"The State of Preaching Today" by Al Mohler

Mohler, in his commentary on preaching, mentions some promising signs of reform in favor of more expository preaching in evangelical pulpits but he also provides a list of five concerns that could hinder the witness and testimony of the North American Church. I for one am thankful that none of these elements are a problem at CBC.

Great Quotes: Patrick Henry

"It is when people forget God that tyrants forge their chains."

"Get Your Teens Rewired" by Chuck Colson

If you have teenagers back in school Colson gives you some things to think about.

“Engaging Ideas” by Michael Craven

Michael Craven rebukes an ever so common trend amongst modern evangelicals: they know what they believe (although I question whether this is true) but they don’t know why they believe what they supposedly believe. In fact, some of these fellow evangelicals in my own circle deny the responsibility and imperative for the Christian to defend the faith once for all handed down to the saints (Jude 3). I would like to hear the “why” of such a view.

“Empty Legacy- MTV Turns 25” by Chuck Colson

Colson highlights MTV’s 25 year anniversary and its ongoing legacy of futility.

"When the Heart Gets What It Wants-Life Lessons from Woody Allen" by Chuck Colson

In his commentary Colson exposes Woody Allen's nihilistic worldview which provides the foundation for Allen's quote:

"It's very hard to keep your spirits up. You've got to keep selling yourself a bill of goods, and some people are better at lying to themselves than others. If you face reality too much, it kills you."

Nihilism Defined:

• "The rejection of objective moral values and structures, literally 'nothingness'." C. Stephen Evans
• "A denial of all objective grounds for truth. A belief that existence is basically senseless and useless, breeding often to destructive tendencies in society or in the individual." Francis Schaeffer.

“Vanity of Vanities- The Source of Happiness” by Mark Earley

He might not have had big screen TVs in his bathroom by I don’t think Solomon spared any expense although later in life he lost his indulgent consumer mentality and under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit declared those hedonistic material pursuits to be nothing less than vanity.

Ecclesiastes 5:10, “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income. This too is vanity.”

How can man be satisfied?

Ecclesiastes 2:25, “For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without Him?”

Truth and Consequences: “Should Christians Go To War?” by Chuck Edwards

As we ponder the war on terrorism and pray for those involved in the fight let us consider what the Biblical view of war is. Here in his commentary Mr. Edwards provides a synopsis of what that view might be.

Breakpoint: "The Professor and the Punk Rocker- Is Belief in God Good, Bad or Irrelevent?" by Chuck Colson

Are we as Christians called to give a well thought (reasonable) out defense of the Christian Faith and worldview when called upon or are we called to the ministry of apologetical impairment(Acts 17:16; Romans 12:1-4; 2 Corinthians 10:4-5; Colossians 2; 1 Peter 3:13-16; Jude 3)? In his commentary Colson provides a testimony from an encounter between a Christian professor and a Punk Rockin atheist.

"A Pact With Death? Why the Christian Worldview Matters" by Al Mohler

Try to read these passages before reading the commentary by Albert Mohler. These texts provide the Biblical view of human dignity:

Genesis 1:26; Genesis 2:4-25; Genesis 9:6; Exodus 20:13; Exodus 21:22-23; Psalm 139:13-16; Proverbs 24:11-12; Jeremiah 1:5; Mark 1:41; 1 Corinthians 6:12-20

Breakpoint: "Islamic Fascists? What's In A Name?" by Chuck Colson

I'm not going to comment on the commentary but I do want to provide a couple of quotes to strike up some interest:

"The expression 'Islamic fascism' is used in order to distinguish between ordinary Muslims and the perpetrators of terrorism. It serves also to make a point that our enemy isn’t Islam itself, but a particular kind of Islam that perpetrates terrorism and tyranny. These are the distinctions that groups like CAIR ought to be supporting."

"As Stephen Morris of Johns Hopkins recently wrote, fascism’s goal is to 'achieve national greatness' through totalitarian control of both political and social life; it seeks to create an empire; and it 'aspires to re-create a mythical past.'"

"Why we fight?" by Kevin McCullough

In his commentary Mr. McCullough exhibits two wars that Americans are involved in: On the Western front we have the war with secular and mystical humanism and on the Eastern front the war against Islamic fascists.

Worldview Bible Commentary: Proverbs 19:2

The context of chapter 19 consists of the author explaining what the moral and ethical life should be for those who follow the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Can I know anything? The first part of verse 2 says that “it is not good for a person to be without knowledge.” This implies that knowledge and understanding can be obtained otherwise it would be acceptable for one to be without knowledge because knowledge would not exist. Of course this begs the following question: If knowledge cannot be obtained (as some postmodern philosophers argue) then how would they know that knowledge of objective truth doesn't exist?

In this context the knowledge the author is referring to would be knowledge of God’s objective moral standard.

How do I know what I know? We know what we know because the “All Knowing Knower” knows all things and by His grace He has given us the ability to know what He chooses to reveal to us through general revelation (nature) and special revelation (Scripture).

Is truth relative or must truth be the same for all rational beings? Do objective moral values exist? In verse 2 you find a statement indicating a relationship between knowledge and ethics. In this passage one needs knowledge in order to live a godly (ethical) life. Two points are implied here. We dealt with the first in question one. The second implication in this text is the reality of there being an absolute moral(truth) and ethical standard that is not relative to the knower. If it were the case that there was no such thing as this absolute moral standard then there would be no way an individual could hurry “his footsteps” into “error” literally referring to sins. There would be no error or sin without the standard. The one without knowledge of moral and ethical truth (God’s standard) will get in a hurry and commit his steps of life to sin and error.

Slice of Infinity: “Typical or Exceptional?” by L.T. Jeyachandran

Jesus Christ: Was He typical or is He exceptional?

Breakpoint: “The Clash of Civilizations” by Chuck Colson

The days of tolerance for radical Islamic fascism should be over and this commentary helps explain why.

“Postmodernism: A Kairos Movement?” by Michael Craven

Many solid conservative evangelicals possess a fairly negative view of postmodernism (my self included) but maybe there are some points in the postmodern worldview that we need to appreciate. Let me illustrate my point by providing the following quote from Craven’s commentary:

“But in fact, we all posses certain presuppositions based upon our contextual experiences that shape our interpretation of the facts. Our presuppositions often only rely on reason up to a point from which we all inevitably employ a form of faith. Thus human reason alone is limited. So according to the postmodern, both the Christian and the Atheist hold to beliefs that ultimately rest on faith. This is true. Postmodernism restores faith [revelation] as a legitimate source of knowledge equal to the modern's logical positivism, which limits knowledge to only scientifically provable facts.”

Breakpoint: “Preparing For the Mahdi” by Chuck Colson

Why should the current state of Iran concern us? This commentary helps answer the question.

Breakpoint: "Preparing For College By Reading The Bible" by Chuck Colson

The issue this commentary deals with illustrates the need for parents to not only teach their children the Scripture but also require the consistent (if not daily) reading of the Word of God. It is the responsibility of the parents and the Church to provide children with biblical education- not the state.

Slice of Infinity: "Three Objections" by Betsy Childs

In her commentary Betsy Childs provides three good arguments against the worldview that considers this material universe to be all there is. This is one article to file away in your folder labeled “Apologetics.”

Breakpoint Commentary

"Preparing for College By Reading the Bible" by Chuck Colson

Worldview Bible Commentary: Psalm 89:11-12

Psalm 89:11-12, "The heavens are yours; the earth is yours; the world and all that is in it, you have founded them. 12 The north and the south, you have created them; Tabor and Hermon joyously praise Your name."

*What is God like? Both verses point out two things about God. One, He is the Sovereign LORD of the universe. The text states that the heavens and the earth are His exhibiting ownership and lordship- two foundational points for any monarchy. Two, the text also indicated that God is creator of all the universe. The author’s use of the word “founded” personifies this idea of creation.
*Are God and the universe the same? Verse 11 and 12 testify to the truth that God, being the owner and creator of the universe, is distinct or better yet transcendent and not to be equated with the universe. This of course is the antithesis of the monism (all is one) and pantheism (all is God) that you find in the Eastern religions and the New Age movement of the West.
*Where did the universe come from? The text says that it came from the Creator and LORD of all things.

Slice of Infinity- 8/10/06 Topic: World Missions

"The Lion's Share" by Rob Schawarzwalder

Music and Sex: Suprise! They're Connected! by Mitali Perkins

Can music influence our moral behavior as Mitali Perkins suggest in her article “Music and Sex: Surprise! They're Connected!” Can the arts influence our worldview? Read what Andrew Fletcher once said: “Let me write the songs of a nation, I don’t care who writes its laws.”

Chuck Colson said "The best way to overcome banality is to demand something better- to seek out, as Paul wrote in Philippians, whatever is noble, right, pure, admirable, and to 'think on these things.' Paul is commanding us to discipline ourselves to reflect on excellence. And he doesn't limit that to spiritual things, either. The command applies to everything- the music we listen to, the books and magazines we read, the films we watch."

The Biblical View: Exodus 35:30-35; Philippians 4:8; 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (this text tells us what we are to do with those false worldviews presented in the arts that are "raised against the knowledge of God"- Verse 5: take them "captive to the obediance of Christ.")

Breakpoint: "The Eliminators" by Chuck Colson

Here are two questions to ask yourself before reading this commentary:

1. Do human beings have any intrinsic value?
2. If human beings do have intrinsic value where does it come from?
3. The Biblical View: Genesis 1:26; 2:4-25; 9:6; Exodus 20:13; 21:22-23; Psalm 139:13-16; Proverbs 24:11-12; Jeremiah 1:5; Mark 1:41; 1 Corinthians 6:12-20.
   

Breakpoint: "Censoring Science" by Chuck Colson

This serves as Chuck Colson’s view of the evolution and education controversy in Kansas. Here we have more of the Ad Hominem (see previous entry) fallacy by the Secular Humanist camp.

Colson makes the following comment in his commentary concerning the controversy being about philosophy rather than about science: “They (students) will not be told that the teaching of origins is controversial because really it is not science, but about the philosophy of naturalism. There is no verifiable science (incomplete fossil record) about how life began- something students will not be told.” What does Colson mean by such a comment? Naturalism believes that knowledge of the universe comes not only from evidence but also observation and testing of that evidence. The problem naturalists face is that there is no such clear evidence that their view of reality is true therefore it logically follows that the controversy is not about science but is about philosophy which at times works with assumptions or presuppositions when it comes to acquiring knowledge of reality. Philosophically speaking naturalism must make certain assumptions about how the universe began without the existence of clear evidence which is the very thing that they criticize Christian theism for having to do. Let us provide an accurate and balanced presentation of the evidence for the origins of the universe and I would say, if this were to take place, the side of creation and intelligent design would be the hands down winner- Scientifically and philosophically speaking.

Logic Fallacy: Ad Hominem

Editorial
The Evolution of Kansas(The New York Times)

Published: August 3, 2006
"The seesaw battle over state science standards in Kansas seems to have tipped back a bit in the direction of sanity. In Tuesday’s primary elections, moderates who subscribe to the theory of evolution won just enough races to guarantee them a slight majority on the school board after November’s general election. That should make it possible for them to overturn the benighted science standards pushed through by conservatives on the board last year in an effort to undercut the theory of evolution.
We’d be inclined to rejoice in this evidence that Kansas may be rejoining the modern world were it not for the state’s disturbing habit of backtracking from teaching evolution whenever the anti-science ideological faction gains the upper hand.
At least the standards that Kansans are arguing over have gotten less appalling over the years. Back in 1999, a board dominated by conservatives expunged from the standards any mention of evolution as an explanation for the development of humanity. It tossed out the Big Bang theory of the origin of the universe as well. That lunacy was ended when voters rejected three of the board members responsible, but the conservatives regained the majority in 2004 and pushed through the current standards by a 6-to-4 vote last year.
Those standards leave evolution in the curriculum and shy away from explicit promotion of either intelligent design or creationism as alternatives. But the standards do their best to cast doubt on evolution by stressing supposed weaknesses in the theory. In some cases, the standards incorporate arguments and terminology associated with the intelligent design movement. Even worse, the standards incorporate a new definition of science that seems to open the way for supernatural explanations. Fortunately, the standards have yet to take effect, so they are likely to be trashed before they do any harm.
With the education of young Kansans hinging on whether the board is controlled by moderates who accept the theory of evolution or conservatives who are skeptical of it, the cause of science would be well served if the pro-evolution side could gain a greater majority. Voters will have another chance in November to oust two Republican conservatives who collaborated in the board’s attacks on the bedrock theory of modern biology."

This article represents the irrational insult plagued rhetoric of the Secular Humanist community who refuse to present an actual argument but instead resort to continuous insult. The editorial serves as a sufficient example of the Ad Hominem fallacy which is where someone attacks an opponent's character, or his motives for believing something, instead of disproving his opponent's argument.

Worldview Bible Reading Part III

In order to conclude our look at Worldview Bible Reading let’s examine the three remaining worldview elements:

3. Knowledge: Can I know anything? How do I know what I know? What do I know? Is truth relative or must truth be the same for all rational beings? Can we know God?

4. Ethics: Why is an action right or wrong? Do objective moral values exist? How should we live?

5. Humanity: What does it mean to be human? Do humans make free choices or are they determined? Does physical death end human existence? Are human beings totally depraved or are they inherently good? Do human beings have any value?

I want to point out that this list of questions is not an exhaustive one. I wanted to provide you with some basic questions to ask of the text in order to help build a Biblical worldview. It is one thing to say that you have a biblical worldview but yet another thing to know why. This way of reading the Scriptures will help you see the world through a biblical pair of eyeglasses.

In summary, when studying or reading the Word of God ask what this passage says about…
· God?
· Reality?
· Knowledge?
· Ethics?
· Humanity?

As we pursue to build a Biblical Worldview may we be ever so diligent to “sanctify Christ as Lord in our hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.” (NASB- Update).

Worldview Bible Reading Part II

1. In the conclusion of Part I of “Worldview Bible Reading” I said that I was going to provide two definitions for the term “worldview.” I’m going to go ahead and give you three of the best definitions I could find. All three of them came from prolific writers and speakers of worldview issues. The first is by Ronald Nash, one time professor of philosophy at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville Kentucky. He writes “A worldview, then, is a conceptual scheme by which we consciously or unconsciously place or fit everything we believe and by which we interpret and judge reality.” The second definition is provided by James Sire, an author and instructor of the Christian worldview. He writes “A worldview is a set of presuppositions (assumptions which we may be true, partially true or entirely false) which we hold (consciously or subconsciously, consistently or inconsistently) about the basic makeup of our world.” Third, David Noebel of Summit Ministries writes that a worldview is “any ideology, philosophy, theology, movement, or religion that provides an overarching approach to understanding God, the world, and man’s relations to God and the world.” A much more simple definition could be the way in which we view the world. Now, it would only logically follow that Christians should view the world through the “biblical eyeglasses- the Word of God” we have been given by the Sovereign God of the universe.
   
   Every worldview contains beliefs or views concerning five basic elements: God, Reality, Knowledge, Ethics, and Humanity. The Word of God provides for us a way to view all of these elements. In order to build a biblical worldview we can use the “Worldview Questions” as we study and read the Scriptures. For today I will list two of those elements along with the questions that go with each one. How does the text you are reading or studying answer these questions?
   1. God: Does God exist? What is He like? Are God and the universe the same? Is God personal or is He impersonal? Is there more than one God?
   2. Reality: Does the universe have a purpose? What is the relationship between God and the universe? Is the universe closed (like a closed box with nothing outside of it interacting with it) or open (an open box with interaction between Creator and creation but yet the two are distinct)? Are miracles possible (can’t be in a closed system)? Is the universe made with preexisting matter or was it created by God from nothing (a declaration of His Word)? Where did the universe come from? Is the universe eternal?
   
   **In tomorrow’s conclusion of “Worldview Bible Reading” I will provide you with the three remaining elements and their respective questions.
   
   

The Christian Mind by James Emery White

This is an excerpt (Chapter 1) from White’s book “A Mind for God.” His recollection of the dialogue he had with a couple of ladies at Oxford University alone is worth the read.

Worldview Bible Reading Part I

Most of us, when studying the Word of God, have been trained to ask certain questions of the text. Here are some of those questions:

• Who is the author?
• Who are the recipients?
• What is the date of the writing?
• What is the purpose/theme of the book?
• What is the historical context of the writing/passage?
• What is the literary context of the writing/passage?
• What do I observe?
• What does it mean?
• What does it matter?

We have also been taught to ask the five “W’s” and an “H”- Who, What, When, Why, Where, and How? Again, these are basic questions to ask of any given text when studying God’s Word. Now, I am not saying that every time we read the Scriptures that we must ask all of these questions. I would not discredit the simple devotional reading of God’s Word. Although, I would argue that to truly gain an in-depth understanding of the Word of God one must study it in a more in-depth way by using these questions and respond to the Scriptures by providing answers for them.

I would now like to present another way (in addition to the method above) of reading God’s Word. It’s called “Worldview Bible Reading.” We are now living in a time when it is of the utmost importance to understand the way in which our God would have us view the world. What better way to do this than by asking what I call the “Worldview Questions” of the Scriptures?

**Tomorrow I will continue with a couple of definitions of the term “worldview” and follow up with a few of those “Worldview Questions.”

The Vanishing Ecclesiology by Dr. James Emery White

I hope this article is both an encouragement and a wake up call for you as it was for me. First, it was an encouragement to me in that I began to better appreciate the reforms (Semper Reformata) that have taken place in the last five years at Cornerstone Baptist Church in the pursuit of being more biblical ecclesiastically. Second, the article provided somewhat of a wake up call for continued apologetic, reform, teaching, and discernment in the local church with the hope of moving beyond to a more universal context. If you love the church both on the local level and on the universal level this article is a must read.