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The Curse and Hope of the Sanctity of Life

1/23/2017

 
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Being pro-life is not popular - in the sense that everyone loves the work you do toward a pro-life society. And it isn't easy, especially the closer we get to abortions actually becoming illegal again.

Under the evil of former President Obama and his administration (and several of his predecessors), along with a liberally unbalanced supreme court (and their predecessors) and, up until a couple years ago a liberal majority in congress, overturning Roe v. Wade was pretty much unthinkable.
Now that it's attainable, we have "millions" of women protesting that possibility. And while Christians should always be doing our best to live at peace with all (Rom. 12:18), there is still a responsibility to speak out against those "who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness" (Isa. 5:20). Consequently, there is a certain joy that comes with the knowledge that our nation might actually stop the murdering of 3,000 innocent lives a day - an atrocity that far outweighs the Holocaust to the point that it's now beyond measure.

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This Means You Too, Pastors...

10/9/2016

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​​I recently posted that I will be voting for Trump, on the principle of what is often referred to as the "Lesser of Two Evils." [And no, I'm not jealous for that term.] And though there are many who disagree with me on that, I argued from what I see as a Biblical approach to voting in our modern situation based on Biblical principles.

​We disagree. And that's fine.

​In that post, and even now, I would not counsel anyone to vote against their conscience (Rom. 14:22-23). The only thing I encourage all of us to do now, and until we're glorified, is that we try as best we can, in the Spirit of God, to ensure our conscience is informed by the Word of God (Ps. 119:11). As I said before, consciences can be led astray (1 Tim. 4:2).
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Picture credit to wrathandgrace.com
What probably didn't come across in my last post as much as I should have stressed, is that either of these options (Trump or Hilary) is a judgment from God (Prv. 16:4; cf. 1 Sam. 8:7-8, 9-18).

I did say it in the last post, but I probably didn't stress it enough.

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The Repentance of a Nation Starts at Home #MakeAmericaGreatAgain

7/18/2016

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We all know how true the proverbs ring to our ears - especially in 2016:

"When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan."
-Proverbs 29:2

"Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people."
-Proverbs 14:34

We also know that in Scripture God has and does judge entire nations and peoples based on their collective sinfulness (Gen. 18:20, cf. Gen. 19:24-25 // Gen. 15:14, 15, cf. Ex. 14:29, 30; Deut. 20:16-18 // Lev. 20:22, 23, cf. 2 Kgs. 21:10-15).
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And often enough (and what I believe we've experienced) He installs wicked rulers, in part, as a judgment for the sinful acts of a nation (Prv. 16:4; cf. Judg. 2:11-15). Of course, thankfully, in His mercy He relents from judgment when a nation collectively repents (Jon. 1:2, 3:10; cf. 2 Chron. 7:14; Dan. 9:1-19). That's something to which we ought to pay great attention in our lives today!

Repentance is still an option; and a viable one at that!

​But what of what kind of repentance are we speaking? And how do we go about doing it?

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Remembering a Hero of the Faith

9/17/2015

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Dr. Greg L. Bahnsen (Sep. 17, 1948 - Dec. 11, 1995)
The Bible tells us to remember those who spoke the Word of God to us, to "consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith" (Heb. 13:7).

As today marks what would have been the 67th birthday of Dr. Greg L. Bahnsen, it seems a great day to consider his way of life and imitate his faith.

While not many within the evangelical church are aware of who he is, as a church we are still benefiting from his work in the ministry during his short time here - specifically in  his work in Christian apologetics, philosophy, and ethics.
The phrase "presuppositional apologetics" might be lost on many in the church, but its method and use has continued to increase in popularity even today. Dr. Bahnsen didn't develop the method but learned it from Dr. Cornelius Van Til. He did, however, give teeth to it, as demonstrated remarkably in his formal debate ("The Great Debate: Does God Exist?") with Gordon Stein and other debates.

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Making Disciples of All Nations - One Family at a Time

8/17/2015

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And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.
And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
-Matthew 18:18-20
In the Great Commission Jesus commanded His apostles to make disciples of all nations.

