Author Archives: geoffsnook77

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Is God really a gentlemen?

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Several weeks ago, Rebecca St. James came to Charleston WV to play and promote the pro-life cause. I really have been impressed with her over the years, not because of her music-which I don’t listen to-but because of her life. I can remember hearing her discuss her commitment to chastity before marriage during a youth group video as a youth director. That was 10 years ago. As I understand it, she is getting married soon or has recently married. So, like I said, I greatly appreciate the Lord’s work in her.
But I can remember a phrase in that video series which seems to pop up in others from time to time. Now in regards to that phrase popping up, it is more a zit (not good, but hardly destructive) than a cancer (destructive) or desired hair growth (desirable, especially by me). It was the first time I had heard the phrase, “The Lord is a gentlemen; He will not force Himself on you.”
The bible describes God in anthropomorphic language, or human terms, so that we can understand him better. Some pictures include “mighty warrior” (Jer 20:11), “heavenly father” (Lk 11:13) and a jealous and pursuing “husband” (Hos 2:16).
But could “gentlemen” fit? Is that a healthy anthropomorphic term for the 21st century to help us understand what God is really like? In some ways, God is very gentle and Jesus was prophesied as being so gentle he wouldn’t even break a bruised reed (Isa 42:3). And through his ministry, at least one person named Matthew recorded that prophetic consistency (Matt 12:20).
 
Yet do we want, or rather need a God who is more than a gentlemen, who actually will “force himself on us?” Or would we rather do the changing and converting by our own power? The answer for most would be the latter.
But I will say that I don’t want a “gentlemen God” who refuses to “force” himself on me, simply because the most important thing in the world to Him is my free will (allegedly). I really don’t. 
The other day I clearly I sinned before my family and I flat out did not want to repent. I didn’t.  For a while. I asked God to make me want to, and He eventually did an hour or two later. I wouldn’t have repented, unless God somehow “forced” Himself on me. It’s not just for the point of conversion (since we’re all dead in sin and need more than a gentlemen), but for the whole of the Christian experience.

We need a God who deals gently with us, perhaps even the way a gentlemen deals with a lady. But we also need a God who actually does force Himself on us and literally changes our wills. I’m thankful we have one.

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The external call: This is not outsourcing the Holy Spirit to the Church or India

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This past Sunday I preached on the sending of Paul and Barnabas in Acts 13. I had previously preached this passage as it relates to church planting, because I think it truly does. But what the Spirit brought to my mind this time as it relates to foreign missions was something quite different than I had originally noticed. The call to foreign missions, just as the call to local missions-and I think the call to most anything major in life like work and who to marry-involves both an inward and and outward “sense of call.” For instance, if God wants you to be a missionary, attorney, he is going to confirm that in your heart, but others will also see that you are called or not called. 
What I think many people seem to miss is that Paul and Barnabas didn’t get ONE “quiver-in-the-liver moment” as Steve Childrers likes to say. In fact in this passage, the call was actually given BY the Holy Spirit, TO the church. Now this is something I think we Americans have a hard time with. The external call.
Now that doesn’t mean there wasn’t also an internal call; there will always be. And I think Barnie and Paul already sensed the call to go, as did the local church. Both parties could see such gifts being developed while they taught in a local cross-cultural setting (Jews and Gentiles) at Antioch (Acts 11:25-26) and saw tons of fruit. In addition, I’m sure the Spirit was already at work internally confirming their call while on a short term mission trip bringing relief funds to Jerusalem (Acts 11:29-30).
But because the tendency in the American evangelical church is to assume God is saying this or that to you (and it cannot be questioned), I found this passage’s emphasis vital to today’s church desiring to send out missionaries. The Spirit allows the local church to come alongside and confirm that call. That way the missionary doesn’t have to wonder if his sense of call was from the Spirit, or just something he/she ate that day.

It is necessary to pay attention to the Spirit’s confirmation in missions (as well as many other life-changing decisions) THROUGH others in the church. It sounds less spiritual, but that probably comes from viewing the Spirit’s work from a lens heavily tainted with individualism and existentialism. While some may interpret the external call as “outsourcing” the Spirit’s work to the church, discerning the external call actually relies more deeply on the Spirit. For each call and major decision, we desire to seek the Spirit’s work in more than just one person.

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What repentance may look like for Big Ben

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There have been many folks skeptical about Rothlesberger’s newly rediscovered Christian faith or at the very least, his change of lifestyle after his most recent sexual skirmish with the law. Consider me to be, or at least to have been, among the skeptical. 
When someone commits a sin of a public nature, or really any nature for that matter, and truly repents, forgiveness is/has already been offered and accomplished by Christ. If offered by Christ, then we should obviously honor that, right? Well, yes, provided that there is true repentance.  But true repentance can only be known as it is displayed over time.
No one can atone for any sin, nor does anyone need to even try to atone for any sin. Nor should you make someone atone for his sins. And I think we do the latter more often than we would like to admit in marriage and friendships. It’s not just a waste of time, but a mockery of the cross, calling Jesus’ work insufficient.
But is it harmful and unloving to presume repentance instead of actually waiting to see real repentance displayed before assuming a genuine change in life trajectory?
Yes, I think so. 
Whether its Big Ben, me, or anyone caught in the act of a public sin, any sort of “I’m sorry,” is probably going to fall on deaf ears. And in some ways it really should. Because real repentance will inevitably look like something. “I’m sorry” is not a trump card that precludes any need for a real change in behavior, particularly when sin has severely hurt a relationship.

What repentance looks like for gossip, sexual sin, anger, or racism will differ according to the sin or how much struggle there is. But real repentance will be noticeable, even it if it is only noticed by you (in regard to private sins like envy). 

For Big Ben, repentance from womanizing looks like more than just getting married. It looks like deciding to honor God with his sexuality, and that will be noticeable. Even the public has noticed it, as  he is not living with his fiancee until they are married. I’m not praising someone for living consistently as a Christian, particularly when he confess to be one. But this act is an outward demonstration of what seems to be true repentance and gives more credibility to his profession of faith. And I’m glad for him.
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Praying like sharks are in the area instead of dolphins

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Here’s a very creepy picture of a juvenile Great White Shark (juveniles can still be 8 feet long!) cruising the breakers in knee deep water off an Australian Beach while children play just feet away. While creepy, it is worth a look. Definitely a sobering picture which makes Florida beaches look a bit safer.
But it serves as a reminder of the dangers which exist for children and families, and not just at the beach. This shark reminds me of a passage addressed to elders in I Peter 5:8-9-though it is applicable for anyone in a shepherding type role.
“8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.
It is wise to be aware of Satan, the proverbial Great White Shark.
As Redeemer has been going through Revelation, we’ve seen that Satan is now bound (Rev 20:2; Matt 12:29). He can’t deceive the nations any longer. But while bound, that doesn’t mean he’s not busy going down swinging. He still tries to condemn, he still speaks lies, and it would seem from this verse he plays some role in persecution or at least the affect of persecution. But as C.S. Lewis reminded us, and the Usual Suspects reminded us again,  “The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.” 
It is unwise to act like he doesn’t exist and so become unaware of his schemes (II Cor 2:11).
We need to be both aware and sober minded, but at the same time not fearful. Martin Luther reminds us in his most famous hymn A Might Fortress is Our God that “one little world shall fell him.
So we resist him by holding firm to Jesus, knowing that Satan’s activity, while a pain in the butt, cannot alter God’s plan of salvation for anyone. We pray with the image of the shark in the backdrop, so as never to become complacent. In our fervent prayers, we can trust that the little ones and the parents of little ones might not be tempted to disbelieve, improperly fear him, or believe in his lies. 
I think recognizing we’re surrounded by sharks might be better than praying like we’re surrounded by dolphins.

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What we learn from Aqib Talib about love

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Tampa Bay, and probably soon to be former (once the lockout ends) Tampa Bay Buccaneer defensive back Aqib Talib, is in a bit of trouble. Shooting guns at people in suburbia doesn’t usually pass for good behavior. Of course Talib denies ever firing shots at his sister’s ex-boyfriend; his Mom did all the firing. At least that’s his excuse. Wonder why more people don’t use the “my mom was the one who fired the gun excuse?” Probably because of the plausibility factor, but that’s only speculation.
You may have heard of the sins of the father being passed down, but here’s a snapshot of the affect of the sins of the mother. The article chronicles Talib’s violent behavior over the years and the influence his mother clearly had on him. How many guys have had their moms spend 8 months in prison for stabbing someone over an unpaid debt when you’re 10 years old? Of course that’s not an excuse to hit a helpless cab driver, or attack a teammate using a helmet as a weapon, both of which occurred after the Bucs drafted him in 2008.
The article suggests Talib clearly needs to separate himself from his family. That would be a tough one to argue against, and if guilty of firing shots, law enforcement will “help” him out there.
Seems like an ethical dilemma: do I break ties, at least for a season with my family or continue to hang out with them, ignoring their harmful influence on me? Is it loving toward my children (I think it mentions he has two of them) to bring them around Grandma, when she has no problem hurting people?
Two thoughts:
1.) The reality is that Jesus requires our ultimate allegiance, and there will be times when following him will look unloving toward your family. That sounds crazy in suburbia, but that’s only because our children are our idols. It’s really not that crazy if you think about it. So whether you choose separation or healthy boundaries, allegiance to Jesus may necessitate a drastic action if bad company is truly corrupting your faith (I Cor 15:33). Such action might be necessary regardless of how it is interpreted by your family.
2.) For Talib to love his children, and that usually means doing your best to stay out of prison, he might need to break ties with Momma Talib. So then is he not loving Momma, loving her less, or loving her in the way she needs it? I would probably go with the latter, without letting myself off the hook.
My wife and I have discussed this ethical dilemma, though not in relation our Mom’s, as neither of ours own guns to our knowledge. But there are times when we have to make choices of how we love others and even at times who we love. Because when you consciously choose to love with actions and in truth, not just with words (I John 3:17), you are at the same moment, not actively loving someone else. For instance when we spend time with someone, or give to someone or some ministry in need, you are choosing not to love someone else. And that’s OK. You just can’t actively love everyone and don’t need to feel bad about it.
The problem occurs when we fall back to our normal default mode of loving those we like, who we are like, or who like us (Tim Keller). When those become the sole parameters of who we choose to love, then it is not OK.
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From Christian to Muslim

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I’m always fascinated to hear stories where devout Muslims become Christians. I would imagine most Christians feel the same way. But sometimes we think that the door only swings one way, when in fact there are devout Christians who become devout Muslims. Here is one instance.
While it is sad to listen to this young man’s testimony, particularly since he admittedly had such a strong church background, it shouldn’t shake your faith (provided you are reading this as a Christian).
Here are some takes on this lad’s conversion to Islam.
1.) Personal relationship. One thing this lad cherishes is a close personal connection to God. In fact, even the Arabic dude in charge of the mosque (not sure what you call those guys) emphasizes this “relationship.” I think this is important to realize because Christians like to talk about Christianity as a “relationship” with God, as though that distinguishes them from other religions (or at least the claims of other religions). But that claim of such a personal “relationship” is NOT what distinguishes Christianity from other religions. It is (among a host of other things) what this personal relationship actually cost God:Himself through Jesus’ perfect life, death, and resurrection. No prayer or assent to facts about a deity, or your personal desire to follow it, can suffice without this perfect atonement. Christianity admits God had to purchase us with His own flesh and blood for the relationship option “to be on the table.” Because of this truth, other religions and Christianity, by default, diverge and take you on different paths in regards to a personal relationship.
2.) Wild, Wild, West. Just as the West has culturally influenced Christianity at times for good and at times for bad, it is very clear that Islam has likewise been influenced by it. What you hear in this mosque is not what you would hear in a mosque in the Middle East. Many American muslims don’t believe you need to help God out by killing people who blaspheme Muhammad, Allah, or the Quran. That’s a good thing. God doesn’t need to be protected or avenged; He can do fine by himself. If only the Middle Eastern Muslims would believe that…..
3.) Perseverance. Folks who do seem to act and talk like true believers DO walk away from the faith, as Paul shares his experience of a co-laborer deserting him for “love of the world (II Tim 4:10). Sometimes we assume folks are true believers because they prayed a prayer when they were age 6, regardless of what faith their actual lives belie. But the reality is that saving faith will display itself by fruit and persevere until the end (Luke 8:4-15). The message of the book of Hebrews finds summary in my favorite Journey song. The writer employs the metaphor of traversing through the wilderness, and having not yet arrived in the promised land; therefore, cue the music, “Don’t stop believing!”
Whether people desert for love of the world, or love of Allah, the aforementioned parable of the Seed and Sower reminds us that people may profess faith one day, but not another.
That shouldn’t cause parents to lose hope for their wayward children as the WCF 17.3 reminds us that even true believers, whose faith is ultimately sustained by God (WCF 17.2), may stray for a season and fall into deep sin and continue “for a time.” But all true believers will eventually return to rest upon Jesus alone. Jesus doesn’t lose those who are truly His (John 10:27) so that should give us hope in praying for the straying.

4.) How do I know I won’t follow this dude’s lead? Everyone who looks to the Son will be saved (John 6:40). Never stop looking at the Son and we have nothing to fear. For the over-analytical folk like myself, how do I know I won’t stop looking at the Son? Fortunately the Son has a longer attention span for us than we do for him.

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Barry Bonds is not the only user

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Baseball season is upon us now, and that means a few things. First of all, I have a chance to repeat as the champ in fantasy baseball. Secondly, the Tampa Bay Rays will get to see whether Manny Ramirez will hit like Manny Ramirez or act like Manny Ramirez (that is one dude to whom you don’t want to say, “Just be yourself”). And thirdly, since games are starting up, it would be nice to see the Barry Bonds perjury trial not take center stage.
While its not been a media circus, on some levels this trial is quite comical. Former teammates have testified about his use, while the most incriminating man in this case, his trainer, would rather spend time in jail than testify. Even former mistresses have testified that Bonds’ testicles had shrunk over time. It’s fairly obvious that the unlikeable lad’s head literally grew; that kind of growth doesn’t happen with weights and protein supplements.  Here are a few of my takes on this trial.
1.) A need for truth
People don’t like to be lied to. The Feds really don’t like to be lied to. While Dr. House’s “everybody lies” philosophy of life is unfortunately very accurate, people still want some sort of ultimate arbiter, or at least a final accountability to actual tell the truth. That and the fact that he is perhaps baseball’s most unlikeable player ever (or at least top 5) will, in my estimation, leave many people pulling against him. 
2.) We’re all users.
Baseball really enabled this whole steroid era to flourish, and not simply by limiting drug testing. MLB promoted these new found home-run heroes because THEY put people in the seats. And people knew they were on roids, but people didn’t care. Baseball had use for rhoid freaks like Bonds and Mark McGuire. Fans had use for them as well. But now there is no use for Barry Bonds, and we no longer need him.
I find it funny how much I profited and enjoyed watching these home-run legends, and watching them chase such home-run single season and all time records. But now for some reason I feel cheated. Yet at the time, I didn’t want them to change. It’s not just that “chicks dig the long ball” as the commercial claimed, but guys did as well.
Martin Ban of ChristChurch Santa Fe gave a challenging, as well as fascinating sermon called “Sloth and Anger” on the connection between these two “deadly sins.” In his application, he questioned whether or not we really want people to stop being angry or slothful. Parents can use slothful children so that they feel needed. Folks use angry people to have someone tough to follow, and let them do the dirty work. Ban argues that we often don’t want people to change, because we benefit from them. We use them, and to call people to change will be hard because we’re good at using people.

I think this is what most fans did with Bond’s during the steroid era. We didn’t want him to change because we would no longer benefit from him. But after hearing Ban’s sermon, I’m beginning to think this happens in my life with more than just baseball. 

