The Rob Bell Discussion
Over the weekend there was quite the discussion about Rob Bell, about his new book and his increasingly unorthodox theology.
See Justin Taylor’s post, Rob Bell: Universalist? and the 1,000+ comments it generated.
The post I really encourage you to read is by Trevin Wax, Rob Bell and the Judgmentless Gospel. This post provides a mini theological education. Whatever your conclusions about Rob Bell, this post will help you wrestle with why a judgmentless gospel is attractive to Americans, why a judgmentless gospel is empty of good news, and why the gospel articulated in the Bible is so much more beautiful.
Then go read Joe Thorn’s concise post, Saved By God, From God, and For God.
See also my post from three years ago, Rob Bell. The God’s Aren’t Angry Tour: San Francisco (Some Reflections & Concerns).
Some people don’t like posts like this, posts that point out disagreement with other people and their teaching. While I do think it is important to be known more for what you are FOR than what you are AGAINST (and I hope to be such a man), just a cursory reading of the Bible shows that it is a book that calls us to deal with false teaching. Why? Because false teaching is dangerous and destructive, it hurts people.
About ten years ago I heard Ben Patterson, campus pastor of Westmont College, say something that I will never forget. Ben told the story of a retired pastor who began noticing that his former congregation was sliding away from orthodoxy. The pastor saw this as his fault, noting the one thing he thought he did most poorly as a pastor. The pastor stated, in two sentences, his great failure as a pastor:
I always told people what to believe. My great mistake is that I never told my people what NOT to believe.
Forget About Yourself and Laugh
Laughter is a divine gift to the human who is humble. A proud man cannot laugh because he must watch his dignity; he cannot give himself over to the rocking and rolling of his belly. But a poor and happy man laughs heartily because he gives no serious attention to his ego. -Terry Lindvall
Freeing Humility
What can cure you from the enslaving disease of seeking glory from man? The answer is given in my favorite quote from Andrew Murray’s classic book, Humility.
…nothing can cure you of the desire of receiving glory from men, or of the sensitiveness and pain and anger which come when it is not given, but giving yourself to seek only the glory that comes from God. Let the glory of the All-glorious God be everything to you. You will be freed from the glory of men and of self, and be content and glad to be nothing. Out of this nothingness you will grow strong in faith, giving glory to God, and you will find that the deeper you sink in humility before Him, the nearer He is to fulfill the every desire of your Faith.
Garden City Church, A New Church Plant in San Jose
After years of dreaming about it (and a brief detour of thinking I was moving to Phoenix), I am now planting Garden City Church in San Jose.
I wanted to wait until the timing was right to announce this on the blog. Instead of telling you about Garden City Church in this post, you can read all about the vision in the prospectus I put together: GARDEN CITY CHURCH PROSPECTUS.
For the past month I’ve shared this document with potential core team members, financial supporters, and prayer partners of Garden City. Now I’m sharing this document with all of you who read my blog, knowing that God will lead some of you to join, give to, or pray for Garden City Church. I’m starting this church from scratch, in terms of both people and money, so I want to ask you to read the prospectus and prayerfully consider supporting Garden City Church. Your help will make a big difference for my family, for this church plant, and for the city of San Jose. The prospectus provides simple instructions for how to give.
On March 9th at 7pm (two weeks away!) we’re holding an informational meeting about the church plant at the historic Theatre on San Pedro Square, the venue where we will eventually hold our Sunday morning worship gathering. Two weeks after this informational meeting, the Garden City Church core group will begin meeting weekly (on a week night). Once the gospel DNA of this church has worked its way into us and once we’ve grown to sufficient depth and size, we will then launch our Sunday morning worship gatherings.
I am so excited about Garden City Church and the adventure ahead. I hope you are too! Please do download and read the document above.
To God be the glory.
The Most Amazing Relationship
A relationship with God is the most amazing relationship a person can have, enjoy, and invest in. Yesterday I read a sentence of the Bible that I’ve read many times before, but this time the truth of this sentence became electric for me. Here it is, Psalm 62:8:
Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your heart before him;
Writing to a beaten down and betrayed people, the psalmist reminds the people of what a relationship with God is like—it is a relationship of an entirely different order than trust-breaking human relationships.
The psalmist declares that the living God can be trusted “at all times.” At all times! There is never a moment, situation, season of life, or circumstance when our Triune God is not trustworthy. There is never a day when it would be unwise for you to place all of your trust in God. AT ALL TIMES! He can always be trusted.
And, what’s more, this God invites and asks you to “pour out your heart before him.” God wants to hear your heart! He wants you to pray to him, to tell him all about your pain, problems, and prayers. He wants you to trust him at all times and then, on the basis of that rock-solid trust that he is the sovereign and good God, pour out your heart before him.
Jesus changes everything. Jesus reconciles us to God. He freely gives us entrance into the most amazing relationship a person could have. This is a relationship where you can trust the other party at all times. This is a relationship where you can pour out your heart, and never regret it. Wow.
Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your heart before him;
Stop and Pray for Said Musa
Stop and pray for Said Musa. From The Christian Post (read the whole article):
Christian leaders have launched a Twitter campaign to save Said Musa, an Afgan who is awaiting execution for converting to Christianity from Islam.
Musa, 45, was told by a judge that he would be hanged within days unless he reconverts to Islam, the Daily Mail reported Feb. 7.
…Since being detained Musa has been denied a fair trial and access to a lawyer. Some defense lawyers have refused to represent Musa unless he reconverts to Islam while others have dropped his case after being threatened.
His wife and six children have fled to Pakistan.
Sneaky Self-Righteousness
Self-righteousness is sneaky. It can show up almost anywhere.
You can be self-righteous about:
-Having kept all the rules, or having broken all the rules.
-Being poor, or being wealthy.
-Being a public school parent, or a private school parent, or a home school parent.
-Being Vegan, or eating meat.
-Living in the city, or living in the suburbs.
-Being older and wiser, or being young and ambitious.
-Being driven, or being lazy.
-Giving away a certain amount of money, or saving a certain amount of money.
To be self-righteousness is to think of yourself as commendable to God and better than others because of things you have done.
Instead of self-righteousness, the Bible invites us to enjoy Christ-righteousness—to find our worth, identity, and boast in Jesus Christ and what he has done for us, the undeserving.
He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Luke 18:9-14
Add to the list: Where else does sneaky self-righteousness show up?
How Can The Holy Spirit Fit Inside You?
Last night was a stormy and beautiful night. After dinner I brought my older sons outside to enjoy the storm, stargaze, and cuddle. The wind was strong, my sons had never seen and felt such strong winds. I used this moment to, following John 3:8, teach my sons that God’s Spirit is like the wind.
This led to a series of great questions from Cru, my four-year-old and a new believer. I’m finding that some of the best sharpening of my theology comes from discipling my four-year-old and fielding his questions. Here is best question from last night:
Dad, how can the Holy Spirit fit inside me, I’m too small for him?
That’s a good question. How would you answer it?
You Must Watch This With Your Spouse Tonight
Once we put the kids to bed tonight I’m watching these two videos with my wife. I urge you to sit down and watch these videos with your spouse. Watch, weep, pray, and praise God together. This is the story of Zac and Mandy Smith.
The Story of Zac Smith from Adam Kring on Vimeo.
A Story | Tears of Hope from Adam Kring on Vimeo.
HT: Justin Taylor
San Jose Named #1 City to Work in
San Jose is the best place in the country to work in, according to a ranking of the nation’s cities by online career site CareerBliss.com.
The company said its ranking was based on reviews from employees on eight workplace happiness factors: growth opportunities, compensation, benefits, work-life balance, career advancement, senior management, job security and whether the employee would recommend their company to others.
Workers were asked to rank each factor from one to five regarding how important that element was to their overall happiness. An average rating was then deduced on overall workplace happiness for each city.
San Jose ranked No. 1 among the top 50 cities on benefits, career advancement, compensation, growth opportunity, recommend to others, senior management, work-life balance and minimum salary…
Read more: San Jose named No. 1 city to work in | Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal
