Doug Wilson on Glenn Beck

A good word from Doug Wilson:


Ask Doug: Glenn Beck from Canon Wired on Vimeo.

HT: Mere Orthodoxy

Jesus and the Elephant

There is an old Indian story that is often used to express relativity of or the impossibility of knowing truth.

Basically, the story goes that there were several blind men all touching the same elephant, wondering as to what it was.

The first man, touching the ear of the elephant said "Surely this thing is thin and papery."

The second man, feeling the elephant's trunk said, "I agree that the thing is thin, but it is certainly not papery, but rough and round."

A third man, with his hand on the leg of the elephant, responded, "My brother, I agree that this thing is round and rough, but I must say that it is thicker than my thigh."

Still another, feeling the tail of the animal, said "I don't understand how any of you could think this thing is thick or rough, it is clearly thin as my little finger, and besides that, it has hair on the end."

So the four of them debated the nature of the elephant, unwilling to back down from their convictions or to consider the possibility that any of the other men could be right.

At the end of this story the question is then asked, "Which man was correct?" The expected answer is that all of them were equally correct, they just didn't have the complete picture. Or if the answer is that none were correct, then the response is that this is because no one can fully comprehend the truth and, in that we are all equally wrong, we are all equally right in the part that we do know.

Then, to end the story, the point is revealed, "So is truth".

What as Christians, should we do with this old tale? We could just ignore it and say that it is not in fact representative of reality. Or we could use this story as a Gospel opportunity.

We, as Christians, clearly believe that the truth is knowable through Jesus Christ and that this truth excludes all other views claiming to be truth. So, how does Jesus fit into this story? I would alter the story as follows:

While the four men debated the nature of the elephant, a fifth man, who was not blind, came upon them. Hearing their arguments, he said "Brothers, I tell you that that which you debate about is an elephant, and the attributes that you argue about are all present in different functions within this animal; but none of you have seen the complete picture."

For a minute, the men considered what the new man had said. But, one of them replied, "Why should we believe you? How can you claim that you are any more correct than we?

The man responded, "I too was once like you, blind and stubborn in my way. But as I was hobbling about one day, a man named Jesus came and touched me, removing my blindness. Now I can see this and much more. And you too, can see, if only you'll believe in Jesus and his healing power."

"Why should we believe you? What proof do you have that you can see any better than we can? And even if you can "see", why should we believe that you're not just trying to take advantage of us?"

And so the man tried to reason with them, but could not change their stubborn hearts. He went away sad.

Without Jesus Christ, we are all blind to the truth. We may know some things that are true, but we will never know the truth unless He opens our spiritual eyes. And the truth is not an elephant, it is a person, Jesus Christ.

5 People I'd Love to Meet

The following list is limited to those that I'd admire who are living in the United States presently. There are many people throughout history and around the world who I would love to meet, however I have limited it this way for simplicity.

Also, this list is more representative than exact. That is, there are other people who I would be honored to meet for the same reasons as some of those on this list.

1. John Piper- At a young age, I was drawn to the power of God through the preaching and passion of John Piper. I have learned countless things from his teaching, foremost of which is his classic phrase that "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him. John Piper is without a doubt my biggest hero that I've never met. I would love few things more than just to sit and talk with this man whom God has used and exalt in the glory of God with him.

2. Steven Curtis Chapman- I have long respected and appreciated the musical work of Steven Curtis Chapman. Several of his songs still remain among my all-time favorites. However, I do not put Mr. Chapman on this list for his creative abilities. Rather, Steven Curtis Chapman is one of the greatest modern examples of faith in the midst of loss, in my opinion.

In 2008, Mr. Chapman's youngest daughter, Marie Sue was killed in an accident at the Chapman home. Though must have been unimaginably painful, in less than a year Mr. Chapman and his family were on Larry King expressing their deep faith in Christ, even among such sorrow. I would love to sit down and talk with this man who has suffered so much and remained faithful to God in the midst of such incomprehensible loss.

3. Joni Eareckson Tada- A quadriplegic, Joni Eareckson Tada has also been an amazing testimony to the love and goodness of God in incredible suffering. Ms. Tada has been in a wheelchair since she was in her late teens, and she has used the majority of her time since then sharing with others how God saved her and worked such horrific circumstances for His glory. I'm amazed at this woman who God has used so mightily and would love to sit down and learn from her.

4. Billy Graham- Billy Graham has been preaching and spreading the Gospel for just a few decades short of a century. He has been all over the world and won more respect worldwide than virtually anyone else alive. In a day in which we so many men and women of faith, politicians, musicians, leaders, and heroes of all kinds fall in the worst ways, it is refreshing to see one man who has stood faithfully for so long. It would be an immense blessing to sit down and talk with this stalwart and longstanding figure of the faith.

5. Glenn Beck- You may be surprised that I would include Glenn Beck among the likes of John Piper and Billy Graham. However, my immense respect for Mr. Beck has nothing at all to do with his religious views and little to do with his political views. Instead, I place Glenn Beck on this list because, despite the fact that he is perhaps the most hated man in the media and has been disowned from people on every side of the aisle, he has seemed to speak his honest opinions with a boldness I would love to emulate. It would be quite exciting to sit down with this man and, if he is truly who he claims to be, talk about the world.

These are some of the men and women who have inspired me throughout my life. I would be blessed to sit down for an hour with any one of these examples of courage, faith, passion, faithfulness, and boldness.

Who would you like to meet if you had your choice?

I'm Back

Once again, I apologize for being gone so long. I've wanted to write for some time now, but I've just been so busy. However, now that summer is here and life is (somewhat) settled down, I'm back indefinitely.

Just to catch you up on some of what's been going on in my life, I thought I would list a few big events that explain some of the busyness in my life.

1. Together for the Gospel: This conference was amazing once again. There are few things more invigorating than spending time listening to and fellowshipping with mighty men of God. If you haven't heard them yet, you can download or watch the sermons, panel discussions and breakout sessions (I went to see Kevin DeYoung) online.

2. High School Graduation: Wow, I don't think I've fully let this one sink in completely yet. It was such a blessing to see so many of my family and friends come to see me graduate. I am humbled by the many godly and helpful people that God has placed in my life.

3. World Changers- Tulsa: I just got back from a week-long mission trip to Tulsa, OK with the older members of my youth group. This was the first time I've ever been involved with World Changers, which is a Southern Baptist short term mission organization, and it was well worth the time and energy.

Anyway, that's just some of what's been going on in my life. It's all been a blessing from God, but I'm glad to be back home, and back in the blogosphere.

I'll be back soon...

Dear readers of "Mind in Renewal",

I am truly sorry I've been gone for close to a month now. I have missed sharing my thoughts and the thoughts of others with you for this time. I have failed to organize my time as best I could and unfortunately it was this blog that paid the price.

However, no matter how much time I take away from this blog, my plan is always to come back. So, I plan on regularly posting in about a week or so. I hope you'll wait for me.

Dependent on the grace of God alone,
Daniel

Check out...

Kevin DeYoung's post on over thinking decisions we make.

Also, Katherine Jeffrey, in Christianity Today, writes a helpful review on The Shack. (One caveat. I do believe that some things that Young writes in his book, within the proper context, could be helpful to the Church and Christians as a whole. However, I agree with her on the whole, and particularly that this book is not one that should be considered helpful, but rather harmful for the Christian (see my review)).

Mind in Renewal is here!

After a little over a year of blogging as "A Fool for Christ", I have decided to move my blog here to its new home "Mind in Renewal". As you may see, the blog has been renovated and renamed. My main purpose in changing the blog is to make it easier to remember. As you can see, the name of this blog is in the URL.

However, in the process of moving the blog, I have made some basic changes in the appearance of the blog. Also, I intend to add a couple pages to the sidebar (Starting with "The Gospel" which will hopefully be up soon). Aside from that, posting will remain the same. I hope that you will find this blog edifying, encouraging, and pointing you to Christ. Soli Deo Gloria (To God alone be the glory)!

One Year of Blogging

Wow! It's hard to believe, but, as of today, I have been blogging for one year and, in addition, this is my hundredth post. Praise God for this past year!

Michael Crichton Came Close... But Missed It

Michael Crichton was a popular science fiction writer who died last year and whose most famous works include: Congo, The Andromeda Strain, Jurassic Park and The Lost World. He was well-known for his way of incorporating cutting edge and controversial scientific issues into his fictional stories. And he was often good at hitting on key philosophical and ethical issues in a profound way. He certainly recognized the enormous complexity and wonder of the universe. In The Lost World he writes:

"[Darwin had no idea] that life is so unbelievably complex... Nobody realizes it. I mean, a fertilized egg has a hundred thousand genes, which act in a coordinated way, switching on and off at specific times, to transform that single cell into a complete living creature. That one cell start to divide, but the subsequent cells are different. They specialize. Some are nerve. Some are gut. Some are limb. Each set of cells begins to follow its own program, developing, interacting. Eventually there are two hundred and fifty different kinds of cell, all developing together, at exactly the right time. Just When the organism needs a circulatory system, the heart starts pumping. Just when hormones are needed, the adrenals start to make them. Week after week, this unimaginably complex development proceeds perfectly --perfectly. It's incredible. No human activity comes close...

"I mean, you ever build a house? A house is simple in comparison. But even so, workmen build the stairs wrong, they put the sink in backward, the tile man doesn't show up when he's supposed to. All kinds of things go wrong. And yet the fly that hands on the workman's lunch is perfect."

However, to my knowledge, Crichton never professed faith in the Lord Jesus before he died. Crichton glimpsed the glory of the Lord in His creation, but unfortunately he didn't see God in it, nor did he accredit it to the Lord, but instead to chance. I pray that others would not make the same mistake.

I'm So Sorry

I'm so sorry I've been gone so long. This past summer has been a busy one and the beginning of this year a rough one, but God is good and faithful and, by His grace, I will be able to get back on a regular schedule of posting. I have many ideas and thoughts and things I've learned that I'd like to share. Please look forward to those updates.

Summer Reading List

Yesterday on his program, Albert Mohler posted his recommended reading list for the summer. Along the same lines, I thought I would post a list of books that I intend to either finish or read through completely in the coming summer months. Of course, we’ll see how much of this actually comes to pass.

Books I intend to finish this summer:

1.The Holiness of God by R.C. Sproul
2.Pierced for Our Transgressions: Rediscovering the Glory of Penal Substitution by Steve Jeffrey, Michael Ovey, and Andrew Sach
3.Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem

Five other books I intend to read this summer:

1.Disappointment with God by Philip Yancey
2.Desiring God by John Piper
3.Knowing God by J.I. Packer
4.Christ and Culture Revisited by D.A. Carson
5.Guard Us, Guide Us by J.I. Packer and Carolyn Nystrom

Failure and Success

I fail. A lot. Often, it seems that nearly everything that I start ends up dissipating or breaking up within a matter of time. But each failure I feel has made me stronger and more prepared for the next go 'round. And each taste of failure has made me more eager for success. Of course, I only want success if the glory is for God and God alone. I know I can't pick myself up when I fall- only God can do that.

So here I stand with this blog. If you have been reading or have read my blog, you may have noticed that I haven't posted anything in 20 days. And now I find myself wondering whether or not I should post again. The truth is, it would be really easy to just give it up, like so many other things. It would be easy to fail...again.

But I believe that God has given me this blog as a medium to share His Gospel with anyone who will listen and as an outlet to share my thoughts and meditations on His Word and on life in general. If no one listens, then that is fine. But, I pray that anyone who comes to this blog will see that God is the center and giver of my life. That would be the truest success.

Matthew Patrick Brown (2009-2009)

Please take a few minutes to read this moving story about a family's hard decision to walk the Christian walk in some of the worst of circumstances.

Something that stuck out to me was this quote by the Matthew's mother:

"I now believe, we are called to selfless acts because in our attempt to selflessness, our selifishness is exposed."

Matthew passed away Sunday. Please pray for this family during this time.

What to Do when a Hero Fails You

I am writing this because, sometimes, we take great stock in other people. We look up to them. We respect them. They teach us and show us an example of who we want to be. Some would call these heroes; others might say role models or something else. Whatever the case, the idea is the same. But what do we do when someone who we consider so strong in the faith, so in tune with the Holy Spirit, fails us? It can be devastating and some of us might feel that we want to just sit at home and cry. But as Christians, how should we respond? This is in no way an exhaustive list, but here are my thoughts:

1.Realize that our hope is in Christ and Him alone. People will come and go. They will be here today and gone tomorrow, but Jesus has said that He will never leave us or forsake us. Others may die, get sick, have a bad day, or suffer from any number of things that will prevent them from being there for us. But Jesus Christ is alive and well, constantly strengthening and encouraging us and interceding with the Father on our behalf without fail. Not only that, but no matter how good a hero may be, no matter how much you may respect them, Jesus is the only perfect example. And that will never change


2.Realize that our heroes are human and they make mistakes. No one, no matter how honorable or great we may esteem them to be, is invincible in the battle against sin. All of our heroes, save for Jesus Christ, has sinned, and (unless they are no longer living) will sin again. Those who have walked with the Lord longer may be more faithful and they may not sin as often or as greatly as we see and perceive our own sin, but they do sin, more than we may even realize. Also, if our hero is a leader of any sort, then his or her sin will be magnified by the fact that it will be a more public sin.

