Why Pastors Should Embrace the Pleasant . . . Unpleasant Moments in Ministry

Some advice for ministers: Why Pastors Should Embrace the Pleasant . . . Unpleasant Moments in Ministry – The Gospel Coalition Blog:

Before convincing you why we as pastors should embrace this paradox we experience in ministry, I suppose I should define what I mean by a “pleasant . . . unpleasant” conversation.

Pretty Much Says It All

Click for an interesting video: Pretty Much Says It All

Dear Arminians

A good reminder: Dear Arminians – Justin Taylor:

Whatever issues relevant to salvation we disagree upon, let us agree on this: the Calvinist and the Arminian are brothers in Christ. Both belong to the household of faith. The issue of debate is not between belief and unbelief but rather which of two Christian perspectives better represents the biblical portrayal of the divine-human relationship in salvation and the contributions of both God and man in human history.

The TSA of the Reformed World

At least we are being sensible and not calling Wright a heretic, in my readings of Wright, he does seem squarely reformed: The TSA of the Reformed World:

What Cowan does is let us distinguish between these two questions: 'has Wright written heretically?' and 'has Wright written responsibly and accurately?' He clears him on the first question, and urges us to discuss the latter . . . responsibly.

Who Needs Marriage? TIME Asked the Question — Do You Have an Answer?

AlbertMohler.com – Who Needs Marriage? TIME Asked the Question — Do You Have an Answer?:

In the 1960s, two-thirds of all young adults in their twenties were married. Now, only 26 percent of twenty-somethings are married.

TIME reports that 40 percent of Americans believe that marriage is now obsolete, up from 28 percent in 1978. Cohabitation is now the norm for American adults — not just before marriage, but increasingly instead of marriage.

What N.T. Wright Really Said

A good read about NT Wright, I think I understand the issue better now: What N.T. Wright Really Said – Justin Taylor:

Did N. T. Wright adjust or change his view of justification at the 2010 meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society? The claim is now making its way around the internet that Wright indeed has reformed himself (to one degree or another) on this issue, and this claim is occasionally accompanied by the insinuation that he is being less than forthcoming about the degree to which he has changed.

A Three Pound Fruitcake

I don't really mind the message: A Three Pound Fruitcake:

If cliches were candied fruit, walnuts, and raisins, the Book of Psalms in The Message would be a three-pound fruitcake.

CBMW Responds to New NIV(2011)

Gender issues with the new NIV (why are they calling it the NIV, it is just too confusing now). It should be noted that these guys didn't like the TNIV and I think Wayne Grudem is on this council, who was one of the editors on the ESV. CBMW » CBMW Responds to New NIV(2011):

is still going to leave pastors and teachers with the rather onerous task of repeatedly advising the flock: “that is a singular ‘they’” or “that is a singular ‘them.’” And in many important verses, a reader will not be able to tell if “they” is meant as singular or plural from the new NIV(2011) English text alone (see John 14:23 for example).

Our initial analysis shows that the new NIV(2011) retains many of the problems that were present in the TNIV, on which it is based, especially with regard to the over 3,600 gender-related problems we previously identified. In spite of the many good changes made, our initial analysis reveals that a large percentage of our initial concerns still remain

The Hole in Our Holiness

A good article by DeYoung: The Hole in Our Holiness – Kevin DeYoung:

I have a growing concern that younger evangelicals do not take seriously the Bible’s call to personal holiness. We are too at peace with worldliness in our homes, too at ease with sin in our lives, too content with spiritual immaturity in our churches.

The fact of the matter is if you read through the New Testament epistles you will find very few explicit commands that tell us to evangelize and very few explicit commands that tell us to take care of the poor in our communities, but there are dozens and dozens of verses in the New Testament that enjoin us, in one way or another, to be holy as God is holy (e.g., 1 Peter 1:13-16).

Sex Doll Android Upgrades

I'm not sure I get the whole point to this, but there is an interesting point about what we might consider natural (and ignore the title, it is a bit of a grabber): Sex Doll Android Upgrades:

Whenever we use any term as a way of praising or blaming, the basic question is this: by what standard? The Bible does use natural and unnatural as terms of praise and blame, sure enough, but it does so in the course of saying that men should generally keep their hair shorter than women's, and that men should desire women, and not other men. Nothing about molasses intend of white sugar.

A Justification Debate Long Overdue

This would have been an interesting event to go to. I am not sure if the audio is online: A Justification Debate Long Overdue – The Gospel Coalition Blog:

It’s too early to tell whether this week’s ETS meeting will fundamentally change the debate over justification. Wright ceded little if any ground to his critics. But he offered clarification for at least one of their chief concerns. He continued to disparage the Reformers, particularly Luther, for asking the wrong questions and missing Paul’s point. But Schreiner agreed with Wright that Protestants should privilege no tradition above God’s Word. Schreiner expressed sincere appreciation for Wright’s work. And Wright gave evidence simply by showing up in Atlanta that he takes his critics seriously. For that he and ETS and should be commended. This face-to-face debate was long overdue.

The Reality of Death Bed Repentance

Ryle on death bed confessions (as I am pretty sure he saw many death beds in his time): The Reality of Death Bed Repentance « J.C. Ryle Quotes:

I will only remind such persons that all the experience of ministers is utterly against the theory. People generally die just as they have lived. True repentance is never too late, but repentance deferred to the last hours of life is seldom true.

Singleness with Purpose

A good into to the idea of singleness and marriage: Singleness with Purpose – The Gospel Coalition Blog:

How many times have you heard someone say, “He’s such a great guy, how is he still single?” Or, “She’s such a catch. When will she get married off?” The implication behind such questions is that great men and women get married, and those who are not great do not. For many, being single imprints upon them a meaning that touches their very identities: They are defective, second-rate, somehow less than others who marry. In response to this message, Scripture teaches that single Christians are not defined by their singleness, but by their union with Jesus Christ. Singleness, like marriage, is a God-given calling, not an identity.

The Bible is VERY Consistent

Another bible infograph, this time its links with other passages: The Bible is VERY Consistent | The Resurgence

A Little Something Called Context

I think I might start subscribing to Doug Willison, yet another article on contradictions in the bible, he looks at two examples of contradictions: A Little Something Called Context:

"I took a random sampling of just a couple of their contradictions, and addressed them below. I will perhaps be forgiven if I don't work through them all. You don't need to drink the whole bottle to tell that it's vinegar."

...Sam Harris thinks the Bible is unreliable because it tells Christian spouses to stay married to the non-Christian if the non-Christian wants to, and not to worry about it if they don't. Most of us would call this different counsel for different circumstances, but for Sam Harris, it is a contradiction.

God told the sons of Israel not to make images that they would bow down to or worship, and this is said to contradict the making of images that they did not bow down to or worship. Heh.