Idolatry

I have been reading the book "Counterfeit Gods" by Tim Keller recently and it is kind of kicking my butt. The more I've read it the more I've realized my tendencies towards idolatry in areas where I didn't think I struggled. I am glad our God is a merciful and forgiving God!

I would like to post an excerpt from the book where he is dealing with "hidden idols in our lives." Specifically, Keller goes after different idols that we have in religion. For a wonderful example of not doing what Keller is warning against, please see Steven Bean's post from yesterday. Steve's post was filled with grace, humility, and a desire for God's truth to be honored; which I really respect and I am looking forward to reading that series.

"An idol is something that we look to for things that only God can give. Idolatry functions widely inside religious communities when doctrinal truth is elevated to the position of a false god. This occurs when people rely on the rightness of their doctrine for their standing with God rather than on God himself and his grace. It is a subtle but deadly mistake. The sign that you have slipped into this form of self-justification is that you become what the book of Proverbs calls a "scoffer". Scoffers always show contempt and disdain for opponents rather than graciousness. This is a sign that they do not see themselves as sinners saved by grace. Instead, their trust in the rightness of their views make them feel superior"."

Did God Cause the Fall of Man? A Response to Arminian Today Part 1

Theology matters. It matters because it is the study of God. It matters because all of human history is tied up with the true God of the universe. Within Christian theology there are several disputed doctrines. There is hardly a doctrine that is not vital for saving knowledge of the gospel that has not been debated by faithful Christian men and women.

However, the fact that theology matters and that debate is important in settling issues does not negate the fact that humility, grace, and love should be characteristic of those debates. My attempt in this series is not to be mean spirited or hateful but, rather, loving and honest.

Roy, who writes the blog Arminian Today, is a good Christian guy. I discovered his blog after he commented on Jason Lapp's blog and Jason told me I had to look it up. I found Roy to be a good writer with a high view of God and Scripture and a gracious and loving tone. One thing about the blog struck me as odd, it was Arminian. Many of you have probably never heard a positive definition of Arminianism. Most probably know it as "not Calvinism" which is a good start but not a fair summary. However, rather than using this post to define Arminianism for you I simply commend Arminian Today for your research. I agree with many of the things Roy writes and appreciate even the things with which I would respectfully disagree. The point I want to make is that I had never read an Arminian that writes so much like my Calvinist friends and influences. It's great! I hope that you will read Roy's writing with the same discernment I expect you to use when reading my writing (which should be a lot!).

My next three posts will be a response to his article, "Did God Cause the Fall of Man?" Please read my tone as loving and honest. I will occasionally say that I flat out disagree with his interpretation or use of particular passages of Scripture. That does not mean that I am trying to be hateful or mean, it simply means that I disagree with him. This is a true response to him because he is fully aware of it. I hope that he can get the time to read this and respond a little but I have told him that it is not expected of him because he has a lot on his plate right now.

The fall of man is described in Genesis 3 and Romans 5:12-21. This is important stuff because I am making the case that God predestined the very event that put this world in a tailspin of sin and death. However, I see the Bible as presenting a God that decrees this kind of world so that He can rescue it for His glory.

Here is how the series will go:
Part 2- God Predestined the Fall
Part 3- Did God "Cause" the Fall?
Part 3- The Demonstration of God's Love After the Fall

Please read Roy's article before reading my response.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

Ya just missed it!

Over the weekend my husband and i watched an incredible movie. Like most dramas, i was not interested but knew that once i saw it, i would be sorry i hadn't seen it sooner. I was correct. When the movie was over and a very important fact was revealed i wanted to watch it all over again. The movie...The Book of Eli with Denzel Washington. Now im not going to try and relate this movie to the gospel, far from it. And im not going to give the plot totally away, but i will say this...

Some catacalismic event has happened to the earth and populations are low. The "bad guy" send illiterate (yes, hardly anyone knows how to read) motorcycle gangs out to look for this book. Having the book will give him great power and make people do what he wants them to do. Guess what book he is looking for? You guessed it! The ONLY surviving copy of a King James Bible. Coincidentally Denzel aka Eli, has said book and is taking it somewhere that he believes he has to go to. I'll stop here to interject a few things.

1. You can gather from the movie that the bible is precious and very worthy to be protected. This is awesome but made me think seriously about how sad it would be if there were only 1 copy of God's work in the whold world and how often i forget to treasure the fact that i get the honor of carrying a bible with me everywhere i go.
2. At one point a scripture from Psalms is read aloud to someone and they are shocked at how beautiful and uplifting the words are. I would love to get back to that point. To be absolutely floored anytime i read in my bible.
3. the "bad guy" wanted to use this book to control people. It made me think how over time the name of christ has been dragged through the mud by people who wanted power and control and got it by falsely using God as a shield. I really don't like that.

Overall i was impressed with how the movie portrayed the bible as being such a good thing that was precious and worth fighting for.

What i did not like was when another character asked Eli what was so special about this book or why was is so meaningful to him. He replies "to do unto others as you would have done to you, that's what i got from it anyways" or some variation of that statement. WHAT?! Way to go Hollywood, once again you completely MISS what the gospel is about and just how truly precious the word of God is. No mention of Jesus, or the cross, nothing period!

I still enjoyed the movie, but what is the point of protecting God's word, and reading it everyday (because Eli did) if all you get from it is "do unto others...." yes that is a good point, but what about i am a sinner and i need a savior and the only chance of atonement i have is in christ? Huh hollywood, how about that for a movie?

grace and peace
sarah b.

The alter

This Sunday evening our pastor went through Psalm 26. The discussion over that passage was great and it was mentioned by our pastor how foul and amazing the alter must have been. Knowing how livestock smells and how an alter with multiple sacrifices would look like and smell like is quite discusting. And yet atonement is such a beautiful display of grace it makes you celebrate Christs sacrifice all the more. It brought this Spurgeon quote to mind.

Did it never strike you how the whole tabernacle must have been smeared with blood everywhere? Blood was on every side. The priest himself, when at his work, with garments on which showed every stain, must have looked as though all besmeared with gore. You could not look at his hands or at his vestments without seeing everywhere blood; indeed, when consecrated, he had blood on his ear, blood on his foot, blood on his hands; he could not be made a priest without it. The apostle says, “Almost everything under the law was sprinkled with blood.” It was blood, blood everywhere. Now, this could have been very far from a pleasant sight, except to the spiritual man who, as he looked at it, said, “What a holy God is the God of Israel!
How he hates sin! See, he will only permit sinners to approach him by the way of blood!” - Charles Spurgeon

Thoughts on the Salvation of Infants

Not too long ago I was asked about what happens to children and others who lack the mental capacity and/or awareness to believe in the gospel when they die. I also read a post from a blogger which criticized all those (which would include me) who don’t go as far as to say that absolutely every infant who dies goes to heaven without exception. In light of these things I thought it would be a good idea to repost some thoughts I had on the subject a while back. It doesn’t come to a total conclusion to the question but gives some known things from Scripture that can help guide one’s opinion:

1. When a person dies it is proof that they are guilty of sin. This is an unavoidable reality that there is no such thing as a truly innocent child before God.

2. There is Biblical reasoning to believe that God does not hold infants accountable in the same way that He holds one accountable who has not heard the gospel. Romans 1 is a clear indictment of all men whether they have heard the gospel or not. However, because Romans 1 focuses on creation and conscience it is reasonable to say that God may not hold infants accountable for their sin in the same way.

3. There are (though few) examples of the salvation of infants in the Bible. The first is in 2 Samuel 12 when David seems to indicate that his child who had just died would be in heaven. The second example is that John the Baptist was regenerate from the womb (Luke 1:15). These are not examples that should be taken universally but we can say that God seems to have saved infants in the past.

4. Jesus had much affection for Children and sought to protect them (see Matt. 18). Jesus loved to use children as an example of saving faith. The fact that children are unable to do much of anything apart from outside help is a great example of man's inability to come to God apart from the new birth. This is only helpful to us in knowing something about God, we cannot reach a conclusion based on this fact alone.

5. God is good and I trust Him. Was it man that first saw the need for salvation and devised a way for God to save us? Is man capable of coming to God on his own anymore than an infant? The answer to these questions is surely not. So I concede to God the right to decide what is most glorifying to Himself in this case.

The most important thing is that we cannot assume that God must save all infants. God is just to condemn any sinner. So ultimately we must say that we don't know if God saves all infants. People have their opinions and their interpretations of different Scriptures but the fact of the matter is that this is a gray area in Scriptures and we must cling to God's goodness and rightness in all things.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

churchy churches

I share another blog with some close girlfriends of mine where we can catch-up, vent, tell what good and bad things are going on in our lives and what prayer we need. its really refreshing and been such a blessing to still get to be a part of their lives even though we are all far away from each other.

Recently one of the gals posted on a church that her and her husband have been visiting and she was quite upset and saddened at the direction this pastor is taking his church. This pastor was really focused on "creating an environment"to bring people in and make them comfortable. I completely agree with her when she says that church is for believers and were christians go to be filled and gather together and grow, then we go out to make disciples. Please don't misunderstand, i am not in any way opposed to bringing the lost to church, but the service and programs don't need to be centered around making them happy, not hurting their feelings, or offending them. Services need to be centered around the gospel.

This pastor also talked about how he didn't like that christians have a "feed me" mentality and impersonated someone in a whiny voice, walking around all droopy and pathetic. What is pastors role if he isn't feeding his flock? I understand how some pastors get tired of people just coming to listen and be fed, but then don' t do anything which is a bad thing. But a pastor needs to be able to teach and feed the church members. there were a few other things that were bothersome, but it makes me realize that i dont' need to take my church and the teaching there for granted. and also that not every church is preaching the gospel. some churches are really just social justice projects cloaked with the "gospel" others fall under the all too common prosperity gospel and dont even mention sin and our need for the cross.

If you belong to a church that gives the whole gospel, be grateful and thank your pastor. If your searching for a church, be picky and find one that does give the whole gospel.

grace and peace
sarah

Does anybody know what Tim it is?

(This is no doubt the corniest title I've done. I'm not even going to justify it with artwork)

On my first time visiting the church I am a member of Timothy Allen was one of the last people that I met. I’m not exactly sure why but I was pretty sure that I wasn’t going to get along with him. Since then Tim has become a close friend and brother to me and continues to check in with me on my different aspects of life. Purity being the the foremost. He is always encouraging and wants to be right next to me if I’m going to go evangelize, pray, eat or get in trouble. He’s up for it all. If anyone in the church needs something he’s there. If there is an event going on he is there unless he has already promised that time to his wife.
As a guy who got married one week before him and am very close in age I’m blessed to have someone that God has placed around me like Tim. It might seem odd to randomly post about my friend but I believe that Godly men should be recognized not for what they have done but what God has done in them.
I enjoyed seeing how Tim has been given the opportunities just in the last year to be a leader at church, start seminary, buy a house and he and his wife are soon to have a new addition to the family. Please pray for Tim Allen of Little Rock... You can pray for the movie start too.

A lil Lewis

Most people, if they have really learned to look into their own hearts, would know that they do want, and want acutely, something that cannot be had in this world. There are all sorts of things in this world that offer to give it to you, but they never quite keep their promise.

The longings which arise in us when we first fall in love, or first think of some foreign country, or first take up some subject that excites us, are longings which no marriage, no travel, no learning, can really satisfy.

I am not now speaking of what would be ordinarily called unsuccessful marriages, or holidays, or learned careers. I am speaking of the best possible ones. There was something we have grasped at, in that first moment of longing, which just fades away in the reality. I think everyone knows what I mean. The wife may be a good wife, and the hotels and scenery may have been excellent, and chemistry may be a very interesting job: but something has evaded us.
-C. S. Lewis

The Role of Christians and Heterosexuals in the Overturning of Proposition 8 Part 2

Last week I discussed how changes in America’s understanding of gender contributed heavily to a federal judges ability to overturn California’s proposition to define marriage as being between a man and a woman. This week I want to move to a discussion on how divorce has also contributed.

The word divorce shows up 25 times in the ruling document, which is a little ironic seeing as how it is a ruling on marriage. Some quotes:

“Blankenhorn identified changes [in the institution of marriage] that to him signify the deinstitutionalization of marriage, including an increase in births outside of marriage and an increasing divorce rate.” (14)

“Blankenhorn identified several manifestations of deinstitutionalization: out-of-wedlock childbearing, rising divorce rates, the rise of non-marital cohabitation, increasing use of assistive reproductive technologies and marriage for same-sex couples.” (45)

“The development of no-fault divorce laws made it simpler for spouses to end marriages...” (64)

Before I begin much commentary let me say that divorce is a difficult subject in the Bible. Many Christians have differing views on when it is permissible and whether or not remarriage can occur. But let me be clear, divorce is a horrific but not unpardonable sin. I also realize that there are so many different stories of how divorce occurred, many of which amount to one person having no choice in the matter, I do not place blame on those people for being victimized in this way.

There is no question that divorce is prevalent in our society. It is not merely a fact of life, it is a lucrative business. Some have divorce parties, some go for the “quick and painless” route, while others acknowledge it as a probability by creating a document to protect their things in case they can’t protect their marriage.

As one who is getting married in just under a month, I’m terrified of divorce. I hate everything about it. A 0.111111% chance that I could end up divorced is too much for me to handle. In my mind it’s not an option, but I have heard enough stories to know that I have to fight for my marriage from the first day.

I think the liberal side of the so-called “homosexual marriage” debate is correct when they say that the institution of marriage is under as much attack by straight people than it is by homosexuals. Homosexuals didn’t create no-fault divorce, they haven’t forced us to divorce, and they certainly aren’t responsible for the fact that those who claim Christianity get divorced at nearly the same rate as everyone else. That’s on us. It doesn’t make so-called “homosexual marriage” right, it just makes their case look better.

So, like last week, allow me to give some biblical points on marriage and divorce to encourage you to hate it as much as our Lord does:

God created the institution of marriage.

"Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male
and female, and said, 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'?” (Matthew 19:4-5)

Divorce is the enemy of God’s purpose for marriage, namely, the display of the gospel in the relationship between husband and wife.

“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for
her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.” (Ephesians 5:25-27)

God has very harsh things to say about divorce.

“For the man who does not love his wife but divorces her, says the LORD,the God of Israel, covers his garment with violence, says the LORD of hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless.” (Malachi 2:16)

What do these texts tell us? I believe they tell us that God created marriage with an explicit purpose- one that cannot be fulfilled by so-called “homosexual marriage”- and that the act of divorce works against that purpose. Notice the harshness of the words in the last text I cited from Malachi. Many will look at this as being merely a hatred of an act, but we must accept the complex fact that God sees a man who has just divorced his wife like O.J. Simpson running from a crime scene. It’s not clean, it’s messy, and it’s selfish.

Thankfully there is another thing that God has to say to those who are divorced:

“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may
not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins…” (1 John
2:1-2a)

These things should encourage us to hate divorce but if you have been divorced you are still not beyond the reach of Christ’s love and grace. As unrighteous as we are Christ is still more righteous. So trust him, love his gospel, and love the display of the gospel that is biblical marriage.

Grace and Peace…

Cordially,
Stephen A. Bean

Dietrich Delights

I have been reading through Dietrich Bonhoeffer's The Cost of Discipleship, well im only on chapter 4, and it has been utterly delightful. Sometimes it is a bit difficult to understand, but good substance.

I came across this one quote that is talking about the call to discipleship, Bonhoeffer write:
"Peter knows he dare not climb out of the ship in his own strenth-his very first step would be his undoing. And so he cries, "Lord, bid me come to thee upon the waters," and Jesus answers: "Come." Christ must first call him, for the step can only be taken at his word. This call ishis grace, which calls him out of death into the new life of obedience. But when once Christ has called him, Peter has no alternative- he must leavethe ship and come to him. In the end, the first step of obedience proves to be an act of faith in the word of Christ."

Bonhoeffer's main point throughout this chapter is that obedience and faith go together. And its seen even from the above quote. Peter desires faith, and its given, and with that faith comes obedience. But i love the last line in that peters first step of obedience towards christ, my first step of obedience towards christ was an act of faith that didn't come from me, but from God.

Grace and peace
sarah b.

comforts over rated

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Mars Hill Church in Seattle had a blog post recently entitled "

You could have God! And you chose light beer."

This might seem weird for me to say I took much from the article but it was pretty good. There was one line that impaled through my gut that I've heard before but just passed it off. "We worship a Guy who dies in His early 30's. We may not live a long life." That phrase made me realize that Christ not only lived a perfect life but did have a live that was much shorter than I have alway hoped to live. Peter, James and John all had lives cut short and its because they were living a life spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul states the meaning of his life when he greets the church "¹Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, ²which he promised beforehand^E)"> through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, ³concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh ⁴and was declared to be the Son of God^I)"> in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, ⁵through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, ⁶including you who are ^N)"> called to belong to Jesus Christ,"

Why must I sit back back and read this and complain when my air conditioning isn't quite as fast as my neighbors? Don't get me wrong... I love technology, but lets face it, I have perfected the art of complaint and am in desperate need of speaking the Truth all the time to anyone one with ears.
Being Created for the glory of God and not for the pleasure of myself is hard to get over. And I tend to forget that is the case. I pray that I pursue a life of joy glorifyinf Christ rather than joy filling time for 30+ years.

1. I need thee every hour, most gracious Lord;
 no tender voice like thine can peace afford.
Refrain:
 I need thee, O I need thee;
 every hour I need thee;
 O bless me now, my Savior, I come to thee.

2. I need thee every hour; stay thou nearby;
 temptations lose their power when thou art nigh.
 (Refrain)

3. I need thee every hour, in joy or pain;
 come quickly and abide, or life is vain.
 (Refrain)

4. I need thee every hour; teach me thy will;
 and thy rich promises in me fulfill.
 (Refrain)

5. I need thee every hour, most Holy One;
 O make me thine indeed, thou blessed Son.
 (Refrain)

The Role of Christians and Heterosexuals in the Overturning of Proposition 8

“PROPOSITION 8 IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL BECAUSE IT DENIES PLAINTIFFS A FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT WITHOUT A LEGITIMATE (MUCH LESS COMPELLING)REASON”

This was the decision passed down by a federal judge in California on August 4th, 2010 which overturned the voters’ decision to define marriage as being between a man and a woman. When the law was initially passed there was a huge backlash from many social liberals, most prominently coming from Hollywood. Back in December of ’08 I wrote a response to the tone that was coming back at those who believe in a biblical view of marriage. (see Part 1, Part 2)

As I read the judges official statement I was surprised to find how easily I followed his logic (though I disagree with him on fundamental things that led to that logic). Setting aside the fact that he clearly has a bias that should have caused him to recuse himself from the decision, I felt like he has a good eye for how society has changed and he put together a very well written document. I would summarize the judges conclusion in this way:

Society has evolved in such a way that the only real difference between the genders is anatomical. Because marriage has never required the two parties to have the capacity of bearing children, and there is no difference in the roles of men and women in marriage, there is no reason to exclude homosexual couples from partaking in the institution.

Some quotes:

“The evidence shows that the movement of marriage away from a gendered institution and toward an institution free from state-mandated gender roles reflects an evolution in the understanding of gender rather than a change in marriage.” (113)

“As states moved to recognize the equality of the sexes, they eliminated laws and practices… that had made gender a proxy for a spouse’s role within a marriage.” (112)

“Rather, the exclusion exists as an artifact of a time when the genders were seen as having distinct roles in society and in marriage. That time has passed.” (113)

“Gender no longer forms an essential part of marriage; marriage under law is a union of equals.”
(113)

It is easy to see what the judge describes in American society. Complimentarianism- the view that men and women are equal in value but different in role- is now considered sexism. Egalitarianism- the view that men and women are equal in all things save some anatomical differences- is the norm. The latter view has infiltrated all areas of society including the home and the church.

In light of this let’s take a quick look at some important biblical truths:

Men and women are of equal worth in the sight of God.
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” (Gen. 1:27)

Men and women differ in their roles…

…in marriage
“…the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit everything to their husbands.” (Eph. 5:23-24)

…in the church
“Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior…and so train the young women to love their husbands and children…and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled…so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.” (Titus 2:3-8)

The attempt by men and women to reverse or exaggerate their roles is a result of the Fall.
“To the woman he said…Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you." (Gen. 3:16)

Next week I will discuss the role of divorce in this attempt to redefine marriage.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

Valley of Vision Prayer on Desires

O thou that hearest prayer,
Teach me to pray, I confess that in religious exercises the language of my lips and the feelings of my heart have not always agreed, that i have frequently taken carelessly upon my tongue a name never pronounced above without reverence and humility, that i have often desired things which would have injured me, that i have depreciated some of my chief mercies, that i have erred both on the side of my hopes and also of my fears, That i am unfit to choose for myself, for it is not in me to direct my steps.

Let thy Spirit help my infirmities, for i know not what to pray for as i ought. Let him produce in me wise desires by which i may ask right things, then i shall know thou hearest me. May i never be importunate for temporal blessings, but always refer them to thy fatherly goodness, for thou knowest what i need before i ask; May i never think i prosper unless my soul prospers, or that i am rich unless rich toward thee, or that i am wise unless wise unto salvation.

May I seek first thy kingdom and its righteousness. May i value things in relation to eternity. May my spiritual welfare be my chief solicitude. May i be poor, afflicted, despised and have thy blessing, rather than be successful in enterprise, or have more than my heart can wish, or be admired by my fellow-men, if thereby these things make me forget thee. May i regard the world as dreams, lies, vanities, vexation of spirit, and desire to depart from it. And may i seek my happiness in thy favour, image, presence, service.

A whole new way of seeing God

I read this this morning by Tim Keller and it changed what I was going to write. So this is Tim Keller on A whole new way of seeing God.


"But Christians are those who have adopted a whole new system of approach to God.
They may have had both religious phases and irreligious phases in their lives. But
they have come to see that their entire reason for both their irreligion and their
religion was essentially the same and essentially wrong! Christians come to see that
both their sins and their best deeds have all really been ways of avoiding Jesus as
savior. They come to see that Christianity is not fundamentally an invitation to get
more religious. A Christian comes to say: "though I have often failed to obey the moral
law, the deeper problem was why I was trying to obey it! Even my efforts to obey it has
been just a way of seeking to be my own savior. In that mindset, even if I obey or ask
for forgiveness, I am really resisting the gospel and setting myself up as Savior." To
"get the gospel" is turn from self-justification and rely on Jesus' record for a
relationship with God. The irreligious don't repent at all, and the religious only repent
of sins. But Christians also repent of their righteousness. That is the distinction
between the three groups--Christian, moralists (religious), and pragmatists
(irreligious).
Summary. Without a knowledge of our extreme sin, the payment of the cross seems
trivial and does not electrify or transform. But without a knowledge of Christ's
completely satisfying life and death, the knowledge of sin would crush us or move us
to deny and repress it. Take away either the knowledge of sin or the knowledge of
grace and people's lives not changed. They will be crushed by the moral law or run
from it angrily. So the gospel is not that we go from being irreligious to being
religious, but that we realize that our reasons for both our religiosity and our
irreligiosity were essentially the same and essentially wrong. We were seeking to be
our own Saviors and thereby keep control of our own life. When we trust in Christ as
our Redeemer, we turn from trusting either self-determination or self-denial for our
salvation--from either moralism or hedonism."

Lead Me to it Soon

O LORD,
I live here as a fish in a vessel of water, only enough to keep me alive,
but in heaven I shall swim in the ocean.
Here I have a little air in me to keep me breathing,
but there I shall have sweet and fresh gales;
Here I have a beam of sun to lighten my darkness,
a warm ray to keep me from freezing;
yonder I shall live in light and warmth for ever.

My natural desires are corrupt and misguided,
and it is thy mercy to destroy them;
my spiritual longings are of thy planting,
and thou wilt water and increase them;
Quicken my hunger and thirst after the realm above.

Here I can have the world,
there I shall have thee in Christ;
Here is a life of longing and prayer,
there is assurance without suspicion, asking without refusal;
here are gross comforts, more burden than benefit,
there is joy without sorrow,
comfort without suffering,
love without inconstancy,
rest without weariness.

Give me to know that heaven is all love, where the eye affects the heart,
and the continual viewing of thy beauty keeps the soul in continual transports of delight.

Give me to know that heaven is all peace, where error, pride, rebellion, passion raise no head.

