Students Need Our Support

It was fun to celebrate those graduating from H.S. over the weekend. I've been thinking about them a great deal as well as those are currently in college. They need our support.

Beginning July 15, we're offering 7 super weeks of summer for our students. I want to do what I can to support them by strengthening their faith in Scripture and who Jesus is. We're looking at the Truth Project as one offering. Have any of you viewed it? What do you think?

I've enjoyed listening and reading to some of Tim Keller's stuff. His book "Reason for God" is getting some mo right now. (Some thought-provoking sermons related to the book can be listened to for free here.)

What are the best books you've read that give solid answers to faith questions? Here are a few of mine:

• Why I am a Christian (John Stott)
• Mere Christianity (C.S. Lewis)
  
• Christ among other gods (Erwin Lutzer)
  

What History Tells Us

In spite of what we sometimes think...

• we did not invent worship music in the last 30 years
• we are not the only generation to face big advances in technology and shifts in worldview
• God did some amazing things before 1970
• there are some great preachers/teachers born before 1900 from whom we could learn a great deal
  

Over vacation last week, I read "The Sacred Anointing." This book focuses on the themes of Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones. His pastoral ministry lasted ~40 years from about 1929 to 1970. He continued mentoring, writing and speaking occasionally until his death in 1981. What a life, what a book!

He contended for the importance of what some call "unction", a preaching that bends toward a true dependence on the Holy Spirit to anoint the messenger. He encouraged those he mentored to never "grieve" the Holy Spirit. For him that meant, humble dependence. This was not simply a machination or a posturing for self-gain. He really didn't want to disappoint the Holy Spirit by misrepresenting His Word or by moving forward in human effort alone. One of the great quotes:
"To me there is nothing more terrible for a preacher, than to be in the pulpit alone, without the conscious smile of God."

I was challenged and moved by DMLJ's approach to the Scripture and his view of God. I couldn't put the book down, but maybe that's just me. Either way, I think we all need to take more notes from history.

Surrender

Prepping for prayer and teaching tonight... I've been thinking about surrender. We are awed by gifts. We are struck by talent. But what could happen with one man or woman fully surrendered to God?

How much do I need to defend God?

God is on the witness stand. The accusers have lined up:

• God does not explain why He does what He does
• His followers are sometimes mean and vicious
• His laws are too restrictive
• He allows bad things to happen

The church has been called on to defend God. So we do what we can. There are some amazing and bright minds who have dedicated their lives to that purpose: Ravi Zacharias and William Lane Craig are the top two on my list. I admire their knowledge of scripture and efforts to reason with the post-modern mind.

There is a place where questions still remain however, and that is where faith still stands. Because I believe in an omnipotent God I also believe that He knows things I don't. If we could explain everything God did and does, wouldn't we be God? His ways are higher. His thoughts are higher...not by earthly measurements but by heavenly. How much higher? Start with the closest galaxy for starters.

“Faith is deliberate confidence in the character of God whose ways you may not understand at the time.” (Oswald Chambers)