suggests a report out of Durham University's College of Preachers. The British university's CODEC research center, which aims to explore "the interfaces between the Bible, the digital environment and contemporary culture," conducted the study to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the College of Preachers. The report is not very encouraging.
As Ruth Gledhill of The Times [London] reports, "Sermons, history shows, can be among the most revolutionary forms of human speech. From John Calvin to Billy Graham, preaching has had the power to topple princes, to set nation against nation, to inspire campaigners to change the world and impel people to begin life anew."
Indeed, preaching is the central act of Christian worship, but its great aim reaches far above merely changing the world. The preaching of the Word of God is the chief means by which God conforms Christians to the image of Christ. Rightly understood, true Christian preaching is not aimed only at this earthly life, but is the means whereby God prepares his people for eternity.
Yet, you wouldn't know this if you judged the importance of preaching by its place in many of today's congregations. Gledhill observes, "In many churches this most vibrant of moments has withered to little more than 20 minutes of tired droning that serves only to pad out the gap between hymns and lunch."
The withering of preaching is not uniform in all congregations and denominations. Evangelicals were most enthusiastic about preaching, while others registered less appreciation for the preached Word. Interestingly, Gledhill reports that "Baptists and Catholics were also more enthusiastic about the Bible being mentioned in sermons than were Anglicans and Methodists."
The Anglicans also expressed a desire to be entertained, rather then educated. The Rev. Kate Bruce, Fellow in Preaching and Communication at the CODEC center, said that "in a culture which values entertainment and likes stand-up, over a quarter [of respondents] said they want preaching to be entertaining, too."
Well, they will have to be quick about the entertainment. Many Anglicans indicated that they wanted the sermon to be less than ten minutes long. As Gledhill remarks, they might be willing to allow up to twenty minutes "if there was no 'waffle.'"
Perhaps the biggest question raised by the report is why so many British churchgoers (96.6%) said they "look forward" to the sermon. Ruth Gledhill comments:
In their report the Durham researchers admit to puzzlement that so many people looked forward to the sermons, and confess that more work was needed to find out why.
The report questions whether people look forward to the sermon so much for the content, the engagement, the entertainment, the theology or simply that it gives them time to switch off.
Time to switch off? According to the report, Britain has only 3.6 million "regular churchgoers" out of a population of over 60 million. That is, only about five percent of Britons even attend church services on any regular basis. Evidently, many of those who do attend "look forward" to a very short message from a preacher that entertains them.
England, of course, is the nation that once gave us preachers the likes of Charles Simeon, Charles Spurgeon, and Martyn Lloyd-Jones. Now, with the rare and blessed exception of some faithful evangelical churches, preaching has fallen on desperate times.
Some observers of British life now estimate that in any given week Muslim attendance at mosques outnumbers Christian attendance at churches. That means that there are probably now in Britain more people who listen to imams than to preachers.
This raises an interesting question: Is the marginalization of biblical preaching in so many churches a cause or a result of the nation's retreat from Christianity? In truth, it must be both cause and effect. In any event, there is no hope for a recovery of biblical Christianity without a preceding recovery of biblical preaching. That means preaching that is expository, textual, evangelistic, and doctrinal. In other words, preaching that will take a lot longer than ten minutes and will not masquerade as a form of entertainment.
Time and time again, God's people have been rescued by a recovery of biblical teaching and preaching. The right preaching of the Word of God is the first essential mark of the church. As the Reformers made clear, where that mark is absent, there is no church at all.
The study conducted for the College of Preachers is interesting, if also frightening. But little is gained from asking confused people what kind of preaching they want. The faithful preacher takes as his first and most sacred responsibility the charge to give the congregation the preaching it needs.

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. - Romans 10:14-17

Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon

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Sermon of the Week: Contextualizing Suffering Through the Knowledge of Christ

2010-01-19T09:22:00.001-06:00

2 Corinthians 4:7-18

“You must submit to supreme suffering in order to discover the completion of joy.” - John Calvin

Our Featured Sermon

Contextualizing sufferingKen Jones | Sunday Service

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Evangel Lies: Sufferers Need Not Apply!

2010-01-17T13:52:00.002-06:00

Pat Robertson has done it again...unfortunately.
He stated earlier this week that the occurrence of the tragic earthquake in Haiti was due to the fact that they are an evil people ("making a pact with the Devil"), deserving of such an event.

