Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Our Relationship With Sin:
If you are in Christ, look at how the Bible describes your relationship with sin.
Sin is no longer your king: “Let not sin therefore reign” (Rom. 6:12).
Sin is not your commander: “Do not present your members to sin as weapons” (vs. 13).
Sin is done being your dictator: “For sin will have no dominion over you” (vs. 14).
Sin is no longer your master: “You were slaves of sin” (vs. 20).
Sin is no longer your employer: “The wages of sin is death” (vs. 23).
Sin controlled you, but no more. You are free. Jesus smashed sin’s scepter, and now he reigns forever. The Lion of Judah roars against all other predators.
But maybe you don’t feel like you are dead to sin. There is hope. If you are a Christian and your life still sleeps in the pigpen-it is time to confess, repent, and walk in the freedom that Jesus has already purchased for you. Go back to the gospel-again. Not for conversion, but for comfort. The gospel-Jesus’ death and resurrection- is a one-time event, but we believe it more than once-we believe it and re-believe it every day. God’s gospel declares that you are free. You are safe in Christ, and he is ready to help you. Go to God. Cherish the foreverness of Jesus work for you, walk in grace, and life change is on the way. In fact it has already touched down.
Paul’s instruction from Romans 6:11 is clear: “You also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” Believe it. Don’t close this blog till you do. Your being dead to sin is as true and real as Jesus being alive. Christian, you must consider your ties with sin to be forever severed by the blood of Jesus. This is what it means to believe the gospel again-believing the glorious gifts of the gospel.
No Condemnation:
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.-Romans 8:1
Today there are all kinds of gluten-free products. Even some makers of bottled water want to assure you that their water contains no gluten. But gluten-free doesn’t mean “zero gluten present.” The FDA says a food can be classified gluten-free as long as it contains less than twenty-two parts per million of gluten. (That’s a very small amount. It’s the lowest amount that can be detected with our twenty-first century gadgets and gizmos).
But while such not-quite-pure purity standards may fly in the world, they don’t in the kingdom of Christ. The good news of the gospel is that not even a trace of condemnation towards you remains. Your identity is in Christ, and you are therefore labeled “condemnation-free”- declared so by God, whose all-seeing eye detects even the minutest impurities. You are fully forgiven of all your cosmic crimes. Your treason against the King of kings has been wiped from your record because the King himself took all of the charges and was punished in your place. The sins you are most ashamed of, the ones that knot your stomach as you think of them-Jesus died for them all, and now God says, “Don’t you dare feel condemned any longer. I love you. My Son has cleansed you. Forever.” You are justified, legally righteous, because of Jesus-and not only that, but you are also adopted. Justification is a great grace, and to be adopted into God’s family is a grace upon grace. Yet that’s all he ever gives his children-matchless, infinite, marvelous grace.
You need Romans 8:1 in your back pocket, because condemnation will read it’s ugly face at any given moment. Satan’s forces prowl the earth, and they will try to smother your joy and hem you in to a guilt-driven existence. But Romans 8:1 can serve as Kevlar against the devil’s fiery potshots.
God loves you so much! He wants you to feel it. He cares for you. All he gives you is grace. He didn’t save you so you could hang your head and feel guilty-that’s not what he wants for you. He wants you to experience freedom, joy, and a life centered on the gospel.
The Importance of Catechisms:
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died-more than that, who was raised-who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “for your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Question 1: Why should I not doubt God’s love and care for me? (v. 31-32)
Answer: If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?
Question 2: How come charges will not stand against me? (v.33)
Answer: It is God who justifies.
Question 3: Can I ever be condemned? (v. 34)
Answer: Christ Jesus is the one who died-more than that, who was raised-who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.
Question 4: Can anything separate me from the love of Christ? Will I ever be unloved by God? (v.37-39)
Answer: No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Paul is giving us a gospel-centered catechism. The questions are helpful, but the answers are the weapon we need. What weapon does Paul give when we fear condemnation? Read our Bible more? Pray harder? None of these. Stand-alone spiritual disciplines are just vehicles that help us draw near to God. They aren’t the answer to a struggling heart; rather, they take us to the answer. Each question is answered with a gospel treasure. And it always comes back to God’s love.
The Romans 8 passage lauds God’s love four times in three verses. God wants you to know and feel his love. Why else frame every answer with it? You can never feel too loved by God. Are you sure of his love? That’s the point of the catechism: to be sure. Preach to yourself the immeasurable, matchless bounty of God’s love for you. Here’s a responsive reading, based on Romans 8:31-39, that can assist you in catechizing yourself with the Gospel.
I struggle to believe God’s love and care for me. Is there hope?
God is for me. No one can stand against God’s plan for me. He didn’t spare his Son but gave him up for us all, and that includes me. So how will he not also with him graciously give me all things?
Is it true that God won’t case me aside? I’ve done some bad things; I’ll never be good enough.
No one can condemn me, for Jesus died in my place. More than that, he is alive-and he reigns over my life and is interceding for me.
My life is heavy; things aren’t going as I planned. I thought God loved me.
Nothing can separate me from God’s love. Trouble, distress, persecution, poverty, danger, and death cannot remove me from God’s grace. In all these things, I am more than a conqueror through him who loved me.
Satan prowls around me. I’ve sinned too much. I’ve sinned too big. I’m nervous about my future.
I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus my Lord.
Christian, may you preach these precious truths to yourself every day.
I Am Fat:
Hello. My name is T Welch and I am fat.
I woke up this morning, looked in the mirror and realized for the first time in my life that I am fat. I stepped on the scale and was blown away that I now way ten pounds more than when I graduated college. I'm fat. I have eaten too many Dairi-O hot dogs. I have eaten too many plates of fried chicken at church potlucks. I have eaten too many Krispy Kreme donuts donated by church members. I have sat too many hours behind a computer typing blogs and preparing Sunday School lessons. I'm fat.
After realizing that I am physically fat, I sat down this morning to spend time with the Lord. As I was reading through the Book of Isaiah the Lord impressed upon me that I am not only physically fat but I am also spiritually fat. I could not remember the last time I had shared my faith with an unbeliever. I could not even remember the last time I spent time with an unbeliever. I work in a church surrounded by Christians. I visit Christians in the hospital. I listen to Christian sermons. I teach Sunday School and Wednesday nights to rooms filled mostly with Christians. I serve in various ways around the church; however, I am always surrounded by Christians. Sadly, I can not name one friend who is not a Christian. It has been a long time since I sat down with an individual who is not a Christian and shared the Good News of Salvation. I'm fat.
The solution to solve my physical fatness is to watch what I eat, count calories, exercise, and avoid the Dairi-O (except for Sunday nights). I need to become more active. If I am disciplined and watch what I eat I will be able to lose weight.
The same solution is true for my spiritual fatness. I need to make it a priority to share my faith with individuals who do not know Jesus Christ. I need to make it a priority to reach out to my neighbors and share the Gospel with them. I need to do the hard work of crossing the street and interacting with individuals who need to hear the Gospel. I need to get out of the church office and into the schools, neighborhoods, etc. to share my faith with others.
I will continue to gain weight both physically and spiritually if I continue on the path I am traveling. I will only lose weight if I discipline myself and make an effort to change. It will take work and will be painful at first but in the end it will be worth it. In the end if I am disciplined to lose physical weight, I will develop a habit of healthy eating, physical exercise and have more energy. I will be able to serve my family and the church better. In the end if I am disciplined to lose spiritual weight, I will develop a habit of befriending sinners, sharing my faith and establishing God's Kingdom on this Earth. I will be able to serve my family and the church better if I lose my spiritual weight.
In conclusion, I can not do this on my own. I need your help to hold me accountable. I need your help and encouragement to lose both physical and spiritual weight. Will you help me?
I woke up this morning, looked in the mirror and realized for the first time in my life that I am fat. I stepped on the scale and was blown away that I now way ten pounds more than when I graduated college. I'm fat. I have eaten too many Dairi-O hot dogs. I have eaten too many plates of fried chicken at church potlucks. I have eaten too many Krispy Kreme donuts donated by church members. I have sat too many hours behind a computer typing blogs and preparing Sunday School lessons. I'm fat.
After realizing that I am physically fat, I sat down this morning to spend time with the Lord. As I was reading through the Book of Isaiah the Lord impressed upon me that I am not only physically fat but I am also spiritually fat. I could not remember the last time I had shared my faith with an unbeliever. I could not even remember the last time I spent time with an unbeliever. I work in a church surrounded by Christians. I visit Christians in the hospital. I listen to Christian sermons. I teach Sunday School and Wednesday nights to rooms filled mostly with Christians. I serve in various ways around the church; however, I am always surrounded by Christians. Sadly, I can not name one friend who is not a Christian. It has been a long time since I sat down with an individual who is not a Christian and shared the Good News of Salvation. I'm fat.
The solution to solve my physical fatness is to watch what I eat, count calories, exercise, and avoid the Dairi-O (except for Sunday nights). I need to become more active. If I am disciplined and watch what I eat I will be able to lose weight.
