Today in Blogworld 7.5.12

I hope you had a blessed 4th of July.  My family and I enjoyed some much needed time off.  It was a great day.

Exchanging Fisticuffs for Gentleness: Doug Wilson on Bloomington.

As one that lives near Bloomington and serves with a pastor that planted a church in Bloomington this one hits fairly close to home.  In case you aren’t aware Doug Wilson gave a talk on homosexuality at Indiana University.  It got ugly.  Wilson remained calm and gentle.  Here he is interviewed by John Starke about the event.  I love his responses. 

Sinners in a Fishbowl

Barnabas Piper knows about being a kid.  Yes, his dad is that Piper guy (not Don, but John).  Here he writes on PK’s living in a fishbowl.  Do me a favor, please.  Read this article, then pray for my kids and for pastors kids all around the world. 

Sinner’s Prayer & The SBC

David Platt has a great explanation of why he doesn’t employ “the sinners prayer” per se but still invites sinners to repentance and faith.  I really wish this wasn’t an issue.  But it is, and Platt gives a reasoned defense of the position that I too hold. 

Warning Signs That You Might Be Drifting From God

Stephen Altrogge lists a few warning signs that you might be drifting away from God.  He gives us 7 signs and 3 things to do about it. 

This is a long one.  I haven’t had a chance to view it yet but I’m excited to do so.  This is the B21 panel from the SBC Annual Meeting.  From reading about the panel I think there are some things you’d really enjoy in this video

“Gospel-Sounding” Legalism

Do you ever hear something that you know is wrong but you cannot quite put your finger on it?  Have you ever had a conversation with someone where you knew you disagreed but you could not put your finger on what exactly the difference was?  I think I may have figured out what rubs me the wrong way so often in Christian circles.  We have a way of sounding biblical, looking Christian, speaking of Jesus while somehow subverting the gospel.

Take for instance notes I found from a conference on tackling fear, worry, and anxiety.  It starts with the basics.  It is theologically sound on who God is.  It continues with a sound view of the importance of Scripture.  If we are going to tackle fear, worry, and anxiety we need to know who God is.  So, get in the Word. The entire speech (sermon) centers around this premise—know God.  Then it closes by saying if we know Christ, if we stay in His Word, then we will know the truth.  If we know the truth then we will be free from worry, anxiety, stress, etc.

So, what’s the problem?

All of the things that were stated are true.  At least they are true in a sense.  The problem with such teaching/preaching is that it starts in the wrong spot.  It is a misdiagnosis and a foundational misunderstanding of who Jesus is and what exactly He has already accomplished and intends to fully accomplish in redemption.

The problem with such teaching is that it does not go far enough.  It applies cold medicine to cure cancer.  Better yet, it puts cancer into remission but you still die from it years later.  The problem is that many people that would disagree with Joel Osteen actually live based on the same smiley premise: your best life is now. 

God does indeed intend to conquer your fear, worry, and anxiety.  But He does not conquer your fear, worry, and anxiety by leaving you an owner’s manual, providing you the resources, setting an example, and then saying "get it done”.  He conquers your fear, worry, and anxiety by ACTUALLY conquering your fear, worry, and anxiety.

There are principally two ways to encourage others in casting out fear, worry, and anxiety (or any other vice) and replacing it with assurance, trust, and rest.  I adapt this from Tim Keller.  The first one says I obey, therefore I conquer fear, worry, and anxiety.  (Or you can even make it sound gospel centered—“I obey the principles God graciously set forth, therefore God conquers fear, worry, and anxiety”).  The second one says Christ has conquered fear, worry, and anxiety, therefore I live in rest (therefore, I obey).

Some day you will no longer fear.  Your best life is not now—no matter how many “biblical principles” you apply.  You will struggle with fear, anxiety, and worry this side of our complete redemption.  But that does not mean that you sit passively by and just wait until Jesus comes down on a cloud, blows a trumpet, and calls you home.  You respond to His work and you live in it.

Whether you follow these principles or not really has nothing to do with whether you will ultimately be without fear, worry, and anxiety.  Those are conquered—eventually because of the work of Christ you will not have them.  Following these “biblical principles” are ways that you live in what Christ has already purchased.  It is a subtle difference but it is a difference between defeated, dead, and devilish faith and victorious, lively, and biblical faith.

So, how do you preach/teach to conquer fear and worry?  You start with the work of Christ.  And every “biblical principle” that you give explodes out of this one glorious truth.

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originally published here.

Praying and Screwdrivers to Your Eyeball

Since I’m taking a minor break this week I thought it would be good to bring a few things out of the archives.  (For some reason you just stopped reading didn’t you?  It’s okay I never read archives either—but because you are probably new to the blog maybe you should keep reading).

