Stout Voices…

As a new lay speaker, having just completed the course last month, I was asked if I would speak at Red Hill UMC and Murphytown UMC, both pastored by Rev. Sue Jones and who would be attending Annual Conference in June. Initially, I thought to myself I’m not ready for this so soon after taking the basic laying speaking course. Then I thought, “if you didn’t want to speak, why did you take the course?” Well, I envisioned myself more as a teacher of a small class than a congregational speaker. Nevertheless, I changed my mind and accepted the offer to speak.

What an awesome responsibility! What an honor and privilege to bring God’s word to God’s people. Did I feel adequate? No way! However, over the last two to three years I’ve had an intense desire to learn more about our Christian faith. Through lots of Bible reading and study, Disciple Bible classes, Sunday School class, Men’s Group study, other books and audio/video presentations I’ve learned a lot. Drawing on this learning and on materials I had written and shared with my Sunday School class I put together my presentation. Being somewhat of a procrastinator (ok, more than somewhat) I didn’t pulled it all together until the day before I was to speak.

The day to speak came yesterday, Sunday, June 8th. Having had to do some public speaking/training during my Navy career I had gotten over the fright of speaking many years ago. That said, I had not had any significant public speaking engagements for over 20 years. I had ask Pastor Scott, my Sunday School class and the members attending early service to remember me in prayer. They must have done a good job of it as I got through it ok. I hope the fine folks I spoke to got through it ok as well. I’m sure that I was more blessed by the experience than those who heard me. Red Hill and Murphytown are both wonderful small country churches and the folks there were very gracious to me, especially considering that what I thought was a 15-20 minute presentation actually turned into about 40 minutes at Red Hill. When my wife Teri told me I had spoken that long I couldn’t believe it. So long in fact that Teri and I were about 10 minutes late getting to Murphytown because of it. In the drive over I quickly cut out parts of my presentation and Murphytown folks only had to listen to me for about 30 minutes.

I hope in some small way I brought the great folks of Red Hill and Murphytown a blessing in the message I delivered. I know my wife and I were very blessed to be among them. If I ever have the opportunity to speak there again, I promise to keep the message shorter.

As I was searching on Amazon.com for a book about the Atonement, I found this book, The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism, written by Timothy Keller. So I bought it and a book about the Atonement. I’ve not finished reading it but have read enough to know it is a thoughtful book on the topic of God and skepticism. If you have a son or daughter (any family member or friend) wrestling with doubt about Christianity or perhaps they have adopted the current post-modern view that all truth is relative, this may be a good book to share with them.

Why does God allow suffering in the world?

How could a loving God send people to Hell?

Why isn’t Christianity more inclusive?

How can one religion be “right” and the others “wrong”?

Why have so many wars been fought in the name of God?

These are just a few of the questions and doubts even ardent believers wrestle with today. As the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, Timothy Keller has compiled a list of the most frequently voiced “doubts” skeptics bring to his church as well as the most important reasons for faith. And in The Reason for God, he addresses each doubt and explains each reason.

Keller uses literature, philosophy, real-life conversations, and reasoning to explain how faith in a Christian God is a soundly rational belief, held by thoughtful people of intellectual integrity with a deep compassion for those who truly want to know the truth.

…the issues in the public discourse around Christianity have become much more complex than they were in the mid and late 20th century. The questions are now not just philosophical (e.g. Is there evidence for God’s existence?) They are also now cultural (Doesn’t strong faith make a multicultural society impossible?), political (Doesn’t orthodox religion undermine freedom?) and personal. Also fifty years ago, when C.S. Lewis was writing, there was general agreement that rational argument and empirical method were the best ways to discover truth. That consensus has vanished.

Related Links:
Timothy Keller: Yes, I wrote a book

The Reason for God Reader’s Guide [PDF]

The Reason for God web site [good resources here]

Technorati Tags: Tim Keller, skepticism, christian, apologetics

On May 7th a group of concerned Evangelicals published a ‘manifesto’ that they had worked on for three years in an effort to reclaim the term Evangelical and its meaning. At this time I simply wish to present to readers several links for your perusal. I’ve read the full document and there is much I agree with–it is a good document. Some well-known people have become signatories and some have not for various reasons.

An Evangelical Manifesto - Executive Summary

An Evangelical Manifesto - Full Document

An Evangelical Manifesto Web Site

A critique by Albert Mohler Jr

Albert Mohler Jr - Continuing the Conversation

A critique by Alan Jacobs, Wall Street Journal

Technorati Tags: Evangelical Manifesto, Evangelical, Protestant, Christianity

Dr. George Grant, senior minister of Parish Presbyterian Church in Franklin, Tennessee, and director of the King’s Meadow Study Center, has written an article titled The High Call of Service (TableTalk Magazine, May 2008) which is partially quoted below. It is a good reminder that we should all be about our Father’s business by serving others.

John the apostle admonishes us accordingly, “Let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:18). In the biblical scheme of things, love is something we do, not just something we feel. Mercy is something we extend, not just something we intend. Hope is something we must act on, not just something we harbor. Our orthodoxy (right doctrine) must be matched by orthopraxy (right action). Our life together must be marked by both Word and deed.

This does not by any means minimize the primacy of the Word of God in the Christian life. It is simply a recognition that God’s truth will always bear incarnational, tangible, and demonstrable fruit.

The entire article may be read here: The High Call of Service.

Technorati Tags: High Call of Service, George Grant, TableTalk, Ligonier Ministries

The title of this post may sound odd or even a bit negative to our post-modern pluralistic ears. However, there are some things in life that we ought to be very careful about and perhaps not be so easily accommodating. One of those things are the varied voices seeking to corrupt or alter the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Burk Parsons, editor of TableTalk magazine and minister of congregational life at Saint Andrew’s Chapel in Sanford, Florida used that same title in an article in the June 2008 issue of TableTalk, a monthly periodical of Ligonier Ministries and R. C. Sproul. Part of what Parsons had to say is quoted below:

Our enemy’s supreme deception is in his attempt to convince us that he doesn’t exist. Toward that end, he has launched his assault against us with every weapon in his carefully fashioned arsenal. Perhaps his greatest success is in persuading us that being open-minded is a good thing. For it is precisely when we accept the notion that open-mindedness is a Christian virtue that we fall into the same devilish trap by which our first parents [Adam and Eve] were ensnared.

Once our minds are open to open-mindedness, all ideas, no matter how absurd, can come and go as they please — with our sanction. We thus become headless and brainless philosophers who just want to get along. Once such philosopher and self-proclaimed theologian has written: “So I believe we have radically to rethink our understanding of the place of Christianity in the global religious picture. And we have to face the fact that it is one path amongst others, and then reform our belief-system to be compatible with this. This is the big new challenge that theologians and church leaders have yet to face. We have to become consciously what are called religious pluralists.” This is the mantra of religious pluralists: Liberate your mind, lose your faith, and feel the love.

R. C. Sproul states in another article in the same issue: “It is the Christian’s duty to hold firm to the uniqueness of God and of His Christ and not to compromise with the advocates of pluralism.”

Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). This does not mean that we should allow ourselves to become smug or self-righteous. Robert Rothwell, an associate editor of TableTalk magazine, says in another article in the same June 2008 issue:

Finally, we must love those who in this pluralistic culture do not yet trust Christ. Let us pray for their salvation and preach the Gospel, but may we never see them as nonentities or mere ideas that need refuting. Befriend them. Do good to them. Go the extra mile and understand their concerns, hopes, and fears (1 Peter 2:15). Since God loved us when we were yet sinners (Romans 5:8), can we do any less than to love those around us?