I'm no history major, but I'm almost certain that that's not quite the way it went down. Also, he is trying to say that the other half of Hispanola is better off than the Haitians because it didn't suffer from the earthquake. Once again, Robertson has spoken in places where God has not, and in doing so has failed to rightly divide the Word of Truth in a time where it is most needed. We as Christians should not kick those who are down, but instead use the tragedies that occur in a fallen world as a means of grace to bring them the Good News of the Gospel. All of our care, aid and money should always be front loaded with our own familiar dealings with suffering - which Christians also endure (Hebrews 10:32-36); showing them how the redemption from brokenness of sin only wrought through the person and work of Christ. We shouldn't listen to Pat, but to the Word of God. Tragedy is indeed tragedy, but the hope above all of that is that Christ is indeed Christ. And since he overcame suffering and death, so shall all those who believe in him (Psalm 79:11; Isaiah 53:5; Romans 1:18, 3:23, 8:18-25; Luke 13:1-5; 2 Corinthians 4:7-18; Philippians 4:11-13; James 1:2-4; Revelation 6:9-11, 21:5).
Whether recessions,earthquakes and everything in between...the answer remains the same.

Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon

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Jesus Wants The Rose!: The Gospel v. Religion

2010-01-04T23:22:00.002-06:00

It's been about a month since Matt Chandler's surgery...I'm praying that the Lord will continue to be with him in his recovery.
Here he is, at a Desiring God Conference from last year, sharing what the difference is between the Gospel of Christ and mere inoculated, religious language. We see and hear from the example given here that sometimes we allow our silly myths and vain philosophies to get in the way of what Christ actually says that we are to be in the world - In it and not of it (John 17:15). All too often, there is the temptation to withdraw ourselves from sinners, which leads us in to sin as well (Galatians 2:11-14). My prayer is this - may we all be convicted, challenged to have a more Christocentric gospel that will lead others with the help of God's grace to Jesus also (Matthew 9:13; Mark 2:17; Romans5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21).

Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon

Posted via web from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

Stealing Jesus, Saving Christmas

2009-12-24T23:38:00.003-06:00

And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” - Luke 2:10-12

I was watching the local news tonight, and heard a report that someone is going around stealing Baby Jesus figurines and statues from Nativity scenes. As I thought about the story, I came to this conclusion:

I want to say thank you to the Nativity Scene Bandit(s), whoever he/she/they are. While I don't condone your stealing, I believe that God has providentially used your unacceptable act for good. Now before anyone begins to think that I've completely flipped out, I will explain with the much provided help of the Scriptures.
Your act has helped me to remember that while Christmas is the time of year that we commemorate the birth of the Christ-Child, we sometimes have a great oversight in regards to the implications of that birth (Isaiah 9:6-7; Luke 2:30-32). The gift that is attained in the birth of Jesus doesn't stop there; it is only the beginning (John 1:1-5; Hebrews 1:1-4). Just as it can be seen in your theft, Jesus is no longer in the manger (Luke 2:40; John 1:14). He was born with a purpose - to save those whom would believe in him from certain sin and death, and bring them into eternal life with himself (John 3:16, 6:37, 44). Through his life, death, and resurrection our sins are forgiven (Romans 3:25; Hebrews 2:17; 1 John 2:2, 4:10). Now being righteous through his work and at peace with God, we as a result offer up ourselves to God and to our fellow man through the gift of faith and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, we now offer up ourselves as living sacrifices knowing that nothing can separate us from his love or unity with God (Romans 5:1-21, 8:1-39).
So, there may be some sort of statement that you're trying to make by doing what you've done. But what you must realize is this -- there's nothing left to do (or steal) that Jesus hasn't already done for us (Matthew 12:29; Isaiah 53:12).
Besides...it's much more satisfying and assuring to know that you a securely in the grasp of the Good Shepherd, never again to be snatched from his hands than it is to go around snatching fake plastic baby dolls from Nativity Scenes (John 10:27-30). I'm just sayin'...

"No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found..." - Joy to the World by Isaac Watts (1719)

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” - Luke 2:14

Soli Deo Gloria - Merry Xmas,
Shon

Posted via web from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

The Virgin Birth

2009-12-24T03:14:00.003-06:00

http://issuesetc.org/?p=2121

Posted using ShareThis

"Enjoy Prosperity..., but When Hard Times Strike..."

2009-12-18T18:33:00.007-06:00

This is an excerpt from a sermon given by my friend and personal Pastor Dr. Bob Roane during his Sunday school class at Christ E.P. Church. I wanted to share his message with everyone.

Ecclesiastes 7:14: Enjoy prosperity while you can, but when hard times strike, realize that both come from God. Remember that nothing is certain in this life." (NLT)

The first part of the verse is easy to understand, yet I still manage to forget how the Lord Jesus has blessed me. To compare myself with others, imagine shrinking global population to 100 people, with all existing ratios unchanged:

There would be 57 Asians, 21 Europeans, 14 from the Western hemisphere (North and South) and 8 Africans. 70 non-Christian, 30 Christian.
50% of the world's wealth would be in the hands of only 6 people (all citizens of the US). 80 live in substandard housing; 70 are unable to read; 50 suffer from malnutrition.
1 would be near death; 1 near birth. Only 1 with a college education; no one would own a computer.

How can I be cheerless when the Lord provides for me so richly? Instead of comparing myself with others who have more, Christ shows me billions who have less. In material and spiritual advantages, God has lavished His gifts upon us. So let us give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for us with things to enjoy, not selfishly, but as occasions for glorifying Him and doing good to others-as stewards. He creates a lifestyle of thanks-living in us which involves attitudes and actions, behaviors and beliefs, character and conduct.

God rebuked Old Testament Israel for ungratefulness because they did not serve Him with gladness after He showed them such abundant kindness-all undeserved. In the New Testament He groups ungratefulness with scandalous sins and declares that failing to honor Jesus as God or giving thanks to Him is a mark of pagans with foolish and darkened hearts.

Because happy hours and sunny days don't last, Ecclesiastes 7:14 says, "When hard times strike, realize that both [merry and miserable moments] come from God. The Hebrew word for adversity covers all negative situations-bad, sad, disagreeable, displeasing, distressing, hurtful and painful. This wide range of meaning is what the Apostle James means when he says that we face trials of many kinds. The Lord calls us to face reality (not deny it); to confront it (not refuse it); to consider and learn what He is trying to teach us. Unpleasant days come from our Heavenly Father's hand as surely as pleasant ones.

As I read this, I thought about an old friend who recently went through a tough breakup and subsequently had a good friend pass away. He has spoken much about wondering why God has been making him suffer so much and why has God turned his back on him. Suffering is not God turning his back on us. Adversity is what is sometimes needed to make us realize how much we need to lean on and gain strength from Him because we are not capable of doing it alone. So what are we to do when we suffer? Here are some questions to ponder.

Am I being punished by God by sin? Confess known sin.

Is Satan attacking me as I try to survive as a Christian? Call on God for strength.

Is my suffering due to some unknown reason? Don't draw inward from the pain. Proclaim your faith in God, know that he cares and wait patiently for his aid.

Is my suffering a result of natural consequences for which I am not directly responsible? Recognize that in a sinful world, both good and evil people suffer. But the good person has a promise from God that his or her suffering will one day come to an end.
Sola Gratia,
Johnny

Bless the Mother of Jesus, but Mainly Be the Mother of Jesus: John Piper on the Veneration of Mary

2009-12-02T12:39:00.001-06:00

This is from today's Desiring God post :

The veneration given to Mary in the Roman Catholic church is beyond what is warranted by the New Testament. In fact, it is astonishing how little we see of Mary in the New Testament. Let us honor her unique motherhood. Let us count her blessed as the mother of our incarnate Lord. But let us not put her on a pedestal that neither she nor Jesus would have approved of.

After she turns up with the disciples praying in the upper room in Acts 1:14, she is never mentioned again in the New Testament. This is astonishing to anyone who thinks that the veneration of Mary was an essential part of early church life. It was not important enough to be mentioned in any of the New Testament books after Acts...

Read the rest of the article.

The Sword v. The Cross: A Case Study

2009-11-13T14:44:00.003-06:00

How deep a contrast between "Radical Islam" and true "Radical" Christianity. I pray that all who truly confess Christ be encouraged by our brother's bravery (John 15:13).

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Nov. 12 (UPI) -- A Christian janitor died saving the lives of Muslims in the suicide attack at the International Islamic University in Islamabad, Pakistan, officials say...

"As a Christian, a person of minority, he stood in front of the Taliban to protect the university." (more)

Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon

Ask Pastor John - Live!!

2009-11-04T08:30:00.000-06:00

Great questions. Great answers. Great Pastor. Check it out here.

For All The Saints...

2009-11-01T20:01:00.001-06:00

To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. - Romans 1:7

Psalm 97:10

Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon

With Bad Intentions: Matthew 5:21-26

2009-10-05T00:26:00.006-05:00

"For the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God." - James 1:20

Reading the words of Christ in this passage (Matt. 5:21-26) takes us back to the story of Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:1-16). This is a pivotal story in the course of mankind, as well as the very beginning of the case study on human anger. The anger that is produced in the heart of Cain is so closely linked to the type of anger here in this passage due to the fact that it is anger without cause. It is important to note that Jesus is not saying that all anger is wrong. He himself got angry on several occasions (Matt. 21:12, Mark 16:14). The anger that is discussed here is not a righteous anger, but one that is born out of our sinful nature that seeks to covet and destroy (Romans 3:10-18). Cain didn't just decide to murder his brother on a whim; it was premeditated (Genesis 4:8). To examine it closely we will see that he hated his brother because of his willingness to do right by God (Genesis 4:6-7). Cain, desiring to have the approval of God himself, decides that it would be so much easier to eliminate the obstacle (than to do right by God as he is told). His unjust anger was the precursor to the crime. He has killed his brother in his heart long before he actually laid a hand on him.

And so it is with all of us (James 3:8-10, 4:1-3). How often do we call names out of anger or speak ill of another person? This is something that we should really give a lot of thought to for good reasons:

1. All men are created in the image of God.

Man is a peculiar creature because of this very distinction. Therefore, God takes the shedding of man's blood very seriously. To degrade, disfigure, or destroy another human is to attack the very image of God. If you stop to consider all of the crimes against humanity throughout the ages, it will be clear that before any form of physical abuse, oppression , or genocide ever took place...there was poisonous rhetoric that began to flow out of the mouths of certain individuals. Spilling forth from a heart of darkness came the wrath of Cain that set the course of bloodshed into motion. So it is with all men in their fallen, unregenerate state. Any unjust attack on the character of our fellow man is an attack on the Creator himself (Genesis 9:5-6). We must be conscious of this before we speak in judgment on anyone (John 7:24) .

2. Christ brings about reconciliation for both us and God and one another.

Being followers in Christ we must remember what he truly accomplishes in his earthly ministry. The key theme is reconciliation from start to finish. Because Christ has died for our sins, thereby reconciling us to God. In turn, as we are being conformed everyday more and more to the image of our Savior by the Holy Spirit, we will in turn out of our love for God, be reconciled with our fellow man. We will not regard them only as there status allows or by the size of there pocket books, or whatever petty means by which we judge, but we will see all men the same: even though the image has been shattered, ALL men, women, and children are made in the image of the Creator, which gives them infinite worth in the sight of the Lord. After all, God sent his Son to earth, in the form of a man, to bring man into his presence and to glorify his name throughout the earth. This is where man's true identity lies in Christ - not as some sort of cosmic mistake that slithered out of some sort of primordial ooze and then grew legs. And if it is important enough for God to crush his own Son for our sake, how much more important should it be for us to do the same. It is through reconciliation that the gospel is born (Matt. 5:7; Rom. 5:10; 2 Cor. 5:18-20, 7:10-12).

3. Failing to carry this out has serious consequences - both physically and spiritually.

We cannot ignore Jesus' warning at the end of this passage. Several things must be taken into consideration. The first is that reconciliation should come before sacrifice. If we know that we have wronged someone or that someone has something against us, we should take care of that before we go before the alter. To go without being reconciled only produces a hardness of heart on both parts; our sin of impenitence will only serve to incite the sin of vengeance in the hearts the one who has been wronged. As we heard it said be fore, two wrongs don't make a right...and in this case the seeds of anger planted will reap wrath on all sides the wrath of Cain in our own hearts, and even worse still, the wrath of God on our vengeful, slanderous, murderous hearts (Psalm 79:12, Isaiah 65: 6-7, Matt. 18:23-35, Luke 6:38) .

So let us turn away from our sin, by accepting the reconciliation with God through Christ, who turns away the wrath of God, and in doing so we shall be able to learn how to turn away our wrath against our own kind as we are commanded; Let's put anger in its proper place - towards the sin in our own lives (Rom. 8:13, 12:17-21; Eph. 4:26-27; 1 John 3:11-16; 1 Peter 3:18).

"An I for an I will never satisfy 'til there's nothin' left to see." - Derek Webb

Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon

Brewing Conviction: The Legacy of Arthur Guinness

2009-09-24T07:00:00.040-05:00

I ran across this article from a tweet that I recieved the other day. What a better way can anyone think of to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the world's greatest beer(in my not so humble opinion)! This piece gives some great insight on the man who started it all. May we all be so passionate about the affairs and afflictions of the world as Arthur Guinness (1 Corinthians 10:31)...

What makes this an interesting event is not simply that it marks 25o years of brewing for Ireland’s national beer, but rather that the man behind the beer is so remarkable.
(continued)

Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon

Plastic Jesus: The Indictment on Western Christianity

2009-09-08T06:00:00.000-05:00

"America ain't Christian; we just practicin' the ritual..." - Lecrae

I saw this clip and thought about the unfortunate reality that it represents of Christianity in our culture. Pray for authentic knowledge and love for Christ in the Visible Church. Authentic worship that makes Christ himself more visible to the watching world. And even more, go and make disciples. It's not our job to get conversions...

but it is our job to tell the the story (the WHOLE story) right.

Matthew 7:21-23, Luke 9:35, 1 John 2:5-6; 3:18, Revelation 2:4-5

Soli Deo Gloria,

Shon

Labor of Love

2009-09-07T00:00:00.002-05:00

Just wanted to take some time out on this day to wish you all a happy Labor Day. And as we head back into the workforce tomorrow, remember that we work for the greatest Boss in the world...everything is sacred. Do it 'til we're done (Ecclesiastes 2:24-26, 9:10; Matthew 11:28-30; John 6:29; 1 Corinthians 10:31, 15:10; Philippians 1:6, 2:12-13; Colossians 3:17, 3:23-24, James 2:14-26).

And here's some Tuesday morning theme music...pick it up here.

Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon

And Now...A Morey Moment: For the Love of God

2009-09-06T15:00:00.000-05:00

I must confess something. I love Robert Morey. Some of my friends don't really care for him too much because they say that he's "crazy". I have to agree, but that's the very reason that I love him! He's crazy like a fox...I'm talking "Batman Crazy".

Here he is tackling the topic of the Love of God. Enjoy. I know I did...

Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon

Evangel Lies: Picket Signs of the Times

2009-07-25T17:15:00.000-05:00

The Phelps family of Westboro Baptist Church is at it again. This time, they've decided to protest the funeral of Walter Cronkite. If you're like me when I first heard this little tidbit of info, you're asking, "Ummm...why?". But the article makes it all clear. Apparently, it is because Walter Cronkite is a "fag-lover":

“We protest all this holy Cronkite worship. He was no hero to God. On his Cronkite Watch, America was surrendered to the fag-agenda. Ergo, Cronkite is now in Hell. And that’s the way it is. God hates Cronkite. “

That statement would fall under the category of Passing Judgement 101; and not of a righteous kind (John 7:24). What they propagate is a completely twisted view of the "gospel" - replete with picket signs and derogatory catch-phrase t-shirts:

"Our only message is love God and he’ll bless you...disobey God and he’ll destroy you.”

Hate to be a killjoy, Phelps family, but this is not THE Gospel. It's just judgement - that's all and nothing else (Matt. 7:3-5).

Where's the salvation? Where's the redemption of sins? Where's CHRIST!! Telling people to come to God without giving them the means by which to come? The idea of Christianity being touted by Fred Phelps and his WBC congregation is the antithesis of the way that we are to communicate the message of Christianity to a world that is lost. Until Jesus Christ comes again, we are to preach the Good News that Christ died to save the ungodly - that Jesus is the way for us to be reconciled to God for our sins. The reason that these men, women, and (unfortunately) children show up at funerals and picket the dead (while name calling), is because it is what they identify with spiritually - Death. It is a doctrine of death separated from the One who gives life (John 3:16, 6:44). This family has overstepped their boundaries by bringing final judgement on the world, when Christ has not yet done so (John 12:47-48).

They talk of love for God, yet they ignore the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19-20). Are we to warn of the wrath to come? Absolutely! But, we are also to tell them of The Way out (Acts 17:22-33). Without this, what you see is what you get - which is nothing. Just blind men screaming at other blind men about how blind they are. Truth is, the WBC members need to be saved just as badly as the people that they protest against. They fail to see that they have little effect on the audience (other than to maybe anger a few), reducing them to a self-seeking, media-circus sideshow; irrelevant fodder for the masses.

To the Westboro Baptist Community:

My prayer for you is this:

May you be convicted of your own sins (Rom. 3:23), and repent. Seek the Lord Jesus Christ while he may be found. Submit to the whole counsel of God as it has been given to us in the Scriptures (Matt. 7:2, Luke 6:37-38, Rom. 2:1). May the Love of Christ compel you so that you may learn to have love for those whom Christ loves (Matt. 11:19, Luke 15:2). Give way to the Great Commission of our Lord...(2 Cor. 5:20, Jude 1:23)

It's about being sent to make disciples, not sending people to Hell (Luke 5:32).

Soli Deo Gloria,

Shon

Mr. Puritan: Regeneration & Fruit of Faith

2009-07-19T16:21:00.000-05:00

Mr. Puritan gives a brief explanation of John 3:1-5...

for further study: John 1:13, Ezekiel 36:25-27, Mark 16:16, Luke 17:20-21, Acts 2:38, Ephesians 5:26, Titus 3:5, Hebrews 10:22, John 10:9; 14:6.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Shon

Breaking Bad: The Gospel According to Matt. 5:17-20

2009-07-17T14:05:00.001-05:00

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

Growing up, I had this passage explained to me on several occasions, but I can say in all honesty, none of those explanations ever gave me any sort of feelings of eternal peace or rest in Jesus. The way that those in charge of my spiritual formation explained this passage to me sounded something like this:

"Now that we've accepted Jesus, we have to do everything in our power to follow his commandments, or else we won't receive our reward in heaven."

This is more or less a composite of several explanations, but the implication remains the same. Even recently, I heard a well-meaning minister urge his congregation to follow the Savior using this same sentiment. The problem with approaching this passage in this manner is that it:

(1) will only drive us to despair.
and,
(2) unless we look to Jesus himself as the key to interpreting this passage, we will miss the point altogether.

Jesus coming to fulfill the law is not meant to be seen merely as a parroting of what Moses brought to the people of Israel (Hebrews 3:1-6). The Pharisees accused Him of breaking the law because they (much like so many of us today) did not see Jesus as THE fulfillment of the OT law and prophecy(Matthew 17:1-5, Rom. 3:21). Therefore, they spent their time manufacturing righteousness. It is important to remember that the Pharisees were extremely lawful. Their righteousness was founded upon this very fact (they also believed that it was their lawful righteousness that would usher in the Messiah and his kingdom). However, their fanatical need to fulfill the law via their own abilities left them lopsided; for they neglected the greater issues and purpose of the law (Rom. 3:21, Gal. 3:24). This led them and the people that they were supposed to be serving into total despair. While they were so busy following the law, as well as making up new ones to keep, they ignored the law altogether (Matthew 23:1-39).

And so it is with us. When we look to ourselves or a jury of our peers as a parameter for our righteousness, it will lead us to nothing less than many sleepless nights (Matthew 10:28). By these standards, when are we ever good enough? Especially when we take into account the law of God, which we are all guilty of breaking. We are all aware of the fact the we just don't measure up. So we, like our first parents, spend our lives making suits of fig leaves; trying to hide the truth of how flawed we are (Gen. 3:1-7, 1 John 1:8,10; 2:4).

Enter the despair. We know that we're not right (Psalm 14: 3, Eccl. 7:20, Rom. 3:9-18). We just don't want anyone else to find out. But a leaf that isn't attached to vine begins to wither (John 15:1-5). If we keep cutting down the forest to make the suit, we run out of resources. No more leaves or even a tree to hide behind. What do we do then when left to face the judgement of the law, naked and ashamed (Jer. 2:35)?

But there is good news, even within this passage. It is Jesus that is the righteousness that exceeds that of the Pharisees through his life and death (Romans 10:4-13). The Apostle Paul appropriately points to Jesus as the answer to the treacherous natural state of our humanity. He shows us that if we attempt to live by the letter of the law, we are justly condemned for our inability to follow it . In pointing out his own inability to follow the law, he himself is driven to despair, but calls to remembrance the salvation that he has in Jesus and gives glory to God for giving us the Son (Romans 7:13-25).