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I understand that my two year old does not quite understand logic; but I still talk to him as if he did.  Tonight he really wanted to play with a very sharp screwdriver-type-thingy (that’s the technical term).  He had found it and wanted to run around with it.  Obviously, Nikki and I were not cool with his new found toy.  So, we took it away from him.  Then the waterworks came.  Then I said something really profound: “Son, I’m not going to let you play with something that is going to potentially kill you no matter how much you whine about it”.  Then I felt as if the Lord communicated to me this:  “Sounds familiar, Mike”.

How often do I keep whining about something that I do not have that would end up killing me.  Often the reason why God does not answer my prayers and respond to my silly crying is because if I got what I wanted I’d end up killing myself.  The Lord is good.  Good father’s don’t let their children play with pointy screwdrivers no matter how much they whine.  And our Father doesn’t idly sit by and let us play with sin no matter how much we whine to get it or keep it.

Today in Blogworld 7.3.12

5 Questions To Ask of a Book

Tim Challies reveals 5 questions that he asks of a book to determine whether or not it is “good and worthy of recommendation”.  This article should help prospective authors as well as other book reviewers.  (I happen to fit both). 

Forgiving God?

There is a new therapeutic method out there were the counselor gives the counselee permission and encouragement to “forgive God”.  Sam Storms analyzes whether or not this is a helpful practice. 

5 Critical Steps If Your Child is Hooked on Porn

Thankfully my little boy is only 4.  But the day will be coming (much quicker than I imagine) when the serpent of old will seek to entice my little guy with pornography.  Here are 5 critical steps if your are at a different spot and your child is viewing pornography.  (HT: David Murray)

What Multitasking Does to Our Brains

I multitask all the time.  Maybe I should stop.  Leo Widrich explains what goes on in our brain when we multitask.  He also gives some helpful advice for being more singularly focused.  (Also I’m glad that music doesn’t count as multitasking.  (HT:Z)

This is the History of Rock ‘N Roll In 100 Guitar Riffs:

(HT: Stephen Altrogge)

7 Questions with Greg Dutcher: Author of Killing Calvinism (Part 2 of 2)

On Saturday I posted the first part to my interview with Greg Dutcher, author of Killing Calvinism.  Below is part 2

5. You mention in the book that some things about our theology make you uncomfortable. You also, and I love this point, encourage us to be real and acknowledge those difficulties. What is the biggest thing about Calvinist theology that makes you uncomfortable?

I try to show that every Christian, regardless of his theological stripe, has some emotional discomfort with at least something. I've never met a Christian who did not emotionally balk at the concept of an everlasting hell, for instance. Of course having some emotional reticence does not threaten the existence of a doctrine so there really is no danger in admitting that we may struggle with certain aspects of our theology. Has it EVER bothered me in some way that God does not choose everybody to be saved? At the risk of having my Calvinist card revoked, I would say have to say "yes- sometimes it has bothered me." A non-Calvinist friend of mine was very appreciative of me admitting that. He told me that too often Calvinists come across as "Stepford" wives who seem robotically at peace with emotionally difficult doctrines.

Of course it is difficult to come to terms with our inability to choose God on our own. We live in a culture where choice is king. We have already made countless free-will decision before our car keys are in the ignition. There is no reason we need to fear admitting that it can be hard to accept the fact that sin has wrecked our will beyond our worst nightmares.

6. How could this book benefit a non-Calvinist?

My hope is that non-Calvinists might scratch their heads and think, "Huh- maybe it's not as much the theology of Calvinists but the attitude of Calvinists that has bothered me so much." Once a distinction is made, maybe they won't throw the baby out with the bath water. Of course I'm not so naive to believe that our non-reformed friends will simply come to embrace Calvinism after one of its advocates admits a bunch of his blunders. But I do hope that they will sense genuine love and respect from a dude just trying to handle his Calvinism well.

7. All of Christendom has decided that the issue of Calvinism will be settled by a wheel-barrow race. You've been chosen to select the two racers for Team Calvin. Team Not-Calvin is championed by John Wesley and Billy Graham. Who do you pick to lead us to victory? And why?

Wow- that's a tough one. To be consistent with Team Non-Calvin, I'll pick a dead Calvinist and a live one too.

I hate doing this, but Spurgeon edges out Calvin to me. Even though I'm bypassing the guy my theology is actually named after, I just can't think of anyone who can beat Spurgeon in eloquence or passion.

Then I'd have to go with Piper as the modern Calvinist. Why? Because he's the 21st century Spurgeon in my opinion. Eloquence, passion- I just can't think of anyone else who can match him in today's pulpit.

GO TEAM!

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Thanks for doing the interview Greg.  And I pray that the Lord blesses your ministry and your writing.  Thanks for this helpful little book.  It’s my prayer that many will read it and that the Lord will use it to expand His Kingdom. 

You can get the book here.