Poem By Dietrich Bonhoeffer

When I think of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, my mind doesn't immediately go to "poet." But I read this poem in the new Eric Metaxas biography, and I wanted to put it here for the sake of posterity, and in the hope of encouraging someone who may happen this way...

The beginning and the end, O Lord, are Thine;
The span between, life, was mine;
I wandered in the darkness and did not discover myself;
With Thee, O Lord, is clarity and light is Thy house,
A short time only, and all is done;
Then the whole struggle dies away to nothing.
Then I will refresh myself by the waters of life,
And will talk with Jesus forever and ever.

Quotes Worth Remembering from Eric Metaxas' new Bonhoeffer Biography...

There is no way to peace along the way of safety. For peace must be dared, it is itself the great venture and can never be safe. Peace is the opposite of security. To demand guarantees is to want to protect oneself. Peace means giving oneself completely to God's commandment, wanting no security, but in faith and obedience laying the destiny of the nations in the hand of Almighty God, not trying to direct it for selfish purposes. Battles are won, not with weapons, but with God. They are won when the way leads to the cross.

The Mosque At The End of the World

There's been a lot of discussion lately about the plans to build a mosque just a short distance from the World Trade Center site in New York City. While I've not followed the discussion that closely, and so I must admit to not knowing all the details as perhaps I should, I still thought I'd post something brief about how I'm thinking about this issue based on what facts I know.

First, let me say as an American it makes me uncomfortable...but there's no law against being uncomfortable. In fact sometimes it is a very good thing to be made uncomfortable. Often in our discomfort our own views and opinions come more solidly into focus, and I don't see how that can ever really be a bad thing.

Second, I've heard this argument...would the Muslims allow a Christian church or a Jewish synagogue to be built in Mecca? Well...no. But isn't that precisely the point? We aren't in Mecca and we aren't controlled by a single religious group. As Americans we are guided by a different set of principles, so this argument seems weak to me at best. My home is a country that stands for the freedom to practice my religious convictions freely...even when that practice may make other people profoundly uncomfortable. I want to be free to build a Christian church wherever one is most needed.

Third, as a Baptist it is a foundational tenet of our Christian conviction that a person should be free to worship as he pleases. Therefore, at great risk I must take unpopular stands from time to time in order to see that belief made reality. I want to be free to worship as a Christian wherever I want. If I were a Muslim should I be forced to put my Muslim faith on hold simply because I'm standing in a place where some people from a radical element of my religious practice did a truly horrible, evil act? As Christians we are not exempt from having done truly horrible things in the name of Christianity. Remember the crusades? Remember slavery in America? Tragically, as a believer I must acknowledge that people in my own faith have done some utterly dispicable things in the name of Christianity. Does this mean we should not be allowed to practice Christianity in the south...or build Christian church buildings there?

On some level it seems to me that the construction of the mosque on this particular site would be truly honoring to the men and women who have died because of what happened there on September 11, 2001...because it was precisely because they were Americans standing up for American ideals like freedom of religion...even when that practice may be truly uncomfortable.

So yes, it makes me uncomfortable to have a mosque built on that particular site, but for the life of me I see no reason why they shouldn't be free to do it. Discomfort is not a reason. Political correctness is not a reason.

I am thankful that at least for now, my home is a country where I am free to be made uncomfortable, because the time may come when they'll come after me and after my own religious convictions...and then who will stand up for me?

G.K. Chesteron Quote

In the sermon this morning I shared this really excellent quote from the British writer and thinker, G.K. Chesterton. It was good enough to put up here for everyone's consideration...

A child kicks its legs rhythmically through excess, not absence, of life. Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, Do it again; and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough... It is possible that God says every morning, Do it again, to the sun; and every evening, Do it again, to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike: it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we. --G. K. Chesterton

Morning Prayer

This morning in worship I prayed a prayer that was made up of biblical texts dealing with the majesty of God. The text of the prayer is printed below for anyone interested in having the references and also for further reflection and meditation.

But the Lord is in his holy temple;
let all the earth keep silence before him.” (Hab 2:20)

Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and joy are in his place. (I Chronicles 16:27)

The Lord reigns; he is robed in majesty;
the Lord is robed; he has put on strength as his belt.
Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved.
2 Your throne is established from of old;
you are from everlasting.
3 The floods have lifted up, O Lord,
the floods have lifted up their voice;
the floods lift up their roaring.
4 Mightier than the thunders of many waters,
mightier than the waves of the sea,
the Lord on high is mighty! (Ps 93:1-4)

The voice of the Lord is powerful;
the voice of the Lord is full of majesty. (Ps 29:4)

Let the heavens praise your wonders, O Lord,
your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones!
6 For who in the skies can be compared to the Lord?
Who among the heavenly beings [2] is like the Lord,
7 a God greatly to be feared in the council of the holy ones,
and awesome above all who are around him?
8 O Lord God of hosts,
who is mighty as you are, O Lord,
with your faithfulness all around you? (Ps 89:5-8)

