Beloved Bandwagons...

The latest Mortification of Spin: Bully Pulpit is up and running.

Today our Reformed trifecta considers hopping on the ol' evangelical bandwagon. The gang highlights some understated dangers of churches whose leadership present an alluring faux intimacy and show lack of integrity. They also give loyalty to said leaders and their man-made standards over loyalty to God's standards. With the continued kerfuffle surrounding some well-known pastors, the gang raises an important question: Why don't we speak up before things blow up?  Join today's conversation to heed what well-known pastor, blogger, professor, and all-around big-time Christian celebrity, Carl Trueman, and two other people, have to say on this hot topic.

Sunday's Sermon

On Sunday I preached part 9 in our series through Job. It is entitled "Speaking Up For God" and is taken from Job chapters 32-37. You can listen or download it HERE.

Unbelief is not a virtue

I really like Michael Kruger.

Dr. Krueger is a Professor of New Testament and President of Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte, NC. He is also author of the enormously helpful Canon Revisited and The Question of Canon. In addition he is proprietor of one of the best blogs going - Canon Fodder.

Recently, Dr. Kruger began a series of posts in response to Dr. Pete Enns' series over at Petheos. Dr. Enns, formerly of Westminster Seminary is now teaching at Eastern University (presumably more amenable to a lack of confidence in the Scriptures). It is a sad thing to see the devolution of a man's faith played out on social media. Appropriately, Dr. Enns entitled his corner at Patheos "Rethinking Biblical Christianity." Once you get past the stunning hubris of the title, it is clear that Dr. Enns' project is not merely to deny the inerrancy of Scripture but to change the way we think about Christianity itself. I suppose he deserves credit for understanding that once you throw out confidence in Scripture, a redefinition of Christianity becomes necessary.

I am thankful that men like Michael Kruger, Greg Beale, Darrell Bock, Andreas Kostenberger, and others are not content to sit back and yawn at a fellow scholar's zeal to popularize skepticism and unbelief among ill informed evangelicals.

Sunday's Sermon

On Sunday I preached part 8 in our series through Job. It is entitled "Who Needs Justification?" and is taken from Job chapters 29-31. You can listen to or download it HERE.

Grief and prayers for a broken body

* Given the current climate, I have no doubt that this post will be frustrating to some. Some will think my comments are inadequate and I'm sure they are in any number of ways. But if we are to have honest conversations about race then we will have to tolerate each other's inadequate thoughts. My purpose here is not to comment about race so much as to reflect on what is most needful at this moment.


Social media brings out the worst in us (that 'us' includes me!). It is a means by which we can post our immediate thoughts with a sense of minimal accountability. Facebook in particular is a public venting forum for all our least carefully considered thoughts. This feature of social media is on sad display in these days following the tragic situation in Ferguson, MO.

It is not my purpose to write about the death of Michael Brown. The mere thought fills me with fear and trembling. Rather, I simply wish to make an appeal that we put down our weapons, cover our mouths, and for a moment simply grieve over the fact that our nation is still so divided over race. It is doubly grievous that Christians are so clearly divided. The level of certainty that some are displaying across social media is remarkable. Before the facts are even in, one side has Michael Brown painted as a thug and the other has whites licking their chops to see another black man killed.

I understand why those who have little or no knowledge of the gospel would post racially inflammatory and accusatory posts. I understand why the Christ-less would use the situation in Ferguson to advance political and ideological agendas. But does not Christ call us to something better? Does not Christ call me to refuse impulses to see all young black men as criminals? Does not Christ call me to grieve with the family of Michael Brown? Does not Christ call my black brothers and sisters to refuse to see whites as merely cogs in the wheel of institutional racism?

Let us not insist that the black community in Ferguson stop grieving. Let us seek to understand why a black father would fear for the future of his son. Let us also not compel white Christians to make definitive public statements concerning a situation of which we still know so little.

Let us instead pray. Let us pray for the family of Michael Brown. They have lost a dearly loved son. Let us pray for the churches in and around Ferguson, some of whom are doing beautiful work to press for peace. Let us pray that those churches will have a greater influence over the climate in Ferguson than the insurgent criminals and political opportunists. Let us pray for law enforcement who have a profoundly difficult task in a community on edge. And, yes, let us pray for the police officer who shot Michael Brown. We do not know what happened on that terrible night. We do not have enough information either to convict or acquit. And, in the end, that is not our job anyway.   

