Kurios Blog

Bruno and People

2009-07-06T14:41:00.005-04:00

Read this movie review of Bruno. It is less of an actual movie review and more of a social commentary. It is a fascinating look at the writer's view of sociology.

www.slashfilm.com/2009/07/06/bruno-movie-review

Questions for Personal Spiritual Reflection

2009-06-12T22:11:00.003-04:00

Fellowship
• Am I gathering with other believers regularly?
• Do I have a desire to gather with other believers regularly?
• What Scriptures inform me about getting together with other believers?
• What should my motivation be in gathering?
• How does this motivation relate to the gospel?

Evangelism
• Am I doing things to engage unbelievers?
• Is there something I could do better to engage unbelievers?
• What have I done in the past month to show the gospel to unbelievers?
• Am I delivering a clear understanding of the gospel?
• Does my life lived before them match the message that I bring?
• What Scriptures inform me about giving the gospel to unbelievers?
• Am I so loving God’s gospel that it is easily seen in me?

Listening to God
• On a scale of 1 to 100, how would I rate my obedience in the past week?
• What does Scripture say about my obedience and my salvation?
• Am I seeing the gospel as my motivation for obedience?
• What specific things should I be repentant about?
• How familiar am I with Scriptures that motivate my obedience?
• Am I resting in my faith in the gospel?

Speaking to God
• When was the last time God heard from me?
• When was the last time I thanked God and didn’t ask for anything?
• Does my belief in God’s sovereignty prevent me from praying as I should?
• What Scriptures inform me about what prayer should look like?
• How does the gospel relate to prayer?

Teaching the Body

2009-04-22T21:56:00.006-04:00

So, I'm trying to consider if the areas a church body should be taught in regularly. For example, it is important for the body to be reminded of Christ's divinity. What things do you think a church should make sure are taught? Maybe you have one or two things, or maybe you have a list. Should we pull the categories from a systematic theology book? Respond in the comments section with your thoughts. Also, it would be helpful if you talked about why you found the things you mentioned important.

Idle Worship Is Idol Worship

2009-02-22T13:26:00.001-05:00

Ever sing along at church with your lips mouthing words your heart and mind don't follow? I find myself doing that and realize mid-sentence that I'm not thinking about the words; and sometimes don't even feel the joy expressed in them. Part of that is due to the bundle of joy I call my daughter, but part of it is a lack of desire on my part. So, why do I mouth the words? Largely it is because I feel I am supposed to do it, which makes my "sacrifice of praise" no better than the literal sacrifices the Israelites brought before God without a love for Him. It makes me think of this passage: "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!" Revelation 3:15 In some way, all of sin is a type of idolatry - loving God less than something else. In my particular case, it is mouthing along to praise songs because I want to say I did it well, or to help our little church sound decent in volume, or something else. And in doing so, I have done what God asks for reasons He asked me not to. My idle worship is idol worship. What would be better is for me to listen to the songs and reflect on them, or to pray as others sing. Our God deserves no less.

"Fight Club" and Your Bible

2009-02-17T22:16:00.006-05:00

So, I know my church is weird. That is, we are weird compared to those around us. For example, my friend has a ministry where he interacts with culture (books, movies, TV shows, etc.) and compares them with what Scripture says. He is going to be doing this with the movie "Fight Club." And in an attempt to reach out to those around me I invited a guy who I happen to know likes movies a lot. I was upfront with him because I didn't want to tell him it was just a movie and shock him with the Bible portion afterward. He looked at me with the strangest look. It was like I asked if he wanted to join a cult. It was that look that I usually fear so much that I don't share the gospel. He later said he thought it was a "good joke." Another guy in the room had me repeat myself because he couldn't understand how we could put "Fight Club" and the Bible in the same sentence. I later thought, you know the Bible has some pretty gruesome stuff in it. Just this week my pastor mentioned that some portions "were not for public reading." In fact, "Fight Club" seems pretty tame compared to the Bible. In truth, God's history of redemption makes "Fight Club" seem comparatively like a children's story. Think of 1 Kings 18 where Elijah taunts the prophets of Baal as they cut themselves in a frenzy or John the Baptist who has his head cut off and displayed at a banquet or Judges 19 where a woman is raped, left for dead, and eventually cut into 12 pieces and mailed to the tribes of Israel or when the entire world (save 8 people) are drowned to death or the book of Revelation (need I go into specifics) or the death of Jesus, which is the most gruesome by far. So, with all this (and more) in the pages of Holy Scripture, why would people think that "Fight Club" need be kept separate from the Bible? What has caused our culture to think in this way?

Of Freedom and Maturity

2009-02-12T22:02:00.002-05:00

It is my finding that the Christian life can be quite ironic. As we mature, we recognize our freedoms in Christ and happily exercise them. However, as we mature even more we recognize our freedoms, yet forfeit them when we do not have to.

Survey on Emotions

2009-02-07T23:22:00.003-05:00

To be honest, I'm not sure where I stand on the issue of emotions in the Christian life. Don't get me wrong, I believe that they exist and that they're important. I am just having difficulty figuring out how I should think about them. Some of my friends say that they are demanded by God and so emotions are commands. I can see their point. Other friends of mine say that commands to "Rejoice in the Lord always" are volitional choices we make which are followed by emotions. They point out that we cannot conjure good emotions when we feel bad. And since God expects it of us, it cannot be unattainable. I am reading "When I Don't Desire God: How to Fight for Joy" by John Piper to help get more insight. What are your thoughts on this subject? Where would you go in the bible to point out what you believe? How would you answer my friends who don't think emotions are what God is commanding?

Secular Poetry

2009-01-31T15:33:00.002-05:00

It's been awhile, but I'm back! Thought this was interesting and said something about God and mankind. What do you think that something is?

Book Giveaway!

2008-07-24T21:02:00.004-04:00

Recently, I was inspired by another blog to give away a book. And for those of you who know my love of books and are wondering if I've gone mad, well, I have two of these books. I will have a random drawing on August 18 to celebrate the day I start my new job! The book is used but is in decent condition and is a pretty good commentary on Thessalonians, Timothy (1&2), and Titus, from what I know of it. To enter the drawing leave a comment on this post. If you post this entry on your personal blog or other site, then that will earn you an extra entry. Just be sure to mention it in your comments.

Drawing for Free Book!

2008-06-28T09:00:00.002-04:00

Check out the blog Dust and Clay and leave a comment by July 1 to register for a book giveaway. The book looks good. It is the 'Heart of the Cross' by James Montgomery Boice and Philip Graham Ryken.

Breaking Down Music to Build Up the Body

2008-06-18T10:26:00.002-04:00

Some of my friends and I have difficulty in appreciating the music that we sing together in church. One thing that I have found helpful is to break the music down into two parts. There are many parts to music, but for the average Joe like me (no pun intended) there are but two: the melody/tune and the content. I enjoy a lot of "secular" music because it is beautiful. I can trace that beauty back to God as its origin. This helps me to appreciate God. He gives beautiful music. This could come in many different types of music. But, sometimes I don't really like the tune or the voice of the person singing. However, for some songs I can appreciate the content of the song. The content causes me to think thoughts that build me up. So, at any one time I can appreciate the melody or the content. The best is when both can be appreciated. But, when I don't necessarily agree with the theology, I can be uplifted and thankful because of the tune. And when the tune doesn't seem beautiful for me, I can reflect more upon the theology behind the words of the song. Here is a good example of when both come together. (In my humble opinion)

I Don't Even Know

2008-06-16T22:49:00.002-04:00

What do you think this video says about our culture?

Glorification: A Scary Thought?

2008-06-12T12:40:00.002-04:00

How would you define glorification? Not the act of giving God glory, but the third stage of Christian development (justification, sanctification, glorification). One author has stated it this way "Glorification is the completion, the consummation, the perfection, the full realization of salvation." Sounds right. However, I think it is lacking something. It is too final. Will we learn in Heaven when we are glorified? If God is infinite and His knowledge infinite, then I believe we will. And if our knowledge increases, then our love for and appreciation of God will grow, as well. In fact, many aspects of our character will increase in measure. And if this is so, then glorification will not be as finalized as we may have previously thought. The truth is that we will grow in knowledge and holiness forever. Wow! That's awesome! Wow! That's amazing! Wow! That's scary! I have always assumed that we will be perfected in our character and knowledge in an instant. But, the truth is that while we will be rid of our sinful desires, we will continue endlessly to become more like Christ. That's something I haven't given thought toward. It is truly unknown to me, and truly scary. I don't know what to expect. However, the comforting fact that God will be there and will consider me His friend and child will extinguish my fears. Rather, this will cause me to appreciate the greatness of God, who is now greater than ever in my eyes.

Philippians Ch. 1 - I Quit Christianity

2008-06-03T10:33:00.003-04:00

So, I'm reading through Philippians and I come across these verses.

In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 1:4-6

Thinking on this made me reflect on the greatness of what God does. As Christians, we need God to glorify God. That's an confusing and wonderful thought. Too often, I take on the responsibilities that belong to God. Somewhere along the journey the line between His duties and mine get blurry in my mind and I rely on self. Like recently, I realize I don't pray nearly enough. This is because I'm not thinking about how much I need God. Without His working in my life, I won't be able to accomplish the things I am supposed to do (at least not in the way I'm supposed to do them). So, in a sense I am trying to quit the Christianity that I have been practicing. I'm learning to see more and more my own dependence upon God who assures me He will finish what He starts.

Eyes to See - ID and a bat

2008-05-19T15:25:00.008-04:00

This video is pretty amazing. Well, at least somewhat amazing. The thing that made me think more deeply about it is the last comment that the commentator says, "That would never happen in a hundred years." It made me think about the odds of a bat standing on end unintentionally, like this one. Even the average person sees the unlikeliness of such an event. For this event to repeat it would take 100 years to do so. That's what I call eyes that don't see. People look at such an event and sees the rarity of it. It is so amazing that it causes some to take a video clip of it and put it on the internet for all to see. However, when the very same concept is presented to point people toward intelligent design it is given the cold shoulder. Why? A few are given eyes to see. It reminds me of the Israelites (Deut 29:4). God had worked mightily among them and even given them miracles that we haven't been privy to see. Although, they did not truly see. So what is the application of all this? Use your eyes to see and your ears to hear; not just the earthly things, but the spiritual realities that surround us. Use the everyday to point to eternity. Talk about LOST and HEROES and whatever else comes up, but be an opportunist. Show those things that people are interested in for what they truly are: signposts to spiritual realities. (Look for a future post on Jesus as an opportunist.)

Responsibilities of a Pastor - Part 2 -Spritual Vitality

2008-05-19T10:25:00.003-04:00

The second most important duty of a pastor is to maintain spiritual vitality. A man cannot do this of his own will, which is why reliance upon God through prayer is of first importance. However, we can make use of the God-given means by which we are made new. If a man is to lead others into a greater degree of intimacy with the Lord Jesus, then he must first have this spiritual vitality that he looks to bring others into. We cannot expect a man who is not walking joyfully alongside his God to be used to impart life to people. Of course, the Lord can use whatever means he pleases, but it is not how he typically works, nor is it how he instructs us to be faithful and prepared. For example, remember the warning for husbands in 1 Peter 3:7 where God tells husbands their prayers will be hindered?

So, elders should be constantly putting God's "means of grace" in their way. (Another post will address "means of grace" more thoroughly.) If God has provided things to help us grow, then bishops should be throwing these things unavoidably in their path. They should be going to Scripture to be influenced and changed by God's thoughts. They should be men of prayer who depend on God to change hearts including their own. They should be men of fellowship who look to others for counsel and advice. They should look forward to reminders of their faith, like when others are baptized, taking communion, or hearing testimonies. Since pastors are responsible for the shepherding of people unto spiritual vitality it requires the man, himself place his own life in Christ as a very high priority. This is to say nothing of the temptations with which pastors are constantly and consistently bombarded. In such cases, a good offense is often the best defense and a man best thicken his skin and steady himself for the sure and coming battles that lie ahead. The best way to prepare oneself for the temptations of Potiphar's wife (Gen. 39) and the accusations of the superapostles (2 Cor. 2:12) is to be valuing God more and more.

It seems odd that I have listed the two most important responsibilities of a pastor, but I haven't yet even talked about any personal contact with other people (aside from the need for fellowship). However, I believe that this testifies to the importance of the position because it takes such great preparation before one even interacts with others.

Responsibilities of a Pastor - Part 1 - Prayer

2008-05-08T20:41:00.001-04:00

I am currently being considered for the position of elder at our church. And in this process I have had time to reflect on some things that I don't usually think of so concretely. Out of concern for the people in our church I wanted to communicate to them what I felt my responsibilities would be if I became a pastor. As the second pastor in our church, they would surely be wondering about this. So, I plan to spell this out in a short series of articles that may not necessarily be in order of importance. However, I believe that this first article is of first importance in the order of responsibilities.

The first and most important responsibility of a pastor is to pray. He must pray for himself, his family, and the body. Prayer is of such great importance because it is the catalyst for all other spiritual growth. Let me explain what I mean. Let's say you are in a spiritual drought. You haven't been reading your Bible, you haven't been praying very much and when you do it doesn't seem to help, you act irritable towards family members, and maybe you just lack joy, in general. What can you do to help? Scripture won't come alive to you, so that doesn't seem to be helpful. Talking with others helps to understand the problem, but may not be the helping hand to lift you out of your valley. The starting point is to focus on prayer. God is the changer of hearts and the reviver of them, too. What will be helpful is to ask, plead, and beg God to make your mind and heart interested in the things of God again. Abandon your "routine" prayer. Being realistic with God about your situation and what needs to happen will be greatly beneficial. This might look something like "God, I honestly don't desire to know/love You more right now. I feel content in my relationship with you and have no motivation to serve You. I know this is wrong. Please, help me. I believe your promise that you won't leave me in such a state, but will continue the work you started in my life. Father, please change my heart."

I believe that this example helps to highlight the importance of prayer. If prayer is our aid in our worst spiritual state, then it will certainly be helpful in all lesser trials. Even more importantly, God is clear about the importance of prayer and its effectiveness. And because of the emphasis that our Lord puts on prayer, I feel it would be my first duty to pray for those under my care. This is not to say that all people shouldn’t be praying in such a way. I believe they should. However, as an elder has specific responsibilities to shepherd and to oversee souls, I see this means of change in people’s hearts and lives as of first importance.

Why I Love the Clintons

2008-05-01T23:15:00.002-04:00

I imagine that those who read my blog are intrigued by the title of this post. Mayhaps that is why you are reading it right now. For the most part, my readers would be conservative Christians who disagree with many views of the Clintons. However, there is something wrong with this scenario. Think about it - Christians fascinated by another Christian proclaiming to love the despicable (at least, that's how most of us think of them). Sure, I intentionally chose the title of this post to try and "trap" you. But, did it work? If not, then great! But, if you were one of the millions (or couple) of people who were so fascinated by why a conservative Christian might love a liberal non-Christian (despite who they may be), then my little snare worked. The body of Christ has drawn too many lines in the sand where Scripture doesn't. In fact, sometimes beyond where Scripture does. One of those lines is how we think about people different than us, despicable people, lying, cheating, stealing, prideful, Clinton-type people. The love of Christ should surprise anyone except a Christian. After all, we are the very ones who know personally the amount of forgiveness that Christ has poured out onto us. It covers us head to toe, drenching our sinful garments. Remembering our own sinfulness should keep us humble, should keep us loving. Even people so wicked as the Clintons. It is always good to keep in mind the saying, "But for the grace of God, there go I."

Survey on Murder

2008-04-18T10:30:00.002-04:00

I've been thinking a bit about the relationship that Christians have to the law of the land. And I hope that these questions will help us define it better.
Would you turn yourself in for murder? If so, why?
Would you turn yourself in for speeding? If not, why?

I Love Disciplining My Daughter

2008-03-24T11:59:00.003-04:00

Before I was a dad I was influenced with great understanding of biblical parenthood. I have always looked fondly forward to being a father, so I took this parenting advice very seriously. And I often would try to influence others with the same biblical insight. Inevitably, people would respond with statements such as, "Yeah, you say that now. You just wait. You'll change your tune." I really hate that (and still do). Still, I had never experienced being a parent and wondered how things might play out differently than I thought they would. Sure, my perfect plan for parenting looks good on paper, but what will I tweak when I'm actually standing there and I must take action? I am happy to say that I have had to tweak hardly anything. What's even more surprising is the ease with which I slid into the role of father. I even find myself loving to discipline my daughter. And I'm loving it more and more. She's not very old, but she definitely understands what no means. In fact, a couple of weeks ago a child snatched a toy from her hands. She told him, "No" and pointed to her hand (where my wife and I most often discipline her). As her father, that makes me proud and it encourages me to strive in discipling her consistently. When I make a statement like this people either look at me very oddly or reach for the phone to call social services. But, I truly do enjoy slapping my daughter's hand. Does this mean that I enjoy her defiant grunt or pain-induced cry? Certainly not. However, it does mean that I have been strongly influenced by a long view of things. When I spank my daughter it is as if I am teaching her right from wrong. Ultimately, this will culminate in a presentation of the gospel. I want her to see that it is good to choose right and that my love for her causes me to inflict her with pain for a little while. (Although, sometimes I think it is just as much a pride issue as it is a pain issue.) When done correctly, biblical discipline will (generally) produce great rewards. And I love my daughter too much not to slap her hand for doing wrong.

Rethinking Some Idolatry

2008-03-19T08:59:00.000-04:00

Can I really love my child too much? The more I think about this question, the more I become convinced that the answer is "No." Throughout my Christian upbringing I have been taught that I can love anything too much. Traditional teaching on this says that when I love my child too much I am committing spiritual idolatry because I am loving him/her more than my Lord. I want to challenge that thought. Where in Scripture does it define idolizing people that way? I can't find any passage that teaches that. If you can, please let me know. However, I suggest a different way of looking at the "problem." Typically, we compare our love for God against our love for other things (money, sex, children, etc.). We talk about this in a way that says we need to prioritize these things biblically (God, family, church, etc.). We give God priority in these things, as we should. But should we make distinctions between these things? I think we should. We are told to not to love certain things (Hebrews 13:5). And we are told to love other people (Matthew 22:36). What I am putting forth is that we should love people and should not love things. Sure, we often talk that way and say, "I love these new shoes." Most of us don't mean it in the same way as "I love my mom." If we do, then there's a problem. What bearing does this have on idolatry? Well, remember the original question? I don't think we can love people too much. Sure, we can wrongly prioritize our love for people. For instance, a woman can desert her husband for another man. However, I don't think it is possible to love another person too much. As long as I love my Lord more than any other person, then I am free to love them as much as I want. This is where I believe the problem comes in our understanding of idolatry. Idolatry is to love something more than the Lord. So, perhaps the problem is our capacity of love for God. What we should do is confess our lack of love to the Lord and ask Him to change our hearts. We need to cry out to Him, seeing that our love for Him pales in comparison to our love for someone else. Our prayer should reflect the thoughts in Luke 14:26, which says, "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple."

Understanding the Old Testament: Reading Someone Else's Mail

2008-03-04T10:22:00.000-05:00

Often, Christians have difficulty understanding and applying the Old Testament. It seems so far removed from our life today. After all, we don't worry about wearing clothes made of different materials or how we should shave biblically (Lev. 19). The New Testament writings seem so much easier to understand, in contrast. We can turn to them and receive instruction to apply to our lives in a more direct fashion. Or can we? In the same way I don't concern myself over biblical shaving, I don't ask my wife to wear a head covering (1 Cor. 11). (Although, some men would and I respect them for obeying their conscience.) The reason I don't do this is that I am not a member of the church of Corinth. This letter was not written directly to me. I must filter what it says in order to understand what it is saying to me today. Then, I must consider how to apply what I understand. The same is true with the Old Testament, isn't it? I am not a Jew living in that time. So, I must filter what it says in order to understand what it is saying to me today. Same method. I think this means that we shouldn't let studying the Old Testament become as intimidating as it seems to many Christians. Also, it should give us cause to pause as we interpret and apply the New Testament. Anyone else have any thoughts about this?