The Truth about Santa

Mark Driscoll recently wrote an article in the Washington Post entitled "What we tell our kids about Santa". It's a very interesting read as he highlights some of the facts about the real Saint Nicholas. He talks about his generosity and how he even defended the deity of Christ at the famous Council of Nicaea in 325.

Mark basically says there are three ways to deal with Santa story. We can reject it. We can accept it. Or we can redeem it. You can probably guess which one he goes with. Here's his summary:

In sum, Saint Nick was a wonderful man who loved and served Jesus faithfully. So, we gladly include him in our Christmas traditions to remind us of what it looks like for someone to live a life of devotion to Jesus as God. Our kids thank us for being both honest and fun, which we think is what Jesus wants.

Presuming upon "Open Doors"

There is a recent news story about a young guy who works with the railroad being called by the New York Jets to play in some upcoming games. His salary would be ten times what he is currently making. But, he decided not to play. Why the heck not??

The author of this blog gives some great insight into the decision. At one point he says:

We live in a day-and-age when even Christians presume that every open door is a door opened by God. If it’s ‘good’ it must be from God...but that’s pragmatism at best.

I thought that was very convicting. It's easy to think that way, that every good and comfortable thing must be an open door from God. If your job sucks then God must want you to get a new one, right? Well, maybe not.

The blogger then cites a very applicable passage in Hebrews 11:

By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharoah's daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than all the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.

Comfort, financial or otherwise, does not always equal God's desire/will for our lives. His main desire for us is to know and treasure Him above everything else. And I would submit the more comfort and financial stability we have in our lives, or the more we chase certain dreams, the harder it is to do that. Just a thought.

Go here to read the whole story.

(via)

Lecrae - Rehab

In 2008, Lecrae released his third studio album entitled Rebel. It was ground-breaking and definitely put him on the map as the most talented Christian hip-hop artist. Musically and lyrically the album is phenomenal.

A couple of weeks ago, he released another highly anticipated album called Rehab. At first listen I thought it was good, but felt it lacked a lot of the instant hits of Rebel (songs like "Don't Waste Your Life" & "Got Paper"). However, after a few more listens I have become hooked. It really is a fun album that both gets my body moving and encourages me with thoughtful, gospel-centered lyrics.

Check out this video for his song "Background":

And here's the song "Just Like You".I love the way it ends:

You said you came for the lame, I’m the lamest
I made a mess you say you’ll erase it, I’ll take it...
You said you came for the lame, I’m the lamest
I broke my life, but you say you’ll replace it, I’ll take it...

Manute Bol: A Fool for Christ

This is a selection from Jon Shields recent article in the Wall Street Journal entitled Manute Bol's Radical Christianity:

Manute Bol, who died last week at the age of 47, is one player who never achieved redemption in the eyes of sports journalists. His life embodied an older, Christian conception of redemption that has been badly obscured by its current usage.

Bol, a Christian Sudanese immigrant, believed his life was a gift from God to be used in the service of others. As he put it to Sports Illustrated in 2004: "God guided me to America and gave me a good job. But he also gave me a heart so I would look back."

He was not blessed, however, with great athletic gifts. As a center for the Washington Bullets, Bol was more spectacle than superstar. At 7 feet, 7 inches tall and 225 pounds, he was both the tallest and thinnest player in the league. He averaged a mere 2.6 points per game over the course of his career, though he was a successful shot blocker given that he towered over most NBA players.

Bol reportedly gave most of his fortune, estimated at $6 million, to aid Sudanese refugees. As one twitter feed aptly put it: 'Most NBA cats go broke on cars, jewelry & groupies. Manute Bol went broke building hospitals.'

When his fortune dried up, Bol raised more money for charity by doing what most athletes would find humiliating: He turned himself into a humorous spectacle. Bol was hired, for example, as a horse jockey, hockey player and celebrity boxer. Some Americans simply found amusement in the absurdity of him on a horse or skates. And who could deny the comic potential of Bol boxing William "the Refrigerator" Perry, the 335-pound former defensive linemen of the Chicago Bears?

