The Pilgrim's Blogress

Confused by Eschatology?

2011-07-26T23:11:00.003-06:00

I know I am. This is one of those areas of theology that just about always leaves me cross eyed and confused. For those of you who don't know what eschatology is, well you are in the right place. Eschatology comes from the Greek word eskhatos which basically means "last", and another Greek word logia which means "sayings, utterances, oracles". An easier definition is "the study of last things" and we'll just leave it at that.

For most of us, the only eschatology we know is what we were exposed to in the 90's through the Left Behind series. There is quite a bit of scripture that talks about the "last things" but it can be hard to make heads or tails of most of it unless you are willing to spend some time studying it. Left Behind basically told most of us what to believe and we agreed with it 100% because it is all we had ever read on the subject. Sooner or later as we grow in our understanding of God, some big words will start to thrust themselves upon us and we look at them like deer caught in the headlights, either running away from them or getting hit so hard by them that we are left on the side of the road beaten and battered. These words are:

Amillenialism, Premillennialism, Post Millenialism, & Dispensationalism.

Now, if you are anything like me, you will probably look at those words and say, "Who cares?! Jesus doesn't care if I know this stuff." Well, truth be told, it's pretty important. Not "this hinges on eternal salvation" important, but choosing one of theses will define how you view history as well as the future. Rather than try to explain all of these to you, I stumbled on these 4 videos from David Murray at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary. They are short and have cartoon pictures. Couldn't be easier. Enjoy!

Amillennial Timeline

Amillennial Timeline from Puritan Reformed on Vimeo.

Postmillennial Timeline

Postmillennial Timeline from Puritan Reformed on Vimeo.

Premillennial Timeline

Premillennial Timeline from Puritan Reformed on Vimeo.

Dispensational Premillennial Timeline

Dispensational Premillennial Timeline from Puritan Reformed on Vimeo.

Regarding the Church Reading Prayers Together

2011-07-19T22:08:00.007-06:00

For the last two weeks, our church has been doing something that we have never really done before. After the message, we typically would go straight into singing 4-5 songs in response to what we had just heard from God's word. There is a short prayer time for the entire church that takes place as well that leads into the singing. As the music ministry leader I made the decision to add an additional "church prayer" between the corporate prayer time and the music. A short prayer is placed on the screens for the church to pray together and then the music begins. It was very evident to me that this would make some people feel uncomfortable, and I was well aware that as we did this, it could result in nothing more than a monotone, emotionless chant. After hearing some people ask questions about it (which I am very thankful for), I thought it would be good to lay out some reasons why I implemented this as the start to musical worship. First, I want to give a little personal history that may help the discussion.

To begin, I spent my earliest years in the Roman Catholic Church, so speaking in a monotone chant as a congregation is nothing new to me. In fact, I never ever liked it at all. It always seemed so meaningless and obligatory. I never felt any connection to what I was saying and therefore thought the whole thing was just ridiculous. I'm pretty sure the adults around me were thinking the same thing as they went through the motions without any care for what they were actually saying. I mention all of this because it would seem I would be the last person to suggest a "church prayer" for everyone to recite. Didn't I learn as a child how meaningless it was to everyone? Truth be told, after doing it the last two weeks I can hear a voice saying inside of me, "This is wrong. No one likes this. It's meaningless. It's just like when you were a kid." However, I have learned over the years that when I hear or feel things like that, I need to check if they are rational, biblical, or lies from the Enemy.

With that short history in mind, let me throw out why I proposed we attempt this as a church:

1. I had heard of other churches doing this with some success in regards to uniting the body in one prayer. Focusing everyone towards one specific prayer in order to get everyone meditating on the same thing either prior to or after the message. I realize that many churches do this ineffectively & ultimately fail at this, but I will get to why I think this a little later.

2. It serves as a transition from praying as groups to starting the musical part of our worship service. Rather than have the band leader add more preaching to the message that was already preached, or pray a short prayer out loud and then say, "Stand up we are going to sing now," the church prayer has the opportunity to set us all up to sing wholeheartedly and make a joyful noise as a church, not just individually amidst others.

3. It teaches us how to pray through scripture. I once was leading a Bible study and asked the group, "Has anyone here prayed through scripture before?" The response was a unanimous "no". I've found at times that I am often without words, and find myself not knowing what I could possibly pray. Praying through scripture helps in getting us to pray something, and we can know that what we are praying is pure truth. Every prayer that we have read as a church is a bunch of verses put together in one coherent thought. They have actually been taken from Matthew Henry's Method of Prayer which you can check out here. The verse references are added to the bottom of the prayer to show that these are not meaningless words we are saying, but we are praying the word of God back to him. I have also been trying to find prayers that line up with what has been preached to further help us stay focused on what God is trying to teach us.

Now for some important points that will hopefully clear up some things.

1. It was never my intention that everyone would need to pray these prayers aloud. Everyone could pray in their own minds or at a whisper if they wanted. The important thing is what is being prayed, not how many people are saying it out loud.

2. I mentioned above that many churches fail at doing these types of things. I believe that they fail because neither the leaders, nor the body really take to heart what they are saying. A beautiful prayer to God that is intended to build up both the body and bless our Father can instantly turn into monotone, pointless regurgitation of what is written on the screen. However, it isn't that the prayer is bad, but that we have let it become so drab and worthless to us that we say it the way we do. Or, on the other hand, the fear of man is so strong that we don't want to sound like idiots reciting some prayer we've never seen before.

3. This is actually a sub-point to clarification #2. Think of music in the church for a moment. Most people have no problem singing the same songs over and over again throughout the year. These songs are done as a community and yet they can seem so personal. I think that musical worship is "easier" than worshiping through prayer or hearing the preached word. Think about this for a moment. If we read the lyrics that we love so much, the same ones that are so meaningful to us, without any music at all, we would say those same words in a monotone and boring way. The music forces us to respond loudly and emotionally. It does a lot of the work for us because it brings us to a place where we want to participate. Preparing ourselves to hear preaching or for praying as a church out loud or in groups is not nearly as easy. It is a battle. However, uniting in one prayer does not have to sound like reciting lyrics without music, or like a cult with no ability to think on their own. If everyone were to pray out loud the way that they sing & recognize that they are praying to the living God, it would change from a boring reading to a real and authentic cry to our Lord.

Ultimately, reading through a prayer together can be a recipe for disaster, but only if the people involved treat it as nothing more than reading. It could be much more, but then again, if it is something that we don't give much effort to, and continue to not give effort to, or it just never leaves the "this is weird" stage, than it would make sense to remove it & try to accomplish the same goals in another way.

Hopefully this clears up some of the reasons why I added this to the beginning of the music portion of the service, but if not, I'm just an e-mail address away from answering any questions, concerns, or ideas. I am very thankful for the people who have had questions about this already and am grateful for their honesty.

Radical Together - A Book Review

2011-04-21T20:34:00.005-06:00

David Platt's previous book Radical is a book that, since reading it, I find myself recommending to just about every Christian I share casual conversation with. It was challenging and edifying which made it all the more exciting when I saw Radical Together was coming out. In all honesty I was slightly nervous this Radical thing would become the next Every Man's Battle with 100 different versions and would end up being over done and be the new "fad". Considering the author, I don't see that happening and after reading Radical Together it looks like I have nothing to worry about. This book is a perfect follow up to Radical and will hopefully open a lot of eyes to how we are called to live radically not just individually, but as a church that strives to impact the world in service to Jesus Christ.

The book is broken down into six chapters that follow six ideas proposed by the author:

1. One of the worst enemies of Christians can be good things in the church
2. The gospel that saves us from work saves us to work.
3. The Word does the work.
4. Building the right church depends on using all the wrong people.
5. We are living - and longing - for the end of the world.
6. We are selfless followers of a self centered God

Each chapter follows a similar style as Radical. There are personal stories from the author, church members, as well as letters from people that changed their lifestyle after reading the first book. None of these stories are included to make Radical seem like the answer to our problems but rather as a testimony to God's grace in changing lives to better serve His purposes. These stories usually act a springboard to help us see his points more clearly.

So why read this book? Is it more of the same? Yes and no. The stories are similar to the first book, and the tone is the same, but the focus is different. Everything written in Radical Together is aimed at the local and universal church. The individual application is present but the goal is to drive the Christian community to a more biblical understanding of what it means to work together for the sake of the gospel. What should our vision be? Should we have a vision? Should we spend our efforts locally or think globally? All of these questions are answered in a helpful way that is persuasive and challenging. As a church leader I found some of the points the author made to be so challenging that I actually rebelled against them in my mind and in my heart. It was a struggle thinking through what was in this book and what my life and our life as a church would look like if we lived this way. The world would look very different, that's for sure.

As I read the book I really didn't find too much about it that was negative. If there was anything I was bothered by it was my own heart and unwillingness to want to pursue what the Bible clearly teaches in regards to living as a church.

Buy this book and read through it slowly and carefully. Take notes and ask yourself the questions the author is asking. I bet you will not come away the same person. Highly recommended for anyone from Pastors to churchgoers. Also, there are discussion questions in the back of the book that could be used in various group settings.

Read the 1st Chapter here.
Buy the book here.

(I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.)

Daddy, Why Doesn't God Live In Me Too?

2011-03-31T18:09:00.003-06:00

Well, it is beginning to happen. Our 4 year old son, Jonah, is starting to ask hard questions. Recently we have spent a lot of time answering questions about where Jesus is right now, why he died, and various other Jesus related inquiries. Just the other night after some discipline time Jonah told Erin, "I just want to go to Heaven and be with Jesus." That may have stemmed from his dislike of discipline but it also could be because he actually does want to be with Jesus. Regardless, it is really fun to watch him try to figure out what Mommy and Daddy believe.

This brings me to the question Jonah asked me in the car yesterday. We were on our way to his soccer practice which is about 15 minutes from where we live. Usually I use this time to tell him he needs to share and that if someone takes the ball he can't throw a fit because that is what soccer is all about. However, I decided to drive a different way yesterday and we passed by a couple churches. One church had a giant statue of Jesus on the cross hanging on the outside of the building. The other church had just a simple cross sans Jesus. Jonah said, "Look at the statchio (statue) of Jesus! He looks dead." I went on to tell him that Jesus was alive and well and that some churches have statues like that to remind us what Jesus accomplished through the cross. That made sense to him, but then he asked again, "Dad, where is Jesus?". I told him that He is sitting at the right hand of God holding all creation together. That made sense to him too. Then I went on to tell him that when Jesus went up to Heaven to be with God He told the people that loved Him that He would send a Helper to be with them. I explained that this Helper is the Holy Spirit, which is God's Spirit that lives in us. I used very simple words and he was getting it. He actually seemed to like the whole idea. He liked it, that is, until I said, "...So God lives inside Mommy and Daddy."

He looked conscerned. In the most worried and honest tone I've ever heard he asked, "Daddy, why doesn't God live in me too?".

What does a father say? How can you tell your own son that he is not a Christian? I wanted nothing more than to just say, "Well, he does buddy, because you said you loved Him the other day," but I didn't. That would be dishonest of me. So I said, "Jonah. Mommy and Daddy were very bad people, and in a lot of ways we are still very bad people, but one day God changed our hearts from stone to flesh and helped us to see that we needed Him to save us from that. What I hope is that one day Jesus will do the same for you and that God will one day live inside of you too."

What do you think he did? Was that a good answer? I don't know if it was, but he seemed to be ok with it. This is actually the second time we've talked about this but he's asked it differently the first time. Is it cruel to tell my son to his face that he is not a Christian yet? No, not if I do it lovingly. Hopefully this is God's work in slowly drawing Jonah to Himself.

I sincerely pray that all of my children would be saved, but I know that even when that day comes for each of them (if God wills) the teaching doesn't stop. I can't wipe away the sweat from years of praying for them and stop because they are "saved". I can't "let up" on how much they need the gospel just because they reached "that point". I would be in great error if all I was trying to do was get them saved so that our burden as parents could be lifted.

I really love these questions. It's really fun talking with my son about God in all His wonder and seeing him think deeply about it. I'm sure more questions are to follow, and all I can say is, "Bring 'em on little guy."

5 Ways to Make Your Kids Hate Church

2011-03-31T18:05:00.001-06:00

By way of Challies.com, originally from the Resurgence.

Read it here.

The Chasm - A Book Review

2011-03-31T13:28:00.004-06:00

I found The Chasm by Randy Alcorn sitting on my kitchen table in the Multnomah packaging at about 12:30pm MST today. At about 1:15pm I set the book on the coffee table and had read the entire book in one sitting. The last time I did that was with John Piper's The Supremacy of God in Preaching and that was because I love non-fiction. I rarely finish fiction that I start so for me to read this book in roughly an hour is an amazing thing. This is not a boast in my reading ability however, but rather a tribute to how well this book draws the reader in to what is a very familiar story.

Initially, the book didn't grab me. Chapter 1 was slightly confusing and I started to think that this book would be added to the "unfinished fiction pile" that sits in my office. However, I just kept reading hoping it would all become clear. The somewhat confusing beginning almost makes sense in light of what Randy Alcorn is trying to do. He is telling a story of a man who is both sure of himself and unsure of his path at the same time.

Without giving away too much of the story the main character, Nick Seagrave, is on a journey to find the city of Charis, although throughout the book he questions whether he actually wants to go there or not. He finds himself having to choose between multiple paths before him and has several guides along the way. These guides however are either at work to help him or hurt him and their motives are not entirely clear to Nick until about halfway through the story. All the while Nick is realizing more and more with every step he takes, and finally reaches a full understanding of his journey when the story comes to its weighty climax.

In a nutshell, Randy Alcorn is walking in the footsteps of C.S. Lewis in the Narnia series and The Great Divorce as well as John Bunyan and his Pilgrim's Progress. This story is a very well done allegory of a person's path either to eternal death or eternal life. While it is shorter than the books I just mentioned it gets the point across quite well, and as I read it I saw myself in the main character. For a reader to feel that type of pull while reading is quite the feat and Randy Alcorn should be commended for this little book.

Another inclusion in this book is a handful of illustrations that match up with the text on the page. In all honesty I found these both helpful and somewhat irritating. While they are well done for the most part some of the expressions on people's faces as they plummet into the chasm are almost comical. I hate saying that because most of them are quite good, but there is something about them that didn't quite match up with the picture I had in my mind. Truly the book is so well written that there is really no need of illustrations. Here is a passage that I thought was particularly vivid:

Later, alone, I climbed a hill. Glancing down, I was surprised to see a huge figure, a giant in a flowing black robe, standing on the hillside, looking down over the roads...The ominous black-robed being cast a long shadow across the hillside, and when he moved and the shadow fell over others of the little people, I heard howls and whimpers. The man - or was he a great beast - stood smiling, gloating, taking pleasure in the pain he saw on the roads below him. He took out a lyre and played music and sang an otherworldly song. It sounded compelling, yet at moments seemed like a fraud, a counterfeit of some truer and deeper song. He laughed and pointed his finger at the sprawling misery and played his music like a cosmic Nero, fiddling while a world burned. He blew smoke out his nose. Then, to my horror, I saw him putting little people into his mouth. He smoked men as if they were cigarettes. Soon he had a half dozen in at once, a macabre sight that turned my stomach and made my knees tremble.

The book is full of imagery like this and it really made me feel as if I were there.

If you are the type of person that enjoys fiction, and better yet allegorical fiction, you should pick up this book. It will remind of you of Lewis and Bunyan and even more importantly it will remind you of how desperately we need a Savior. I'm glad I read this book and hope others find it as enjoyable and helpful as I did.

(I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. Thanks WaterBrook!)

Radical - A Book Review

2011-03-19T03:13:00.009-06:00

A few days ago I was talking to a friend about how much the American Dream was pounded into my mind as a child and teenager. It impacted how I was educated in school and gave me a reason to do the hard work necessary in achieving said dream. It may be helpful to define what the American Dream actually is by way of the originator of the idea, James Adams. He said this in 1931:

"...life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement...

It sounds good, but it is almost directly opposed to biblical Christianity.

This brings us to the the new book Radical by David Platt. David is a pastor of The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Alabama which has roughly 4,000 members. The book is interesting because the author is a mega church pastor, but he is not writing a book about how to be "radical" in gaining new members. He is not throwing out "radical" pastoral ideas. Here is David's reason for writing this book:

"I am on a journey. But I am convinced it is not just a journey for pastors...I am convinced that we as Christ followers in American churches have embraced values and ideas that are not only unbiblical but that actually contradict the gospel we claim to believe.(p.3)

This book is a pastor's careful attempt at revealing some of the errors in the American Church and reclaiming the church as was laid out in Scripture.

If I were to recommend this book to a certain group of people that I think would be affected the most, it would easily be Christians in the United States. I am not saying it wouldn't be helpful to the universal church, but as I mentioned above, this is really focused on issues here in America and how our desire to have the perfect family, job, etc has actually blinded us to the reality of the gospel. It also asks difficult questions for those of us who would align ourselves with Christ but are really not doing much to build His kingdom. However, the author doesn't ask us to be "radical" by doing new things and being relevant, but by being faithful in the way the church started 2,000 years ago based on Jesus' teaching to "Go and make disciples..."

At 9 chapters, this books is short but is filled to the brim with useful material. The stories David shares concerning letters he has received from church members or conversations he has had with church leaders in third world countries are heart-wrenching, encouraging, and even shocking. I would share some of my favorites but there are just too many to write in this already too long review. Needless to say, this book is full of moving quotes that you will most likely meditate on for minutes, hours, or even days.

So is it worth it to buy this and read it? Yes. Absolutely yes. In fact, I thought many times while reading, "I need to get this book into people's hands!" The things written in this book, again, are not new. I have heard them before, but that is not a bad thing. This book will take you from church critique to self critique and ultimately, to wanting to lose yourself for the sake of Christ. I have much to think about, and I am thankful that I read this book.

Read the first chapter for free here.

Grab your copy here.

(I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. Thanks WaterBrook!)

If God Is Good Review

2011-02-23T15:44:00.006-07:00

Let me start off by saying this. The first time I ever heard of Randy Alcorn was at a Desiring God conference a few years ago on the perseverance of the saints. My initial impression was not entirely positive (probably due to my immaturity in a lot of areas at the time), but since then both myself and my wife have read a fair amount of his books and really enjoyed them. His fiction is well written and in some cases, very inspiring and helpful. Safely Home was one of the better books I read two years ago and while I haven't read Heaven (eventhough I own a copy), I am sure I will be greatly helped by it.

Since the years since the Desiring God conference I have experienced pronounced suffering in various forms. It seemed that if it wasn't physical it was mental. If it wasn't mental it was emotional. If it wasn't emotional it was something else. The valley that God had me in (and still does to some extent) was very painful and many questions arose in my mind that if not for the grace of God, may have shipwrecked what little faith I had left. This last December I was sent a copy of If God Is Good and slowly made my way through it. I can say without a shadow of a doubt that this book is a blessing to the church.

One thing I noticed instantly when receiving the book was its size. This book is large. However, the chapters are really very short and easily read in under 15-20 minutes. This makes reading a book of this size a real pleasure. While the content is heavy and thought provoking, it is given in small doses which is really quite brilliant. It gives you time to meditate on the stories shared and the arguments made.

The subject matter ranges from refuting atheist ideas to personal stories that have helped the author over the years. All in all I was very impressed with the research that went into writing this book and, even more so, the care that was taken in delivering it in a loving and sensitive way. I think that for anyone dealing with any sort of suffering (which is all of us) or the weight of evil in the world this is a great book to have in your collection.

I have heard people say recently that churches these days are not taught how to suffer well. I think reading this book is a great step towards alleviating that problem and moving us towards a more healthy view of both suffering and evil and the God who is Lord over all of it.

(I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. Thanks WaterBrook!)

Ten Questions for Benefitting from a Conference

2010-09-16T22:23:00.002-06:00

As Christians, we tend to like conferences. In fact, it would seem that to many of us, a conference is something you attend in order to rekindle or strengthen devotion to Christ. Sometimes when I've talked to people about conferences (and I have probably said similar things myself) they often put more stock in conferences than they do their weekly meeting at their local church. Almost as if Christ and His truth is more exciting and impactful when we are going to an annual event rather than at our run of the mill Sunday meeting. In my opinion, this is unfortunate, but I think that conferences do serve a very helpful role for both the universal church and our local churches and we shouldn't neglect participating in them when we are able.

This leads me to the core of this post which is basically a copy of Thabiti Anyabwile's blog post with the same name. Here is his post:

Don Whitney is the master of asking probing questions of our spiritual lives. In the conference program at the Ocean City Bible Conference there is a short article from Don listing 10 questions to ask to benefit from a conference. I’ll be thinking on these over the next couple days:

1. What’s the single most important truth I have learned at this conference?

2. What’s the most important thing in my life that will be different or I will attempt to change as a result of attending this conference?

3. What’s the next step I should take to incorporate this change into my life?

4. What’s the single most important resource I should acquire at or after this conference?

5. When will I begin to read/listen to/utilize this resource?

6. Who is one person at this conference with whom I should discuss this conference?

7. Who is one person after this conference with whom I should discuss something from the conference?

8. Who is the one person at this conference I most need to encourage?

9. Who is someone who has helped to organize or serve at this conference who deserves a word of gratitude and would be encouraged to know of the impact of this conference in my life?

10. What’s one thing I should pray about for myself and for others as a result of this conference?

For those of us in my home church in Greeley, this would be a good list to print out and tuck in your Bible. With Faithwalkers coming up in a few months as well as various other conferences that are both in and outside of our group of churches, this list could prove invaluable. In fact, these questions would be great to ask (with slight modification) after each Sunday morning meeting either by yourself or with friends or family.

Burning Religious Books

2010-09-10T21:12:00.002-06:00

Great thougths from Tony Reinke. Worth a read if you have given any thought to possible Koran burning in Florida.

Read the post here.

Our Poor & Gospel Cooperation

2010-09-10T19:29:00.001-06:00

Helpful post from 9 Marks. Some good points to absorb and pursue.

Our Poor & Gospel Cooperation

You Will Suffer

2010-08-30T14:22:00.003-06:00

I've watched this twice. Reduced to tears both times. I'm tired of killing myself every day trying to justify myself in not living as Christ has called me to live.

Jesus is good. Jesus is very good, and He deserves far more than I have been giving Him for quite some time. I've been showing up. I haven't been truly believing, I haven't been truly worshiping, and I haven't been truly loving God or others. Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner, and help my unbelief. May I be given the grace to move forward with joy and contentment in the midst of any circumstance.

"Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead." - Philippians 3:8-11

Westminster Books Blog Partners - Reminder Post

2010-05-03T15:57:00.002-06:00

Considering our church just hopped on The City, I am doing a little advertising here. Rehashed advertising actually. Like any egocentric person I want people to read my blog, but even more than that, I want free stuff. That's right, I am greedy for your attention and free books. On that note...

I love Westminster Bookstore.

Not only are they one of the only bookstores that sells books by old dead people, but now they are rewarding bloggers for linking to their site!

Here is some info about the program:

Got a blog? Like books and like to write about them? WTSBOOKS Blog Partners Rewards offers you the chance to earn books or other merchandise from our store while introducing your readers to quality Christian books. Participation couldn't be easier. Once you've registered for the program, simply link to our store on your blog or personal web site. Each time a total of 50 visitors to your site have clicked on any of your specially-coded links to us, you've earned a $10 Westminster Bookstore gift certificate! (Certificates are redeemable in our store or online.) Create as many links as you like—all click-throughs will be grouped together to contribute to your rewards. There is no limit to how much you can earn!

For full details click here.

So if you frequent this blog, please click on any of the Westminster bookstore links/banners so that I can have some free books. You can also click on any images of books that I review or display in the right side column. The more you click the more free books for me!

Am I absolutely shameless?

Yes.

There are no words...

2010-04-05T21:11:00.002-06:00

Lord forgive these people, they know not what they are doing.

All I can say is that if the band and singer sucked, this charade would have failed miserably. Forget prayer, fasting, and the other examples of seeking God as shown to us in scripture. Just do the hokey pokey. That's what it's all about.

God's Church

2010-04-02T09:48:00.004-06:00

I ran across this video this morning from Sojourn and was very moved by it. One thing I admire about churches like Mars Hill and Sojourn is that they reach out to people with severe problems. Honestly, these are people that I would not normally talk to or spend time with, but it seems that more often than not, these types of people are the people that Christ is calling out to and saving in powerful ways.

Maybe reading about Jesus teaching and drawing tax collectors to Himself doesn't resound with us, but replace "tax collector" with "drug addict" or "porn addict" and then maybe it will resound more. Christ is building His church, and it probably won't be full of people just like you. It may be full of people whom without Christ, you would never talk to or associate with. I love videos like this and think every church should try to do something similar to encourage and lift up the body with the works of God in the lives of His people.

Stories Of Change from Sojourn Community Church on Vimeo.

1001 Albums...#6 - The Louvin Brothers: Tragic Songs of Life

2010-03-26T11:58:00.006-06:00

First off, let me just say that I have never heard of the Louvin Brothers. In all honesty I wouldn't be surprised if a fair amount of people my age haven't. The album Tragic Songs of Life was released in 1956 and is filled with some of the purest country music you'll probably ever hear. The album is filled with songs that tell tragic stories (hence the album title) of lost love, death, and even murder. What is truly interesting is that while the lyrics are about some incredibly heartbreaking things, the music is almost always happy sounding and with an upbeat tempo. I wonder if country music does it this way as a general rule so that there is always a slight optimism attached to counteract the gloomy reality of the the lyrics.

In regards to the music itself, the Louvin Brothers have two of the purest country voices I've heard in a while and their vocal harmony is about as flawless as you can get. The backing band is solid and is mixed well for this style of country music. Speaking of style, if you liked the music from O Brother Where Art Thou then you will probably like this album quite a bit. However, where this differs from O Brother Where Art Thou is in the variety of what you are hearing. The Louvin Brothers basically play the same two rhythms during their songs. "Boom-chuck" and "boom-chuck-chuck". This really isn't that much of a negative because the vocals and lyrics are quite unique in each song, but it may become annoying if you aren't really crazy about this genre of music.

Verdict: This is a great album in that it showcases great vocal harmony and poignant storytelling, and because of that, this is album needs to be heard. You may not like it. It may be too repetitive or you may even dislike the singing, but even so you should hear this album. Every songwriter should study these songs thoroughly and any self-respecting country or folk artist should own this album and memorize the songs. The Louvin Brothers are the real deal, and are a real hoot to listen to. Check them out. You won't be sorry.

Rating:

1001 Albums...#5 - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

2010-03-25T10:22:00.007-06:00

Recorded in between 1949 and 1950, Birth of the Cool displays Miles Davis' transition from traditional Bebop to the style known as "cool jazz". While the bebop influence is clear throughout the album, the arrangements lend themselves to an almost classical vibe. The songs on the album are interesting, experimental, and showcase some of the greatest jazz musicians that have ever lived.

Simply put, the Miles Davis Nonet does not disappoint.

While you won't hear the tightest ensemble playing, or even the most in-tune playing, you will still be blown away by how well these guys know the language of jazz. From the fast solos to the mellow night music, this album screams of authenticity. While listening through this grouping of tunes, I began to wonder if the Nonet could have cared less about being the next big thing or making millions of dollars in record sales. It seems to me that this is pure musical experimentation, which seems to be what Miles Davis was all about throughout his entire career. While some of his later albums are a little too experimental for my taste, this album balances listen-ability for the listener, and experimental creativity for the artist very well.

Verdict: Overall, this is a great jazz album and should be heard before you kick the bucket. The musicianship is top notch, and the arrangements are incredibly well put together. If you want a primer to "cool jazz" this just may be it. There is only one song that has vocals in it, so those of you who aren't used to straight instrumental albums may have a harder time appreciating what is going on, but it is still worth a listen. This is music that suits you night owls perfectly. Great overall album, but again it may be a little too much musically for people with no experience listening to jazz.

Rating:

1001 Albums...#4 - Frank Sinatra: Songs For Swingin' Lovers

2010-03-24T11:13:00.007-06:00

One year after In The Wee Small Hours Frank Sinatra recorded Songs For Swingin' Lovers which, in my personal opinion, is an overall masterpiece in this genre of music.

Vocally, Frank is right on target. On the album In The Wee Small Hours his presentation was not nearly as solid. I heard hardly any pitch issues whatsoever, and the scooping issues noted on the last album were definitely done more tastefully and far less often. Frank's voice is ridiculously easy to listen to. Throughout this entire album, which has a "let's have fun because we are in love" theme, it sounds as though Frank is not even trying at all. This gives the album a conversational feel that is really fun to listen to.

Each arrangement on this album is well put together, and the backing band is flawless. Musically, the album was fun to listen to, but about 3/4 of the way through, my attention began to falter a bit. When an artist does something well, it is easy to do that one thing over and over again. It feels good to the performer and it feels good to the audience. It's comfortable and easy. However, while this albums is very enjoyable to the ear, the songs are so similar in style that they almost blend together into one long vocal jazz odyssey. While this can get a little tedious, it isn't all bad. If you like one of the songs on this album, you most definitely will like the album in its entirety.

Verdict: This one is easy. If you are a fan of Frank Sinatra, you should definitely listen to this before you die. If not, you should still listen to it, but it may become boring about midway through. My recommendation is to listen to this album as background music. Lyrically it's not all that special, but the smoothness in Frank's voice mixed with the great arrangements is well worth the price of admission.

Rating:

1001 Albums...#3 - Elvis Presley: Self Titled

2010-03-23T15:19:00.009-06:00

Elvis Presley. The King of Rock and Roll. I just have to come out and say it. This album is not his best work.

Made in 1956, Elvis' self titled debut is somewhat of a mess. It starts off well with the well known tune "Blue Suede Shoes" and then takes a severe nose dive into musical Sheol. As I have been going through these last few albums, I write down notes on each of the songs detailing my impressions, good and bad. Needless to say, I wrote down a lot of negative comments while listening to the album. From track 2 to track 12, Elvis' vocals were all over the place. This was definitely not the refined vocal presentation most of us are familiar with. Considering this was his debut album, I will cut him some slack. The producers may have asked him to try different styles of singing on each tune, and that's fine, but most of the choices are just plain horrible. During these 11 songs (track 2-12), Elvis' voice sounds shaky, pitchy, and the character of his voice changes so frequently that I didn't even know who I was listening to at one point. If the album rested on these 11 songs as the foundation for Elvis' talent, than in my opinion it would have been nothing to write home about.

Thankfully, "Heartbreak Hotel" comes in and changes everything. This is Elvis in his true form. The band is doing things that are musically interesting and Elvis has more presence in his voice than in any of the prior tunes with the exception of "Blue Suede Shoes". From this point on, the album is incredible. It is almost as if the Elvis impersonator that did the middle portion of the album "left the building" and the real Elvis has finally arrived. His voice is spot on and I found myself actually wanting to listen to him more once the album was over. Without these last six songs, I'm not sure I would have finished the album with that impression.

Verdict: Halfway through the album I would have told you, "Skip this one. You'll die happy." However, the last six songs changed my mind, slightly. I find myself in somewhat of a pickle. Considering there are 18 songs on this album and I can only stand behind 7 of them, I'm not sure that I can recommend the whole album, and since this is list is called 1001 Albums You Must Listen To Before You Die, I'm not sure what to do with it. Is it a must? Not really considering you can listen to the good songs on other more quality albums, but at the same time, it is Elvis' debut recording which deserves a listen because of it's historical significance. You can listen to this one yourself and judge, but if you never hear Elvis' debut album as a whole, I don't personally think you're missing much.

Rating:

1001 Albums...#2 - Duke Ellington at Newport 1956

2010-03-22T13:28:00.007-06:00

If you have never heard of Duke Ellington, you may need to expand your musical horizons a bit. Wikipedia has it right by labeling him as "one of the greatest figures in the history of jazz". This album displays not only his chops as a composer and band leader, but also the charisma that he and his big band brought to a live performance. This album was recorded during Duke Ellington's revival into public view and what a welcome back this must have been for Ellington and his band.

The album begins with the Star Spangled Banner (of all things) played by Ellington's big band, and to be quite honest, it was nothing fancy. From there on out though, the mood really changes. After a few moderate tunes, the band really picks up the pace. The trumpet soloist on most of the album is Cat Anderson, and my goodness can he play. Not only was he a great straight ahead player, but he really knew how to squeal! On this note I do want to mention that the mixing on this album is not the best. Granted, it is a live recording and who knows what type of recording setup they had going, but there are times where the trumpet is so loud that the rest of the band is inaudible! Also, during the vocal numbers you can barely hear the singer which almost defeats the purpose of including them on the album. On the other hand, most people who are listening to this live show could probably care less about vocals and would probably rather hear all the nuances and technical mastery that Ellington's band displays in each and every tune.

The pure standout for me on this album was the tune Diminuendo In Blue which was as boisterous and exciting as big band playing can get. One of the endearing aspects of this album is that you can hear the crowd yelling with pleasure and affirmation during each of the solos on the album (of which there are many). However on this tune in particular the crowd becomes so carried away that the track following Diminuendo In Blue is called "Pandemonium" which is basically the crowd screaming for more while Ellington tries to calm them down. This made the album fun to listen to and it really felt like I was right there. I couldn't help but wonder what a fun time every one must have had, both in the crowd and on the stage.

Verdict: So, should you listen to this album before you die? Most definitely. Will you enjoy the whole thing? Maybe, maybe not. For jazz heads this is a must. However, I consider myself to be a jazz lover and even I can grow a little weary when each tune is 6-8 and sometimes 14 minutes long! Listen to Skin Deep without a drummer's mindset and your ADD may just kick into high gear. This is classic big band jazz that needs to be heard by everyone. The only issues that I have are in regards to the overall mix of the album and that it may not be accessible to everyone. However it still should be listened to for the historical reference and for the enjoyment of listening to some truly incredible musicians that deserve to be heard.

Rating:

1001 Albums...#1 - Frank Sinatra: In The Wee Small Hours

2010-03-17T16:24:00.008-06:00

The first album on the list is Frank Sinatra's In The Wee Small Hours released in 1955. The album is a concept album and generally hovers over the theme of lament and lost love. Here are my overall impressions.

This album has classy and impressive arrangements in both the vocal and instrumental parts. Frank is THE crooner, scoops and all. His voice pours out like honey and is suited perfectly for this style of music. However, he rarely gets to a note without sliding up to it, especially on the higher parts of the melody. This is not necessarily a negative though as it adds character and a raw quality that is missing in our modern day world of auto tuned vocals. The album is well pieced together, but may be difficult for the modern listener to sit through without doing something else at the same time. Most of the songs begin to sound very similar, which could become incredibly boring to listen to if you aren't actively trying to hear all of the nuances in each song. For the everyday listener, this album would be perfect background music while conversing with friends over dinner and maybe a nice bottle of wine. On the other hand, for the musically inclined this is definitely an album to listen to with full attention both vocally and instrumentally.

Verdict: This is truly a classic and should be heard at least once before you die. Enjoy it with friends or as relaxing background music after a long day. If you are looking for musical variety on a single album however, look elsewhere.

Rating:

1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: An Attempt

2010-03-17T12:06:00.002-06:00

I stumbled across a website that lists the 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. I am going to do my best to listen to an album each day for the next year or so with possible breaks in between. After listening to the album I will give a brief review and possibly rate it as well. I am notorious for not finishing what I start, but this could be fun and will no doubt be an "ear opening" experience. The first album on the list is Frank Sinatra's In the Wee Small Hours released in 1955. I am really enjoying it so far and will write out a short review later today.

My goal here is to really give these albums the attention they deserve so I may need to listen a few times in order to give a proper review. I will try to get some time later today to finish this one up, or I may truly begin this whole fiasco tomorrow. We'll see...

Understanding Musical Harmony

2010-01-14T11:17:00.003-07:00

I have often been asked over the course of my life, "How do you hear harmony?". Usually it is during a band rehearsal for church or just when hanging around friends and family while listening to background music. The truth is, outside of the grace of God, I'm really not sure. Over the years I have tried and tried to come up with an answer that is sufficient for how I personally "hear" musical harmony. I do not have perfect pitch so I can't use my genetics as a cop out. I also never really had music theory lessons until college, and I was singing harmonies in choir long before that, so I cannot use my theoretical knowledge to explain how I hear it. Truth is, all musicians probably hear and interpret music differently so I am going to explain how I "hear" harmony with a simple sentence. Again, this is my own inclination, so this is NOT universal. Here is my one sentence explanation:

I don't hear harmony, I see it.

At this point you may be scratching your head and saying, "You can't SEE music!" To some level I agree with you. All music is, after all, is the vibration of things in our world that create frequencies we can hear. Some frequencies are more enjoyable than others, but that is beside the point. Music is primarily a "hearing" art, and I do "hear" notes in my head, but really it is just my brain using aural recall of things I have heard other musicians do. It is like knowing correct grammar from hearing your parents use it while growing up or that pepperoni and pizza go very well together because you have eaten it for as long as you can remember. It works the same way with how I hear harmony. Surround yourself with it, and you begin to know what works and what doesn't. However, when I say that I "see" harmony, I am simply saying that when I hear, sing, or play music my mind is producing images that help me know what I am doing, where I have been, and where I am going.

Let me make one thing clear. I do NOT see specific images. I see stairs. I see horizontal lines that move up and down like a flight of stairs. Sometimes I see more than just lines, but whatever I see, it moves in a stair formation. I have tried to explain this to people before and it only partially gets the message across through words. I've thought over and over again, "If only I could get people in my brain so they could see what I am talking about, they could nail that harmony!" Finally, by way of Noel Piper I discovered The Music Animation Machine. Before you follow the link I want to show you a few videos that will hopefully show how I, and maybe others, "see" musical harmony. The first is easier to follow along with visually while the second and third are more complex. What is visually enjoyable about the first (Bach) and third (Mozart) videos is that both men were notorious in their compositions for being almost mathematical. Watch for parallel lines especially in Mozart. Very deliberate patterns going on here. Enjoy and welcome to my brain!

*Quick thought: If you want to help train your ear to hear some of what is going on, visually pick out a line (the top is easiest to follow) and just pay attention to that line. Then move to the lowest line, and so on. It will really help you hear the lines and develop an understanding of harmony if you are a visual learner.*

Something new for 2010

2010-01-01T21:09:00.003-07:00

Given that I haven't blogged for quite some time and a new year is upon us, I thought that now would be a good time to clean house and make plans for the blog for 2010. I have a few ideas in my head, but I am not sure if I am up to the task. While I will still be posting random stuff that interests me, I am thinking of posting devotional thoughts as well as blogging my way through a few books. The books I am thinking about doing may be a little too much for me, but I think they may be the most beneficial in the long run. I'm going to think about this some more and hopefully have something up soon.

Maybe one day I will finish the Caravaggio series...

Disciple Making - The Trellis and the Vine

2009-12-08T14:35:00.005-07:00

Just caught wind of this through Westminster Books newsletter. I haven't picked up a copy, but I trust Mark Dever's endorsement and will surely read it myself. If your church, like mine, is looking for a biblical way of making disciples this might just be of help to you. Check out Mark Dever's short explanation of the book below.

You can currently get the book for $10 at WTS Books.

I Must Visit This Place

2009-10-16T17:56:00.002-06:00

Kuroshio Sea - 2nd largest aquarium tank in the world - (song is Please don't go by Barcelona) from Jon Rawlinson on Vimeo.

