IMPORTANT NEWS BREAK!

Giant Potato weighs 22lbs!

Why the T4G Blog is Silent...

OH NOES! Challies has the scoop. However, it still doesn't explain the general silence on this blog.

Turn down that racket!

I have three thoughts:

1. I don't think the kids should necessarily being punished for being loud, but for playing...er...destroying AC/DC so badly.
2. I don't think that it's such a bad idea for the "old fogeys" to learn to appreciate modern music.
3. However, I also do think that its a good idea for the kids to learn to appreciate other music as well.
4. Barney? Barney?! Come on, that must be torture for the judge as well!
5. And I bet that judge was just loud and rebellious when he was a youngin'.
   

the remedy

Q: How do you prevent or recover from a cold?
A: Ginger tea!!

It will...
1. clear your sinuses
2. fight bacteria in your throat
3. taste good
4. make you feel better (as a result of 1-3)

so for all those students who will be getting sick as they return from thanksgiving break - stock up on this beautiful root (or on drinks made of this beautiful root) and enjoy!

for those who are interested, i have a box of ginger tea packets :D

In Recent News

Last night was our weekly large group meeting as usual. We were blessed to have Pastor Aaron Campbell from Antioch Church (affiliated with Calvary Chapel of Philadelphia) come and speak to us on Doing Everything to the Glory of God. Aaron's talk explored the glory of God - who He is and what He does. "Everything we do either carries the weight of God's glory or makes light of it."

On a more homey note..we have some new additions to 3500. Meet:

Chinwe - Sophomore studying business. Hailing from Nigeria for 2 years now.
Melodie - Sophomore studying biology. Currently on co-op with a pharmaceutical company in Exton.
Nyssa - Sophomore studying business administration. Messianic Jewish..how awesome!
Matt Marron - Sophomore studying computer science. On co-op in Center City working with IT.
Ben Raush - Sophomore studying software engineering. Is more or less nocturnal.
Matt Hartshorne - Junior studying material science engineering. Sleeps with a shotgun.
Nathan Lee - Sophomore studying computer engineering. Co-oping in West Chester for a fiber optics company (Chris Lester, Matt Kessler & Gerre Strait have all also worked there)

Coming in the Spring: Ali Hanes - Junior studying Film. Currently on co-op in Ireland.

The Swing - There has been a swing installed in the doorway of 1F. It can be tucked away for safe passage in and out of the apartment. Wonderful for any time of the day or year.
Bumper Pool Table - Also in 1F. New means of procrastination, competitiveness and fun. Imported from New Jersey.

"Thinking like a slave"

Team Pyro has a great post about why we need to be involved at church, explaining how those who make excuses for not being a part of a church share the same flaw that "every one of them views the Christian life as a process of negotiation."

Another key point:

You see? It's all one. Jesus is Lord, or we are. If we are, He isn't; if He is, we aren't.

You and I need to think like a slave; and not only a slave, but a crucified slave, who has died to his old master, and come to life for another.

Then you and I take our truckload of excuses and rationales and dodges and rationalizations, we say "Yep, I'm going to need help," we take them and ourselves to the Cross, we count ourselves dead to them, we plead for the enabling grace of God...

...and we obey.

View the post here.

Interviews on teh Interwebs

So, I found this interesting interview from WCU's TV station from earlier this year featuring some people we sknow. Somehow it found its way onto the web.

Part 1



Part 2




Part 3

Today Is November 7...

...and don't you forget it.

Somehow...

...I think this may have happened if whether or not the Phillies won.

This Election May Require a Cold Shower Afterward

What I’m about to write is going to come off as very stream-of-conscious. It’s pretty much a couple of random thoughts I’ve had about the election, and I’m not quite sure how to structure it together. Essentially, however, I don’t think I’ll be able to step out of the voting booth on Election Day and not feel dirty.

The issues:

• The Vile & Shameless Campaign
• Courti...er...Taking Advantage of the Evangelical Vote
• Obama is the Messiah?
• Abortion & Third Party Candidates
• The Proper Perspective or Why I Really Shouldn’t Feel Dirty at All

1.) The Vile & Shameless Campaign

The ads, the mailings, the robocalls—the attacks have been pretty shameless. Were Presidential campaigns always this vile, or am I just becoming more aware of it? The mud has been flying back and forth nonstop between both parties, and we’ve been caught in the crossfire. I’m going to need a shower (and probably a new change of clothes as well).

2. ) Courti...er...Taking Advantage of the Evangelical Vote

I think it’s been the media’s joy to play up how the candidates are “courting the evangelical vote”. We’ve had the Saddleback forum (which was actually quite respectable). We’ve also had Donald Miller “praying” at the DNC (along with every other “emergent” Christian running to support Obama). We’ve also had John McCain choose Sarah Palin as his running mate (and it appears she has begun to go off script).

For awhile there, we had Huckabee. Truth be told, I like Huckabee and was initially hoping he would have won the Republican primary. However, I’m actually glad he didn’t win, for his own sake. Considering how vile this campaign has been, Huckabee has the ability to finish this election season with his dignity in tact.

3.) Obama is the Messiah?

I think it’s pretty safe to say that Barack Obama is not the second coming of Jesus Christ our Lord. The large quantities of people claiming that he is, however, are actually quite scary. Take a look at this:

If this weren’t serious, it would be hilarious (ok…the execution of the song still is sort of funny, but the message is not—the message is blasphemy).

4.) Abortion & Third Party Candidates

I think I’ve already made myself pretty clear that I won’t be voting for Obama. However, I’m not sure if I can vote for McCain either.

Barack Obama is most certainly not pro-life (even though some are claiming otherwise). However, McCain isn’t exactly pro-life either. He supports embryonic stem-cell research and the like.

There is, however a third-party candidate, from the Constitution Party, who is completely pro-life. Chuck Baldwin (the name of the candidate), could be a viable option. However, he doesn’t have chance of getting elected. If I would vote for him, I’d be taking a vote away from McCain, and essentially be voting for Obama.

Should I vote for the lesser of two evils and hope McCain wins, or vote for the most truly desirable candidate, knowing that he’ll lose?

If I vote for McCain, I may have sacrificed some of what the Bible has taught me, and I will feel dirty. If I vote for Chuck Baldwin, I may have thrown my vote away and towards Obama, and will feel dirty. If I don’t vote at all, I will have thrown my vote away and towards Obama, and will feel dirty. In any case, I’ll need a cold shower.

