tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83826159838474430372024-03-14T02:37:09.559-07:00Nathanael Kingthoughts on theology, philosophy, ministry, culture, and life.Nathanael Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18051937741247763431noreply@blogger.comBlogger70125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382615983847443037.post-51422998617434348102015-06-26T14:43:00.000-07:002015-07-09T21:49:26.279-07:00Love Wins, But Not At the Expense of Truth<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BL4IqFUSQd4/VY3DL-H0lxI/AAAAAAAAId0/Bbfy4DH2_R0/s1600/GayMarriage-Court_jpg_800x1000_q100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BL4IqFUSQd4/VY3DL-H0lxI/AAAAAAAAId0/Bbfy4DH2_R0/s400/GayMarriage-Court_jpg_800x1000_q100.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Today the Supreme Court redefined marriage. That's what the news says anyway. For those who believe in a sovereign Lord of the Universe who is the Creator and Definer of all life and existence, we know that humans can never redefine what God has defined. Humans can only move dangerously away from the truth.<br />
<br />
During the arguments before the Supreme Court, one primary issue that was raised a few times by Justice Kennedy was the issue of whether marriage bestows dignity upon participants. According to Kennedy's logic, marriage bestows dignity upon individuals and ennobles them. All people deserve dignity, no matter their sexual orientation, and that dignity is protected under the 14th Amendment. Therefore, we must allow homosexual couples to "marry," thereby bestowing dignity upon them.<br />
<br />
The opposing lawyer argued that marriage does not bestow dignity, but rather the main purpose of marriage is centered around procreation. While I agree that this is <i><b>a</b></i> central purpose of marriage (not <b><i>the</i></b> central purpose of marriage), I believe this was a wrong move, both strategically and rationally.<br />
<br />
Here's why: It's clear to all that marriage is a dignified institution, and those who participate in it are thereby ennobled. So denying this runs contrary to something that's readily apparent and deeply embedded in each of us. However, the thing that makes marriage a dignified institution is not simply that we say someone is married and, "Boom!" they receive dignity from that declaration. Rather, marriage is a dignified institution because of it's very nature--because of what it is. Let me elaborate.<br />
<br />
First, marriage is dignified because at its core, marriage is the bringing together of two profoundly different and complementary individuals to become one, so that synergistically they are more complete together than they ever were apart. Genesis 2:24 says, "Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." It's this unity in diversity that makes marriage the glorious, dignified institution that it is. And our differences extend to the very core of our being, biologically, psychologically, and even spiritually. Our gender is essential to our being. In fact, in heaven, I will not be married, but I will be male. And same-sex couples cannot experience marriage and the dignity that it confers because they are not profoundly different and complementary. They are same-sex, homo--not hetero--sexuals. As <a href="http://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindeyoung/2012/05/10/why-christians-should-continue-to-oppose-gay-marriage/">Kevin DeYoung said</a>,<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The promotion and legal recognition of homosexual unions is not in the interest of the common good. That may sound benighted, if not bigoted. But we must say it in love: codifying the indistinguishability of gender will not make for the "peace of the city." It rubs against the grain of the universe, and when you rub against the grain of divine design you're bound to get splinters. Or worse. The society which says sex is up to your own definition and the family unit is utterly fungible is not a society that serves its children, its women, or its own long term well being.</blockquote>
Second, and most importantly, marriage is a dignified institution because it was a established by God to picture His relationship with His people. Ephesians 5:31-32 quotes Genesis saying, "'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.' This is a profound mystery-- but I am talking about Christ and the church." So a marriage between a man and woman profoundly pictures the gospel--the good news about Jesus. When a man sacrificially loves his wife, he pictures God's sacrificial love for us. And when a woman lovingly submits to and responds to her husband, she pictures the churches obedience and love to God. Marriage explains the gospel and the gospel explains marriage. And when we distort this by calling something same-sex "marriage" that is not marriage we only muddle people's thinking and diminish the sacredness and dignity of marriage within our culture.<br />
<br />
Some have countered that allowing same-sex couples to marry will not take any rights away from heterosexual couples. I suspect that ultimately this will prove to be false, but more importantly this misses the larger point: When we call something "marriage" that in reality is not marriage this will inevitably lead to the erosion of the institution of marriage in our culture, and thus the erosion of a central picture of God's relationship to His people. And so our entire culture will be spiritually hurt and further bankrupted by this muddled thinking. This is why Isaiah 5:20 says, "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!"<br />
<br />
<div>
Some will condemn the things that I am saying as hateful and prejudiced, but that's not my heart. In fact, if what I'm saying is true (and I believe it is), then that means that the most loving thing we can do is lovingly stand up for the truth. Those who have put their faith in Jesus are not being gracious when they capitulate on the truth. <b>Understand this: grace is only gracious when it is not offered at the expense of the truth.</b> That's why Paul wrote that, "Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth" (1 Cor 13:6). If we really believe in Jesus, then that means that we really believe that He knows what He's talking about, whether He's addressing sexual ethics or any other subject. And so if we have faith in Jesus, then we will agree with Him that homosexual behavior is sinful, deviant, and ultimately leads down a dark path that will rob people of their joy and love. Ultimately, this sin stands in between people and their Creator Who loves them deeply, and if they don't repent they will be separated from God forever. To not tell the truth about this is the opposite of loving.<br />
<br />
So for Christians who live in a culture that is increasingly normalizing and institutionalizing sinful behavior, let me offer five suggestions:<br />
<ol>
<li><b>Recognize that our hope is not in this world. </b> We should not feel despondent because this world is moving away from the truth. Indeed, we should expect it and expect the persecution that will accompany this. Jesus said, "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also" (John 15:18-20). This world is not our home, and we need to remember that (Phil 3:20, John 17:15-16).</li>
<li><b>Continue to uphold the picture of God's relationship to His people through biblical marriage. </b>Christians need to uphold biblical marriage. This means that we need to be aware of what the Bible teaches about marriage, divorce and remarriage, and we must strive in our personal lives to make our marriages a clear reflection of God's relationship to His people. We must be clear that biblical marriage is the only legitimate and acceptable context for a sexual relationship. Marriage is about something bigger and more important than personal happiness (though great personal happiness is a byproduct of biblical marriage), and Christians need to understand and embrace this reality. I highly recommend the book, <a href="http://amzn.to/1GypxTG">The Meaning of Marriage</a> by Tim Keller in this regard.</li>
<li><b>Understand what the Bible teaches about homosexuality.</b> Christians need to be equipped to speak about homosexuality with intelligence and respect. For those who seek to be equipped in this way, Kevin DeYoung's book, <a href="http://amzn.to/1GP7BXe">What Does the Bible Really Teach about Homosexuality?</a> is a great place to start.</li>
<li><b>Be careful to reinforce the truth with our speech. </b>Because marriage is defined by God, there is no such thing as so-called "same-sex marriage." This is a fiction that we should not reinforce with our words. For this reason, I don't think we should use the terms "gay marriage" or "same-sex marriage." I think in our everyday discourse, we should say "so-called gay marriage" or "so-called same-sex marriage." To use these terms only reinforces a fiction that is harming those who are engaged in it, which will make it more difficult and confusing for them should they repent.</li>
<li><b>Embody both love and truth to this world that desperately needs both. </b>We must not capitulate on the truth. But we also must be gracious and loving. Jesus is "full of grace and truth" (John 1:14), and Paul exhorts us to "speak the truth in love" (Eph 4:15). We must love others deeply, and recognize that homosexual behavior is the result of a deep brokenness of the soul. We must be ready for same-sex couples and the refugees of this sexual revolution to come into our churches and to have strategies for how we'll lovingly share the truth with them, counsel them, and walk with them as they seek to live out the truth. As a <a href="http://www.thereligionandpoliticsblog.com/2015/06/06/thoughts-on-bruce-jenner-responding-in-truth-and-love/">friend of mine said,</a></li>
</ol>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Wrestling with any form of a gender identity issue is taxing on a person’s mind, body, and spirit. Struggles with depression, anxiety, hopelessness, isolation, and self-worth are all too common among those who grapple with such feelings. But, as I also know from personal experience, it is possible to struggle with gender identity issues and still live a faithful Christian life. But I have only been able to do that through knowing and experiencing both the love and the truth of Jesus Christ. And the truth is that the homosexual or transgender actions and lifestyles are sinful and God has made his attitude clear on these subjects (See Romans 1:26-27, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, 1 Timothy 1:8-11, Leviticus 18:22, Leviticus 20:13, Deuteronomy 22:5). Such actions will only lead a person down a dark, dangerous, and sometimes deadly path because they do not line up with God’s intended purposes for sexuality. However, this should not diminish our kindness or affection in any capacity for people struggling with these temptations or even those who live such lifestyles out in the open. Our God and Father in heaven loves them, and because he loves them, he desires for them to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4). By coming to a knowledge of the truth, they may also come to be obedient to his will in order to live a holy and pure life before him (1 Thessalonians 4:3-8). Christians, if we want to love those in the LGBTQ community, we have to both stand for the Truth of God’s Word and offer Grace to those who struggle with or live in that lifestyle. Only then will our love be complete and in line with God’s perfect will.</blockquote>
Let's resolve to love others without compromising the truth. "Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth" (1 Cor 13:6).</div>
Nathanael Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18051937741247763431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382615983847443037.post-46841135443164147882015-02-13T07:00:00.000-08:002015-02-13T07:00:06.502-08:00How To Love Someone<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.paultripp.com/">Paul Tripp</a> recently <a href="http://www.paultripp.com/articles/posts/23-things-that-love-is-reprise">posted a blog</a> on love in which he lists 23 things that love is. In many ways, his list could be seen as an application and exposition of 1 Corinthians 13:4-8:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.</blockquote>
I don't know of many people who could read this list without being convicted:<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>23 Things That Love Is</b><br />
<ol>
<li><b>LOVE IS</b>... being willing to have your life complicated by the needs and struggles of others without impatience or anger.</li>
<li><b>LOVE IS</b>... actively fighting the temptation to be critical and judgmental toward another while looking for ways to encourage and praise.</li>
<li><b>LOVE IS</b>... making a daily commitment to resist the needless moments of conflict that come from pointing out and responding to minor offenses.</li>
<li><b>LOVE IS</b>... being lovingly honest and humbly approachable in times of misunderstanding.</li>
<li><b>LOVE IS</b>... being more committed to unity and understanding than you are to winning, accusing, or being right.</li>
<li><b>LOVE IS</b>... a making a daily commitment to admit your sin, weakness, and failure and to resist the temptation to offer an excuse or shift the blame.</li>
<li><b>LOVE IS</b>... being willing, when confronted by another, to examine your heart rather than rising to your defense or shifting the focus.</li>
<li><b>LOVE IS</b>... making a daily commitment to grow in love so that the love you offer to another is increasingly selfless, mature, and patient.</li>
<li><b>LOVE IS</b>... being unwilling to do what is wrong when you have been wronged, but looking for concrete and specific ways to overcome evil with good.</li>
<li><b>LOVE IS</b>... being a good student of another, looking for their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs so that in some way you can remove the burden, support them as they carry it, or encourage them along the way.</li>
<li><b>LOVE IS</b>... being willing to invest the time necessary to discuss, examine, and understand the relational problems you face, staying on task until the problem is removed or you have agreed upon a strategy of response.</li>
<li><b>LOVE IS</b>... being willing to always ask for forgiveness and always being committed to grant forgiveness when it is requested.</li>
<li><b>LOVE IS</b>... recognizing the high value of trust in a relationship and being faithful to your promises and true to your word.</li>
<li><b>LOVE IS</b>... speaking kindly and gently, even in moments of disagreement, refusing to attack the other person’s character or assault their intelligence.</li>
<li><b>LOVE IS</b>... being unwilling to flatter, lie, manipulate, or deceive in any way in order to co-opt the other person into giving you what you want or doing something your way.</li>
<li><b>LOVE IS</b>... being unwilling to ask another person to be the source of your identity, meaning, and purpose, or inner sense of well-being, while refusing to be the source of theirs.</li>
<li><b>LOVE IS</b>... the willingness to have less free time, less sleep, and a busier schedule in order to be faithful to what God has called you to be and to do as a spouse, parent, neighbor, etc.</li>
<li><b>LOVE IS</b>... a commitment to say no to selfish instincts and to do everything that is within your ability to promote real unity, functional understanding, and active love in your relationships.</li>
<li><b>LOVE IS</b>... staying faithful to your commitment to treat another with appreciation, respect, and grace, even in moments when the other person doesn’t seem deserving or is unwilling to reciprocate.</li>
<li><b>LOVE IS</b>... the willingness to make regular and costly sacrifices for the sake of a relationship without asking for anything in return or using your sacrifices to place the other person in your debt.</li>
<li><b>LOVE IS</b>... being unwilling to make any personal decision or choice that would harm a relationship, hurt the other person, or weaken the bond of trust between you.</li>
<li><b>LOVE IS</b>... refusing to be self-focused or demanding, but instead looking for specific ways to serve, support, and encourage, even when you are busy or tired.</li>
<li><b>LOVE IS</b>... daily admitting to yourself, the other person, and God that you are unable to be driven by a cruciform love without God’s protecting, providing, forgiving, rescuing, and delivering grace.</li>
</ol>
Nathanael Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18051937741247763431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382615983847443037.post-48295891648725062482015-01-01T15:21:00.003-08:002015-01-01T15:21:53.901-08:00New Year, New Morning Mercies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1433541386/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1433541386&linkCode=as2&tag=nathking-20&linkId=BBZRMOEEHRASPQR3"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tJAto3b95-Q/VKXTIP-6AGI/AAAAAAAAGxU/y3dusY1NuIE/s1600/New%2BMorning%2BMercies.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>This year I've decided to read a new devotional book along with my regular Bible reading. I've chosen the book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1433541386/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1433541386&linkCode=as2&tag=nathking-20&linkId=BBZRMOEEHRASPQR3">New Morning Mercies</a> by Paul David Tripp. The title of this book is based on one of my favorite passages of Scripture:</i><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: </i><i>The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; </i><i>they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. </i><i>"The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him." </i><i>The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. </i> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>-Lamentations 3:21-25</i></blockquote>
<i>Below is an excerpt from the introduction that was deeply encouraging to me. I hope it encourages you as we begin 2015!</i><br />
<br />
Now, I have to be honest here—I didn’t write this devotional just for you. No, I wrote it for myself as well. There is no reality, principle, observation, truth, command, encouragement, exhortation, or rebuke in this devotional that I don’t desperately need myself. I’m like you; familiarity causes me not to treasure the gospel of Jesus Christ as I should. As the themes of grace get more and more familiar and common, they don’t capture my attention and awe as they once did. When amazing realities of the gospel quit commanding your attention, your awe, and your worship, other things in your life will capture your attention instead. When you quit celebrating grace, you begin to forget how much you need grace, and when you forget how much you need grace, you quit seeking the rescue and strength that only grace can give. This means you begin to see yourself as more righteous, strong, and wise than you actually are, and in so doing, you set yourself up for trouble.<br />
