Before getting married to my wonderful wife (who also happens to be a sinner), I went out to visit her brother and his family in Colorado. I had never met them before, but we had a great time getting to know one another during my visit. As family often does, he had some questions for me--to make sure that I wasn't some wierdo about to marry his sister (I'm not sure he was satisfied :) ). One night, as we were driving in the car, Jen's brother asked me what I thought were the top 3 areas of doctrine / theology that mattered in getting married.
My #1 answer--what I believe is the most important area of doctrine and theology for marriage....was the doctrine of SIN.
Sin isn't something we like to talk about much anymore. But it's something the Bible says a whole heck of a lot about. And ignoring the reality of sin is like trying to treat cancer by pretending it doesn't exist.
Honestly, if there is one doctrine that the church needs to recover and preach...it's a healthy doctrine of sin. I believe that if we are accurate in diagnosing sin as the source of every human problem and helping people to see their sin and confess it, we will witness the gospel taking hold in hearts more powerfully and effectually. All of this is the work of the Spirit, of course--but we still have a responsibility to make sure the message of sin and the remedy provided in the gospel is clear.
That said... I'm excited about a new book coming out this summer. It's by a guy named Dave Harvey and it's called "When Sinners Say I Do: Discovering the Power of the Gospel for Marriage". You can't order it yet (it hasn't come out) but it should be out soon.
The message of the book is one that I've found helpful in my own marriage: we all marry sinners. Jen and I are constantly reminded of this reality. It may sound funny to say that, but if we ignore the reality of sin, we are going to be running in circles trying to find "solutions" to fix each other. There are a million books on marriage that try to offer solutions that focus on communication techniques or more creativity or whatever you can think of to try and spice up a relationship.
Now I recognize that every marriage is different. And I'm not trying to knock the million books out there that offer tips and techniques. Many of them are very good and practical. But the one reality that is true for every person in every marriage is that we are sinners. And since God's answer to our sin is the gospel, EVERY marriage needs to discover the power of the gospel and EVERY marriage needs to learn to apply the gospel to the struggles and joys of that relationship. We can learn communication techniques and all sorts of other things that can help us in many, many ways--but only the gospel gets at the source of all our problems--SIN!
Anyway...I haven't read the book yet (obviously) but will hopefully pick it up when it is released. In the meantime, if you want to listen to a message on the topic by the author, there should be a link somewhere on this blog.
By God's grace, these two sinners will hopefully be able to learn to communicate God's grace to each other...and in a few weeks to a new member of the family! That's my hope and prayer.
Friday, June 29
When Sinners Say "I Do"
We All Need Reminders
Here is your semi-annual review of common grammatical errors. Yes, I was an English major, and I do appreciate it when people make an effort to write well (i.e. grammatically correct).
That said...I agree with the writer of this blog, that most writing is done in an informal style and it's not a big deal if we ignore some of the more formal rules. I, for one, tend to use the ellipsis frequently (which is a big no-no). But...who cares?
Enjoy!
Wednesday, June 27
Safety and Tolerance
I appreciated this recent article by Brett McCracken on two new movies: Evan Almighty and A Mighty Heart.
McCracken makes the point that both of these movies reflect a cultural embrace of tolerance in a way that negates any mention of "bad" stuff like God's wrath or the evils of terrorism.
For example, the new movie Evan Almighty (which I admit I have not seen) is a modern day retelling of the story of Noah. In an interview before the film's release, the director (a professed Christian) made the statement that "the Ark story naturally appeals to everyone".
Are we reading the same Bible?
When I read the story of Noah, it's not what I would call "appealing". If anything, it serves as a reminder that I should not presume on the mercy of God. It's a story about the evil of the human heart, about God's righteous wrath against our sin, about his willingness to judge and destroy the entire human race if he has to. And yes, it is above all a reminder of God's grace to us in Noah (and in Christ). But it's not about tolerant, good-willed, nice-feeling love toward one another. It's not a fable to inspire us to good deeds. It's a serious reminder that God hates sin and will do whatever justice demands to punish us for our evil unless we turn to his mercy in Christ.
Of course, nothing of God's wrath or hatred of evil comes out in the movie. It is more about being nice to people and working together for good. Let's just make sure we're clear on one thing.
That's not the story of Noah. It's a Hollywood movie.
Anyway...check out the article.
Monday, June 25
Book Sale
In case you hadn't heard...all books at Desiring God Ministries are on sale this Wednesday and Thursday for $5 each. These include all of the books written by John Piper, as well as some books that he has contributed to and some other gems.
Check it out!
Tuesday, June 19
NeoWorx Visitor Map
I almost forgot to mention this, but there is a neat little feature on my sidebar now. It's the little map of the earth with the phrase "Neo Earth" on the bottom. Basically, it keeps track of where the visitors to this website come from and then shows you where they are all at.
You have to double click on it to see things closeup. If you have popups blocked, make sure to unblock them for my site or you won't see anything. Don't worry, there are no ads on my site (as far as I know!).
I have no idea where some of the people who read this silly little blog are coming from! Crazy!
If you are looking to add you own map, you can find it at NeoWorx.
Saturday, June 16
Global Warming: Yes, But Why?
For some reason I got to thinking about Global Warming today at 8:00am on Saturday morning. Perhaps it's because I woke up at 5:30am this morning and it was hot already.
Is Global Warming a real thing? Probably. It looks like the temperatures are rising around the globe. I read the Gore book and looked at the pictures. Yes, the glaciers are melting.
The real debate is not about what is happening, but about why it is happening. Is all of this caused by human activity, is it reversible? Does buying a hybrid really cool the planet or is it just a deceptive way of making me feel like I'm saving money on gas when I've really just spent an additional $3000 for the car (which I won't make back in gas savings until I've driven it 10 years)?
NPR hosted an Oxford-style debate in March on the issue. It took me awhile to get around to looking into it, but it's worth the time. In this debate, the proposition was: "Global Warming Is Not a Crisis." In a vote before the debate, about 30 percent of the audience agreed with the motion, while 57 percent were against and 13 percent undecided. The debate seemed to affect a number of people: Afterward, about 46 percent agreed with the motion, roughly 42 percent were opposed and about 12 percent were undecided.
In other words, the debate seemed to convince people that Global Warming is really NOT a crisis. This was a debate between scientists. Three for the motion, three against it. At the very least, it's worth a listen.
We probably all need a bit more caution on this issue before we start jumping to conclusions about climate change and proposing solutions that affect billions of lives. I definitely support good stewardship of the creation, using the resources God has blesssed us with to care for others and share the creative beauty of God with future generations. But let's not be hasty!
Perhaps it was prudent that the National Assocation of Evangelicals (NAE) did NOT take a stand on this issue last year. And that the recent annual meeting of the Southern Baptists included a resolution that was passed questioning the prevailing "scientific" belief that humans are largely to blame for the phenomenon and warning that increased regulation of greenhouse gases will hurt the poor.
I could be wrong. Sure. But let's try to be sure that the sky is really falling before we tell people stuff like this:
(from ClimateCrisis.net)
If the warming continues, we can expect catastrophic consequences.
 | Deaths from global warming will double in just 25 years -- to 300,000 people a year.6 |
 | Global sea levels could rise by more than 20 feet with the loss of shelf ice in Greenland and Antarctica, devastating coastal areas worldwide.7 |
 | Heat waves will be more frequent and more intense. |
 | Droughts and wildfires will occur more often. |
 | The Arctic Ocean could be ice free in summer by 2050.8 |
 | More than a million species worldwide could be driven to extinction by 2050.9 |
Friday, June 15
Joel Osteen: The "Non-Judgmental" Gospel
Huh? What does this even mean? If faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ is the only way to be accepted by God...doesn't that mean something? The Bible is not afraid to speak of judgement. Dodgy answers like this speak of a lack of conviction.
John Piper: American Evangelicalism
Ouch! This one hits at the heart of what we preach in the gospel. One of the most helpful questions I was confronted with in Piper's preaching is the one in this video. What gospel have I received? What makes the good news really good? And does it have anything to do with treasuring and loving Jesus Christ? If the gospel does not lead us to obey the first commandment as the first priority of our lives...can it really be the gospel?
John Piper: The Prosperity Gospel
Here is another in the series of promo videos. It might be helpful to listen to the video on the problem of evil first to give some perspective on this one.
That said, I think Piper is completely accurate in his portrayal of the prosperity gospel. It is American crap, a deceptive lie that leads to nothing but idolatry.
I wish they would not have put the Jars of Clay song in the background playing...I think it is a bit distracting, but I like the mix of images and the text.
John Piper: Problem of Evil
I came across a few of these video promos of John Piper preaching. I believe they were used for a recent speaking event at UCF in Birmingham, Alabama. This one is on the problem of evil.
Not many people (and preachers for that matter) are willing to state the Biblical truth on this matter with the conviction that John Piper does. In the God-centered world of the Scriptures, all evil has an ultimate purpose in the display of God's glory. The ideas in this video are not only challenging to us at an experiential level (as selfish sinners), but they challenge our arrogance and pride (that we could do it better than God, or that God is unable to stop the evil we see).
Tuesday, June 12
8 Months and Counting!
By popular demand, here are some pics of my beautiful wife and our growing little boy!
Almost there!
Here is our wonderfully organized baby room!
Friday, June 1
Donate Wisely
I love generosity...I love when people give of the resources God has blessed them with to help others. I love it when followers of Christ are motivated to look beyond their own needs and seek to love and help others.
But...
Giving needs to be more than an emotional response to pictures or an impassioned plea for heap. We need to THINK wisely when we give. Why am I writing about this? Well, I get requests for help across my desk every day from people with real needs. And many of them deserve funding, but they won't sell as well as other needs.
Recently, American Idol did a fundraiser to raise money for Africa. I'm glad that people were generous and $60 million was raised. But for what? To fund the salary of another African president? We need people with generous hearts who give WISELY.
Here is my thought for the day. Don't let your giving be motivated by an emotional response to a commercial or a sense of guilt. Let it be done intentionally, with wise stewardship. Set aside a specific amount of your budget. In our budget, giving to ministries outside the church is an "offering" above and beyond our tithe. Then, do a little research. Find ministries that are consistent with Christian theology, have a good sense of what really matters, and are good financial stewards. Often, they won't be the big state-funded programs.
To get started, check out MinistryWatch.com, an independent site that rates and reviews the financial transparency and stewardship of various ministries. They have a great list of 30 "shining lights" that do a good job with the money they receive. I'm not necessarily recommending these ministries...just that you might want to do a little research on your own.
Other ways to research are provided by the Acton Institutes' Samaritan's List, and the grand-daddy of them all, the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.
Giving is a blast! It can be a real joy. So give generously...give freely...give responsibly. :)
Christian Worldview Quiz
Here's a little quiz you can take to find out your Christian worldview...
I scored solidly as a Reformed Evangelical...no surprise there! If you end up taking the quiz, let me know what you score.
QUIZ RESULTS:
 | You scored as Reformed Evangelical, You are a Reformed Evangelical. You take the Bible very seriously because it is God's Word. You most likely hold to TULIP and are sceptical about the possibilities of universal atonement or resistible grace. The most important thing the Church can do is make sure people hear how they can go to heaven when they die.
What's your theological worldview? created with QuizFarm.com |