5.) The Proper Perspective or Why I Shouldn’t Feel Dirty at All

Despite these feelings, John Piper has come around to set things in their proper perspective. In a recent article (HT: JT), he says this about voting:

We should do it. But only as if we were not doing it. Its outcomes do not give us the greatest joy when they go our way, and they do not demoralize us when they don’t. Political life is for making much of Christ whether the world falls apart or holds together.

And this:

There are losses. We mourn. But not as those who have no hope. We vote and we lose, or we vote and we win. In either case, we win or lose as if we were not winning or losing. Our expectations and frustrations are modest. The best this world can offer is short and small. The worst it can offer has been predicted in the book of Revelation. And no vote will hold it back. In the short run, Christians lose (Revelation 13:7). In the long run, we win (Revelation 21:4).

And this:

There are joys. The very act of voting is a joyful statement that we are not under a tyrant. And there may be happy victories. But the best government we get is a foreshadowing. Peace and justice are approximated now. They will be perfect when Christ comes. So our joy is modest. Our triumphs are short-lived—and shot through with imperfection. So we vote as though not voting.

And this:

We do not withdraw. We are involved—but as if not involved. Politics does not have ultimate weight for us. It is one more stage for acting out the truth that Christ, and not politics, is supreme.

And this:

We deal with the system. We deal with the news. We deal with the candidates. We deal with the issues. But we deal with it all as if not dealing with it. It does not have our fullest attention. It is not the great thing in our lives. Christ is. And Christ will be ruling over his people with perfect supremacy no matter who is elected and no matter what government stands or falls. So we vote as though not voting.

By all means vote. But remember: “The world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:17).

Thabiti Anyabwile has also had a series of thoughts on the election.

We found confluence, but it's still not reliable...

Archeologists believe they may have discovered the ruins of copper mines from the time of Solomon's rule of the Israelites.

Key quote from Thomas Levy from the University of California San Diego who led the research:

"We can't believe everything ancient writings tell us," Levy said in a
university statement. "But this research represents a confluence between the
archaeological and scientific data and the Bible."

Interesting. Here is the full story.

Somehow...

...I think that in a school where the kids make pregnancy pacts, handing out free contraceptives is a bit pointless.

For the Engineers...

HT: JT

Fall Events for Cru

To our hundreds upon thousands of readers, here are the events that will be going on this fall for Drexel Cru.

New Student Move-In
We’ll be around helping new students move into the dorms. Email us at drexelcru@gmail.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it if you’d like us to help you out!

Find-A-Church
Meet outside Myers Hall at 10 A.M on the first three Sundays you’re on campus to learn about the churches in our area we attend. We all love our churches and find it is a vital part of our spiritual growth and ministry.

Fall Barbeque
After you are finished with classes your first day (Sept 22) stop by our barbeque for some free food and great music by the volleyball courts. The fun starts at 5 P.M.

Large Group Meetings
Every Wednesday night at 7:15 P.M. we meet on campus for a time of worship and teaching from a local pastor. These are great times of fellowship and teaching! To keep up with locations, stay tuned to www.drexelcru.com or email us at drexelcru@gmail.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Week 1 Party!
Come down to 3500 Hamilton Street at 8 P.M. on Friday for a night of music, dancing, fun, and other similar things. If you’d like a walk or need directions, email us at drexelcru@gmail.com.This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Small Groups
Every Monday or Tuesday night, we have small groups that get together to study God’s Word and read and discuss great books. For more info about times and locations stay tuned to www.drexelcru.com or email us at drexelcru@gmail.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Week 2 Party!
Same time and same place as the Week 1 Party. Another night of fun.

Fall Adventure
Meet in front of Myers Hall at 4:45 P.M. on Saturday, October 4 for an evening where we get out of the city and enjoy a night of corn mazes and hayrides. For more info, email drexelcru@gmail.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

As a side note, hopefully we'll be posting more regularly soon!

If Christians don't like it, maybe unbelievers will?

I Kissed Dating Goodbye

Idols and Evangelism

I enjoy searching through the Monergism website and I recently stumbled upon three messages by Tim Keller on evangelism. I'd encourage anyone to listen.

The first message deals with our own idols. Keller derives much of his talk from the book of Jonah. Jonah was called by God to Ninevah to preach message of repentance to the inhabitants there. Keller explains (through the story of Jonah) how our own idols affect us, how they should be confronted, and how it applies to evangelism.

The following two talks are also very helpful and practical. Keller gives helpful ways on how to communicate and what should be communicated when presenting the Gospel.

To check out the talks, just click here.

Bible Translations

Great post by Tim Challies today. Take a look.

Mike McKinley Is On Fire...Figuratively Speaking Of Course......And Some Apologies...

Dear Reginald,

My apologies for sending this to you so soon after my previous correspondence, but I thought that this next post from Mike McKinley on the 9Marks blog was interesting. It concerns the 4th of July in Church.

A quote for you:

I think in our culture the evangelical church (especially the Southern Baptists with our God and Country celebrations) is often synonymous with right-wing patriotism. So I think it doesn't serve the gospel well to make a big show of patriotism in our worship gatherings. My fear is that it will hurt the Christians ("I must be a good Christian, I am a patriot and have a yellow ribbon sticker on my car") and the non-Christians ("Being a Christian means being a good American").

I know that after not corresponding with you for such a long time, and then suddenly bombarding you with these messages, that you must feel quite confused. For that I apologize. I will attempt to be more consistent with my correspondence from this point forward, as long as nothing else distracts me.

Yours Sincerely With The Most Heartfelt of Thanks,
Jason

On Blog Slugs...er...Headlines

Dear Reginald,

I'm going to be perfectly honest, I'm not exactly sure what is going on here, but the title of this blog post from 9Marks caught my eye. I should probably read into it more.

Sincerely Yours,
Jason Michael McGovern

"You can't have a country where everybody lives in a nursing home."

Mohler explains.

Giraffe as Ringleader

To Whom It May Concern:

This is further proof that humans and all other animals are really no different and that created order is a bunch of phooey.

Perhaps Spain was right in giving apes human rights. If apes are people, than giraffes can be people too!

Sincerely,
The Gov'na

New Perspective on Paul - D.A. Carson

I don't know much on the New Perspective on Paul. I began listening through three talks by D.A. Carson which have been very helpful and interesting. He's speaking at The Clash and I'm looking forward to his talks. Carson is very smart and helpful in understanding this topic as well as others. You can listen to the talks here.

Who wants to buy this for Alex and I (and then give us back massages)?

Jeremy K., Alex, and I had each got a back massage on one of these today

Mr. Kessler

Bible Reading Plan

If you are looking for a Bible reading plan, here is one option. It goes through the New Testament and Psalms twice a year and the Old Testament once. Just click here.

John Piper's Short List of Scripture Memorization

At the New Attitude conference yesterday, Pastor John Piper encouraged us to memorize these several Bible verses to be ready for the fight in our thought life for faith and joy in God.

Anxiety:
Psalm 56:3, "When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you."

Uselessness:
1 Corinthians 15:58, "Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the lord, knowing that in the lord your labor is not in vain."

Weakness:
2 Corinthians 2:19, "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in your weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weakness, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

Guidance:
Psalm 32:8, "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you."
Psalm 25:8, "Good and upright is the lord; therefore he instructs sinners in the way."

Affliction:
Psalm 34:19, "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all."

Aging:
Isaiah 46:3-4, "Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been borne by me from before your birth, carried from the womb; even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry, I will save."

Perseverance:
Philippians 1:6, "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ."

Death:
Romans 14:7-9, "For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living."

Covetousness:
Hebrews 13:5, "Keep your life free from the love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.' So we can constantly say, 'The lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?"

Lust:
Matthew 5:8, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."
Psalm 84:11, "The LORD God is the sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly."

Bitterness/Anger:
Ephesians 4:32, "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."
Romans 12:19, "Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord."

Matt Kessler vs. Chris Fuhrman

Fear of God

J. Gresham Machen writes:

Even the Christian must fear God. But it is another kind of fear. It is a fear rather of what might have been than of what is; it is a fear of what would come were we not in Christ. Without such fear there can be no true love; for love of the Saviour is proportioned to one's horror of that from which man has been saved. And how strong are the lives that are suffused with such a love! They are lives brave, not because the realities of life have been ignored, but because they have first been faced — lives that are founded upon the solid foundation of God's grace. May such lives be ours!

Perfect love casteth out fear. But if it be our love which casteth out fear, our love is only a response to the loving act of God. "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." There is the culmination and the transformation of fear. "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men," says Jesus, "him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven."

Read the whole article here.

The "R" Word

Our own Joseph Stigora has an article on New Attitude's Web site about relationships. It's a very practical how-to guide.

"Read Proverbs, read Josh’s [Harris] books and pray a lot." Check.

"OK, stay calm. Try not to look like an idiot." D'oh! Back to the drawing board...

(Ladies, read Erin Sutherland's "The Gospel and Relationships for Girls.")

Cardboard Wars

So, below is a picture of our living room. Right now most of 3500 is covered wall to wall in cardboard....but it's for a good reason! Tomorrow Drexel Cru holds what we like to call "Cardboard Wars".



Essentially we dress in cardboard armor and hold a fake battle to garner attention. With a large crowd formed, the last man standing gives a Gospel presentation and plug's Drexel Cru's Alpha Course.

Below is a video of one of the first Cardboard Wars.

Together for the Gospel

Together for the Gospel is a conference for pastors and leaders put together by Albert Mohler, Mark Dever, C.J. Mahaney, and Ligan Duncan. You can listen to all the messages online here. They are free. Some of the other speakers include: John Piper, RC Sproul, Thabiti Anyabwile, and John McArthur. I haven't listened to any of the messages yet, but I'm sure they are worth the time.

Some Minutiae

Oh wow. It's been a long time, hasn't it? My apologies. So until something with more substance comes along...I hope this holds you over...ladies and gentlemen, I present, "The Minutiae Song"

To Be Fair...

...There have been quite a few posts here on Tim Keller lately. So, I offer up for your consideration another article (from Team Pyro), which offers up some thoughts on Keller, apologetics, and Hell.

A quote:

In fact, I think the problem with apologetics today is that too much apologetics is too apologetic. Too often, we actually come across as if we're saying, "Yeah, sorry... but I do believe this. Sorry. I know it's lame. It's true for me. You don't have to believe, if you don't want to. That's cool. But there you have it. Uh... Sorry!"

Well, I'm not sorry, and I don't think it's lame. In fact, I think unbelief is lame. Or I wouldn't bother with this whole take-up-your-cross and deny-yourself business of walking after Jesus. And there you have it.

Psalm 46

1 God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

8 Come, behold the works of the Lord,
how he has brought desolations on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the chariots with fire.
10 “Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

Evangelism Testimony #2

From someone else we know....

(HT: The Shambles)

Train Delays & the Sovereignty of God

New Attitude began publishing gospel-sharing testimonies. The first one just happens to be from someone we know quite well.

Demographic Slow Motion Suicide: Europeans are killing themselves!!!

Peter Robinson

With just a single exception, the non-Muslim population of every country in Europe now has a birth rate at below replacement levels. (The exception is Malta, and God bless it.) Why, I ask Bruce Thornton today on Uncommon Knowledge, do Europeans so steadfastly refuse to reproduce?

Because, replies the author of Decline and Fall: Europe’s Slow-Motion Suicide, “children are expensive. They require you to sacrifice your time and your interests and your own comfort. If your highest good is pleasure, if your highest good is a sophisticated life, then children get in the way. Why would you spend so much money and so much energy on children if your highest good is simply material well-being? That's sort of the spiritual dimension of the problem."

“The spiritual dimension of the problem.” There are so few children in Europe, in other words, because there are so few believers.

More here

(HT: Justin Taylor)

This is so messed up; sin.

More articles to follow on marriage & the family...

No "Sure" About It

Tim Keller writes:

...here is the way you can tell whether you are a Christian or just a moral person. A real Christian is a person who says, "it is an absolute miracle that God's loves me. "It's just a miracle that I am a Christian." This is actually an acid test; let me just lay it on you here at the end. There are two kinds of people that go to church: there's religious people and real Christians. And the way you can tell the difference is that a Real Christian is somebody who sees everything that comes as a gift. In other words a real Christian sees that you are totally in debt to God, but a religious person is someone who is working hard and making an effort and trying to be good, going to Bible studies and just saying "no" everywhere, and denying themselves a lot of pleasures, and so forth, and a religious person is someone who is trying to put God in their debt. That is the difference. A religious person is someone who is trying to save themselves through their good works. A religious person is somebody who thinks they are putting God in their debt since they have tried so hard. A Christian is somebody who sees themselves as in God's debt.

Here is the acid test: If you are a Christian you have a spirit of wonder that permeates your life. You are always saying "how miraculous", "how interplanetary", "how unreal". You are always looking at yourself and saying, "me a Christian ... incredible, miraculous, unbelievable, a joke!!! " but a person who is trying to put God in their debt - there is none of that spirit of wonder at all.

...If you ask a religious person who does not understand the grace of God. you say, "Are you a Christian?" They say "Of course I am a Christian, I have always been a Christian. Sure I am a Christian. " My friends, if you are a Christian there is no "sure" about it and there is no "of courseness" about it, not a bit.


You can read the rest of his notes here.

How to Sing...

Well, I think I may want to stop plaguing this blog with YouTube...but I'd like to finish with a quick lesson on how to sing with some of the guys in Drexel Cru......enjoy...



Also...I don't know the reason it's in b&w.

I'm Sorry...

Health & Wealth...

Piper explains:



HT: JT

Living Without Communicating

Here's a quick story from Donald Whitney in Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life:

I heard a story of a man who became a Christian during an evangelistic emphasis in a city in the Pacific Northwest. When he told his boss about it, his employer responded with, “That’s great! I am a Christian and have been praying for you for years!”

But the new believer was crestfallen. “Why didn’t you ever tell me?” he asked. “You were the very reason I have not been interested in the gospel all these years.”

“How can that be?” the boss wondered. “I have done my very best to live the Christian life around you.”

“That’s the point,” explained the employee. “You lived such a model life without telling me that it was Christ who made the difference, I convinced myself that if you could live such a good and happy life without Christ, then I could too.”

Extol the Son of God

The Son of God! the Lord of Life!
How wondrous are His ways!
Oh for a harp of thousand strings,
To sound abroad His praise!

How passing strange, to leave the seat
Of heaven's eternal throne,
And hosts of glittering seraphim,
For guilty man alone!

And did He bow His sacred head,
And die a death of shame?
Let men and angels magnify
And bless His holy name!

Oh let us live in peace and love,
And cast away our pride,
And crucify our sins afresh,
As He was crucified!

He rose again; then let us rise
From sin, and Christ adore,
And dwell in peace with all mankind,
And tempt the Lord no more:

The Son of God! the Lord of Life!
How wondrous are His ways!
Oh for a harp of thousand strings,
To sound abroad His praise!

George Mogridge, 1851

Josh Harris Encounter continued

Table Talk Continued...

Josh: Wow. All the way from Philly.

Someone: We went to VA first (aka. we got lost)

Alex: We found our way when we saw the Mormon Temple landmark. It serves as a guide.

Josh: That's ironic. A cult guiding your way. Maybe you should find a new landmark.

Alex: Yea, we saw a tree along the way, maybe that will work.

Josh Harris Encounter

Table Talk

Josh Harris: Hi

Jenny: Hi!

Josh: Whats your name?

Jenny: Jenny

Josh: Who are the rest of these folks?

Alex: We roll with Jenny

Josh: You guys should get t-shirts made that say that!

Jenny: I disagree

The rest: Ha-ha

Rick...

...has some big news.

Hollywood, the Gospel, and Pyromaniacs

Team Pyro has an interesting article on a recent episode of E.R.

Key quote:

As I've often observed and remarked: the most gifted screenwriters can concoct believable monsters, deviants, heroes, regular-joes, atheists, agnostics, all sorts of characters. But the believable depiction of a full-orbed Christian character is simply beyond them. Evidently they have never known (much less understood nor liked) even one credible, practicing, Biblically-faithful Christian. It's the one color missing from their palate — as starved for ideas as they are.

Survey: Americans switching faiths, dropping out

Interesting Article.


(HT: Chris Lester)

"The Pirate"

This is an old, but interesting, article from Boundless on online piracy. And so I ask (based on Justin Taylor's comment), has this become an acceptable sin to most Christians?

(HT: JT)

Spy Satellites & the Schuylkill River

In case anyone hasn't heard about the spy satellite containing a toxic fuel plummeting towards earth, well, there was a spy satellite containing a toxic fuel plummeting towards earth. Rest easy, though, it's been shot down.

However, while it isn't usually the best to dwell on the "what could have beens", I think I'll make an exception for this case. Let us speculate for a moment on what could have happened if the satellite crash landed (with all it's toxic fuel) in the beloved Schuylkill River.

Currently there are two theories:

1. The toxic fuel would have neutralized the already toxic water from the Schuylkill River, thus restoring it to a pristine condition. Vegetation would return, fish would swim, birds would sing...or...
2. The toxic fuel will mix with the already toxic water to mutate a seemingly harmless creature into a giant deadly monster that would attack Philadelphia!!!! The only way Philly would be saved is if an unsuspecting rowing team was also in the water at the time, causing them to mutate into a superhero rowing team!!!!

Does anybody have any other theories?

(HT: Will Haun, Chris)

Jesus Crashed My Pity-Party

Great Article written by my pastor Joseph Stigora!









excerpt...

But we don’t have to stay there. The way out of self-pity is not to sit off to the side with our head in our hands, looking dejected until someone is manipulated into asking us what is wrong (and sadly, I’ve done that!). The way out of self-pity is to repent and turn our eyes to Jesus Christ. The way out is to counteract the lie that God does not care with Scripture about his character, his mercy, his nearness and his cross. He reminds us that we can cast all of our cares on him because he loves us (1 Peter 5:5-7), Jesus tells us that the Father cares for the birds and that we are worth more to him than a bird (Luke 12:22-34) and that is how we see God’s grace each day. And above all that he does to sustain us each day, the grace of God comes to us in the fact that through his own sacrifice he has transferred us from a domain of darkness and into the kingdom of the Son who forgives our sins! (Col 1:13-14) When he is our focus, it brings everything else into perspective. Our confidence in the cross where Jesus dealt with our greatest need is enough to give us hope in all situations.

Eight Ways to Improve Your Daily Bible Reading

Full Article HERE

1. Prepare the night before
2. Pray
3. Same time, same place every day
4. Keep track of what you read
5. Write in your Bible
6. Read consecutively
7. Use a journal
8. Respond to what you’ve read

More Keller

As per Rick's comment in the previous post:

Westminster Theological Seminary will be presenting "An Evening with Tim Keller" at Harrison Auditorium on the University of Pennsylvania Campus on March 11 at 7:30 p.m.

More info can be found on Keller's website for his new book.

Keller

Tim Keller is a pastor at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York. He has a new book out called "A Reason For God". You can get some free messages on some of the topics found in the book here. This is a great resource for evangelism and apologetics.

(HT:Praz)

Wisdom

"And he said to man,
'Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom,
and to turn away from evil is understanding.'"

Job 28:28

Praise God for Smart Men

I purchased a book a little over a year ago written by Richard B. Gaffin Jr., entitled Resurrection and Redemption. Not only did I think the book was about something different than what its true purpose was; I was also not prepared for the sheer academic and intellectual style of Dr. Gaffin that is far beyond my comprehending at times. This is a quote for any of you who are proud and think that you're smart. Be humbled by this mans brilliance and be grateful that God has given smart men like this to the church as a gift. This is only a footnote in the book.

There is no need to read out of the argument developed to this point any unbiblical qualification or relativizing of the perfections of Scripture (necessity, authority, clarity, sufficiency!). An analogy from differential calculus may help to make the basic points clear. Redemptive events constitute a function (f), the authentication and interpretation of the New Testament its first derivative (f') and the interpretation of the later church its second derivative (f"). F', to be sure, is of a different order than f", since the former, the infallible verbal revelation (Scripture) which has God as its primary author, is the basis (principium) of the latter. But both, as derivatives, have a common interpretative reference to f. Indeed, it may be said that at its level (characterized by fallibility and tentativeness) f" "goes beyond" f' by seeking to make more explicit the structure implicit to the latter.

In the above discussion, the redemptive-historical distinction between canonical and noncanonical, between the apostolic and postapostolic periods, is not being overlooked or obliterated. Rather, stress is being placed on some implications of the fact that in "church" "apostolic" and "postapostolic" have their common (redemptive-historical) denominator.

Blessed

Philippians 2:1-5

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.

Yesterday was Valentine’s Day, or as one of my good friends put it, Single Awareness Day for all of us out there who are not in a courtship/relationship, engaged, or married. However for the ladies of Drexel Cru, yesterday served not to remind us of our relationship status, but rather of Christ’s love for us.

Last night, the gentlemen took time out of their schedules to honor and celebrate the friendships that they share with the ladies here at Drexel. Much time was spent in preparing a wonderful meal, complete with a selection of delicious desserts. During dinner, we were entertained with the artistic talents of some of our gentlemen – through songs and a poem. All in all, we were encouraged to continue pursuing Christ whole-heartedly and to strive to attain the characteristics of the godly woman portrayed in Proverbs 31.

I wanted to use this opportunity to thank all of the gentlemen who played a role in serving us last night. All of the ladies who attended the dinner were blessed by the time, effort, planning, and preparation that went into making last night what it was. Moreover, we are blessed since these friendships exist and have meaning because of Christ. I would like to thank you for your leadership, your example in serving and caring, and most of all, for the way that each of you demonstrates Christ’s love.

- Emily & Renjini

Cups

One of the books I’m currently reading is The Cross He Bore: Meditations on the Sufferings of the Redeemer by Frederick S. Leahy. What I have appreciated about it is that for the size of the book, the author helps show how even some of the details I would be prone to overlook are of the utmost importance to the suffering of Christ, and how that fulfilled the Father’s wrath.

Such an example comes from the 11^th chapter, where Leahy explains how important it was for Jesus to refuse the wine and myrrh/gall mixture offered to him while hanging on the cross.

First he explains how the cup of wrath needed to be kept pure.

Not only would the Saviour drink the cup of divine wrath, with its steadily increasing bitterness, but also, in terms of his suffering, he would drink no other cup, nor would he accept any admixture. He would drink the cup that the Father had given him unmixed. Not a solitary drop of any other potion must blend with that prepared by the Father. That cup must be kept pure.

He continues:

Dilute that cup with a single extraneous drop and it is no longer the cup of God’s wrath. For that matter, add one foreign ingredient to the cup of God’s mercy and it ceases to be such. God’s wrath and God’s mercy alike are unmixed.

Leahy then explains how the myrrh/gall was typically used to dull the pain of those being crucified. Christ refused the drink, because he needed to feel the full pain and suffering of the cross. As Leahy says, “Nothing must be allowed to insulate his spirit from the reality of the situation.”

He must suffer to the utmost. He must feel the full ‘sting’ of his death. No anesthetic was permissible.

Leahy continues by saying how by refusing the cup the soldiers offered, he was also refusing a cup Satan himself offered and then considers what would have happened if Jesus had drank the mixture.

Then, with a befuddled brain, he could not have prayed for the soldiers who were waiting to nail him to the cross. Then those seven great sayings on the cross would never have been uttered. Then his obedience would at last have been broken and all would have been lost. How much was at stake as they pushed the rim of that cup towards the Saviour’s lips! Everything! All of the divine decree, all of prophecy, all of redemption was at stake as that appealing cup was offered to the suffering one again and again.

Leahy concludes the chapter by pointing to Matthew 26:29, where Christ refused another cup, the sacramental cup, until the consummation. The sacramental cup we drink at communion as a relationship between “‘…commencement and fulfillment.’”

As we take the sacramental cup in our hands, may we be profoundly conscious that this is a foretaste of that heavenly banquet. Our thoughts might well be of the cup Christ drank, the cup he refused, and the cup from which he will drink with us in glory.

IS ROB BELL A HERETIC?

I am not saying he is, but I am not saying he isn't.

I'll let you decide. Now, lets not be theological calculators. Put on your discerning glasses and be humble.

Full Article

Excerpt:

There’s a passage in one of Bell’s books, however, that leads me to think that Bell really is asserting that life, forgiveness, and even the Spirit of God is already possessed by every single human being ever. The only hitch is that some people don’t realize it. Here’s the relevant passage from Velvet Elvis (page 146):

The fact that we are loved and accepted and forgiven in spite of everything we have done is simply too good to be true. Our choice becomes this: We can trust his [God’s] retelling of the story, or we can trust our telling of our story. It is a choice we make every day about the reality we are going to live in.

And this reality extends beyond life.

Heaven is full of forgiven people.

Hell is full of forgiven people.

Heaven is full of people God loves, whom Jesus died for.

Hell is full of forgiven people God loves, whom Jesus died for.

The difference is how we choose to live, which story we choose to live in, which version of reality we trust.

Ours or God’s.

I don’t know how else to understand this: What Bell is asserting here is a bizarre kind of universalism in which every human being is forgiven and yet some forgiven people end up in hell anyway. The NOOMA might be slippery, but this passage from Velvet Elvis isn’t at all, and that may offer some insight on what he’s actually saying in NOOMA. The only way I can see to understand it is that Bell is telling lost people that they are forgiven, that they are in relationship with God, even that the Spirit of God lives in them and is waiting to guide them and sanctify them if only they’d wake up and realize it.

That kind of thinking though is devastatingly misleading to lost people. To be lost is not merely to be ignorant about the fact that you are already in relationship with God, forgiven, free, and full of his Spirit. To be lost is to be separated from God and under his judgment. That’s a crucial part of the gospel, not just because Bell’s alternative involves the absurdity of forgiven people suffering in hell; it’s crucial because, unless you understand that God hates sin and judges it, the cross doesn’t make any sense. In fact, it becomes kind of superfluous. The fact is, somebody could hear Rob Bell’s version of the gospel in NOOMA and walk away feeling forgiven and Spirit-filled without a single thought about Jesus’ death. And at that point, what you have is something quite other than Christianity.

Abe Lincoln & Providence

John Piper offers some interesting insights on Abe Lincoln, and how, though skeptical about God through his 40s, his suffering drew him to God. I'd say more, but I'd rather let the article speak for itself.

JMac

Calculators & Discernment

Is it just me, or does Tim Challies seem to think discernment is important? My first clue was his book review website, and my second--that he wrote a book about it. Today, Mr. Challies offered some insights on what he hopes people will get from his book. He compared cheating on the discipline of discernment to cheating on long division with a calculator. He says, “Just knowing that discernment is an expectation for all of us is valuable knowledge and something many Christians really do not understand.”

Here are some of his thoughts:

And second to that, I want people to realize that discernment is something we are responsible for as individuals. We cannot simply leave discernment to the experts. Rather, we each need to learn to discern and we each need to grow in the skill of discernment. Like using a calculator for division, we can rely on others to give us the bottom line. But like doing long division, it is far better to do the work ourselves and to ensure we understand how to discern. The theological equivalent of using a calculator may be just Googling what John Piper or John MacArthur says about a certain topic and taking that word as law. It may be asking a parent or pastor and accepting what they say without further thought. We are all prone to want to get to the final tally without going through the intervening steps.

But like the kid who cheats by using a calculator, we cheat ourselves if we do not do the difficult work of discernment. As we discern what is good and what is evil, what is right and what is wrong, we train ourselves to think as Christians and we train ourselves to really understand what discernment is. We make sure that we understand the difficult business of discernment—not only the end result but the process of getting there.

Graven in His Hands

Today I had the privilege of being at my home church. It's always so comforting and brings my heart to a place of peace and rest. One thing that we do at my church is testimony time. The pulpit is opened up to members of the congregation who want to quickly share a prayer request or glorify God for a particular way they've seen Him move in their life. The family of God is always so encouraging. One of the older guys shared a testimony today about a recent trial the Lord brought him through. There was one thing in particular he said that touched me. The Lord had been speaking to him that he was blessed by God. My friend was saying that often as Christians, we think that being blessed means having success in material things or relationships. "We are blessed because we are graven in the palms of His hands." That statement really sank into my soul today. Despite whatever ways the Lord is testing and trying me, whatever storms and waves may be crashing around me, I am still blessed because I am graven in the palms of my Savior.

Preparing for Sundays

Tim Challies writes:

"While a pastor bears great responsibility in preparing for and delivering the Word of God each Sunday, the listener shares in the responsibility. The church has no place for an audience. We are all to be involved in the preaching, even as listeners. "

You can read the whole article at the link below. He has some great ways to prepare.

http://www.challies.com/archives/articles/the-listeners-r.php

Rick Responds

Anonymous: 1)how did YOU get a girlfriend??
I do not know how I got a girlfriend. It has increased my faith in the sovereignty of God though.

Alex: 1) What do you do with cults on your campus? Do you help them become an established group on campus? What if they are very persistent?
Share the gospel with them. No you do not help them become established groups on campus. Share the gospel with them more and do what Chris said, pray against them.

2) What is your favorite book on evangelism?
I never read a book on evangelism but I think Stephan's is Tell it Often, Tell it Well.

3) What is the biggest challenge for Christian college students on campus?
I don't know...sin.


4) Any good new outreach ideas?
Pin the tail on the Willy

5) Should I take the internship?
Yes, refer to Traci's post below

6) How should I prank Will next? Any good ideas?
More pepper spray!

7) Who is your favorite pastor?
Mark Prater

Chris:1)What have you learned about girls, since being in a relationship (in order to help me serve Jenny better)?
Girls like trains.

2) Should I minor in Accounting and Finance, Finance and Philosophy, Accounting and Philosophy, just Finance, or just Accounting?
Accounting and Finance

Serious Questions:
1) Just how does he look so good all the time? It's a gift
2) How many people say they wish they were Richard Healey? 1...Jay Gomes
3) How often do you and Joseph forget the same things?
The better question is how often don't we forget the same thing.

Not so serious:
1) What the worst part about the internship? The best part?
Raising support...girlfriend, respectively.

Nathan: 1.Do you have any tips for freshman design? What to do, what not to do, what to worry about, etc.
Get a good team and good advisor, it makes all the difference in the world.

2.Also, can I get an extension on my homework assignment?
No

Yet Another Flowchart - The Female Perspective

An Answer to Alex From Traci

Yes, take the internship. You'll get a girlfriend.

t

Ask Rick.

For those of you just dying to ask me questions. This is the ask Rick post. Feel free to ask any questions of me in the comments section, from how do you do evangelism effectively to how did you get such an awesome girlfriend. I will post later on my answers.

Rick

The Flowchart - An Engineers Guide

Read carefully, thoughtfully, and with discernment.

All Due to Grace

This hymn has helped focus my heart on resting in grace alone--that I contributed nothing to my salvation--that it was the work of God alone who rescued me from my sin.

All that I was, my sin, my guilt,
My death, was all mine own;
All that I am, I owe to Thee,
My gracious God, alone.

The evil of my former state
Was mine, and only mine;
The good in which I now rejoice
Is Thine, and only Thine.

The darkness of my former state,
The bondage--all was mine;
The light of life in which I walk,
The liberty--is Thine.

Thy grace that made me feel my sin
It taught me to believe;
Then, in believing, peace I found,
And now I live, I live.

All that I am, e'en here on earth,
All that I hope to be,
When Jesus comes and glory dawns,
I owe it, Lord, to Thee

Horatius Bonar, 1856

The Crown of Thorns

“Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and twisting a together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of Jews!” (Matthew 27:27-30 ESV)

“And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him. And they began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him.” (Mark 15:17-19 ESV)

Brutal, terrible, vicious…but just how important was Christ’s crown of thorns? Frederick S. Leahy puts it this way in The Cross He Bore: Meditations on the Sufferings of the Redeemer:

If we are to receive the crown of life, Christ must receive the crown of thorns. He cannot be our Saviour any other way. That is what Krummacher means when he comments that in the crown of his deity alone, Christ could only say to a dying thief, ‘Be thou accursed’; but in the crown of thorns he can say, ‘This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise.’ In the crown of his deity alone, he can only say to a Magdalene or a publican, ‘Depart from me’; but in the crown of thorns he can say, ‘Go in peace, your sins are forgiven you.’ It is in his diadem of thorns that he stoops low in humiliation and shame and sorrow to seek and to save sinners. It is only by the sharp torn of his suffering that the poisonous thorn of our sin is drawn. In other words, apart from the cross God cannot forgive sin.

Leahy continues:

In this apparent weakness he is the mighty conqueror of Satan and sin and death, the overcomer of this world. The cross appears as foolishness to the world, but to God’s redeemed people the cross is victory, salvation, the power of God.

Bitter Like a Lemon...

Good Article on NA Blog!

Distractions Continue

Easy Distracted

I'm in the lab today. I got distracted. Here's what distracted me.

To the optimist, the glass is half full.
To the pessimist, the glass is half empty.
To the engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

Q: What is the difference between Mechanical Engineers and Civil Engineers?
A: Mechanical Engineers build weapons, Civil Engineers build targets.

Q: How can you tell an extroverted engineer?
A: When he talks to you, he looks at your shoes instead of his own.

Sola Gratia: Only One Gospel

This past Sunday, Jared Mellinger kicked off a new sermon series at Covenant Fellowship Church called Sola Gratia (grace alone). It is an expository series going through Paul’s letter to the churches of Galatia (the book of Galatians).

Jared started the series by preaching through the first ten verses of chapter one, while also giving an overview of the whole letter and what was to come in the series.

The sermon surrounded the question, “What does it mean to stand on grace alone?” and was followed by three answers:

1. We uphold the one true way of salvation!
2. We deepen our understanding of the Cross of Christ!
3. We enjoy the privileges we have in Christ!

At first glance, we think this letter does not apply to us, because we don’t believe we need adherence to the Jewish law for salvation; we do believe in salvation through grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. However, as Jared pointed out, the book of Galatians does apply to us. Jared said,

God gave us the book of Galatians because the foolish galatian tendency to drift, from grace, is in every single one of us. If the Christians in Galatia were vulnerable to this drift and if Peter and if Barnabas were vulnerable to that drift, then I think it’s good for us to acknowledge that every one of us is vulnerable to that same exact drift away from a Biblical understanding of God’s grace.

He then referenced the famous hymn, Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing saying,

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;

Personally, I know that I am prone to wander – I know that I am prone to leave God. We must actively flee from our good works; flee from that subtle drift away from grace. When God calls us to flee from something – it is always to flee to something else. We must flee to the Cross of Christ!

Aren’t you glad that, Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing doesn’t end there, but continues?

Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

God, in his mercy, will take our hearts and will seal them for his courts above!

Application Questions:

1. In what ways am I tempted to subtly believe that my acceptance before God is based on something that I do rather than what Christ has done?
2. Am I growing in my understanding and the appreciation of the Cross? Do you find yourself more amazed by grace the more you advance in your Christian walk?
3. Am I enjoying the privileges that we have in Christ?

Thought for the Day

"But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?" (Galatians 4:9).

Band-aided Bullet Wounds

I was just reading a great article by Abraham Piper, John Piper's son, entitled "Let Them Come Home". He talked about when he was living in rebellion and was not a Christian. His third point convicted me about the way I relate to the unbelievers in my life. His point was to acknowledge that something is wrong.

When your daughter rejects Jesus, don’t pretend that everything is fine. If you know she’s not a believer and you’re not reaching out to her, then start. And never stop. Don’t ignore her unbelief. Ignoring it might make holidays easier, but not eternity.

Abraham makes a point that I know but often forget or push aside due to my desire for comfort. This is a good reminder to me about what love looks like, because it's not simply getting along with family members. I also appreciated his solution for the problem, point them to Christ. He goes on to say.

Your rebellious child’s real problem is not drugs or sex or cigarettes or porn or laziness or crime or cussing or slovenliness or homosexuality or being in a punk band. The real problem is that your child doesn’t see Jesus clearly. The best thing you can do for rebellious children—and the only reason to follow any of these suggestions—is to show them Christ. It won’t be simple or immediate, but the sins in their life that distress you and destroy them will begin to disappear only when they see Jesus more as He actually is.

How easy it is to want to fix a symptom of the problem when the real issue lies beneath. Sometimes we love bandaiding bullet wounds. We should pray to God changes us from band-aiders to surgeons when it comes to matters of the soul.

Rick

The Perfections as a Whole

How shall I praise th' eternal God,
That infinite Unknown?
Who can ascend His high abode,
Or venture near His throne?

The great Invisible! He dwells
Conceal'd in dazzling light;
But His all-searching eye reveals
The secrets of the night.

Those watchful eyes, that never sleep,
Survey the world around;
His wisdom is a boundless deep,
Where all our thoughts are drown'd.

He knows no shadow of a change,
Nor alters His decrees;
Firm as a rock His truth remains,
To guard His promises.

Justice upon a dreadful throne
Maintains the rights of God;
While mercy sends her pardons down,
Bought with a Saviour's blood.

Now to my soul, immortal King!
Speak some forgiving word;
Then 'twill by double joy to sing
The glories of my Lord.

Isaac Watts, 1709

Another Evening in Catan...

Sigh.

(Apologies for bad cellphone image.)

Preparing Ourselves to Hear the Word of God

Donald Whitney makes a great comment in Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life about where our heart should be as we are about to hear the Word of God preached on Sunday mornings. While not the main point of his chapter on Bible intake, he makes a fruitful digression.

If you enter the typical evangelical church two minutes before the start of the worship service, it sounds almost like you’ve walked into a gymnasium two minutes before a basketball game. Part of my pastoral heart appreciates the good things represented by people who are glad to see and talk with each other. There is a spirit of family reunion in the air when the family of God gathers together. But I think a larger part of my heart longs for reverence and a spirit of seeking God among those who come to hear His Word. (pg. 31)

Whitney continues, relating a story of a congregation of Korean Christians using his church building for their services.

I was impressed by the way they entered the worship center. Whether they were first to arrive or came in after the service had already started, they immediately bowed in prayer for several moments before arranging their belongings, unbuttoning their coat, or acknowledging the presence of anyone else. This served as an effective reminder to their own hearts and to everyone else of their main purpose for that time. (pg. 31)

Oh, how often I neglect to prepare my heart for corporate worship and the hearing of God’s Word on Sunday mornings. Oh, how easy it is for me to converse with others, or to even twiddle my thumbs aimlessly, instead of spending a few minutes with God in reverent prayer before the morning’s service begins. May God continue to pour out His grace on me so that I can approach his Word with more awe and reverence and thanksgiving!

Morality (What I'm Reading)

I've recently been sifting through the pages of a rather interesting book on politics (thanks to one of my roommates who will go unnamed). Although it is a politically oriented book, its very interesting to someone like me who isn't the most politically oriented person. I typically spend most of my reading time reading Christian books (go figure), "Legislating Morality" by Norman Geisler and Frank Turek has been a welcomed change of pace. The authors argue that morality has to be legislated. In fact, it would be irrational or impossible to not legislate morality, even though there is a preconceived notion in this country that you can't legislate morality (later chapters deal with whose morality should be legislated).

The United States was founded on the principles of the Moral Law. You may think that this is a Christian thing, but its more of a human, commons sense sort of law. Let me explain with some quotes thoughts from the book.

"Do you remember how you felt the last time you were wronged--the last time someone took advantage of you and, for their own selfish gain, profited at your expense? Certainly that feeling of being treated unfairly came to you immediately. You knew intuitively that the other person was wrong, and any impartial observer--even a child-- would have agreed with you. You had an undeniable right to be upset, seek justice, and demand restitution from the guilty party".

The Founding Fathers understood this. People have no trouble distinguishing what is fair and what is unfair. A sense of injustice comes to us all quite naturally, particularly after someone wrongs us. In fact, you'll find this in the Declaration of Independence. "We hold these truths to be self-evident..." This same injustice came naturally to the Founding Fathers (I'm from Chile, but I have to admit these guys were pretty good). Let me finish that quote.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed."

Anyways, this book is filled with all sorts of thoughts, history, and some jokes (for the politically savvy). I'll try and post some exerts from it and let me know what you think. Some great evangelism tools are present in the book although it is not a book on evangelism. I'll end with two quotes.

"...while the First Amendment clearly forbids the federal government from establishing a national religion, it does not prohibit the government from establishing a national morality. In fact, the First Amendment itself is a law that helps establish a national morality: it clearly implies that it is wrong for Congress to establish a religion or to prohibit the free exercise of religion; it also implies that any congressional attempt to abridge freedom of speech, the press, or assembly is morally wrong. The Founding Fathers obviously were convinced that it wold be for Congress to restrict these freedoms. In other words they believed these freedoms were morally right and needed to be protected through legislation."

and

"...we legislated and thus imposed one set of values on everyone in society, in order to protect the "unalienable Rights" of one segment of society. According to the Declaration of Independence, that is exactly what government is designed to do: "That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men" "... "The issues gripping our country today--rights of the unborn, women's rights, gay rights, minority rights, religious rights--have people on all sides trying to legislate their particular morality."

I Am Not an Engineer

I am not an engineering student. Yet, I go to Drexel University. In fact, I am not studying a technical field at all, but am a lowly communication major. How in the world did I end up at a school known for its engineering and co-op program?

I could cite many earthly reasons as to why I ended up at Drexel. I could easily say I came because Drexel sent me mailings relentlessly from the time I took the PSATs my sophomore year of high school onward. I could say I came because my visit to Syracuse was rushed (and cold). I could say I came because of the school’s co-op program. I could even say I came simply because I like cities. You get the point.

Ultimately, however, God brought me to Drexel. God providentially brought me into a wonderful Christian community where I could grow, fellowship and mature in the faith.

Psalm 137:16 says, “In your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them.”

For a little while during my first year of college, I had doubts and wondered if I had made the wrong choice in going to Drexel. Now, however, I am forever grateful to God that He brought me to this campus and plugged me in at a wonderful church, so that I could become conformed more into the image of my Savior!

“Am I Thriving?"

Personally, I have a hard time applying sermons from church – simply because I don’t reflect on them after that morning. I can just listen, be convicted, and move on without change. Indeed, this is not the way it ought to be.

This past Sunday, Dave Harvey, our Sr. Pastor at Covenant Fellowship Church in Glen Mills, PA, gave a message on Philippians 3:1-16, explaining what it means to "thrive" as a single. His main point was this: Thriving is the fruit of a singular pursuit - that we know Christ.

He supported this by offering three points.

1) I know I am thriving when my confidence is less in me and more in Jesus Christ.

2) I know I am thriving when my focus is less on where I’ve come from and more on where I am going.

3) I know I am thriving when I resist standing still and resolve to always move forward.

In an attempt to apply the message, I printed out the passage, got a read pen, and tried to figure out what the passage was saying (Dave Harvey obviously brought much clarity to this).

My thoughts when reading and meditating on Philippians 3: 7-11

7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

The question that I have for myself is, do I long for Christ like Paul does? Do I want to gain Christ (vs.8)? Do I want to be found in him (vs.9)? Do I want to know him and the power of his resurrection (vs.10)? Do I want to become like him in his death (vs.10)? Do I want to attain the resurrection from the dead (vs.11)?

My immediate answer is an emphatic, “YES!”

However, am I (are we) willing to do whatever it takes to get there; to gain Christ?

Am I willing to count whatever gain I have (I have no gain) as loss? Indeed, am I willing to count everything as loss? Am I willing to suffer the loss of all things? Count them as rubbish? Have all my faith in Christ? Am I willing to share his sufferings?

When you interpret this passage looking through the eyes of what Paul did “in order that...” you realize that striving for Christ is not easy. Thanks be to God that there is grace available to gain Christ! "6And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6).

Why did Paul do all this? For the sake of Christ (vs.7), because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ (vs.8), and for his sake (vs.8)! Indeed, the Christian life is worth “press[ing] on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14).

For more application listen to John Piper’s “Don’t Waste Your Life” sermon, since he expounds Philippians 3 in his message.

What did you guys take away from the sermon/Philippians?

Click here in case you're interested in downloading the sermon. Covenant Fellowship Church also offers application questions following each message, which can be downloaded here.