Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Positive-Bent Blogging

I just ran the A Pilgrim's Progress numbers for the past couple of months. In November and December, I have posted 85 times. Some of the posts have been extensive essays, while others have been little more than links to other blogs, webpages, etc.

Of the 85 posts, 56 of them lean toward the positive. In other words, they have a positive feel to them. The other 29 posts leaned toward the negative. This does not mean that I was being mean or nasty; it just means that the tone of those 29 posts was negative.

Those numbers are not quite where I think they need to be. As a follower of Jesus Christ, I want this blog to lean more heavily to the positive. There are plenty of other non-Christian writers out there with a lot of negative things to write about. If anyone has anything positive and substantial to say, it should be Christian bloggers.

This is not "pie-in-the-sky" naiveté. There are certainly some issues that need to be addressed that will necessarily (if we look at the issue or situation from a biblical perspective) have a negative tone. Whenever we deal with sin, for example, this happens.

My goal from this point forward is to have at least a 2-to-1 ratio of positive to negative blog posts. Since the beginning of November I've been just under this goal. I'm going to strive to move up a few percentage points.

Christian blogs should be edifying to Christian readers. They should be challenging to non-Christian readers. They should speak the truth in love to all. I believe this is done most effectively by presenting a largely positive blogging atmosphere.

My goal from here forward is more positive-bent blogging.

Good News on Coffee and Prostates

This is a sort of "double-bonus" for me. Since I like coffee a great deal and since prostate cancer runs wild amongst the males of my family, I was thrilled to read this.

Least Favorite Blogs

I've listed my 10 favorite blogs. Now I'd like to tell you about my least favorite blogs.

I won't offer a list or name specific blogs. Instead, I'll simply describe my least favorites. They are all similar to one another.

The reason for this post is simple: I'd like to see the following blogs simply fade away. We can help this happen by refusing to read them. Maybe then the bloggers responsible for these will either stop blogging altogether or (better idea) change the way they blog.

My least favorite blogs are almost always negative and/or argumentative in tone. They amount to little more than a "gripe-fest" about the latest issues. These blogs are very good at pointing out perceived problems but offer few to no solutions. In particular, I despise blogs of this type that focus negatively on all things Southern Baptist. These blogs usually have SBC in their titles. The names are something like SBC Always, SBC Forever, SBC Until the Rapture, Good Ole SBC, SBC Revival, SBC Liberty, SBC Silliness, Pure SBC, SBC Eternity, SBC Unchained, etc. These are fictitious names, but you get the point.

Being a Southern Baptist myself, these SBC complaint blogs bother/disgust me a great deal. Instead of arguing and complaining constantly because the convention is not exactly the way it might be wanted, couldn't the bloggers instead spend at least most of their time in speaking positively about the gospel, the atonement, missions, family, suffering and sacrifice for the kingdom, the church, etc.?

I am pleased to say that there are a few SBC-titled blogs that are worth looking at. Two that come to mind are SBC Voices and SBC Impact. Sadly, these two SBC blogs are the exception and not the rule.

Most SBC-oriented bloggers would do well to reconsider Paul's admonition in Ephesians 4:29. This is a challenging verse that I mentioned just a few days ago. It focuses on speech, but I think it applies well to the blogging world. Paul writes, "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear." (Read in context here.)

Somewhat ironically, I suppose, in this post I'm complaining about and arguing against SBC blogs that mainly complain and argue. I'll stop soon.

We, as bloggers, have the responsibility to look at our own blogging habits to be certain that we are edifying in what we write. Then let's do what we can to lovingly encourage other bloggers to write in an edifying manner that builds up instead of tears down.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Whew!

Watch and be thankful.

This is a good reminder to us that "chance," "luck," and "fate" do not exist. Anything good in life comes strictly from God in His amazing grace, mercy, and providence.

Info Not Surprising on Mainline Churches

The Barna Group has published new numbers on the status of mainline churches in the USA. Not surprisingly, the data does not look good for their future.

This is what happens when churches ignore the bible and cave-in on the gospel message.

My Ten Favorite Blogs - #1

#1 - Dave Black Online

(Dave is probably not going to be thrilled about being #1.)

First, a little background: in the fall of 2005 I took a Greek class (exegesis of the book of Mark) from Dr. Black. During that class, I came to respect him a great deal. He genuinely cares about his students - both their academic knowledge and spiritual growth.

I like his blog because (in no particular order):

-He has an amazing wife who is suffering gracefully with cancer (I know he will agree with me about this.)

-He is a real farmer.

-He believes in the importance of missionary work and lives this out by going to Ethiopia a few times per year.

-He admires Robert E. Lee.

-He blogs about a wide range of topics.

