Now this is the sort of insight that gets me going.

Justin Taylor over at Between Two Worlds has a guest post by David Powlison about praying out loud during devotions.  Part of his argument for doing so is the need to go into a closet and close the door so no one knows you are praying!

I’ve known many people whose relationship with God was significantly transformed as they started to speak up with their Father.

I don’t know if my spiritual walk has been transformed by praying out loud, but certainly when I experienced a huge outpouring of the Spirit, my quiet times became far from quiet.  Even now I know that praying out loud produces better prayer time than merely silent prayer.

I’m encouraged to pray verbally again.

Great post.  Thanks to David Powlison and Justin.

What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up. If any speak in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn, and let someone interpret.  But if there is no one to interpret, let each of them keep silent in church and speak to himself and to God.  Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said.  If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent.  For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged, and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets.  For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. (1 Corinthians 14:26-33)

I’m stuck on this. I really am. I just can’t figure out what the problem is that people have with applying these verses to Church meetings today.

Of the arguments I’ve read, the most dogmatic is the necessity of the preaching of the Word. But how does that contradict these verses? Is not preaching meant to be God’s word to his people – a prophetic act? Can it not also be teaching (a lesson)? And evangelistic? (See 1 Corinthians 14:20-25) Is there not room for the all important singing (each one has a hymn)
and provision for weeding out false doctrine and words (let the others weigh what is said)?

I know and I’m incredibly glad that God has used the format of the one-man-preaching-band to bring about his wonderful purposes in so many people’s lives, but regardless of the pragmatic success of that format, here we have a description – no, a prescription! – for a Church meeting (When you come together) that otherwise Bible believing and following people cannot bring themselves to apply.

Why? I’m not a fan of the cynical reasoning that suggests that pastors and leaders are afraid of losing their power. Nor am I a frustrated pew-sitter chafing under thwarted ambitions to speak up the front – I actually preach pretty regularly. I am just lost for an explanation for the complete disregard of these verses.

3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. (ESV)

“Name?”

“Cephas, also known as Peter.” 

“Not anymore. From now on you will be known as Graeme Butler. You’re a shepherd looking after sheep in Hebron. Your wife will be called Mildred, your sons will be Harold, Mike and Julian. Remember those names. Your life could depend on it.” 

“But…”

“We don’t have time, Mr. Butler. There are people who will try to kill you because of what you have seen. Now, pay attention. You will be escorted outside of Jerusalem and taken to a safe place where you will meet up with the rest of your family. From there you will carry on to Hebron where you will be given further instructions. Now, is that clear?”

“Yes, but…”

“We really don’t have time for chit-chat, Mr. Butler. What I need to know from you is how many others have seen what you have seen?”

“Well, there is the Twelve, that group of maybe 500 hundred, James the brother of Jesus, a number of other apostles and a guy called Paul. So…”

“Five hundred? There’s no way we’re going to keep a lid on this!”

“Yeah, well that’s kind of the idea…”

Jesus never intended his resurrection to be shrouded in secrecy or shared with only a few. He appeared to over 500 people after he was resurrected and commanded them to tell people what they had seen! Not only that, he has left us with historical eyewitness accounts of His life, death and resurrection in the Bible, extra-biblical testimony to his life and death and a history forever changed by those facts. This is not a made up story! Millions of people through the years since that event can tell you that Jesus is alive – they have transformed lives to prove it!

It is important to be open and honest about our non-negotiable gospel story and what we have experienced of it – and that can include all the doubts and ugly bits, and the great and beautiful bits. Ask Jesus for his Spirit and for opportunities to be open about him with others.

3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. (ESV)

World Peace. Who doesn’t want it – except for weapon manufacturers? One lady wrote on the internet, “All I want for Christmas is world peace. Failing that, I want an iPod, a bottle of wine, a trip to the Bahamas…”

Well, good news! Jesus is going to bring it about. No, not the trip to the Bahamas! World Peace!

Think about it. How on earth is world peace ever going to be achieved when normal everyday men, women and children envy, hate, fight, ignore and hurt each other? What makes people think world peace is even possible when we can’t get rid of the same failings in us that drive warring nations? We criticise world leaders for war-mongering or weakness and yet if we were in their shoes, what makes us think we’d act any differently? The fact is we wouldn’t.

