It Doesn't Take a Village...It Takes a Family

About fifteen years ago, Hillary Clinton famously said that it takes a village to raise a child. Liberals loved it while conservatives hated it. Not surprisingly, many conservatives responded to Clinton by disagreeing and saying that it takes a family to raise a child.

I'd like to throw my "two cents" into this equation.

First, Clinton is simply wrong. It is absurd to think that it takes a village, by which she means the broader community, to raise a child. As a Christian, there is no way that I would allow the village to be significantly involved in raising my children. Most of the village does not know Christ and is therefore dead in sin. They have hearts of stone. Their minds are blinded to the things of Christ. In light of all that, the village is not raising my kids.

So who should raise children? Primarily it should be Dad and Mom. This is God's plan and is therefore the ideal. This is the best situation. However, there are certainly real families out there who do not fit the Dad-and-Mom pattern. Due to death or sin, single Dads and single Moms are raising their kids; many are doing a very solid job of this. We also see grandparents actively involved. Sometimes aunts and uncles act as parents. Additionally, adoption is one of the most beautiful examples of parenthood (In case you are wondering, the two-dad and two-mom families are not beneficial).

We should, however, ask ourselves whether or not this is enough. Are the families mentioned above enough to raise a child? I think the answer is, "Yes, but..." Yes, they can raise their children well. But, there is an important addition that can help immensely.

What is this addition? The answer is simple: the church family.

The church should be a family. Because of this, everyone in the family ought to know everyone else. They should be familiar with each other's strengths and weaknesses, interests, talents, hopes, struggles, etc. In this setting, adults have a tremendous opportunity to positively influence children. This happens through both word and deed. Parents may be wise, but they don't hold all the wisdom in the world. They need help and can benefit a great deal from the wisdom of their brothers and sisters in Christ. An encouraging and/or challenging word from an adult can edify a child a great deal.

In order for this to happen, churches must come together in a way that leads to people really getting to know one another. This requires families meeting with families. It means people letting down their guard and being real with one another.

Let me be clear about what I'm not talking about. I'm not referring to many of the church programs we see today. These programs, which split families apart, do little for the building up of the family or the individual. They are based on man's ideas, not on scripture.

I am talking about real communication, real relationships, real accountability, and real family.

So as parents, let's protect our kids from the world's influence. Let's at the same time look for positive influence from our church families. Let's get to know one another intimately enough that we can say and do things that will be meaningful to others' children. Let's all build one another up in the faith.

It takes a family. Dad + Mom + church = a good formula for Christian growth.

ESV Bible Atlas

Check out the new ESV Bible Atlas here. Even if you have no intent of purchasing it, it is still worth the look.

If you want to buy it, click here. I'm ordering mine right now (it releases today).

What Would You Do?

When we were recently staying in a hotel in Orlando (for the Ligonier Conference), we came across something that is becoming all too familiar. One of our kids opened a drawer and found a Gideon's bible, a local phone book, and a Book of Mormon. I love the bible, am indifferent about the phone book, and despise the Book of Mormon.

Let me be clear: the Book of Mormon is false teaching of a false gospel. It is devious because it pretends to tell a continuing story of Jesus Christ. In fact, it twists and distorts the beautiful truths we find in the bible.

I decided to take the Book of Mormon. I ended up tossing it in the trash when I got home. I didn't want anyone to stumble across it in the hotel, read it, and be misled. I'm glad I tossed it and would do it again.

After disposing of the Book of Mormon, I told several people about it. After giving my actions some thought, one person (who is a Christian) lovingly confronted me about what I did. This person told me that in his/her opinion I should not have taken the Book of Mormon. This person said that in taking the book, I am giving the message to others that it is acceptable to take things that do not belong to me.

I explained that I took the Book of Mormon in order to keep others from being misled. I also reminded this person that the Book of Mormon is false teaching. Despite these reasons, this person still said that I shouldn't have taken it because it justifies stealing.

The conversation was pleasant enough and there are no hard feelings. However, we certainly have a difference of opinion on this issue.

So, what would you do? If you were in a hotel and found a Book of Mormon in a drawer, would you remove it and dispose of it, or would you leave it there? Why?

"The Prince's Poison Cup"

R.C. Sproul has written an excellent allegorical story for children entitled The Prince's Poison Cup. Only about 35 pages long and including wonderful illustrations, this book would be a good choice for kids of all ages.

This story is a clear allegory to the story of salvation in the bible. In The Prince's Poison Cup, we read of a great king who has a wonderful relationship with the people he has created. In his park, he has placed a fountain that he has commanded them not to drink from. However, after being enticed by the king's archenemy, the people disobey and drink anyway. Their hearts immediately turn to stone and they move away from the king to the City of Man.

