Apr 29 2009
Visualize the USA Budget
All I can say is--WOW.
Archive for April, 2009
Apr 28 2009
Christians and government
Having just taught 1 Peter 2:11-25 which includes instruction on the believer’s submission to government and authorities, I found this post to be a good summer–and perhaps a helpful tool–to cause us to question.
Good Thinking Often Requires Making Good Distinctions
Do you believe in civil disobedience–and if so, under what circumstances?
In The Love of Wisdom: A Christian Introduction to Philosophy Spiegel and Cowan first provide a general definition: “Civil disobedience is generally defined as conscientious, public, and nonviolent resistance to unjust public laws or policies.” Fair enough. But “unjust” in what sense? This is where some helpful distinctions can come into play:
First, some legal systems are unjust because they require evil. . . .
Second, some legal systems are unjust because they promote evil. . . .
Third, a legal system may be unjust because it permits evil. . . .
Finally, a legal system may be unjust because it prohibits good acts. . . .
In other words, someone might ask you if you believe in “civil disobedience,” but it helps to know what form of injustice requires disobedience–is it when the government prescribes evil, promotes evil, permits evil, or prohibits the good?
Cowan and Spiegel then point out that “for Christians, only one category is noncontroversial: disobeying laws of the first variety where evil actions are mandated.” But this then raises another distinction:
Passive civil disobedience involves a refusal to do what the law requires.
Active civil disobedience involves doing what the law prohibits.
So the point of this post is not necessarily “civil disobedience,” but rather the importance of thinking carefully and distinguishing judiciously.
posted by JT at Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Apr 20 2009
Facing life challenges together—an honest discussion on purity
This past Saturday our Men’s Breakfast dealt with an issue that often goes under-discussed–purity in a sex saturated society.
Our goal was to put the topic on the table for discussion. To remove some of the secrecy and allow men to develop positive accountability to walk faithfully and in purity before the Lord. Our theme verse was
2 Timothy 2:22 So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. (ESV)
We emphasized three parts
Flee–run away from temptation (don’t try to fight with it, flee from it)
Pursue–run to the Lord in righteousness, faith, love and peace
With–run with others who are also calling on the Lord from a pure heart
The internet has made pornography and sensual material available in a way that makes us think we can access it anonymously without cost or consequences. But immorality is not a victimless act.
It is also true that, like many other sins, escaping the clutches of sexual addiction (even when rationalizing away the addiction) requires the help of others. Accountability with honest men is critically important. We want to create safe, but not comfortable environments. Environments where it is expected that individuals will share struggles without condemnation–but also with the promise that we will walk together, we won’t abandon someone to their struggle.
I hope that this first discussion on a broad scale will allow us as a church and men individually to continue to address the issue. We had many young men, some with their fathers–so my prayer is that Dads will lead well.
Here are some of the resources we recommended
Reading
Every Man’s Battle by Steve Arterburn and Fred Stoeker
The Purity Principle by Randy Alcorn
Measure of the Man by Gene Getz
Rebuilding Your Broken World by Gordon MacDonald, also Ordering Your Private World
God up Close by Doug McIntosh
Movie
Fireproof (and the book The Love Dare)
Website
http://www.everymansbattle.com/
http://www.calvarychurch.org/177312.ihtml
Events
Men at the Cross, September 11-12, 2009
External accountability
Accountability groups (Calvary’s Faithful and True group, plus other small groups)
K9 web filtering
OpenDNS.org
X3watch.com
Resources for accountability groups
http://www.maninthemirror.org/biblestudy/register.htm
http://www.menatthecross.org
Apr 13 2009
In Blogosphere
Worth reading
A brief history of Evangelicalism and its current situation: collapse and Calvinism.
An in depth analysis of Bart Ehrman’s latest book, Jesus, Interrupted. Part 1, Part 2.
A nice response to Ehrman and others, watch this Day of Discovery 8 part video series–Jesus: Man, Messiah or more? If nothing else, this Easter season, watch part 8, The Resurrection.
An a much lighter note:
How would you introduce Jesus to a room full of people?
My favorite tech blog, Lifehacker.
Apr 12 2009
The Lord: Resurrection
Our glorious Lord and Savior Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay for wages of our sin. His resurrection from death is proof His is who He said He was—God. His resurrection is our guarantee that God the Father accepted His payment for our penalty. We of all people we are most blessed!
His is risen! He is risen indeed!
1 Corinthians 15:3-8 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. (ESV)
1 Corinthians 15:20-21 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. (ESV)
1 Corinthians 15:50-57 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (ESV)
1 Corinthians 11:23-26 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. (ESV)
Hebrews 10:19-25 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (ESV)
Apr 10 2009
The Savior: Sacrifice
The Lord Jesus Christ, the true God-Man came to earth to reveal the Father, to be an example to man of righteous living, to sympathize with man’s problems—but most significantly, He came to die. Without His death, His life doesn’t make sense.
We were under the death penalty. We deserved to die. He became our pardon. When He died on the cross He took our penalty. His death gave us life.
Isaiah 53:4-6 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (ESV)
Colossians 2:13-15 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. (ESV)
Hebrews 9:27-28 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, 28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. (ESV)
Apr 06 2009
Tech Tuesday
I continue to be amazed at what technology can do to assist in the study of the Bible.
