What shall we say then?

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.–Romans 6:1-4

Between my bouts of finding podcasts and listening to them today I was reading Centuri0n’s blog. I can’t even link to it because I don’t think he wants people to–its not that sort of post. But its on top right now…don’t go read it unless you just really can’t help it. And his warning is for real. The link leads to a post thats bar room/locker room raw.

I’m still trying to figure out if the claims made by this fellow about the Bible are any different than the ones we make about it. I don’t think they are in that they’re based more on our experiences that upon what the Bible says. I lost a child so election can’t be right, I know a drunk so drinking must be evil, “Come on Joe les go blow up an abortion clinic”, etc. Whatever evil we want to hang on the Bible as our reason for doing it–it isn’t any different that what those people who beat up his Dad were thinking is it?

In the end its not the sin of the beaten or the blown up, its our own that causes this sort of thing. We WANT to beat the crap out of that person and insert your rationale here. If I was a good Baptist I’d suggest that perhaps ‘they weren’t saved’ but I think we’ve already established that I’m not that good a Baptist because I think thats a cop out. I think it goes deeper than that. I think its the same reason that the SBC was so opposed to Emancipation to begin with and why now we feel like we have to have someone to fight against ALL THE TIME. I think its the same reason as why we have to have fifty different discipleship programs all based on a some different formula of verses guaranteed to grow your church.

We’re not dead. Not yet. We’re still clinging, as a Convention to our life. We are not satisfied with the risen Christ and the Holy Word of God so we have to make more stuff up to go along with it.

Think about that one. Don’t blow it off, think.

Psalm 130

Psalms 130
1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord!
2 O Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my pleas for mercy!
3 If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?
4 But with you there is forgiveness,
that you may be feared.
5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in his word I hope;
6 my soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen for the morning,
more than watchmen for the morning.
7 O Israel, hope in the Lord!
For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
and with him is plentiful redemption.
8 And he will redeem Israel
from all his iniquities.

May the Lord bless you as you go to worship him this day.

It’s like a bad hangover…

…it just doesn’t know when to go away.

I wrote most of this comment over at Centuri0n’s blog and it sounded more like a position piece so I deleted most of it. But I thought I’d post it up here because, hey, why waste the bits? If you’re one of my non-SBC readers allow me to apologize in advance while I air this bit of dirty laundry.

What I don’t understand is that if alcohol is inherently evil, which is the ground that the prohibitionists seem to be standing on, why isn’t the Bible more clear about the issue? Jesus has no problem talking about lying or cheating on your spouse or anything like that. Why isn’t in the top ten? “Thou shalt not drink” isn’t even anywhere in the Bible. It says bad things about alcohol ABUSE but frankly both sides have got to dig to even say anything about alcohol from a biblical perspective.

I’ve asked a question in the meta over there twice and haven’t yet received an answer so I’ll ask it here for your perusal and here’s the reason: this applies to anything we do. Whatever our cause, this applies to it. Here’s the question with a little bit of commentary and some editing. It’s not an exact quote, in other words.

I’ve read Dagg’s biography and he does lean toward the moralistic prohibition side of things. But his position, I think, was due to the fact that his brother or his son–don’t know off hand–drank himself to death. Is it right, then, to change our position from biblical to ‘activist’ just because of the ’someone we know died’ argument? Kinda takes the focus off the gospel doesn’t it?”

How about E.Y. Mullins? To me, his rewrite our our confession of faith was what pushed us down this whole moral agenda road to begin with. His son died thereabouts, I believe. Did that drive him away from ‘election’ as it was written in his source material? Looks like it from here. So again, let me ask you, can you stand on that sort of authority with regard to setting limits on Christian freedom? Does experience trump scriptural authority?

The problem I have with all of these arguments about alcohol is something that bugs me about a lot of SBC things. We take our idea we want to drive whether it’s Lottie Moon or boycotting Disney and we say “OK this is what we want to support. NOW lets go to the Bible and find a verse for the promotional literature. The Bible should drive what we do. Period. This whole alcohol resolution thing is on shaky ground from that perspective.

I think most of our troubles in the SBC come from a source very close to this issue. Stay tuned.

Prayer

I went here like I do nearly every day but I found this. Do yourself a favor, stop reading my mediocre blog and go read this article right now on the DG blog. Here’s a quote:

By prayer, I mean intentionally conveying a message to God.

It’s about time someone had a clear definition.

EDIT: Heres another good post on the subject that I’ve read in the past and I thought I’d post up a link to it as well.

Better

Weekends are really bad for blogging around my house. I don’t have anything buffed up enough to post today or tomorrow. But I will say this: I’m going to be in church tomorrow…Lord willing.

My Grandpa once said that things always went a little better when he was in church. From my perspective thats saying a lot and it means that whatever things are, you can handle them if you’re planted int he Word.

Got trouble? Get planted, set deep roots, then the winds and storms won’t bother you. They’ll ‘go a little better’ too.

God bless and keep you and I’ll see you Monday.

Praying for Bowden McElroy

Bowden is a Christian Counselor in Tulsa, Oklahoma who is attempting to start up a college ministry–not an easy task by any stretch of the imagination [follow the link to his post]. Put some prayer on him would you?

Quote of the Day

“I don’t want to bring the American church here,” a pastor from the United States said, expressing concern about bringing the Western version of Christianity to China. “The Jesus I experience here, I want to bring to America.”

Hear that American church? Wake up. Here’s the thing that gets me about this. These people don’t have to worry about being ‘missional’. They don’t have to worry about getting tossed out of their church because of their theology or because the deacons are ticked off. They live, they worship, people come to know Christ.

Does anyone really care?

This one left me speechless.

Mark 1:29 – 39 The Desolate Place

Note: This Post is part of the series “Studies in Mark” see the Series Index for other posts in this series.

29 And immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. 31And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them.32That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. 33And the whole city was gathered together at the door. 34And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.35And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. 36And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, 37and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” 38And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” 39And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons. –Mark 1:29 – 39 (ESV)

Here we see an example of Christ’s compassion. Simon Peter’s mother-in-law was sick and when they told Jesus about her, He healed her. He also, in v. 32 and following heals pretty well everyone in the whole city who was sick. V.34 tells us, “And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons…” It was a busy night which, no doubt, left him drained. So here we see an example of his humanity. In Oklahoma we’d say he was ‘whupped’. Capernaum was a big city and ‘all’ the sick in a town that size is a lot of folks.

Here’s what I mean. v.36 tells us that Simon and those who were with him searched for Jesus “37and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.”” You can relate to that. Everyone wants a piece of you and you’re all out of pieces to give. And here’s the thing that your church doesn’t realize: if you did have more time you’d give it. Willingly would you pour out whatever remains of your life if it would cause them to know Christ.

Are you a pastor who is being driven to serve and visit and go and do things which are draining you? Are you supposed to be at hospitals and funerals and weddings polished and kind and serene with all your remarks seasoned with salt including those in the pulpit on Sunday regardless of the week of late nights hand-holding and visit making? You’re a man who is called to the ministry of the Gospel and you’re a compassionate fellow. In fact, you probably feel that you’re called to do these things. Good for you brother, but you’re not doing yourself any favors killing yourself to get all that done.

I don’t have an answer for that. I’ve known a lot of Baptists who treated their pastor like a hireling. But I’ll tell you what, the hireling flees. Can’t blame them really, you can’t pay anyone enough money to put up with the garbage your typical Southern Baptist church can dish up to a pastor and then expect him to eat it with a smile. God love ‘em but they’re a stiff necked people. I don’t have an answer for you. Even Moses cried out to the Lord, “Why did you ever send me here?” (that’s a paraphrase—something like Exodus ch.6) But Jesus does have the answer. After his time in that desolate place that we all reach when we pour ourselves out for Christ he can answer like he does in v.38: “38And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” 39And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.”

You’re called to preach brother, so preach. Seek out that desolate place and pray and that will be your answer.

Other posts in this series.

Praying for Tom Brady

I read this post and this one and felt like I should post a link. Go read and pray…its a great way to start the New Year.