August 2010 Archives

Holy moly. That trip to Pittsburgh a few weeks ago threw me off way more than I anticipated. I guess that trip combined with a bunch of projects and some changes being made to the small group I made got me distracted. Okay, let’s try to get back on track.

The Stash is only a few items, but that just leaves me more space to blab about each, right?

Starting with some nifty science, it has been discovered that corollation exists between solar flares and small variations in the speed at which radioactive isotopes decay. There’s even evidence for a similar correlation with the period of rotation of the sun’s core. It was thought that these decay rates were pretty much static. Not so much, apparently. These scientists still don’t know the exact reason for this linkage whether it’s neutrinos or some other unknown factor, but it’s a pretty interesting discovery.

In science meets politics we have an example of a big shot movie director, James Cameron, who thinks the climate change “deniers” are crackpots, easily discredited getting scared of actually trying to make good on his claim. He planned a televised debate against one of the producers of Not Evil, Just Wrong, a movie about how climate and environmental junk science is being used to promote bad policies that can result in real harm to real people, particularly in the third world. He then proceeded to back out and cancel the event.

I recently said something similar to Tim Challies here on why I still prefer print books over e-books. I was recently offered the chance to review a tech book, but turned it down because they were going to give me an e-book.

And finally, a laugh. (HT: Lance)

For the past 15 years or so, I have been in or helped to lead a small group Bible study of some sort. In that time, I have formed some fairly definite opinions on what’s good and bad regarding such things. This summer, I have been attending a Sunday School (er, Grace Bible Hour) class on small group leadership. The goal of this class is for the leadership to explore and explain some of what they are thinking of doing with small groups. As such, small group Bible study ministry has been in my thoughts.

Don’t Force It

I would say the largest obstacle to success in the Bible Studies I have attended is the attempt by church leadership or even leaders in the group to force some sort of stricture on the group. Here are some examples:

1. The group must split every year or two to be healthy.
2. The group must adhere to curriculum X.
3. The group must, each meeting, spend X time on study, Y time on fellowship, Z time on prayer.

These kinds of regulations could only have been thought up by some life-sucking bureaucrat. They are total bunk. Here’s why: these kinds of rules assume that the groups are made of robots or plants that progress at a steady, well-understood rate. They assume that people can be stuck in a box and expected to stay there. However, people are not simple, ever. People do not like to be boxed in. These rules are demeaning and stupid and onerous and are hindrance.

Leaders Lead

A healthy group has healthy leaders. If they are healthy leaders, the strictures are just going to get in the way of them doing their job. Let the leader establish how the group works. Let him work with his members and work out the dynamics. Let him react to what things are working and not working on the ground.

If a group does not have healthy leaders, then it is time for someone to help out the group and interfere with it, but not through regulation. Help should be personal and charitable. How this interference happens is also going to be a matter of how the small group fits within the church government. In a typical Baptist church, that probably means the leadership cannot do much but try and help the poor leader as much as possible or try to convince them to take on another person to lead with them or for them.

Christ First

Finally and vitally, The most important thing a small group Bible study can do is keep their eyes on Christ. He cannot just be first in word. You cannot say he is first and then actively pursue some small group growth ministry as your model. The small groups must focus on prayer, on exploring and understanding the Word, on application of the Word, on worship, on evangelism, on encouraging and lifting up our brothers and sisters.

Once Christ is your focus, the practical business of building a group, adding new members, establishing new groups, etc. can be brought in and follows naturally. It should not be an afterthought and cannot be ignored. Yet, I think the danger with any program of small group ministry is a temptation to focus on practical matters rather than Christ. Pragmatic ministry is a great danger and I think one we should work against that danger by seeking Christ first.

Cheers.

Without further ado…

Frank Turk reminds Christians that, “You don’t need a perfect confession to save you, but you do need a faith which is perfecting you, not leading you into more error.”

So true.

