Today is my daughter's wedding. Everyone has told me that I won't be able to get through the ceremony without crying. Probably not . . . but my goal is to honor my little girl by officiating at her wedding, not to keep from crying.
The tears today are truly tears of joy. It has been a busy week with much going on. I have seen some of the heartache that goes on in the lives of others and as I look at my life I realize that I am such an undeserving recipient of a tremendous grace. We have been blessed with tremendous children, wonderful grandchildren, and a marvelously supportive family. My cup overflows.
Rachel is a remarkable, talented, and delightful woman and I like to think she has also found a remarkable man. He knows the Lord, is tender, patient, kind and seems to delight in making my dear Princess happy.
There is so much I'd like to express to Rachel today but I know there won't be time to say much. Hopefully, I've said it all already. I don't think there is any "unfinished business" between us. All that's left are the moist eyes of a very proud father.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
Is the Bible Reliable
There was a recent article in USA Today that asserted that the Bible was inconsistent and that we shouldn't take it literally. The argument was that the Gospels contradict themselves even on an event like Easter.
The man quoted in the article is a guy by the name of Bart Ehrman. Ehrman and his cohorts Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan are notorious for their attacks (the ones I've read are quite feeble) on the Word of God.
A couple of things in response to the article. First, the so-called inconsistencies are really just different dimensions of the same event. For example,
As Jesus was dying on the cross, was he in agony, questioning why God had forsaken him? Or was he serene, praying for his executioners? It depends, Ehrman points out, on whether you're reading the Gospel of Mark or Luke. Regarding Jesus' birthplace of Bethlehem, had his parents traveled there for a census (Luke's version) or is it where they happened to live (Matthew's version)? Did Jesus speak of himself as God? (Yes, in John; no, in Matthew.)
On the cross Jesus faced a whole gamut of emotions. When Jesus uttered his cry he was quoting Psalm 22 which leads us to ask if he was even really questioning God. Jesus did come to Bethlehem for a census and then apparently took up residence in Bethlehem. Not at all an unlikely scenario since those back in Nazareth would have considered Mary to have been unfaithful to Joseph. And the whole "Did Jesus claim to be God" thing . . . Jesus claimed to be God in a number of different ways. John records him being much more direct but Jesus certainly claimed the authority of God in Matthew too. These authors were writing to different people and would have approached the issue differently. Big deal.
Second, you are going to read more in the media about these authors (they espouse what the liberal media wants to believe is true...so they are turned to for quotes often). I tried reading one of their books once....I couldn't get past the presuppositions that the Bible could not be true because it records miracles and things that surely didn't happen. Their presupposition is an anti-supernaturalism. In other words, anything supernatural had to be added later to make Jesus or the apostles look good. (They also really don't like the apostle Paul....but that's OK, Paul probably wouldn't have liked them either.)
In fairness, we all have presuppositions when we look at a topic. My presupposition is simple: the Bible is God's Revelation to men, inspired and preserved by the Holy Spirit. Unless I am shown otherwise by solid reason and evidence, here I stand.
So here's a quick guide. Whenever you hear one of these guys quoted (Ehrman, Borg, Crossan) understand that they believe in a Bible that they change to say whatever they want.
The man quoted in the article is a guy by the name of Bart Ehrman. Ehrman and his cohorts Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan are notorious for their attacks (the ones I've read are quite feeble) on the Word of God.
A couple of things in response to the article. First, the so-called inconsistencies are really just different dimensions of the same event. For example,
As Jesus was dying on the cross, was he in agony, questioning why God had forsaken him? Or was he serene, praying for his executioners? It depends, Ehrman points out, on whether you're reading the Gospel of Mark or Luke. Regarding Jesus' birthplace of Bethlehem, had his parents traveled there for a census (Luke's version) or is it where they happened to live (Matthew's version)? Did Jesus speak of himself as God? (Yes, in John; no, in Matthew.)
On the cross Jesus faced a whole gamut of emotions. When Jesus uttered his cry he was quoting Psalm 22 which leads us to ask if he was even really questioning God. Jesus did come to Bethlehem for a census and then apparently took up residence in Bethlehem. Not at all an unlikely scenario since those back in Nazareth would have considered Mary to have been unfaithful to Joseph. And the whole "Did Jesus claim to be God" thing . . . Jesus claimed to be God in a number of different ways. John records him being much more direct but Jesus certainly claimed the authority of God in Matthew too. These authors were writing to different people and would have approached the issue differently. Big deal.
Second, you are going to read more in the media about these authors (they espouse what the liberal media wants to believe is true...so they are turned to for quotes often). I tried reading one of their books once....I couldn't get past the presuppositions that the Bible could not be true because it records miracles and things that surely didn't happen. Their presupposition is an anti-supernaturalism. In other words, anything supernatural had to be added later to make Jesus or the apostles look good. (They also really don't like the apostle Paul....but that's OK, Paul probably wouldn't have liked them either.)
In fairness, we all have presuppositions when we look at a topic. My presupposition is simple: the Bible is God's Revelation to men, inspired and preserved by the Holy Spirit. Unless I am shown otherwise by solid reason and evidence, here I stand.
So here's a quick guide. Whenever you hear one of these guys quoted (Ehrman, Borg, Crossan) understand that they believe in a Bible that they change to say whatever they want.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Why Go to Church?
This past week a friend of mine posted some theological thoughts on Facebook, one of which was that the Bible doesn't really say that we need to go to church. He argued that when the Bible talks about "the church" it is really talking about the global body of believers, not the place you go on Sunday morning. His said that our ideas about the church came from our society, not from the Bible.
I think there are many people who ask this same question--and who believe the Bible doesn't say that we should go to church. In one sense, they're absolutely right--nowhere in the Bible does it say that Christians should go to church every Sunday. But just because those exact words don't appear in the pages of Scripture doesn't mean that the Bible doesn't teach it.
The idea of a body of believers coming together on a regular basis to encourage each other and to minister to others is seen throughout the New Testament. In Acts chapter 2, we see that the believers actually were meeting together every day! In Hebrews 10:25, we read that Christians should meet together regularly in order to encourage each other.
So why did we settle on meeting together every week on Sunday? Because it follows God's original plan! Remember that God created the world in 6 days. What happened on the 7th day? God rested. The Jewish people used that day to come together and reflect on what God had done and remind themselves and how He wanted them to live. In the New Testament, the early Christians decided that if they were going to choose a day of the week to reflect on what God had done for them, maybe they should move it to the day Jesus rose from the dead, because that's when everything changed. Of course, that day is Sunday.
So, that's why we meet every week. But the question remains, is this weekly meeting necessary according to the Bible? I think it most certainly is. In 1 Corinthians 12-14, Paul talks a lot about spiritual gifts, and he says that we all need to use our gifts to build each other up and reach out to non-believers. The only way that works is if we meet together to use them. Some people are given the gifts to lead and teach, and others are given gifts of encouragement, administration, the ability to help people, or any number of other gifts. All of us are supposed use our gifts to benefit the others. It seems to me that the only way that can really happen is if we are involved in a church.
Notice the most important part though--we are supposed to be involved in the church. There's no such thing as a passive Christian. We are all given gifts and are expected to use them for God. If you aren't involved in a weekly meeting of believers, you can't use your gift(s) to minister to others--and you can't receive the ministry that others have to offer you. We are supposed to be working together to grow in our faith. The only way to work together is to actually be together.
I think there are many people who ask this same question--and who believe the Bible doesn't say that we should go to church. In one sense, they're absolutely right--nowhere in the Bible does it say that Christians should go to church every Sunday. But just because those exact words don't appear in the pages of Scripture doesn't mean that the Bible doesn't teach it.
The idea of a body of believers coming together on a regular basis to encourage each other and to minister to others is seen throughout the New Testament. In Acts chapter 2, we see that the believers actually were meeting together every day! In Hebrews 10:25, we read that Christians should meet together regularly in order to encourage each other.
So why did we settle on meeting together every week on Sunday? Because it follows God's original plan! Remember that God created the world in 6 days. What happened on the 7th day? God rested. The Jewish people used that day to come together and reflect on what God had done and remind themselves and how He wanted them to live. In the New Testament, the early Christians decided that if they were going to choose a day of the week to reflect on what God had done for them, maybe they should move it to the day Jesus rose from the dead, because that's when everything changed. Of course, that day is Sunday.
So, that's why we meet every week. But the question remains, is this weekly meeting necessary according to the Bible? I think it most certainly is. In 1 Corinthians 12-14, Paul talks a lot about spiritual gifts, and he says that we all need to use our gifts to build each other up and reach out to non-believers. The only way that works is if we meet together to use them. Some people are given the gifts to lead and teach, and others are given gifts of encouragement, administration, the ability to help people, or any number of other gifts. All of us are supposed use our gifts to benefit the others. It seems to me that the only way that can really happen is if we are involved in a church.
