O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the Earth!

My answer is that the magnitude of the universe is not meant to correlate with the image, but with the Original. The heavens are not designed to declare the glory of man. “The heavens declare the glory of God” (Psalms 19:1). The point of the universe is that God is great and man is infinitely less great.

John Piper writes a good reminder of the purpose to the creation of the universe. It is easy to get lost in the wonder and beauty of space and feel but a small speck compared to the planets created trillions of miles away. And, so true that we are but a spec, because the purpose of the universe is to declare the majesty and glory of God. If the universe seemingly expands boundaries forever, how much more so is our God limitless, the creator of this the whole universe.

Our rebellion to God’s authority

The issue of authority is a tough one even for adults. A few weeks ago my friend, my son and I went to the home opener for the Toronto Blue Jays. It turned out to be kind of a rowdy game with people running onto the field and others getting dragged out of the stands due to poor behavior. At one point, just a section over from us, a man was hauled out by the police. As soon as an officer showed up the crowd started chanting, “Let him stay! Let him stay!” They jeered at the officer and at the security guards. They laughed at the authorities, threw things at them, and did all they could to mock and belittle them. Their hatred of authority was tangible; it was alarming for those of us who remained sober and who, with our senses about us, knew that only authority holds off the utter breakdown of society. Our human sinfulness causes our hearts to rebel at the first sign of authority. So often we obey only with great reluctance and with our hearts in utter rebellion.

This is a sobering reminder from Tim Challies about the fact that we often act like children in response to our sins. We defy the ultimate authority, which is God. We pout, we make excuses, we ignore. This is all because our child-like minds can’t see to God’s grand purpose of pulling us closer into his presence.

Imago Dei

The problem with each of these is Romans 1:25, which says idolatry is worshiping anything created. By taking an aspect of our being over and above the rest, we are guilty of worshiping created things such as our body, mind, emotions, soul, or culture instead of the Creator God who makes all things.

Pastor Mark Driscoll gives a very educational write up on the doctrine of imago dei (”Image of God”). There is a lot of great things in the article that teach us about how the doctrine of imago dei is applied in our lives. I also like how the article sets the tone that even though we are made in the image of God, we still have no claim to greatness or pride. We fall very short of the glory of God. Priase the LORD we have hope in Christ.

Morals vs Values

No thinking person can ignore the massive and seemingly insoluble moral debates that plague our society and frame national debate. When the most basic issues of life, sexuality, family, marriage, and moral responsibility are up for grabs, the nation has reached a testing point of unprecedented proportions. Given the confusion, only the most radical relativist can celebrate our current state of moral affairs.

What is the difference between morals and values? Has culture blurred the lines? Do you still grasp unto the global moral standards set by God? Or do we set our own standard, our own values?

Piper in Kenya

At Moffatt Bible College in Kijabe, for example, the librarian gave me a tour. One set of double doors opened to the textbook closet. Most students can’t afford to buy books for their classes, so here they can check out the required texts for the term. In the center of the center shelf was a stack of The Supremacy of God in Preaching.

It’s great to see God using Pastor John Piper to have his preaching of God’s word affect Kenya. His wife Noel Piper is visiting Kenya and is noticing the teaching and writings of Pastor John Piper around the bible college. It is even more great to know that the message about the supremacy of God is being told among all nations.

When to Baptize Your Kids

The Bible does not put an age requirement on baptism. But it does describe water baptism as a post-conversion act of identification with Christ. In Acts 2:38, Peter emphasized repentance as a corollary to baptism. In verse 41 of that same chapter, Luke records that it was “those who had received his word” that were baptized. Acts 16:34 indicates that the Philippian Jailer’s household believed before they were baptized. Colossians 2:11-12, 1 Peter 3:18-21, and other passages associate baptism with saving faith; and even the order of the Great Commission puts “making disciples” before “baptizing them” (Matt. 28:19).

What does the bible say in regards to baptism and children? What does the bible say about infant baptism? I haven’t really researched too much into this before, but I’m convinced scripture talks about being a believer in Christ before being baptized. I will definitely do more digging on the subject though.

Give thanks to God, for He is good!

And it’s not just a mediocre, sometimes-there, tiny stream of goodness. No, as a Christian, I’ve got a future that’s full of God’s abundant, overflowing goodness. Each day, for the next week, and year, and decade, I will experience God’s goodness. Will I experience hardship? Yes. Will I endure painful trials. Without a doubt. But all of these experiences will be sweetened by the goodness of God. I don’t know what the future holds, but I know it will be good.