John Piper Confused by Laughing Audience While He Confesses Sin

2009-10-07T12:17:00.005-06:00

Just read this and thought I would pass it along. I've noticed something similar happening during normal times of fellowship as well (ie. small groups, etc).

Lesson I learned from the stuff below: Just because people get uncomfortable talking/hearing about intense things, does not mean that I need to insert a joke as some sort of relief. Uncomfortable can be life changing. I don't want to train people to handle their sin by blowing it off with laughter.

A few weeks ago John Piper spoke at a conference for the American Association of Christian Counselors. You should listen to the first five minutes. Piper decided to be as transparent as possible, given the audience, and to discuss some of the prevailing sins that he has struggled with his entire life. And the audience laughed uproariously. Piper was obviously perplexed and commented on how strange their reaction was.

If you didn’t know Piper, some of it could probably come across–at least initially–as unintentionally funny. But it is quite clear soon after that Piper was not cracking jokes but was being deadly serious about sin.

Greg Gilbert, calling it “one of the most bizarre things I’ve ever heard,” sees in this an “incredibly important and massively undervalued lesson”:

"Do you see, at root, what had happened at that conference? Over the course of a couple of days, those conferees had been trained to expect humor from the speakers and therefore to react to the speakers with laughter–all the way to the point that they were incapable of seeing that John Piper was being serious in his confession of sin to them. You can quibble with whether the first couple of Piper’s statements were (unintentionally, it seems) kind of funny. I happen to think they were. By the time he gets to about the 3-minute mark, though, there’s nothing funny left, and he’s moved into very serious stuff. Yet the atmosphere of humor and levity at that conference was so thick–the training so complete–that the people were incapable of seeing it. So they laughed at Piper’s confession of his sin.

Apparently the conditioning of that audience to think everything is funny took no more than a couple of days.

How deep do you think that conditioning would be for a church who sat under a funny-man pastor every Sunday for fifteen years?"

HT: JT

When David Heard - 2 Samuel 18:33

2009-10-06T10:13:00.003-06:00

The account of King David and his son Absalom is, to say the least, heartbreaking. Absalom was by most standards, a terrible son. He killed his brother Amnon, left the kingdom for three years, returned with a desire to dethrone his father, David, and then declared himself king in Hebron and began a civil war with his own father. Absalom succeeded and David was forced to run from Jerusalem while Absalom placed himself on the throne. Somehow, amidst all of this, David remained compassionate towards Absalom. He ordered his men not to harm him, but to deal gently with him if he was seen in battle. Shortly after, Absalom became trapped in a thicket and was killed by one of David's warriors, Joab. The following scripture relates how David handled the news of his son's death.

...And behold, the Cushite came, and the Cushite said, “Good news for my lord the king! For the Lord has delivered you this day from the hand of all who rose up against you.” The king said to the Cushite, “Is it well with the young man Absalom?” And the Cushite answered, “May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rise up against you for evil be like that young man.” And the king was deeply moved and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And as he went, he said, “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!”

I can only imagine the pain and anguish that David must have experienced as he cried out over the death of his son, Absalom.

Last night I heard a choral piece by Eric Whitacre entitled, "When David Heard" that I believe displays the emotional response that David had to this news. It is 13 minutes long, but it is well worth your time. While listening, imagine that you are there with David. Listen as he goes from sadness to rage to peace. Close your eyes if you need to, and crank your speakers.

While My "Ukelele" Gently Weeps

2009-08-19T13:55:00.002-06:00

Another video. In my defense, this is simply beautiful and should be shared.

John MacArthur - The Singing Preacher

2009-07-27T10:06:00.002-06:00

This may not be your style of music, but the man can definitely hold a tune.

Who knew?

Faith Without Works

2009-07-12T19:50:00.000-06:00

Has God Abandoned America?

2009-06-29T22:55:00.002-06:00

John MacArthur thinks so.

John Piper Joins the World of Twitter

2009-06-04T16:18:00.003-06:00

I'm not as Twitter crazy as some people, but I do enjoy seeing what other people are learning and experiencing whenever I get the chance. However, I never quite pegged John Piper to join the Twitter community, until I read this on his website:

Now what about Twitter? I find Twitter to be a kind of taunt: “Okay, truth-lover, see what you can do with 140 characters! You say your mission is to spread a passion for the supremacy of God in all things! Well, this is one of those ‘all things.’ Can you magnify Christ with this thimble-full of letters?”

To which I respond:

The sovereign Lord of the earth and sky
Puts camels through a needle’s eye.
And if his wisdom see it mete,
He will put worlds inside a tweet.

So I am not inclined to tweet that at 10AM the cat pulled the curtains down. But it might remind me that the Lion of Judah will roll up the heavens like a garment, and blow out the sun like a candle, because he just turned the light on. That tweet might distract someone from pornography and make them look up.

I’ve been tweeting anonymously for a month mainly to test its spiritual and family effects on me. In spite of all the dangers, it seems like a risk worth taking. “All things were created through Christ and for Christ” (Colossians 1:16). The world does not know it, but that is why Twitter exists and that’s why I Tweet.

This doesn't make me want to tweet more or less, but it does give a little more guidance as to how to think about Twitter and the benefits it could have.

I wonder how long it took for John Piper to come up with a word that rhymed with "tweet". Brilliant.

Read the entire pose here.

John Piper on Preaching

2009-05-12T22:51:00.004-06:00

This is a worthwhile six minutes. I'm not a preacher, however I still can appreciate and learn from what Piper is saying. I was especially struck by the part about the devil. I wish I had half as much passion for Jesus as Piper does. Yikes...

Carl Trueman's Poignant Thoughts on Exhibitionism

2009-04-29T13:06:00.007-06:00

While reading Carl Trueman's most recent Ref21 article, "Making Exhibitions of Ourselves", I couldn't help but think that he was really hitting the nail on the head when it comes to social networking, blogs, and the like. I also appreciate his honesty which to some may seem a little over the top. I for one find it quite refreshing in this politically correct world of ours.

For those of you with an addcition to Facebook, Twitter, Reality TV, etc., this may be a worthwhile article to read.

You can find it here.

Church or Club?

2009-04-08T15:19:00.000-06:00

Ignatius: Youth Pastor Extraordinaire

2009-03-16T12:44:00.005-06:00

Thank you iMonk for this amazing video. Unfortunately this satire is more realistic than most of us would like to admit...

Ignatius from travis hawkins on Vimeo.

Early Church Prayer

2009-03-06T06:00:00.001-07:00

"The early church didn't have a prayer meeting, it was a prayer meeting."

(Taken from a recent interview with Ben Patterson)

The Bible According to Caravaggio - Part 2

2009-03-05T00:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the second part in the "Bible According to Caravaggio" series. I have no idea how many parts there will be, but if there are more to come I promise that they will not be almost a year apart like this one is. For those of you who missed the first part, you can find it here. Oddly enough the first post on Caravaggio has been my most read post. Who knew a color-blind guy posing as an art critic could garner so much attention.

Without further procrastination, let's take a look at a few more of Caravaggio's paintings concerning biblical subjects and find out if he really does capture each scene accurately.

The Martyrdom of Saint Matthew

This is another case of not having a biblical record to support or deny the accuracy of this painting. In fact, according to the Catholic church, any information we have of Matthew's death is "nothing but legend". Regardless, Caravaggio sets out to show the joy of being martyred for Christ, and this is exactly the disposition we find in both Eusebius' History of the Church and John Foxe's Book of Martyrs. Here is the Wikipedia explanation of this painting:

"The painting shows the martyrdom of Saint Matthew the Evangelist, author of the Gospel of Matthew. According to tradition, the saint was killed on the orders of the king of Ethiopia while celebrating Mass at the altar. The king lusted after his own niece, and had been rebuked by Matthew, for the girl was a nun, and therefore the bride of Christ. Cardinal Contarelli, who had died several decades earlier, had laid down very explicitly what was to be shown: the saint being murdered by a soldier sent by the wicked king, some suitable architecture, and crowds of onlookers showing appropriate emotion....It takes concentration to understand that the confused melee is a victory of sainthood. Saint Matthew appears to recoil as he falls before the naked fury of his executioner, burning in the glare of light, who readies his sword to strike. Around the saint are persons showing varied emotions, as required by Contarelli: terror, awe, and consternation, while an angel holds out the palm of martyrdom. Confusion about the image can be alleviated by understanding that Matthew is not quailing in fear at the executioner's strike, instead he reaches for the angel's gift. The executioner's grasp and the angel's reach are two parallel paths. Only Matthew is privy to the angelic visitation. Viewed as such, this is a painting not about a moment of general terror, but the death of a saint as the personal handshake of the divine. Italian Baroque painting and sculpture of the time commonly depicted martyrdoms not as moments of fear, but as moments of joy or ecstasy,"

The Calling of St Matthew

This is the companion piece to The Martyrdom of Saint Matthew commissioned by Cardinal Contarelli. This work is based off of the biblical text of Matthew 9:9:

As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.

Obviously, the clothing is not historically accurate for the period. It may be accurate to Caravaggio's time, but not during the time of Christ. I never imagined the tax booth to be indoors either, but I suppose it could have been possible. What is fascinating is the look of Jesus' pointing hand. The similarity to Michaelangelo's familiar painting of God's outstretched arm to Adam in the Sistine Chapel is undeniable. The image of Levi on the far left with his face woeful and buried in collected taxes while Jesus commands him to follow is accurate in depicting the darkness that is prevalent without Christ. This painting appears to resemble the passage quite clearly, but I'm not sure I agree with some of Caravaggio's choices.

(I will post part three shortly...I promise)

iTunes "Religion & Spirituality Barometer" - 3/4/09

2009-03-04T09:13:00.005-07:00

I just realized that I haven't done one of these since September. Unfortunatley, not much has changed in the world in the last 6 months.

Barometer Reading: 3/4/09

This Week's Winner: Marianne Williamson. I honestly don't know much about her, but after reading about her on Wikipedia I must say I am not excited that she is in the first place spot. Here is a blurb from Wikipedia:

A minister in the Unity Church, the driving force behind Williamson's philosophy is to offer a New Thought approach to spirituality.

She addresses both established Christianity and Judaism in statements such as "You've committed no sins, just mistakes." Her earliest renown was for her talks on A Course in Miracles, a step-by-step method for choosing love over fear. She credits her breakthrough to Oprah Winfrey who invited her on to The Oprah Winfrey Show to discuss Williamson's first book A Return to Love, a book of which Oprah bought one thousand copies.

Honorable Mention: Driscoll, Piper, and Stanley made it in the Top 10 amidst a sea of poor theology.

Jonah vs. Park Squirrel

2009-02-26T12:33:00.005-07:00

I was just talking on the phone with my wife and apparently our two year old son Jonah had a little too much fun at the park today. The story plays out like this:

Jonah sees semi-tame squirrel.

Jonah approaches squirrel.

Jonah tries to pet squirrel.

Erin grabs Jonah out of fear of rabies.

Time passes...

Moments later Jonah finds the same unsuspecting squirrel

Jonah kicks squirrel.

The end.

I imagine it looked something like this...

"Rabbi" Duncan on Hyper-Calvinism & Arminianism

2009-02-26T11:59:00.003-07:00

“Hyper-Calvinism is all house and no door; Arminianism is all door and no house.”

( Courtesy of The Scriptorium)

Validation - Short Film

2009-02-24T22:17:00.002-07:00

Smile, smile, smile...

The "Boomer in the Pew" & a Free Calfskin ESV Study Bible

2009-02-24T08:08:00.003-07:00

Considering I am one of the few, it seems, to not own an ESV Study Bible I am always looking for a good deal so that I can pick one up. Westminster Bookstore has great discounts at 40% off, but that cannot compare to getting an ESV Study Bible for free! Thanks to the Boomer in the Pew this free ESV Study Bible "dream" may become a reality.

Go here for more info.

Jesus Under Fire: Twelve Reasons We Can Trust The Canonical Gospels (Craig Blomberg)

2009-02-06T11:44:00.010-07:00

Last night Dr. Craig Blomberg, Distinguished Professor of New Testament at Denver Seminary, gave a lecture at the University of Northern Colorado. The lecture was titled, Jesus Under Fire: Twelve Reasons We Can Trust the Canonical Gospels and involved twelve main points:

1. We have highly reliable copies of the texts of what Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John wrote.

2. The authors were in a position to report accurate historical information.

3. All four gospels were written during the first century of Christianity.

4. The gospel writers would have wanted to preserve accurate history.

5. Ancient cultures meticulously cultivated the art of memorization.

6. The differences among the gospels closely match the patterns of ancient storytelling.

7. The literary genre of the gospels most resembles that of the other more trustworthy histories and biographies from the ancient world.

8. The presence of the "hard sayings" of Jesus supports the Gospels' historicity.

9. The "missing topics" Jesus does not address also support historical reliability.

10. The testimony of non-Christian writers confirms the general contours of Christ's life.

11. Archaeology has confirmed even more circumstantial details in the Gospels.

12. The testimony of other early Christian writers supports many remaining details.

You can listen to the lecture here, and the short Q&A session can be listened to here.