Moving toward politics, religious freedom is now becoming a thing of the past. If you hold to Biblical Christian beliefs regarding homosexuality and other sexual perversions, you might not be able to get a degree from a secular university anymore. This has now been confirmed in court. Our society is progressing on a path that leads to greater exultation of destructive, God-hating, sinful behaviors. I think this gives me a perfect segway into…

Some folks over at the Gospel Coalition have some interesting comments on the current Reformed movement among evangelicals—a call to a high view of Biblical theology and scripture and setting ourselves as those who stand on the truth of the Bible is needed. Compromise with our corrupt culture is becoming less attractive every day.

My friend, Jay Risner, has some sobering thoughts on modern American tyranny and the speed at which we’re embracing shackles with a smiley sticker on them. A former ambassador, Alan Keyes, concurs and discusses how real racism happens when ideology is paired to race. There’s this great quote in there from him:

“What did it mean to be a slave?” Keyes asked. “It meant that you actually had guaranteed shelter, guaranteed clothing. Your master guaranteed your food, your clothing, your shelter and a job. [sic] “Sounds interesting, doesn’t it?” he said. “That’s exactly what the Obama faction and the leftists and the socialists and the so-called ‘liberals’ want to pretend is what all Americans should aspire to.”

Speaking of tyranny, I’m thinking of moving to Misery… er, I mean, Missouri. I’m jealous. I’m frustrated that our own Kansas legislators have not been able to get a similar measure through.

Jay Leno had some great words regarding Obama’s recent 49th birthday (HT: Newsbusters):

And finally, this is a good analogy for life sometimes:

Cheers.

Last week I mentioned a story about how deconversions are glorified by many secularists. As I was making coffee today I was thinking about blogging about my 2 Peter study and was reminded of one of the most popular recent posts of my old blog. That post was part of a series of Christian myths I looked at and one of them was the myth of “I used to be a Christian”.

I’ve sometimes wondered why that particular post was more popular than others (“more” being purely relative, it was not popular compared to any “real” blog). I suppose it may have been linked on some forum somewhere or whatever, but still. Why reply or post it even? I’m nobody. I had no real following and it was nothing but ranty blog. Thinking about it now, I realize there is at least one reason someone may have taken it seriously: deconversion is a sacrament.

I’m sure the atheists out there get annoyed at us Christians projecting our religious practices upon others. Still, though, whether you call them sacraments or something else, there are certain activities that are sacred to every group. You attack that practice and expect to face the group’s wrath in return.

I think this is the case for agnostics and atheists and their deconversion. It holds the same sacred place in their hearts as a conversion experience does for certain Christian sects and cults. As long as you can point back to when you became wise, you know your experience is authentic. Attack that and you are attacking a sacred cow. Prepare for righteous indignation.

Interestingly, I don’t see the conversion experience of much important in my Bible. It’s not unimportant, as we do see Saul’s confrontation that leads to conversion and we see conversions reported in the New Testament, but they aren’t especially glorified after the fact. Living a life that glorifies God and seeks out knowledge of Christ and him crucified seems to be the important facts after conversion. Conversion is just part of the process. Of course, now I’ve just stepped on the practice of deconversion and conversion tales… oh well. No one has commented on my new blog yet, so maybe that’s enough to get a comment. Eh? Probably not.

Cheers.

Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. — 2 Peter 1:1-2

Letters from the apostles always begin with a salutation that sounds very similar to this. I suppose if letter writing were the ordeal it would have been then, letters today would probably be long and well-introduced like this as well. Yet, as common as the salutation is, it is still full of valuable content. Let’s take a look at a few of these.

To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours: This is a truly fascinating remark to me. Peter starts by mentioning his position as apostle and using the term “servant,” literally a Roman slave. He makes the claim of servant-leadership, like the service Christ rendered in washing his disciples feet before his last meal before the cross. (John 13:4)

He continues by humbling himself further by noting that his faith, the faith of one who knew Christ, is of equal standing to those to whom he is writing. Peter was a special member of the Twelve, but his faith is the same as our faith. He was just a sinner saved by faith in the sacrifice of the Creator-Man, Jesus Christ. As Jesus told Thomas, who wanted some proof of Jesus’ identity after the resurrection, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed.” (John 20:29) Christ was referring to the faith of the very men and women Peter was writing. Peter reaffirms it in this greeting.

By the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: This faith we have in common with Peter is in “our God and Savior Jesus Christ.” This is somewhat contentious among certain anti-Christian sects who try to say that God and Jesus are separate individuals and yet Peter continues to repeat the theme throughout this letter. (2 Peter 1:11; 2:20; 3:2, 18) Jesus is God and Savior. (Matthew 1:23; Isaiah 9:6; 1 Corinthians 15:47)

May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. Grace is that which will allow Christ’s followers, in that faith of equal standing with Peter, into the presence of God. Grace is only needed where there is sin and boy is there ever sin. It is greatly confusing in this post-modern age how many try to say that man is not inherently sinful when this is really the easiest doctrine to see played out every day in humanity. It is the greatest delusion of our age that people think they are not sinners.

Grace is an unmerited gift. Grace comes in two forms. The first form is a general form that is universally received from God. God is restrained from judging the great sin of the nations and provides means by which sin is restrained. It’s not beneficial or convenient for sinners to sin constantly. This is a form of general grace.

What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath [sinners] prepared for destruction. — Romans 9:22

The second form of grace is a specific kind received only by believers. This is the kind of grace Peter is referring to here. This grace is given to those who rely upon the work of Jesus Christ on the cross to become a ransom for the sins of that believer. (Matthew 20:28; Ephesians 1:7; Acts 10:43) This grace flows from the Christian to others, “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors,” goes the Lord’s prayer. (Matthew 6:12)

Peter’s salutation tells us that we have peace and grace through Christ. He tells us about the deity of Christ. He also teaches us to seek humility and follow the servant-leadership model of Christ. So much in such a small, seemingly irrelevant, bit of text. Amen.

Cheers.

This week is kind of sparse. I’m not sure whether it was because I was so busy in the mornings and evenings this week or that nothing sparked my interest, but here’s my stash this week.

Sometimes I wonder what country I live in. When customs and border protection are more important than the life of a child, the world is broken. (HT: Len)

The New York Times reports a very interesting story related to a court ruling that limits the infamous (among geeks) Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) from being used to protect things that have nothing to do with copyright. This is fairly important because companies, such as Apple, have tried to use such provisions not to protect their intellectual property, but to protect revenue streams that aren’t related to copyright. (HT: Rob & Nolan)

Check out this genetic marvel. In Britain, a dark-skinned man and woman gave birth to a blond and blue-eyed daughter. Those pictured are her actual birth parents and she’s not an albino. It’s a very interesting case that might help explain why some people are fair skinned and blue eyed while the dominant genes are neither.

Phil Johnson has a great Primer on Antinomianism. If you are aware of the Lordship Salvation debate sparked by John MacArthur and his opponents a few years ago, this is an important doctrine to be aware of. Basically, antinomianism denies that the law has any use to a believer once he believes. Believers in Lordship Salvation affirm what Luther said in his 95 Theses, that the law continues to be a guide to believers after salvation, that adherence to the law is still significant even while under grace.

I often take my collection of Bibles for granted. David, over at The Thirsty Theologian shares part of Tyndale’s biography and how he died to bring us the text of scripture in English against the wishes of his king and the Catholic Church. He paid the ultimate price for his desire to get the Bible translated into vernacular.

This is an “awesome” product. It’s a desk you can attach to your steering wheel. (Not while driving, of course.) I highly recommend checking out the customer photos. (HT: Len)

Rakudo Star is an early adopters edition of Perl 6. I’m trying to decide on whether I want to come up with a hobby project to give it try on. It would be fun.

That’s it for this week. Next week, I will be traveling, but I still plan to post. I make no promises, though.

Cheers.