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Going deep

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I know I’ve said, and I know I’ve heard the expression, “I would like this book/sermon/study to go ‘deeper.'” What that really means varies from person to person. One time I actually asked a pastor I respect what “going deep” really means? He responded like this: “It’s giving someone a fresh perspective on the passage that they’ve not heard before.” I don’t disagree that this is a good thing. But what does, or rather should, going “deep” or “deeper” really mean? Trevin Wax on his blog Kingdom People poses this question and considers an answer from a “gospel-centered” perspective.
It’s interesting you bring up discipleship materials. There are always people asking for “deeper Bible study” or for a “deeper walk” with Christ. But what people mean by “depth” is not often clear. Some people think in terms of information. They want to know more facts, whether they come from history or theology. Information dump. Others think “deep” means a practical tidbit for my life tomorrow. They think in terms of immediate application. But this can turn the Bible into a self-help manual.
The gospel-centered movement has the opportunity to redefine what “depth” means. We shouldn’t see depth as “more info” or “life insights” but gospel-centrality. Going deep means we immerse ourselves in the truth that Jesus Christ bled and died to save helpless sinners like you and me. We’ve got to see the depth of our sin and the depth of God’s grace in such a way that it is clear we can do nothing to make ourselves more acceptable to God. Depth means going deeper into the gospel until it confronts the idols of our hearts.

I love it when studies/sermons to go deep into background and history (though I have a feeling most people don’t). But this snippet is a good reminder to go deeper into my personal history and background to see my deeper need for Jesus. See your sin, and see your Savior. Just make sure you realize the latter is bigger, much bigger than the former.

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My take on Radical

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A number of folks recommended David Platt’s book Radical: Taking back your faith from the American Dream. Someone finally bought it for me, so I decided to read and see what all the rage was about.
Here’s my take on the book as a whole.
Positives:
Challenging. The book is flat-out challenging because Jesus is flat-out challenging. The Jesus of the bible doesn’t really square with the Americanized version of Jesus who exists to give you a happy marriage, good kids, and a great smile. In fact he tells you to love Him more than your family (which is ironically the only way to actually love your family instead of making an idol out of them), and if you don’t, you can’t be his disciple (Luke 14:26). Easy there….Platt pulls no punches because Jesus pulls no punches. Not really sure what that saying means. But it is safe to say that Jesus is a thrower of punches, and the American Dream is often its recipient.
Giving up? Platt does a great job, particularly toward the close of the book, in emphasizing that giving up our lives is not really giving up anything. I love the example of Jon Patton he employs. When someone questions his leaving Scotland to head to a cannibalistic island, he says something to the effect of, “Whether worms eat me or people eat me makes no difference to me. We’ll still get a new body at the resurrection.” You don’t lose out. That’s a huge motivator because whether it’s going to bed early, not having the coolest stuff, or not being able to full a childhood dream, we tend to be scared of missing out. We don’t have to be. How cool is that?
Word and Deed. I also appreciated Platt’s emphasis on word and deed ministry. Neither was sacrificed upon the altar of the other. It is important to feed folks, provide clean water, eradicate diseases when possible. To ignore such things is not much different than the person who leaves the gospel tract that looks like money AS a tip. Not good.
Platt’s both/and approach to ministry in a local and foreign context. While he didn’t seem to be in favor of domestic church planting-and I am highly in favor of that-I still thought he recognized the importance of both contexts. Definitely an emphasis on the foreign, but I need to hear that drum beaten often.
Community. Platt does not tell people to go guns blazing by themselves. They have to be part of a church community, and even better when they are involved in a small group community which studies the word AND actually does ministry together.
Things I might do or say differently
I hesitate to call these negatives, so I didn’t. But there are a few of my concerns.
1.) Kevin DeYoung has a review here. I wouldn’t call it a great review that I totally agree with, because I don’t. I definitely disagree with some of it. But it is another perspective. And he has a point in that it is necessary to ground our sanctification (this radical crazy selfless life poured out for Jesus) in our justification (our perfect status obtained already by Jesus’ live poured out for us). At some points, the reader can get lost in living radically without having the proper grounding and motivation. 
Platt’s respsone to DeYoung shows he is on the same page. And I don’t think you need to say before every point, “Because Jesus has saved you, you are now free to live like this, and are forgiven when you don’t.” I really don’t. But perhaps he could have sprinkled it in the book a little more, rather than including the truth of justification, and then moving on. I told my teachers in our teacher training time, that they don’t have to say “Because Jesus died for you and freed you from this idol, you can now live like this…” every time they make an application. But our tendency is to forget the gospel truth, and just apply. The problem is that we can sometimes leave Jesus, who is the author and sustainer of our faith, behind.
2.) Radical obedience to Jesus doesn’t ONLY mean giving up way more than the tithe and going foreign, or going deeper locally. The gospel frees us to be generous to give more than the tithe, and frees us to walk across the street and get to know neighbors or go to India.
But a radical life also looks like someone honoring God with their work, working at it with all their heart (Col 3:23). Work, while a common American idol, is still a good thing and we don’t need all Christians to give up their work and head overseas. Some are called to that, but some are not. Both can be just as radical, or at least as faithful to Jesus. 
Americans find their identity in work. They find their identity in hobbies, family, income, homes, etc…But these things need to be redeemed and the gospel light shed upon them. Work isn’t evil and I fear that perhaps some folks may leave the book thinking it is, or is a lesser calling.
With those things said, I would still recommend Radical. Our pendulums need to be swung on this direction and we need Platt’s voice, mainly because he echoes Jesus heart for the poor, needy, and broken. And Samuel Rutheford’s take on the cross gives us hope that we can follow Jesus where he leads. Check this out: “Those who can take that crabbed tree handsomely upon their back, and fasten it on cannily, shall find it such a burden as wings unto a bird or sails to a ship.” The cross is freedom.
A Sequel?

Some things for a Radical sequel, or if I were writing a book with similar title would be as follows. This is not the part where I say, “He should have added this or that.” Platt’s book was the right length. Books that are too long are ineffective for mass communication in my opinion. This is just my heart on what a radical life looks like.

1.) Commitment to corporate worship. When sports take you away from corporate worship, you don’t give in. I can’t wait (yeah right!) to deal with this because Connar loves anything that has to do with a ball. Perhaps not skipping church on Sundays in order to play soccer, basketball, or baseball might ruin a chance at a college scholarship? But to me it would be worth it if Connar loves Jesus and wants to worship with his church family when he goes off to college. Skipping church when kids are young FOR SPORTS, will lead our kids to believe church is unnecessary.

2.) Commitment to deep community. People with busy lives actually committing to come together, study the word, pray, fellowship, have fun, and actually minister together in some form of small group. It is very difficult to live out the plethora of “one another” commands found in the scripture outside some sort of regular and intentional small group.

3.) Commitment to outward facing community. How radical would it be to not just study the bible but to actually apply and live out the gospel together in your community? We don’t simply need more bible studies in the church but small groups of people committed to the gospel, one another, and their communities. The days of sitting on the couch and only studying the bible need serious evaluation. While these makes us feel good about ourselves, these miss 1/2 of what James 1:27 calls “true religion.” Whether as individuals or as a group, such a small group bible study has to encourage or offer outward expressions of faith in the community.


To me these things are just as radical. But they are also just as normal and consistent with a life of following Jesus.

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Facebook community of young and old: ammended

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My cousin once told me, “I don’t have accept facebook friend requests for people over 30.” I asked about myself, and she said, “Sorry, even you!” I laughed, and later realized that she’ll have to “up” the age restriction to 40 in several years when she turns 30.

It’s a shame, but this type of facebook age discrimination takes place in the covenant community called the church. I can remember one of my former youth explaining, “I don’t want that old guy looking at my pictures. That’s creepy.” Perhaps it is. I can’t get in the mind of a teenage girl-nor do I necessarily want to be there! But what about older ladies? Should that be creepy too?

Earlier this week, one of my ex-“friends” on facebook posted something a bit concerning (my comments got me de-friended). It was the standard youth self-centered myopic comments I’ve come to know and but not so much love, yet expect. But what was beautiful was an older “friend” in her 70’s who offered a simple regret and disappointment at such a post. The day before she even questioned a related post, explaining that the life of a teenager isn’t as bad as teenager’s think. Easier said, or written, than done. 

Whether or not any of these concerns were or will be taken to heart is hard to tell. Yet I think its a beautiful thing for teenagers to have more adults involved in their lives than only their parents and some sort of youth pastor. It takes a whole covenant community, and it is a beautiful to see the older taking an interest in the younger. 

Now facebook involvement is hardly a substitute for real community. But perhaps it is a start, and can be a place where the young and old BEGIN to do life together, sojourning along this difficult path we call the Christian life.