My observations may be different from others, or exactly the same in some instances. These are things I see in my generation, and what I perceive. Many people are waiting to get married until they are older (25-30) and into their respective careers. This is group I’m interested in. Sure there are still some who think it’s a good idea to get married at 20 years old (I’ll refrain from giving my opinion here). Then, due to life, careers, continued education, and other circumstances are waiting to have children even later. There are many couples who aren’t having kids, or thinking about having kids until they’re 30 or older. So, what does the Church do with these people?

After college, what do churches want from these young professional? After leaving college, and working full time jobs, college services/groups no longer appeal to the 22-25 year old group (or those even older). It seems the next group of people within the church are those involved with young children and participating in events that target their children. Where does that leave the group who graduated college, waited to get married, and doesn’t have kids? When you attend a church that already targets a younger generation with Saturday and Sunday services, the style of the services, the music, and the messages themselves (or the formulation of them), does this group need anything else?

Community seems to be the word used by most to describe what young professionals desire. Do small groups or something similar not offer this? Is this group not happy with intelligently driven conversation among peers in a small group, or is something else really needed? I can speak for myself, and I believe my spouse, and several friends, that another church/worship service just isn’t appealing. If there is no chance for me to learn something, discuss deeper theological issues, and connect with peers, then what would drive me to attend another service? Personally, I’m not going to invite another young engineer, doctor, financial adviser, or teacher to one of these gatherings if I know I don’t enjoy them myself. These groups of people would be more apt to attend something targeting social justice, something that promotes community, or a casual dinner or weekend trip.

Do young professionals really need another service? In what areas of the local church should they be involved? What you you want?

A problem well stated is a problem half solved – Charles Kettering

Provoked, not offended
Creators, not critics
Called, not employed
Grounded, not distracted
In Community, not alone
Countercultural, not relevant

We’ve (my wife and I) recently joined a larger church in our area. There are well over 1,000 people in attendance at the service we attend. It is easy to just attend church and blend in with the crowd. In order to prevent people from feeling disconnected, we have weekly small groups. It’s a good chance to be around young married couples our age, and young professionals experiencing things the same way we are. The implementation of small groups by our church is the only way someone could possibly connect to others. It’s easy to not pursue community, and to not be involved in serving others. But I’ve been encouraged to do so more now than ever.

What does this have to do with anything? During my short two day stay in Birmingham, I met a few people that my friend introduced me to. People he sees on a regular basis, and that he would call friends. In the short time I spent with them, it was evident many of the characteristics that stood out to me in the book, were a part of their everyday lives. It was encouraging to see people who demonstrated such a strong sense of community and love for others. Their love for others was well demonstrated: in taking people into their homes, serving the homeless, and their plans to spread the Word of God and His love to the world, not just Birmingham.

As I think about Holy week, in particular Maundy Thursday and the final commandment of Christ to the disciples:

that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. John 13:34

I hope that my life will begin to more reflective of this love, that I will be more grounded than ever in His Word, and that I will continue to pursue community with others and not stay caught up with my own needs and wants.

As a side note, one of the guys I met in Birmingham is on his way to Africa very soon. You can check out what Ben is doing there at The Desk Project.

STRIVE with all diligence to keep out that monster unbelief. It so dishonours Christ, that He will withdraw His visible presence if we insult Him by indulging it. It is true it is a weed, the seeds of which we can never entirely extract from the soil, but we must aim at its root with zeal and perseverance. Among hateful things it is the most to be abhorred. Its injurious nature is so venomous that he that exerciseth it and he upon whom it is exercised are both hurt thereby. In thy case, O believer! it is most wicked, for the mercies of thy Lord in the past, increase thy guilt in doubting Him now. When thou dost distrust the Lord Jesus, He may well cry out, “Behold I am pressed under you, as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves.” This is crowning His head with thorns of the sharpest kind. It is very cruel for a well-beloved wife to mistrust a kind and faithful husband. The sin is needless, foolish, and unwarranted. Jesus has never given the slightest ground for suspicion, and it is hard to be doubted by those to whom our conduct is uniformly affectionate and true. Jesus is the Son of the Highest, and has unbounded wealth; it is shameful to doubt Omnipotence and distrust all-sufficiency. The cattle on a thousand hills will suffice for our most hungry feeding, and the granaries of heaven are not likely to be emptied by our eating. If Christ were only a cistern, we might soon exhaust His fulness, but who can drain a fountain? Myriads of spirits have drawn their supplies from Him, and not one of them has murmured at the scantiness of His resources. Away, then, with this lying traitor unbelief, for his only errand is to cut the bonds of communion and make us mourn an absent Saviour. Bunyan tells us that unbelief has “as many lives as a cat:” if so, let us kill one life now, and continue the work till the whole nine are gone. Down with thee, thou traitor, my heart abhors thee. -C.H. Spurgeon

