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Counterfeit Gods

Tim Keller has a new book coming out October 20th entitled, 'Counterfeit Gods.' The main point of the book is Idolatry, and the primary ways it is manifested in American life. This is obviously, a much needed subject of discussion in our culture. I have tried to read everything I can get my hands on by this man, and I would encourage you to do the same. The first chapter of his new book can be read here.

Quote of the day

Admittedly this is more for pastors, but any one of them will tell you it's true:

C. J. Mahaney: “”There is no romanticism in sermon preparation. I’m 56 years old and it’s still hard. I always get to a point in preparation when I think, ‘This sermon stinks . . . and we are running out of time!’”

HT: Justin Taylor

The Nativity: When God Came Down

The Nativity: When God Came Down from Erick Sorensen on Vimeo.

For just the audio click here

How to Introduce Christ to a Room Full of People

What's missing?

The Pain of Forgiveness

Just read this story about Lisa Gibson, a woman whose brother was killed in the Lockerbie airplane bombing 20 years ago. This week while Gadhafi was in New York (rambling on about nonsense mind you), Gibson requested a meeting with him to express her forgiveness towards him for her brother's death.

Here's a snippet:

"I welcomed him to America," Gibson told CNN.

The 39-year-old Colorado Springs lawyer said she and another relative of a Lockerbie victim went to see the controversial figure in New York on Wednesday, the same day he delivered a rambling speech to the U.N. General Assembly.

Calling herself an "ambassador of reconciliation," she views the encounter as the latest step in a journey to build bridges between Libyans and Americans -- a mission energized by her strong Christian faith.

"I wanted him to know there were some people out there who've lost loved ones who have a different vision and different heart," she said. "He warmly received us."

The article goes on to tell us that in no way does Gibson say what was done is okay, but that reconciliation is still necessary.

My guess is if you're like me there is a part of you that cringes at this. Gadhafi doesn't deserve forgiveness; he's a cruel dictator and thug. Yet, the reality is if anyone waited until someone "deserved" forgiveness, well, forgiveness wouldn't exist.

In order for real forgiveness to happen, the wrongs done must be absorbed by someone. Just as Jesus absorbs our wrongs on the cross (even while we were still sinners like Gadhafi) so we are to respond like Gibson, with forgiveness towards our enemies.

Supernatural?

Quote of the day:

"Jesus' healings are not supernatural miracles in a natural world. They are the only truly 'natural' things in a world that is unnatural, demonized and wounded."

- Jurgen Moltmann

How big is His grace?

Dr. Veith has a great little post today about the life, crimes, conversion and recent death of Manson family member Susan Atkins:

One night in August 1969, Manson dispatched Atkins and others to a wealthy residential section of Los Angeles, telling them, as they recalled, to “do something witchy.”

They went to the home of Tate and her husband. He was not home, but Tate, who was 8{ months pregnant, and four others were killed. “Pigs” was scrawled on a door in blood.

The next night, a wealthy grocer and his wife were found stabbed to death in their home across town. “Helter Skelter” was written in blood on the refrigerator.

“I was stoned, man, stoned on acid,” Atkins testified during the trial’s penalty phase.

“I don’t know how many times I stabbed (Tate) and I don’t know why I stabbed her,” she said. “She kept begging and pleading and begging and pleading and I got sick of listening to it, so I stabbed her.”

She said she felt “no guilt for what I’ve done. It was right then and I still believe it was right.” Asked how it could be right to kill, she replied in a dreamy voice, “How can it not be right when it’s done with love?”

The matronly, gray-haired Atkins who appeared before a parole board in 2000 cut a far different figure than that of the cocky young defendant some 30 years earlier.

“I don’t have to just make amends to the victims and families,” she said softly. “I have to make amends to society. I sinned against God and everything this country stands for.” She said she had found redemption in Christianity.

The last words she spoke in public at the September hearing were to say in unison with her husband: “My God is an amazing God.”

Veith concludes by asking the question "So are you comfortable with her being your sister in Christ?" I will ask you the same.