No one is good enough to save themselves and we already stand condemned (John 3:18). The notion that we can somehow clean ourselves up enough to be acceptable before God is akin to taking a bath in dirty water (Job 14:4, Isaiah 64:6). It accomplishes nothing. But God, in his mercy, sent his Son to live under the law faithfully. In his justice, he sacrificed his Son as an unblemished offering for my sinful disregard for his law (2 Cor. 5:21). And for his glory, he raised his Son, so that those that he came to save may be raised with him, giving all glory to God for being just, and the justifier of their faith (Rom. 3:23-26, 1 Cor. 15:20-23). Furthermore, in his faithfulness, he gives us the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, who bears witness to our surety in Christ (2 Cor. 1:22, Eph. 1:13-14), and gives us the ability to obey his commands (Ezek. 36:26-27, Matt. 22:34-40, Gal. 5:22-23, 1 John 4:19, 21).

Contrary to popular belief (and Poor Richard's Almanac), the Lord does not "help those who help themselves". For that, we should thankful.

For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.”Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith. - Galatians 3:10-14

Soli Deo Gloria,

Shon

Seeking What He Sought: The Legacy of John Calvin

2009-07-10T16:42:00.001-05:00

Today is the 500th anniversary of french protestant theologian, John Calvin. I was surprised to see how much controversy has come about due to the "festivities". Some in the christian (Protestant) community argue that it is idolatry to celebrate/venerate a man. I've read several articles today before beginning to write this - both pro and con - and now would like to share my personal thoughts as I weigh in on the issue.

I've said it before: there is a fine line between veneration and idolatry. Unfortunately, sometimes that line gets crossed, even by some within reformed (Calvinistic) theology circles. However, I don't believe that this is what's going on here. This is the quincentennial celebration of the life and legacy of Calvin. To my knowledge, it is not made a habit to celebrate the birth of Calvin every year on such a grand scale. This is a milestone, nothing more.

Truth is, the Protestant community is indebted to John Calvin. Calvin's Institutes of Christian Religion was the first work to systematize the Protestant Christian Faith. Also, he is not appreciated for being the statesman that he was. The governmental/constitutional structure of the United States owes a great deal of gratitude to Calvin. But, these facts, as well as many other examples, go largely unmentioned. He is a much more pivotal figure in history, who doesn't get as much attention as some others in Christian history, due to his lack of flamboyance.

That being said, I'm pretty sure that Calvin himself wouldn't want his life to be memorialized in any way. So, is there a way to honor the man, while not dishonoring his wishes? Or greater still: can we honor him in a way that doesn't cross over into idolatry?

In the words of Bruce Lee,

"It is like a finger pointing at the moon; if you concentrate too much on the finger, you miss all of that heavenly glory!"

We should see the life of Calvin as that finger. Not seeking the seeker, but seeking what he sought: that Christ be magnified in all things (John 1:7-8, 6:29). This was the chief end of everything that Calvin ever said, did, or penned (Mark 12:29-31). As we remember him today, remember more importantly to thank God for the likes of John Calvin. Also, pray that we, as the Church, will have a heart akin to Calvin:

One that is offered promptly and sincerely to the work and glory of the Lord being expressed in all areas of life, to all creatures everywhere, as truth for all time.

"Set before [man], as the prime motive of his existence, zeal to illustrate the glory of God" - John Calvin

Happy Birthday, Mr. Calvin!

Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon

The Day The Music Died: The Life and Death of Michael Jackson

2009-07-08T08:59:00.000-05:00

"A man is more that the sum of his deeds". That's what I said audibly to myself as I watched parts of the Michael Jackson memorial service yesterday. I didn't even realize that I was talking out loud until that very moment (I surprised myself, actually). But the reason for such a response came as a knee-jerk reaction to what the pundits on television were saying, and seeing the crowds of people. There is a fine line between veneration and idolatry and I believe that yesterday, on some level, that line was crossed - and with reckless abandon.

That being said, I have to point out that Jackson did indeed have a gift for performance and music. His God-given talent makes the work of so many others pale in comparison. No one can take that away from him. But, what seemed to be getting lost in the shuffle of the celebration of his life was...well...his life. Every commentator and interview talked about "what he gave us". The positivity of his music and his message ruled the day. There was no doubt about the concentrated effort to whitewash so many aspects of his life under the guise of celebrating the music. This is what struck me to be the most peculiar:

"We are here to celebrate the gift of music that he gave to us."

"He gave so much to so many through his music."

"We will always have his music to cherish."

"His legacy is his music."