Now remember, it's all nations.

And remember, it's all nations.

In the book of Acts we read how that work began. Jesus said to them, "you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." (Acts 1:8).
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The book of Acts then goes on to show how God used these men and others to do just that - be His witnesses in Jerusalem, in Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. That is how the work of the Great Commission began.

But I think it's important to understand that this was just the beginning of the Great Commission and the work of discipling all nations. This whole thing of 11 guys going out into the world as ambassadors for Christ was a unique phenomenon. Certainly God is still calling missionaries (yes, God calls missionaries - Acts 13:2-3) to be His ambassadors in actively going into the remote parts of the world in order to make entire cultures and nations His disciples. Yet it seems to me that from Scripture, overt active evangelizing, while important, is not the main avenue of discipling the nations. It seems rather that the normal course in which God will continue to expand His Great Commission work is first and foremost in the home.

What I'm saying is that discipleship starts in the home, continues in the church, expands into the community, and from there goes out into all nations. Here is why I say that.


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Sitting on a Mountaintop, Waiting for Judgment

7/1/2015

 
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The White House is illuminated in rainbow colors. (Photo: Gary Cameron/Reuters)
I suggest reading this post before reacting to the title; you may be surprised by what I mean by it.

At the start though I must say that, yes, this is a post concerning the supreme court decision on Friday, June 26th. Yes, though not surprised by it, I was still saddened by their ruling. And yes, I do believe that judgment will come to those rulers (in whatever capacity they served) who ruled in favor and/or otherwise gave their approval of public, government-sanctioned civil union relationships of those reveling in their homosexuality.
I'm not going to take the time here to lay out a case as to why that is an abhorrent ruling in the eyes of God (Lev. 18:22, 20:13) and why gloating over it as Obama did will only incur further wrath on himself and his nation (Ps. 2:10-12).

What I also will not be doing is claiming myself to be sitting on a mountaintop, waiting for God's judgment on America because of this ruling and, in my mind, even far more gruesome sins (like the 3 million babies we kill each year in terrifying ways). No, I'm not sitting on a mountaintop, waiting for God's judgment on a sinful nation.

What I'm saying is that the church has already been doing that very thing for far too long; and we need to repent from that method of Christian living.

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Ministry Prayer Requests...

5/15/2015

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[Pray] also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly
to proclaim the mystery of the gospel...
-Ephesians 6:19
One thing I find interesting when I hear the giants of the faith, even in our own day, is that few of them are bashful when it comes to asking for prayer.

I find this very refreshing - not only because the Apostle Paul set this precedent (Eph. 6:19; Col. 4:3; 1 Thess. 5:25; 2 Thess. 3:1) and thus made it a truly Scriptural practice in regard to gospel ministry, but also because it's a constant reminder to me that even people whom we would see as heroes of the faith are able to do what they do only because of other people of God.

In other words, ministry is never a one-man effort. 
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Even in the most well-known "Renaissance-man" passage of Scripture, which in context is no "Renaissance-man" passage at all - it's just been accepted as being so for the last however long (Phil. 4:13) - even then Paul goes right on to say: "It was kind of you [Philippians] to share my trouble" (Phil. 4:14).

If our own day's heroes of the faith are not above requesting prayer for their respective ministries, if not even the Apostle Paul was above requesting prayer for his ministry, how much more then do us lesser-servants of the gospel like myself need such prayer support for our ministries?

(FYI: I'm not trying to have some back-door ("false") humility here when I say "lesser-servants." I'm just meaning those of us whose ministry is not a full-time vocation - and there are many of us out there)

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Opening Day: Ruined or A Helpful Reality Check?

4/6/2015

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Opening day!

Okay, I can't pretend for a second that I really care about opening day. Anyone who knows me knows that I'm not really the major sports fan.