The same solution is true for my spiritual fatness. I need to make it a priority to share my faith with individuals who do not know Jesus Christ. I need to make it a priority to reach out to my neighbors and share the Gospel with them. I need to do the hard work of crossing the street and interacting with individuals who need to hear the Gospel. I need to get out of the church office and into the schools, neighborhoods, etc. to share my faith with others.
I will continue to gain weight both physically and spiritually if I continue on the path I am traveling. I will only lose weight if I discipline myself and make an effort to change. It will take work and will be painful at first but in the end it will be worth it. In the end if I am disciplined to lose physical weight, I will develop a habit of healthy eating, physical exercise and have more energy. I will be able to serve my family and the church better. In the end if I am disciplined to lose spiritual weight, I will develop a habit of befriending sinners, sharing my faith and establishing God's Kingdom on this Earth. I will be able to serve my family and the church better if I lose my spiritual weight.
In conclusion, I can not do this on my own. I need your help to hold me accountable. I need your help and encouragement to lose both physical and spiritual weight. Will you help me?
9 Things You Should Know About Transgenderism:
1. Transgenderism is an umbrella term for the state or condition of identifying or expressing a gender identity that does not match a person's physical/genetic sex. Transgender is independent of sexual orientation, and those who self-identify as transgender may consider themselves to be heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, pansexual, polysexual, or asexual. Approximately 700,000 individuals in the U.S. identify as transgender.
2. Transgenderism differs from intersex, a variation in sex characteristics including chromosomes, gonads, or genitals that do not allow an individual to be distinctly identified as male or female. Intersex is a physical condition while transgender is a psychological condition. The vast majority of people with intersex conditions identify as male or female rather than transgender or transsexual. (The term “hermaphrodite” is now considered outdated, inaccurate, and offensive as a reference to people who are intersex.)
3. The terms transgender, transsexual, and transvestite are not synonymous. Transsexual is a narrower term used to refer to people who identify as the opposite of their birth gender designation, regardless of whether they have undergone or intend to undergo hormone replacement therapy and/or sex reassignment surgery. A transvestite is a person who cross-dresses, or dresses in clothes of the opposite sex, though they may not identify with, or want to be the opposite gender. All transexuals are transgender, but transvestites do not necessarily fall into either of the other categories.
4. The LGBTQIA community considers gender to be a trait that exists along a continuum. Transgenders can thus be bigender (move between feminine and masculine gender-typed behavior depending on context), trigender (shifting between male, female, and a third gender), pangender (all genders at once), genderqueer (a catchall for people who consider themselves any of the subsets of transgender, such as genderless, pangender, etc.).
5. The term cisgender is used to refer to individuals who have a match between the gender they were assigned at birth, their bodies, and their personal identity. Cisgender is often used within the LGBTQIA community to refer to people who are not transgender.
6. In the 1960s Johns Hopkins University became the first American medical center to offer “sex-reassignment surgery.” But they later stopped performing the procedure after a study on transgendered people in the 1970s. The study compared the outcomes of transgendered people who had the surgery with the outcomes of those who did not. Most of the surgically treated patients described themselves as “satisfied” by the results, but their subsequent psycho-social adjustments were no better than those who didn't have the surgery. As Dr. McHugh, former psychiatrist in chief at Johns Hopkins Hospital, explains, “at Hopkins we stopped doing sex-reassignment surgery, since producing a “satisfied” but still troubled patient seemed an inadequate reason for surgically amputating normal organs.”
7. When children who reported transgender feelings were tracked without medical or surgical treatment at both Vanderbilt University and London's Portman Clinic, 70-80 percent of them spontaneously lost those feelings. Some 25 percent did have persisting feelings, notes Dr. McHugh, but what differentiates those individuals remains to be discerned. Despite such studies several states—including California, New Jersey and Massachusetts—have passed laws barring psychiatrists, even with parental permission, from striving to restore natural gender feelings to a transgender minor.
8. A 2011 study at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden followed 324 people who had sex-reassignment surgery (191 male-to-females, 133 female-to-males) from 1973 to 2003. The overall rate of death was higher than expected, with suicide being the leading cause. Those who had the sex-change surgery were almost 20 times more likely to take their own lives than the non-transgender population. They were also more likely to seek in-house treatment for psychiatric conditions.
9. At the heart of the problem is confusion over the nature of the transgendered, says McHugh. “'Sex change' is biologically impossible,” he adds. “People who undergo sex-reassignment surgery do not change from men to women or vice versa. Rather, they become feminized men or masculinized women. Claiming that this is civil-rights matter and encouraging surgical intervention is in reality to collaborate with and promote a mental disorder.”
Original Article: 9 Things You Should Know About Transgenderism
Original Author: Joe Carter
Supreme Court & Same Sex Marriage:
Original Article: Supreme Court
Original Author: Andrew Walker
This afternoon the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear an appeal in a same-sex marriage case out of the Sixth Circuit. This means, with all likelihood, that the Court is destined to answer once and for all whether there’s a constitutional right to same-sex marriage.
There’s too much that could be commented on, whether the break-neck pace in which all this has progressed; the judicial paving-over of millions of Americans who voted, constitutionally, to uphold marriage as the union of a man and woman; or the real threat posed to religious liberty as the sexual liberation agenda continues unhindered.
As a younger evangelical voice engaged on this issue I wonder, How should evangelicals react to the Court’s taking up of this issue? We ought to pray and hope for the best but plan for what Justice Scalia predicted in 2013: “As far as this Court is concerned, no one should be fooled; it is just a matter of listening and waiting for the other shoe.”
Listening to the Right Voice
As faithful Christians, whatever comes when the final decision is handed down in June, we’ll insist, like we’ve said countless times before in every generation, that no Court or Constitution can define what doesn’t belong to its purview. This stance may put us at odds with the Vox Americana, but it will not put us at odds with the Vox Dei.
Whatever the Supreme Court decides, Christians aren't cowering because of any ruling. The truths of the Permanent Things will always be resurgent, as they are in every generation, despite whatever steps Caesar takes to promote false gospels.
No doubt, in the short term, advocates for marriage have their work to do. In the long run, marriage is resilient, because the truth is resilient. The anthropological truth is that men and woman are different. The biological truth is that only men and woman can reproduce. The social truth is that children need moms and dads. The political truth is that governments require well-adjusted citizens who become responsible parents, workers, and taxpayers.
Society Needs Marriage
Marriage is the best place for all these truths to take shape. No electoral consensus can change what’s true. Sooner or later, the collateral damage of the Sexual Revolution will convince people to rethink their indifference to social policy and social institutions. When they do, they’ll find a band of happy warriors dedicated to improving society through the “little platoons,” the natural family.
What should we do in the meantime? Continue to assault the foundations of the Sexual Revolution, love your neighbor who may strongly disagree, build strong families, vote, get connected to a local church, worship weekly, and remember that Jesus, not Justice Kennedy, sits at the right hand of the Father. Remember also that a church in exile is never a church in retreat.
Whether the Court rules, the church must be prepared, as it did in its infancy, to work among the cultural ruins to reaffirm our commitment to the value and immutability of marriage.
Original Author: Andrew Walker
This afternoon the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear an appeal in a same-sex marriage case out of the Sixth Circuit. This means, with all likelihood, that the Court is destined to answer once and for all whether there’s a constitutional right to same-sex marriage.
There’s too much that could be commented on, whether the break-neck pace in which all this has progressed; the judicial paving-over of millions of Americans who voted, constitutionally, to uphold marriage as the union of a man and woman; or the real threat posed to religious liberty as the sexual liberation agenda continues unhindered.
As a younger evangelical voice engaged on this issue I wonder, How should evangelicals react to the Court’s taking up of this issue? We ought to pray and hope for the best but plan for what Justice Scalia predicted in 2013: “As far as this Court is concerned, no one should be fooled; it is just a matter of listening and waiting for the other shoe.”
Listening to the Right Voice
As faithful Christians, whatever comes when the final decision is handed down in June, we’ll insist, like we’ve said countless times before in every generation, that no Court or Constitution can define what doesn’t belong to its purview. This stance may put us at odds with the Vox Americana, but it will not put us at odds with the Vox Dei.
Whatever the Supreme Court decides, Christians aren't cowering because of any ruling. The truths of the Permanent Things will always be resurgent, as they are in every generation, despite whatever steps Caesar takes to promote false gospels.
No doubt, in the short term, advocates for marriage have their work to do. In the long run, marriage is resilient, because the truth is resilient. The anthropological truth is that men and woman are different. The biological truth is that only men and woman can reproduce. The social truth is that children need moms and dads. The political truth is that governments require well-adjusted citizens who become responsible parents, workers, and taxpayers.
Society Needs Marriage
Marriage is the best place for all these truths to take shape. No electoral consensus can change what’s true. Sooner or later, the collateral damage of the Sexual Revolution will convince people to rethink their indifference to social policy and social institutions. When they do, they’ll find a band of happy warriors dedicated to improving society through the “little platoons,” the natural family.