Finally, pray for the body of Christ. We seem to be a shattered body at the moment. What does our suspicion of and, in some cases, hatred for one another proclaim about the power of the gospel? What does our racial strife tell the world and our own sons and daughters about our love for God and our conformity to a Lord who loved those who cursed Him? My heart comes close to despair.

But the gospel will not allow hopelessness. The gospel will not allow cynicism. The gospel will not allow us to forget or treat as insignificant the fact that our Lord promised to make for Himself a people from among all the peoples who will triumph over the very gates of Hell.

I'm more real than you

The latest Mortification of Spin is up and running.

On this edition we sit down with Dr. Derek Thomas to talk about Peter Frampton, tattoos, and pastoral authenticity. Take a listen HERE.

Sunday's Sermon

On Sunday I preached part 7 in our series through Job (chpt 28). It is entitled "Will God Answer?" and can be listened to or downloaded HERE.

Robin Williams, Sentimentalism, and Blunt Truths (Updated)

The death of Robin Williams has sparked a lot conversations about depression and suicide. It has also generated no small amount of sentimental nonsense from the world of broad evangelicalism. Wishes of "Rest In Peace," "Genie, you are free," "Now he is free from the pain," etc. can be seen across the Facebook landscape.

Mr. Williams' tragic death has also been an interesting window into celebrity culture. "I never met Robin Williams but I knew him," "I felt like I knew him through his work," and other such posts reflect one of the chief characteristics of the celebrity culture: the illusion of intimacy. The irony is that Mr. Williams' suicide proves the point that we certainly did not know him through his work or any other way for that matter.

I understand the sentiments. It is terribly sad when a man takes his life. And when it is someone widely recognized, someone whose movies we enjoyed, someone who made us laugh, the sadness is quite real. It is also appropriate. Christians, above all other people on earth ought to grieve (though not like the world) over the reality of death. It should be an especially sharp grief for Christians when we ponder the death of those who have died in their sins apart from a saving relationship with God through Jesus.

And while none of us were present in the closing hours of his life, there is no indication that Robin Williams repented and turned in faith to Jesus. Certainly it is right to take care that our public pronouncements are seasoned with grace. But it would be doubly offensive if our desire to be kind degenerated into outright falsehoods like, "Now he is finally free."

The blunt truth but ultimately liberating truth is that there is no freedom, no peace, and no salvation outside of Jesus Christ. We do not serve the cause of Christ or further the joy of man by speculating on how Robin Williams has 'em rolling with laughter in Heaven. His death is a tragedy, not because there will be no Mrs. Doubtfire 2 but because the peace that apparently escaped him in this life is now eternally beyond his reach.

*Clarification:
It is clear that some of my brothers and sisters believe my words are too definitive in this post. Let me try to be more clear: We DO NOT know the spiritual condition of Robin Williams at the time of his death. I thought I had made that clear. However I can see why some might read my final sentence as too definitive. Also, there is absolutely NO evidence from Scripture that those who commit suicide go to Hell because they commit suicide. I have no doubt that genuinely converted brothers and sisters can find themselves for various reasons so beyond any sense of hope that they end their own lives.

This post is a response to the overflow of, what I believe, are deeply troubling responses from Christians to Robin Williams' death. As I have written in this post, the death of Mr. Williams is a tragedy and something for which we ought to grieve. However, in that appropriate grief we must be careful to not distort truth with statements that could be profoundly misleading.

That said, my final statement would be better phrased something like this - "His death is a tragedy, not because there will be no Mrs. Doubtfire 2 but because the peace that apparently escaped him in this life may also be eternally beyond his reach. Certainly it is right to hope that something he heard in his upbringing or from faithful Christians later in life may have come to mind and in his final tragic moments opened his heart to call out to Jesus."

*Clarification:
It is clear that some of my brothers and sisters believe my words are too definitive in this post. Let me try to be more clear: We DO NOT know the spiritual condition of Robin Williams at the time of his death. I thought I had made that clear. However I can see why some might read my final sentence as too definitive. Also, there is absolutely NO evidence from Scripture that those who commit suicide go to Hell because they commit suicide. I have no doubt that genuinely converted brothers and sisters can find themselves for various reasons so beyond any sense of hope that they end their own lives.