-He was born in Hawaii.

-He strives to live out his Christian faith and blogs about this.

-He and his wife write excellent essays.

-He holds to biblical ecclesiology.

-He blogs frequently.

-He did his doctoral work in Switzerland (in German!).

-He posts cool photos.

-He is a constitutionalist.

-He writes lots of good books.

-He believes adolescence is a myth.

-He is a first-rate Greek scholar but remains humble.

Sunday, December 6, 2009

A Word for Sunday - and Every Day

Ephesians 4:29, "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear." (ESV)

Answered Prayer Never Violates Scripture

According to Fox News, "The Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles elected a lesbian as assistant bishop Saturday, the second openly gay bishop in the global Anglican fellowship, which is already deeply fractured over the first...The Rev. Mary Glasspool of Baltimore needs approval from a majority of national church leaders before she can be consecrated as assistant bishop in the Los Angeles diocese." Click here to read the full article. The BBC has also weighed in here.

The above situation is tragic but not surprising. The Episcopal Church made a clear decision to ignore the bible several years ago.

What is fascinating and sad about this article is that we read about people who discuss prayer as it relates to this situation. The article says, "Jim Naughton of The Chicago Consultation, a group of Episcopal and Anglican clergy and lay people who advocate on behalf of gays and lesbians, called Glasspool's election a liberation. 'We've been around this issue for 30 years,' said Naughton, an adviser to the Episcopal bishop of Washington. 'It's unreasonable to expect us to refrain from acting on the very prayerful conclusions (emphasis mine) that we've reached, especially when we think there are issues of justice involved.'"

Mr. Naughton says that his group has reached very prayerful conclusions. I do not doubt Mr. Naughton's sincerity. However, his conclusions are false.

God has spoken on this issue. Homosexuality/lesbianism is a sin. The bible makes this clear on numerous occasions (see here). God does not answer prayer in a manner that violates what He has already said. Since God is perfect, He does not change His mind.

God has made it clear in scripture that one man and one woman, and only one man and one woman, are to be involved in intimate, marriage relationships (see here). Anything else is sin.

It is clear that Mr. Naughton and his group made a decision long ago that homosexuality and lesbianism are acceptable lifestyles. They now pray, but already have their minds made up. This leads them to the conclusion that they already have made.

We can be certain that God did not tell these folks that Rev. Glasspool's lifestyle is acceptable. God also did not say that Rev. Glasspool should be made an assistant bishop. We can be certain of this for several reasons: no one living in open sin should be in church leadership, women should not even be pastors, and the "assistant bishop" position as it stands within the Episcopal church is unbiblical.

It is informative that no one in favor of Rev. Glasspool's position ever makes mention of the bible.

So what can we learn from this story?

-People often pray to reach their own conclusions.

-God never answers prayer in a manner that violates His word.

-We need to be careful as we pray. In humility, let's be certain that on other issues we do not come to "prayerful conclusions" that violate scripture.

Saturday, December 5, 2009

This Doesn't Seem Like a Good Idea

Do we really need a "Battle of the Faiths"? With all the religiously-instigated violence in the world, the last thing we need is sporting events (especially boxing) capitalizing on deep-seated hatred.

I have a different idea: instead of hitting each other, how about we sit down and talk around a meal?

Some of the Most Important Verses in the Bible

Philippians 2:1-11 (ESV) says the following:

"So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Our culture is not one that champions humility. Pride, arrogance, and self-centeredness reign supreme.

When we strive for and live lives of humility, we look far different than the world. This is when we look most like Jesus Christ. The above verses show us this. Philippians 2:3-4 instructs us to humbly look out for the interests of others before ourselves. These are very important verses for the Christian life.

We must be careful, however, not to sever 2:3-4 from 2:5-11. If we separate these passages and only teach 2:3-4, then we run the risk of teaching moralism. We are danger of suggesting that we must live lives of humility under our own power and ability.

When we teach 2:3-4 in connection with 2:5-11, then we rightly show that our very ability to live humbly is based on the gospel itself. We can only display humility because of the saving work of Jesus Christ on the cross, which is discussed so beautifully in the Christ Hymn of 2:5-11. Only because of Christ's work can we care about the needs of others before ourselves.

Jesus is our model in 2:5-11. He is also our salvation in 2:5-11.

Let's display humility in all we do, understanding that it is only because the the gospel of grace that we can do so.

This is a Good Idea - and I'm a Witness to It

The city of New Delhi, India has begun a campaign to keep its people from publicly urinating. Having lived in India for four months, I can say that this measure is needed desperately. I witnessed far too much public "relief" during our time in South Asia. Let's hope it works.

