Author: bibleandculture

What about Cremation?

It’s a question I’m asked, perhaps, a time or two per year.  What do you think about cremation?  Is it an acceptable means of disposing of the body instead of the more traditional Jewish and Christian tradition of burial.

I’m going to let my brother Wes share his answer with us as he did recently for his church family, Estes Brook Evangelical Free Church in  central Minnesota. Continue reading “What about Cremation?” →

The Gospel of of the Wall of Jericho (Joshua Revisited)

One thing you will not likely ever find on my blog is original poetry. One of my worst memories in school were those times when teachers demanded that we write original poetry.  Equally bad was art, which other students begged for, but which I dreaded. Give me more math homework. I could not do and still have no ability in poetry or any of the graphic arts.

But that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate poetry and art. I love biblical poetry. Almost all of our hymns and songs are poetry put to music. And the creativity of the poet can bring a concept to life in ways that prose cannot.

Reflect on this poem from John Piper on the incident of the destruction of ancient Jericho.

Your wall, O wicked Jericho, your ancient, mighty wall,
Your shame, where you have made your infants’ blood renowned,
Your boast, your monument, your Babel, tall
And endless on its side, bent ’round
Into a ring, a thrust,
Betrothing you
To dust;

Your wall, your peace, your life you thought would ever thrive,
Now hollowed with four centuries of pride
Into a labyrinthine hive
Of honeyed lust inside,
With brothels all
Will fall;

But for one slender segment, with it’s rooms
And beds and washing bowls and creams
And ointments and perfumes,
Enflaming dreams,
Now screams;

Where Rahab and her kindred hide,
All hanging by a thread
The spies supplied
And said

Would save, if they obeyed.
They ’wait the blade
In dread;

But there, instead
Of sword,

The cord.

©2013 Desiring God Foundation. Used by Permission By John Piper. ©2013 Desiring God Foundation. Website: desiringGod.org

Now just listen as the author reads the poem to you.  The Gospel of the Wall of Jericho

For context, Read Joshua, chapters 2, 5,6.  Reflect on the Gospel image of he scarlet cord as noted in Joshua 2:15-21; 6:24-26.  Then note the New Testament references to Rahab – a mother in the lineage of Jesus in Matthew 1:5; listed among the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11:30-32; and the evidence of saving faith in James 2:24-26, In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction.

“Jesus didn’t Journal”

So writes Nancy Ortberg in the summer 2013 Leadership Journal  Sub-title, “Is there a different pathway to maturity for multi-tasking extroverts?”

Ortberg notes that the vast majority of devotional materials written in the past 2000 years were written by introverts. For them (big danger here of over-stereotyping), each day regularly starts with devotions – significant time spent in Scripture, prayer and other spiritual disciplines such as “contemplation, reflection, solitude, and journaling.” Continue reading ““Jesus didn’t Journal”” →

What’s a Cassette?

I finally found something in common with my grandchildren.  One of the 8 year old girls (there are three of them) asked the simple question, “What is a cassette?”  I realized that when I was 8, I didn’t know what a cassette was either.  Of course, when I was 8, it wasn’t invented yet.  Now, that my granddaughters are 8, it’s gone the way of the 8-track.  What’s that?

I recently listened to Steve Hewitt, editor of Christian Computing magazine, give his input on the rapid growth of technology, telling us that the basic personal computer, at least the desk-top/lap-top versions, are on the way out.  Tablets rule the world, but their day in the sun will be even shorter. I’d better get one soon before they are gone. Hang on, change will keep on coming.

But even better, be encouraged with what doesn’t change; or better yet, who doesn’t change – Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8

“Common to Man” Temptation

(supplemental  to the current preaching series, Sex in a Broken World, from 1 Corinthians 5-7. Audio sermons available here.)

I memorized this Bible verse in my teen years, No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13

The application of this promise is vast, applying to every thing we face. The immediate context of 1 Corinthians 10 includes widespread sexual immorality in Israel, not the only area of sin and temptation, but certainly a “common to man and woman” challenge, and particularly complex today. Continue reading ““Common to Man” Temptation” →

No Stranger Among Strangers

…there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the lamb…And they cried out in a loud voice:  “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne , and to the Lamb”  Revelation 7:9, 10 NIV

This passage is a great encouragement as we think about the eternal gathering of God’s people, believers in Jesus Christ from all times and places, a great reunion of God’s family that never ends in the new heaven and new earth.

But how can it be a joyful reunion when I’ve never even met most of these people ever before?  I think I had a taste of what it will be like this past Sunday morning at First Baptist Church in Sevierville, Tennessee. Continue reading “No Stranger Among Strangers” →

Freedom from Pornography

Last Sunday, at Faith Church in Indianapolis, I preached from 1 Corinthians 6:12-20, My Body – God’s Temple, a primary passage on the call to moral and sexual purity.  By far the most common form of sexual impurity today is pornography, made easily accessible and secret due to the internet. Estimates of the men affected by porn, and increasingly women too, is truly frightening.  This includes professing believers in Jesus Christ. My concern is that a sermon like this, while it may be convicting at the time, unless specific action is taken, the conviction will ease and no change will take place.

Therefore, I want to do all I can to keep this issue before you and call you to confess your involvement and develop a battle plan to deal with it.  A new resource coming out his month is a book by Heath Lambert, Finally Free: Fighting for Purity with the Power of Grace   This book, not yet for sale, will be available soon, but what we do have is an Interview with the author, and a couple of great posts about it by Tony Reinke.  So please listen to the interview and check out Porn, Pride and Praise and 20 Quotes from Finally Free.