Here is some good reading...
http://www.churchleadership.org/articles_view.asp?articleid=62487&columnid=4544
JE
Friday, December 31, 2010
Thursday, December 30, 2010
A Christianity That Offends (Pt. 3)
Lately, I have been considering repentance: its definition and place in the gospel presentation. My motivation for this "consideration" is threefold: (1) what better way to spend my time than to think about the gospel? (2) the Bible discusses repentance and (3) I have observed a disturbing lack of "repentance teaching" in recent sermons, messages, and books.
There seems to be a grouping of Christians who speak of repentance as if it is an intense sorrow over one's sin. Just read an assortment of Bible commentaries/dictionaries, and you will see this perspective. I could probably place someone such as Paul Washer into this category as well (based on some things that I have heard him say, I believe that he would define repentance in this way). From this perspective, true salvation requires both faith and repentance. Of course, an adequate definition of repentance is required, and it seems to me that they define it as an acknowledgement and sorrow of sin.
This perspective is often viewed as the "fundamentalist" understanding of repentance. In an effort to distance themselves from "fundamentalism," many Christians seem to eliminate an adequate discussion of repentance from the gospel. This is the reason, I suppose, for why I have observed so few sermons and messages that include repentance in their gospel presentation (if there is a gospel presentation).
In my studies I have arrived at some conclusions regarding what I believe the Bible says about repentance. I think that the "fundamentalist" understanding is inadequate (it falls short) in light of what the Bible says, and the response to the "fundamentalists" that has taken place is downright dangerous: to think that we can preach the Word of God without the gospel is wrong. I will elaborate on all of this in my next post.
Here is an interesting quote from Dr. Howard Hendricks: "If you find a perfect church, don't join it... you will ruin it."
Humbly Submitted,
JE
There seems to be a grouping of Christians who speak of repentance as if it is an intense sorrow over one's sin. Just read an assortment of Bible commentaries/dictionaries, and you will see this perspective. I could probably place someone such as Paul Washer into this category as well (based on some things that I have heard him say, I believe that he would define repentance in this way). From this perspective, true salvation requires both faith and repentance. Of course, an adequate definition of repentance is required, and it seems to me that they define it as an acknowledgement and sorrow of sin.
This perspective is often viewed as the "fundamentalist" understanding of repentance. In an effort to distance themselves from "fundamentalism," many Christians seem to eliminate an adequate discussion of repentance from the gospel. This is the reason, I suppose, for why I have observed so few sermons and messages that include repentance in their gospel presentation (if there is a gospel presentation).
In my studies I have arrived at some conclusions regarding what I believe the Bible says about repentance. I think that the "fundamentalist" understanding is inadequate (it falls short) in light of what the Bible says, and the response to the "fundamentalists" that has taken place is downright dangerous: to think that we can preach the Word of God without the gospel is wrong. I will elaborate on all of this in my next post.
Here is an interesting quote from Dr. Howard Hendricks: "If you find a perfect church, don't join it... you will ruin it."
Humbly Submitted,
JE
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Christmas
"Heavenly Father, thank you for not leaving us (the human race) to find truth on our own. We would never arrive because we are inherently sinful which means that we have no choice but to follow the way of darkness. Today, and everyday, is a wonderful opportunity to thank You for revealing Yourself to us through the Word of God, Your Son."
"And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth... For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him." (John 1: 14, 16-18)
For all you Greek scholars out there, the Greek word for "explained" is exegeomai from which we get the word "exegesis." Jesus explained the Father perfectly... we see Jesus, we see the Father.
JE
"And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth... For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him." (John 1: 14, 16-18)
For all you Greek scholars out there, the Greek word for "explained" is exegeomai from which we get the word "exegesis." Jesus explained the Father perfectly... we see Jesus, we see the Father.
JE
Friday, December 24, 2010
A Christianity That Offends (Pt. 2)
How must I relay truth to those around me? Here is what Paul said in Acts 20: 18b-21, 24: "You yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials which came upon me through the plots of the Jews; how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house, solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ... But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God."
I don't know about you, but I see a lot in this passage to study and discuss, but I want to highlight a few things right now. First, Paul did not shrink from testifying! As he said in II Timothy 1:7, "God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline." Second, he testified with humility and boldness. What did Paul testify to those around him? He testified of repentance and the gospel.
I will define repentance in future posts, and I also desire to discuss the gospel: what it is and its centrality to all that we say and do as Christians.
