Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Ephesians ESV Wordle
Here is another Wordle, Ephesians from the New Testament. Click on it to see original size from Wordle.
Friday, March 18, 2011
MSNBC’s Martin Bashir on The Paul Edwards Program
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Albert Mohler on Rob Bell's forthcoming book
This blog post is Dr. Mohler's review on the forthcoming Rob Bell book.
I really liked this quote Dr. Mohler placed in his review. It is by H. Richard Niebuhr and really defines liberalism in one sentence.
"H. Richard Niebuhr famously once distilled liberal theology into this sentence: “A God without wrath brought men without sin into a kingdom without judgment through the ministrations of a Christ without a cross.”"
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Justice Wins instead of Love Wins
Here is a very creative post done by Jeremy Grinnell...
"To prove that narrative can be equally used for the opposite view, Jeremy wrote a short piece which, though not his full position (because it’s equally extreme on the other side), illustrates the rhetorically powerful yet easily refutable logic of Rob’s piece."
Several years ago I was touring a holocaust museum, and I was deeply moved the images of suffering and inhuman brutality that I saw there. And near the end of the tour on the wall was a picture of Hitler standing in front of the Eifel Tower in Paris. I and many who were with me were struck by the idea of Hitler enjoying the beauties of Paris while at the same moment one of the greatest genocides the world has ever known was being carried out on his orders.
But apparently not everyone saw it exactly the same way
Sometime in the previous few hours, somebody had attached a hand written note to the picture, and on the note they had written, “It’s okay because God forgave Hitler too.”
God forgave Hitler?
He did?
And someone knows this for sure?
And felt the need for the rest of us to know?
Do the most evil and unrepentant people in history, remaining what they are, still make it to heaven?
And what of those who aren’t quite so evil as that—Child molesters, racists, drug lords.
And what of the rest of us who only yell at our children, cut people off on the highway, and cheat on our taxes?
And what makes our evil less and Hitler’s more?
Is it the number of people you hurt? Or how badly? Or whether anyone else knows? Or whether you meant to?
And what if you’re the one who was molested or your loved ones murdered because of their ethnicity?
And then there’s the question behind the question?
The real question… What is God like?
Because millions and millions were taught that the primary message of the gospel of Jesus Christ is that God is willing to forgive everybody no matter who they are or what evils they’ve committed against the rest of us.
So what gets subtly sort of caught and taught is that God is willing to forgive the perpetrators of evil, regardless of whether or not their victims ever see justice. That God is willing to let slide things that we mustn’t.
But what kind of God is that?
Can a God so uninterested in justice be good?
How can that God ever be trusted?
How could that ever be…good…news?
This is why lots of people want nothing to do with the Christian faith.
They see it as an endless list of absurdities and inconsistencies, and say, “why would I ever want to be a part of that?”
See what we believe about heaven and hell is incredibly important because it exposes what we believe about who God is and what God is like.
What you discover in the bible is so surprising, and unexpected, and beautiful, that whatever we’ve been told or taught, the good news is even better than that, better than we can ever imagine.
It means pure and perfect justice, no wrong accusations, no punishments that don’t fit the crime, no hidden motives, no unaccounted pains or sorrows. But overflowing compensation for anyone who’s ever been hurt or betrayed.
The good news is that “justice wins.”
"To prove that narrative can be equally used for the opposite view, Jeremy wrote a short piece which, though not his full position (because it’s equally extreme on the other side), illustrates the rhetorically powerful yet easily refutable logic of Rob’s piece."
Several years ago I was touring a holocaust museum, and I was deeply moved the images of suffering and inhuman brutality that I saw there. And near the end of the tour on the wall was a picture of Hitler standing in front of the Eifel Tower in Paris. I and many who were with me were struck by the idea of Hitler enjoying the beauties of Paris while at the same moment one of the greatest genocides the world has ever known was being carried out on his orders.
But apparently not everyone saw it exactly the same way
Sometime in the previous few hours, somebody had attached a hand written note to the picture, and on the note they had written, “It’s okay because God forgave Hitler too.”
God forgave Hitler?
He did?
And someone knows this for sure?
And felt the need for the rest of us to know?
