on paganism is alive and well in north america

Today is 7/7/07 - perhaps thousands of couples are besieging churches, chapels, and justices of the peace in order to 'say their vows' on this supposedly especially fortuitous day. One woman, the proprietor of a wedding chapel in Las Vegas, said that she has never seen it so busy in fifty years in the business. Cars were 'lined up' for the 'drive thru'. The drive thru??? You can have a drive thru wedding? Unbelievable!

The news about the multitudes of wedding plans on this day made the front page of the National Post today, one of Canada's major newspapers. I imagine the same was true of many papers around North America.

Isn't it a bit pathetic that people are so insecure in their souls that they think a day with some numbers on it will make them perhaps that much more fortunate in their wedding vows? Don't they realize how arbitrary calendars are? If we were still following the Julian calendar instead of the Gregorian one, July 7, 07, would be long gone by now. [Not to mention that the year 1 is off by at least four years. We should be in 2011-2013 by now.]

Galatians 4:9 But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? 10 Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.

Quite clearly, the problem is that these people do not know God. They are bound by superstition and pagan thinking.

Our church only has a few young people in it, none of them close to marriage. If we had eligible couples though, I think I would have refused them this day, just because...

Regards,
Don Johnson
Jer 33.3

on one of my liberal magazines

I am just about through with my latest issue of Biblical Archaelogical Review. The magazine can't really be classified as a Christian magazine, though the articles usually relate to Bible topics. The general editor and the vast majority of contributors appear to come from at best a fairly liberal position, which is to say an unbelieving position. The editorial pages are especially galling, and I have to remind myself that I don't subscribe for the editorials!

The content of the articles is usually a fairly objective discussion of the facts along with argumentation oriented to one archaelogical theory or another. Occasionally there are liberal notions present and the galling dating system BCE/CE. I mostly am looking for background information concerning the biblical record from this magazine and on that score it delivers.

For example, the recent issue has an article on Joseph, asking a question about the passage in Gen 41.14 where Joseph is said to have shaved prior to his first audience with Pharaoh. The auther asks why would Joseph do this? The suggested answer is that the Pharaoh would be considered a god in the Egyptian system and as such could only be attended by people who were 'clean'. In the Egyptian system, the priests were completely shaven, all bodily hair removed, as a sign of their cleanness entering into the courts of their gods (i.e., the temples, including the palace). The reference in Genesis, one I noticed again just the other day in my regular reading, is fairly obscure and perhaps isn't intended to convey a lot of meaning. But understanding the context of this 'by the way' type of remark might cast some light on the whole story, including the relationship between Pharaoh and Joseph and contributes to a better understanding of why Joseph's brothers did not recognize him at all. He would have appeared comepletely other-worldly to them, if indeed his hair, beard, etc, were all completely shaved off in his position as second in command to Pharaoh.

The previous issue contained a particularly distressing article on the loss of faith. Four archaeological scholars were interviewed, two who claimed to have lost their faith, two who claimed not. Given BAR's slant, it is not surprising that it appears none of these men actually ever have had saving faith. Those who claimed to have lost faith came from fairly conservative evangelical backgrounds, but their current testimonies show they never exercised living faith. Such stories are heartbreaking.

Resources like BAR can be useful, but they must be handled with care. There be dragons [of unbelief] there.

Regards
Don Johnson
Jer 33.3

on Sword and Trowel part two

I have mostly finished my first look at the modern Sword and Trowel. If this issue is typical, the magazine is worth receiving. The second article by Peter Masters is also excellent. Entitled 'Paul's Positive Plan for Holiness', Masters outlines from Rm 7-8 eight essential steps for pursuing personal holiness. Masters critiqued John Piper's theories elsewhere for his denial of personal effort in sanctification. I agree with Masters on this point. Piper is guilty of a neo-Keswickian view of sanctification which distorts the Christian life.

Here is a summary of Masters' eight points:

• Recognize the Problem - I still have a sin nature, defeated by the cross, but still alive and a powerful force in my soul, if I allow it.

"A serious determination to struggle against sin is the only way to live as a Christian, yet it is a stance that modern evangelicalism, saturated in worldliness and show-business informality and entertainment, does not want to take."

• Have Positive Aims - have a goal of godliness, an objective to strive after, a 'good I would' do, much as an athlete sets objectives for his physical progress, so too we must set objectives for spiritual progress.

• Plan to Avoid Sin - the antithesis of point two: have an objective NOT to sin, an evil 'I would not'.

"Sin will not be broken and overcome without a longing to avoid it, and the preparation of a prior battle-plan of intentions."

• Keep Up Self-Examination - constantly put yourself under scrutiny from the objective perspective of God's word. Be ready and quick to confess sin that is exposed.