I’ve been reading through all instances of when God has shown mercy in the bible and all instances of the word “steadfast love”.  Stephen writes a really great testimony to how great and good our God is.  In fact, scripture tells us that God “abounds in steadfast love” and he is “slow to anger”.  Throughout scripture we also see how great God sustains his people and shows goodness.  (Once I finish my studies, it will be my first series of articles on this site explaining the different aspects of the mercy of God.)

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever
Let Israel say,
“His steadfast love endures forever.”
Let the house of Aaron say,
“His steadfast love endures forever.”
Let those who fear the LORD say,
“His steadfast love endures forever.”

-Psalm 118:1-4

Creationism (6 Views)

Before we jump in, I would like to stress that Genesis was not written as a scientific textbook. Rather, it is a theological narrative written to reveal the God of creation, which means it emphasizes God, not creation. As one example, Hebrews 11:3 says, “By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.”

The topic of creationism is such an intriguing topic to me.  It always emphasizes how great and how “large and in cotrol” our God is.  I think how we view the creation of the world, definitely effects how we view the sovereignty of God.  I really like how Pastor Mark writes this article to explain the views of creationism, but emphasizes that, regardless, our God is THE creator.  No way do I believe in chance.

Proverbs and Parenting

The book of Proverbs is a wonderful, intensely practical guide that contains much wisdom you can impart to your children as you train them in godly living.

I’m not a parent, nor am I even married yet. =)  But I will always take the wisdom of proverbs in my heart.  Not just for parenting, but for all aspects of Christian living.

Passion for Christ

Nevertheless, if you have it, and if it is really a passion for Christ, then it will have a God-designed effect on others. This is part of why passion is so good. It is an honor to Christ, and satisfying to us, and transforming to others.

“A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I ama father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the LORD of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name.”
-Malachi 1:6

“For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the LORD of hosts.”
-Malachi 1:11

What if we get an ungodly president?

We should pray fervently for leaders who will fear and seek the Lord, and fight for the rights of the unborn. But if an ungodly or pro-abortion president is elected, we shouldn’t fear. We should continue to pray earnestly for our country and those in authority. Don’t panic, God is in control, and he uses even wicked leaders for his own purposes. He can turn the hearts of men any way he chooses:

The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will (PR 21:1).

What if someone who does not honor God get elected? I think God calls us to trust in his sovereign will. I really like how the article quotes one of my favorite bible passage; Proverbs 21:1.

Together for the Gospel

Audio streaming for sermons preached at the Together for the Gospel conference are being adding in the link above. I haven’t heard any of them yet, but I’m sure there is good teaching to be found.

Functional Religion

A functional view of belief assumes or “brackets” the question of whether the beliefs are true. One who holds to a purely functionalist view of religious conviction is not concerned with the truthfulness of these beliefs, but only with the effects the beliefs have on the believer, both privately and in social contexts.

Al Mohler takes a look at the recent media attention surrounding some critical comments Obama made. He takes it through a Christian-lens and examines how political motivations fictionalizes religion. I think it is something that all Christians should be aware of. Scripture proclaims truth, not functional ideas.

Worthy is the Lamb

Today New Testament believers know that the blood of bulls and goats is not enough to take away sin. But I think that we can often just take for granted Jesus’ death in our place. We don’t think about his innocent blood draining away because we can’t conceptualize it. We don’t always appropriate the idea of substitute because we’ve never seen a living object die in our place. But our loss can be this: sin is easy because forgiveness (we think) is cheap.

There is a video released showing people sacrificing a lamb. (I have not seen the video yet, I doubt it is proper to view it at the workplace.) Aside from all the controversy surrounding this, it is a sobering reminder for the Worthy Lamb who was slain in our place. If you think about the gruesomeness of how a lamb was slain for a “couple sins”, how much more gruesomeness did our perfect Savior endure to take away all our sins.

Love for the Gospel

That guy will go in life pushing and pushing aside the gospel not wanting to hear it, not wanting to think about it and have nothing to do with it. He’s going to wave that hand every instant the cross is presented and that will harden his heart even more every time.

How much love do you have for the gospel? Do you recognize God’s sovereignty no matter how the person responds? It is very interesting to read of the experience David Ko had with sharing the gospel.

