Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Fact Check on the Chic Fil A 'Incident'

We should expect to be misunderstood by the culture around us. And, unfortunately, we should also come to expect being misrepresented.  And that has been clear in the recent Chic Fil A "incident".    Here is a helpful article by Denny Burk providing a short fact check on what the mainstream media has been saying about Chic Fil A. 

Also, you may be interested in this article by Denny Burk on "Chic Fil A, Contraceptives, and Religious Liberty". 

Update
Here is another good article, this one by Dr. Mohler, on the issue about Chic Fil A and religious liberty.

Monday, July 30, 2012

Why Don't We Evangelize?

I have just begun to read "The Gospel and Personal Evangelism" by Mark Dever (pastor at Capitol Hill Baptist Church) as I plan for ways we can be sharing the gospel in the Fall.  The book is an encouraging read so far. But, it is also a convicting read. In one chapter, Pastor Dever lovingly calls us to examine why we don't evangelize (even as he humbly admits he often fails to evangelize). 

For me, I know that I often fear being an annoyance to the person I might be thinking about sharing with.  So, I often talk myself out of "bothering" them and remain silent.  Dever hits the nail on the head when says,
"Maybe we are too polite to be faithful to God in this area. Maybe we are more concerned about people's response than God's glory" (25).
Another reason I fail to share is that I fear people instead of loving them. Dever again astutely deals with this when he says,
"We share the gospel because we love people. And we don't share the gospel because we don't love people. Instead, we wrongly fear them. We don't want to cause awkwardness. We want their respect, and after all, we figure, if we try to share the gospel with them, we'll look foolish! And so we are quiet" (27).
Finally, I do not reflect often enough on how amazing God's love and goodness is and how the gospel puts that on display. The result is that,

"...instead of gossiping about God's goodness and the gospel, we engage in a conspiracy of silence. We reveal ourselves as being cold to God's glory. If we would be more faithful in evangelism, we should fuel the flame of love toward God within us..." (28-29).
I hope this encourages you to examine the reasons you may fail to share the gospel as often as you should (my assumption is most of us fail in this, but praise God if you are one who does not).  What are some reasons you fail to share the gospel?  What truth from God's Word speaks to those reasons? (Feel free to share in the comments section if you'd like).

Let's be praying for opportunities to share the gospel. Be praying for this upcoming Fall, that God would give us friends we could share the gospel with at work, school, or just around town.  And let's ask him to convert these friends to new life in Christ- for their joy and God's glory.  And let's expect that he has the power to do both.

Monday, July 23, 2012

"The Dark Night in Denver- Groping for Answers"

The tragedy in Denver has left the nation stunned. As Christians, we must always think Christianly and be prepared to answer the questions such a tragedy raises. I highly recommend reading this article by Albert Mohler.  Dr. Mohler reminds us of the biblical truth about the reality of evil, the grace of moral restraint, and the ultimate answer to evil found at the cross. 

So, as we pray for God to graciously comfort the grieving and strengthen the faithful believers and churches in Denver to show love to their community, may we also think biblically about the situation.

Monday, July 9, 2012

"Proven Weapons in the Fight for Holiness"

Keeping with the theme of the summer, "Grow in Godliness," I suggest you read this article by John Piper on "Proven Weapons in the Fight for Holiness."  Specifically, he is discussing the Word of God. Below is an excerpt. 
When Paul says to put to death the deeds of the body “by the Spirit” (Romans 8:13), I take him to mean that we should use the one weapon in the Spirit’s armor that is used to kill. Namely, the sword. Which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:17). 
So when the body is about to be led into a sinful action by some fear or craving, we are to take the sword of the Spirit and kill that fear and that craving. In my experience that means mainly severing the root of sin’s promise by the power of a superior promise. 
So, for example, when I begin to crave some illicit sexual pleasure, the sword-swing that has often severed the root of this promised pleasure is: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8). I recall the pleasures I have tasted of seeing God more clearly from an undefiled conscience; and I recall the brevity and superficiality and oppressive aftertaste of sin’s pleasures, and with that, God has killed the conquering power of sin. 
It is a beautiful thing to be the instrument of God’s word-wielding power to kill sin. 
Having promises at hand that suit the temptation of the hour is one key to successful warfare against sin. But there are times when we don’t have a perfectly suited word from God in our minds. And there is no time to look through the Bible for a tailor-made promise.So we all need to have a small arsenal of general promises ready to use whenever fear or craving threaten to lead us astray.
Keep reading to find some of his "proven weapons" (verses) which he fights sin with.  Keep fighting by his grace.

Friday, July 6, 2012

Al Mohler on Picking a College

If the college you visit has a bookstore filled with t-shirts rather than books, find another college. —Al Mohler