Cream of blog 12.18.09
December 18, 2009
The Sweet Dropper has been silent about 10 days, as a trip to Belize has hindered my blogging. Here are a few blog entries worth your time.
- Gene Edward Veith comments on findings of The Pew Forum, which reports that Americans are becoming increasingly syncretistic in their religious views and practices.
- Tim Keller on how to deal with criticism, and how John Newton has helped him respond in godly ways.
- Justin Taylor with resources on helping men gain victories in the battle against lust.
- CCEF has posted Tim Lane’s pamphlet Family Feuds: How to Respond–great teaching and equipping for Christmas family gatherings and the conflicts that go with them.
Cream of blog 12.01.09
December 1, 2009
A few blog posts worth reading…
Carson on basic questions
November 17, 2009
Below are three brief videos from Dr. Don Carson on three basic questions:
- How do we know God exists?
- How can God allow suffering and evil in the world?
- How can God be loving and still send people to hell?
These videos are part of an excellent series called A Passion for Life.
DEH
November 10, 2009
A brother in Christ here told his daughter’s suitor, “I’ll give my blessing to your marriage…but you must promise me this: that you will never stop courting her.” He is a wise father, and one who practices what he preaches with his own wife. Cultivating marital oneness with your spouse requires ongoing effort. I’m a fellow struggler in this effort, but I’d love to share with you a helpful way to think about it and plan for it, courtesy of Focus on the Family’s Young Married blog:
You can remember it with the acronym DEH. Our counselors (a seasoned married couple with grown children) urged us to attempt to incorporate DEH into our marriage. D is for date. Have a date once a week. This can be discussion over coffee after a church service or popcorn and a movie at home after the kids have gone to bed.
E is for event. Plan one monthly. Spouses may trade off planning events. This might be a hike and picnic lunch on a Saturday afternoon, going to a play together or enjoying a nice dinner out. An event should feel special and intentional.
H is for happening. A happening takes place, generally, once a quarter. A happening can range from a weekend away at a bed and breakfast to a road trip to a nice vacation.
Of course, DEH is a rule of thumb. There will be times when finances, children and other life circumstances hinder living out DEH. But at those times, it’s helpful to still aspire to the formula. Maybe a happening looks like spending the night at a local hotel while friends watch the baby. DEH is just a tool. The important thing is to make dates with your mate a priority.
Creeds, confessions, catechisms
November 10, 2009
Sunday morning I was teaching the first meeting of a new members’ class. We discussed the value of creeds (such as the Apostles’ Creed or the Nicene Creed) and confessions (such as the Westminster Confession of Faith) and catechisms (such as the Westminster Larger and Shorter Catechisms or the Heidelberg Catechism). This discussion took place as I was emphasizing one of our non-negotiable commitments as a church–that the Bible is entirely true. But if we believe the Bible is true, then why have these summations of biblical doctrine? Do they not undermine the authority and sufficiency of the Bible? Remember a couple of things:
- A biblical creed or confession is like the small booklet you get when you want to get a driver’s license (my firstborn is taking the test today). To take the test you are not required to go the courthouse and study all the traffic and liability laws. The booklet helps you. Now the difference, of course, is obvious. Once you get your driver’s license, you never want to go read the state codes. But in living as followers of Christ, the Bible is always more engaging and interesting than the credal summaries. The skeletal structure provided by creeds and confessions needs the muscles and flesh and blood of living, active faith.
- Creeds, confessions and catechisms make it plain for all to see what it is that we believe and what points of biblical teaching we believe are most important. I told the class, “If you read the Westminster Confession of Faith, you have the basic sketch of the theology that I’m going to preach and teach. Don’t expect me to surprise you.” I preach Jesus Christ and him crucified, and the creeds and confessions fill in what I mean when I say “Jesus Christ.” John Mark Reynolds makes a great point on this in a recent post from Scriptorium Daily:
Yesterday I was asked about the value of Creeds like those of Nicaea. My interlocutor was insistent, “What if I love Jesus? What is the point of a Creed? Doesn’t it get in the way of my love for the Lord?”
The problem with this idea is that even in daily life it is easy to love the “wrong” person. Too often I build up a Fantasy Hope and then love not the wife I actually have, but a wife that exists only in my head.
This is such a bad thing that I must be thankful for anything, however painful, that jars me back to reality.
I want to love Hope not my false ideas about her! If I say I love Hope, but my ideas about her do not correspond to the Hope next to me, then my love has been misplaced.
This is even easier to do when it comes to God, since my motivations for fooling myself are so much greater.
The Creed, which is based on Sacred Scriptures, tells us which Jesus to love. When you love the God pointed out in the Nicaean Creed, you know you have found the right God. Your love is hopeful and not in vain. You are not worshipping the Jesus of Your Head or the God of the Movies instead of the God of the Bible!
The Creed is so harsh and exclusive, because if you make the error they are anathematizing you for worshiping a different God. If you say you love Jesus, but you end up loving Jesus of Hacienda Heights (I once met, name tag and all, the Jesus of Disneyland), that is not going to cut it.
Of course meeting the right Jesus is not enough, you have to love Him and accept Him as your Lord and Redeemer, but at least if you are Creedal, that you are talking to the right God.
If on the other hand, you are trust Jesus of Hacienda Heights, you are doomed no matter how sincere you might be. If you worship a Jesus who is not fully God, did not come in the flesh, or a Jesus who has one nature, then you might know someone like Jesus, but you don’t know the Lord.
That is a bad idea.
Sweet counsel 10.29.09
October 29, 2009
RETREAT
Preaching way off in Tennessee: This weekend I have privilege of being the speaker at a family retreat for Riveroaks Reformed Presbyterian Church in Germantown, Tennessee. The retreat will be held at Camp NaCoMe, which is somewhere in the hinterlands of rural middle Tennessee. Their associate pastor, Rev. Ford Williams, was the pastor of Grace Presbyterian Church in Starkville for part of the time that Judy and I were students at Mississippi State. Ford and I serve currently serve together on the Mississippi Joint Committee for Campus Work. Please remember to pray for the Palmertrees as we travel and as I preach in the worship times from the gospel of Luke. We will be driving back Sunday afternoon–not sure that we’ll be back in time for Evening Worship at FPC.
REMIND
Faith Promise deadline: Sunday, November 1 is the preferred deadline for Faith Promise cards. Of course, we will accept them after that date, but your Mission Committee needs to know the totals to make plans for support. As of Sunday, October 25, the totals were discouraging: pledges were 51% lower than 2009 pledges. The number of cards is roughly the same (39), but about a dozen of those are children participating in the Two Cans for the World Faith Promise drive, so their pledges are probably quite low. This seems to be an area where the economic downturn is hitting us hard. Maybe for some of us, Faith Promise has never been much about faith in previous years; after all, we had the extra money to give anyway. This year might be the first time that trusting God to provide will be an essential element. Please consider what God might have to commit under his gracious provision. In Faith Promise giving, you take a step of faith in seeking for God to provide what you pledge to give toward missions. When Faith Promise drops, then your Mission Committee must make decisions to end support for missionaries and/or reduce support for all our missionaries. Your participation in this “missions mutual fund” is an important investment.
Third Mill: Many of you have commented on how enthusiastic you are about Third Millennium Ministries, the ministry founded by Dr. Richard Pratt which is working to make seminary education available to all the world for free. Their website contains an amazing collection of resources. You should check it out at www.thirdmill.org.
REMEMBER
Happy birthday, John Calvin: This year marks the 500th anniversary of the birth of John Calvin, the Genevan reformer, preacher and theologian. Do you find yourself wondering why we mention his name often, yet you’re not sure you want to pick up his Institutes of the Christian Religion and actually read them? Wasn’t he mean and autocratic? Wasn’t he just a one-note theologian who kept harping on predestination? FPC has the great opportunity to hear one of our favorite theologians and preachers talk about one of our favorite theologians and preachers. On Wednesday, November 18, we will have as our special guest Dr. Derek Thomas, who will speak on Why John Calvin Matters. Dr. Thomas has been speaking all over the world this year at various conferences being held in observance of the 500th anniversary. Dr. Thomas’ address will take the place of our ordinary Wednesday Night Connection electives for adults and youth that night.
There is certainly more to Calvin than predestination. He gives us invaluable insight into the nature of biblical revelation, the Trinity, and Christ in his offices of Prophet, Priest and King. His teaching on salvation through union with Christ and the gift of ‘double grace’ in him is especially helpful. What he has to say on living the Christian life is full of practical wisdom. In the words of Dr. Thomas, Calvin’s “disciplined style, his determination never to speculate, his utter submission to Bible words as God’s words, his concern to be as practical as possible: godly living was his aim and not theology for the sake of it; these are some of the factors that make him a giant in the gallery of faithful expositors of Scripture.”
First Wednesday in November: November’s first Wednesday will be the last women’s study in The Prodigal God in the Jackson Room. As always, Men’s Forum will meet in the Mary Thornton Room.
RECONNECT
During November we will have a First Things seminar. First Things is a basics of healthy Christian living and prospective new members’ class. There will be a lot of give-and-take and discussion. Going through the class does not obligate you to join FPC. The format this time is as follows:
- Sunday, November 8 during Sunday School (9:45-10:30 am) in room C-405 (the PDS 5th grade classroom…take a left at the glass gym doors).
- Sunday, November 15 during Sunday School (9:45-10:30 am) in room C-405.
- Saturday, November 21 (TBA–will include food!).
Anyone can join in (even long-time members who would like refresher course).
REACH
ROH: The last Reaching Out at Home meeting in September was well-attended and full of ideas about reaching people we can reach close by. The next meeting will be held Sunday, November 15, right after Evening Worship.
Peru trip: A few slots remain for next summer’s Peru mission trip, July 2-10. If you are interested in going, you need to talk with Grant Carroll right away.
Lowthers almost there: Our friend Roger Lowther, who is raising support to go to Japan with MTW, writes, “Our prayers are being answered! We only need 11 more people willing to support us at $100 per month! Many have already responded with pledges totaling $800 per month. We are so very grateful for you and for God’s provision in spite of our lack of faith. Let me restate why we are raising this money. Without your help we will not be able to live in downtown Tokyo with the new church plant with which we will be involved. Excitement for this church plant is building. This month’s ‘Japan Harvest,’ the English publication for all pastors and missionaries in Japan printed a feature article about it, including the front cover picture. Thought you might like to read it: http://www.believinginjapan.com/wp-content/uploads/JH-article.pdf Please continue to pray with us THIS WEEK that God would provide.
Cream of blog: 29 September 2009
September 29, 2009
- Explore the Chuck Colson Center for Christian Worldview, a vast library of print and audio media files from Colson and many others.
- From Gene Edward Veith’s blog, a glimpse at where the debate about gay marriage is heading for some–the abolition of marriage itself.
- Also from Veith, thoughts concerning the Christian origins of health care as we know it in the West. (Atheists are fond of claiming that Christianity is a toxic presence in the history of civilization.)
- Actions steps for anxiety from Tullian Tchividjian.
- A review of Paul Miller’s A Praying Life from Coram Deo, Omaha, Nebraska.
Jesus unplugged study guides available
September 9, 2009
Jesus Unplugged sermon series study guide is available. I have put together an introduction and week one study guide for personal, family and group discussion for the new sermon series, Jesus unplugged. You can download it in pdf format here. Every week or so we’ll post the next guide on www.fpckosciusko.org. This is an experiment in bringing the weekly preaching ministry into closer contact with our lives. The weekly study guide contains Scripture readings, a summary of the passage on which I will preach, questions for further thought and discussion, and daily suggestions on how to engage your children with the story and truths in the passage. Give it a try.
I owe a debt of gratitude to the brethren at Mars Hill Church in Seattle, Washington, who have been doing these kinds of study guides for 5 or 6 years now. Their excellent work has been something of template for me. If it blesses our folks and doesn’t kill me, we’ll keep ‘em coming.
Focused prayer for the Mulsim world
September 3, 2009
Last year in our prayer meeting we spent a portion of time praying for the power of the Gospel to reach mightily into the Muslim world. 30-Days International (www.30-days.net) produces the “30-Days of Prayer for the Muslim World” Christian prayer guide coinciding with the Islamic holy month of Ramadan each year.
The origin of this international prayer network came about as a group of Christian leaders were praying during a meeting in the Middle East in April 1992. God put a burden on the hearts of these men and women to call as many Christians as possible to pray for the Muslim world. The annual, worldwide, 30-Days Muslim prayer focus gives Christians the opportunity to learn about Islam and pray for Muslims during Ramadan (Islam’s important annual month of fasting and religious observance).
Each year a new prayer guide booklet is published in a number of languages and locations around the world. The booklet is illustrated and contains daily readings with prayer points and informative background articles focusing on the Muslim world. Check out the site’s resources and join in praying for light of Christ to shine into darkness of Islam.
Depression: a stubborn darkness
August 6, 2009
Dr Ed Welch, of CCEF (Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation), shares the story of his father’s depression and some thoughts on how to think biblically about depression. Dr. Welch’s new book Depression: A Stubborn Darkness–Light for the Path is available at Westminster Bookstore. You can also read the first few pages of chapter one.