No one really talked much (at least not in the meaningful way) about the legacy of the man himself. I'm not even talking about the accusations of child molestation. After all, legally, he was never found guilty of those charges - regardless of the shadow that was cast by those allegations. Besides, I believe that there where shadows cast much broader, bigger, and earlier in his life that led to other situations. There is one question that remains in all of this: While everyone is celebrating the music, was anyone really paying attention? Many of the songs that didn't have as much commercial success (especially in his later years) told quite a tale of a person in distress. But that's just too depressing. So, we go ahead and we make him up. But here, I'll say it again:

A man is more than the sum of his deeds (Isaiah 64:6).

Here lies Michael Jackson - a man apart.

A broken man who died of a broken heart.

From childhood to the bitter end, we bled him dry,

Now we all shout, "why God, why?!"

He was loved by millions, yet never felt loved at all.

He could never grow up because he felt so small.

I read where one fan stated that, "he was more important than Jesus". Here is where the problem lies. Too many saw him as a savior of sorts, but he didn't have the Savior. He began to give himself over to a distorted view of self and love. He repeatedly changed his appearance because he just couldn't accept himself; never fully understanding that our true identity is found in Christ (Acts 17:29, 1 Cor. 15:10, Colossians 1:15-16). So the music, in essence, became his salvation. It was through it that he would gain an identity and feel some semblance of love and worth. The only problem is that it left him lacking. So he always had to have more. It was through it that he sought immortality - failing to realize that you can never find permanent comfort in a temporal world (Matt. 6:19-20, James 4:14, 1 Peter 1:24). I believe that Quincy Jones said it best when he stated that not being grounded in the realization that you were made as a "vessel for the Divine" can have serious consequences (Acts 17:28, Romans 1:28). Michael was the King of Pop, not the King of Kings. But sadly, he was all too often surrounded by people who made too much of him and not enough of Christ, which tragically left nothing of him at all (Eccl. 5:7, John 3:30, Phil. 3:8). And now, sadly, it is a lesson that he has learned too late (Hebrews 9:27).

The death of Michael Jackson should have been mourned properly - both publicly and privately. I say this in hopes that maybe he is the figure big enough to show both those in the entertainment world and those of us who enjoy the dangers in putting too much stock in things and people of this world.

Eventually the music stops for everyone. On June 25, 2009, it stopped for Michael Jackson (Luke 9:25, 1 Cor. 10:31)...

Soli Deo Gloria,

Shon

Stockholm Syndrome

2009-07-07T13:17:00.000-05:00

God Bless America!

2009-07-04T20:37:00.000-05:00

In celebration of our Independence Day I wanted to send a shout from our great nation's 1st president:

"It is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for all his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor." - George Washington

Didn't think George Washington used the word God much or at all did you? Well, it turns out that many of the stories of George being either a non believer or Deist like many of the other founding fathers was rather inaccurate to say the least. George didn't often loudly or profoundly share his faith but many of his writings and speeches are filled with a deep spirituality and belief in one almighty God. The excerpt from above comes from the first Thanksgiving Proclamation under the new Constitution given on October 3, 1789. (More on that subject to come later...)

It's been a sad couple of weeks here as we've lost four stars from different walks of life but all significant in their own way and sure to missed by many. RIP...Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, Billy Mays and Steve "Air" McNair. I had the pleasure to wait on Steve about six months ago and I am so pleased to say that he was such a kind and respectful soul. I've had the pleasure and displeasure on many occasions to take care of many "stars" during the time I spent working in restaurants and he was one of the coolest I ever met. He didn't ask for much and was just excited when his food got to the table just enjoyed a quiet meal with a friend and treated everyone who came around like friends and I really appreciated that and will always remember that about him. Unexpected deaths like these remind me of how thankful I am for God's grace that allows me to wake up everyday and worship and praise him for we can never know when he is going to call us to come home to be with him.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! (Psalms 100:4)

Sola Gratia,

Johnny "Big Black"

Let Freedom Ring

2009-07-04T10:21:00.000-05:00

"There is nothing plainer than this rule, that we are to use our liberty if it tends to the edification of our neighbor." - John Calvin

I've done a lot of writing on liberty recently in the Mr. Puritan series...so let's take the day off to celebrate! Thank God today for our truest liberation.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Shon

2009-07-03T20:21:00.000-05:00

A Consistent Ethic of Human Life: The Murder of George Diller

2009-06-15T11:12:00.000-05:00

A Man on the street gives more than his opinion on the murder of renowned abortion doctor, George Diller...

Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon