To Make Abortions More Rare

In our commonwealth legislature, two bills have been approved by the Senate Committee on Veterans, Military Affairs and Public Protection and have been sent to the full Senate for approval. These two bills aim at making abortion more rare. Senate Bill 102 defines the required counseling of "informed consent" to be in an "individual, private setting," or face-to-face. This bill will eliminate counseling via internet or telephone. Senate Bill 103 adds to the informed consent requirement prior to an abortion that requires an ultrasound.

According to the Center for Vital Statistics in Frankfort, Kentucky, between 1991 and 2009 there were 108,116 reported babies "aborted." That makes 29,616 Kentuckians are absent from the halls of high schools this year due to "abortion." 

This bill will likely pass the Republican majority in the Kentucky Senate. Much like the last time bills such as these arose, the Kentucky House of Representatives with a Democrat majority will be the battle between those on the pro-life and those pro-abortion. The challenge for simple action is to be informed and to communicate with those claiming to represent you.

For most in my flock, Henry County is represented by Rick Rand (D). E-mail him, send him a letter, call his office. He is given a 100% rating from Kentucky Right to Life, but as a Democrat he has influence on the rest of his party to vote in favor of both of these bills. If you do not know who your representative is, click here. 

This is simply an effort to make abortions more rare in the commonwealth of Kentucky. Please take some time out and be informed on the progress of these bills and to communicate to the legislature your attentiveness to these bills.

Tebow's Platform

The Tim Tebow phenomenon has taken captive millions of football fans, both for and against. How might a quarterback with poor throwing motions and runs too high able to lead the pitiful Denver Broncos team into the playoffs? Well, that is a question that merely scratches the surface of the controversy around this Heisman Trophy winner. What makes Tim Tebow the conversation on every talk show each and every day is his public faith in Jesus Christ. Tim Tebow is an outspoken Christian. In a mocking tone, broadcasters laugh at Tebow praying toward God as if he needed a miracle to win football games. In blasphemous words, American football fans remark how God ought to be isolated and contained inside private quarters or that God must be a Broncos fan by divinely intervening on the football field to help Tebow win.

Although the disgusting mess of American football, which is promoted by every vice in this land in TV ads, is controversy enough to discuss in a pastor's blog, quite frankly I am uninterested to shout into the wind and rebuke a scoffer (Proverbs 9:8). However, I have great interest in Tebow's remarks and worldview in regards to football as well as the media attention. Tebow told a reporter, "I want to make a difference with my platform." That's right, platform. Tebow sees football competition as nothing more than numbers, and his own involvement in football is nothing more than a platform to display the glory of God. That is it. God's glory surpasses anything and everything humanity makes to glory in. At the end of the day, sports is just numbers; God's glory is eternal and shines bright.

Tebow's platform is football. He is on display on every TV station, he is asked questions and must respond knowing millions of people will mock him, and he is even discussed on ESPN around the clock! Tebow is not financially suffering and quite frankly has a cool job. Yet, he is constantly mocked and ridiculed, not for his football talents or losses, but his faith in Christ Jesus. Tebow does not simply thank a generic god for his performance or a win, but praises the One, True God for simply giving him a platform to tell others about Jesus. Tebow says he does not pray for a victory on the football field, he simply thanks God for giving him talent and a platform to tell others about Jesus.

We each have a platform given to us by God to display His infinite glory. Perhaps we will not be discussed on talk shows across the world by sharing our faith or mocked and insulted by millions. Perhaps we will simply be laughed at by a co-worker or ridiculed by the hardened heart of our next door neighbor. There are great lessons taught by God through His servant Tim Tebow. We shouldn't be satisfied praying for our well-being or getting a raise at work, but rather pray that God would give us a platform and ability to display His infinite glory no matter how big of stage He gives us. If God can give a faith strong enough to endure the angry mockery of millions such as the faith He gave Tim Tebow, He can give us a faith strong enough to endure the scoffing of a few dozen. Let us share the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ in whatever platform God gives us that we might be found faithful servants displaying God's glory in our lives.

How Then Shall We Strive?

Jesus was asked if only a few people will enter the Kingdom of God. In Luke 13:24, Jesus responds by saying, "strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able to." Jesus tells us to strive to enter through the narrow door, which immediately draws upon the narrow path and gate illustration He uses in His closing on the Sermon on the Mount. How do we strive along the narrow path for the narrow door?

The word translated strive here is from the root word agónizomai, which is where we get the word agonize. To agonizingly contend with something requires an adversary, a focus of something to wrestle with. So, Jesus commands us to struggle with an adversary to enter the narrow door which leads to the Kingdom of God. Jesus tells us many people will seek to enter, but only those who seek and strive for the narrow door with enter.

It is not enough to merely seek. If we hold this idea of seeking up against Paul's lesson in Romans 3 where he informs us that no one seeks for God, we may suggest that this is a group of people seeking many things but none of which is God Himself. People seek for spiritual well-being, personal happiness, a purpose to life, perhaps even religion. Many modern churches in America have adjusted the environment of their congregation to be more "seeker-friendly." We must ask ourselves: what, exactly, are they seeking? Certainly not God. Now, perhaps what they are seeking is an opportunity to share the gospel with them. For example, a woman who lost her husband might seek for what the purpose was. She seeks for emotional healing, for assurance that everything will be okay without him. The gospel heals this wound, yes; more importantly, the gospel is the truth, even if she was NOT seeking God. The danger here is to orient a church around seekers rather than biblical truth. A local church is to be a fellowship of sinners changed by the Spirit of God assisting each other in their efforts of striving for the narrow door through the Word of God, not a group of happy people answering questions of seekers based on personal philosophy and opinion.

What is the adversary we are to agonizingly strive against? Proverbs 28:4 reads:
"Those who forsake the law praise the wicked,
but those who keep the law strive against them." (emphasis added)
The word for strive here is יִתְגָּ֥רוּ which is from גָּרָה, meaning to stir up strife, or to provoke. This does not mean that believers walk around looking for a fight with the wicked. However, this is a valuable word. This is not a passive walk with God toward the narrow gate. Our contention is with sin, and with the world that teaches lies. Everything in the world is held into question, and we are to strive against wickedness. This is also not about avoiding sin, simply suggesting that sin is only performed in commission. The sin of omission is also in play. We strive against doing the wrong thing, and likewise strive to do the right thing. We strive against wickedness and strive for the keeping of the law. We avoid wickedness, then we turn and love our neighbors as ourselves (see Luke 10:25-37).

To blend this with the previous article on false prophets, how then shall we strive as followers of Christ to avoid wickedness, to keep the Law of God, and to agonizingly struggle down the narrow path toward the narrow door? Does the advice from your friends, co-workers, family members, or other people in your life reflect this constant striving for the narrow door? Does your church and pastor join in more than friendly fellowship and do the hard work along with you striving toward the narrow door?

Ravenous Wolves and the Easy Path

Toward the end of His Sermon on the Mount recorded in Matthew 7, Jesus tells us to enter the narrow gate via the narrow path. This path is in contrast to the wide and easy path toward the gate of destruction. We each walk a path, and we each will enter a gate. Death is unavoidable, and we will each discover which gate we have been walking toward all our life. Sandwiched in between two very similar lessons on final judgment and the two paths is a section on false prophets. Jesus is asserting an important lesson for His hearers, a lesson that demands a response from all who read this.

A grand mistake in hearing Jesus talk about the wide path toward destruction can be made when we make-believe that Jesus is talking about atheists and egregious sinners. Read carefully and understand that Jesus is talking to a crowd that believes in the coming judgment. Both paths Jesus' describes here promise that the gate at the end is heaven. Both paths have teachers. These teachers both appear to be sheep just like any other believer. Yet one path leads toward hell, and this path has teachers that appear attractive and say attractive things yet are inwardly ravenous wolves. These ravenous wolves might quote Scripture, claiming to preach the Bible and the good news. Jesus extends His teaching telling us that at judgment many will come to Him rightly calling Him Lord, and profess to have preached, healed, and cast out demons in His Name. And yet, Jesus tells them He never knew them. These false prophets point toward a future hope down an easy road toward a gate they assure us is the gate of heaven. They show remarkable signs, are effective public speakers, appear gentle and warm on the outside, and quote Scripture with confidence. How then can we be sure that we are listening to prophets of the truth?

The word prophet here I take as one who speaks the revealed Word of God and is pointing toward an event in the future. True prophets know God has completed His revealed Word in the Bible, and point only toward that future hope that is in Christ Jesus according to the Scriptures. The true prophets of old never dared to venture away from stating what God had told them, and only pointed to a future God had revealed to them. We are no different today. This might require a different post at a different time, knowing that this is a point of controversy for many. This is not to take away from the point of this passage in Matthew; namely, discerning true prophets and false prophets.

Jesus tells us we will be able to judge our leaders based on their results. Unregenerate false prophets cannot restrain sin; the power of sin is only restrained by the work of the Holy Spirit in a believer. This has everything to do with the path and gate illustration Jesus introduced this passage with. False prophets place their adherents down an easy and wide path filled with lots of people. They speak empty words of comfort during trials rather than biblical truths. They preach and write books regarding personal happiness (with an exorbitant focus on personal wealth), all with a catchy phraseology and a knack for good illustrations and stories to bolster their sermons which are always human-centered. This path is easy, but the burden is too great to bare.

Which books do you read? What do your friends have to say about things? What does your preacher and Sunday School teacher tell you? What daytime talk show host sounds most wise? What advice do they give? Does what they say glorify God and compliment His Word? Beware of false prophets, and question the information and advice you receive. The choicest wisdom in all the universe is the wisdom of folly (I Corinthians 1:18) that baffles the most wise of humans (I Corinthians 1:25). Listen to the Word of God, and to teachers and advice-givers that are immersed in the Bible.

Be Very Courageous

Studying Joshua this morning, I came across the first chapter and God illuminated a word that previously went unchecked the many times I have read this passage. Joshua is being given leadership after Moses' death from YHWH. YHWH is speaking directly to Joshua about taking command of the Israelites and leading into the promised land in which YHWH is giving them to possess. In His command, YHWH encourages Joshua to be strong and courageous (verses 6, 7, and 9). The Israelites respond to Joshua that they will obey the words of Joshua just as they had Moses' words, then in the final verse of the chapter says that this obedience is dependent on this: "only be strong and courageous."

What struck me this morning is the word translated "very" in verse 7. YHWH says to Joshua, "Only be strong and very courageous" (emphasis mine). The word here is מְאֹ֗ד (me'od). This is a word that emphasis more intensely the adjective command of courageous, which is the word וֶֽאֱמַ֜ץ (weh'eh'matz), which means to be bold or alert. Only verse 7 contains the word "very", which implies the verses that follow this is of the utmost importance.

With all of that said, let us read what YHWH is commanding. YHWH tells Joshua to be strong and courageous because they are about to inherit the promised land and that He will be with Joshua wherever he goes. Yet, YHWH tells Joshua to be very courageous "being careful to do according to all the Law that Moses my servant commanded you." YHWH tells Joshua not to turn away from the Law, and to preach the Law accurately and meditate on the Law day and night. YHWH promises that if Joshua obeys this command, He will make Joshua's "way prosperous, and then you will have good success." Words translated "very courageous" means that YHWH is commanding Joshua to be extra alert and bold when it comes to understanding, preaching, and studying the Word of God. In other words, be strong and courageous and alert as you enter the promised land knowing God is near. Be on extra guard, be extra bold, and be strong when it comes to rightly interpreting, preaching, and studying the Word of God.

Dear Christian, this is what our great God commands for leaders to shepherd His flock to do: be strong, alert, and bold in his administration of the church knowing God is near His faithful. Also, dear pastors, elders, and deacons of the church, be on extra guard, extra alert, extra bold, and be strong in your efforts to study the Word of God, rightly interpreting and understanding the Bible, and to teach and preach the Scriptures. "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."

אִי כָבוֹד‎ - Ichabod, the Glory has Departed

As many of you know, I love photographing abandoned buildings. One of my favorite abandoned buildings to climb inside and photograph is an abandoned church. The hardwood floors buckled, pews warped or stolen, and the odor is of stagnant air mixed with aged wood all due to the human absence for so long. I like to stand where the pulpit was once mounted above the congregation and look to the dusty pews and imagine who sat in them.What were the sermons like? What hymns were sung? As the stillness becomes a present reality, the inevitable question remains: why does this building sit empty?

God blesses the local church which remains faithful. We disciples of Christ are called to be salt to a decaying world and light to the dark world (Matthew 5:13-16). This calls for open, bold, and unwavering preaching of the gospel. However, the gospel has been redefined by so many, intentionally as well as unintentionally. Focus has shifted to programs or simply having fun. Local churches across the West have abandoned the mission of Christ to make disciples everywhere with urgency and teaching them to obey the commands of our Lord Jesus (Matthew 28:18-20). Many local churches in the American landscape, both young and old, have abandoned the preaching of the gospel in favor of good advice for living, parenting, working, making friends, and social action in a more "relevant" (common ground) way.. In this effort, local churches have abdicated our King Jesus who commanded us to preach the gospel.
In I Samuel, the Philistines defeated an unfaithful Israel and took the ark of the covenant. When Eli heard this news, he fell backward breaking his neck which was fatal. Eli's daughter-in-law, whose husband died in battle, gave birth to a boy naming him Ichabod, for "the glory is departed from Israel: for the ark of God is taken." She mentions this naming twice to emphasize the point, as if naming her son Ichabod was not enough! Now, jump to the meaning for this article. When an unfaithful church abandons the mission of God in this dark world - which is the preaching of the gospel - that church ought not be surprised to find turmoil. Factions will rise, arguments ensues, financial offerings decrease, joy and life are sapped right from the congregation.
When I hear of financial offerings decreasing, or a worry about church attendance or new membership numbers, or churches in dispute over interior decoration or who heads what committee, I hear symptoms. When churches struggle keep their doors open, I hear symptoms. These are only symptoms to a disease. Many churches and pastors resort to treating the symptoms with the latest and greatest programs, or replace doctrine with pizzazz to sermons, or have a fun, exciting youth program minus doctrine, or replace Bible studies with ice cream socials (note to reader - I said replace, not "ice cream socials are sinful." This is an effort to answer e-mails in advance). Yet, biblical Christians know that there is a deeper issue in such churches. That issue is disobedience.
Disobedience leads to confusion in mission. This is a cancer that kills local congregations. Jesus promises that the gates of hell will not prevail against His church (Matthew 16:18). This promise is for the true, global church body. If the local church wishes to be blessed, she must remain faithful to the mission of Christ. Otherwise, the local church will slowly suffocate, and voices will turn into haunting whispers and finally silenced. It is God who blesses the faithful local congregation; it is God who silences unfaithful local churches. When I photograph abandoned church structures, I sit silently and marvel at how God silences the unfaithful. When I see the entrance of an abandoned church building, I say "Ichabod - the glory has departed."

Worldviews Class I: Introduction to Worldviews

Paul told Timothy, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work" (II Timothy 3:16-17). Paul works out of an epistemic (epistemology is how we come to know reality, truth) platform that the inspired Scripture is sufficient; that is, the Bible is enough and all we need. Every good work is possible only from the discipline gained from Scripture. Think of it this way: Every good work is Kingdom work. Held in conjunction to Hebrews 11:6, only true faith by the disciplines from the Scripture can be considered good work. Goodness, then, has been defined by God as His work and what pleases Him.

Goodness
Listen to our culture and you will hear of many, and often times contradicting, definition to what is "good." It is good to stand up for what you believe in, it is good to try something new, it is good to fight for equality. However, in a post-modern (or, perhaps now a post-post-modern) epistemology, each value and category in a worldview is founded on each individual. Consider that truth is relative, stealing is not immoral. To the victim, stealing is wrong. To the thief, stealing is right and justified. Now, the thief may consider people stealing from him to be immoral, but his stealing is right and good. Remember, it is in this worldview that there are NO absolutes in truth (especially considering axiological truth). Simply because people call works or other people good does not make it so. God defines what is good because He is good. People are changing and do not agree with one another; therefore, we cannot define goodness or truth.

In the biblical worldview, truth is found revealed in Scripture. Truth is not simply the Christian's opinion, but revealed to the Christian by God through Scripture. Even truth discovered in nature (general revelation) was granted by God's revealing, and more specifically by faith is truth granted by God's revealing through His Word (special revelation). Stealing is wrong. God is good, and He works good, and those working in faith for God's glory is called good. How do I know this? The Bible tells me so.

Circular Reasoning
The biblical worldview is founded on the epistemology that says that the Scripture teaches that the Scripture is right. We read this here in II Timothy 3:16-17. We know God inspired all of Scripture because the Scripture teaches this. In philosophy, we call this a fallacy of circular reasoning. What would be compelling evidence from outside special revelation to validate special revelation? Let us consider opposing worldviews from the biblical worldview. Ask someone, why do you believe stealing is wrong? What is truth? How do you know this, who told you, and why do you trust them? Ultimately, the unbeliever must concede that it is he who is the judge of truth because he trusts himself. In other words, truth for him is truth because he says so. Fact is, all worldviews are circular in reasoning. The conflict between worldviews is between authors. For the unbeliever, the author and judge of truth is each individual. No one comes to a consensus on anything; thus, rendering truth relative and non-existent. Truth understood in the secular worldview is unwarranted belief; whereas, biblical truth is warranted belief (more on this in upcoming classes). What the Bible says about itself is sufficient evidence to its truthfulness. What evidence exists for those who do not believe in the Bible? None at all.

Evidence
Why have Christians in recent decades felt intimidated by secular worldviews? Why do we think we alone must come up with evidence and probability to our worldview? Our lack of confidence in the faith is revealed by our lack of evangelism and engaging of the culture as well as avoiding debates with unbelievers. We say stuff like, "Well, I don't want to get into arguments with them," or "I don't want to seem mean," or worse "I am not sure that I would say the right things." The first two deal with personal emotions and reputations. If we desire to save the lost, we would stand in confidence getting into caring and loving debates and conversations with unbelievers. We should not be ashamed of the scandal of the gospel. To reject the gospel out of fear of appearing mean is to be ashamed. Lastly, not knowing the right things to say is excusing yourself out of ignorance. Paul says that the Scripture is enough to teach us what we are ignorant of, to correct us of our errors, to discipline us for Christ-likeness to perform Kingdom work.

We should not build a biblical epistemology based on probability. This is what evidence brings us. The best scenario when debating based on evidence (i.e. cosmological argument for the existence of God, number of early manuscripts to "prove" the Bible, etc.) is one that contends that Christianity has a level of probability. Thus, the biblical worldview is probable just like other worldviews. This contention from evidence on the probability of Christianity is a religious view called agnosticism. This claims that truth is unknowable, and reduces all values in epistemology into categories of probability (enter David Hume). Evidence is great for strengthening and encouraging people with faith in the biblical worldview, and perhaps is good in an all out philosophical shoot out after describing the competing worldviews with unbelievers. Evidence is not a good place to start to make God appear probable. God is not in the defense chair of the court room answering to our charges, and we must not be ashamed to place the unbeliever as the defendant and God (YHWH of the Bible, not a generic deity) as the holy Judge.

Conclusion
The Bible equips the Christian for Kingdom work that we might be competent. This competency in the Scripture translates to competency to defend the faith (evangelism and apologetics). We can find our competency in no other worldview and by no other standard than Scripture. Let us not be ashamed, let us be confident in our faith in the biblical worldview and not relax this worldview for even a moment in our hearts and minds. This will lead us into the second part of this introduction to worldviews where will discuss faith seeking understanding, the resistance from post-modernism, and the most important task of the Christian.