Second Anniversary

Yesterday was the second anniversary of my marriage to the love of my life, Abby. The Lord blessed Abby and I with an incredible day celebrating this event. Though Abby was supposed to work at the hospital on the Lord's Day, she was called and told she did not have to come in because there were so few patients needing care. This was a great blessing because if she had been made to work her normal twelve-hour shift, she would have been too tired to fully enjoy our time together.

Sunday night, we stayed at the Galt House, the nicest hotel I know of in Louisville. Our room was on the 22nd floor, with an incredible view overlooking the Ohio River:
For lunch yesterday, we ate in the trolley at the Old Spaghetti Factory. In the following photo, I am standing outside the trolley, taking a picture of Abby, who is sitting at our table:
After lunch, we went to the Louisville Zoo, where we saw many amazing animals. In the following picture, you see a gorilla that seemed as interested to see people as we were to see him:
Finally, after spending a little while resting at Borders, we took a dinner cruise on the Ohio River aboard the Belle of Louisville steamboat. In the following picture, Abby is on the dock, with the steamboat behind her:
I am so very grateful to God, praising him for my marriage to Abby, who is such a constant delight. God has truly blessed me so much more than I deserve- even contrary to what my sins deserve. I ask that all my brothers and sisters in Christ who are reading this post would keep Abby, Christian, and me in your prayers.

2 Reasons I'm thankful to be at SBTS rather than LPTS, Part 2

As I mentioned at the beginning of my last post on this subject, these posts are not focused on the obvious reasons a Baptist would choose the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS) over Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary (LPTS), but rather on concerns I have seen from LPTS that are so severe that I would consider paying the extra tuition to go to SBTS, even if I were Presbyterian. (Assuming, of course, that for some reason SBTS and LPTS were my only to options.)

On the campus of LPTS, my wife and I saw a few signs indicating that there is a labyrinth on campus, so we set out to find it. Having been raised watching the movie Labyrinth several times and having since then become a fan of the finale in the movie The Shining, I was very eager to see this labyrinth. I imagined winding paths made of stone walls or hedges, where my wife and I could someday have fun playing hide-and-go-seek with our son.

Imagine my disappointment when I found that the labyrinth was nothing more than bricks on the ground.

There is little chance that we would meet the Goblin King by surprise in this place, and if we had to hide from Jack Nicholson here, we'd be goners.

My real problem with the labyrinth at LPTS, however, is not the architecture of the thing (it is, admittedly, very scenic), but rather the claims made for the labyrinth. For this labyrinth is not built just so that people can appreciate the beauty of its form or so that people can enjoy walking through it; rather, this is meant to be a powerful tool for spiritual experience. As the sign beside the labyrinth explains:
I'll transcribe what I consider to be the most relevant portion, as the above still may be hard to read:

Christians may walk labyrinths to experience closer, deeper union with God... experience the sacredness of the space and place... May the experience of walking this sacred and powerful tool bring you a greater sense of Shalom and Oneness.

The LPTS webpage dedicated to labyrinth pilgrimage training makes similar claims for the labyrinth, with labyrinth-walking called an "enriching spiritual practice."

In all seriousness, I consider these claims made for this labyrinth to be much more dangerous to the Church than the claims of the gay-pride poster at LPTS. As I mentioned before, any Christian with the slightest modicrum of spiritual discernment would strongly object to the notion that proclamation of homosexual support is the most important thing a person can do. The labyrinth is therefore more dangerous because it is less obvious. And we should always remember: "the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field" (Genesis 3:1 KJV, emphasis added).

Why do theses claims cause me such concern? Why am I trying to raise an alarm on this issue?
First and foremost, it is because I see no warrant in Scripture for these claims. There is a reason no Bible texts are cited in relation to this labyrinth. All legitimate spiritual disciplines of the Christian life have ample scriptural support. This is true of personal spiritual disciplines such as Bible reading, meditation on Scripture, prayer, praises, fasting, the giving of tithes and offerings, works of service, etc. This is also true of the corporate spiritual disciplines within the Church of Bible proclamation, the ordinances, the singing of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, providing for those in need, etc. On the other hand, if you look in any concordance for any Bible, you will find no mention of "labyrinth" whatsoever. The only warrant for this activity is, as indicated by both the sign pictured and the website linked above, "tradition" or "ancient practice."

The labyrinth at LPTS is reflective of a general trend within certain segments of the evangelical church to incorporate more ancient traditions, such as prayer labyrinths, veneration of icons, and the ceremonial ringing of bells and lighting of candles. It is easy to discern, however, that there is a certain arbitrariness to which of these traditions are being revived. Other ancient practices that occurred at the same time as those just mentioned were such things as living on pillars for several years, making oneself a eunuch, or self-flagellation. Yet there has not been a push to resurrect these oddities. Why? Is it because there is less Scriptural basis for these? No. As a matter of fact, one could (admittedly, using verses out-of-context, as was often done in ancient times when all of these practices originated) make more of a case from the Bible for the out-of-vogue traditions. One could read the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:29-30 in support of self-mutilation; one could read the Apostle's words in 1 Corinthians 9:27 in support of self-flagellation. The only principles that seem to dictate that these practices be rejected while things such as prayer labyrinths become popular are 'coolness' and 'convenience.'

This is my concern: Even inside the Church, ideas of what is 'cool' or what is 'convenient,' rather than Scripture, are too often forming the foundation for worldview development. Therefore, our priorities are too often not the priorities of God. For as 'coolness' and 'convenience' become key, what becomes of the vital aspects of the Church's life that are neither 'cool' nor 'convenient?' For when has it ever been 'cool' to "examine everything carefully, hold fast to that which is good, and abstain from every form of evil" (1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 NASB)? When has it ever been 'cool' to be careful that "no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth" (Ephesians 4:29 NASB)? When has it ever been convenient to care for the needy or to "regard one another as more important than yourselves" (Philippians 2:3 NASB)?

Additionally, an increase in pursuing "ancient practice[s]," such as walking labyrinths and others mentioned above, necessarily leaves less time for pursuing the genuine, biblical spiritual disciplines.

Finally, if people in our churches are trained to engage in practices without asking for scriptural warrant, they are being placed in a very dangerous position. Once they begin to rely on feelings more than the Bible, how will they not fall prey to the Mormons, who encourage people to seek a "burning in the bosom," above scriptural evidence, to validate their message? How will they not fall prey to Roman Catholicism? For if we can add labyrinths to our spiritual practice, why not embrace the sacerdotal system as well?

Seeing With New Eyes: David Powlison's Testimony

The following is a portion of the salvation testimony of biblical counselor David Powlison, author of the book Seeing With New Eyes. This testimony helps readers understand how Powlison can have such great hope for his counselees, whom others would sometimes regard as hopeless. His hope does not rest in the abilities of those he counsels, but in the God of grace, who freely and powerfully rescues hardened sinners. The remainder of this post is a direct quote from Powlison (page 11).

David Powlison's Testimony

I had been a most unlikely candidate for Christian faith. (I suppose that made me an ideal candidate!) I was taken with the typical passions of the '60s and '70s: existentialism, Hindu mysticism, psychodynamic psychologies, literature, aesthetic experiences, personal pleasures, radical politics, finding Truth in an inward-looking journey, calling the shots about the meaning of life, changing the world, hating hypocrisy. Of course, I hated Christianity. Becoming a believer was not at the bottom of the possible options list; it was at the top of the "No way!" list.

But God arrested me with the love of Christ. My epitaph was obvious: "The God who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' has shone into our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ" (1 Cor. 4:6). He turned on the Light of the world in a benighted heart.

2 Reasons I'm thankful to be at SBTS rather than LPTS, Part 1

Being Baptist by conviction, it is easy to surmise why I would want to go to the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS) rather than Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary (LPTS), which is pretty much directly across the street. (For those who may not be aware, Baptists have historically differed from Presbyterians in matters of church government and in the definition of baptism.)

These posts are not focused on those obvious reasons, however, but rather on concerns I have seen from LPTS that are so severe that I would consider paying the extra tuition to go to SBTS even if I were Presbyterian. (Assuming, of course, that for some reason SBTS and LPTS were my only to options.)

Reason #1, LPTS and Gay Pride
My wife and I were taking a nice walk around the beautiful campus of LPTS one Lord's Day afternoon. When we came to the square of buildings formed by the chapel, the library, and some classroom buildings, we were surprised to see the following poster in the window of Nelson Hall:


If you are unfamiliar with the symbol on this poster, it is the logo used for the "Human Rights Campaign," which is the "largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender equal rights organization in the United States."

At the bottom of the poster are the following words:


I'll transcribe what I consider to be the most relevant portion, as the above still may be hard to read:

Coming out as a gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or as a straight-supportive person is an act of bravery, authenticity, and openness. Whether it's for the first time ever, or for the first time today- coming out is the most important thing you will do all day.