My Ten Favorite Blogs - #2

#2 - Albert Mohler

I respect Dr. Albert Mohler because of his stand for the truth of the scriptures and for his excellent leadership as president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has taken SBTS from the verge of theological liberalism to solid Christian orthodoxy. As a bonus, he is a Calvinist.

I don't read Dr. Mohler's blog for the above reasons. I read his blog because it is, quite simply, the best blog on the interaction between culture and Christianity.

Dr. Mohler somehow finds time to research and write about moral/ethical issues that face us all. In particular, Dr. Mohler focuses upon what the bible has to say about these issues. Most of the time, he discusses topics where the secular culture has moved in one direction while the church must stand in the other.


Dr. Mohler is the most talented "Christian cultural exegete" that I have ever read. He is my source of news on the secular culture. He also keeps me up-to-date on where the church stands on various issues.

I enjoy Dr. Mohler's consistency and unfailing adherence to scriptural authority. If you want to know what is happening and how we - as Christians - should respond, then read this blog.

Friday, December 4, 2009

Another Questionable Bible...

This, according to Fox News. I have to admit that this "project" doesn't feel right to me. The artwork, as described in this report, clearly has an agenda.

Regardless, I'd like to see what just the hand-written word looks like.

Shameless Promotion (It's for My Daughter)

My daughter Caroline is an aspiring photographer.

She has put together a very nice 2010 calendar of her floral photos. I've seen it and it is excellent.

Click here to take a look.

My Ten Favorite Blogs - #3

#3 - Between Two Worlds

Justin Taylor is amazing. He must be plugged directly into the internet for the majority of the day. That's the only way to explain how he manages to post so much.

J.T.'s blog is different from most. The reason for this is that he primarily links to all sorts of things that are going on in the evangelical world (and beyond). Keeping an eye on his blog is something like watching a news feed on the world of Christianity.

Between Two Worlds is the best high-quantity blog out there. Another benefit is that Taylor discusses a wide variety of topics. As a bonus, he is Reformed.

I have to admit that J.T. posts so much that I don't read the majority of what he writes. It's best to think of this blog as a helpful resource that keeps you up-to-date on what is occurring in the Christian world. You won't find many long articles here, but you will know what is going on.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Don't Mess with This Bible

(I have no idea who these people are; I just like the photo.)

Stop Staring

Wow and sigh.

A Nice Surprise

My phone rang at about 9:45 this morning. That was not the surprise.

A woman on the other end asked me if I could lead a bible study with a group of senior citizens this morning. That was the surprise.

I was a bit intimidated because I did not have much time to prepare, I barely knew where I was going, and I had never met any of the people before. Even the lady who called me (she works at the local senior center) was someone I didn't know. She had found out about me from another pastor.

It turned out to be a great experience. I decided to speak about what I'll be preaching about this Sunday: God's plan for His Servant (Jesus Christ) to be a light of salvation to the end of the earth. The seniors were receptive, kind, and fun. We had a good discussion of various issues related to the gospel and missions. I very much enjoyed talking about our time living in India.

The seniors' love for Jesus was palpable. We left our denominational differences at the door and enjoyed talking about how wonderful Jesus is. He was the focus of our encouraging conversation.

I thank the Lord for this surprise. I didn't expect it, and I certainly didn't deserve it.

Seniors are an often overlooked treasure in our church families.

Please Just Be Fair to the Original Text

It appears that we will soon have another English bible translation. Unfortunately, this one is yet another with theological/political bias. To read about this, click here.

Several modern translations lean to the left theologically and/or politically (for example, the TNIV and NRSV). Now there will be another - except this one swings to the opposite extreme - too conservative.

It is entitled the Conservative Bible Project. The project's on-line home is Conservapedia.com.

According to Timothy Paul Jones, a professor at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and a critic of this project, "This is not making scripture understandable to people today, it's reworking scripture to support a particular political or social agenda."

Dr. Jones goes on to say, "Ironically, there's a long tradition of the liberal twisting of scripture. Scholars have rightly deemed those translations illegitimate, and this conservative Bible is every bit as illegitimate."

Here is my plea: if you are going to translate scripture, PLEASE be as fair to the original text as is possible. I realize we all carry biases and should be aware of these. However, we ought to, as best we can, just let the original languages speak for themselves.

Maybe this is another reason why we should become at least familiar with the original languages (I have really got to brush up on my Hebrew!!)

In Case the Folks in Washington Forgot...

Just in case the politicians in Washington, D.C. forgot about our original documents, I decided to post the text of the Declaration of Independence (I would have posted the Constitution as well, but it was too long). I love the last line of the Declaration, which says, "And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor."

O.K. politicians - here it is. Read it and, please, govern by it.

"When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor."