Is Brit Hume Right about Christianity

Forget the golf game. Brit says that what Tiger Woods really needs is redemption and forgiveness, and that those things can only be found in the Christian faith. Hume reiterates that truth even stronger while on the Bill O’Reilly show…

The Righteous Shall Hear the Word of Christ

Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him; But the righteous will live by his faith. – Habakkuk 2:4

That truth, that the righteous will live by faith, is quoted at least three times in the New Testament: Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11, and Hebrews 10:38. According to Martin Luther’s son, this is what Luther said of this text:

Before those words broke upon my mind I hated God and was angry with him because not content with frightening us sinners by the law and by the miseries of life, he still further increased our torture by the gospel. But when, by the Spirit of God, I understood those words – “The just shall live by faith!” “The just shall live by faith!” – then I felt born again like a new man; I entered through the open doors into the very Paradise of God.

Scripture is quite clear that the one who is justified before God – the one considered, declared, and accounted as righteous – shall live by faith. That same Scripture is also quite clear as to where that faith comes from, the hearing of the word of Christ. I believe that that “hearing” of the word includes not only the word read, but also the word preached, or explained. The preaching of the word surely includes the word itself being proclaimed, but it also includes the faithful exposition of that word. To the extent that the man of God faithfully exposits the Scriptures, he is the very voice of God Himself.

With that thought in mind, I would like to recommend to you the faithful exposition of the letter by Paul to the Romans from one of our modern-day voices of God, Dr. R.C. Sproul. His book on this letter is simply called Romans, and is the first in what will be a series called the St. Andrew’s Expositional Commentary. Here is a brief excerpt from Dr. Sproul’s exposition on what is known as the golden chain of salvation, found at Romans 8:29-31, specifically, verse 29 (for whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son):

The word predestinate in the Greek text also contains the prefix pro-. The word is proorizo, which means, according to the Greek lexicons, “a sovereign determination in which a fixed or definite limit is sovereignly decreed.” So, as the English word suggests, there is a destiny for certain people that God, from the foundation of the world, has established. He has fixed it. He has determined it according to the sovereign good pleasure of his will. Nowhere in Scripture is a foreseen, conditional, human response ever given as the rationale for the eternal decree by which God fixes for all eternity those whom he ordains and chooses for redemption. – p.289

Sproul’s expositional sermons on Romans, which have been compiled and put into this one book, along with the others that are yet-to-be-released, will, I’m sure, become a part of my favorite possessions other than Scripture itself. With much enthusiasm, I recommend Romans to you.

A Daughter’s Letter to Her Mother in Heaven

In October, this world lost one of its human angels, Gigi Locke, to cancer (I have written about her ordeal before). Gigi and her husband, Patrick, were good friends of ours for a few years until they moved to the north side of Atlanta. They were the first to approach us at a local church the first time we visited there, and we immediately hit it off. Our two young daughters did, too. Our Rachel and their Madison were instant best friends. Our two then small families used to sit on the same row and the two girls would move from one of us to the other. I called Madison my little girlfriend. Even though we lost contact over the years and haven’t been close for a long time, I love that family. And I miss Gigi. I miss knowing that she is still on this earth, still being a great mother and wife. My heart aches for Patrick. And I get emotional every time I think of what my life would be like if God ever chooses to put my family in the same scenario. I think of my now teenage daughter, Rachel, and I pray that God will take care of her should something ever happen to me or Pam.

Madison (now going by Maddie) has written a letter to her mom. It was published on her Facebook page, and I hope she will not mind me publishing it here. It has moved me to tears, quite literally, though I have hidden it quite well as I sit here on the couch surrounded by my kids and my wife sitting on the love seat opposite me. I pray that, if anything, reading this will cause you to appreciate even more what God has blessed you with. God bless you, Maddie. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us about your mom.

Dear Mom.
I miss you like crazy.
I dyed my hair like yours. I wanna look just like you.
I love you. I can’t wait to see you.
Sometimes, I walk into your bedroom and ask you how your doing without even realizing that you (temporarily) can’t respond.
Christmas just wasn’t the same without you.
Decorating the tree was… not exciting.
Dad is the Best dad I could ever ask for. You picked a good one
Lookin at the Christmas tree knowing that you didn’t wrap any of the gifts.. was hard.
I went to a new church and had to fill out a guest form, and I didn’t know what to do when I got to the mother part.
We went to the star 94 jingle jam and bought Braxton a hat that didn’t fit him, the sales guy told us to take it home and let our mom take it up… He didnt know. But wow it hurt.
People ask questions like, “Where’d you get this? ” and I almost respond everytime with, “I dont know let me ask my mom”
At night is when it gets hard for me. We used to talk till 4 in the morning sometimes
I found these new dresses that you ordered for me a month before you went with Jesus. Thank you.
I had a dream that we went shopping the other night. You always have had the best style.
My ringtone is your song. Praise you in this storm.
I love all your jewerly I wear it ALOT! Plus the make up
I get to play a baskeball game at the college you went too. and graduated from. Shorter College. I’s an honor to get to play at the school you attended
I sometimes walk up the stairs out of habit to come ask you if my outfit matches.
I have your phone now. With your ringtones and picures
It’s almost New years eve. I’m hoping this new year will be better then this last one. 2009. Not my fav number.
Sometimes during the day I’ll think, Maybe I should go get mom some water. See how she is doing..
I went to Goodwill and Park Avenue Thrift without you for the first time Sunday. It was weird. I saw the bakery you used to go to.
Emme asks about you alot. She says she is gonna come see you someday.:)
Bobo, (our dog) Is coming up to be with you tonight. With him being blind and deaf … he has had a hard time geting around. It’s his time. He will be there soon.
I hope your having the time of … well i would say your life.. but its better then that I’m sure
Tell Camille’s Mom and Pop pop (my grandpa) Hello for me
i love you so very much. Wish you were here. But i wouldnt change the way it is for anything. Your healthy, happy, and cancer free. Thats what matters.
We miss you. Always thinking of you.

Love,
Madison (your daughter)

My New Year’s Resolutions (a must read)

Here are my resolutions for the new year. I paired them down to five so as to be able to better keep and maintain them throughout the year:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Any questions?

Über Christmas Giveaway

Trevin Wax over at Kingdom People is giving away an impressive collection of books for Christmas. Feel free to enter, but keep in mind that every one of who you who do, that means a lesser chance for me to win. So I’m torn between telling you about this or keeping the news to myself! You really should check it out. Here is what’s in store for the winner:

#1. SOUTHERN BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, 1859-2009 – Greg Wills
#2. UNFASHIONABLE – Tullian Tchividjian
#3. DEEP CHURCH – Jim Belcher
#4. THE CASE FOR LIFE – Scott Klusendorf
#5. THE GOD WHO SMOKES – Timothy Stoner
#6. ADOPTED FOR LIFE – Russell Moore
#7. MANHUNT – James Swanson
#8. COUNTERFEIT GODS – Tim Keller
#9. WHY WE LOVE THE CHURCH – Kevin DeYoung & Ted Kluck
#10. THE GOD I DON’T UNDERSTAND – Christopher Wright

Showing Partiality in Our Prayers

My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory…If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. – James 2:1, 8-9

My heart breaks for Matt Chandler and his family over the news of his brain tumor. The man is a faithful proclaimer of the good news of Jesus Christ. The internet is abuzz with updates, tweets, and blog posts, all showing concern for our brother in Christ as he prepares to embark on a journey that I, quite honestly, have no desire in taking myself. Matt’s testimony is one of faith and fear, courage and concern. He is a great example for us all should God be pleased to put us on the same path. We are praying for you, brother. Keep fighting the good fight of faith.