3.Pray for them. Perhaps they are struggling with their faith. Perhaps, they had a momentary lapse of judgment or need the Lord’s guidance on a particular subject. But always remember this: even the greatest heroes have their tough times. We can help them by lifting them up in prayer and asking God to give them strength through the hard times.

4.Take time to appreciate what they have done in the past to edify you. Just because your hero has failed you in one area, it doesn’t mean that they are undeserving of any respect. If they were your spiritual hero before they let you down, then recognize that they have made a mistake, but don’t let one flaw blind you to everything good about the person. As humans this is often our tendency.

5.In some cases, confront them. If your hero is someone you know well, and they publicly sin against you, it is your responsibility to confront that person in truth and in love. After praying for that person and yourself, draw that person aside privately and show them from Scripture where they have sinned. Be straightforward, but not critical. Rather, make them aware of your concern for them. It is possible that they were blinded to their sin and they will be grateful to you for showing them the truth. If they do repent, accept their repentance and count it joy to have won a brother or sister over. If they do not however, follow Jesus’ instructions in Matthew 8: take two or three with you, and if that doesn’t work, take them before the Church. If that doesn’t work, then you may need to:


6. In some cases, withdraw support. If the person that you look up to starts forming a pattern and habit of sin(s), then it may be that it is time for you to stop supporting that person. As sad as it is to say, it is possible that your hero has pulled the wool over your eyes and that your hero is not who you thought he or she was. This course of action will of course need the help and discernment of other wise and strong Christians. These cases are truly painful, but remember...


7.Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. Just because someone sins or promotes a faulty idea, it does not mean that you should not heed the things you have learned from them in the past. It also does not mean that you should try and forget your good memories with them. (Point 3.)

This is something that I have dealt with in my own life and spent some time thinking about and I hope it helps you.

Some Thoughts after Communion Last Night

Unworthy. That's what I am. That's what we all are because of this sin that plagues our every thought and deed. We do not deserve, happiness, peace, liberty, life, forgiveness, and so on. All that we deserve is just punishment by a Holy God for our infinitely offensive sins. We don't even deserve the air that we breathe.

And no matter how hard we try, there's nothing we can do to change that for everything that we do is tainted by sin. In and of ourselves, we stand justly condemned and helpless to do anything about it.

But I'm so glad that's not the end of the story.

This is only the terrifying prologue that sets the stage for the most beautiful story ever told. If you haven't gotten past the prologue yet, this is the rest of the story: God sent His perfect Son to take on flesh, and He, who was like us yet without sin, took the punishment that by all rights was ours and justly deserved by us to give us more than we could ever imagine, hope or attain.

And all of this for His glory so that one day all those that find their greatest joy and fulfillment in God- people of every tribe and tongue- will gather around the throne and sing together with one voice,

"Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" (Rev. 5:12)

This is the outstanding beauty of the Gospel, not that was anything in us worthy of being rescued from condemnation, but that He who was worthy and who is worthy of all glory and honor and praise and life everlasting chose to take our place so that we would not suffer our just punishment, but live forever in the eternal joy of God. Praise the Lord for sending His Son! Worthy is the Lamb that was Slain!

My first post

Ok, so I'm new to the whole blogging world, at least this end of it. That being said, I am more than a little intimidated by the "professional" blogs.

However, I am so grateful that God has blessed us with this useful medium and I hope that He will allow me to use this to encourage other Christians and proclaim His name within the blogosphere.

I intend share my thoughts and experiences of what God is doing in my life for His glory and His alone. My uttermost confidence and faith is in Him and Him alone. All praise be His alone.

What I'm saying and what I will say will sound foolish to those who have never heard, but I promise you, the foolishness that is in Christ is the very wisdom that we all long for and we all need. I pray that you find that foolishness and join with me to become a fool for Christ.