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.

Great Growth and Discipleship Resources

I'm just getting back in the saddle* after our trip to California. As such, this will be a brief post, but I think it is worth your while.

I just saw pastor Keith's page on his blog for some of the great resources he has made for the purpose of growth and discipleship. Keith has spent some significant time developing these materials, and I believe they are very well done and will be using some of them myself.

I encourage you to take advantage of these resources, or at least familiarize yourself with them. At the risk of being redundant, here's the link again.

* A somewhat unintended pun since we just visited Saddleback Church for a reunion. Kathryn was on the 1976 and 1977 Summer Evangelism Teams that was sponsored by the California Southern Baptist convention. As it turns out, its most famous alumni is some guy named Rick Warren (whom Kathryn has known since childhood).

Why I Like John Piper...and Keith Ferguson

Somewhere over a decade ago, someone whispered in my ear - "You should check out John Piper." OK, maybe they didn't whisper in my ear, but somehow it only sunk in subconsciously. It took awhile longer for me to follow this advice. My first hearing or two (this was by way of Podcasts), I wasn't all that taken. Piper's speaking style, emphatic emphasis, and cadence didn't sync with my preferences (think R.C. Sproul's almost pure didactic style and you'll get the gist of my personality type). Thankfully, I didn't dismiss him after such a short time.

It wasn't long before I not only began to tolerate this Reformed Baptist preacher from Minneapolis, but I began to like him. A whole lot*. I began hearing past the personality that was quite different than mine, as well as the stylistic conventions he used, and I began hearing something I realized I really needed to hear. What I needed to hear was the powerful combination of intellectual prowess and integrity, along with a heart-felt passion for God himself and His glory.

I learned that John was a very careful thinker - he didn't just give the standard Evangelical (or, indeed, even Reformed) answers just because he was socialized to do so. He was, and is, willing to go against the grain when he believed that he had scriptural or logical reasons to do so. At the same time, he approaches controversial topics with humility and grace. The only time I've seen him get his hackles up is when he believes the Gospel itself is being threatened. As far as public figures are concerned, I most closely and clearly identify with John Piper's theology and even (most of his) opinions, though not all of his behavioral convictions.

So - why am I tying all of this to my pastor Keith Ferguson? Keith is younger than me by more years than I am of Piper. I do have some life experience wisdom Keith simply cannot possess due to the reality of age. However, I have no problem listening to Keith's counsel as I believe he possesses some of the same qualities I admire in Piper. I believe Keith is a careful thinker, and is willing to re-examine positions if he believes scripture and reason drive him to do so. Keith is no slouch intellectually (he used the word ontology in the first sermon I heard him preach - I was hooked right then!), but he continues to grow in his passion for the Gospel of God's sovereign grace. With every new sermon series, I anticipate him stepping it up even more in his emphasis on God's over-powering Grace through the Gospel.

What I need from a preacher and pastor is both intellectual depth and integrity along with passion for the things of God - specifically, the Gospel. I have seen this "template" in John Piper, and I am seeing this develop more and more in Keith - in spite of their very different personalities. It will be God who ordains the breadth of Keith's ministry just like he has with John Piper. Regardless of what the future holds, my prayer is that Keith will continue to be faithful with the charge he has right now - which I have confidence in by God's grace. God is producing fruit from this small vineyard in Round Rock, Texas. Soli Deo Gloria!

*Yes, that's an intentional sentence fragment! It's used for conversational emphasis. Like. Totally!

Answering a Fool

The book of Proverbs is composed primarily of pithy statements that generalize how life operates, particularly with a view of God's design and sovereignty over His world. It is perhaps the one book of the Bible wherein we may pluck individual verses for quoting without worrying too much about the surrounding context. There are some exceptions of course, especially when you realize that the chapter and verse demarcations are of fairly recent origin (circa the 1500's).

One particular pairing of verses are used to indicate a paradox, very similar to philosopher Bartholomew J. Simpson's paradox. Here are verses 4 and 5 from chapter 26 (HCSB):

• Don't answer a fool according to his foolishness, or you'll be like him yourself.
• Answer a fool according to his foolishness, or he'll become wise in his own eyes.

In a recent online "discussion" I initially weighed in favoring verse 5 - answering a fool for his foolishness. I was succinct, direct, and was trying to avoid any ad hominem attacks on this individual who was disparaging the God of the Bible. What I received back was bile, hatred, non-sequiturs, assertions and quotations without context.

There was no reasoning involved - only "yelling", presumptions of motives, and the claiming of the moral high ground without adequate cause. Once it became obvious that this individual cared neither for sound reasoning nor for the consideration of others, I applied the verse 4 side of the paradox and cut off further discussion.

Next time, I will be more mindful of Proverbs 29:9:

If a wise man goes to court with a fool,
there will be ranting and raving but no resolution.

The Gospel in beat poem

Here's an incredible video with artist Jason Petty giving a clear and compelling presentation of the Gospel message.

Good News and Bad News

All of us are familiar with the setup, "I've got good news and bad news - which do you want first?" Most of the time, the conversation (or joke) proceeds with "Give me the bad news first!" Why is that? Well, generally, we just want to get the bad news over with, or we want a context for the good news after we've received the bad news.

What about the Gospel? The term Gospel is from the old English gōd-spell which means "good-news" or "glad-tidings". This, in turn, was derived from the Greek euangelion (εὐαγγέλιον), which literally means "good message" or "good announcement." So, when we are proclaiming the Gospel, we are literally telling people the good news! It is an announcement of what God has done for His people, not (inherently) a way of life or acts of mercy and charity.

So, back to my original setup here - if there's a good news to tell people, isn't there a corresponding bad news that helps contextualize the good news for us? I believe the answer is a clear yes. That bad news is the law - what God holds against us for our acts of treason against Him, and breaking the moral law which reflects His very nature. Only after we understand our debt before God can we appreciate the good news of God's amazing grace he extends to us through the cross.

I will have some posts later on

• What it is is that God holds against us.
• How we can understand the relationship of law and gospel.
• How the Gospel can really become the good news instead of "good advice," or just a way to have our best life now.

Is the Bible Like a Software License?

Although it seems to me that this illustration was probably done by a skeptic, I have to say it seems there's a modicum of truth to it.

Christians, let's prove this wrong!

Loving and Obeying Christ

As I began to grasp the doctrines of grace, I saw more clearly the depths of my depravity. I recognized that God's forgiveness to me was not conditional because Jesus had already met the conditions required for true righteousness. However, I still saw (and see to this day) a huge gap between a life that is pleasing to God and my own conduct.

How, then, may I live a life pleasing to God, yet not be focused on the deeds themselves so that I may boast in them (or find my justification)? Here's how God guided me through the process.

• Jesus said that if we love him, we will obey his commands (John 14:21, 23, 24).
• If we are forgiven much, we love much - if we are forgiven little, we love little (Luke 7:46-48).
• Our justification before God hinges not on our moral efforts, but our willingness to admit our depravity and need of forgiveness (and receiving that offer of forgiveness, trusting in the atonement and righteousness of Christ). See the parable of the Tax-collector and Pharisee in Luke 18:9-14.
• Finally, in the parable of the Unforgiving Servant (Matthew 18:21-35), we see that the servant departed thinking he could somehow repay God (vs. 26) for a "reprieve" vs. the actual offer of complete forgiveness (vs. 27). It is no wonder, then, that this servant went out and choked his fellow servant, not extending him any mercy.
  

So, how does all of this work together?

• We realize we have a moral obligation to obey God's commands, yet we find that we fail to do so, and often find we have a blatant lack of desire for obedience as well.
• Jesus words in Luke 7 tie the forgiveness we've received with our love for Him.
• If we, like the tax collector, realize just how sinful we are, and make no attempt to justify our standing before God because of our works, we stand in His justification.
• We must cast from our minds any belief that we have any ability to pay off our debt to God, but must instead just marvel as His amazing grace!

Now, this posting isn't the final word on how all of this works out. I'm certain there are many ministers of the gospel who have a more profound grasp of all of this than I, or how have a more elegant way to address this issue. All I am really saying is that this works for me, and I don't believe I've done violence to the texts I've cited or the essential meaning of the gospel.

I'd be interested in any comments, additional insights, or corrections about what I have written.

Influences on my Faith

I have had many influences in my life that have impacted my faith. However, in the last 20 years, two individuals stand out to me as far as how God used them strategically in shaping my thinking about the Christian life. I'd like to recognize them here.

• Michael J. Murray, philosopher and Christian apologist. Michael was my adult Sunday school teacher at Blackhawk Evangelical Free Church in Madison, WI. I was there less than a year, but Michael's approachable style and depth of knowledge awakened a hunger in me that I didn't realize I had. Most of my years growing up in the evangelical church (not the Ev. Free - I was raised Southern Baptist), I had been socialized to view the life of the mind as something a Christian needn't worry about. Questions either went unanswered or dismissed as the thoughts of a marginal believer. Although Michael was "just" teaching a Sunday school class, he was in fact influencing my thoughts in ways he probably never imagined - including my journey towards a more Reformed understanding of salvation and grace (I am most aligned with John Piper in his particular views on most things, hence my citation). Thanks, Michael, for doing a good job in what may have seemed pedestrian and mundane.
• Dave Geisler, Christian evangelist and equipper of saints in this post-modern era. Dave has been, and remains, a close friend. I think in the past 30 years, I can count on one hand the friends I've had who I consider as close as Dave (my wife excluded). Dave's main contribution to my life has been to think both strategically and tactically in how I articulate my faith and interact with others about it. Dave's techniques in talking to people about Christ (and more importantly, how to listen) and his gospel have proven not only effective, but indispensable in how I approach these conversations. Dave's tutelage, patience, and dialogs with me personally have made a life-long impact on me. Thanks, Dave - for being not only a teacher and mentor, but for being a good friend and willingness to put up with some of my perspectives that don't always match yours (see my Reformed theology reference above!).

There are many others who have made a significant difference in my life, but Michael and Dave have been the most catalytic in my thinking and general orientation to my faith. Thanks guys!

The Death of Death

I'm reading through The Death of Death in the Death of Christ, wherein John Owen argues for particular redemption. Nothing is more controversial, in what is widely considered as a distinct feature of Calvinism, than this idea (more popularly known as Limited Atonement).

I'm finding that some parts are easy to follow and track with him. Other portions of the text leave me wondering "where is he going with this?" As I talked with a literature expert, Jon Lamb (who just received his doctoral degree from UT), it is fairly typical of writers of this era to be exhaustive in every minor point to assure their readers they are giving the subject matter a thorough treatment. In this ADD age, we are used to sound bites and twitter feeds to give us the bottom line in a matter of seconds. I am being challenged to let the case develop methodically.

Having said all of that, I'm only up to chapter 5 of the first "book" in the book. I don't know whether he published this as an anthology or what (hence the books within the book). Still, that's kind of sad. I read maybe a few pages here and there, but the Kindle shows I'm only like 7% of the way through the book. Way to go Greg! :-(

Four Horsemen Discuss Genesis

Christopher Hitchens actually admits that the Bible's account of creation is correct. No wonder these guys are called the Four Horsemen of the Atheist Apocalypse!

How Amazing is Grace?

Often quoted, but still worth repeating. The words of John Newton:

My memory is nearly gone, but I remember two things — that I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Saviour.

Why "Reluctant Elder"?

I started this blog at the urging of my daughter, Deborah. She told me I had too many things rolling around in my head to keep them all bottled up. Maybe she was right...or not. I'll let you judge the final product.

As to the title, it describes me on two different levels:

1. I feel like I'm just now figuring out what I want to be when I grow up, and here I am having late middle-age effects. I don't mind the wisdom I have gained along the way - I just wish I wasn't so old to make use of it!
2. I started a 3-year term as an elder of my church in January. For a number of years, I resisted seeking the office of an elder because I thought that it was a prideful pursuit and that I was not up to the task. While I am now persuaded otherwise for the first belief, I still hold to the second. However, I know that God's grace is sufficient for what he has called me to.

So - what I intend to post here are short thoughts, snippets, insights, comments, etc. Nothing long, extremely deep, or overly provocative. Just musings and a bit of a journal of my journey through this phase of my life.