In the Word Daily - Day 1 kickoff (08/29/2011)

I've copied over what I had posted on The City to make sure that all of my journal entries were present on my blog.

These will be free-form, and without much structure, discipline, or design to be didactic (teaching). I’m just trying to capture my thoughts and do what a real journal is supposed to do.

Genesis 1

• It all started with God.
• Heavy late bombardment? LOL! God was intimately there.
• Evening and then morning?That’s not our normal understanding of a day. Night-time is a mystery – is creation a mystery?
• God speaks, it happens, God pronounces evaluation of the product.
• Things made according to their kinds. What’s a “kind”?
• God made mankind in His image – both male and female share equally in this image.
• Wow – God seemed to give the whole earth to mankind!

1 Chronicles 1

• God seems to care about family lineages, and communicating how they are related.
• Lots of names I recognize, many I do not.
• We see Abraham mentioned.

John 1:1-18

• Jesus, the Word, has been since before all, because all things which came into existence (everything except God) came into existence by Him.
• John the forerunner (baptizer) came to testify about Jesus coming into the world.
• God sent him as a testimony to the Jews, but they didn’t (as a whole) receive him. But, but for those who did, they could become children of God.
• Jesus was lived with by men who observed him (he was real, historical).
• The law came through Moses, grace and truth through Jesus.

James 1:1-11

• James is a slave to not only God, but his half-brother as well!
• Trials are a good thing!!??
• Ask God for wisdom, but believe Him when he directs you.
• Our station in life is from God – no boasting allowed for how the world counts things!

Psalm 1

• God’s way lead to a happy, prosperous life.
• A godly person delights to meditate on God’s word.
• Wickedness leads to irrelevance and judgment.
• God watches over all and will judge accordingly.

In the Word Daily - Day 4 (09/01/2011)

Today's reading (day 4):

Genesis 4:17-5:32

• The lines of Cain and Seth.
• The rise of keeping flocks, music, the bronze and the iron ages.
• From Seth through Enoch who got a private rapture, through Methusaleh, through the birth of Noah.

1 Chronicles 4

• Judah's descendants - there was a guy named Bethlehem?
• Jabez was a real pain for his mom - God still answered his seemingly self-focused prayer.
• Simeon's descendants - a whole bunch of 'em. Is there going to be a test in heaven on all of these?

John 2

• Jesus listens to his mother and performs the first miracle of his ministry.
• His disciples believed in him, but it doesn't say about his family.
• Jesus took real action against people distorting and defaming his Father's character.
• His authority would be demonstrated by his resurrection.
• People trusted Jesus because of the signs, but he didn't trust the people because he knew their hearts.

James 2:1-13

• Judging by wealth and treating people differently shows our evil thoughts.
• Rich people tend to misuse power, and those who are poor God often gifts with more faith.
• Favoritism breaks the law of loving our neighbor; breaking the law at one point makes law-breakers.

Psalm 4

• David calls upon the Lord as he has seen Him answer in the past.
• God has set apart his people for His glory.
• Remember God's goodness - it's better than material wealth!

In the Word Daily - Day 3 (08/31/2011)

Here's today's reading journal...

Genesis 3-4:16

• The serpent/shining-one was of higher intelligence than any creature God had made. Note: is it always "serpent" or is it sometimes "shining" or "luminous"? Lots of Biblical scholarship to point towards the idea that it wasn't quite the reptilian beasty we often think of. But, I digress...
• He contradicts God's clear command and judgment, confounding Eve in the process.
• Since all the other "edible" trees in the garden looked good, Eve just now sees - "Oh, yeah - this tree and its fruit look good too!"
• Adam was apparently right there, or nearby when Eve gave him the fruit; Adam didn't even question "What's for dinner, honey?"
• They suddenly had an awareness of themselves, and were ashamed (unlike in the previous chapter).
• God calls, they're afraid, God confronts.
• The blame game - down the chain it goes; the curses come back up the chain. We see the proto-evangel as soon as the curse is pronounced!
• Animals died to clothe them - God provided!
• Tree of Life blocked - apparently had been reserved to keep them alive forever.
• Cain and Abel are born of their parents.
• Cain is a farmer, Abel is a shepherd. Each presents his offering to the Lord.
• The Lord looks favorably upon Abel's offering, but not on Cain's; Cain is upset and despondent.
• The Lord tells Cain to do what is right, that sin was waiting to defeat him.
• Cain acts on his jealousy and kills his brother; God confronts him.
• God cuts off his relationship with Cain and condemns him to be a wanderer (nomad?) the rest of his life. Cain is afraid that he will be killed by others (?). Where are the others? Cain's wife?

1 Chronicles 3

• David's progeny - he seemed to have no problems with a bunch o' wives. Yikes.
• The kings of Judah: [David], Solomon, Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, Ahaziah, Joash, Amaziah, Azariah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, Josiah, Jehoiakim, Jeconiah.
• David's line after the split.

John 1:35-51

• John the forerunner directed his disciples to Jesus as the Lamb of God; Jesus questions their motivations.
• Andrew bring his brother Cephas to Jesus; Jesus prophesies his (Cephas/Peter) place in the kingdom.
• Jesus calls Philip; Philip finds Nathaniel, who is skeptical; Jesus embraces Nathaniel's honesty and prophesies to him; Nathaniel believes and Jesus says, wait until you see what's ahead!

James 1:19-27

• Quick to hear, slow to speak and get angry. Our anger isn't useful for God's work.
• Let the word do its work in you.
• Listening to the word and not obeying shows self-deceit; keep looking at the law of freedom.
• Our tongues betray our wickedness; remember those who are without provision and protection.

Psalm 3

• Enemies attack and mock trust in God.
• He trusts in God for protection and encouragement, and God answers.
• He can rest fearlessly because God protects him.
• He enjoins God to show his power and wrath, and acknowledges God as the source of salvation.

In the Word Daily - Day 2 (08/30/2011)

I'm moving my daily word journal over to the blog vs. what The City offered. The City doesn't allow you to create drafts of journal entries, and I'd rather not post an incomplete journal (it goes "live" at that point) and then edit it later. So, back to trusty blogger to post my journal entries.

Genesis 2

• God ceased his active creative work in the world - it was what he intended. He declared that final day blessed.
• No vegetation to speak of on the land in question. Watering by artesian means, not regular precipitation cycle.
• Man from mud. He didn't become truly alive until God breathed into him.
• God purposely cultivated a garden (Eden) in the east (also rendered 'ancient') where he put man.
• He put every tree that looked good and was good for eating. The tree of life was in the exact middle of the garden, but the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was there as well.
• A stream/river (headwaters) of 4 rivers flowed from the garden. The rivers, where they flow, and what is found in those lands. Cush is in Africa - how far did these rivers run, and how could they run these diverse directions?
• God put man in the garden to work and watch over it.
• Every tree was good for eating, except the tree of knowledge of good and evil (the day you eat of it, you die).
• It wasn't good for man to be alone - God formed the creatures for Adam. Adam named/called (classified?) them. No animal would do for Adam's compliment.
• The Lord took something from the man, made something better (a woman) and brought her to the man. Adam breaks out into poetry!
• Husband and wife re-join to echo that God had made them from one flesh.
• They were nekked and they were OK with that!

1 Chronicles 2

• Israel's genealogy.
• 11 generations between Israel and David.
• Funny names - serious genealogies!
• People, their families, and whole groups/tribes.

John 1:19-34

• John the forerunner wasn't the the prophet, Elijah, or the Messiah - he made the way for him.
• John wasn't even worthy of untying the Messiah's sandals.
• Jesus is the lamb of God - taking away the sins of the world.
• John was born before Jesus, yet he testified that Jesus came before him.
• John proclaims Jesus as the son of God.
• God clued John in - the one the Spirit rests upon baptizes with the Holy Spirit.

James 1:12-18

• We're blessed when we pass tests in life - we get the crown of life.
• God doesn't tempt/test us to sin. We sin because we want to. Sin brings death.
• Everything good comes from the immutably perfect and good God.
• God made His choice to make us the firstfruits by the new birth via His message of truth.

Psalm 2

• The nations/world want to be free from God's anointed ruler.
• God scoffs at their puny rebellion. He will stop at nothing to subject the nations to the rulership of His son.
• Listen, rulers of the earth - if you want to have a good life, pay homage to God and His son!

What is the Minimum a Person Needs to Know for Salvation?

Desiring God ministries hadn't pushed anything out in their podcast feed for a long while. So, being the John Piper fanboy that I am, I was delighted to get something again from them. As it turned out, I had listened to both of the Ask Pastor John podcasts they posted before, but since it had been awhile, it was still good to listen again.

In one of the questions, John was asked what the minimum set of beliefs someone needed to trust in the God of the Bible to be saved. Keith has addressed this before, but I thought I'd just post some quick notes from he said about what a person needed to believe in to be saved. I have reordered a few of his comments as he developed some of his thoughts as he spoke. He made clear he didn't necessarily think this was definitive, but it was what he could come up with at that moment.

1. Believe that there is a God who created the possibility for sin. Sin means rebellion against His moral authority in your life.
2. Believe that you are a sinner - that you have actively broken God's law and have rebelled against Him.
3. Believe you are justly under God's just wrath.
4. Believe that God provided the sinless son of God as His wrath-bearer in my place on the cross.
5. Believe that Jesus was raised from the dead.
6. Believe that you must actively trust Him and repent (have a change of mind), and that he must regenerate you.

When asked if one needs to believe in the Trinity, John's answer was it was not necessary to know the word or necessarily articulate it, but also not to deny essential things about it. In other words, not to reduce any member of the Trinity or confuse their relationship. As a comment on my part, this might give some fudge-factor to those raised in groups that hold to modalism such as Oneness Pentecostals.

Pastor Keith has written an easy-to-understand presentation of the gospel on our website. I invite you to read through it and compare. Keith's presentation is concise, flows well, and I believe encapsulates all the essentials.

"C" is for...

Everyone of us holds a disparate set of beliefs and allegiances within us. Some of these beliefs and positions are in fact in conflict with one another. Others are simply not easy to fit into one category. As I interact with someone, especially as I get to know them, I want them to see that I am not a 2-dimensional caricature of what a Christian is supposed to be.

By way of analogy, I've asked people to imagine me with a T-shirt on that had a big "C" on it. You know, kind of like this one you see here. Instead of "C" being for "Cookie" let's imagine it might stand for a few other things.

For each "guess" about what the 'C' on my chest stood for, I'd try to give them a cogent answer. Here's a few examples...

Q1: "I know you trend right in your politics - does 'C' stand for 'Conservative'?"
A1: "While it's true I believe in retaining what has been proven virtuous, beneficial, and effective for our society, I don't want to be associated with people who are lock-step with flag-waving, war-mongering, greediness, and lack of compassion. So, no - I would prefer you not associate the 'C' on my chest with 'Conservative' even though that might be the best fit for my political leanings."

Q2: "You seem to be very involved and committed to your church. 'C' must stand for 'Church-goer'!"
A2: "While it is true that I love my church and am committed to it, I am only as committed to it as an institution insofar as it upholds Biblical doctrines, wise practices, and proclaims the truth of the gospel. I don't think there's any magic or special dispensation in my church tradition or its leaders. While I do believe that one of the main means of grace in any Christian's life is the local Church, my focus is on Christ first and then his still-being-perfected body. So, sure - I'm OK with you understanding that I'm a church-goer, but don't assume that it's about works of service, regular attendance, or being in 'the right group.' So, I'd prefer you didn't see my identify as a 'C is for church-goer' person."

Q3: "You seem to talk about the 'Doctrines of Grace' a lot, so 'C' must stand for 'Calvinist', right?"
A3: "While I do believe it is God who first chooses us by the counsel of His will, monergistically regenerates us, and ultimately sustains us in our walk with Him, I know many Calvinists who don't seem to be very grace-giving in their outlook towards non-Calvinists. Because of that, I would prefer you not associate the 'C' on my chest with 'Calvinist'."

Q4: "You've indicated that you are not convinced that God has ceased all supernatural endowments for His people. Does 'C' stand for 'Charismatic'?"
A4: "While it is true that I remain open that God does indeed move sovereignly to bring about miracles in certain contexts (especially when establishing His church in areas where His word has yet to be established), there is too much baggage for me to associate myself with the charismatic movement. So, I would prefer you not associate the 'C' on my chest with 'Charismatic'".

Q5: "You emphasize the life of the mind for the Christian, and the deep theological and philosophical tradition of the Christian faith. Does 'C' stand for 'Critical Thinker'?"
A5: "It is true that I believe most Christians today do very little in the way of critical thinking, and applying wisdom and Biblical discernment to decision-making and determining whether something is consistent with Christianity or not. I also know we can tend to rely on human wisdom rather than God's, so perhaps 'Critical Thinker' isn't the label I most want you to associate the 'C' on my chest with."

Q6: "Well, since you've pretty much ruled out all of these labels, what exactly do you want people to associate the 'C' on your chest with?"
A6: "While there are many things I do hold to be true, and for which I am not totally opposed to being associated with, I have one main identity that I want people to know first and foremost. The main thing I want people to associate the 'C on my chest' with is 'Christian' - that is, a Christ-follower. No, I don't think that's a hazy, ambiguous thing. I believe a lot flows out of that. Being a Christian, and having a Christian world-view informs my politics, how I view the church, the doctrines of salvation, miracles, and even how I view the world. But, before you pigeon-hole me and over-categorize me, first and foremost, I want you to see Jesus in me and know that I am trying to trust Him with my life and proclaim the truth of His gospel."

So - what's the final answer?
'C' is for 'Christian'!

Sharing the Gospel with LDS Missionaries

Just a quick post, although I may have other follow-ups later. While many in our congregation were enjoying the Hillsong United concert on 06/18/2011, I was at home. I was meeting with some young men who are on their 2-year mission stint with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (AKA, Mormons or just LDS).

For whatever reason, God has given me a heart for the LDS members, especially these young men who take two years of their lives and dedicate them to their cause. I fully believe they preach a false gospel - one of works, one of false revelation, and one that so contorts God and our relationship to him that they are in many ways further away from freedom than those professing atheism or agnosticism. However, with God all things are possible!

Please pray for my follow-up meeting from 7:00 - 8:30 on Saturday, June 25th. Pray that:

• I will clearly present the gospel (again) such that it compares/contrasts with their gospel of works, self-effort, and man-pleasing.
• That I avoid the rabbit-trails that can distract from the essential points in the differences between historic/Biblical Christianity and their false imitation.
• That I would be winsome and charitable in my speech.
• That God would soften their hearts so that at least some of what I share sticks in their hearts and minds.