Recently I’ve been reading a biography on the life of St. Augustine.

"Augustine in His Study" - Sandro Botticelli, 1480

Augustine remains one of the most fascinating and influential figures from church history – a giant of the faith along with men like Martin Luther and John Calvin.

One of the most surprising aspects of St. Augustine’s life was that he was not always a saint.  In fact, Augustine himself admits that in his pre-Christian life, he was an outright hedonist and enslaved to his an enormous sexual appetite.

However, after his salvation from empty pleasure seeking through Jesus Christ, Augustine did not go the way of harsh asceticism as a means of avoiding his hedonistic ways.  Instead, Augustine taught that all the good gifts of life (the pleasures of creation, food, drink, sex, friendships, leisure, etc.) are divine gifts that are meant to lead us to greater enjoyment of God Himself.

Augustine tells us, “From His gifts, which are scattered to good and bad alike in this, our most grim life, let us, with His help, try to express sufficiently what we have yet to experience.”[1]

In other words, the good things we experience in this life are meant to stir in us a greater appetite for heavenly things that we will one day experience in the presence of God.  Thus, whenever we experience these good things (vacations, big screen TVs, new babies, pets, time with loved ones…) we should make sure our enjoyment is not merely of the gift but of God.

“He loves thee too little who loves anything together with thee, which he loves not for thy sake.”[2]

And

But what do I love when I love my God? . . . Not the sweet melody of harmony and song; not the fragrance of flowers, perfumes, and spices; not manna or honey; not limbs such as the body delights to embrace. It is not these that I love when I love my God. And yet, when I love him, it is true that I love a light of a certain kind, a voice, a perfume, a food, an embrace; but they are of the kind that I love in my inner self, when my soul is bathed in light that is not bound by space; when it listens to sound that never dies away; when it breathes fragrance that is not borne away on the wind; when it tastes food that is never consumed by the eating; when it clings to an embrace from which it is not severed by fulfillment of desire. This is what I love when I love my God.[3]

To love the good gifts of God more than the gracious Lord who bestows them upon us is a grave insult to His infinite kindness.  Augustine warns us, “If the things of this world delight you, praise God for them but turn your love away from them and give it to their Maker, so that in the things that please you may not displease him.”[4]   He illustrates the problem like this,

Suppose, brethren, a man should make a ring for his betrothed, and she should love the ring more wholeheartedly than the betrothed who made it for her. . . . Certainly, let her love his gift: but, if she should say, “The ring is enough. I do not want to see his face again” what would we say of her? . . . The pledge is given her by the betrothed just that, in his pledge, he himself may be loved. God, then, has given you all these things. Love Him who made them.[5]

Therefore, let us be careful that our delighting in our big screen TVs, good movies, savory food, and game nights with friends are the grounds for great praise to God’s gracious goodness to us, and not become mere idols for us to cling to and cherish.  The end of idolatry is eternal emptiness and poverty of True Delight, Jesus Christ.

“Little Children, keep yourselves from idols.” (1 John 5:21)

One of the things I admire about Desiring God Ministries and John Piper is how much awesome content they are willing to give away.

Just recently, Desiring God posted John Piper’s seminar on missions titled Let the Nations Be Glad.

If you’ve ever read the book, you’ll know that Piper’s discussion of missions is passionate as well as theological. His discussion of the surpemacy of God in the missionary endeavor is both insightful and invigorating.

So do yourself a favor and listen to this this 3-part seminar.
You’ll be glad you did.

Let the Nations Be Glad!

In churches across the country today, congregations took time to remember the national tragedy of September 11th and our own personal horror and grief at what occurred ten years ago today.

But how are we to remember today?  In what way can we honor the victims who were lost and the heroes who sacrificed, and do it in a distinctively Christian way?

Pastor Glenn Packiam gives his perspective on this problem, and I think his insights are worth quoting at length

To begin with, we must tell the truth. Justice requires that we name things as they are. We cannot simply put a veneer of tolerance over the rough timber of terrorism. The terrorists behind the attack acted as our enemy, and their acts were nothing short of evil.

Yet Jesus calls us to do more than name our enemies; He calls us to love them.

There is a way of “remembering” that is un-loving toward our enemies. If we only remember our courage or our virtue—though there are many stories of American courage and virtue since 9/11—we are not yet remembering well. If we only remember our enemy’s evil, or the horror that we felt because of their acts, we are not yet remembering well. To only remember our virtue and their evil is to glorify our pain, idolize our nation, and reinforce our prejudice toward our enemy. All of that is what a Christian must call sin, and it is far from loving our enemies.

If we are to remember well, we must tell the truth about ourselves. We must remember that we, too, are sinners, that all of us—our enemies and us—are those for whom Christ died. Neither of us is excluded.

Miroslav Volf, a Yale theologian and a respected Christian voice with his own painful memories of civil war in Yugoslavia, calls us to “remember” a violation from at least three angles:

1. We remember that our enemies are not excluded from the community of humans to whom God has extended forgiveness though Christ’s death;

2. We remember that we are not excluded from the community of sinners in need of God’s forgiveness; and,

3. We remember our pain within the Story of Christ’s death and resurrection.

By placing our memory of pain and violation within the larger, sacred memory of Christ’s death and resurrection, our memory becomes Eucharistic. We are not simply remembering our pain; we are remembering Christ. Refusing to make our pain or pride or prejudice the Lord of our lives, we choose instead to surrender to Christ, to see the world through His death and resurrection…
May God give us the grace this Sunday to not rally around a flag, but to raise the cross of Christ—a cross that speaks of forgiveness instead of retaliation, of mercy triumphing over judgment. May we not simply remember well; may we also remember Christ.

_______

You can read Pastor Glenn Packiam’s entire article: What Should A Pastor Do With 9/11?

Open Discussion Question:

This is another question for open discussion/debate.

Is it possible to be a spiritual person without necessarily being a religious person?

Yes? No? Explain your answer.
Be sure to define your terms!

If you’ve watched any action movies in the past ten or so years, you’ve probably noticed the frenetic almost unwatchable quality of the action depicted.

In this two-part video essay,  filmmaker and analyst Matthias Stork shares a thesis about recent action films that he calls “Chaos Cinema.”
Part 1

Chaos Cinema Part 1 from Matthias Stork on Vimeo.

Part 2

Chaos Cinema Part 2 from Matthias Stork on Vimeo.

Stork’s analysis is fascinating and, for the most part, dead on.  But has he exhausted all of the potential reasons for why Chaos Cinema has become so prevalent?
What do you think?

What is the greatest struggle/challenge of the Christian life?  This was the question posed a few weeks ago for your opinions and discussion.  Today, I will assert my own answer.

First, however, it’s important to see what the greatest struggle is not.  The greatest struggle of the Christian life is not primarily prayer, Bible reading, evangelism, or the spiritual disciplines in general.  The greatest struggle is not raunchy movies, worldly music, violent video games, or godless entertainment all together.  The greatest struggle for Christians today is not abortion, gay marriage, atheistic universities, or even that damn liberal media we hear so much about.

While all of the above are important and worthy of our serious thought, attention, and response, they are all ultimately secondary or even tertiary matters in the Christian life.

If intimacy with God, obstacles to holiness, and social justice are not the greatest struggle in Christian living, then what is?  Truly seeing Jesus Christ and valuing Him rightly‘

It is truly seeing and rightly valuing that transforms our lives and makes us fit for Heaven.

Seeing and Valuing is the Difference Between Being a Follower of Jesus or Not

“And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing.  In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.  For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.  For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:3-6).

The difference between those who believe and are saved and those who reject and perish is that one sees Jesus Christ as infinitely good and valuable while the other sees Jesus as foolish and weak.

Truly seeing and rightly valuing is difference between Heaven and Hell.

Seeing and Valuing is the Power to Fight Sin and Live in Obedience

“By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.  He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.  By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible” (Hebrews 11:24-27; cf. Matthew 4:1-11).

When you read both Hebrews 11 and Matthew 4 we see that one thing Moses and Jesus had in common was that when faced with temptation they looked to something far superior.  Hebrews tells us that Moses valued Jesus more than the ease and wealth of Egypt.  Matthew shows that Jesus valued God more than an easy way out while in the wilderness.

In the same way, we are tempted to sin by false promises of satisfaction in things other than God.  Our strategy for defeating sin, then, is to remind ourselves of the superior satisfaction we have in Jesus Christ.

Seeing and Valuing is the Means to Our Transformation

” And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Our growing in the likeness of Jesus (sanctification) occurs as we gaze intently upon Him.  We do this through the spiritual disciplines of Bible reading, prayer, evangelism, worship, and many, many others.

Seeing and Valuing is the Power to Persevering to the End

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:1-2).

The greatest struggle of the Christian life is to clearly see Jesus Christ and value Him rightly as the infinitely good and valuable person in the universe.  It is our success or failure at doing this that will determine whether our lives will be marked by holiness and victory or worldliness and defeat.

As you pray today, pray that God would give you eyes to see Jesus clearly and a heart to love Him rightly.

Discussion Question:

In your opinion, what is the greatest need and/or struggle for Christians/the Christian life today?

Give your answer in the comment section below!

Living in the In-Between

As Christians we live in a vast in-between, living as natives of two worlds.  With the Apostle Paul we can affirm “our citizenship is in heaven” (Phil 3:20), and can affirm with (possibly) misty eyes that we are “kind of homesick for a country to which I have never been before.”  At the same time, however, this present world is where we work, raise families, have sex, and go on vacation.  Jesus himself said, “I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one” (John 17:15), so we are intended to live and play and minister in this world (broken though it is).

This tension, seen and felt in the Bible as well as the Christian life, has been called “The Indigenizing Principle and The Pilgrim Principle.”  Stated simply, these two principles or inclinations are found both in the Bible and the human heart.  We are called to be separated from this present world (2 Corinthians 6:17-18), yet we are called live and rub shoulders with unbelievers in the world (1 Corinthians 5:9).  There is a balance to be found, but for most Christians we are inclined in one direction (extreme separateness) or another (extreme inclusiveness).  You can read about more about this tension and the balance here, here, and here.  The discussion of these two principles is fascinating, challenging, and helpful.

Finding the Balance

            But how are we to navigate between these two strong yet opposing principles or inclinations?  Are we forever doomed to bounce frantically between extreme conservatism and liberalism until Jesus returns?

The key to balancing these two inclinations is to see our greatest struggle and need as Christians: To view all things through the lens of Cross of Jesus Christ.

What we need is to see all aspects of life: money, sexuality, philosophy, entertainment, manhood and womanhood, missions, health, theology, and ten thousand other issues and topics in relation to the Cross of Christ.  In other words, what we need is to view all life through “the spectacles of Scripture” as Calvin once put it, or as my wife once said, “Cross-Colored Glasses.”

In this way, we will deeply, seriously, and biblically consider all things – not simply as they appear to us but as they truly are in God’s view.  Thus we will be able to demolish strongholds and take every thought captive for King Jesus (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).  The result will be a much more holy yet balanced and considered life.

A Confession and A Purpose

I have said all of this, but I must all confess: I struggle to wear these glasses.  I have by no means arrived at the ideal of Christian balance.  Sadly, I suspect that I will never fully attain it.

I do not count myself (nor aim to be) a great culture warrior or apologist.  I do not consider myself a great exegete or theologian. (I’m also really bad at minesweeper, but that’s beyond that point).

I am, however, a disciple of Jesus Christ.  This blog is my account of how I am everyday attempting to extend the sovereignty of my King over every area of life and culture.  Thus, I invite you, dear reader, to join me as I try to help us both look at all this life through Cross-Colored glasses.

I am frequently haunted by a black dog of despair and anxiety, and it strikes during times of disappointment and trial.

When life is going well: Good health, good job, great church, awesome marriage, and nothing is currently annoying me, this black dog of despair seems small and harmless.  Like a toy poodle.

But when disappointment and strife enter in, then this little black dog turns into a growling, rabid wolf.  And it’s going for the jugular of my faith: “Why is God so far away?”
“What did I do wrong that God is doing this to me?”
“Does He even care?”

It’s times like these that I have to be reminded of the very great promises of the Gospel.

As Jon Bloom writes,

A very precious thing Jesus says to you, as a disciple, is this: “You did not choose me but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit . . .” (John 15:16).

But this also implies that Jesus will dis-appoint you many times—meaning, there are some appointments from which Jesus will remove you, and others that he simply will not grant to you.

At these times we must “not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment” (John 7:24). In Christ, God is pursuing you only with goodness and mercy (Psalm 23:6). His promise is this: “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32).

When feeling disappointed, follow your emotions to their roots. You will find unbelief that requires the herbicide of God’s promises for you.  [emphasis added]

________

For full article see Disappointed By Jesus by Jon Bloom.

What is a Horror Movie and What Does It Do

Prerequisite to any discussion on current trends in horror films is a definition of what constitutes a horror movie and what it ultimately achieves.  To help construct an at least rudimentary definition[1] of a horror movie, three observations will be made concerning 1) The Emotions of Horror, 2) The Object of Horror, and 3) The Monsters of Horror.

 Horror movies are primarily an emotional experience.  Indeed, horror movies are largely defined by the emotions they attempt to elicit from audiences: terror, dread, anxiety, agitation, unease, revulsion, or even nausea.[2]  Whatever the means, the goal is to draw audiences into a state of intense emotional distress.  This point calls for discernment between what Noel Carroll calls natural horror and art horror.[3]  Natural horror, refers to the emotional reaction of individuals to distressing news or circumstances in everyday or “real” life (e.g. the feeling of distress and outrage concerning the Manson Family murders).  Art horror, on the other hand, refers to the emotional reactions involved when reading or watching a fictional depiction of horrifying events.

The nuance, then, between natural horror and art horror refers to the vastly differing quality of the same types of emotions—such as fright.  Thus, an individual’s feelings of fright upon hearing news of a deranged serial killer on the loose in his area will be of a vastly different quality than the same person’s quality of fright while watching Michael Myers stalk Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween.  This gives partial explanation for how some can enjoy the feelings of fright and dread experienced during a horror movie, and yet take no pleasure in true-life terror.[4]

If horror films work strenuously to elicit dread and terror in audiences, then what is the proper object of terror?  Death.  Not merely death though but what Stephen King calls the “bad death.”[5]  As Stephen King observes, horror movies often succeed by finding and breaking certain social taboos, and death remains the ultimate taboo.[6]  Most can agree that they fear death to some degree, but few would object to passing peacefully at home in bed.  On the other hand, no one eagerly desires to be eaten alive by a shark, stabbed to death in the shower, or driven mad by a demon.  Indeed, the most common fear connected with death is suffering and pain.  Thus, horror movies are predicated upon exploring the innumerable ways a person can experience an awful and exquisitely painful end: the bad death. [...]