Notice the most important part though--we are supposed to be involved in the church. There's no such thing as a passive Christian. We are all given gifts and are expected to use them for God. If you aren't involved in a weekly meeting of believers, you can't use your gift(s) to minister to others--and you can't receive the ministry that others have to offer you. We are supposed to be working together to grow in our faith. The only way to work together is to actually be together.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Rick Warren's About Face
The news is reporting today that Rick Warren on CNN stated that he never endorsed Proposition 8 (about marriage being between a man and a woman) and he has apologized to all his gay friends.
A couple of things. First, though I have read what Pastor Warren said both to his church (encouraging them to support Proposition 8) and what he said on CNN, the fact is that I heard neither of these statements. It is possible that Pastor Warren is being misquoted.
Second, you can withhold support from a measure such as Proposition 8 and still be a Christian. I believe homosexuality is clearly sin according to the Bible but I could possibly see someone not supporting a law that restricts certain behaviors.
Third, it is possible for people to change their mind on issues.
What concerns me (if the quotes are true) is the blatant lie. Pastor Warren (according to the quote) supported the proposition strongly before his church. During the course of the Presidential discussions Warren addressed the issue with both candidates. Even in the Inauguration prayer controversy he never denied his support. Why deny this now?
Is Warren trying to keep the door open to reaching homosexuals? I don't see how lying about your convictions helps you reach anyone. I don't understand how negotiating the truth is going to lead people to Christ. Showing love and respect to people regardless of their sexual preference is something I think the Bible would admonish us to do. What will be next? Will Warren agree to do homosexual weddings?
Is Warren caving in to the limelight? He is a buddy of the President. Is he trying to stay in the inner circle by adopting a politically correct position?
I'm disappointed. If things are as they have been stated, Pastor Warren has compromised the truth. He has let us all down.
Is this the result of the limelight? Warren has been seen as a man on the "inner circle" of people near the President. He is a popular author. Is he tailoring his message to popular opinion? I don't know. What I do know is that this makes me sad.
A couple of things. First, though I have read what Pastor Warren said both to his church (encouraging them to support Proposition 8) and what he said on CNN, the fact is that I heard neither of these statements. It is possible that Pastor Warren is being misquoted.
Second, you can withhold support from a measure such as Proposition 8 and still be a Christian. I believe homosexuality is clearly sin according to the Bible but I could possibly see someone not supporting a law that restricts certain behaviors.
Third, it is possible for people to change their mind on issues.
What concerns me (if the quotes are true) is the blatant lie. Pastor Warren (according to the quote) supported the proposition strongly before his church. During the course of the Presidential discussions Warren addressed the issue with both candidates. Even in the Inauguration prayer controversy he never denied his support. Why deny this now?
Is Warren trying to keep the door open to reaching homosexuals? I don't see how lying about your convictions helps you reach anyone. I don't understand how negotiating the truth is going to lead people to Christ. Showing love and respect to people regardless of their sexual preference is something I think the Bible would admonish us to do. What will be next? Will Warren agree to do homosexual weddings?
Is Warren caving in to the limelight? He is a buddy of the President. Is he trying to stay in the inner circle by adopting a politically correct position?
I'm disappointed. If things are as they have been stated, Pastor Warren has compromised the truth. He has let us all down.
Is this the result of the limelight? Warren has been seen as a man on the "inner circle" of people near the President. He is a popular author. Is he tailoring his message to popular opinion? I don't know. What I do know is that this makes me sad.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Unseen Idolatry
I have been reading Mark Driscoll's book VINTAGE JESUS. In one chapter he talks about worship. Driscoll points out that the idols of our day are very subtle. They are the things that demand devotion and call for us to sacrifice. These idols take the form of sports involvements, extracurricular commitments, the media, politics, and even video gaming or texting on the phone!
Here's a list of questions he suggests for identifying the idols of our lives.
Here's a list of questions he suggests for identifying the idols of our lives.
- Who or what do I make sacrifices for?
- Who or what is most important to me?
- If I could have any thing or experience I wanted, what would that be?
- Who or what makes me the most happy?
- What is it that gets me most excited/enthusiastic?
- What do I spend my money on?
- Who or what do I devote my spare time to?
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