Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Another year is dawning

As I was preparing our order of service for last Sunday, I came across the great hymn "Another Year is Dawning." This song did not appear in the 1991 Baptist Hymnal, but has been added back into the 2008 Baptist Hymnal.

The tune is Aurelia - the same as "The Church's One Foundation." The lyrics were first written in a New Years Card sent out by Francis Ridley Havergal to her friends in 1874, and are especially appropriate as we enter this new year...

Another year is dawning;
Dear Father, let it be
In working or in waiting,
Another year with Thee;
Another year of progress,
Another year of praise,
Another year of proving
Thy presence all the days.

Another year of mercies,
Of faithfulness and grace,
Another year of gladness
In the shining of Thy face;
Another year of leaning
Upon Thy loving breast;
Another year of trusting,
Of quiet, happy rest.

Another year of service,
Of witness for Thy love,
Another year of training
For holier work above.
Another year is dawning:
Dear Father, let it be
On earth, or else in heaven,
Another year for Thee.

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Looking back at 2008

Al Mohler lists ten historical events that occurred in 2008. What a year it's been!

1. The election of Barack Obama as President of the United States.
2. America becomes Ground Zero of a global economic crisis.
3. The Bush Administration prepares to depart.
4. Controversy in the Episcopal Church leads to schism.
5. California voters approve Proposition 8.
6. The death of Alexander Solzhenitsyn marks end of an era.
7. Euthanasia is approved in Washington State.
8. John Edwards is caught in a sexual affair -- and America cared.
9. Atheists launch public relations efforts.
10. The world takes note of a demographic downturn -- Where are the babies?

Here are seven more events in 2008 that were noteworthy for my family:

1. Our daughter Heidi Amelia was born.
2. Dylan was potty trained and has really developed mentally and socially in the last year
3. I reached the two-year mark of pastoring at our church and finally feel as though we're settling into a routine.
4. We found a nice camp near Big Bear Lake for our family to take short, refreshing vacations. We look forward to making many more memories there in the years to come.
5. Our church started a young adults Bible Study and we have seen a few new families attending the church.
6. Our church developed a mission statement that has allowed us to make some strategic ministry changes.
7. We had a record-level snowfall in the middle of December.

Saturday, December 27, 2008

The Bible can save your life!


Our parents are all visiting us this holiday weekend. Earlier today, all the guys (me, my dad, my father-in-law, and my son) headed over to the General Patton Museum east of Indio. It was a nice half-day excursion with lots of tanks, guns, uniforms, and other war paraphenalia on display.

One of the exhibits we saw was a Bible with a piece of shrapnel stuck into it. Apparently, a soldier was carrying the Bible at the time an explosion went off. Were it not for that Bible, a piece of jagged metal would have sliced right through that soldier's chest. The Bible literally saved his life!

What a great illustration of the life-giving power of God's Word. Every day, the Bible saves lives by turning people away from sin and leading them to eternal life in Jesus Christ.

Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path...My life is continually in my hand, Yet I do not forget Your law. (Psalm 119:105, 109)

Never underestimate the life-saving power of God's Word.

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

The real Santa Claus

Last week at the dinner table, our 3-year old son Dylan declared, "Santa Claus is BAD!! Santa Claus is BAD!!"

We weren't sure how he arrived at this conclusion, since we'd never referred to Santa Claus as "bad" before, so we probed a little deeper. Maybe, we thought, someone at church had told him this? As time went on, we remembered that Dylan had just watched "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" a couple days earlier, and apparently, he still thought the Grinch was Santa Claus and that he was a bad guy!

As we thought more about it, we realized Dylan had never really heard or seen the classic story of Santa Claus as a jolly old elf who lives on the North Pole and delivers presents on Christmas Eve to boys and girls around the world. So, last week, we watched the 1960s animation "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" as a family. (We've reminded Dylan several times that Santa is just a "fun story" while Jesus is real.)

Of course, neither the Grinch nor the elf in the red suit tell us the real story of Santa Claus...
Santa Claus's roots can be traced back to St. Nicholas of Bari. The son of wealthy parents, Nicholas was born in the fourth century in the town of Patara, Lycia (now part of Turkey). Legend records that when his parents died, the young man took all the family's money and distributed it to the needy in his hometown. He then accepted the call to full-time Christian service, becoming a monk when he was only seventeen, and shortly thereafter, a priest. ... Nicholas must have been a remarkable man, wise beyond his years and exhibiting a maturity that few gain until they are well past forty. (Ace Collins, Stories Behind the Great Traditions of Christmas, 159-60)
Gene Edward Veith wrote an article in World Magazine a few years ago that reveals even more about this interesting character:
[Nicholas] was also a delegate to the Council of Nicea in a.d. 325, which battled the heretics who denied the deity of Christ. He was thus one of the authors of the Nicene Creed, which affirms that Jesus Christ is both true God and true man. And unlike his later manifestation, Nicholas was particularly zealous in standing up for Christ.

During the Council of Nicea, jolly old St. Nicholas got so fed up with Arius, who taught that Jesus was just a man, that he walked up and slapped him! That unbishoplike behavior got him in trouble. The council almost stripped him of his office, but Nicholas said he was sorry, so he was forgiven.
Wow. I'm starting to like the real Santa Claus more and more.

Monday, December 22, 2008

Christmas traditions

Noel Piper says that "For a Christian, the heart of our traditions, and the heart of our teaching is God, whom we know through his acts and his words. ...Traditions are memories, and they are for memory. Our children and grandchildren don't have to be locked in to the small world of their own experience with God. Traditions give them a whole world's worth and a whole history's worth of God." (Treasuring God in Our Traditions, 32)

Christmas is a great time for traditions that point us back to God. Here are some traditions our family has developed over the years, which we hope draw us closer to our Lord.
  • Advent Calendar. Every night in December leading up to Christmas, we read the Christmas story using the advent calendar designed by Noel Piper. It's a rustic-looking version of the Christmas story, with plastic farm animals, dowel-rod people, and a velcroed manger on a burlap backing. But Dylan absolutely loves learning the Christmas story this way. (Apparently, the advent calendar is being redesigned by Desiring God and is not available to buy this season.)
  • Memory tree. Decorating the Christmas tree is a family affair, and many of our ornaments are souvenirs from past family vacations. It's a fun way to reminisce about good times God has given our family over the years.
  • Cookie plates. We try to be a witness to our neighbors and share the love of Christ by giving them a plate of homemade cookies and a Christmas card from our family.
  • Christmas lights. We enjoy walking or driving around to look at homes that are decorated with Christmas lights. There's nothing too spiritual about this tradition, but it's a great way to spend time with family. It's even better with a big cup of hot cider or hot chocolate (complete with whipped cream!).
So, does your family have any special Christmas traditions?

Photo credit: scottfeldstein

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Book Review: The American Patriot's Almanac

Don't let the word "almanac" scare you. This is a story book. But what makes this book so good is that the stories are true!

Bill Bennett and John Cribb make history come alive by retelling many of the best stories of America in a short and compelling way. Learn about the heroes, battles, geography, events, and inventions that make our country what it is today. This volume would be perfect for family time, or on the coffee table, or in the bathroom, or even for daily readings in a high school civics course.

The American Patriot's Almanac is broken down into 365 bite-sized portions that make it easy to read in a year. Each page includes one reading and an "American History Parade" of 4-6 notable events that took place on that date in American History. Sprinkled throughout the book are special features like "Fifty All-American Movies" and famous "Prayers for the American People." I was a political studies major in college, but I found myself learning something new on nearly every page. I was very glad to see the detailed index in the back, which makes this book stronger and even more useful.

Check this book out. You're sure to discover something new and to gain a deeper appreciation for the United States of America.

Friday, December 19, 2008

The quest for coolness

As you've probably heard, Rick Warren has been asked to give the invocation at Obama's inauguration ceremony, and the gay and lesbian community are outraged. Al Mohler has written a very important article on this incident and its broader implications for pastors and Christians everywhere. Here's the gist:
[Warren] now finds himself in a whirlwind, and he will not be the last. Pastor after pastor and church after church will face a similar challenge in short order. No matter how cool you think you are or think that others think you are, the hour is coming when the issue of homosexuality -- taken alone -- will be the defining issue in coolness. If you accept the full normalization of homosexuality, you will be cool. If you do not, you are profoundly uncool, no matter how much good work you do nor how much love and compassion you seek to express.
Read the whole article here.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

If the church were run like an airline

What would happen if church were run like an airline? Todd Rhoades has put together a fun list of ideas. My favorites:

--All aisle seats are now $10/week. Back row premium seating available for $20 per week.

--No Bible charge: $10

--Cell phone ringing during service: $50 one time charge

--Late to service fee: $10/pp

--Nursery diaper change fee: $5/lb.

HT: Joshua Cody

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

The blessings of nursing home ministry

Steve Burchett is a friend I met at the Founders Conference in Oklahoma in 2007. Then I amazingly ran into him again at Together for the Gospel in Kentucky in 2008. He has his own blog and is part of a great ministry called "Christian Communicators Worldwide," which is led by Jim Eliff.

Steve recently wrote an article on "Ten Reasons Why Nursing Homes are Great Places to Minister." Ministering in nursing homes can be difficult work, but it's a huge encouragement to ailing believers as well as an important final witness to the unsaved. It's easy for churches to overlook the homebound and infirm, yet Matthew 25:40 reminds us that when we serve even the least of Christ's brothers or sisters, we are serving Him.

Here's the list Steve came up with:
1. Nursing homes provide an avenue to obey God, Who tells us to serve the downcast and rejected.

2. Nursing homes offer numerous opportunities for evangelism.

3. Nursing home residents will increase your trust in a sovereign God.

4. Nursing homes make available a place of real and life-impacting ministry for young men contemplating or heading into the ministry.

5. Nursing homes present a way to teach children to love their neighbor.

6. Nursing homes remind us that sickness and death are coming.

7. Nursing homes put you in the presence of older saints who are persevering in the Lord.

8. Nursing homes put you in the presence of people who have hardened their hearts, rejected Christ, and may never again have a coherent thought.

9. Nursing homes open doors to new relationships with those related to or associated with the residents.

10. Nursing homes provide a ministry environment where what really matters takes priority.
When's the last time you visited someone in the hospital or nursing home? I admit, the sights, sounds, and smells are not always pleasant, but it's a great opportunity to be a "Good Samaritan" and show the love of Christ to those who are suffering.

A nursing home ministry is something that a church can offically sponsor, or something that individual families can do by themselves on a weekly, monthly, or occasional basis. One thing's for sure - nursing home residents always love visitors!

Monday, December 15, 2008

Snow in the desert


We got a rare treat today: snow in the desert! Click here for more pictures. Dylan has only seen snow a couple times, and this was Heidi's very first time (She hasn't even seen rain much!).

As the snow fell, I was reminded of the promise in Psalm 51:7, "Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow." How thankful I am for the cleansing power of Christ's blood that can make us whiter than fresh snow.

Christmas book giveaway


Trevin Wax over at the Kingdom People blog is doing a Christmas Book Giveaway worth over $250. Click here to find out how to enter your name in the drawing.

Thanks, Trevin, for this generous offer.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

The death of mainstream journalism

Journalistic integrity in the mainstream media continues to die a slow and agonizing death. Accuracy, thoroughness, and impartiality are totally absent from the discussion of today's most controversial issues. Honest reporting has been replaced by its evil twin: secularist propaganda.

Case in point: this week's issue of Newsweek magazine. The cover article is entitled "The Religious Case for Gay Marriage." The subtitle of the online article says "Opponents of gay marriage often cite Scripture. But what the Bible teaches about love argues for the other side."

This is obviously a highly volatile issue, with strong opinions on both sides. Over 70 million dollars were spent either for or against the Proposition 8 campaign in California alone. Yet Lisa Miller of Newsweek has completely misconstrued the evidence, failing to quote a single conservative proponent of the biblical definition of marriage between one man and one woman.

I would encourage you to read Al Mohler's critique of the article here. His conclusion:
Newsweek could have offered its readers a careful and balanced review of the crucial issues related to this question. It chose another path -- and published this cover story. The magazine's readers and this controversial issue deserved better.
Newsweek has a circulation of over 3 million readers, and this magazine will be appearing on newstands everywhere. The world is grappling with the idea and implications of same sex marriage. Are we prepared to give a gracious and biblical response?

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

New sermon podcast

It's taken me a while, but I'm finally uploading some of my sermons to the internet in a new podcast called "Feed My Sheep."

Here are three ways you can access them:

1. Look for new sermons to appear in the right column of this blog under the section "My Recent Sermons"

2. Subscribe to my podcast in iTunes by clicking here.

3. Visit my sermon page here, or add my sermon RSS feed to Google Reader by clicking here.

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Religious Affections, Part I and II

Back in July, I said I would be reading through Religious Affections, by Jonathan Edwards. I don't know of any readers who planned to follow along with me, so I decided to take my sweet time on this project, reading just a little at a time as devotional reading.

So far, I've finished Parts I & II of Edwards' work and have really enjoyed it. Edwards stretches the mind and the soul, opening up new dimensions of understanding about God and human nature.

The main question he explores in the book is this:
What are the distinguishing qualifications of those that are in favor with God, and entitled to his eternal rewards? Or, which comes to the same thing, What is the nature of true religion? And wherein do lie the distinguishing notes of that virtue and holiness that is acceptable in the sight of God?
In other words, how can we know we are pleasing God? There are certain impulses that should characterize believers and help measure our growth in godliness. But before giving an answer, Edwards explains twelve "unreliable" signs of genuine religious affections in Part II:
  1. It is no sign one way or the other, that religious affections are very great, or raised very high.
  2. ...that they have great effects on the body.
  3. ...that they cause those who have them to be fluent, fervent, and abundant, in talking of the things of religion.
  4. ...that persons did not make them themselves, or excite them of their own contrivance and by their own strength.
  5. ...that they come with texts of Scripture, remarkably brought to the mind.
  6. ...that there is an appearance of love in them.
  7. ...[that people experience] many kinds, accompanying one ...
  8. ...that comforts and joys seem to follow awakenings and convictions of conscience, in a certain order.
  9. ...that they dispose persons to spend much time in religion, and to be zealously engaged in the external duties of worship.
  10. ...that they much dispose persons with their mouths to praise and glorify God.
  11. ...that they make persons that have them exceeding confident that what they experience is divine, and that they are in a good estate.
  12. ...that the outward manifestations of them, and the relation persons give of them, are very affecting and pleasing to the truly godly, and such as greatly gain their charity, and win their hearts.
This is as far as I've gotten in the book, but I've already been challenged against using common "signs" to judge our faith and measure that we are growing in grace. There are many good things on this list, but any of these twelve can be counterfeited by the Enemy and are not sufficient evidence of a genuine walk with God.

I'm looking forward to reading Part III of his book, where Edwards finally addresses what are the distinguishing marks of true religion.

Friday, December 5, 2008

Is reading a girly activity?

Is reading a "girly" activity? Not according to Jeff Robinson. See his defense of why reading is also for boys.

I'm so thankful that my son Dylan loves to read. He's only 3, but he's already content sitting on the couch, or on the bed, or on Mommy or Daddy's lap and looking at books for long periods of time.

I hope that Heidi - though already more active than her brother - will find a love for books as well. Last night, she sat on the floor playing with some board books and trying to eat them. I guess that's a good start for a 9-month old.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

20 books

Justin Buzzard offers a great list of 20 books to read in your 20s. What a difference it would make if the next generation would simply read and apply the material in these 20 books.

Idea: Why not get started right away by checking one of these books out from the library, or adding it to your Christmas wish list? Even if you're past your 20s, it's never too late to start reading good Christian literature.

HT: Justin Taylor
Photo credit: stephmcg

New Blog

Today I'm closing up shop and launching a new blog called Pinch of Clay. You can visit it by clicking here . Please stop by and...