The Southern Ohio Theological Society Upgrade

The Southern Ohio Theological Society has uprgaded their website with a new look and some cool forthcoming features. It looks pretty good. You can check it out here.

I am a representative with the Society and I love what they're doing ("recovering theology for the health of our churches). If you're in Southern Ohio and you love theology (whether your a pastor or a lay person) I'd encourage you to become a member. The perks may not seem like much but The Southern Ohio Journal of Theology is getting better with each issue, and there's free books and free conferences in the future.

Help for the Weary Reader

The Word of the Lord is the theme of Psalm 1, and the Psalmist has great affection for it. “Blessed is the man” who devotes himself to it day and night. “Blessed,” meaning he is happy. The Lord has given to Him the desires of His heart, which for those in the Word of God turns out to be God Himself. The reading of Scripture fulfills what it promises. The more we read the more we want to know God, the more we read the more we get to know God. That is “blessedness!”

The man who reads God’s Word is not the man who seeks wisdom from the wicked world, nor one who models the evil of others, nor one who sits in judgment on the Word of God. The “blessed” man is one who “delights” in the Word and treasures it. This man “hides” God’s Word in His heart, with the intent that He might not sin against God! The man of the Word is one who hates sinning against God, and though He may still fail to obey, he despises sin, repents of it, and turns again to the Word that God might restore unto Him the Joy of His Salvation. The Word is a delight to the “blessed” man, and, in fact, the man is “delighted” because of that very Word. For in the Word he receives what he most desires: God.

This “blessed man” is compared to a fruitful tree, with leaves that do no wither. It is a man whose spiritual life thrives and blossoms and never fails. The Word of God is like rich soil that we sink our roots into for life; it is like the stream in the analogy that continually supplies sustenance to our branches. We prosper because we obey the Word of God, for it is our delight!

It is amazing how the Word of God works, and yet we hesitate so frequently to pick it up and read it. Why? Do we not grasp these facts of the power and beauty of Scripture? Do we not understand the word of God in Hebrews:

For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the divisions of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and the intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)

This is not a word assigned to some abstract notion of divine revelation, or some super-spiritual language, or even some divinely inspired meaning above the capabilities of language to grasp. These words are assigned to the canon of Scripture, the Holy Bible, to its very self. The Bible is the Word of God and through the Holy Spirit it is the means to growing our faith, correcting us, rebuking us, teaching us, and sanctifying us. So why, then, if we do know this, do we still experience a dislike of it?

The short answer is sin; it’s also the obvious one and the easiest one. The other answer is much harder to hear, and more specific. For me, in my own case, it is a simple answer of not loving Jesus enough. O, I am thankful that Jesus first loved me and gave Himself up for me that I might be a son of God. But my heart does not seem to daily long for my savior, my mind does not think on Him hourly, nor does my life reflect a dedication to His Word. Where is my love? On self, on things, on others, etc. John Calvin said that our hearts are idol factories, I know from experience, as I am sure he did, that is more true than I wish to affirm. So what is the solution?

We cannot merely diagnose problems and think that it is sufficient spiritual work. No, there must be a plan for change. The answer is simple, but not simplistic. There is a three-fold cord of spiritual growth that we all need: (1) The Bible; (2) Prayer; (3) Fellowship.

It is not as though I forgot what we are talking about (“Why don’t we read the Bible), but the answer, even in the face of this struggle, is still “read the Bible.” Especially when we don’t feel like it we should read! Read short, read long, read great passages, read small ones, read a book or a chapter, or a verse. Read a Psalm everyday of the week, read through the Gospel of Mark. The point is clear, however it is done, read the Bible. We must force ourselves to be in the Word as much as possible. This is not to suggest that if you don’t read it everyday you are sinning or falling away, rather it is to say we should read it as much as we can. The more we do, the more we will love it, and the more we will learn of God and love Him.

Prayer is crucial for ever Christian life and especially for those struggling to be in the Word. The Bible teaches us that God’s desire for us is our sanctification, our spiritual growth. Therefore call upon Him to aid you in this stubborn lack of desire for His Word. Pray that He would increase your affections for the Word, and open it up to you that you may grow and benefit from it. Pray for help from others to encourage you to be in the Bible regularly.

This brings us to the final element, fellowship. Lone-ranger Christians are not Biblical, nor are they successful. The church was established by Christ for our benefit. We need others to help us and especially when we are facing “spiritual depression.” We need the uplift of Godly brothers and sisters, we need their encouragement and prayers, we need their love and support, and perhaps even their firm loving words of rebuke. Fellowship not only holds us accountable to growth, but the more we talk about God’s Word with others the more we will want to be in it.

So if you are struggling with reading Scripture regularly then pray, surround yourself with Christ-like men or women, and insist upon reading the Bible as much as possible! Pray for it, get help with it, and do it! Trust me friends, we won’t regret it if we do…for the Word of God is a delight and God blesses the man who reads it.

Preparing for a New Series

As I am wrapping up my series on the imagination I have been planning for my next one. Recently I've been studying some different works on evangelism and thinking through different aspects of evangelism. What makes good evangelism? What should we do when we share the gospel? What should we expect? When should we do it? And Who should evangelize? These are all part of the focus of my next series. I post here a proposed outline for the upcoming study. It has been a fruitful endeavor for me and I hope it will benefit you all who read this blog. Look forward to this series after I finish the current one on The Imagination.

Evangelism:

I. Biblical Evangelism
(1) It’s More than Your Testimony
(2) It’s more than Apologetics
(3) Don’t Confuse the Event With the Results
(4) God-Centered vs. Man-Centered, Part 1
(5) God-Centered vs. Man-Centered, Part 2
II. What is Evangelism:
(1) The Essentials
III. Who Should Do Evangelism:
(1) Pastors
(2) Christians
(3) Missionaries
(4) Moms & Dads
(5) Churches
IV. How Do You Do Evangelism?
(1) Methodology Matters
(2) Conversation Evangelism
(3) The Dangers of Forced Evangelism
(4) Church Ministry & Revivals
V. Resources for Helping Our Evangelism:
(1) J.I. Packer
(2) Mark Dever
(3) Two Ways to Live

Why Study Scripture?

If it seems like an odd question for a Christian to ask, apparently not all professing believers are in agreement on the Bible's importance. Increasingly there are more and more "Christians" who want to find a more "relevant" guide and tool for our faith. Perhaps an MTV music vidoe or the latest pop-culture guru would serve the church better as it tries to do evangelism among this post-modern culture. My answer, however, is a firm and resounding NO! The Bible is the Holy Word of God and the following list has been composed as a fresh reminder of "why the word".

1) The Word of God is Divinely Inspired --> Yes it was written by men, but not by merely men. The Word of God is written by men under the influence of the Holy Spirit. 2 Timothy 3:16 states, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and training in righteousness." The reason that we study the Scriputres and not the latest Bible Knowledge guru is becasue the former is God's official word, the latter, while it can be helpful, is not God's Holy Word.

2) The Word of God is Infallible --> When we speak of God's Word as the Bible we are referring to a book that has authority when it is read and heard. A book that is never wrong, never misspeaks, never issues corrections. The Bible is perfect in every word, or every "jot and tittle" as Jesus put it. We have word that can be trusted and should be obeyed because God spoke it and He, in His omniscience and perfection, never makes mistakes.

3) The Word of God is the Power of Salvation --> Paul says that he is not ashamed of the gospel because, "It is the power of God for Salvation to everyone who believes." No other book has the ability to bring men and women to the truth of Jesus Christ and salvation. It alone has the power to overturn evil, revive dead hearts, and lead me to the worship of the living God.


The Bible is unique among all books. There is no dublicate, no replacement, and nothing else will do. To those "Christian" Movements out there that believe this word to be outdated and useless for today, or at best only of secondary importance, I urge you to reconsider the power of the Word of God, the Trustworthiness of the Word of God, and the author of the Word of God. The Bible is our only guide in all things for life and faith!

God in the Dock...Almost Literally?

Men throughout all of history have thought themselves big enough to call God to account. If Jonathan Edwards preached his famous sermon and called it "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," the modern man would have it recast and remade to say "God in the Hands of Angry Sinners."

One particular sinner, I mean Senator, has decided to join the fellowship of judges over God, and he is actually filling a lawsuit against the Almighty. A Nebraska attorney, in an attempt to demonstrate how frivolous lawsuits are becoming, has made God an example. The Lord over Heaven and Earth is responsible for immeasurable pain and suffering, he asserts, and is the cause of every great calamity that comes upon men. He terrorizes men and compels them to fear and irrationality. So, this lawyer, a real atheist, has decided to sue God for all that He is worth.

The interesting thing to watch in this case is going to be the court itself. What will the court do? Will they deem it correct to sue God, or will they decide He does not exist and therefore cannot be sued? Their response will be interesting and telling. But a word to our this attorney: be careful friend.

The Old Testament tells of a man named Job who called God to account and the Almighty came to Him in a whirlwind and humbled the little man. He says, "Dress for action like a man; I will question you and you make it known to me." All of Job 38 is one big rhetorical question that God gives to the man, he asks: Who do you think you are that you can demand answers from me? Did you create the world, and do you keep it? The answer seems to be that we should sit down and shut our mouths! God is not a God to be trifled with. Hebrews tells us it is a "dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." So friend, before you continue with this foolish law suit, I urge you to consider God's response to Job. The only hope you have is the cross of Jesus, where the Son of God bore the wrath that you and I deserve for our rebellion against Him. Believe on Jesus for salvation, and come to terms with who you are before the living God of the Universe.

The First Issue of The Southern Ohio Journal of Theology

The very first issue of The Southern Ohio Journal of Theology is up online. The topic of "The Necessity of Theology" has been run through a series of well crafted articles.

John Woodward writes on "Theological Foundations," Tom Ascol gives some good tips for "Pastors and Theological Discussions," I wrote a piece on "The Practical Theology of Gregory of Nazianzus," Brian Evans tells pastors "Why Doctrinal Preaching is So Important," and Steve Burchett concludes with a good book reveiw of D.A. Carson's A Call to Spiritual Reformation.

It's worth checking out, and its worth becoming a member of The Southern Ohio Theological Society.

A Passion for the Pastorate

It's easy to get side-tracked, to redirect your life from time to time. It has particularly been easy for me as of late. I have been called to the pastorate, but because I am still a Seminary student waiting for the time when I will be faithfully serving in some eldership role week in and out, it can become easy for me to get excited about other things. I was challenged and encouraged yesterday to re-direct my life to the pastorate.

My pastor Aaron Menikof preached Sunday morning from the book of Titus and taught us about the great and important duty of pastor. He concluded his sermon by reminding us that those who aspire to the office of elder desire to do something good! How encouraging that God has granted me a desire to do something good with my life by glorifying and serving Him and His church in the pastorate! I pray he keeps my heart excited about future ministry in that role.

Then Aaron said something else I wasn't ready for, "We all need pastors." He urged the church to remember that they were not created to go about the Christian life alone or without leadership. And he pointed out that any good pastor "worth his salt" will point his people to the chief shepherd: Jesus Christ. He asked us to pray for our elders and remember their great responsibility.

It was a morning in which God called me to remember the dut he has called me to: the pastorate! A passion for hte pastorate was given afresh to me yesterday and I am thankful to my pastor for it!

The Southern Ohio Theological Society Against Atheism

The Southern Ohio Theological Society released a statement today saying that a special issue of The Southern Ohio Journal of Theology would be released this November dealing with the so called "New Atheism" of Christopher Hitchens and his buddies.

This is exciting news. The topic is an important one now, particularly as their books are gaining a great deal of popularity, which is allowing them to speak on a number of talking head shows. Hitchens' own book god is not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything is number five on The New York Times' Bestsellers List.

What else is exciting is that they have acquired gifted pastor and Biblical scholar Dr. Mark Roberts for this issue. He is writing on Hitchens'book, something he has had ample time to consider since he debated Hitchens on The Hugh Hewitt Show just a month or two ago. Be sure and look for this issue and check out their website which is up and running now: www.southernohiotheologicalsociety.com

A Christian Message Without a Christ

What does God want for you? He wants you to be happy, maybe even wealthy, but definitely happy. He wants you to let go of the past, believe in yourself, and essentially to have your "best life now!" So that is what God wants for you friends, or at least that's what Joel Osteen wants for you.

Osteen's message is one that isn't new. It's been popular since the days of Vincent Peale. He's calls himself a "messenger of hope," and a Christian. But one has to wonder, where is Christ in this whole message? The Bible not only doesn't teach that we will have our best life now (assigning to Christians a life of suffering here), but it also never tells us simply to believe in ourselves and forget the past. The Bible calls all men sinners, as the psychologists at The University of Portsmouth recently found out (see article below, "Babies Aren't Innocent"). It says that man is a rebel and is under God's just condemnation. It teaches us that what man most needs is to confess his sin, repent of it, and believe upon Christ Jesus as savior. Furthermore the apostle Paul is an example of a terrible sinner turned Christian missionary who never forgot his past. Paul repeatedly tells of how sinful he was in order that God might be glorified in his current ministry.