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
4 what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him? (ps 8:3-4)

“At this…my heart trembles
and leaps out of its place.
2 Keep listening to the thunder of his voice
and the rumbling that comes from his mouth.
3 Under the whole heaven he lets it go,
and his lightning to the corners of the earth.
4 After it his voice roars;
he thunders with his majestic voice,
and he does not restrain the lightnings when his voice is heard.
5 God thunders wondrously with his voice;
he does great things that we cannot comprehend.
6 For to the snow he says, ‘Fall on the earth,’
likewise to the downpour, his mighty downpour.
7 He seals up the hand of every man,
that all men whom he made may know it.
8 Then the beasts go into their lairs,
and remain in their dens.
9 From its chamber comes the whirlwind,
and cold from the scattering winds.
10 By the breath of God ice is given,
and the broad waters are frozen fast.
11 He loads the thick cloud with moisture;
the clouds scatter his lightning.
12 They turn around and around by his guidance,
to accomplish all that he commands them
on the face of the habitable world.
13 Whether for correction or for his land
or for love, he causes it to happen. (Job 37:1-13)

Therefore…

I will remember the deeds of the Lord;
yes, I will remember your wonders of old.
12 I will ponder all your work,
and meditate on your mighty deeds.
13 Your way, O God, is holy.
What god is great like our God?
14 You are the God who works wonders;
you have made known your might among the peoples.
15 You with your arm redeemed your people,
the children of Jacob and Joseph.
16 When the waters saw you, O God,
when the waters saw you, they were afraid;
indeed, the deep trembled.
17 The clouds poured out water;
the skies gave forth thunder;
your arrows flashed on every side.
18 The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind;
your lightnings lighted up the world;
the earth trembled and shook.
19 Your way was through the sea,
your path through the great waters;
yet your footprints were unseen (Ps 77:11-19)

Lord God, Heavenly Father…
I know that you can do all things,
and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
3 ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’
Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
4 ‘Hear, and I will speak;
I will question you, and you make it known to me.’
5 I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,
but now my eye sees you;
6 therefore I despise myself,
and repent in dust and ashes.” (Job 42:2-6)

And I will…

…sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all the earth!
2 Sing to the Lord, bless his name;
tell of his salvation from day to day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous works among all the peoples!
4 For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
he is to be feared above all gods.
5 For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,
but the Lord made the heavens.
6 Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. (Ps 96:1-6)

148:1 Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
praise him in the heights!
2 Praise him, all his angels;
praise him, all his hosts!
3 Praise him, sun and moon,
praise him, all you shining stars!
4 Praise him, you highest heavens,
and you waters above the heavens!
5 Let them praise the name of the Lord!
For he commanded and they were created.
6 And he established them forever and ever;
he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away.
7 Praise the Lord from the earth,
you great sea creatures and all deeps,
8 fire and hail, snow and mist,
stormy wind fulfilling his word!
9 Mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars!
10 Beasts and all livestock,
creeping things and flying birds!
11 Kings of the earth and all peoples,
princes and all rulers of the earth!
12 Young men and maidens together,
old men and children!
13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted;
his majesty is above earth and heaven (Ps 148:1-13)

And so…

…to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21)

Calvinism vs. Arminianism...a few thoughts

Last week saw a heated discussion initiated innocently enough by one of my Facebook friends on the subject of Calvinism. The responses, while not shocking, were still (for the most part) disappointing.

To hear much of the tone of the discussion today about these two distinct theological systems is to generally hear a lot of "sound and fury signifying nothing." This is tragic, because we have much to learn from each other on both sides of the fence.

Let me be clear...I am Reformed in my theological understanding. I believe Scripture is clear on these things when taken across the whole of the pages of the Bible. I also believe I am right. Else, why would I hold the position? I also believe that Arminians believe the same thing...that they have a biblically consistent view and that they are right. Therefore, I would expect them to be able to present a thoughtful, biblically consistent expression of why they hold on to the truths they profess.

I believe there are amazing people on both sides of this discussion. There are people on both sides that are thoughtful and who are challenged and encouraged by what they read in the Bible. I also believe there are Christians on both sides of the discussion...good, solid, Bible believing people...who are doing the best they can to "know and follow hard" after Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. Likewise, I believe there are non-believers on both sides of the discussion. There are those on both sides who will on the day of judgment stand before Jesus Christ and hear Him say to them, "depart from me. I never knew you."

All those cards being laid on the table, for the life of me I find it absolutely reprehensible that men and women who are generally loving in the way they approach each other and who generally do the best they can to express the grace and mercy of Christ in the living of their lives, find it utterly impossible to have a loving, thoughtful, meaningful conversation about something as important as what the Bible teaches concerning salvation and how redemption is accomplished and applied in the lives of sinners like me...or maybe we somehow don't believe the words of I Peter 3:15-16 apply to us in the midst of this particular conversation?

I wonder how many of these so called defenders of the faith would be shocked to hear that George Whitefield (a staunch Calvinist) and John Wesley (a staunch Arminian) were incredibly good friends? One of my favorite hymns is "And Can It Be?"...written by Charles Wesley...an Arminian.

To hear the tone of much of the current conversation, one would believe it was nearly impossible to like someone on the other side of the theological fence...much less love them with the love of the Lord.

To these I offer a few suggestions...

1) Be quick to listen and slow to speak. Abraham Lincoln once said, "It is better to be silent and thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt." We would do well to meditate on the wisdom of that for a while...on both sides of the discussion.

2) Stop being such a fan of hyperbole and gross exaggeration. Address the question at hand. Discuss it meaningfully and give rich, thoughtful illustrations and examples. But for heaven's sake, please stop with the accusations that because a person falls on one side or the other of the theological fence that they are not a believer. Such comments are utterly unhelpful, and often not true...in which case you stand before God as an "accuser of the brethren." I would encourage all of us to be careful and thoughtful with the words we choose and the way in which we use them.

3) Don't use public forums to flame fellow believers. Actually, you shouldn't use ANY type of forum to flame fellow believers...that should be (but apparently too often isn't) obvious. If you have points to make, perhaps the best place to make them is in a phone call...or a face to face conversation...or at least in a private e-mail exchange. Very little gets accomplished when emotionally fuses are short.

4) Pray before you let your fingers do the talking on your keyboard. Is what you're about to type helpful? Is it loving? Is it offering a meaningful contribution to the discussion at hand? Do you have a real biblical point to make? (If so, please give a reference and quote it...and then be open minded enough to hear a meaningful response from the other side). Perhaps most importantly, is God glorified not only in what you say but also in the way in which you're saying it?

5) Remember, the Bible says the world will know we are Christians by the love we show to each other (to the brothers) INSIDE the community of faith. In those public forums, there are non-believers who are reading what you write. Have you contributed a meaningful witness to the grace, mercy, and goodness of Christ in what you've written?

I'm sure there are other points to make as well, but these seem immediately helpful to me. I trust that all of us...on both sides of this issue...will be willing to sit down at the table together, and have thoughtful consideration of these ideas without getting angry and throwing out all sorts of tangential arguments and ridiculous accusations and exaggerations that do nothing to move the conversation in a helpful direction.

One day we'll all be in heaven together...Calvinists AND Arminians...we do well to learn to live civilly and lovingly while we're down here doing the work of the kingdom.

Must See TV - Really

I've been a fan of the NBC drama series Friday Night Lights since its first season. It is always good and often rises to greatness. But nothing in the seasons leading up to the current one prepare you for the absolute brilliance that is "The Son," the fifth episode in the current season. There are a few side stories, but the central story in this episode centers around Matt (played by Zach Gilford) and how he deals with the news that his father has been killed in Iraq. If it is possible for an actor in a TV series to receive an Emmy nomination for a single performance, then Mr. Gilford should be guaranteed not only a nomination but a clear win for this performance. It is one of the most riveting performances I've ever seen on TV. Download it from iTunes, grab a box of tissues (make it a big box) and watch this stunning performance from a truly wonderful young actor.

Everything about the episode's central story works. It is nuanced, tasteful, and walks a tenuous line between what could have been an opportunity to get preachy or overly sentimental to perfection.

One of the things that makes the show so amazing is that they never rehearse and never block and just let the actors do their thing. They often don't even have much in the way of a script, choosing instead to simply outline a scene and let the actors do their thing. I don't know if that was true of the scripting here, but what I do know is that everything we get here absolutely works.

All the way up through the stunning ending (that I was utterly unprepared for).

Its pitch perfect television, and few young actors could pull off a performance like that given here by Zach Gilford. Brilliant, and truly must see television.

Picking Up Where Sunday's Sermon Left Off...

This past Sunday I preached from II Peter 3:15-16 on the portion of the text that instructs believers to "count the patience of the Lord as salvation." Peter is presenting a "third way" after refuting the claims of the false teachers who had been teaching that either...

A) Christ isn't really coming back...because He just isn't. Essentially claiming that the teaching that Christ would return was mythological in nature.

B) Christ isn't really coming back...because of some moral flaw in God's character...akin to the teaching today that God, if He exists, can't be all-powerful AND all good because if He were He would deal with the problem of evil in the world...so either He can't or He won't...either way He's limited...He's flawed.

Peter then presents a third way...count the patience of the Lord as salvation.

1) As long as He tarries, more will come to faith.
2) As long as He tarries, believers will continue to grow in their faith.
3) As long as He tarries, we have opportunity to go and share with others the message of the Gospel.

The opportunities to go and share the message of the Gospel are vast. There is still much to do. Some of the statistics I shared on Sunday...

There are approximately 16,600 people groups in the world today.
Of those...6,600 have yet to hear the Gospel clearly presented.
The Bible in whole or in part exists today in only 82% of the world's languages. This means that 13% of the world is still essentially closed to the Gospel simply because no portion of Scripture exists in a language they can read and/or understand.
There are 5.5 billion lost people in the world today. If my math is correct (which is highly suspect), this means...if a gallon of oil spilling into the Gulf of Mexico represented a single lost person in the world right now, and at the rate of a million gallons of oil spilling into the Gulf, it would take somewhere in the ballpark of 15 years for there to be enough oil out there for every lost person represented to have one gallon of oil.

Most of us would go to incredible lengths to extract just one gallon of oil from the Gulf if we could...but what are we doing to reach those who are lost and separated from God? Those animals in the Gulf that are dying - as tragic as the situation is - will not die and spend eternity in hell...but those lost people absolutely will. What are we doing so they will have an opportunity to respond to the Gospel before they die?

This is sobering to consider!

I recommended a lot of resources in the sermon on Sunday, but I want to add one more to that list, a new book from David Platt entitled, Radical. I encourage you to read it and to be challenged by it as you reflect over the message from this past Sunday.

See ya Sunday!

Hebrews 6 Notes From Sunday School This Past Sunday

For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened,
- Simply means that they have come to understand the truths of the gospel, not that they responded to those truths with genuine saving faith.
- Greek – refers to learning in general, not necessarily a learning that results in salvation…
- The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. (John 1:9)
- “once” simply means it happened once – not that it can never be repeated. The word here is “hapax” not “ephapax” which is biblically used to express nonrepeatable events.

who have tasted the heavenly gift, / tasted the goodness of the Word
- Tasted the heavenly gift…tasted the goodness of the word. Inherent in the idea of “tasting” is the fact that the tasting is temporary and one might or might not decide to accept the thing that is tasted.
- Matthew 27:34 - they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it.
- There is no requirement that the word be taken to mean genuine saving faith
and have shared in the Holy Spirit,
- Metochos – has a range of meanings and may imply very close participation or may only imply a loose association with the other person or persons named. For instance, Luke 5:7
- They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them.
- A cognate is found in Ephesians 5:7 (symmetochos) – Paul warns Christians not to “associate” with non-believers. He isn’t telling them not to BE unbelievers, but to not have affiliation with them.
- In the Septuagint its use means “companionship” not life-changing experience or regeneration
- Here it is talking about a person who has been associated with the Holy Spirit and thereby had their lives influenced by him, but it need not imply that they had a redeeming work of the Holy Spirit in their lives, or that they were regenerated.
and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6
- See “tasted the heavenly gift” above

and then have fallen away,
- Fallen AWAY is not the same as Fallen INTO sin. What is in view here is an outright rejection of God’s grace.
- Judas – fell AWAY
- Peter – fell INTO sin
- Fallen away thus means a sustained, committed rejection of Christ and a clear departure from the Christian community
- See I John 2:19
o They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.

to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.
- Restore AGAIN to repentance – It is not necessary to read this as genuine heart repentance.
- This is clear later in Hebrews (chapter 12:17) where this same Greek word is used to describe a change of mind sought by Esau regarding the sale of his birthright, and refers to it as “repentance.” This would not have been a repentance for salvation, but simply a change of mind.
- Metanoeo – to repent – sometimes is used to refer not to saving repentance, but just to sorrow for individual offenses
- What the writer is saying is this:
o If someone has a sorrow for sin and comes to understand the gospel and experiences these various blessings of the Holy Spirit and then turns away, it will not be possible to restore such a person again to a place of sorrow for sin.
o Obviously, this need not imply that the repentance was a genuine saving repentance in the first place.

So what kind of individual are we talking about at this point?
- People who have been affiliated very closely with the church
- They have had sorrow for their sin (repentance)
- They have clearly understood the Gospel (enlightened)
- They have come to appreciate the attractiveness of the Christian life and the change that comes about in people’s lives because of becoming a Christian.
- They have possibly had prayers answered
- They have probably felt the power of the Holy Spirit at work – perhaps even using some spiritual gift in the manner of those mentioned in Matthew 7
- They have been exposed to the true preaching of the Word
- They have appreciated much of the Bible’s teaching
- In spite of all this they commit apostasy and “crucify the Son of God on their own account and hold Him up to contempt.”
o They are willfully rejecting all the blessings and turning clearly and decidedly against them
- The author now tells us that “if these people willfully turn away from all of these temporary blessings” then it will be impossible to restore them again to any kind of repentance (or sorrow for sin). Their hearts will be hardened. Their consciences calloused.

What more could be done for them?
- If we tell them Scripture is true – they will say they know and that they have decided to reject it.
- If we tell them God answers prayers and changes lives they will respond that they know that as well, but they reject that.
- If we tell them the Holy Spirit is powerful to work in people’s lives and the gift of eternal life is good beyond description, they will say that they understand that, but that they want nothing of it.
- Their repeated familiarity with the things of God and their experience of many influences of the Holy Spirit has simply served to harden them against conversion.

He is warning them to be careful…to watch out. Depending on “temporary blessings” and experiences is not enough. He talks not of any good fruit or of any genuine heart change. He speaks only of the temporary blessings and experiences that have given these persons some understanding of Christianity.

He drives this home in verse 9:

Though we speak thus in your case, beloved, we feel sure of BETTER THINGS THAT BELONG TO SALVATION.

In your case, beloved, what is in store for you are BETTER THINGS AND Things that belong to salvation

OBJECTION…the better things is not in reference to the four participles in 4-6 but to the thorns and thistles of verse 8.

RESPONSE…the comparative “better” is used 13 times in Hebrews to contrast something BETTER with something that is GOOD. Here it compares something better…things that belong to salvation…with something that is good…the temporary blessings of verses 4-6.

What are the “better things” of verse 9?
- Genuine fruit (verse 10)
- Full assurance of hope (verse 11)
- Saving faith, of the type exhibited by those who inherit the promises (v 12)

So…where does genuine assurance come from?

1) Do I have a present trust in Christ for salvation?

Colossians 1:23 - he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast

Hebrews 3:14 - For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.

John 3:16 (uses a present tense verb – whoever continues believing in Him)
“For God so loved the world, [1] that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes (continues believing) in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Do I today have trust in Christ to forgive my sins and take me without blame into heaven forever?
Do I have confidence in my heart that he has saved me?
If I were to die tonight and stand before God’s judgment seat, and if he were to ask me why he should let me into heaven, would I begin to think of my good deeds and depend on them, or would I without hesitation say that I am depending on the merits of Christ and am confident that He is a sufficient Savior?

KEY – If a testimony of saving faith is genuine, it should be a testimony of faith that is active to this very day.

2) Is there evidence of a regenerating work of the Holy Spirit in my heart?
a. The subjective testimony of the Holy Spirit bearing witness that we are God’s children. – usually accompanied by a sense of being led by the Holy Spirit in paths of obedience to God’s will
b. Is the Holy Spirit at work creating the kind of character traits Paul refers to as the “fruit of the Spirit.”
i. Are these things a general characteristic of my life?
ii. Do I sense these attitudes in my heart?
iii. Do others see those traits exhibited in my life?
iv. Have I been growing in them over a period of years?
c. What does the result of your life, your ministry, and your influence on others suggest?
i. If you profess Christ but your influence is to discourage others, to drag them down, to injure their faith, and to provoke controversy and divisiveness, this doesn’t suggest a work of the Holy Spirit
d. Are you continuing to believe and accept the sound teaching of the church?
e. Are you continuing in a present relationship with Jesus Christ?
f. Does your life give evidence of obedience to God’s clear commands?
3) Do I see a long-term pattern of growth in my Christian life?

Bible Study Tools and Resources

In my church in Germany, we have quite a few military attenders. That being the case, we lose a substantial % of our church members and regular attenders every summer. Having been at GIBC now for nearly five years, I continue to become aware of the importance of teaching our people at Grace how to study the Bible for themselves.

Many of our folks have been in Bible studies, but very few have ever been taught how to simply pick up a Bible and glean from it. I’m afraid we’ve done a decent job of teaching our people how to read commentaries and study guides, but we’ve generally done very little to equip them to engage directly with the Bible. The result has become a group of Christians that are easily swayed, because they have not been equipped to interact critically with study guides or with teaching from the pulpit or in the classroom. Add to that Bible study leaders who largely fit the same paradigm, and the result is often sad and many times disastrous. The pastor holds all the knowledge, and he dispenses it as he sees fit and the congregation, being largely ill-equipped – or non-equipped – simply receive it without question, interaction, or any kind of meaningful engagement. Its as if we’ve returned to the church before the Reformation and the invention of the printing press.

Many have built entire worldviews and belief systems based on teaching which they’ve never explored for themselves. I’m convinced its often not because they’re lazy, but simply because they’ve never been equipped to do it.

As a result I’ve changed the way I lead Bible studies at our church. Part of my intent is to guide thinking and to dispense information and content, but a regular, underlying intent is to teach our people how to read the Bible and engage with it in a thoughtful way. The result has been astounding. We now have classes of adults engaging with the Bible, coming to group meetings prepared with thoughtful questions and comments, and eager, and ready to not just sit and listen, but to truly engage in the Bible study time – whether it be in the Bible study hour prior to Sunday morning worship or whether it be the Thursday night community group that meets in our home.

Its been absolutely fulfilling to see the change in the way our adult members and attenders. It is as if they’ve been starving without awareness, and now having tasted food, they discover they are famished and they begin to devour what they are encountering. It is truly wonderful!

At this point we’re keeping things simple…a bit more involved in our Thursday night group. I’ve equipped our folks with a simple five-step process…and bear in mind I’m learning how to do this as well. Its quite a paradigm shift for all of us! This process will surely change and morph over time. I appreciate all the input I’m receiving and continue to receive. If you have thoughts, I’d love to hear them!

In the meantime, here’s the five-step process we’ve been teaching at GIBC. Following this you’ll find a short list of helpful resources that I hope will grow over time .

Thanks for listening, and thanks for your help!

I didn’t include prayer as a step, but it should be understood before, after, and during your study. Without the illumination of the Holy Spirit, your study of the text will not provide all that it could.

Here’s our process…

1) READ a biblical text…more than a verse, as verses can be ripped out of context and used to do all kinds of things that we’re never intended by the writer.

2) Put the passage in its TEXTUAL context…read the verses leading up to the text and read the verses following the text…the amount you’ll need to read will vary…sometimes it’ll be just a few verses…other times it may be quite a bit more in order to get the textual context.

3) Put the passage in its CULTURAL context…if you’re going to know what to do with a text, you need to know how the original audience received the text. Why did the metaphors make sense to the original hearers? What about this church made this passage significant when Paul wrote it down?

4) Pose QUESTIONS of the text. For instance, in I Corinthians 9:27, what does Paul mean by disqualified? Disqualified from what? Or in I Corinthians 9:24…what is the IT that YOU are receiving? There’s a lot of interplay between “I” and “we” and “you” in I Corinthians 9…how does that impact how we interpret verse 24?

5) Start digging!
A) First, what does your gut tell you based on what you already know about the writer or the church in view or how this issue has been addressed elsewhere in the Bible? What does your gut tell you disqualified means based on other texts you’ve read in the Bible? In Paul’s writings?

B) Where else has the writer used this word…for this you’ll need to find out the original Greek/Hebrew/Aramaic word…most concordances will help…Does he use it differently when referencing himself? When referencing other people/other congregations?

C) Return to context…does the context allow you to make the interpretation you’ve arrived at?

6) Bring your conclusions to your group meeting and test them out as everyone talks about what they’ve studied.

As for RESOURCES…there are tons, and the volume of resources can contribute to making the whole process even more overwhelming. The trick is to begin with just the most basic resources.

I’d begin with…
1) A good, word for word, translation of the Bible
- I highly recommend the ESV, but the KJV, NKJV, NAS, RSV are all word for word translations. While translations like the NIV, CEV, NLT are beneficial, for serious study, you need a translation that is more of a word-for-word translation and not a dynamic translation.

- while study Bibles are great, and I highly recommend them, for the type of study we have in mind here, I’d get one that doesn’t have a tons of added notes. The point is to learn to do it yourself, and if you’ve got a million notes, if you’re like me you’ll immediately jump to the notes instead of doing the digging for yourself. Both are valuable but the conclusions you reach for yourself will be the more meaningful ones and they’ll be the ones that stick the best.

2) an exhaustive concordance that matches your translation
- Because Strong’s Concordance is so good (and freely available online), I’d definitely have a Strong’s…even if my primary translation for Bible study was not the KJV. That being said, if you aren’t using the KJV as your primary study translation, you’ll need to have one in order to properly use Strong’s. The reason Strong’s is so good is because of the Greek and Hebrew keys in the back. Not only will you learn where the words occur, but you’ll also be able to discover the Greek word that is being translated, AND when you look the word up in the back, you’ll find a more precise definition of that particular Greek or Hebrew word. Strong’s is so widely recognized, that many other tools will reference the “Strong’s numbering system”…so to have Strong’s will help you with other tools as well.

- Since I recommend the ESV and since many (most) in our congregation read the ESV, I’ll also mention the ESV exhaustive concordance – The Crossway Comprehensive Concordance of the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, compiled by William Mounce and published by Crossway.

- If it were me…I would use the online Strong’s and the online KJV (free) and buy an ESV and the ESV concordance.

3) a Bible Handbook – very useful for context questions!
- Halley’s is good…also Holman…I use Holman

4) a Bible Dictionary – good for words, ideas, concepts…you name it!
- again, Holman is good…I use Holman…also Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary; Unger’s has been around a long time…you can go crazy here but not necessary…Anchor Bible Dictionary, for instance, is 6 volumes!

And honestly, that’s where I would start.

If you want commentaries, my advice is to avoid sets and to avoid most single volume ones. As you study your way through a biblical book, find out what the best commentaries are and grab one or two of them…this is also where good study Bible notes come in handy. This is a website you might want to be familiar with – http://www.bestcommentaries.com. They give some really excellent guidance in choosing helpful commentaries for every skill level.

And there ya go! That’s what we teach our folks as a framework and that’s how I would recommend resources for study. You don’t need to spend a ton of money. Much is available online now for free that is really helpful and thoughtful. Grab a good Bible, the matching concordance, a handbook and a dictionary and you should be ready to go!

I look forward to your feedback and to your comments!

May God bless you as you study His Word, and may the Holy Spirit light your path!

Happy digging!

Nostalgia Night

OK...so I haven't posted in a long time, but I was having a nostalgic night and was remembering what an absolutely crazy amazing musician Ben Folds is. I found this crazy great vid, and just had to put this up here. This guy is just amazing!

ENJOY...and I dare you not to smile at just how much fun they're having playing music. CAVEAT...if you're not familiar with Ben Folds, and you go looking for other vids of his...while this one is clean, you should know his language can be rather raw at times...you've been duly warned, so proceed with caution.

Jonathan Edwards - Resolutions Part Five

Here they are! 41-50!

41. Resolved, to ask myself at the end of every day, week, month and year, wherein I could possibly in any respect have done better. Jan. 11, 1723.

42. Resolved, frequently to renew the dedication of myself to God, which was made at my baptism; which I solemnly renewed, when I was received into the communion of the church; and which I have solemnly re-made this twelfth day of January, 1722-23.

43. Resolved, never henceforward, till I die, to act as if I were any way my own, but entirely and altogether God's, agreeable to what is to be found in Saturday, January 12. Jan.12, 1723.

44- Resolved, that no other end but religion, shall have any influence at all on any of my actions; and that no action shall be, in the least circumstance, any otherwise than the religious end will carry it. Jan.12, 1723.

45. Resolved, never to allow any pleasure or grief, joy or sorrow, nor any affection at all, nor any degree of affection, nor any circumstance relating to it, but what helps religion. Jan.12 and 13.1723.

46. Resolved, never to allow the least measure of any fretting uneasiness at my father or mother. Resolved to suffer no effects of it, so much as in the least alteration of speech, or motion of my eve: and to be especially careful of it, with respect to any of our family.

47. Resolved, to endeavor to my utmost to deny whatever is not most agreeable to a good, and universally sweet and benevolent, quiet, peaceable, contented, easy, compassionate, generous, humble, meek, modest, submissive, obliging, diligent and industrious, charitable, even, patient, moderate, forgiving, sincere temper; and to do at all times what such a temper would lead me to. Examine strictly every week, whether I have done so. Sabbath morning. May 5,1723.

48. Resolved, constantly, with the utmost niceness and diligence, and the strictest scrutiny, to be looking into the state of my soul, that I may know whether I have truly an interest in Christ or no; that when I come to die, I may not have any negligence respecting this to repent of. May 26, 1723.

49. Resolved, that this never shall be, if I can help it.

50. Resolved, I will act so as I think I shall judge would have been best, and most prudent, when I come into the future world. July 5, 1723.

Jonathan Edwards - Resolutions Part Four

Continuing our new year's series review of Jonathan Edwards Resolutions. Here are #31-40.

31. Resolved, never to say anything at all against anybody, but when it is
perfectly agreeable to the highest degree of Christian honor, and of love to mankind, agreeable to the lowest humility, and sense of my own faults and failings, and agreeable to the golden rule; often, when I have said anything against anyone, to bring it to, and try it strictly by the test of this Resolution.

32. Resolved, to be strictly and firmly faithful to my trust, that that in Prov. 20:6, "A faithful man who can find?" may not be partly fulfilled in me.

33. Resolved, always to do what I can towards making, maintaining, establishing and preserving peace, when it can be without over-balancing detriment in other respects. Dec.26, 1722.

34. Resolved, in narration's never to speak anything but the pure and simple verity.

35. Resolved, whenever I so much question whether I have done my duty, as that my quiet and calm is thereby disturbed, to set it down, and also how the question was resolved. Dec. 18, 1722.

36. Resolved, never to speak evil of any, except I have some particular good call for it. Dec. 19, 1722.

37. Resolved, to inquire every night, as I am going to bed, wherein I have been negligent, what sin I have committed, and wherein I have denied myself: also at the end of every week, month and year. Dec.22 and 26, 1722.

38. Resolved, never to speak anything that is ridiculous, sportive, or matter of laughter on the Lord's day. Sabbath evening, Dec. 23, 1722.

39. Resolved, never to do anything that I so much question the lawfulness of, as that I intend, at the same time, to consider and examine afterwards, whether it be lawful or no; except I as much question the lawfulness of the omission.

40. Resolved, to inquire every night, before I go to bed, whether I have acted in the best way I possibly could, with respect to eating and drinking. Jan. 7, 1723.

Sunday Video

I have no problem admitting that most of us Americans are far too easily entertained. Our pop culture speaks to the lowest common denominator far too often. Take for instance the reality show, "America's Got Talent." Most of the winners are pop singers or dance groups. So I was embarrassed recently to come across this video from the winner of "Ukraine's Got Talent." This is so much more significant and thoughtful than anything likely to be seen on "America's Got Talent." This one isn't explicitly Christian, but it does speak to things deep within us. I commend it for your viewing amazement.

Jonathan Edwards Resolutions - Part Three

Here's the third part of Jonathan Edwards' resolutions - 21-30.

21. Resolved, never to do anything, which if I should see in another, I should count a just occasion to despise him for, or to think any way the more meanly of him.


22. Resolved, to endeavor to obtain for myself as much happiness, in the other world, as I possibly can, with all the power; might, vigor, and vehemence, yea violence, I am capable of, or can bring myself to exert, in any way that can be thought of.

23. Resolved, frequently to take some deliberate action, which seems most unlikely to be done, for the glory of God, and trace it back to the original intention, designs and ends of it; and if I find it not to be for God's glory, to repute it as a breach of the 4th Resolution.

24. Resolved, whenever I do any conspicuously evil action, to trace it back, till I come to the original cause; and then both carefully endeavor to do so no more, and to fight and pray with all my might against the original of it.

25. Resolved, to examine carefully, and constantly, what that one thing in me is, which causes me in the least to doubt of the love of God; and to direct all my forces against it.

26. Resolved, to cast away such things, as I find do abate my assurance.

27. Resolved, never willfully to omit anything, except the omission be for the glory of God; and frequently to examine my omissions.

28. Resolved, to study the Scriptures so steadily, constantly and frequently, as that I may find, and plainly perceive myself to grow in the knowledge of the same.

29. Resolved, never to count that a prayer, nor to let that pass as a prayer, nor that as a petition of a prayer, which is so made, that I cannot hope that God will answer it; nor that as a confession, which I cannot hope God will accept.

30. Resolved, to strive to my utmost every week to be brought higher in religion, and to a higher exercise of grace, than I was the week before.

Jonathan Edwards Resolutions - Part Two

Here are the next ten of the resolutions of Jonathan Edwards - 11-20.  21-30 tomorrow!

11. Resolved, when I think of any theorem in divinity to be solved, immediately to do what I can towards solving it, if circumstances don't hinder.


12. Resolved, if I take delight in it as a gratification of pride, or vanity, or on any such account, immediately to throw it by.

13. Resolved, to be endeavoring to find out fit objects of charity and liberality.

14. Resolved, never to do anything out of revenge.

15. Resolved, never to suffer the least motions of anger to irrational beings.

16. Resolved, never to speak evil of anyone, so that it shall tend to his dishonor, more or less, upon no account except for some real good.

17. Resolved, that I will live so as I shall wish I had done when I come to die.

18. Resolved, to live so at all times, as I think is best in my devout frames, and when I have clearest notions of things of the gospel, and another world.

19. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if I expected it would not be above an hour, before I should hear the last trump.

20. Resolved, to maintain the strictest temperance in eating and drinking.

Happy New Year!

Hey everyone (whoever "everyone" is)...

Happy New Year!

It seems like it was just a few weeks ago we were celebrating the dawn of a new millenium, and here we are ten years later!  It is hard to believe.  As the new decade lies before us, I wanted to encourage you to make your walk with the Lord a first place priority in your life.  Trust Him, and step out in faith every day.  Sure, its OK to make plans.  Just make sure those plans are secondary to what the Lord has planned for your life.  His word assures us he does have plans for us.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2:10 ESV

In light of this, and in celebration of the dawning of a new decade, for the next seven days I am going to be sharing the resolutions of Jonathan Edwards.  Edwards continues to be the most influential theologian to ever come out of the US, and his words continue to exhort, inspire, and encourage many around the world. 

Edwards didn't draft new resolutions every year.  Instead, he drafted one set of 70 resolutions and he revisited them every week over the duration of his life.  I'll be publishing these in sets of 10 over the next seven day.

I pray these will be challenging and encouraging to you in your walk with the Lord.

Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God's help, I do humbly entreat him by his grace to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will, for Christ's sake.


Remember to read over these Resolutions once a week.

1. Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God's glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriad's of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many and how great soever.

2. Resolved, to be continually endeavoring to find out some new invention and contrivance to promote the aforementioned things.

3. Resolved, if ever I shall fall and grow dull, so as to neglect to keep any part of these Resolutions, to repent of all I can remember, when I come to myself again.

4. Resolved, never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God; nor be, nor suffer it, if I can avoid it.

5. Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.

6. Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.

7. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.

8. Resolved, to act, in all respects, both speaking and doing, as if nobody had been so vile as I, and as if I had committed the same sins, or had the same infirmities or failings as others; and that I will let the knowledge of their failings promote nothing but shame in myself, and prove only an occasion of my confessing my own sins and misery to God.

9. Resolved, to think much on all occasions of my own dying, and of the common circumstances which attend death.

10. Resolved, when I feel pain, to think of the pains of martyrdom, and of hell.

11-20 tomorrow!