On Fellowship

“The more isolated a person is, the more destructive will be the power of sin over him, and the more deeply he becomes involved in it, the more disastrous is his isolation. Sin wants to remain unknown. It shuns the light. . . . In confession the light of the gospel breaks into the darkness and seclusion of the heart. The sin must be brought into the light. The unexpressed must be openly spoken and acknowledged. All that is secret and hidden is made manifest. It is a hard struggle until the sin is openly admitted. But God breaks gates of brass and bars of iron.”

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together (New York, 1954), pages 112-113.

From Ray Ortlund's blog.

Spare Time

On the way home from church last night, I asked two brothers of mine what television shows they watched. They responded "How I met your Mother", "Big Bang Theory", "Chuck", and others. I'd have to admit I watched these shows now and then. I was thinking about challenging them in this matter, but I couldn't think of a way to say it that would be beneficial and not come off self-righteous.

Mike Cosper brings out an excellent point in this article. Evangelicals are very quick to take notice of the sexual immorality that is so prevalent in television today. However, we fail to notice our addiction to self-righteousness when watching shows like Jersey Shore. Or in the Home Makeover Extreme Edition... doesn't the family's reaction to their new home seem awfully similar to worship?

I guess what I want to point out is that even in our spare time, our periods of resting... we should be seeking activities that are enjoyable for us, but primarily honouring to God. People usually protest at this point. Their arguments tend to follow three patterns:

One, I don't find "prayer" or "bible study" or "musical worship" particularly relaxing. The range of fun-filled activities is too small! So I'm going to do my thing and repent tomorrow.

Two, X, Y, or Z watches these shows or does this or that. They seem to be in a state of progressing sanctification.

Three, I think you are being too legalistic.

Now in response to point one, it is to our shame (and I confess this too) that we cannot enjoy prayer and bible study and musical worship as something to relax too. If we put that issue aside. You are simply thinking too small if you feel that those are the only things that bring glory to God. You can do many things to the glory of God. Just as there are many things that can be corrupted by our sinful desires that is naturally a good thing (sex), but is sin when in the wrong context (premarital sex).

In response to point two, one man may be haunted by the desire to do drugs. Another man may never have that issue. We are all different and should apply discernment in the handling of our sinful flesh. And in a way this is a red herring....to be discussed in point three.

It is funny when people charge you with legalism. They exclaim, "We are in the covenant of grace; no longer bound by the works of the law!" But, we are also slaves to righteousness. We're not freed from sin to go back to the things that enslaved us in the first place. The issue we face (and I confess this too) is that we lack a holy fear of God.

God is our cosmic grandfather. He never disciplines. He's never angry. He always has a twinkle in His eye as he gives you a piece of candy. He has stories to entertain you. He never has any demands. He is laid back and easy going. It is amazing how man is so proficient at blasphemy and idolatry.

What we need to do is have a greater understanding and appreciation of the gospel. It is too costly to remain ignorant of the application of the incarnation, the sinless life of Christ, the crucifixion, the ascension, and the resurrection in our everyday life. For I do not desire that I learn to NOT enjoy shows based on man's depravity. Rather, I want to REPLACE these activities with things centered around goodness and things that are pleasing to God.

So I guess what you need to ask yourself dear reader: is your free time pleasing to God? Is it really God-honouring when you laugh at things of wickedness and evil? And if you find that your time isn't... don't try to just stop the activity. Rather, let's pray to God that we can find enjoyment in God-glorifying activities that can replace our sinful ones.

An addition to the 10:1 rule

In an earlier post, I made reference to the 10:1 rule for preparing Bible studies or SS lessons. That is for every 1 hour of teaching/instruction, there should be at least 10 hours of preparation time.

I would like to also include that every Christian should easily have a ratio of 10:1 for private versus public prayer.

Progress

On my whiteboard since September:

"What are you progressing towards?"

Life Verses

I have been at a loss on what to post. As I struggle to determine my future, a helpful suggestion posed by Dave Kraft's "Leaders who Last" was to examine the verses that God has impressed on my heart. Sadly, although I have been Christian for more than 10 years... I have been only able to discover verses up to four years old. All verses will be from NASB.

'Who is like Me? Let him proclaim and declare it;
Yes, let him recount it to Me in order,
From the time that I established the ancient nation.
And let them declare to them the things that are coming
And the events that are going to take place. Isa 44:7

And the verse I start off with would probably be the most shameful and most ill-advised way of dealing with whatever I was struggling with. I was at an incredibly low point in my spiritual life. I was annoyed. I wanted to throw in the towel. I called out God. Prove your existence. Prove you're real. Prove it. Prove it. Prove it. And, I did what every competent pastor and Sunday School teacher will tell you to never ever do.

I did the think-of-a-passage and flip to it. So I thought of 44:7. Then I thought Isaiah, because no one ever reads Isaiah end to end. And... I was humbled.


but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense in account of the hope that is within you, yet with gentleness and reverence; 1 Pet 3:15

If Isa 44:7 was an unmerited answer by God to demonstrate that He is real, 1 Pet 3:15 was the verse I lived by to prove to others that God is real. I used to be very into apologetics. 1 Pet 3:15 was a sword-verse that many apologetic websites championed to encourage Christians to make a defense for Christianity.

I first discovered the verse in my University days. I frequently employed the verse to spur young Christians to 1) examine themselves and see if they were in the faith! 2) defend the gospel truths. As I have grown older, my attention has shifted to the "yet with gentleness and reverence". It becomes easy to win arguments against opponents, but that is not the goal. We wish to proclaim gospel truths and to show them the glory of Christ. To simply make a show of your knowledge and send your opponent home packing will bring him no closer to Christ unless he hears the gospel.


Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Heb 4:14-16

I'm unsure of the timeline on this verse. I know this is towards the end of my University experience, that much is sure. This is a rich passage that I used for both comforting the brethren and myself. I don't have much to say on this passage... it's a good verse... let it speak for itself.


Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.
Acts 17:11

Iron sharpens iron,
So one man sharpens another.
Prov 27:17

Two for one special. These two verses made an impact after a fateful night in September '08. This was the night I met my friend and pastor, Scott. It is actually a testament of how God works with such sovereignty. I had a friend in Ryerson who had a friend I met during a RCCF retreat. So this girl invited me to a Bible Study, and I went. Fast forward two years, and here we (Scott and others) are starting a church.

Anyways, when I first met Scott... I knew I met someone on a higher spiritual plane. And I was under the impression that I was there for a Calvinism vs. Arminianism debate... not a why Calvinism rocks Arminianism discussion. So I threw down as much as I could, referring to Scripture and problem passages (for Calvinism). These two verses probably stuck out to spur me on to study Scripture (examine extensively!) and although I was critical of Scott... we did sharpen one another.


Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment. Jas 3:1

Although the passage is aimed directly towards teachers, I would say it encompasses any leadership type position where you have authority over others and teach. I have served in various leadership positions, led different study groups, but nothing awakened me to the potency of this verse until I started teaching teen Sunday School in early '09. All those young impressionable minds that can be filled with good Biblical knowledge or every heresy conceivable to man.

I think this was the point at which I started the 10:1 ratio for SS and development of Bible studies. For every hour of SS or Bible study... there should be at least 10 hours of prep time spent in the Word and various commentaries.


But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Rom 5:8

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom 6:23

These two verses became more prominent for me earlier this year. I have two reasons.

1) I have tried to witness more to my family, especially a cousin and her son from Calgary. My nephew is young and he has a heart for spiritual things and wants to learn of God. I pray continually that they and their family would come to know Christ.

2) I am trying to understand grace more. I'm a slow learner.

Or do you think lightly of the riches of his kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? Rom 2:4

Two months ago, I wrote this on my whiteboard. I am still learning about grace.

Summer Update

Last year would mark a year of trial and tempering by the Lord. This past summer has been blessing after blessing.

The trip to Europe with my family was especially cool. My relationship with my different family members have generally improved.

I am incredibly blessed to have friends that have gotten married. Participating in their wedding was awesome. And I look forward to the next young couple getting married, you know who you are.

Captaining a softball team has its moments of trial, but has yielded much fruit. I'm hoping that God will continue to bless the team and call and change their hearts.

Mentoring has been exceptional. One of the guys is really explosive and on fire for the Lord. The other is getting there. Also, I have more people interested... so it's been really encouraging.

God has blessed me with a job and people who are watching out for me. I know that it is incredibly difficult to find work and decent paying work at that! So I have been amazingly blessed in this area.

It is indeed...amazing grace.

The Bad Stuff

I think everyone experiences rough patches and trials in their life. Now, you can mope around about these horrible things that God is inflicting on you. Or you can know that...

A) He is tempering you to get rid of the dross.
B) Disciplining you as a beloved child of God.
C) Allowing you to have a really funny story in 5 years time.

Woooh!

Still Unemployed?!!!

Vacation Log

Tuesday (Arrive in London, England)
Promptly took a nap once arrived into town. The hotel room was tiny. The beds were on wheels. The shower pressure was excellent. After nap, family and I went to the British Museum, where I feasted my eyes on the Rosetta stone. There were also a lot of paintings of Jesus. Following that, we went to dinner in China town. (lol, why are we not having fish and chips?)

Wednesday
Used Big Bus hop-on hop-off tours. (They suck, don't use them. Buses are way too infrequent.)
We went to the Tower of London. This was a fortress at some point or another. There were torture chambers. It was rainy. We also went to Kensington Palace. It was closed by the time we got there. For dinner, we went Italian. (Why not fish and chips!?!)

Thursday
We went to Windsor Castle, which had considerable Jesus stuff. I was very glad I read my reformation history book (see Book Library). We also went back to Kensington Palace... It was not as fun as I would hope. It was really...really...girly. Fish and chips for dinner!

Friday
We found that Notre Dame was too expensive to go in. So we went to St. Margaret's Cathedral instead. St Paul's cathedral was excellent. Very cool artwork. Also if you climb to the peak (500+ stairs), you'll get a lovely view of the city. Also went to the National Gallery, which I think was the highlight of Britain. There I feasted my eyes on treasures such as this and this and this. We went for incredibly expensive Indian food for dinner.

Saturday
Woke up at 4:30 AM thinking it was 7:30 AM. There is so much more daylight in London. Didn't help that none of my family had watches. We went to Bath to see a bathhouse. We also saw Salisbury, there is a church there. It houses a copy of the Magna Carta. Pretty cool stuff. Finally, saw stone henge. Everyone should go see it once in their life. In the evening, we took night pictures with my brother's camera. Spotlights accentuate peculiarities of monuments that one does not capture during the daytime.

Sunday
Chunnel it to Paris. First stop, this incredibly ghetto flea market which I wanted to leave immediately. It was hilarious... my mom was excessive in her vigilance for thieves, all of us wearing our safety belts, safe drinking water...etc. And in this incredibly sketch flea market where the people can't speak a lick of English and gangsters are idling on street corners, she wants to go around in shop.

Struggled a little bit with trying to get a phone card. Manage to call friends! Meet up with friends, and make new ones. We visit Notre Dame and following that have dinner. My parents chinese'd the bill, so my friends ended up ninja'ing Monday's bill. It was cool as they were all Christian and I had some spiritual discussions with some of them. Following that, checked out the Eiffel tower at night. If you go see it at night, make sure to watch it on the hours, as it will light up!

Monday
Through the busy streets of Montmartre and up the many many stairs to Sacre Coeur, a cathedral. Watch out for strange men offering to tie your hands with their friendship bracelet. I declined their offer. We also went to the Lourve. French museums need English signs. The Mona Lisa is definitely over-hyped. Arc De Triomphe & Champ D'elysee for a little while, followed by dinner at Chez Papa. Their Big salad is BIG! It's like meat dumped on two pieces of lettuce.

Tuesday
We went to Dorsey museum, I remembered it being a lot more fun when I visited the first time. It's okay. I brought a book. We saw Napolean's tomb at L'armee Museum. I need to learn more French History....well, history in general. Following that, we went to the Ridon Museum. He was the creator of the Thinker. You should check out his lesser known art, The Gates of Hell. Also went on a boat tour...which I fell asleep on.... and went to the top of the Montparnasse tower... could see all over Paris on that thing.

Wednesday
In the Chateau de Versailles, there is this absolutely stunning garden. I'm not talking some small garden in your backyard. I'm talking Louis XIV's kilometers of gardens. The Grand Chanel would be the perfect spot for a paddle boat + picnic date. My brother and I tried to do some shopping, but there was nothing affordable/eye-catching..with the exception of Uniqlo. Finally, we had a small good bye dinner with the young'ns. (My parents wanted to do their own thing.) Afterwards, we went for some ice cream. (Girls, you have to get Paris ice cream. They'll make it into a flower for you.) Jumping pictures at Notre Dame, followed by good byes.

Thursday
Flight back. Watched The Hurt Locker and read some books. It's amazing what you can get done while on a plane.

Random Thoughts:
- I find that my general knowledge of history embarrassing.
- The world is a big place.
- I need to learn another language.
- More adventures!
- After re-reading this post, incredibly difficult to read... Maybe I should master English first.

London Baby!

So much church history!

This was breathtaking in person.

Updates to follow.

Commentary Answer

In response to my question here. You can find the sermon transcript and the audio here. The quote I will be examining is below. It is his thesis statement of his sermon, so it's not like I am ripping him out of context. His entire sermon is centered around this quote:

"I choose to believe the Bible because it is a reliable collection of historical documents, written by eyewitnesses during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses. They report supernatural events that took place in fulfillment of specific prophecies, and they claim to be divine rather than human in origin.” - Voddie Baucham

When I first encountered this quote, my spider senses went off. I like Voddie. I remember hearing his series on Marriage and it wasn't half bad. I don't listen to him regularly, but he's playing for the right team. When reading over his sermon, I found myself agreeing with a lot of things in it. It is fantastic that we have eyewitnesses upon eyewitnesses, and supernatural prophecy adding to the internal consistency of the Bible. I think it definitely encourages Christians to hear that sort of stuff.

Let me say that a couple years ago, I would have agreed with this quote. It sounds really good, but hopefully my closer examination will point out some of its flaws. I have two issues which are large enough for me to say that I would disagree with this quote now. The first is the authority of Scripture. The second is the conversion of man. The two issues are intertwined, so I'll try my best to keep them separate.

When we talk about the authority of Scripture, we are talking about where we get our understanding of God from. Sola Scriptura (By Scripture Alone) was one of the reforming calls in the 16th century as the Protestants pulled out of the Roman Catholic church. So when we come to the doctrine of the Scripture and its authority. It's important. We have to be zealous in our defense of Scripture.

2 Tim 3:16 says that "All Scripture is God-breathed" that is that it comes from the very mouth of God. 2 Pet 1:20,21 says that "It was written by men moved by the Holy Spirit". These are the two main verses when talking about the doctrine of Scripture. It says the same thing...the Bible is from God. That is its authority.

What Voddie has stated here is that he "chooses to believe the Bible because it is a collection of historically reliable documents". This has moved the authority from the Bible itself to historical accuracy. This is called an evidential approach to Christianity, popularized by people like Lee Strobel and William Lane Craig. Again, for Christians it is great to hear that the Bible is historically accurate and relevant. But, in terms of our evangelism... it does a great disservice. We don't become Christians by thinking... "hey Christianity is historically accurate, so it's gotta be the way." Let me explain.

Eph 2:8,9 says that faith is a gift from God. Our very response to the gospel call is not even supplied by ourselves. It is from God! 1 cor 2:10-12 talks about the natural man and the spiritual man. The natural man without the Holy Spirit cannot discern the things of God. We need the help of the Holy Spirit. So to say that we "choose to believe in the Bible" is inaccurate. For believers must be born again before they will believe in God (John 3). By that time, although they may not agree with or be obedient to everything that the Bible says, they'll know that it is true.

So what does this mean? As Christians, we presuppose the Bible is true. We don't need to prove anything. We have faith in the Bible's truthfulness, because God has said it is truthful. At this point, you may argue. Hey! Isn't this a circular argument?

The Bible is true, because God says so. God says that He is true and the Bible is true within the Bible.

Yeah, it does sound kind of circular, doesn't it? But, all statements of authority are like that.

"Reason is my ultimate authority, because it seems reasonable for me to say so."
"Logic is my ultimate authority, because it seems like a logical approach."
"I know of no ultimate authority, because nothing seems to fit as an ultimate authority."

If it is the ultimate authority...how can it appeal to something else to prove that it is so? That would just make the other thing the ultimate authority. Side note: So a useful thing to do with non-Christians (especially with evangelism) is to challenge their presuppositions. We know that the Bible is true, and it has an explanation for logic, emotion, human frailty, good, evil, etc. which fits the reality of the world. Can they explain such things without stealing things from our worldview? (ie. Can you prove that rape is wrong without going to the Bible?)

The fact that the Bible is historically accurate is a bonus for the Christian believer. It adds more weight and volume to his belief, but the belief in the Bible has already been grounded on the presupposition that it is true. Even if someone knew nothing about the historical background of the Bible, he could grow solely off the Scriptures. You cannot say the same thing about using historical information.

You can't use an evidential approach, because it doesn't go in line with what Scripture says about conversion. With the evidential approach, there is the presupposition that if a man is presented with enough information, he'll choose Jesus. This is wrong. All of us are sinful and unable to do good without God's help (Rom 8:6-8). God regenerates us and then we believe. (John 3; Ez 36:26,27)

Now, I am not suggesting that evidence supporting the Bible's reliability is unimportant. Nor am I saying that this information doesn't have its place in evangelism. Rather, that this type of stuff is supplementary. It is only helpful for Christians, because non-Christians haven't received the special revelation of Jesus Christ. Non-Christians need to hear the gospel message, for that is what will save them (Rom 10:17).

Helpful resources:
Wayne Grudem's "Systematic Theology"
Joe Boot's "Why I Still Believe"

Reminicising

Preparing for captaining my next season of softball, when I stumbled upon my old team preparation stuff. Revisions of logos, team lists, and spreadsheets for Swiss Army. Good times. Good friends. It's surprising how much things have changed in three short years. I miss those times.

I look forward to what this year will bring. However, my frame of my mind is very different than last time. Not so much winning softball games, more about winning souls to Christ.

And if you permit me one minor outburst which I will repent of later....
"I am the bad ass of Microsoft Excel."

Woooh!

Unemployed!!!!

Psalms

I do not know enough Psalms.

Creation Thoughts

Courtesy of John MacArthur

Genesis and Naturalism: Cognitive Dissonance

You’ve probably heard of dissonance. It’s a term normally employed by musicians to describe disharmony and disagreement between sounds. There is another term called cognitive dissonance used to describe similar discord in the world of ideas and beliefs. Maybe that’s a good way to view the debate about origins in Genesis—cognitive dissonance.

The creation account in Genesis 1-3 demands to be taken at face value. Nothing about the text itself suggests it contains anything other than a faithful, literal, historical account of how God spoke the universe into existence—from nothing. That kind of literal hermeneutical approach to Genesis exposes all symbolic, poetic, allegorical, and mythical interpretations for what they really are, foreign ideas forced upon the text—but not without a cost, as discussed below. No honest handling of the biblical text can reconcile these chapters in Genesis with the theory of evolution or any of the other “scientific” theories about origins. The main thrust of the passage simply cannot be reconciled with the idea of naturalism.

Before we begin the discussion, here’s what John had to say about Genesis and naturalism in his book, Battle for the Beginning:

As humanity progresses through the twenty-first century, a frightening prospect looms. The church seems to be losing the will to defend what Scripture teaches about human origins. Many in the church are too intimidated or too embarrassed to affirm the literal truth of the biblical account of creation. They are confused by a chorus of authoritative-sounding voices who insist that it is possible—and even pragmatically necessary—to reconcile Scripture with the latest theories of the naturalists.

Of course, theological liberals have long espoused theistic evolution. They have never been reluctant to deny the literal truth of Scripture on any issue. But this trend is different, comprising evangelicals who contend that it is possible to harmonize Genesis 1-3 with the theories of modern naturalism without doing violence to any essential doctrine of Christianity. They affirm evangelical statements of faith. They teach in evangelical institutions. They insist they believe the Bible is inerrant and authoritative. But they are willing to reinterpret Genesis to accommodate evolutionary theory. They express shock and surprise that anyone would question their approach to Scripture. And they sometimes employ the same sort of ridicule and intimidation religious liberals and atheistic skeptics have always leveled against believers: "You don't seriously think the universe is less than a billion years old, do you?"

The result is that over the past couple of decades, large numbers of evangelicals have shown a surprising willingness to take a completely non-evangelical approach to interpreting the early chapters of Genesis. More and more are embracing the view known as "old-earth creationism," which blends some of the principles of biblical creationism with naturalistic and evolutionary theories, seeking to reconcile two opposing world-views. And in order to accomplish this, old-earth creationists end up explaining away rather than honestly exegeting the biblical creation account.

A handful of scientists who profess Christianity are among those who have led the way in this revisionism—most of them lacking any skill whatsoever in biblical interpretation. But they are setting forth a major reinterpretation of Genesis 1-3 designed specifically to accommodate the current trends of naturalist theory. In their view, the six days of creation in Genesis 1 are long ages, the chronological order of creation is flexible, and most of the details about creation given in Scripture can be written off as poetic or symbolic figures of speech.

Many who should know better—pastors and Christian leaders who defend the faith against false teachings all the time—have been tempted to give up the battle for the opening chapters of Genesis. An evangelical pastor recently approached me after I preached. He was confused and intimidated by several books he had read—all written by ostensibly evangelical authors—yet all arguing that the earth is billions of years old. These authors treat most of the evolutionists' theories as indisputable scientific fact. And in some cases they wield scientific or academic credentials that intimidate readers into thinking their views are the result of superior expertise, rather than naturalistic presuppositions they have brought to the biblical text. This pastor asked if I believed it possible that the first three chapters of Genesis might really be just a series of literary devices—a poetic saga giving the "spiritual" meaning of what actually occurred through billions of years of evolution.

I answered unapologetically: No, I do not. I am convinced that Genesis 1-3 ought to be taken at face value—as the divinely revealed history of creation. Nothing about the Genesis text itself suggests that the biblical creation account is merely symbolic, poetic, allegorical, or mythical. The main thrust of the passage simply cannot be reconciled with the notion that "creation" occurred via natural evolutionary processes over long periods of time. And I don't believe a faithful handling of the biblical text, by any acceptable principles of hermeneutics, can possibly reconcile these chapters with the theory of evolution or any of the other allegedly scientific theories about the origin of the universe.

Furthermore, much like the philosophical and moral chaos that results from naturalism, all sorts of theological mischief ensues when we reject or compromise the literal truth of the biblical account of creation and the fall of Adam.

I realize, of course, that some old-earth creationists do hold to the literal creation of Adam and affirm that Adam was a historical figure. But their decision to accept the creation of Adam as literal involves an arbitrary hermeneutical shift at Genesis 1:26-27 and then again at Genesis 2:7. If everything around these verses is handled allegorically or symbolically, it is unjustifiable to take those verses in a literal and historical sense. Therefore, the old-earth creationists' method of interpreting the Genesis text actually undermines the historicity of Adam. Having already decided to treat the creation account itself as myth or allegory, they have no grounds to insist (suddenly and arbitrarily, it seems) that the creation of Adam is literal history. Their belief in a historical Adam is simply inconsistent with their own exegesis of the rest of the text.

But it is a necessary inconsistency if one is to affirm an old earth and remain evangelical. Because if Adam was not the literal ancestor of the entire human race, then the Bible's explanation of how sin entered the world is impossible to make sense of. Moreover, if we didn't fall in Adam, we cannot be redeemed in Christ, because Christ's position as the Head of the redeemed race exactly parallels Adam's position as the head of the fallen race: "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive" (1 Corinthians 15:22). "Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous" (Romans 5:18-19). "And so it is written, 'The first man Adam became a living being.' The last Adam became a life-giving spirit" (1 Corinthians 15:45; cf. 1 Timothy 2:13-14; Jude 14).

So in an important sense, everything Scripture says about our salvation through Jesus Christ hinges on the literal truth of what Genesis 1-3 teaches about Adam's creation and fall. There is no more pivotal passage of Scripture.

What "old-earth creationists" (including, to a large degree, even the evangelical ones) are doing with Genesis 1-3 is precisely what religious liberals have always done with all of Scripture—spiritualizing and reinterpreting the text allegorically to make it mean what they want it to mean. It is a dangerous way to handle Scripture. And it involves a perilous and unnecessary capitulation to the religious presuppositions of naturalism—not to mention a serious dishonor to God.

Evangelicals who accept an old-earth interpretation of Genesis have embraced a hermeneutic that is hostile to a high view of Scripture. They are bringing to the opening chapters of Scripture a method of biblical interpretation that has built-in anti-evangelical presuppositions. Those who adopt this approach have already embarked on a process that invariably overthrows faith. Churches and colleges that embrace this view will not remain evangelical long.

Here’s the point: when we reject a literal hermeneutic of the creation account in Genesis, all kinds of theological mischief follows. With that thought in mind, discuss the ramifications of holding a naturalistic interpretation of Genesis 1 and 2 as it relates to interpreting and applying the rest of Scripture. Remember, a naturalist is one who assumes the complete absence of supernatural and miraculous activity. Enjoy the thread!

To Minister

From the resurgence blogs...

Martin Luther, the 16th-century church reformer and theologian who helped spark the Protestant Reformation, listed eight qualities that a minister must have:

• Able to teach systematically
• Eloquence
• A good voice
• A good memory
• Knows how to make an end
• Sure of his doctrine
• Willing to venture body and blood, wealth and honor in the work
• Suffers himself to be mocked and jeered by everyone

John Newton, the 18th-century Anglican clergyman and writer of the famous hymn “Amazing Grace,” noted three indications of a call. First, a call to ministry is accompanied by “a warm and earnest desire to be employed in this service.” Second, a call to ministry is accompanied by “some competent sufficiency as to gifts, knowledge, and utterance.” And third, a call to ministry is accompanied by “a correspondent opening in Providence, by a gradual train of circumstances pointing out the means, the time, the place, of actually entering upon the work.”

George Whitefield, the 18th-century evangelist, gives this advice for those considering a call: “Ask yourselves again and again whether you would preach for Christ if you were sure to lay down your life for so doing? If you fear the displeasure of a man for doing your duty now, assure yourselves you are not yet thus minded.”

Charles Hodge, the 19th-century Reformed theologian, distinguished between intellectual qualifications, spiritual qualifications, and bodily qualifications, all of which must be present in a genuine call.

Robert L. Dabney, another 19th-century Presbyterian theologian, lists these qualifications:

• A healthy and hearty piety
• A fair reputation for holiness of life
• A respectable force of character
• Some Christian experience
• An aptness to teach

Family Encouragement

*ring ring*

R: "Yep?"

Mom: "Did you have your interview, yet?"

R: "Nope, it's in the afternoon."

Mom: "Try to be good... Don't mess it up."

R: "Thanks, mom."

This was a lawl moment for me. :P nothing more.

Just a thought

You ever notice how our young men scream and holler over whatever sport? NHL Stanley Cup Finals, Tomas Kopecky for the game winner in the third period! ZOMG!!!!! 6-5 Chicago wins!!!

Or our young women fawn over weddings and babies and squeal at a pitch capable of shattering ear drums?

Where is that same enthusiasm when we read a great text in Scripture?

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him." Eph 1:3-4

We are blessed with every blessing!
We are CHOSEN by HIM!

AWESOME!

QOD

"He never wanted anyone to see him tired, burdened, distraught, or needy... because they might think his Master is cruel, uncaring, and unable to provide for him. You do not glorify God by how much you do for Him, rather you glorify Him by how much He does for you! Never forget who is saving who here!"

Paul Washer on George Müller.

Prayer

Really struggling with what I'm supposed to do in this life. I would covet your prayers.

Commentary

I'm going to experiment and try something on my blog. This is a post where you the reader are especially encouraged to engage with a text. I have selected the following quote from Voddie Baucham. At least in my circle of friends, he is best known for his series on marriage.

Anyways, he made the following quote on a sermon on 2 Peter 1:16-21. What do you think of it? Agree or disagree? And why?!

(I'll post up a response in a week or so......assuming that I generate enough traffic to have a couple people respond. :P)

"I choose to believe the Bible because it is a reliable collection of historical documents, written by eyewitnesses during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses. They report supernatural events that took place in fulfillment of specific prophecies, and they claim to be divine rather than human in origin.” - Voddie Baucham

Edify the Time

My Greek prof has been very insightful about random things we do in our life. During his seminary days, he used to read when stopped at red lights. This netted him a total of 3 minutes of extra reading per day. However, this 3 minutes taken over the course of the year = 18.25 hours. That allowed him to read three more books throughout the course of the year.

So I gave it a shot this morning. I have a half an hour train ride (which I normally spend reading), and a half an hour walk to work (undiscovered reading territory).

The conclusion: I finished the chapter assignments for one of my books! I also nearly got hit by a car. Definitely, living life on the (bleeding) edge....

QOD

"The key to success is feigning ignorance." - Anonymous

The World Just Got Bigger

Warning: In one sense, it is good to realize that there are Christians that are stronger than you. In another, to covet another's gifts and abilities is wrong. That being said, here is Richard's view of himself in comparison to other Christians!!1111one!!!!!!11!!!

Pre-T4G:

Spiritual Maturity -->

|------- Richard ------|
|-- Avg Christian --|
|------------------------------- John Piper* -------------------------------|

*or any other big name

Post-T4G:

|- Richard -|
|-- Avg Christian --|
|------------------------------- John Piper* -------------------------------|

After First NT Greek Class:

|- R -|
|-- Avg Christian --|
|------------------------------- John Piper* -------------------------------|

Other thoughts:
- Not everyday, you get schooled by a 15-year old girl. Kidding, hasn't happened yet. Looks like she'll pick it up quick...granted, she is the daughter of the prof.
- The school is not what I thought it would be.
- I thought it would be harder than it actually is, but I'm excited about it.

The Life Lived

"Timmis said that while confessional evangelicals have done a good job of teaching sound theology, their work at seeing people live out such theology has been lacking."
Article found here.

If you know me in person and have heard me rant or rave on something, I have inevitably brought up Jas 1:22. We should not just be hearers of the Word, but doers. As I have matured in my Christian walk, I have noticed a lopsidedness in the practice of my faith. I have this thirst for knowledge of God. Sadly, I am sorely lacking in the practice of His Word and obedience to His commandments.

There is a difference between reading God loves you, and knowing God loves you. For I readily
accept my weakness, that my heart is wicked, that I am the worst sinner that I know. But, when it comes to faith in the words written that speak of the undeserved mercy and grace. I am stunned, I cannot believe! Especially when faced with the depth of my sin.... how can God love me so?

I think this is what James is highlighting when he speaks of a faith tempered with actions and deed. For the Christian faith can easily swing between harsh legalism and unfruitful spirituality. We do not serve God to earn our salvation. If you are Christian, you will bear fruit in righteousness.

So the fuel for our good deeds and holy living, is the cross of Christ. God's rich plan of salvation! Through Christ's blood we are healed. In Him, we have the righteous life we have never could live! We place our faith in Him. The grace that He shows to us, we show to others. The love he displays for wretched beggars as we are, we reciprocate. The good news of the saving gospel of Jesus Christ we proclaim from the rooftops!

But, I think we don't see how huge faith plays in our life. Yes, God is real. Yes, I am to be obedient to His commandments. Yes, Jesus died for sinners. But, what are the implications of what this means? We practice faith in everyday things, and we take them more seriously.

For instance, we have faith that we exist. We are real, even though we don't consciously think about it. We spend time: eating, drinking, maintaining ourselves....keeping ourselves alive! Some of us are even disciplined enough to make it to the gym everyday. We see that these things are "real" and place faith in our senses that this is real.... and live accordingly. (How do we know this is real....can you prove to me that we're not in some fantasy world a la the matrix?)

So it is really a testament to our stupidity as the human race to trust our own thoughts and emotions over the words of our almighty God. I had a bad day... my girlfriend/boyfriend dumped me, or I got fired from my job, or I've lost a loved one, or I've been diagnosed with cancer. Clearly, God doesn't love me. Does my experience invalidate God's Word as revealed through the Bible and the personhood of Jesus Christ? May it never be!

For when I read the words, God is love. This is TRUE! When I read of His protection and fierce and passionate love for His adopted children.... This is TRUE! When it says you, dear reader, can be reconciled to God if you repent from your sins and make Jesus Christ the lord and saviour of your life.... This is TRUE!

We should be giddy with joy when we read the words of Christ! How, oh how can we doubt any longer? Let us renew our commitment to faith in Christ Jesus! God who in His mighty providence and grace pours His love on us. I long to love God more and more, and respond in a manner pleasing to Him. When it says to delight in the Lord. I will! To cast our burdens on Him, yes sir! I want more then the praise of men... the praise of God is what I long for. Will you join me?

God, have mercy on me the sinner! Help me move on from the shame of my sin and let me look to the beauty of your face in Christ Jesus.

QOD

"The reason that many people I talk today are in bondage and in frustration and in defeat, because we don't know really know what God says and we don't want to live it God's way" - Random Televangelist in Flywheel

Downloading Music

Tim Conway sums it up pretty well.

Network Jack to My Brain!

I want a network jack to my brain! Like Johnny Mnemonic! It would make learning so much easier!

Grace

I think the most difficult thing about grace is that it does not hinge on our performance. So my crummy day yesterday does not influence my standing before God today. It might influence how I feel before a holy and righteous God. But, to say that God's grace changes based on my performance... it wouldn't really be grace now, would it?

I guess this is the importance of preaching the gospel to oneself everyday. We need to realize that we really can do absolutely nothing, apart from Jesus (Jn 15:5). We need to realize that our most righteous deeds are no good before God (Is 64:6). We must realize that to be saved is to desperately thrust ourselves on a Saviour who accomplishes what the Father wills.

God, enlarge my faith. For I am a weak pitiful excuse of a man who longs only to find praise from You and to love the things that are pleasing to You... even though I don't seem like it now.

Want to buy a car?

Seeing as I have just purchased a car, I figured I'd leave you guys and gals with some tips and tricks so that you will get a good deal.

Motoring TV -> Car reviews

Beat the Car Salesman -> Learn the tips and tricks

Confessions of a Car Salesman -> From the salesman POV.

Car Cost Canada -> Get the actual cost a dealership pays for a car. (Costs money - I have some reports left, so friends e-mail me.)

Miscellaneous Tips:

- Don't always have to haggle over price. You can ask them to throw in things.... car mats, paint sticks, wheel locks, ipod adapter... you name it.

- Everything is negotiable... everything.

- Have fun. Make sure you enjoy the car. Don't get pressured into anything. :)

Suckers

Unlike you suckers, we still have Tim Horton game cups in our building.

I'm still not winning though.

1 for 27.

Good Bye

Good bye Jean....

You have always treated me well. There were times I got mad at you, but our love for one another pulled through. I think we just got to the point where we outgrew each other.

So let's part ways on good terms. I will always remember you as my first car. I hope you're happy with your new owner.

Note #1: I can't believe I don't have a picture with my car and I.
Note #2: For the name of the car, she isn't as temperamental as before. I guess age calms one down.
Note #3: Really, I am not that attached to my stuff. That's idolatry.

Re-do

I want a re-do of the past eight months.

I think I could have done better.

There is one thing I would not have said on a train so long ago.

And there is one thing I did say that I would have timed better.

Life should come with save points.

I just pray that God will show me what His will is in all of this.

Judgmental

It is a challenge of mine to walk this line between discerning and critical. Especially, in this post-modern era, where words don't mean what they mean.

For example,

Are you a Christian?

Yes, I am a Catholic.

Yes, I go to church.

Yes, I adhere to certain parts of the Christian faith.

Yes, I am a gay Christian.

Yes, I am Hindu/Christian.

Well, no... you aren't Christian. (Rom 6:23; Eph 2:8-10; Rom 1; John 14:15, 21; 1 John 2:4; 1 Cor 6:9-10; Acts 4:12; John 14:6)

Speaking up against such follies will reward you with a "you're so judgmental" card. And truth be told, I have received it more often from professing Christians. The Christians are the most frustrating. For the things we struggle with most are pretty clear. It is just hard to implement. So what do we do? Toss it out. We rationalize. We claim that God couldn't have possibly meant that from His Word. It is too hard, too lofty of a goal to attain. The interpretation must be something else! It must be cultural! It cannot apply today!

Then we build consensus! We seek other weak-minded, weak-willed Christians to agree and affirm that this is what the Scripture actually says. We demonize anyone who disagrees with us. Peer pressure is an amazing thing.

On the other hand, to remain silent, to fail to act... is that not worse? Would we not want to be like Paul who was unashamed of the gospel (Rom 1:16)? Do we take lightly the words of Jesus when He said that those who confess Him before men, He will confess before the Father? Those who deny Him, He will deny before His Father (Matt 10:32-33)?

What do you fear? Should not the fear of God be so much more apparent, so much more instilled in you? We are taught to fear cars when crossing the street. We are taught to not touch the stove. We fear rejection. We fear alienation. We fear poverty. We fear violence. Is there no end to your fears? Should you not fear a God who can destroy not just the body, but the soul? (Matt 10:28)

You see, the sin in us....it clouds our view. It causes us to conjure our own god. A god who is love, who will forgive us endlessly even if we demonstrate no fruit, make no change for purity. One who doesn't condemn anyone to hell, nor puts any "harsh restrictions in our life". The question is will this god save?

Will a harsh legalistic approach to the Word save? (Gal 3:3)

Will a synthesis of Christianity and new-age enlightenment save? (1 Tim 2:5)

Will a fruitless Christianity save? (John 15)

This sin in us obscures the one thing that matters: Jesus Christ. Our sin fell on Him, and we are reconciled to God through His death and resurrection. (Is 53:5; 2 Cor 5:21) We are no longer enemies of God, but are His adopted children. (Eph 2:3; Rom 5:10, Rom 8:14). And this peace is achieved through Jesus Christ alone (Rom 5:1)

We do not need to fear in the sense of fearing judgment for there is no judgment for those in Christ (Rom 8:1). A healthy awe-filled fear is good, though (Is 6). Christians who follow after Christ use Him as their perfect example (1 Pet 2:21,22; Heb 4:14-16). He is pleased to do the will of the Father (Jn 8:29). And without Jesus Christ, we cannot please God (Rom 8:8).

This was originally a post to distinguish when we have crossed from discerning to critical: to determine when one should speak or act and when one should remain silent. And I think there are times where it is prudent to remain silent (Matt 7:6). I think far more often then not, we fail to speak. So let this be an admonishment to speak and act in a way that glorifies Christ!

Do we have not a duty to our Christian brothers who continue in sin (Gal 6:1)? Shall we not call them to repentance, and to turn from their sin? (1 John 1:9) And if they continue in their sin, follow the Scriptures so that if God wills He be saved in the day of judgment (Matt 18; 1 Cor 5:5)? Do we mark ourselves as disciples of Christ with our love for one another (Jn 13:35)? Do we preach the gospel to one another, holding fast in the faith? (Col 3:16; Heb 10:23-24)

Have you been obedient to the commandment of Christ to preach to your non-Christian friends (Mk 16:15)? Even those who profess faith in Jesus Christ may be unsaved! As I have mentioned earlier, the word Christian is so diluted. It can be so far from the truth! It is not love to let people continue living their lives with a false gospel or no gospel. You are not doing them any favours. Your resolve to harmony and not rocking the boat or upsetting the friendship betrays your allegiance to Christ.

You see, friends... I do not want to be disqualified from this race. I do not want any of us to stand before the judgment seat of Christ proclaiming their works for Christ and to have him speak, "Depart from me, I never knew you..." (Matt 7:21-23).

How silly it is to worry about offending someone when there are eternal matters at stake! So let us make it our desire to know one thing: Jesus Christ, and Him crucified (1 Cor 2:2) and to present this account in gentleness and reverence that even our opponents are ashamed (1 Pet 3:15,16).

To Future Richard...

...when you watch Christian movies with friends...

Select friends who will not make fun of corny lines...

PenDragon: Sword of His Father (Borrow it from Richard, watch alone.)

Memorable Quotes... (of friends)
Alan: He's enslaved? That sucks.
Chewie: They're gonna hold hands..... now! .... oh wait... now!
Jeff's multiple LOTR references.
Betty: It is like Tintin. (reference to randomness of plot)

I guess it isn't that bad to watch it with friends. :)

And, the movie was good! It was Biblical! Christian Home-schooled family consisted of the majority of actors/actresses, director, writers, etc. :)

Zooooooooooooooooooooom

zoom?

T4G Thoughts - Day #3

Hallelujah
All I have is Christ
Hallelujah
Jesus is my life...

It's already over! I realize that I didn't link to any of the speaker's sermons... so HERE it is!

Ligor Duncan started us off with a sermon on Church Fathers. I couldn't keep up, I was so tired. I was very thankful that the last set of books we got were smaller ones. Our total free book count ended up at 21 books. I'll put them up in my book list, but I haven't read a lot of them yet so I cannot comment. I also bought some books, now I need to figure out shelving again! ....

Anyways, the next speaker was Matt Chandler. He is an interesting fellow. I wouldn't say he is the deepest theologian, but he has a certain passion to him, a realness in His relationship with Christ. When he says that Christ dwells in him, and he dwells in Christ... you can see it. A very dynamic speaker, it will be very interesting to see how God works in his life as he matures as a pastor.

Our final speaker of the day was C. J. Mahaney, the pastor-athlete. He was preaching on effective pastoring, so the message wasn't exactly aimed at me. I still resounded a lot with his message. It is kind of insane, how we can come up with these gimmicks and tricks to peddle the gospel. What of its saving power? We can become all things to all people, but we must never change the message!

Immediately after the message, we high-tailed it out of Dodge. It still took us 12 hours to get home. We made a couple pit stops including:
- Gas
- Lunch at KFC: Double-Down and Mountain Dews all around.
- Dunkin' Donuts: Coffee
- Dick's Sporting Goods: Softball gear
- Target: Candy
- Toys R' Us: Nerf guns
- Tim Hortons: Dinner in Canada at 1-2am.
- Taking pictures of that massive Jesus idol. (check out fb.)

It was a great conference. It is inspiring to see so many people worshiping God. Let us all be contenders of the faith! :)

T4G Thoughts - Day #2

O for a thousand tongues to sing
My great Redeemer’s praise,
The glories of my God and King,
The triumphs of His grace!

Day #2 was off to a good start. Thabiti Anyabwile started us off with engaging culture: His passage, Col 1:24 to the end of Col 2. He said some powerful things, that makes you stop and think. Are we captive to Christ or the world? The world is not neutral! Whose side are we playing for?

Afterwards we ventured into the T4G bookstore. It was crazy! So many people looking for books to purchase. I found a couple (Pastor Scott gave me some, too) and I lined up to purchase. Unfortunately, there was no time to buy it at that moment, and we decided to come back after MacArthur's session.

MacArthur had an interesting session on the theology of sleep. Mark 4. When I look at certain theological giants, I am amazed at their understanding and insight into Scripture. 40 years of service! 40 YEARS! Incredible. He had a take on Mark 6 I never heard before, so it was refreshing...need to muse over it more. His take was that the disciples had no insight from the feeding of the 25,000 (5,000 men + [not counted: women and children]). But, they realized "You are God's Son" during the calm of the storm. Jesus prays in between, so at that moment... the disciples were reborn through God's opening of their heart.

Lunch time! I texted my friend so he would meet up with us. We went to Chick-Fil-A. It was awesome! The owner of the chain of restaurants is Christian! Two points, it is amazing how much my friend has grown in God while at seminary these past three years. The second, a server at Chick-Fil-A talked with us for a bit. People in the US are so friendly!

Following lunch, we headed back to the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. I bought a Spurgeon boggle head! Other than that, nothing spectacular to report there. The school is awesome, Al Mohler does a good job as President. I would have to comment it was a little weird to find Joyce Meyers in their book store. Really question the discernment on that one... unless it is a "let's practice spiritual discernment on this material!".

I decided to skip the breakout session and just relax in the hotel room. Spent some time chatting with the others and reading "The Discipline of Grace" - Jerry Bridges. I recommend the book. I find myself slipping between the guilt of the burden of my sin and Pharisaical self-righteousness. My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus Christ's righteousness!

Finally, John Piper's session. It was spectacular. Did Jesus preach Paul's gospel? We can answer resoundingly yes! Luke 17-18 has justification by faith alone in Christ alone woven into the passage! At the end of his sermon, there was this moving of the Spirit within the crowd. It is unexplainable. God uses these preachers so mightily, it is astounding! I am praying that God reveals how He will use me, especially with my contract ending.

Evening came, and we tried to teach our pastor how to play Bang! The Bullet. It was hilarious, because it was down to Felix - the renegade, Pastor Scott - the deputy, and Kevin as the Sheriff. Throughout the entire game, Scott was telling us he was the deputy... and no one believed him! So he ended up dying, and once all was revealed... all of us were laughing for a good 10 minutes.

Sigh, good times.

T4G Thoughts - Day #1

And can it be that I should gain
An interest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain—
For me, who Him to death pursued?

The drive there took 9 hours. It wasn't too bad. Even before the trip began, I was starting to see God work mightily ensuring we got there. I wasn't supposed to drive so far with the rental van, and they should have charged me for extra drivers...but the lady was kind enough to let me get away with it. It was my first time, after all.

I have to make a side note about shotgun calling. If you call shotgun on a long road trip, it is your duty to keep the driver awake. You do not proceed to call shotgun and fall asleep. And now, you know.

Enter Louisville, Kentucky.

The hotel was cool. There was a slight room snafu.... they forgot to give us the extra bed. So they bumped us up to a better room. PTL. We got some food and went to bed.

Tuesday Morning - April 13th 2010

We visited Scott's friend, Michael, at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He toured us around the seminary, even giving some helpful information on where I should go to London in June. We found a Spurgeon boggle-head in the book store. Yes, I bought it. Also, by some random providence of God, I ran into my friend from Ryerson. We promised to do lunch and we eventually did meet up!

Ligor Duncan was leading chapel. It was a pretty good message. He talked about Elijah in 1 Kings 19. We often try to subvert God's will and try to make Him do ours. However, God's way is the best way. (Isa 55:8-9) We often feel like we're giving stuff up when we do stuff for God. No man gives up anything that God doesn't repay hundredfold this life and next.

Registration was a nightmare. So we didn't register til Wednesday.

The first three sessions were with Mark Dever, R. C. Sproul, and Al Mohler. Each of them are very gifted and godly men.

Mark Dever: How is the gospel of Jesus visible in your church?
R. C. Sproul: How synthesis of Christianity + Paganism spring up over the past 50 years.
Al Mohler: Eight identifiable traits of false gospels.

With Sproul and Mohler, there was a lot to absorb. They are very heady theological types. Dever gave a lot of good points that I could absorb quickly.

Scott also introduced us to some of his friends whom he invited to our room. They were very down to earth people, but a lot of them had this aura about them. Two brothers, Parker and Charlie, grew up in Christian homes, home-schooled, very dedicated to the Lord. Through our short talks, I could tell that they were very different. It was inspiring, and humbling.

Suffice it to say, I didn't get that much sleep that night.

QOD

For as far as study goes: Be sure that you combine a personal warm tender sweet season with God in His word everyday that is a little different than rigorous academic hard-nosed tough commentary-type study. John Piper

Quick T4G Update

Just a couple notes... I'll post a longer post when I have the time.

For those of you who don't know, I'm at Together 4 the Gospel. Google it. I'm about half way through running on fast food and the Word. What I'm loving about this conference thus far is that the speakers are focusing purely on the gospel. What is the gospel, how to spread it, what is wrong with our current delivery, etc. etc. Great stuff. :D

Some short hand notes, I'll write more later.

- God's providence with regard to meeting my Southern Baptist Seminary Friend. Just randomly running into him.
- Getting tons of books (current free book count: 12)
- Need to read Bible more
- need to read other Christian books more
- starting to feel better re: spiritual dryness
- need to be more obedient to God
- speakers are amazing
- a lot of the attendees are amazing, Charlie (16) / Parker (18)

I feel like I've been running in a sludge for a while. Probably, because I'm being disobedient in one area.... Please pray for me, I think I know what I am supposed to do. But, I'm afraid of making that step.

Arrogant

The arrogance to think that I know anything...

RIchard's Adventures Upgrading His PS3

Tomorrow (April 1st 2010), Sony will remove the option to install another operating system on the PS3 via an update patch. This will be interesting from a legal perspective, as people (including myself) purchased the PS3 with the full intention of utilizing this functionality. Can a company remove the function of a product once purchased by a customer? But, it is not so clear... since a customer can always opt to not update his or her PS3...but that would remove the access to online play, community, and store.

In any case, the next couple months will be interesting for Sony. And that will be discussed on another day...as this is just the background for Richard's super awesome adventure upgrading His PS3!!!1!!!one!!!!

Tuesday Afternoon
- Realize implication of this whole Sony debacle. Spend time researching what to do and how to install the other operating system (Ubuntu Linux!)
- Rush to Canada Computer's... purchase 500 GB Hard Drive... and an external case.
- On the drive home, realize that I might have bought the wrong hard drive size.
- Silently curse myself.
- Get home, realize I'm okay.

Tuesday Night
- Attempt to start back up process of all games, saves, etc. on PS3.
- Realize external hard drive has to be a certain format to be recognized.
- Run around house looking a hard drive I can use. Re-format the drive.
- Start back up process.
- Wait, impatiently.
- Success!
- Dinner!
- Swap out old PS3 hard drive and put in new hard drive!
- Format hard drive.
- Start restore process.
- [Unrelated side adventure]
- Set up hard drive for new OS installation. Realize you can only dedicated 10 GB to the new OS.
- Silently curse Sony.
- Start other OS Installation process. OS Installation completes, but doesn't work. Furthermore, can't switch back to PS3 mode. I have bricked my PS3.
- Silently curse Sony. Cry.
- Meanwhile, attempt to put old PS3 hard drive into external case. Realize that Sony uses a proprietary format for their hard drives which doesn't let Windows PCs see it.
- Silently curse Sony.
- Fail!
- Give up and go to bed.

Wednesday Morning
- Feel sick, don't go to work.
- Sleep in.
- Reformat old PS3 hard-drive using SystemRescueCD. Success!
- Read a little Romans.

Wednesday Afternoon
- Feel slightly better, make soup... eat soup.
- While eating soup, read Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology.
- Success! (of the eating soup and reading!)
- Currently waiting for installation of other OS to complete.

Some other things that should be mentioned...

Did this PS3 upgrade fiasco cause Richard's sickness? No, Richard was sick prior to the engagement of upgrade. On side adventure, NPC #1 mentioned that Richard was sneezing a lot and sounded sick.

What is side adventure? It is what it is. A non-relevant side story to adventure.

Roar! Indeed.

A Biblical Response to Downloading

DISCLAIMER: You probably don't want to read this if you download stuff. This is just my opinion, although I think this is the best way to honour God.

I'm sure you are all aware of the technology revolution that has occurred. People today are very proficient in technology. The Internet is a staple, some even seeing it as a fundamental right. Young people spend more time in front of computers, than the television. They have to be connected all the time.

Technological/Societal issues can be a wide field, so I want to focus on a small section: Downloading. As Christians, I think we have dropped the ball in our approach to this topic.

First of all, is downloading wrong?

It depends on context. Downloading content that is not copyright is perfectly fine. This is rarely the case. Everyone downloads the blockbuster movie, chart-topping song, or hit game which are subject to copyright.

In Canada, downloading is considered legal. Uploading (providing the content) is not. So in one sense, is it okay? No, our standard is not merely restricted to worldly laws, but the law of God.

When we download something that the author has not made available, we are stealing from him.

But, Richard! If it's freely available online... should not the author do something to protect his interests and prevent people from taking his goods? Surely, he must have a responsibility! ...so I am justified in my taking of his content.

Well, no. Would we say the thief who steals a car is justified if the victim left the car door unlocked?

What about streaming videos? That isn't stealing. The content is not stored on your computer.

This one I would suggest is based on context. Is the provider authorized to broadcast the content? If yes, then by all means...stream away. If no, you are enabling evil. The provider has stolen the content and is broadcasting for your benefit.

What about ripping videos from youtube? Without getting into too much detail on the method, it is possible to take legally posted songs or shows and store them from streaming websites. Now is it legal? I would be really surprised if they have defined case law to this extent. So I doubt it is illegal...yet.

But, what of the Christian? If an artist wished to make their content downloadable, I think it is very easy for them to choose a medium that will allow his fans to download his work. So although, there is no specific law in place, and considering that you need special tools to rip youtube videos, Christians should not engage in this activity. I would consider it stealing, others might try to claim it is not. But, in any case it is poor witness.

What about copying a purchased song/movie?

Again, this would fall under distribution rights, which you don't have. It is stealing.

What about a Christian artist? As Christians, we are to do all things for the glory of God. The Christian artist shouldn't be charging the people of God! By downloading the Christian artist's song and distribute it, I spread God's message.

Now this is a tempting message, as it sounds like a good idea. However, I think this fails threefold.
1) The worker is worthy of his wages (Lk 10:7). If you are like Paul, and would forfeit your wages so as to further the gospel... all the more power to you. (2 Cor 11:7-9)
2) If you feel that Paul is a model that we should be imitating in this regard and it is sinful to do otherwise... I'll ask you two questions...
A) When a brother errs and sins... do you not approach your brother and correct him? You can't force him, if he doesn't listen...you expel him from the church. (after following Matt 18). The proper route would be to tell this brother to repent, and that he should be providing his work free of charge. It would not be to acquire it illegally and distribute it illegally, because "he's wrong".
B) The work you do... are you paid for it? If we applied the same standards to your work, would that be fair?
3) Why not just share the gospel? Or buy the song and give it to the person? Support both the artist and spread the Word. Isn't sitting down with your non-Christian friend and reading the Bible together a better form of evangelism?

So why do we download?

Downloading touches on something that is very prevalent in today's culture: A sense of entitlement. I want what I want for free, and when I want it...for free. As Christians we are to be holy and blameless, that our opponents would be ashamed that they can level no argument against us. Would it kill you to not download the newest hit by Taylor Swift? Would you not be a greater witness to Christ, if you possessed integrity in this issue? Stealing is stealing; regardless, of it being physical or electronic.

If you are reading this post, you can probably afford to pay $1 for an mp3. The issue is you don't want to. The concept of sacrifice (and this is a considerably small sacrifice) is lost on you. Our steadfastness for the LORD crumbles at the altar of Mammon. This is what it is..is it not? We worship money more than Christ. Rather than be obedient to His Law (Jn 14:15), we compromise. We steal, then we rationalize.

My Prayer
LORD, may we use our lives to give You glory. It is all about you, LORD. I pray that the life I live, I would live in integrity that my life would be a pleasing aroma to You. God, awaken us to the stench of sin, may we look to rid ourselves of it as we cling to the cross.

Bow to Jesus

Everyone will bend their knee to Jesus....
Some will bow in celebration...
Some will bow in damnation...
Some will bow as a friend to Jesus...
Some will bow as a foe to Jesus.
-Mark Driscoll

I am not ashamed.

Reading the whole Bible on video!

http://iamnotashamed.org/

"Depart from Me..."

²¹"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.

²²"Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?'

²³"And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'

Matt 7:21-23

One of the most scariest set of verses in the Bible.

The Faithful Craftsmen

Have you ever built something with your two hands? It is one of the most satisfying activities a man can take part in. The planning, design, the crafting, and building all lead to a sense of accomplishment as you gaze upon your completed product.

I built a metal DDR pad five years ago. At the time, I was pretty enamoured by the game. I remember I spent a considerable amount of my time regardless of what I was doing rotating the objective in my head. I was constantly thinking about how to build a good DDR pad. Countless scenarios ran through, articles read, designs done and re-done. It turned out great.

As Christians, having been purchased...we are no longer our own. We are slaves to righteousness, sons of obedience. His will be done. Our lives are to be marked with fruit giving praise to His name, as well as continually increasing in the knowledge of God.

We know that when He asks something of us, we are to be obedient to His command. But, let's take a second to capture that moment. When He asks of you something that is difficult or hard, do we accept the task joyfully, longing to be a God-glorifying servant or are we like the rebellious child or the ungrateful servant? How often do we take lightly His mercy, doing His work halfheartedly, exclaiming "God is sovereign" (yet, whispering "so I don't need to do my best.")?

Your motives betray your action. Although you are obedient to His command, you neglect the message the action speaks. Your actions speak "Look at me be obedient to God's command" instead of "Look at God". You claim to give your first fruit, you give a pittance. You say "I submit to God", yet there is no joy in your submission to Him.

There needs to be an entire shift in our psyche. From self-glorifying to God-glorifying. Everything must be about Him. We must continually rotate this idea in our minds. Jesus Christ. The Cross. God's Love. His Sovereignty. We must turn from the things of the world, and look to God alone. So when the time comes to act on His command, our actions exclaim His splendor.

Reminder

“Be careful how you treat God, my friends. You may say to yourself, ‘I can sin against God and then, of course, I can repent and go back and find God whenever I want him.’ You try it. And you will sometimes find that not only can you not find God but that you do not even want to. You will be aware of a terrible hardness in your heart. And you can do nothing about it. And then you suddenly realize that it is God punishing you in order to reveal your sinfulness and your vileness to you. And there is only one thing to do. You turn back to him and you say, ‘O God, do not go on dealing with me judicially, though I deserve it. Soften my heart. Melt me. I cannot do it myself.’ You cast yourself utterly upon his mercy and upon his compassion.”

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Revival (Westchester, 1987), page 300.

VOD

"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints..." Eph 1:18

I don't know about you, but I found this verse rich and deeply satisfying. Oh, how I long to know You more, Lord! Maran atha!

Money

“I fear there are some Christians among you to whom Christ cannot say ‘Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you.’ Your haughty dwelling arises in the midst of thousands who have scarce a fire to warm themselves at and have but little clothing to keep out the biting frost, and yet you never darkened their door. You heave a sigh perhaps at a distance, but you do not visit them. Ah my dear friends, I am concerned for the poor, but more for you. I know not what Christ will say to you on the great day. You seem to be Christians, and yet you care not for his poor. Oh, what a change will pass upon you as you enter the gates of heaven! You will be saved, but that will be all. There will be no abundant entrance for you. ‘He that soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly.’

And I fear that there may be many hearing me who may know well that they are not Christians, because they do not love to give. To give largely and liberally, not grudging at all, requires a new heart. An old heart would rather part with its life-blood than its money. Oh my friends, enjoy your money. Make the most of it. Give none of it away. Enjoy it quickly, for I can tell you, you will be beggars throughout eternity.”

Robert Murray McCheyne, Works (New York, 1847), II:482.

The best types of day

Are the random days!

QOD

You young believers, who have lately followed Christ, should father and mother forsake you, remember you were bidden to reckon upon it; should brothers and sisters deride you, you must put this down as part of the cost of being a Christian.

- Spurgeon, Discovering the Power of The Cross of Christ

The Drive Home

One of the joys I take in life is the drive to and from work. My brother and I drive to the GO station, it's a short drive... ten minutes or so. But, it's time we can just chat about random things without distraction.

A particular radio station has this game where contestants call in, and win a prize. The radio hosts would open up the first envelope to reveal their prize. The contestant can then decide to "Press their luck" (name of the game) in hopes that the next envelope has a bigger prize, the biggest prize being a trip to some tropical destination. However, as they push closer and closer to the fourth and final envelope they risk losing it all. We would find ourselves shouting at the radio, urging the stupid contestant to stop being greedy, take their prize, and go home. Try beating that morning ritual!

I keep urging my brother to call in, but he won't do it.

But, that was a large digression. A night ago, we were talking about my brother's current job situation. (Conversation remains largely in-tact.)

richard: So what is happening with your job?

brother: My boss is trying to get me hired as a full-time temporary. There are signatures that need to be retrieved from executives.

richard: Weren't you hired already?

brother: No, if I get hired as a full-time temporary, I get paid out of the HR budget.

richard: So...how were you getting paid before?

brother: They set some money out of the copier budget for the length of my contract.

richard: *laughing* So basically, you're equivalent to a copier.

brother: I'd like to think I add more value to the company than a photocopier. But, not one of those multi-function colour copiers. Those are expensive.

We're still waiting to hear back from his boss.

Post-Retreat Thoughts

How blessed are those whose way is blameless, Who walk in the law of the LORD. Ps 119:1

I went to Ryerson CCF's retreat this past week. It was good times. I was really hesitant about going: One, I did not know that many of them. Two, with all that has been going on at the church, I did not really feel like it. Three, the age gap was starting to get really apparent. I felt like the older brother who has no friends, tagging along with the younger brother. I am very glad I went... for several reasons.

Use

God used me there. For more than I previously imagined. I thought I was only going to do a workshop. But, praise God that when tested with fire, I was refined! I wish I could share here, but at least for now... it is better to be silent and let things play out. I am very glad to see how much people have grown, especially the committee.

Workshop

I did a workshop on the Word. It was pretty long. Condensing five doctrines on Scripture into an hour. It was definitely a work out in terms of flipping our bibles back and forth! I am very happy with the earnestness of people to follow and learn the word. There are quite a few notable first years, especially among the young women.

An issue that I constantly brought up and I am hopeful that I stressed enough during the retreat... was that my authority as a workshop leader comes from God. Everything that I spoke and taught had to be measured against Scripture. I told them again and again, "I don't care about your opinion. Tell me from Scripture. You shouldn't care about my opinion, unless it comes from Scripture." I am hopeful that people there were not listening to me for my sake, but listening because I was speaking from the Word.

When I look back on it, I probably appeared like a fire and brimstone type of guy (for those who didn't know me that well). I have to learn how to do small talk and warm up to people again. I feel like I have lost the ability to socialize. I talk with people and figure out how to strategically move the conversation to Jesus. We should be intentional in this manner, but sometimes I move too quickly and turn people off. I have to figure out how to warm people up to it... but, that's a story for another post.

Sermon(s)

I invited Scott to preach. As usual, he preached good stuff. The committee and some others were making reference to the stuff he said. So it sounds like they absorbed it. A lot of them perked up, it seems like biblical preaching is a rarity in a lot of our churches. The question is will they be obedient to what they hear and see in Scripture... or once coming back to their churches, same as usual?

The message on Thursday night was not as good. The speaker was not as trained nor as prepared as Scott, even though the words given to him to speak were actually from a sermon Scott preached on previously. He went a little too fast here and there and was a little confusing, as well. I guess you live and learn.

All in all, it was a good retreat. I am very thankful that I went and found it spiritually refreshing. PTL.

Workshop Preparation

In which Richard laments his current situation...

Mistake #1: Waking up at 11:40 AM.
Mistake #2: Starting work at 2:00 PM.
Mistake #3: Taking a 3 hour Dragon Age break.

Addendum:
Some more mistakes...
Mistake #4: Leaving workshop til last minute.
Mistake #5: Writing blog posts instead of working on workshop.

QOD

"There is a common worldly kind of Christianity in this day, which many have, and think they have enough - a cheap Christianity which offends nobody, and requires no sacrifice - which costs nothing, and is worth nothing." - J. C. Ryle

Oh MAN!

"The Lord hears your murmurings which you murmur against Him!" Exodus 16:8

"And I tell you this, that you must give an account on judgment day of every idle word you speak!" Matthew 12:36

That is absolutely insane. Every single word! Now I can understand that with..

"Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father." Colossians 3:17

The Scary Thing

Throughout this whole situation, I have been wondering. It's striking, the similarities between the two of us: How we both employ manipulation, the "smooth talk", the controlling of information flow, the insistence of our way, and the enjoyment of the praises of men.

It scares me to my core that I can imagine myself like you... if given the time and the motive.

Maybe this is God's way of warning me. The narrow path is a hard path. One which a person must use concentrated effort and discipline to remain on it. All I know is, I want this to end... and soon.

I don't want to sound judgmental. However, measured against Scripture, what you are doing is wrong. God will be the judge in the end. Regardless of how this is spinned, I will be vindicated.

Still, it's not the gossip, or my reputation that I worry about...it's that...

...we're not so different.

Interview with Christopher Hitchens

Maryiln Sewell = Unitarian Minister
Christopher Hitchens = Renowned Atheist

Maryiln Sewell: "The religion you cite in your book is generally the fundamentalist faith of various kinds. I’m a liberal Christian, and I don’t take the stories from the scripture literally. I don’t believe in the doctrine of atonement (that Jesus died for our sins, for example). Do you make and distinction between fundamentalist faith and liberal religion?"

Christopher Hitchens: "I would say that if you don’t believe that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ and Messiah, and that he rose again from the dead and by his sacrifice our sins are forgiven, you’re really not in any meaningful sense a Christian."

Maryiln Sewell: "Let me go someplace else. When I was in seminary I..."

HT: Vox Day
Original Source

VOD

When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. 1 Cor 13:11

Placeholder

When all can be revealed, stuff will be placed here.

Drive

I pray that it is God's wisdom that drives me, not fear.

Encouraged

Despite this being one of the most trying weeks in my Christian life... I am encouraged.

In no particular order:

- Uni Fellowship bought me entire re-imagined series of Battlestar Galactica, and watched the 2 4 hour season premiere.
- Prayer with said fellowship
- Seeing how much my brethren have grown in their desire to follow God regardless of the consequences.
- Meet up with old friend, amazing to see how he's grown up in Christ.
- Young friend e-mailing me about the Bible and other stuff.
- New believer friend being able to cut through the smoke of a bad sermon.

- My friend's mini-sermon during service
- Random meet ups

Stand firm in the faith, my friends.

QOD

We spend more per capita on education than virtually every other nation, and yet we rank close to the bottom in math and science -- so busy are our children being force-fed global warming junk science, the LGBT agenda, a whitewashed Muhammad, and other assorted propaganda.

Pam Geller of Atlas Shrugged

How true is this statement?

One of the Longest Days of my Life

8 hour meetings are teh brutal.

21 men.

1 woman.

5 different Microsoft products.

3 sandwiches.

4 cookies.

2 cans of pop.

1 coffee.

6 washroom breaks.

0 minutes of falling asleep.

0 audible groans of boredom.

QOD

"I can tell you how much God you have, by how much entertainment you need." -- A. W. Tozer

Speech

I have been pretty convicted lately about speech. Oh, the difficulties of taming the tongue. It is a fire that ruins and yet also the instrument that offers praise to God. No man can tame it, only God can. To live to the Spirit is to put to death the flesh, and with it all the utterance of evil that flows so easily from our mouths. Today, I wish to speak of several things: the speech that so totally corrupts, lies which must be absent, and the obligation we have in speech.

Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. Eph 4:29

But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. Eph 5:3,4

As Christians, we endeavor to be like Christ. We know not to take lightly the grace that was received by the shedding of blood on the cross. The innocent Lamb of God bears the punishment for sin, OUR punishment for sin. Why are we so eager to cast off the freedom grace offers and reattach the chains that sin provides?

The righteous life that Christ lived is the basis for our righteousness. His speech was always seasoned with grace, uplifting to those who hear. The words he spoke offered love, comfort, hope and eternal life. Should not Christians speak in way that imitates our Lord and King?! His mind was focused on the will of the Father and the Kingdom; so was His speech.

Are we not foolish to utter words of evil, gossip, and slander? Indeed every swear is an affront to God on two counts. One, we take so lightly the commands He has given us despite the grace He has bestowed upon us. Two, it is a challenge to the sovereignty of God: When do we swear? When a situation does not go our way. Is that not a declaration: I know better than You, Holy God? My way is better than Your way?

Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, Col 3:9

Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me. Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don't you believe me? He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God." John 8:42-47

Jesus Christ spoke no lie. His testimony is true, and wholly true. We cannot doubt the truthfulness of His statements for our faith would be shipwrecked without it. For if the God-man lied, His beckoning to eternal life, His discourses on holy living, His proclamation of divinity would all be suspect. If God lies, how can we even trust that we are saved by grace through faith in Christ alone... that could a lie! May it never be!

Lies are the language of the devil. Jesus Christ is the light, a stark contrast. God's actions although sometimes invisible to our eyes will never draw shame nor something that must be hidden. He can operate in plain sight, not having to disguise His motives: for they are righteous and good, holy and just. The wicked are not so. For they must operate in darkness, exposure to the light will be the revealing of their evil deeds.

As Christians, how can we even entertain lies and ally ourselves with the devil? And I fear much for the brother or sister that is so steeped in falsehood that comes to their lips naturally.

Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person. Col 4:6

Do not participate in unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. Eph 5:11-12

Our speech should be like the speech of Christ. He spoke words of kindness, love, and hope. He offered new life to those that would believe. He gave grace to the humble, strength to the weary, hope to the hopeless. He offers words of prayer for His followers, and words that come from the Father, Himself. Indeed, Christians know this well, though it is sometimes difficult to imitate Him in this regard.

What we often forget, is that Christ also exposed the evil deeds of men. He challenged the self-righteousness of the Pharisees, calling them a brood of vipers. He demonstrated time after time again, that the Pharisees were not in the business of pleasing God. Whether it was prayer on a street corner, offerings given to the temple, or "righteous" living... it was all in worship of themselves. His rhetoric was not reduced to mere pleasantries and happy feelings, but TRUTH tempered in love. For the blind and unwilling, the truth seems unnaturally harsh.

And so Christian brothers and sisters, we know that our speech is to be clean and edifying to God. The words that leave our lips should be pleasing to God in every respect. Encouraging a brother, speaking kind words to a sister, the abstaining of foul words and coarse jesting are all things that should be eagerly practiced. May God give us wisdom, that we may know how to respond to evil deeds of men. Let us not lose heart in doing good.

My Prayer

Oh, Lord...let not this discourse be in vain. I pray that I not be a man with a plank in my eyes, trying to clean the speck from my brother's. Sanctify my speech, that I may be holy and pleasing to you. May I never tire in doing good, but trust in Your strength.