One interesting aspect about pastoring is the necessity of jail visits. Whether they be congregants or more broadly-based “jail ministry” visits, pastors often find themselves visiting people in jail. One would think that the reality of being imprisoned for your actions would make a person ready for the hope of the Gospel.

Yet over the years, I’ve found an interesting phenomenon. As I began to notice it, it became more apparent. Many people do not associate their actions with the consequences received. This has often been the case with jail visits, even some who have admitted their actions claim they don’t belong in jail. Yet this idea is not limited to our judicial system, one merely needs to attend nearly any broadly evangelical church in America to find people who think this way.

We see this manifest in many areas of life. We’re told that discipline must not be extreme but that it must build up self-esteem. We’re told that spanking is barbaric and old-fashioned. Children play video games in which they are trained to try and escape consequences. Television projects an aura of invincibility. Christians no longer hold one another accountable for their sin because we don’t want to be perceived as judgmental and pastors no longer preach about sin or its consequences, instead opting for an approach which would have us believe God simply wants us to have our “best life now.”

Once we begin to see the practical consequences removed from discipline and daily life, it’s no wonder that we no longer want to hear about sin. When everything around me is telling me that it’s all about me, and that I’m the final judge even of right and wrong, who are you to place your views on me? Even when I do something society might agree is wrong, I shouldn’t be punished. Maybe a slight slap on the wrist, but nothing lasting please.

The result in the lives of many professing Christians is that they live exactly like the world except they might attend a gathering once a week. In reality, these gatherings often resemble country clubs more than they do the Bride of Christ. In opposition to this growing mentality, Scripture is quite clear about the fact that, not only do our actions have consequences, but that discipline is a necessary part of life (Deuteronomy 8:5, 11:2; Psalm 94:12; Proverbs 3:11, 5:23, 6:23). Proverbs 12:1 goes so far as to say:

Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
but he who hates reproof is stupid.

We’re once again reminded, not only of the necessity of consequences and discipline, but also of the primary role of the home. Proverbs 13:24 says:

Whoever spares the rod hates his son,
but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.

These aspects apply not only to the home, but also to the church. As the Body of Christ, we are to be so united that “there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together (1 Corinthians 12:25-27). This also means that we are to love one another enough to hold each other accountable. Jesus Himself gives clear instructions, saying in Matthew 18:15-20 that:

If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

We must notice several things. First, we must be able to recognize sin as such. Second, we must love boldly enough to confront our brother/sister when sin has been committed. This flies in the face of our understanding of a love that bears no consequences but Scripture is clear that this is no love. It is not loving to let others continue in sin. In fact, we are doing damage to their lives, possibly even to their souls.

So much of the Christian life is about balance and this is no exception. Yes, many have been judgmental and unloving. However, that does not mean we are free from these requirements. We must “speak the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15) and we must understand that love always brings consequences on sin. If there are no consequences for sin, then we are without hope and Christ accomplished nothing on the Cross.

Churches, pastors and Christians must be bold in confronting sin in love. Not to judge, that is not our place, but because if there are no consequences, there is no love.

I’ve written here repeatedly about the importance and influence of the family. The media recently gave us a startling reminder of these truths. By now many of you have probably heard of the teen twin-sister singing group known as Prussian Blue. The recent online ABC News piece begins: “Fourteen-year-old twins Lamb and Lynx Gaede have two albums, music videos, a DVD and devoted fans. But unlike most other pop sensations, their fans are not your typical teeny boppers — they’re white nationalists.” Among the more mild things they have said, the girls have been quoted as saying:

“We’re proud of being white, we want to keep being white,” said Lynx. “We want our people to stay white. … We don’t want to just be, you know, a big muddle. We just want to preserve our race.”

You read that right. For those of you who have not heard of these girls yet, you probably soon will. They are putting a new spin on the “singing girl” sensation and using it as a propaganda tool to spread their message of white supremacy, racism and hate. Lynx and Lamb have been using their vocal talents as a platform since the age of nine. This brings up a seemingly unavoidable question. If they have been preaching a message of race hate for five years, where did they learn it? They are not old enough nor have they amassed enough life experience to become embittered by anything other than being taught such thinking at home.

Their father says that is exactly what’s happened. Their father says that his estranged wife, their twins’ mother has been filling the girls’ heads with hate since the day they were born. In defense, the mother has said:

“They need to have the background to understand why certain things are happening, I’m going to give them, give them my opinion just like any, any parent would.”

The girls believe and proclaim that Hitler was a good man and have appeared in publicity photos with Ku Klux Klan wizard David Duke. The girls’ father says: “”It’s just horrible, I want it to stop. I want them to not say ‘Heil Hitler.’” While it’s easy to decry the evils of racism, for Christians there is a deeper lesson in these facts: we possess tremendous influence over our children.

We must be clear and remember that we cannot ensure anyone’s salvation. We cannot talk anyone, not even our children into salvation; we cannot secure such things for anyone. However, with that being said, we can never minimize the importance of the home in the Christian life. We can never underestimate the truly high calling of parenthood. If two twin sisters are able to have such an impact for evil, think of the impact to be had if Christian parents truly appreciated the weight of parenthood. In fact, Scripture often adopts warfare imagery when referring to the raising of children. Consider Psalm 127:4-5:

Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

Though not using warfare imagery, Deuteronomy 6:4-9 reiterates the extent to which we are to take the biblical training of our children:

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

As Jay Younts says, we are to make biblical instruction part of our “everyday talk.” We must understand what a privilege and what a responsibility it is to raise children and we must take the home seriously. Though I don’t want to denigrate our country without cause, having travelled to China and Africa last year, one of the things that struck me was how important other cultures consider family while Americans do nearly all they can to minimize family. We turn our children over to public schools as soon as possible, we farm them out to organized sports and we use television as a babysitter.

The facts of Prussian Blue serve as a stark reminder of what’s possible when parents take their influence seriously. Churches must equip parents and parents must step up. There is no greater ministry than the home and our children are the test of whether or not we believe this to be true.

• Read the ABC News story on Prussian Blue
• Visit the official Prussian Blue website
• Read “Everyday Talk” by John Younts
• Read “Thoughts on Family Worship” by J.W. Alexander

For those of you who know me, you know that I typically carry 3×5 notecards with me (no, I don’t carry a pocket protector, and no I didn’t carry a briefcase in high school). I use these for Bible verses, for notes, quotes and other assorted jottings. For quite some time I’ve had a notecard on my desk with a quote on it that I for some reason didn’t reference. The card had a handwritten quote and the reference “page 160.” The quote read:

“Because we have approached faith through the lens of science, the rich legacy of art that once flowed out of the Christian community has dried up.”

I had a fairly good idea of where the quote came from, so I went to my bookshelf, pulled a book, turned to page 160 and continued reading:

“The poetry of Scripture, expecially in the case of Moses, began to be interpreted literally and mathematically, and whole books such as the Song of Songs were completely ignored. They weren’t scientific. You couldn’t break them down into bullet points. Morality became a code, rather than a manifestation of love for Christ, the way a woman is faithful to her husband, the way a man is faithful to his wife. These relational ideas were replaced with right and wrong, good and bad, with only hinted suggestions as to where right and wrong and good and bad actually came from. Old Testament stories became formulas for personal growth rather than stories to help us understand the character and nature of the God with whom we interact.”

I have mixed feelings about Donald Miller, author of Blue Like Jazz, Searching For God Knows What and other “relevant” books. I also have difficulty with much of the “pre-,” “modern,” and “post-” language, particularly when it comes to hermeneutics and the application of Scripture. However, There was a reason I jotted down that quote from Miller. I agree with much of what he is saying.

Several years ago I had the opportunity to teach two extended (totallying about 18 weeks in all) sessions of the Adult Bible study at Sovereign Grace Bible Church in Phoenix, AZ. The topic was an introduction and application of Biblical Theology and the Redemptive Historical heremeutic. I used a quote from Hodge’s Systematic Theology in which he compared theology to a science, in fact arguing that theology was the highest of all the sciences.

At the time I took his statements to mean that theology was the chief of all endeavors (which I believe it to be). However, I don’t think I grasped the implications of his use of the term “science” to describe theology. I didn’t grasp the implications of a rationalized approach to Scripture and the proof-texting that comes with it. Now, don’t misunderstand me, I do think that theology is the highest of all possible pursuits. I’m just not convinced that “science” is the right way to think of theology.

Miller argues that because we have tried to explain and compartmentalize so much of Scripture, it’s mystery, possibly even its majesty has vanished, and thus the wellsrping of artistic inspiration that it once was for believers. As I look at the anemic state of “Christian” arts, I tend to believe that marketing and propaganda are not the only culprits.

There tends to be a different mindset when one approaches a “science,” we immediately limit ourselves to engaging the head rather than the heart. This is exactly the way many otherwise well-intentioned believers approach Scripture in general and doctrine in particular. We expect to find a formula in everything and we act as though we’ve missed the point when a text doesn’t break itself down into three easily alliterized points. Fundamentally, much of this is because we bring with a “scientific” mindset that makes us believe that we can understand absolutely anything if we simply set the right parameters for the examination. What we’re forgetting is that we are finite grappling with the infinite.

It’s one thing to rationally accept God at His Word when he says in Isaiah 55:9: “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts,” but it’s another to grasp the full truth of this, to let it wash over our souls, ignite our passions and fuel our humility. Scripture is so much richer, so much deeper than we often allow it to be.

Yet how do we overcome this mindset when it’s all that many of us have ever known? How do we move beyond rationalizing, proof-texting and systematic theology? I think this is where many of the emergents go wrong. We don’t do away with these things. Instead we recognize their limitations, but we also recognize their value. Systematic Theology is necessary and it should be beautiful. Rather than throw out the head, we reconnect it to the heart and we realign our lives with hearts on fire for God. When more Christians understand the beauty of God as much as the sovereignty of God, we will see the return of art because our souls can’t help but sing “a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him (Psalm 98:1).

• Buy Donald Miller’s books
• Buy Charles Hodge’s Systematic Theology
• Buy books by Geerhardus Vos

It’s often said that bad company corrupts good morals. What happens when the company you’re keeping is way beyond your league? Actually, I’m quite humbled to be included in this “Pastor’s and Theologians Forum on the Emerging Church.” Nine Marks Ministries has devoted their most recent newsletter to the topic of the emerging church and I had the privilege of contributing an answer to the question of “What do you hope will ultimately emerge from the emerging church conversation for evangelicals?” My answer is included among answers from D.A. Carson, Mark Driscoll, Carl Trueman, Michael Horton and others. What a humbling experience to see my name amongst men I so highly respect.

In addition to the aforementioned forum, they have provided several helpful resources for trying to understand and deal with the emergents (remember, in the interest of fairness, these are from a Reformed viewpoint) including another forum featuring contributions by the ubiquitous J. Ligon Duncan and others. Enjoy:

• Read Justin Taylor’s “An Emergent Primer”
• Read “The Emerging Consequences of Whose Ideas” (featuring comments from Greg Allison, J. Ligon Duncan and others)
• Read Mike McKinley’s Review of Mark Driscoll’s “Radical Reformission” and “Confessions” books
• Read Greg Gilbert’s review of Rob Bell’s “Velvet Elvis“

P.S. for those wondering, the photo is Paul Rodgers of Bad Company.

Fridays here are typically set aside for two posts. One of those simply chronicles some of the things that caught my eye over the past week. This one focuses more on the artistic side of life. God is a God of creativity and He has instilled in people the ability to create and we celebrate that to His praise. I typically try to link to the photography of several people (Steve McCoy, Joe Thorn, Will Turner, Joe Kennedy) who have now conveniently compiled those photographs in a central location. I also feature a poet, including a brief biographical account and at least one poem. Lastly, I typically highlight a musical artist, also featuring a brief snippet about them. The qualification here is that the artist must make at least one track available for free and legal download.

Today’s poet is also my first (to my recollection) repeat in this feature. I featured William Cowper some time in July which was not that long ago. However, it’s my blog and I’ll repeat if I want to! Cowper’s poems have often been a sourse of inspiration, particularly his honest in struggling with depression and his continual reliance upon the Lord. Today’s poem is aptly titled “Grace and Providence:”

Almighty King! whose wondrous hand
Supports the weight of sea and land;
Whose grace is such a boundless store,
No heart shall break that sighs for more.

Thy providence supplies my food,
And ’tis Thy blessings makes it good.
My soul is nourish’d by Thy Word,
Let soul and body praise the Lord!

My streams of outward comfort came
From Him who built this earthly frame;
Whate’er I want His bounty gives,
By whom my soul forever lives.

Either His hand preserves from pain,
Or, if I feel it, heals again;
From Satan’s malice shields my brest,
Or overrules it for the best.

Forgive the song that falls so low
Beneath the gratitude I owe!
It means Thy praise: however poor,
An angel’s song can do no more.

• Purchase William Cowper’s books

Today’s musical selection comes from a Canadian band calling themselves Below the Sea. Allmusic.com says of the band: “In the wake of Godspeed You Black Emperor!’s international success, many Montreal post-rock groups tried their chance, but none sounded as sincere and promising as Below the Sea. With members stretched between Montreal and Quebec City, this trio traded GYBE!’s pathos for a softer kind of melancholia more associated with shoegazing and added a touch of ambient electronics.”

The comparison really isn’t a fair one other than that Below the Sea is an instrumental band from Canada. They do not utilize the strings nor the soft to quiet approach, nor do they incorporate the overdone dramalogues that weighed so much of GYBE!’s music down. Instead we are presented with fine melodic instrumental pieces incorporating minimal electronic glitches over nice hooks.

• Download “Ceremonies”
• Download “Polaroids”
• Download “Slow Walkers”
• Download “We Waved Goodbye and Stared”
• Download “Tropic of Cancer”
• Visit the band’s official website
• Download the band from eMusic
• Purchase Below the Sea’s albums

Well, here we are at the crossroads. Well, maybe not exactly, but we’re at the end of another week where we’re able to look backwards and forwards. Trace the steps of my mouse (or at least my laptop mousepad) and see some what caught my eye this past week:

Read the New York Times‘ review of the new Bob Dylan album “Modern Times.”

Read the Times on-line’s account of David Sedaris‘ recent speaking tour.

Read the Daily News piece speculating that Tower Records might be closing its doors.

Read Popmatters‘ review of Tortoise’s new boxset, “A Lazarus Taxon” and interview with members Dan Bitney and Jeff Parker.

Read Pitchfork’s review of This Will Destroy You’s “Young Mountain” release, a current personal favorite.

Read Mark Driscoll’s thoughts on the mainline denominations.

Read Justin Taylor’s blurb regarding the recent Christianity Today’s cover story regarding Calvinism.

Read Michelle Malkin’s words as a conservative female consumer to the cosmetics industry.

Read Michael Medved’s thoughts on “Why the World Hates America.”

Sign up for eMusic, expose yourself to a world of new music and help me get free downloads in the process!

Look into my ears and see what I’ve been listening to at the Last.fm site which uses a plugin called “Audio Scrobbler” to track the music you listen to and then make recommendations on your established listening patterns.

Send a Bible to China through VoM’s “Bibles Unbound” program.

Become a drug dealer and help distribute AIDS medicines to Africa.

Read Pitchfork’s review of Tom Waits‘ recent Chicago stop along his “cicada-rare, brief summer tour of parts Southeast and Midwest.”

Read Pitchfork’s account of the recent duet by Sufjan Stevens and David Byrne which includes the curious (for Pitchfork) line: “it’s grace– not deed– that will get you into heaven.”

Read Jeremy Casella’s thoughts as he begins recording the new album.

Read Mark’s 12th installment of the “Wrestler of the Week” series, this time featuring “The Midnight Express.”

Read Mark Dever about the recent “Southern Baptist Mistake” of not considering the resolution regarding church membership.

Read Jim Hamilton’s thoughts on “Culture, Family Worship and the Church’s Worship.”

Read Taylor Worley’s meditations on a recent Francis Bacon/Damien Hurst joint exhibit.

Read Russell Moore’s thoughts on why many so-called “egalitarian” Baptist congregations don’t actually call women pastors.

For those of you who haven’t already heard, Derek Webb will be making his “Mockingbird” album availalbe for free download beginning September 1st. Go here.

Read the Austin City Limits Festival’s preview page about personal favorite Anathallo.

Read Mike’s post interacting with Tim Challies who interacts with a recent sermon by Joel Osteen on the importance of eating a good breakfast (that’s found in the book of Hesitations for those of you wondering).

Browse the Austin City Limits Festival lineup and schedule.

Register now for this years Fellowship of Reformed Churches conference, “Humble Orthodoxy.” Meet the preachers for this year’s conference and browse the schedule.

Read Kim Riddlebarger’s post “One More Time, Islam is No Religion of Peace.”

Read Dave Ferguson’s overview of Bill Hybel’s interview with Bono.

Read, read, read and read New Attitude’s four-part “11 Questions With Justin Taylor.”

Our culture often unconciously plays the word association game. You know, when I say a word, you blurt out the first thing that pops into your head. For example, at the word “supplement,” many people would immediately think of a nutrition supplement, something we take because our diet is somehow deficient. But Peter says something quite interesting in 2 Peter 1:5-8 which causes us to question the idea of supplements always fulfiling a deficiency:

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The first question we must ask is what Peter is referring to when he says “For this very reason.” It seems that he is drawing from the verses immediately prior (1:3-4) which discuss the fact that God has granted us “all things that pertain to life and godliness” and that through God’s “precious and very great promises” we have “escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire” This is the context from which Peter buids, beginning “For this very reason.”

Peter goes on to say that we ought to “supplement” our faith. This initially seems shocking, doesn’t it? Supplement my faith? Is Peter saying that faith is not enough? We know that Scripture does not contradict Scripture and that Paul says that we are “justified by faith” (Romans 3:28), so that is not what Peter means. John Piper says here that probably “the most important thing to notice here is that this command is based on verses 3 and 4 which are not a command but a description of what God has done for us.” In other words, God has already provided the strength, He has already provided the faith, therefore, we must pursue what follows, because we’ve already been given the ability.

This section is one where at least a slight knowledge of the Greek becomes helpful. It does not say that we should somehow “add” to our faith. Rather, it communicates the idea of an outflow or a furnishing. Peter seems to be saying that each of these progressive elements will flow from the previous and prove the existence of the preceding and that none can be had without the others. Piper argues that it might be rendered as:

“as you have obtained faith in Christ and stand in it, now apply yourselves diligently to advance in moral excellence, and as you stand in that do not be satisfied but press on to increase in your knowledge of God’s will, and as you stand in that do not be satisfied but be diligent to enlarge your capacities of self-control and mastery of your passions, and as you stand in that don’t be satisfied but cultivate every form of patience and serenity, and in that let devoutness and piety and sweet love to God flourish, and in that strive to kindle your affection for other believers, and in and through it all grow in love to all men.”

Again we are faced with a delicate balance. It is God who has provided the strength, but we must exercise it and we must grow. A true believer will not be stagnant, they will be growing and Peter tells us the specific areas where they will grow. As Peter continues, he reveals the earnestness of his plea. In verses 8 and 9, he says:

For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins

How judgmental and unloving are such words to our ears! How dare you judge the spiritual health of another believer we cry! Who are you to judge we whine! But Peter is clear, if we don’t have these qualities, we are blind and don’t understand salvation! He doesn’t say with certainty that the person in question is not saved, but he comes awfully close, doesn’t he? The implication here is that we are to love one another enough to prod and poke along the way. If we have these qualities (and we are increasing in them), we will be effective and fruiftul. If we lack them, we are blind and don’t understand salvation. Oh, our churches desperately need these stern words. Oh, how we need to be reminded of the drastic and complete nature of salvation!