The issue I want to raise, though, and the point I want to make with this post is this: Are we as concerned for and are we interceding as much on behalf of those who are less well-known to the Christian community as we are for brother Matt? Is Mary Kommeth, a dear sister in Christ who had a severe car crash and resulting excruciating rehab any less important than Matt? Is Kris Kopp, who had a hip replaced and is working her way back to being mobile again any less deserving of my prayers? Is Amanda Trollinger, who deals with almost constant pain, not worthy of my prayers because she is not as well-known as Matt?

You may not know these people, but I do. I must confess that I have not prayed for them as I have for Matt. I must confess that I have been guilty of Christian favoritism through my prayers. I have shown partiality to the body, and therefore I am guilty of committing sin, as James declares in the passage above. My question to you is this: Are you praying for those less visible in the body as you are those who have more prominent positions, such as Matt? I have already said shame on me, and if you are guilty of it too, then shame on you. I believe that Matt would agree with me on this. He would be sickened to learn that we are praying for him while neglecting the very members of the local body of Christ where God has placed us. No one part of that body is any more or less important than the other, and we should all repent and ask forgiveness if we are showing partiality in our prayers.

This does not mean to pray for Matt less, but to pray for others more. Let us strive to love our neighbors as ourselves. Let us strive to be faithful to pray for those who, while perhaps are not in the public limelight of the fight, are in the fight nonetheless, and deserve our intercession as much as the Matt Chandlers of the church. Let us not show partiality in our prayers.

God forgive me.

Christianity – A Faith Worth Defending

I finally finished the promo video for the upcoming conference with Dr. James White. Saying there was a lot of video material to go through is an understatement. This is really intended to give those who are unfamiliar with Dr. White a chance to see him in “action” in a number of different venues. If you are going to be in or around the Atlanta area the first weekend in February, please consider joining us for the conference. You can find all the information about it at our church’s web site, including an online registration form (the conference is free).

Here’s the video:

Voddie Baucham: Family Driven Faith

Pastor, professor, conference speaker, and Bible teacher Voddie Baucham will join Kevin Boling on the Knowing the Truth live webcast program on Tuesday, 12/22 to discuss what it means to have a family driven faith. Here is the promo from Kevin’s Sermon Audio site:

More teens are turning away from the faith than ever before: it is estimated that 75 to 88% of Christian teens walk away from Christianity by the end of their freshman year of college. Something must be done.

Family Driven Faith equips Christian parents with the tools they need to raise children biblically in a post-Christian, anti-family society. Voddie Baucham, who with his wife has overcome a multi-generational legacy of broken and dysfunctional homes, shows that God has not left us alone in raising godly children. He has given us timeless precepts and principles for multi-generational faithfulness, especially in Deuteronomy 6. God’s simple command to Moses to teach the Word diligently to the children of Israel serves as the foundation of Family Driven Faith.

Voddie will challenge your thinking and your comfort zone regarding raising a family, but from a biblical perspective. I encourage all who can to listen to the broadcast, and even call in with a question.

Update on Matt Chandler’s Brain Tumor

This is from the elders at The Village Church regarding Matt’s pathology report on the tumor that was removed from his brain. I tried several times to access the church’s site, but I think it may be overloaded by the number of people trying to find out the news on our brother Matt. Here is the statement as posted on Facebook:

Dear church,

In the first chapter of Philippians, the Apostle Paul writes that whatever imprisonments, beatings and trials he may have suffered, they all “serve to advance the gospel” of Jesus Christ. We implore you to keep the gospel of Christ as the main focus as we walk with Matt and Lauren through this trial.

On Tuesday, Dr. Barnett informed Matt and Lauren that the findings of the pathology report revealed a malignant brain tumor that was not encapsulated. The surgery to remove the tumor, the doctor said, was an extremely positive first step; however, because of the nature of the tumor, he was not able to remove all of it.

Matt, who is being released from the hospital today, is meeting with a neuro-oncologist this week to outline the next steps of the recovery process. There is a range of treatment possibilities but the exact course of action has not yet been determined. He will continue outpatient rehab.

The Lord is calling Matt and Lauren and The Village Church body to endure this trial. It will be a challenging road for Matt, his family and our church body. The gospel is our hope and the Lord is our strength. Matt and Lauren continue to find solace and hope in Christ. They weep facing this trial, but not as those without hope and perspective. The gospel clarifies their suffering and promises more of Christ through it all.

You have done a wonderful job respecting the family, and we ask that you continue to do this. They are processing all of this together and need you to give them precious space. Please do not visit them at their house unless personally invited by the Chandlers. The best way to serve the family is to continue to be faithful in prayer. Specifically, pray for the following:

• Wisdom for all the coming decisions
• Strength and peace to endure
• The kids’ (Audrey, Reid and Norah) hearts; pray the Lord is merciful as they process and that their little hearts do not grow embittered
• The Chandlers and The Village would suffer well because of the gospel and for the sake of Christ’s name

As you hurt and weep for the family, do not do it alone. Gather with your home group and with other believers in homes and pray together. This is a time to walk together with others and to endure this trial in community. If you wish, send cards and letters to Matt and Lauren at 2101 Justin Road, Flower Mound, TX 75028.

We will continue to keep you informed as new information is made available. Please be patient with the frequency of the updates. May God strengthen us all and may His glory shine brightly through this.

Does Santa Confuse Children About God

I can remember, as if it was yesterday, sitting around the lunch table with some friends at Glenn Haven Elementary when I was in about the third grade. It was as close to a round-table session at the White Horse Inn as I would get at that young of an age! The topic of discussion was what was real and what was not. Jay Eisner (perhaps the smartest kid in the school) and I (along with a few others) were in deep thought concerning the existence of the various characters our parents were attempting to push on us as real beings. We had all concluded that the Tooth Fairy was a farce and the Easter Bunny was bogus. One of us quickly spoke up after those figments of our imagination were debunked and said, “But Santa Claus is real!”, to which we all responded, “O yeah, Santa’s real!”

Maybe we knew in our hearts that Santa was not a real person, but we feared the cessation of Christmas morning presents if we ever made that declaration openly. Or perhaps we really did believe in him. It’s hard to tell. I don’t recall ever relying on what I told Mall Santa what I wanted for Christmas in order to get it (though I admit I couldn’t figure out early on how all that stuff got into my house while I was asleep). I knew who to inform of my wants for Christmas…Mom and Dad! Even though they pretended Santa existed as long as they could with my sister and me, I don’t recall ever thinking of him as some sort of God-like deity. And I honestly do not recall ever being told that Santa was not real by my parents. I guess I just woke up one day, and I knew the truth.

It is at this time of year that many will denounce the propagating of the jolly old elf to unsuspecting little ones, and the question I have is this: does Santa confuse children about God? I must admit that I am a bit torn on the issue. Having grown up in a household that “believed” in Santa, my perspective is biased, I suppose. Looking back, I cannot detect any harm done to me because of Santa. While my parents told us there was such a mystical creature, I guess I was able, at some level, to discern between fantasy and reality. I do not see how it in any way altered my understanding of God. Now, might I have come to a better knowledge of my Creator at an earlier age had I not also had to deal with the notion of Santa Claus? I will never know. What I do know is that, at the same time I supposedly still believed that Santa was real, I came to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ (at age nine). So, I guess my initial answer would have to be that Santa does not necessarily contribute to confusion among children as to the nature of God.

Like I said before, I am still torn on the issue. We pretended there was a Santa in our own home up until a few years ago. But my youngest is now seven, and we have no real little ones any more, though we would surely love to again (Lord willing). If the Lord does ever grant that to happen, I am not sure what I would do regarding Santa. My wife and I both having experienced homes where Santa was “real”, I am still not convinced that children confuse him with the God of Scripture. We both turned out fine, so to speak. The jury is still out on what it has done to our own kids, though. Only time will tell. I guess I must admit, at this point, that I don’t think it is completely wrong to pretend there is a Santa. But I also admit that it is impossible to be objective on this issue.

Thoughts?