• Long for Overall Improvement - longing for improvement stretches out towards the goal, presses on to victory as in Phil 3.13-14. This is a daily dedication to holiness.

• Seek Spiritual Help - by this Masters means the help that is readily available from God, even as the Lord taught us to pray 'Lead us not into temptation'.

"Daily we pray for a lively conscience and a fresh realization that we are observed by the Lord. Strong and besetting sins always yeld following earnest prayer, because the Spirit gives power to resist them, often along with a sense of revulsion against sin."

• Mind Heavenly Things - actively direct your thoughts to spiritual things, mind the things of the Spirit, set your affections on things above. Masters points out that we are often too much minded with earthly things. Like sports, for example.

"Whatever engages the believer most will shape that person's heart and outlook, in line with the words of Christ, 'For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also' (Matthew 6.21)."

• Mortify Sin

"Mortification means putting to death these aspirations, and quenching sinful moods, tempers, words and acts. ... Not one of these steps may be overlooked, but this eighth is probably the decisive one. Grasping the help of God, by prayer, we put the sin to death and redirect the thoughts to something higher and better."

~~~

I hope you find this helpful. The whole article is well worth your reading if you can find a copy. Subscription info can be found here.

Regards,
Don Johnson
Jer 33.3

on the FBF and illegal aliens - reprise

I received the latest copy of Frontline today. This is the one that includes the articles accompanying the annual resolutions. Earlier, I was quite critical of the last sentence of the resolution.

The article is much better than the resolution and clearly spells out some of the ethical (and possibly legal) pitfalls dealing with illegal aliens who might be converted and attempt to be involved in a local church.

Nevertheless, I still remain convinced that the concluding sentence of the resolution is too weak.

Ministry to illegal people of any kind involves huge stumbling blocks immediately. If a person repents and comes to Christ, they must really bring forth works fit for repentance. For a person guilty of a crime (any crime, including illegal immigration) the number one stumbling block is to make their crime right, whatever the consequences to themselves.

Ministry to illegal aliens is fraught with difficulty at the point of conversion because of this stumbling block. In my view, real faith in Christ will evidence itself if the convert is willing to repent of his lawbreaking and make things right.

Ministry to professing Christian illegal aliens is hard as well - they may be genuinely converted, but may have foolishly justified illegal activity for one reason or another. Regardless of the situation, I don't believe tolerating these offenses is any help to brethren guilty of them.

Regards,
Don Johnson
Jer 33.3

on the place of law

My third installment in the series Law, Legalism, and Life examines The Place of Law [Morning Message, 7.1.07]. I was working on this proposition: 'The goal in preaching Christian standards is not to impose law on the Christian church – no law can achieve the goals of sanctification and personal devotion.'

First, law, especially God's Law, is defined. God has authority to impose law and his people yield their wills to God's authority.

Second, the design of law is to protect sovereignty and promote the general good. Likewise, God's Law protect's God's glory and promotes order and well-being in society, but it is designed for more than that. God's law imposes a spiritual dimension and accountability to God in the mix. When God's laws are broken, man is spiritually accountable, for he has sinned. In the end, we need to see that God's Law is designed for man's good, not man's grief.

Finally, however, we come to the crux of the matter with respect to law. Law has a defect - it can call us to account (conviction) but it cannot change us (conversion). I noted four defects that manifest the inability of law to change hearts: First, men cannot keep the law. 'Most of the time' isn't good enough. The Law demands perfection. Second, there is a danger of making the law an end in itself. The keeping of the law becomes an idol and men construct a labyrinth of means to keep from breaking the letter of the law (Pharisaism). Third, as mentioned, it is impossible for the Law to make man righteous. Law is imposed by power (authority). If I have the power, I can make a man conform to my law, but I cannot change his heart. He can still be 'standing up on the inside' to cite an old illustration of a little boy made to sit in the corner by his mother. For the power of law to have any lasting effect, something has to happen to the heart first. Fourth, the Law is not enough. In other words, the Law actually only expresses a minimum standard. The Ten Commandments say, 'Thou shalt not kill.' Is that all there is to the standard? That is the bare minimum! God says, be ye holy as I am holy. Jesus said that if you hate, you are guilty. The law isn't enough. Don't congratulate yourself if you can keep a law or two, you need to be perfectly holy, just like God.

In the end, we need to learn the lesson of repentance, just like Job. Laws are good and are meant for good, but the real lesson we need to learn is not to congratulate ourselves for law-keeping but to fall on our faces before our holy God and shut our mouths. We have nothing to say to him with whom we have to do. We must bow our hearts in repentance and ask for God to change us. No amount of lawkeeping will bring about the change we need.

Next week I will look at what God thinks of our good works.

Regards,
Don Johnson
Jer 33.3