This is your daily dose of Spurgeon. On this subject John Piper has much to say also in his book Battling Unbelief. You can buy the kindle edition of this book or you can read or listen to the sermon series that Piper preached. In one of the sermons Piper explains, “Without intentional faith-building togetherness we lose our zeal, drift from God, become hardened in the deceitfulness of sin, and if someone doesn’t snatch us (James 5:19; Jude 23), we make shipwreck of our so-called faith and perish in unbelief.“

Grace & Peace

I would like to focus primarily on Boyd’s fifth point (in which you’ll easily see the spelling error):

John justifies his interpretation by claiming “Jesus Christ controls the wind, including all tornados.” He supports this claim by quoting Mark 4:41 in which Jesus’ disciples ask; “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” What’s interesting to me is that the disciples make this remark in response to Jesus having just rebuked a threatening storm. If Jesus was already controlling all storms, as John claims, why on earth would he need to rebuke this one?

In the post Boyd decides to point out that John, as he so respectively refers to him, interprets natural disasters when he shouldn’t, corrects John on his hermeneutics, and then implies at the end of the post that John should take the beam out of his own eye instead of correcting the speck of the ELCA.

Well, Greg, shows us here why he is thought of the way he is among most evangelicals. In his correction of Dr. John Piper, Greg Boyd decides to question the sovereignty of God. So what is that Mr. Boyd is inferring here? Is that someone else is in control of the world? Or is that God is some sort of clockmaker who has no idea what is going to happen, but instead just created everything and decided to sit back and watch?

This is one perspective that Dr. Piper doesn’t have to worry about. According to the Bible that Boyd reads and the God of that Bible I believe it says a few things regarding God’s control of all things, including the weather. But then again, he is one of those emergent types.

Psalm 135:5-7: “For I know that the LORD is great,
and that our Lord is above all gods.
Whatever the LORD pleases, he does,
in heaven and on earth,
in the seas and all deeps.
He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth,
who makes lightnings for the rain
and brings forth the wind from his storehouses.”

Job 37:5-7: “God thunders wondrously with his voice;
he does great things that we cannot comprehend.
For to the snow he says, ‘Fall on the earth,’
likewise to the downpour, his mighty downpour.
He seals up the hand of every man,
that all men whom he made may know it.”

It important to understand the sovereignty of God, his control, and his present working in the world today. I do not believe it is as Mr. Boyd states: If Jesus was already controlling all storms…. However, it should be seen that God is the sovereign one, and that He works all things for His glory.

OWNCAST and troubled Christian, come and glean to-day in the broad field of promise. Here are abundance of precious promises, which exactly meet thy wants. Take this one: “He will not break the bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax.” Doth not that suit thy case? A reed, helpless, insignificant, and weak, a bruised reed, out of which no music can come; weaker than weakness itself; a reed, and that reed bruised, yet, He will not break thee; but on the contrary, will restore and strengthen thee. Thou art like the smoking flax: no light, no warmth, can come from thee; but He will not quench thee; He will blow with His sweet breath of mercy till He fans thee to a flame. Wouldst thou glean another ear? “Come unto Me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” What soft words! Thy heart is tender, and the Master knows it, and therefore He speaketh so gently to thee. Wilt thou not obey Him, and come to Him even now? Take another ear of corn: “Fear not, thou worm Jacob, I will help thee, saith the Lord and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.” How canst thou fear with such a wonderful assurance as this? Thou mayest gather ten thousand such golden ears as these! “I have blotted out thy sins like a cloud, and like a thick cloud thy transgressions.” Or this, “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Or this, “The Spirit and the Bride say, Come, and let him that is athirst come, and whosoever will let him take the water of life freely.” Our Master’s field is very rich; behold the handfuls. See, there they lie before thee, poor timid believer! Gather them up, make them thine own, for Jesus bids thee take them. Be not afraid, only believe! Grasp these sweet promises, thresh them out by meditation and feed on them with joy.

