Month: December 2010
The Gospel of Mark by Max McLean
If you have not seen the Bible brought to life through one of Max McLean‘s performances you have missed out. I first saw him when he came to chapel while I was a student at Reformed Theological Seminary. McLean is an acclaimed thespian who lends his substantial talents to verbatim oral interpretation of Books of the Bible, among other roles.
I learned from Justin Taylor that McLean’s live portrayal of John Mark, author of the Gospel of Mark, from the show run last year in the Chicago Theatre District, is now available on DVD. I also leaned that it is available free online.
Click the chapters and watch McLean bring the Gospel of Mark to life, word-for-word:
- Chapter 1
- Chapter 2
- Chapter 3
- Chapter 4
- Chapter 5
- Chapter 6
- Chapter 7
- Chapter 8
- Chapter 9
- Chapter 10
- Chapter 11
- Chapter 12
- Chapter 13
- Chapter 14
- Chapter 15
- Chapter 16
Try reading along to dramatize your Devotional time for several days.
Things We Leave Behind
There sits Simon foolish and wise
Proudly he’s tending his nets
Jesus calls and the boat drifts away
All that he owns he forgetsMore than the nets he abandoned that day
He found that his pride was soon fading awayIt’s hard to imagine the freedom we find
From the things we leave behindMatthew was mindful of taking the tax
Pressing the people to pay
Hearing the call he responded in faith
And followed the light and the wayLeaving the people so puzzled he found
The greed in his heart was no longer aroundEvery heart needs to be set free
From possessions that press in so tight
Freedom is not found in the things that we own
It’s the power to do what is rightWith Jesus our only possession
Giving becomes our delight
We can’t imagine the freedom we find
From the things we leave behindWe show a love for the world in our lives
Worshipping goods we possess
Jesus said lay all your treasures aside
And love God above all the restWhen we say no to the things of the world
We open our hearts to the love of the Lord
Song by:
A Right Definition of Faith
How shall we distinguish a healthy faith from one that is built on more shaky ground? Consider this insight from John Calvin:
“Now we shall possess a right definition of faith if we call it a firm and certain knowledge of God’s benevolence toward us, founded upon the truth of the freely given promise in Christ, both revealed to our minds and sealed upon our hearts through the Holy Spirit…..
If then, we would be assured that God is pleased with and [is] kindly disposed toward us, we must fix our eyes …on Christ… We see that our whole salvation, and all its parts, are comprehended in Christ. We should, therefore, take care not to derive the least portion of it from anywhere else.”
Difference Between Faith and Hope
The question may occur to us: What difference is there between faith and hope? We find it difficult to see any difference. Faith and hope are so closely linked that they cannot be separated. Still there is a difference between them.
Consider the following distinctions offered by Martin Luther, from his commentary on Galatians:
First, hope and faith differ in regard to their sources. Faith originates in the understanding, while hope rises in the will.
Secondly, they differ in regard to their functions. Faith says what is to be done. Faith teaches, describes, directs. Hope exhorts the mind to be strong and courageous.
Thirdly, they differ in regard to their objectives. Faith concentrates on the truth. Hope looks to the goodness of God.
Fourthly, they differ in sequence. Faith is the beginning of life before tribulation (Hebrews 11). Hope comes later and is born of tribulation (Romans 5).
Fifthly, they differ in regard to their effects. Faith is a judge. It judges errors. Hope is a soldier. It fights against tribulations, the Cross, despondency, despair, and waits for better things to come in the midst of evil.
Without hope faith cannot endure. On the other hand, hope without faith is blind rashness and arrogance because it lacks knowledge. Before anything else a Christian must have the insight of faith, so that the intellect may know its directions in the day of trouble and the heart may hope for better things. By faith we begin, by hope we continue.
Worship is the Proper Response
Worship is the proper response of all moral, sentient beings to God, ascribing all honor and worth to their Creator-God precisely because he is worthy, delightfully so. This side of the Fall, human worship of God properly responds to the redemptive provisions that God has graciously made. While all true worship is God-centered, Christian worship is no less Christ-centered. Empowered by the Spirit and in line with the stipulations of the new covenant, it manifests itself in all our living, finding its impulse in the gospel, which restores our relationship with our Redeemer-God and therefore also with our fellow image-bearers, our co-worshippers. Such worship therefore manifests itself both in adoration and action, both in the individual believer and in corporate worship, which is worship offered up in the context of the body of believers, who strive to align all the forms of the devout ascription of all worth to God with the panoply of new covenant mandates and examples that bring to fulfillment the glories of antecedent revelation and anticipate the consummation.
5 Views on Sanctification
Several years ago a book was released attempting to outline and compare the major divergent views about the doctrine of sanctification, Five Views on Sanctification. In this book five respected theologians, each a proponent of one of the respective positions gave an outline explanation of the positions: Wesleyan/Holiness, Reformed/Puritan, Keswick, Dispensational, and Pentecostal. Following the introduction by the adherent theologian, each of the other theologians then interact with the presented view in a rebuttal/defense discussion that reflects the strengths and weaknesses of the various positions.
This is an important discussion because it reflects one of the major areas where Christians view things from vastly different perspectives. But unlike other areas where sincere Believers differ (i.e. Eschatology, Baptism, Church Government, Complementarian vs. Egalitarian) this subject is not often as clearly articulated as those other subjects. Rather, sanctification seems to be assumed. I am not making the case that we add this discussion to our all too common arguments, as we might add another log on a fire. But I do see a value in awareness of these differences so that we can talk to one another. Failure to understand that many hold different views on this subject lead to speaking in different languages and/or talking at one another instead of talking to one another.
For this reason I appreciate an essay by Mike Sullivan of Xenos Christian Fellowship. Mike has summarized the fore mentioned book in an essay, 5 Views of Sanctification. Mike summarizes the positions and interacts with the book, then adds his own comments to the subject.
While the book is not long, it is not something I expect a lot of people will take time to read. Mike’s essay makes this subject much more accessible to us.
Dealing With Our Differences
Psalm 133 says:
How good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell together in unity!
But what about when we differ? Can we still dwell together in unity when we do not have uniformity?
Roger Nicole offers insights: How to Deal With Those Who Differ From Us.
Or, you can read this essay in sections:
Heisman 2010
Tonight’s the night the night when, once again, the Downtown Athletic Club in Manhattan bestows the Heisman Trophy on the top collegiate football player in the nation. While each year there is a qualifying refrain, it warrants repeating: This trophy is given to the top offensive skill player. Linemen and most defensive players get no serious consideration.
That qualifier out of the way, I will say in my opinion that makes no difference this year in who should be the winner. Perhaps there are linemen and defensive players who deserved an invite to the banquet in New York, but there is one player who clearly dominated on the field this season.
My votes – if I had any – would fall in the following order for 2o10:
- Cam Newton – QB – Auburn
- Colin Kaepernick – QB- Nevada
- LaMichael James – RB – Oregon
Why Newton? No one controlled a game like him this season. He was an unstoppable force.
Celebrating Gospel-Centeredness
A good article by Trevin Wax illustrating the importance of, not only Gospel-centeredness but, Gospel Celebration. Wax asserts:
“What you celebrate as a Church is just as important as what you believe.”
I am not sure I fully agree with that statement, but I do see how what is celebrated practically shapes the church, and therefore its people and mission. And, I suspect it is also true that if we truly understand the Gospel we will celebrate it – and especially the God who authored the Gospel and the Messiah who embodies the Gospel. To celebrate anything else merely exposes our true values – in other words, our idols. To not celebrate Christ above all else reveals that we do not actually understand the Gospel.
So, practically speaking, I guess I do agree with that statement more than I first thought.
Wax goes on to suggest:
Celebrate the gospel, and cross-cultural ministry will bubble up in surprising ways. Celebrate your church’s preferential distinctions, and your congregation will become an insular group of like-minded individuals.
Wax drives his point home with two true-to-life illustrations.
To read the article click: Celebration
Lord Save Us
I spent this morning watching the documentary, Lord Save Us From Your Followers. I was prompted by a note from a friend and, despite it not being on my agenda for the day, I was intrigued.
Once again, I am not sure where I have been. This film came out over a year ago. Some of it looked familiar, so I may have caught part of it on GMC or some other television cable network. But for whatever reason, what I saw before did not capture my interest enough. Perhaps I had an initial wrong impression. Perhaps I was just busy and could not watch the whole thing before. But even if that were the case, I am not sure why this went out of mind so quickly that I did not seek it out when I had the time to check it out.
The driving questions about this exploration of the Culture Wars in the United States is: Why is the Gospel of Love Dividing Our Nation? That is a great question.
Here are a few brief thoughts that come to my mind having just finished watching:
- Ouch! This cuts close to home. This film clearly reveals how we as Christians (and I personally) are at fault for much of the perception the UnBelieving Culture has about Christianity and Christians.
- I was encouraged by the responses of those who are opposed to Christianity and Christians when a Believer was willing to engage them in an honest discussion. I was moved by the power of humility, compassion, repentance and confession by the Believer. Apparently Jesus knew something when he commanded his followers to first take the plank out of our own eyes before confronting others about the specs in theirs. (Matthew 7.5) Paul, too, when he instructed the Galatians to “gently restore” those who were astray of the way of God, but that they should be careful that they did not stumble in their own sin in in the process. (Galatians 6.1)
- I am hopeful of a positive impact. But our strategic priorities must be in order. First is the reformation of the Church, including widespread repentance of God’s people for our failure to seek genuine righteousness. Only later can we expect to have any positive cultural impact. (2 Chronicles 7.14)
Now for the qualifications:
I know some who read this blog will be inclined to immediately dismiss the message behind this film because some of the theological premises expressed by those interviewed are questionable (to say it kindly), because it is not a theological discussion, and/or because some of the Christians represented do not reflect your tradition. (For the most part, this is true of mine too. Only John Perkins comes to mind who I know to share a similar theological heritage.) But to dismiss this film for any of those reasons is a sad mistake. At the very least recognize that this film depicts how a wide spectrum of our culture views us.
This documentary runs 1:42, so to watch it takes some time. I suppose it would not lessen the appreciation to break it up into segments. But I do encourage honest Believers, those interested in engaging in holistic mission to take the time, however you break it up.
To watch, click: Lord, Save Us From Your Followers
Counterfeit Gods
In his reletively recent book, Counterfeit Gods, Tim Keller explains what a counterfeit god is and describes how to make one – as we are so prone to do:
A counterfeit god is anything so central and essential to your life that, should you lose it, your life would feel hardly worth living. And idol has such a controlling position in your heart that you can spend most of your passion and energy, your emotional and financial resources, on it without a second thought. It can be family and children, or career and making money, or achievement and critical acclaim, or saving “face” and social standing. It can be a romantic relationship, peer approval, competence and skill, secure and comfortable circumstances, your beauty or your brains, a great political or social cause, your morality and virtue, or even sucess in the Christian ministry.
Keller also asserts:
When your meaning in life is to fix someone else’s life, we may call it “codependency” but it is really idolatry. An idol is whatever you look at and say, in your heart of hearts, “If I have that, then I’ll feel significant and secure.” Introduction, p. xviii)
I greatly apprecialte Keller delving into this subject. While few people are likely to identify themselves as Idolotors, it is an affliction that plagues us all.
John Calvin was correct when he declared: “Our hearts are little idol factories”. Understanding how we each make our individual idols, and identifying how they influence our actions and thoughts, is a major step toward diplacing them.
Is Church Growth a Biblical Expectation?
I was intrigued by the insights of Jay Childs in an article he wrote for Leadership Journal. The article, titled Church Growth vs. Church Seasons, focuses on the American fascination with large numbers. After telling some of his own story, Jay makes three primary observations:
- Our Situation is Not Unusual
- Non-Stop Numerical Growth is NOT a Biblical Expectation
- Healthy Churches Go Through Life-Cycles of Growth, Pruning, Decline, Blessing
While I appreciated the whole article, it was the insights of the second point that most resonated with me:
Ever since eminent missiologist Donald McGavran first published his seminal thoughts on church growth, American churches have often fixated on numerical growth. The basic assumption seems to be this: all churches should be growing numerically, all the time, and something is wrong if your church isn’t.
But as I’ve searched the New Testament and read countless other books on the subject, this assumption seems to be alien to the Bible. There is simply no biblical expectation that a local congregation will continually grow in size, uninterrupted. That seems to be an American presupposition forced onto the Scriptures.
If anything, Jesus told us to expect the opposite. He did promise that the gates of hell would not stand against the church, but he also commended the church in Philadelphia for standing firm though they had “little power.” He never criticizes any of the seven churches in Revelation for not accumulating numbers. He does scold, however, for moral and theological compromise.
Lesslie Newbigin writes in The Open Secret: An Introduction to the Theology of Mission, “Reviewing the teaching of the New Testament, one would have to say, on the one hand, there is joy in the rapid growth of the church in the earliest days, but on the other, there is no evidence that numerical growth of the church is a matter of primary concern. There is no shred of evidence in Paul’s letters to suggest that he judged the churches by the measure of their success in rapid numerical growth. [Nowhere is there] anxiety or an enthusiasm about the numerical growth of the church.”
GRACE & PEACE 