Bol agreed to be a clown. But he was not willing to be mocked for his own personal gain as so many reality-television stars are. Bol let himself be ridiculed on behalf of suffering strangers in the Sudan; he was a fool for Christ.

During his final years, Bol suffered more than mere mockery in the service of others. While he was doing relief work in the Sudan, he contracted a painful skin disease that ultimately contributed to his death.

Bol's life and death throws into sharp relief the trivialized manner in which sports journalists employ the concept of redemption. In the world of sports media players are redeemed when they overcome some prior "humiliation" by playing well. Redemption then is deeply connected to personal gain and celebrity. It leads to fatter contracts, shoe endorsements, and adoring women.

Yet as Bol reminds us, the Christian understanding of redemption has always involved lowering and humbling oneself. It leads to suffering and even death."

(HT:Challies)

The Ballard's are moving to Nashville

A good friend of mine, Matt Ballard, is leaving with his family in a couple of months to be the pastor of a church plant in an area just south of Nashville, Tennessee. The church is affiliated with the PCA and is called Southpointe Community Church. Matt is going to be leaving Perimeter Church in Duluth, GA where he has served for the last 5 years as the Pastor to Young Adults as well as being on the teaching team.

I've known Matt a little over four years now and he has made a profound impact on my life. Always willing and able to speak truth to those around him, he is one of the most gifted communicators that I know. He has helped me see the beauty of Christ and the love of God for me in a way that is unrivaled. He will be greatly missed, but I'm excited because I know his heart is big for what God might do through him in this next venture.

If you're in the Nashville area, be sure to stop by. If not, consider praying for him and giving to him financially. He needs to raise a good bit of money over the next few months. Why not be a part of how God provides for him?

You can make a one-time donation to the Ballard's account at Mission to North America here. Or you can set up recurring donations by contacting Annette Keller (with MNA) at 678-825-1200.

Moving Toward People

From the latest CCEF article by Ed Welch:

God moves toward us. By the time we get to the New Testament, we are no longer guided by the sometime inscrutable laws of the Old Testament. Human life changes after Jesus died for sins, rose from the dead and sent the Spirit. Now, the law of love simplifies and captures the intention of the Torah. And when we want to understand what love looks like, we look to the character of God in Jesus.

For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. (Ezekiel 34:11)

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost. (Luke 19:10)

The triune God pursued people when they were suffering in bondage in Egypt. He pursued people when they were hardened in their own sin. God’s people reject him and hold him in contempt, he responds by moving toward them and guiding them through the wilderness...

God always moves toward us.

And as his servants, we do the same. We move toward others too. Because we are relentlessly pursued, especially when we not are worthy of such pursuit, we also become pursuers. We turn toward others and move in their direction. That is how the kingdom of heaven works. Sin scatters people, grace draws us toward each other. The possibilities in that grace are endless.

Read the whole thing

Jennifer Knapp & Homosexuality

You've probably heard by now that the one time Christian artist Jennifer Knapp has come out as being a homosexual. I imagine there aren't too many people feeling neutral about this news, whether you're upset that she has come out and seems to be okay with it, or you're angry at those condemning her for it.

She recently did an interview with Larry King to talk more openly about her decision. You can find a summary of the videos or the entire interview broken up into four parts here. I confess I have only watched the summary so far, but am anxious to see the whole thing.

After watching the interview, Trevin Wax makes some good observations here. I particularly liked what he had to say about framing the conversation when talking about the sin of homosexuality and knowing at the same time that everyone is a sinner. He points out that the key is repentance:

"Whenever the discussion centers on “homosexuality is a sin… but we’re all sinners,” the traditionalist inevitably comes across looking like he is singling out homosexuality as a worse sin than all the rest. His protests to the contrary always ring hollow.

But this is the wrong way to frame this debate. We are not saying that some of us are worse sinners than others or that homosexuality is a worse sin than pride, stealing, etc. We are not categorized before God as ” better sinners” or “worse sinners.” Instead, we are either unrepentant or repentant. True Christianity hinges on repentance. The pastor on Larry King Live eventually made this point later on in the broadcast, but the rhetorical damage had already been done.

If we are to reframe this discussion along biblical lines, then we must emphasize the necessity of repentance for the Christian faith. The point is not that the pastor and the Knapp are both sinners. It’s that the pastor agrees with God about his sin, while Knapp remains in her sin without repentance. That is why he is questioning her Christianity, for Christian teaching makes clear the necessity of repentance as the entryway into the Christian family."

He also makes an important distinction between homosexual attraction and homosexual behavior:

There is a difference between homosexual attraction and homosexual behavior. Whenever this discussion takes place in public, the homosexual advocate inevitably merges these two concepts together and then fashions an identity based upon this attraction. The traditionalist is then considered judgmental for telling the homosexual that she should not be true to herself.

But the assumption that we are defined by our sexual attractions is a modern one and should be questioned. If I lust after a woman other than my wife, and yet choose not to act on that sexual urge, am I not being true to myself? Is it not better to be true to someone else rather than true to one’s desires on certain occasions? Could it be that the suppression of an illicit sexual attraction can also be considered true to oneself?

This is where the whole idea of Christian virtue needs to be revisited. Our goal is not authenticity. It is to be true to the self that is redeemed, transformed by the gospel and the power of the Spirit, under the authority of God’s Word.

And I especially love his conclusion when he says that we Christians ought to have soft hearts towards those who struggle with same sex attraction. If we don't have soft hearts, we are not really believing the gospel. The gospel says that we are all God's enemies, dead in our sin, and in need of another's merit and propitiatory sacrifice to bring us back in to fellowship with our Creator. Christ is this Savior. He's is all we have to rely on. This should make us humble, loving, and a repentant people.

(HT:Challies)

True Masculinity

...act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love. - 1 Corinthians 16:13

In case you missed it, this picture was from the Final Four semi-final between Duke and West Virginia that took place just over a week ago. It's Bob Huggins consoling Da'Sean Butler who had just hit the floor, writhing in pain from an injury to his knee. It was also Butler's senior season and he wanted desperately to help take his team to the championship game. If you haven't seen the video, I encourage you to check it out here.

I wanted to post this because it has replayed in my mind a lot this last week. It is such a beautiful picture of what true masculinity is, and it's not something we see often. Detached is an adjective that seem to describe most men today. But Bob Huggins was surely not detached. He engaged De'Sean Butler and didn't care what he looked like in front of millions of other people.

By wiping away his tears and speaking words of truth softly in his hear, he loved his young player well. I hope to represent this type of masculinity to those I encounter. And I know I can do so because Christ accomplished this for me and is the One engaging me tenderly with strength and love. And He has given me not a spirit of fear, but of power and love and self-control.

Our Motive For Mission

Ray Ortlund:

Henry Martyn (1781-1812), Anglican missionary, was told by a Muslim friend about a painting of Christ bowing down to Muhammad. Martyn tells what happened next:

“I was cut to the soul at this blasphemy. Mirza Seid Ali perceived that I was considerably disordered and asked what it was that was so offensive? I told him that ‘I could not endure existence if Jesus was not glorified; it would be hell to me if he were to be always thus dishonored.’ He was astonished and again asked ‘Why?’ ‘If anyone pluck out your eyes,’ I replied, ‘there is no saying why you feel pain; it is feeling. It is because I am one with Christ that I am thus dreadfully wounded.’”

(Constance E. Padwick, Henry Martyn (London, 1925), page 265, italics original.)

Martyn did not attack his Muslim friend. He let his own heart be broken because of his union with Christ, and he explained to his friend what Jesus meant to him.

Our motive for mission is not to help improve a Jesus-dishonoring world nor to attack it. Our motive is to see Jesus honored, though our own hearts will be broken.