Technorati Tags: pluralism, christianity, R C Sproul, Burk Parsons, Ligonier Ministries, TableTalk

05/20/08: As this book has gained increased attention and popularity, it has also gained increased critical attention. Three individuals I have a lot of respect for have roundly criticized this work of fiction. Dr. Albert Mohler is one of those persons and he stated emphatically “This book is undiluted heresy.” Another is Mark Driscoll and he states “Regarding the Trinity, it is actually heretical.” Those are strong words. Another, Tim Challies, has written an in depth reader’s review which I present to you: A Reader’s Review of The Shack [PDF]. Tim’s blog post discussing this review is here: A Review of the Shack.

I urge you, the reader, to exercise care in reading and distributing this book. The Shack may be an engaging read but is one that contains far too much error. Read it only with the utmost care and concern, critically evaluating the book against the unchanging standard of Scripture. Caveat lector! … Tim Challies

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My father-in-law recently loaned a book to me that his sister had loaned to him. That book is “The Shack.” I’m not much of a fiction reader and have never read a “Christian” fiction work before. I’m very glad that I read this one. Movies sometime provoke a very emotional response in me. This is the first book to ever do that. I highly recommend The Shack to you. If you are like me, you’ll want all your family and friends to read it too.

If anything matters, then everything matters. Because you are important, everything you do is important. Every time you forgive, the universe changes, every time you reach out and touch a heart or a life, the world changes; with every kindness and service, seen or unseen, my purposes are accomplished and nothing will ever be the same again.

William P. Young in The Shack

Technorati Tags: The Shack, christian, God, trinity

As pointed out in a couple of previous posts, Biblical illiteracy is rampant within Christianity today. Partly because of that illiteracy many false teachings are infiltrating the church. The following is extracted from a teaching series titled ‘Guarding Healthy Faith by Biblical Discipleship‘ by Dr. John Barnett, Pastor Tulsa Bible Church. This teaching should prompt all of us to continuously grow as disciples of Christ rightly understanding the word of God given to us in Scripture.

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These men were making a “most wanted” poster for believers—showing who the enemy was of the truth. So how do we spot these false teachers? What do these signposts pointing people in the wrong direction believe and teach? What is the message promoted by Satan’s legion of liars?

Often it is not what they say—but what they don’t say that identifies them! What do false teachers deny? How do you spot a false teacher? There are clear signs of an apostate or false teacher:

1. THEY DENY CHRIST IS THE ONLY WAY. 1 Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,
2. THEY DENY OUR LIBERTY IN CHRIST.  1 Timothy 4:3 forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.
3. THEY DENY DIVINE POWER. 2 Timothy 3:4-5 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
4. THEY DENY BIBLICAL TRUTH.  2 Timothy 3:8 Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith;
5. THEY DENY THE NECESSITY OF SOUND DOCTRINE.  2 Timothy 4:3-4 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.
6. THEY DENY THE DEITY OF CHRIST.  2 Peter 2:1 But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them — bringing swift destruction on themselves. (NIV)
7. THEY DENY THE REALITY OF CHRIST COMING AGAIN. 2 Peter 3:3-4 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things
   continue as they were from the beginning of creation.”
8. THEY DENY THE NECESSITY OF PERSONAL HOLINESS.  Jude 18 how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts.
9. THEY DENY THE NECESSITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. Jude 19 These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.

Another element of Barna’s report (State of the Church 2006) states, “Christians have increasingly been adopting spiritual views that come from Islam, Wicca, secular humanism, the eastern religions and other sources. Because we remain a largely Bible-illiterate society, few are alarmed or even aware of the slide toward syncretism - a belief system that blindly combines beliefs from many different faith perspectives.”

Syncretism is Deadly

This direction of syncretism was seen in the Old Testament as the people of Israel were commingled with pagans they mixed parts of the truth of the Bible with false worship of paganism and came out with a blend that disgusted God. Diluting God’s Word and adding error is dangerous and to be avoided at all costs.
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I read this article today and thought it worthy of sharing:

The Gospel of saving grace in Jesus is the foundation, the formation, and the primary motivation for the Christian life.

