The Waiting Continues...

Well the waiting continues as I have not heard anything regarding my situation! My prayer (and I hope you will join me in praying for this) is that I will have a positive resolution by the end of this week. Regardless of what happens though, as I have mentioned repeatedly, I am relying wholly upon the Lord my God to carry me through all of this. You know how there are times when we begin to wonder how God even puts up with us? Well throughout this whole personal trial, I have learned that we are so blessed to have a God of infinite love for His elect! If I had to put up with someone like myself, and I had the power to cast them into hell...well all I can say is praise God that it is He who holds us in His hands! Amen? :)

My wife and I have held so many discussions about what the Lord wants us to learn from this trial that He has brought our way...and one thing I know He has taught us both is that there is so much comfort from knowing that everything is in His hands. The whole situation has made us see God at work in every part of our lives. No man may condemn me or justify me unless it is His will that it be done...therefore my only fear is that I fail to stand firm for His Truths in all of this. He is a Just and Perfect God and I will serve no other, by His grace!

I have been sharing lately how I am doing, and I reassure my reader(s) that I am well. Better, in fact, and oddly enough, than I have ever been in my life. Why is that? Because I am in the one place where I know I need to be...safely in His arms. Not only has He encouraged me through His recent merciful act, but also through His precious Word and through the love and support of friends and family. Furthermore, I have finally realized how important it is to let go of all selfish ambition and focus on the study of His Truth! However much time I have left upon this world, I want to make sure that I study hard so that I may teach others. Especially, I want to be able to lead my family according to His teachings. I want my sons to see me and know that I serve the True and Living God. May my actions never make a liar of my words...may my life always be an example to them...may they serve the Lord all the days of their lives. This last one, especially, is the one I pray for every day. Two of my sons are in their teens...facing the challenges that are common to men; God grant that when they emerge from this turbulent period of life, that their faith is strong, their character built up, and their hunger and thirst for righteousness ravenous! O what tears of joy my wife and I will shed to see them established as men of God!

As for my personal study, well I am reading through Song of Solomon so I don't know that I should really share very much! (ha ha!)

Okay, seriously though, I'm going to share from Ecclesiastes! I read this passage Saturday night and you will all recognize it because I think it's even been made into a song...

"To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted; a time to kill, And a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, And a time to laugh; a time to mourn, And a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones; a time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing; a time to gain, And a time to lose; a time to keep, And a time to throw away; a time to tear, And a time to sew; a time to keep silence, And a time to speak; a time to love, And a time to hate; a time of war, And a time of peace."
- Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

There is a time for everything...and there are periods in our lives when we will weep tears of pain and of frustration. This time is upon my family now, as it has been for the last few weeks. But o what a comfort to know that God is with me! What a comfort to know that He has a time for laughter in store for us! It may not be tomorrow, it may not be this week...but that time is coming when He will pick me up and hold me, and wipe away those tears. By His grace, I will never be the same as I was before I began to shed these tears. I will cling to my God all the days of my life!

"The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical" by Shane Claiborne

ISBN# 978-0-310-26630-3

This will be the last of my posts on this book...I have put it off long enough and I don't want to take advantage (more so than I already have!) of the person who lent me the book and asked for my opinion on it! :)

Anyhow, here goes:

Let me begin with a few quotes and some commentary...then I'll go ahead and say a few words regarding my final impression of this book:

"I remember when one of my colleagues said, "Shane, I am not a Christian anymore...I gave up Christianity in order to follow Jesus." Somehow, I knew what he meant." (pg. 71)

I don't know nor can I begin to even fathom why anyone who follows Christ would be ashamed of the title "Christian." To be known as a Christian is to identify yourself as a servant of Jesus who is the risen Christ. To be known as a Christian is to bear the name of our Lord and Savior...so to say one has given up Christianity to follow Jesus is inexcusably silly. Rather than witty it is foolish to make such a comment. Like it or not...we who follow Jesus, who acknowledge Him as our Lord, are Christians.

