“Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”
- 1 Corinthians 1:20-25
As I read this passage this evening I just had some thoughts I briefly wanted to share with my friends and family. As you know, we are commanded by the Lord to be witnesses for Him, to declare His Truth to the world around us. In doing so, I think we too often take upon ourselves a responsibility that is not ours…and that is the conversion of the lost. The task set before us is to call the nations to repentance, to share about Christ, how He came into the world for the sole purpose of dying on the cross that our sins would be forgiven. The Word tells us that it is God who will give the increase (1 Corinthians 3:6), so let us not torture ourselves over the response of the person…not that we should not care for if we love God we will love people. But our love for God is much greater than our love for people, and so when someone mocks our Lord, when someone rejects the offer of grace (freely doing so!), then we can continue to witness but it is not necessary for us to beat ourselves over the head about this…we did not fail. They have embraced the foolishness of this world and rejected as foolish the Truth of God. Again, you have not failed…IF you presented the Gospel.
Look to this passage and note how Paul clearly states that the preaching Christ crucified is a stumbling block!! What does this mean? It is offensive to them. It causes them to stumble…to trip over. It’s in their way! So go out and proclaim the truth of Christ crucified…do what we have been commanded to to…then get out of the way and let the Lord do His work.
God bless!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
"How Should I Live In This World?" by R.C. Sproul
No ISBN available
This work is actually a short 104 page booklet written by R.C. Sproul. As such, I had high hopes for this booklet and I was not disappointed. In it, Sprould tackles the issue of ethics and morality as it relates to being a Christian. Towards the end of the booklet he tackles the issues of abortion, warfare, the death penalty and others.
As usual, Sproul does an excellent job of taking us to the Word of God to address the issues that we encounter. What I really like, however, is that he does not subscribe to the cop-out I hear too often that if the Bible is silent on an issue then we can just follow our conscience. This is not to say that I don't think there are issues upon which we must do our best to follow what we feel is right, but on most issues this is not the case. As Sproul says, "God has not given us specific instructions for each and every possible ethical issue we face, but neither are we left to grope in the dark and to make our decisions on the basis of mere opinion." No indeed.
In any discussion of how we should live, of course, we come across the extremes of legalism and antinomianism. Trust me, I know. Anytime you talk about what the Bible says about how we should live our lives, you will have at least one person who accuses you of being legalistic. It does not matter how clear the passage is, this person will declare that you are forcing your views on someone, completely ignoring the actual definition of what legalism is! Sprould defines legalism as "concerned simply with external conformity and is blind to internal motivation." I would add that legalism is when you add to what the Bible says and require something of them the Bible does not require.
Anyhow, whenever someone accuses you of legalism, rest assured it is usually the antinomian in the group (unless, of course, you actually ARE being legalistic!).
Overall, the booklet is well worth the read, and you can probably finish it in an afternoon. It took me a little bit longer than that to read it but that was only because I overloaded myself with three other books at the same time! Don't make this mistake and you should be able to read it quickly! ;-)
This work is actually a short 104 page booklet written by R.C. Sproul. As such, I had high hopes for this booklet and I was not disappointed. In it, Sprould tackles the issue of ethics and morality as it relates to being a Christian. Towards the end of the booklet he tackles the issues of abortion, warfare, the death penalty and others.
As usual, Sproul does an excellent job of taking us to the Word of God to address the issues that we encounter. What I really like, however, is that he does not subscribe to the cop-out I hear too often that if the Bible is silent on an issue then we can just follow our conscience. This is not to say that I don't think there are issues upon which we must do our best to follow what we feel is right, but on most issues this is not the case. As Sproul says, "God has not given us specific instructions for each and every possible ethical issue we face, but neither are we left to grope in the dark and to make our decisions on the basis of mere opinion." No indeed.
In any discussion of how we should live, of course, we come across the extremes of legalism and antinomianism. Trust me, I know. Anytime you talk about what the Bible says about how we should live our lives, you will have at least one person who accuses you of being legalistic. It does not matter how clear the passage is, this person will declare that you are forcing your views on someone, completely ignoring the actual definition of what legalism is! Sprould defines legalism as "concerned simply with external conformity and is blind to internal motivation." I would add that legalism is when you add to what the Bible says and require something of them the Bible does not require.