I am Tiger Woods

Sufjan Stevens wrote a song a few years back entitled John Wayne Gacy Jr.. The chilling song tells the story of the serial killer who raped and killed young boys, and buried them underneath his house. After finishing the story, what Sufjan says next is remarkable. He ends the song with this line: "In my best behavior, I am really just like him. Look underneath the floorboards for the secrets I have hid."

Read that line again. Do you believe that? With the recent Tiger Woods saga, it's easy to point the finger at others mistakes and become self-righteous. But I happen to agree with Sufjan that I am no different than the most vile of offenders. My heart is sinful and rebellious, and in need of Jesus, same as anyone else.

Mike Wise, with the Washington Post, recently wrote an excellent article saying a very similar thing, though he doesn't explicitly state how Tiger can find redemption and forgiveness in Christ (as Brit Hume did recently). Here's his conclusion:

I am Tiger Woods, and I have poked fun at his travails because I use humor as camouflage, because if I were to deal with the truth, if the world were to know the details of my sad, pathetic electronic communication with other women at one time in my life, the horrific embarrassment would not just send me into seclusion; it would send me off the ledge.

It's easy -- maybe even natural -- to judge his actions and ignore what led to them:

Tiger Woods has an emotional void in his life. This void must be huge. For him to be where he is today, this deep emptiness must have consumed him, must be something he has been living with for a long time. Moreover, he has to live with his emptiness while being fully aware that everyone in the world knows just what a manufactured lie his image has been.

Having stared into this void, having known this hollowness, I can neither excoriate the guy nor exonerate him.

I am Tiger Woods, and because of that, I can only hope that he realizes he's sick and takes steps to get better."

Read the whole thing

Hunting Tiger Woods

C.J. Mahaney has a great post concerning the recent saga with Tiger Woods and how it relates to us. Here's a section:

Hunted by the Media

As expected, the allegations of adultery involving a public figure are attracting a media pile-on. This is a big story with a big audience and it’s a story that will not disappear soon. Tiger Woods is being hunted by the media.

But let us make sure we do not join the hunt. A Christian’s response to this story should be distinctly different. We should not be entertained by the news. We should not have a morbid interest in all the details. We should be saddened and sobered. We should pray for this man and even more for his wife.

And we can be sure that in the coming days we will be in conversations with friends and family where this topic will emerge. And when it does, we can avoid simply listening to the latest details and speculations, and avoid speaking self-righteously, but instead we can humbly draw attention to the grace of God in the gospel.

Hunted by Sin

But Tiger is being hunted by something more menacing than journalists. Tiger’s real enemy is his sin, and that’s an enemy much more difficult to discern and one that can’t be managed in our own strength. It’s an enemy that never sleeps.

And here's his conclusion:

And this story should humble and sober us. It should make us ask: Are there any so-called “secret sins” in my life? Is there anything I have done that I hope nobody discovers? Is there anything right now in my life that I should confess to God and the appropriate individuals?

And this should leave us more amazed by grace because there, but for the grace of God, go I.

(HT:Justin Taylor)

The Unique Impact of Tim Tebow

Pat Forde wrote a good article Sunday over at ESPN.com about the unique impact of Tim Tebow. It's entitled Generosity of spirit separates Tebow. Here are some of the key paragraphs:

We can vigorously debate Tebow's place in college football history as a player. What's not up for debate is his unparalleled ability to provoke the deepest of feelings in fans of the sport.

He said afterward that he wants the fans to remember him for 'how much I cared.' The fact is, fans have never cared so much about a player before.

'I've never seen anything like it,' Florida coach Urban Meyer said. '… He's made unselfish kind of a cool thing.'

None of us has seen anything like it. What makes Tebow unique in the 140-year history of this game is not just his unquenchable spirit. It's his generosity of spirit."

Being a UGA fan, it took me a few years to warm up to Tebow. Even as a Christian, I initially thought putting Bible verses under his eyes was somewhat over the top. But I don't any more. I love the fact that announcers are looking up and reading the verses on the air. And I love seeing the visible impact he has on his coach, his teammates, his fans, and everyone else who takes notice of him.

