Now available in North America: Engaging with Barth: Contemporary Evangelical Critiques, edited by David Gibson and Daniel Strange. Endorsements here: Engaging With Barth- Contemporary Evangelical Critiques
Turk writes that the words of men are insufficient to bring the truth. They are insufficient to bring the knowledge of the truth for the sake of the faith of God's elect. So don't waste time in trivial uselessness. A true child of the faith proclaim's God word using God's words. This is the means by which God has manifested the truth. The Something to Say
Carolyn Mahaney writes that being a student doesn't end with a diploma. The single season is a great time to dive into the study of doctrine, but we don’t drift into God’s Word naturally. Beneficial study of doctrine will only become a reality if we have a plan and when necessary, some accountability. School of the Word
Jon Bloom ponders the possible difficulty Jesus' would experience as a human child. He was a perfect child living with sinful parents, sinful siblings, and sinful extended relatives. The difference between him and them must have become increasingly apparent and awkward. Sinners can be cruel to those who are different from them, especially if envy infects their cruelty. Sometimes we feel alone in the world. But in a very real sense, Jesus was alone in the world. cf. Isaiah 53:3. Was Jesus a Lonely Child-
Pro-marriage speech garners professors profane wrath. Behold, the open-minded tolerance of the liberal spectrum. http://www.onenewsnow.com/Legal/Default.aspx?id=422144
Here's a meditation by DeYoung on what being 'Reformed' means for him. He identifies himself with the traditional Reformed ethos of the Edwards/Whitefield/Wesley bent, but says that it is more than this: ". I don't view the Reformed faith as simply one branch on the Christian tree. I believe the Reformed understanding of the Bible is Christianity in full bloom. Hopefully, this does not make me haughty about "my flower." ... When I say I am Reformed I mean that God is the center of the universe and I am not. I mean that I am a worse sinner than I imagine and God is a greater Savior than I ever thought possible. I mean that Lord is my righteousness and the Lord alone is my boast. By Reformed I mean all this and most of all that my only comfort in life and in death is that I am not my own but belong, in body and in soul, to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever, amen." What I Mean By Reformed
Phillips comments on the interview with Palin's daughter over her pregnancy, and points out the unrepentant, worldly, 'its just not ideal' attitude of the daughter, as well as Palin's obtuse comment that she is 'proud' of her daughter: Palin speaks of it as a "surprise," as something that "happened to" Bristol (you know, like being hit by a stray bullet, or catching a cold) - Rather than use the opportunity to exalt Christ, points sinners to Him, and instruct the wicked. As to the father of the baby, "This boy is so "in love with" his son that he doesn't mind if the child bears the stigma of illegitimacy now, nor that he would bear that stigma forever, if Levi were to before finally marrying Bristol. So "in love" that Levi pursues his life and schooling or whatever as his child and the woman he wronged start the family by themselves, and that he continues to set an indelibly wretched example for his son. I can't begin to tell you how impressed I am not with Levi's "love" for that child." Sarah Palin's stupid mistake
JT points out Scot McKnight's caricature of the 'neoreformed', which apparently basically means in McKnight's view some form of fringe 'Truly Reformed'/'One True Church' crowd - a label which is seemingly being applied to men like Piper and Carson! After all, it was in his blurb endorsing Wright's response to Piper. And, if anyone got riled up because of such a gross and blatant misrepresentation, they are labeled this way too. JT concludes: "honestly, McKnight--who has frequently complained about statements about Emergent/ing that don't make distinctions and paint with broad brush strokes--is doing the same in spades. In addition, he's publicly caricaturing his brothers and sisters in Christ and doing so in a rather crude way." Scot McKnight's Caricature of the NeoReformed
Here's an article on angry "Contrary to our subtle belief that anger is a display of strength, it is actually patience that is strong and anger that's a sign of weakness. Instead of buying into cultural notions regarding the "virtue" of anger, we need to better understand a biblical view of anger. ... Our complaining, aggressive, demanding spirit has more in common with Satan than it does with Christ." ... "First, anger either ignores or rejects the sovereign freedom of God. Second, it's a refusal to believe God's promise to work for our good in all things, even drastic changes in climate. Third, it enthrones our will for comfort over God's will, effectively assuming personal supremacy over God. It puts God in the dock." "God's anger is not capricious or unjust. Instead, His anger is purposeful, resulting in a thoughtful plan and process to reconcile all injustices... His ultimate aim in displaying His anger is the demonstration of the glory of His justice. He delights in being a righteous and just God. " http://www.boundless.org/2005/articles/a0001972.cfm
Manata has a rather funny email conversation with an atheist who, while presupposing physicalism and demonstrating a real faith that physicalism is true, attempts to make the argument that anything defined by negation is meaningless. Manata points to several counter-examples to show that this is false. It basically goes like this: "Fundy Atheist: Immaterial is negative so it is meaningless. Paul: Bald is negative, so it's meaningless, so your head is meaningless. Fundy Atheist: No, there are positive properties to me, like, I'm a man with a body. Paul: No, there are positive properties to God, like he's a omnipresent Spirit. Fundy Atheist: [leaves original argument] Prove it!" When Fundy Atheists Attack
Challies talks about the increasing self-identity we have with technology as a result of the pervasiveness of it - to leave a phone or computer behind would be to lose part of oneself. He particularly notes a youth retreat he was at, which wasn't fully a retreat - if at all for some - since it was within cell range, which allowed text messaging, etc. Retreat!
Good comment from McKinley: "Humor in the pulpit can be very dangerous. It's like a narcotic. Your people will love it (how much more entertaining to hear you riff on something than to teach Leviticus or talk about sin). You'll love it (less sleeping, more laughing at how hilarious you are!). And the temptation will be for you to give the people more of what they want and less of what they need. " ... "Over time, my fear is that the people will come hungry for your humor and not necessarily for the word of God. They will be dependent on you and your charisma and your sense of humor, and you'll never be able to plant churches because you can't find anyone else as funny as you are, and so you'll have to pipe your sermons into other locations. " Humor in Preaching by Aaron Menikoff
Turretinfan posts this quote: "If man can know nothing truly, man can truly know nothing. We cannot know that the Bible is the Word of God, that Christ died for our sin, or that Christ is alive today at the right hand of the Father. Unless knowledge is possible, Christianity is non-sensical, for it claims to be knowledge. What is at stake in the twentieth century is not simply a single doctrine, such as the Virgin Birth, or the existence of Hell, as important as those doctrines may be, but the whole of Christianity itself. If knowledge is not possible to man, it is worse than silly to argue points of doctrine--it is insane. " Humble Epistemology
Interesting comment on StraightUp on church size and relationships: "On the surface, one might think that a smaller church would more naturally lead to relational connectedness. But I’ve since come to realize that intentionality—more than anything else—is the key to robust community." The author discusses the sense of false security a small church might bring - fellowship doesn't happen on its own and just because you know names doesn't mean that you know lives. It takes intentionality and "gracious pressuring" - then size is a non-factor. A description of one way to do small groups is given here as well. Why I Don’t Hate “Big Church” Anymore
Grimmond at Solapanel points out that every day we have incredible access to the throne room of God - VIP access, as it were, through Christ - and yet we treat it as commonplace. However, if given the chance to be exalted by men, being treated as VIP at some event or concert, it puffs us right up! This is the depravity of the human heart. Eph. 3:12, “in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him” Appreciating access
Practical ways to build up a church: 1) Be sensitive to fragile faith; 2) Win unbelievers through culturally sensitive evangelism; 3) Conduct worship services in a way that present unbelievers might come to faith; 4) Spiritual gifts are not for one-upmanship or ego, but for building up the church. Practical Ways to Build Up the Church
This is funny: In a Moroccon mosque during the Second World War, a Greek fragment was found containing Matthew 24:51, "there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." When one of the disciples asks how this can before those without teeth, Jesus replies, "Teeth will be provided." "However amusing one may regard this account," comments Bruce Metzger, "there is no doubt at all that the agraphon is a forgery." Before the war, says Metzger, Coleman-Norton often told the story "about dentures being provided in the next world so that all the damned might be able to weep and gnash their teeth." Swan is quoting Four Views on Hell. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth...The missing verse clarification from the manuscrip
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