Revolutionaries and Plodding Visionaries

Today I had the privilege of talking with two godly men who are church planters in this city - one, an inner city pastor and the other a Hispanic pastor.  What I respect about them even at their beginnings is that they are not seeking to be "the next biggest thing" in Kansas City - - instead, they are seeking to be faithful preachers of the gospel calling the lost to Christ.  They are not seeking to be hip, trendy or revolutionary - they are "simple men" (I say that as a fellow simple man, with the deepest of respect) seeking to open their Bibles and to call people to love Jesus with their whole hearts!  In a day where so much is written on how to be a pastor and what someone is suppose to do in order to be relevant and "transformational" in our culture, it is so refreshing to see men committed to being visionaries to labor for the gospel!  Read this link by C.J. Mahaney on this topic http://www.sovereigngraceministries.org/Blog/post/Plodding-Visionaries.aspx- it is very encouraging!  (It was sent to me by my loving wife who is "plodding" along with me, to encourage my heart!  Thank you sweetie!)  Jason and Mario, you guys are my heroes!  Thank you for loving the gospel and loving His people!

Brit Hume: Proclaiming The Need For Accepting Jesus Christ As One's Savior On Fox News

Folks this is simply outstanding! Never have I heard a news reporter of such standing as Brit Hume proclaim Christ with such clarity. Here is a link to WORLD Magazine... http://online.worldmag.com/2010/01/05/proclaiming-christ-on-fox-news/ and there you can read not only their commentary on the events but also watch Brit's unashamed, yet compassionate call for men like Tiger Woods to find their hope in Christ. The article also tells briefly of how Brit came from being "a nominal Christian" (his words) to true saving faith in Jesus Christ. In these segments, Hume clearly states that Buddhism, which would be Tiger's professed religion, does not offer the forgiveness and reconciliation that Tiger Woods needs. Here you can see the original video as well as his commentary with Bill O'Reilly on those comments as well. MUST SEE! OUTSTANDING!!!

Why We Love The Church - by DeYoung & Kluck

World Magazine

Hey friends - if you don't have a subscription to WORLD Magazine - I would highly recommend it! I have been getting this for close to 10 years now and it is absolutely outstanding! It is a bi-weekly Christian news reporting magazine written by theologically and politcally conservative believers. They are fair and balanced in their reporting. Great stuff to get a theologically sound perspective on daily events! Highly recommend it! You can order by loggin on to http://www.worldmag.org/

The Gospel & Social Action - A Message By D.A. Carson

Last year a group of students asked Dr. Carson if he would speak on the topic of "The Gospel & Social Action," as many seem to talk about issues of social action (ministry to the poor, working for issues of justice in society at large) and the gospel as though they might be one in the same. Listening to this very informative lecture, that Justin Taylor has posted on the Gospel Coalition website, will not only help inform someone of the calling to care for the poor, but also to help sharpen and tighten one's grasp on what "the gospel" actually is (to help keep "the main thing" the "main thing"). Enjoy. http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/2009/08/06/carson-on-gospel-and-social-action/

The Gospel & Ministry To The Poor

In light of our monthly work through our Care Group ministry to the women and children at Forest Avenue Women's & Children's Shelter...read and be fed:

"Like nothing else could ever do, the gospel instills in me a heart for the downcast, the poverty-stricken, and those in need of physical mercies, especially when such persons are of the household of faith.

When I see persons who are materially poor, I instantly feel a kinship with them, for they are physically what I was spiritually when my heart was closed to Christ. Perhaps some of them are in their condition because of sin, but so was I. Perhaps they are unkind when I try to help them; but I, too, have been spiteful to God when He has sought to help me. Perhaps they are thankless and even abuse the kindness I show them, but how many times have I been thankless and used what God has given me to serve selfish ends?

Perhaps a poverty-stricken person will be blessed and changed as a result of some kindness I show him. If so, God be praised for His grace through me. But if the person walks away unchanged by my kindness, then I still rejoice over the opportunity to love as God loves. Perhaps the person will repent in time; but for now, my heart is chastened and made wiser by the tangible depiction of what I myself have done to God on numerous occasions.

The gospel reminds me daily of the spiritual poverty into which I was born and also of the staggering generosity of Christ towards me. Such reminders instill in me both a felt connection to the poor and a desire to show them the same generosity that has been lavished on me. When ministering to the poor with these motivations, I not only preach the gospel to them through word and deed, but I reenact the gospel to my own benefit as well."
- Milton Vincent, A Gospel Primer

Theologically Sound - Christian Rap/Hip Hop...

Hey folks...here is one for the really random department. Rap is not necessarily my thing as far as musical genres go...but sound theology is and when it is sung to and in all cultures it is a gloriously beautiful thing. Here is a link to one of CJ's latest posts on Christian Hip Hop... http://www.sovereigngraceministries.org/Blog/post/Christian-Hip-Hop-interview.aspx

From "Na" to "NEXT"

The Young Adult Ministry of Sovereign Grace Ministries has changed its name from "New Attitude" to "NEXT." Likewise they have launched a new website - and with this a monthly "Webzine" this issue figuring Dr. Sinclair Ferguson as well as articles ofor "Guys" and "Gals" as well as an article about listening to music for the glory of God. Click here for the website as well as to register for this year's conference. http://www.thisisnext.org/

What Makes Abortion Plausible? What Makes Abortion Unthinkable - Articles By Dr. Albert Mohler

In the world of the Bible, reverence for life is natural, and automatic – the only reflex, and the only instinct. As Dr. Albert Mohler writes in these 3 blog entries, respect for life is not based upon the fact that we worship life, but is instead based on the fact that we know and worship the Creator of life, the Sovereign of life. Needless to say these are outstanding articles:

What Makes Abortion Plausible? Article One

What Makes Abortion Plausible? Article Two

What Makes Abortion Plausible? Article Three

The Sanctity Of Life - Scriptures To Both Pray & Act Upon

As our nation begins a process of transition in leadership, one great concern on the hearts and minds of many Christians are the possible transitions that will take place in the issues of "abortion rights." As we seek to both pray and respond, I wanted to post here a list of passages to help and direct our hearts in both the will and the grace of God concerning the sanctity of human life. I pray this will serve to both inform your prayer life as you pray these passages, but also to help aid those who are recovering from the pains of abortion to know, find and experience the grace of God.

God is the Creator of Life
Genesis 1:27 - So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
Job 33:4 - The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
God creates and fashions life within the womb
Job 31:15 - Did not he who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same one form us both within our mothers?
The unborn are treated as persons in the Bible
Psalm 139:13-16 - For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's
womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are
wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in
the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my
unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of
them came to be.
Conception is a gift from God
Exodus 23:25-26 - Worship the Lord your God, and his blessing will be on your food and
water. I will take away sickness from among you, and none will miscarry or be barren in
your land. I will give you a full life-span.
Children are a gift from the Lord
Psalm 127:3-5 - Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from him. Like
arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose
quiver is full of them.
God forbids the taking of human life
Genesis 9:6 - Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the
image of God has God made man.
Exodus 20:13 - You shall not murder.
Exodus 21:22-25 - If men who are fighting hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth
prematurely but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the
woman's husband demands and the court allows. But if there is serious injury, you are to
take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn,
wound for wound, bruise for bruise.
We are to defend and protect life
Psalm 10:17-18 - You hear, O Lord, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and
you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed in order that man, who is
of the earth, may terrify no more.
Psalm 41:1 - Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the Lord delivers him in times of
trouble.
Proverbs 31:8-9 - Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all
who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.
Rape, incest, and birth defects do not justify taking the life of the child
Deuteronomy 24:16 - Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children put
to death for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin.
Isaiah 45:9-10 - Woe to him who quarrels with his Maker, to him who is but a potsherd
among the potsherds on the ground. Does the clay say to the potter, "What are you
making?" Does your work say, "He has no hands?" Woe to him who says to his father,
"What have you begotten?" or to his mother, "What have you brought to birth?"
1 Corinthians 10:13 - No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And
God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you
are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
God forgives the sin of abortion – There is GRACE, HOPE & FORGIVENESS!
Roman 5:20-21 - The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin
increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace
might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
1 John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and
purify us from all unrighteousness.

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.

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.
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(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.