Sound Doctrine, Sound Faith

The idea of doctrine and theology, and especially systematic theology, are head in great suspicion in the church today. “Christianity is a life, not a doctrine,” say the critics. They may think this is something that is greatly original, but in reality this was a phrase coined by nineteenth century liberals. If we are to remain faithful to the message of Scripture we need to remain Christians who love the systematic theology of Scripture.

How important is doctrine in your life? Do you see the fruition of doctrine applied in your life? Or do we simply shrug off doctrine as something “unattainable”, “left for the leaders of the church”, or “something our minds cannot understand”?

The website showing the features of the new ESV study bible has just opened.

This is looking to be the best-looking study bible to be released. The features seem to be endless. There are dozens of articles by many different great men of God (Wayne Grudem, John Piper, Mark Dever) covering a wide array of topics: “The Reliability of New Testament Manuscripts”, “God’s plan for salvation”, “The Authority and Truthfulness of the Bible”, etc.

Top this off with commentary from different scholars for each book, 200 color maps, 40 color illustrations (There is a very cool illustration of Solomon’s temple sample on the website), and 80,000 cross-refereneces.

I already have my ESV, but I am definitely tempted to purchase one of the 8 formats of this new study bible! If you don’t have an ESV yet, I HIGHLY recommend this as a resource to you and your study of God’s amazing word.

Pridefully Judging Sinners

He seems to have two categories in this story: perfect and not perfect. So what Jesus really suggests is, if you are in the latter category, what in the world do you think you’re doing judging other people who are also imperfect just like you?

Are we quick to judge others in their sin or do we bow at Jesus’ feet recognizing our own sin in our lives? We are no different than a murderer or prostitute. There is no such thing as a “level” or “severity” to sin. All sin is an abomination in God’s sight.

The World’s Redefinition of Love

Most of the talk about love these days ignores this principle. “Love” has been redefined as a broad tolerance that overlooks sin and embraces good and evil alike. That’s not love; it’s apathy.

It is funny how different love is defined in the world versus how the bible defines it. We should tread very carefully in encouraging what the world considers love. Let us live love according to how Jesus taught it: sacrificial, self-giving, merciful, compassionate, sympathetic, kind, generous, and patient.

More American Idol Response

Let’s reserve our ‘outrage’ for the real tragedies in this world…Let his praises rise… Even from hearts as cold as stones… God can command praise from stones—not just the redeemed.

Whether you are appalled or excited or indifferent, God’s work is coming to show. Just look at the varied response of Christians on this blog about the controversy. It is definitely insightful.

Purposeful Fellowship

During these trips, we’ve heard great preaching and teaching. But we’ve also used our meal times (and late evenings) for discussion and application. We spend time encouraging one another, at times correcting one other, and contemplating the future together. We think much, laugh much, and eat much—all to the glory of God.

Reading about how Pastor C.J. Mahaney is building up his pastoral team through attendance at a conference is making me excited about the upcoming attendance of our fellowship to the Resolved Conference this June. I sincerely pray that we would build, correct, and contemplate the future together in genuine fellowship—all to the glory of God.

Would you be okay with a gay kid?

Christians know that homosexuality is a sin — that it is not the Creator’s purpose for our sexuality. The Christian parent’s response to the “coming out” of a child is surely shock and grief, but also an opportunity for grace and witness. At that point the child needs those Christian parents to be deeply Christian. We are indebted to Details for reminding us of that.

God sometimes has a strange way of getting our attention.

This is a fascinating article by Al Mohler on a topic that is usually hush-hush in many churches and fellowships. I really like how he brings out homosexuality not just as a sin, but a sin no bigger or smaller than others. And it is very interesting to see him analyze the article and bring about the natural tendency of the world to unknowingly set a moral standard hypocritically.

How much do we know about mormons?

Many Christians seem unsure of how to react to the rise of Mormonism. Mormons are adept at using Christian language and in affirming their love of the Bible and of Jesus Christ. But behind the language and behind the similarities is a whole world of difference. Christians do well to arm themselves with some knowledge of this religion and of those who adhere to it.

With the rise of Mormons in headlines, it should come to all believers minds what Mormon’s believe in. I think it is right to educate ourselves in the differences and not be oblivious to what heresies they teach. How can we not extend grace to our the Mormon’s around us if we first don’t understand what they are lost in?

