Happy Lord's Day!

One of the first verses I remember learning as a child was Psalms 122:1 .  Here is a delightful arrangment sung in an Indian congregation (notice the separation of the men and women!).

I John 3:1

As our guest pastor, Denny Howard, preached on I John 3:1, I couldn't help but think of this wonderful musical version of the verse. It has been a standard song in every Christian school in which I have taught.  We always sang it as a round (canon), just as the Marantha Singers do here.

Like drowning kittens....

I have used this space to promote Chuck Colson's daily Breakpoint articles a few times before.  I do so once again because today's article is timely and well-said.  It also happens to agree with my biases, so he must be a pretty smart fellow. 

Here's a teaser from what he said today:

"The conservative position is that advocating tax hikes, even to reduce the deficit, is the moral equivalent of advocating the drowning of kittens. Like the liberal position, it is also popular among the American people, who only favor tax hikes on 'the rich.' And by 'the rich,' they mean 'anybody other than me.'"

And another:

"And as Christians, we have to ask examine our own motivations -- are we dancing to an ideological tune, or are we relying on revealed truth to show us the way out of this mess?"

You can read the whole article here.

If you like it, consider becoming a daily e mail subscriber, as I am.  Good stuff!

Conflicting Demands: Feed the poor or pay the debt?

As promised, and as a particular convenience to WorldMovers, here is a link to the latest:

http://www.presidentialprayerteam.com/morality-in-america/

As with all Presidential Prayer Team articles,

1.   Let it be a guide for prayer.
2.   Be ready to discuss in class - how do we connect to the needy locally in Tucson?

Praying the Psalms

Two Sundays ago I commended Dove Mountaineer John Bailey for using so much scripture in his congregational prayer.  I have always beleived that it is important that we follow scriptural models in our prayer life.  Last fall I mentioned this when I was teaching the couples' group how to teach their chidlren to pray.  One of the moms asked at the time, "Where do I get examples of phrases of adoration my children can put into their prayers?"  I told it was a thoughtful question, with an easy answer: Psalms.   Dietirch Bonhoeffer wrote, in one of his last books, "The Psalter filled the life of early Chrisitanity.  But more important than all of this is tht Jesus died on the cross with words from the Psalms on his lips.  Whenever the Psalter is abandoned, an incomparable treasure is lost to the Chrisitan church.  With its recovery will come unexpected power."                           

Battlegrounds for Moral Courage

One of the reasons that I have not been posting as frequently on Dove Mountaineers as I used to is that I have spent much of my writing time on projects for Presidential Prayer Team.org.  As a service to Dove Mountaineers, I will begin providing direct links from this blog each time a new PPT article is published.  Here is the latest:

http://presidentialprayerteam.com/opinion/

Another resource

On Sunday Pastor Allen used a quote by British Professor Nigel Cameron: "The greatest evil is not that we have the power to destroy the next generation, but the power to produce it." Cameron was speaking, of course, of cloning.

This thought led me to a great resource called "The Christian Institute," whose mission is "Christian influence in a secular world." The site, which can be seen here has many thoughtful articles of interest in the midst of our current culture wars.

In particular, I like their list of Biblical arguments against cloning:

1.Human cloning creates human beings – from conception
Whether it be “therapeutic” or “reproductive” cloning – both techniques create human life.

Life is sacred from conception. The embryo has personhood at conception regardless of how that conception comes about. Once a new life has been created through cloning there is no moral distinction between it and any other embryo. All embryos deserve our protection.

“Therapeutic” cloning is morally repugnant because it creates life with the specific aim of experimentation and destruction. The stem cells are extracted for research and the embryo dies. Pro-lifers have called this practice “technological cannibalism”.

2. “Reproductive” cloning is also morally indefensible on the following grounds:
Human cloning is biological manufacturing by man not creation by God
Human cloning, and particularly “reproductive cloning”, puts the choices about a new life in the hands of a person rather than God. It will be left to the scientist to decide which embryo appears fit for implantation and which should be discarded. Human cloning usurps God’s position as the Almighty Creator. Job acknowledged, “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away” (Job 1:21).

Under this new regime man, and not God, chooses the desired characteristics of any resultant children. It gives man control over the next generation. Cloning gives humans control over human fertility and therefore over the design/genetics of future generations. Thus man exerts a tyranny over future generations. As C. S. Lewis said:

“In reality, of course, if any one age really attains, by eugenics and scientific education, the power to make its descendants what it pleases, all men who live after it are the patients of that power. They are weaker, not stronger: for though we may have put wonderful machines in their hands we have pre-ordained how they are to use them.”

3. Children are a gift from God
Children are a gift from God. No one has a ‘right’ to have children even though they may be earnestly desired and infertility is usually found to be deeply distressing. However, cloning and many forms of In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) make commodities out of children who are “made to order”. Procreation is taken out of God’s hands and given to man.

4. Cloning breaks the link with parentsGod created man and woman; He instituted marriage for their mutual benefit and for the procreation of children. God told Adam and Eve to “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.”

In this way human relationships are based on relations between a husband and wife, their children and the wider family. God’s creation of the marriage relationship, and its central place in the procreation of the next generation, is for our benefit.

God’s intention is that children are procreated using genetic material from both their parents. With cloning the genetic material comes from only one ‘parent’. The child will be the genetic brother of the ‘father’ or the genetic sister of the ‘mother’. This profoundly undermines God’s intended order for procreation.

More Square Inches

When I was writing about Kuyper's quote in yesterday's blog, I remembered that this phrase, "Every Square Inch" is also the name of a very good radio program on Christian worldview put out by the Arizona Christian Worldview Institute. I have been meaning to list this group as a resource on the blog for some time, and yesterday the director Keith Shull was kind enough to send me a copy of their logo for use here on Dovemountaineers. You can learn more about the institute and their activities here.

Praying for our Nation

Certainly the state of the nation has been much on our hearts and minds recently. A ministry that I only recently became aware of can be very helpful in guiding our prayers for the United States of America. Dove Mountaineer Jim Bolthouse is on the staff, and you can read their web site here.

Time for truth

Way back on September 29, 2009, I first introduced Dove Mountaineers to an important resource called "Truthorfiction.com". Rather than repeat the detailed explanation I gave then, you could just read it for yourself here.

In yesterday's Manhattan Declaration Sunday School class, a discussion came up about euthanasia, and I interposed that I had read an e mail which alleges several governmental actions that would legitimate and enforce (if not force!) euthanasia are embedded in the text of the current Health Care bill. I offered to post that e mail here on the blog for all who are interested.

This morning I remembered to take my own advice, and before posting said e mail, I checked it out on Truthorfiction.com. Like many such e mails, it turned out to be composed of snippets of older e mails (although it purports to convey a very recent letter). The point by point analysis of the items it alleges against the Health Care bill are a mixture of truth and fiction. Rather than send the original e mail (as I had offered to do), it would be more instructive for you to read the breakdown straight from Truth or Fiction here.

I appreciate the zeal with which the folks at Truth or Fiction attempt to authenticate every detail of every e mail. As you can see from the link posted above, many specific proposals in the Health Care bill have not yet been fully researched by the Truth or Fiction staff. However, there is enough truth to rouse the concerns of those who take the Manhattan Declaration seriously.

For one thing, the euphemism (remember Pastor Allen talked about this term in his sermon yesterday?) "end-of-life" is introduced, to cover not only natural death, but "advance planning," as well. There is no doubt, especially in light of the economy and the potential shortfall in Social Security when my generation (Baby Boom) crosses the 65 mark (just two years away), that enormous pressure will be exerted on terminating lives which are not deemed to be "of quality."

We didn't get to the point of discussing any potential solutions to the problem of public acceptance of euthanasia in our class yesterday, but I would like to offer a few here.

One thing we did agree on is that the will and intent of the patient himself or herself should be paramount (as Mike Jones brought up). For those of us who agree with the Manhattan Declaration, we would add "short of intentional suicide." Secondly, we acknowledged the primary role of the immediate family, not just in making decisions like "pulling the plug," but in being involved in the final stages of care. One area we didn't go into, however, is the role of the church.

When we look back a few generations, we can see a time when every little church (this is primarily true in the East, where I grew up) had its own graveyard out back. A relatively new church I know of back in Tennessee recently took adavantage of a law that is still on the books allowing for this, and set aside a hillside in back of the church just for this purpose. The dedication of this plot was just in time for a young couple, friends of mine, to bury their stillborn infant there. It was a comfort to them that this peaceful garden exists right behind the place where they worship.

Implicit in the presence of these cemeteries was the primacy of the church in matters of life and death. Christians regarded marrying and burying, not to mention christening and/or baptism, as essentially spiritual events, outside of the interests and purview of government. But today's mobile population, consumer based church-hopping, and strip mall church facililites have not fostered a strong sense of community which would see us nurtured cradle to grave by a consistent and caring Christian congregation.