"I began to understand what it meant when the curtain of the temple was torn open and Jesus died on the cross. Not only was God redeeming that which was profane but God was setting all that was sacred free. Now God dwelled not behind the veil in the temple but in the eyes of the dying and the poor, in the ordinary and the mundane, in things like bread and wine, or chai and samosas. And wherever two or three of us come together in community, God is there among us." (pg. 80)

A phrase like this one above sounds all humble and caring, but it makes a mockery of what the Word of God actually says! And if we as Christians do not live our lives by what the Bible teaches then how do we dare to call ourselves by that name? If the Bible is not our authority...then what is? Understand this, everyone has an authority for the way they live their lives. And if there are those among us who claim to believe in Christ yet reject the only testimony we have regarding the Lord, then that leaves our own opinions as the source of authority. Hmmm...I think I'll keep on relying on the Bible, which is, after all, "living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12)

Aside from misusing Bible passages to fit into his own view of the world and his own personal opinions of what it means to be spiritual, Claiborne here makes blanket statements with no clarification. Sure, it sounds great to say God now dwells in the eyes of the poor and the dying...but what does the Word say? What if these poor and dying are not Christians? If we truly care for them, should we not feed them the only food that will save their souls while feeding their stomachs? Which is ultimately more important? And do not think here I am speaking out against feeding the poor...it's just that if we do it out of a sense of doing "good" but let them go on in spiritual darkness we have done nothing good at all! We may have made ourselves feel good but we have fed walking corpses unless we share the Gospel with them!

"In our culture of "seeker sensitivity" and radical inclusivity, the great temptation is to compromise the cost of discipleship in order to draw a larger crowd. With the most sincere hearts, we do not want to see anyone walk away from Jesus because of the discomfort of his cross, so we clip the claws on the Lion a little, we clean up a bit the bloody Passion we are called to follow. I think this is why the disciples react as they do. They protest in awe, "Who then can be saved?" ("Why must you make it so hard? We need some rich folks here, Jesus, we're trying to build a movement.") And yet Jesus lets him walk away." (pg. 104)

Ok...there is, granted, a lot of truth to some of what Claiborne has to say here; and indeed, the seeker sensitive attitude of some in the church is disgraceful for what they are willing to excuse in order to not offend anyone, but just as some in the church are guilty of clipping the claws of the Lion in order to not lose people...the other extreme is the one in which Claiborne hangs out, the "emergent" ones who are willing to deny doctrinal Truths in order to not offend anyone. The ones who cry out "love is all you need" but fail to explain why love is needed and don't even bother to bring anyone to the One true Lover!

Well I dont' want this to turn into a "Shane Claiborne is a bad man" type of review because after reading his book I think I might actually like this guy. He even reminds me somewhat of someone I know! But he would also drive me bonkers with his constant misuse of Scripture! :)

Overall, I think Mr. Caliborne has a good heart and wants to do the right thing. But leftist legalism is still legalism! This book is all about orthopraxy (right living) as a means of sanctification and is therefore a works oriented tradition as much as the "seeker sensitive" churches it rants against! And when orthopraxy is embraced while orthodoxy (right doctrine) is denied you end up with living rightly for the wrong reasons. And it's a sad reality that good people will end up in hell. People doing righteous deeds will one day be told by the King of Kings and Lord of Lords that He does not know them. Why is that? Maybe because orthopraxy must flow out of orthodoxy....or it is nothing but works. See the book of James if you don't believe me!

So my final impression?

Read the book if you are a Christian who is not on fire for the Lord. Read it and be challenged by all means...because it does bring up some good points. But don't make the mistake of thinking the answers provided are necessarily the right ones. For that, turn to your Bible. The Bible will challenge you even more than "Irresistible Revolution" ever will anyhow.

It's Not Over...But Much To Praise God About

Hello everyone:

I just want to post a quick update about my challenges. The Lord has answered prayer in a powerful way by opening a door for me and I have been so encouraged by it. Praise the Lord for His lovingkindess and His tender mercies! I have committed to memory Psalm 69:16-17 and it is such a joy to be reminded daily that He loves His people so much and even when He sends challenges our way He does it for our good and with those wonderful tender mercies in mind! I still, honestly, don't know what is in store for me but I feel like the Lord has been testing me and in His infinite wisdom has shown me through a recent event that even in the midst of anxiety, concern, and even occasional despair, that He loves us so much and will not burden us with more than we can possibly bear. How sweet it is to be in His loving care...to know we are the recipients of His lovingkindness....to know that even if the worst should come to pass, that He is my Father.

I have been reading from the Proverbs and I came across this gem in my morning reading:

"Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a bad tooth and a foot out of joint."
- Proverbs 25:19

Lucky for all of us who trust in the Lord...He is NOT an unfaithful man. We are unfaithful, and I think of myself here...for how often do I fail to live the life He has called me to live? How often do I choose the easy path of accomodation with the world rather than witnessing boldly of His grace and His love? Too often is my answer. Too often do I find myself reflecting on unworthy thoughts rather than on the precepts of His Word. But praise the Lord indeed that He is the great covenant keeper. If it were up to us we would long ago have doomed ourselves!

