A Touch of Humor - The Entertainer

When does the attempt to keep things interesting become mere sensationalism? How can we avoid this?

Old Erich Proverb - Church

Do not look for the ideal church; look for the one that needs you.

A Voice from the Past - John Owens

When a man on some outward respects forsakes the practice of any sin, men perhaps may look on him as a changed man. God knows that to his former iniquity he has added cursed hypocrisy, and is now on a safer path to hell than he was before.He has got another heart than he had, that is more cunning; not a new heart that is more holy.

John Owen, 1616-1683, Of the Mortification of Sin in Believers, Part II, The Nature of Mortification, Chapter 5 (Overcoming Sin and Temptation, edited by Kelly M. Kapic and Justin Taylor, Crossway Books, 2006, p. 70).

Is this a real danger? If so what steps should we take to avoid it?

In Search of the Perfect Relationship

One of the major emphases of our culture is the central importance of relationships. This is often held up as what life is about. But as C. S. Lewis points out, when a good thing is blown out of proportion, it can become destructive and even undermine the thing itself. Relationships, family, friends, Christian brothers and sisters are a good thing. They are meant to be enjoyed and to be for our benefit. But they are best when kept in realistic proportion. We are sinners (Romans 3:23; Isaiah  64:6; Jeremiah 17:9) in a fallen world (Romans 8:18-23; 2 Corinthians 4:17-18; John 16:33). Nor are we, as those who trust in Christ, immune to this; we still fall short of being the people we should be (Philippians 3:12-16; Romans 7:7-25; Galatians 5:17). Therefore, if we go out looking for the perfect spouse, perfect family, perfect circle of friends, perfect church, we will always be disappointed. Further, by trying to change them into our ideal, we can destroy the imperfect, but real and beneficial, relationship that is there. Also, by feeling we need to be the perfect person who is capable of having the perfect relationship, we can put ourselves on an endless treadmill of trying to meet these expectations. And when we fail to obtain the kind of relationships we desire, we can become discouraged and bitter. All this can prevent us from keeping or enjoying the genuine relationships we do have or could have. Even our relationship with God, when seen in the wrong way, can take on this quality. If we see this relationship, as fundamentally an experience we have or a feeling we possess, we can labor to drum up that experience and become discouraged or even blame God if we fail to obtain it.

Scripture, rather than advocating the pursuit of the ideal relationship, sees relationships as objective facts and works from there (Matthew 19:1-12; Exodus 20:12; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27). Therefore, it demands behavior and commitment that fit the existing relationship (Ephesians 5:22-6:4; 4:1-6; Proverbs 17:17). Also, our relationship with God is based on the fact that He has redeemed us (John 1:12,13; Revelation 1:5,6; Ephesians 2:8,9) and calls us to live in the light of that relationship (Romans 12:1,2; Titus 2:11-14; 2 Corinthians 5:14,15). This takes the pressure off, without eliminating the responsibility involved. We are not to seek the perfect relationship, but to do the best we can with the relationships we have in an imperfect world. For it is only by approaching them realistically that we can avoid destroying them by striving too hard to preserve and perfect them.

In Times of Trouble

Re-Posted from "Meditations of a Charismatic Calvinist Who Does Not Speak in Tongues"

How do we respond to people in times of suffering? We must start by avoiding jumping to the conclusion that their suffering must be due to sin on their part. Scripture clearly rebukes this idea (John 9:1-3; Job 1,2; Luke 13:1-5). Now there are cases where suffering may be the results of God's discipline in the person's life (Hebrews 12:5-11; 1 Corinthians 11:29-32; 2 Samuel 12:7-14). But we must be very careful of reaching the conclusion that this is what is happening without strong evidence (remember the rebuke of Job's comforters, Job 42:7-9). And if someone is involved in sin we need to correct them with care, following the Scriptural requirements (Galatians 6:1; 2 Timothy 2:24-26; Hebrews 12:12,13).

The Scripture further says we are to be genuinely concerned about the suffering of others (1 Corinthians 12:26,27; Romans 12:15; Galatians 6:2). This is hard because when you sympathize with others, you end up hurting with them. It seems easier (if less Scriptural) to keep them at arm's length. One way to do this is to just spout platitudes (it is unfortunately possible to turn Scripture into a platitude) to avoid actually becoming engaged in people's problems. There has been much said about listening versus speaking. I believe there can a place for speaking, but it is hard to be really concerned unless you listen. There has also been much said about whether or not to quote Bible verses. I also believe there is a place to use Bible verses, but not as a quick answer to avoid listening to and sympathizing with the person. Bible verses thoughtlessly quoted to a hurting person can come off as condemning rather then comforting. (As saying, surely you should have already known this.) But the main issue starts with the heart. If you are genuinely concerned with the person and their pain, it will help keep you away from these pitfalls.

Accepting the World's Theories

Once upon a time there was a thing called Neo-Platonism. And it was the great enemy of Christianity. Not only was there a tendency for our enemies to embrace it, but Christian thinkers time and time again fell into this way of thinking. But now this philosophy has been relegated to obscurity, and most people have no idea what it even taught. And we can be puzzled why anyone was even tempted to incorporate this belief into their faith. It is very easy for Christians to fall into the mindset of their time. It is all around us; it seems obvious; it is the only reasonable way to think. We can think it is obvious; certainly all these scholars cannot be wrong; certainly we do not want to be looked on as stupid and unintellectual. But the things one age sees as obvious are often the very things the next age sees as ridiculous. The Neo-Platonists thought change was a bad thing, and therefore the physical world that was fraught with change was inferior to the unchanging world of mental ideas. Today we see change as a good thing and deplore anything unchanging as stagnant. And the irony is that both groups have claimed their position to be obviously right and have felt that no reasonable person could possibly think otherwise.

The Scripture has many pointed things to say about trust in human wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:18-25; 3:18-20; Colossians 2:8). We are also are told not to be conformed to this present world, which is hostile toward God (Romans 12:1,2; 1 John 2:15-17; James 4:4). Therefore, the Christian can never simply assume that what everyone knows or what all the scholars say is true. During the Middle Ages, in order to stave off the attack of Neo-Platonism, the established church adopted the philosophy of Aristotle. This philosophy became firmly entrenched in their theology and in their view of the world. The result was that when there later arose Copernicus and Galileo, who questioned that view, they were opposed by the ecclesiastical authorities. (The issue was more complicated than that and tends to be simplified in popular lore, but the main issue was whether you were for or against the Aristotelian view of the world.) And the moral that is so often drawn from this is 100% backwards. The real moral is that we must careful of baptizing any secular philosophical view, no matter how congenial it may seem at the time. Now I am not suggesting we be anti-scientific or anti-intellectual. I am, however, suggesting that we need to carefully study such things to determine what is and is not really proven and that we not be too quick to assume that because the scholars say it, it must be true. And I particularly think we should be very wary of revising our theology to accommodate the current belief system. For in a few hundred years (if the Lord tarries), the whole thing could be totally irrelevant.

A Touch of Humor - The Survey

How far should we go to attract outsiders into our churches? What is the right approach to reaching people for Christ?