What should we do in the meantime? Continue to assault the foundations of the Sexual Revolution, love your neighbor who may strongly disagree, build strong families, vote, get connected to a local church, worship weekly, and remember that Jesus, not Justice Kennedy, sits at the right hand of the Father. Remember also that a church in exile is never a church in retreat.
Whether the Court rules, the church must be prepared, as it did in its infancy, to work among the cultural ruins to reaffirm our commitment to the value and immutability of marriage.
Monday, April 27, 2015
Friday, April 24, 2015
What Should the Church Say to Bruce Jenner?
Author: Russel Moore
Original Article: What Should the Church Say to Bruce Jenner?
Original Date: August 24, 2015
In the 1970s Bruce Jenner seemed to have it all—fame, wealth, admiration. He was an Olympic star, so popular in American culture that he was reputedly considered for both the roles of Superman and James Bond. That’s changed. Now, Jenner is best known as the step-father on reality television’s Keeping Up with the Kardashians. Jenner is now ready for one more change. He says he knows what he’s been missing: his identity as a woman.
Jenner has reportedly undergone surgery to make himself appear more like a woman and has been photographed wearing dresses. Now, in a highly publicized interview with with Diane Sawyer, he says that his “whole life has been leading up to this.”
Bruce Jenner, of course, is a symbol, a celebrity spokesperson for an entire mentality that sees gender as separate from biological identity. So is there a word from God to the transgender community? How should the church address the Bruce Jenner in your neighborhood, who doesn’t have the star power or the Malibu mansions but who has the same alienation of self?
First of all, we should avoid the temptation to laugh at these suffering souls. We do not see our transgendered neighbors as freaks to be despised. They feel alienated from their identities as men or women and are seeking a solution to that in self-display or in surgery or in pumping their bodies with the other sex’s hormones. In a fallen universe, all of us are alienated, in some way, from who were designed to be. That alienation manifests itself in different ways in different people.
But neither should we fall for the cultural narrative behind the transgender turn. This narrative is rooted in the ancient heresy of Gnosticism, with the idea that the “real” self is separate from who one is as an embodied, material being. Body parts and chromosomal patterns are dispensable since the self is radically disconnected from the body, the psychic from the material.
The old Gnostic heresy is joined with contemporary expressive individualism—the idea that I must be true to whomever I perceive my “real me” to be on the inside in order to be “authentic.” This is what leads, in other news of the week, some parents to “transition” the gender identity of their child at ages as early as four years old.
It is somewhat ironic that Jenner’s interview comes in the same week as Earth Day. Earth Day, of course, reminds us that human desires and human technologies ought to have limits. Just because a corporation has the technological power to raze a forest or level a mountain or to dump toxins into a water system is no sign that one should do so. The common good means human beings learning to live in balance and harmony with nature, not with a rapacious domination of it.
What is true of natural ecology is true of human ecology as well. Techno-utopian scientism tells us that we can transcend our limits, to become as gods. For some, that manifests itself in believing that humanity can pollute its own ecosystem with impunity. For others it manifests itself in believing that they can transcend the boundaries of the male/female polarity. A biblical view of our place in the universe is quite different. We are not machines, to be reprogrammed at will; we are creatures.
That vision includes a respect for God’s natural, creative order that reflects His wisdom and Lordship over the world. Our maleness and femaleness is very much part of that wisdom and Lordship. We are born not out of self-effort but in the pure providence of our creator. Our given gender points us to an even deeper reality—to the unity and complementarity of Christ and the church. A rejection of the goodness of those creational realities then is a revolt against God’s lordship, and against the picture of the gospel that God has embedded in the creation.
The hope for Bruce Jenner, and for others like him, is not to alter the body with surgery or to flood their system with hormones. The answer is to realize that all of us are born alienated from what we were created to be. We don’t need to fix what happened in our first birth; we need a new birth altogether.
For the church, this is going to mean both conviction and wisdom. Our transgender neighbors experience real suffering, and we should suffer with them. The answers the culture and the Sexual Revolution-Industrial Complex offer can’t relieve that suffering. We should stand for God’s good design, including around what Jesus says has been true “from the beginning”—that we are created male and female, not as self-willed designations but as part of God’s creative act (Mk. 10:6).
In so doing, what every previous civilization would have seen as obvious, that maleness and femaleness are part of our biological design, will be seen as out-of-kilter with the culture. So be it. We will stand with conviction, even as we offer mercy. We’ve been called to keep in step with the Spirit, even if we can’t always keep up with the Kardashians.
Original Article: What Should the Church Say to Bruce Jenner?
Original Date: August 24, 2015
In the 1970s Bruce Jenner seemed to have it all—fame, wealth, admiration. He was an Olympic star, so popular in American culture that he was reputedly considered for both the roles of Superman and James Bond. That’s changed. Now, Jenner is best known as the step-father on reality television’s Keeping Up with the Kardashians. Jenner is now ready for one more change. He says he knows what he’s been missing: his identity as a woman.
Jenner has reportedly undergone surgery to make himself appear more like a woman and has been photographed wearing dresses. Now, in a highly publicized interview with with Diane Sawyer, he says that his “whole life has been leading up to this.”
Bruce Jenner, of course, is a symbol, a celebrity spokesperson for an entire mentality that sees gender as separate from biological identity. So is there a word from God to the transgender community? How should the church address the Bruce Jenner in your neighborhood, who doesn’t have the star power or the Malibu mansions but who has the same alienation of self?
First of all, we should avoid the temptation to laugh at these suffering souls. We do not see our transgendered neighbors as freaks to be despised. They feel alienated from their identities as men or women and are seeking a solution to that in self-display or in surgery or in pumping their bodies with the other sex’s hormones. In a fallen universe, all of us are alienated, in some way, from who were designed to be. That alienation manifests itself in different ways in different people.
But neither should we fall for the cultural narrative behind the transgender turn. This narrative is rooted in the ancient heresy of Gnosticism, with the idea that the “real” self is separate from who one is as an embodied, material being. Body parts and chromosomal patterns are dispensable since the self is radically disconnected from the body, the psychic from the material.
The old Gnostic heresy is joined with contemporary expressive individualism—the idea that I must be true to whomever I perceive my “real me” to be on the inside in order to be “authentic.” This is what leads, in other news of the week, some parents to “transition” the gender identity of their child at ages as early as four years old.
It is somewhat ironic that Jenner’s interview comes in the same week as Earth Day. Earth Day, of course, reminds us that human desires and human technologies ought to have limits. Just because a corporation has the technological power to raze a forest or level a mountain or to dump toxins into a water system is no sign that one should do so. The common good means human beings learning to live in balance and harmony with nature, not with a rapacious domination of it.
What is true of natural ecology is true of human ecology as well. Techno-utopian scientism tells us that we can transcend our limits, to become as gods. For some, that manifests itself in believing that humanity can pollute its own ecosystem with impunity. For others it manifests itself in believing that they can transcend the boundaries of the male/female polarity. A biblical view of our place in the universe is quite different. We are not machines, to be reprogrammed at will; we are creatures.
That vision includes a respect for God’s natural, creative order that reflects His wisdom and Lordship over the world. Our maleness and femaleness is very much part of that wisdom and Lordship. We are born not out of self-effort but in the pure providence of our creator. Our given gender points us to an even deeper reality—to the unity and complementarity of Christ and the church. A rejection of the goodness of those creational realities then is a revolt against God’s lordship, and against the picture of the gospel that God has embedded in the creation.
The hope for Bruce Jenner, and for others like him, is not to alter the body with surgery or to flood their system with hormones. The answer is to realize that all of us are born alienated from what we were created to be. We don’t need to fix what happened in our first birth; we need a new birth altogether.
For the church, this is going to mean both conviction and wisdom. Our transgender neighbors experience real suffering, and we should suffer with them. The answers the culture and the Sexual Revolution-Industrial Complex offer can’t relieve that suffering. We should stand for God’s good design, including around what Jesus says has been true “from the beginning”—that we are created male and female, not as self-willed designations but as part of God’s creative act (Mk. 10:6).
In so doing, what every previous civilization would have seen as obvious, that maleness and femaleness are part of our biological design, will be seen as out-of-kilter with the culture. So be it. We will stand with conviction, even as we offer mercy. We’ve been called to keep in step with the Spirit, even if we can’t always keep up with the Kardashians.
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Time Hop, Liberty University and the Local Church:
I know this to be true because on my phone I have an app called "Timehop". Timehop's job is to show previous posts and tweets. The app is a lot of fun and most of the time the app brings back great memories; however, every once in a while a post will come up which reminds me of my pride. For example, this past week I saw several posts which said something to the extent of it being a sin to plant a church in America and another which said that it was a sin to stay in America and work in a church.
To understand these posts you must understand that during college my heart was 100% sold out to International Missions (it still is). I was in a culture of religious college students who wanted to sit around all day and debate (to be fair I also like a good debate) instead of taking the Gospel to a lost and dying world and it broke my heart. I took to social media to express my frustration.
When I graduated from college I thought I would marry Julia and we would spend the rest of our lives in India serving the least of these and spreading the supremacy of Christ among all peoples. God had a different plan.