His humility and generosity coupled with his intensity and passion is something somewhat unique to the world. And I believe it is the expression of Christ in him that is so compelling to people. I thank God for his impact and hope that he continues to point people to the One greater than himself. I am encouraged to do the same.

Why New Yorkers Are Flocking To Hear Keller

New York Magazine recently put out a pretty good article on Tim Keller entitled Why Are So Many New Yorkers Flocking to Evangelical Christian Preacher Tim Keller?. Here's a couple of paragraphs from the beginning:

Keller is a 59-year-old bald, large-framed man, dressed today in a blue blazer and gray slacks. For those expecting hellfire and brimstone, the first surprise is the voice. Keller doesn’t speak in theatrical, over-the-top tones but in a soft, conversational manner, as if he’s sharing a confidence with a friend. For today’s sermon on a passage from the Old Testament Book of Habakkuk, in which a minor Jewish prophet rails about the misery brought on by the Babylonians in the seventh century B.C., Keller jumps to the recession and what he sees as shameful finger-pointing by both liberals and conservatives. “The Bible doesn’t let you do that,” Keller intones from the pulpit. “The Bible is nowhere near as simplistic, dare I say it, as either the New York Times’ or The Wall Street Journal’s editorial page. You can write that down. Put it on your blog, I don’t care.”

Now Keller takes Habakkuk’s rap against the Babylonians—their “need to clothe themselves with glory”—and aims it straight back at his ambitious, striving Upper West Side congregation. He notes that tennis legend Chris Evert once admitted in an interview that she was driven to win because “winning made her feel pretty” and that Madonna confessed she felt special only when she was breaking through to new levels of fame. Whether we’re athletes, artists, businesspeople, or preachers, Keller says, we all suffer from the same malady—trying to fill our empty spaces with achievement when only accepting God’s grace can do the job. “We want to feel beautiful, we want to feel loved. We want to feel significant and that’s why we’re working so hard and that’s the source of the evil.” In another sermon, on another Sunday, he asks the congregation point-blank: “Why are you in New York? Deep down, you think something is wrong with you."

Let Another Praise You

Voddie Baucham recently wrote a blog post contrasting the recent speeches made by David Robinson and Michael Jordan as they were both inducted into the hall of fame. I had briefly heard of the contrast shortly after the event, but until now had not read much of what was said by either man. I thought Voddie did a good job at highlighting what was said by each player and revealing the sad state of anyone who is in constant need of attention and praise from others in order to justify himself.

He said at one point while listening to Jordan, Proverbs 27:2 came to his mind: “Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.” Here's one paragrah from the post, but I'd encourage you to read the whole thing:

"There was a stark difference between the two acceptance speeches. As I listened to the two speeches, all I could think of was the old commercial catchphrase, 'Like Mike... If I could be like Mike.' Unfortunately, in this instance, Mike was the last person anyone should aspire to be like. This was definitely not a Michael Jordan highlight. Jordan’s Speech was self-centered, indulgent, arrogant, and at times embarrassing. In contrast, David Robinson rose to the occasion and made a brief, inspiring, encouraging speech (see his speech here) that made his family, his team, and his friends proud."

(HT:Tim Challies)

Remembering Michael Jackson

Andrew Sullivan has a brief, thoughtful post on the death of Michael Jackson. I think he has good insight into how the culture that we have created was largely responsible for Jackson's restless life:

There are two things to say about him. He was a musical genius; and he was an abused child. By abuse, I do not mean sexual abuse; I mean he was used brutally and callously for money, and clearly imprisoned by a tyrannical father. He had no real childhood and spent much of his later life struggling to get one. He was spiritually and psychologically raped at a very early age - and never recovered. Watching him change his race, his age, and almost his gender, you saw a tortured soul seeking what the rest of us take for granted: a normal life.

But he had no compass to find one; no real friends to support and advise him; and money and fame imprisoned him in the delusions of narcissism and self-indulgence. Of course, he bears responsibility for his bizarre life. But the damage done to him by his own family and then by all those motivated more by money and power than by faith and love was irreparable in the end. He died a while ago. He remained for so long a walking human shell.

I loved his music. His young voice was almost a miracle, his poise in retrospect eery, his joy, tempered by pain, often unbearably uplifting. He made the greatest music video of all time; and he made some of the greatest records of all time. He was everything our culture worships; and yet he was obviously desperately unhappy, tortured, afraid and alone.

I grieve for him; but I also grieve for the culture that created and destroyed him. That culture is ours' and it is a lethal and brutal one: with fame and celebrity as its core values, with money as its sole motive, it chewed this child up and spat him out.

I hope he has the peace now he never had in his life. And I pray that such genius will not be so abused again.

The origin and impact of Keller in Manhattan

Tim Keller was recently featured in an article in Christianity Today written by Tim Stafford. It tells the story of how an unlikely guy from Virginia ends up planting a successful church in Manhattan. For me, Keller has been a huge help over the last few years as I listen and read the things he has to say. I'm very thankful for his ministry and was privileged to visit his church back in April and thank him personally for the impact he's had on my life.

I think this quote from the article helps describe one way that he has such an impact, in my life and in the lives of others:

"White believes Keller's unique gift is to preach to both Christians and non-Christians in the same terms, without making a choice between evangelism and discipleship: "Tim uses the gospel surgically on the heart. The gospel is what we need to come to faith and also what we need to grow." A theology of grace uses the same language to challenge both the runaway son and the solid older brother."

The article also mentions the other significant ideas that have been very influential, namely the subject of idolatry as well as the importance of the city.

Read the whole thing

Ten Lessons From Great Christian Minds

From philosophy professor Jim Speigel:

1. Augustine: Remember that you are a citizen of another kingdom.
2. Martin Luther: Expect politicians to be corrupt.
3. Thomas Aquinas: God has made himself known in nature.
4. John Calvin: God is sovereign over all, including our suffering.
5. Jonathan Edwards: God is beautiful, and all beauty is divine.
6. Thomas a’Kempis: Practice self-denial with a passion.
7. John Wesley: Be disciplined and make the best use of your time.
8. Fyodor Dostoevsky: God’s grace can reach anyone.
9. Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Beware of cheap grace.
10. Alvin Plantinga: Moral virtue is crucial for intellectual health.

Read the whole thing for an explanation of each point.

(HT:JT)

Lecrae: Don't Waste Your Life

Desiring God recently produced and posted this video for Lecrae's song, Don't Waste Your Life. Check it out:

Leading lives of quiet desperation

"The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation...and go to the grave with the song still in their heart." - Henry David Thoreau

I heard this quote again this morning. Thoreau penned this line 150 years ago at a place called Walden Pond. The picture above of Walden Pond was taken this past Wednesday as me and the guys were finishing up our New England tour. Trivia Library says that:

"Thoreau isolated himself at Walden Pond in Massachusetts from 1845 to 1847. His experiences during that time were published in Walden (1854), which Thornton Wilder called "a manual of self-reliance." In a well-known passage, Thoreau stated his purpose: "I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practice resignation..."

I definitely don't want this said about me. Thankfully, in Christ I know I don't have to. He once promised us: "I came that they may have life and have it abundantly."

NYC/Boston trip

Just got back from a six day journey through New York, Boston, Cape Cod and some other parts of the New England area. I went with my roommates Roy and Scott as well as a friend named Dan. We had a blast. I thought I'd highlight some of the trip with some pictures.

I like this shot. It's the subway station right outside our hotel in Manhattan.
Going to Redeemer and seeing Tim Keller preach Easter morning was awesome.
us at Central Park
Harvard Yard during class change
enjoying the Sam Adams Brewery tour in Boston
me at Fenway Park
us at a beach in Chatham, MA (in the Cape Cod area)
grave site of David Brainerd in Northampton
church in Northampton where Jonathan Edwards preached
A nice surprise at the Atlanta airport :)