Jesus takes our filth

This enlightening and sobering little clip from Pastor Mark Driscoll tells us what really was going on when they offered Jesus a drink on the cross:

The Love of the Father

The following is an ad for John Macarthur's DVD curriculum "A Tale of Two Sons" . I haven't read his book nor have I seen the DVD, but as I watched this video I was struck once again by the awesome picture we are given of the Father's love for his lost children.



HT: Justin Taylor

The Rescue: The Fall

The Rescue: Paradise Lost from Erick Sorensen on Vimeo.

For just the audio, click here.

And if you prefer to read, here's the manuscript:

Genesis 3: The Fall

Poor Joe Wilson...

The first 5 minutes of this SNL clip from last night is excellent (however I don't know about the last 5 minutes; didn't watch it.):

Take and Read

I've been meaning to promote a couple different magazines for awhile, but just haven't gotten around to it 'til now. First up there is a fantastically done magazine called Salvo. Intellectually rigorous, aesthetically appealing and challenging to everyone's comfort, the magazine is put out by some of the smartest thinkers in Christendom. The emphasis in this mag is about confronting the culture around us. Read it.

The second magazine that I must highly recommend is Modern Reformation put out by Michael Horton and the guys over @ White Horse Inn radio show. Always thought provoking, with great guest writers, the mag is the most quality theological writing around. Read it.

David Robinson: Childhood hero

When I was a kid I was a huge fan of "The Admiral" David Robinson. I didn't like his team (cuz they competed with the Lakers), nor was I drawn to his flashiness (he really wasn't that flashy in comparison to most other players). The reason I was a huge fan of his was because of his persona.

Of course I didn't know him at all, but the character I saw on the court was a person who played according to the fundamentals of the game (not really valued to much anymore), worked hard (was always in terrific shape) and was genuinely a nice guy. But that was just his "court persona." We all know that often times what people have chosen to reveal in public is far different than what goes on in private.

The other day Robinson was inducted into the Hall of Fame and best I can tell, he really is the real deal. Humble, grateful, thankful, and worshipful (Robinson is a confessing Christian). Watch the clip below to see what I mean:



Interestingly enough, on the day of the induction speech, I missed David Robinson, but caught Michael Jordan. His speech, and the interview that followed saddened me. Why? Go here to find out. What's the big difference between the two men? Gratitude.

Collision

COLLISION - 13 min VIMEO Exclusive Sneak Peek from Collision Movie on Vimeo.

Sermon Notes

For a little while now there have been a few weirdos out there (you know who you are) that have requested I make available my actual sermon notes from the previous week's message.

I suppose it was probably pretty easy to do, but I had never taken the time to find out how to make documents available online, until now.

Go here and you can read last week's sermon on 'God's Original Plan for You,' from Genesis 1-2.

Update: Link fixed

Things Didn't Used To Be Like This...

The Rescue: God's Original Plan from Erick Sorensen on Vimeo.

For just the audio click here.

The Future of our Church Body

Our Denomination (The Church of the Lutheran Brethren) has released a couple of really well done videos describing the goals for our future. At our last Annual Convention we voted for the changes being described and I for one am excited.

The first video about 'The Church as Family' was actually personally convicting for me as I was reminded of some of my own failures in emphasizing this important aspect of Church life. Recently, Victoria Community has sought to address these shortcomings (more regular contact between Church members, seeking to make more new members, refreshments and meals after Sunday morning services, the 90 day Bible challenge, and more regular Bible study groups). May the Lord draw us nearer to Him and to one another as a family locally, regionally, nationally, and globally, that we might effectively accomplish His mission to bring the gospel to all the world!

NextSteps: The Church as Family from Micah Nordtvedt on Vimeo.

The second video is all about the new 'Regional Pastor' that will work with the various congregations to accomplish God's mission more effectively together. Again, in my mind, a very positive development:

NextSteps: The Regional Pastor from Micah Nordtvedt on Vimeo.

Once again, Micah Nordvedt has done an excellent(!)job creating these informative videos. What a blessing to have his talents used for our benefit.

Remember

I was on my way to work @ or around 6:00 a.m. when I turned on the radio. The station was Air-1. Usually the morning show was full of bad jokes and silliness, but not today. The first plane had just flown into the World Trade Center, and the D.J. was obviously flustered. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

I quickly turned it to a news station, KABC, and heard the voice of Peter Jennings. At first they were questioning whether it was an accident; no one knew what had happened. Then I heard someone over the radio say in the background 'Oh my God!' loudly. They announced that the second plane had hit. Jennings somberly said something to the effect of "We now know that this is no accident. We are under attack."

It had never been so clear to me so fast that everything I had known in my life was about to change.

Where were you when it happened?

Exodus?

I believe that the E.L.C.A. is due for a significant loss of membership over the next few years (due to their vote to allow homosexuals engaged in homosexual relationships to be ordained as Pastors).

There is evidence that this exodus is already starting. On Veith's blog he has had more good analysis of the situation from people inside and around Lutheran circles. Yesterday, he linked to a devastating piece written by one of the E.L.C.A.'s big name theologians, Charles Benne. Here's an excerpt:

Those in the orthodox camp warned the assembly not to vote on binding church doctrine, especially if it had no convincing biblical or theological arguments to overturn the moral consensus of the one holy, catholic, and apostolic church held throughout the ages and by 99 percent of the world’s Christians. Such action would identify the ELCA with a rapidly declining liberal Protestantism while departing from orthodox teaching and practice. Strong arguments against the Social Statement and policy recommendations were made by pastors and laypersons—bishops were for the most part silent—to no avail. The church left the Great Tradition of moral teaching to identify with the United Church of Christ and the Episcopal Church. . . .
“There is nothing but the social gospel,” shouted a voting member at the assembly. But that is certainly not Lutheran doctrine. The various programs of social change taken to heart by the church are human works in God’s left-hand reign, having to do with the Law, not the gospel. Rather, the real gospel is clear: the grace of God in Jesus Christ is offered to repentant sinners condemned by the Law and then called to amendment of life by the Spirit. Liberating efforts in the realm of social and political change are possibly effects of the gospel, but certainly not the gospel itself.
But the ELCA has accepted the social gospel as its working theology, even though its constitution has a marvelous statement of the classic gospel. The liberating movements fueled by militant feminism, multiculturalism, anti-racism, anti-heterosexism, anti-imperialism, and now ecologism have been moved to the center while the classic gospel and its missional imperatives have been pushed to the periphery.
The policies issuing from these liberationist themes are non-negotiable in the ELCA, which is compelling evidence that they are at the center. No one can dislodge the ELCA’s commitment to purge all masculine language about God from its speech and worship, to demur on the biblically normative status of the nuclear family, to refuse to put limits on abortion in its internal policies or to advocate publicly for pro-life policies, to press for left-wing public domestic and foreign policy, to replace evangelism abroad with dialog, to commit to “full inclusion” of gays and lesbians at the expense of church unity, and to buy in fully to the movement against global warming. Though it is dogmatic on these issues, it is confused about something as important as the assessment of homosexual conduct. Yet, it acts anyway because of the pressure exerted by those who want to liberate church and society from heterosexism.
But how did the liberal Protestant agenda replace the Christian core? There are many reasons, a good number that many American evangelicals share with Lutherans: a culture moving quickly toward permissive morality; the self-esteem movement leading to cheap grace; lay individualism combined with apathy toward Christian teaching; an obliviousness to church tradition and to the voice of the world church; and, above all, the loss of an authentic principle of authority in the church.

More from this article @ Christianity Today.

Thank you President Obama

Just read excerpts from the President's speech to school kids. Loved it. Said exactly what should be said. The controversy over the President speaking to these school children could have validity if there were propaganda for his own personal views in it. There is in my opinion, very little to none of that.

The speech calls kids to strive in their education, work hard and get their eyes off of "X-Box" and T.V. all day long. Hooray!

If you'd like to read the speech it's linked here.

Creation

The Rescue: In the Beginning... from Erick Sorensen on Vimeo.

If you'd like just the audio click here.