Gay Pride Vs. Gospel Proclamation
Now, suppose that a Christian had somehow never read Romans 1:26-27, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, or 1 Timothy 1:8-11. Suppose that a Christian had somehow been taught a bogus hermeneutic by which these passages were thought to not be relevant to the Church today. Even supposing either of these things, it still seems to me that any Christian with even the slightest modicrum of spiritual discernment would strongly object to the statement above. For Christians are those who have been rescued from the domain of darkness and transferred into the kingdom of the Son (Col. 1:13); we are those who have been made alive with the Messiah, even though we were dead in trespasses (Eph. 2:4-5). We have not received these benefits based on anything good within us, but based on God's grace alone, which He has worked into our hearts through faith in Christ (Eph. 2:8-9). This message- the message of Jesus Christ, who died in the place of sinners, was raised from the dead on the third day, conquering death and Hell, and who now lives forever, freely offering eternal life to all who believe in Him- this is the most important message in a Christian's life. This message is what the Holy Spirit used to save us from God's wrath against sin, and this message represents the only hope Christians have for our loved ones to be saved. So reflecting on this message- giving glory to God for the Good News of Jesus- and sharing this message with others- are much more important than anything else we could do all day.

Putting the very best spin on the statement quoted from the poster above, it is still a message of selfishness that will leave people dead in their sins. When one additionally considers the facts presented by the verses quoted at the head of the last paragraph, and the fact that there is no more reason to assume that homosexuality has ceased to be a sin than we can assume that idol worship, adultery, or murder (all mentioned in close proximity to homosexuality) have ceased to be sins, then this poster must be recognized as an invitation to self-destruction.

Conclusion
When I first saw the poster featured and critiqued in this post, I thought that some renegade student may have placed it. I returned to LPTS a few weeks later and it was still there, and I went by LPTS again yesterday to find it unmoved from its place of prominence. Subsequently, I have found that a current faculty member of LPTS authored Called Out With: Stories of Solidarity in Support of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered Persons. So this poster is not merely a fluke, but represents a position supported (at least to some degree) by the leadership of LPTS. Please pray for this institution, that they would repent of this sin and begin to teach faithfulness to Christ and His Gospel.

Seeing With New Eyes: The Gaze of God- A Christian Worldview, Part 2

Introduction:
In Part 1 of this series, I began highlighting some passages from biblical counselor David Powlison's book, Seeing With New Eyes. This post will continue to present some thoughts from Powlison concerning a Christian Worldview. The remainder of this post is a direct quote from Powlison (page 10).

The Gaze of God- A Christian Worldview, Part 2

To think Christianly is "to think God's thoughts after him." Of course, our thinking is both finite and distorted. We never see it all; and we often misconstrue what we do see. We see in a glass darkly, skewed reflections in a battered bronze mirror- but we do see. God, who sees all things directly in full daylight, enlightens the eyes of our hearts. We see surfaces, catching glimpses of interiors; God sees to the inky or radiant depth of every heart, all the way down to the fundamental hate or fundamental love. Our glasses are sometimes rosy, sometimes jaundiced, sometimes bluesy, sometimes mirrored on the inside of the lens (so that all we can see are the turbulent contents of our own interiors). The madness in our hearts generates warped spectra. But God sees all things in bright, clear light- and this God is the straightener of crooked thoughts. He makes madmen sane.

Lest this sound overly cognitive, we also learn "to intend God's intentions after him." Christianity is both a way of seeing and a way of proceeding. Christ enters and engages the world he sees. He acts and reacts. The "mind of Christ" is no mental list of theoretical doctrines. His gaze brings with it ways of experiencing, patterns of appropriate reactions, and a game plan for engaging what he sees. So, we learn to pursue God's pursuits after him, to act God's acts, feel God's feelings, love God's loves, hate God's hates, desire God's desires. When the Word became flesh, Jesus lived all God's communicable attributes on the human scale. No, we will never be all-knowing, or all-powerful, or all-present. But yes, we will be wise and loving, true and joyous. We will weep with those who weep. We will lay down our lives for our friends, bear sufferings, love enemies, and say with all our heart, "Thank you."

Romans 1:20. Care of the Defenseless

From the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what He has made. As a result, people are without excuse. (Romans 1:20 HCSB)

Throughout God's Word, the observable creation we see around us is presented as bearing testimony to Him. This is especially evident in the Psalms (see, for example, Psalm 19), in the closing chapters of the Book of Job, and in the opening chapters of Romans.

Today, as a new category of articles on this blog, I am going to begin to occasionally post some interesting observations of nature, which I believe to demonstrate God's creativity and various other of His attributes.

I begin with the following, which is doubtlessly the coolest nature video I've ever seen:

HT:: James White

Seeing With New Eyes: The Gaze of God- A Christian Worldview, Part 1

Introduction:
Today I'm beginning a new category of posts highlighting some passages from biblical counselor David Powlison's book, Seeing With New Eyes. I will present portions of this book dealing with a Christian worldview, with Powlison's testimony, and with the Apostle Paul's use of Scripture. The remainder of this post is a direct quote from Powlison (pages 9-10).

The Gaze of God- A Christian Worldview, Part 1

I believe in Christianity as I believe the sun has risen, not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.[1]

“By it I see everything else.” This risen and rising sun– Light of the world, no less!– opens our eyes to see. We come to “see” a man we’ve never actually laid eyes on. In fact, we not only see him, but we love him, trust him, and delight in him (1 Peter 1:8). Along the way he teaches us to see everything else the world contains. We aren’t talking about retinal images processed in the brain. This seeing, this gaze, means to wake us from our fantasies, fictions, and nightmares to see things as they are in fact. God has the real take on things. And God teaches us his gaze.

We learn (slowly! in fits and starts!) to see how God sees. God, self, others, problems, circumstances, all now appear in the true mirror. Learning the gaze of God, we come to weigh life aright. We discern good and evil, fair and foul, lovely and degraded. Our Father enlightens the eyes of our hearts. We become able to pry apart true from false, instead of living in a murk of half-truths and flat lies.

All sorts of things start to look and to mean different when the lights come on: friendship, artistic abilities, Orion’s belt brilliant on a winter night, bone cancer, a frustrating job search, money in the bank, the waste of our wraths and sorrows, forgiveness sought and granted, old hurts and fresh affronts, kind hearts and opportunities not to be missed, anorexia-bulimia, quiet desperation and joy inexpressible full of glory, Day-Timer or Palm Pilot, the sounds of tonight’s dinner sizzling in the pan. The sins and sufferings of the human condition (the “stuff” of counseling) look different.

Consider this example. Both Caiaphas and Peter “saw” the same retinal images of Jesus. (To widen the metaphor, we might add that both “heard” the same tympanic vibrations when Jesus spoke.) But the priest saw a threat and heard a charlatan. The friend saw the maker, judge, and savior of the world, and he heard the words of eternal life. When you wake up to see the sun, and hear the waterfall, and smell the coffee, and touch the garment’s hem, and taste that the Lord is good, it must change how you see everything.

---

[1] C.S. Lewis, “Is Theology Poetry?” They Asked for a Paper (London: Geoffrey Bles, 1962), 165.

A Christian Response to Mormonism

Two current issues of note when considering an apologetical defense of the Christian faith in relation to the challenge of Mormonism:

1. Are Mormons Christian? It has been observed that Mormonism differs from historic Christian beliefs in that the Mormon idea of God is not Christian, the Mormon idea of Jesus is not Christian, and the Mormon idea of salvation is not Christian. Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr., President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, has recently begun debating Mormon author Orson Scott Card on BeliefNet.com, focusing on who God is, who Jesus is, and also highlighting some of the historic claims of Mormonism versus the historic claims of Christianity.
2. Are Mormon Scriptures genuine? The Institute for Religious Research has recently posted the video (available to be viewed below) which proves that the Book of Abraham- a portion of the Mormon scriptures- is, in fact, a fraud.

Vacation Bible School

Next week (July 9-13) Kosmosdale Baptist Church, the congregation of which I am a member, will be hosting a Vacation Bible Church (VBS). It is my understanding that we conduct VBS because families who would otherwise have no interest in anything to do with the Church will often send their children to this daily event. We feel that it would be wrong to miss out on the opportunity to deliver biblical, Christ-centered teaching to the children in our community, and to hopefully use this as a way to reach out to the community so that entire families will be impacted for the Gospel. There are, however, certain precautions that must be taken when conducting Vacation Bible School. For while we want to present the Good News of Jesus to each child and to be honest with each child about his or her need to repent and place their faith in Him, we do not want to in any way coerce a response from anyone who is not genuinely convicted of sin and the need for the Savior by the Holy Spirit. Likewise, we do not want to give children a false assurance of salvation based upon what may later prove to be nothing more than an emotional response without understanding.

On a recent broadcast of Calling for Truth, issues concerning VBS have been explored. The opportunity that VBS represents as well as necessary cautions were discussed. I believe that (at least) most of what is said on this broadcast is in agreement with the position of our congregation concerning VBS. I encourage everyone reading this post to listen to the broadcast HERE and to prayerfully consider what is said.

Blogs that you should check out

Stan Reeves is an elder at my "sending church" (i.e. the church that recommended me for SBTS), Grace Heritage Church in Auburn, AL. He is the webmaster for Founders Ministries and moderator of the Reformed Baptist Discussion List. Recently, Stan has begun posting a series of articles on the Reformed Baptist Fellowship blog to "encourage laypeople to take some initiative when a biblical church cannot be found in your area." Even if the statement just quoted does not describe you, I would encourage you to read Stan's articles, as they provide an example for thinking through application of biblical principles in a difficult situation.

Also, I recently found out that my friend Chris West has a blog. I encourage anyone reading this post to check out his blog and drop a comment to encourage him to keep up the good work.