...nobody blasphemes like an evangelical can

Doug Wilson reviews The Shack, and discusses the "peculiar form of evangelical blasphemy" the book presents:

I remember one time I was at a conference where the group I was with was sharing the venue with another group. So one time I sat in on the chapel services of that other group, and they began singing "Spring Up, O Well," which was fine with me. But since the song involved water, somebody had developed hand motions, and jumpy-up-and-down-motions. So there was this room full of adult Christians jumping up and down while they were singing, splish splashing along. But then they got to a verse where it was all about the blood of Christ instead of water, and they continued right on with the hand motions and the jumping, and the only thing missing was the rubber ducky, and nobody blasphemes like an evangelical can.

What do you bring to the table?

William Temple:

The only thing of my very own which I contribute to my redemption is the sin from which I need to be redeemed.

JC Ryle:

True faith has nothing whatever of merit about it, and in the highest sense cannot be called "a work." It is but laying hold of a Savior's hand, leaning on a husband's arm, and receiving a physician's medicine. It brings with it nothing to Christ, but a sinful man's soul. It gives nothing, contributes nothing, pays nothing, performs nothing. It only receives, takes, accepts, grasps, and embraces the glorious gift of justification which Christ bestows, and by renewed daily acts enjoys that gift.

October is Pastor Appreciation Month

One of the best ways to show your appreciation for your pastor is to pray for him. Consider using this guide from Kent and Barbara Hughes' Liberating Ministry from the Success Syndrome:

Pray that he will be a true success: that he will be faithful, true to God's Word and hardworking; that he will be a servant, following the example of our foot-washing Lord; that he will love God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength; that he will truly believe what he believes about Christ; that he will lead a holy life, and not succumb to the sensuality of our culture; that he will lead a life of deep prayer, following Jesus' example; that he will have a positive attitude free from jealousy.

Pray for his ministry -- for his preaching, for time to prepare, for understanding the Word, for application, for the power of the Holy Spirit in delivery, for Sunday's services, for his leadership, for immediate problems he is facing.

Pray for his marriage -- for time for each other, for communication, for a deepening love, for fidelity.

Pray for his children by name.

Are you successful?

What is success? What does it mean to be successful in ministry? Are you a successful Christian? We often define our success by worldly measures like numbers and growth. However, the Bible defines success in very different ways. According to Kent and Barbara Hughes, in their book Liberating Ministry from the Success Syndrome, success involves faithfulness, serving, loving, believing, prayer, holiness, and attitude. They give some related questions to help us evaluate our success based on the Bible's standards, not the world's.

1. Are you proving faithful in the exercise of your ministry? Specifically, are you obedient to God's Word? Or is there, perhaps, some area, in personal or public ministry, in which you are knowingly disobedient? (This is a telling question because you cannot be a faithful servant and a disobedient servant at the same time.) Also, since there can be no such thing as a faithful but lazy servant, are you truly hardworking?
2. Are you living your life as a servant, or have you drifted from servanthood into self-service? This question is fundamental for success, for this will move you from success to failure.
3. The great question for all who want to please God is, Do we love him? After his resurrection, Jesus unforgettably dramatized this question by asking Peter three times, "Do you love me?" Thus, from the lips of Jesus we learn that nothing is of greater importance! There can be no success without loving God.
4. Do we believe that God's Son is the Creator of everything in the universe, Sustainer of every atom, the Goal of all creation, and the Lover of our souls who died for us? And more, do we believe that as Rewarder he will equitably reward us? We say we believe it. But do we really believe it with all our hearts? Do we believe what we believe? If so, we have the smile of God, and that is true success.
5. Are we people of prayer? Do we regularly take significant portions of time for an exposure to God, to bare our needs and the needs of our people to God? Is your prayer life moving toward success or failure?
6. Is your life growing in holiness? Or are you becoming captive to the culture? In respect to holiness, would God classify your life as a success or a failure? There is much to consider here. But this question is so important to the Christian life and ministry; it must be answered.
7. What is your basic attitude toward your ministry - positive or negative? Some attitudes exclude success, namely negativism and jealousy. Negative people never fully experience success, regardless of their accomplishment. Their negativism taints their work for God and the experience of satisfaction they might have enjoyed. Jealous people envy the good fortune of others and gloat over others' misfortunes. They find it difficult to rejoice with those who rejoice. Such people please neither God nor themselves. But those with positive, encouraging attitudes are a success in themselves for they serve God with a heart that pleases him - and that is success.

So, how are you doing? Are you successful?

What is your comfort?

What is your comfort? Where do you place your trust? In what do you find security for tomorrow?

As the dollar falls and economic institutions crumble, as wars are fought and lives are lost, we are reminded that the world does not offer us security. Those who place their hope in the world will be disappointed. As Christians, we have only one comfort.

The Heidelberg Catechism (A.D. 1563):

Question 1: What is thy only comfort in life and in death?

That I, with body and soul, both in life and in death, am not my own, but belong to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ, who with his precious blood has fully satisfied for all my sins, and redeemed me from all the power of the devil, and so preserves that without the will of my Father in heaven not a hair can fall from my head; yea, that all things must work together for my salvation. Wherefore, by his Holy Spirit, he also assures me of eternal life, and makes me heartily willing and ready henceforth to live unto him.

This is our only hope; we have no other. But what a hope it is! This hope is more sure, this comfort is more profound than anything the world can offer.

Let us pray that these present crises remind us that we have only one comfort and one hope, but it is an exceedingly great hope and comfort that surpasses all comparison.