A Tribute to Our Grandparents - Thanksgiving 2009

In These Days
11/27/09 - MCC

Slowly they leave us these heroes of ours.
They go to their fathers, as someday we will join them.
They gave us our lives; they gave us our freedoms, oft showed us our life-work as well.

Yet now they are falling, these giants among men and women
They succumb not to the pressures and toils that buffeted their lives, but rather to the sin and death that works in all.
But they left something to us, a country, a faith, a business, a family.

They go unbowed, though nature has bent them.
They go in strength, though their bodies now fail them.
They go in wisdom, though their minds may wander.
In these days, may their final lessons be taught to our hearts.

In these days, may we learn their perseverance.
May we learn the love of God which carried the Gospel to those who had never heard.
May we learn the courageous integrity which fought on Iwo Jima or in Korea.
May we follow the example of those who labored to build and sustain their families and give them the best that they could.
May we know the same tender care for our families that has been given us. 
May we be strong and pass on the legacy which we received, not because it was perfect, but because it is God-honoring.
May we be able to tell our children and grandchildren of the works of God in the lives of our families... those whom God used in wondrous ways around the world, those who labored, quietly faithful in their churches, and those whom God brought near to Himself after many decades of resistance.

In these days, let us honor our heroes: common men and women of God, of faith, of courage, of endurance, of love. Flaws there are in each life, but each has much to teach those who would learn.

That By All Means I Might Win Some

This message by D. A. Carson is outstanding.  I have listened to it once and am almost through listening to it a second time.  It was recommended to me by Pastor Phillips and has been well worth the time and thought.  It deals with the context and application of what it means to be flexible in sharing the Gospel.  It is a very direct confrontation of some aspects of post-modernism but also helpful in thinking through the Gospel more generally. 
Highly recommend!

Acts: Transition or Model?

   As I think back to the class 'Acts and Pauline Epistles,' I have two distinct memories that relate to Acts.  The first is that Acts is a transitional book, not a normative one.  The second is that Acts ends in a somewhat abrupt fashion which emphasizes Paul's "unhindered ministry."  Yesterday, I looked at the textbook, Gromacki's New Testament Survey, and I found these statements regarding the distinctive features of Acts: first, "Acts must also be seen as a transitional book," then "Acts is basically a book of mission and witness" (pgs 154-155).  After reading the related sections, I think the author is quite concerned about the use of the transitional elements of Acts as a norm for the church today, particularly in Pentacostalism.

   But while everyone would acknowledge that portions of Acts are transitional (e.g. disciples of John no longer live without the Holy Spirit), I wonder if the emphasis on the transitional tends to obscure the pervasive norm which can be seen in Acts.  An emphasis on the transitional nature of Acts puts the focus on the historical nature of the book.  An emphasis on the normative nature of Acts puts the focus on the present Church's need to emulate the early church, particularly in witness. It gives a greater value to understanding how this book can teach doctrine, reprove, correct, and instruct in righteousness.  Thus, we need to consider which aspects of Acts are transitional and which are normative.

  The transitional portions of Acts are relatively few, being those which arise from the newness of God's establishment and confirmation of the church.  1) Thus, believers adjusted to the differences that the death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ made - adjusting from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant.  2) The Spirit of God poured out His power in particular evidences confirming the new movement: Pentecost, multiple angelic visits and visions, and transporting Philip via the Spirit.  3) No longer were the majority of God's people descended from Abraham; now they came from all nations, and this caused significant upheaval and adjusting.

   Yet these transitional elements are a small portion of what God did in Acts; the primary emphasis seems to be on the witness of the believers to the death and resurrection of Jesus, the Messiah.  Acts 1:8 seems to be an appropriate lens through which to see the book: Jesus' followers would declare what they knew concerning Him in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. 1) Acts is a grand demonstration of how to be witnesses, God's way.  2) It speaks of how one should sow the seeds for churches that God will grow.  Acts displays the Gospel making its way into foreign places and chronicles many of the difficulties that can be expected.  3) Acts shows us the Holy Spirit at work: empowering, filling, sending harvesters, guiding, encouraging, and doing what only God can do.

  Let's look to Acts as a model, not a model of the inner working of the church (which is found in the epistles), but as a model of how to be witnesses.  I believe Acts gives us a paradigm for sharing with all who are our neighbors, no matter what corner of the globe they live in.  However, these are recent thoughts, and I would really like to have them critiqued by others... so please, go ahead.

download Desiring God for free

Here's a link to a free download of Piper's Desiring God in audio format.  I was just thinking of this book earlier and now I'm glad to finally be able to get it.  I've started The Pleasures of God a couple of times, and it has been very good.