Tuesday, February 25, 2014

"The Secret Will of God"


I think many Christians make the mistake of acting on what they can never be sure of rather than relying on what they can know for sure. In other words, Christians confuse God's secret will with his revealed will. - Paul Tripp
That quote is from a helpful article by Paul Tripp on the issue of God's will. I encourage you to read the whole thing.

If you are interested in more on this topic, check Kevin DeYoung's helpful (short) book called "Just Do Something: A Liberating Approach to Finding God's Will."

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Evangelicals and Hollywood

There seems to be in our day, a growing fascination among Christians with not being seen as prudish. This is especially true in the realm of entertainment. We want to "engage the culture" and affirm common ground with unbelievers around us. And these desires can be biblically thought out and useful. But it is also the case that in the name of such things we begin to confuse worldliness with the biblical worldview. Trevin Waxin has a thoughtful article at the gospel coalition's site on the issue of Christians and entertainment. It is worth a read. Below are a few quotes highlighting his main point:

I never subscribed to the fundamentalist vision that saw holiness in terms of cultural retreat or worldliness as anything that smacked of cultural engagement. I don’t subscribe to that position today.

But sometimes I wonder if evangelicals have swung the pendulum too far to the other side, to the point where all sorts of entertainment choices are validated in the name of cultural engagement.
....
I am concerned that many evangelicals may be expending more energy in avoiding the appearance of being “holier-than-thou” than we do in avoiding evil itself.
...
At what point does our cultural engagement become just a sophisticated way of being worldly?
Let's start thinking and talking to one another more about our entertainment choices. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts.

Monday, February 10, 2014

Meditation is Required for Christian Growth

Last night, I spoke on the topic of meditation (and how it can be used in discipleship) from Psalm 119:97-104. I came across a great quote on the topic of meditation from Oliver Heywood (quoted by Lou Priolo in his booklet "Selfishness"). Writing 300 years ago he said, Christian meditation is the

...solemn endeavor of the soul to bring home to itself divine things; and so to resolve, ponder, and digest them, as to work their transforming power into every element and faculty of its being...It is the digestive process, by which spiritual food nourishes the soul and promotes its growth in holiness.

Lack of meditation is the primary reason that so many professing Christians, in spite of exposure to the most excellent teaching, still remain ignorant, unstable, and unfruitful; "ever learning, but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." Instruction flows in upon them from all sides; but their hearts and minds are like sieves, out of which everything runs as fast as it is poured in. The impressions which truth makes on their minds, are as temporary as characters traced on the sands of the sea-shore, which the next wave erases forever. But meditation imprints truth deeply on the conscience, and engraves it on the tablets of "the inner man," "as with the point of a diamond laser beam." It thus becomes incorporated into the soul; and forms, as it were, a part of it; and it is ever present, to regulate the heart's affections and to control and guide all of its movements.
We are blessed to have much great teaching at our church. The danger is that we become hearers and not doers. The potential disaster is that we might hear the word, be responsible before God for it, and not have it affect our will, thinking, desires, and behavior. You will not grow in the faith if you do not think about and apply God's Word. The Spirit of God works through the Word of God rightly understood and meditated on.

Take some time to meditate on God's Word. If you don't know how, check out this resource from Don Whitney to help you get some ideas.

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Struggling with Singleness

Here is a short video by David Powlison on the issue of struggling with singleness.