Anyhow, whenever someone accuses you of legalism, rest assured it is usually the antinomian in the group (unless, of course, you actually ARE being legalistic!).
Overall, the booklet is well worth the read, and you can probably finish it in an afternoon. It took me a little bit longer than that to read it but that was only because I overloaded myself with three other books at the same time! Don't make this mistake and you should be able to read it quickly! ;-)
Friday, May 22, 2009
"The Case for Life: Equipping Christians to Engage the Culture" by Scott Klusendorf
ISBN 978-1-4335-0320-7
Have you ever had a conversation with a fellow Believer and the topic of abortion comes up? Have you then been shocked by their assertion that while they personally believe that abortion is wrong, they dare not question someone else’s choice to have an abortion?
Well Scott Klusendorf begins his book by introducing just this dialogue between two Christians…and the inability of the firmly pro-life Believer to respond adequately to the other. And just as the subtitle proclaims, this is the main thrust of this excellent book: to equip Believers not only to engage the culture but the confused and even false converts among us who still look at abortion as one of many options in family planning.
I myself have had many experiences in discussing this topic at work, where the majority are not Christians and among those who do profess Christ the majority even of them believe abortion is a constitutional right so sacrosanct we dare not tamper with it. Klusendorf, through this very valuable book, does indeed provide the rest of us with the information we need to combat this error.
One of the things I like most about this book is that the main theme keeps coming back to whether the baby in the womb is human or not…a question many (but not all) of those who are pro-abortion try to avoid. As Klusendorf insists, if the baby in the womb is not human, why do so many abortion rights supporters insist we need to focus on educating people on proper birth control so that we have less abortions rather than making the procedure illegal? If it is just tissue devoid of human value then who cares? Chapter 3 of his book focuses on the inherent value of humans…read it!
Throughout his book, Klusendorf combats many of the common arguments that the pro-abortionists use, including the most silly one of asserting that the Bible is silent on the issue of abortion and, even more foolishly, that the Bible condones abortion! As he responds in his book, this begs the question once again of whether the baby is human or not, because the Bible happens to frown upon the act of murder, and if the baby in the womb is human then guess what? That’s right…abortion is the act of murdering the baby! As for the Bible condoning abortion, such a misunderstanding of Scripture is common among those who use it for their own ends without actually believing it to be the Word of God!
Since this is a review I will share only one quote from the book and this from chapter 13 of the book, where Klusendorf takes on the argument that abortion should be permitted in the case of rape. He relates how he is commonly asked whether women who are impregnated during rape should be “forced” to carry the baby of their attacker to term. He says that the abortion crusader uses this particular argument only to score points:
“…He appeals to the hard case of rape, but his appeal is flawed because it is not entirely truthful.
Here’s why: The abortion-choice position he defends is not that abortion should be legal only when a woman is raped but that abortion is a fundamental right she can exercise for any reason she wants during all nine months of pregnancy. Instead of defending this position with facts and arguments, he disguises it with an emotional appeal to rape. But this will not make his case. The argument from rape, if successful at all, would only justify abortion in cases of sexual assault, not for any reason the woman deems fit. In fact, arguing for abortion-on-demand from the hard case of rape is like trying to argue for the elimination of all traffic laws because a person might have to break one rushing a loved one to the hospital. Proving an exception does not prove a rule.
To expose his smoke screen, I ask a question: “Okay, I’m going to grant for the sake of discussion that we keep abortion legal in case of rape. Will you join me in supporting legal restrictions on abortions done for socioeconomic reasons that, as studies on your side of the issue show, make up the overwhelming percentage of abortions?”
The answer is almost always no, to which I reply, “Then why did you bring up rape except to mislead us into thinking that you support abortion only in the hard cases?” (page 175)
Ultimately the response to the issue of rape takes us back to whether the child is human or not…because if the baby is human then why would we say it is ok to kill him or her because s/he reminds us of a painful event? Would it be okay to murder a 1 yr old child for the same reason? See how it all takes us back to the humanity of the child and what being human means?
Once again, this book is very valuable…and it keeps its promise! I say this because it truly serves as an excellent resource for equipping Believers to engage the culture and stand firmly against the murder of so many children. Interestingly enough, just this morning I read about a homeless woman in New Mexico who killed her 3 yr old child and buried him in a playground. Her reason for murdering her child is that “she did not want him to grow up with no one caring about him the same way that she had grown up…” (Read the whole story HERE)
As for the response from the authorities, an officer said that “[f]or a mother to kill her own child is unfathomable. Most people can't even imagine how you could even think about doing something like that.”
Interesting isn’t it? Kill your child in the womb and you are legally protected…kill him or her outside the womb and people are shocked.
So get your hands on this book…buy it or borrow it, but you have to read it because it will truly provide you with the information you need to defend your pro-life convictions. Hopefully it will also lead you to be more proactive in ending this wholesale slaughter of our children.
God bless!
Have you ever had a conversation with a fellow Believer and the topic of abortion comes up? Have you then been shocked by their assertion that while they personally believe that abortion is wrong, they dare not question someone else’s choice to have an abortion?
Well Scott Klusendorf begins his book by introducing just this dialogue between two Christians…and the inability of the firmly pro-life Believer to respond adequately to the other. And just as the subtitle proclaims, this is the main thrust of this excellent book: to equip Believers not only to engage the culture but the confused and even false converts among us who still look at abortion as one of many options in family planning.
I myself have had many experiences in discussing this topic at work, where the majority are not Christians and among those who do profess Christ the majority even of them believe abortion is a constitutional right so sacrosanct we dare not tamper with it. Klusendorf, through this very valuable book, does indeed provide the rest of us with the information we need to combat this error.
One of the things I like most about this book is that the main theme keeps coming back to whether the baby in the womb is human or not…a question many (but not all) of those who are pro-abortion try to avoid. As Klusendorf insists, if the baby in the womb is not human, why do so many abortion rights supporters insist we need to focus on educating people on proper birth control so that we have less abortions rather than making the procedure illegal? If it is just tissue devoid of human value then who cares? Chapter 3 of his book focuses on the inherent value of humans…read it!
Throughout his book, Klusendorf combats many of the common arguments that the pro-abortionists use, including the most silly one of asserting that the Bible is silent on the issue of abortion and, even more foolishly, that the Bible condones abortion! As he responds in his book, this begs the question once again of whether the baby is human or not, because the Bible happens to frown upon the act of murder, and if the baby in the womb is human then guess what? That’s right…abortion is the act of murdering the baby! As for the Bible condoning abortion, such a misunderstanding of Scripture is common among those who use it for their own ends without actually believing it to be the Word of God!
Since this is a review I will share only one quote from the book and this from chapter 13 of the book, where Klusendorf takes on the argument that abortion should be permitted in the case of rape. He relates how he is commonly asked whether women who are impregnated during rape should be “forced” to carry the baby of their attacker to term. He says that the abortion crusader uses this particular argument only to score points:
“…He appeals to the hard case of rape, but his appeal is flawed because it is not entirely truthful.
Here’s why: The abortion-choice position he defends is not that abortion should be legal only when a woman is raped but that abortion is a fundamental right she can exercise for any reason she wants during all nine months of pregnancy. Instead of defending this position with facts and arguments, he disguises it with an emotional appeal to rape. But this will not make his case. The argument from rape, if successful at all, would only justify abortion in cases of sexual assault, not for any reason the woman deems fit. In fact, arguing for abortion-on-demand from the hard case of rape is like trying to argue for the elimination of all traffic laws because a person might have to break one rushing a loved one to the hospital. Proving an exception does not prove a rule.
To expose his smoke screen, I ask a question: “Okay, I’m going to grant for the sake of discussion that we keep abortion legal in case of rape. Will you join me in supporting legal restrictions on abortions done for socioeconomic reasons that, as studies on your side of the issue show, make up the overwhelming percentage of abortions?”
The answer is almost always no, to which I reply, “Then why did you bring up rape except to mislead us into thinking that you support abortion only in the hard cases?” (page 175)
Ultimately the response to the issue of rape takes us back to whether the child is human or not…because if the baby is human then why would we say it is ok to kill him or her because s/he reminds us of a painful event? Would it be okay to murder a 1 yr old child for the same reason? See how it all takes us back to the humanity of the child and what being human means?
Once again, this book is very valuable…and it keeps its promise! I say this because it truly serves as an excellent resource for equipping Believers to engage the culture and stand firmly against the murder of so many children. Interestingly enough, just this morning I read about a homeless woman in New Mexico who killed her 3 yr old child and buried him in a playground. Her reason for murdering her child is that “she did not want him to grow up with no one caring about him the same way that she had grown up…” (Read the whole story HERE)
As for the response from the authorities, an officer said that “[f]or a mother to kill her own child is unfathomable. Most people can't even imagine how you could even think about doing something like that.”
Interesting isn’t it? Kill your child in the womb and you are legally protected…kill him or her outside the womb and people are shocked.
So get your hands on this book…buy it or borrow it, but you have to read it because it will truly provide you with the information you need to defend your pro-life convictions. Hopefully it will also lead you to be more proactive in ending this wholesale slaughter of our children.
God bless!
Monday, May 11, 2009
Quotable
"People tell me judge not lest ye be judged. I always tell them, twist not scripture lest ye be like satan.”
I love this quote by Paul Washer! How many times have you heard the "judge not" quote thrown at you when you are trying to exhort someone or when you happen to mention that what they are doing is, quite frankly, unbiblical. It seems to me that this response is more often than not thrown at one by someone who is resentful that you would dare try and point out their biblically indefensible comment, action, or whatever!
Anyhow, if you don't know who Paul Washer is, look him up on YouTube or at his ministry. He is an awesome preacher.
I love this quote by Paul Washer! How many times have you heard the "judge not" quote thrown at you when you are trying to exhort someone or when you happen to mention that what they are doing is, quite frankly, unbiblical. It seems to me that this response is more often than not thrown at one by someone who is resentful that you would dare try and point out their biblically indefensible comment, action, or whatever!
Anyhow, if you don't know who Paul Washer is, look him up on YouTube or at his ministry. He is an awesome preacher.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Exodus 14:10-12
Here we pick up with the approach of Pharaoh's army.
Think about this:
The people of Israel had been led by a pillar of cloud and fire...God made manifest in their midst, and what is their response when the first challenge comes their way?
They turn on their deliverer! They fail the test.
As we have seen, God had worked many miracles among them, they had seen His power used against the might of Egypt, and He had spared them from the Angel of Death, but still the people are overwhelmed by their apparent fate.
Before we become too involved in chastising them, however, let us remember that we are often just as pig-headed and rebellious as they!
How often has the Lord delivered us from trials?
And how often do we become despondent when new trials appear? Do we not also forget that God will see us through our resent trials just as easily as He did the others? Do we not also lack faith?
Why did Israel react as they did? Why do we?
Do you not suppose it was because rather than keeping focused upon the Lord, the Israelites gaze at the approaching danger and were overcome by their fear.
Read Matthew 14: 22-31
Isn’t this the same thing happening here? Peter, so long as he kept focused on the Lord, walked on the water, but when he began to look around, he lost confidence and began to sink.
Let us remember then to always remain focused on the Lord.
Exodus 14:10 goes on to say that the people were very afraid, and that they cried out to the Lord.
Realize this:
It is good for the Lord’s people to turn to Him in times of distress, if they do so in humbleness and with trust in His strength.
But when it is in bitterness and accusation, then sin has entered the picture. As we see in the next verses, this was the attitude of Israel.
We too should turn in repentance and humility before the Lord when we realize we have brought false accusations before the Lord. And we need to examine our attitude towards God, making sure we always approach Him with reverence and respect.
vs. 11)
Recall that God had told His people they would worship Him before Mount Horeb, how then could the people think for a moment that He would allow them to be destroyed when they had still not done so?
Or, why would God save them from destruction in Egypt and then lead them directly to their deaths in the wilderness?
What is the weakness revealed here?
Frankly, where there is no faith and trust, the promises of God seem empty!
Brothers and sisters...we are not promised an ideal, restful life. We will be tested...and if we are truly His, then we will remain in Him until the end!
Vs. 12)
This verse shows us something more of the character of Israel and also of ourselves.
What do the people say?
They prefer to serve Egypt rather than the Lord because they figure that at least then they had some semblance of life. Foolishly, they forget their true situation in Egypt, where they were slaves and their lives were at the whim of their masters...
Here, then, we see that Israel is trapped before the Red Sea, and apparently at the mercy of Egypt. Destruction or enslavement is at hand.
Who would rationally believe escape possible?
What Israel forgot, however, and what we too often forget as well, is that God fights His people’s battles! And who can stand against the Lord?
Nobody! We will see this in our next study!
God bless!
Think about this:
The people of Israel had been led by a pillar of cloud and fire...God made manifest in their midst, and what is their response when the first challenge comes their way?
They turn on their deliverer! They fail the test.
As we have seen, God had worked many miracles among them, they had seen His power used against the might of Egypt, and He had spared them from the Angel of Death, but still the people are overwhelmed by their apparent fate.
Before we become too involved in chastising them, however, let us remember that we are often just as pig-headed and rebellious as they!
How often has the Lord delivered us from trials?
And how often do we become despondent when new trials appear? Do we not also forget that God will see us through our resent trials just as easily as He did the others? Do we not also lack faith?
Why did Israel react as they did? Why do we?
Do you not suppose it was because rather than keeping focused upon the Lord, the Israelites gaze at the approaching danger and were overcome by their fear.
Read Matthew 14: 22-31
Isn’t this the same thing happening here? Peter, so long as he kept focused on the Lord, walked on the water, but when he began to look around, he lost confidence and began to sink.
Let us remember then to always remain focused on the Lord.
Exodus 14:10 goes on to say that the people were very afraid, and that they cried out to the Lord.
Realize this:
It is good for the Lord’s people to turn to Him in times of distress, if they do so in humbleness and with trust in His strength.
But when it is in bitterness and accusation, then sin has entered the picture. As we see in the next verses, this was the attitude of Israel.
We too should turn in repentance and humility before the Lord when we realize we have brought false accusations before the Lord. And we need to examine our attitude towards God, making sure we always approach Him with reverence and respect.
vs. 11)
Recall that God had told His people they would worship Him before Mount Horeb, how then could the people think for a moment that He would allow them to be destroyed when they had still not done so?
Or, why would God save them from destruction in Egypt and then lead them directly to their deaths in the wilderness?
What is the weakness revealed here?
Frankly, where there is no faith and trust, the promises of God seem empty!
Brothers and sisters...we are not promised an ideal, restful life. We will be tested...and if we are truly His, then we will remain in Him until the end!
Vs. 12)
This verse shows us something more of the character of Israel and also of ourselves.
What do the people say?
They prefer to serve Egypt rather than the Lord because they figure that at least then they had some semblance of life. Foolishly, they forget their true situation in Egypt, where they were slaves and their lives were at the whim of their masters...
Here, then, we see that Israel is trapped before the Red Sea, and apparently at the mercy of Egypt. Destruction or enslavement is at hand.
Who would rationally believe escape possible?
What Israel forgot, however, and what we too often forget as well, is that God fights His people’s battles! And who can stand against the Lord?
Nobody! We will see this in our next study!
God bless!
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Quotable
I found this quote online today and I loved it so much I had to grab it and post it on here. :)
I agree with the sentiment...but if it's a bee, I'm sorry but my wife is gonna face it, not me!
If there is a sound downstairs during the night and it might be a burglar, you don’t say to her, “This is an egalitarian marriage, so it’s your turn to go check it out. I went last time.” And I mean that–even if your wife has a black belt in karate. After you’ve tried to deter him, she may finish off the burglar with one good kick to the solar plexus. But you’d better be unconscious on the floor, or you’re no man.
- John Piper, This Momentary Marriage
I agree with the sentiment...but if it's a bee, I'm sorry but my wife is gonna face it, not me!
If there is a sound downstairs during the night and it might be a burglar, you don’t say to her, “This is an egalitarian marriage, so it’s your turn to go check it out. I went last time.” And I mean that–even if your wife has a black belt in karate. After you’ve tried to deter him, she may finish off the burglar with one good kick to the solar plexus. But you’d better be unconscious on the floor, or you’re no man.
- John Piper, This Momentary Marriage
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