If one wonders whether or not Osteen preaches from this same Bible I can assure you that he says he does. But if you listen to his "sermons" you'll find merely a motivational lecture sprinkled with Bible passages taken wholly out of context.

In an interview with Christian Today Osteen clarified specifically what he thinks both of the criticism he's been getting and of the actual message he shares everywhere he goes.

Of Criticism Osteen says:

When it’s valid, it can be helpful and I listen to it and take advice and try to become better. A lot of it is based on doctrinal issues that we just don’t see eye to eye on. Most of the criticism I get is that I am too positive and too hopeful… in my words, I don’t beat people down enough.

Which essentially means he doesn't preach sin.

On the content of his message Osteen said:

My core message is that God has got a good plan for your lives, and we must trust Him, and let go of the past. That’s my main message… to believe in God’s favour and to believe in good things. Trying to get people to see God and lead a good life, knowing that He has a good plan for them. I believe when we do that, it allows God to work in our lives.

The core of his message, then, is theistic, but not Christian! If the "CORE" of your "Christian" message has no word about "Christ" and his "cross" then you do not have a Christian message.

Osteen admits that where criticism is good he takes it, but not where it is doctrinal. Friends, I am sad to say that the massively popular Joel Osteen needs to be criticized doctrinally. For, a man professing to teach the truths of the Christian faith, and leaving out Christ, teaches falsehood! That's a criticism worth making and one Mr. Osteen should take to heart!

Children Aren't Innocent

Well the research is in and the reality is, according to the Telegraph, "babies aren't as innocent as they pretend." Here's what they say:

Whether lying about raiding the biscuit tin or denying they broke a toy, all children try to mislead their parents at some time. Yet it now appears that babies learn to deceive from a far younger age than anyone previously suspected.

Behavioural experts have found that infants begin to lie from as young as six months. Simple fibs help to train them for more complex deceptions in later life.

This really is shocking news friends. I suppose somewhere deep inside me I knew it to be true. I had even heard about it from others, but not until now do I believe it: a real newspaper is reporting old news like its brand new.

I read this and could not help but laugh, and I mean really laugh. Not that kind of smirk that runs across your face when you find a simpleton commical. Not even that kind of giggle that you get when you watch a moron ski off the top of his roof in the middle of summer. No I mean, I laughed with such a loud outburst that my wife peeked her head into the room to see what was so funny.

I have a newsflash for The Telegraph: Christianity has been teaching this truth for years. All men are sinful, even "innocent" little babies. We are born in sin, original sin, and no man is exempt from this reality no matter how old, how beautiful, how sweet, or how small. No brain size can escape the inherent bent towards disobeying God that we all have.

It's great that these individuals at The University of Portsmouth have "uncovered" the secret of lying babies! But I am afraid your discovery is at least 6,000 years too late to really be novel. It is amazing, however, that babies with such little minds figured out they could lie before their doctors ever came close.

Sermons for Sale

Here's a quick advertisement:

Are you a pastor? Are you tired of spending hours in the Word of God? Studying to make sure that what you present your people is Biblical and Christ-Centere? Do you find that preaching is just too much of a hassle? Well there is good news for you friend. One pastor has declared his sermons fit for everyone to preach and he is even offering them at a fair price to you.

In case you miss it, I am being sardonic here. I find this sort of promotion of laziness in the pastorate an afront to gospel ministry. Pastor, your job is to study the Word of God in depth for your people. It is not your job to build a mega-church, design and orchestrate new church programs, or expand your church campuses. Your people coming in on Sunday morning with heart-ache and bitterness, struggling with sin and guilt don't need the words of another man who has never met them and doesn't know how the present text needs to be applied to your and their contexts. They need their pastor to love them enough to dig into the text and help them understand how the gospel matters when they've been up all night with a screaming baby, or how the cross of Christ relates to their failing marriage.

Pastors, don't be lazy! Do your duty as a preacher of the Word of God, and spend time in the text yourself for the sake of your people and the glory of our Savior!Don't buy a sermon!

Hitchen Up for the Battle Ahead

"Religion comes from the stupid infancy of our species..." so says Christopher Hitchens. If you haven't heard of this British author you are sure to hear his name soon. His most recent book has garnered him numerous appearances on TV talk shows. The title of the book? "God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything."

What makes Hitchens worthy of discussion here is not that he is another atheist out to see Christianity run into the ground. Rather, it is the wit, and skill with which he argues his case. It is the publicity he is gaining and will gain as he spews pop-philosophy across the airwaves. His arguments aren't anything new, in fact most of them are old. He won't destroy the faith, that is not what makes him worth talking about. As Al Mohler has stated, "He excepts most of the most extreme criticisms of faith in God...the big issue here is not that...Christopher Hitchens [is] going to bring down the household of faith..." Rest assured friends that God's Word will stand as it always has.

So that being said, why have I wasted your time with information about Christopher Hitchens? Again Al Mohler provides a good answer:

The big issue here is not that Daniel Dennet,Richard Dawkins Sam Harris, and Christopher Hitchens are going to bring down the household of faith, that's not the problem. The issue is that it tells a great deal about where our culture is now going in terms of considering atheism in its most strident form to be a very legitimate alternative to Christianity. And celebrating many of the arguments made by these most caustic of atheists as indicating what they see as the basic underlying reality.

These New Atheists, as they are being called, are making strides towards a popular atheism. In the media atheism is popular enough. Among the high-brow liberals it is common enough. But when the average church member sitting across the isle from you comes into contact with the popular presentations of Christopher Hitchens, who is very intellegent and eloquent, what will you say? Friends there is a solid Christian response to what Christopher Hitchens, and his cohorts are saying. Their responses are not as tight, clear, or honest, as they would like you to believe. Read up, study, and prepare to stand your ground as this new wave of popular atheism comes to your town, your church, and your doorstep.

To get started here are few resources:
Hear the rest of Al Mohler's discussion on this over at http://www.albertmohler.com/radio_show.php?cdate=2007-05-22


Read the series of articles that Mark Roberts has written in response to Hitchen's "reasearch" over at http://www.markdroberts.com/htmfiles/resources/godisnotgreat.htm#jun707


Finally listen to the guys at Apologetics.Com reveal just how old this "new" atheism is at http://www.apologetics.com/audio/06_02_07.mp3

Theology in Southern Ohio

The website of The Southern Ohio Theological Society is up and running. I am very excited about this ministry and its goals. Evangelical Christians in Southern Ohio can be part of a ministry aimed at recovering the practical use and apprecation for theology.

Membership is open to all Evangelicals in Southern Ohio and is completely free. For mor info check out their website at www.southernohiotheologicalsociety.com

You Must Have Sin to Have Salvation

Our culture is so anti-sin that since the dawn of psychotherapy we have resorted to calling sin merely sickness. We remove the moral responsibility from sin and assure ourselves that it is not our fault. We shift the blame from ourselves to our biological makeup, to other people, or even to God himself. It's a habit as old as the existence of sin itself. Adam, in the Garden of Eden, placed blame on Eve, and God. This is not how God looks at it, however. He has not be seduced by psychology. Sin is still sin in His book.

But it was in a conversation with some co-workers over breakfast this last week that I saw first hand the other way we think about sin in our culture. While attempting to share the gospel with these two young men I was "informed" that we are not all born sinners. We're all actually born good. We learn sin and therefore sin, but this is merely a result of our society's stupidity.

The problems here are manifold. Of course we must concede that sin did not exist until Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden. But post-fall all men are born sinners. One of these young men argued that its clearly evident to see man's internal goodness when we look at a child. But I argue that looking at a sweet, beautiful child and watching them disobey, without years of observed sinfulness, is clear evidence that man is inherently sinful. Why do children learn to lie before they can even speak? Why do they squirm and resist getting their diapers changed? How did they learn to manipulate their mothers and fathers and grandparents with that innocent little looks and hugs after having disobeyed? They know because it is in them from birth to do so.

This does not mean that all people are as bad as they can be. But if all men are good why are they not able to resist the temptation to sin in even the smallest way (cheating on their taxes, speeding, selfishness, etc.)? We are all bad, and even the smallest sins count against us before God.

But there is hope. For when we are willing to admit we are sinful, and not just sick, then we are steps away from securing freedom from that sin. Christ came into the world as God's only Son and bore the wrath that we deserved for our sins, when He died upon the cross. And now all who confess they are sinners and beleive upon Jesus' death and resurrection on their behalf will be saved. Acceptance of your sin is necessary for salvation, friends. So own up to it, and step into freedom from bondage!