Book Review” “Unfashionable” by Tullian Tchividjan

I have recently finished reading Tullian Tchividjan’s book Unfashionable. I thoroughly enjoyed every page of it and found it to be incredibly refreshing in light of the spiritual climate in which we live.

In this book Tchividjan uses his own personal testimony to help us understand what the world is really looking for in their hedonistic pursuits. He speaks very personally about the day he was converted, he emphatically states, it wasn’t the great music, it wasn’t a trendy preacher he remembers, it was the simple fact that he was confronted with God is a real, profound and life changing event. He then talks about the need of the Christian today is to put God on display in our lives.

The premise of the book, is that “Christians make a difference in the world by being different”. This is a great reminder for us today to remember that true conversion takes place when people see God in all His glory through the person and the work of Jesus Christ. People aren’t converted by great bands or trendy preachers who have a luke warm message. The key to conversion, Tchividjan points out is the Gospel.

He then challenges us to learn how to answer the questions of our culture with the Gospel. The Gospel lived out in the church (Christian community relationships) as well as the  culture around us. Gospel or kingdom principles lived out in our daily lives will have a profound affect upon the world around us.

The message is clearly that we do God and the church no good by compromising the Gospel for the sake of being missional. I highly recommend this book to everyone who has a desire to see their communities changed.

Skepticism Needs Evidence, Too

Melinda from Stand to Reason

Critics of Christianity – or any other number of issues – sometimes think that skepticism is the default position toward our claims.  Always posing questions and doubt, but never offering support for these.  They think skepticism is a safe default position despite an argument offered them.

Many critics of Christianity pose counterarguments and reubuttals of our claims.  But some merely pose questions to sow seeds of doubt and think they’ve done enough to dismiss Christianity.  Doubts and questions do not constitute counter-evidence.  Christianity and Christians offer a wealth of reasons and arguments of a wide variety to support our convictions and try to persuade others.  These cannot simply be dismissed with a shrug of the shoulders and a “what if” question.  Some questions are sincere inquiries for more information.  I’m talking about mere doubt.

This is a simple matter of epistemology and reason, not unique to Christianity.  Any position supported by evidence and arguments should be met by critics with reasons and arguments of their own.  If they only respond with skepticism, they’vedone nothing at all to to negate any of the justification for the other view.  At this point, one view has evidence to support it, and the other – and skepticism is a position about a view – has none.  The position that has been justified has the rational advantage.  The one that hasn’t, doesn’t.

“What if” questions don’t count as evidence.  All kinds of things are possible, but they aren’t likely or rational to believe.  If you have good reasons for Christianity, don’t be worried about mere “what if” questions that simply pose possibilities without reasons.

Skepticism isn’t rational in the face of sound reasons. Skepticism doesn’t automatically trump evidence. Skepticism needs it’s own evidence against other evidence.

If a belief under debate is, say, 60% likely because of the arguments in favor of it, then not accepting those arguments and the belief that follows from them needs to be explained at that point.

So Ambassadors, when critics respond to your explanation for why Christianity is true and rational by simply posing a skeptical question or objection, let them explain why the mere possibility of doubt trumps what you’ve carefully explained.  Let them carry the burden of proof for skepticism.  Let them persuade you, not just sow seeds of doubt by a shrug of the shoulders.

This is really an application of the Columbo tactic.  Why, in the face of all of these reasons, choose to be skeptical?  Let them explain for a change.  And don’t be shaken yourself by mere skepticism.

Single or Double Vision?

Samuel said, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your heart to the Lord and serve Him only” 1 Samuel 7:3

The nation of Israel had suffered a great and disheartening defeat at the hands of the Philistines. They had been unrepentant of their sin and presumptuous with the Ark, now they found themselves desperate, desolate and despised.

For 20 years they lived this way, paying no mind to the God who had given them so much. WE know not what immediately got their attention back on the Lord, perhaps it was the desolation of the land? Whatever it was, we are told in vs. 2 that they lamented after the Lord. What a great God, after the people had forsaken Him for an extended period of time, He was waiting patiently for them, using difficult circumstances in their lives to get their attention, all part of His will. He responds to them by sending Samuel to declare these great words to them.

If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your heart to the Lord and serve Him only”

Notice Samuel emphasises “If” and “all”…Their was a question as to how they were going to come. Their really is no other way to come back to the Lord. If we come, we must come with ALL our hearts. We must come with single vision, with an undivided heart, with a steadfast devotion. As Samuel said, “We must serve Him only”

Jesus says something similar in the Matthew 6, “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other.”

We can try to come to God with a divided heart, but it will be impossible to do so. We must come with heart set upon Him alone. We must come in brokenness and humility, “a contrite heart He will not despise” come no other way, until we do we will remain in a desperate, desolate and despised place.

Now is not the time…

Jesus spoke often of what would be happening in society preceding His return. He reminds us that no one knows the day or the time, but gave us a bit of insight in how to recognise the season. He says in Matthew 24:13 “Learn this from the parable of the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.”

Jesus also says in vs. 12, “…lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.” vs. 24, “false prophets and christs will arise and show great signs and wonders” vs. 37, “as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.“

Then Jesus reminds us in vs. 44 “Therefore you also be ready.” What a warning that Jesus gives us. You don’t have to be a genius to recognise that their certainly has been an increase and the love of many have grown cold. I pray that now is the time that we care not begin to play with dead things, things that are of the old nature. It is time to seek the Lord in a fresh way, desiring to be found busy and about His business, “Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.”

Cross-examining the Attorney

Sometimes we have to reframe a critic’s question in order to give an accurate answer.  The questions, Am I going to Hell if I don’t believe in Jesus?, is an example.  As it is asked, it makes it sounds as though Jesus were the problem, not the answer.  As though failing a theology quiz sends us to Hell.  Instead, we need to reframe the question to answer accurately and show that sin is the problem, and Jesus is the only way because He alone has solved that problem.  Sinners don’t go to Hell for failing petty theology quizzes.

While giving a talk at a local Barnes & Noble, someone asked why it was necessary for him to believe in Jesus.  He was Jewish, believed in God, and was living a moral life.  Those were the important things, it seemed—how you lived, not what you believed.

To him the Christian message depicted a narrow-minded God pitching people into Hell because of an arcane detail of Christian theology.  How should I answer?

Remember that the first responsibility of an ambassador is knowledge—an accurately informed message.  What is our message?

One way to say it is, “If you don’t believe in Jesus, you’ll go to Hell.  If you do believe, you’ll go to Heaven.”

That’s certainly true, as far as it goes.  The problem is it’s not clear.  Since it doesn’t give an accurate sense of why Jesus is necessary, it makes God sound petty.

So how do we fix this?  Here’s how I responded to my Jewish questioner.  I asked him two simple questions.

“Do you think people who commit moral crimes ought to be punished?”

He thought for a moment.  “Well, since I’m a prosecuting attorney…yes.”

“So do I,” I agreed.

“Second question: Have you ever committed any moral crimes?”

There was a slight pause.  This was getting personal. “Yes, I guess I have,” he admitted.

“So have I,” I confessed, agreeing with him again.

“So now we have this difficult situation, don’t we?  We both believe those who commit moral crimes ought to be punished, and we both believe we’ve committed moral crimes.  Do you know what I call that?  I call that bad news.”

In less than 60 seconds I had accomplished a remarkable thing with this approach.  I didn’t have to convince him he was a sinner.  He was telling me.  I didn’t have to convince him he deserved to be punished.  He was telling me.

I was tapping into a deep intuition every person shares: knowledge of his own guilt.  And I didn’t do it arrogantly or in an obnoxious, condescending way. I freely admitted I was in the same trouble he was.

Now that we agreed on the problem it was time to give the solution.

“This is where Jesus comes in,” I explained.  “We both know we’re guilty.  That’s the problem.  So God offers a solution: a pardon, free of charge.  But it’s on His terms, not ours.  Jesus is God’s answer because He personally paid the penalty for us. He took the rap in our place. No one else has done that.  Now we have a choice to make.  We either take the pardon and go free, or refuse it and pay for our own crimes.”

This approach reveals a very important sequence in making our message intelligible: First the bad news, then the good news.

There are other illustrations you could use to do this, but the sequence is critical.  It’s the way any good doctor proceeds.  And it was the consistent method used by the apostles.  Take a look for yourself.  In every one of the 13 times the Gospel was preached in Acts, the disciples used the same approach.

Why is this technique important?  Because it gives an accurate sense of why Jesus is necessary.  It shows that God is not trivial, but merciful, not petty, but kind, graciously offering forgiveness to those who desperately need it.

Taken from Stand To Reason blog: Greg Koukl

www.str.org

The Person and the Work of the Holy Spirit by R.A. Torey

In preparation for an upcoming series we are going to be doing entitled “The Comforter” I have been reading several books about the Holy Spirit, about a month ago I read a book called “Forgotten God” by Francis Chan which was a really great book. I am currently reading “The Person and the Work of the Holy Spirit” by R.A. Torey. It has been an amazing book and incredibly challenging, in how often we count the Holy Spirit out. We know that we need Him, but sometimes limit His role in our lives to minimal things. I have been reminded of all the different roles the Holy Spirit as a Person fills in our lives. I encourage all to seek and cultivate a deeper relationship and clearer revelation of the work that God desires to do in your life through His Spirit

Friends with God

And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him. Gen 5:24

This past week I realised how many “Facebook friends” Sandra and I have. I say “Facebook friends” because I am realising how many people we are friends with on Facebook that I don’t even know, and I wonder how well do they know me? If I didn’t have any family pictures would they know how many kids I have, do these Facebook friends know what kind of stuff I enjoy doing, what authors I enjoy?

Then I thought about my friendship with God, how well do I know Him, do I know what pleases and displeases Him. The remarkable thing about the Christian faith is that God calls us His friend. What kind of friend are you? Is God an intimate part of your life? If we could ask God what kind of friend you are, would He call you merely a Facebook friend?

Enoch was a close, intimate friend with God, he walked with God, and he was not. Let’s like Enoch seek and walk with God, let’s press into this friendship and be the kind of friend that we all look for in friends.

A New Perspective for you!

Why has God saved us and then left us here on the earth? Things could have been greatly simplified had God taken us then to be with Him. What is the point of remaining here in the world?

I believe there are a couple different reasons, but the one to mention today is this. God desires to work in you through every circumstance to make you more like Jesus, and to forge a life of deeper commitment to Himself.

Paul says in Phil 1:6. “Being confident of this very thing, He who has begun a good work in you will be faithful to complete it.”

That’s where we find ourselves today, in that process of being completed. Whether it is troubles in our profession, family, or marriage. God is NOT looking to make you and I happy, but to make us holy, like Jesus. It is a process of refinement, that is often times difficult challenging, but we have great promises to find rest in.

Paul says in Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him..” you see, all things, but we can’t stop there with that verse, because in verse 29, we find the purpose of this last verse, “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son.“

God is looking in all our trials and challenges to make us more like Jesus the Christ. You and I can cooperate with Him and allow Him to do this work, or fight and find ourselves in greater difficulty. Allow God to make you and I more selfless and humble each day.

The Blessedness of Having Nothing!

I have recently been challenged to consider the Lord’s blessings in our lives. The very things that God has given us as blessings, if not handled with care can become the very things that lead to our demise. Blessings from the Lord can steal our hearts, love and affection from the Blesser.

I was reading a portion from The Valley of Vision, it read, “Lawful blessings are the secret idols, and do most hurt; the greatest injury is in the having, the greatest good in the taking away.”

The blessings of God upon the children of Israel are the very things that lead to their demise, what God gave, become more important that God Himself. We are all vulnerable to this very things, if God’s blessings steal our trust in Him and love for Him.

Are there things in our loves that we trust or love more than God Himself, if so, those things, professions, titles, people, activities have become secret idols in our lives. We would do well to purge the attitude that we have towards them.

Where are you rooted?

Inevitably the roots of our lives will be planted into something. What is that in our lives? What should that be in our lives?

A root is part of a plant normally below ground, it’s unseen to eye. As passionate followers of Jesus Christ, our lives are to be rooted in Him. Often, our roots are in other things, such as profession, wealth, family, children and many other things. But when those things change inevitably our foundation will also change.

But, if our roots are in God regardless of our circumstances,we can stand firm and we can remain intact, spiritually, emotionally and physically.

The prophet Habakkuk wrestled with the circumstances that were going on around him in Israel. His situation was an unpleasant one and his profession was equally difficult. The word from the Lord that came to him was challenging. He knew that great difficulty and temporary abandonment was coming. There was a great trial on the horizon. But at the same time, he was able to see beyond the impending judgment to the future blessing.

His life was rooted not in his circumstances, but in his great God. Sink your roots into the Lord for we know that He never changes and He never fails, He alone is always faithful.

…I will wait quietly for the coming day

when disaster will strike the people who invade us.
¹⁷ Even though the fig trees have no blossoms,
and there are no grapes on the vines;
even though the olive crop fails,
and the fields lie empty and barren;
even though the flocks die in the fields,
and the cattle barns are empty,
¹⁸ yet I will rejoice in the Lord!
I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!
¹⁹ The Sovereign Lord is my strength!
He makes me as surefooted as a deer,
able to tread upon the heights.

Habakkuk 3:16-19