The Cultural Drift

Where are we?  And where are we going?  These two questions have come back to me recently as I review the cultural norms changing over and over again.  How have things changed in a decade or even two decades?  How has culture changed in a century?  Are we moving toward God and a more Christian society, or are we moving away from God?

In seeking to develop a "Veritas Fellowship" here in the 'mid-south' I realize that not many people speak in terms of truth, or even use the word 'veritas.'  Perhaps I'm being too idealistic.  Or perhaps the culture has moved away from God so much that we need a revival in the truth of God.  Do we even need the truth of God in our high-tech and secularistic culture?  

The Bible speaks of truth abundantly, and we cannot understand the Word of God without at least a basic understanding of objective truth.  And without truth the Bible is interpreted by the contemporary culture's norms, it is read from the everyday perspective of the people.  It becomes pragmatic to fit into our busy lives, between Saturday evening activities and Sunday afternoon sports.  

Probably the greatest shift within the church has been the emphasis on grace, and even "unlimited grace," as it has been described.  There is also the teaching of 'free grace' today.  And it's hard to question the doctrine of grace because we are so indebted to God in Christ through His grace.  But what is grace?  Is it a friendship (phileo) love between people?  Or is it the divine love (Agape) from Christ to his people?  Is grace free completely, or has grace cost Christ everything to come to earth with great humility and sacrifice?  Is grace something that can ever be separated from God himself?  Can we receive God's grace without first receiving Christ himself?  

The grace of Christ is enormous, and that's the truth.  But if it is not supernatural and life-transforming in our lives then we may not understand grace.  When we do see the grace and truth of God it changes everything in our lives, we bow before Him in holy reverence.  Christ is the eternal Light that leads us away from cultural darkness, brokenness, and emptiness.  We need a 'veritas fellowship' to bring people to the Light of Christ.  We should be moving toward God in Spiritual reformation so as to also seek the purity and peace of the church.  

The fellowship in the Light also has great blessings for our lives.  1 John 1:7, "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin."  We can be set free from being culturally adrift by "the light" of the truth of Scripture.  

    

Snow Storms

This last week we had a couple of big snowstorms in the mid-south.  It's unusual to see a storm deliver six inches of snow here, and it's even more unusual to have two of these storms come within a few days of each other.  The temperatures were below freezing for almost a week, and sometimes down to single digits, even to 7*F, which is cold for us.  Here is a picture that captured the beauty of the snow when the sunshine finally broke out.    

 

It was an illustration of the glory of the sunlight and the blue sky, on the backdrop of fresh snow.  Jonathan Edwards once remarked that a brilliantly clear day was just a glimpse of the glory that we will see in heaven. This picture was especially glorious as the previous two days had been overcast and dreary.

 

Let's remember that the sun rises every day, and its light and glory are sometimes blocked by clouds and storms.  And just like the truth of God, we know the light is always there and that we must turn to Scripture for its light upon our lives.  This Light is Christ who can awaken us and inspire us to live in grace and truth for God.    

Revelation 21:23, "And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb."

Another New Year!

Well, here we are in 2020, another new year.  Happy New Year!

So how many years has it been since Jesus was born in Bethlehem?  Most experts place Jesus' birth at approximately 4 B.C.  And if he died at approximately AD 30, and lived approximately 33 1/2 years, then he was born approximately 1987 years ago.  Approximately.  Let's say for discussion it was 2000 years ago.  And that's about as many years as it was between Jesus and Abraham as well.

The world has changed substantially in 2k years, not to mention in technology alone.  But the rise of humanism has been the great change, mankind is empowered with much more capabilities than we were either 2k or 4k years ago.  The trust in mankind has also increased exponentially.  But most of the changes in technology have happened in the last 100 years.

When we think of the difference from 2019 to 2020 we can see some changes in politics, business, technology, culture and morality.  Our world is changing at an incredible rate all towards a greater focus on mankind.  But if we look at the changes from one hundred years ago from much greater changes that come from relativism, and this has created a greater emphasis on socialism and egalitarianism.  The consensus is growing that the majority vote and community knows best.

We should celebrate a new year with a new resolution to see the eternal picture of God's truth and the unchanging character of God's Word.  And we should proclaim the importance of seeking Christ who does not change with the cultures of men.  He alone is the one who can save us and reconcile us with God.  Let's get caught up in the eternal glory and eternal life of Christ.  Amen!

Publish or Perish?

In the last few months I haven't posted anything on my blogs simply because I've been preoccupied with my new job at Ligonier.  It's been great to be busy and I've done a lot of new things in my new position.  Learning how to be an Advancement Officer has entailed learning the whole new computer system at Ligonier, and how to make contacts with Ligonier donors, then traveling to many places to meet donors and build relationships with them.  All in all it's been a whole new occupation with a new vocation.

But now I've decided to republish a blog from years ago entitled "The Truth Appeal."  This was first published in 2006 as "The Truth Of God" but I was going to use it for an M.A. thesis paper, so I took it down.  Now, after deciding not to do a seminary Master's degree, and after many attempts to convert this blog into a research paper/publishable book, I concede that I don't have it in me to do it.  It's too big.

So, I'm republishing it in a synopsis form, to at least describe an attempt to communicate my primary interest in Truth.  It is a huge topic and one that I cannot do justice to adequately.  But, truth be told, Truth exists because God exists, and we must put truth at the top of all our hermeneutics for the Word of God.  It also is the Word of Truth, and we must interpret it as the Author intended it.  We must not put man first or culture first in our priorities or in our hermeneutics.

I hope to republish The Truth Appeal on a separate blog if I can remember how to start a new blog.  Technology is a wonderful thing, when it works...

The Heart Of An Executive

I last posted about a great book on Christian manhood entitled, The Masculine Mandate, by Richard D. Phillips, a Presbyterian pastor from Greenville, SC.  When I recommended this book to a friend, he recognized the author and said he's also written a great book on leadership.  That book is entitled, "The Heart Of An Executive," and I too would say it is excellent.  Pastor Phillips speaks with wisdom and experience, for before he entered seminary he served in the U.S. Army as a tank commander, and has held numerous leadership roles.

In this book, Phillips reviews King David's life through several phases in the OT.  We see David from the days he was a shepherd boy, to his amazing defeat of Goliath, then through his turmoils and conflicts with King Saul, to his own ascension to the throne of Israel, his making of the capital city of Jerusalem, (the city of David); then to his pride and moral failure in adultery and murder, and also through internal family corruption, failure, and civil war.  Through God's grace, he was restored to the throne of Israel, and then successfully passed his throne to Solomon before he died.

Even though I've read these stories before I've never looked at them through the lens of Godly leadership.  Pastor Phillips brings keen insights from the world of executive leadership to describe the "principles and purposes" that David lived by.  In contrast to King Saul who lived primarily by the priorities of his own self-centered interests and advancement, David recognized the importance of living for God and his glory.  Perhaps from his youth tending sheep when he gazed into the heavens at night to see the stars, he realized the big picture of who God is.  His instincts of shepherding people were always guided by his realization that the God of heaven and earth should be honored always.  David was indeed "a man after God's own heart."

In the review of David's many achievements, Phillips remarks,

"Can any of us rise higher than David did in his act of mercy and faithfulness at the cave of Adullam?  Surely that was his greatest moment, the highest point his heart ever reached, higher even than the quick triumph of faith that slew Goliath.  For the heart of an executive shines brightest not when it reveals its own identity, but when others find theirs in it," p. 262.

Other people realized that David was dedicated to a higher calling, a higher set of values, and even to a higher vision of God.  This in turn led others to also be dedicated to this same vision and to live for the God of creation and glory, and not for our own glory or accomplishments.

David's life and leadership are most compelling and worthy of our admiration and following.  From him we find the hallmark of Christian leadership, to inspire people with a great vision of God and to serve Christ with whatever gifts they have, so as to build His kingdom.

The Masculine Mandate

I've started a young men's study on the book, The Masculine Mandate, by Richard Phillips.  This book got my attention over a year ago because it addressed biblical leadership for men today.  There are not that many books on leadership that promote the creation design of Genesis 1 and 2.  But the crisis in leadership in our culture shows how important this study is for the family and church.

As you can imagine it's a great challenge to try to bridge the gap between a sixty-something year old man, and the predominately twenty-something group of young men.  My strategy has been to enlist the support of a thirty-something young man, husband and father, to connect our ages. Basically I am a "baby boomer" trying to relate to the "millennials".  But the man in the middle is helping me a lot.

The following outline is my six week plan to establish a foundation for this book.  The book is much better as it discusses the issues in greater detail.  But, these young men are not big readers and that's part of the challenge.  They have grown up on TV and the Internet, Facebook, Snapchat and texting.  So, a condensed summary outline is what I've given them to try to establish a big picture of the book, and what biblical manhood looks like.  This is what it looks like.

The Masculine Mandate

Part One describes the "mandate" that God gives to men.  Part Two describes living it out in life.  We will discover six major topics that we can learn from and discuss.  

Week One - our PURPOSE.  Ch.1, (p.6), references Gen.1:26-27, and describes how God created Adam, and we are created in the "image of God".  We bear God's image, as we are spiritual people representing God.  Manhood is seen in the "who, where, what, and how," of God's creation design.  "Who" we are is God's "image bearers" and created to be with God.  Our primary purpose in life then is to know, live for, and to serve God.

Week Two - our VOCATION.  Ch.1, (p.9), reference Gen.1:28, and "the calling" from God to, "be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion."  This has been referred to as the "creation mandate", God's calling to humanity in general.  "What" is our calling - we are called to be God's "co-laborers" and this is before the "fall".  But our calling as men in leadership is found in Gen.2:15, to "work and keep" in the "masculine mandate".  What is your particular skill and job?

Week Three - our FINANCES.  Ch.1, (p.10), also references Gen.2:15, and the "How" of our calling, "The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it."  To "work" so as "to labor and make things grow", and to "keep", so as to protect and sustain progress already achieved".  In today's world we do this primarily with financial management.  All resources belong to God, and we are just his stewards of it all.

Week Four - our RELATIONSHIPS.  Ch.6, (p.77), references Gen.2:18, and our relationships with the opposite sex.  We are created with a purpose, Gen.1:28, and with a calling, Gen.2:15, and we are also created for a wife.  The "creation design" was incomplete initially, Gen.2:18, "It is not good that man should be alone"; and "not good" means not complete.  God created us "male and female" so to become one flesh, Gen.2:24.  Friendship is foundational, partnership is the plan, and love is the goal.  

Week Five - our FAMILY.  Ch.9, (p.126), references Gen.2:15 and our calling "to work and to keep" the creation of God.  This also applies to being a father.  We are called to nurture and to protect our children.  This equates to discipling (work) and disciplining (keep) our children.  Teaching and correcting, training and educating, for the heart and the head.  Proverbs 4:23 speaks of wisdom, "keep your heart with all vigilance..."  God calls us to him as "our Father".

Week Six - Our FRIENDSHIPS and FAITH.  Ch.11, (p.165), references 1Sam.18:1, and describes, "the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul."  Such a Godly friendship is a great asset in life.  And in John 15:1 we see, "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends."  Faith is "a gift" and not an achievement, Eph.2:8-9.  It is completely by grace but we must walk in faith, and then it will transform all of our life.

These topics are a lot easier to discuss than accomplish.  But we need a blueprint to live by and God's Word gives us that design.  The Masculine Mandate calls us to live for these truths.

John 1:14

Within the many facets of ministry, it is difficult to come up with one philosophy of leadership.  But for a clear vision for Christian leadership, I've decided upon John 1:14.  It reads, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."  Here we see that Jesus is the incarnation of God in the world, he lived and dwelt among the disciples in real life, and in turn, they saw his glory as he ministered in teaching and miracles.  And all this because he proceeded from God as his only begotten Son.  Jesus was the God-man.  Even more, Jesus was filled with grace and truth.

So I believe this "grace and truth" of Christ is the best paradigm to best understand how to conduct Christian ministry.  We need both the grace and truth of Christ, not one or the other.  For it is by grace that we receive truth and it is by truth that we can understand grace.  God graciously grants the truth of the gospel to us, and he then gives us his truth to understand the true meaning of the gospel.  The two are inseparably connected all through the Scripture.  The challenge is to always keep these two in balance and in priority.  In a complicated and broken world that can be difficult at times.

The priority of truth must guide us in our grace.  And we must always be gracious as we teach and disciple the family of faith for we constantly need the grace of Christ to become Christ-like.  But John 1:14 makes it clear that we also need the truth of Christ and we must never compromise the truth in an attempt to be gracious.  We must always be true to the whole counsel of Scripture that God has given to us for the very purpose of knowing him.  We must also always be gracious to our fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord as we all are recipients of grace.  But the priority of truth must guide us in our grace.  Amen, it is true.