A great Video that is 12 minutes well spent.
Year End Random Resources and Such
So as the 2010 year comes to a close and one step closer to the Lords return I wanted to put up just some random resources I have ran into this week that have been helpful to me in hopes they will bless you.
1) Is a free 30-page, downloadable eBook titled Gospel-Centered Parenting that the National Association of Nouthetic Counselors (NANC) posted on there facebook this week. I have been going over it and it is packed with some very practical information on biblical parenting verse pragmatic parenting and a bunch of other articles and resources at the end that I will spend some time chasing down. You can get the pdf. by clicking here.
2. Next is a great resource Kevin DeYoung posted at The Gospel Coalition Blog giving a review on a book by Chris Brauns titled, "When the Word Lead Your Pastoral Search: Biblical Principles & Practices to Guide Your Search" and the link provides a full chapter for reivew that I have not tackled yet but look forward to doing so. This is a non addressed area of ministry from a literature presepctive as far as I have seen so this comes in at a great time of theological church growth. Keving DeYoung says this about the book,
3. The third thing I have is a recent 9 Marks Audio done by Shai Linne on the subject of Christianity and the Arts. This audio was extremely helpful not only from the artistic genre of vocation but all areas of vocation both business and cultural design. Shai Linne had some helpful and practical insight on how parents should encourage there children in secular work/art to glorify God not by staying away from cultural vocation but by being in it and doing it well as we point to Christ in all we endeavor to accomplish. Shai Linne said at one point that the goal of an artist is not to smuggle John 3:16 into a leaf on a painting he is doing for a corporation but to paint the leaf in such a way that it points to the glory of God and pray God allows oppurtunities to share the gospel in those situations. You can find that info here.
4. Well I have one more thing to add and that is a Will Varner audio on the book of James. Will Varner is releasing a commentary on James soon that I am looking forward to. But in this audio he makes a case for James actually being the head of the Jerusalem Church that is very insightful. You can find the audio here and the outline here.
1) Is a free 30-page, downloadable eBook titled Gospel-Centered Parenting that the National Association of Nouthetic Counselors (NANC) posted on there facebook this week. I have been going over it and it is packed with some very practical information on biblical parenting verse pragmatic parenting and a bunch of other articles and resources at the end that I will spend some time chasing down. You can get the pdf. by clicking here.
2. Next is a great resource Kevin DeYoung posted at The Gospel Coalition Blog giving a review on a book by Chris Brauns titled, "When the Word Lead Your Pastoral Search: Biblical Principles & Practices to Guide Your Search" and the link provides a full chapter for reivew that I have not tackled yet but look forward to doing so. This is a non addressed area of ministry from a literature presepctive as far as I have seen so this comes in at a great time of theological church growth. Keving DeYoung says this about the book,
"Chris Brauns’ book is the only resource of its kind that I have ever seen. If your church is searching for a pastor, or if you are a pastor seeking to equip your congregation to follow biblical guidelines when that day comes, I highly recommend this thoughtful, practical, biblical work to you."
3. The third thing I have is a recent 9 Marks Audio done by Shai Linne on the subject of Christianity and the Arts. This audio was extremely helpful not only from the artistic genre of vocation but all areas of vocation both business and cultural design. Shai Linne had some helpful and practical insight on how parents should encourage there children in secular work/art to glorify God not by staying away from cultural vocation but by being in it and doing it well as we point to Christ in all we endeavor to accomplish. Shai Linne said at one point that the goal of an artist is not to smuggle John 3:16 into a leaf on a painting he is doing for a corporation but to paint the leaf in such a way that it points to the glory of God and pray God allows oppurtunities to share the gospel in those situations. You can find that info here.
4. Well I have one more thing to add and that is a Will Varner audio on the book of James. Will Varner is releasing a commentary on James soon that I am looking forward to. But in this audio he makes a case for James actually being the head of the Jerusalem Church that is very insightful. You can find the audio here and the outline here.
Oh Christmas Tree
The difference between the non-Christian and the Christian is the difference between a Christmas tree on which people hang presents, and a living tree that bears fruit. They have to put them on the Christmas tree; it does not and cannot produce anything. But in the case of the growing tree it produces fruit. The fruit is no longer imposed from outside; it is something produced from the life, the sap and the power that are in the living tree.
Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Spurgeon on Evangelism, Christmas, Family & Friends
Tony Reinke over at Sovereign Grace Ministries blog just posted some great comments by Spurgeon on looking and making opportunities to share Christ this Christmas season. The whole article can be read here. But I just wanted to lift a few remarks by Spurgeon for us all to keep in mind going into the season of celebrating our Emanuel (God with us) in the up coming weeks.....
Christmas is suited for sharing the gospel with family and friends.
Aim to share the story of God’s grace in your life.
By sharing we edify believers.
By sharing we reach lost friends and family.
Be alert for one-on-one opportunities to share your story.
Don’t expect this sharing to be easy.
Overcome this fear by sharing to honor your Savior.
Share your story with gratitude to God.
Share your story with humility.
Share your story truthfully—don’t embellish it.
Tell your story seriously—don’t share it flippantly.
Don’t neglect your personal devotions during Christmas.
Rest upon the Holy Spirit’s help to share.
Remember that this story you share over the holidays is the story that will be on your lips eternally.
I would only add to Spurgeons comments here that after sharing your personal story that you use that to segue to the gospel itself. The Story of Christ and His death, burial and resurrection. Sometimes the hardest thing for a Doctor to do is diagnose a fatal disease to a beloved patient. Scripture does not shy away from this and it has its proper place in evangelism. So in addition to sharing the story of Christ look to reveal the need for a Savior by pointing out some evidences of the disease (Sin). Do this in love and with a gentle Spirit. Use the law of God as a mirror and then heal with the loving glorious gospel of Jesus Christ.
You who is not wounded.
“Are we earnest enough about the souls of others? Christian men and women, do you love your fellow-creatures, or do you not? How few there are of us who make it our business to be constantly telling out the sweet story of Jesus and his love! I read, the other day, of a chaplain in the Northern army in the lamentable war in the United States, who, while he lay wounded on the battle-field, heard a man, not far off, utter an oath. Though he himself was so badly wounded that he could not stand, yet he wished to reach the swearer to speak a gospel message to him, and he though, “I can get to him if I roll over.” So, though bleeding profusely himself, he kept rolling over and over till he got to the side of the poor blasphemer, and on the lone battle-field he preached to him Jesus. Some of the other men came along, and he said to them, “Can you carry me? I fear that I am dying, but I do not want to be taken off the field. I should like you, if you would, to carry me from one dying man to another, all the night long, that I might tell them of a Savior.” What a splendid deed was this! A bleeding man talking to those who were full of sin about a Savior’s bleeding wounds! Oh, you who have no wound, who can walk, and possess all the faculties to fit you for the service, how often you miss opportunities and refuse to speak of Jesus! “Thou art now the blessed of the Lord,” and at this moment I would have you think that the blessed Lord lays his pierced hand on thee saying, “Go and tell others what I have done for thee.” Never cease to tell the divine tale, as opportunity is given, until thy voice is lost in death; then thy spirit shall begin to utter the story in the loftier sphere.” C.H. Spurgeon
Maybe Elvis Was Just a Carnal Christian
An interesting article written by Todd Friel....
Maybe Elvis Was Just a Carnal Christian
Imagine trying to lovingly confront a high profile evangelical to share your concern that his Gospel presentation wasn't Biblical. Gulp. That is precisely what I did with Luis Palau several years ago prior to one of his mega-events.
I suggested he was giving the cure without explaining the disease of sin. Mr. Palau informed me that everyone has an overwhelming burden of guilt and it is not necessary for him to preach about their need for forgiveness.
Suspecting he might say that, I handed him a c.d. with a montage of people we interviewed on the street. We asked strangers, "Do you have an overwhelming burden of guilt?" The responses ranged from condescending disdain to outright laughter.
While Mr. Palau was very nice to me, he ultimately patted me on the head and said, "Be careful that you don't fall into that Lordship salvation trap. Christians can be carnal."
Carnal Christianity is the concept that says: you can live like the world and still be a Christian. It also teaches that sanctification can come some time after a person signs a car…er…asks Jesus into his hea…I mean gets saved.
Later that night at the festival, Mr. Palau's message included two profanities and proclamations like, "If Elvis had become a Christian, he would have been a rock star, but his life wouldn't have turned out so bad." He also informed the audience that if they would simply ask Jesus into their hearts, "The party starts right now." A woman from my church who just buried her seven year old son almost rushed the stage…and not to sign a card.
His Gospel presentation, as our British friends would say, was "a complete dog's breakfast."
It is no surprise that the follow up statistics to crusades are so tragic. The backslider rate (or Carnal Christian rate) hovers around 90%. It seems that Carnal Christianity and Gospel presentations that don't include sin, righteousness and judgment go hand and hand. In order to explain those statistics, the minister must:
1. Admit the preaching is inadequate and without Holy Spirit power.
2. Alter theology to explain how a decision-maker can name the name of Christ but live like the devil.
Option one is out of the picture. And so it is, since the early 20th century, modern day evangelicalism (thanks to Lewis Sperry Chafer and the Scofield Bible) has been proclaiming the oxymoron known as Carnal Christianity.
The support text for Carnal Christianity is I Cor.3:1-5. "And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?
Paul was warning the ignorant, sectarian Corinthians that they should not be divided into cliques. That's it. This text does not suggest that born-again believers can live like pagans. Paul was introducing them to new theology, not giving them license to sin.
With all credit to Ernest C. Reisinger's "A Carnal Christian," here are eight reasons why Carnal Christianity should be rejected.
1. In I Cor.1:2-5, Paul addressed his audience as "sanctified in Christ". So are they sanctified or carnal? In I Cor.2, Paul divides men into "natural" and "spiritual," i.e. un-saved and saved. By labeling some Christians as "carnal," Paul would be introducing a third classification of humans. Furthermore, this would violate every other presentation in Scripture that there are only two classes of people: children of God or children of wrath.
2. The new covenant of salvation includes two inseparable blessings at salvation: justification and sanctification. Carnal Christianity teaches you will be justified upon conversion, but sanctification is optional.
3. The Bible presents two types of faith: saving faith and spurious (false) faith (Lk. 8:13). Carnal Christianity does not recognize spurious faith. What a false assurance we allow the unregenerate to possess if we allow them to think their faith is valid when the Bible teaches it might be a false conversion.
4. Carnal Christianity excludes a necessary component of salvation: repentance. The unconverted sinner can just "ask Jesus into his heart" with no requirement to forsake sin.
5. How does a person know he is saved? Fruit in keeping with repentance. We are told to examine ourselves to see if we are in the truth. What a beautiful gift to the believer. If we can be carnal, how can we know we are saved? Carnal Christianity robs us of assurance.
6. Carnal Christianity may be a relatively new name, but it is merely a new moniker for an old false teaching: anti-nomianism. "Should we go on sinning that grace might more abound?" Carnal Christianity says, "Sure."
7. "Carnal Christian teaching is the mother of many second work-of –grace errors in that it depreciates the Biblical conversion experience by implying that the change in the converted sinner may amount to little or nothing." Dr. Reisinger goes on to point out that a second step is required to make a man a "spiritual Christian."
8. Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior, right? (Lk.2:11) Carnal Christianity divides Jesus and allows Him to be Savior but not Lord.
Listen to the words of A.A. Hodge. "Think of a sinner coming to Christ and saying, 'I do not want to be holy; I do not want to be saved from sin; I would like to be saved in my sins; do not sanctify me now, but justify me now.'"
That is ridiculous, isn't it? And so is Carnal Christianity. Even Elvis would agree with that.
Maybe Elvis Was Just a Carnal Christian
Imagine trying to lovingly confront a high profile evangelical to share your concern that his Gospel presentation wasn't Biblical. Gulp. That is precisely what I did with Luis Palau several years ago prior to one of his mega-events.
I suggested he was giving the cure without explaining the disease of sin. Mr. Palau informed me that everyone has an overwhelming burden of guilt and it is not necessary for him to preach about their need for forgiveness.
Suspecting he might say that, I handed him a c.d. with a montage of people we interviewed on the street. We asked strangers, "Do you have an overwhelming burden of guilt?" The responses ranged from condescending disdain to outright laughter.
While Mr. Palau was very nice to me, he ultimately patted me on the head and said, "Be careful that you don't fall into that Lordship salvation trap. Christians can be carnal."
Carnal Christianity is the concept that says: you can live like the world and still be a Christian. It also teaches that sanctification can come some time after a person signs a car…er…asks Jesus into his hea…I mean gets saved.
Later that night at the festival, Mr. Palau's message included two profanities and proclamations like, "If Elvis had become a Christian, he would have been a rock star, but his life wouldn't have turned out so bad." He also informed the audience that if they would simply ask Jesus into their hearts, "The party starts right now." A woman from my church who just buried her seven year old son almost rushed the stage…and not to sign a card.
His Gospel presentation, as our British friends would say, was "a complete dog's breakfast."
It is no surprise that the follow up statistics to crusades are so tragic. The backslider rate (or Carnal Christian rate) hovers around 90%. It seems that Carnal Christianity and Gospel presentations that don't include sin, righteousness and judgment go hand and hand. In order to explain those statistics, the minister must:
1. Admit the preaching is inadequate and without Holy Spirit power.
2. Alter theology to explain how a decision-maker can name the name of Christ but live like the devil.
Option one is out of the picture. And so it is, since the early 20th century, modern day evangelicalism (thanks to Lewis Sperry Chafer and the Scofield Bible) has been proclaiming the oxymoron known as Carnal Christianity.
The support text for Carnal Christianity is I Cor.3:1-5. "And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?
Paul was warning the ignorant, sectarian Corinthians that they should not be divided into cliques. That's it. This text does not suggest that born-again believers can live like pagans. Paul was introducing them to new theology, not giving them license to sin.
With all credit to Ernest C. Reisinger's "A Carnal Christian," here are eight reasons why Carnal Christianity should be rejected.
1. In I Cor.1:2-5, Paul addressed his audience as "sanctified in Christ". So are they sanctified or carnal? In I Cor.2, Paul divides men into "natural" and "spiritual," i.e. un-saved and saved. By labeling some Christians as "carnal," Paul would be introducing a third classification of humans. Furthermore, this would violate every other presentation in Scripture that there are only two classes of people: children of God or children of wrath.
2. The new covenant of salvation includes two inseparable blessings at salvation: justification and sanctification. Carnal Christianity teaches you will be justified upon conversion, but sanctification is optional.
3. The Bible presents two types of faith: saving faith and spurious (false) faith (Lk. 8:13). Carnal Christianity does not recognize spurious faith. What a false assurance we allow the unregenerate to possess if we allow them to think their faith is valid when the Bible teaches it might be a false conversion.
4. Carnal Christianity excludes a necessary component of salvation: repentance. The unconverted sinner can just "ask Jesus into his heart" with no requirement to forsake sin.
5. How does a person know he is saved? Fruit in keeping with repentance. We are told to examine ourselves to see if we are in the truth. What a beautiful gift to the believer. If we can be carnal, how can we know we are saved? Carnal Christianity robs us of assurance.
6. Carnal Christianity may be a relatively new name, but it is merely a new moniker for an old false teaching: anti-nomianism. "Should we go on sinning that grace might more abound?" Carnal Christianity says, "Sure."
7. "Carnal Christian teaching is the mother of many second work-of –grace errors in that it depreciates the Biblical conversion experience by implying that the change in the converted sinner may amount to little or nothing." Dr. Reisinger goes on to point out that a second step is required to make a man a "spiritual Christian."
8. Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior, right? (Lk.2:11) Carnal Christianity divides Jesus and allows Him to be Savior but not Lord.
Listen to the words of A.A. Hodge. "Think of a sinner coming to Christ and saying, 'I do not want to be holy; I do not want to be saved from sin; I would like to be saved in my sins; do not sanctify me now, but justify me now.'"
That is ridiculous, isn't it? And so is Carnal Christianity. Even Elvis would agree with that.
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