If we were to reclaim this territory for the church, then it would also make sense for the church family to come alongside the family who is losing a loved one, to help bear the details and burdens of those last days and weeks. Not doubt this is still happening in many healthy congregations, but I hope we can pass on this expectation to the generation coming after us, who have more likely been made to expect government and secular agencies to be resources during this time. If that is the case, then shame on us (the church)! I especially pray that here at Dove Mountain we can build the bonds that would make us want to be just that much invested in each other's lives and welfare.

A Good Report

Proverbs 15:30
The light of the eyes rejoiceth the heart: and a good report maketh the bones fat.

Perhaps some of you are like me; I thought I was so careful about which attachments I opened that my computer would never get a virus. But it did.

After asking several knowledgeable friends about what to do (and receiving some scary answers), I finally, in desperation, googled (on my other computer) "Tucson virus help" and several web sites came up. I called the top one, left a message and a few minutes later got a call back from the owner himself. When he heard how desperate I was, he said, "Normally I don't make the house calls any more (he has several employees), but I hate to lose business, so I'll come myself."

Not only was his hourly rate cheaper than the other one I had priced (by $26!), but he knew his stuff. Within seconds of sitting down at my laptop he could tell me all about the problem and was solving it. At no additional charge he took off the antivirus program that had come with my computer, installed a better one, and was out in less than an hour.

While he worked we chatted pleasantly about his adventure of starting a business from scratch two years ago. He moved here from New York to attend U of A, and has stayed. His business has done well and he hopes to expand to other cities. After asking me about my work and life, he asked (unprompted) "What church do you go to?" I told him a little about Dove Mountain, and he mentioned a ministry called "If My People," which is a new client of his. While it appears that he may not be a churchgoer himself, he was congenially curious and delightful to talk to.

We talked a lot about networking and advertising, and I mentioned the wisdom I learned many years ago from Proverbs 15:30 (above), about the power of good report. I promised him that because of his good work for me, I would give a good report about him. If you ever know anyone who has the virus problem, call Geeks-2-You at 520-829-3426 or contact Marc Enzor at marc@geeks2you.net.

And now, a plug for Breakpoint

I first became a fan of the radio version of Chuck Colson's Breakpoint before I moved to Tucson, and since then have enjoyed the e mail versions. The one for this past Monday, for example, was about a new devotional resource that sounds stunning. Entitled A Faith and Culture Devotional: Daily Readings in Art, Science, and Life, it boasts such authors as Lee Strobel, John Stott, Gene Edward Veith, R.C. Sproul, Os Guinness, and Frederica Mathewes-Green - an all-star cast, in my opinion! The Breakpoint summary goes on to describe how these intelligent and inspirational daily readings are causing even jaded teenagers to sit up and pay attention to home devotions!

At any rate, each issue is both thought-provoking and stimulating for those of us who are interested in Christian worldview issues. You can find out how to subscribe to the e mail version that I enjoy so much by going here.

Sneak Preview

Coming soon to a church near you...you heard it here first! Enjoy the preview and learn more here at the Collision web site.

Gloria!

Here's a quick plug for the Chorale at our sister church, Catalina Foothills. I have been listening to their latest Christmas album, Gloria, for the past two weeks and just love it! The Catalina Foothills website (cfcpca.org) now has a store on the music page where you can download this album in mp3 format (suggested donation $10, and well worth it!).

Dove Mountaineers Kathy and Jerry LeMay happen to have sung on this album, and John Bailey still sings with the Chorale from time to time, too. My favorite selections are Yahweh...and Sound of the Round...and Pie Jesu...and, of course, Delores Maddox in O Holy Hight Night...and ALL OF THEM!

Psalm 62

Back on August 5 I commented in this blog on the good song selections on the part of the Dove Mountain worship team. I included the words for Psalm 62, below. When my sons were home for Christmas they showed me how to embed you tube videos instead of merely providing a link to them, so here is my first attempt. Enjoy!

Psalm 62

My soul finds rest in God alone
My rock and my salvation
A fortress strong against my foes
And I will not be shaken
Though lips may bless and hearts may curse
And lies like arrows pierce me
I'll fix my heart on righteousness
I'll look to Him who hears me

Find rest my soul in God alone
Amid the world's temptations
When evil seeks to take a hold
I'll cling to my salvation
Though riches come and riches go
Don't set your heart upon them
The fields of hope in which I sow
Are harvested in heaven

(And) O praise Him hallelujah
My Delight and my Reward
Everlasting never failing
My Redeemer my God

I'll set my gaze on God alone
And trust in Him completely
With ev'ry day pour out my soul
And He will prove His mercy
Though life is but a fleeting breath
A sigh too deep to measure
My King has crushed the curse of death
And I am His forever

O praise Him O praise Him
Hallelujah hallelujah
O praise Him O praise Him
Hallelujah Hallelujah
O praise Him O praise Him
Hallelujah hallelujah

The Mission

A film that Pastor Allen has referred to several times in his messages, the British movie The Mission was made in 1986, loosely based on Father Roque, of whom I wrote in this blog on October 15.

I finally had a chance to watch the film this past week end and I strongly recommend it for the sake of one particular scene, if nothing else. It is the scene in which the character played by Robert de Niro, Rodrigo Mendoza, is forgiven by the Guarani whom he had previously been kidnapping and selling as slaves. The Guarani themselve would not have been able to forgive him had they not already been converted to Christ through the efforts of Father Roque.

Inciedentally, the reviewer who wrote the movie's description on Wikipedia refers to Mendoza's conversion as him being "symbolically relieved of his violent past." When I read this I wanted to tell the writer, "This is no mere symbol; this is life-changing transformation through the power of the Holy Spirit." But, pearls before swine....

At any rate, you will recognize what Mendoza's conversion looks like when you watch the well-depicted transition from grief and despair to tears of gratitude, and finally, to shared laughter with his Guarani brothers in Christ. It is rare in a major movie to find forgiveness and faith so beautfully depicted. It is a cinematic jewel that any Christian would be thrilled to see, as I was.

Filmed on location in South America, the scenery is also breath-taking, especially the waterfalls. As with many movies, the violence may not be appropriate for children. While many would say the movie has a depressing ending, which I won't give away, I felt the actual (and dreadful) history of what happened to the Jesuit missions was sensitively and artistically portrayed. And to the movie-makers' credit, the last image on the screen is the text of John 1:5 - "The Light shines in darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."

Another Movie Recommendation from Pastor Allen

Pastor Allen used this film as an illustration of the power of one person "standing for justice" against popular opinion. For those who aren't aware, a great place to rent the old classics like this is Casa Video at 2905 E. Speedway.

Loose change to loosen chains

A Dove Mountaineers salute to Steve Johnson for taking on the "Loose Change to Loosen Chains" project with Dove Mountain children and youth! You can read more about this project and the International Justice Mission here.

Here is a short description of this program in their own words:

"Loose Change to Loosen Chains (LC2LC) is a student-led campaign for elementary to college students to combat modern-day slavery while learning about the reality of injustices today. According to Real Simple magazine there is $10.5 billion in loose change lying around American households. Imagine what you could do if you were to collect even just a fraction of this amount and use it for a good cause!"

More on Ephesians 6

Like some of you, I suppose, I do a bit of blog-browsing. One site I enjoy is that of Emmanuel Covenant Church in Phoenix, where former Tucsonan and Cornerstone assistant headmaster Brian McKinley is now worshipping. It just so happens one of their teaching elders, Richard Klaus, recently spoke on the same passage Pastor Allen used last Sunday. I asked him for permission to reproduce his notes on this blog, and he graciously consented. Here they are, for our further enrichment on this great passage of Scripture:

Ephesians 6.10-17: Some Sermon Notes

This past Sunday (9-6-09) I was able to preach on Ephesians 6.10-17. I went over a number of scripture texts and someone asked if I would post these on the website. So here are a few of my notes from the sermon (with a few additions as well!):

Three main points: 1) The Reality of the conflict, 2) Our Responsibility in the conflict, and 3) The Resources for the conflict.

1. The Reality of the Conflict (6. 11, 12, 16). Other references to the devil or the demonic in Ephesians: 1.21; 2.2; 3.10; 4.27.

"There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them." C. S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters

*The Reformed community’s tendency is toward disbelief; not unhealthy interest.

"I am certain that one of the main causes of the ill state of the church today is the fact that the devil is being forgotten. All is attributed to us; we have all become so psychological in our attitude and thinking. We are ignorant of this great objective fact, the being, the existence of the devil, the adversary, the accuser, and his ‘fiery darts.’" Martyn Lloyd-Jones

The Ephesian church had no such problem. They lived in a magic, spirit-infested culture. See Acts 19. 11-20 for biblical background. See Ephesians, Power and Magic: The Concept of Power in Ephesians in Light of Its Historical Setting by Clinton E. Arnold for the historical background. Ephesians 6.12 would make perfect sense to the Ephesian church. It also makes perfect sense to vast stretches of the church in the non-Western world (i.e., “the global South”). Phillip Jenkins’ work The New Faces of Christianity: Believing the Bible in the Global South is crucial reading in this regard.

Ephesians 6.10 and its call to be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might must be read in light of the rest of the letter to the Ephesians. Two contextual points to consider: 1) The power of God revealed in Christ in the salvation of his people (1.3-14) and 2) The power of Christ ruling and reigning over the powers (1.19-22).

Already/Not Yet Tension must be kept in mind and maintained. Already the powers are subject to Christ (1.19-22) and still there is the Not Yet of the struggle we face we the powers (6.12).

"Already" texts: John 12.31-32; Colossians 2.13-15; Hebrews 2.14-15; 1 John 3.8; 4.4; 5.8; Matthew 12.28-29; Luke 10.17-19. Notice especially the cross-focused theme of many of these passages.

"Not Yet" texts: 1 Thessalonians 2.18; 2 Corinthians 12.7; 1 Corinthians 7.5; 1 Thessalonians 3.5; 2 Timothy 2.26; 2 Corinthians 4.4; 11.13-15; 1 Timothy 4.1; 1 Timothy 3.6-7; 5.14-15; 2 Corinthians 2.5-11.

Christ is the victor and yet the battle is real.

2. Our Responsibility in the Conflict. Verses 11, 13, and 14a all bring out this need to engage ourselves in the battle. The language of “stand firm” is used three times as well as the language of “struggle” and “resist.” The exhortation to stand firm is given in the face of the enemies who are 1. Powerful, 2. Wicked, and 3. Cunning (vv. 11-12).

3. The Resources for the Conflict. It is the Lord’s strength but we must put it on. Two times the exhortation comes: “Put on/take up the full armor of God” (vv. 11, 13).

Armor of God: Old Testament roots–Isaiah 11.4-5; 59.17.

Truth: See Ephesians 1.13; 4.21, 24-25; 5.9.

Righteousness: Ephesians 4.24; 5.9. We are taking up the virtues that flow from the gospel of grace and applying them to the warfare we are involved in with the powers.
Readiness for the gospel: This is readiness to share the gospel. Context: Isaiah 52.7 and Ephesians 6.19. Gospel of peace: Peace with God (Eph 2.16) and peace with men (2.14-15; 4.3). Unity in the body is essential for the successful proclamation of the gospel and the defeat of the devil.

Shield of Faith: Ephesians 1.13, 15, 19; 2.8; 3.12, 17. Faith in Christ: what he has done and who we are in him. This faith protects against: temptation, heresy, and despair in persecution (cf. 1 Peter 5.8-9).

Helmet of Salvation: Ephesians 2 states we are “saved by grace” (vv. 5,8). Salvation in Ephesians 2 consists in 1) Being made alive with Christ, 2) Being raised up with Christ, and 3) Being seated in the heavenly places in Christ. How do we take up the helmet of salvation? Rehearse the reality of God’s grace and its effects in our lives. Pray for sustained faith.

Sword of the Spirit: This the word of God, the gospel (cf. Romans 10.8). We go on the offense with the gospel!

The armor of God is gospel-centered. In the beginning of Ephesians the gospel moves Paul to blessing and praise (1.3-14). At the end of the letter it is still gospel centered but now it is set in the context of battle.

For Christ and His Kingdom,

Richard Klaus

More resources for husbands

As a follow up to Pastor Allen's message on Ephesians 5:25-27, I did an internet search and came up with this rich site listing no less than fifteen current books for men on this topic. Of the book pictured above, the description reads:

"Men need models. Some men have grown up with dads who were not good role models for how to love their wives. Sadly, most have not. From the crucible of real-life experience and study of God's Word, Larry McCall delivers a powerful message that there is a model of perfect husband-wife love. Here is help for any husband or band of brothers who desire to grow as husbands. It is Bible-based, Christ-centered, and grace-promoting. The key is to start at Ephesians 5:25."

Sounds like it's worth taking a look at!