“The glory of young men is their strength, gray hair the splendor of the old.” (Prov. 20:29)

Ever wonder why God has given energy, strength and vigor to youth? Perhaps you have given it much thought. Just as you never really consider your health until you become ill, the gift of physical endurance isn’t weighed until it’s beginning to fade. And it happens faster than you think.

Do you ever wonder why God has given you this gift (and it is a gift) for this particular time in life?

Most youth waste their prime years in frivolous pursuits. They either devote all their energy and strength to vanity or they squander their allotted time in front of the T.V. being fantasy warriors.

Both trajectories are wrong, both are foolish. [...]

Former Denver Broncos coach Josh McDaniels’ decision to draft Tim Tebow in the late first round of the 2010 Draft drew a chorus of criticism from coaches, analysts and experts: “Tebow is not fit to be an NFL quarterback” “His throwing motion and release are suspect.” “He is too quick to run.” “His accuracy and consistency are questionable.” There were few believers and ample doubters.

Tebow played sparingly in ’10; the Broncos floundered and McDaniels was fired.

Now we come to 2011. Under a new coach and Kyle Orton as quarterback, the Broncos continue to languish and after five games they were 1-4. But with pressure from fans for the wildly popular Tebow to start and dim hopes for the playoffs, John Fox placed the hulking kid from Florida under center. And here we are, with three games left in the 2011 NFL season, the Broncos are 8-5 and 7-1 under Tim Tebow. He is the focus, the lightning rod and wonder of the National Football league.

With improbable, seemingly miraculous comebacks, unconventional and unprecedented style of play, it’s accurate to say we’ve got “Tebow Mania”. Tebow has continued to confound critics, most of who’ve become believers. He’s mesmerized spectators and opponents alike.

But the magical play of this gridiron gladiator is only half the story. Tim Tebow’s conspicuous faith has warranted as much; or more attention than his antics on Sundays.

Tebow’s bowing on one knee to pray has become a verb in the English lexicon: Tebowing. Images of him on one knee and praying fill the newspapers and websites. His praise and glory to Jesus Christ is heard in every interview. Tebow discusses Christ as much as the game itself.

Since when does one’s religion have so much to do with a sport?

Critics have demeaned Tebow for his faith. Former Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer said he would have more respect for Tebow if he wouldn’t talk of Jesus Christ every time he completes a handoff.

Tebow’s response to Plummer was gracious and respectful. Even when he was mocked by various Detroit Lions players as the Broncos were pummeled earlier this year, Tebow was neither vindictive nor accusatory towards them. Moreover, he wasn’t deterred in continuing to pray in the same fashion.

Most Christians are enthralled by a professional athlete upright in character and vocal for Christ. Tebow endorsed a Pro-Life commercial; never shown during the Super Bowl in ’10. He proudly and unapologetically told reporters he was a virgin. He has been insistent on praising God first and then his teammates –drawing attention away from himself.

Tebow is everything a Christian hopes they would be if they were in his position –and what most of us honestly question if we actually could. Tebow is in a position of temptation none of us will probably ever face. It’s hard to imagine the kind of pressure he faces in all realms. To be faithful to Christ amidst that kind of limelight is no walk-in-the-park.

I believe, without a doubt, that God’s favor is on the man. I believe his improbable comebacks have been divinely ordained. I believe that God honors Tim Tebow because Tebow honors Him. His uncanny athletic ability and electric play have warranted attention all over the U.S.

And what’s happening in all this? God is being glorified through the character and play of Tebow. People are discussing publicly –and certainly, pondering introspectively, the correlation between his faith and results on the field.

I’ve always cringed when I see fans at games praying for their team during the final seconds of games. I find that trivial and frivolous considering it’s an athletic contest were talking about.

But with Tebow, I find myself praying for Him to win. Not because I care if he makes the pro bowl, or because I love the Denver Broncos or even because he’s a Christian (there are many Christians in the NFL) but for no other reason than God is exalted and glorified when Tebow plays.

Tebow acknowledges Christ before men.  People look at Tebow and he directs their attention to God. His faith and his play are not mutually exclusive. They are seemingly synonymous.

We should pray for Him. We should pray that God’s name is lifted up and people might come to Christ; directly or indirectly through his witness.

We should pray that he does not fall –that God will make him stand, that Satan will not be victorious.

And we should be challenged to attribute all the good we do and experience to Jesus –and find ourselves Tebowing.

After spending two days camping in Yosemite National Park (It was an amazing trip. I highly recommend you visit, especially if you live in or near California) a group of seven guys including myself had to leave after a torrential thunderstorm left our tent under 3 inches of water. We had hiked half dome that day and were drenched while hiking the 9 miles back to camp. Nevertheless, it was a blast. Of the eight, five of us had come from Florida for the weekend. The plan to stay in the park till Monday however, was thwarted.

With sleeping bags soaked and a miserable cold night ahead, we packed up our soaked gear and headed towards San Francisco looking for a hotel to stay in. We eventually found a Motel 6 to crash in late Saturday evening. On Sunday morning, we decided to spend the day giving the Florida guys a tour of San Francisco.

We wanted to find a church to worship in that morning so we drove to the city and found a place to park (never an easy task) and entered a Victorian era building rented out to Reality Church. The congregation was a church plant less than 2 years old. The demographic was primarily young professionals under 40. The worship was amazing, the preaching solid and Holy Spirit was present.

For the opening prayer, one of the pastors prayed for the good of the city as well as God’s mercy and blessing. Seemed like a typical prayer for a church in any given city or town except for the fact that it is the notoriously immoral west coast city.

In a true ironic twist, we were in San Fran during a homosexual rally that was to be held on Folsom street that day. Reality church was in the heart a predominantly gay district.

On our way to worship we saw men holding hands, cross dressers, flamboyant suggestive outfits and the like. While most of our time was spent on the Pier 39 in the tourist areas we witnessed many scenes that I will not even repeat here. It was a real taste of a modern day Sodom and Gommorah.

Seeing these things greatly bothered us as Christians and as men.

I couldn’t help but think of Paul’s words in Romans 1:27, “the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.”

And while the gay aspect of San Francisco took the spotlight in most people’s eyes, we found ourselves brought back to the worship service earlier that morning.

We worshipped God with 300 other Christians who love Jesus and his Word. The pastor prayed for blessings and mercy on that place –knowing full well what was going on outside that day.

I invariably thought of Abraham pleading with God to spare Sodom if only a few righteous people were found. In San Francisco we realized not only did the number exceed ten, but that the body of Christ was growing there –and influencing their community with the truth of the gospel.

It gave us a newer perspective –a less pessimistic and fatalistic one.

What we witnessed was contrast. It was light in darkness. It was Jesus in a lost world.

John Piper stated about 15 minutes ago in a tweet, “Seriously, as before, may you fare well, Rob Bell.http://dsr.gd/otctwX.”  Bell is stepping down as the lead pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church, reports Christianity Today.  Click on the link above for the full scoop.

Interesting enough, Bell is stepping down as pastor right after he released his ever controversial book, Love Wins, this past year.  Should be interesting to see what Bell does now!  What books will he put out?  What speaking tours will he now go on?  What controversy will he find himself in while trying to stay as far away from debate as possible.  There is one thing for certain — whatever happens, Bell will probably happily find himself there.

-GG

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 @TrevinWax Trevin Wax
Worth a Look: Donald Miller on the best writing advice he ever received http://ow.ly/6zjJO
 

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@Jonathanakin Jonathan Akin
I was interviewed today by Fox News & @toddstarnes about the SBC name change. Read it here fxn.ws/noGbF5

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@drmoore Dr. Russell Moore
Moore to the Point: An End to Trickle-Down Worship bit.ly/pTfL8y
 

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 @washingtonpost The Washington Post
#Netflix erases 12 months of massive growth, opens at 52-week low wapo.st/qIuX7D
 

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@wired Wired
Google+ is now open for all. Let’s see if people still want inside the club when the velvet rope is gone. rww.to/nU4qVY

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@JohnPiper John Piper
Part one of a video conversation with Kevin DeYoung on gospel passion and a passion for godliness. dsr.gd/rk5DdG

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 @albertmohler Albert Mohler
New at Conventional Thinking: “Will the Southern Baptist Convention Change its Name?” Should it? http://ow.ly/6zabI

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This is a great video.  WARNING:  I wouldn’t watch this unless you were old enough to stay up past midnight.

Returning to the U.S. after two years as a missionary in South America, I’ve embraced opportunities to share the gospel wherever I’m at. It has been an eye-opener to the broad spectrum of eclectic and contradictory worldviews. Among those I’ve witnessed to, a surprising and recurring theme has been the belief in reincarnation. I know what you’re thinking: “Of course, he’s out in California, what else did you expect from the land of fruits and nuts?”

I’m not going to run to the defense of my state or the misguided beliefs of some the populace. I will however, accept that reincarnation is what many non-Christians profess to hold to. So in order that I competently defend the faith, it follows that I know a little about this widely-held religious belief.

Hinduism among other non-Western religions posits the concept of Karma. You’ve heard it before, “what goes around comes around”. Sounds pretty accurate right? You get what you deserve. It even loosely parallels the golden rule: do to others as you would have them to do you. Of course, the implications of Karma are far deeper.

The “going and coming around” part is a major component of reincarnation. Do good deeds and when you die, you will become some form greater than your current one. Do bad and the opposite will happen. There is a never ending cycle of rebirth. Everything that dies becomes something different. There is ceaseless continuum of second chances.

Now I like that. Don’t get it right this time? There’s another chance to start over again and work my way up the ladder.

When discussing Christianity and reincarnation with three men; all over 70 years old I addressed their syncretistic worldview. Whether they understood it at first, they were not living in accordance with Hindu teaching. They were doing what most people do, taking the parts of Christianity they like and omitting what they don’t. I proceeded to show them how.

I make no pretense of being an expert in eastern religion. I have studied them on a surface level, primarily for apologetic purposes. But what I do know was sufficient at the time.

If you hold to the view of reincarnation, then it follows that history is cyclical. Christianity, on the other hand, holds to a linear perspective. Everything that has happened in the past is final. Everything happening now matters. God has appointed a time when history will come to a close. This means your life, what you think, say and do is of eternal importance.

With reincarnation, history is not only meaningless, because it’s cyclical, but your life is as well. Think about it. So what if you decided to be a violent criminal for “this” particular life? Or maybe just a self-absorbed hedonist? When you come back as an ant, live the best life you can and you’ll advance to someone or something better. Interestingly enough, no one wants to live in a world with people who think like this.

When talking with the three men on why I disagree with the viability of reincarnation I pointed out the concept of justice. The caste system is predicated on the belief that an individual’s present life is a result of Karma. A lower-caste individual is where they are because of a punishment for sins in a past state. The rich are where they because of apparent good deeds done prior.

So when it comes to helping the poor, caring for the handicapped and afflicted, why would you interfere with Karma? They’re getting what they deserve! There exists no plausible reason to reach out and alleviate suffering.

Of course, when I pointed this out, the men animatedly agreed the downcast should be helped and it would be a gross error to say sickness of any sort is a punishment for past sins. But here we see a plagiarized Christian worldview. Jesus told his disciples who asked if a blind man was that way because of his or his parent’s sins that it was so the glory of God might be displayed in his life that he was born that way (John 9:3).

When I see the world, when I search my conscience and when I read scripture I find reincarnation unviable. I am thankful that I am under grace, not Karma. I deserve God’s wrath, not salvation. History has meaning and so do our lives. What you and I do has eternal implications.

There are no second chances. Every second matters. Now is the time to follow Christ.

“And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many shall appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.” –Hebrews 9:27-28

And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created them. And God blessed them; and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky, and over every thing that moves on the earth.” –Genesis 1:27-28

When a college or high school group discussion turns to marriage and the question “so how many kids do you want?” it is unlikely for many to say more than “three.” Why would anyone want more than that? It’s financially impractical. It’s too much work. Nobody does that anymore. Besides, young people are bombarded with a secular worldview predicated on pleasure, leisure, and self-gratification. Although most Christians have smaller families and no one really questions why, it’s important to weigh our choices against what Scripture actually says.

When we read the Bible, we see a clear understanding of family, children, and mankind’s role on earth. God gives Adam and Eve a command to fill the earth with his image bearers. He blesses them by making them fruitful. God is pleased with a planet full of his crowning creation. Sadly, a close examination of contemporary Christianity reveals a worldview less like Genesis and more like Hollywood.

The prevalent opinion is that pregnancy is something to be prevented or protected against to insure quality of life. An Institute of Medicine panel recommended that the U.S. government require health insurance companies to cover birth control for women, without copayments, as “preventive care.”In the last fifty years, wealthier nations (notably Western) have boasted of the alleged correlation between a country’s wealth, life expectancy, happiness, and its low birth rates. It would appear that the most satisfied, fulfilled, and carefree life is one without children. But a declining population in all Western nations, excepting the U.S. and Ireland, has brought the issue to the forefront. A disproportionate aging population is putting a strain on economies trying to support retirees. Moreover, a proliferating Muslim demographic is on pace to overtake many European countries. More children would be the plausible solution to these problems. Interestingly enough, we see God’s Word supports having bigger families over smaller ones.

But what parts of Genesis should be taken at face value? God’s speaking the world into existence? Definitely. God’s creation of man in His image? Certainly. God’s creation of male and female to become one flesh in marriage? Positively.

But what about the little passage in verse 28, “Be fruitful and multiply”?There are many passages and promises in the Bible that I enjoy and love to quote, yet there are others that I would omit from the Ryan Rindels Standard Version (RRSV). Of course, the problem is not with the Bible; it’s with me. When I read the text my natural response would be to doubt the viability of having a big family. The objections range from insufficient finances to time devoted to each child. I realize however, God’s plan is superior to my own and that if he in fact, commands this, he will adequately equip me for it.

What is clear and undeniable upon reading Genesis is God’s plan for mankind to fill the earth with his image bearers. There’s no reason to believe that this intention has become outdated and inapplicable. Sadly, however, many American Christians have bought into the secular world’s materialistic, small-family system. Though such thinking may seem convenient, it is not only unbiblical, but it offends common sense, especially for the future of society. The 2.1 child-per-woman minimum birth rate is necessary for a population not to decline, much less, increase. For more on this, read an article I wrote a year ago: http://theveritasnetwork.org/2010/09/12/procreation-an-intended-blessing-of-sex/.The current U.S. birthrate is hovering just at the 2.1 replacement level.

Most secular nations worry about an insufficient workforce to support retirement programs like social security. Even without a biblical worldview, societies realize more children need to be born, and more than just two per family. But even with tax breaks and other generous incentives the statistics show the birth rates are still below the replacement level.

So when the marriage and family discussion with any Christian prompts the answer “God is calling me to only have two or one children, or maybe not any at all,” I would seriously question if that is God’s voice, especially when such a system is not only insufficient to maintain an economy but also runs contrary to the mandate in Genesis 1. And yet, it seems there are more and more Christians hearing the same message about having fewer kids.

An unmarried friend with whom I grew up in church was seriously considering havinga vasectomy at age 21 simply because he didn’t like kids. I was appalled.

Is this the Christian view of family? Birth rates for American evangelicals are no higher than the rest of the country. I’m bothered by this.

Children are a blessing from the Lord. The Bible consistently and amply supports this. As for birth control, the Bible is not explicit. However, I believe the best answer is understood by examining the scriptural pattern. It’s apparent that the burden of proof is upon those who would artificially limit what God created—not the other way around. You cannot read the biblical passages regarding children, family, and fruitfulness and then successfully justify having few or no kids.

As Christians, we need to repent of our rebellion against God’s plan for the family. To have many children is to bringforth bearers of God’s image, to raise ambassadors and warriors for His kingdom, to bless the nations, and to contend with its enemies at the gate. Let’s get back to the biblical understanding of family and challenge this dwindling generation.