Give me to know that heaven is all joy,
the end of believing, fasting, praying, mourning, humbling, watching, fearing, repining;

And lead me to it soon.

--From The Valley of Vision: "Earth and Heaven"

Tiger Woods, Michael Vick, Ted Haggard?

This article was originally written for Jason Lapp's blog last week. I thought it would be helpful here as well.

It is difficult to put into words the emotions I felt as I read about Ted Haggard’s return to leadership in the local church. This article gives a summary of why Haggard was forced to leave his position as President of the National Society of Evangelical as well as pastor of his church. In this post Jason has asked me to respond to the sad picture painted in the article.

First of all let me say that reconciliation and restoration are both major themes in the Bible. D.A. Carson writes, “At the heart of salvation lies reconciliation to the God who made us and under whose just judgment we lie.” If we are to believe that the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ is the central theme of the Bible, and that the gospel is where that glory is most vividly expressed, it isn’t hard to say that reconciliation is EVERYWHERE in the Bible.

Restoration, on the other hand, is one of many applications of the gospel. In 2 Corinthians 2:5-11 Paul encourages the Corinthians to restore someone (presumably the sexually immoral person he told them to discipline in 1 Corinthians). We also have the example of Paul in 2 Timothy 4:11, in which he affirms Mark as useful after previously having argued against him going with Paul and Barnabus on their second missionary journey because he deserted them on the first journey. This tells us that there isn’t a “one strike and you’re out” rule in ministry.

The fact is there are many variables when it comes to faithfully applying scripture to a situation. In this case I think it is wise to observe some of the facts found in the article and see if they line up with what we know from Scripture. I want to look at three things in particular: Haggard’s view on his own repentance, the circumstances of his return to ministry, and the vision for his future ministry.

When it comes to repentance often times actions speak louder than words. Repentance isn’t easy. In fact, I can’t see myself writing about Mr. Haggard if he were still outside the ministry dealing with these things even if he admitted it’s still a struggle. Instead we see Haggard returning to what he considers his calling after a short time away. The article paints a sort of then-and-now picture. After all of this happened Haggard is said to have taken responsibility and committed himself to what his church saw best for him. Now that he has returned to the pulpit (or stack of buckets) he says his past self “over repented…” This term alone should be enough to consider Haggard unfit for gospel ministry. To assume that over-repentance is possible is to say that our sin is less than infinite treason against a Holy God. To repent carries the idea of having a change of heart and mind causing you to turn from sin, there is no overdoing that. Of course, if Haggard is unwilling to recognize the weight of what he did four years ago that doesn’t make him four years removed from the problem, it puts him right where he was then, unfit for ministry.

As Haggard returns there are just as many new concerns as old ones. The first concern being, his old church didn’t ask him back and doesn’t want him back. Their words, “we cannot endorse his return to vocational ministry.” So we know it must not have been his former church that commissioned this new plant and there is no evidence that any other church is behind Haggard’s efforts. If this is the case Haggard is going outside of the biblical example for church planting. His reason? Not reaching a community that doesn’t have a healthy church but leading a church is what he wants to do. His explaination, "Tiger Woods needs to golf. Michael Vick needs to be playing football… Ted Haggard…needs to be leading a church." Mr. Haggard made an interesting choice of examples, but he misapplies the comparison. Tiger Woods and Michael Vick both did things that have very little to do with their profession. What Mr. Haggard has done is better compared to Pete Rose and Tim Donaghy, who disqualified themselves from what they “need to be doing.”

Unfortunately we don’t only see problems that got Haggard to this point, but it seems that he will be moving forward in the wrong direction. The article concludes by telling us how Haggard now has an Joe Anybody image with his congregation. He uses the word “hell” in a cooler way than most preachers and makes people feel comfortable talking about their sin. I’ll leave those individual issues for another day. The big problem is what’s missing, namely, a commitment to proclaiming the gospel. Not only is the gospel not there but it can’t be there. As long as Haggard ignores the gospel, goes rogue in his approach to church ministry, and considers sin to be no big deal, he won’t be able to have much to do with the gospel.

Please Lord save Ted Haggard and protect us from the same sad state that he is in.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen