In God We Trust - A Call To Both Honor & Prayer

Dear friends, I found today's post by Dr. Albert Mohler, the President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary very helpful in how to both think and respond biblically in light of yesterday's Presidential elections. No matter what side of the aisle you are on (or if you are voting on different aisles) - I think you will find Dr. Mohler's words both encouraging and beneficial. May we - as Dr. Mohler states both honor our new President as Our President and likewise both pray for him and our country. Take care...and as you read this encouraging article remember these great and assuring words from Psalm 118: 8-9 "It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes." Our hope is not in a man - our Sufficient Hope is in Christ - in whom we trust. May the people of our country one day be able to truly say, "In God We Trust."

The direct link to Dr. Mohler's article is: http://www.albertmohler.com/blog_read.php?id=2715

Biblical Manhood & Biblical Womanhood And The 2008 Elections

Dear friends,

Once again it is so very very helpful to know that Scripture addresses every area of our lives - and so it does concerning our calling to civic/political & social issues in the nation that God has sovereignly placed us in. As it is with any political season, issues get raised that call us to ask fundamental theological questions. During this present 2008 Presidential Election - issues of gender have once again come to the forefront with the nomination of Sarah Palin as McCain's choice of Vice President and running mate.

There is a question for some who might want to vote for the Republican ticket, how does the idea woman taking a place of political leadership square with a theological understanding of male headship in the home and in the church - which is called "Complementatrianism"? (Big word - I know). This is a view that says, "Though God has created male and female equal before Him - He has given them different functions and roles in the home and in the church that "complement" one another. And by seeing, identifying, walking in and celebrating those God given differences of roles and functions in the home and in the church this is something that brings glory to God, as He has defined these roles in the Creation story (prior to the Fall)."

But what about political and governmental roles? How does Scripture speak to this? On this issue, we are once again so very, very thankful for the faithful Biblical scholarship seen through "The Council of Biblical Manhood and Womanhood" founded by Dr. John Piper and Dr. Wayne Grudem. Linked here are at least three different posts on how Christians who vote republican might view this issue.

Biblical Counseling - Some Clarifications

Below are very helpful published responses to Dr. Powlison's articles "Sane Faith." This is published in its entirety from "Boundless.org." (And for more on this particular topic of how to view physiological factors our problems read Dr. Ed Welch's book, "Blame It On The Brain?" - here he gives a very helpful, charitable, humble and biblical look at how physiological factors are to be viewed when dealing with matters of our hearts.


**************

Biblical Counseling, a Clarification
by David Powlison

Dr. David Powlison — author of the “Sane Faith” series on Boundless (part 1, part 2 and part 3)
— appreciates the comments you’ve written on a blog post I wrote yesterday. This morning he sent me an e-mail responding to some of them. Among other things, he writes that “faith actually changes how you perceive [someone] and respond to [them].” Later he adds, “How you’re relating to God and how you’re relating to [others] are not controlled by your body, but by your heart.”

I find his clarifications helpful as I wrestle with the principles laid out in “Sane Faith.”

* * *
[now from Dr. Powlison...]

I so appreciate the honesty of blog responders. Life is not easy street, but a hard road. Contrary to the glib self-confidence and easy answers that define our culture’s style, the Bible respects that our lives are fundamentally fragile, vulnerable to coming unglued. The psalms are the voice of honest strugglers, which is why Psalm 23 (and the anti-psalm) play such a key role in the lead article I wrote.

I want to make sure that the purpose of those articles is not lost. Ted Slater’s blog comments
are right in saying that these articles are not about medications at all. They are about affirming our humanness. They seek to shine a light on our common bond in the human struggles. We’re all in this together, and God comes to take us in hand. I’d hate to have the main point obscured by the discussion getting swallowed up in the medication issue. That is an important issue in its own right. Here are some thoughts to put in the mix in thinking about medications. But I hope that readers will also go back and ponder my original articles further.

About 10 years ago I watched a PBS special on the state of psychiatry in America. The head
of the National Institutes for Mental Health (NIMH) was interviewed. He can fairly be called America’s “top psychiatrist.” He sits at the top of the pyramid that funds medication research, sets standards for care, and so forth. He knows his field. His comments were insightful and fascinating. He said that society has given psychiatrists an impossible job. They are charged with trying to help people solve all their woes and struggles. Then he said that psychiatric medications can sometimes take the edge off symptoms, but they can’t give people what they really need. People need meaning and relationships. Psychiatry can’t give that. Medication can’t give
that.

You might want to reread that last paragraph. It contains a philosophy of medication that is sane and realistic, as well as knowledgeable. It’s so different from what our culture tells us. This psychiatrist was also seeing something about people that I believe can only be truly addressed by Christian faith. People need to find personal meaning and meaningful relationships. My articles are about what people really need. I fully agree with the head of NIMH that medications can “sometimes take the edge off symptoms.” He credits medication with possibly doing some modest good, not all the time, but sometimes. Modest good does not mean no good, or all bad, or useless. Nor does it mean the best good. People most need meaning and relationships. And “sometimes” does not mean always, or without the possibility of negative side effects. It means what it says, sometimes.

Most people who’ve tried medications would say that their experience mirrors what the head
of the NIMH said. He knows the literature. He knows people. He knows that people might be helped a bit, but that they need more help and deeper help. In my 30 years of counseling, I’ve seen the same thing countless times. I’ve also seen that when people find more help and deeper help they often drop the meds and don’t go back. They don’t need the symptomatic relief, because they’ve found more significant change. (That’s not always, but in my counseling experience it’s more often than not.)

More help and deeper help is what my articles are about.

Here’s an analogy you might find helpful. Let’s say you go to visit your mother for lunch. The relationship can be a bit strained. She can be “difficult.” When you are with her, and things take a wrong turn, you get tense. You feel a bit edgy, anxious, and irritable. You can get sarcastic. Later you might vent to your friends, “She’s impossible!” Let’s say you’ve also learned that your relationship with God makes a huge difference. You love this promise and response: He himself has said, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper. I will not fear. What can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:5-6) When you remember that, live it, take it to heart, you’re calmer. You don’t take your mom so personally. You’re more constructive. You’re able to forgive her. You pray for her rather than vent negative gossip. You’re able to get on with the rest of your day in a positive frame of mind. You say to your friends, “I’ve got to say, it’s hard to relate to my mom. But I’m very thankful to God for helping me not to return evil for evil.” That passage of Scripture speaks sweet promises to you, in God’s own voice: He himself says it! It also portrays how your faith comes to life: I can confidently say. Your thinking changes. What you say changes. How you feel changes. It doesn’t mean your mom changes. But your faith actually changes how you perceive her and respond to her.

Now here’s where our little analogy get interesting. Let’s also say that when you drink three
cups of coffee on an empty stomach and don’t eat a good breakfast, you go into your day feeling tense. You get a bit edgy, anxious, and irritable. (Sound familiar?) Eating a good breakfast and laying off the caffeine makes you feel better. Similarly you find that healthy exercise and a good nights sleep also make you feel better, less prone to that tense frame of mind.

Here’s the million dollar question. Will eating a healthy breakfast, taking a brisk walk and being well rested make your relationship with your mother tension-free and happy? No, it won’t. It might help you go into that lunch visit a bit less keyed up. It might help you not cancel because you can’t face her. Maybe you won’t be quite so reactive. But your relationship with your mother is a matter of “meaning and relationships.” How you’re relating to God and how you’re relating to her are not controlled by your body, but by your heart. Jesus puts all this in His usual pithy way. “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” Bread means bodily sustenance: breakfast, exercise, sleep. But bread alone can’t bring energy and light, hope and love, to the meaning of your life and to your relationships. Whenever we make the connection, life makes much more sense. It’s a connection to make every day, like eating a healthy breakfast. The same sort of thing is true with medications. When they help, they tweak your body to feel and function better. But they can’t touch your need for the things that Hebrew 13:5-6 touches. Perhaps this paraphrase catches the right sense of proportion: “Man does not live by meds alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

Our society attaches such inordinate hopes to medication. Pharmaceutical advertising makes such grandiose promises (not just about psychoactive drugs, but about many classes of meds). We want to say, things that help your body are good: healthy diet, exercise, and sleep, always; medications, sometimes. But they aren’t the best. See these things for what they are and aren’t, and you’ll keep your life struggles in proper perspective. The human touch that the articles seek to elicit and portray is always the most important. Those articles are about the YOU on the inside of who you are. They are about the YOU in your relationships.

I’d encourage readers to go back and read the lead articles again. As Ted Slater mentioned,
Boundless and I have been working on this project for a year. In a culture of online information, people are not used to reading something more than once. But anything worth thinking about carefully is worth reading a second time. Print it out. Take it slowly. Underline. Write in the margins. Ponder what it means. Take it to heart. I’d describe medication questions as a riff off from those articles — an important question in its own right, but a sidelight, even a distraction. You’ve probably seen how easily that happens in blogs. A riff carries the discussion far afield from the original topic. I hope that what really sticks in your mind is Psalm 23. Verse 4 brings a true perspective on all our woes, including a body that gets out of sync and mothers who can sometimes be difficult.
* * *
P.S. Here are some further thoughts, and something for further study for those so minded.
Joseph Glenmullen, a research psychiatrist at Harvard, summarized hundreds of studies on
the effects of psychiatric medications for anxiety and depression (Prozac Backlash, Simon &
Schuster, 2000). He takes a balanced view, similar to the director of NIMH. He simply gives
the research data. Research shows that most of the positive effect comes from placebo effect,
not psychoactive ingredients. Perhaps two-thirds of those who take medications feel better
because they expect the medication to make them feel better. In other words, even with a
pill, the issue of one’s faith plays a significant part. How can you know whether you’re getting a psychoactive bump in mood or a placebo bump? You can’t. That’s part of why paying primary attention to meaning and relationships puts medications in their proper place as second-tier items. A person getting a placebo bump will continue to feel better when off medications because the meaning and relationships in his or her life improve. Glenmullen also gives details on the negative side effects that frequently arise and the frequency of drug ineffectiveness. People in these categories need not despair. Fruitful dealing with meaning and relationship issues always makes a difference in a person’s life, even if they must live with lifelong tendencies towards depression and anxiety — which many wise and godly people in history have done. Even if there’s no medication to make the tense-and-anxious reaction in your body go away, if the tense-and-anxious reactions in your relationships improve, then your life improves.

A Christian View of the Economic Crisis by Dr. Mohler

In light of much of the recent "economic crisis" I wanted to draw your attention to Dr. Albert Mohler's blog on how we as Christians ought to view this time. If you are anything like me, there is the looming question, "How am I to think Biblically about this?" Dr. Mohler adds some great insights and answers to that question...

http://albertmohler.com//blog_read.php?id=2550

Coming Home To Sanity - Seeing "Our Problem" Biblically

Here is part 3 of Dr. Powlison's article "Sane Faith" - If you haven't read the first 2 posts, please do so...

***

Sane Faith, Part 3
by David Powlison

We’ve invited Dr. David Powlison to begin a discussion on counseling from a biblical perspective
by writing a series of articles for Boundless. This is a conversation starter: We believe that
thoughtful discussion of significant issues is crucial to the flourishing of the body of Christ.
Focus on the Family does not promote one particular model of Christian counseling, but earnestly
seeks that we all grow in wisdom together. As with any article on Boundless, publication is not
meant to be taken as an endorsement of its content. It is our hope that you are challenged to
consider the relevance of Scripture, the importance of balance in the counseling process, and to
better understand the Lord’s concern and power when it comes to understanding the real life
problems that we all struggle with.

This is the final article in a 3-part series. We encourage you to read part 1 and part 2 if you
haven’t done so already.

* * *
We’ve seen how the therapeutic worldview disconnects from reality. People with problems
are treated less seriously than they deserve. They are given Band-Aid therapies for questions
that call for an organ transplant. Let’s think carefully through a series of implications.

1. The facts are the facts — but what do they mean?
Notice that nobody disputes the facts. Mental health practitioners, friends and family, you,
me, and the God of the Bible agree that Garrett (see part 1 of this series) is narcissistic, has a
bad temper, drinks too much and uses porn. He tries to control his world because he thinks
it’s his world. All agree that Sarah starves herself, works out relentlessly, and puts in a lot of
mirror-time. She demands perfection on her own terms.

Nothing I’m saying questions any of these facts. These are facts that call for explanations and
call out for help.

The question is how to interpret the facts. What do these problems mean? Why do our four
friends live like this? Why are they ruining their lives?

• Does each of them “suffer from” a quasi-medical-sounding disorder that actually
explains his or her problems? Do they “have” diseases or conditions that the labels
correctly name?
• Or are they “doing” extremely disorderly things for extremely confusing reasons? Are
they living out lifestyles that God correctly names?

In other words, is the final explanation for our problems something bad happening to us? Or
is it something bad about us? God’s interpretation is the second one, and He gets last say. A
true interpretation sees the problem of sin concretely, right in the details of people’s lives
and problems.

It’s crucial, by the way, to understand sin accurately. Most people think that to identify
something as “sin” means saying that the person consciously chose to do some bad action.

The person also has the power to Just Say No.

But the Bible comes at sin from the opposite direction. We do many wrong, unloving things
without even knowing what we’re doing or why. Most sin is not a matter of conscious choice.
The “high-handed” sins are conscious. But much of what we do, think and feel expresses that
we are blind, self-deceived, metaphorically drunk or sleepwalking, calloused, acting like
brute beasts, walking in the dark. So we do not have the power to Just Say No.

That’s why we need a Savior from ourselves. Sin actually tends to make us more unconscious
(“blind”) and more compulsive (“enslaved”). I am what I am, and do what I do, even if it’s
self-destructive and destroys my relationships.

Furthermore, sin is an interpersonal offense and insult — to God first. He calls us to love
him utterly ... but we are self-preoccupied in a thousand ways. Most people view “sin” as an
item from a select list of heinous behaviors that hurt others. God sees much further. I can’t
accurately see myself until God makes me self-aware of what I look like to Him.

And, still further, grace targets sin. Jesus comes for sin. Mercy and compassion are given for
sin. Forgiveness buries sin.

Most people think that the word “sin” only implies judgment, condemnation, selfrighteousness
and moral exhortations to try harder. That’s the obvious thing to think. But God is not so obvious. He forgives people who are not righteous, and self-righteousness is a heinous sin. Christ does what none of us can do. Jesus’ blood and righteousness and resurrection set us free from sin’s guilt and punishment. Christ’s Spirit progressively frees us from sin’s power. The Lord’s return will free us from sin’s presence. God directly applies His mercy and power, changing us into the image of His glory.

We’re objecting to the misinterpretations placed on troubled and troublesome lifestyles. We
aren’t denying the trouble. Jesus came for the trouble.

2. Quasi-medical labels are mislabels
Think a bit more about those verbs “suffers from,” “has,” “is” and “has a case of.” We use
these passive verbs to describe our experience of a true medical problem. You suffer from
cancer or have a broken leg. You are a diabetic or have a case of hives. None of these true
medical conditions describes your behavior, your motives, your lifestyle. They describe
something bad that’s happening to you.

Of course, your lifestyle and choices can affect whether or not you develop a medical
problem. Smoking might cause lung cancer. Dirt-bike racing might cause a broken leg. But
smoking cigarettes and riding dirt bikes are things you do — just like drinking too much, or
worrying what people think, or obsessing in front of the mirror. I hope we’d never say, “He
has a bad case of dirt-bike syndrome, and suffers from a smoking disorder”!

Notice that the descriptions of our four troubled friends consistently portray what they do,
how they think, how they react emotionally, how they treat other people. Lise broods
relentlessly on her failings, and is so preoccupied that she’s inattentive to her daughter.
Chandra worries that she’ll be rejected, and hides from people. And each of them lives as if
God were a non-factor.

The truth is that they do their lives; they don’t suffer from their syndromes. By definition, a
human being is an “active verb,” not a passive verb. We want and fear, love and believe, do
and say, act and react. You don’t “have a case of” the way you do life.

3. What people do affects relationships.
Notice that in each of the four stories, what a person does affects other people. Our four
friends do not have private pathologies. They are not the only ones suffering; their closest
relationships suffer as well. Other people worry about them, or feel hurt by them, or get
angry at them.

This is because outbursts of anger, drunkenness, extreme dieting, relentless selfrecrimination,
escapism, instability, and social anxiety intrinsically threaten relationships. By definition, doing such things isolates you from God and people. You can’t live this way and at the same time trust God and love people. These are four different ways of being devoutly self-absorbed. It’s significant that friends and family sense this. They’re troubled by the distance and relationship breakdown caused by self-preoccupation. They have good reasons for their concern. Consider the contrast between this and a purely medical problem. Friends and family will be deeply concerned for you if you have a broken leg or suffer from cancer. But trauma or illness don’t automatically separate people and jeopardize relationships. In fact, usually sickness provides a context in which people come together and feel closer. Friends and family rally to support you. You appreciate the love and concern they show. Medical problems often draw people together in love and appreciation.

Your kith and kin will be concerned for you when you’re sick. They want your body to get
well. But they’ll be concerned about you when you’re devoutly self-absorbed. They want you
to become a different kind of person. That’s one more evidence that the deepest problem for
all four is some form of sin.

Again, remember some things we mentioned earlier. “Sin” doesn’t always mean consciously
chosen badness. Most sins express how what I love has become disordered and dictatorial.

When my core love turns away from God, I blindly attach myself to something else — anything else. I then live out the implications by making selfish choices. And to name your problem as “sin” does not mean that others should scold, moralize or condemn you, or that you should beat yourself up with self-recrimination and trying harder. Jesus Christ comes “so that we may receive mercy and grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). Mercy and helpfulness specifically target sin. So identifying how sin operates opens a wide door to God’s mercy, patience and power. God’s mercy restores all the relationships that sin threatens, reconciling us to God and equipping us to reconcile with people.

4. Quasi-medical labels artificially separate people
As we’ve seen, lifestyle problems harm relationships. But harm can come from the other
direction, too. To put a diagnostic label on a person harms your relationship with that
person. It creates artificial distance. We should be able to identify with each other, but if I
think that you are sick and I am well, I artificially divide us. A true medical problem creates an objective experiential distance between people. Let’s say I get in a car accident and suffer a broken leg. My doctor and my friends do not have broken legs. I hurt a lot and need crutches. They feel perfectly fine and walk normally. Their experience and mine are fundamentally different. I am not well. They are well. I definitely need their help. They can help me precisely because they are not all laid up with broken legs! But if you use quasi-medical labels for what I do, think and feel, it creates artificial distance between us. If I struggle with anxiety or irritation or escapism ... well, so do you. So does everybody. But if you label my struggle as a “disorder,” then that means you are normal, but I am sick. That’s an artificial distance, because none of us gets anger, fear and pleasure-seeking exactly right. I might be having a much bigger problem than you. But our actual differences are matters of degree. I may be stuck and blind, while you’ve grown wise in an area of life. That matters for your ability to help me. But at the most basic level of human experience, you know that you and I have the same general tendencies and temptations. We come in very different flavors and intensities, but we are more alike than different. Our underlying commonality is fundamental. That’s why you see so much of yourself in Garrett and Lise and the others. You can help people precisely because you do have first-hand understanding of the basic human struggles: “There is no temptation that overtakes you that is not common to all” (1 Corinthians 10:13). You can help people precisely because you do know the grace of God at work in you, and that’s exactly what others need: “God comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction” (2 Corinthians 1:4). Because we are in it together we can help each other. Medical doctors don’t ever need to have the same problems as their patients. But brothers and sisters always have the same kinds of problems as their fellow strugglers. Therefore we share the same essential cure, which always involves some form of faith working through love, by the grace of God in Christ. There’s no artificial distance, because we have a real commonality.

5. How do we weigh the various contributory “factors”?
I’ve focused on the heart, the gospel and our identification with each other. But how should
we weigh all the other variables that affect us? No one disagrees that genetics might
contribute a “tendency,” and that the social environment abounds with “triggers.” Countless
factors “influence” us.

But what is the final cause of how you live? Of course, you are your final cause. That said,
let’s look briefly at the many contributing factors. What goes on in your body has an influence. When you experience allergies or sleepless nights, premenstrual hormones or chronic pain, Asperger’s or Alzheimer’s, your mood, thinking and actions are affected. You’re tempted in different ways than when you feel fine.

Similarly, it’s obvious that each of us comes wired from birth with a different temperament.
Some people are more prone to anger, others to anxiety, others to getting discouraged,
others to pleasure-addictions, and so forth. Our bodies affect us in many ways. It’s likely that
Lise’s post-partum hormones color her moods. But does the body give the decisive, underlying explanation for their personal problems? No; no more than it gives the decisive explanation for their good and loving choices. The body is a contributory factor, an influence. It’s not the final cause of either your faith or your idolatry, your kindness or your selfishness. What the people around you do also has an influence on you. Like “nature,” “nurture” plays a role. Every one of us lives in a world filled with competing values, a variety of hardships and many enticements. You implicitly absorb the categories of thought provided by your native language, and the values of your native culture.

For example, Sarah lives in a society that glamorizes unreally thin women. Garrett’s father
was a poor role-model for how to handle frustration, and his bad example “discipled” his son
into temper and drinking. We live in a world where betrayals of trust occur. Chandra lives
among a group of peers who might (and have) hurt her. But do those experiences provide the decisive explanation for their struggles? No. These are significant and impacting, but not determinative. Your surrounding environment influences you in countless ways, but it never determines whether your life orients in the direction of Christ or twists in on yourself.

In fact, countless factors “influence” you. Weather and seasons? You may feel gloomier
during three cloudy weeks in January than you do during three bright weeks in July. The
project due next week in school or on your job? The current state of your personal finances?
World politics before and after 9/11? Immediate traffic conditions and whether you’ll be
late? What’s on TV tonight? Whether your football team is winning or losing? Any of these can affect you. But does any one decisively determine how you will react? No. You are always in the mix.

In fact, the Bible teaches that God actually arranges the stage on which you live. He is the
Lord of history, including your local time and place, and your personal history. Your
particular matrix of influences provides the context in which your faith (or your self-will)
plays out, in which He meets you (or you shirk Him). This awareness frees you. You can seek to understand any contributory influence as just that, as a factor and not the cause. You won’t grant them too much credit, morphing them into root causes and excuses for your sins. But you also won’t dismiss them as irrelevant, ignoring the actual situations and difficulties in which you need practical wisdom and practical mercies.

How you live comes out of your heart. “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow
the springs of life” (Proverbs 4:23). The heart is you, not something that happens to you.
Jesus says that when wrong actions appear, that wrong comes “from within, out of the heart
of man” (Mark 7:21). Something about who you are and what you live for sets your trajectory in life and shapes every choice. Deep down, everyone knows this is true. That’s why every sort of treatment or therapy involves taking some responsibility for your life. It’s odd, when you think about it. According to the therapeutic outlook, you have no real responsibility for causing your problems. Your syndrome, disorder or disease was caused by genetics, hormones or how people treated you. But you are given final responsibility for solving what’s wrong. You can get a grip; you can make better choices; you can choose to heal; you can change your self-talk.

Here’s the logic: “You are definitely NOT a sinner. But you definitely ARE your savior.”

God sees things the other way around. You definitely ARE a sinner, and you are definitely
NOT your Savior.

When this merciful Father gets a grip on you, you take hold of Him. As the patient Spirit
changes you, He enables you to make more loving choices. Because the good Shepherd
restores your soul, you flourish. This most personal God teaches you how to talk with Him,
so you stop talking to yourself so much. We’re tangled up, and we also live in tangled bodies amid a tangled world. C. S. Lewis vividly captured the profoundly humbling self-awareness this reality creates:

Man’s love for God must always be very largely, and must often be entirely, a Needlove.
This is obvious where we implore forgiveness for our sins or support in our tribulations. But in the long run it is perhaps even more apparent in our growing — for it ought to be growing — awareness that our whole being by its very nature is one vast need; incomplete, preparatory, empty yet cluttered, crying out for Him who can untie things that are now knotted together and tie up things that are still dangling loose. (The Four Loves, chapter 1)

Many things will influence you. The whole world is knotted up and dangling loose. But you
are still your biggest problem. You need what God alone can give. It’s no accident that Jesus
begins here: “The poor in spirit are blessed” (Matt. 5:3). It’s no accident that Paul heard
God address his fundamental human weakness: “My grace is sufficient for you, because
power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9). It’s no accident that most of the psalms
cry for help. It’s no accident that Jesus is who He is, and does what he does. It’s no accident
that God freely gives what you most need — the mercy to change your relationship with
Him, and the power to change you.

Coming home to sanity
When we see how deeply the “madness in our hearts” (Ecclesiastes 9:3) infects us and our
friends, then we see how deeply the love of God in Christ applies to our deepest problems.
The real Psalm 23 and all the rest of God’s wisdom lead us home. Jesus Christ actually lived and died to rescue us. He now lives specifically to rewire our core insanity and to overcome our inevitable isolation. Best of all, His answer to self-absorption is not just a bunch of great ideas. The Lamb of God is a real person. The Shepherd calls you into a talking, listening, long-term, committed relationship. He’s good, and good for you.

Sane Faith - Part 2: Savior, Sin and "Syndrome" Language

Here is part two of Dr. David Powilson's article entitled, "Sane Faith" reproduced here in its entirety from Boundless.org -MH

***
In the first article of this series, I introduced you to four people who struggle with typical
“problems.” If you haven’t read that article, do go back and start there. This article builds on
what was said earlier.

Each of the four lifestyles earned a label for a person: addictive personality, eating disorder,
OCD, and so forth. But we saw how each one of us can identify with the things they do,
think and feel. You and I might be different in degree from Garrett and Sarah, but we aren’t
different in kind. Lise and Chandra are fellow strugglers, not bizarre aliens. We noticed how
the Bible “normalizes” the seemingly abnormal, reinforcing awareness of our common
humanity.

And, finally, we took Psalm 23 and turned it upside down. The “antipsalm” mapped into the
four lifestyles – and captured the madness in each of us. But the real Psalm takes us by the
hand and walks with us into sanity.

The Awkward Problem of Evil
If you’ve followed me so far, you might feel a question nagging at the back of your mind.
Why don’t we hear more of this refreshing and realistic way to think about people? What’s
the purpose of tagging people with diagnostic labels, of piling on the heavy freight of
“disease” and “syndrome”?

Why doesn’t the therapeutic establishment use human and humane terms to describe
Garrett and the rest of our friends? Their stories describe things we can all understand and
identify with. Why does God explain behavior, emotion and the human heart in such a
different way from the labels? And why do the therapeutic answers never offer anything
remotely like the intimacy of Psalm 23?

The answer to these questions is complicated. But it boils down to two things.

First, if you face our problems for what they actually are, then you have to acknowledge the
problem of evil. What’s wrong is much more serious than a sickness or syndrome. Evil
operates on the inside – bad zeal and selfish ambition. And evils come at us from the outside:
betrayal, false values, poor role models, shallow relationships, a body going out of sync,
injury, aging, death. Both sin and suffering characterize the problem of evil.

But the diagnostic labels (and street wisdom, and even our four friends) never mention the
E-word: evil. What distorts our lives? Evil. What breaks our lives. Evils, both inside and out.
Something very dark and very complex is going on. Bad stuff comes at you, and bad stuff is
an operating system inside you.

No one can fail to see evidence of evil. You feel it. You participate. But people don’t want to
name it for what it is. We might admit the evil of a Hitler or a suicide bomber killing
innocent children. We fail to see the evils operating in normal problems.

Second, if you acknowledge the scope of the problem of evil, then you realize you need a
Savior. If evil infects us all, then someone not under the power of evil must bring light and
life from outside the system of darkness and death. That person is Jesus Christ.

Garrett’s consuming “I insist on my way” is a sin of the heart against God, who alone is King,
whose will is that we love Him utterly. Garrett needs what only Jesus can give,
comprehensive forgiveness and a complete turnaround. Sarah’s endless striving up the
ladder of idolatrous slenderness is a sin of the heart against God, who calls her to love Him
with all her heart. She needs powerful mercy. And so it is with Lise and Chandra, each
putting their own spin on our need for God.

Like all human beings, they are by nature lost in the antipsalm. We need Him to save us from
the inner logic of our hearts. We need Him to save us from suffering and death.

If Garrett manages his temper a little better, if Sarah eats a bit more healthily, they’ve barely
dented the surface of their problems and their need. They need mercies. They need a change
of heart, a different Savior, a different Lord. They need Psalm 23. We all do.

But if you don’t want to need Jesus Christ, then you must deny the depth and scope of the
problem of evil.

The Relevance of Christ
We sought to make sense of these four stories through God’s eyes. We approached people
with troubles in the light of God’s mercies and power in Christ. His love is candid, patient,
and effective. He intends that we each know our need, and find Him true. Then we, too,
grow more candid, patient and effective in our love for other strugglers.

The persuasive voices in modern culture look through different eyes. The diagnostic system
now in vogue makes problems seem smaller and solutions seem easier. It explains problems
as genetics plus the social environment, with a nod in the direction of how you talk to
yourself: “nature + nurture + self-talk.” It sounds so appealing. With just the right
medication, the right kind of friends and the right affirmations to boost your self-confidence,
you can fix your kind of syndrome. The Savior of the world plays no part in the solution,
because alienation from God plays no part in the problem.

There’s a wide gap between medical-sounding labels and the Bible’s straightforward
teaching. There’s a wide gap between therapeutic solutions and self-sacrificing love. Why the
gap?

It’s hard to face reality.

In T.S. Eliot’s words, “Human kind cannot bear very much reality.” Here’s a longer answer,
again in T. S. Eliot’s words. When the Church tells of Jesus, she tells people

... of Life and Death, and of all that they would forget.
She is tender where they would be hard, and hard where they like to be soft.
She tells them of Evil and Sin, and other unpleasant facts.
They constantly try to escape
From the darkness outside and within
By dreaming of systems so perfect that no one will need to be good.
But the man that is will shadow
The man that pretends to be.
– “Choruses from ‘The Rock,’” part VI

The man that is shadows every pretense. Goodness is our greatest need. There is darkness
both outside and within. There is tender mercy where we least expect it. And there is the
hard reality that without such mercy, you die. Jesus calls for change of heart.

How much the perfect systems would like to forget all that.

Do you feel lost as to how to think and diagnose your problem?

Sure you do...we all feel this way from time to time. We find our souls depressed in a downward spiral and we wonder is there any hope for me? Such times of hopelessness and feeling alone can really lead one to a place of wondering "am I going crazy? Is there any hope?! What is my problem?!" Can anyone identify with that?

Below is part 1 of a 4 part series entitled, "Sane Faith" by Dr. David Powlison it originally was posted on "Boundless.org" I have placed it here in its entirety with nothing taken out. I did this because at times hyper-links to articles can move and I wanted to have this series on print here for you come back to and refer to from time to time. I trust this will help serve you in knowing how to think about real hope in the midst of real trouble.

*****

Sane Faith, Part 1
by David Powlison

We’ve invited Dr. David Powlison to begin a discussion on counseling from a biblical perspective by writing a series of articles for Boundless. This is a conversation starter: We believe that thoughtful discussion of significant issues is crucial to the flourishing of the body of Christ. Focus on the Family does not promote one particular model of Christian counseling, but earnestly seeks that we all grow in wisdom together. As with any article on Boundless, publication is not meant to be taken as an endorsement of its content. It is our hope that you are challenged to consider the relevance of Scripture, the importance of balance in the counseling process, and to better understand the Lord’s concern and power when it comes to understanding the real life problems that we all struggle with.
* * *
Garrett, 23, is a recent college grad. When some little thing frustrates him or he doesn’t get
his way, he explodes in anger. It goes way over the top. In college he was an episodic binge
drinker, but he’s started to drink regularly and heavily over the past year. The effects of
alcohol in him are unpredictable. Sometimes booze mellows Garrett out, but most times it
lowers his threshold for volatile hostility. In addition to his growing drinking problem, he
routinely turns to online pornography for a “fix.” His friends don’t know about that, but they
fear for his future, wondering if he will self-destruct with his drinking and violent temper.

