Less Sand: The Fruit of a Storm

Sometimes I think in photoshop. Here is what has been going on in my mind:

Things are good. The sun is shining. There is sand beneath your feet. You are learning about the Hand that upholds you, but you hope to know Him more...


Then a storm comes. The rain is beating down. The wind is blowing. The sand beneath your feet is swirling. And you feel like the bottom is falling out. Where is the Hand you have been learning about?


It's not until the storm ends that you see the Hand was there the whole time. But some of the sand that used to be below your feet is gone. And you are more aware of the Hand than you have ever been before...

The storm is weathered. There is less sand between you and the Hand. Could it be that the Hand used the storm to draw you closer to Himself?

DL Moody?

When I visited Southern Baptist Theological Seminary over my Christmas vacation I took this picture:

Initially I thought it was pretty sweet to see DL Moody's graduation picture from Southern. I didn't know that DL Moody went to Southern. Well, this one did.

However, I was thinking about this picture today and I sensed that this picture was far too recent to be the actual DL Moody. I wikipediaed Moody and found that he died in 1899. This is the Southern graduating class of 1958. So who is this guy? Is he related to DL Moody? I found a family tree going through DL Moody's grandkids, but part of it was cut off and I could not tell if that was the case. Am I missing something here?

Does anyone know who this DL Moody is?

A Metaphorical Safari

Watch this outrageous video.

This is how I am watching it:

Baby Water Buffalo: You/Me
Lions: Sin
Alligator: Satan/the World
Herd of Water Buffalo: The Body of Christ/the means which God uses to encourage and protect us



Praise God for the Body of Christ!

Resolution 1: What does it mean?

It was suggested to me that I include a 21st century interpretation of the Resolutions of Jonathan Edward that I post on a weekly basis. If I miss the mark on any one of the resolutions please correct me or include your own input. And hopefully some beneficial discussion will ensue.

First, Edwards resolves to "do whatsoever I think to be most to God's glory." I think this piece is the fundamental basis for the rest of the resolution. And then he resolves to seek "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." This is all founded on God's glory. The greatest good that we can seek and the greatest profit and pleasure that we can desire will come when we strive to glorify God in all that we do and when we understand that the only good, the only profit, and the only pleasure there is comes through Christ.

Secondly, Edwards resolves to "do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general." Again, this is placed squarely on the glory of God. Our duty is to glorify God. This will benefit every area of our lives, including our interactions with others.

Finally, there is a resolution to keep the resolutions.

I see this first resolution firmly founded in the Great Commandment. And the second resolution founded in the second greatest commandment. Both are found in Matthew 22:34-40.

Resolution 1

In 1722 Jonathan Edwards made some resolutions. Seventy in fact. They are big. I am planning to meditate on one each week and post it. And "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." Those were Edwards' words, not mine. But I am going to adopt them. So here is resolution #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.

Too Much Culture

Ever wonder what would happen if the culture had a larger impact on a church than Scripture? Well, it happened in a big way at Mars Hill Bible Church. Jeff Robinson posted his findings at theresurgence.com in an article entitled Engaged by the Culture: Michigan Megachurch Goes Egalitarian.

Mark Driscoll addresses the danger of cultural issues permeating Biblical Principles in this video. Check it out.

Unemployed, But More Like Christ

It was a rough day.

Two weeks ago I interviewed for a job. A job that I was supposed to get. No problem. That's what I thought and that was the problem.

My certainty was my pride. I prayed about the job, but presumptuously. I was qualified, over-qualified even, from a worldly standpoint at least.

When I found out that I had not been selected for the job, I was surprised.

Then I thought to myself, "God has something better. Probably higher pay, more flexibility, or something fabulous." Hmmm.

Let's take that thought and break it down. "God has something better." Indeed that is true. "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).

But what about the higher pay, more flexibility, something fabulous part? Well, it may not work that way. Jesus says, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:19-21). Yeah. I can work with that. But now combine the two notions.

What does God have that is better? Jesus Christ. What is my treasure? Jesus Christ. Not money. Not flexibility. Not fabulous earthly stuff. "For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, in order that He may be the firstborn among many brothers" (Romans 8:29). That's better.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts." -Isaiah 55:8-9

"Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, 'You shall be holy, for I am holy.'" -1 Peter 1:13-16

I guess that I needed to be reminded of these things and humbled. What I think is best, may not be the best. I can pray for higher pay and more flexibility. If I ask for bread, will God give me a stone? Or a fish, will I get a serpent? Of course not! But if I ask for a stone or a serpent, and God's ways and thoughts are higher than mine and He always works for my good, then I will always receive bread and fish. It may not be what I want initially, but I will trust that it is best.

I need to be more like Christ and less like the world and if it takes not getting a job to rid me of my self-reliance that is keeping from being more like Christ, then so be it.

Globalization and the Gospel

We live in a world that is shrinking at an exponential rate. Global communication is becoming easier and easier. Many countries are becoming economically interdependent. Institutions, like the European Union, are making an effort to unite an entire continent, asking states to respond to a higher authority without domination by an authoritarian regime. With all of these things going on, how should Christians respond?

I think that there are two general responses that followers of Christ can choose from.

1. Isolate ourselves
2. Use opportunities for the sake of the Gospel

You can see where this is going. I just had a conversation with my mother about the state that the world is in. She asked if I was seeing things that would make me think that Christ's return was imminent. She was obviously referring to things that she had been hearing about globalization.

Here is the response to the question that I think is wrong: Yes. Christ's return is imminent. Globalization is a sign of it. I will not engage the world in any capacity and essentially isolate myself from the world.

Here is the proper response: Yes. Christ's return is imminent. Globalization may be a sign of it. Now is the time to act. Use the tools that are in place through the global communication process to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ. Send God-glorifying emails. Make God-glorifying websites. Write God-glorifying blogs. Do God-glorifying business in the global marketplace. Learn about other nations that you have the ability to communicate with like never before and communicate with them in a God-glorifying way.

Now, there will be objections to these things I am sure. For example: As Christians it is wrong to engage the world by the means of global communication, primarily the internet. This is because the internet makes pornography available and is a tool used by terrorists. I disagree heartily with this logic. If this is the argument then we must do away with all forms of communication all the way down to the post office. Pornography and anthrax both can be sent through the mail, but would we be so quick to do away with this service? The internet, as a communications platform, is no different. Very few people would probably make an argument against the post office, a means by which potentially carried Scripture from Paul's hand to his church-plants in the Roman Empire.

Globalization, or "international integration" in its literal sense, is important and glorifying to God. "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19)... The Gospel is meant to be integrated into all nations.

Saul as Adam, David as Christ

"For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous." -Romans 5:19

When the people of Israel demanded a king, they got one. And because of Saul the people added to their sins. Samuel says this in 1 Sam. 12:19, "Pray for you servants to the LORD your God, that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for ourselves a king." Nevertheless God was faithful. Verse 22 says, "For the LORD will not forsake His people, for His great name's sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you a people for Himself." Despite this Saul's disobedience did not end there. Saul acted rashly on several occasions, blatantly defying the commands of the Lord. In chapter 14 of 1 Samuel, Saul makes a vow that the people of Israel will not eat until Saul had vengeance on the Philistines. The Israelites had victory over the Philistines, but were so hungry that they slaughtered and began eating the Philistine livestock with the blood in opposition to the law. Verse 33: "Behold the people are sinning against the LORD by eating with the blood." Saul's disobedience caused many to sin.

But while Saul was disobedient, David was obedient. When God called David to fight Goliath he did and ascribed all of his power and victory to the Lord, resting on the Lord's faithfulness, not his own ambitions.

When David delivered Israel the first time it was in a way that none would have anticipated. A boy, a sling, and five stones. When Christ delivered us, He did it without military might or supernatural force. He did it with a humble death in the most despicable of circumstances. How many expected that?

"Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
as in obeying the voice of the LORD?
Behold, to obey is better tan sacrifice,
and to listen than the fat of rams." -1 Samuel 15:22

An Important Conversation

Last fall I attended the 2007 Desiring God National Conference. Twice over the weekend the speakers sat down and answered questions that were immediately relevant to the theme of the conference, Stand: A Call for the Endurance of the Saints. It was a time marked by transparency and humility and had an immense impact on the way that I view ministry.

Below is a clip from the first of the two conversations. John Piper and John MacArthur answered questions from Justin Taylor. You can also view both conversations in their entirety as well as the rest of the sessions at desiringGod.org.



You will notice that there is nothing earth-shattering about what either man said. However, they were, and still are, faithful to the fundamental principles of Scripture and God has grown their ministries. It is encouraging to my heart to hear faithful servants attribute their success in ministry, not to a magic formula that they applied to their situation or to doing all the right things, but to the faithfulness of God.

I Love My Future Wife

New ESV Study Bible

There is a new ESV Study Bible coming out in October. Take a look at it.

I also wanted to compile some resources related to the English Standard Version. They have been helpful in making the case for the ESV in my mind.

1. ESV.org
2. John Piper: Good English with Mimimal Translation
3. Mark Driscoll: Pastoral Reflections on Bible Translations
4. Ligonier Ministries: About the English Standard Version Translation
5. Endorsements for the Reformation Study Bible (ESV)