American Idolatry

Apparently American Idol decided to do a rendition of “Shout to the Lord”, only the word “Jesus” was changed to “Shepard”. It’s interesting to see the controversy rising from this. From this article, you can see how the gospel offends the world-view. Funny God is coming from a show rightly named American “Idol”, something God is oh so very displeased with.

ESV study bible!

The ESV Study Bible includes the 757,000 words of the Bible along with an additional 1.1 million words of theological resources, which is the equivalent of a 20-volume resource library. Those resources include 25,000 notes, over 50 articles, 200 full-color maps, 200 charts, 80,000 cross-references, and some 40 color illustrations that are far cooler than the typical Bible pictures that look like a kindergartner tried to draw the Temple with their left hand.
As a geek who always reads the footnotes, I am particularly excited about Clinton Arnold’s work in Colossians and Philemon, Andreas J. Kostenberger’s work in John, Raymond Ortlund’s work in Isaiah, Grant Osborne’s work in James, Simon Gathercole’s work in Galatians, Thomas Schreiner’s work in Romans, 1 and 2 Peter, and Jude, and Frank Thielman’s work in 1 Corinthians.

Crossway looks to be cranking up (by God’s good grace) a crazily cool study bible for the ESV version. Using men of God like Piper, Grudem, and Dever. I’m excited for this bible, looks like it will be a great resource for studying the word of our great God.

Biblical view of taxes

Even with all those criticisms, the Bible is explicit. Without equivocation it tells us to pay our taxes. It doesn’t even qualify that statement. It doesn’t say to pay them if you agree with what they’re used for; it just says to pay your taxes. If we can come up with criticisms of our present tax structure, the people in the time of Paul could as well. Actually, their government was worse than ours in many ways. But that is never the issue. It wasn’t the issue in the time of the Lord, and it isn’t the issue today. The simple statement of Scripture is to pay your taxes.

How do you view taxes? Do you grumble and despise taxes or do you pay them obediently as Jesus has called us to do?

Biblical authority from the pulpit

I am certainly supposed to be a mouthpiece for Scripture, a human instrument through which the Scripture is heard and received by God’s people. But the human preacher’s authority only reaches the human ear. It is only God himself who can take his word from the human ear to the human heart.

How do preachers today view the biblical authority from the pulpit? It is interesting to see the range of responses to questions on scripture and how God ordains preachers. Also, read Al Mohlers reflections on the interview.

Pastor John MacArthur wrote a very interesting article about the epidemic of “seeker-friendly” services in Pulpit magazine today. He starts by explaining the dangers of having such services and the reason why they are dangerous. He explains that a non-functioning, non-participating member can be detrimental to a church.

Scripture teaches us that the church is to act as one body. 1 Corinthians 12 is very clear in teaching us of the unity and contribution each member has:

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body— Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.

1 Corinthians 12:12-20

If you read through all of chapter 12, you will notice how Paul explains that the church is meant to act as one unit. Having some not function, with something just as minor as a toe can have a huge effect on the whole body. John MacArthur writes a wonderful analogy on this:

I can’t read that verse without thinking of Dizzy Dean. He was a Hall-of-Fame baseball pitcher, whose career peaked in the 1930s. His 1934 season has never been excelled by any pitcher in history. Dean won thirty games that year, a feat that hasn’t been repeated since (though Dizzy himself came close, winning 28 games the following year). But in the 1937 All-Star game, he took a hard line drive off his toe, and the toe was broken. It should not have been a career-ending injury, but Dean was rushed back into the lineup before the fracture was completely healed, and he pitched several games favoring the sore toe. That led to an unnatural delivery that seriously injured his pitching arm. The arm never fully recovered. Dizzy Dean’s major-league career was essentially over in four years.

Something similar happens in any church where there are non-functioning members. The active members of the body become overextended, and the effectiveness of the whole body suffers greatly. Even the most insignificant member, like a toe, is designed to play a vital role.

I really enjoyed reading this article and it has convicted me in my love for the church. Do I simply become a spectator during church services? What does it mean to worship God? Too often, churches today, are trying to entertain it’s congregation with music, with dynamic sermons, and hollywood-like drama programs. Where has God gone in the midst of this? Is God the center of our worship, or are we worshiping the tools of the service? And if God is the center of our worship, how can we not but be involved in our worship. Can I truely say I worship God if I just sit back and soak things in?

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

-James 1:22-25

I sincerely pray to God that I would be an active member in the church for the love of my Father’s glory and his great namesake. I also hope in Christ that my church would function as one body and one unit.