So this is what Jesus has done. He came and lived a life perfectly in line with the Creator’s original design. Of course, nobody else is in sync with the Creator’s original place for them in creation, so Jesus got caught up in the carnage of a world where people operate like cars that are pre-set to follow their own road rules. He was killed.

But that wasn’t the end. Jesus’ death paid the penalty every renegade human deserves for their wrong living and three days later he was raised to life again by the Creator as the first and greatest of a new and improved humanity. He was raised to life to prove the gospel is true and to give us a new nature and inner peace that will eventually spread to the whole world. You see, he is in the process of completely changing us from the inside out. We, too, if we trust in him, are becoming new and improved humans. And we will, in the future, live in a new and improved creation where everything will work like it was meant to and there will be no more clashes. When that happens, there will be world peace. Forever.

Jesus’ resurrection was the first of many transformations from mortality into immortality. A new humanity made up of believers will be completed, the world will be made new for us and everything will be incorruptible. All the parts of our lives that we groan about and grieve over will be made right and we will not suffer imperfection any more! Praise God for his future plans for us and for the world.

3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.  (ESV)

Scientifically, you cannot survive being buried alive for longer than a couple of minutes. Perhaps when you are put in a tomb you may last longer, but having been beaten, nailed to a cross, left to hang and asphyxiate and then speared to ensure you really were dead, it’s not very likely at all that you’d emerge alive from a grave three days later. 

That was Jesus. He was literally dead and buried, and even his disciples thought that was pretty final. “We had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.” (Luke 24:21)

Had hoped? They had they forgotten what Jesus had said? Jesus’ enemies hadn’t. (Matthew 27:63) Maybe it was just that they didn’t believe it. What caused them to take so long to figure this thing out?

At least one reason the disciples gave up hope was that Jesus hadn’t followed their plan. He was meant to get to Jerusalem and hold a rally, convince people with miraculous signs that he was the promised Saviour for Israel, then overthrow the Romans with the power of his might and set up government…and, of course, reward his loyal supporters in the process. But instead he died.

What must that have been like for those disciples? They had invested their lives in Jesus, they had believed, they had seen the miracles and heard the teaching. They KNEW that Jesus was the Messiah. They had watched him being arrested and tortured and mocked, and those who had not completely given up hope were thinking, “He’s going to act and save himself…now! Ok…now!” But the moment never came. Jesus was in the grave and their hope was dead and buried with him, and they remained in that place for three days.

God’s ways are not our ways.  He brings about death in order to bring about the right kind of life.  Whenever we have no idea what God is doing, remember that God does his very best work in the dark. 

We automatically think God will accommodate himself to our plans, but he does not. The Jews valued powerful and miraculous signs; Jesus became a sign of weakness. The Greeks valued wisdom; Jesus foolishly died. Australians value their lifestyle; Jesus demands daily death. Pray for God to reveal the idols in your heart that you expect him to accommodate to. Think on Jesus’ death and resurrection and ask him for faith in him alone, that whatever happens you know he is working for your good, even if not in the way you expected.

3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. (ESV)

I don’t know about you, but I used to keep journals. It’s interesting going through them years later and finding out what used to be on your mind. One of the most common sentences I wrote went something like: “I really need to get disciplined!”

Yeah, I’m that guy. Maybe you can relate. It’ll happen when it happens, unless there’s a deadline. Then it’ll happen the night before. In fact, while I was studying it got to the point where it happened a day or two later. I still don’t know how I got away with it.

God, of course, is not like that. Can you imagine the Father sitting in heaven looking down at the earth and saying, “Wow, we really should have done something by now. Look how out of hand everything’s got! I know, Son, why don’t you go down there and sort of wing it for a while until we figure something out”?

No, right from the beginning God had decided to send Jesus into the world to die and rise from death three days later and there are indications of this all through the Bible. The funny thing was that before it happened, people didn’t see it. It was only after Jesus fulfilled God’s plan that people began to see God’s plan laid out in the Scriptures, and that only because Jesus showed them! Like someone who was thrown a surprise birthday party, they looked back and saw pointers that at the time just didn’t click. “And [Jesus] said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!  Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?”  And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. (Luke 24:25-27)

So God planned the worst of events for the best of results. Literally from Day One Jesus’ death and resurrection was carved in stone. It was no accident.