<br />
So this devotional is a call for you and me to remember. It’s a call to remember the horrible disaster of sin. It’s a call to remember Jesus, who stood in our place. It’s a call to remember the righteousness that is his gift. It’s call to remember the transforming power of the grace you and I couldn’t have earned. It’s a call to remember the destiny that is guaranteed to all of God’s blood-purchased children. It’s a call to remember his sovereignty and his glory. It’s a call to remember that remembering is spiritual war; even for this we need grace.<br />
<br />
The title of this devotional is not only a reference to the way the Bible talks about God’s grace (Lam. 3:22–23), but also an allusion to a famous hymn that I think we should sing every day.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness!<br />
Morning by morning new mercies I see:<br />
All I have needed thy hand hath provided—<br />
Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!</blockquote>
One of the stunning realities of the Christian life is that in a world where everything is in some state of decay, God’s mercies never grow old. They never run out. They never are ill timed. They never dry up. They never grow weak. They never get weary. They never fail to meet the need. They never disappoint. They never, ever fail, because they really are new every morning. Formfitted for the challenges, disappointments, sufferings, temptations, and struggles with sin within and without are the mercies of our Lord. Sometimes they are:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Awe-inspiring mercies<br />
Rebuking mercies<br />
Strengthening mercies<br />
Hope-giving mercies<br />
Heart-exposing mercies<br />
Rescuing mercies<br />
Transforming mercies<br />
Forgiving mercies<br />
Provision-making mercies<br />
Uncomfortable mercies<br />
Glory-revealing mercies<br />
Truth-illumining mercies<br />
Courage-giving mercies.</blockquote>
God’s mercies don’t come in one color; no, they come in every shade of every color of the rainbow of his grace. God’s mercies are not the sound of one instrument; no, they sound the note of every instrument of his grace. God’s mercy is general; all of his children bask in his mercy. God’s mercy is specific; each child receives the mercy that is designed for his or her particular moment of need. God’s mercy is predictable; it is the fountain that never stops flowing. God’s mercy is unpredictable; it comes to us in surprising forms. God’s mercy is a radical theology, but it is more than a theology; it is life to all who believe. God’s mercy is ultimate comfort, but it is also a call to a brand-new way of living. God’s mercy really does change everything forever, for all upon whom this mercy is bestowed....<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="264" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/109617228?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> Nathanael Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18051937741247763431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382615983847443037.post-65630472211955310082014-12-03T16:30:00.000-08:002014-12-11T13:13:09.294-08:00Jesus Loves Santa, and So Should You!<div class="tr_bq">
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I was 7 years old. It was Christmas Eve, and we were driving home from our annual Christmas Eve dinner with my grandparents. As I sat in the car on the drive home, looking out the window, I saw him. I saw Santa Claus!<br />
<br />
He was flying through the sky, all lit up with his sled and flying reindeer. My brothers and sisters all clamored to see him and then we sat in amazement, talking about it for the rest of our drive home. We couldn't believe that we had seen Santa! Then when we got home, we set out cookies and milk for him (and carrots for his reindeer), and we went to bed. The next morning, we woke up to an almost-magical display of presents and colorful lights, and sitting beside the half-eaten cookies and empty cup of milk was a note from Santa. It was written in calligraphy on special stationary, and in it Santa told us that he had ripped his pants on the way down our chimney, so he was very thankful for the milk and cookies to refresh him. With a flash of excitement, I ran over to the chimney with my brother and sister and there it was: a piece of red felt. I was holding a piece of Santa's pants!<br />
<br />
Later, I found out that the Goodyear blimp flies around with a Santa display on the side of the blimp on Christmas Eve. And I noticed that the note from Santa was written in the same calligraphy that I'd seen my mom use on special cards. But that was just a coincidence. I'm pretty sure that I saw Santa that night, and he wrote me a note, and I have a piece of his pants. <br />
<br />
Now that I have children of my own, how to handle Santa Claus is something my wife and I have thought deeply about. We've considered the possible negative impacts of celebrating Christmas with Santa Claus. (No, I'm not talking about silly reasons like "SANTA" is an anagram of "SATAN"). There are real reasons for Christians to be cautious of Santa.<br />
<ul>
<li>For one, Santa could detract from the true meaning of Christmas. There's a real danger in replacing the story of God sending His precious Son to be born into a cold, dark world with a secularized narrative about the North Pole and elves and reindeer and the like. This is an easy way to keep Christmas fun but devoid of any significant meaning or truth. In our family, we want Christmas to be about Jesus--that He came to pay for our sins and rise from the dead, conquering sin and death forever. </li>
<li>There's also a danger that Santa can feed into our culture's commercialization of Christmas so that my children become overly obsessed with gifts and getting. Instead, we want them to feel a sense of joy in giving; to know deep within that "it is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35). </li>
<li>And finally, Santa Claus could feed a works-based mentality--someone who checks a list and rewards good behavior while leaving coal for bad behavior is contrary to the grace of the Lord Jesus that we want our children to understand. </li>
</ul>
<b>But must Santa always carry this negative baggage so that he obscures the truth about Christmas? I don't think so.</b><br />
<br />
I believe that Santa can communicate profound truths to children. Some stories, such as fables, fairytales, and parables <i>are not</i> <i>empirically</i> true, but still communicate profound truths about reality, God, and the human condition. Other stories <i>are empirically</i> true and also communicate these kind of truths. The story of the Nativity is an example of the latter, while the story of the Prodigal Son is an example of the former. Both communicate profound truths, but only one is empirically true.<br />
<br />
Santa embodies Christian virtues such as kindness, generosity, joy, and grace (which every child eventually realizes when they haven't been good all year long and Santa still comes through!). Of course, this depends on which version of Santa we teach to our children. Santa has been hijacked and commercialized by advertisers. So we need to be careful about focusing exclusively on Santa, allowing a wishlist to become a demand-list, or using Santa to threaten or manipulate our children. But allowing children to embrace Santa while they are young can teach them profound truths about grace and a good giver of gifts.<br />
<br />
<b>But what if all the excitement about Santa detracts from the excitement about Jesus?</b><br />
<br />
C.S. Lewis (who, by the way, included Father Christmas in one of his Narnia books) often corresponded with readers. One youngster, 9-year-old Laurence Krieg, confessed to his mother that he might love Aslan the Lion more than he loved Jesus, and felt guilty about this. His mother wrote to the publisher, and Lewis himself responded in less than two weeks.<br />
<br />
"Tell Laurence from me, with my love," Lewis wrote, "...[He] can't really love Aslan more than Jesus, even if he feels that's what he is doing. For the things he loves Aslan for doing or saying are simply the things Jesus really did and said. So that when Laurence thinks he is loving Aslan, he is really loving Jesus: and perhaps loving Him more than he ever did before ... I don't think he need be bothered at all." (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000SEGDFY/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000SEGDFY&linkCode=as2&tag=nathking-20&linkId=IYNWOBBGEFDKCKR6">The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis</a>, Volume 3, p. 1955).<br />
<br />
Lewis's answer is brilliant. God made our imaginations and hardwired us to connect deeply with stories. Jesus himself appealed to people's imagination by telling parables—stories that communicated profound truths. He knew that stories often capture the heart and imagination in a way that rational, hard facts do not. Would Jesus rebuke someone for feeling love towards the father in the Prodigal Son? Of course not--because the very things that stir our affections towards the father in the Prodigal Son are true of God in a far greater way! And likewise Santa can stir our affections towards God. When we delight in Santa's benevolence and generosity, how much more so will we delight in the omnibeneovolent One who gave His own Son for us? Of course, our delight must not stop at Santa. But nonetheless, Santa can be a way we train our children to have their hearts and imaginations stirred towards goodness, and thus he can be a powerful way to communicate profound truths to children.<br />
<br />
<b>But wouldn't this mean that we're lying to our children? </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Not necessarily. For one thing, Santa Claus was a real person--Saint Nicholas. In our house, we often talk with our children about the historical person of St. Nicholas, who loved Jesus and sought to honor Jesus and be like Jesus with a life filled with generosity. My children know that Santa loves Jesus first. When my children start asking questions about Santa, we pull out a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1400308437/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1400308437&linkCode=as2&tag=nathking-20&linkId=TVPRGSLODGG567AN">book</a>, and read some stories about the historical person of St. Nicholas. We don't strip the story of it's magic, but we also don't strip the story of it's history. We explain that St. Nicholas became Santa Claus. We don't go into detail about how this happened, but I suspect that when my children are old enough, they'll understand this and figure it out for themselves. This is a delicate balance, but for now, it's been a very positive one in our family.<br />
<br />
But secondly, I don't think that telling our children about Santa is an outright lie. My goal is not to deceive or manipulate my children, but rather to teach them truths by telling them a story. Santa is no more a lie than any other fairytale or parable that communicates a deeper truth.<br />
<br />
<b>There's one final thing about celebrating Santa that I think is extremely positive: learning a sense of wonder.</b><br />
<br />
A sense of wonder is a tremendously positive thing, and my children are growing up in a world that seeks to strip this from them. They are growing up in a world that is increasingly secularized and portrayed as purely materialistic. Modernism has replaced the magic and awe people once experienced regularly with cold, propositional explanations. The existence an immaterial soul, of the spiritual world of angels and demons, and God Himself sometimes seems like an illusion. But as Christians, we know that a personal God exists, who is holy and pure and loves us deeply. He is real and substantial. He is not just wishful thinking or a psychological crutch. Although He is immaterial, He is the foundation of all reality. And He became incarnate--a human baby, our Creator, born to Joseph and Mary. And developing a sense of wonder can lead us to be people who marvel at our Creator's majesty, glory, love, and humility.<br />
<br />
G.K. Chesterton wrote that wonder is a learned skill, and he describes how his wonder of Santa developed into wonder of His Creator:</div>
<blockquote>
What has happened to me has been the very reverse of what appears to be the experience of most of my friends. Instead of dwindling to a point, Santa Claus has grown larger and larger in my life until he fills almost the whole of it. It happened in this way. </blockquote>
<blockquote>
As a child I was faced with a phenomenon requiring explanation. I hung up at the end of my bed an empty stocking, which in the morning became a full stocking. I had done nothing to produce the things that filled it. I had not worked for them, or made them or helped to make them. I had not even been good – far from it.</blockquote>
<blockquote>
And the explanation was that a certain being whom people called Santa Claus was benevolently disposed toward me. . . . What we believed was that a certain benevolent agency did give us those toys for nothing. And, as I say, I believe it still. I have merely extended the idea. </blockquote>
<blockquote>
Then I only wondered who put the toys in the stocking; now I wonder who put the stocking by the bed, and the bed in the room, and the room in the house, and the house on the planet, and the great planet in the void. </blockquote>
<blockquote>
Once I only thanked Santa Claus for a few dollars and crackers. Now, I thank him for stars and street faces, and wine and the great sea. Once I thought it delightful and astonishing to find a present so big that it only went halfway into the stocking. Now I am delighted and astonished every morning to find a present so big that it takes two stockings to hold it, and then leaves a great deal outside; it is the large and preposterous present of myself, as to the origin of which I can offer no suggestion except that Santa Claus gave it to me in a fit of peculiarly fantastic goodwill.</blockquote>
Santa can communicate profound truths to children, and he can stir their affections and their wonder towards a reality that is only fully realized in our Creator. And so, in my family, Santa is celebrated. Sometimes he even tears his pants.<br />
<br />
<i>Below are a few resources useful for anyone thinking through Christmas and Santa:</i><br />
<ul>
<li><b>Books</b></li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/098456490X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=098456490X&linkCode=as2&tag=nathking-20&linkId=7FLBPTM3RSO4A2DP">Christmas: Celebrating the Christian History of Classic Symbols, Songs and Stories</a> by Angie Mosteller - A near 500-page resource covering every aspect of the historical St. Nicholas and Christmas lore in general.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002SRL3CW/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002SRL3CW&linkCode=as2&tag=nathking-20&linkId=2OFGNRSHCH5NRWW5">The True Saint Nicholas: Why He Matters to Christmas</a> by William J. Bennett - An easy read about the historical person of Saint Nicholas. Directed towards adults.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1400308437/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1400308437&linkCode=as2&tag=nathking-20&linkId=TVPRGSLODGG567AN">My Christmas Collection: Three Favorite Stories</a> by Harold Myra - Three great children's stories in one book. The middle one, "Santa, Are You For Real?" is especially good! (This story is also available as it's own <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0849914922/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0849914922&linkCode=as2&tag=nathking-20&linkId=DEIH6GFMVWUPYIAV">separate book</a>).</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0758603762/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0758603762&linkCode=as2&tag=nathking-20&linkId=DO36CRCCDYDCYHH7">Saint Nicholas: The Real Story of the Christmas Legend</a> by Julie Stiegemeyer - A children's book telling the story of the real St. Nicholas.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1400071755/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1400071755&linkCode=as2&tag=nathking-20&linkId=DI7IFY4P56EJG6KM">God Gave Us Christmas</a> by Lisa Tawn Bergren - A children's story about a bear who asks, "Who 'vented Christmas? Was it Santa?" which leads to a discussion of God and Santa.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/141695029X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=141695029X&linkCode=as2&tag=nathking-20&linkId=O4CFRD6MEC5T62T3">Santa's Favorite Story</a> by Hisako Aoki - A children's book in which Santa tells the story about Jesus' birth. (In this book, the shepherds find Jesus through a star, which is incorrect because actually, the Magi find Jesus through the star).</li>
</ul>
<li><b>Articles/Blogs </b></li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.christianitytoday.com/women/2011/december/why-santa-belongs-in-your-kids-christmas.html?paging=off">Why Santa Belongs in Your Kids' Christmas</a> by <a href="http://www.keriwyattkent.com/">Keri Wyatt Kent</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.crosswalk.com/special-coverage/christmas-and-advent/who-is-santa-and-what-does-he-have-to-do-with-christmas.html">Who Is Santa, and What Does He Have to Do with Christmas?</a> by Angie Mosteller</li>
<li><a href="http://www.crosswalk.com/special-coverage/christmas-and-advent/what-to-do-with-santa-claus.html">What to Do with Santa Claus</a> by Angie Mosteller</li>
<li><a href="http://www.crosswalk.com/blogs/nicki-koziarz/the-great-santa-debate.html">The Great Santa Debate</a> by Nicki Koziarz</li>
</ul>
</ul>
Nathanael Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18051937741247763431noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382615983847443037.post-9953860615571350532014-10-23T11:12:00.002-07:002014-10-26T20:31:02.233-07:00Amusing Ourselves to Death<img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/ws40NDA8IL5MF96VnAPGggFlBDeFz_mqcMHVo6leS4bq7o1JCcKQSleUhwKu2VGGDHRs5w4LEoTNyGniqYVTEl-Zz4CkY7Br2k0S2RmC6PiZDw"><br>
<br>
In the mid-twentieth century, two authors wrote dystopian visions of how civilization might come to be ruled by tyranny, but their visions were quite different. George Orwell wrote <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0679417397/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0679417397&linkCode=as2&tag=nathking-20&linkId=GZKLRCSSUAIPUU3I">1984</a>--a vision in which people are ruled by omnipresent governmental surveillance, manipulation, and ever-increasing regulation. In short, the vision of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0679417397/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0679417397&linkCode=as2&tag=nathking-20&linkId=GZKLRCSSUAIPUU3I">1984</a> is a tyranny of <i>control</i>. In contrast to this, 17 years earlier Aldous Huxley had written <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0375712364/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0375712364&linkCode=as2&tag=nathking-20&linkId=YIU4H4PLPW2JEZF7">Brave New World</a>. Huxley cast a different vision of tyranny. In Huxley's vision, civilization dies a slow-motion death through a culture of passivity, amusement, and thrill-seeking. In short, the vision of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0375712364/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0375712364&linkCode=as2&tag=nathking-20&linkId=YIU4H4PLPW2JEZF7">Brave New World</a> is a tyranny of <i>distraction</i>. In the forward to his book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/014303653X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=014303653X&linkCode=as2&tag=nathking-20&linkId=NHPHTZE5X6C2R74H">Amusing Ourselves to Death</a>, Neil Postman contrasts these two visions:<br>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
We were keeping our eye on 1984. When the year came and the prophecy didn't, thoughtful Americans sang softly in praise of themselves. The roots of liberal democracy had held. Wherever else the terror had happened, we, at least, had not been visited by Orwellian nightmares. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
But we had forgotten that alongside Orwell's dark vision, there was another - slightly older, slightly less well known, equally chilling: Aldous Huxley's Brave New World. Contrary to common belief even among the educated, Huxley and Orwell did not prophesy the same thing. Orwell warns that we will be overcome by an externally imposed oppression. But in Huxley's vision, no Big Brother is required to deprive people of their autonomy, maturity and history. As he saw it, people will come to love their oppression, to adore the technologies that undo their capacities to think. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one. Orwell feared those who would deprive us of information. Huxley feared those who would give us so much that we would be reduced to passivity and egoism. Orwell feared that the truth would be concealed from us. Huxley feared the truth would be drowned in a sea of irrelevance. Orwell feared we would become a captive culture. Huxley feared we would become a trivial culture, preoccupied with some equivalent of the feelies, the orgy porgy, and the centrifugal bumblepuppy. As Huxley remarked in Brave New World Revisited, the civil libertarians and rationalists who are ever on the alert to oppose tyranny "failed to take into account man's almost infinite appetite for distractions". In 1984, Huxley added, people are controlled by inflicting pain. In Brave New World, they are controlled by inflicting pleasure. In short, Orwell feared that what we hate will ruin us. Huxley feared that what we love will ruin us. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
This book is about the possibility that Huxley, not Orwell, was right.</blockquote>
While both of these books offer compelling warnings, I fear that Huxley's vision is more accurate in our culture. Distractions assault us ferociously from every direction. Self-control, restraint, temperance, and self-denial are no longer seen as a virtues. Instead, we give advice like "follow your heart" and "do what makes you happy." Our culture's battle-cry is "YOLO!" (you only live once). If we are to be faithful to Christ, we must be vigilant to stand against the tide of distractions that would wash us away in a sea of irrelevance. We must cultivate the ability to think deeply about important subjects and the virtue of sacrificially working hard. As Jesus said, we must "deny ourselves and take up our cross daily" (Luke 9:23). We must stand against the idea that happiness should be our ultimate goal, and instead embrace the truth that happiness is a byproduct of a life well-lived. (For an excellent treatment of this, see the book by Moreland and Issler, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1576836487/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1576836487&linkCode=as2&tag=nathking-20&linkId=TLW7RFOVIMTTGLBD">The Lost Virtue of Happiness</a>).<br>
<br>
Huxley himself argued that our culture was headed towards his vision of a tyranny of distraction. In October of 1949, a few months after the release of George Orwell's masterpiece, he received a fascinating letter from Aldous Huxley. In this letter, Huxley briefly compares their novels and then proceeds to explain why he believes that his own, earlier work to be a more realistic prediction. The letter is below:<br>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Wrightwood. Cal.<br>
21 October, 1949</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Dear Mr. Orwell, </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
It was very kind of you to tell your publishers to send me a copy of your book. It arrived as I was in the midst of a piece of work that required much reading and consulting of references; and since poor sight makes it necessary for me to ration my reading, I had to wait a long time before being able to embark on Nineteen Eighty-Four. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Agreeing with all that the critics have written of it, I need not tell you, yet once more, how fine and how profoundly important the book is. May I speak instead of the thing with which the book deals — the ultimate revolution? The first hints of a philosophy of the ultimate revolution — the revolution which lies beyond politics and economics, and which aims at total subversion of the individual's psychology and physiology — are to be found in the Marquis de Sade, who regarded himself as the continuator, the consummator, of Robespierre and Babeuf. The philosophy of the ruling minority in Nineteen Eighty-Four is a sadism which has been carried to its logical conclusion by going beyond sex and denying it. Whether in actual fact the policy of the boot-on-the-face can go on indefinitely seems doubtful. My own belief is that the ruling oligarchy will find less arduous and wasteful ways of governing and of satisfying its lust for power, and these ways will resemble those which I described in Brave New World. I have had occasion recently to look into the history of animal magnetism and hypnotism, and have been greatly struck by the way in which, for a hundred and fifty years, the world has refused to take serious cognizance of the discoveries of Mesmer, Braid, Esdaile, and the rest. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Partly because of the prevailing materialism and partly because of prevailing respectability, nineteenth-century philosophers and men of science were not willing to investigate the odder facts of psychology for practical men, such as politicians, soldiers and policemen, to apply in the field of government. Thanks to the voluntary ignorance of our fathers, the advent of the ultimate revolution was delayed for five or six generations. Another lucky accident was Freud's inability to hypnotize successfully and his consequent disparagement of hypnotism. This delayed the general application of hypnotism to psychiatry for at least forty years. But now psycho-analysis is being combined with hypnosis; and hypnosis has been made easy and indefinitely extensible through the use of barbiturates, which induce a hypnoid and suggestible state in even the most recalcitrant subjects. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Within the next generation I believe that the world's rulers will discover that infant conditioning and narco-hypnosis are more efficient, as instruments of government, than clubs and prisons, and that the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging and kicking them into obedience. In other words, I feel that the nightmare of Nineteen Eighty-Four is destined to modulate into the nightmare of a world having more resemblance to that which I imagined in Brave New World. The change will be brought about as a result of a felt need for increased efficiency. Meanwhile, of course, there may be a large scale biological and atomic war — in which case we shall have nightmares of other and scarcely imaginable kinds. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Thank you once again for the book. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Yours sincerely, </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Aldous Huxley </blockquote>
<i>Source: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NPSJSC/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000NPSJSC&linkCode=as2&tag=nathking-20&linkId=DMH6AFHGNIKYR3ZY">Letters of Aldous Huxley</a>; Image: George Orwell (<a href="http://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2010/07/24/why-orwell-matters/george-orwell/">via</a>) & Aldous Huxley (<a href="http://therevealer.org/archives/10192">via</a>)</i><br>
<br>
Trivia: In 1917, long before he wrote this letter, Aldous Huxley briefly taught Orwell French at Eton.<br>
<br>
HT: <a href="http://www.lettersofnote.com/2012/03/1984-v-brave-new-world.html">Letters of Note</a>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gkj9IrH5NEg/VAAo0lFv1kI/AAAAAAAAFK0/i_1-DtZ9XDY/s1600/Falls_16%2B(1).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gkj9IrH5NEg/VAAo0lFv1kI/AAAAAAAAFK0/i_1-DtZ9XDY/s1600/Falls_16%2B(1).jpeg" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
I'm privileged to call Aaron and <a href="http://nataliefalls.com/">Natalie Falls</a> my friends. I've watched their faithfulness as God drastically changed their vision for their future by entrusting to them the gift of a son with Down's syndrome. Natalie has a gift at painting emotional pictures with words, and her journey as a mother and a follower of Jesus is something we can all learn from. Natalie writes,<br />
<blockquote>
Elias' life and all the things I am learning through him is no mistake. There was no mistake when his extra chromosome was strategically placed by the Creator of the universe. There was no chance or fluke that a younger woman—me—would carry a boy like Elias. Everything was carefully planned and artistically woven together in my belly when God created my son.</blockquote>
<blockquote>
Although today might be difficult, and I feel like there is nothing more than what's in front of me, I remember that there is a bigger picture. There is a painting, a mural that only covers a corner of the wall. How thankful I am that I am not the one with the paintbrush. I am not the one painting the strokes of color that make up my life with Elias. Some parts of the painting seem a little awkward and hard to understand, but I trust the Maker. I ask Him to help me find beauty in what I don't understand...</blockquote>
<a href="http://nataliefalls.com/">Natalie Falls</a> just released her new book, <a href="http://nataliefalls.com/books">The Mural & The Maker</a>. You can download a free copy or order a print version at <a href="http://nataliefalls.com/books">nataliefalls.com</a>. Enjoy!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://nataliefalls.com/books" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y4SHBM9evvA/VAAsNVy49uI/AAAAAAAAFLA/8uDDzpg8CkI/s1600/matm-instagram-promo.jpeg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
Nathanael Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18051937741247763431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382615983847443037.post-54599510342535085982014-08-26T15:49:00.000-07:002014-08-26T16:52:04.774-07:00Why I (Still) Cannot Accept the Ice-Bucket ChallengeIn <a href="http://www.nathanaelk.com/2014/08/why-i-cannot-accept-ice-bucket-challenge.html">my previous post</a> I detailed why I cannot accept the ice-bucket challenge. Since then, I've received a lot of feedback. As of writing this, <a href="http://www.nathanaelk.com/2014/08/why-i-cannot-accept-ice-bucket-challenge.html">my original post</a> has over 1.5 million hits, which is a lot considering normally about 3 people read my blog (and 2 of those people are my mom and my wife). There's a few common responses I've received from a number of different people, and I wanted to take a moment to respond to each of these.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><i>"An embyro is not a baby."</i></span></b><br />
<br />
First, I've received responses from people who have been critical of my stance and argued that a fertilized embryo is merely a collection of cells--nothing remotely like a baby or child. To these people, I'd like to ask, at what point does human life begin? <a href="http://www.str.org/training/speakers/greg-koukl">Greg Koukl</a> simplifies the issue of abortion (and by extension embryonic stem cell research), <a href="http://www.str.org/videos/abortion-one-key-issue">saying this</a>:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I want to simplify what some people think is a difficult issue: abortion. There is only one question that needs to be answered to resolve the moral question of abortion. That question is: what is it? What is the unborn? Abortion entails destroying and discarding something that is alive. Whether it’s right or not to do that depends entirely on the answer to only one question: what is it?</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
If abortion does not take the life of an innocent human being, then no justification for abortion is necessary. You don’t have to talk about choice, privacy, and your personal financial circumstances. If it doesn’t take an innocent human being’s life, just have the abortion.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
However, if it does take the life of an innocent human being, then none of those justifications normally given for abortion are adequate. We do not take the lives of innocent human beings simply because they are in the way, or because we have a choice, or because we have privacy with our doctor, or any of those other reasons.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
This simplifies the issue immensely. First, you figure out what is it that dies in an abortion. Then, you will have the answer to the moral question. Yes, it is that simple.</blockquote>
Some people may not be convinced that human life begins at conception as I am. But I think that most would concede that it's at least possible that it does. And if there's even a sliver of a chance that life begins at conception, then destroying it is evil.<br />
<br />
Imagine this. We're about to destroy a building. It's an old, worthless building, and it needs to be demolished to make way for a new scientific research facility. It's set up for demolition with explosive charges. But then one of the workers says that they thought they heard a baby crying inside the building. There's only a chance that there's a life in there, and if we delay the demolition, then it will delay construction, and important scientific research will be delayed. Do we demolish the building anyway? No! Of course not! We do whatever we can to save the possible human life in that building. Why? Because human life is precious. So for me, the possibility of my donation funding research fueled by dead children is unacceptable. Unless the ALS Association can guarantee that they won’t subsidize embryonic stem cell research with my donation, then I’m going to look for other places to make a difference.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><i>"It's not like an embryo can feel pain!"</i></span></b><br />
<br />
Second, I've heard from people who've said that maybe an embryo is a human life, but even so it's okay to destroy it because it doesn't have feeling or consciousness, and much good can be done by it's destruction. To these people, I'd like to ask what is it that makes human life valuable? Some would say that life is only valuable to the extent that it can be experienced. For example, <a href="http://www.princeton.edu/~psinger/index.html">Peter Singer</a>, the Princeton University bioethics professor, has argued that abortions may be acceptable even after babies are born. <a href="http://www.princeton.edu/~psinger/faq.html">He argues</a> that newborns lack the essential characteristics of personhood (which he defines as "rationality, autonomy, and self-consciousness"), and therefore "killing a newborn baby is never equivalent to killing a person, that is, a being who wants to go on living" but rather, he says "Sometimes it is not wrong at all." But (almost) all sane people have innate moral knowledge that murdering an innocent baby is wrong. Period. <br />
<br />
Ultimately, this line of thinking reduces to the argument that it is the quality of a person's life that determines the value of a person's life. But if that were true, then we could justify all sorts of murder! We can imagine scenarios in which people are temporarily in a coma, or paralyzed so that they cannot feel pain or experience consciousness. Surely we would not think it okay to discard these lives!<br />
<br />
This line of thought is not a new idea. In fact, a form of this idea gained traction and popularity after emerging in the 1870s as Social Darwinism. This utilitarian ethic roots the value of human life in how an individual human can benefit humanity as a whole. It holds that the Darwinian concept of "survival of the fittest" can be applied to societal structures so that we weed out weak humans while promoting the survival of strong humans, thus bettering humanity and society. This concept ultimately paved the path which the Nazi's used to justify the holocaust, claiming they were weeding out society's weak elements.<br />
<br />
By contrast, the Christian perspective is that human life is valuable because we are each created in the image of God (Gen. 1:27, 9:6). We each reflect and represent God to a degree, and so humans have distinctive value and worth among God's creation. And so each human life is precious and valuable, not based upon how much of life it experiences or the quality of a person's life or its contribution to humanity, but rather human life is <i>intrinsically valuable</i> because our very nature (albeit corrupted by sin) reflects the majesty of our Creator.<br />
<br />
<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">"Why not participate in the ice-bucket challenge and send your donation elsewhere?"</span></i></b><br />
<br />
Many people have pointed out that there are many commendable pro-life organizations doing great work for ALS that I could direct my donation to. So, they ask, why don't I just accept the challenge, and then send my donation to one of these organizations? Let me try to answer this.<br />
<br />
My thought was this: If I accept the ice-bucket challenge, and mention at the end of the challenge that I'm donating to a pro-life organization, then most likely the next few people who accept my challenge may do the same--which would be great. But by the time it passes to a few people down the line, I'm guessing the pro-life message would be lost and people would be donating to the ALS Association again. In other words, the ice-bucket challenge is just as much about raising publicity as it is about raising money, and I didn't want to send publicity in the wrong direction by participating in the challenge that the ALS Association designed. What I was hoping would happen is that someone would be creative and start a different type of challenge that I could participate in (maybe dumping colored water on your head, or something entirely different--I'm not that creative). That's what I was trying to get at at the end of my previous blog entry. Also, at this point, it seems that not doing the challenge (at least for me) was a far more effective way to reach people about the serious ethical problems of embryonic stem cell research. <br />
<br />
Just to be clear in regards to this last question, if you think about this and still decide to take the challenge and donate to a pro-life organization, then I have absolutely no judgment of you whatsoever. In my mind, this is not a black and white issue. It's a delicate balance of trying to live in this world without being of this world, and that may look different for different people.<br />
<br />
So my encouragement is the same as before. Please think deeply about the causes you support and your reasons for supporting them. Don't jump on the bandwagon in a frenzy to belong and be part of something. Jump on the bandwagon because you've thoughtfully decided that the bandwagon is a virtuous place to be.<br />
<br />
<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">"What pro-life organizations can I donate towards that will benefit people with ALS?"</span></i></b><br />
<br />
Many people have asked me (or told me) about alternate places to donate that will not support embryonic stem cell research. I have chosen to only publicize organizations that I have personally been able to confirm do not support embryonic stem cell research. The only medical research organization with research focused on ALS that I have seen be publicly explicit about not doing embryonic stem cell research is the <a href="http://www.jp2mri.org/">John Paul II Medical Research Institute</a>. You can make donations at their website: <a href="http://www.jp2mri.org/">www.jp2mri.org</a><br />
<br />
One alternative worthy cause is <a href="http://judsonslegacy.org/">Judson's Legacy</a>, which focuses on a rare genetic disorder known as Krabbe disease. This organization was founded by personal friends of mine who I've watched walk through some of the darkest times I could imagine, and yet have found hope in the midst of tremendous suffering and pain. Check out their website for more information: <a href="http://judsonslegacy.org/">judsonslegacy.org</a><br />
<br />
<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">"How can I be better equipped to think about these important issues?"</span></i></b><br />
<br />
Finally, some people have contacted me asking how they can be better equipped to think about these important issues. Below are some resources on pro-life issues to help you be equipped to know what you believe and why you believe it so that you can stand for life. This world needs more thoughtful, intelligent, warmhearted Christians who wear Christ attractively, so that this world sees our message as credible and true. I've listed these resources in order from beginner resources (for those who are just beginning to explore these sorts of questions), to more advanced resources (for those with deeper questions). I sincerely hope these are helpful!<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7y2KsU_dhwI">180 Movie</a> by Ray Comfort (beginner)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1576737519/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1576737519&linkCode=as2&tag=nathking-20&linkId=IQ2KBK2ZVVE4UIIP">Pro-Life Answers to Pro-Choice Arguments</a> by Randy Alcorn (beginner)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1433503204/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1433503204&linkCode=as2&tag=nathking-20&linkId=RC5VF3UQATSOOXH4">The Case for Life: Equipping Christians to Engage the Culture</a> by Scott Klusendorf (beginner)</li>
<li><a href="http://open.biola.edu/search?tags=ethics%2Cbioethics">Various OpenBiola Lectures on Ethics</a> by Biola University (intermediate)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0802867707/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0802867707&linkCode=as2&tag=nathking-20&linkId=NMPMNFGOVKCGCWAB">Bioethics: A Primer for Christians, Third Edition</a> by Gilbert Meilaender (intermediate)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0310291097/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0310291097&linkCode=as2&tag=nathking-20&linkId=LUVZPMWGZSOCD5CB">Moral Choices: An Introduction to Ethics</a> by Scott Rae (intermediate)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0830815775/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0830815775&linkCode=as2&tag=nathking-20&linkId=6FOVCRH3MQ67CIL3">Body & Soul: Human Nature & the Crisis in Ethics</a> by J.P. Moreland and Scott Rae (advanced)</li>
</ul>
Nathanael Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18051937741247763431noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382615983847443037.post-32507013577453323242014-08-19T14:38:00.000-07:002014-08-27T17:09:55.395-07:00Why I Cannot Accept the Ice-Bucket ChallengeRecently, I've received a few "ALS ice-bucket challenges" which I cannot accept. I don't fault any of my friends for giving me this challenge. Thanks for thinking of me and trying to include me! Really. You guys are awesome, and it was really fun watching you shiver!<br />
<br />
Amytrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), more popularly known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a horrible neurodegenerative disease affecting everything from speech and swallowing to basic mobility. I personally have friends whose parents have languished and died from this disease, and experts estimate that 30,000 Americans suffer from this disease. It's as good a place as any to focus medical research efforts.<br />
<br />
But I cannot accept the challenge, and I hope you'll understand why. It's not because I'm afraid of cold water. (Although that's true). My concern is where the publicity and money might go. Specifically, I'm concerned with the KIND of research that might be financed by my hypothetical promotional activity. (For those who don't know what this is, you're supposed to dump a bucket of ice-water on your head, and video it, and then challenge others to do it. If you don't do it, you're supposed to give $100 to the ALS Assocation, and if you do do it, you either don't have to give any money to the ALSA or you're supposed to give $10 to the ALSA, depending on the version). <br />
<br />
The ALS Association funds a number of different types of research, and among these different types of research is embryonic stem cell research. For those who don't know what this is, this is when scientists take a female egg and a male sperm and fertilize the egg in a lab, and then after the new life begins to form, they remove the building blocks of life--embryonic stem cells. This is the same process that occurs when people struggle with infertility and then get in-vitro fertilization--the important difference is that instead of implanting the fertilized embryo into a mother so that it can grow into a baby, these embryos are experimented on, and then discarded. They are created for the express purpose of destroying them for medical research. The <a href="http://www.alsa.org/research/about-als-research/primer-on-stem-cells.html">ALS Association website</a> says this:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Adult stem cell research is important and should be done alongside embryonic stem cell research as both will provide valuable insights. Only through exploration of all types of stem cell research will scientists find the most efficient and effective ways to treat diseases.</blockquote>
<i>UPDATE: Since I originally posted this, the ALS Association has changed their website. Screenshots of the original, which I cited, can be found <a href="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/7807254/Screenshot.jpg">here</a>.</i><br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3dhWDd0KHOE/U_Zmq_pgGGI/AAAAAAAAFJA/PfeZoBa8Lq4/s1600/week-8.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3dhWDd0KHOE/U_Zmq_pgGGI/AAAAAAAAFJA/PfeZoBa8Lq4/s1600/week-8.png" /></a>Sometimes, stem cells are harvested as part of in-vitro fertilization as described above, and other times they are harvested as part of an abortion procedure. For example, one <a href="http://www.alsconsortium.org/trial.php?id=12">clinical trial</a>, which was <a href="http://www.alsa.org/news/archive/neals-consortium-award.html">supported by the ALS Association with a $500,000 grant</a> involved "stem cells ... from the spinal cord of a single fetus electively aborted after eight weeks of gestation." At 8 weeks, a baby has it's own unique DNA, is 2 centimeters long, has tiny fingers and toes, and a heart beat of about 160 beats per minute.<br />
<br />
Some might argue that life does not begin at conception. But the other options seem entirely subjective scientifically and unsupported biblically. Some say life begins not at conception, but implantation or even birth--as if the location of the embryo should determine when it is alive. Some say that it's when the embryo is viable, but this point is completely subjective and would mean that now life begins far sooner than it did a few years ago when we didn't have the technology to save early preterm infants. At conception, a baby has a unique genetic code, and all of the necessary building blocks for life, and the Bible attributes the properties of personhood to us from conception (Psa 139:13-16, Job 10:8-12, Jer 1:5, Psa 51:5, Luk 1:39-44, Ex 21:22-24).<br />
<br />
The reason this is important is because as a Christian, I believe that no human life is intrinsically worth more than another human life. All humans are created in the image of God (Gen. 1:27, 9:6), and therefore are uniquely valuable and have distinctive worth. We're not all born "equal" in the sense that we're all able to run equally fast or complete math problems equally well, but we are all equally created in the image of God, and this is where we derive our worth and value. <br />
<br />
The problem with embryonic stem cell research is two-fold: first, it is morally reprehensible to anyone who believes that life begins at conception. Imagine the outrage that would happen if scientists proposed we grew infants and children for the express purpose of performing lethal experiments on them, no matter how scientifically helpful the results would be. Secondly, if there is a breakthrough involving embryonic stem cell research, then the resulting treatment would involve mass harvesting of embryonic stem cells, and therefore mass abortions. In short, embryonic stem cell research involves the destruction of innocent human life. And therefore, I cannot promote donations to this particular organization when it thinks that infanticide is a legitimate way to save other human beings.<br />
<br />
Now, I don't think our response as Christians should be to just throw up our hands, check out, and not do anything. Instead, we should lead the way in helping those who are suffering with ALS, and work towards finding medical treatments that are ethically researched. So, I would ask anyone who is making a donation to consider donating to an ethically focused organization, like this one: <a href="http://www.jp2mri.org/capital-campaign.htm">http://www.jp2mri.org/capital-campaign.htm</a>. Checks can be made payable to:<br />
John Paul II Medical Research Institute<br />
540 E. Jefferson St.<br />
Suite 305<br />
Iowa City, IA 52245<br />
<br />
Finally, as <a href="http://savejersey.com/2014/08/ice-bucket-als-challenge-pro-life/">one blogger</a> on this issue said,<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
This is a good time to consider the effect that social media activism is having on our culture--and ourselves as actors in it. ...I very much believe in this medium’s capacity for acting as a vehicle for good, yet I also recognize how instant-connectivity is a double-edged sword, making it much easier for a "herd mentality" to develop. Which is all fine and good when the herd is headed in the correct direction, right? </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
But peer pressure blows perspective out of the water as we race to belong without first stepping back and considering each and every dimension before clicking “like” or share. How many of you stopped and investigated HOW your money would be spent before emptying the ice cube trays? Exactly. You shouldn’t feel bad about it! That’s not my point. You should feel a little weird and more than a little prone towards caution in the future. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
So don’t look at this as a call for inaction. I’m asking you to be as active as ever and creative, too; what we’re looking for is a higher level of self-awareness the next time a Facebook buddy tags you with the best of intentions.</blockquote>
HT: <a href="http://savejersey.com/2014/08/ice-bucket-als-challenge-pro-life/">Matt Rooney</a>Nathanael Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18051937741247763431noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382615983847443037.post-13107516806571164822013-12-13T12:09:00.000-08:002013-12-13T12:13:35.637-08:00Augustine on the Miracle of Christmas<div style="margin-bottom: 13px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;">
Man’s maker was made man,<br />
that He, Ruler of the stars, might nurse at His mother’s breast;<br />
that the Bread might hunger,<br />
the Fountain thirst,<br />
the Light sleep,<br />
the Way be tired on its journey;<br />
that the Truth might be accused of false witness,<br />
the Teacher be beaten with whips,<br />
the Foundation be suspended on wood;<br />
that Strength might grow weak;<br />
that the Healer might be wounded;<br />
that Life might die.<br />
- Augustine of Hippo (Sermons 191.1)</div>
Nathanael Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18051937741247763431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382615983847443037.post-83768646805429788132013-11-12T14:29:00.004-08:002013-11-12T14:29:53.468-08:00Authentic Manhood: Men as Providers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yEMPiC_mxts/UoKq7CO2b9I/AAAAAAAADFo/HdSlGcYKR8I/s1600/vintage-cowboy-denim-chaps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yEMPiC_mxts/UoKq7CO2b9I/AAAAAAAADFo/HdSlGcYKR8I/s400/vintage-cowboy-denim-chaps.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Recently, I've been preparing to teach a class on "Authentic Manhood." In preparing to teach this, I came across an article by <a href="https://twitter.com/GunterJD">J.D. Gunter</a> on "Men as Providers." I thought this article was outstanding, and something young men in our culture need continually impressed upon them. The full text is below, and the <a href="http://cbmw.org/men/manhood/men-as-providers/">PDF</a> is available from the <a href="http://cbmw.org/">Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood</a>.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Christian men are called to provide for their families. Paul uses some of the strongest language in the New Testament to warn those who do not provide: “But if any man does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Timothy 5:8).</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Whatever a man thinks he is “called” to, this much is clear – he is called to provide for his family. One of the most God-glorifying pictures of the gospel is when a man puts his childhood dreams to the side, steps up to the plate, gets a job, and valiantly cares for his family. This man should be honored and his work should be appreciated. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Think like a Man</b> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Something about growing up and having a family changes the perspective of a man. Instead of a professional athlete, he aims for management. Instead of a multi-platinum record deal, he pursues health insurance. Instead of wanting to be a famous astronaut, he dreams of raising one. This is maturity. This is growing up. This is a man dying to self and living for another. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
One of the saddest pictures of gospel-confusion is when a man fails to pursue providing for his family because he is stuck chasing the clouds of his youth. Scripture commands men to give themselves up for their wives, just as Christ gave Himself up for the Church (Eph 5:25). When a man stubbornly refuses to get a job that will support his family or, worse still, when he obligates his wife to provide in his stead because he is entitled to “chase his dreams” or “pursue his calling,” the Bible gives us reason to doubt that man’s faith. Unbelievers intuitively know this is wrong. The conscience of the redeemed condemns it too. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Work like a Man</b> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Men should be free to chase their dreams. Great companies were founded, churches planted, and institutions established by men who worked a full-time job, then spent their free-time in a garage, in front of a computer, or in a classroom. These men are heroes. They did not ask their wives or families to carry them into their dreams – they walked there themselves. They held their dreams loosely enough that they would not sacrifice their families to achieve them. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Is it ever legitimate for a wife to work? Yes, of course. We are thankful when a wife comes alongside her husband to support him in his call to provide. However, this does not relieve him of his responsibility. He is ultimately accountable for the provision of his family; not his wife. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
When a wife helps to support the family, the husband has delegated his call to provide for the family to his wife. This role should never put undue pressure or hardship on her. When a husband pressures his wife into the workplace and away from the home for any reason, he has ceased to delegate and begun to abdicate. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Gut Check</b> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
How do you know if you have put undue burden on your wife and despised the God-given call to provide? Ask yourself: </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
1) How would you feel if your wife unexpectedly got pregnant and you were forced to be the only and primary breadwinner for your family? Rejoicing or regretting your spoiled plans? </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
2) How do you use your time? Are you working as hard as you can to provide adequately for your family? </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
3) Are you dependent upon your wife’s income to support your lifestyle or could you live more modestly and reduce the pressure on her to work? </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
4) Most importantly, does she trust you as the provider of the home? </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>A Call to Provide</b> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
If your wife is willing and able to come alongside you to help you provide for your household, rejoice in that, but do not feel entitled. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
This truth is not meant to shame men who struggle to provide. On the contrary, there is tremendous honor for that man who struggles to provide. I have known men to work three meager-paying jobs to humbly support a wife and children. Men have toiled away for years working faithfully in what the world would never see as a dream job. In the face of great uncertainty, men take what jobs they can find and spend little as they feed, clothe and provide for their kids. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Some would call this a failure. Some would say that man’s life is ill-spent. He is not chasing his dreams, he is not “called” to this grueling work, and he will never find true fulfillment in this life. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I disagree. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
This man is not a failure. His work is not something to be ashamed of. This man is a conquering hero. His bravery is to be applauded. His tenacity is to be admired. His steadfastness is to be emulated. Here we have a warrior who will provide for his family in the face of incredible odds and overwhelming hardship. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The working man understands that a call to marriage is a call to provide. He will not quietly stand by while his family suffers. He will not chase his childhood dreams on the backs of his wife and children. He will struggle, he will provide, and the Lord will honor him for being a picture of Christ who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant (Phil 2:6-7). </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The world is confused about the intrinsic nobility of work, and some of that confusion seeps into the Church. We should know better. Scripture commands, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ” (Colossians 3:23-24). If you have a job, welcome to the ministry! You are serving the Lord. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The businessman, the mechanic, the salesman, the lawyer, the teacher, the waiter, and the landscaper are all in direct service to Christ. On top of that, the men who hold these jobs to provide for their families are fulfilling a biblical mandate. There is honor and goodness in work. God’s glory is glimpsed each time a man brings home a paycheck. A man coming home to play with his kids after an exhausting day of work has shown us what Christlikeness is. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Our intuition tells us something is wrong when a man does not provide for his family. Our conscience pricks us when we hear of a woman paying her husband’s way. Our hearts break when we see a man who selfishly refuses a job because it does not align with his dreams while his wife and kids suffer. We are not alone in condemning this man. Scripture condemns him too. He is worse than an unbeliever.</blockquote>
Source: <a href="http://cbmw.org/men/manhood/men-as-providers/">http://cbmw.org/men/manhood/men-as-providers/</a>Nathanael Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18051937741247763431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382615983847443037.post-57944686922316219332013-11-06T17:21:00.000-08:002013-11-06T17:21:24.190-08:00Sane Advice for Young Students of Theology<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1596381647/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1596381647&linkCode=as2&tag=nathking-20"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NgZhDrsJNIk/UnrqYtjLrPI/AAAAAAAADDo/IvNpZV2Zgq4/s320/9781596381643.jpg" width="213" /></a><span id="goog_760498268"></span><span id="goog_760498269"></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a></div>
<br />
In response to the question, “What advice would you offer to theological students and young theologians as they face a lifetime of theological work?”, John Frame gives the following 30 (!) point answer. I think this is great advice for both aspiring theologians and anyone thinking of going into ministry.<br />
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Consider that you might not really be called to theological work. James 3:1 tells us that not many of us should become teachers and that teachers will be judged more strictly. To whom much (biblical knowledge) is given, of them shall much be required.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Value your relationship with Christ, your family, and the church above your career ambitions. You will influence more people by your life than by your theology. And deficiencies in your life will negate the influence of your ideas, even if those ideas are true.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Remember that the fundamental work of theology is to understand the Bible, God’s Word, and apply it to the needs of people. Everything else—historical and linguistic expertise, exegetical acuteness and subtlety, knowledge of contemporary culture, and philosophical sophistication—must be subordinated to that fundamental goal. If it is not, you may be acclaimed as a historian, linguist, philosopher, or critic of culture, but you will not be a theologian.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">In doing the work of theology (the fundamental work, #3), you have an obligation to make a case for what you advocate. That should be obvious, but most theologians today haven’t a clue as to how to do it. Theology is an argumentative discipline, and you need to know enough about logic and persuasion to construct arguments that are valid, sound, and persuasive. In theology, it’s not enough to display knowledge of history, culture, or some other knowledge. Nor is it enough to quote people you agree with and reprobate people you don’t agree with. You actually have to make a theological case for what you say.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Learn to write and speak clearly and cogently. The best theologians are able to take profound ideas and present them in simple language. Don’t try to persuade people of your expertise by writing in opaque prose.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Cultivate an intense devotional life and ignore people who criticize this as pietistic. Pray without ceasing. Read the Bible, not just as an academic text. Treasure opportunities to worship in chapel services and prayer meetings, as well as on Sunday. Give attention to your “spiritual formation,” however you understand that.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">A theologian is essentially a preacher, though he typically deals with more arcane subjects than preachers do. But be a </span><em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">good</em><span style="font-family: inherit;"> preacher. Find some way to make your theology speak to the hearts of people. Find a way to present your teaching so that people hear God’s voice in it.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Be generous with your resources. Spend time talking to students, prospective students, and inquirers. Give away books and articles. Don’t be tightfisted when it comes to copyrighted materials; grant copy permission to anybody who asks for it. Ministry first, money second.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">In criticizing other theologians, traditions, or movements, follow biblical ethics. Don’t say that somebody is a heretic unless you have a very good case. Don’t throw around terms like “another gospel.” (People who teach another gospel are under God’s curse.) Don’t destroy people’s reputations by misquoting them, quoting them out of context, or taking their words in the worst possible sense. Be gentle and gracious unless you have irrefutable reasons for being harsh.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">When there is a controversy, don’t get on one side right away. Do some analytical work first, on both positions. Consider these possibilities: (a) that the two parties may be looking at the same issue from different perspectives, so they don’t really contradict; (b) that both parties are overlooking something that could have brought them together; (c) that they are talking past one another because they use terms in different ways; (d) that there is a third alternative that is better than either of the opposing views and that might bring them together; (e) that their differences, though genuine, ought both to be tolerated in the church, like the differences between vegetarians and meat-eaters in Romans 14.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you get a bright idea, don’t expect everybody to get it right away. Don’t immediately start a faction to promote it. Don’t revile those who haven’t come to appreciate your thinking. Reason gently with them, recognizing that you could be wrong and arrogant to boot.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Don’t be reflexively critical of everything that comes out of a different tradition. Be humble enough to consider that other traditions may have something to teach you. Be teachable before you start teaching them. Take the beam out of your own eye.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Be willing to reexamine your own tradition with a critical eye. It is unreasonable to think that any single tradition has all the truth or is always right. And unless theologians develop critical perspectives on their own denominations and traditions, the reunion of the body of Christ will never take place. Don’t be one of those theologians who are known mainly for trying to make Arminians become Calvinists (or vice versa).</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">See confessional documents in proper perspective. It is the work of theology, among other things, to rethink the doctrines of the confessions and to reform them, when necessary, by the Word of God. Do not assume that everything in the confession is forever settled.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Don’t let your polemics be governed by jealousy, as when a theologian feels bound to be entirely negative toward the success of a megachurch.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Don’t become known as a theologian who constantly takes potshots at other theologians or other Christians. The enemy is Satan, the world, and the flesh.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Guard your sexual instincts. Stay away from Internet pornography and illicit relationships. Theologians are not immune from the sins that plague others in the church.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Be active in a good church. Theologians need the means of grace as much as other believers. This is especially important when you are studying at a secular university or liberal seminary. You need the support of other believers to maintain proper theological perspective.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Get your basic training at a seminary that teaches the Bible as the Word of God. Become well-grounded in the theology of Scripture before you go off (as you may, of course) to get firsthand exposure to nonbiblical thought.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Come to appreciate the wisdom, even theological wisdom, of relatively uneducated Christians. Don’t be one of those theologians who always has something negative to say when a simple believer describes his walk with the Lord. Don’t look down at people from what Helmut Thielicke called “the high horse of enlightenment.” Often, simple believers know God better than you do, and you need to learn from them, as did Abraham Kuyper, for instance.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Don’t be one of those theologians who get excited about every new trend in politics, culture, hermeneutics, and even theology and who think we have to reconstruct our theology to go along with each trend. Don’t think you have to be a feminist, e.g., just because everybody else is. Most of the theologies that try to be culturally savvy are unbiblical.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Be suspicious of all trendiness in theology. When everybody jumps on some theological bandwagon, whether narrative, feminism, redemptive history, natural law, liturgy, liberation, postmodernism, or whatever, that’s the time to awaken your critical faculties. Don’t jump on the bandwagon unless you have done your own study. When a theological trend comes along, ask reflexively, “What’s wrong with that?” There is always something wrong. It simply is not the case that the newest is the truest. Indeed, many new movements turn out to be false steps entirely.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Our system of doctoral-level education requires “original thought,” but that can be hard to do, given that the church has been studying Scripture for thousands of years. You’ll be tempted to come up with something that sounds new (possibly by writing a thesis that isn’t properly theological at all in the sense of #3 above). Well, do it; get it out of the way, and then come back to do some real theology.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">At the same time, don’t reject innovation simply because it is innovative. Even more, don’t reject an idea merely because it doesn’t </span><em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">sound</em><span style="font-family: inherit;"> like what you’re used to. Learn to distinguish the sound-look-feel of an idea from what it actually means.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Be critical of arguments that turn on metaphors or extrabiblical technical terms. Don’t assume that each one has a perfectly clear meaning. Usually they do not.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Learn to be skeptical of the skeptics. Unbelieving and liberal scholars are as prone to error as anybody—in fact, more so.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Respect your elders. Nothing is so ill-becoming as a young theologian who despises those who have been working in the field for decades. Disagreement is fine, as long as you acknowledge the maturity and the contributions of those you disagree with. Take 1 Timothy 5:1 to heart.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Young theologians often imagine themselves as the next Luther, just as little boys imagine themselves as the next Peyton Manning or Kevin Garnett. When they’re too old to play cowboys and Indians, they want to play Luther and the Pope. When the real Pope won’t play with them, they pick on somebody else and say, “You’re it.” Look: most likely God has not chosen you to be the leader of a new Reformation. If he has, don’t take the exalted title “Reformer” upon yourself. Let others decide if that is really what you are.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Decide early in your career (after some experimenting) what to focus on and what not to. When considering opportunities, it’s just as important (perhaps more so) to know when to say no as to know when to say yes.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Don’t lose your sense of humor. We should take God seriously, not ourselves, and certainly not theology. To lose your sense of humor is to lose your sense of proportion. And nothing is more important in theology than a sense of proportion.</span></li>
</ol>
HT: <a href="http://apolojet.wordpress.com/2013/01/02/30-suggestions-for-theological-students-and-young-theologians/">Joseph Torres</a><br /><ol></ol>
This interview can be found in the book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1596381647/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1596381647&linkCode=as2&tag=nathking-20">Speaking the Truth in Love: The Theology of John M. Frame</a> in the chapter, "Reflections of a Lifetime Theologian: An Extended Interview with John M. Frame,” where Frame is interviewed by P. Andrew Sandlin.Nathanael Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18051937741247763431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382615983847443037.post-89419123500912177832013-07-09T00:09:00.001-07:002013-07-09T00:24:33.821-07:00Douglas Wilson on Youth Ministry<a href="http://dougwils.com/">Douglas Wilson</a> offers a great perspective on youth ministry in this <a href="https://vimeo.com/69888160">short video interview</a>. Often, youth group is disdained by those who emphasize family-based ministries because it supposedly diminishes/displaces the role the father ought to take. On the other end of the spectrum, youth ministry can become a place where students are catered to rather than shepherded and trained to be better disciples of Jesus. I think Doug's perspective is both wise and balanced. <br />
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SD:<br />
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Nathanael Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18051937741247763431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382615983847443037.post-35638419916534790452013-05-08T23:30:00.000-07:002013-05-23T10:51:11.732-07:00Dallas Willard, My Mentor<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Dallas Willard died today. That's what the news says anyway. <br />
<br />
But if you could talk to Dallas, I think you'd hear a different story. When he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the late summer of 2012, one of his reflections was, "I think that, when I die, it might be some time until I know it." What he meant was that for the one who trusts and follows Jesus, death itself has no power to interrupt this life. Jesus himself said that the one who trusts in him will never taste death.<br />
<br />
Dallas was a philosophy professor at USC for nearly 50 years, where he specialized in philosophy of mind and logic. He was a profound author on spiritual formation, or the kingdom of God, or as he often called it, "the with-God life." He would often say that there are four great questions humans must answer: What is reality? What is the good life? Who is a good person? And how do you become a good person? And his concern was to answer those questions, and live the answers. And he was simply convinced that no one has ever answered them as well as Jesus.<br />
<br />
Dallas Willard combined a rigorous intellect with a warm heart. He was sincerely interested in people. He was loving and respectful to others, even those who were not loving and respectful to him. He spoke with the slow cadence of a southern preacher, but his words belied a man who had digested thousands of books. (He had four personal libraries of books including his home, his second home, his school office, and a garage). He was honest and authentic. He would say, "If you could find a better way, Jesus would be the first one to tell you to take it. And if you don't believe that about him, you don't have faith in him, because what you're really saying is that he would encourage you to believe something that is false."<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.patheos.com/blogs/markdroberts/2013/05/08/remembering-dallas-willard-part-1/">Mark D. Roberts</a> recounts a story that is characteristic of Dallas:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I’ll never forget one thing that happened during one of Dallas’ classes. He had been explaining what it means to live in the kingdom of God, when a member of the class shot up a hand. When I saw who had a question, I cringed. This man lived on the edge of sanity, as did many of the street people who attended Hollywood Pres. From experience, I knew that his question would be a distraction from the point. Sure enough, the man asked a question that asked Dallas to explain something he had just finished explaining. It was asked in a way that insinuated Dallas was misunderstanding the Bible. As the questioner droned on, the tension in the room – and in my stomach – grew.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Dallas listened patiently, gazing intently at the man with the question. Then he responded. I can’t remember his exact words, but I do remember the way in which Dallas answered this man. He spoke with deep respect for the man and his question. Dallas did not take offense at the way the question had been asked. Rather, after thanking the man for his question, Dallas explained what he had said earlier with clarity and greater simplicity. He seemed eager to help the questioner understand the answer. But, even more striking was Dallas’ obvious desire to offer deep love and respect to this man who was, in many ways, a misfit.</blockquote>
Willard was quietly subversive of nominal Christianity, always encouraging people to see the grand vision of discipleship that Jesus intended for His followers to embark upon. His impact his hard to overestimate. He was a significant influence in a renaissance of evangelical thinkers in contemporary academic philosophy. In fact, three of the five philosophy professors at <a href="http://www.talbot.edu/">Talbot School of Theology</a> were Willard's students. He has been a mentor and friend to many of the most influential evangelical Christians of our time. And countless others have benefited from his writings and teachings.<br />
<br />
Although I've never met Dallas Willard, I've heard him speak live a number of times, and I feel as though I've had dozens of conversations with him. He is one of the few people (who has written more than one book) of whom I can say that I have read all of his books--with the exception of one. (I tried to read his advanced philosophical work, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0821407155/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0821407155&linkCode=as2&tag=nathking-20">Logic and the Objectivity of Knowledge</a>, but quickly realized that I lacked the requisite philosophical training). But without ever having met me, Dallas Willard mentored me. He's one of seven men I would count to be my mentors. Through his various writings and teachings I learned from him things too valuable to repay.<br />
<br />
To encapsulate what I've learned from Dallas would be far beyond the scope of this blog post. But I will mention a few things I've learned from him. More than anyone else, Dallas Willard helped me understand what it means to hear God speak. Dallas helped me understand that God's communications with us always occur within the context of our relationship with Him. In his book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0830835695/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0830835695&linkCode=as2&tag=nathking-20">Hearing God</a>, he writes,<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Our communion with God provides the appropriate context for communications between us and Him. To try to locate communication within human existence alienated from God is to return to idolatry, where God is there for our use. To try to solve all our life's problems by getting a word from the Lord is to hide from life and from the dignity of the role God intended us to have in creation. </blockquote>
In his book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060694424/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0060694424&linkCode=as2&tag=nathking-20">The Spirit of the Disciplines</a>, Dallas taught me to understand the nature and importance of spiritual disciplines for the Christian life. He helped me to understand that being a disciple is learning to live life as Jesus would live it if he were in my place. And he helped me to understand that discipleship is simply what it means to be a Christian--it's not just for "super-Christians." <br />
<br />
In his book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060693339/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0060693339&linkCode=as2&tag=nathking-20">The Divine Conspiracy</a>, Dallas helped me to see the genius of Jesus' instruction manual for life in His kingdom--the Sermon on the Mount. He helped me to see that the gospel is not merely a way to manage sin, but rather is an invitation to an entirely new kind of life--the eternal kind of life that he enjoyed on earth and is still enjoying. He helped me to understand the value in slowing down and living a simple, unhurried lifestyle, with a genuine awareness of God's presence and kingdom.<br />
<br />
His book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1576832961/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1576832961&linkCode=as2&tag=nathking-20">The Renovation of the Heart</a> helped me to understand who I am, how I change, and how to become the kind of person Jesus is. He helped me understand character--that the choices I make have real consequences in my soul and I was becoming a certain kind of person. He helped me understand the nature of my own soul, my propensity towards sin, and the provision God has made for my transformation so that I truly can put on the character of Christ and experience genuine growth and maturation.<br />
<br />
His book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060882441/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0060882441&linkCode=as2&tag=nathking-20">Knowing Christ Today</a> helped me understand the importance of spiritual knowledge for all of life. And finally, his book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060882433/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0060882433&linkCode=as2&tag=nathking-20">The Great Omission</a> gave me a larger vision of discipleship. I've also been shaped by numerous other <a href="http://www.dwillard.org/articles/default.asp">articles</a> he's written and talks he's given. Dallas Willard has made a profound impact on my life, and he will continue to mentor me as I reread his books and listen to his teachings. Although I don't agree with everything he wrote, I've been forever sharpened by interacting with his thoughts. It's been a great conversation--one I'd encourage you to enter into--and one day it will continue in person. <br />
<br />
I look forward to the day that I'll meet my mentor.<br />
<br />
For more on Dallas Willard, see <a href="http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2013/may-web-only/man-from-another-time-zone.html?paging=off">John Ortberg's excellent tribute to him</a>.Nathanael Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18051937741247763431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382615983847443037.post-87526192672217338322013-04-23T10:49:00.000-07:002013-04-23T10:49:03.272-07:00The Most Offensive Verse in the BibleBelow is a post by <a href="http://teampyro.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-most-offensive-verse-in-bible.html">Dan Phillips</a> from the <a href="http://teampyro.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-most-offensive-verse-in-bible.html">Pyromaniacs</a> blog about how he'd respond to a questioner probing him about a topic they knew was offensive to non-Christians. I thought his response was stellar! <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
In the Sunday School class at CBC we're doing a series called Marriage, the Bible and You. In the second lesson of the series, I brought up the subject of secular talk shows and how they like to try to beat up on Christians of any size, shape, and significance about whatever topic they think is most embarrassing and controversial. Of course, at the moment it's "gay" "marriage," or the topic of homosexuality at all.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
In the course of the lesson, I remarked that I think — from the comfortable quiet safety of my study — that I'd take a different approach.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
When Piers or Larry or Tavis or Rosie or Ellen or The View or whoever tried probing me about homosexuality, or wifely submission, or any other area where God has spoken (to the world's consternation), I think I'd decline the worm altogether. I think instead, I'd say something like,</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"You know, TaPierRosEllRy, when you ask me about X, you're obviously picking a topic that is deeply offensive to non-Christians — but it's far from the most offensive thing I believe. You're just nibbling at the edge of one of the relatively minor leaves on the Tree of Offense. Let me do you a favor, and just take you right down to the root. Let me take you to <i>the most offensive thing I believe.</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"The most offensive thing I believe is <b>Genesis 1:1, and everything it implies.</b></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"That is, I believe in a sovereign Creator who is Lord and Definer of all. Everything in the universe — the planet, the laws of physics, the laws of morality, you, me — everything was created by Another, was designed by Another, was given value and definition by Another. God is Creator and Lord, and so He is ultimate. That means we are created and subjects, and therefore derivative and dependent.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Therefore, we are not free to create meaning or value. We have only two options. We can discover the true value assigned by the Creator and revealed in His Word, the Bible; or we can rebel against that meaning.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Any time you bring up questions about any of these issues, you do so from one of two stances. You either do it as someone advocating and enabling rebellion against the Creator's design, or as someone seeking submissive understanding of that design. You do it as servant or rebel. There is no third option.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"So yeah, insofar as I'm consistent with my core beliefs, everything I think about sexuality, relationships, morals, the whole nine yards, all of it is derived from what the Creator says. If I deviate from that, I'm wrong.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"To anyone involved in the doomed, damned you-shall-be-as-God project, that is the most offensive truth in the world, and it is the most offensive belief I hold.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"But if I can say one more thing, the first noun in that verse — <i>beginning</i> — immediately points us forward. It points to the end. And the end is all about Jesus Christ. That takes us to the topic of God's world-tilting Gospel, and that's what we really need to talk about."</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I mean, why quibble about minor offenses, when we know how to take them right to the mother lode of all offense — that God is God, and we are not?</blockquote>
HT: <a href="http://teampyro.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-most-offensive-verse-in-bible.html">Dan Phillips, Pyromaniacs</a>Nathanael Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18051937741247763431noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382615983847443037.post-31627790825223566082013-02-14T12:07:00.002-08:002013-02-14T15:59:33.023-08:00The Mighty IntercessorBelow is a short and powerful message by <a href="http://ericludy.com/">Eric Ludy</a> about intercession. We desperately need the attitude shift he talks about!<br />
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Nathanael Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18051937741247763431noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382615983847443037.post-28226809252919809122012-12-18T01:40:00.000-08:002013-01-17T12:41:16.847-08:00Reflections on the Connecticut School ShootingThis past week our nation was shocked by the horrific shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. As pictures of the victims and stories of the shooting make their way through the news cycle, I'm hit again and again by waves of shock and grief and outrage and sadness. It's almost too much to take in. In particular, this shooting is outrageous because the majority of the victims were 6-7 year-old's. I've been thinking about this shooting a lot, partly because it's difficult not to, and partly because I taught at church this past Sunday and felt compelled to address the shooting. Below are some of my reflections as I've thought, prayed, and grieved over this tragedy.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>This tragedy makes me want to lock my kids up, home school them through college, and completely shield them from the ugliness of this dark world. But the miracle of Christmas is that God didn't do that to His Son. God sent His Son to be born in this dark and desperate world, knowing all the while that a horrific death awaited Him--all because He loved 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?" (Romans 8:32).</li>
<li>God designed us to be shocked, disgusted, and horrorstruck at the idea of harm coming to innocent children for a reason. The reason is so that we could understand a bit of the depth of sacrifice and love that God demonstrated when He sent His one and only innocent Son into this world to die for our sins. "This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins" (1 John 4:9-10). That disgust and horror you feel towards evil being done to innocent children is a glimpse of the horror and disgust that the Father endured as His own innocent Son was brutally tortured and killed because of my sins. </li>
<li>There's a lot of blame being passed around. From mental health to gun control to kicking God out of public schools, this shooting is being politicized from all sides. People are looking for an issue to get behind so that they can prevent further instances of this kind of evil. But this overlooks the biblical notion that we live in fallen, depraved, and wicked world. Sin is real, and it will make it's presence known. Not long after Jesus' birth, a wicked man named Herod had all the male babies in the vicinity of Bethlehem, 2-years-old and under, murdered in an attempt to kill Jesus (Matthew 2:16-18). Evil is not new. But sin is inconvenient to blame, because there's only one answer to evil.</li>
<li>The answer to evil lies in the gospel. Only as people come to know the grace, truth, and love of Jesus Christ, and are transformed by it, will our nation become better. I think of the famous quote by Alexis de Tocqueville (author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140447601/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=nathking-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0140447601">Democracy in America</a>): "I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her commodious harbors and her ample rivers—and it was not there. I sought in the fertile fields and boundless forest—in her rich mines and vast world commerce—and it was not there. I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her democratic Congress and her matchless Constitution—it was not there. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because America is good—and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great."</li>
<li>A lot of people will ask why God let this happen. That is a question we will probably never have the answer to this side of eternity. We can give reasons why God allows evil in general: sometimes because it allows for greater goods like the spread of the knowledge of Himself, the salvation of lost people, or the existence of human freedom. But although we can give these possible reasons why God allows evil in general, God does not tell us why he allows specific instances of evil to occur. Instead, He asks us to trust that He knows best. We do know that God's purposes are not restricted to this life, but spill over beyond the grave into eternal life. God's knowledge is immeasurably better than our small and limited outlook. We also know that the Bible seems to indicate that when a child dies before they have the capacity to knowingly reject Christ, God in His mercy saves them and they enter God's Presence immediately upon the death of their physical bodies. And this is a far better situation than they were in before (see 2 Samuel 12:21-23; Matthew 19:14; Philippians 1:23).</li>
<li>One day, Jesus will return and make all the wrongs right. He'll completely and permanently eradicate sin and create perfect peace forever. "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away" (Revelation 21:4). Events like this stir us to long for that day like we ought to. Come Lord Jesus, come!</li>
</ul>
Nathanael Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18051937741247763431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382615983847443037.post-67385842731401304352012-12-07T14:23:00.000-08:002013-01-16T14:41:54.752-08:00"Spiritual, But Not Religious"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PPn4bo1GeZM/ULhxBu9iiCI/AAAAAAAAA9E/M_VGw-LEHNQ/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PPn4bo1GeZM/ULhxBu9iiCI/AAAAAAAAA9E/M_VGw-LEHNQ/s400/Untitled-1.jpg" width="271" /></a></div>
In his recent book, <u><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1439178305/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1439178305&linkCode=as2&tag=nathking-20">Bad Religion: How We Became a Nation of Heretics</a></u>, Ross Douthat exposes the spiritual roots of America's political, economic, and moral decline. He argues that the problem is not too much religion (as the atheists would argue), nor is it intolerant secularism (as many Christians believe). Instead, the problem is <i>bad religion</i>: the slow-motion collapse of traditional faith and the rise of a variety of pseudo-Christianities that stroke our egos, indulge our follies, and encourage our worst impulses.<br />
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The problem lies in the fashionably "spiritual, but not religious" sentiment espoused by many teachers including Deepak Chopra, James Redfield, Eckhart Tolle, Paulo Coelho, Neale Donald Walsch, Oprah Winfrey, and Elizabeth Gilbert (author of <i>Eat, Pray, Love</i>), and (I might add) Yann Martel (author of <i>Life of Pi</i>). Douthat examines the roots of this view and finds that their "creed" shares the following four beliefs:<br />
<ol>
<li>All organized religions offer only partial glimpses of God (or Light or Being). Thus, we must seek to experience God through feeling rather than reason, experience rather than dogma, a direct encounter rather than a hand-me-down revelation. As Neil Donald Walsch writes in his book, <i>Conversations with God</i>, "Listen to your feelings. Listen to your Highest Thought .... Whenever any of these differ from what you've been told by your teachers, or read in your books, forget the words."</li>
<li>God is everywhere and within everything--especially within you. You can encounter God by getting in touch with the divinity that resides inside your very self and soul. At the climax of his book <i>The Alchemist</i>, Paul Coelho writes: "The boy reached through the Soul of the World, and saw that it was a part of the Soul of God. And he saw that the Soul of God was his own soul."</li>
<li>Sin and evil are largely illusions that will ultimately be reconciled rather than defeated. There is no hell save the one we make for ourselves on Earth, no final separation from the Being that all our beings rest within. Elizabeth Gilbert assures her readers, "There is no such thing in this universe as hell, except maybe in our own terrified minds."</li>
<li>Perfect happiness is available right now. Heaven is on earth. Eternity can be entered at any moment, by any person who understands how to let go, let God, and let themselves be washed away in love. James Redfield writes, "At some point everyone will vibrate highly enough so that we can walk into heaven, in our same form."</li>
</ol>
These four beliefs compose the core of the bad religion that has been so fashionable as of late and, according to Douthat, is the core of America's spiritual woes. I suspect that many well-meaning Christians might even be tempted to believe various forms of these beliefs. I think of the popular Christian authors Rob Bell, Brian McLaren,William P. Young (author of <i>The Shack</i>), and Donald Miller (author of <i>Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality</i>), each of which espouse one or more of these beliefs in a Christianized form.<br />
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<a href="http://www.temeculahills.org/">My church</a> has been teaching through the book of Colossians, and I've been impressed by the similarity of the cultural pressure faced by the church at Colossae and the American church. For both the Colossian church and the American church, the problem was not an outright denial of religion, but a new form of religion that seemed spiritual and tolerant. The problem was and is syncretism: the blending of religious ideas and the denial of claims to exclusive truth. The problem was and is an over-individualization of spirituality detached from the organizational church and orthodoxy. In response to this, Paul encouraged the Colossian believers to be faithful, knowing that Christ is supreme. He forcefully announces the supremacy of Christ stating,<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. (Colossians 1:15-20)</blockquote>
He warns the Colossian believers to not be taken "...captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ" (Colossians 2:8). And he reminds them to hold fast to Christ, not self-made religion (Colossians 2:19, 23). And he reminds them to hold fast to Christ in connection with Christ's body--the local church (Colossians 2:19). We desperately need this reminder of Christ's supremacy and need to resolve to be faithful to Him no matter the cultural pressure. "Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain" (1 Corinthians 15:58).Nathanael Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18051937741247763431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382615983847443037.post-25317911088658228762012-07-11T16:29:00.000-07:002013-02-14T12:54:45.566-08:00The Juvenilization of American Christianity<div class="separator tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0802866840/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=nathking-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0802866840"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AVq7RqIcwDM/T_4JxLt0y4I/AAAAAAAAA8M/NEHiFPYjMDU/s320/51+3XPP+nvL.jpg" /></a></div>
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In his new book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0802866840/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=nathking-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0802866840">The Juvenilization of American Christianity</a>, religious historian Thomas Bergler traces how over the past 75 years American Christianity has become juvenilized by the influence of youth ministries. Bergler shows how this juvenilization has breathed new vitality into the American church, but at the cost of widespread spiritual immaturity, consumerism, and self-centeredness, by popularizing a feel-good faith with neither intergenerational community nor theological literacy. He concludes the book by offering some constructive suggestions about how juvenilization can be tamed. This is an important study with some serious take-aways for doing ministry, especially youth ministry. Below are a few excerpts of his <a href="http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2012/june/when-are-we-going-to-grow-up.html">Christianity Today article</a> which introduces his study:<br />
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<blockquote>
Juvenilization tends to create a self-centered, emotionally driven, and intellectually empty faith.</blockquote>
<blockquote>
Today many Americans of all ages not only accept a Christianized version of adolescent narcissism, they often celebrate it as authentic spirituality. God, faith, and the church all exist to help me with my problems. Religious institutions are bad; only my personal relationship with Jesus matters. If we believe that a mature faith involves more than good feelings, vague beliefs, and living however we want, we must conclude that juvenilization has revitalized American Christianity at the cost of leaving many individuals mired in spiritual immaturity.</blockquote>
<blockquote>
As the line between adolescence and adulthood continues to blur, eliminating youth ministries would only weaken religious formation of youth without doing much to counter spiritual immaturity among adults. And instead of naively thinking we can eliminate juvenilization, we should instead work to tame it by helping local congregations build an intergenerational way of life that fosters spiritual maturity.</blockquote>
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Pastors and youth leaders can begin by teaching what the Bible says about spiritual maturity, with a special emphasis on those elements that are neglected by juvenilized Christians. Church leaders also need to ask hard questions about the music they sing, the curriculum materials they use, and the ways they structure activities.</blockquote>
<blockquote>
We need to ditch the false belief that cultural forms are neutral. Every enculturation of Christianity highlights some elements of the faith and obscures others. We must be vigilant and creatively compensate for what gets lost in translation when we use the language of youth culture. For example, if we sing songs that highlight the emotional consolations of the faith, what can we do to help young people also embrace the sufferings that come with following Jesus?</blockquote>
<blockquote>
I believe one key is to renew our commitment to the church as an intergenerational family, in which each person has a unique role in helping the others toward our shared goal of maturity in Christ (Titus 2:1-15; Eph. 5:21-6:4; Col. 3:18-4:1; 1 John 2:12-14). Adults need children and adolescents to draw out their committed love and provide concrete opportunities to care for others. Adolescents help adults reconnect with the passion of a life devoted to Christ, what he called the first love of the Christians at Ephesus (Rev. 2:4). Young people need adults in their lives who are modeling a vibrant spiritual maturity. One reason no one wants to grow up in America is that many adults don't make their life stage look very attractive.</blockquote>
<blockquote>
Teenagers can legitimately follow Christ in adolescent ways, including participating in age-appropriate youth ministries. But those ministries must also help youth catch a vision for growing up spiritually. Churches full of people who are building each other up toward spiritual maturity are not only the best antidote to the juvenilization of American Christianity, but also a powerful countercultural witness in a juvenilized society.</blockquote>
Nathanael Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18051937741247763431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382615983847443037.post-25678970064990324872012-03-22T15:10:00.000-07:002012-03-22T15:14:35.052-07:00Christians Should be HappyJonathan Edwards (1703-1758) preached his first sermon at the age of 18. His thesis was that "Christians should be happy" and he explained why in three points:<br />
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<ul>
<li>#1: Our bad things will turn out for good.</li>
<li>#2: Our good things can never be taken away from us.</li>
<li>#3: The best things are yet to come.</li>
</ul>
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A simple sermon, and a profound reminder. <br />
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(HT: <a href="http://www.theologylab.org/2012/03/christians-should-be-happy-jonathan.html">Erick Cobb</a>)Nathanael Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18051937741247763431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382615983847443037.post-88605180685804816762012-01-19T15:21:00.000-08:002012-04-28T20:27:55.246-07:00Setting the Captives Free: Churches Raiding Slave ShipsThere are a lot of hot-button social justice issues that come and go in Christian culture. Whether it be starving children in Ethiopia, orphans in China, medical relief in Haiti, or saving unborn babies, interest in these issues seems--at least to me--to come in waves. I can think of a few reasons these issues come and go. (1) Maybe they come and go because they are simply fads. What seems to be a cool unique cause eventually becomes tiresome and boring until a new cool unique cause comes along. This is a pretty cynical way of looking at these issues. (2) Perhaps they come and go because they are areas where God wants the Church to focus its attention and join Him in what he is doing. Maybe God is the one stirs the Church to be about certain issues at certain strategic times in history so that his love and justice can reach the maximum amount of people possible. If so, then the Church is simply reflecting God's focus and heart for the world about these issues. (3) Perhaps they come and go because the Church sometimes neglects certain areas of ministry and justice, and needs it's attention refocused and it's heart rekindled so that the heart of the Church is realigned with the place where God's heart and passion have been all along. I suspect that reasons (2) and (3) are somewhere close to the truth of the matter. The reality is that God deeply loves people, and because he loves people, he is doing something in this world to bring about justice and knowledge of Himself.<br />
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One current hot-button social justice issue is human trafficking. I recently heard about Augustine’s <i><a href="http://books.google.com.au/books?id=lNrmfq0F5EgC&pg=PA43&lpg=PA43&dq=Epistle+10+Augustine+to+Alypius&source=bl&ots=sFeK5LjPlH&sig=ogn3wdk9DCAFdmAYwiMmDxPozqg&hl=en&sa=X&ei=eQ8NT5DjC4uQiQf1zt2aBg&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=Epistle%2010%20Augustine%20to%20Alypius&f=false">Letter to Alypius</a></i> (# 10, ca. 428 AD) where he refers to an increase in slave trafficking by abduction in North Africa and how groups of Christians raided slave ships to set the prisoners free. Listen to this:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Even the examples of this outrage that I have personally encountered are too many for me to list, if I wished to do so. Let me give you just one example, and you can estimate from it the total extent of their activity throughout Africa and along its coasts. About four months before I wrote this letter, a crowd of people collected from different regions, but particularly from Numidia, were brought here by Galatian merchants to be transported from the shores of Hippo (It is only, or at least mainly, the Galatians who are so eager to engage in this form of commerce). However, a faithful Christian was at hand, who was aware of our practice of performing acts of mercy in such cases; and he brought the news to the church. Immediately, about 120 people were set free by us (though I was absent at the time), some from the ship which they had to board, others from a place where they had been hidden before being put on board. We discovered that barely five or six of these had been sold by their parents. On hearing about the misfortunes that had led the rest of them to the Galatians, via their abductors and kidnappers, hardly one of us could restrain their tears. (HT: <a href="http://www.patheos.com/blogs/euangelion/2012/01/setting-the-captives-free-churches-that-raided-slave-ships/">Michael Bird</a>)</blockquote>
This is a good reminder that Christians are called to action. If we want our lives to truly demonstrate our beliefs, then we should actively engage in acts of justice and mercy. "By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth" (<a href="http://esv.to/1J3.16-18">1 John 3:16-18 ESV</a>). So what did you do after church last Sunday? Go out to a restaurant for lunch, went home for a nap, did some light shopping, or mounted a rescue mission for slaves? What would it mean for your church or your small group or your friends to get together and "raid a slave ship?" What is the "slave ship" in your life? Who is in need of justice that you are capable of supplying? The Church must always be about social justice because the Church must be about God, and God is about justice. God is about the oppressed, the alone, and the destitute. He cares for children, the weak, and the helpless--and so must we. "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world" (<a href="http://esv.to/Jm1.27">James 1:27</a> ESV). This gets dangerous when the message of the gospel is divorced from or blurred by the focus on the social justice issues, but that should not deter us from displaying and incarnating God's heart towards the world. Instead, it should simply make us all the more vigilant to keep the gospel central to all that we do and to not separate the good news from good works.<br />
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The letter above goes to show that the efforts of Christians to set the slaves free did not begin with <a href="http://nathanaelk.blogspot.com/search/label/William%20Wilberforce">William Wilberforce</a> but has ancient origins. Freedom for the captives is not just a fad, but a historical mantra for the church of God. This makes me all the more thankful for the work on the <a href="http://www.ijm.org/">International Justice Mission</a> who advocate for those caught in human trafficking. See also the following books:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0830838066/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=nathking-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0830838066">God in a Brothel</a> - by Daniel Walker (see also the interview with Walker at <a href="http://www.patheos.com/Resources/Additional-Resources/Set-the-Sex-Slaves-Free-Deborah-Arca-11-02-2011.html#.TxiYvLJ4xBw.blogger">Patheos</a>)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0525951903/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=nathking-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0525951903">Generous Justice</a> - by Tim Keller</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0802457053/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=nathking-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0802457053">When Helping Hurts</a> - by Brian Fikkert and Steve Corbett</li>
</ul>
<br />Nathanael Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18051937741247763431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382615983847443037.post-15935306660893087822012-01-09T00:10:00.000-08:002012-01-09T00:10:52.485-08:00The AdvocateOne of my favorite hymns is "Before the Throne of God Above." The author, Charitie Lees Smith, was born in 1841 in the vicinity of Dublin, Ireland. She was the daughter of a minister of the Church of Ireland. Not much is known about her life, but it appears that she was widowed twice: although she married Arthur Bancroft in 1869, she died under the name Charitie de Cheney in California in 1923. Charitie published her poetry in leaflet form as early as 1860, and a number of her collected works were eventually published as Within the Veil in 1867. “Before the Throne” was written in 1863 under the title “The Advocate.” I really appreciate how this hymn gives a clear picture of the confidence believers have before God--not due to themselves, but due to their strong Advocate--Christ Jesus.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Before the throne of God above<br />
I have a strong and perfect plea. (Heb 4:15-16)<br />
A great High Priest whose Name is Love (Heb 4:14)<br />
Who ever lives and pleads for me. (Heb 7:25)<br />
My name is graven on His hands, (Isa 49:16)<br />
My name is written on His heart.<br />
I know that while in Heaven He stands<br />
No tongue can bid me thence depart. (Rom 8:34)</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
When Satan tempts me to despair (Luke 22:31-32)<br />
And tells me of the guilt within,<br />
Upward I look and see Him there (Acts 7:55-56)<br />
Who made an end of all my sin. (Col 2:13-14)<br />
Because the sinless Savior died<br />
My sinful soul is counted free.<br />
For God the just is satisfied<br />
To look on Him and pardon me. (Rom 3:24-26)</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Behold Him there the risen Lamb, (Rev 5:6)<br />
My perfect spotless righteousness, (1 Cor 1:30; 1 Peter 1:18-19)<br />
The great unchangeable I AM, (Heb 13:8; John 8:58)<br />
The King of glory and of grace,<br />
One in Himself I cannot die.<br />
My soul is purchased by His blood, (Acts 20:28)<br />
My life is hid with Christ on high, (Col 3:3)<br />
With Christ my Savior and my God! (Tit 2:13) </blockquote>
“Before the Throne of God Above” draws heavily from Scripture for its pictures and language. It is a hymn which finds its theme in the perfect security which believers find in Christ, Who intercedes for them “before the throne of God above.” The following Scriptures find echoes in the song, whether Charitie is drawing conceptually from them or merely using their language. <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>1 John 2:1</b>: "My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." ("The Advocate," title).<br />
<b>Hebrews 4:14-16</b>: “Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (“a great High Priest”, st. 1, and general conceptual background)<br />
<b>Hebrews 7:25</b>: “Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.” (“Who ever lives and pleads for me,” st. 1)<br />
<b>1 John 4:8-9</b>: "Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him." ("whose Name is Love, st. 1")<br />
<b>Isaiah 49:16a</b>: “Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;” (“My name is written on His hands,” st. 1)<br />
<b>Romans 8:34</b>: “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.” (“I know that while in Heaven He stands, no tongue can bid me thence depart,” st. 1)</blockquote>
In verse 2, Charitie may have had the following texts in mind:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Luke 22:31-32a</b>: “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail.” (“When Satan tempts me to despair, and tells me of the guilt within,” st. 2)<br />
<b>Acts 7:55-56</b>: “But [Stephen], full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, ‘Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’” (“Upward I look and see Him there,” st. 2)<br />
<b>Colossians 2:13-14</b>: “And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.” (“Who made an end to all my sin,” st. 2)<br />
<b>Romans 3:24-26</b>: “. . . and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” (“God the just is satisfied to look on Him and pardon me,” v. 2)</blockquote>
Likewise, verse 3:<br />
<blockquote>
<b>Revelation 5:6</b>: “And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.” (“Behold Him there, the risen Lamb,” st. 2)<br />
<b>1 Corinthians 1:30</b>: “[God] is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption.” (“My perfect spotless righteousness,” st. 2)<br />
<b>1 Peter 1:18-19</b>: “. . . knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.” (“spotless,” st. 2)<br />
<b>Hebrews 13:8</b>: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (“unchangeable,” st. 2)<br />
<b>John 8:58</b>: “Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.’” (“I AM,” st. 2)<br />
<b>Acts 20:28</b>: “. . . the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.” (“my soul is purchased by His blood,” st. 2)<br />
<b>Colossians 3:3</b>: “For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” (“My life is hid with Christ on high,” st. 3)<br />
<b>Titus 2:13</b>: “. . . waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,” (“Christ my Savior and my God,” st. 3)</blockquote>Nathanael Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18051937741247763431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382615983847443037.post-92018146899894272722011-12-02T10:52:00.000-08:002013-03-20T03:08:09.036-07:00Roots<div>
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Roots are important. They help you know where you came from. They give you a sense of identity, heritage, and history. The people of Israel had a deep sense of history and they knew their roots. They learned from their ancestors in ways that we have largely lost. They saw themselves as part of something bigger and more important than themselves--something God was doing in history. In our individualistic, narcissistic, ahistorical culture, roots are something we are lacking and we desperately need. Narcissism breeds isolation, and for the most part we've become islands unto ourselves. We've lost our sense of legacy. I wish I knew more about my family's history--where we came from, how we navigated through hard times, how we celebrated good times, and how God worked through my family to do great things in history. While my understanding of my roots might be small, I do know some things about my roots, and I'm working on learning more. One person who inspires me is my grandfather, who is now with the Lord in glory, David King. Below is a little bit about his story. <br />
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My grandfather on my father's side was named David Albert King. Before the United States entered World War II, when we were isolationists for the most-part, my grandfather had the foresight to see that Hitler was an evil man who needed to be stopped. He decided therefore to enter the merchant marines. The merchant marines were one of the few groups of Americans who helped the British in the war efforts in those early days before the U.S. officially entered the war. They would send loads and loads of supplies across the Atlantic to keep the British supplied with medicine, ammunition, food, and whatever else was needed.<br />
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After joining the merchant marines, he was given the position of navigator. Back then, that didn't include radar or GPS. He would guide ships across the Atlantic simply by using the stars, a compass, some maps, and his knowledge of tides. He continued doing this after the United States had entered the war post-Pearl Harbor. On one occasion, England was in dire need of supplies, and my grandfather's vessel was at the head of a massive supply convoy. The other ships were following his ship, so he was acting as the navigator for the entire convoy. As the convoy approached the British coast, a thick fog set in. This fog was so thick, my grandfather later recalled that he couldn't see his hand in front of his face, two feet away. The convoy slowed down to a crawl to avoid crashing into the rocky coast. The ships constantly sounded their fog horns to avoid hitting each other. This thick fog persisted for days.<br />
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Finally, it was decided that Britain could wait no longer. People were dying because they needed the supplies in those ships. But many more could die if the ships ran aground or sank. It's hard to appreciate the difficulty this situation presented. When one is on the open sea, they are largely blind to their location and movement because there are no fixed points of reference--except the stars. Take them away, add days of drift in a blinding fog, and an entire convoy of vessels, some of which are filled with sensitive munitions and gunpower and you have a sense of the magnitude of this task. Nonetheless, like someone threading a needle with their eyes shut, my grandfather carefully and skillfully navigated the entire convoy safely into the harbor--even though he hadn't seen the stars in days. He relied solely on the heading he had marked out days earlier and his compass. This was a great and heroic feat--one so great that after he arrived, Winston Churchhill himself sent for my grandfather and personally gave him a medal.<br />
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When my grandfather returned to the United States, he entered New York harbor, and as his ship entered the harbor, he could hear the harbor patrol calling his name. He wasn't sure what to make of this, but when he got to the harbor patrol, they loaded him into a black car, and drove him from New York to Washington D.C. To his amazement, the driver pulled right up to the White House, and he was escorted out of the car and into the oval office. By this time it was night. Franklin D. Roosevelt was in his pajamas, and there, in the oval office, my grandfather met President Roosevelt in his pajamas. To thank my grandfather for heroically navigating the convoy into the harbor, President Roosevelt gave my grandfather a license to navigate any ship of any tonnage on any ocean. Later, my grandfather speculated that Roosevelt didn't want to be 1-uped by Churchhill--especially when it came to honoring a U.S. soldier.<br />
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Later in the war, my grandfather was navigating a vessel in the Pacific theater. He had known for some time that God had called him to be a pastor, but he was resisting God in this. One time during a horrible battle, there were ships sinking around him, and he looked up to see a Kamikaze headed straight towards his ship. At that moment, he fell to his knees and told God "Yes!" "Yes, I will serve you however you want me to." "Yes, I will follow you despite my trepidation." "Yes!" He told God that if he got out of this mess, he'd spend the rest of his life devoted to preaching the gospel. As he prayed this prayer, the crew was calling out "Kamikaze!" to one another, and the two machine gunners on either end of the ship started shooting in a panic as they searched for the rogue plane. Their shots came no where near to the plane, but nonetheless the pilot seemed to be startled by the gunfire, and pulled up slightly on the stick, just enough to miss the ship and crash into the water.<br />
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After the war, my grandfather married my grandmother, Flora Mae King, and he faithfully served God as the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Bell for over 40 years. He shepherded a small flock that was entrusted to his care with diligence and faithfulness. He watched as the church grew, and eventually dwindled as his town transitioned from a predominantly Caucasian community to a predominantly Hispanic community. As this transition took place, my grandfather had the foresight to begin mentoring a Mexican pastor, who eventually took over the church. Today, his church is thriving, teaching God's Word, and spreading the gospel. Through the ups and downs, my grandfather was faithful and he made the kingdom of God his priority. He sought God's kingdom and righteousness above his own, and as a result, he lived a powerful life.<br />
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There's a few things I can learn about my heritage from my grandfather. I can learn something about the character of King men. King men are men who exercise great foresight, they are men who do what's necessary to stop evil and injustice, they are men who step up to the plate when there's a need, they are stubborn men--who sometimes resist to God's call on their lives, and they are men who eventually submit to God's call and serve Him with faithful endurance. That's a little bit of my roots, and I'm better for knowing it. </div>
Nathanael Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18051937741247763431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382615983847443037.post-66443426188193034312011-10-28T11:49:00.000-07:002011-10-28T11:49:08.592-07:00Best Hebrews Sermon EverI want to do this someday.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="293" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/30397355?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&color=5e5f4f" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="520"></iframe>Nathanael Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18051937741247763431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382615983847443037.post-65833853711693011322011-10-20T21:00:00.000-07:002011-10-20T21:00:04.885-07:00Jesus Wants the Rose!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='504' height='420' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz7GUmPj81c90FGxmpyBvKetBjiQSwfJaIPiFb46QXxBpunv_Rnzot5l3q2pHmku1JJV1jMhSPbNx_CuN6SyQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<br /></div>Nathanael Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18051937741247763431noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8382615983847443037.post-1566795538022530282011-10-16T20:00:00.000-07:002011-10-16T20:00:03.185-07:00These Inward TrialsThe life of John Newton reads like a fictional story. You might not have heard his name before, but I'm willing to bet you know his hymn, the most-recorded song in history, "Amazing Grace." In the year 1743 when he was young, Newton was on his way to visit some friends when he was captured and forced into naval service. He lived as a loner with a disregard for authority. When he attempted to desert the navy, he was captured and as punishment, he was stripped to the waist, tied to the grating, received a flogging of one dozen lashes, and was demoted to the lowest of ranks. As a result of this, he contemplated suicide for a time.<br />
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Eventually, he was released from the military and joined the crew of an Africa-bound slave ship. After a series of disagreements with the crew of the ship, he was left in Africa where he was enslaved to a slave-trader who brutally mistreated him. Eventually, he was rescued by a sea captain who had been asked by Newton's father to search for him. Later in life, he became the captain of a ship, and when the ship was about to sink in the midst of a great storm, he called out to God. After calling out to God, it seems that the cargo of the ship plugged a hole in the hull, so the ship stopped filling up with water and drifted to safety. As he sailed home to Britain over the next few months, he devoted his time to reading the Bible. By the time he had reached home, he had given his allegiance and trust to Christ.<br />
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Newton later became an Anglican minister, and in addition to writing a number of hymns, he worked to abolish slavery, and he served as a mentor to William Wilberforce. Newton died shortly after Wilberforce had succeeded in his campaign to abolish the slave-trade in England, which is an amazing story itself. <br />
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To read more about John Newton, I'd recommend either Newton's own autobiography, entitled <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0825433193/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=nathking-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0825433193"><u>Out of the Depths</u></a>, or Jonathan Aitken's new biography, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1581348487/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=nathking-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=1581348487"><u>John Newton: From Disgrace to Amazing Grace</u></a>. Also of interest to some may be William Wilberforce's biography by Eric Metaxas, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061173886/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=nathking-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0061173886"><u>Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery</u></a> or the movie chronicling this story, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000VNMMQG/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=nathking-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B000VNMMQG"><u>Amazing Grace</u></a>.<br />
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One of my favorite of John Newton's lesser-known hymns is "I Asked the Lord, That I Might Grow." It is below. Enjoy!<br />
<blockquote>
I asked the Lord, that I might grow<br />
In faith, and love, and every grace; <br />
Might more of His salvation know,<br />
And seek more earnestly His face.</blockquote>
<blockquote>
’Twas He who taught me thus to pray,<br />
And He, I trust, has answered prayer!<br />
But it has been in such a way,<br />
As almost drove me to despair. </blockquote>
<blockquote>
I hoped that in some favoured hour<br />
At once He'd answer my request,<br />
And by His love's constraining power<br />
Subdue my sins, and give me rest.<br />
<br />
Instead of this, He made me feel<br />
The hidden evils of my heart; <br />
And let the angry powers of hell<br />
Assault my soul in every part.<br />
<br />
Yea more, with His own hand He seemed<br />
Intent to aggravate my woe;<br />
Crossed all the fair designs I schemed,<br />
Blasted my gourds, and laid me low.<br />
<br />
"Lord, why is this?" I trembling cried,<br />
"Wilt thou pursue Thy worm to death?"<br />
"'Tis in this way," the Lord replied,<br />
"I answer prayer for grace and faith.<br />
<br />
These inward trials I employ<br />
From self and pride to set thee free;<br />
And break thy schemes of earthly joy, <br />
That thou may'st seek thy all in me."</blockquote>
Nathanael Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18051937741247763431noreply@blogger.com0