"New" Calvinism?

On it's list of 10 Ideas That Are Changing the World Right Now, Time Magazine listed The New Clavinism was #3. For me, this is exciting because I am a Reformed. I hesitate to use the term Calvinist because John Calvin was not a Calvinist, he was a leader in the Reformation, he was Reformed. Does my theology fall in sync with Calvinistic doctrines? It does. Do I celebrate John Calvin, his life, his rigor and the gracious gift that he is to the church? I do. Do I prefer the term Calvinist? No. Do I even prefer the term Reformed? I do, but I most prefer the term Christian. That is what I am--a Christian.

However, because the doctrines of grace and the teaching of the Gospel have been so distorted and millions of people across America (and the world) are being doped with bad doctrine, I at times feel forced to make distinctions. So, I am Reformed and if you must, I am a five point Calvinist (not a Hyper-Calvinist).

I've had a growing sense of the impact that Reformed theology is having on America's "twenty to thirty somethings", particularly Philadelphia and in the hip-hop culture. It's exciting to say the least--there is probably nothing that excites me more than seeing the grace of God manifested in people's growing passion for the Gospel and the glorious doctrines of the Bible. These are the seeds of revival, maybe even the budding fruit of revival--very exciting, and that's putting it lightly.

My question is this: Is this really the New Calvinism? John Calvin believed the Bible, the Bible is filled with old and ancient truths. Maybe I'm a stickler for words, their interpretation and their meaning, but the article begs the question, at least for me (and other Reformed twenty-somethings). Do I say, "I'm part of the New Calvism," because it sounds cool to say? Is it really new? 

Answered Prayer: Today, I Saw the Love of God

This morning I read a prayer from a little book I have called The Valley of Vision, a collection of Puritan prayers and devotions. I was convicted about my love for God and for others so naturally, I turned to the table of contents looking for love. I found it under the subtitle "Gifts of Grace".

As I read through the prayer, I came to a portion that prodded at my heart and the fact that I would be leaving for church with my wife in a less than an hour. It read:

Let me see thy love everywhere,

not only at the cross,

but in the fellowship of believers

and in the world around me.

When I feel the warmth of the sun

may I praise thee who art the Sun of righteousness

with healing power.

How fitting; I would be presented with the strong possibility of seeing my prayer(s) answered in less than an hour. I would be surrounded by believers so the chances of seeing God's love in the fellowship of believers was very likely, almost inevitable.

We arrived at church and Cindy and I were greeted by people that we know and love--the love of God. We worshipped the King of Glory together--the love of God. We sat under the teaching of the Word and rejoiced together at God's wisdom unfolded to us from the Scriptures--the love of God. We examined ourselves, repented, embraced the Cross and came to the communion table together--the love of God. Afterwards, we worked together to turn our Sunday gathering spot back into a high school gym, and we did it with a smile on--the love of God. A few of us made plans for a picnic in the park. No t.v., no restaurant crowds or coffee shop chatter, just fellowship, food and God's creation as seen at Pennypack Park--the love of God. 

In the parking lot, close friends of ours said, "We have something that belongs to you." I wasn't sure what it could be because I hadn't given them anything (that I was aware of). To my surprise, it was a gift--a French Press coffee maker; The irony lies in the fact that just last night Cindy and I were in Target and I said, "I'd like to buy a French Press." We didn't buy one. There it was, the love of God, in a French Press. I turned to our friends and said, "You know what's funny? This morning I prayed that I would see the love of God in the fellowship of believers and here it is. I see it." 

After the parking lot gift giving, we drove towards the park for our picnic. In short, there was family, food, fellowship and a trip to the creek so the kids could play in the mud and the water (funny to watch)--the love of God. On top of that, I did feel the warmth of the sun, and it came from the Sun of righteousness--the love of God.

God was so gracious to me today in showing me manifestations of His love through the lives and hearts of His people. Soli Deo Gloria.

In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

1 John 4:10

Ma'am, I'm sorry to tell you this but your son is a sinner and he needs Jesus.

I am laughably speechless. 

Today, I received a packet in my mailbox at work and at the top of 

the packet, in big letters, it said OPPOSITIONAL DEFIANT DISORDER (ODD). I'm not sure if this is a "new" diagnosis for individuals (particularly people from the ages of 8 t0 18 years of age) but the characteristics sound eerily familiar to me. Here they are:

1. Often loses temper
   
2. Often argues with adults 
   
3. Often actively defies or refuses to comply with adults' requests or rules
   
4. Often blames others for his or her misbehavior or mistakes
   
5. Is often touchy or easily annoyed by others
   
6. Is often angry and resentful
   
7. Is often spiteful and vindictive

Wow! Those are some really terrible symptoms! They sound terribly familiar though--very close to home. Do I have ODD?

This is evidence for how far we've come in the world of modern medicine and social sciences. We've gone backwards to the point of giving the following, a medical diagnosis:

For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written:

"None is righteous, not one;

no one understands;

no one seeks for God.

All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; 

no one does good,

not even one."

"Their throast is an open grave;

they use their tongues to devieve."

"The venom of asps is under their lips."

"Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness."

Their feet are swift to shed blood;

in their paths are ruin and misery,

and the way of peace they have not known."

"There is no fear of God before their eyes."

Romans 3:9b-18

Sin has now been diagnosed as a psychological disorder. Please understand, I know this is nothing new and that people have been doing things like this for the last twenty to forty years but ODD is a new one for me. Probably the most baffling moment in my reading of the packet was under the heading, WHERE DOES ODD COME FROM? In my head I'm thinking, "I can't wait to hear this one." So where does it come from? The article answered, "No single cause for ODD has been determined." Another article says, "It is not clear what causes Oppositional Deviant Disorder"

This sounds like a firm cause for the ODD:

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned--for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.

Romans 5:12-14

So just how does a child or teenager get rid of or treat something ODD? The article told me that 'because there are many factors, often interrelated, there are a variety of treatments that are used to address the problem. Most of them were just parenting tips for any child, absent of "the rod" (Prov 13:24). 

I won't want to ramble anymore than I have to, but I'm relieved to know that I do have ODD! So does my wife, so do my brothers and sisters, and my dad, and my mother, my aunts, uncles, and so does everyone else. The only reason I'm relieved is because my "ODD" has been paid for, at the cross, by Jesus and because it has been paid for, and death has been defeated in Christ's resurrection, I am growing in my hatred for my ODD and my love for holiness. God is sanctifying me, from ODD to righteousness!

Kids are sinners, adults are sinners and without the redemption that comes through Christ, we're all damned to hell and the judgement of God, ODD and all. 

But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. And the free gift is not like the result of that one man's sin. For the judgement following many trespasses brought justification. For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.

Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.

Romans 5:15-18

Blogging, from my phone? Has it gone too far?

I now have the option of blogging from my phone. I don't have the internet on my phone but apparently this "application" works like Twitter--if  I text it to the corresponding number, it posts text to my blog. I enjoy blogging, it's similar to journaling and I consider journaling to be a spiritual discipline. Blogging is good, especially for pastors and people involved in ministry (see J. Piper's rationale for this). Blogging is something that is redeemable and therefore, can be used for to the glory of God (1 Cor 10:31) and for the edification and good of His Church. Something as tedious as Twitter is even redeemable, permissible, and able to be used to the glory of God. 

I have an account with Twitter. I have an account with Blogger. I did have an account with Facebook and I got rid of it (which is much harder to do than it should be). None of those are "bad" in and of themselves; I've said before, to myself and others, that one way to look at sin is the use of good things for bad, i.e., sex turns to sexual immorality, hard work turns to an addiction to success and love of money, a love for holiness and Godly living (w/ no accountability) turns to legalism and arrogance. Sin takes good things and things that can be used for good and uses them for the gratification of the flesh. We as Christians are supposed to guard ourselves against these things so that we don't wander from moderation and self-control to obsession, sequestering yourself from community and being consumed by things like Blogger, Twitter, Facebook etc. and all in the name of "it's within my liberties as a believer to. . ."

My question is, when do we die to our liberties and how do we apply a verse like 1 Corinthians 10:23 to things like Facebook, Twitter, Blogger and the like?

“All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. 1 Cor 10:23

While you're thinking, check this out. Very funny, very effective.

But God, I thought. . .

"From of old no one has heard

or perceived by the ear,

no eye has seen a God besides you,

who acts for those who wait for him."

More Grace

To God's commands and a deep sense of or inadequacies, someone might say, “This is hard! I just don’t understand how God can expect these kinds of things from me and just leave me out here to fend for myself! How can I love what God loves and hate what God hates? That’s impossible! This world pulls at me everyday to do the things I used to do, say the things I used to say and go where I used to go and frankly. . .there are times when I’m too weak too fight and it’s easier to give in, even if I don’t want to. How can I be wise the way He wants to be wise? I’m not wired that way! How am I supposed to be like that?”

And to you James says,
“But he gives more grace. . .God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
I love this passage. It’s one that’s given great comfort when I was in my room alone and feeling inadequate. This is not a question, it’s a declaration. This isn’t “saving grace”, every Christian has that kind of grace; without it we wouldn’t be saved. The word here literally means “greater grace”—it’s the grace God gives us to live the way He calls us to live while we’re alive in the world.
The writer of Hebrews says,
“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Heb 4:16)
Pauls says, in Romans chapter 5,
“But where sin increased, grace increased all the more” (Rom 5:20)
And Saint Augustine says,
“God gives what he demands.”

There is always more grace. God is endless and so His grace is endless too. Remember the words to “Amazing Grace” by John Newton,
Through many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come: ‘Tis grace has brought
Me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.
There’s always more. Whatever your situation is: getting through the loss of a loved one, being away from home, being kind to a co-worker who is nothing but mean to you, doubt and fear because your financial situation seems “shaky” or “uncertain”. God gives grace and more grace. For practical reasons, we can say that God helps us. He gives us strength when we’re weak, peace when we’re anxious and nervous, contentment when we’re tempted to covet.--those are all outpourings of God’s grace.

This grace; is it given because of who we are? Is it given even because we need it? Yes it's given because we need--God knows His children need more grace and He gives it to them, in their time of need. But, this grace is given all-because-of Jesus! Because of the goodness and finished work of Christ, we are recipients of God's grace. Who will deliver me from this body of death (and give me help?) Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

An Old Journal - 8.19.05

To be hated in the name of Jesus should bring sort of excitement, boldness, eagerness, humility. So happy, in fact, that the world would not even want me as one of their own.

4.3.06 - Flipping Through An Old Journal

A Prayer Model-4.3.06

Honesty (with the LORD and the body)

Humility (before the LORD)

Hunger (for His Glory)

Flipping Through An Old Journal. . .

I have an old journal that I started three years ago, in college. I've been flipping through my entries and sketches and thought some of them would be "blog worthy". Reading through my old entries is very encouraging, not because I'm encouraging but because I can see God's grace and preservation over three years of life--all because I decided to pick up a journal and jot down things that were on my heart (which is God's grace as well). Praise God for the Cross! If you're reading this, you love Jesus and you don't keep some kind of journal, I recommend it.
Some of my entries are very short, some are very long and some are pithy quotes or nuggets that I thought would be good to write down. Hopefully they provoke thought, reflection and some blog pong from my fellow blood washed hermano y amigo.




4.2.06

Love & Truth both go together. They're never separate. Love without truth is spineless, truth without love is cold.

Be A Man!

The Rigorous and the Redeemed: Saying "No!"

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

James 4:7-10

At times, the legalist (or the rigorous) might say, in the midst of temptation, "No! No! No! I will not! I-will-not!" The one who is trained by God's grace and has recurrently seen the glory of the cross, might say, "No! No! No! Indeed, I have something far greater and someone far greater! Look! There He is! I cannot! I-can-not, because I am not that, I am His!

One is hell bent on his own ability and "mind control" (which are both lacking) and more times than not, falls on his own face. Sadly, there is little to no depth in the striving cry of the rigorous. The other is mindful of his inability, and there is great depth in his cry not because of who he is or what he says merely, but because of who He looks to. 

The Gospel Causes Shame

Paul tells us in Romans 1:16 that he is not ashamed of the Gospel because it is the power of God. One of the things I like to ask when I read the Bible (especially the Pauline Epistles) is, "Why?" Why would Paul have to tell the Romans that he is not ashamed of the Gospel? Is it because the Gospel is the power of God? Is it his dramatic conversion that makes him unashamed? I would venture to say 'yes' to all of those reasons but I think there's another reason why Paul says, "I am not ashamed of the Gospel."

It's because the Gospel causes shame--It's shaming. Think about it; to be a believer in Christ is to completely trust in the power of someone else, namely, Jesus Christ. As a Christian, I am helplessly dependent on Jesus. There is a hymn by Edward Mote that comes to mind:

My hope is built on nothing less

Than Jesus' blood and righteousness

I dare not trust the sweetest frame,

But wholly lean on Jesus name

Apart from Christ's atoning work on the Cross and His defeat of death in His Resurrection, there is no hope for the Christian. I am damned to hell, an enemy of God, a hater of God even, without Jesus. Jesus is my reconciliation (Col 1:21-22; 2 Cor 5:20; Rom 5:1). Without Jesus, I can't do anything (John 15:5; Col 1:15-20). 

As a sinner, I am also filled with tremendous pride and a propensity to self-reliance. I like being able to do things on my own and I don't like having to depend on other people. For example, I find it difficult to have others pay for my dinner or even a cup of coffee (even if they're treating) my friend can attest to this. Sometimes I don't even like being helped up if I fall, or receiving a word of correction (even if I know I need it). 

So then, isn't it only natural that something as self-negating as the Gospel would cause me to feel shame. God took pity on me, a poor sinner (Ps 73:13; Is 63:9; Matt 18:27; Mark 1:41), lived for me, died for me and now I stand completely dependent on Him--If I am consumed by my pride, that causes shame because I don't like being dependent on people. It makes me feel weak. 

If I am consumed by the Gospel and come to terms with the fact that I actually am weak and incapable of pleasing God on my own and I embrace Jesus for the all satisfying, powerful Savior that He is, then I am unashamed. Being unashamed is a work of God's grace (James 4:6; 1 Pet 5:5). Praise God because His Gospel is His power and He prayerfully makes us unashamed of the Good News as we daily remind ourselves of what He has accomplished for us and who we are in Him.