If God can plan the worst event in history for the best of results, surely nothing in our lives can be without good purpose if we belong to him. God’s plan to completely save people has been in motion since the beginning of time. Praise Jesus that his death and resurrection and your part in it is no accident or temporary solution. Thank God for his faithfulness in the past, present and our future.

Examples of Jesus in the Old Testament.

The Bible is an exciting ancient document that continuously reveals Jesus.  The clearest example is Isaiah 53:4-6, but God himself explains that his words were not always that direct (Numbers 12:6-8, see Hebrews 1:1).  In fact, some Old Testament passages the New Testament says speak of Jesus can seem really strange.  They are not always clear to the way we 21st Century Westerners think.  It helps to remember that the Bible was not written to our culture and generation alone.  Look at Genesis 3:12-16, Psalm 22, Isaiah 52-53, Matthew 12:40 and Acts 2:14-36 for examples of Jesus in the Old Testament Scriptures.

3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. (ESV)

I was never interested in crochet (pronounced “CROW-SHAY). Ever. I didn’t even know what it was until I met my crocheting wife-to-be Paula. She likes it and she’s good at it and even crocheted her own wedding dress. And so I’m interested now – in Paula’s crochet.

One year Paula decided to put a few of her crochet pieces in the Show. She wasn’t expecting much, but I assumed she would win first place with at least one piece despite the fact Paula said it wasn’t her best work and could point out some fairly big flaws. So when she got a high commendation she was really happy. Me? I was disappointed in the judges’ obvious bias against my wife, but proud that, despite a rigged result, her work had still been given some recognition. Who got first place? I don’t know. I can’t remember and to be honest, I’m not that interested. But I’d remember if Paula had won.

In the same way the Bible tells us angels long to look into this good news that Paul says is of first importance (1 Peter 1:12), but their interest will only ever be that of an observer or a support person. Don’t get me wrong, they are fascinated by what God has done, but in the same way I only had a second-hand interest in the Arts and Craft competition at the Show, the angels will never be the main players in this event called the gospel.

But we are. Christ died for our sins. It is for us that Jesus changed the course of the world. And without this realisation Jesus’ death and his resurrection are, to quote Homer Simpson, “just a bunch of stuff that happened.”

Do you remember that thing you did that makes you feel ashamed whenever you think of it, even today? Or what about those words you said that you wish you could take back? You lost your temper over something minor? You lied about your work? You may have stolen, hurt, even killed. Those sins, your sins, were dealt with when Jesus died. Even those sins we don’t realise are sins are part of what Jesus died for. He died for the sin in us that makes us sin! Truth be told, he even died for the parts of us that still love sin.

Jesus’ death is a shower that washes people completely clean; his resurrection provides us with a new life to clothe ourselves in. If you accept that his death applies to you, that it was your sins that have been washed completely away, then you understand what Paul meant when he wrote ‘Christ died for our sins’.

Knowing that you are the beneficiary of Christ’s death and resurrection changes it from being merely a true story into being your story.  We need to keep asking God to make that story real in our lives.

The Attributes of God Edition is up at Diary of 1.

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A little late, but the 216th Christian Carnival is at Crossroads.

Now this applies really only to the Protestant Church.  (The Catholic might well be considered to live in the times of Kings!)  But this is what I mean by the title.

• Throughout Church history, different Christian groups have existed, each doing what they thought was right.  (Judges 17:6)
• During that time, God has raised up different, often very imperfect, leaders to revive the Church.  (Judges 3:9, 3:15, 10:12)
• The Church always goes astray.  (Judges 10:11-13)
• It will be this way until the king returns.  (Judges 21:25)

Most Church-goers, in my experience, have a confused understanding of eschatology (end-times).  Do not fear!  Help is a click away!

Aaron O’Kelly wrote a 10 part series on the different views of what the Bible teaches about the end times.  He explains in an understandable fashion the different views people hold and then goes on to explain his position, with which I agree, incidently.  All 10 posts are below with a one sentence summary by moi.  (Don’t get put off by the big words.)

Elements of a Bibilical Eschatology, Part 1.  What is Biblical eschatology?

Elements of a Bibilical Eschatology, Part 2.  Three broad catagories.

Elements of a Bibilical Eschatology, Part 3.  Postmillennialism.

Elements of a Bibilical Eschatology, Part 4.  Amillennialism.

Elements of a Bibilical Eschatology, Part 5.  Premillennialism.

Elements of a Bibilical Eschatology, Part 6.  Already/not yet and implications.

Elements of a Bibilical Eschatology, Part 7.  What Aaron was and what he is now.

Elements of a Bibilical Eschatology, Part 8.  Aaron’s argument for his position.

Elements of a Bibilical Eschatology, Part 9.  Why have a Millennium?

Elements of a Bibilical Eschatology, Part 10.  How does this help in real life?

Check it out.  It’s worth the trouble to bring order to your confused mind!

Internet Monk has written a post called, “Ten Reasons Why I Don’t Read Your Blog”. So the challenge I’ve set myself is to write a post that Imonk will never read. This is my second
third fourth attempt. The first is here. (I assume linking to your own posts doesn’t count, Imonk. Not that you’re reading this).

So, what are the ten reasons? Here is an edited version:

1. Your blog is too personal.
2. You’ve got no sense of humour.
3. You don’t know what you’re talking about.
4. You don’t have links to anywhere interesting.
5. You sound like you operate a fan club for celebrities.
6. You are right and everyone else is wrong.
7. You have nothing worthwhile to say.
8. No one else but you links to you.
9. You make too many changes.
10. You take it all too seriously.

Now, Jared Wilson at the Thinklings copied Imonk and posted ten reasons why he doesn’t read some blogs, but I’m not going to try to stop him reading this post. (Silence).

Anyway, here is my post. I’ll put the numbers against each of the ten offending sections as they appear.

You know, I’m so glad to be a dad. I have one daughter and hope to have more children. My wife is keen too. My daughter is actually asleep now. At this stage of her development she is walking around, walking backwards (!), and sitting down on everything. She also has a cold. I have a cold too. More like a ‘flu. Coughing, phlegm, headache, tiredness. Not nice. I feel pretty ordinary. That’s an Australianism meaning ‘bad’. Took me a while to figure out that “pretty ordinary” doesn’t just mean “average”, it actually means “bad”. (1) (4) (7) (9)

So, anyway, I was listening to Tim Keller the other day, and do you know what he said? He said, “Religion is: If I obey, I’m accepted. The gospel says: I’m accepted, so I obey.” Profound, yeah? I’m thinking of starting up a blog called, “Gospel-Driven Blog”, unless the name is already taken. Really, I think Rick Warren got it right when he said, “It’s not about you,” but he actually got that from John Piper who says, “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.” I was talking to Robert Capon the other day, (in my imagination) and he said his wife said that she’s a closet Buddhist and that it’s all about grace, not satisfaction! What??? Still, you gotta love him. (5) (4) (9)

Of course, the issue here is not either grace or satisfaction or gospel-driven obedience. No! It’s supralapsarianism. Now, I have spend 10 minutes researching this topic and I’m confident that most of these guys who are wondering around the blogosphere saying, “I’m accepted so I obey” really haven’t grasped the meaning – or the spelling – of the word supralapsarianism. If they did, it would be clear that they would be Bunyanists, instead of Piperites, Kellerites, Caponites or Warrenites. (3) (4) (6) (7) (9) (10)

But what really gets my goat is that people are laughing – yes laughing! – at Tim Keller’s jokes. Don’t they know the lectern is a sacred desk? Next we’ll have people calling for Mike Warnke to step back into the limelight and then where will our integrity be? (2) (3) (4) (6) (7) (9) (10)

I have mentioned this before, but no one seems to see the signs clearly in front of them. These really are the last days. (2) (3) (4) (6) (10)

Anyway, I’m off to sit on the bog. (1)

Okay, if anyone (let alone Imonk) reads or even links to this, I’ll figure out how to use the webcam and show live video clips of…umm, I’ll suffer the humiliation of someone elses’ choosing subject to the veto of my wife. Don’t worry, she’d be quite happy to see me humiliated.

Internet Monk has written a post called, “Ten Reasons Why I Don’t Read Your Blog”. So the challenge I’ve set myself is to write a post that Imonk will never read. This is my second third attempt. The first is here. (I assume linking to your own posts doesn’t count, Imonk. Not that you’re reading this).

So, what are the ten reasons? Here is an edited version:

1. Your blog is too personal.
2. You’ve got no sense of humour.
3. You don’t know what you’re talking about.
4. You don’t have links to anywhere interesting.
5. You sound like you operate a fan club for celebrities.
6. You are right and everyone else is wrong.
7. You have nothing worthwhile to say.
8. No one else but you links to you.
9. You make too many layout changes.
10. You take it all too seriously.

Now, Jared Wilson at the Thinklings copied Imonk and posted ten reasons why he doesn’t read some blogs, but I’m not going to try to stop him reading this post. Really, nothing original seems to be coming out of there anymore. When I first stumbled across the Thinklings website some years ago it was fresh and original and first and foremost for the benefit of that small group of friends, and if someone like me stumbled upon it, enjoy! But, as is wont to happen, the original Thinklings went their own way, and “honorary Thinklings” took up the slack – to the point where they were the ones keeping it going! It was different, but still worth the occasional visit.

But then they jumped the shark.

In a move taken from Mark Driscoll’s Acts 29 messages on business Church management, Jared decided to revamp the Thinklings and those who stood in the way (the honorary Thinklings) were sacked. Almost all of the original Thinklings were back in an attempt, it seems, to re-live the glory days. It was as if the writers of House
(yes, I know there’s a link – ignore it)
got rid of all the new team members they introduced in Season 4 and returned to having only Cameron, Foreman and Chase. It was a great combination, but c’mon! We’ve moved on!

Okay, this is going all wrong.  Let me try again.

Internet Monk has written a post called, “Ten Reasons Why I Don’t Read Your Blog”. So the challenge I’ve set myself is to write a post that Imonk will never read. This is my second attempt.  The first is here.  (I assume linking to your own posts doesn’t count, Imonk. Not that you’re reading this).

So, what are the ten reasons? Here is an edited version:

1. Your blog is too personal.
2. You’ve got no sense of humour.
3. You don’t know what you’re talking about.
4. You don’t have links to anywhere interesting.
5. You sound like you operate a fan club for celebrities.
6. You are right and everyone else is wrong.
7. You have nothing worthwhile to say.
8. No one else but you links to you.
9. You make too many layout changes.
10. You take it all too seriously.

Now, Jared Wilson at the Thinklings copied Imonk and posted ten reasons why…stink, I did it again.

Ok, take three.

Internet Monk has written a post called, “Ten Reasons Why I Don’t Read Your Blog”. So the challenge I’ve set myself is to write a post that Imonk will never read.

So, what are the ten reasons? Here is an edited version:

1. It’s too personal.
2. You’ve got no sense of humour.
3. You don’t know what you’re talking about.
4. You don’t have links…

…well, stuffed up number four already. Wait, I’ll try again.

Christian Carnival is here today.  By ‘here’ I mean Fish and Cans.  Enjoy.  (None from me this week).

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This week it’s up at Thinking Christian.

Found here.  Read the accompanying article.  Not nice.

To help you understand the case better, here are a couple of definitions:

skeletal dysplasia: actually more than 380 conditions that involve abnormally developed bones and connective tissues. (The word dysplasia has Latin roots meaning bad growth.)  

achondroplasia: dwarfism

Case summary

In 2000 a general practitioner referred a woman to an Australian teaching hospital at 31 weeks’ gestation because the patient requested pregnancy termination. Her fetus had been diagnosed with skeletal dysplasia, most likely achondroplasia. Staff who interviewed her — a geneticist, genetic counsellor, obstetrician, ultrasonologist and psychiatrist — agreed that she was acutely suicidal. Recently, the hospital’s lawyer noted that “rarely, if ever, had a woman in such a desperate state been encountered — she would kill herself or do anything not to have the baby she was carrying”. The patient rejected all other management options, including adoption. Support for abortion was obtained from the appropriate hospital medical administrator. Fetal intracardiac potassium chloride was administered, as recommended by the UK Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG),1 with rapid cessation of fetal heart movements and labour induced. The patient refused fetal autopsy, but a photograph of the fetus showed features of achondroplasia.

In other words, the fetus was aborted at 31 weeks because it would likely be a dwarf.  This prognosis so upset the mother that she was willing to kill herself rather than give birth to a dwarf, even though adoption was offered as a solution.