This post is a response to the overflow of, what I believe, are deeply troubling responses from Christians to Robin Williams' death. As I have written in this post, the death of Mr. Williams is a tragedy and something for which we ought to grieve. However, in that appropriate grief we must be careful to not distort truth with statements that could be profoundly misleading.

That said, my final statement would be better phrased something like this - "His death is a tragedy, not because there will be no Mrs. Doubtfire 2 but because the peace that apparently escaped him in this life may also be eternally beyond his reach. Certainly it is right to hope that something he heard in his upbringing or from faithful Christians later in life may have come to mind and in his final tragic moments opened his heart to call out to Jesus." - See more at: http://www.reformation21.org/blog/2014/08/robin-williams-sentimentalism.php#sthash.vKeromzX.dpuf

*Clarification:
It is clear that some of my brothers and sisters believe my words are too definitive in this post. Let me try to be more clear: We DO NOT know the spiritual condition of Robin Williams at the time of his death. I thought I had made that clear. However I can see why some might read my final sentence as too definitive. Also, there is absolutely NO evidence from Scripture that those who commit suicide go to Hell because they commit suicide. I have no doubt that genuinely converted brothers and sisters can find themselves for various reasons so beyond any sense of hope that they end their own lives.

This post is a response to the overflow of, what I believe, are deeply troubling responses from Christians to Robin Williams' death. As I have written in this post, the death of Mr. Williams is a tragedy and something for which we ought to grieve. However, in that appropriate grief we must be careful to not distort truth with statements that could be profoundly misleading.

That said, my final statement would be better phrased something like this - "His death is a tragedy, not because there will be no Mrs. Doubtfire 2 but because the peace that apparently escaped him in this life may also be eternally beyond his reach. Certainly it is right to hope that something he heard in his upbringing or from faithful Christians later in life may have come to mind and in his final tragic moments opened his heart to call out to Jesus." - See more at: http://www.reformation21.org/blog/2014/08/robin-williams-sentimentalism.php#sthash.vKeromzX.dpuf

50 Shades of Obscenity

The latest Mortification of Spin: Bully Pulpit is up and running.

This installment of Mortification of Spin: Bully Pulpit sees the crew discussing a pervasive cultural sensation - The Fifty Shades of Grey book series. Since the release of the movie's first trailer, the Internet is abuzz with talk of the series; some of the hype is even streaming from Christians. The hosts cut to the chase: this is not harmless entertainment, it is pornography, and its effects alter a person's attitude and behavior towards sexuality, ourselves, and others on a fundamental level. As Christians, we must flee from sexual immorality, whether it comes in images or the written word. Listen in to hear what all the spin is about… maybe the issue isn't so grey after all.

Sunday's Sermon

On Sunday I took a break from our series through Job and preached Psalm 139. It is entitled "Search Me O God" and can be listened to or downloaded HERE.

Tribulation is for Christians...

Christians in parts of Africa and the Arab world are going through great tribulation. In fact Christians are the most persecuted group of people on the planet. It's breathtaking. From Nigeria to Iraq to North Korea and China, Christians are being murdered, arrested, beaten, systematically impoverished, and driven from their homes. And yet many Christians in the west persist with the happy illusion that Christians will escape "The Tribulation."

Not only is a pre-tribulation rapture of the church a recent theological innovation which relies on tortured hermeneutics, it denies the clearly biblical teaching that tribulation is for Christians.

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”
Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

"Therefore they are before the throne of God,
  and serve him day and night in his temple;
  and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.

 "They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore;
  the sun shall not strike them,
  nor any scorching heat.

 "For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd,
  and he will guide them to springs of living water,
 and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
(Revelation 7:9-17)

UPDATE:
Just found this helpful post over at TGC - 9 Reasons We Can Be Confident Christians Won't be Raptured Before the Tribulation

Leadership Training?

It seems that a secret from my past I thought had been well buried has now come to light. To find out more listen in on the latest Mortification of Spin... 

Crisis! Todd's past comes back to bite him. This Promise Keepers-sweatshirt-wearing hooligan and the rest of the gang discuss a continually important pastoral subject: leadership. Much of what passes for "leadership training" in the evangelical church is profoundly unhelpful. It has more in common with secular leadership theory than it has with anything found in Scripture. This becomes especially troubling when it comes to pastoral leadership. What qualities should a good leader have? How can pastors improve their leadership capabilities to better serve their churches? Listen in!