March 12, 2012

God in a Box: Limiting Miracles is not Limiting God, Pt 1

by Clint Archer

I believe God can and does do miracles. I also believe the gift of miracles (i.e. a person with the ability to perform miracles at will) is no longer operative in the church. One of the most common objections to this view I hear is, “You can’t put God in a box.”

Ever heard that soundbite? The thinking is that God can do what He wants, but the Cessationist position limits God’s abilities. So I want to go on record as saying I believe God can do whatever He wants, but He never wants to do something against what His word says.

For example, God said in His word, “Tongues will cease,” (1 Cor 13:8) and He used a Greek tense for “cease” which means “to stop and not start again.” Then the gift of tongues (miraculously speaking in an unlearned foreign language according to Acts 2) did cease. And for over 1900 years no credible Christian claimed otherwise. If you want to scratch this itch some more, check out Nate Busenitz’s excellent articles Two Types of Tongues and What Cessationism is Not.

Then in the 1914 Azusa Street debacle it was publicized that the gift had started again, only this time it was an unheard-of, personalized, unintelligible babbling. Is it putting God in a box when one holds a view that the gift of tongues has ceased and that the new version is a sham?

It’s not that systematic theology is more important than God’s freedom. It’s that God’s word is more important than God’s freedom.

No one has a problem with Titus 1:2 saying that God cannot lie. That is putting God in a box– a box of holiness.

Ps 138:2  … you have exalted above all things your name and your word. 

God’s reputation and His word is more important to Him than our scheduled healing service.

Continue Reading…

in Theology with 27 Comments
March 9, 2012

The Fear of Man & How to Destroy It

by Geoffrey Kirkland

Have you ever been—in the slightest—nervous, afraid, or ashamed to share the gospel because of the fear of being REJECTED?

If so, remember Psalm 118:6: “The LORD is for me; I will not fear; What can man do to me?”

When you fear something—or someone—you allow it/them to control you. As Ed Welch wrote, “Their opinions, possible opinions, attitudes, or withholding of love become YOUR master.”

Unfortunately, the fear of man can be a hindrance to evangelism, as well as an area of lingering sin in people’s lives. But fortunately, the Bible gives us help to fight this sin.

Continue Reading…

in Devotional with 12 Comments
March 8, 2012

Shepherds’ Conference 2012

by Nathan Busenitz

Today is Day 2 of the 2012 Shepherds’ Conference.

It is impossible to fully express the joys of the Shepherds’ Conference in a short paragraph. The ministry of only one faithful pastor would be enough for great celebration. But bring over 3,000 faithful church leaders together, put them all in the same room, ask them to sing about the Savior they love, and encourage them from the Word of God — and suddenly it feels like you’ve stepped foot in heaven.

For those of you who couldn’t come this year, please feel free to join us via livestream at http://www.shepherdsconference.org.

Hope to see you here next year.

in Shepherding with 7 Comments
March 7, 2012

Pew-Hoppers: How to Shepherd Church Shoppers – Part 2

by Eric Davis

In yesterday’s post, we were addressing the all-too-common issue of perpetual church-shopping. For many, church-shopping has become a fad that feeds our consumer-craving; to get it all when we want, how we want, and from whatever churches we want. A safe distance is kept, where people can get to know me, but not too closely so that I can safely live how I want and consume where its convenient for me, all the while robbing ourselves and churches of spiritual growth and health. When challenged, a defense is often put up: “Well, the Bible never says I need to commit to one church.” While there is no verse that says that, everything about NT life in Christ implicitly declares it.

Four shepherd pointers were given to help us shepherd shoppers towards the joy of commitment to one local church. Here are the remaining four:

5. We are saved into the body of Christ. The “body” is one of the NT’s favorite analogies to describe the organic and mutually-dependent relationship of the church, with Christ as her head (Rom 12:4-5, 1 Cor 12:12-27; Eph 1:22-23, 4:12-16; Col 1:18). At the local level, this must mean something. And it does: it means that the local church is to function like a body with many mutually-depenlonging dent membes (“so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another,” Rom 12:5). Under Christ’s authority, we have a responsibility to one another. That responsibility cannot be expressed in loosely-affiliated and carelessly-committed attachment to a local church.

What does that responsibility look like? Think of it in terms of the body-metaphor: in what way is a body part responsible to the larger body?

Continue Reading…

in Shepherding with 5 Comments
March 6, 2012

Pew-Hoppers: How to Shepherd Shoppers – Part 1

by Eric Davis

Perhaps you have heard (or maybe said) before, “Scripture never says that I need to be committed to only one local church.” The “attend everywhere, but committed nowhere” is a common trend among Christians when it comes to local-church commitment. But it is also one that is damaging to all parties. Church-shopping is OK to a point, but the point of shopping is to eventually end the process. Too often though, shopping becomes the norm. And not all who believe in multiple-church-attending are to blame. It’s a prominent trend all over that is sometimes even encouraged by church leadership.

So, why shouldn’t we be committed to more than one local church? In some sense, for the same reason we should not be committed to more than one spouse. Because there is great design, purpose, and benefits associated with exclusive commitment. I am not saying that adultery and non-commitment to one local church are equal moral violations, nor that church-hopping is inherently a sin. But I am saying that, in addition to there being great benefits, God’s design and purpose for his people is best realized in commitment to a local church.

Continue Reading…

in Shepherding with 14 Comments
March 5, 2012

Pizza and Coke for Communion?

by Clint Archer

After my post on children taking communion (Kiddies Menu: Children at the Lord’s Table) I received some great questions. I wanted to address them more fully than in a crammed comment cage.

Have you ever thought of these provocative variables in the form and substance of the Lord’s Supper:

  • Should we not emulate the NT church’s practice of sharing an entire, sit-down meal?
  • Must the bread be unleavened?
  • Must the wine be alcoholic?
  • Must the wine be red or can we use Champagne instead?
  • Where does one draw the line? For example, can pizza and Coke count as communion? I.e. can the bread be sweetened, or have a topping? What about milk and cookies?

Makes the blood boil a bit, doesn’t it? You may have got stuck on the milk & cookies on, and you would probably say: “Obviously not, don’t be dumb.” And you’d be right to say that…but why? Continue Reading…

in Shepherding with 12 Comments
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