The Spurgeon Archive

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matt 28:19 ESV)

For any of you who are not familiar with the United Pentecostal Church (UPC), they hold beliefs that differ greatly from most evangelicals. I have been familiar with the UPC for a very long time, but was reminded of them while watching a movie the other night. One belief shared by members of the UPC, is that one must be baptized “in the name of Jesus.” Period. No questions asked. I want to examine this and show how failing to honor Matthew 28, falls short in honoring and glorifying God.

“Jesus Name” Explained

In short, the UPC takes Matthew 28:19 and analyzes it with the conclusion that “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” refers to One Name – Jesus. The singular word, “name” is taken to mean that only one name should be used during baptism, the name above all names.

[The Greek word for name here, "onoma" is a neuter noun, meaning: univ. of proper names, or the name is used for everything which the name covers.]

This verse is linked to Acts 2:38 where is states, be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ… The same Greek phrase is used here for the words “the name.” However this is not what is implied as the UPC takes it to mean.

A note from the ESV Study Bible explains it this way:

To be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ (see also 2:38; 8:16) is not different from being baptized “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19). Even though different words are used here in Acts, the meaning is the same because in biblical usage a person’s “name” represents the person’s character, everything that is true about the person. The “name” (character and attributes) of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit is the same as the “name” (character and attributes) of Jesus Christ. In fact, in Matt. 28:19, the word “name” (Gk. onoma) is singular, indicating that Father, Son, and Holy Spirit share one “name” (i.e., one character). To be baptized into that name is a sign of identifying with that name and taking on Christ’s character, as well as committing to live one’s life from that point on as a representative of that name. remain for some days. Peter’s willingness to stay with them likely involved his sharing meals with the Gentiles, a bold step for one who formerly was so concerned about clean and unclean foods (see also notes on Gal. 2:11–21).

Failing to Glorify God

So why does this interpretation which separates the UPC from everyone, fail to glorify God? From the commandment in Matthew 28 we can draw several things. By baptism being administered in “the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit,” we profess:

Our assent to the scripture-revelation concerning God, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. We confess our belief that there is a God, that there is but one God, that in the Godhead there is a Father that begets, a Son that is begotten, and a Holy Spirit of both. We are baptized, not into the names, but into the name, of Father, Son, and Spirit, which plainly intimates that these three are one, and their name one. The distinct mentioning of the three persons in the Trinity, both in the Christian baptism here, and in the Christian blessing (2 Cor. 13:14), as it is a full proof of the doctrine of the Trinity, so it has done much towards preserving it pure and entire through all ages of the church; for nothing is more great and awful in Christian assemblies than these two. (2.) Our consent to a covenant-relation to God, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Baptism is a sacrament, that is, it is an oath; super sacramentum dicere, is to say upon oath. It is an oath of abjuration, by which we renounce the world and the flesh, as rivals with God for the throne in our hearts; and an oath of allegiance, by which we resign and give up ourselves to God, to be his, our own selves, our whole selves, body, soul, and spirit, to be governed by his will, and made happy in his favour; we become his men, so the form of homage in our law runs. Therefore baptism is applied to the person, as livery and seisin is given of the premises, because it is the person that is dedicated to God. [1.] It is into the name of the Father, believing him to be the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (for that is principally intended here), by eternal generation, and our Father, as our Creator, Preserver, and Benefactor, to whom therefore we resign ourselves, as our absolute owner and proprietor, to actuate us, and dispose of us; as our supreme rector and governor, to rule us, as free agents, by his law; and as our chief good, and highest end. [2.] It is into the name of the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and correlate to the Father. Baptism was in a particular manner administered in the name of the Lord Jesus, Acts 7:16; 19:5. In baptism we assent, as Peter did, Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God (ch. 16:16), and consent, as Thomas did, My Lord, and my God, John 20:28. We take Christ to be our Prophet, Priest, and King, and give up ourselves to be taught, and saved, and ruled, by him. [3.] It is into the name of the Holy Ghost. Believing the Godhead of the Holy Spirit, and his agency in carrying on our redemption, we give up ourselves to his conduct and operation, as our sanctifier, teacher, guide, and comforter. [Matthew Henry]

The UPC honors that Christ came, lived for us, died for us, and rose again. However they fail to honor God, the Father, as our Creator, our Preserver, as the Father of Christ. They fail to honor God as the one who sent Christ, the one who draws us to our Savior, without which we could not be saved (John 6:44). They fail also to honor the Holy Spirit, as our Comforter, the one who speaks to us through God’s revelation (His Word), and the one who sanctifies us on our journey and reminds us that the One who began the work in us, will bring to completion (Phil 1:6). By failing to honor the entire character and person of God, they fall short in glorifying God.

…in order that in everything God may be glorified…To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 4:11 ESV)

Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. Psalm 20:7

This verse, this seemingly simple verse, can be so hard to live out. It’s really hard for me to imagine being without a job, without being able to pay my bills, to give an offering, to buy my fiance dinner, to help someone else. This may soon be a reality, however, and I find myself trying to convince myself to trust in God. It’s even worse for me at the moment because I’m getting ready to leave a job, a good job, in a medium sized city and move to a small, small town. I can’t help but to second guess every step closer to these many changes in my life, and to lose faith. George Mueller’s words help to keep the faith, to trust:

It is quite true that, in general, the Lord provides the necessaries of life by means of our ordinary calling; but that that is not THE REASON why we should work, is plain enough from the consideration, that if our possessing the necessaries of life depended upon our ability of working, we could never have freedom from anxiety, for we should always have to say to ourselves, and what shall I do when I am too old to work? or when by reason of sickness I am unable to earn my bread? But if on the other hand, we are engaged in our earthly calling, because it is the will of the Lord concerning us that we should work, and that thus laboring we may provide for our families and also be able to support the weak, the sick, the aged, and the needy, then we have good and scriptural reason to say to ourselves: should it please the Lord to lay me on a bed of sickness, or keep me otherwise by reason of infirmity or old age, or want of employment, from earning my bread by means of the labor of my hands, or my business, or my profession, He will yet provide for me….(1 Thess. 4:11-12, Eph. 4:28)

I continually pray that I can trust God to provide, to open the door to a new job, to new means; but also to teach me to trust in Him along the way and to be free of anxiety.

Desiring God – Use Means but Don’t Trust in Means….

While staying busy my obsession with twitter has remained a staple. This week I followed a link from Phil Johnson (Grace to You/Team Pyro) and was lead to the comments section of another Pyromaniac blog that served only to bash Pastor Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church and, in essence, calll him a liar. I believe you can find the post here if you would like to familiarize yourself with it. Most of the John MacArthur clan spend a lot of time voicing their opining of Pastor Mark and I’ve been an avid reader of the Pyromaniacs blog for a long time. While I can see that some of their frustration is justified, I believe they have created a double standard of sorts.

I say this based on only one reason — these same people worship Charles H. Spurgeon, the greatest preacher of all time. While they throw stones at Driscoll for his use of so-called foul language, drinking habits, and anything else they can find, they will defend Spurgeon to the death. So, why does this matter? Well, during Spurgeon’s day he received ample criticism from the peanut gallery. It is well known Spurgeon enjoyed cigars and was no abstainer from strong drink.

I am no total abstainer. I do not think the cure of England’s drunkenness will come from that quarter. (Pg. 380, Spurgeon: Prince of Preachers, Lewis Drummond)

I just don’t see how they justify their current complaints with Pastor Mark. He used the phrase “knocking boots” from the pulpit! They don’t agree with his humor, so what. At the same time, you hear no complaints from these same guys when Dr. John Piper uses damn or ass from the pulpit. They pick and choose who they stone, and that is obvious.
I respect these guys and usually agree with them. I can hear their rebuttals already, but this is how I see it. MacArthur and Phil are good, but they’re no John Piper!

As I lie awake last night, I thought about the people in the town of Sucua, the people here in this town of 6,000 Americans.  There’s bigger and better places around, sure, but there are people here who still seek God with all of their heart every day.  God still moves in their lives; God still saves them from the same things; God still loves them, and notices them.  But regardless of our education, where we call home, or who we know, none of us deserve Gods saving grace.

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. (Matt 10:29-31 ESV)

I thought about this verse today as I continued to think about God and His people.  This verse is such an ultimate reminder of God’s providence, and also His compassion for us.  Regarding this portion of Scripture, Matthew Henry says:

That the providence of God is in a special manner conversant about the saints, in their suffering.  It is good to have recourse to our first principles, and particularly to the doctrine of God’s universal providence, extending itself to all the creatures, and all their actions, even the smallest and most minute. The light of nature teaches us this, and it is comfortable to all men, but especially to all good men, who can in faith call this God their Father, and for whom he has a tender concern.

As God causes the sparrows to fall, He numbers the hairs on our heads.  He is fully in charge of all things.  Every now and then, it’s good to step back and realize how small and insignificant we are.  However, it’s also great to know we have a Father who has such a tender concern for us, regardless of race, education, location, or anything else we could think up.  It is not of our own doing, but wholly His.

-grace and peace-

I know some of you have tough questions like ‘If God is love, then why does he allow all of these bad things to happen?’ or ‘How can God love someone like me?’ I don’t have all of the answers, but I do know that God is love and I understand where you are.

Leaving a group of students (12-18 years old) with questions like these posed, and not offering a real answer is a tragic happening that occurs too often in the Church. Too often, when there are real answers to these tough questions. In all that happens in this world, from the death of family to the suffering of friends, we have to realize that we serve a God who is sovereign over all things. One comment by John Piper begins to bring all of this into perspective:

If we try to rescue God from his sovereignty and take away from him his involvement in the pain that just came in to our lives, we also lose God’s present power to turn the pain for good. The price of denying God his sovereignty over pain is too high to pay, and people can see that.

So where do we turn when a our friend is killed in a car crash, or our grandfather is killed by negligence in a hospital? What does God say to us in His revelation, the Word?

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; 30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. 31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Romans 8:28-32

God causes all things to work together for the good. Paul does not say that all things are good, but that God turns all things to good. So regardless if something bad does happen, we can trust in this promise, that God is working. So why does God allow these bad things: rape, abuse, death, sickness. These are questions that may not be answered easily. It make take long hours of studying Scripture, and it may take many weeks to preach sermons explaining these things. Realizing and understanding a few things will make this easier I feel.

God does harden hearts, and through his prophets he predicts sinful human actions long in advance, indicating that he is in control of human free decisions.

It is [God] who created, preserves, actuates and directs all things. But it by no means follows, from these premises, that God is therefore the cause of sin, for sin is nothing but anomia, illegality, want of conformity to the divine law (1 John 3:4), a mere privation of rectitude; consequently, being itself a thing purely negative, it can have no positive or efficient cause, but only a negative or deficient one, as several learned men have observed.

When I started writing this, my aim was to keep it simple, but I now see I could go on forever. So, I will try to simply say God is sovereign.
This simply refers to the fact that all things are under His rule and control, and that nothing happens in this Universe without His direction or permission. He is a God Who works, not just some things, but all things after the counsel of His own will (Eph. 1:11). God’s purpose is all-inclusive and is never thwarted (Isa. 46:11). Nothing Takes Him by Surprise
It is not merely that God has the power and right to govern all things but that He does so always and without exception. – John Piper

-God is sovereign over angels & Satan: Ps 103:20-21; Job 1:12
-God is sovereign over human beings: 1 Sam 2:6-7; Gal 1:15-16
-God is sovereign over free acts of men: Ex 3:21; 12:25-36; Ez 7:27
-God is sovereign over sinful acts of men and Satan: 2 Sam 24:1; 1 Chr 21:1; Gen 45:5 and 50:20

Granted there is no easy answer the questions we began with, but there is an answer. I will leave you with the answer given by Jonathan Edwards when approached with something similar.

It is a proper and excellent thing for infinite glory to shine forth; and for the same reason, it is proper that the shining forth of God’s glory should be complete; that is, that all parts of his glory should shine forth, that every beauty should be proportionably effulgent, that the beholder may have a proper notion of God. It is not proper that one glory should be exceedingly manifested, and another not at all. . .

Thus it is necessary, that God’s awful majesty, his authority and dreadful greatness, justice, and holiness, should be manifested. But this could not be, unless sin and punishment had been decreed; so that the shining forth of God’s glory would be very imperfect, both because these parts of divine glory would not shine forth as the others do, and also the glory of his goodness, love, and holiness would be faint without them; nay, they could scarcely shine forth at all.

If it were not right that God should decree and permit and punish sin, there could be no manifestation of God’s holiness in hatred of sin, or in showing any preference, in his providence, of godliness before it. There would be no manifestation of God’s grace or true goodness, if there was no sin to be pardoned, no misery to be saved from. How much happiness soever he bestowed, his goodness would not be so much prized and admired. . . .

So evil is necessary, in order to the highest happiness of the creature, and the completeness of that communication of God, for which he made the world; because the creature’s happiness consists in the knowledge of God, and the sense of his love. And if the knowledge of him be imperfect, the happiness of the creature must be proportionably imperfect.