Instead of serving in India, the Lord directed us to Ghana, Africa and instead of serving for life we served for two years. While it was very hard, it was also very rewarding and we do not regret our time overseas. We were only able to serve two years overseas due to student loans. When I realized that our time on the field was coming to an end, I began applying for jobs in the States. I assumed I would return to Liberty University or Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and pursue my PhD while working in the missions department at either school. The Lord had other plans. I applied for every job which was available at either school but the Lord kept shutting the door. During this time I also began sending out resumes to churches in North Carolina.
In God's providence a church (First Baptist Stanleyville in Winston Salem, NC) and a job at Liberty University in their missions department called to schedule an interview around the same time. To be honest my heart was set on LU and I thought the Lord was opening a door. I sent my resume, references and all of my material to both places and waited for a response. The church called for an interview first and as I was driving to my interview I began praying for wisdom and direction.
When I arrived for my interview I was about an hour early so I killed time at the local McDonalds. While killing time I received an email from Liberty University informing me that they had decided to go in another direction with the job in the missions department. I was heartbroken but knew God was going to open another door. I went for my initial interview at the church...everything went well and they called me back for a second interview... after the second interview they offered me the job... I needed time to think and pray.
I spent all weekend thinking, receiving wise counsel and praying. I couldn't understand why God would break my heart for the Nations, and than not allow me to go to the Nations for life. Why He would give me a desire to pursue my PhD, and than shut the door. I could not understand why He would send me to the one place I never wanted to go... a local church in the South. It didn't make any sense. Sometimes it still doesn't make sense.
Well, you know the rest of the story... I accepted the job... traveled up to meet the church... was voted in by the church... and now I have been serving in the church since September and you wanna know what?
Everyday God is growing my heart for the local church; specifically, First Baptist Church of Stanleyville. Sure we have our problems, but what church doesn't? I could not be happier serving as the Minister of Students. I LOVE the teenagers in my youth group and I love working with them. I love the fact that there is no pretenses with them. They will push back, ask questions, express their emotions, cry, laugh, get angry and than be full of joy all in a span of five minutes. I love receiving phone calls at 1:00 am from a teen about a question which was keeping him/her up at night and I love watching them as they begin to "get" it. There is nothing greater than watching the light come on when a teen is able to connect the Bible to their life. At times I find myself walking around the church praying for church members... begging God to bless and grow our church. Every waking moment (no I'm not being dramatic) is spent thinking of ways to improve our church and build it up to be a bright light shinning in the midst of our dark community. My heart is overflowing in love for FBC Stanleyville as I write this post. The potential for us to change the world, reach our community and send out an army of missionaries is unreal. "Greater things have yet to come, Greater things are still to be done in this city."
My job is not clean cut and at times is very messy; however, I love every messy part about my job. I'm incredibly thankful God shut the door to Liberty University and Southeastern... I could not imagine working anywhere other than where I am right now. God is good.
In conclusion, may I encourage everyone reading this post to surrender your life to the Lord. His plan for your life is so much bigger and better than anything you could possibly imagine. God knows what He is doing. Surrender your life to Him and allow Him to lead, guide and direct you. You won't be disappointed. I know I am not.
When I graduated from college I thought I would marry Julia and we would spend the rest of our lives in India serving the least of these and spreading the supremacy of Christ among all peoples. God had a different plan.
Instead of serving in India, the Lord directed us to Ghana, Africa and instead of serving for life we served for two years. While it was very hard, it was also very rewarding and we do not regret our time overseas. We were only able to serve two years overseas due to student loans. When I realized that our time on the field was coming to an end, I began applying for jobs in the States. I assumed I would return to Liberty University or Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and pursue my PhD while working in the missions department at either school. The Lord had other plans. I applied for every job which was available at either school but the Lord kept shutting the door. During this time I also began sending out resumes to churches in North Carolina.
In God's providence a church (First Baptist Stanleyville in Winston Salem, NC) and a job at Liberty University in their missions department called to schedule an interview around the same time. To be honest my heart was set on LU and I thought the Lord was opening a door. I sent my resume, references and all of my material to both places and waited for a response. The church called for an interview first and as I was driving to my interview I began praying for wisdom and direction.
When I arrived for my interview I was about an hour early so I killed time at the local McDonalds. While killing time I received an email from Liberty University informing me that they had decided to go in another direction with the job in the missions department. I was heartbroken but knew God was going to open another door. I went for my initial interview at the church...everything went well and they called me back for a second interview... after the second interview they offered me the job... I needed time to think and pray.
I spent all weekend thinking, receiving wise counsel and praying. I couldn't understand why God would break my heart for the Nations, and than not allow me to go to the Nations for life. Why He would give me a desire to pursue my PhD, and than shut the door. I could not understand why He would send me to the one place I never wanted to go... a local church in the South. It didn't make any sense. Sometimes it still doesn't make sense.
Well, you know the rest of the story... I accepted the job... traveled up to meet the church... was voted in by the church... and now I have been serving in the church since September and you wanna know what?
Everyday God is growing my heart for the local church; specifically, First Baptist Church of Stanleyville. Sure we have our problems, but what church doesn't? I could not be happier serving as the Minister of Students. I LOVE the teenagers in my youth group and I love working with them. I love the fact that there is no pretenses with them. They will push back, ask questions, express their emotions, cry, laugh, get angry and than be full of joy all in a span of five minutes. I love receiving phone calls at 1:00 am from a teen about a question which was keeping him/her up at night and I love watching them as they begin to "get" it. There is nothing greater than watching the light come on when a teen is able to connect the Bible to their life. At times I find myself walking around the church praying for church members... begging God to bless and grow our church. Every waking moment (no I'm not being dramatic) is spent thinking of ways to improve our church and build it up to be a bright light shinning in the midst of our dark community. My heart is overflowing in love for FBC Stanleyville as I write this post. The potential for us to change the world, reach our community and send out an army of missionaries is unreal. "Greater things have yet to come, Greater things are still to be done in this city."
My job is not clean cut and at times is very messy; however, I love every messy part about my job. I'm incredibly thankful God shut the door to Liberty University and Southeastern... I could not imagine working anywhere other than where I am right now. God is good.
In conclusion, may I encourage everyone reading this post to surrender your life to the Lord. His plan for your life is so much bigger and better than anything you could possibly imagine. God knows what He is doing. Surrender your life to Him and allow Him to lead, guide and direct you. You won't be disappointed. I know I am not.
Monday, April 20, 2015
Why Millennials are Sick of the Church:
As a member of the Millennial generation, I feel like I’ve gotten a bad rap. Hardly a day goes by that I don’t stumble across another article that discusses why my peers and I are leaving the Church and “destroying the conservative order.” Occasionally these pieces raise valid points, but often I am left shaking my head in utter disbelief.
The fact is, you just don’t get it.
In almost every article, we are painted as either in need of a more relevant church experience, or as Godless, secular fiends that choose sin over faith. But this is overwhelmingly untrue. In fact, I have scores of friends that are head-over-heels obsessed with Jesus; yet they, like myself, are becoming increasingly disenchanted with the Church.
What we want is not “more relevance.” For the love of God, it is not about having the best music, hippest leaders, and newest building. In reality, when push comes to shove we don’t care about those things. We are simply searching for authentic community.
If we want to attend a show, we can buy a ticket to one. Having grown up in an age of Hollywood and celebrities, we could care less about your “cool status.” In fact, we can see straight through it. What we really desire is authentic community that isn’t concerned with image. We want people who we can do life with. We want leaders that are there for us when times get hard.
We don’t need another celebrity to emulate. We need someone to stand alongside us in our everyday battles.
Millennials as a whole are more diverse than any other age group. We are comfortable with people who believe very differently than us, and can easily worship alongside them. What we are looking for is a space that is safe for us and for others. We want a place where it is okay to ask questions, and express our doubts. We refuse to draw lines in the sand and require people to check their baggage at the door before entering.
We have grown tired of the “us versus them” rhetoric that is prevalent in the church today.
What we see is a Church that’s sold itself out to politics and is more concerned with maintaining the status quo than serving the least of us. Overwhelmingly, my generation is trying to return to the roots of Christianity. We are looking for fellow believers that will practice what Jesus preached. The only people who Jesus openly condemned were the religious leaders. He ate with tax collectors, forgave the adulteress, and reached out to the very ones that society cast away. Yet the Church today speaks out against every lifestyle it deems sinful; when in reality, rather than passing judgement, we should simply be pointing people to Jesus. We no longer want to participate in pretentious, religious gatherings that leave us longing for a real connection. We want people who are willing to admit that they are imperfect and broken, and the only thing holding their lives together is the very grace of God.
We have learned that no matter how loudly we speak and no matter how strong our faith is, it’s worthless without love.
In my own life, I grew tired of the Church when I realized that it cared more about being right on a few key social issues than it did about the hurting people behind them. I grew tired of worrying about the next big thing rather than building a community. I grew tired of being taught a sanctity of life rhetoric that agonized over unborn babies but looked the other way when society abused those who couldn’t stand up for themselves.