Do the most evil and unrepentant people in history, remaining what they are, still make it to heaven?
And what of those who aren’t quite so evil as that—Child molesters, racists, drug lords.
And what of the rest of us who only yell at our children, cut people off on the highway, and cheat on our taxes?
And what makes our evil less and Hitler’s more?
Is it the number of people you hurt? Or how badly? Or whether anyone else knows? Or whether you meant to?
And what if you’re the one who was molested or your loved ones murdered because of their ethnicity?
And then there’s the question behind the question?
The real question… What is God like?
Because millions and millions were taught that the primary message of the gospel of Jesus Christ is that God is willing to forgive everybody no matter who they are or what evils they’ve committed against the rest of us.
So what gets subtly sort of caught and taught is that God is willing to forgive the perpetrators of evil, regardless of whether or not their victims ever see justice. That God is willing to let slide things that we mustn’t.
But what kind of God is that?
Can a God so uninterested in justice be good?
How can that God ever be trusted?
How could that ever be…good…news?
This is why lots of people want nothing to do with the Christian faith.
They see it as an endless list of absurdities and inconsistencies, and say, “why would I ever want to be a part of that?”
See what we believe about heaven and hell is incredibly important because it exposes what we believe about who God is and what God is like.
What you discover in the bible is so surprising, and unexpected, and beautiful, that whatever we’ve been told or taught, the good news is even better than that, better than we can ever imagine.
It means pure and perfect justice, no wrong accusations, no punishments that don’t fit the crime, no hidden motives, no unaccounted pains or sorrows. But overflowing compensation for anyone who’s ever been hurt or betrayed.
The good news is that “justice wins.”
MSNBC Host Makes Rob Bell Squirm: "You're Amending The Gospel So That It's Palatable!"
Here is an unbelievable exchange between Martin Bashir and Rob Bell. Bashir clearly knows quite a bit about Christianity.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
W.G.T. Shedd quote on eternal punishment
In light of all the Christian blog discussion on Rob Bell's new book Love Wins which by some reviews seems to be blurry and ambiguous about what he really believes about the Biblical doctrine of eternal punishment. Here is a quote we would all do well to remember.
Also related to this topic there is an excellent sermon by J.I. Packer given to a Welsh Congregation in 1991 titled Human Destiny and can be downloaded here.
I also found this Against Heresies blog post very helpful and informative.
“The strongest support of the doctrine of endless punishment is the teaching of Christ, the Redeemer of men. Christ could not have warned men so frequently and earnestly as He did against the fire that never shall be quenched and worm that dieth not, had He known that there is no future peril to fully correspond to them. Jesus Christ is the person who is responsible for the doctrine of eternal perdition. He is the Being with whom all opponents of this theological tenant are in conflict.”
W.G.T. Shedd Also related to this topic there is an excellent sermon by J.I. Packer given to a Welsh Congregation in 1991 titled Human Destiny and can be downloaded here.
I also found this Against Heresies blog post very helpful and informative.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Monday, November 22, 2010
47 Years Ago Today
I am too young to remember but on this day 47 years ago (November 22, 1964) three famous people died.
This is from Justin Taylor's blog, Between Two Worlds:
C. S. Lewis—one week shy of his 65th birthday—collapsed and died at 5:30 PM (GMT) at his residence at The Kilns, outside Oxford, England.
Two hours later, U.S. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, TX, pronounced dead at 1:21 PM (CST). He was only 46 years old.
Exactly six hours later, Aldous Huxley, the English writer and author of Brave New World, died at 5:21 PM (PST) in Los Angeles. He was 69.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
William Cowper: The Troubled and Talented Saint
His friends then intervened, and he was sent to an insane asylum run by a poet and committed Christian, Dr. Nathaniel Cotton. Under the guidance of Cotton he read Scripture and withdrew for a time from the misery inside his mind. Cowper read a passage from Romans 3:25: “Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.” Cowper declared:
Immediately I received the strength to believe it, and the full beams of the Sun of Righteousness shone upon me. I saw the sufficiency of the atonement He had made, my pardon sealed in His blood, and all the fullness and completeness of His justification. In a moment I believed, and received the gospel. Unless the Almighty arm had been under me, I think I should have died with gratitude and joy. My eyes filled with tears, and my voice choked with transport; I could only look up to heaven in silent fear, overwhelmed with love and wonder.KEEP READING
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Grace Gem, "You are walking in the midst of snares and traps!", by Thomas Sherman
Here is another excellent Grace Gem from May 6th by James Smith.
You are walking in the midst of snares and traps!
(James Smith, "The Pastor's Morning Visit")
"Be very careful, then, how you walk!" Ephesians 5:15 To honor Jesus in your thoughts, words, and every action--should be your constant aim.
You are in an enemy's land; surrounded by temptations; and have a heart that is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked!
This present world is not your home! Satan's family are not to be your intimate friends. Riches, honors, or pleasure--are not to be your objects of pursuit. You are walking in the midst of snares and traps! Be watchful, prayerful, depending upon Jesus, and cultivating fellowship with Him.
O keep your eye on Jesus, as your example! Walk by His Word--as your rule. Do not be venturesome or presumptuous, but avoid the very appearance of evil. Never leave the Lord's ways--to join the world's vanities or to please a carnal lust. Keep close to Jesus--and follow on to know the Lord. Walk as a beloved child, who going home to his loving Father's house! "Be very careful, then, how you walk!"
You are walking in the midst of snares and traps!
(James Smith, "The Pastor's Morning Visit")
"Be very careful, then, how you walk!" Ephesians 5:15 To honor Jesus in your thoughts, words, and every action--should be your constant aim.
You are in an enemy's land; surrounded by temptations; and have a heart that is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked!
This present world is not your home! Satan's family are not to be your intimate friends. Riches, honors, or pleasure--are not to be your objects of pursuit. You are walking in the midst of snares and traps! Be watchful, prayerful, depending upon Jesus, and cultivating fellowship with Him.
O keep your eye on Jesus, as your example! Walk by His Word--as your rule. Do not be venturesome or presumptuous, but avoid the very appearance of evil. Never leave the Lord's ways--to join the world's vanities or to please a carnal lust. Keep close to Jesus--and follow on to know the Lord. Walk as a beloved child, who going home to his loving Father's house! "Be very careful, then, how you walk!"
Monday, May 3, 2010
Grace Gem, The bitterest ingredient in the 'cup of divine displeasure' by Samuel Davies
Here is the Grace Gem from April 25th and it is an excellent one. This is a message we all need to hear and embrace.
The bitterest ingredient in the 'cup of divine displeasure'
from Samuel Davies, "Unseen Things to Be Preferred to Seen Things"
"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen--but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary--but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:18
VISIBLE things are perishable--and may soon leave us. When we think that they are ours--they often fly from our embrace!
Riches may vanish into smoke and ashes--by an accidental fire!
We may be thrown down from the pinnacle of honor--and sink into utter disgrace!
Sensual pleasures often end in excess and disgust--or in sickness and death!
Our friends are torn from our bleeding hearts by the inexorable hand of death!
Our liberty and property may be wrested from us by the hand of tyranny, oppression, or fraud!
In a word, there is nothing which we now enjoy--but we may quickly lose!
On the other hand, our miseries here on earth are temporary. The heart receives many a wound--but it heals again. Poverty may end in riches. A blemished character may be cleared up; and from disgrace--we may rise to honor. We may recover from sickness. And if we lose one comfort--we may obtain another.
But in ETERNITY--everything is everlasting and unchangeable! Happiness and misery are both without end--and the subjects of both well know that this is the case.
It is this eternality and perpetuity, which completes the happiness of the inhabitants of heaven; the least suspicion of an end--would intermingle itself with all their enjoyments, and embitter them; for the greater the happiness, the greater the anxiety at the expectation of losing it. But oh, how transporting for the saints on high, to look forward through the succession of eternal ages, with an assurance that they shall be happy through them all, and that they shall feel no change--but from glory unto glory!
On the other hand, this is the bitterest ingredient in the 'cup of divine displeasure' in the future state--that the misery is eternal! Oh, with what horror does that despairing cry, "Forever! Forever! Forever!" echo through the vaults of hell!
And now, need I offer anything further to convince you of the superior importance of invisible and eternal things--to visible and temporary things? Can you need any arguments to convince you that an eternity of the most perfect happiness--is rather to be chosen than a few years of sordid, unsatisfying sinful pleasures?
The bitterest ingredient in the 'cup of divine displeasure'
from Samuel Davies, "Unseen Things to Be Preferred to Seen Things"
"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen--but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary--but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:18
VISIBLE things are perishable--and may soon leave us. When we think that they are ours--they often fly from our embrace!
Riches may vanish into smoke and ashes--by an accidental fire!
We may be thrown down from the pinnacle of honor--and sink into utter disgrace!
Sensual pleasures often end in excess and disgust--or in sickness and death!
Our friends are torn from our bleeding hearts by the inexorable hand of death!
Our liberty and property may be wrested from us by the hand of tyranny, oppression, or fraud!
In a word, there is nothing which we now enjoy--but we may quickly lose!
On the other hand, our miseries here on earth are temporary. The heart receives many a wound--but it heals again. Poverty may end in riches. A blemished character may be cleared up; and from disgrace--we may rise to honor. We may recover from sickness. And if we lose one comfort--we may obtain another.
But in ETERNITY--everything is everlasting and unchangeable! Happiness and misery are both without end--and the subjects of both well know that this is the case.
It is this eternality and perpetuity, which completes the happiness of the inhabitants of heaven; the least suspicion of an end--would intermingle itself with all their enjoyments, and embitter them; for the greater the happiness, the greater the anxiety at the expectation of losing it. But oh, how transporting for the saints on high, to look forward through the succession of eternal ages, with an assurance that they shall be happy through them all, and that they shall feel no change--but from glory unto glory!
On the other hand, this is the bitterest ingredient in the 'cup of divine displeasure' in the future state--that the misery is eternal! Oh, with what horror does that despairing cry, "Forever! Forever! Forever!" echo through the vaults of hell!
And now, need I offer anything further to convince you of the superior importance of invisible and eternal things--to visible and temporary things? Can you need any arguments to convince you that an eternity of the most perfect happiness--is rather to be chosen than a few years of sordid, unsatisfying sinful pleasures?
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Do people of other faiths have to believe in Jesus to go to heaven?
Here is a very good blog post by Kevin DeYoung on how he would answer the question, "Do people of other faiths have to believe in Jesus to go to heaven?" This came up on the Larry King Show in 2005 and anyone whose been a Christian for long has had this question from a skeptic or pluralistic leaning non-believer.
Is Faith Necessary?
Do people of other faiths have to believe in Jesus to go to heaven? Earlier this morning I had a video up of Joel Osteen’s response to this question on Larry King Live. Resurgence had asked me to comment on Osteen’s answer. A couple hours after the post went up the folks at Resurgence contacted me saying they found out Osteen issued an apology several years ago for the statements made on Larry King. You can read about the apology here. It is a clear, humble apology for which Osteen should be commended. As I remarked in my original post at Resurgence, “It’s not easy to winsomely answer a question about the eternal fate of billions of people and do it on live television before the next commercial break.” I’m sorry the clip went up, even for a short time, because it does not accurately reflect what Osteen believes. Very little of my post at Resurgence actually focused on Osteen. Mostly I imagined what I would have said (if I were thinking clearly and quickly on national television, which is a big “if”!). Here’s my answer: “You know, Larry, that’s a huge question. On one level it’s hard to answer because it feels like a trap. ‘Will he or won’t he condemn everyone to hell?’ Well, it’s not my place to give the final evaluation for anyone. And I don’t want to sit here and say that I deserve to go to heaven more than someone else. “Because the fact of the matter is none of us can merit heaven. God is holy and we are not. No matter how sincere we are or how many good things we do, we can’t begin to approach the purity and perfection of God. So we need a Mediator, a go-between. “The Bible teaches that God sent his Son to be our Mediator. He lived the life we couldn’t and died the death meant for us. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says he was counted as sin so that we could become the righteousness of God. This great exchange is only possible by faith. Even Jesus said that those who don’t believe in him stand condemned already. “And not because they don’t believe. God doesn’t punish people for not hearing about Jesus. He punishes us for being sinful sinners, for twisting what he has revealed to us in creation and what our own consciences tell us we should do. Without Christ, there’s no bridge between God and man, there’s no hope for a personal relationship with God, there’s no chance of being forgiven. “Look, I realize that’s offensive to many people. But our desire is not to exclude anyone. That’s why Christians believe in sharing their faith and starting new churches. We want everyone to put their faith in Christ and be his disciples. That’s what Jesus told us to do before he ascended into heaven. But I can’t accept that good Buddhists or sincere Hindus are doing just fine, because I don’t believe Jesus is someone’s personal God. I believe he is God. He is more than a personal Lord. He is the Lord over everyone and everything whether they recognize it or not. I can’t fully honor Christ if I pretend he is just one option among many. To say what I think your viewers want me to say would be to deny all that I believe is glorious, precious, and unique about Christ. He is the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through him. “See, the good news is Jesus is not just my personal Savior. He is the Savior of the world. That means he’s not my possession that I try to monopolize. No, he possesses everything and will gladly forgive all who turn to him in faith and repentance. Apart from Christ, no one can be right with God, no Hindus, no Buddhists, no Muslims, least of all this sinful pastor. There is no other name under heaven whereby we can be saved. But in Christ, there is salvation, joy, and new life for all who believe.
Is Faith Necessary?
Do people of other faiths have to believe in Jesus to go to heaven? Earlier this morning I had a video up of Joel Osteen’s response to this question on Larry King Live. Resurgence had asked me to comment on Osteen’s answer. A couple hours after the post went up the folks at Resurgence contacted me saying they found out Osteen issued an apology several years ago for the statements made on Larry King. You can read about the apology here. It is a clear, humble apology for which Osteen should be commended. As I remarked in my original post at Resurgence, “It’s not easy to winsomely answer a question about the eternal fate of billions of people and do it on live television before the next commercial break.” I’m sorry the clip went up, even for a short time, because it does not accurately reflect what Osteen believes. Very little of my post at Resurgence actually focused on Osteen. Mostly I imagined what I would have said (if I were thinking clearly and quickly on national television, which is a big “if”!). Here’s my answer: “You know, Larry, that’s a huge question. On one level it’s hard to answer because it feels like a trap. ‘Will he or won’t he condemn everyone to hell?’ Well, it’s not my place to give the final evaluation for anyone. And I don’t want to sit here and say that I deserve to go to heaven more than someone else. “Because the fact of the matter is none of us can merit heaven. God is holy and we are not. No matter how sincere we are or how many good things we do, we can’t begin to approach the purity and perfection of God. So we need a Mediator, a go-between. “The Bible teaches that God sent his Son to be our Mediator. He lived the life we couldn’t and died the death meant for us. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says he was counted as sin so that we could become the righteousness of God. This great exchange is only possible by faith. Even Jesus said that those who don’t believe in him stand condemned already. “And not because they don’t believe. God doesn’t punish people for not hearing about Jesus. He punishes us for being sinful sinners, for twisting what he has revealed to us in creation and what our own consciences tell us we should do. Without Christ, there’s no bridge between God and man, there’s no hope for a personal relationship with God, there’s no chance of being forgiven. “Look, I realize that’s offensive to many people. But our desire is not to exclude anyone. That’s why Christians believe in sharing their faith and starting new churches. We want everyone to put their faith in Christ and be his disciples. That’s what Jesus told us to do before he ascended into heaven. But I can’t accept that good Buddhists or sincere Hindus are doing just fine, because I don’t believe Jesus is someone’s personal God. I believe he is God. He is more than a personal Lord. He is the Lord over everyone and everything whether they recognize it or not. I can’t fully honor Christ if I pretend he is just one option among many. To say what I think your viewers want me to say would be to deny all that I believe is glorious, precious, and unique about Christ. He is the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through him. “See, the good news is Jesus is not just my personal Savior. He is the Savior of the world. That means he’s not my possession that I try to monopolize. No, he possesses everything and will gladly forgive all who turn to him in faith and repentance. Apart from Christ, no one can be right with God, no Hindus, no Buddhists, no Muslims, least of all this sinful pastor. There is no other name under heaven whereby we can be saved. But in Christ, there is salvation, joy, and new life for all who believe.
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