The allegory continues with the king sending his son, the prince, to the City of Man to drink from a poisonous fountain located there. The prince obeys, knowing that he will die. After he dies, the great king resurrects him. At the same time, the fountain's poison is transformed into pure water. All the people of the city are invited to drink from the new fountain. Everyone who drinks is restored to a close relationship with the king.

This book would make a nice gift for any child.

Ligonier 2010 Now Online

The Ligonier 2010 National Conference is now on-line. If you only have time to listen to one speaker, check out Steven Lawson speaking about the bible.

A Story of Three Trees

Many wonderful themes and pictures run through the bible. One of my favorites is the three trees:

Tree #1:

Genesis 2:16-17 -- And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." (emphasis mine)

Genesis 3:1-6 -- Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?" And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.' " Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.

Tree #2:

Acts 10:38-40 -- "...how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they killed by hanging on a tree. Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly..."

Galatians 3:13-14 -- Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

I Peter 2:24 -- who (Jesus) Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness -- by whose stripes you were healed.

Tree #3:

Revelation 22:2 -- In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

Revelation 22:12-14 -- "And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last. Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city."

John MacArthur and Gospel Truth

"Jesus - The Only Way to God"

In Jesus: The Only Way to God, John Piper discusses why Jesus Christ is, in fact, the only way to God.

I imagine that just about anyone who reads this blog agrees with Dr. Piper. However, we must remember that the exclusivity of Jesus Christ has become a very politically incorrect and unpopular position in our country over the past twenty years or so. When we say Christ is the only way of salvation, we are quickly labeled by the mainstream as "intolerant." For these reasons, I'm glad for this book.

Piper deals with three main questions:

1. Will anyone experience eternal, conscious torment under God's wrath?

2. Is the work of Jesus necessary for salvation?

3. Is conscious faith in Jesus necessary for salvation?

Piper walks through numerous bible passages to make the case that all three of the above questions should be answered with an unqualified "Yes."

This book is a short (about 125 pages) and relatively easy read. It is ideal for anyone, saved or not, who is struggling with the issue of Christ being the only way to God. It is also a great encouragement to Christians to hold their biblical convictions even in the face of cultural rejection.

Something Old, Something New

Don't worry - this post is not about weddings. Rather, it is about reading.

Maybe you don't know what to read. Maybe you have too many books to read. Maybe you are stuck in a reading rut.

C. S. Lewis suggested that we alternate reading old books and new ones. I'd like to tweak that just a bit. My suggestion is that you always be reading a couple of books at a time - one old and one new. I've found that this method keeps me interested and challenged.

Right now the old book that I am reading is The Bruised Reed by Puritan Richard Sibbes. Old books usually take longer to read than new ones because the English language has changed over the years. However, the good old ones are almost always very rich and worth the effort.

As for the new, I just completed John Piper's Jesus: The Only Way to God. I'm now going to start Mere Churchianity. This book was written by the late Michael Spencer (formerly the Internet Monk). I don't know if I will like this one but I know it will force me to ask myself some hard questions. Sounds good.

So read something old and something new. Don't concern yourself with reading anything borrowed or blue.

My New Confession of Faith

Beliefs are important. Almost all of us within the Christian community agree with this.

It is good to know what we believe. This obviously applies to the gospel, but also to secondary (but important) issues such as baptism, the Lord's Supper, treatment of the poor and needy, worship, outreach, sanctification, the end times, all aspects of church life, etc.

Beliefs are frequently written down in the form of confessions. Protestant groups have had many different confessions over the last 500 years. These include the Westminster Confession of Faith, the 1689 2nd London Baptist Confession, the 39 Articles of the Church of England, the Augsburg (Lutheran) Confession, etc.

Confessions can be helpful because they act as concise statements of what an individual or group believes. They are almost always the result of a great deal of study and hard work. I know of no respected confession that was put together quickly and/or haphazardly.

Over the last several years my favorite confession has been the 2nd London Baptist Confession. I still like it a great deal. However, my confession of faith has changed. I'll get to that in a minute.

First, let me state my primary problem with confessions such as those mentioned above. The problem is what they are now used for. Denominations and local churches use confessions not simply to state what they believe. They also use them to determine who can be in their local church and who cannot. Confessions are now employed as dividing lines.

I'm tired of division among followers of Jesus Christ. All followers of Christ have the same Father God, and are therefore a family of spiritual brothers and sisters. Families should be united. It is Christ who unites us as opposed to beliefs over secondary doctrines.

If confessions of faith are roadblocks to unity within the church of Jesus Christ, then we need to think a great deal about whether or not we want to use them at all.

In light of all this, my new confession is simply this: Jesus is Lord.

I am united with anyone who confesses Christ as Lord and Savior. We are part of the same family. He is my brother and she is my sister. I want no more dividing lines.

Let's know what we believe. However, let us not allow confessions to separate us from other followers of Christ. We will be together for eternity. Why should we be divided now?

Let us be gracefully bold about the gospel. Let us be humble about secondary issues.

My Christian brothers and sisters, let's be united in Christ and our held confession that He alone is Lord.

"The Unquenchable Flame"

While at T4G, I received about 20 "free" books (they weren't really free because, of course, we had to pay to attend the conference). Anyway, one of the books was The Unquenchable Flame. Since I have read several books about the Reformation, I figured this one would end up sitting for months on my "books-needing-to-be-read" shelf.

Soon after the conference, however, I heard from a few people that this book is really good. I decided to give it a try. It turns out that those folks were right. This is the best introduction to the Reformation that I have ever read. The author, Michael Reeves, is quite simply a very good writer. The book moves along quickly and easily. It is ideal for anyone wanting a basic understanding of the Reformation.

To read what blogmeister Tim Challies thinks of it, click here.

My Son with a Gun

Our son Bobby is currently at Boy Scout Camp. This is his first time away from home for a full week. He seems to be having a good time, especially with that rifle in his hand. What will the liberals think?

Our Family's Favorite Greek Word

God has blessed Alice and me with three wonderful children (Caroline, Mary, and Bobby).

This will come as no shock to you: our kids frequently leave their things lying around the house. The messes that reside in their respective rooms more than occasionally migrate out into the living room and beyond. This is where our favorite Greek word comes into play.

We take this word from Philippians 3:8 where Paul writes, "Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ."

The word I'm focusing on is "rubbish." In the Greek, this word means garbage or even dung.

The actual Greek word is σκυβαλα (pronounced skoo-ba-la). All our kids know it well because it is our favorite.

Skubala just carries a colorful, even aromatic, sense to it. For this reason, we will often say to one or all of the kids, "Please take your skubala to your rooms." It not only feels good to say it, but it is also very effective.

The kids often reply with something like, "My toy/book/pillow/stuffed animal/action figure is not skubala." The key, however, is that they are almost always carrying their objects to their rooms as they say it. Mission accomplished.

Sometimes I even hear one kid say to the other something along the lines of, "Your skubala is on the couch." Nice.

So, learn some NT Greek. Start with one word if you need to: skubala.

"Celebrating Biblical Feasts"

Isn't it strange that we celebrate Christmas and Easter even though we have no biblical reason for doing so? At the same time, we basically ignore the different feasts that are, in fact, in the bible. For those of us who cry "Sola Scriptura," this is a strange inconsistency.

I'm not suggesting that we have to celebrate the biblical feasts. Rather, I'm encouraging it. They add a richness to our understanding of the scriptures in general and Christ's mission in particular. Just last month our church family celebrated a Passover Meal together. We all enjoyed it very much.

My guess is that many of us may want to celebrate at least some of the feasts, but we do not know where to begin. Let me suggest a resource.

Celebrating Biblical Feasts in Your Home or Church is an excellent resource to help anyone get started. The book's subtitle says, "Experience the New Testament Significance of Old Testament Celebrations."

Each of the seven chapters focuses on one of the primary feasts of Israel: Sabbath, Passover, First Fruits, Pentecost, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Tabernacles. This book is an easy read, it describes the theology behind the feasts, and it provides clear details as to what to do and what you will need.

Why not get the book and try a feast?

Peter, Paul, and Mary

Peter, Paul, and Mary are folk singers who hit it big back in the 1960's. Alas, this post is not about them.

Rather, this post focuses on the apostles Peter and Paul. Specifically, I'd like to look at what these two apostles wrote about Mary, the mother of Jesus.

I've been thinking a lot about Roman Catholicism over the last few days. This stems from our driving past a shrine to Mary, Queen of the Universe in Orlando.

Peter and Paul both held very significant positions in the first century. Peter often took the leadership role amongst the twelve disciples when they were with Christ. He preached at Pentecost and was instrumental in the early spread of the gospel. Paul was the greatest missionary and wrote much of the New Testament.

Both Peter and Paul had much to say to us in their letters. We learn a great deal from them about what God has done for us and how we should respond to Him. Both Peter's and Paul's letters are critical to the life of the church.

It is clear based on a cursory reading of Peter's and Paul's letters that Jesus is to be the focus of our lives. For example, Peter writes in I Peter 1:3-5:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Paul writes in Philippians 3:7-14:

But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Both of these men are focused upon Jesus Christ.

Roman Catholicism has much to say about the supposed importance of Mary to our lives. Certainly if Mary is important, these two apostles would have written something about her in their letters. We know that Peter wrote two letters and Paul penned either thirteen or fourteen (depending on who wrote the book of Hebrews). This makes for a total of at least fifteen letters written to churches throughout the Mediterranean area. It is safe to say that if these two men believe Mary is significant to the life of the church, they would have told these churches much about her.

