July 18, 2010

Site and Life Update

We just updated the website with a a new look and other additions. Look for more updates in the weeks to come. We have never before seen the need for God-centered theology than today. You might call the need "dire." "When the foundations are broken, what can the righteous do?" Thankfully, God's Word cannot be broken and endures forever (1 Pet. 1:24-25).

On Easter night (this year) Peggy and I were blessed with our second granddaughter, Noelle. Mark (our son) and Shara (our wonderful daughter-in-law) are the proud parents. God has allowed us to see our grandchildren a couple times a month, on average. (See the entry on our first grandchild, Micelli, below.) With the addition of these two bundles of joy, we hope to spread the saving grace of Christ through these two little lives. We have no greater joy than knowing our children walk in the truth. Of course, this has never occurred on its own, and will not today. God commands parents to invest no small amount of time into their children's lives. But most of all, we need to pray for our children and grandchildren, that God would keep them in His love and truth.

March 11, 2010

A Nation of Debt and Debtors

Politicians and other leaders have always wrestled with the tension between long and short-term "good." Many will rationalize sacrificing greater long-term good for the sake of pacifying the present demands of the most vocal of advocacy groups. We can draw comparisons with parenting. Parents often sacrifice character building discipline on the altar of appeasing the noisy demands of their children. And now the Congressional Budget Office projects a 20 trillion debt by decade's end. Of course this debt does not simply go away with the waving of a political wand. What does the Bible say about all this?

Paul states succinctly, "owe no one anything, except to love each other. . ." (Rom. 13:8). We should extend that love to coming generations encumbered by this debt. "The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender" (Pro. 22:7). God promised an obedient Israel, "For the LORD your God will bless you as He has promised you, and you will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow; and you will rule over many nations, but they will not rule over you" (Deut. 15:6). It's silly to say this carries no application to our day.

Perhaps our greatest lesson to learn is to delay gratification and to trust in God. We should hold our elected representatives strictly accountable for their actions and their votes. Christians should model a righteous lifestyle by refusing to lapse into debt and a debtor's lifestyle. Get out of debt and stay out. My guess is a future generation will look back at these years and label leaders from both parties among the worst and most self-serving leaders in our nation's history. But let this not be said of God's people.

Let Christians let their light shine before others, let their generosity flow freely (Eph. 4:28), and place their trust in God "who richly provides us with all things to enjoy" (1 Tim. 6:17).

December 1, 2009

Does Doctrine Divide?

In 1 Thessalonians 1:5, Paul reminds his readers that "our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. . ." This does not say that the gospel did not come in word, quite the opposite. It did come in word, but also in power and so on.

Today many people dismiss doctrine as that which divides and polarizes groups within the church. But Paul everywhere presents doctrine as something to pay attention to (1 Tim. 4:14, 16). Still many say doctrine divides. Here is a quote from Steven Baugh from the ESV Study Bible:

Some people think that the learning of doctrine is inherently divisive, but it is people who divide the church, whereas the knowledge of the Son of God (both knowing Christ personally and understanding all that he did and taught) is edifying and brings about "mature manhood" when set forth in love (Phil. 3:10). (Study notes on Ephesians 4:13)

Baugh is right on. In truth, divisive people would steer you clear of sound doctrine and over to their own factious personalities. In that sense, doctrine purifies the church as little else can do. It drives us to rethink our practices and stimulates us to love each other in grace and knowledge.

Let serious students of God's Word take heart and keep growing. Your efforts at theological reflection do not divide the church, but unify it as we grow to "the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Eph. 4:13).

Micelli Born!

Here's a quick picture of grandma and little Micelli She's a doll, born to James and Brae August 22! We arrived at the hospital just when she was born, and were "ear" witnesses to the birth. (The nurses tried to chase us away, but I've never obeyed rules very well.) More to come.

Update: Our little gem is doing quite well and growing rapidly. We have now learned that Mark and Shara (our son and daughter-in-law) are expecting a baby in April!

We began our trip from our home in Rancho Cucamonga, Sunday afternoon June 28th. I thought we could make it to El Paso in one long drive, but we pooped out in Tucson AZ. From there we drove through New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, then finally to Florida. In all it took us about 2 1/2 days.

We stayed on Panama City Beach, near where I was stationed while in the Air Force. We stayed in a condo unit, somewhat run down (and thus discounted), but quite close to the beach. We particularly enjoyed walks on the beach and Pier Park, a street lined with eateries and little shops. We took small trips to the surrounding area, like Mexico Beach, Tyndall Air Force Base, and Panama City. On Sunday we attended Fellowship Baptist Church, where I was a charter member some 34 years ago, and where I found the Lord (you'll see it in the video).

We then traveled to Chattanooga, Tennessee, and toured Rock City and its underground caverns. I was surprised how clear Peggy's movie shot of the waterfall came out (see it in video). We also went on the Incline Mountain train ride, the steepest incline in the U.S. Don't ask me how I convinced Peggy to go on it with me.

Finally, we made our slow trip home on Interstate 40, parts of which comprise the old Route 66. We loved our trip and hope you enjoy the video.

The Video

I made the video in a little over a day, and did not include titles or a voiceover. Let your imagination be your guide. Car travel is not for everyone, but we thoroughly enjoyed it. Having a great marriage helps. This trip helped us celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary. With Peggy at my side, I'm truly a blessed man.

April 4, 2009

David Wilkerson is a popular pastor, writer and speaker who has also felt constrained to unleash on any who would listen periodic "prophecies" and "visions." In fact, as a newer convert, I read Wilkerson's 1973 book, The Vision, where he predicted dire conditions in the not too distant future, including global decadence, environmental catastrophes, and even "A new kind of cosmic storm appearing as a raging fire in the sky leaving a kind of vapor trail." He also forecasted pending economic disaster for the civilized world and an attack by "killer bees." He seems to receive these "prophecies" each time America goes through extended troubles, as was the case when he released The Vision during a growing worldwide recession and the Watergate scandal.

Then, he joined the Y2K choir in the late 1990's, giving us a "prophecy" of unending calamity in a book entitled God's Plan to Protect His People in the Coming Depression. There he prognosticated a crippling depression, and urged Christians to store water, food, and head for the hills. Then Y2K "dudded out," the U.S. markets enjoyed a handsome run up, and the Wilkerson prophecy once again faded in our minds. Wilkerson did not grace us with any predictions of 9/11.

Now his newest announcement of pending disaster comes in the form of "An Urgent Message," his March 7th blog entry. There he describes "AN EARTH-SHATTERING CALAMITY IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN. IT IS GOING TO BE SO FRIGHTENING, WE ARE ALL GOING TO TREMBLE - EVEN THE GODLIEST AMONG US." Fires will engulf whole cities, coupled with economic disaster that goes beyond even a depression. Then he utters a chorus from the past (1999 to be exact), instructing Christians to "If possible lay in store a thirty-day supply of non-perishable food, toiletries and other essentials." Let us hope we won't all tremble too much to use these necessary items. He closes with a modest admission: "Note: I do not know when these things will come to pass, but I know it is not far off. I have unburdened my soul to you. Do with the message as you choose." He leaves the reader wondering whether we should await these events alone, or combine them with the still unfulfilled prophecies of his 1973 and 1999 writings. Wilkerson's troubles do not stem from mere arrogance or an outright attempt to mislead. Rather he fails to come to grips with biblical authority. More to the point, he should not even listen to himself. Has he not disqualified himself as a true prophet of the Lord?

Two Biblical Tests of a True Prophet:

1. Faithful Message (Deut. 13:1-5)
2. Accurate Message (Deut. 18:21-22)

The first passage cautions God's people not to listen to any so-called prophet if he or she carries a message of unfaithfulness to the Lord. In other words, even if a sign they announce comes to pass, we can safely discard it if the accompanying message exhorts us to worship other gods. This first test does not apply to Wilkerson simply because his prophecies failed to come to pass.

The second test, a test of accuracy, does apply to Wilkerson in that his previous forecasts have failed to materialize. Therefore, he has forevermore disqualified himself as a true prophet of the Lord. This is not to say that Pastor Wilkerson never says good things in his church and never does good deeds. It is to say he has failed the test of a prophet and therefore God's people should pay no credence to his warnings.

The Protestant Reformers, in their revolt from church tradition, justified their actions by an appeal to the principle of sola Scriptura, which means "by Scripture alone." Sola Scriptura speaks to authority, or who should we listen to. For them, the answer rested in Scripture alone. Of course, the Reformers applied this principle to their battle against Roman Catholic Church tradition, but did not hesitate to apply it elsewhere, even as we should.

As a pastor, Wilkerson's chief task in life is to expound God's Word, to explain it accurately and to apply it to his own life and then to the people. For their part, the people should obey the faithful preacher of God's Word, insomuch as he accurately expounds God's truth.

As for Wilkerson's prophecies, we will let Scripture speak for itself: "You need not be afraid of him" (Deut. 18:22).

February 13, 2009

Don't despise the prophet!
Do you ever get bugged by self-appointed prophets who seem to warn us about every conceivable evil under the sun? Well, I don't, or at least I try not to. For the most part, I view these people as allies in the race, many of whom are quite gifted individuals. To be sure, while aiming at crows that may nest in our hair, they have been know to lop off heads. Evangelists and evangelistic pastors have had their standoffs with them, because these prophets often oppose new methods without convincing evidence. My advice: don't despise them!