Quote of the day: "It is plain that no man can arrive at the true knowledge of himself, without having first contemplated the Divine Character, and then descended to the consideration of his own." - John Calvin
JE
I don't know about you, but I see a lot in this passage to study and discuss, but I want to highlight a few things right now. First, Paul did not shrink from testifying! As he said in II Timothy 1:7, "God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline." Second, he testified with humility and boldness. What did Paul testify to those around him? He testified of repentance and the gospel.
I will define repentance in future posts, and I also desire to discuss the gospel: what it is and its centrality to all that we say and do as Christians.
Quote of the day: "It is plain that no man can arrive at the true knowledge of himself, without having first contemplated the Divine Character, and then descended to the consideration of his own." - John Calvin
JE
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Egyptian Funnies
Here's a joke: "An Egyptian man (Khaled) is driving with an American friend (Kyle) in the United States. Khaled drives right through a red light to which Kyle yells out, 'What are you doing, man? You are supposed to stop at a red light!' Khaled calmly responds, "I'm an Egyptian... that is how we drive." Kyle raises his eyebrows and turns back to his seat with a sigh. As they approach the next traffic light, the light turns green. To Kyle's surprise Khaled slows down practically to a stop. "What's going on? The light's green, why don't you just continue on through the intersection?" Khaled responds with the simple explanation: "Well my brother, there may be an Egyptian driver coming the other way."
Whenever I hear my father tell this joke, about all I can do is crack a wry smile. However, Egyptians absolutely love it! Young and old alike, they all roar with laughter. It think it must be because they can relate to "Khaled" in the story. I end up laughing right with them... more because of their reaction than the joke itself!
Below is a picture that was taken from our car on the drive from the Pyramids. Three things to note: (1) the camels in the back of the truck on the left; (2) the garbage bags in the back of the truck on the right; (3) the garbage truck straddling the lanes... this is a common driving technique in this country!
JE
Whenever I hear my father tell this joke, about all I can do is crack a wry smile. However, Egyptians absolutely love it! Young and old alike, they all roar with laughter. It think it must be because they can relate to "Khaled" in the story. I end up laughing right with them... more because of their reaction than the joke itself!
Below is a picture that was taken from our car on the drive from the Pyramids. Three things to note: (1) the camels in the back of the truck on the left; (2) the garbage bags in the back of the truck on the right; (3) the garbage truck straddling the lanes... this is a common driving technique in this country!
JE
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
A Christianity That Offends (Pt. 1)
In John 6 we see that Jesus had acquired a large crowd of followers. He had just fed a multitude of 5,000 men (plus women and children) and had walked on water. Needless to say, he was a pretty popular guy!
It was at this time that Jesus said some curious things: "I am the bread of life... I have come down from heaven... This is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day."
Think for a moment of the claims that were made right there! Based on the context of John 6, to say, "I am the bread of life" was to say, "I am from God and will give life to the world." Please do not lose the significance of this statement and what it would have meant for the Jews who were listening to Jesus.
If I place myself as a Jew who listened to Jesus that day, I cannot imagine what I would have been thinking... "Wait a minute, did this man really just say that he is from God?" "He cannot be the eternal bread that gives life?" "Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know?" "How can he say that everyone who believes in him will be raised up in the last day... only God can say that!"
In the ensuing passage, Jesus explained to the congregation (they were in a synagogue) that He offers Himself to the world as the manna that will not lead to death, but to life. He said: "This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever."
As the world would understand it, the response of the crowd was not positive. In fact, they grumbled: "'This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it?' As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore."
Interestingly enough, Jesus did not appear to be upset by the sudden decline in His popularity ratings. He made no change to His message and made no new promises. This seems to be characteristic of how Jesus dealt with those whom He interacted with while He was on earth. He did not entrust Himself to men because He knew the fickleness of their hearts, and that the truth could not be changed to fit the desires of man.
How do I as a Christian relate truth to the world around me? How does the church as a whole? Are we afraid to offend? I think that the greatest fear that I have as a Christian is the fear of offending others with the truth... the truth that Christianity is demanding. It demands repentance. In my future posts, I plan to develop the biblical concept of repentance a bit further.
"There is a common, worldly, kind of Christianity in this day, which many have, and think they have enough - a cheap Christianity which offends nobody, and requires no sacrifice - which costs nothing, and is worth nothing." - J.C. Ryle
JE
It was at this time that Jesus said some curious things: "I am the bread of life... I have come down from heaven... This is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day."
Think for a moment of the claims that were made right there! Based on the context of John 6, to say, "I am the bread of life" was to say, "I am from God and will give life to the world." Please do not lose the significance of this statement and what it would have meant for the Jews who were listening to Jesus.
If I place myself as a Jew who listened to Jesus that day, I cannot imagine what I would have been thinking... "Wait a minute, did this man really just say that he is from God?" "He cannot be the eternal bread that gives life?" "Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know?" "How can he say that everyone who believes in him will be raised up in the last day... only God can say that!"
In the ensuing passage, Jesus explained to the congregation (they were in a synagogue) that He offers Himself to the world as the manna that will not lead to death, but to life. He said: "This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever."
As the world would understand it, the response of the crowd was not positive. In fact, they grumbled: "'This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it?' As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore."
Interestingly enough, Jesus did not appear to be upset by the sudden decline in His popularity ratings. He made no change to His message and made no new promises. This seems to be characteristic of how Jesus dealt with those whom He interacted with while He was on earth. He did not entrust Himself to men because He knew the fickleness of their hearts, and that the truth could not be changed to fit the desires of man.
How do I as a Christian relate truth to the world around me? How does the church as a whole? Are we afraid to offend? I think that the greatest fear that I have as a Christian is the fear of offending others with the truth... the truth that Christianity is demanding. It demands repentance. In my future posts, I plan to develop the biblical concept of repentance a bit further.
"There is a common, worldly, kind of Christianity in this day, which many have, and think they have enough - a cheap Christianity which offends nobody, and requires no sacrifice - which costs nothing, and is worth nothing." - J.C. Ryle
JE
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Egyptian Politics
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11961685
The above link is to a very interesting article that discusses some of the aftermath of the Egyptian elections that took place earlier this month. I think that Shadi Hamid had some interesting things to say... some things that I had been thinking about as I followed the election. See what you think...
JE
The above link is to a very interesting article that discusses some of the aftermath of the Egyptian elections that took place earlier this month. I think that Shadi Hamid had some interesting things to say... some things that I had been thinking about as I followed the election. See what you think...
JE
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Hello There!
Greetings! I suppose I am now a blogger! Up to this point, I have resisted the idea of ever blogging because I always viewed bloggers as individuals who just enjoyed hearing themselves talk! I have found however, that it can be fun and useful to see what things other people think are fun and useful. so I am going to give it a try! This will not be a place for me to spout off about what I am doing at the moment... you can ask me through other forms of communication if you must know what I am doing and how I feel about it!
On this blog, you will see a variety of topics. I love to converse about ideas... ideas that are relevant to my life or the lives of my family and friends. I have a tendency to really mull over an issue before letting it go, so consistent readers will probably observe many common themes in my posts that will hopefully build on each other! Many of the the posts will be quite ridiculous I am sure, so don't take everything I say too seriously. Hopefully you will understand my sarcastic humor (it can be a bit subtle at times).
"Faithful are the wounds of a friend..." so I welcome any feedback, criticism, or disagreement. I also greatly appreciate agreement! If you have any comments, questions, or answers, please feel free to comment on the blog or to me in person. I may be burdened to show you the error of your ways (I am always right... don't say you weren't warned!), but that is not to say that we cannot conduct a civil discussion.
To celebrate this first post, and the fact that Lord willing I will be home soon, here is my favorite quote from one of my favorite "quotables," Samuel Johnson: "To be happy at home is the ultimate result of all ambition, the end to which every enterprise and labor tends, and of which every desire prompts the prosecution."
JE
On this blog, you will see a variety of topics. I love to converse about ideas... ideas that are relevant to my life or the lives of my family and friends. I have a tendency to really mull over an issue before letting it go, so consistent readers will probably observe many common themes in my posts that will hopefully build on each other! Many of the the posts will be quite ridiculous I am sure, so don't take everything I say too seriously. Hopefully you will understand my sarcastic humor (it can be a bit subtle at times).
"Faithful are the wounds of a friend..." so I welcome any feedback, criticism, or disagreement. I also greatly appreciate agreement! If you have any comments, questions, or answers, please feel free to comment on the blog or to me in person. I may be burdened to show you the error of your ways (I am always right... don't say you weren't warned!), but that is not to say that we cannot conduct a civil discussion.
To celebrate this first post, and the fact that Lord willing I will be home soon, here is my favorite quote from one of my favorite "quotables," Samuel Johnson: "To be happy at home is the ultimate result of all ambition, the end to which every enterprise and labor tends, and of which every desire prompts the prosecution."
JE
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