Obamanomics Vs. Reaganomics

Peter Ferrara recently wrote an excellent article in the Wall Street Journal contrasting Reagan’s and Obama’s economic policies. If you are too lazy to read the entire article, then Matt Perman has a great summary. Here is one of the conclusions:

• What is the current result of Obama’s plan?

• This is why America seems so hopeless right now, and so depressed. We are stuck going in exactly the wrong direction on economic policy because of currently dominant ideological fashions.
  

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Do I Want to Want God?

Let us pray with A.W. Tozer:

O God, I have tasted Your goodness,

and it has both satisfied me

and made me thirsty for more.

I am painfully conscious of my need of further grace.

I am ashamed of my lack of desire.

O God, the Triune God,

I want to want You;

I long to be filled with longing;

I thirst to be made more thirsty still.

Show me Your glory, I pray,

so I may know You indeed.

Begin in mercy a new work of love within me…

Give me grace to rise and follow You up from

this misty lowland where I have wandered so long.

In Jesus' name. Amen

• A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God

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Seminary or Not?

Matt Chandler has an excellent post on his thoughts regarding whether or not a pastor should seek a seminary degree. Check out the full post, but here are a couple of his statements:

The truth is I think most men need to go to seminary and scholarship is extremely important.

However,

There are those who have been to seminary who are about as ignorant concerning the things of God as a pagan.

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Michael Phelps and "The Weed"

Most of you have probably seen, or at least heard about, the picture of Olympic swimming superstar, Michael Phelps, puffing on a bong at a college party. There have been many mixed reactions from both the press and the Christian community. I think C. J. Mahaney's post, Michael Phelp's Bong, is the best commentary I have read on the situation:

This is what I find so striking: A man whose chest has been covered with gold medals, has achieved international fame, showered with awards, and blessed with an incomprehensible amount of money, still feels compelled to press his face to a bong.

It was Augustine who said that the soul is restless until it finds its rest in God. So true. Only God can satisfy the soul. Only the gospel of Jesus Christ provides forgiveness of sin, and therefore it is here in this gospel that we find rest for our restless souls.

Study the unflattering picture of Michael Phelps to be reminded of the deceitfulness of sin and the superficiality of fame and money. But also study the picture to be reminded of the message of Christ and him crucified for restless sinners like you, and me, and Michael Phelps.

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Christless Quotes

The absence of the Gospel from most churches is a topic that continues to both intrigue and infuriate me. Michael Horton's newest book continues to be the best source for discussion of this topic. Here are some quotes from Christless Christianity:

Aside from the packaging, there is nothing that cannot be found in most churches today that could not be satisfied by any number of secular programs and self-help groups.

In my view, we are living out our creed, but that creed is closer to the American Dream than it is to the Christian faith.

Just as you don’t really need Jesus Christ in order to have T-shirts and coffee mugs, it is unclear to me why he is necessary for most of the things I hear a lot of pastors and Christians talking about in church these days.

The church as people has many different callings, but the church as place (gathered publicly each week) has one calling: to deliver (and receive) Christ through preaching and sacrament.

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Recommending Fireproof

I know that I am late to the party; nonetheless, my wife and I finally watched Fireproof on DVD over the past couple of nights (one indicator that you are getting old is when it takes multiple nights to watch a 90 minute movie).

I was surprised by this movie on several fronts. The movie is inteligently written, competently produced, and well acted (mostly); its production values are on par with much of the content coming out of Hollywood. But, this wasn't the big surprise because I had already been made aware of the excellent quality. The aspect of this film that intrigued me the most was the presentation of the gospel.

This movie presents the gospel in a relevant and potent form. It doesn't water down man's depravity or his need for a savior, yet it doesn't come across as "preachy" or arrogant. The movie does assume the audience has some basic understanding of the gospel, but this is a fairly safe assumption in American culture. I was actually impressed and personally convicted by this film's gospel presentation. I am looking forward to future work from the men who created this movie (the same guys behind Facing the Giants and Flywheel). It is good to have an alternative movie watching experience from a Christian worldview. I highly recommend this film to everyone with eyes and ears.

(You may notice that I didn't mention the conviction this film brought regarding my marriage. This is due to the fact that I write am writing a blog post, not a book)

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Christless Christianity?

Most church goers will notice if a certain church member or family is absent on Sunday. If that person or family doesn't show up for several weeks in a row, then we begin to get worried, concerned, or possibly judgmental. Yet, most churches in America haven't seemed to notice that Christ is missing from their worship gathering most Sundays. In particular, the gospel of Christ isn't even the focus of most sermons, songs, or curriculum.

This is a problem that Michael Horton has brought into the light of day in his most recent book, Christless Christianity: The Alternative Gospel of the American Church. If you have listened to his podcast (The Whitehorse Inn) over the course of 2008, then you have already heard his plea; however, this book, and many others like it, should serve as a warning which must be heeded by churches. I recommend this book for everyone who calls himself a Christian. Understanding and combating this trend is of first importance, because the American church is doing something far worse than forgetting the gospel all together: we have created our own gospel, with its own truth claims, to replace the gospel of Jesus Christ.

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Christians and Gay Marriage

Carl Trueman has written an excellent article regarding a Christian response to the Gay Marriage issue:

What is becoming increasingly clear is that the day is probably not far off when those who regard homosexual practice as wrong will be consistently presented as the moral, cultural and intellectual equivalents of white supremacists.

He also comments, as Al Mohler has done much recently, on how uncool biblical Christianity is in American culture.

This issue is set to shatter any possibility of traditional, biblical Christians being considered cool.

My wife has always said that I am uncool, and for the first time, I am proud of that description.

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John Calvin Is 500 Years Old

Some excellent comtemporary theologians have called Calvin the greatest theologian in the history of the church. Regardless of whether you agree or disagree with that claim, the impact of Calvin's theological writings cannot be ignored. Unfortunately, most Christians are only familiar with the five points of Calvinism (T-U-L-I-P) and never dive much deeper into the life and works of Calvin. For this reason, and to honor his 500th birthday, Ligioneer Ministries has published this book as an attempt to famaliarize more Christians with the man and his work: John Calvin: A Heart for Devotion, Doctrine, Doxology.

I cannot wait to get my hands on this collection of essays from some of today's most influential pastors and professors. If anyone needs a Christmas gift idea for me ... I'm just saying.

To get people in the mood, here is a quote from Calvin:

As the surest source of destruction to men is to obey themselves, so the only haven of safety is to have no other will, no other wisdom, than to follow the Lord wherever he leads.

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What is the Gospel?

I am more convinced than ever that it is essential for the church to understand the Gospel more fully: what it is, its message, and its power. At its most basic level, the Gospel is the story of Jesus Christ: who he is, what he accomplished, and mankind's relationship to him. Michael Horton has recently been in the habit of trying to clarify many points regarding the Gospel. Here is one such clarification:

By definition, the gospel is not something that we can live. It is only something that we can hear and receive. It is good news, not good advice.

I agree. The gospel is a proclamation; it is a factual account and a historical claim. It is news that must be believed in order for somone to be a Christian. The Gospel is a bold and clear statement about God, mankind, and the person and work of Jesus Christ. If the church is going to make any attempt at recovering the Gospel of Christ, then we must begin with this understanding.

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