They offer a valuable service. They get us to retrace our steps in entertainment choices, ministry methods, and other possible evils that creep into society and even churches. My fear is we have inadvertently banned them from the churches, especially "progressive" churches. Big mistake, and a dumb one at that. Do we ban those with the gift of mercy who sometimes bleed out for the wrong people? No, we dismiss it as misguided zeal. The simple truth is all the gifts are subject to over-the-top zeal from time to time.

Let's welcome the prophet back to church. Let's listen to them when they proclaim the evils of the day. We might learn something from them. Then honestly compare their annunciations, and denunciations, with Scripture to see if we can learn something. It would be a shame to let pride stand in the way of an honest critique that God may have sent to steer us from evil.

"Yet I persistently sent to you all my servants the prophets, saying, 'Oh, do not do this abomination that I hate!' But they did not listen or incline their ear, to turn from their evil and make no offerings to other gods" (Jeremiah 44:4-5 ESV).

October 13, 2008

Nowhere do we see the level of confusion and dispute more than in the church's differing approach to the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was sent by God to comfort the church and lead it into all truth. But many have arrived at a notion of the Holy Spirit that does not take into account a serious exegesis of the relevant passages. In our most recent update, we summarize the Person and work of the Holy Spirit. We hope to eventually add to this brief summary, but for now we provide a summation of this biblical teaching. Many have entertained views about the Holy Spirit different from what Bibletruth presents. We wish them no ill and even extend a warm hand of fellowship. But this is not a trifling matter, and any serious departure from the biblical teaching about the Person and work of the Holy Spirit can only lead to mischief. Today much confusion abounds and we need to steady the boat, as it were, with a return to theological faithfulness on this matter. We do acknowledge that some serious students of Scripture have arrived at different views, and for that we do not fault them. Nevertheless we find their conclusions wide of the mark. What do you think?

Ouch, while adding to this page I just learned my beloved Dodgers fell in game 4 to the Phillies.

August 10, 2008

Prophecy Update! The very words ring familiar to Christians who read magazines, listen to Christian radio, or who watch Christian television. I feel constrained to register a humble opinion on this matter, so readers will pardon my bluntness: The biblical writers provided no clues to identify the nearness of Christ's return other than perhaps an increase in the general signs that characterize the entire age of grace. Furthermore, speculation by Christian "teachers" on prophetic themes contributes to an already growing carnality in the church.

To add insult to injury, many of these teachers do their students and congregants no good when they encourage such prophetic curiosity. Therefore it's important to set forth some basic biblical reminders :

• We know neither the day nor hour (Matt. 24:36), or the times or seasons (1 Thess. 5:1) of our Lord's return.
• No events of current or recent origin can possibly lead us to believe we are drawing near to the Lord's return.
• With Christian marriages falling apart at record pace and compromise worming its way into the church, preachers need to bring their hearers back to the great themes of Scripture (1 Tim. 4:13; 2 Tim. 4:1-5).
• We need to stick close to the biblical storyline of biblical redemption, and not stray off course. Teachers have no right to emphasize themes that do not fit into the general course of Scripture.
• While our present and abiding hope is to see Christ at His coming, the overwhelming majority of believers will meet Him through death. They need to be prepared for that day.
• Overemphasizing prophecy even to the point of suggesting correlations between prophetic events or people and current events and people hastens our own credibility gap, much to the laughter of pagan onlookers we are trying to win to Christ.
• The repeated failures of "date setters" leads to a general listlessness among Bible students to appreciate true prophetic themes, such as Christ's return and individual judgment, which lead us to purity (1 John 3:3).

I suppose I could go on and one, and excitable believers will not necessarily appreciate this stroke of blog, but let's examine the Scriptures to see whether these things are so.

Today my children and spouses joined Peggy (my beautiful wife of nearly 30 years) and me for a birthday celebration. Words cannot express how blessed I felt. (Not by the IPod Nano they gave me, even though I was totally jazzed over that gift.) Just to have them all together for a brief time on a Sunday afternoon can be compared to few other gifts. My how the time has flown! I pray for blessings on their lives, and for my future grandchildren. Pray for me! I'll need help figuring out how to use the IPod. . .

April 5, 2008

Today I finally uploaded the Bibletruth redesign that I've worked on for about 4 months. The site was hand coded in valid CSS and XHTML (not that many of you would care). The pages will load quicker and better comply with future browsers. Look for some informative updates in the near future, and I will try to mention these updates on the home page. Please get the word out on Bibletruth. Forward a link or send an e-mail to a friend or acquaintance. We have been quite encouraged by the traffic as of late, and some communications. Needless to say, not all who browse this site agree with its premise or even claim to be believers. But we welcome them and their input.

December 30, 2007

As we approach the new year, let's take a look back at some exciting events in the world. . . . Wow, a banal experience. Why? Because the Bible pre-defines what we may expect (see 1 John 2:15-17). Not much new under the sun. But what happened in your life? Have you grown in your knowledge of God, or back peddled a bit? Time to set it right. I've noticed a definite trend: Those who prayerfully study doctrinal truths and live a spiritually structured life experience more victory than do those who depend on stirring public experiences and community, the operative word of the nineties (and perhaps the subject of a future blog). Make no mistake, we need to conduct our Christian lives among other believers, and if we fail to do so we cannot grow (Eph. 4:15-16). I've never yet met a good Christian who opted out of church. But many lean on community in an unhealthy way. When they are all alone, they drop their Christian witness and forsake their spiritual disciplines. Jesus cautioned His disciples against relying on anyone or anything apart from him (John 15). We own our eternal salvation to Him and cannot expect to live victoriously without Him at the center. To live is Christ, and to die is gain (Phil. 1:21). Have a great new year, and don't forget to count your blessings.

November 6, 2007

For years I have heard critiques of theological seminaries, "they're not relevant," or "they don't prepare pastors for what's out there." In part, I think, these observations are true. But the ministry certainly has changed over the years. Does this mean we need less theological training, and more "practical" classes? I think not. You weren't expecting that, were you? Pastors still need basic training in languages, historic and systematic theology, and other biblical disciplines. That they can get from seminary. The seminaries, for their part, must not suppose they can equip pastors for today's ministries. They cannot. But they do provide a service by laying the biblical foundation for ministry. Beyond that the pastor needs supplemental resourcing, perhaps from conferences, books, and good networking. Perhaps it's best to quit kidding ourselves and admit our limitations. Once upon a time when churches were brimming with biblically literate lay people who were groomed on biblical truth, they requested, even demanded a pastor whose sole purpose was to "feed the flock." Now the churches themselves want to grow up to be mega-churches (another blog, yet future), and expect their pastors to lead the way forward. Solution? Who's to say. But we need pastors who can handle the Word of truth (2 Tim. 2:15). Go to seminary, young man. Churches err who think they can staff their ranks with astute champions from the business world. A pastor is a pastor is a pastor. We need them. But pastors will be left behind who fail to obtain other skills along the way. Have a happy Thanksgiving! Keep Christ the focus.

September 4, 2007

We just updated the home page with a review of the Reformation Study Bible, a study Bible John Piper recently endorsed by saying, ". . . I know of no study Bible that comes closer to the truth than this one." I sincerely hope you pick up a copy (we found it in a Christian book store, but you could order it from it from Amazon or other online outlets). We also provide a link to the page "Why God allows evil."

A couple of years ago, my wife and I had the opportunity of meeting Senator Larry Craig of Idaho. He seemed like a friendly, intelligent man who served the people of Idaho well. Whether or not he did the things he's accused of, his case again reminds us of the fallen human condition. We have also recently witnessed some Christian leaders falling into homosexual sin, and losing their ministries as a result. Once again the Word of God proves to be a light to our path in a very dark world. Let us all pray for enabling grace to fulfill God's purpose for our lives, and to live as lights in a dark place (Phil. 2:15).

July 28, 2007: Summer Almost Over?

Yesterday my wife, Peggy, and I were in the car when she made a statement I've hated from youth: "Summer is almost over." Wow! Really, that's just what I wanted to hear! Not. I suppose my aversion to that statement stems from school days when gleeful parents would remind us it's almost time to go back to school. Then I would flip through magazines and see "back to school sales," just when I was getting in the grove of summer. As much as we recoil when reminded of summer's end, we could put it to positive use.

The Bible also reminds us that summer will one day be over: "Harvest is past, summer is ended, and we are not saved" (Jer. 8:20 NASB). The image was probably taken from harvesters who failed to bring in the crops at summer's end, and then applied by Jeremiah to the erring Israelites who squandered their opportunity to obey God. Now that opportunity was all but gone.

God has blessed us with time and opportunity, but not in measureless or predictable quantities. Should the Lord not return in our lifetimes, we have only the time He allots us to worship, serve, and obey Him. In a real sense, our summers are almost over. Join me in this prayer of Moses: "So teach us to number our days, that we may present to you a heart of wisdom" (Psalm 90:12 NASB).

Independence Day, 2007

Since shortly after my conversion, I have not been able to stop reading, whereas before I had a well-nourished aversion to formal learning of any kind. No one can say for sure why he or she holds an interest in one subject over another, other than God led them in this direction. My love has always been theological truth. This site exists so that people will apply the Bible to all of life, which is really a condensed definition of systematic theology. I have re-launched Bibletruth for this reason: to provide resources for people who love the truth and seek to live it out. Bibletruth provides summaries of the chief doctrines of the Word of God, though we reserve the right to jump on hot current topics of a theological nature. For the most part, we will confine these efforts to the home page. Happy reading, feel free to contact me.