Introducing Jude Paul Pavlik

2008-12-06T14:03:00.001-07:00

I haven't written in awhile for a few reasons. One of those reasons is that my wife and I have been gearing up for our second child. Jude was born December 3rd, 2008 and he already thinks he owns the place. In light of his "the world revolves around me" attitude, I went ahead and gave him his first reading assignment.

Pray for my new son. He's got one crazy daddy.

Reformation Day - Luther ReCap

2008-10-31T10:42:00.002-06:00

Happy Reformation Day!

Almost 500 years ago on October 31st Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the Castle Church door in Wittenberg. I did some posts on this some time ago so I decided to compile them all into one post for your enjoyment. The introduction explains everything.

Twelve Days of Luther Introduction

Twelve Days of Luther Day 1

Twelve Days of Luther Day 2

Twelve Days of Luther Day 3

Twelve Days of Luther Day 4

Twelve Days of Luther Day 5

Twelve Days of Luther Day 6

Twelve Days of Luther Day 7

Twelve Days of Luther Day 8

Twelve Days of Luther Day 9

Twelve Days of Luther Day 10

Twelve Days of Luther Day 11

Twelve Days of Luther Day 12

Pre-Flood Job Hunting

2008-10-21T17:28:00.003-06:00

ESV Study Bible - Buy It Today!

2008-10-10T08:31:00.002-06:00

Here it is! The day all you ESV fanatics have been waiting for! The ESV Study Bible is now available to purchase on Westminster Bookstore, and will be shipped on Monday, October 13th! If you are planning on buying anything ESV oriented Westminster Bookstore is the place to go. All ESV Bibles (even the new study Bible) are 40% off. This isn't just a one time deal either. The ESV Bibles are ALWAYS 40% off. This is an incredible deal especially considering the amount of work that went into making these new study Bibles. If you would like to purchase the new ESV Study Bible click on the Bible you would like from the list below.

The ESV Study Bible (Hardcover) by ESV, English Standard Version $49.99 $28.49	The ESV Study Bible (TruTone, Natural Brown) by ESV, English Standard Version $74.99 $44.99	The ESV Study Bible (TruTone, Classic Black) by ESV, English Standard Version $74.99 $44.99	The ESV Study Bible (Bonded Leather, Black) by ESV, English Standard Version $74.99 $44.99
The ESV Study Bible (Bonded Leather, Burgundy) by ESV, English Standard Version $74.99 $44.99	The ESV Study Bible (Genuine Leather, Black) by English Standard Version $94.99 $56.99	The ESV Study Bible (Genuine Leather, Burgundy) by English Standard Version $94.99 $56.99	The ESV Study Bible (Premium Calfskin Leather, Black) by English Standard Version $239.99 $143.99

Why the mandolin will be in Heaven...

2008-09-23T00:00:00.000-06:00

Mandolin playing by Chris Thile

Tiger Woods Walks On Water

2008-09-19T00:00:00.000-06:00

It appears there was a glitch in the Tiger Woods '08 video game where Tiger could walk on water. For Tiger Woods '09 the game's publisher, EA, shows it wasn't a glitch after all.

Knee injury? I think not...

Why singing will be in Heaven...

2008-09-18T00:00:00.000-06:00

Outside of various scriptural references of course.

O Magnum Mysterium composed by Morten Lauridsen

I had the privilege of singing this in college, and every time I hear it I find myself in a state of reverence. Simply beautiful. Here are the lyrics with translation.

Latin text
O magnum mysterium,
et admirabile sacramentum,
ut animalia viderent Dominum natum,
jacentem in praesepio!
Beata Virgo, cujus viscera
meruerunt portare
Dominum Christum.
Alleluia.

English translation
O great mystery,
and wonderful sacrament,
that animals should see the new-born Lord,
lying in a manger!
Blessed is the Virgin whose womb
was worthy to bear
Christ the Lord.
Alleluia!

Why the banjo will be in Heaven...

2008-09-17T11:31:00.004-06:00

Banjo playing by Bela Fleck

The Sin of Introspection

2008-09-16T06:00:00.001-06:00

About six months ago, my pastors and fellow leaders confronted me on some sin areas that were in my life. It was very difficult to hear, and even though I have grown in the area I was originally confronted in, pride, I have taken on a whole new issue that has just about worn me down to the point of exhaustion.

When people are confronted by others in the area of perceived sins, it is very easy for the person on the receiving end to do a few different things.

1. They become angry and accusatory
2. They accept the communicated issue, but do not agree and continue in sin
3. They accept the communicated issue, and as a result become repentant towards God and desirous for grace and restoration.

There are more responses, but it seems like these are the most prominent. I thought that I was doing #3. In reality, I had created a sort of hybrid. I wanted to be humble, and I wanted to be at peace before Christ, and yet I felt angry and frustrated. The underlying problem was that I became so focused on defeating pride that I drowned myself in my own introspection.

When all a person can see is themselves, Jesus becomes almost impossible to see and almost more impossible to hear truth from. At least, that is where I have been over the last few months. In my mind all I wanted was to follow Christ and enjoy Him alone, and yet the fear of man and the sin of introspection began to drown out truth and bog me down to a breaking point. I became so consumed with over-analytical thoughts that I began to feel like I couldn't say anything worth saying and couldn't do anything worth doing. In other words, I not only thought too deeply about my thoughts and actions, but I also analyzed every result that could come from those thoughts or spoken words.

O how terrible is the sin of introspection. It steals joy and hides all truth. Thankfully, through the kindness and steadfastness of my wife as well as much prayer and reading through scripture, I began to see the hope that lies only in the Savior. I also ran across a message by David Powlison which was no doubt a balm to my weary soul. I highly suggest that you listen to it. Powlison is a very gifted counselor and I highly recommend any and all of his materials. If you have ever struggled with introspection, or you know of someone who does, I believe this may be of immense benefit.

While I may have grown towards humility in some respects, it is clear that I cannot rid myself of pride by mere introspection alone, but by mainly trusting in Christ and constantly and consistently applying His grace in my life. What a Counselor we have in Jesus!

You can download David Powlison's message here from Sovereign Grace Ministries.

iTunes "Religion & Spirituality Barometer" - 9/15/08

2008-09-15T08:39:00.004-06:00

Barometer Reading: 9/15/08

This Week's Winner: Joel Osteen. Interestingly enough, Focus on the Family was in the top spot a few days ago. Apparently Joel just wouldn't let that stand.

Honorable Mention: John Piper and R.C. Sproul in the Top Ten! It looks like the Desiring God podcast is just about as consistent as Oprah and Osteen. Sadly, Mark Driscoll dropped to 19! I think he needs to cuss more...

Hurricane Ike

2008-09-12T10:42:00.002-06:00

Might I suggest that if you haven't prayed for the people who will be affected by Hurricane Ike, it would most likely be worth your time to do so. Right now if possible. Thank you.

How does this even happen?

2008-09-10T13:33:00.004-06:00

It must be video day in the blogosphere. Here are two videos that I'm not sure whether to laugh at, or feel sick over. The first was featured on Justin Taylor's blog, Between Two Worlds. The second was featured on the Reformation21 blog. I'll let you judge which is worse.

Let's throw in some Rowan Atkinson for good measure...

Voddie Baucham on CNN: Sarah Palin & Women's Roles

2008-09-10T07:39:00.008-06:00

What began as a simple discussion about Sarah Palin quickly became an impassioned discussion about the roles of women and the truth of the gospel.

Voddie Baucham = Titus 1:9

iTunes "Religion & Spirituality Barometer" - 9/9/08

2008-09-09T09:17:00.006-06:00

Barometer Reading 9/9/08

This Week's Winner: Joel Osteen! I'm starting to wonder if I am going to be writing that name a lot over the next few weeks.

Honorable Mention: John Piper and Mark Driscoll in the Top Ten! Maybe John Piper needs to come out with a magazine like Oprah. Yes...I can see it now.

iTunes "Religion & Spirituality Barometer" - 9/3/08

2008-09-03T13:22:00.006-06:00

Well, after a relaxing Labor Day I suppose it is about time I start posting again. I am a few days late on this one, but hopefully you can all forgive me.

Barometer Reading - 9/3/08

This Week's Winner: Joel "Numero Uno" Osteen. Trying to dethrone this guy is like trying to knock down the walls of Jericho. I think the Reformed podcasts need a little more cowbell.

Honorable Mention: John Piper and Mark Driscoll both moved up one spot bringing them a little closer to the land of Osteen & Oprah. Also, R.C Sproul moved from position 16 to 10! Perhaps the tides are changing...

According to the Times: C.H. Spurgeon 1860

2008-08-27T10:33:00.007-06:00

March 21st, 1860

June 16th, 1860

July 9th, 1860

August 22nd, 1860

Saying "No" to Some Things, "Yes" to Others

2008-08-26T07:42:00.005-06:00

Our 19 month old son, Jonah, already knows that he doesn't want to do certain things. However, it appears that there is one thing he does want to do...

iTunes "Religion & Spirituality Barometer" - 8/25/08

2008-08-25T09:26:00.006-06:00

Barometer Reading - 8/25/08

This Week's Winner: Joel Osteen! Again, I am not surprised. If you need any convincing as to why Joel Osteen is at the top of the list again, just remember that on the eighth day, God created Joel Osteen.

Honorable Mention: John Piper making it into the Top 10 with Mark Driscoll just behind. There is hope.

LeRoi Moore of Dave Matthews Band Dies at 46

2008-08-20T07:43:00.004-06:00

During high school and my early college years there was only one band that I listened to. Dave Matthews Band.

DMB was a very prominent idol in my life during that time, and as a result I knew every sax and flute solo that LeRoi Moore ever played.

I haven't listened to DMB in some time, but this still came as a shock to me. I have no doubt that he will be missed by not only the members of the band, but also by millions of loyal fans across the globe. Here is the official statement from DMB's website:

We are deeply saddened that LeRoi Moore, saxophonist and founding member of Dave Matthews Band, died unexpectedly Tuesday afternoon, August 19, 2008, at Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center in Los Angeles from sudden complications stemming from his June ATV accident on his farm near Charlottesville, Virginia. LeRoi had recently returned to his Los Angeles home to begin an intensive physical rehabilitation program.

The Beauty of God's Creation - Part Deux

2008-08-19T18:47:00.003-06:00

This is absolutely incredible. You may think this is just some ordinary bird.

It's not.

iTunes "Religion & Spirituality Barometer" - 8/18/08

2008-08-18T10:54:00.011-06:00

I am always very interested to see what the top "Religion & Spirituality" podcasts are when I browse the iTunes store. It really is fascinating (and a little discouraging) to see which podcasts have caught the general public's interest the most. With that thought in mind, I want to start an ongoing experiment of sorts. Many people use iTunes, but not all, so the experiment isn't perfect. Regardless, I would like to post the Religion & Spirituality Barometer® once a week to see if it gives an accurate portrayal of modern day religiosity across the globe. Good times.

Here's the protocal:

I will show the Top 25 Religion and Spirituality Podcasts currently on iTunes.

That's it really. Nothing fancy.

And here..we..go..

Barometer Reading - 8/18/08

This week's winner: Joel Osteen! Not really a surprise. This guy has a board game made after his book Your Best Life Now. Once you reach board game status, you are unstoppable...The big issue here is that once people hear that they can have their best life now, there is no reason to even bother thinking about the glorious life that is yet to come. After all, who wants eternity with God later when you can have wealth and victory here and now? Three cheers for the Prosperity Gospel!

Honorable Mention: Ravi Zacharias in the Top 5. It's great to know that this man's teaching is being listened to. Way to go Ravi.

According to the Times: C.H. Spurgeon 1859

2008-08-18T06:56:00.007-06:00

January 12th, 1859

February 7th, 1859

February 8th, 1859

March 28th, 1859

October 8th, 1859

Where Are Our Hopes and Dreams?

2008-08-13T10:21:00.004-06:00

I can't help but wonder if children growing up today will hold on to this thought...

I sure hope so. You don't see too many adults walking around hoping and dreaming anymore. In such a jaded world it makes sense that most of us wouldn't feel this way. But then again, anything is possible with Christ. (Phil. 4:13)

A world without Christ is a world where nothing is possible.

Thank God for a perfect and sustaining Savior!

Death By Love - A New Book from Mark Driscoll

2008-08-12T10:29:00.003-06:00

Coming September 2008. Endorsements here.

Westminster Bookstore - Blog Partners Program

2008-08-11T10:49:00.009-06:00

I love Westminster Bookstore.

Not only are they one of the only bookstores that sells books by old dead people, but now they are rewarding bloggers for linking to their site!

Here is some info about the program:

Got a blog? Like books and like to write about them? WTSBOOKS Blog Partners Rewards offers you the chance to earn books or other merchandise from our store while introducing your readers to quality Christian books. Participation couldn't be easier. Once you've registered for the program, simply link to our store on your blog or personal web site. Each time a total of 50 visitors to your site have clicked on any of your specially-coded links to us, you've earned a $10 Westminster Bookstore gift certificate! (Certificates are redeemable in our store or online.) Create as many links as you like—all click-throughs will be grouped together to contribute to your rewards. There is no limit to how much you can earn!

For full details click here.

So if you frequent this blog, please click on any of the Westminster bookstore links/banners so that I can have some free books.

Am I absolutely shameless?

Yes.

A Prayer of John Calvin - Commentary on the Book of Jonah

2008-08-10T21:04:00.007-06:00

I was reading through Calvin's commentary on Jonah and came across this prayer. I hope it blesses you.

Grant, Almighty God, that as thou sees us implicated in so many errors, that we often fall through want of thought, and as thou also sees that the violent emotions of our flesh wholly blind whatever reason and judgment there is in us, — O grant, that we may learn to give up ourselves altogether to obey thee, and so honor thy wisdom as never to contend with thee, though all things may happen contrary to our wishes, but patiently to wait for such an issue as it may please thee to grant; and may we never be disturbed by any of the hindrances which Satan may throw in our way, but ever go on towards the mark which thou hast set before us, and never turn aside from thee, until, having gone through all dangers and overcome all impediments, we shall at length reach that blessed rest, which has been obtained for us by the blood of thy Son. Amen.

The Truth Project

2008-08-06T08:00:00.002-06:00

My church will be going through the Truth Project in the Fall, and I think it will be a very beneficial time for every person involved. For those of you who have never heard of the Truth Project before, here is a short introduction from their site:

In a recent study, the Barna Research Group revealed a stunning statistic that continues to reverberate throughout the evangelical world. Only 9 percent of professing Christians have a biblical worldview.1

Because of this, today's believers live very similarly to non-believers. A personal sense of significance is rarely experienced, we spend our money and time on things that fail to satisfy and we begin to wonder what life's ultimate purpose really is. We are, in short, losing our bearings as a people and a nation.

To counter this slide within the body of Christ, we are launching one of the most ambitious and powerful projects in the history of our ministry—Focus on the Family's The Truth Project.

The Truth Project is a DVD-based small group curriculum comprised of 12 one-hour lessons taught by Dr. Del Tackett. This home study is the starting point for looking at life from a biblical perspective. Each lesson discusses in great detail the relevance and importance of living the Christian worldview in daily life.

The leaders of our church spent the previous Spring going through each of the videos, and I must admit that I was very impressed. The production is top-notch, the speaking by Dr. Tackett is inspiring, and most importantly, the Truth is presented. This isn't just what Del Tackett believes to be true, or what Focus on the Family believes to be true. This is biblical truth through and through.

Who would benefit from this series?

Pastors (especially if you struggle with how to present a biblical world-view to your church, or if you are unable to teach through these topics yourself due to time constraints)
Small group leaders (3 months worth of solid material with a great opportunity for discussion)
College students (Great tool for sparking conversation on campus about truth, but more importantly, the Gospel)
Parents (Sit down with your children and watch these videos. The time you spend helping your children to have a biblical world-view, the more equipped they will be in 10-20 years when who knows what people will say about truth then!)
Anyone (While Focus on the Family has made it a point not to use this series for evangelism, it can't hurt to show this to your unbelieving friends and family. It is very well done and could very well lead to someone's salvation)

Hop on over to The Truth Project site. Whether you need it or not, it's worth your time to at least check it out.

Here is the promotional video for your viewing pleasure:

Rob Bell's Church Welcomes Female Pastors

2008-08-05T08:00:00.005-06:00

Get the story here.

It is a long post, but definitely worth the read.

John Piper Goes Gangsta'

2008-08-04T16:09:00.003-06:00

One of my first blog posts contained a picture of John Piper the Mercenary. Well, looks like he is at it again...

I'm starting to think he is faking the whole conservative Baptist thing. Get the whole story here.

Signing Bibles: The Apex of Christian Celebrity?

2008-08-04T12:25:00.023-06:00

I've only seen this in person a few times, and I am just not sure what to think of it. In fact, I am really rather confused by the whole idea of it. I know that the "Celebrity Culture" exists across the Christian landscape and that it has only become more rampant since the Internet has grown.

Nationally, many Evangelicals consider Rick Warren to be "America's Pastor". In fact, considering his global influence some even refer to him as the Pope of Evangelicalism. While I think that is a ridiculous idea, many Christians treat him as the end-all be-all of Christian leadership. How did he get to this point? He sold a few influential books, most notably the Purpose Driven Church & Purpose Driven Life, grew a massive church, and probably most important was the use of The Purpose Driven Life in the kidnapping of Ashley Smith a few years ago. He is a perfect example of a Christian Celebrity. Evangelical pastors want to be him, and many Evangelicals want to follow him. The question is, are they following his love for Jesus, or his celebrity?

It seems that we have brought this on ourselves. Has John Piper become the Michael Crichton or Tom Clancy of the Christian world? Do we buy his books because his name is on it, or because we expect to be shown the wonders of God and the joy of following Jesus? It would seem that Dr. Piper intends the second, but I wonder sometimes if we really buy the books he writes for that reason. Maybe it's a little of both. I can definitely see that in myself a little, and I recognize the danger of it.

Why is it dangerous? The only celebrity in Christianity is God. He is the only one who deserves to be famous. I fawn over certain authors as much as the next person, and I would like to think that it is all because of what they write, but I would be dishonest in saying so. How many of us have gone to conferences and have purchased a book because we recognize the author but in the meantime we pass over many diligent and helpful saints who are not as well known? I have. How many of us have gone to conferences for the speakers and just convince ourselves that we like the theme of the conference as well? I have done that too. However, even with my own motive issues, those books and conferences have proven invaluable. The question I suppose I need to always ask myself is, "Am I buying this book or going to this conference because I want to bring more glory to God?" There can be many motives that seem good, but blot out that "Glory Motive". Where do your motives lie when a new book comes out, or when your denomination holds a conference? Is it because of the celebrity factor or because you want to glorify Christ?

So this brings me to the point about signing Bibles. I have seen men I respect do this and it just seems strange. A recent story about J.I. Packer sums it up well:

"After I had my my book signed, many more pressed him. He signed books as he answered questions. The insight he provided into the Puritans in those few minutes still have a lasting impact on me. During the conversation, a young man (my age) approached Packer with a newly purchased ESV Bible (of which Packer was a general editor). Excitedly, he asked Packer to sign it and handed it to him. For a few moments Packer held the Bible in his hands, and quietly returned it to the young man. He said, "Son, this is God's book. If you want it signed you will need to ask him." - Josh Gelatt (Ephemeros blog)

It seems to me that J.I. Packer has the right idea. Something about asking a preacher you admire to sign your Bible just reeks of the Celebrity Culture. Granted, as some of you know I had my picture taken with some of the speakers at T4G. Honestly, most of my reasoning was because I wanted to get my picture taken with someone I greatly respected. I wanted to have that memory. And seriously, if C.H. Spurgeon were walking around and you had a camera, you know you would want your picture taken too. Regardless, even in my desire to have that memory, I think that I promoted the Celebrity Culture in Christianity.

All in all, I'm not sure I agree with signing Bibles, but at the same time it isn't a deal breaker for me. With all of the writing of books and great conferences out there the Celebrity Culture is inevitable. I see it nationally, and I even see it in the group of churches I belong to. Oddly enough, many of the old dead guys that we all love to read so much never gained fame or prominence until hundreds of years after they died. Maybe it should still be that way.

So what do you think? Should church leaders sign Bibles or not?

***DISCLAIMER: I must say that I believe many of our national leaders to be pursuing the gospel first with no thought to their own fame or celebrity, but it would appear that some toss their weight around more than others...

Mark Driscoll's "A Book You'll Actually Read"

2008-06-24T07:58:00.004-06:00

Looks like Mark Driscoll has written a few more books, and each one is only 96 pages long! Click here to watch an overview video.

This series is available for pre-order and will be released on June 30th, 2008. They've made it possible to embed the introduction videos, so here they are for your viewing pleasure.

Also, if you want to have some fun, play all the videos at the same time (after watching each one first). I just did this and it made me laugh. Four Mark Driscoll's talking at the same time may just be someone's worst nightmare. If that's you, my apologies...

The World Is Really Dirty...

2008-06-19T11:38:00.004-06:00

2008 Reading List

2008-06-13T11:40:00.004-06:00

With the Desiring God Conference approaching in September, I thought it would be wise to look at all of the books I own, establish which ones I haven't read, and read those before I buy more books at the conference. Since I already have so many books to read, it doesn't make a lot of sense to buy more, but then again, that's part of the fun of going to a conference. It would be like going to Disney World and coming back without a t-shirt or mouse ears.

So in lieu of the conference, I have compiled a list of books that I own that I have not yet read. On a side note, my wife was watching me write down the titles of all my books and in the most loving way said, "Are you writing down the books you haven't read? That's going to be discouraging..."

Yes, yes it is. Overwhelming even. I don't plan on reading all of these by the conference, although that would be a fun goal. These are the books that I plan on reading for the rest of 2008. God help me.

This list is in no particular order.

Eusebius
The History of the Church

John Stott
The Cross of Christ
Basic Christianity
The Incomparable Christ

David Powlison
Seeing With New Eyes

Jeremiah Burroughs
Gospel Fear
Gospel Worship
A Treatise on Earthly Mindedness
The Excellency of a Gracious Spirit

R.C. Sproul
The Truth of the Cross
The Holiness of God
Chosen By God
Scripture Alone

Mark Dever
What is a Healthy Church
The Gospel and Personal Evangelism

Al Mohler
Culture Shift

Thabiti Anyabwile
The Faithful Preacher

John Piper
The Future of Justification
Battling Unbelief
Brothers We Are Not Professionals
Don't Waste Your Life
Future Grace
A Hunger for God
Let the Nations Be Glad!
The Pleasures of God
What Jesus Demands from the World

John MacArthur
The Gospel According to Jesus

David Wells
The Courage to Be Protestant

DA Carson
Christ and Culture Revisited

Bob Kauflin
Worship Matters

John Bunyan
Pilgrim's Progress

John Foxe
Foxe's Book of Martyrs

Thomas a Kempis
The Imitation of Christ

John Owen
Overcoming Sin & Temptation

Burk Parsons
Assured By God

Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Preaching and Preachers

CH Spurgeon
Lectures to My Students

Sam Storms
Pleasures Evermore

Noel Piper
Treasuring God in Our Traditions

John Wesley
The Journal of John Wesley

Packer/Dever
In My Place Condemned He Stood

De Young/Kluck
Why We're Not Emergent

Dever/Duncan/Mohler/Mahaney
Preaching the Cross

Jeffrey/Ovey/Sach
Pierced for Our Transgressions

Williams/Cooper
If You Could Ask God One Question

Tice/Cooper
Christianity Explored

Piper/Taylor
A God Entranced Vision of All Things

Various
Feed My Sheep: A Passionate Plea for Preaching

(By the way, the image above is not my bookshelf. I found this image here: www.joeclipart.com/blog/archives/photo/)

Mark Dever: Exposition of Ezekiel 37:1-14

2008-06-12T11:37:00.010-06:00

I have been meaning to post this for some time, and since my posts have been sparse lately I thought I would go ahead and post this now. When I went to Louisville for the Together for the Gospel conference, I had the pleasure of hearing Mark Dever give a chapel message at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. The message was a simple exposition of Ezekiel 37:1-14 and it was just filled with the gospel. It was the first time that I had ever seen Mark preach, and to be honest, I wasn't really sure what I thought of the guy. In fact, my thoughts of him were mostly negative.

To be clear, those thoughts had nothing to do with his theology, but his personality, or rather, what I assumed his personality was from hearing him on the 9marks website. Friends, I could not have been more wrong about Pastor Dever. The message was clear, humble, and loving. His expostion was precise and helpful and as I said before, the message made a bee-line to the cross. Enjoy and be edified friends!

Consequently, I almost wonder if Mark Dever is becoming one of my favorite teachers in the church. While we don't agree on everything, I appreciate his ministry much more now than I did before the conference in April. The message that he gave at T4G was very helpful, thought provoking, and most likely caused the greatest stir in pastor's hearts and minds about their treatment of the gospel in ther home churches. For that, I am thankful for Mark and I find his writings and ministry to be a great and worthwhile resource to the universal church body. Please take a moment if you haven't and visit the 9marks website, and subscribe to their newsletter. Great stuff.

Augustine on the Theatre, Compassion, & Grief

2008-05-20T19:57:00.004-06:00

Book 3: Chapter 2

2. Stage plays also captivated me, with their sights full of the images of my own miseries: fuel for my own fire. Now, why does a man like to be made sad by viewing doleful and tragic scenes, which he himself could not by any means endure? Yet, as a spectator, he wishes to experience from them a sense of grief, and in this very sense of grief his pleasure consists. What is this but wretched madness? For a man is more affected by these actions the more he is spuriously involved in these affections. Now, if he should suffer them in his own person, it is the custom to call this "misery." But when he suffers with another, then it is called "compassion." But what kind of compassion is it that arises from viewing fictitious and unreal sufferings? The spectator is not expected to aid the sufferer but merely to grieve for him. And the more he grieves the more he applauds the actor of these fictions. If the misfortunes of the characters -- whether historical or entirely imaginary -- are represented so as not to touch the feelings of the spectator, he goes away disgusted and complaining. But if his feelings are deeply touched, he sits it out attentively, and sheds tears of joy.

3. Tears and sorrow, then, are loved. Surely every man desires to be joyful. And, though no one is willingly miserable, one may, nevertheless, be pleased to be merciful so that we love their sorrows because without them we should have nothing to pity. This also springs from that same vein of friendship. But whither does it go? Whither does it flow? Why does it run into that torrent of pitch which seethes forth those huge tides of loathsome lusts in which it is changed and altered past recognition, being diverted and corrupted from its celestial purity by its own will? Shall, then, compassion be repudiated? By no means! Let us, however, love the sorrows of others. But let us beware of uncleanness, O my soul, under the protection of my God, the God of our fathers, who is to be praised and exalted -- let us beware of uncleanness. I have not yet ceased to have compassion. But in those days in the theaters I sympathized with lovers when they sinfully enjoyed one another, although this was done fictitiously in the play. And when they lost one another, I grieved with them, as if pitying them, and yet had delight in both grief and pity. Nowadays I feel much more pity for one who delights in his wickedness than for one who counts himself unfortunate because he fails to obtain some harmful pleasure or suffers the loss of some miserable felicity. This, surely, is the truer compassion, but the sorrow I feel in it has no delight for me. For although he that grieves with the unhappy should be commended for his work of love, yet he who has the power of real compassion would still prefer that there be nothing for him to grieve about. For if good will were to be ill will -- which it cannot be -- only then could he who is truly and sincerely compassionate wish that there were some unhappy people so that he might commiserate them. Some grief may then be justified, but none of it loved. Thus it is that thou dost act, O Lord God, for thou lovest souls far more purely than we do and art more incorruptibly compassionate, although thou art never wounded by any sorrow. Now "who is sufficient for these things?"[59]

4. But at that time, in my wretchedness, I loved to grieve; and I sought for things to grieve about. In another man's misery, even though it was feigned and impersonated on the stage, that performance of the actor pleased me best and attracted me most powerfully which moved me to tears. What marvel then was it that an unhappy sheep, straying from thy flock and impatient of thy care, I became infected with a foul disease? This is the reason for my love of griefs: that they would not probe into me too deeply (for I did not love to suffer in myself such things as I loved to look at), and they were the sort of grief which came from hearing those fictions, which affected only the surface of my emotion. Still, just as if they had been poisoned fingernails, their scratching was followed by inflammation, swelling, putrefaction, and corruption. Such was my life! But was it life, O my God?

The Bible According to Caravaggio - Part 1

2008-05-19T13:54:00.013-06:00

I am no art scholar. To be honest, I'm partially colorblind which pretty much disqualifies me from interpreting the use of color, or even lighting for that matter. In fact, when I was in middle school I actually failed the color wheel. My art teacher had no sympathy for me whatsoever and actually failed me. Seriously now, who does that?

Regardless of my inability to see color, I do know what I like, and I just can't get enough of the art of Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. Here is some background information from Wikipedia:

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (September 28, 1571 – 18 July 1610) was an Italian artist active in Rome, Naples, Malta and Sicily between 1593 and 1610. He is commonly placed in the Baroque school, of which he was the first great representative...Huge new churches and palazzi were being built in Rome in the decades of the late 16th and early 17th centuries, and paintings were needed to fill them. The Counter-Reformation Church searched for authentic religious art with which to counter the threat of Protestantism, and for this task the artificial conventions of Mannerism, which had ruled art for almost a century, no longer seemed adequate. Caravaggio's novelty was a radical naturalism which combined close physical observation with a dramatic, even theatrical, approach to chiaroscuro, the use of light and shadow.

For reference, the first painting below is known as Mannerism, and the second is Naturalism with the use of Chiaroscuro:

Rosso Fiorentino: Moses Defending the Daughters of Jethro

Joseph Wright of Derby: A Philosopher Giving that Lecture on the Orrery, in which a Lamp is put in place of the Sun

What draws me to the art of Caravaggio is the atmosphere that he is able to create, and the story that he tells so richly from just one moment in time. I wanted to use this post to look into his take on biblical subjects, not only to appreciate his ability, but also to see if he really does capture each scene correctly.

Crucifixion of St. Peter

Well, we really don't have a biblical record of Peter being crucified upside-down. However, we do have a reference to his death from Eusebius' Ecclesiastical History which states, "Peter appears to have preached through Pontus, Galatia, Bithynia, Cappadocia, and Asia, to the Jews that were scattered abroad; who also, finally coming to Rome, was crucified with his head downward, having requested of himself to suffer in this way" (Ecclesiastical History 3:1). Regardless, this is an incredible piece of art.

Martha and Mary

The story of Martha and Mary is taken from Luke 10:38-42:

Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

I don't think that Caravaggio captured this very well at all. In fact, being the ignorant art lover that I am, I didn't see the connection at all. However, I found this explanation on Wikipedia that partially cleared things up:

The painting shows the Biblical sisters Martha and Mary Magdalene - Martha is in the act of converting Mary from her life of pleasure to the life of virtue in Christ. Martha, her face shadowed, leans forward, passionately arguing with Mary, who twirls an orange blossom between her fingers as she holds a mirror, symbolising the vanity she is about to give up. The power of the image lies in Mary's face, caught at the moment when conversion begins.

I'll let you be the judge of this one, but I find it to be a little bit of a departure from the biblical text.

The Sacrifice of Isaac

Here is the biblical reference, Genesis 22:9-13:

When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here am I.” He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son.

I really like this one. I am not going to lie. Everything appears to be there: Abraham, Isaac, the altar, an angel, the ram, the knife. The houses in the background seem a little out of place and a little modern (for the time). The angel also has the typical "youthful" look that is common in most art, yet I doubt heavenly angels really look like that. They are probably a little more intimidating.

Let's look at one more today.

Rest on the Flight into Egypt

So here we have Mary, Joseph, Jesus, and a half naked angel playing the violin. Let's see what Matthew 2:13-15 says:

Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

Right. Good thing Joseph is holding the angel's music or this would be totally inaccurate...At this point you are all wondering why I like Caravaggio so much when he gets so many things wrong. Well, I didn't say I appreciated ALL of his art, and some of the best paintings are yet to come.

Caravaggio's ability with a brush is impressive, but I think we can all see that textual accuracy was not the priority. Things do get better, I promise. Until next time...

26 years ago...

2008-05-19T07:30:00.001-06:00

I was born. Happy birthday to me!

According to the Times: C.H. Spurgeon 1858

2008-05-14T10:30:00.006-06:00

The first article, "Spurgeon's Idea of Heaven" is really incredible. Spurgeon's ability to paint with words is simply mind-blowing. If heaven is at all the way he describes it, sign me up.

January 15th, 1858

July 21st, 1858

November 19th, 1858

A Christian's First Song

2008-05-13T13:20:00.006-06:00

Last Sunday I surprised my mom by driving down to Colorado Springs for Mother's Day. She was happy, then she cried, and then smiled again. It was strange being back home without the rest of my family with me. My wife was in California with my son, so it almost felt like driving home from college, alone.

After a delicious bowl of cereal, we drove around for awhile and then grabbed lunch at PF Changs, which was again, delicious. Now when we got back to the house I decided to ravage through my old bedroom closet for any fun toys that I could take back. You see, when Erin is not with me I can take anything I want. She is the wiser one of us, so without her voice of reason I grabbed some dumb things that I will probably never use, but the nostalgic quality is high so that is how I will justify what I brought back home. I found a marionette/puppet thing that I thought Jonah (my son) would enjoy, but in all reality it will probably scare his little pants off. I found some old computer games that a friend at church and I were discussing weeks ago that will probably just turn to dust in my modern computer. I also did what every son does, I grabbed some of my dad's old clothes.

On my way out the door I decided to look one last place for any old stuff that I absolutely "needed" to take home. Providentially, I found something that I had almost entirely forgotten about. I found a recording of the song I wrote the day after I was brought from death to life. Amazing.

It is funny to hear myself all those years ago, but more importantly it is a powerful reminder of the power of God to change a sinner's heart. I would not have said any of things I said in this song a week before my salvation. So, as a fun treat I thought I would let you all hear the first song I ever wrote as a child of Christ. Enjoy! ( Oh yeah, and don't expect perfection or anything...this recording was almost 7 years ago)

Augustine on The Deceitfulness of Sin vs. God's Perfection

2008-05-12T10:31:00.011-06:00

For thus we see pride wearing the mask of high-spiritedness, although only thou, O God, art high above all. Ambition seeks honor and glory, whereas only thou shouldst be honored above all, and glorified forever. The powerful man seeks to be feared, because of his cruelty; but who ought really to be feared but God only? What can be forced away or withdrawn out of his power--when or where or whither or by whom? The enticements of the wanton claim the name of love; and yet nothing is more enticing than thy love, nor is anything loved more healthfully than thy truth, bright and beautiful above all. Curiosity prompts a desire for knowledge, whereas it is only thou who knowest all things supremely. Indeed, ignorance and foolishness themselves go masked under the names of simplicity and innocence; yet there is no being that has true simplicity like thine, and none is innocent as thou art. Thus it is by a sinner's own deeds he is himself harmed. Human sloth pretends to long for rest, but what sure rest is there save in the Lord? Luxury would fain be called plenty and abundance; but thou art the fullness and unfailing abundance of unfading joy. Prodigality presents a show of liberality; but thou art the most lavish giver of all good things. Covetousness desires to possess much, bu thou art already the possessor of all things. Envy contends that its aim is for excellence; but what is so excellent as thou? Anger seeks revenge; but who avenges more justly than thou? Fear recoils at the unfamiliar and the sudden changes which threaten things beloved, and is wary for its own security; but what can happen that is unfamiliar or sudden to thee? Or who can deprive thee of what thou lovest? Where, really, is there unshaken security, save with thee? Grief languishes for things lost in which desire had taken delight, because it wills to have nothing taken from it, just as nothing can be taken from thee. (B2.CH6.S13)

God is Enough

2008-05-11T20:27:00.003-06:00

Knowledge Without Wisdom = Bad News Bears

2008-04-24T10:36:00.006-06:00

I really needed to read this today...(Thank you Desiring God blog!)

If a twelve-year-old makes A’s in school and generally makes wise choices, how would you help her apply this verse to herself?
Never be wise in your own sight. (Romans 12:16)

You might say:

1. It means that you gladly admit that all true wisdom is from God. It is his, and not finally ours.

2. It means that you recognize that any sense of superiority comes from comparing yourself only with your inferiors. But the most important person to compare yourself with is God, and he is infinitely wiser than you. Not only that, there are a lot of people in the world wiser than you.

3. It means that you feel humbled by the fact that you are a sinner deserving of God’s wrath, and that you are amazed at the grace that gives you eternal life. This humility and amazement swallows up a sense of pride.

4. It means that you do not count yourself worthy of being served, but rather “empty yourself” and become obedient and serve others, both the wise and the foolish.

5. It means that you are mainly not thinking about yourself at all but taken up with how admirable Jesus is and how wonderful his works are and how interesting and needy others are.

According to the Times: C.H. Spurgeon 1857

2008-04-23T11:01:00.015-06:00

I thought that it would be a fun project to see how Christianity has been documented over the past hundred years or so, and somehow ended up at the NY Times website. They have archived articles that go all the way back to 1851 and they are basically scanned copies of the originals. Thus begins my new series: According to the Times. This will be a kind of on again, off again series, and hopefully over time I can develop a "Times Timeline of Christian People & Events" that will be both fun and educational...Seriously though, I'm excited. So without further ado, I give you series post #1, "C.H. Spurgeon 1857". (Keep in mind, Spurgeon was only 23 years old in 1857.)

March 16th, 1857: Personals

March 28th, 1857: Books of the Week

July 16th, 1857: Moral and Religious Intelligence

August 8th, 1857: Moral and Religious Intelligence (This article sounds like it was written about Mark Driscoll!)

T4G: Still Recuperating...

2008-04-22T13:43:00.003-06:00

T4G was in a word...incredible. On one hand I was incredibly edified, on the other hand it almost killed me. To anyone who went to T4G and survived, I salute you. The schedule was simply relentless, and I do mean RELENTLESS. The two hour time change only added to the exhaustion, but again it was all worth it.

So here I am, a week later, still sick. Whatever I had before I left is still having fun with me in various ways that I can't explain in detail. The above picture pretty much covers it.

For those of you who were not able to attend the conference this year, here are the links to the various talks that were given:

T4G Conference Messages: Audio

Also, the BlackCalvinist posted some great video clips from the conference as well. I am so glad that he captured the singing, because it was one of the highlights of the conference for me. There is really nothing like 5,000 men singing at the top of their lungs. Check out the clip to see what I'm talking about.

Finally, you can always go to Challies blog to see a more detailed overview of the conference. I may not blog for a few days, so for the five of you that read this, sorry. Believe it or not, it is hard to blog when you don't feel well. In the meantime, enjoy the conference highlights!

Together for the Gospel - Day 1

2008-04-15T21:22:00.018-06:00

After arriving in Louisville at 12 am this morning, I quickly fell asleep at my friend Eric's house only to wake up 7 hours later for Old Testament at 8:30am. The bed was more than adequate, although I seem to have an issue with causing every air mattress have ever slept on to deflate...

It was a good night's sleep regardless, and I am very thankful for my hosts' generosity. Eric still had classes to go to down here at Southern, so I thought I would tag along and get my money's worth while I'm out here. Thankfully, it was a beautiful morning.

Good morning Louisville!

After Old Testament we went to chapel, where Mark Dever gave a terrific exposition of Ezekiel 37. Through the word of God dry bones become like a mighty army, and I like those bones was once dead and became alive by the word of Christ! Amen! I would highly recommend downloading the audio for this from Southern's website.

Here is a picture of Eric and I in chapel. I am actually really happy to be here, but I could not get my camera to focus so....the result was less than perfect.

Following chapel I sat in on Eric's last class for the day, Intro to Spiritual Disciplines taught by Don Whitney. The lecture was about family worship and it was not only convicting but incredibly motivating. We will definitely be more worship minded as a family when I get back to Colorado!

After that it was straight to the conference. Here are some more pictures from Day 1. Enjoy!

Old Testament Classroom at Southern

The T4G Bookstore (This was absolutely huge. Almost ridiculous...almost.

Everyone waiting to get into the actual conference room. There are about 5,000 people here.

The Stage

John Piper Sat Here...

The crowd

Me and C.J. Mahaney (I know, I'm absolutely shameless...) Oh and thanks to Tony Reinke from Shepherd's Scrapbook for taking the picture for me!

Here is Joshua Harris with a typical Sovereign Grace smile on his face. Incredibly nice guy.

And here is Eric giving his approval of a day well spent. I'll try to post more pictures tomorrow night (hopefully less blurry). Take care all, and keep praying for me as I'm still not feeling to well. Thanks!

Heading to T4G!

2008-04-14T09:56:00.003-06:00

Well, around 4pm today I will be driving to the airport to hitch a ride to Louisville, Kentucky. I will be arriving at 12:01 am, no doubt exhausted, but it's worth it. Funny thing is, about halfway through my day yesterday I started to feel absolutely terrible, and actually thought about cancelling my flight. My muscles were sore, my throat was sore, I had chills but no fever, and I was mentally out of commission. Needless to say, I was stuggling in faith and trust in God, and I was feeling a little frustrated. After all, I have been looking forward to this conference for months and all of sudden I have to wonder if it is even wise to go!

After taking some Tylenol PM and lying in bed for a few hours I finally fell asleep. Thankfully, I feel a little better today, but definitely not 100%. My muscles are still sore, and my throat is sore as well, but the dizziness and fatigue are starting to go away. I still get random chills, but they are becoming less frequent. I decided that since things are on the up I would still go, but I definitely need your prayers.

I will try to post updates during the conference(hopefully with pictures), but I'll leave most of the live blogging to Mr. Challies.

Together for the Gospel: Free Book Predictions

2008-04-11T16:21:00.007-06:00

In light of the upcoming Together for the Gospel (T4G) conference (4 days!), I thought it would be fun to make some predictions on what books they will be giving away this year. This is the list that I have from the conference in '06 courtesy of Challies.com:

The Reformed Pastor by Richard Baxter

The Deliberate Church by Mark Dever and Paul Alexander

Getting The Gospel Right by R.C. Sproul

Women’s Ministry in the Local Church by Ligon Duncan and Susan Hunt

Give Praise To God (a tribute to James Boice)

Paperback ESV Bible

God Is The Gospel by John Piper

Counted Righteous in Christ by John Piper

Sex, Romance and the Glory of God by C.J. Mahaney

Humility: True Greatness by C.J. Mahaney

Speaking the Truth in Love by David Powlison

Why One Way? by John MacArthur

Hardcover N.A.S.B. MacArthur Study Bible

Just to put this in persepctive, that is roughly $200 worth of free books!

Here are my predictions for this year:

The Bruied Reed by Richard Sibbes

Twelve Challenges Churches Face by Mark Dever

Worship Matters by Bob Kauflin

In My Place Condemned He Stood by J.I. Packer & Mark Dever

Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor D.A. Carson

ESV Literary Study Bible (Doubt it)

Brothers We Are Not Professionals by John Piper

The Supremacy of Christ in Preaching by John Piper

Living the Cross Centered Life by C.J. Mahaney

Seeing With New Eyes by David Powlison

The Truth War by John MacArthur

I already have some of these, and I highly doubt that some of these titles would be given away, but here's hoping anyway!

Now it's your turn! What books do you think will be given away this year?

Willow Creek Overhaul

2008-04-11T09:59:00.003-06:00

This was taken from an article on the site Our of Ur:

Today, Greg Hawkins, executive pastor at Willow, recapped the study and then shared some changes that the church is now making in response to the research. He said they’re making the biggest changes to the church in over 30 years. For three decades Willow has been focused on making the church appealing to seekers. But the research shows that it’s the mature believers that drive everything in the church—including evangelism.

Hawkins says, “We used to think you can’t upset a seeker. But while focusing on that we’ve really upset the Christ-centered people.” He spoke about the high levels of dissatisfaction mature believer have with churches. Drawing from the 200 churches and the 57,000 people that have taken the survey, he said that most people are leaving the church because they’re not being challenged enough.

Because it’s the mature Christians who drive evangelism in the church Hawkins says, “Our strategy to reach seekers is now about focusing on the mature believers. This is a huge shift for Willow.”

One major implementation of this shift will occur in June when Willow ends their mid-week worship services that had been geared toward believers. Instead the church will morph these mid-week events into classes for people at different stages of growth. There will be theological and bible classes full of “hard-hitting stuff.” Hawkins said most people are very enthusiastic about the change.

On the seeker end of the spectrum, Willow is also changing how they produce their weekend services. For years the value people appreciated most about the seeker-oriented weekend services was anonymity. This is what all their research showed. People didn’t want to be identified, approached, confronted, or asked to do anything. But those days are over.

“Anonymity is not the driving value for seeker services anymore,” says Hawkins. “We’ve taken anonymity and shot it in the head. It’s dead. Gone.” In the past Willow believed that seekers didn’t want large doses of the Bible or deep worship music. They didn’t want to be challenged. Now their seeker-sensitive services are loaded with worship music, prayer, Scripture readings, and more challenging teaching from the Bible.

Willow has been wrestling with the research from REVEAL since 2004. Hawkins said, “We’ve tried incremental changes for four years, but now we know we have to overhaul our whole strategy.” Small steps are no longer the method; Willow is revamping everything. “It would be malpractice for us to not do something with what we’re learning.”

In the larger REVEAL survey taken by 200 churches, people were asked what they want most from their church. Three of the top four responses were:
1. Help me understand the Bible in greater depth
2. Help me develop a closer personal relationship with Christ
3. Challenge me to grow and take the next step in my faith

Read the rest here.

Still, I can't help but notice that it is still all about what the people want. What happens when they want something else? I'm just thankful that the flavor of the month for them is scripture and theology. I say that tongue-in-cheek. Hopefully, once they see the fruit from this, they'll never go back.

Top 10 Myths About Evangelism

2008-04-08T13:54:00.005-06:00

1. IT’S MY RESPONSIBILITY TO CONVERT PEOPLE.
We are only responsible for what we can do, not what others do. Our responsibility is simply to proclaim the gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit and leave the results to God. We don’t have to push.

2. WE CAN WITNESS BY OSMOSIS – WITHOUT WORDS.
By definition a witness is “one who testifies.” What if all the “witnesses” in a court trial only answered in mime? As Christians our lives need to be consistent with our words but they are not a substitute for them.

3. WE MUST “EARN” THE RIGHT TO BE HEARD.
While there is merit in the idea of gaining a hearing, the notion of “earning the right to be heard” can also put Christians on their heels. Do Hollywood producers call you to ask if you might be offended by the scenes and themes of their upcoming movie? Do professors in colleges distort Christian ideas and qualify their lectures with an apology? All around us people are making bold assertions about what is right and true. We have the truth. We are called to declare it sensitively and assertively.

4. PEOPLE’S BELIEFS ABOUT GOD ARE BASED ON REASON.
We often assume others have thought about their spiritual beliefs to the extent we have. Many people believe what they do more for emotional reasons or expedience. People often believe what they want to believe – what makes them feel good. This is especially true among those influenced by the postmodernism, reflected in this way: “Whatever you believe about God is fine and true for you, but it’s not for me.” On some occasions you might succeed in thoroughly answering a person’s intellectual objections only to find they still resist. We need to lovingly discern “smoke screens” and surface the core issues that keep a person away from God.

5. PEOPLE AREN’T INTERESTED.
Our experience doing Gospel Outreaches (GO) verifies that there is overwhelming interest in discussing the substantive questions of life. Nobody likes to be pushed, but there is strong interest in discussing spiritual ideas. By experience we’re seeing that many people are tired of shallow conversations and the rules of political correctness that make it taboo to talk about God.

6. I MUST HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS.
”And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God” (1 Corinthians 2:1-5).

7. I MUST HAVE A FRIENDSHIP WITH SOMEONE BEFORE I CAN SHARE THE GOSPEL.
While this helps, the gospel’s inherent power is not bound by our personal connections. God may bring people across our path for even a brief time by His sovereign design in order that we would share the message of Christ with them. The Bible records many accounts of the gospel powerfully going forward, apart from a prior established friendship. Remember the account of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:26-40)?

8. I MUST FIRST WAIT FOR PEOPLE TO ASK ME WHY MY LIFE IS SO DIFFERENT.
Do you fish? When was the last time a fish jumped out of the pond, flapped all the way up to your house and asked, “Hey, where’s your fishing pole? I wanna get on your line right now.” Fishing for men requires initiative on the fisherman’s part, not the fish! Sharing the gospel with others is an active endeavor, not a passive one.

9. SHARING THE GOSPEL IS INHERENTLY CONFRONTATIONAL.
Most people are uncomfortable with interpersonal confrontation. But sharing the gospel usually is a conversation not a confrontation. Although there is a very real battle taking place in the spiritual realm, on a personal level people should know that we genuinely care about them. We need to refine the art of asking good questions and listening. See Luke 2:46-47; the principles in this passage are excellent and very insightful with regard to our personal witness. If someone is clearly uncomfortable discussing God then we should back off. Whoever said that the same rules which apply in “normal life” don’t apply in personal evangelism?

10. I MUST TELL A PERSON EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT GOD IN EVERY SITUATION.
Not every opportunity to share the message is going to be equal. In some cases you’ll have just a few minutes to talk, ask a question, share an idea, or simply listen. Make the most of it and relax (Colossians 4:5). Try to discern how much a person is ready to hear. Jesus Himself said “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear” (John 6:12). Even with His disciples he did not feel compelled to unload everything at once.

Get the PDF containing the "10 Myths of Evangelism" here at www.proclaimcourse.com

Proclaim: An Evangelism Resource for Your Church

2008-04-08T13:41:00.004-06:00

Want to share your faith but don't know how? Proclaim is a small-group course designed to help everyday Christians like you grow in sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. Through seven sessions, you'll discover how to communicate the gospel more clearly and how to trust God more fully in evangelism.

Session Titles
The Unstoppable Gospel
Gifted for Evangelism
Becoming a Friend of Sinners
Breaking the Sound Barrier
Proclaim the Bad News
Proclaim the Good News
Putting the Go in Gospel

The Proclaim course was developed by Covenant Fellowship Church in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, to help you grow in sharing your faith. To learn more, visit www.ProclaimCourse.com.

Sovereign Grace Ministries is offering a Small Group Study Kit on their site as well.

Alistair Begg Interview

2008-04-07T11:30:00.010-06:00

Alistair Begg answers questions that range from "What is the core belief of your church?" to "Do you ever doubt Christianity?" to "How do you pray?". Rather than say anything more, here is the interview.

CJ Mahaney Interviews Sinclair Ferguson

2008-04-07T11:10:00.006-06:00

If you haven't heard these interview clips already, you probably should stop whatever you are doing and listen to them. Ok, maybe that is going a little too far. Seriously though, if you have nothing better to do, it would NOT be a waste of your time. Here is the blurb from the Sovereign grace blog:

Over the past week we have been posting small excerpts from C.J.’s rich interview with pastor and author Dr. Sinclair Ferguson. Here is a complete index of those blog posts. Also, we’ve included the full audio recording from the two-hour interview.

Here is the link to these interviews:

Sinclair Ferguson Interview: Index and Audio

Resolved 2008 Promo Video

2008-04-07T10:57:00.002-06:00

Thank God for the powerful message of the gospel!

Who Is Jesus? A Debate Between Hamad & Anyabwile

2008-04-04T15:11:00.009-06:00

In effort to find something to listen to while working, I stumbled across this debate on YouTube between Ahmed Hamed (speaker on Islam and comparative religion) and Thabiti Anyabwile (Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church, USA). This dialogue/debate was organised by the Muslim Student Association and Christian Fellowship Club from the University of Wollongong in Dubai. I have combined the videos into a few different groupings (4-5 per group) to make it a little easier to follow and have listed them below for your edification. The debate is around 2 hours long (as most debates are), but it is very interesting and worth your time. This is a good example of a "non-heated" debate, which can only be attributed to the amount of humility present. In fact, I was actaully shocked at how calm and relaxed this debate was! Hope you enjoy it!

Thabiti Anyabwile's Opening Statement

Ahmed Hamed's Opening Statement

Audience Q & A

Closing Remarks

T4G Second String Speakers

2008-04-04T11:28:00.006-06:00

Featuring:

John Macarthur - Vocals and Rhythm Guitar

John Piper - Vocals and Lead Guitar

Thabiti Anyabwile - Vocals and Bass

R.C Sproul - Drums

They're gonna rock your socks off...