My generation and I want a Church that doesn’t require us to trade in our intellectualism for an ideology. We want people that care less about filling schedules and more about connecting on an intimate level. We want leaders that refuse to ignore the social injustices that reduce people to commodities.
If you really want to reach the Millennials, then for God’s sake stop preaching at us and start walking beside us.
Friday, April 10, 2015
Hillary Clinton for President:
I am not excited because I am going to vote for her (I've already decided I am going to be voting for Rand Paul as the Republican nominee) nor am I excited at the thought of having another democrat in office for another four years. I am excited because as a dad of a little girl I can now honestly tell my daughter she can be anything she wants to be. Unlike crazy lady Sarah Palin (who let's face it, could never be President); Hillary Clinton will receive the nomination to be the candidate for the Democrat party and has a high likelihood of being elected.
Hillary Clinton running for the office of the President will shatter the "glass" ceiling which has been holding women back for decades. Hillary Clinton will bring to the table a much needed conversation concerning equal opportunity for women across this country. Consider her quote in her book Hard Choices, ""Becoming a grandmother has made me think deeply about the responsibility we all share as stewards of the world we inherit and will one day pass on," Clinton wrote. "I'm more convinced than ever that our future in the 21st century depends on our ability to ensure that a child born in the hills of Appalachia or the Mississippi Delta or the Rio Grande Valley grows up with the same shot at success that Charlotte (her granddaughter) will." Consider two more quotes from Hillary Clinton on women's rights, "I believe that the rights of women and girls is the unfinished business of the 21st century" & "we need to make equal pay and equal opportunity for women & girls a reality so women's rights are human rights once and for all."
When Piper goes to bed at night and she looks at me asking what she should be when she grows up I can truthfully tell her she can be anything she wants to be. She can be a teacher, CEO of a multi-million dollar company, an astronaut, a stay-at-home mom, a nurse or even the President of the United States and I can tell her about women who are filling or attempting to fill each of these roles.
I wept for joy when Barack Obama was elected for his first term as President because of what his presidency meant for race relations and the African-American community (we have come a long way. Yes, we have farther to go but look how far we've come). I now weep for joy that Hillary Clinton is running for President and what that will mean for women everywhere; including my own daughter.
Thursday, April 9, 2015
To the Well-Intentioned but Ignorant Parents of Teenagers:
I speak specifically to the parents of kids old enough to be on social medias. Of course, I am no such parent, but I am a teacher of those kids. I am also only 6-10 years older than the high school students I teach. Maybe that makes me unqualified to speak out, but maybe it makes me the most qualified candidate. Many of my colleagues and the parents of my students are old enough to be my own parents, so I tend to share a comraderie with my students. And yet, I am far enough removed to be able to speak in ways that they cannot yet speak for themselves.
The reason this subject has become suddenly so urgent to me is because today I read an article about a new website called YouNow which is essentially a livestream site that a person can set up a camera feed and you can watch it constantly. Users can connect with cameras using hashtags like #sleepingsoundly. In other words, people – teenagers – are setting up cameras in their bedrooms so anyone, any stranger, can watch them sleep… or whatever. And while the stream is happening, there is a constant commentary by all watchers. I watched one today (for about ten seconds because I felt totally creepy) of a teenager somewhere singing on his porch. The comments ranged anywhere from “you have a great voice you should date me” to much more obscene things like calling the boy a “fag” and telling him he looked like various parts of genitalia. Now yes, this website is not specifically marketed for teens, and yes, there are terms of use that technically prohibit obscenity and illegal acts. But if you know anything about teenagers you know that they quickly find loopholes to most rules. The internet, especially social media, is NOT safe. And it is sobering how real this is.
You may be thinking “I’m smarter than that. I have a facebook and I watch my kids online.” You might have a Facebook. So do I. And so does my mom and my grandma and all of her friends. But you know who doesn’t have a Facebook? Your kid’s friends. 60-80% of students don’t even have a facebook. They connect with each other on Kik, an app that allows users to text each other without exchanging phone numbers. They use Snapchat, an app that allows users to send pictures that supposedly disappear forever after ten seconds. They use Whisper, an app that a user can “anonymously” tell their deepest secrets to a vast community of other secret sharers. They use Yik Yak, Vine, Tumblr, Twitter (do you know about subtweeting? you should.), Instagram, Oovoo, WhatsApp, Meerkat, and sometimes even dating apps, like Tinder.
The problem with thinking you’re smart is that I would almost guarantee that there is at least one of those apps you’ve never heard of. And if you aren’t on it, your kids probably will be.
Teenagers typically do not yet understand the importance of internet safety. Along with the age-old feeling of invulnerability that adolescence has always carried, now there is an unprecedented and intimate access to a world wide community of strangers. So instead of driving too fast or sneaking out at night, your kids might be posting naked pictures on a website you’ve never heard of to people they’ve never met.
I know, I know. Your child would never do that! Let me tell you something: You. Don’t. Know. That. You know those tiny feelings you get every day but you cope nicely because you’re an adult? Feelings like insecurity, boredom, even the loneliness of being at home when your friends are all going out – well these feelings are massive to teenagers. A combination of hormones and inexperience create a veritable powder keg of unpredictable behavior. Insecurity might lead to seeking acceptance from strangers by posting a selfie and waiting for people to reblog, like, or comment on it. Boredom might lead to extended conversations online with someone they’ve never met about deeply personal matters. Loneliness can lead to online sex. No, really. It can.
Please please hear me, parents. I am not an outdated, irrelevant old person sitting on my metaphorical front lawn griping about “kids these days”. I spend more time with teenagers than I do with people my own age. And in many cases, I spend more time with your teenagers than even you do. I am begging you to give a crap about your kids. When I was a teenager myself, social media was just gaining popularity and my mom had my Myspace and Facebook password. I never sent a message, posted a picture, or added a friend without her knowing it. It sounds extreme, but I’m safe today because of it. I can’t even count the many times I would have done something incredibly unsafe and irresponsible if not for the fact that I knew my mom was watching.
My success as an adult today can be blamed almost wholly on the fact that my parents were involved in my life. I could go on forever about the rising rate of teen suicides, sexual miscreance, and drug abuse problems that can be traced back to beginnings in social media. These things are real. And if you don’t show up in your kid’s life and give a crap, maybe no one will.
Original Post: To the Well-Intentioned but Ignorant Parents of Teenagers
Author: Emily Dickinson
Tough Questions: What Should Churches Do When Homosexuals Visit?
Homosexuality is all but accepted as normal within mainstream society. As more and more individuals choose to embrace a homosexual lifestyle it logically leads to more visitors visiting churches who are homosexuals. How should the church respond if an open homosexual couple visits the church? Below is a list of five appropriate responses…
1) We should rejoice! The church should rejoice that visitors would visit who need to hear the message of the Gospel. It is true that all visitors are sinners who need to hear the Gospel but homosexuals appear to be especially turned off to the message of the Gospel; therefore, we should rejoice that they are joining us in worship and are able to hear the Gospel made visible in welcome, announcements, songs and the preaching of the Word. The church on a typical Sunday morning should look more like a hospital waiting room and less like an interview room. The church should be filled with seekers seeking after God and saints whom God has found.
2) We need to make them feel welcome. We should go out of our way to welcome them to church. We should not point at them or whisper about them behind their back but should go up and introduce ourselves, invite them to sit with us, answer any questions they may have and afterwards invite them out to lunch to get to know them. The homosexual community does a great job at welcoming individuals and a lot of homosexuals whom I have talked with talk about a desire to belong and finding it within the homosexual community. We as the church, should go out of our way to welcome them and love them to the cross. If they do not feel welcomed they will not return and we miss out on an opportunity to watch God show His power and His grace.
3) We must remember that we are ALL sinners in need of grace. No sin is worse than another. None of us were worthy of salvation. Regeneration is a process which occurs before salvation and as followers of Christ we must patiently, humbly and with much grace walk sinners down the path of regeneration to the cross. We must remember that sinner’s sin. Homosexuals will continue to live in a sinful lifestyle; therefore, we must be patient and loving. We should share our beliefs about their lifestyle but we should focus more on the Gospel rather than emphasizing one particular sin over another. We should take them to the 10 Commandments and open for them God’s holy law in order for them to understand that they have broken God’s law. Once they understand they are sinners, the good news of the Gospel will not be foolishness but they will receive it with gladness.
4) We do not compromise. Homosexuality is a sin. As long as individuals are living in an unrepentant homosexual lifestyle they cannot join the church or serve in leadership positions. The Bible and church history is clear on the sinfulness of homosexuality and the need for homosexuals to repent and trust in Christ. “Don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit God’s kingdom? Do not be deceived: No sexually immoral people, idolaters, adulterers, or anyone practicing homosexuality…And some of you used to be like this. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”-1 Corinthians 6:9&11
5) We should rejoice when God saves them. No one is outside the saving arm of Jesus Christ. As long as there is breath in the body there is hope for the soul. If homosexuals attend church, are welcomed by church members, and the church does not compromise but preaches and sings the Gospel with boldness it should not surprise us when God saves homosexuals. We should rejoice at God’s power to save sinners & after they become Christians we should lovingly and patiently disciple them teaching them to obey all things Christ commands.