But I certainly understand the joy of participating, even as a spectator, in the disciplined and creative efforts of others. For my part, I'm a big fan of action movies - specifically, the Marvel Universe films, lately anyway.
And there is certainly much to be appreciated about seeing solid teamwork being displayed right before your eyes. Everyone contributing their own unique gifts and abilities to oppose and conquer the opposition (these are similar reasons why I enjoy the Marvel Universe films). In reality, it gives a great picture of the church in that everyone in Christ contributes their own spiritual gifts (Eph. 4:15-16), and by so doing are opposing the gates of hell and eventually overcoming them (Mt. 16:18; cf. Eph. 3:20-21).

But times like this, for sports fans (just as times like the one coming soon for me when Avengers: Age of Ultron opens in theatres) provides a good time and venue for a sobering reality check.

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Who Is a Teacher Among You?

6/19/2014

 
Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers...
-James 3:1
This is, I'm sure, a familiar text to any who are reading this. Whether it is or not though I encourage you to read James 3:1-4:12 to become familiar with this passage in its entirety.

I've often heard this specific passage (Jas. 3:1) used as a proof text to warn against teaching false doctrine and the penalty that God will exact on those who promote such views.

To be clear, I believe the Bible speaks to that very issue. One need only consult 1 Corinthians 3:5-15 and the surrounding context for an indication of the judgment on saved brothers in Christ for false teachings. This fits very well with what James said concerning the fact that "we who teach will be judged with greater strictness" (Jas. 3:1). As for judgment concerning false teachings from those who are not saved, Peter speaks very clearly as well (2 Pet. 2:1, 21).

Certainly we ought to take those passages into careful consideration before embarking on the task of teaching within the church. For they too are the word of God.
Meeting of doctors at the university of Paris. From a medieval manuscript.
However, I do not believe that the judgment for teaching false doctrines is what James is himself concerned about in this passage.


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A Threefold Aspect of the Great Commission

5/5/2014

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This article is on the main site, but I thought it was worth posting to the blog as well.
...

The church is God's appointed means of corporate worship in society (Acts 2:41-42; 1 Tim. 3:15) as well as His instrument for the conversion of souls and the transformation of the world (Mt. 28:18-20; cf. Rom. 12:1-2; 1 Cor. 9:19-23; Eph. 5:6-14) through the power of the gospel (Rom. 1:16; 1 Cor. 1:18, 24).
Now there's nothing scientific about this next statement (that is, I haven't conducted official research), but it seems to me that many Christians are under the impression that the mission of the church is merely the conversion of souls (to evangelize). But that is cutting short drastic responsibilities given to the church.

True the church, as a body, is called to evangelize. But the task Christ gave His apostles is far more encompassing:

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The Christian's Obligation in the Anti-Abortion Movement

1/22/2014

 
http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/9d_nqGN4-va/Anti+Abortion+Groups+Pray+Supreme+Court+Opening/etX6jiFl62P/Belinda+Yoder
Today marks the 41st anniversary of the 1973 Supreme Court ruling (7-2) that legalized abortion in all 50 states.

Let me say right up front that I am not advocating that every believer has an obligation to go picket in front of an abortion clinic. In fact, I'm not even saying that every believer has an obligation to be directly concerned with the anti-abortion movement.
What I am advocating is that believers in Christ ought to understand the significance of abortion, that they have an obligation to do something about it, and that they are able to do something about it.

To be sure, what each believer does to contribute will look different, just as it would in stopping sex-trafficking and other terrible crimes against our neighbors(1), but it is still true that all who are in Christ have an obligation to love their neighbors (Gal. 5:14). And this means all Christians have an obligation to do something about abortion.

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Book Review: What If Jesus Had Never Been Born? The Positive Impact of Christianity in History

1/11/2014

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On the one hand, I would say this is a truly great contribution to the idea that Christianity has a place in transforming the world for good - not in a “social gospel” sense but in the sense that the gospel truly transforms the lives of individuals who then use the grace given them to transform society.

The book was published in 1994 to answer the simple question, “What if Jesus had never been born?” For all the animosity that is out there toward Christianity and how it’s been a disservice to the world, there is much to be seen and understood from this book as it provides ample evidence to the contrary.
In the introduction the book posits the problem:
We live in an age in which only one prejudice is tolerated -- anti-Christian bigotry. … Today, the only group you can hold up to public mockery is Christians. … But the truth is: Had Jesus never been born, this world would be far more miserable than it is.