I was curious about this so I took a look. In all of their letters combined, Peter and Paul write NOTHING about Mary.

We can conclude from their utter silence that Mary was not significant for the churches in Pontus, Galatia, Cappodocia, Asia, Bithynia, Rome, Corinth, Ephesus, Philippi, Colosse, and Thessalonica.

If this is the case for those churches, it is certainly the case for us as well. Peter and Paul were men focused on one person: Jesus Christ.

Mary was certainly a great women. However, she is not worthy of our attention, much less our veneration.

Let us be like Peter and Paul. Let us be people of a singular focus: the God-Man Jesus Christ.

Today's Theology Question

While we were at the Ligonier 2010 Conference, R.C. Sproul dealt with the questions of what evil is and where evil comes from. Better him than me - those are certainly difficult ones. To read about his answers, click here.

As Sproul talked, he spent some time in Genesis 3. Not surprisingly, he focused on Eve's exchange with the serpent. The serpent famously lies to Eve, contradicting God by saying, "You will not surely die."

That got me thinking back to Genesis 2:15-17. In these verses, God instructs Adam not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If he does, God tells him, "You shall surely die."

We know from scripture that death comes from sin. Since no one had ever sinned in Genesis chapters 1-2, there could have been no death up to that point. So here is my question for you: Since Adam had never seen death of any kind, how did he know what God was talking about when God told him that if he ate of the tree he would surely die?

What do you think?

"Total Church: A Radical Reshaping Around Gospel and Community"

This book is one of the top five books I have ever read about the church. That is no overstatement.

In Total Church: A Radical Reshaping Around Gospel and Community, Tim Chester and Steve Timmis discuss in detail the importance of the gospel to community and community to the gospel. Looking to the scriptures, they focus on the interplay between the truth of the gospel and real Christian community as it relates to church life and mission.

The authors point out that many churches that are faithful to the truth of the gospel are at the same time lacking in true community. They also show that many other churches that have real community have failed to take a strong position on the biblical gospel. Chester and Timmis show that gospel and community need not be an either-or issue. Both gospel and community not only can, but need to go together.

Regardless of your current church status, this book will be beneficial to you. I highly recommend it.

To read a more detailed review from Arthur Sido, click here.

Mary, Queen of the Universe

As we drove through Orlando last Thursday, we were stunned to see a huge "church" sign that says "Mary, Queen of the Universe." I've known for a long time that some Catholics worship Mary. However, this is the most up-front sign I have ever seen. It turns out that this church is more of a shrine than anything else.

I decided to take a look at the shrine's website (click here if you want to see it). The above photo shows a statue from the museum - I got it from the website, not from a visit to the shrine.

The following are four quotes from the site:

"Preserved free from all guilt of original sin, the Immaculate Virgin was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory ... exalted by the Lord as Queen of the Universe ..." -Pope John Paul II, Redemptoris Mater

"A 2,000 seat Shrine Church adorned with inspirational stained-glass windows, depicting the story of God's love for man, and Mary's place in God's plan for salvation." (emphasis mine)

"But equally important - the area's teeming tourist population gives us a marvelous opportunity for evangelization and witness for Catholicism." (emphasis mine)

"In years that followed, the beloved Saint Desiderius was venerated as a martyr, his bone wrapped, sealed and preserved. And his feast day is still celebrated in Langres, France on the 23rd of May." (They have a relic from a bone of his forearm).

As we think about this shrine, let us first remember that if not for the grace of God we would too be worshipers of Mary. Let's also be reminded of the world's need for the gospel. The folks who worship at this shrine are lost just like Muslims, Hindus, materialists, and moralists.

I'm thankful that these Catholics are so up front about what they believe. My hope is that followers of Christ in the Orlando area will lovingly and sacrificially reach out to them with the biblical gospel.

"The Voyage of the Dawn Treader"

Back Home

We arrived safely home a few hours ago. I was again reminded of the providence of God. On the way, we drove through five separate thunderstorms. Any of these could have sent us off the road, but God brought us through them with little problem. Additionally, we were almost driven off the interstate by a distracted driver who decided to wander into our lane. Our tires hit the shoulder at about 70 or so miles per hour. It was quick, but also frightening. God, again, preserved us. We thank Him for His great grace.

As for the 2010 Ligonier Conference in Orlando, I guess the best way to sum things up is this: mixed emotions. I'll blog more on this over the next few days. For now, let's just say that the academic/intellectual side of the teaching was great. However, the application/missional aspect was lacking. I love Reformed theology, but after a while it can get old and dull unless we discuss how to impact the world while depending on God's sovereignty.

The time with my family was great. I thank the Lord for that.

We had no internet access for our time there. That made for a nice, forced mini-break from blogging.