Official diagnosis and current street wisdom? “Garrett suffers from intermittent explosive
disorder (IED) and is an addictive personality — and Garrett is all about Garrett, and
has control issues, big-time.”

Sarah, a 29-year-old single woman, has become increasingly preoccupied with her looks, her
calorie intake, and her exercise regime. She often “feels fat,” at 5’9” tall and weighing only
103 pounds, She’s relentless in her activities and self-care, competitive, always trying to
prove herself. Her roommates and family have become more and more concerned. Sarah
seems joyless, and has been detaching herself from normal social interactions. She seems
nervously self-preoccupied most of the time, so she has little time, energy, or attention for
anything or anyone besides herself.

Diagnosis and current wisdom? “Sarah has anorexia — and she’s a perfectionist with low
self-esteem.”

Lise, 32 and married, with a toddler, has felt down ever since she had the baby. Lise has had a
tendency to wallow in self-reproach ever since childhood, but lately it’s gotten worse. She’s
mired in loops of self-condemning thoughts, endlessly rehearsing and bemoaning her faults,
both real and imaginary. She has developed elaborate “quiet time” rituals that help her feel
some sense that her life is OK. She never feels like God loves her. Her husband worries that
Lise’s ritualistic habits and “sticky thoughts” about personal failings interfere with her ability
to raise their child. Her brooding casts a pall over their relationship, too. The simplest
question — “How was your day?” — often turns into a dark spiral of complaint and despair.
He walks on eggshells: “What can I do? What can I say?”

Diagnosis and current wisdom? “Lise has a case of clinical depression and obsessivecompulsive
disorder (OCD) — and she sets impossible standards for herself.”

Chandra, 21, a senior in college, has battled intense anxiety feelings ever since adolescence.
She gets tongue-tied if she’s put on the spot in a social interaction. She increasingly avoids
social situations, and only goes to gatherings or events if she has a friend with her to run
interference and carry the ball conversationally. She hasn’t been out on a date since a couple
of ill-fated attempts in high school when she “almost had a panic attack” trying to figure out
what to talk about. Chandra medicates her anxiety with daytime TV, Netflix and chocolate
ice cream.

Diagnosis and current wisdom? “Chandra suffers from social anxiety disorder — and
she’s shy, gets glued to the tube, and needs her chocolate fix.”

Do you recognize any of your friends in these people? I do. Do you recognize something of
yourself in any of their problems? I do, too.

And do you also notice how each diagnostic label simply takes what we already know and
then restates it in quasi-medical-sounding language? The actual experiences of life-lived get
turned into a depersonalized “condition.” Problems get viewed exclusively as something a
person “has,” rather than the array of things a person feels, thinks and does.
It’s curious. The labels don’t actually add any information to what we already know. Yet they
somehow alter the entire way we perceive a person. They even alter how people perceive
themselves. The story and the struggle get lost in translation.

Hold onto that thought, and we’ll come back to it later. First we’re going to climb into the
story and the struggle.

We’re all in these stories

Let’s start with the common ground we feel with other people’s stories. These problems are
garden-variety human struggles ... amped up to very destructive levels. They beset each one
of us to a greater or lesser degree. Of course, for the four people described, these tendencies
have taken on life-dominating power.

Perhaps you can’t identify with just how badly another person flounders. But can you
identify with worry? Getting angry? Overindulging in food or drink? Immoral thoughts?
Self-preoccupation? Feeling guilty and despondent? Breeding unrealistic hopes? Escape into
TV or music or web surfing? Bickering and gossip? Feeling anxious around people? Blanking
out on God? All the different ways of being loveless, and joyless, and restless? We can each
identify with aspects of what these people do.

Each of these four stories describes a person who needs help in order to face up, to deal, to
change. But these people aren’t in a completely different category from the rest of us. They
aren’t weird, as if the rest of us were normal. Think about it this way. They dial up the
volume, but we all play the same kinds of music. These are our friends ... and ourselves.
It’s no surprise, then, that the Bible engages the varieties of chaos, confusion and trouble that
mere humans experience. Our stories interweave with God’s story at every point. God
intends that we understand what exactly goes wrong — and how exactly he goes about
making it right.

In his letter to people who know Jesus, James alerted us to something about personal and
interpersonal chaos. Wherever you find “confusion and bad stuff” (James 3:16 paraphrase),
you’ll find two underlying problems. First, “bad zeal” wants the wrong things too much.

Second, “selfish ambition” organizes life around all-about-Me.

James is unblinking about what’s wrong, but he never gives the mess last say: “God gives
more grace” (4:6). More than what? His goodness is more than all that goes wrong inside us.
Confusion and bad stuff is exactly what he goes to work on.

Of course, the particular details of our four friends’ stories have a 21st century flavor. But
once you scratch the surface, they simply give new spin to old problems. These struggles are
variants on the typical confusion and bad stuff of people everywhere. Almost 2000 years ago,
Paul said “the works of the flesh are obvious.” He gave fifteen examples: “sexual immorality,
impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries,
dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these” (Galatians 5:19-21).
Anyone can see that this is not the way life is meant to be. All forms of self-preoccupation are
the opposite of love, joy, and peace. Paul rounded off his list by pointing far beyond the
examples he chose to mention. “Things like these” include the 21st century problems of our
four friends and people like us.

So our friends’ chaotic ways of living fit the category “works of the flesh.” These lifestyles
show up on the MRI of Scripture. God sees them for what they are, and he teaches us how to
see through his eyes.

God also looks behind the externals into the inner reasons. Galatians 5:16-17 names the
motor for a destructive lifestyle: the “desires of the flesh.” That’s Paul’s phrase for bad zeal
and selfish ambition. The things people want seem so instinctive and plausible. But our
desires become monsters and dictators. We want the wrong things too much, and approach
life as if it’s all-about-Me.

Garrett’s way of life is “my way or the highway.” No wonder he gets so angry. Sarah worships
an ideal of thinness that even supermodels can’t attain. No wonder she’s so unhappy. Lise
lives by a principle of self-attained standards of performance, and goes snow-blind to the
mercies of God towards her. No surprise, she has no sense of peace. Chandra craves approval
(and panics about possible rejection). She’s so worried about how other people treat her
that she has no thoughtful kindness to give to them.

God sees what’s operating on the inside, as well as what’s oozing out for all to see. He sizes it
up for what it is, and then helps us to understand life the same way he does.

These patterns of inner motivation are what the Bible calls your “heart.” We generate
substitutes for God. The false masters are “little gods” that become I GOTTA HAVE
THAT! Our blind, misplaced devotion enslaves us. We express our submission to little gods
by destructive lifestyles, by our emotions, thoughts, words, and choices that the Bible calls
foolish. God wants us to see our hearts the way he sees us. Inside and out, this is exactly what
Jesus came to forgive and aims to transform.
• Jesus died to overthrow the dictatorship of the flesh
• Jesus died so that you won’t die clinging tight to your idols
• Jesus died so you won’t waste your life massaging and refining self-preoccupation
• Jesus lives to become your true Master

Here’s the whole message in a sound bite: “He died for all, that those who live might no
longer live for themselves but for Him who for their sake died and was raised” (2
Corinthians 5:15). Jesus can liberate Garrett from the stranglehold of self-will, so he actually
begins to care about other people. Jesus can bring Sarah to her senses, so that she comes to
love the beauty of Jesus rather than obsessing over an impossible and empty ideal. Lise can
rebuild her life on a new foundation. Chandra can find safe refuge and the courage to reach
out.

Christ overthrows dictatorial desires. The fruit of His Holy Spirit — Galatians 5:22-23 —
makes for a life worth living.

Of course, the freedom is never all-at-once, one-and-done. But Jesus creates new conditions
for life. In our lives now, He begins to make right all that goes so wrong. He sets about the
long, hard answering of the complex questions. He begins a lifelong freeing process.

Two ways of doing life
From Jesus’ point of view, there are two fundamentally different ways of doing life. One way,
you’re connected to a God who’s involved in your life. Psalm 23 is all about this: “The Lord
is my shepherd ... and his goodness and mercy surely follow me all the days of my life.” The
other way, you’re pretty much on your own and disconnected. Let’s call this the antipsalm
23: “I’m on my own ... and disappointment follows me all the days of my life.” We’ll look first
at the antipsalm way of doing life.

Antipsalm 23
I’m on my own.
No one looks out for me or protects me.
I experience a continual sense of need. Nothing’s quite right.
I’m always restless. I’m easily frustrated and often disappointed.
It’s a jungle — I feel overwhelmed. It’s a desert — I’m thirsty.
My soul feels broken, twisted, and stuck. I can’t fix myself.
I stumble down some dark paths.
Still, I insist: I want to do what I want, when I want, how I want.
But life’s confusing. Why don’t things ever really work out?
I’m haunted by emptiness and futility — shadows of death.
I fear the big hurt and final loss.
Death is waiting for me at the end of every road,
but I’d rather not think about that.
I spend my life protecting myself. Bad things can happen.
I find no lasting comfort.
I’m alone ... facing everything that could hurt me.
Are my friends really friends?
Other people use me for their own ends.
I can’t really trust anyone. No one has my back.
No one is really for me — except me.
And I’m so much all about ME, sometimes it’s sickening.
I belong to no one except myself.
My cup is never quite full enough. I’m left empty.
Disappointment follows me all the days of my life.
Will I just be obliterated into nothingness?
Will I be alone forever, homeless, free-falling into void?
Sartre said, “Hell is other people.”
I have to add, “Hell is also myself.”
It’s a living death,
and then I die.

The antipsalm tells what life feels like and looks like whenever God vanishes from sight. As
we hear about Garrett and the others, each story lives too much inside the antipsalm. The
“I’m-all-alone-in-the-universe” experience maps onto each one of them. The antipsalm
captures the driven-ness and pointlessness of life-purposes that are petty and self-defeating.
It expresses the fears and silent despair that cannot find a voice because there’s no one to
really talk to.

Our four friends are spinning out of control. They might implode. Something bad gets last
say when whatever you live for is not God.

And when you’re caught up in the antipsalm, it doesn’t help when you’re labeled a
“disorder,” a “syndrome” or a “case.” The problem is much more serious: The disorder is
“my life.” The syndrome is “I’m on my own.” The case is “Who am I and what am I living
for?” when too clearly I am the center of my story.

But the antipsalm doesn’t need to tell the final story. It only becomes your reality when you
construct your reality from a lie. In reality, someone else is the center of the story. Nobody
can make Jesus go away. The I AM was, is and will be, whether or not people acknowledge
that.

When you awaken, when you see who Jesus actually is, everything changes. You see the
Person whose care and ability you can trust. You experience His care. You see the Person
whose glory you are meant to worship. You love Him who loves you. The real Psalm 23
captures what life feels like and looks like when Jesus Christ puts his hand on your shoulder.

Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me.
Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil.
My cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Can you taste the difference?

You might want to read both antipsalm and psalm again, slowly. Maybe even read out loud.
The psalm is sweet, not bitter. It’s full, not empty. You aren’t trying to grab the wind with
your bare hands. Someone else takes you in His hands. You are not alone.

Jesus Christ actually plays two roles in this most tender psalm. First, He walked this Himself.
He is a man who looked to the Lord. He said these very words, and means what He says. He
entered our predicament. He walked the valley of the shadow of death. He faced every evil.
He felt the threat of the antipsalm, of our soul’s need to be restored. He looked to his
Father’s care when He was cast down — for us — into the darkest shadow of death. And
God’s goodness and mercy followed Him and carried Him. Life won.

Second, Jesus is also this Lord to whom we look. He is the living shepherd to whom we call.
He restores your soul. He leads you in paths of righteousness. Why? Because of who He is:
“for His name’s sake.”

You, too, can walk Psalm 23. You can say these words and mean what you say. God’s
goodness and mercy is true, and all He promises will come true. The King is at home in his
universe.

Jesus puts it this way, “It is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke
12:32). He delights to walk with you.

****
Copyright 2008 David Powlison. All rights reserved. International copyright secured. This article
was published on Boundless.org on August 26, 2008.

Our Daily Bread - A Mother's Testimony To The God Who Provides

The following blog journal is from "Alpha-Omega" publishers - my wife & I found much encouragement from this - and I trust you will as well.

"I felt like Old Mother Hubbard as I went to the kitchen cupboards that morning. I don't know why I even bothered to look. I knew there was nothing in them to make a meal for my four young children. The situation looked rather bleak for a cook who could make a meal out of just flour, eggs, and milk, but today I didn't even have those ingredients. I looked out the window at the winter snow that covered my garden-no vegetables to be found there. What was I going to do?My husband was on a short-term mission in Africa, and I was all alone, homeschooling our children in the middle of winter. I had no money, no food, and no way to even get out from the blizzard that had blocked our long driveway to our country home. I began to think about how we had prayed and asked the Lord for opportunities to serve Him in missions. God had assured us through His Word that He would keep His promises to take care of us-but now I had four pairs of hungry eyes wondering what their mother was going to do.I don't know what came over me that morning. I opened every cupboard door and the refrigerator. I sat the children down in the middle of the kitchen, and we began to pray. I almost shouted at God when I spoke and reminded Him that He had promised to take care of us. Right now we had nothing-nothing to eat, no one to help, and no escape. Just the night before I had read in Psalm 37:25, "I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging bread." I prayed that God would keep His promises, but things didn't look too good.

When we were done praying, my children and I got up and started our day. Not even thirty minutes had passed when I heard a pick-up truck coming up our driveway. Unbelievably, our pastor from a town 15 miles away walked up to the door and handed me an envelope. The pastor said someone at church had given the envelope to him on Sunday, but he didn't know what was in it. He just "happened to be going" to the town near our home and had decided to drop off the envelope. Then, just that quickly, he was gone.I stood there with the envelope in my hand and opened it. The hundred dollar bill inside may as well have been a thousand dollars to me. I knew the money was God's answer to our prayers. I quickly bundled all the children in their coats and drove to town, following the path our pastor's truck had made in our driveway. God was going to fill up all those empty cupboards!I never knew who our benefactor was, but I did learn a valuable lesson I have never forgotten. God is able to show Himself the mightiest when we are the weakest. "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him" (1 Corinthians 2:9)."

"The Shack" - A Subversive Theology

Dear friends,

I want to pass on to you a couple of great links concerning the best-selling "Christian" fiction, The Shack. Personally, I find it sad for how popular this book has become among Christian believers and how it is being received as something beyond fiction, but something that many have claimed "it has transformed their view of God." Again folks, we don't need a "new way" to look at God - we only need what is clearly shown to us in the Scriptures. And in The Shack, we have a journey of a man throwing off the shackles of orthodox biblical Christianity for a new way. Though this book is a fiction, it is making some very, very deliberate theological statements about God. For starters listen to Albert Mohler's radio broadcast on this book - and then check out Tim Challes' extensive, gracious but honest book review. -MH

Reformedbooks.net! Building Your Library!

Hey folks,

I wanted to pass on to you a great new tool by our friends at Monergism.com here at www.reformedbooks.net they have compiled what they believe to be the best in Reformed theological works by both author and subject. This is a great resource in that today there are SO MANY books out there! Here they have done a lot of the "combing" through to compile their lists! Go through there and find a good book to read this Fall! Take care,

Matthew

Family Vacation!

Wow folks, sorry...it has been a while since I have posted. We were away for a couple of weeks going on a family vacation and then for the last couple of weeks I have been "playing catch up." This year we were really blessed by Anna's grandmother to be able to go and spend a couple of weeks with her in Seattle and on Lopez Island in the Puget Sound. It was beautiful scenery and we were able to make a lot of family memories together.

Above is a picture from outside our backyard! Wow! Below is a picture of us along with Anna's brother's family, her mom, grandma and cousin Bridgette.
And yes we went SEA KAYAKING in the Puget Sound! We kayaked around a couple of smaller islands and had a great time! Once in a lifetime!

The bottom three pictures are a sampling of the wildlife that can be seen there!

Stand & Wonder At The Reality Of Being Called A Son!

Mr. Kettler - a very, very dear brother and small group leader here in our church sent this to me and what a great encouragement it was to my soul! Thank you sir, for always directing me to "stand and wonder" at the Cross of Christ! There are too many times I "stand and wonder" at the wrong things where there is no hope! Thank you for directing me to see through the grace of God, how my Father sees me in The Son. You are a dear friend my brother and this piece really ministered to my heart! I will take this with me on vacation as a daily exhortation of how good our Savior is! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

**************
Oh stand and wonder!
(Thomas Brooks, "The Crown and Glory of Christianity")

"Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us—that we should be called the sons of God." 1 John 3:1

It is an infinite condescension in God, to honor us with the title of sons, and therefore we should never think of it, nor ever speak of it—but with much admiration. O sirs! what matter of admiration is this—that the great and glorious God, who has many millions of glorious angels attending Him—that He should . . .

• look upon all holy people as His sons,
• and love them as His sons,
• and delight in them as His sons,
• and clothe them as His sons,
• and feed them as His sons,
• and protect them as His sons,
• and stand by them as His sons,
• and lay up for them as His sons,
• and lay out Himself for them as His sons; that those who have not deserved . . .
• a smile from God,
• a good word from God,
• a bit of bread from God,
• or a good look from God,
• should be made the sons of God!
  

What manner of love is this—that those who have . . .

• so highly provoked God,
• walked so cross and contrary to God,
• were so exceeding unlike God,
• preferred every lust, and every toy and vanity before God,
• fought many years under Satan's banner against God,
• refused all the offers of mercy that have been made by God, —that those who have deserved to be reprobated by God, damned by God, and to be thrown to hell by God—that these should be made the sons of God!
  

Oh stand and wonder! Oh stand and admire the freeness of His grace, and at the riches of His grace!

Christ & Culture: D.A. Carson on "Redeeming The Culture"

At this last year's "Together For The Gospel" they gave out D.A. Carson's book, "Christ & Culture Revisited." I must confess, it is still in the pile of my reading in my office that I am working my way through. Below is an interview of Dr. Carson by Derek Thomas from the "Reformation 21 Blog" of where he addresses this issue of "Redeeming the culture." To read the entire article click here.
*******
(Derek Thomas) DT: Why don't you like the terminology of "redeeming the culture"?

(Don Carson) DC: Redemption terminology in the NT is so bound up with Christ's work for and in the church that to extend it to whatever good we do in the broader world risks a shift in focus. Not for a moment do I want to deny that we are to serve as salt and light, that exiles may be called to do good in the pagan cities where Providence has appointed them to live (Jer 29), that every square foot of this world is under Christ's universal reign (even though that reign is still being contested), that the nations of the world will bring their "goods" into the Jerusalem that comes down from above. But many of those who speak easily and fluently of redeeming the culture soon focus all their energy shaping fiscal and political policies and the like, and merely assume the gospel. A gospel that is merely assumed, that does no more than perk away in the background while the focus of our attention is on the "redemption" of the culture in which we find ourselves, is lost within a generation or two. At the same time, I worry about Christians who focus their attention so narrowly on getting people "saved" that they care little about doing good to all people, even if especially to the household of God. Getting this right is not easy, and inevitably priorities will shift a little in various parts of the world, under various regimes. Part of the complexity of the discussion, I think, is bound up with what the church as church is responsible for, and what Christians as Christians are responsible for: I have argued that failure to make this distinction tends to lead toward sad conclusions.


DT: What are some key things for young pastors to keep in mind when they are urged to "engage the culture"?

DC: Know what the gospel is first, comprehensively, accurately, faithfully. Work out from there. Learn to preach to your own people, not to the aggregates set out in books by Barna and Wuthnow (though much can be learned from such books). Whether the "engagement" is part of how you engage people evangelistically, or part of how Christians in your church do good in your own community, keep thinking through what the Bible itself says -- and then try, like the men of Issachar, to understand your own times.

Christ and Culture: Mark Dever On "Redeeming The Culture"

Dear friends, I wanted to post this video link interview with Dr. Mark Dever because in this he addresses a very popular concept in modern mission discussions over the concept of "redeeming the culture." His nuances and insights are very helpful and I believe very much so right on concerning this concept of how we as believers are to think about and engage culture. He like many others have found themselves uneasy about the very well intentioned and commendable brothers who have been seeking to "redeem the culture" - meaning seeking to see real transformation take place in our cities. We need to care for the poor, we need to be agents of change in social and political context - however, is this "the gospel"? Is it a reflection of the gospel? Most certainly. However tied to some of the "missional"/"redeeming the culture" talk would be ideas and language that seems to reflect more on the changing of "social structures" - and that being the "gospel." Listen to what Dr. Dever has to say. It is very insightful, especially in his concerns - and look for the nuances he gives, as they are very insightful and helpful in sharpening our thinking on this issue.

Vacationing For The Glory Of God

Hey Dads,

Planning your next family vacation? Check out this link from CJ's blog on how we can grow in intentional vacation planning! Trust it will serve you as you seek to serve your family! Take care,

-MH

When Do I Bring An "Observation"?

"I AM OFFENDED!!!" and so our hearts cry out! Someone has done something to you and whether they know it or not...you are now, "offended." And then a lingering question comes to us, "In a relationship when do I go to that person to let them know how I have been offended against them? When do I overlook? When do I go to them?" If you have ever found yourself in this situation, let me say to you, you are not alone! We have all experienced this. With this...I want to draw your attention to two outstanding messages on this topic, by Dr. Dave Harvey entitled, "The Surgeon, The Scalpel & The Saint In Sin." Dave helps us see other people's offenses against us both in light of the gospel - and likewise gives us very specific and helpful application of the gospel's message. Please listen to this message - you will be glad for the wisdom you will gain by doing so. Take care - MH

Peacemaker Seminar - Day 1 was a blast!

Hey folks,

What a wonderful time last Sunday was! As Anna and I were driving home at the end of the day, we were just couldn't help but recount many of the expressions of God's grace that filled the day. The many conversations that were had, Ken Sande's first message on "Conflict Is An Opportunity," and then the wonderful time the kids had at the "Young Peacemaker" Vacation Bible School - all of it was incredible! I would encourage you, that if you weren't able to make it to the first session, please make every opportunity to come in the following weeks. On Sunday morning, I will be teaching more on some of the things that are brought out in the Peacemaker Seminar; then on Sunday evenings starting, promptly at 6pm - our children are going through the Young Peacemaker, while we go through the Peacemaker Videos as adults. For more information on Peacemaker Ministries log on to www.peacemaker.net

This next week we are going to be talking about "Living At Peace With One Another" - I would encourage you please come and benefit from Mr. Sande's great teaching. Take care,

-MH

Why We're Not Emergent (By Two Guys Who Should Be)

Dear friends, I was given this book as a gift at Together For The Gospel 2008 - and what a wonderful gift it is! If you have been wondering, "What is the Emergent Church?" I cannot more highly recommend this book to you. These two gentleman have given a detailed explanation of and concern for the emergent church movement. This is THE BOOK on the topic. I was planning on doing a series of blog entries on this book - however - there is NO way I could improve on a 5 part book review that Dr. Sam Storms has done. So I would say two things: 1) Read the book, 2) Read Dr. Storm's analysis of the book. Thank you Dr. Storms!

• Why We're Not Emergent - part 1
• Why We're Not Emergent - part 2
• Why We're Not Emergent - part 3
• Why We're Not Emergent - part 4
• Why We're Not Emergent - part 5

Worldliness & The Issue Of Modesty

Hey folks, below is an insightful and very helpful discussion starter by Dennis Rainey from Family Life Today. Dennis does a great job in a couple of sentences graciously pointing us to the reality that we need to be on guard concerning the issue of modesty - while at the same time the issue is really a matter of the heart. Very encouraging.

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Outer Wear or Inner Spirit?

Your adornment must not be merely external . . . but let it be the hidden
person of the heart.1 Peter 3:3-4, NIV

I'll never forget that spring Sunday when our church was honoring our graduating high-school seniors during the service. A couple of the students had been asked to speak to the congregation. The first was a young man, sharply dressed, who made an articulate statement about his faith and confidence in Christ. He was followed by a young lady who presented an equally strong message--but her dress was so skintight and seductive that I imagine it was hard for any of the male gender to pay attention.

I want to be quick to say that we men are fully responsible for where we allow our gaze and our thoughts to go. One hundred percent responsible. But I must ask today's Christian woman and teenage girl, what thought process goes into your clothing choices?

And dads, if your daughter dresses immodestly for church (or school, for that matter), are you willing to ask her to please go put on something more appropriate?

It's important to help our daughters understand how God hardwired a man. Barbara and I have four daughters, so you can be sure we had many conversations around this subject as they grew up. We know what it means to raise young women in a culture that's increasingly promoting immodest dress. We know what it's like to wander the stores, losing hope of ever finding anything suitable to wear.

We need to help our daughters (and sons) be more concerned with cultivating their inner spirit rather/more than their outer wear. Their appearance says a lot about who they really are. And it says a lot about the kind of man they are trying to attract. Do they really want their neckline or hemline to be what lures a guy?

Discuss: What are the dress codes in your family? What have you determined about how to address and enforce these?

Pray: Pray that you will have the courage to confront difficult issues like this. And pray that you will model what you preach to your children.

Burna Disaster Relief Fund

As disaster-relief efforts continue in Burma, Sovereign Grace Ministries has the opportunity to provide assistance through ministry relationships we have in that country. SGM has established a Burma Disaster Relief fund and are contributing financially toward aid efforts in Burma.

Any who would like to join us in this effort can donate to the Burma Disaster Relief fund via Sovereign Grace Ministries Website.Most importantly, please join us in praying that amid the destruction caused by Cyclone Nargis, victims of the storm would receive swift and effective help, and that many in Burma would hear and respond to the gospel.


http://www.sovereigngraceministries.org/About/FinancialSupport/Donations.aspx

Peacemaker & Young Peacemaker Seminar Is COMING!

During the Sunday evenings of June & July we will be hosting Ken Sande's video seminar, "The Peacemaker: A Biblical Guide To Resolving Conflict." Likewise, during that time we will also be hosting, "THE YOUNG PEACEMAKER" for the children to learn how we are to resolve conflict from a biblical persepective. This will be an outstanding time of both instruction and fellowship! Consider yourself invited - 6-730pm!

Below is an outstanding excerpt from Peacemaker Ministries - Read & grow! www.peacemaker.net

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"Eye Can See Clearly Now"
Jesus had much to say about resolving conflict. One of his most familiar commands is recorded in Matthew 7:3-5:
Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, "Let me take the speck out of your eye," when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.
This passage is sometimes interpreted as a warning against talking with others about their faults. If you read it carefully, however, you will see that it does not forbid loving correction. Rather, it forbids premature and improper correction. Before you talk to others about their faults, Jesus wants you to face up to yours. Once you have dealt with your contribution to a conflict, you may approach others about theirs.

Here is some "Food for Thought":
Every couple prays for a full-term delivery; however, premature births are not an uncommon reality. In these situations, everything will be accelerated and great care will have to be exercised on the part of the parents, nurses, and doctors. Premature babies usually spend time in the intensive care unit, where constant monitoring and attention can be given, many times with a one to one ratio of nurse to child. It's a fragile and often dangerous time. Most premature babies are fine, but some do not survive; everything took place before they were ready.
Ken's use of the word premature in connection with Jesus' words about conflict resolution is remarkable. Our efforts to "de-speck" our brothers or sisters before we "de-plank" ourselves create premature situations; something is happening before it should. It would be nice if there were roving spiritual-ICU teams who could help us in those moments to help carry the resolution to a healthy point, but that's rare. It's usually just two people, neither one seeing clearly, and both often too wounded to respond properly.
Conflict resolution always begins with the eye of the "I." So upon reflection, how many of your attempts at conflict resolution could be described as premature? Did you ever get around to examining yourself? Did you get help from others during these delicate situations? And did these conflicts end in reconciliation, or sadly, did your relationship die due to the unfortunate complications of premature confrontation?

When the church desires the world...

In our present study of worldliness, I came across these three outstanding quotes...read and may we be affected...

Whatever commands our time, energy, and resources commands us. And if
we are honest, we will admit that our lives really aren’t that different from those of
our secular counterparts. I suspect that one of the reasons we are so ineffective in evangelism is that we are so much like the people around us that we have very little to which we can call them. We hang around church buildings a little more. We abstain from a few things. But we simply aren’t that different. We don’t even do hedonism as well as the folks around us … but we keep on trying. As a result of
this unfortunate accommodation, Christianity is reduced to little more than a spiritual crutch to help us through the minefields of the upwardly mobile life. God is there to help us get our promotions, our house in the suburbs, and our bills paid. Somehow God has become a coconspirator in our agendas instead of our becoming a coconspirator in His. Something is seriously amiss. -Tom Sine (Christianity
Today [3/17/89], p. 52)

John MacArthur, in his book “The Truth War,” states:

“We live in an age where church leaders are obsessed with style and methodology,
losing interest in the glory of God and becoming grossly apathetic about truth
and sound doctrine. Nothing in all the world is more important or more valuable
than the Truth. And the church is supposed to be ‘the pillar and ground of the
Truth’

Prayer by C. H. Spurgeon December 30, 1877:

"Lord, there are so many today who are running away from the truth. Oh,
that You would be pleased to speak by Your Spirit that Your word may be
known. Lord, hold us fast to the truth of Your word, bind us to it. May we
not be ashamed of the truth of Your word but proclaim it boldly without
compromise. May we not wish to be thought cultured, nor aim to keep in step
with the times. May we be side by side with You, O bleeding Savior; and be
content to be rejected, be willing to take up unpopular truth, and to hold
fast despised teachings of sacred Scripture to the end. Oh make us faithful
unto death."

The Godly Man's Picture by Thomas Watson

I love Thomas Watson and here is a book of his that I have recently been going through devotionally - The Godly Man's Picture. The subtitle to this book is "with a Scripture pencil." Meaning, Watson takes us in very short readable sections through what he would see as the "Godly man's picture" as it is drawn for us with a "scripture pencil." He lists out some 30 plus characteristics of what a man who has been affected by the grace of God looks like. I have used these short sections off and on for the last month as a tool for family devotions. I have found this particularly insightful in helping us see through gospel centered glasses of what a man of God looks like - however don't be deceived by the title - this very well could be entitled, "Every Christian's" picture. Watson is one of the more readable puritan writers and he is one who makes the gospel and its affect on one's life so very, very appealing! Enjoy...here is a link to Westminster Books, that has books at discount prices and has some great deals on shipping as well. http://www.wtsbooks.com/product-exec/product_id/645/nm/Godly_Man_s_Picture

Below are the comments from the publisher:

Few preachers in the Puritan era (or any other period of church history)
match Thomas Watson for his ability to combine rich spirituality, nourishing
doctrine and sane wisdom with fascinating illustrations and a pleasant style.
Watson is remembered chiefly for his posthumously published Body of Practical
Divinity (reprinted by the Trust in three volumes). But his extant sermons also
include this marvelous series on the character of the Christian. It is, as C. H.
Spurgeon said of his other work, 'a happy union of sound doctrine,
heart-searching experience and practical wisdom.'Watson is always the essence of
sanity and reliability. But in addition, this work shows how attractive the
grace of God is. Christians of all stages, reading it for the first time, will
feel as if they have entered the gallery of a great portrait painter. As his
sub-title suggests, Watson works with 'a Scripture pencil' in this priceless
sketch of the true believer.