Resources on Atonement

(1) The Atonement By John Murray

(2) J.I. Packer's introduction to "Death of Death and the Death of Christ"

(3) The Logic of Penal Substitution by J.I. Packer

(4) Christ Our Penal Substitute by R.L. Dabney

(5) Nothing But the Blood by Mark Dever

(6) God's Reconcilling Work in Christ by Herman Ridderbos

(7) The Passion of Jesus Christ by John Piper (online book)

Chapters 1-6 (PDF)
Chapters 7-22 (PDF)
Chapters 23-38 (PDF)
Chapters 39-50 (PDF)

(8) The Necessity of the Atonement by Jonathan Edwards

(9) Pardon For the Greatest of Sinners by Jonathan Edwards

(10) Christ Our Great High Priest by by Martin Luther (1483-1546)

(11) Our Suffering Substitute by C.H. Spurgeon

(12) The Death of Christ by John Murray

(13) Blessed Are They Whose Iniquity is Forgiven by John Calvin

(14) Nature of Christ's Sacrifice by R. L. Dabney

(15) The Atonement by J. Gresham Machen

(16) Abstract of Systematic Theology THE ATONEMENT OF CHRIST Boyce

(17) The Doctrine of the Atonement - Part I, Part II, Part III by J. Gresham Machen

(18) The Day of Atonement by C.H. Spurgeon

(19) The Sin-Bearer by C.H. Spurgeon

(20) The Old, Old Story by Charles Spurgeon

(21) The Atonement: Was the Sin Question Finally Settled at the Cross? by Arthur W. Pink

(22) THE ATONEMENT [Part 1] Arthur.W. Pink
Introductory Essay Part 2 A.W. Pink

(23) The Cross of Christ by Dr. R. C. Sproul

[Praise the Lord for Monergism's link on this.]

Challenge to Definite Atonement?

I believe in the Biblical doctrine of the church "Definite Atonement" [also called Limited Atonement]. If you want to know, why ask me sometime:)

Basically this doctrine states that Jesus Christ died for the sins of anyone whom He chooses to bring into His family. Jesus died for the sins of those who have ever and will ever come into a saving relationship with Him. Not everyone that has ever lived. What do you think?

Anyhow, in the meantime of believing in this doctrine, how should we understand these passages? How would you respond to someone who brought up these passages challenging the doctrine of "Definite Atonement?"

(1) John 3:16

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. [ESV]"

(2) 2 Peter 3:9

"The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. [ESV]"

(3) Romans 14:15

"For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. [ESV]"

(4) 1 Corinthians 8:11

"And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. [ESV]"

(5) Hebrews 10:29

"How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has spurned the Son of God, and , andhas profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified has outraged the Spirit of grace? [ESV]"

(6) 2 Peter 2:1

"But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. [ESV]"

(7) Isaiah 53:6

"All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned every one to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all. [ESV]"

(8) Romans 5:8

"but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. [ESV]"

And how do we handle all the other "all," "everyone," "world," "whosoever," passages?

I have some ideas, but I wanted to stir some minds out there before I deal with this on the blog or in my paper.

In Christ
Noah

A Biblical Understanding of The Atonement in the Old Testament

[This is long...sorry but they are notes for my paper]

These are my notes from a sermon by Mark Dever entitled "A Biblical Understanding of The Atonement in the Old Testament" preached 3/9/1997.

The Cross is central to Christianity. Word crucial comes from the root crux which means cross.

We should read the Bible both (1) to study [which he recommends outlining entire books/testaments/the Bible.], and (2) to read the Word for pleasure.

Exhorts us to not fail to recognize the importance of the Old Testament as it is part of our Scripture [it was Jesus’, Paul’s, Luke’s, John’s Bible!].

The silhouette of Jesus is being formed by the Old Testament. Also, he said the key to a lock is only of worth because it fits perfectly into the lock. So Jesus [the key] is of great worth because He fits the context of the Old Testament’s outline of atonement [the lock] of redemption between man and God. The Old Testament poses a question and Jesus is the answer.

Here is a list of the questions posed by the context of the Old Testament that Christ’s atonement answers. "The Four P's" (1) Presuppositions of relationship, (2) Problem of sin, (3) Practices prescribed, and (4) Person prophesied.

(1) Presuppositions of relationships

a. Covenant language (relationship)
b. Table of communion “New covenant in His blood”
c. Federal language of love, Representative language…familial.
d. Covenant: agreement on terms

i. Swearing an oath
ii. Offering of sacrifice /literally cutting a covenant

1. Animal cut in half…this shows the seriousness of Paul’s concept of communion, Jeremiah 34:18

iii. Witness, someone or something as a reminder [even if inanimate]

1. Stones piled up as a witness to covenant made.
2. Feast [such as a wedding feast].

e. Covenants with God are different than covenants between two people.

i. Noah had nothing to offer God. God had “life” to offer; the earth was cut in half by the flood; the witness to this covenant is the bow in the sky.
ii. Abraham had nothing to offer God. God had “life” to offer; circumcision was the sign or sacrifice cut in two [Genesis 15; Galatians; Exodus 24 …regarding Israel]

f. God only commits Himself. He is not bound to fulfill this covenant as if a slave to men as if it is a right of the people. He binds Himself to this covenant by His sovereign, free, holy will [Jeremiah 31:31]

i. This is foolishness to the Jews…a scandal (1 Corinthians 1)
ii. Therefore, we seek to see the covenant that God has made with us. Not us with Him…like folk who create false gods of a harvest…only for our good…not to bring glory to the One Living God.

(2) Problem of sin

a. Yom “Kippur”- Day of Atonementb.
Because of sin atonement must be made…there must be some way to deal with the problem of sin…Atonement.
c. This is not an impersonal act for a good harvest rather this is for a relationship in need of reconciliation. [Habakkuk 1:13; Isaiah 59; Proverbs 15]
d. Sin breaks our relationship [covenantal relationship with God]
e. Sin breaks relationship; incites anger in God that must be dealt with judicially.

i. Disturbed and opposed to our sin
ii. “All Fall Short [1 Kings 8:26; Psalm 14:3; Proverbs 20:9; Ecclesiastes 7:20].”

f. We can’t deal with this sin or solve the problem by ourselves
g. Just condemnation by God must be dealt with [Jeremiah 31]
h. Atonement is fundamental to reconciliation.
i. Restoring/Reparation of relationship was work through sacrifice in the Old Testament.

i. This is not like offering a virgin to a volcano…rather payment for specific infractions of the law of God that we broke by sinning against God’s covenant. This is specific payment required to atone for specific sins.

j. This is the Living God who have spoken and provided a way to propitiate His anger and restore His relationship with us.
k. “Kippur”

i. Used 150 times in the Old Testament…means to cover or conceal.

1. Verb: Offer substitute, make atonement used 49 times in this way in I. Purge, removal of sin or the defilement through sin.
2. Noun: Ransom. Exodus 30:12; Isaiah 43:3; Numbers 35:31. A gift to secure favor 1 Sam 12:3.
3. “Place of Atonement”; used 27 times. This is where the blood was sprinkled in the place of something else on the lid of the ark of the covenant [where the 10 commandments were kept] on the Day of Atonement. This has been mistranslated as “mercy seat” in some translations.
4. Romans 3:25

l. Problem of sin dealt with through atonement…Particulars to follow in the Old Testament…

i. Redemption
ii. Cities of Refuge
iii. Year of Jubilee
iv. Israel’s Redemption from Egypt
v. Redemption of First Born “Passover”
vi. Redemption of Israel from Babylon
vii. Personal Redemption seen in the Psalms

(3) Practices prescribed

a. Sacrifices.
b. No specific command can be cited in the Old Testament that kicks this off.
c. The idea of “sacrifice” seems to be innate…we seem to have an idea that we’ve done something wrong against God, and we have to do something to make things right.
d. Genesis 4, Cain and Abel- sacrifices
e. Abraham
f. Isaac
g. All throughout Israel’s history “Passover”

i. Exodus 12; Passover Lamb
ii. Lamb without defect, slaughtered, blood spilled, used blood to mark the houses of salvation; limited to his people wit the blood on the doorframe.
iii. Not all houses, but God’s own people’s houses were marked by the blood of the substitute in their place, the lamb.
iv. As if to say, “When I see blood I will pass by satisfied by blood because sin is a serious matter.”

h. Exodus Deliverance
i. Leviticus is the restoration of God’s relationship with His people

i. Offering

1. Voluntary
2. Costly
3. Offerers own
4. Accompanied by confession of sin. Sin is associated with the loss of life.
5. According to God’s prescription.

ii. Sacrifice not brought by the grateful [e.g. for a good harvest], but for the guilty [of sin]. They know that they have offended a personal God. Could it be that Cain and Abel were aware of this when they sacrificed?? Probably. This was brought by the conscious [conscious of their sin.]
iii. Association with death
iv. Innocent given for the guilty
v. Picture/symbol of what is needed to assuage the wrath of God. [Genesis 9; Leviticus 16:21; 1:4; 4:4]
vi. The one making the sacrifice is identified with the sacrifice…as if to say “this should be me…I’m acknowledging it’s fate should be my fate.”

1. Exodus 32:30 Moses displays this attitude.
2. Dealing with sin includes his life and death. [Nehemiah 25; Ezekiel 18; Deuteronomy 21; 2 Samuel 21]

vii. “SIN BRINGS DEATH”…
viii. Leviticus [Leviticus 17:11; Hebrews 9:22] the law is at the heart of this.
ix. The Jews mistook the ritual for reality when in fact it was a shadow of the true reality of the coming Christ.

1. Jeremiah 7…the denunciation to people making sacrifices…they missed the point.
2. When sacrifices were correctly made they recognized that they didn’t actually work in making atonement for their sins…they were not efficacious.
3. Shadow and sign of what was to com Hebrews 10
4. Salvation and forgiveness is costly…pointed to truth about sin, but never actually atoned for sin.

x. “Day of Atonement”

1. Sin offering made for whole nation…reminder that the normal sacrifices throughout the year were not enough Leviticus 16.
2. God is the only one who sees the blood in the holy of holies in the temple. So His seeing the blood in their place is in fact to His satisfaction for their sins.
3. This was done every year.
4. Other nations not recognizing the One True Living God would make sacrifices only when things got bad…but not Israel. They had to do this all the time.
5. This reality points to the fact that we are in a state of sin.

(4) Person Prophesied

a. Isaiah 52:13 and forward.

i. The suffering servant, a person becomes the sacrifice of efficacious actual atonement for sins.

b. Romans and Hebrews are a commentary to the Old Testament.
c. This was the propitiation to satisfy, turn away, asuage the wrath/anger of God.
d. Substitution [punishment of the undeserved in the place of the deserved], life of the innocent for the deserved wrath on the life of the guilty.
e. Relation of offerer with the victim…laying hands recognizing, “This should be me.” Isaiah 52-53

"It Is Finished! Man of Sorrows"

[Another atonement centered hymn]

Words: Frederic H. Hedge, Hymns for the Church (Boston, Massachusetts: Crosby, Nichols & Co., 1853); these words come from a longer hymn, “’Twas the Day when God’s Anointed.”

Music: “Christi Mutter,” Corner’s Gesangbuch, 1625

“It is finished!” Man of Sorrows!
From Thy cross our frailty borrows
Strength to bear and conquer thus.

While extended there, we view Thee:
Mighty Suff’rer, draw us to Thee,
Sufferer victorious!

Not in vain for us uplifted:
Man of Sorrows, wonder gifted
May that sacred emblem be.

Lifted high amid the ages:
Guide of heroes, saints, and sages,
May it guide us still to Thee.

Still to Thee, whose love unbounded
Sorrow’s depth’s for us has sounded,
Perfected by conflicts sore.

Honored be Thy cross forever:
Star, that points our high endeavor,
Whither Thou hast gone before!

A Biblical Understanding of The Atonement in the New Testament

[These are notes...so there may be errors in spelling and definitely in clarity.]

Here are six categories of language in the New Testament regarding atonement from Mark Dever’s sermon “A Biblical Understanding of The Atonement in the New Testament" [preached 3/16/1997].

1) Sacrificial and Ritual language. Including blood sacrifice language. [Ephesians 2:13; Colossians 1:19; Romans 5:9] Shepherd [John 10] who chose to die laid down His life for us.

2) Redemption, redeeming language. Pay ransom, to release from prison, or payment for good [market place language]. Also called financial language. Paid the price to set people free from bondage/chains to sin. [Matthew 6; 20; Acts 20; Romans 3:24]

3) Reconciliation language, relationally. Dealing with what estranged us, namely sin, on the cross. So dealing with sin and the extent and inner workings of what Christ did on the cross in order to reconcile us. [In John it speaks a few times of the “wrath of God [that] remains on them (John 3:36)”. Romans 5:6-8.] Also, it is God who reconciles…not us. [John 14… “Peace between God and man;” Romans 11:15; Ephesians 2:12… “Reconciled and brought near.”] A subcategory of this reconciliation would be “Adoption” language or “family” language.

4) Propitiation (Greek is hilasterion). God being satisfied so that He turns His wrath away. [see Leon Morris’ “The Atonement: It’s Meaning and Significance” book] [Luke 18:9… “be propitiated toward me”] Propitiation is relationally personal as opposed to expiation. Expiation isn’t bad, but it doesn’t handle the depth of propitiation. Expiation is just regarding a transaction, not intimate/personal/relational in any way. [Romans 3:25; Hebrews 2:17; 8:12]

5) Justification [due to I], language of the law court or legal and judicial language. [Luke 18; Acts 13:39]

6) Battlefield language [military language]. God’s victory in Christ. [Colossians 2:15… “principalities, powers, authorities;” Mark 3; Revelation 5:5; John 16:33; 19]. Warfare with demonic powers between God and the satanic world [Romans 8:39].

There's a ton more in Scripture, but this is what he had time to cover in his sermon [for the most part].

"There is a Green Hill Far Away"

Well I'm going to write my paper on Thomas Aquinas view on atonement. I wanted to pick a hymn as a theme for the paper and this one "There is a Green Hill Far Away" seems to be the best description that I saw of atonement [By Cecil Frances Alexander, 1848; Meditation: C. M. John H. Gower, 1890].

I'll probably use this hymn to wrap everything up, after I've summed up (1) a brief summary of atonement...development of doctrine of atonement through just before Aquinas; (2) Aquinas' view on atonement with commentary; (3) What this means to us today...some contemporary views...and application.

There is a green hill far away,
Outside a city wall,
Where the dear Lord was crucified,
Who died to save us all.

We may not know, we cannot tell,
What pains He had to bear;
But we believe it was for us
He hung and suffered there.

He died that we might be forgiven,
He died to make us good,
That we might go at last to heaven,
Saved by His precious blood.

There was no other good enough
To pay the price of sin;
He only could unlock the gate
Of heaven, and let us in.

O dearly, dearly has He loved,
And we must love Him too,
And trust in His redeeming blood,
And try His works to do. A-Men

Paper Time!

Well, blogging is going to be light for the next few weeks...and what I do blog may be sources or thoughts regarding a paper I'm writing.

Here are the topics I was given to choose from...

(1) What did the early church teach on baptism?
(2) How did the Papacy develop?
(3) What was the historical development of the New Testament canon?
(4) Compare Aquinas and Augustine on predestination.
(5) How did the Medieval view of the Eucharist develop?
(6) Compare Augustine, Aquinas, and Pelagius on original sin.
(7) Compare Anselm, Abelard, and Aquinas on the atonement.
(8) Did charismatic gifts cease to exist in the early church?
(9) Discuss Aquinas on atonement.
(10) Discuss the early developments in Christology.

I have chosen...but I'm not going to share right this second.

Out of these options what would you choose to write about? Which of these topics would you be most interested to read about?

"Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God"

Listen in as Mark Dever gives some background and actually preaches this sermon word for word.

My guess is that Mark was the community, suburb, city, county, state, regional, and national champion in speech contests when he was in High School and college:)

Check it out and let me know what you think. I think it was very well done. You can hardly tell he's reading it! It sounds like a normal [yet heavy] sermon in terms of his normal flow of language.

Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God

Solution to Postmodernity in the Church

Check out this brief post by Mark Dever regarding one of the solutions that David Wells poses in his book "Above All Earthly Powers."

This is one of the reasons I want to do a church apprenticeship/internship at Capitol Hill Baptist Church and to witness 9Marks ministries up close.

Here's a quick blurb...

"David finishes by calling for reform in our churches as a necessary component in reaching our postmodern culture. When I read it I felt that he had written a perfect introduction for what we're trying to do at 9marks.org...it is our burden and life-goal to see God glorified in local churches. This is fundamental to our evangelism. The VISIBLE CHURCH commends the AUDIBLE GOSPEL."

News on Piper's Sabbatical, and "New Perspective on Paul"

It appears that while John Piper was on sabbatical he wrote a manuscript combatting the view of justification that N.T. Wright puts forth. This New Perspective on Paul has been dealt with in articles, but not in any books that I know of yet. Read the letter from Piper here. Also, Ligon Duncan has a new book coming out October 13 called "Misunderstanding Paul?"...also here is a ton of information on it from Monergism.

Here's a bried definition from theopedia of the New Perspective on Paul.

"The New Perspective on Paul, also called New Perspectivism (hereafter NPP) is a system of thought in New Testament scholarship that seeks to reinterpret the Apostle Paul and his letters. In brief, the NPP is a reaction to the Lutheran Paul (i.e. the traditional interpretation of him). Proponents of the "Lutheran Paul" understand him to be arguing against a legalistic Jewish culture that seeks to earn their salvation through works. However, supporters of the NPP argue that Paul has been misread. He was actually combating Jews who were boasting because they were God's people, the "elect" or the "chosen ones". Their "works", so to speak, were done to show they were God's covenant people and not to earn their salvation. The result is a Judaism that supposedly affirmed sola gratia (grace alone). Presently, its effects are seen in the academic world of New Testament scholars, particularly those who focus their attention on Pauline studies and the study of first century Judaism."

[HT: Between Two Worlds]

"Don't Look Now"...Footage of War

Here’s an interesting article from the Guardian today… “Don’t look Now” about “trophy videos” that many US soldiers seem to be making from the front lines of the war. I would submit that not only does is this uncomfortable for the American government but also for the American citizens…

Here’s one quick snippet as to why some of these guys are making the videos…

“So why do servicemen want to film this stuff and why do they want to share it with the folks back home ?

One filmmaker compared his material with a video game: ‘you're stepped away from reality ... you're seeing it through the camera lens.’

Another said it was the only way he could feel proud of his work, ‘like a big game hunter feels proud of his kills.’

Yet another said it made him feel good to bring the gruesome reality of a soldier's life in Iraq to those living safely behind their ‘clean, white picket fences at home’.”

These comments turn my stomach…

(1) The first compares the war to a video game…
(2) The second says he’s proud of his kills…
(3) The third is doing it to unsettle the folks in America…

I realize these are only a few guys, but these views are really sad. We need to continue to be praying for our soldiers.

Prayer Request--Valley Church Intern Jake Bouma

I just saw a blog post from Brandon Mick about Jake Bouma. Here's an excerpt...

"My good friend, Jake Bouma, fell last night while playing a game with the junior high ministry he works with. He is in the hospital right now with some internal bleeding (of the bladder and intestines, I believe). It doesn't sound life threatening, but the doctors are monitoring him. He is in a lot of pain right now. He cannot stand up. They are not sure how they are going to get him home to Des Moines; the camp is in Missouri. Pray that there might not be any more complications for Jake, that his pain would subside, and that he might recover quickly."

Please join with us and pray for healing for Jake's current condition for the glory of God!

In Christ
Noah

Are You Killing Sin??

Over the last week I have been exercising these principals, toward my sin, that I have gleaned from John Owen and I thought I’d put them out here for everyone to benefit. I’m always trying to be deliberate and think of ways to mortify my sin and this has been great. Check out these principals…

In order to kill sin you have to do the following...

To labour to be acquainted with...

(1) “Ways, wiles, methods, advantages and occasions of my lust’s [sin’s] success.”

(2) “Counsels, designs, their ends, how and by what means they [sins] have prevailed.”

(3) “Subtilties, policies, depth of indwelling sin, where does it’s greatest strength lay?”

a. “What advantages does it use to make of occasions, opportunities, temptations?”

b. “What are it’s pleas, pretences, or reasonings?”

c. “What are it’s stratagems, colours, excuses?”

To have a knowledge of all of this in order to…

(4) “To set the wisdom of the Spirit against the craft of the old man, to trace this serpent in all it’s readiness and windings; to be able to say… ‘This is your old way and course; I know what you aim at.’”

[Edited version of a paragraph in John Owen’s “The Mortification of Sin in Believers” The Works of John Owen Volume VI pp. 31. Banner of Truth. Forgive some of the spelling…it’s 17th Century English.]

Corey and Tiffany Carey: K-Life

This is an excellent local ministry...and our ABF's own Corey and Tiffany Carey are the point man and woman for it. I have heard many great things about how this ministry impacts the lives of Junior High thru High School aged kids.

If you have been sitting at home watching television and thought..."Maybe I should get more involved in what God is doing in our community," this ministry is for you. And the impact is huge! You will learn a lot about God, yourself, and learn to love some other kids. The body of Christ is Glorious!

Pray for a worship leader, more leaders to help with the ministry, and just that God will be glorified and exalted in everything they do.

Their theme verse is:

1 Thessalonians 2:8 "So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us. [ESV]"

Check out their website here. I'll be adding this link to the "Friends' Links" section to the right of the blog.

Will you become a fellow worker in the truth at this ministry? Open you heart and mind to it!

In Christ
Noah

Nate and Lori Johnson: Campus Crusade for Christ

Over the last couple weeks we've had the opportunity to have some great ministries share about what God is doing in their midst. The first was Nate and Lori Johnson.

I have their website linked under "Friends' Links." Click here to check it out. I believe they were at about 90% support when they came in...so if God is leading you in a direction to support through prayer, financial, etc. please be open to it.

Bad Theology Alert [Theory: “Natural Selection gave men souls, not God”]

This article “The Human Factor" from the Guardian caught my eye…

Here are a few snippets with analysis… This is a long one…

"Nicholas Humphrey believes it was 'natural selection' that gave us souls. God, he insists, had nothing to do with it"

[Hmmm… They're off and running.]

"...nearly 40 years later, he has reached a grand theory of how consciousness might have arisen in a Darwinian world, and why it might give us reasons to live."

[I’d like to see the reasons Darwinian evolution gives us a reason to live other than “Eat or be Eaten” this article doesn’t elaborate on this as much as I was hoping.]

"He has been a media don, a campaigner against nuclear weapons and the holder of a chair in parapsychological research who was dedicated to debunking even the possibility of telepathy or survival after death."

[This looks like a possible bias that he held prior to his research. Does that rule out all his research, probably not. Does it expose his motives, yes. So, rigid preconceptions before analyzing data gives you the result you want. Zach Kapfer emailed me this quote of Mark Twain today that relates, "Get your facts first, then you can distort them as much as you please." Looks like Mr. Humphrey’s conception of what fact is [namely Darwinian evolution] determined how he manipulated what he perceived as fact.]

" As an ambitious young man, he set his sights on the biggest biological mystery he could find - human consciousness - so he switched to psychology, and began to work with monkeys under Larry Weiskrantz."

[I find this interesting…He set his sights on the biggest biological mystery he could find…”human consciousness.” So where does he start, but by “working with Monkeys.” Now maybe I’m crazy but that’s a non sequitur. Monkey’s as far as I know do not have “human consciousness.” Once again he’s working from a bias of what he perceives as truth, namely “Darwinian Evolution.”]

"Humphrey was part of the team that first discovered how to record the activity of single nerve cells in a monkey's brain. Two other members later got Nobel prizes for this work, which underlies an enormous amount of subsequent research, since it made it possible to trace the ways in which the visual cortex receives and processes signals from the eyes. It was known in principle what was happening, but now the exact brain cells involved in image processing could be found and monitored."

[Once again…I might be wrong, but this appears to be another non sequitur. How do monkey’s “single nerve cell activity” allowing us to “trace the ways in which the visual cortex receives and processes signals from the eyes” relate to “human consciousness?” Here’s a definition of “consciousness” from wikipedia…

Consciousness is a quality of the mind generally regarded to comprise qualities such as subjectivity, self-awareness, sentience, sapience, and the ability to perceive the relationship between oneself and one's environment. It is a subject of much research in philosophy of mind, psychology, neurology, and cognitive science.

Wouldn’t “consciouness” entail more than just the visual sense?]

"His next project was even more ambitious: to work on the aesthetic senses of a monkey."

[Once again studying monkey’s instead of humans. This does encompass the other senses that I was questioning on my last quote. But this bring up another question. Monkey's cannot communicate what they are experiencing through their senses, so how do "scientists" explore "consciousness" with a animal that cannot speak and then pigeonhole that humans are exactly the same way? I don't think you can.]

"Again, the question of what made us different arose: what had been the spur, or the reward, for human evolution, for our language and our consciousness."

[Once again he’s making the assumption that “Darwinian Evolution” is correct, when it is not. Maybe “consciousness” was given to men by God?? If we were to write that consciousness was given by God we would be accused of making an assumption on “Creation.” That would be the same accusation I’m making against him. So, who is correct? Well, I believe I am because I’m relying on the authority for all life and godliness, namely the Bible. I'm a fool for Jesus! The "foolishness of God is wiser than men [1 Cor 1:25]," count me as one of the fools then! Besides depraved minds can't even completely understand themselves, let alone experiments by depraved minds trying accomplish depraved agendas and purposes. I find the Bible to be more trustworthy than human ingenuity.]

"Consciousness, in this theory, is a knowledge of what is going on in our own minds, and we have it so that we can better understand what is going on in the minds of those around us, so that we can manipulate them and avoid being manipulated in our turn. This fits human consciousness into a normal biological framework: it offers the possessor of bigger and better brains the kind of advantage that natural selection can see and work on."

[Bigger and better brains have not always allowed men to “manipulate” and avoid being “manipulated.” Some of the most idiotic people who have lived have come out on top in this regard. I’m not making the connection of how control of people has to do with consciousness…namely one’s awareness of self. Also, a "maniputlator" might just end up "manipulating" ones self...now what are we to make of that?? Natural selection? I think not, try "Depravity."]

"He likes to quote Lord Byron: 'The great object of life is sensation - to feel that we exist, even though in pain.'"

[This is true, I believe. Only I would say it like this, “The great object of life is sensation, to feel and know that we exist to glorify God and enjoy Him forever – even though in pain.” I like that:o) I took that mostly from the Westminster Shorter Catechism #1.]

"In the mid-1990s he was able to move back to Cambridge, to a chair devoted to parapsychological research: since the whole burden of his interest in the subject was that he did not believe in it, he wrote Soul Searching, a book arguing that telepathy must be in principle impossible, and that Jesus was a conjuring charlatan like Uri Geller."

[Wow… is this a self contradiction?? Seems so. He was in a chair of “parapsychological research” because he didn’t believe in it. So he is the very definition of what he calls Jesus “a conjuring charlatan.” Here’s how I interpret that phrase… To evoke to mind [conjuring] elaborate, fraudulent, and often voluble claims to skill or knowledge; a quack or fraud [Charlatan].]

"Yet, at the same time, he was developing a new and more complex theory of consciousness, which puts something like the soul at the centre of human existence. In his new theory the clue to the "hard problem" of consciousness - the problem of why and how minds appear from matter - is attacked head-on. The fact that we find it so difficult and so threatening to believe, as he says, "that there is nothing more to human experience than the churning of chemicals and electrons within the brain" seems to him to contain the kernel of the solution to the hard problem. If it is so difficult for us to think that way, then the difficulty might in some sense have been designed by natural selection."

[This phrase is interesting…”If it is so difficult for us to think that way, then the difficulty might in some sense have been designed by natural selection.” How can “natural selection” design anything. Isn’t the very definition of “natural selection” pretty much randomness? So how can a logical disagreement with the thought "that there is nothing more to human experience than the churning of chemicals and electrons within the brain" be natural selection. Seems to contradict once again.]

"The theory is, like every other theory of consciousness, extremely controversial. After 200 years in which science has appeared to dethrone God and deny the possibility of the soul, Humphrey is the first man to claim that science can agree that we have souls - but that it was natural selection, not God, which gave us them."

[Here’s the punchline…wow! “Science has appeared to dethrone God,” and, “it was natural selection, not God, which gave us them [souls],” well that has been science’s attempt, but it’s ending up to prove the existence of God. Because there’s no authority that can prove that naturalistic science is completely true. They’ve tried, but how do you think postmodernism came about? Well, because modernists’ theories aren’t holding up. It is interesting that he’s the first man trying to harmonize the existence of the soul with modernistic science. I like that he’s at least honest in the fact that there’s something more to human existence and consciousness than just scientific rationalism, problem is that he’s trying to discover and experiment with scientific rationalism. I’ve never heard of a mystic modernistic scientist before:o) Maybe he’ll be the first one! Chances are that his definition of what a soul is is different than mine. Very interesting article!]

I am by no means a scientist, and am open for any correction. Those are just my thoughts. Have a great Monday!

Split Over Politics...Not Theology?!~

I was online for a second before worship this morning, and this article caught my eye..."Disowning Conservative Politics Is Costly for Pastor". I thought...wow that's interesting...so I read some of the article...

Here are a few snippets...I started to read much closer when I recognized the Names Gregory Boyd, and Brian McLaren...

"'When the church wins the culture wars, it inevitably loses,' Mr. Boyd preached. 'When it conquers the world, it becomes the world. When you put your trust in the sword, you lose the cross.'"

[There is some truth to this. The problem is that He isn't helping us understand what we should do about it. He's fighting the worldview of "the church winning the culture war" for winning's sake. He's not posing what our aim should be as Christians in this culture... Maybe I should read the new book that's coming out??]

"Mr. Boyd says he is no liberal. He is opposed to abortion and thinks homosexuality is not God’s ideal. The response from his congregation at Woodland Hills Church here in suburban St. Paul -- packed mostly with politically and theologically conservative, middle-class evangelicals -- was passionate. Some members walked out of a sermon and never returned. By the time the dust had settled, Woodland Hills, which Mr. Boyd founded in 1992, had lost about 1,000 of its 5,000 members."

[The most interesting thing about this to me is that Gregory Boyd is one of the strongest proponents of a heresy [I believe] going on today that I many believe will define the theological debates of our time. Namely the "Openness of God" or "Open Theism." This denies the "Sovereignty of God" and basically says that God can be caught off guard, etc. This was the spark of a huge falling out at Bethel a few years back. The sad thing is that his 5,000 person church lost 1,000 members over politics...not bad theology?? Wow!]

"'There is a lot of discontent brewing,' said Brian D. McLaren, the founding pastor at Cedar Ridge Community Church in Gaithersburg, Md., and a leader in the evangelical movement known as the 'emerging church,' which is at the forefront of challenging the more politicized evangelical establishment."

[I vote "Republican" a lot, but I consider myself to be "Independent." I just tend to be more of a one issue voter see a sermon on this here. Also, I can't help but follow the connection here that the Times makes between Boyd and the "Emergent Church Movement." Here's a post I did a while back that it appears that "Emergent" might be supportive of the "Openness of God." Also, the leader of "Emergent-US" cites a theologian that is part of "Emergent" here that believes that "Open Theism" is within historic Christian Orthodoxy.]

"'More and more people are saying this has gone too far -- the dominance of the evangelical identity by the religious right,' Mr. McLaren said. 'You cannot say the word ‘Jesus’ in 2006 without having an awful lot of baggage going along with it. You can’t say the word ‘Christian,’ and you certainly can’t say the word ‘evangelical’ without it now raising connotations and a certain cringe factor in people.'... 'Because people think, ‘Oh no, what is going to come next is homosexual bashing, or pro-war rhetoric, or complaining about ‘activist judges.’”

"Some pastors in his own denomination, the Baptist General Conference, mounted an effort to evict Mr. Boyd from the denomination and his teaching post, but he won that battle."

[This is debatable.]

"The Rev. Paul Eddy, a theology professor at Bethel College and the teaching pastor at Woodland Hills, said: 'Greg is an anomaly in the megachurch world. He didn’t give a whit about church leadership, never read a book about church growth. His biggest fear is that people will think that all church is is a weekend carnival, with people liking the worship, the music, his speaking, and that’s it.'"

[Maybe he didn't build his ministry off of a book on church leadership, or church growth, but I find it difficult to believe that he's never read a book about it. Maybe though:)]

"Mr. Boyd responded: 'I don’t think there’s a particular angle we have on society that others lack. All good, decent people want good and order and justice. Just don’t slap the label ‘Christian’ on it.'"

[But what if the "decent people who want good and order and justice" are Christians. Aren't Christians to seek justice?? Why can't Christian's desire and do Christian things and call it "Christian?" I can't help but sense some bitterness here towards something he's experienced in the church.]

Interesting article.

Brothers in India I: "Alok"

“Alok”

I. Devotion [morning of 3/1/05]

- 2 Kings 18:5-6 "He trusted in the Lord the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him. For he held fast to the Lord. He did not depart from following him, but kept the commandments that the Lord commanded Moses."

- Joshua 1:6-9 "Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

Alok found strength in these passages, especially when he and his wife lived in a place that they weren’t familiar with and that they didn’t know what they were doing [they didn’t have a clear vision for exactly how God was going to work in their situation].

Alok shared what he called the “5 C’s” that uneducated people can become teachers of the gospel.

(1) Character… of Christ
(2) Commitment… to Christ
(3) Conviction… of Christ
(4) Courtesy… of Christ
(5) Courage… in Christ

Alok and his wife waited for 8 months where they were living and didn’t know what to do or where to go in order to start their ministry…they were greatly discouraged, yet they continued to depend on the Lord.

People are strong in their other religious faiths [Hindus, Muslims, etc.] and it is hard to win them to Jesus Christ.

He said that God opened a door to reach people through birthday parties and they began to minister to the kids in their community.

As of March of 2005 they had 30 boys and girls every Sunday gathering. They play games, sing songs, and then tell Bible stories.

Alok constantly said, "Our success comes from the Lord!"

Alok exhorted us to, “Be strong and courageous…be careful to obey and careful to do. Continue to meditate on the Word day and night."

II. Bio and talk [night of 2/28/05 and 3/1/05]

The night of February 28, 2005 [my kind-of birthday] I stayed up late with Alok and we talked about a lot of things. He spoke about his wife… he said that they has been married approximately 2 years [in March of ‘05, so now about 3 and a half] They couldn’t have children at the time. He said that he knows if it is God’s will for them to have kids it will be so. He said she had fibroids in here uterus and had surgery to remove them. They have to wait to try to have kids. Alok said he has joy either way. With or without children! He said he will be praying for me. Also asked me to pray for him.

We stayed up late again on March 1, 20053/1/05 [once again my kind of birthday] We talked about life and ministry. He said they have lived in the town where they live about 2 years [now about 3 and a half years]. They hadn’t seen anyone come to faith in Jesus Christ, but he was ministering to approximately 50 kids who he was invited to play music for at the family’s house for a birthday party. He said they cannot share the name of Christ with the children. If they do the families will not let them be with the kids anymore. They meet with the kids weekly and they play games and sing songs with them. They also read Bible stories to the kids, and just love them and minister to them. Alok's wife also sings to the kids.

When he said something about his wife singing he started to tell me how he met her. He met his wife briefly [when they met], and their relationship grew over time by only speaking to each other. They met in March and married in June. He said her parents were strict [with a smile:)], but they knew God had ordained their relationship.

They have approximately 50,000 people in their village and it is mostly Hindu. He said a lot of Western people come there for the mountains [it is close to the Himalayas]. He has a scooter that he drives. He drives the scooter to the villages ministering to people door to door. He drives in the winter, and during the rainy season [monsoon season]. He said during that time in the year his wife cannot go with him because it is too cold so she stays behind. On the scooter he travels up to 2 hours away during all seasons to share Christ with his people door to door.

He would say, "when you come back you have to come to my village and record some music with me." Alok was a music teacher for 6 years before he went to seminary. He’s from Calcutta, grew up in a Roman Catholic church, went to seminary for a Masters degree at William Carey’s Baptist Church. Said his parents were both believers and so are his 4 brothers and 3 sisters [praise the Lord!]. He is 33 [as of March of ‘05]. Both his parents passed away in their 80’s and his oldest sister’s children are older than him!

He really loves his wife and that was such a beautiful thing to see his eyes light up when he spoke of her. He said he first fell in love with his wife by listening to her singing voice. [Below is a picture from their wedding.]

He really wants me to visit him in his home and I said, “If the Lord wills, maybe someday." [It is a desire of my heart, but only if God I may go back and see him. We discussed how no matter what we will see each other at God's throne in heaven one day! What a glorious fact!]

I played a recording of “Awesome God” for him [Kirk Franklin’s version] and his heart was filled with joy. He was taken back by the music. We had a great time talking about God, and our wives, and cannot wait to praise our Lord in heaven together.

"Growth In Sovereign Grace"

This week our Adult Bible Fellowship [ABF] at Valley E-Free Church in West Des Moines started a new series that we'll be doing for the next several weeks on 2 Peter.

We're taking the name of the series from the following:

"2 Peter 3:18: But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. [ESV]"

Join us as we dive into God's holy, inspired, inerrant, infallible, authoritative soul-filling Word. Pray that we would handle it carefully, and that we as a group might be able to be changed by the power that is in it.

I'll be posting throughout the series some things that pop out...notes from our lessons, and any other things that God in His providence pops into my view:)

Have a great week everyone! More to come [not too much though, I have some large assignments to read:)]

Brothers in India

Over the coming weeks I'll be posting some pictures and bios of some brothers in Christ that I met in India about a year and a half ago. I'm mainly doing this for prayer support for them...if you guys could join me in praying for God to bless their lives and ministries that that would be great.

All of these guys are church planting pastors...many of which are the only Christian family [their wife and kids] in their communities of approximately few million people. Unfortunately the email addresses that they gave me don't all work, so I'm currently only in contact with one of them.

In Christ
Noah

Good News... and Upcoming Event!

Good News

(1) A few weeks ago I received an acceptance letter from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Praise the Lord! Thanks for praying [if you have been], and thanks for the encouragement. You might be surprised at some of the reactions I have seen to my applying to SBTS, and the encouragement has been nourishing to Lindsey and my souls. God has brought us to this conclusion [if He works this out to the point that we get there] so we are confident of the plans He has for us.

(2) I received information about the Weekender at Capitol Hill Baptist Church, and Lord willing I'll be out there doing this from September 14-18 this Fall. I won't find out if I'm accepted to the Church Apprenticeship Program there until September. Please pray that if it would please God that He would work this out. If I get the apprenticeship or if I don't, we'll have clear confirmation of the Lord's will either way..."Yes" or "No":) And we trust whatever He answers is what is best for us and most clearly shows His glory.

Upcoming Event

(1) Desiring God Conference: Above All Earthly Powers...The Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern World. It looks like it's going to be an excellent one. Lord willing we'll be there. We have made reservations and registered...woo hoo! I have been Pod-Casting a bunch of the videos, and it looks like this is going to be a good one for perspective on sharing Christ in a world that believes there's no absolute truth...this reminds me of a chorus from the Voice: Progression cd :

"And the truth of God's word is absolute true, Even though some say there's no Absolute

Ironically they think they're absolutely true, now I'm an idiot, but is that a catch 22

Well whatever it is, don't let it catch some of you. If the Bible's not authority then what will we do?

If what we feel is more real and we go on our tendencies, then look around at what our tendencies tend to be"

This should be a good conference!

Resolved

I have been spending a lot of time reflecting on this resolution lately by Jonathan Edwards.

"8. Resolved, to act, in all respects, both speaking and doing, as if nobody had been so vile as I, and as if I had committed the same sins, or had the same infirmities or failings as others; and that I will let the knowledge of their failings promote nothing but shame in myself, and prove only an occasion of my confessing my own sins and misery to God. July 30"

I'm terrible at this, but it has been a good exercise.

Lanesboro

The house behind us is the Berwood Hill Inn. It's about four miles out of Lanesboro, MN. It's at the end of a long gravel road. It was great. No television, beautiful gardens, etc. The landscape is beautiful too...the sunrise and sunsets are something else.

This one's a little farther away...you can see the hydrangeas. This place has even been in Better Homes and Gardens for the gardens. It was excellent to read in the morning! Also, the breakfast was excellent. How often do you have the opportunity to eat breakfast with 6 complete strangers?? Cool!

The bike trail is on the Root River. We rode 27 miles on it. And we were dog tired at the end, but it was fun. This place would have excellent views in the Fall!

There were beautiful views all along the trail...we even saw about 6 deer:)

Speaking of beauty!

Psalm 65:11-13: "You crown the year with your bounty; your wagon tracks overflow with abundance. The pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hills gird themselves with joy, the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together for joy."

Mission to Israel: Part III

Rob Young, Chad & Ashely Tierney all arrived home safe to God's glory from Israel this afternoon. If you catch them ask them about the Locust story...it shed's some major light on the way God used locusts and locust imagery in the Bible [Exodus 10; Judges 6:5; 7:12; Psalm 105:34; Proverbs 30:27; Isaiah 33:4; Jeremiah 46:23; 51:14; 51:27; Joel 1:2; Amos 7:1; Nahum 3:17; Matthew 3:4; Mark 1:6; Revelation 9]. Evidently the Middle-Eastern locusts aren't as piddly as the ones we have here!

Desert Locust Schistocerca gregaria

Rob called me about an hour and a half ago. Just wanted to give you an update if you had been praying for this mission trip! God is Good!

In Christ
Noah

The Armor of God

We picked up this cool picture last weekend. Lindsey and I went to Lanesboro, Minnesota. We rode 27 miles on our bikes through the river valley of the Root River. It's a beautiful bike trail that is much longer than we actually rode. We stopped at a pie shop for home made pie, and there were a few antique shops that we went to. We also stayed at a bed and breakfast called the Berwood Hill Inn. It was awesome. Anyhow, I wanted everyone to see this picture:) Lindsey hung it in a place where we'd see it all the time to remind us to put on the armor of God!

Here's the entire passage:

Ephesians 6:10-20

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak. [ESV]" (My emphasis)

Reformed Rap

Linds and I picked up one of the best cd’s I’ve heard in a long time (off the recommendation of Justin Taylor)! This is a rap album…and if you don’t like rap you should start because this album has a strong message, namely Sovereign Grace from God through atonement of Jesus Christ to people who are helpless.

Click here for purchase information, also click here to see Voice's website.

Here’s the refrain from track 6 “All Rap Is”

"All rap is, is the lust of the flesh that is easily seen in drugs and sex, and

All rap is, is the lust of the eyes, almost any video can help you realize,

All rap is, is the boasting of what he has and does to how he lives in MTV cribs


I ain’t hatin’ but to me raps the glorification of what led Christ to propitiation."

Check out this interview Voice did with Justin Taylor.

I really like this disc. Just remember if you don't like rap...you probably won't like this disc. But if you love truth I have no doubt the Words will minister to you!

[UPDATE: Lindsey caught this. I wrote the words to the chorus incorrectly. Lol... so I updated them:)]

Am I a Pacifist?! (C.S. Lewis on Pacifism)

To be perfectly honest I don't know where I stand on this issue. Seeing the violence in this world it's hard not to desire pacifism everywhere, but I just don't know if it's possible...so if the context we find ourselves in is not pacifist, are we forced to conform to our innate sinfulness of evil?? I'm not sure...is war the better of two evils?

I just read C.S. Lewis' essay "Why I'm Not a Pacifist" and I have to admit I do lean Lewis' way a bit. Here are a few quotes...

"[Abolishing war by Pacifism] consists in assuming that the great permanent miseries in human life must be curable if only we can find the right cure; and it then proceeds by elimination and concludes that whatever is left, however unlikely to prove a cure, must nevertheless do so. Hence the fanaticism of Marxists, Freudians, Eugenists, Spiritualists, Doublasites, Federal Unionists, Vegetarians, and all the rest. (pp. 44)" [Vegetarians?? lol...]

"If I am a Pacifist, I have Arthur and Aelfred, Elizabeth and Cromwell, Walpole and Burke, against me. I have my university, my school, and my parents against me. I have the literature of my country against me, and cannot even open my Beowulf, my Shakespeare, my Johnson, or my Wordsworth without being reproved (pp.45)...To be a Pacifist, I must part company with Homer and Virgil, with Plato and Aristotle, with Zarathustra and the Bhagavad-Gita, with Cicero and Montaigne, with Iceland and with Egypt. From this point of view, I am almost tempted to reply to the Pacifist as Johnson replied to Goldsmith, 'Nay Sir, if you will not take the universal opinion of mankind, I have no more to say.' (pp.46)"

"[Pacifism] It may spring from the belief that human history is a simple, unilinear movement from worse to better - what is called a belief in Progress - so that any given generation is always in all respects wiser than all previous generations. To those who believe thus, our ancestors are superseded and there seems nothing improbable in the claim that the whole world was wrong until the day before yesterday and now has suddenly become right. With such people I confess I cannot argue, for I do not share their basic assumption. (pp. 46)"

Discussing our Lord's words "turn the other cheek [Matthew 5:39]"

"[There are] three ways of of taking the command...One is the Pacifist interpretation; it means what it says and imposes a duty of nonresistance on all men in all circumstances...

Two...the minimising interpretation; it does not mean what it says but is merely an orientially hyperbolical way of saying that you should put up with a lot and be placable. Both you and I agree in rejecting this view [This view would deny the authority of Scripture!]...

Three the text means exactly what it says, but with an understood reservation in favour of those obviously exceptional cases which every hearer would naturally assume to be exceptions without being told...that is, insofar as the only relevant factors in the case are an injury to me and my neighbour and a desire on my part to retaliate, then I hold that Christianity commands no absolute mortification of that desire (pp. 49).

...if a homicidal maniac, attempting to murder a third party, tried to knock me out of the way, I must stand aside and let him get his victim?

...the best way of bringing up a child was to let it hit its parents whenever it was in a temper, or, when it had grabbed at the jam, to give it the honey also.

...I think the meaning of the words was perfectly clear - 'insofar as you are simply an angry man who has been hurt, mortify your anger and do not hit back.'

Indeed, as the audience were private people in a disarmed nation, it seems unlikely that they would have ever supposed Our Lord to be referring to war. War was not what they would have been thinking of. The frictions of daily life among villagers were more likely to be in their minds. (pp. 50)"

"St. Paul approves of the magistrates use of the sword (Romans 13:4) and so does St. Peter (1 Peter 2:14). (pp. 50-51)"

"For let us make no mistake. All that we fear from all the kinds of adversity, severally, is collected together in the life of a soldier on active service. Like sickness, it threatens pain and death. Like poverty, it threatens ill lodging, cold, heat, thirst, and hunger. Like slavery, it threatens toil, humiliation, injustice, and arbitrary rule. Like exile, it separates you from all you love. LIke the gallies, it imprisons you at close quarters with uncongenial companions. It threatens every temporal evil - every evil except dishonour and final perdition, and those who bear it like it no better than you would like it. (pp. 52)"

[Lewis, C.S. [Edited and introduction by Walter Hooper] The Weight of Glory and Other Addresses Revised and Expanded Edition. Collier Books: Macmillan Publishing Company; New York. 1980.]--> FYI...The hyperlink is a much newer version of this book.

Any thoughts...I'm still trying to work this out.

In Christ
Noah

[Update: Okay after a nights rest I think I'm a pacifistic non-pacifist... Also, this position, I believe, in no way affects my teaching a young boy that hitting a bully back is not something that could be done in obedience to Christ. He must turn the other cheek.]

Jerome: Letter 108

I'm currently finishing a reading assignment in early Latin Theology... This quote turned my stomach a little. I think that not everything that was viewed as holy in those days is also veiwed as holy now. I doubt I would lick the place where Jesus was laid in the tomb out of worship to Him!

“Before the Cross she threw herself down in adoration as though she beheld the Lord hanging upon it; and when she entered the tomb which was the scene of the Resurrection, she kissed the stone which the angel had rolled away from the door of the sepulcher. Indeed so ardent was her faith that she even licked with her mouth the very spot on which the Lord’s body had lain, like one athirst for the river which he had longed for.”

[Early Latin Theology Selections from Tertullian, Cyprian, Ambrose and Jerome. Pp. 353, Letter 108. Translated and edited by S. L. Greenslade. The Library of Christian Classics Ichthus Edition. Louisville: The Westminster John Knox Press, 1956.]

I might feel the spot or something else [lay down on the spot, lay my head on the spot]...but like with my mouth. What do you guys think??? Would you kiss the spot where Christ laid...lick the spot...just look at the spot...feel the spot??

Mission to Israel: Part II

Here’s another update from Rob Young and his team in Israel.

Hey guys,

We just got back from a place called ------------, where they have excavated a farming area dating back to the 1st century. [Their main contact] G’s daughter was our tour guide. It was a pretty neat place. One thing she did was read several parables, and the village helped to show the context of the parables (e.g. the types of land in the parable of the sower, etc).

We ate out for dinner last night, and I have never in my life been to any place like this before. We went out late, maybe 8:30pm, and the restaurant was empty at first when we got there. Turns out it also doubles as a Houka bar (where people go to smoke tobacco out of water bongs). But it was in a narrow street, typical in the area with another door that opened into a 1700's building built by the Turks, with
stone arches. It was interesting. It had an old empty well inside which a few of us climbed into, and it was full of fraternity-like couches to sit on (they were filthy just like fraternity couches too). Pictures will really be the only way to describe this place. We had about 3-4 kinds of bread and 6-7 types of dipping sauces, and we got to have some duck and lots of the best olives I have ever had (my mouth felt like I had swallowed a salt shaker when we left).

Anyways, we did some more outreach in another small village just outside ----------- this morning, and I got to go with G [their main contact] for the first time, which was good, because no one that the two of us ran into spoke good English. This has been more of a problem in the villages outside ----------. (Why can't everyone here just learn English!?!?)

There will be a Bible study tonight which we have invited many people to, and Saturday will be the main outreach event at which point several of us will be giving testimonies and presenting the gospel.

Up till then we still have several more times of witnessing and planting some seeds. Saturday morning we will also be doing follow-up with our main contacts. Thank you all so much for your prayers. We can definitely tell that people are praying for us, and there is a deep, deep need for truth here.

Looking forward to seeing you!

Rob

[I have edited out names, locations, and a few other details]

Please continue to pray for Rob and their team…also their wives/husbands/families back home!

In Christ
Noah

Mission to Israel

We have some brothers and sisters in Christ that are in Israel right now. I just received an email from Rob yesterday...here's some of what he had to say...

This last Sunday I shared (after Rod and George had) from 1 Corinthians 1:18-31.

God has continually put me in situations this week that have made me so thankful for these verses, and so in awe of God for my salvation. If you have a chance this week, take a day to meditate on these verses.

Also, look at Ephesians 2:8, Matthew 11:25-26, and especially 2 Corinthians 4:4 and 4:6. Read v.6 right after v.4 and you will see what I mean.

Israelis (Muslims and "Christians" here) have a very, very, very postmodern mindset. "All 3 religions are the same [of course they are not]" and "You're way works for you" are the orders of the day.

If I didn't think you would get bored I would paste all of 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 because it responds to us as believers so well, but instead I will just take a few verses.

"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.' Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe... we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles, but to those who believe... Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God."

Wow! Praise the Lord for our salvation! Praise the Lord for removing the blinders from our eyes so that we can see his face! I was talking with Rod about this earlier tonight (poor Rod, I have talked to him a lot about this :) and he said, "It makes you wonder why he chose us."

Answer? God chose the foolish things of this world to shame the wise! it is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God - that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption.

Thank the Lord that I am not responsible for the salvation of these people, because my Arabic is terrible and my responses are not always perfect. But maybe some of them will one day boast in the Lord as their wisdom, their righteousness, their holiness, and their redemption. Good night guys, I love you!

Please pray for Rob, the team...that the glory of God would be seen by the folks they are ministering to. Also pray for the political tensions between Israel and Palestine and that they would accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. They are there for Christ...not Israel and not Palestine!

Rob, that's a good Word!

In Christ
Noah

Television Show "24"

This show is downright intense. Lindsey and I borrowed the first season from the Dyvigs and 16 hours later we don't quite know what to think. It was good, but since we're at a good stopping point I don't really care to watch 32 more hours to get caught up with the most current season. If you watch it from week to week I'm sure it's fun though. It's just way too addictive for such large amounts of time.

The show is very well done...it's really fairly believable and the special effects and acting are pretty good. The pictures below are the only scene that had a flaw [That I saw]...I'll add commentary to help:) BTW...I'm making up the commentary:)

Jack: "I know those dirty rotten terrorists are around here somewhere. There were a total of seven and I've killed five so I know it's just us three...where could those other two be!?"



Jack: "Wait, what's that??...I sense something!"



Jack: "Nothing here...at 3 o'clock to my right..."



Jack: "Nothing there...at 1 o'clock to my right..."



Set Crew Guy with a clear face shield and blue top on his head [Whispering]: "Jack the two terrorists are on the next dock. Look to 12 o'clock in front of you"

Jack: "AHHHH!!!!! [Thinking 2 things at the same time (1) Where did that guy come from? (2) The terrorists are at 12 o'clock!]"



Jack: "Take That!!!!!"



Two Terrorists: "Dang it...the set crew gave us away again!"



Jack: "Whew...wait a minute...where'd that guy go?? He must have been an angel...I'll just keep shooting!"

Sorry if I gave anything away:) I just thought it was funny that the set crew guy was in the scene! Maybe he was supposed to be an angel?? You never know...the writers of this show are pretty unpredictable. They certainly boast that:)

Later

To the Sky...What is my God?

Augustine:

"But what is my God? I put my question to earth. It answered, 'I am not God,' and all things on earth declared the same. I asked the sea and the chasms of the deep and the living things that creep in them, but they answered, 'We are not your God. Seek what is above us.' I spoke to the winds that blow, and the whole air and all that lives in it replied, 'Anaximenes [philosopher who taught that air is the first cause of all things] is wrong. I am not God.' I asked the sky, the sun, the moon, and the stars, but they told me, 'Neither are we the God whom you seek.' I spoke to all the things that are about me, all that can be admitted by the door of the senses, and I said, 'Since you are not my God, tell me about him. Tell me something of my God.' Clear and loud they answered, 'God is who made us.' I asked these questions simply by gazing at these things, and their beauty was all the answer they gave."

I love the beauty of the Iowa sky. Let my awe be a response of praise to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit! He made it all.

Psalm 19:1 "To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. [ESV]"

Genesis 9:13-15 "I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth. [ESV]"

Revelation 4:3 "And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. [ESV]"

Nahum 1:3 "The LORD is slow to anger and great in power, and the LORD will by no means clear the guilty. His way is in whirlwind and storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. [ESV]"

Job 37:10-13 "By the breath of God ice is given, and the broad waters are frozen fast. He loads the thick cloud with moisture; the clouds scatter his lightning. They turn around and around by his guidance, to accomplish all that he commands them on the face of the habitable world. [ESV]"

Isaiah 44:2 "I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like mist; return to me, for I have redeemed you. [ESV]"

Matthew 17:5 "He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, 'This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.' [ESV]"

Acts 1:9 "And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. [ESV]"

Psalm 107:25 "For he commanded and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea. [ESV]"

Psalm 50:3 "Our God comes; he does not keep silence; before him is a devouring fire, around him a mighty tempest. [ESV]"

Matthew 16:3 "And in the morning, 'It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. [ESV]"

Revelation 14:16 "So he who sat on the cloud swung his sickle across the earth, and the earth was reaped. [ESV]"

Psalm 85:11 "Faithfulness springs up from the ground, and righteousness looks down from the sky. [ESV]"

Daniel 12:3 "And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. [ESV]"

Matthew 24:30 "Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. [ESV]"

Matthew 26:64 "Jesus said to him, 'You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.' [ESV]"

Mark 14:62 "And Jesus said, 'I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.' [ESV]"

1 Thessalonians 4:17 "Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. [ESV]"

Revelation 1:7 "Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. [ESV]"

God bless you all today!

In Christ
Noah

Pilgrim's Progress

Right now Lindsey is reading Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan. She’s loving it! Last night she had me read the middle paragraph in the picture below…



Wow! Can you imagine writing this about the Papacy during the time of the Reformation. No wonder Bunyan went to prison! Hopefully this will encourage us to be a little more bold in our truth telling witness at work, home, and in the Church!

May it never be said of us that, "it is by our tyranny that men have been put to death, and because of our age, though we are alive, we have grown so crazy, and stiff in our joints, that we can now do little more than to sit in our Cave’s mouth, grinning at Pilgrims as they go by, and biting our nails, because we cannot come to them."

Let us not enter the path of disunity and harm toward the church’s gospel witness, and grow to complete ineffectiveness at all for the gospel. Let us use our effective efforts for healthy gospel witness.

[I know the ineffectiveness in the paragraph is referencing Pagan and Pope's harm toward Christian Pilgrims...but still...may any of this never be said of us! First, let it never be said that our effectiveness was such that it stumbled believers. And second, let it never be said of us that we grew old in our poor use of our strength. Let us use our power for an effectiveness that displays God's glory. That way when we lose our strength to age we can look back on the good rather than the evil.]

Relevance (C.J. Mahaney Chimes in)

C.J. Mahaney at Together for the Gospel chimes in on relevance in culture! Check it out!

Here are a few points…from a quote he used of Ray Ortlund, Jr. (Trinity Journal 18, NS, no. 2, Spring 1997).

“First, a biblical preacher critiques his methods, his forms of contextualization, his adaptations to culture, his style, not primarily by the standard of culture but by the superior standard of the gospel itself.... The message of the Cross must discipline and control us—indeed, limit us—even though that puts us at a disadvantage in winning an audience."

"For him [Paul] theology reigned supreme in every aspect of his ministry. Theology for him, energized him, cheered him, emboldened him. It was his ministerial fountain of youth. One wonders how far we may drift from Pauline ministry and still retain a plausible claim to biblical authenticity in our work.”

Here are few quotes from Mahaney…

“We must do more than nod our heads as we read, we must make application to our pastoral ministry in very specific ways.”

“Are there more books on your desk from the business section of Barnes and Noble than there are the great works of Calvin, Edwards, Owen and Spurgeon? Let us not be numbered among those for whom "theology...sits lightly on their practice of ministry" or pastors who are "exacting in their methodology, but vague in their theology."

“…by following the example of Paul, let "theology reign supreme" with the message of "Jesus Christ and him crucified." May this be the "the controlling center" of our preaching content, the structures and practices of our church and our evangelistic strategy. Then, and only then, will the church be truly relevant to our culture.”

Wow!

Friends Bloggin'

This is long overdue, but I have three very close friends who are also present on the blogosphere...some of you may know them, but here are their blogs.

Michael Miesen
Zach Kapfer
Josh Dyvig

Also, if you look at the far right column of my blog you'll see some helpful breakdowns of some resources that I check out all the time on the net. Churches locally, nationally, ministries, book publishers, friend's blogs, folks at my church's blogs, etc.

Check 'em out:)

Superman Returns...(Warning this post is a possible Spoiler)

[FYI Warning!!! If you read this post and haven't seen the movie it may spoil some things.]

Lindsey and I saw this movie last weekend. I thought it was alright. I had a few problems with it though.

(1) That the whole relationship thing w/ Cyclops from X-men and Lois. You know I don't know that actor's name, but he is definitely falling into a type cast situation with his acting roles. He is always a good guy who never gets the girl...e.g. X-men movies, Spidey 2, The Notebook, and now Superman Returns. Sheesh!

(2) If Superman is such a great guy how are we supposed to explain his sleeping with Lois before marriage (and no intent for marriage), and depending on your morals how about his leaving her after the one night stand or whatever? With this plot line Superman is getting himself in deep doo doo if you ask me.

If Narnia is an allegory of the Biblical Jesus Christ (with a few discrepancies), then Superman Returns is an allegory of the Da Vinci Code (with a few discrepancies).

There were strong allusions to Jesus Christ, but then there was the whole lineage deal, “As the Father becomes the Son, so the Son becomes the Father.” Really if you know anything about Mormon theology it sounds reminiscent of their view on becoming a God ["as man is, God once was; as God is, man may be"] and having your own planet and you and your wife procreating spirit children to inhabit that planet (sounds weird, but it’s truely a theological doctrine of Mormonism!).

I wish they would have started the Superman series over again like they did with Batman Begins. I would say good try, great effects, nice attempt at a contemporary life situation, but they completely missed the mark in terms of the intent of the original idea of Superman's moralistic ideals, and being a gentleman. I always viewed Superman to have a professional relationship with Lois...not this big romantic thing (although in the last 2 decades the romance thing has been written in because the kids that were reading the original as kids grew up and were more interested in that sort of thing). Comics are for action suspense etc. Soap operas are for romance (my dad says that soap operas rot the brain…I have to say I agree…that’s another conversation).

Overall good try, but not as good as I was expecting. Brandon Routh did a good job of acting though, so did Spacey with the Lex Luther character. It was very entertaining though! There are a few scenes that simply ROCK!

Just my 2 cents