How Jesus is Winning the World

It was a tiny, common thing yet it made my heart soar. The other morning I had time to read and write at a local coffee shop before heading to the office. A couple of Chinese students came in with their Bibles, obviously heading for an early-morning Bible study. It was good to see them there. A couple minutes later an Indian student arrived, looking around intently for his friends. Finally, a skinny white guy came to meet with the previous three. Four men studying the Bible together early in the morning. Like I said, nothing uncommon or extraordinary.

But here’s the thought that filled my heart with joy: this is how Jesus is building his kingdom. This is how the gospel overtakes the world. While nations rage and kings rebel against Him, Jesus is winning His world to Himself in the most common, least extraordinary ways possible. Through quiet, Bible-saturated conversations at coffee shops. Through very short, very plain times of family worship. Through sleepy sermons. Through prayers no one else will ever know about.

Gather your weapons, stir up your revolutions. Grit your teeth and look mean. You can never beat a king who wins with his pawns.

Pleasant Plane Providence

On plane trips from Indiana to North Carolina and back this past week, I enjoyed the pleasant providence of God.  Perhaps we often bring to mind  God’s providence in darker moments, leaning on this teaching to know that the trials and difficulties we are facing come from the hand of God.  Yet daily the Lord providentially showers His good gifts upon us (Matthew 5:45; James 1:17) and we should receive them with gratitude.  My time in my home state of NC was blessed by staying with my brother’s family and helping a congregation down there.  But even my trips in the plane, usually dreaded by this homebody, proved to be quite delightful.

Letters for Life: Galatians

(The intro to the series can be found here)

The book of Galatians challenges the fluffy, feel good Christianity of our day; the type of Christianity known only in terms of calendars with majestic images with uplifting verses; the kind of Christianity equated with bright smiles and neatly kept hair; the kind of Christianity that courteously steps to the side of pluralism or remains quiet in the arena of ideas; the kind of Christianity that would never ever kill a wolf, say a sharp word, or dare offend another.

Galatians is no such book.  It is genuine Christianity.  And as such, it shows us the sanctity, and by extension, the preciousness of the Gospel.

How to Become a Heretic

It’s hard to become a really good heretic. It can’t be done on the spur of the moment–no, it takes  planning, goals, action steps, focus groups and the like.

The Christian and Sports – Dr. Rich Holdeman

The Super Bowl Temple article posted a few weeks ago inspired comments from a number of readers about the place of sports in the life of a Christian. I asked my friend and colleague, Dr. Rich Holdeman, to write on the topic because of his background as a hockey player at Yale University and later as the head coach of the Indiana University hockey team. He has graciously agreed, and I am grateful. His article follows. Dr. Holdeman is presently the pastor of the Bloomington, Indiana, Reformed Presbyterian Church and is a lecturer in cell biology at Indiana University.

Note: in the original article on the Super Bowl, the sub-point on  idolatry generated the bulk of the comments from readers. The following article addresses that topic specifically. Many readers have expressed interest in an article on sports and the use of the Lord’s Day. Dr. Holdeman has agreed to address that topic in a forthcoming post.

- James Faris

Weekly Picks

Proving once again that everything, including the internet, belongs to Jesus.

The Freedom of the Regulative Principle–The regulative principle (that we do in worship only what God warrants, to the exclusion of everything else) has a PR problem. Maybe it’s in the name. Whatever the reason is, Kevin DeYoung’s article on the blessings of worship directed by God is spot on–read and take heart!

Seasoned with Grace

First, use some dry, self-deprecating humor to disarm your audience containing the leading political and religious figures of the day.  Next, state your theme clearly and repeat it in various ways throughout your message.  Then use powerful, historical illustrations that, because you have studied them thoroughly, you can use with authority to highlight your theme.  Sprinkle in a little more disarming humor.   Draw your audience into full agreement with your theme by tying it to an inarguable consensus already present in the room.  Show a humble graciousness to those you know that are about to disagree with you because you know it is only by grace these things have been revealed to you. Through the whole presentation be unashamedly Christ-centered.   Then in a few words softly yet persistently apply your theme to the most critical issue of the day with a power that brings everyone to quiet reflection.  End with a song that in itself applies the message.

That is precisely what Eric Metaxas did at the National Prayer Breakfast last week with President Obama in attendance.  It would be worth your time  to watch this 30 minute presentation (you can view it here) of how Metaxas gets thousands of people to reflect seriously on the issue of abortion.  See WORLD’s review “No Pious Baloney” or the National Review’s article “The President and the Prophet” to read how this talk has captured much more attention than the president’s own speech which followed.

Indeed, in aiming for hearts, perhaps the Lord will use Mr. Metaxas’ message to cause our president to examine his own.

Which Came First, the Chicken or the Egg?

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? The question is sometimes asked to highlight the folly of circular reasoning. But it has also hatched profound discussions for generations on the dilemma of causality. How could we have an egg if we did not have a chicken to lay the egg? But how could we have a chicken to lay the egg if there was no egg from which the chicken came in the first place?

God, Manhood and Ministry: Building Men for the Body of Christ – Desiring God Conference

This year’s Desiring God Pastor’s Conference was excellent.  But while each of the speakers spoke with conviction and clarity and provided much edification, I especially enjoyed Pastor Douglas Wilson’s talks.  They were nothing short of profound.  Substantively speaking, they were like two large roast beef sandwiches coated with melted cheese.  In terms of delivery, boredom was made to cower in the corner.  And in terms of practicality, it was like a verbal tool belt.

Illuminating the Bible

I wrote the article below for our church’s outreach newsletter to explain how to read the Bible with more understanding.  One of the ways I ask the congregation I serve to use Gentle Reformation is to copy relevant articles or send links to their friends.  Who do you know that perhaps could use the following encouragement in reading the Bible?

One summer vacation my family visited a unique national park.  It was Mammoth Cave in Kentucky.  Having never been there before, I expected simply to go through a passageway into a large room under the ground.  I did not realize this cave system contained 350 miles of passageways!  How strange it was being underground for several hours of “spelunking.”  It was like being on another planet.

We took a historic tour that went through two miles of the caves.  We saw and experienced such places as the Bottomless Pit, Fat Man’s Misery, and the actual Mammoth Cave Room that was several hundred feet tall.  We listened to the guide tell us the history of the caves.  Last century one church even held services in one of the large chambers (Great acoustics and free air conditioning!).

Vines and oaks

In preparation for Sunday, I’m  studying Ezekiel 15-16, two of the harshest, stomach-punch chapters in the Bible. These are chapters intended to make us feel the guilt of sin; indeed, it’s hard not to if we read with any honesty at all.

Chapter 15 is parable about vines (sound familiar?). Specifically, God instructs Ezekiel to basically say, “When cut, the wood of an oak can make furniture. The wood of a cedar can enclose a house. But when cut, the wood of a vine is only useful for burning.”At first this sounds fairly obvious–is anyone seriously claiming that the wood of a vine is useful for something? Something else has to be going on here.

Reformation Indy

Our friends at the Southside Reformed Presbyterian Church of Indianapolis have been hosting a Reformation Indy conference the past several years.  These conferences have been a rich time of feeding from God’s Word, getting great deals at the Reformation Heritage Books book table (should read tables for there are many!), and fellowship with the people of God.   As the poster below explains, this year’s conference features Dr. Joey Pipa speaking  on the subject of “Divine Guidance.”  You can see the schedule and print out a brochure to register at 2012 Reformation Indy Brochure or go to the Reformation Indy website for more information and registration.

Isaiah 29: Paul’s Favorite Old Testament Chapter?

Was Isaiah 29 the Apostle Paul’s favorite chapter from the Old Testament? If asked what the chapter is about, most Christians would probably reason as follows: 1) I have no clue. But if I have to guess… 2) It’s an Old Testament prophecy and the chapter does not ring any “famous chapter” bells, so… 3) It must be about…um…JUDGMENT! And, you’d be right! But if it is so seemingly obscure why could we nominate it for “Best Chapter” of the Apostle Paul in the Old Testament?

Another Hinge on the Door of the Reformation

The Bondage of the Will

-Martin Luther-

“So it is not irreligious, idle, or superfluous, but in the highest degree wholesome and necessary, for a Christian to know whether or not his will has anything to do in matters pertaining to salvation.  Indeed, let me tell you, this is the hinge on which our discussion turns, the crucial issue between us; our aim is, simply, to investigate what ability ‘free-will’ has, in what respect it is the subject of Divine action and how it stands related to the grace of God.  If we know nothing of these things, we shall know nothing whatsoever of Christianity, and shall be in worse case than any people on earth!

Praying for Light in the Philippines

With the combination of seeing the poor do innovative things to overcome their life’s difficulties and this taking place in the setting of the Philippines, the video below really touched my wife’s and my heart.  Especially since I have been to this archipelago twice to minister and am in regular contact with some Reformed Filipino friends doing church planting work there.  Thanks to David Murray over at Head Heart Hand for drawing our attention to it.

The video illustrates what the Lord is doing there spiritually.  Around this island nation, one by one homes of lowly ones are having the Light from above shine down upon them as their fellow nationals bring the gospel to them.  As even today this nation was rocked by another natural disaster of an earthquake, please stop and pray for more light in the midst of the darkness and heartbreak.