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Stay in Your Comfort Zone: A Plea for Biblical Christian Living

10/28/2013

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This post is specifically for my brothers and sisters in Christ who are poor in spirit, tired and weary from the constant call of certain Christian speakers and writers that the main duty lacking in their spiritual service is the reluctance to step out of their "comfort zone" and to live more "radically" or be more "crazy" in their Christian life.

I'm writing to you to tell you not to be swayed by such unbiblical principles, and to keep your trust in Christ Himself, in the very One who said "my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Mt. 11:30) - and in the gracious Holy Spirit who truly gives good gifts to believers, according to His own choosing (Heb. 2:4). 
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It is He Himself who empowers those gifts in the life of the believer (1 Cor. 12:11). It is He who works in you (Phil. 2:13; Heb. 13:20-21). Using your spiritual gift is not a burden, but a joy; and when it occurs it is truly the most comfortable aspect of your life this side or glory - you are doing the very thing you were created to do (Eph. 2:10).

But please don't take my word for it. See for yourself from the Word of God.

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Not Every Christian Is a Missionary, Is Called to Be, or Should Even Try to Be

10/21/2013

 
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First let me say this: Praise God for all our missionaries!

But let me also say this: Praise God for all other members of Christ's body, the church!

I know this title might foster some contention, and that's certainly not the cause I intend. But I don't know how else to title this post other than a summary of what I think the Bible clearly teaches.(1)
I think first of all (as I've stated elsewhere) it's safe to summarize that the church as a whole is God's appointed means of corporate worship in society (Acts 2:41-42; 1 Tim. 3:15) as well as God's instrument for the conversion of souls and the transformation of the world (Mt. 28:18-20; cf. Rom. 12:1-2; 1 Cor. 9:19-23; Eph. 5:6-14) through the power of the gospel (Rom. 1:16; 1 Cor. 1:18, 24).

But while the church as a whole is tasked with (at least in part) the missionary work of propagating the gospel, does this mean that every Christian within the church is a missionary or is called to evangelize in regular day-to-day experience? I think we need to reflect on what the Scriptures actually teach in that area.

True the church, as a body, is called to evangelize. But the task Christ gave His apostles (generally agreed to be representing the church) is far more encompassing. Here is what is considered The Great Commission and is generally thought to be the text on commanding all believers to be evangelist-missionaries:

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (Mt. 28:18-20)

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The Impossibility for the Church to Escape Politics

10/14/2013

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While "the Church" as such (meaning as a distinct entity from the state) should never have the power of the sword, that doesn't mean (nor should it) that it is altogether banned from the political sphere.

To the contrary, the Christians who make up what is known as the church (and consequently who also are many of those governed by the state) have very good reasons to be involved in their local, state, and national politics, to the degree that they're able.(1) That is to say, Christians have the responsibility and privilege (again, to the degree that they're able) to do whatever they can to influence (through humble, rational persuasion, not through coercion) the public governmental policies (politics).

Otherwise are Christians somehow not called:
  • To be the salt of the earth and light of the world (Mt. 5:13, 14; Phil. 2:14; 1 Pet. 2:9)
  • To expose the unfruitful works of darkness in evil days (Eph. 5:7-16)
  • To make disciples of all nations, teaching them to obey all that Christ has commanded (Mt. 28:18-20)
  • To submit every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor. 10:5)
  • To do all things to the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31; Col. 3:17)

And yet there are so many who think the Christian is somehow obligated to do all the above except where it involves politics. Never mind the fact that we're even explicitly commanded to bring our prayer life to bear on the government of society (1 Tim. 2:1-3). Is the rest of the New Testament really so unclear as to what it means to be the salt and light of the earth, to expose the works of darkness, to disciple the nations, to submit even our thought life to Christ - indeed to do all things to the glory of God - except when it pertains to our involvement in how our societies are to be governed and with what standard our governors should apply (and by which standard they themselves should be judged) when carrying out the appropriate duties in the domain of the civil magistrate? Nonsense!

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