Well these are the rambling thoughts of yours truly...it is late but I wanted to give anyone who reads this a quick update. Continue to pray for me, please. And praise God for the wonderful way in which He is working in my life, in the life of my wife, and in the life of my children. The Lord bless you and keep you!

Enoch_Elijah

"Why We're Not Emergent (By Two Guys Who Should Be)" by Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck

ISBN 978-0-8024-5834-6

In this book, the Emergent church and many of its fallacies are challenged from a biblical perspective and they are found wanting...more on this later.

To begin with, however, I want to say that if I was to give this book a rating, I would give it an 8 out of a 10. I would have given it a 10 but, personally, I did not feel that the two authors were able to effectively mesh together their viewpoints. I would say that this book is more like two books in one! As far as recommendations go, I highly recommend the book, but mainly for the contributions of Kevin DeYoung. His chapters make the book worthwhile. You see, the authors took turns writing the chapters and it is clear in the reading that DeYoung is intent on giving a biblical analysis of the movement, whereas Ted Kluck seems almost confused. Perhaps that is unfair, but I went away from his chapters feeling like Kluck knew the emergent movement was wrong but boy does he think it is attractive and it's leaders brilliant! It reminded me of a married man who knows he should not be speaking flirtatiously with a woman but can't help himself 'cause she's so beautiful and physically enticing! Again, though, DeYound makes the book worth reading and his chapters are engaging, thoughtful, and well presented.

One of the main points which DeYoung addresses is the reluctance of emergent leaders to be straightforward about what they believe...how they question everything and make it seem like this questioning is a virtue...he says "I'ts one thing for a high school student to be in process with his theology. It's another thing for adults to write books and speak around the world about their musings and misgivings." (pg. 17) And this is in the introduction! :)

Later on in the introduction, DeYoung discusses how a number of emergent leaders, including Tony Jones, Doug Pagitt, Spencer Burke, Brian McLaren, and others, wrote an article in which they asserted that each spoke only for himself as an emergent and that they did not even "endorse everything said or written by one another." DeYoung responds as follows: "Fine. But if seven men get together to respond to their critics in one article, they should at least admit they not only share much common ground, but they are also some of the lead influencers (if we can't say spokespersons) in the conversation. Call it a friendship, or a network, or a web of relationships, but when people endorse one another's book and speak at the same conference and write on the same blogs, there is something of a discernible movement afoot." (pg. 18-19)

Some of the issues which DeYoung challenges the leaders in the emergent church movement about are the following:

Is it possible to know God?

Can we take a stand on anything?

Is doctrine important?

Is the Bible authoritative?

From my own ignorant perspective, these are questions I find troublesome in the sense that I cannot believe a professing Christian would ask...but DeYoung does more than be troubled by them. He responds to them. And he does a fine job in doing it. The following are quotes from throughout the book:

"The God of the Bible is nothing if He is not a God who speaks to His people. To be sure, none of us ever infinitely understand God in a nice, neat package of affirmations and denials, but we can know Him truly, both personally and propositionally. God can speak. He can use human language to communicate truth about Himself that is accurate and knowable, without ceasing to be God because we've somehow got Him all figured out." (pg. 37)

"...by saying the Bible is our foundation. We mean the Bible settles our disputes. "The Bible tells us what it true. Our thinking about God, ourselves, and the Word should start with the Bible and never contradict the Bible. In that sensed, what's so wrong with calling the Bible our foundation?" (pg. 81)

"Emergent leaders like to point out Paul's accommodating missional strategy among the Athenians at Mars Hill...[but] [a]fter Paul did his cultural engagement thing, he proclaimed the gospel in no uncertain terms...[t]he apostles never preached with the double-talk and ambiguity you find in so many emergent books." (pg. 109)

"I understand the emergent concern about living rightly in this life. That was a concern of Jesus. But why are heaven and hell as eternal destinations so routinely marginalized in emergent books? If heaven and hell are real and endure forever, as Jesus believed them to be, they ought to shape everything we do during our short time on earth." (pg. 186)

"...Christians on both sides [speaking of Republicans and Democrats] must be careful that the message of Jesus isn't over-identified with politics. Isn't this why the Religious Right is being chastised (sometimes fairly, sometimes unfairly)? American Christianity has at times sounded a lot like the platform of the GOP. Emergent leaders need to be careful they do not make the same mistake in the opposite direction. Emergent Christians shouldn't position themselves as the neutral middle ground when their concerns read like talking points of the Democratic National Committee..." (pg. 189)

One of my favorites quotes from the book:

"The main problem in the universe, according to many emergent writers, seems to be human suffering and brokenness. Make no mistake, suffering and brokenness are a result of the fall, but the main problem that needs to be dealt with is human sin and rebellion. Where pain and brokenness are the main problems, we need to learn to love ourselves. God is no longer a holy God angry with sin, who, in His great mercy, sent His Son to die on our behalf so that divine justice might be satisfied. God becomes a vulnerable lover who opens Himself up to hurt and rejection in order to be with us because we are worth dying for.

I have no doubt that this message will find a receptive audience, but it is not the message the apostles proclaimed and for which they died. Christians don't get killed for telling people that God believes in them and suffers like them and can heal their brokenness. They get killed for calling sinners to repentance and proclaiming faith in the crucified Son of God as the only means by which we who were enemies might be reconciled to God." (pg. 194-195)

This is just a sampling of the richness to be found in DeYoung's chapters. The book helped me better understand (I already had some serious concerns) why the emergent church movement is such a danger...though I say this only in the sense of it misleading the lost into a sense of false security, for despite all things, we know that the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ will endure unto the end. And our Lord will always raise up men like DeYoung to contend rigorously for the faith, as He has in every age.

I once pondered the question of who would succeed the giants who contend for the Truth in our own day and age...I wondered what would happen when we begin to lose men like MacArthur, Piper, Mohler, Zacharias, and others. Well I am now confident that there are young men out there who will step up and fill those places. I look forward to hearing more from Mr. Kevin DeYoung.

The Saga Continues

Well another week has begun and the matter before me has not come to an end. Truly the Lord is teaching me patience and reliance and complete trust in Him! :)

As I have mentioned before, I have been studying through the Psalms...well I finished on Sunday and today I started reading from Proverbs. In other reading, I have completed the book "Why We're Not Emergent" and have started reading "A Better Way" by Michael Horton. I hope to post my review of that first book by Wednesday evening, so keep an eye open for that one! :)

So how am I holding up? Pretty well actually. I realize that everything is out of my hands at this point, so I trust that those whom God has working for me will do their jobs well and that He will use them to bring all of this to a favorable resolution. And yet if this does NOT end favorably for myself...I am at peace about that too. How in the world I came to this place where I can say that without hesitation, I don't know actually, except that I must give the glory to God for the wonders of His Word and the comfort that the Spirit brings to us when we rely solely upon Him.

Today as I was out on a bike ride I was feeling somewhat down for a bit, thinking about how I have always sought to do right and how when I have sinned have been able to avoid habitual behaviors and turned away from my sin...not always immediately but usually pretty quickly! :)
Anyhow, I was pondering this and thinking how "unfair" it was for me to be experiencing all of this...how my reputation was on the line, my character, and my ability to provide for my family. And then I thought..."whoa, you need to stop this!" I was reminded, yet again, that "all things work together for good to those who love God..." Romans 8:28 I have often read that this is not something you should say to someone going through difficulites times. That it is insensitive. You know what I think? Hogwash! (yes i just said "hogwash"!)

If those of us who claim to be Believers cannot be comforted by the Word of our Lord, then we need to repent of our negative attitudes! These words from Romans have been, throughout this tribulation, the greatest comfort to me! I don't know why this is happening to me, but I know that He does. And what is more, I know that He is using this experience for my good. How, I don't know. But, again, He DOES know. Why should this not be a matter of comfort to Christians?

So there I am, riding my bike...puffing and sweating and close to death from the heat and exhaustion (okay I exaggerate a bit), when I realized something. The Lord WILL justify me in all of this one day. It may not be in this life, but one day I will stand before Him and know that He knows my heart in this matter. I pray that by then those responsible for bringing me to where I find myself have made their own peace with Him. That they have turned to Him in repentance for all of their sin and that they have indeed received forgiveness and that the grace of God has given them entry into His kingdom. I pray that I will be able to embrace them as my brethren in the Lord. Why? Two reasons. Most importantly so that He will receive the glory for their conversion. But also so that they can be spared the retribution that otherwise will await them.

So yes...I will be justified in the end. May God receive glory for this. And may my testimony stand strong before the shafts of the enemy.

The saga continues indeed...

A Response to the Tired Old Charge Against Calvinism

I was doing my evening survey of blogs when I came across this really cool one devoted to a defense of Calvinism. This website has an article on seven reasons why Calvinists evangelize. Read it! :)