The Gospel message brings you to Christ as the sure foundation for eternal life. The Gospel message provides direction for the formation of your new life. The Gospel message provides the primary motivation for a maturing life. The importance of living a Gospel-driven life is why Paul reminded the Corinthian church that when he was “with them” he was determined to maintain their focus upon the Gospel, by preaching “Christ and Him crucified.” Adding emphasis, he declared, “I did not come to baptize, but to preach the Gospel” (see 1 Cor. 1:17). He was not demeaning baptism, but rather underscoring that the Gospel is essential to evangelism and disciple-making.

Read the complete article: The Gospel-Driven Life by Harry L. Reeder III

Technorati Tags: Gospel, Jesus, Christ, Gospel Driven Life

I came across this article the other day titled “5 Kinds of Christians” on the Christianity Today website. The article summarizes the results of a recent survey. Everyone should carefully read this article and then think about what we, Stout Memorial UMC, can do as a faithful body of believers to become better disciples for transforming ourselves and our community for Jesus Christ.

Active Christians 19%

Professing Christians 20%

Liturgical Christians 16%

Private Christians 24%

Cultural Christians 21%

…the current level of biblical and theological teaching in the church may not be meeting the challenge of preparing people in the pews to explain the power and significance of the Scriptures to those who rarely read them. “I do think there is decline and unbelievable degrees of biblical illiteracy that we haven’t seen in previous generations, among all five of these categories of Christians,” says Lindsay. “People used to know their Bible, but now they can go week-in and week-out and not even know the order of the books. Many churches feed their congregants a steady diet of messages that do not require intellectual engagement or an understanding of the biblical narrative. And that is a huge problem.”

Leadership discussed the survey results with leading pastors and religious experts to ascertain the ramifications for church leaders. Three critical issues emerged:

 * The local church is no longer considered the only outlet for spiritual growth.

 * Churches must develop relational and community-oriented outreach.

 * Lay people have to be better equipped to be God’s ambassadors.

Full article: 5 Kinds of Christians

Technorati Tags: christians, survey, discipleship

After reading the source UMC news article mentioned at the end of this post and partially quoted below, I thought of a comment made by John Wesley sometime near the end of his life: “I am not afraid that the people called Methodists should ever cease to exist either in Europe or America. But I am afraid lest they should only exist as a dead sect, having the form of religion without the power. And this undoubtedly will be the case unless they hold fast both the doctrine, spirit, and discipline with which they first set out.”

My readings about the current state of United Methodism as well as other Protestant denominations, indicate Wesley’s fear may be justified. There are movements within United Methodism and other denominations also, that are striving for renewal of “doctrine, spirit and discipline” and I pray for success of these efforts.

Methodism began as a movement. John Wesley sought to make disciples of Jesus Christ who were both transformed individually and committed to changing the unjust practices of the society in which they lived. With their actions, Wesley’s early followers demonstrated a commitment to live faithfully and, importantly, to apply their energies to offer healing and reconciliation to the world.

This history is part of the DNA of the people of The United Methodist Church. At no time more than the present should that DNA be instructive to us. An exciting conversation has begun, and United Methodists are asking how we might recapture that early spirit of a transformational movement, thereby deepening our faith and strengthening the spiritual life of our community.

As many of us realize, The United Methodist Church in the US is aging, and our numbers are declining:

* The average United Methodist is 57 years old.

* In some countries, notably the United States, we are not effectively reaching youth and young adults; United Methodists under age 18 account for 4.6 percent of church membership.

* The number of ordained and commissioned elders under age 35 is a mere 850 in the United States.

* Membership globally is increasing, but U.S. membership has slipped below 8 million for the first time since the 1930s, even as non-white and immigrant populations in the United States rapidly grow.

* While total giving in the United States has increased, the number of givers has decreased.

Source: Commentary: Church builds vision for addressing critical issues facing United Methodists, world

Technorati Tags: UMC, renewal, john wesley