In conclusion, by God’s grace more and more homosexuals will attend our churches, hear the Gospel, repent and be radically transformed by God’s grace. We should not fear or worry when sinners visit our churches but instead should rejoice, welcome them, be patient, never compromise and rejoice when God saves them.
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
23 Words Teenagers Love to Use and What They Mean:
Parents, have you ever hear your teenager you a phrase and wonder, "what in the world does that mean?" Well, wonder no longer hear are 23 words teenagers love to use and their definitions. Try a few out on your teen today and watch them stand back in amazement.
1. “Turn up”
Definition: Want to get this party started? Then you better turn up. After all, there is nothing teens love more than #parties (except maybe #selfies). Also can be used ironically.
Used in a sentence: “Did you hear Tracy is hosting an open house rager tonight? TURN UP!”
2. “TBT” (When it isn’t Thursday)
Definition: It’s like the “Throwback Thursday” that is common vernacular for the rest of the Instagram-using world, except teens are edgy and use it on other days of the week. Throwback Thursday on a Monday? Now that is some hardcore stuff.
Used in a sentence: “TBT to dat time we were listening to Drake and drinking vodka from a water bottle in your parents’ basement!”
3. “Grind”
Definition: Used to express you are in the process of doing something difficult. You have to be “on” a grind; it modifies the preexisting process you are discussing. After all, nothing is easy when you are a teen.
Used in a sentence: “I’m on that midterms grind, I have to study at the library this weekend!”
4. “Chirped”
Definition: Basically, you just got called out. Teens love to tell it like it is, after all.
Used in a sentence: “Mrs. Smith yelled at me in class for cracking jokes. Dude, I got chirped!”
5. “Doe”
Definition: Um, it’s like “though” but better, and used for emphasis. There really isn’t much to it.
Used in a sentence: “Oh, dat test doe!”
6. “Mupload that ish”
Definition: Teens LOVE technology, so they naturally have slang for the process of uploading pictures to social media via a mobile electronic device — hence, “mupload.”
Used in a sentence: “Stacy, that was SUCH a great selfie. Mupload that ish to Facebook!”
7. “Swerve”
Definition: Use it as an exclamatory word to emphasize a statement. It also can be used at the beginning OR end of a sentence. Because teens are notoriously “difficult” this word doesn’t exactly have a concrete definition.
Used in a sentence: “That cute boy is single? Oh SWERVE doe!”
8. “Swag money”
Definition: Sort of like “swerve,” “swag money” is an emphatic phrase that can be used at either end of a sentence. It is used to convey “rich greatness” because, duh, as if teens would ever be caught saying something is just great.
Used in a sentence: “Oh swag money, we got front-row seats to the One Direction concert!”
9. “Am I right, ladies?”
Definition: Did you just drop a major truth bomb? Then feel free to use this phrase. Teens don’t just like to tell it like it is, but also to tell you that they just told it to you like it is.
Used in a sentence: “I was totally the hottest chick at the school dance, am I right, ladies?”
10. “I can’t even”
Definition: Teenagers love being “dramatic” and the best way of expressing teenage drama is through hyperbolic expressions like this. After all, teenagers usually CAN even, but what would be the fun in that?
Used in a sentence: “Ugh, I have swim practice after school and I have to study for a math test. I can’t even.”
11. “Can I get an amen?”
Definition: In the religion that is being a teenager, saying something awesome is practically gospel. To let everyone know what you just said was awesome, you use this phrase as a marker. Subtlety is not something teens are known for, after all.
Used in a sentence: “OMG David just texted me. Can I get an amen?”
12. “Flannel Friday”
Definition: This one is kind of self-explanatory. Teens like to wear flannel…on Fridays. It’s really just an excuse to wear flannel, as if you needed one in the first place.
Used in a sentence: “Hey Britney, what shirt are you going to wear on Flannel Friday?”
13. “Kk”
Definition: Used exclusively in texting, “kk” is the less passive-aggressive version of “OK.” After all, teens LOVE to be soooooo chill.
Used in a sentence: (Responding to a question) “Kk.”
14. “Is that a thing?”
Definition: Obviously, teens have the last say when it comes to setting trends. No one is more wary of something that may be phony, or lame than teens. So, in order to confirm if something is in fact “happening” both in the literal and figurative sense, teens will employ this phrase.
Used in a sentence: “OMG I just heard Justin and Selena are back on. Is that a thing?”
15. “YAAASSSSSSSS”
Definition: In a fashionable move, teens have taken the more commonly used word “yaaass” as their own. This version uses one “a” and lots of “s” and always is capitalized. It basically means “yes” but with a bajillion times more enthusiasm. Because when teens aren’t being surly, they are ready to TURN UP.
Used in a sentence: “We are so going to turn up at the party tonight YAAAAASSSS!”
16. “Hashtag”
Definition: Teens are so “with it” to the point that they use complex technological terms like “hashtag” in a sarcastic way to embellish a point they are making.
Used in a sentence: “Did you hear Lisa is dating that senior guy? Hashtag WHATEVER.”
17. “Killin’ it”
Definition: Teens are constantly doing awesome things, so they had to invent a phrase that basically means the awesomer version of awesome. That’s where “killin’ it” comes in.
Used in a sentence: “OMG I totally was killin’ it on the dance floor at prom!”
18. “Sprang break”
Definition: High schoolers are too “cool” to do spring break, so they had to invent another term. It also is often used ironically to describe a break spent visiting potential colleges.
Used in a sentence: “Ugh, so I have to visit Notre Dame, IU, and Northwestern in April. Sprang break is the worst.”
19. “Dat”
Definition: “Dat” is basically the teenage version of “that” except it is hip and fresh like the teens that use it!
Used in a sentence: “Dat boy is so cute in his prom tux. I want a piece of dat.”
20. “Mad”
Definition: It’s sort of like the teenage version of “very.” Because “very” is very lame, and “mad” is mad awesome.
Used in a sentence: “Yo, Sarah is, like, mad chill. She’s one of the coolest chicks I know. I want to ask her to prom.”
21. “Fam”
Definition: Everyone has a family, but when you are a teen, you refer to them as your “fam” because abbreviating stuff is SO mad chill. It’s especially useful to do when you are complaining about and/or making fun of them (a favorite pastime of teens everywhere).
Used in a sentence: “Ugh, I have to have dinner with the fam tonight but I can go out after.”
22. “Turnt”
Definition: You’ve definitely heard this word before, but in typical teenage fashion, the youths have taken the word and made it their own. Basically it means “fun” or “rowdy.”
Used in a sentence: “Yo Mark, are we going to get turnt for the football game tonight or what?”
23. “Fetch”
Just kidding, no one says this. Stop trying to make “fetch” happen. It’s not going to happen.
1. “Turn up”
Definition: Want to get this party started? Then you better turn up. After all, there is nothing teens love more than #parties (except maybe #selfies). Also can be used ironically.
Used in a sentence: “Did you hear Tracy is hosting an open house rager tonight? TURN UP!”
2. “TBT” (When it isn’t Thursday)
Definition: It’s like the “Throwback Thursday” that is common vernacular for the rest of the Instagram-using world, except teens are edgy and use it on other days of the week. Throwback Thursday on a Monday? Now that is some hardcore stuff.
Used in a sentence: “TBT to dat time we were listening to Drake and drinking vodka from a water bottle in your parents’ basement!”
3. “Grind”
Definition: Used to express you are in the process of doing something difficult. You have to be “on” a grind; it modifies the preexisting process you are discussing. After all, nothing is easy when you are a teen.
Used in a sentence: “I’m on that midterms grind, I have to study at the library this weekend!”
4. “Chirped”
Definition: Basically, you just got called out. Teens love to tell it like it is, after all.
Used in a sentence: “Mrs. Smith yelled at me in class for cracking jokes. Dude, I got chirped!”
5. “Doe”
Definition: Um, it’s like “though” but better, and used for emphasis. There really isn’t much to it.
Used in a sentence: “Oh, dat test doe!”
6. “Mupload that ish”
Definition: Teens LOVE technology, so they naturally have slang for the process of uploading pictures to social media via a mobile electronic device — hence, “mupload.”
Used in a sentence: “Stacy, that was SUCH a great selfie. Mupload that ish to Facebook!”
7. “Swerve”
Definition: Use it as an exclamatory word to emphasize a statement. It also can be used at the beginning OR end of a sentence. Because teens are notoriously “difficult” this word doesn’t exactly have a concrete definition.
Used in a sentence: “That cute boy is single? Oh SWERVE doe!”
8. “Swag money”
Definition: Sort of like “swerve,” “swag money” is an emphatic phrase that can be used at either end of a sentence. It is used to convey “rich greatness” because, duh, as if teens would ever be caught saying something is just great.
Used in a sentence: “Oh swag money, we got front-row seats to the One Direction concert!”
9. “Am I right, ladies?”
Definition: Did you just drop a major truth bomb? Then feel free to use this phrase. Teens don’t just like to tell it like it is, but also to tell you that they just told it to you like it is.
Used in a sentence: “I was totally the hottest chick at the school dance, am I right, ladies?”
10. “I can’t even”
Definition: Teenagers love being “dramatic” and the best way of expressing teenage drama is through hyperbolic expressions like this. After all, teenagers usually CAN even, but what would be the fun in that?
Used in a sentence: “Ugh, I have swim practice after school and I have to study for a math test. I can’t even.”
11. “Can I get an amen?”
Definition: In the religion that is being a teenager, saying something awesome is practically gospel. To let everyone know what you just said was awesome, you use this phrase as a marker. Subtlety is not something teens are known for, after all.
Used in a sentence: “OMG David just texted me. Can I get an amen?”
12. “Flannel Friday”
Definition: This one is kind of self-explanatory. Teens like to wear flannel…on Fridays. It’s really just an excuse to wear flannel, as if you needed one in the first place.
Used in a sentence: “Hey Britney, what shirt are you going to wear on Flannel Friday?”
13. “Kk”
Definition: Used exclusively in texting, “kk” is the less passive-aggressive version of “OK.” After all, teens LOVE to be soooooo chill.
Used in a sentence: (Responding to a question) “Kk.”
14. “Is that a thing?”
Definition: Obviously, teens have the last say when it comes to setting trends. No one is more wary of something that may be phony, or lame than teens. So, in order to confirm if something is in fact “happening” both in the literal and figurative sense, teens will employ this phrase.
Used in a sentence: “OMG I just heard Justin and Selena are back on. Is that a thing?”
15. “YAAASSSSSSSS”
Definition: In a fashionable move, teens have taken the more commonly used word “yaaass” as their own. This version uses one “a” and lots of “s” and always is capitalized. It basically means “yes” but with a bajillion times more enthusiasm. Because when teens aren’t being surly, they are ready to TURN UP.
Used in a sentence: “We are so going to turn up at the party tonight YAAAAASSSS!”
16. “Hashtag”
Definition: Teens are so “with it” to the point that they use complex technological terms like “hashtag” in a sarcastic way to embellish a point they are making.
Used in a sentence: “Did you hear Lisa is dating that senior guy? Hashtag WHATEVER.”
17. “Killin’ it”
Definition: Teens are constantly doing awesome things, so they had to invent a phrase that basically means the awesomer version of awesome. That’s where “killin’ it” comes in.
Used in a sentence: “OMG I totally was killin’ it on the dance floor at prom!”
18. “Sprang break”
Definition: High schoolers are too “cool” to do spring break, so they had to invent another term. It also is often used ironically to describe a break spent visiting potential colleges.
Used in a sentence: “Ugh, so I have to visit Notre Dame, IU, and Northwestern in April. Sprang break is the worst.”
19. “Dat”
Definition: “Dat” is basically the teenage version of “that” except it is hip and fresh like the teens that use it!
Used in a sentence: “Dat boy is so cute in his prom tux. I want a piece of dat.”
20. “Mad”
Definition: It’s sort of like the teenage version of “very.” Because “very” is very lame, and “mad” is mad awesome.
Used in a sentence: “Yo, Sarah is, like, mad chill. She’s one of the coolest chicks I know. I want to ask her to prom.”
21. “Fam”
Definition: Everyone has a family, but when you are a teen, you refer to them as your “fam” because abbreviating stuff is SO mad chill. It’s especially useful to do when you are complaining about and/or making fun of them (a favorite pastime of teens everywhere).
Used in a sentence: “Ugh, I have to have dinner with the fam tonight but I can go out after.”
22. “Turnt”
Definition: You’ve definitely heard this word before, but in typical teenage fashion, the youths have taken the word and made it their own. Basically it means “fun” or “rowdy.”
Used in a sentence: “Yo Mark, are we going to get turnt for the football game tonight or what?”
23. “Fetch”
Just kidding, no one says this. Stop trying to make “fetch” happen. It’s not going to happen.
Thursday, April 2, 2015
April Newsletter
For Parents on the Go:
- In an effort to better communicate between parents and the youth department Pastor T has signed the youth group up for a messaging app. He will be using this to communicate with parents and teens. If you would like communication please text: @1t412 to 81010 to receive reminders about upcoming events.
- Money for camp ($130) is due by Sunday, May 3rd. If your teenager is attending summer camp in Georgia please pay Pastor T. All checks need to be made out to FBCS Youth Ministry.
- Human Ice Cream Sundae Fight; Friday, April 24th from 5:00-7:00 pm.
- FREE Car Wash: Saturday, May 9th, 9:00am-12:00pm
- Graduate Recognition Service is June 7th. If you are a parent of a graduating high school senior please email Pastor T a baby picture and a current picture for the slide show.
Dear Parents:
For this month's newsletter I asked my mom to record a word of encouragement for each of you. I hope you are encouraged. (Make sure volume is turned up & must be watching on a computer).
Serving Him,
Pastor T Welch
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
Tough Question: Why the Cross?
Matthew records Jesus's last words on the cross. He writes,
Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour. About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:45–46)
It might seem at first glance that Christ was merely reciting the words of Psalm 22:1 (“My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning?”). But given the fact that all of Psalm 22 is an extended prophecy about the crucifixion, it might be better to see the psalm as a prophetic anticipation of the cry of Jesus’ heart as He bore the sins of the world on the cross. It was no mere recitation.
Corrupting the Cross
Some commentators have gone to great lengths to explain why Jesus would utter such words. To them, it seems unthinkable that Jesus would actually feel abandoned on the cross—and even more unthinkable to surmise that God in any sense abandoned His beloved Son. And so they insist that Jesus was merely reciting Scripture, not expressing what He truly felt in His heart.
But that betrays a serious misunderstanding of what was taking place on the cross. As Christ hung there, He was bearing the sins of the world. He was dying as a substitute for others. To Him was imputed the guilt of their sins, and He was suffering the punishment for those sins on their behalf. And the very essence of that punishment was the outpouring of God’s wrath against sinners. In some mysterious way during those awful hours on the cross, the Father poured out the full measure of His wrath against sin, and the recipient of that wrath was God’s own beloved Son!
In this lies the true meaning of the cross. Those who try to explain the atoning work of Christ in any other terms inevitably end up nullifying the truth of Christ’s atonement altogether. Christ was not merely providing an example for us to follow. He was no mere martyr—a victim of the wickedness of the men who crucified Him. He wasn’t merely making a public display so that people would see the awfulness of sin. He wasn’t offering a ransom price to Satan—or any of the other various explanations religious liberals, cultists, and pseudo-Christian religionists have tried to suggest over the years.
Divine Substitution
Here’s what was happening on the cross: God was punishing His own Son as if He had committed every wicked deed done by every sinner who would ever believe. And He did it so that He could forgive and treat those redeemed ones as if they had lived Christ’s perfect life of righteousness.
Scripture teaches this explicitly: “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed. . . . He had done no violence, nor was there any deceit in His mouth. But the Lord was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief . . . as a guilt offering. (Isaiah 53:4–5; 9-10)
“What the law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh” (Romans 8:3). “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree’” (Galatians 3:13). “Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh” (1 Peter 3:18). “He Himself is the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 2:2).
Propitiation
That word propitiation speaks of an offering made to satisfy God. Christ’s death was a satisfaction rendered to God on behalf of those whom He redeemed. “The Lord was pleased to crush Him” (Isaiah 53:10, emphasis added). God the Father saw the travail of His Son’s soul, and He was satisfied (v. 11). Christ made propitiation by shedding His blood (Romans 3:25; Hebrews 2:17).
It was God’s own wrath against sin, God’s own righteousness, and God’s own sense of justice that Christ satisfied on the cross. The shedding of His blood was a sin offering rendered to God. His death was not merely a satisfaction of public justice, nor was it a ransom paid to Satan. Neither Satan nor anyone else had any right to claim a ransom from God for sinners. But when Christ ransomed the elect from sin (1 Timothy 2:6), the ransom price was paid to God. Christ died in our place and in our stead—and He received the very same outpouring of divine wrath in all its fury that we deserved for our sin. It was a punishment so severe that a mortal man could spend all eternity in the torments of hell, and still he would not have begun to exhaust the divine wrath that was heaped on Christ at the cross.
This was the true measure of Christ’s sufferings on the cross. The physical pains of crucifixion—dreadful as they were—were nothing compared to the wrath of the Father against Him. The anticipation of this was what had caused Him to sweat blood in the garden. This was why He had looked ahead to the cross with such horror. We cannot begin to fathom all that was involved in paying the price of our sin. It’s sufficient to understand that all our worst fears about the horrors of hell—and more—were realized by Him as He received the due penalty of others’ wrongdoing.
And in that awful, sacred hour, it was as if the Father abandoned Him. Though there was surely no interruption in the Father’s love for Him as a Son, God nonetheless turned away from Him and forsook Him as our Substitute.
The fact that Christ—suffering from exhaustion, blood loss, asphyxia, and all the physical anguish of the cross—nonetheless made this cry “with a loud voice” proves it was no mere recitation of a psalm. This was the outcry of His soul; it was the very thing the psalm foretold.
We should keep Christ’s suffering in mind, not just this week but always, and remember that He willingly endured the physical and spiritual horrors of the cross for the sake of our redemption. His immense sacrifice on our behalf is humbling.
The Normal Christian Life:
We American Christians have a way of taking the Jesus of the Bible and twisting him into a version of Jesus that we are more comfortable with. A nice middle-class American Jesus. A Jesus who doesn’t mind materialism and would never call us to give away everything we have. A Jesus who is fine with nominal devotion that does not infringe on our comforts. A Jesus who wants us to be balanced, who wants us to avoid dangerous extremes, and who for that matter wants us to avoid danger altogether. A Jesus who brings comfort and prosperity to us as we live out our Christian spin on the American Dream.
Jesus said, “If anyone wants to be my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me and the gospel will save it.-Mark 8:34-35
Jesus lays out the essence of “the normal Christian life,” the basics of discipleship, which sadly in our day looks like “the radical Christian life”. Being Jesus’ disciple requires three essentials.
First, deny yourself. Give up the right to self-determination. Live as Christ directs. Treasure and value Jesus more than yourself, your comforts, your aspirations. Put to death the idol of I! Say no to you and yes to Jesus!
Second, take up your cross. Die! Luke 9:23 adds the word “daily” because that is what we must do. This is not normal or natural, but it is necessary to be Christ’s disciple. And it is a slow, painful death.
Finally, follow Me! Are we willing to believe and obey Jesus? It will be radical, not comfortable, because it involves a death to the self-centered life.
Verse 35 have the word “for” in Greek. Jesus is providing the basis for the challenge of verse 34. If you save or treasure your life above all else, you will lose it. The one who plays it safe and considers his existence more important than Jesus will lose both Jesus and eternal life. In contrast, the one who gives his life for Jesus and the gospel will actually save it! Following Jesus involves risking it all-safety, security, satisfaction in this world. But He promises us that it leads to a reward this world can never, ever offer. There is a life worth giving for the glory of God and the gospel! It is a dying to self that other might live! It is not safe! But it is the normal Christian life!
In conclusion Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945) understood what the normal Christian life should look like. He said, “the cross is laid on every Christian. The first Christ-suffering which every man must experience is the call to abandon the attachments of this world. It is that dying of the old man which is the result of his encounter with Christ. As we embark upon discipleship we surrender ourselves to Christ in union with his death-we give over our lives to death. Thus it begins; the cross is not the terrible end to otherwise god-fearing and happy life, but it meets us at the beginning of our communion with Christ. When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.”
May all of us learn how to die for Christ and the gospel that we, and others, may truly live. May all of us learn what it, and how to live, the normal Christian life.
Heaven Will NEVER Be Boring:
What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived-the things God has prepared for those who love him- 1 Corinthians 2:9
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Have you ever worried that you might grow bored in heaven, that things may lose their luster or taste, that the whole novelty and intrigue of heaven might fade as do most things on earth? When you sing, “When we’ve been there ten thousand years . . . we’ve no less days to sing his praise than when we’d first begun,” do you wonder whether or not to be encouraged by such a statement?
Sure, eternal life sounds wonderful at first. But unless you have a firm grasp on what the Bible has to say about eternal life, you may begin to wonder. Eternity really is a long time, you might think. Is this something I really desire? After ten million years, will I really have the same desire I once had to go on living here? At the heart of these existential questions lies a deep concern for whether eternal joy actually exists.
If at this point Jonathan Edwards were still alive and knew what you were thinking, he would probably put his hand on your shoulder and lay your fears to rest.
In his sermon “Heaven, a World of Love,” Edwards—in a way that is nothing short of breathtaking—brilliantly unpacks the staggering realities of our joy in heaven.
Here are just three of these realities.
1. You Will Have Greater Capacity for Joy
In heaven, your resurrected body will come equipped with unimaginable capacity for joy (1 Cor. 15:42–44).
The Bible says you will have a resurrected body far better than anything you knew on earth. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 15, says that your body will be stronger, fuller, more spiritual, more glorious, and everlasting. Your delight, your knowledge, your intellect, and all your affections will be renewed and restored so that you might enjoy Christ with perfected bodies. Edwards states, “[Our earthly soul that] had only a little spark of divine love in it, in heaven shall be, as it were, turned into a bright and ardent flame, like the sun in its fullest brightness, when it has no spot upon it.”
So far so good. An enormous amount of joy. But that still doesn’t solve the problem of complacency. Isn’t it still possible that the joy will fizzle out?
2. You Will Have an Ever-Increasing Capacity for Joy
In heaven, your capacity for joy will never cease to grow.
Never. According to Edwards, you will be “enraptured with joys that are forever increasing, and yet forever full.”
Sam Storms argues that your capacity for love, knowledge, understanding, and yes, joy are “ever-expansive, progressive, incremental” (“Joy’s Eternal Increase”). Never-ending. The implications are staggering.
First, it pummels any idea of heaven becoming boring, static, or all-too-familiar. How can it? If your ability to enjoy God and his gifts are always expanding, your perception of heaven will always be fuller, deeper, richer. You will never look on the same reality twice without some new way in which to enjoy it. You will look at each day through some new lens, where you see more clearly, understand more fully, and feel more deeply the truest joy—ever-increasing, ever-full joy for all eternity.
How, you may ask, is this possible? Won’t you run out of things to enjoy after ten million years? Again, Edwards would say: “No!” Why not?
3. You Worship an Infinite God
Because God is infinite, he can be infinitely enjoyed. Jesus Christ is not concerned about running out of ways to keep up with your ever-increasing ability to enjoy him. His character is endlessly deep, unsearchable, and inexhaustible. Imagine the scope of the entire universe: trillions of shining stars, burning brighter than the sun; magnificent constellations; billions of spinning galaxies, all magnificent and vast, colorful and mysterious. Yet they are finite. Brilliant though they are, they fall utterly short in comparison to the breadth, length, height, and depth of the love of Christ. His love, grace, kindness, wisdom, power, and mercy each stand as never-ending, infinite universes for all your affections to delight in.
If God is most glorified in you when you are most satisfied in him, the ever-increasing enjoyment of God for all eternity will simultaneously become the ever-increasing glorification of himself. This is genius!
Now when you sing, “When we’ve been there ten thousand years,” you need not dread or doubt. You will not be the same person you once were. After ten thousand years you will look back and say, “How little I knew of him then. How much I have grown in my love for him. Yet how much more I still have yet to know of his character!” Further up and further into it you grow!
C. S. Lewis once defined joy in this life as “an unsatisfied desire, more desirable than any satisfaction.” I think he’s right. God doesn’t want your hope to be in this life but in the life to come. He wants you to long for your homecoming, when you meet him face to face. When you do this, you have access to a joy “more desirable than any satisfaction” here and now. Pray, then, for an ever-increasing capacity to know and enjoy him as you long for eternity.
Original Author: Dave Radford
Original Date: February 12, 2015
Original Link: http://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/heaven-will-never-be-boring (Why Heaen will never be boring)
Where is the person?
We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven.- Colossians 1:3-5
The problem with the church today is NOT that there are too many people who are passionately in love with heaven. The problem is NOT that professing Christians are retreating from the world, spending half their days reading Scripture and the other half singing about their pleasures in God all the while indifferent to the needs of the world.
The problem is that professing Christians are spending ten minutes reading Scripture and then half their day making money and the other half enjoying and repairing what they spend it on.
It is not heavenly-mindedness that hinders love. It is worldly-mindedness that hinders love, even when it is disguised by a religious routine on the weekend. It breaks my heart to hear professing Christians talk about not wanting to go to Heaven right now. I fear a sad reality that exists in the church is that a vast number of Christians would rather grow old on Earth than go to Heaven right now. Sadly, this mindset reveals more of a love for the world than a love for God.
Where is the person whose heart is so passionately in love with the promised glory of heaven that he feels like an exile and sojourner on the earth? Where is the person who has so tasted the beauty of the age to come that the diamonds of the world look like marbles, and the entertainment of the world is empty, and the moral causes of the world are too small because they have no view to eternity? Where is this person?
He is not in bondage to the Internet or eating or sleeping or drinking or partying or fishing or sailing or putzing around. He is a free man in a foreign land. And his one question is this: How can I maximize my enjoyment of God for all eternity while I am an exile on this earth? And his answer is always the same; by doing the labors of love.
Only one thing satisfies the heart whose treasure is in heaven: doing the works of heaven. And heaven is a world of love!
It is not the cords of heaven that binds the hands of love. It is the love of money and leisure and comfort and praise-these are the cords that bind the hands of love. And the power to sever these cords is a correct view of Heaven.
I say it again with all the conviction that lies within me: it is not heavenly mindedness that hinders love on this earth. It is worldly-mindedness. And therefore the great fountain of love is the powerful, freeing confidence of Christian hope in Heaven.
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