Questions on Technology

Today where I attend Seminary we had a panel on technology and the Christian. For once the panel actually was composed of some whose area is in Bible and others whose area is technology (this is an improvement over my undergrad years when they had biology and rhetoric professors doing such panels). This panel returned a question to my mind that I have had before and not found a completely adequate answer. The question is what place does technology have in the body of the church, specifically in the local evidence of the universal church being the local church? As an extension to that question are the questions, what place does technology have in the edification and instruction of the saints? Also, how does technology engender the communal aspects of Christian fellowship?

I have not come up with a patent answer or heard one that satisfies biblical principles. Then today because of the panel my mind added the question of then based upon the answer of the above question(s) what is the appropriate use of technology in the life of the Christian in relation to the church and the proclamation of the gospel? Such as, using technology for witnessing, for studying, even in worship, or maybe even just should Christians being using electronic devices in church?

This topic is one that it may be worth for some trusted expositors to start writing  in an expositional/applicational basis.

What are you singing?

In an age of controversy about what Worship including music styles are acceptable in the church I have a simple question. What are you singing? Those on the conservative side many will say well it has to follow a certain pattern or be from a certain era. Those on the liberal side proclaim liberty, liberty, we sing whatever we want especially to bring in the crowds. Neither of those positions on the surface hold much water to me. I must preface that when it comes to music and generally my faith I am in the conservative camp, but before we have a shouting match, condemn something as heresy or start a religious war over worship it may be instructive to look at the history of song and worship in the church. I am doing such a thing in graduate school taking church music of which one of my courses is Hymnology. I would encourage anyone who is considering the issue of music in the church to do a study on the history of song throughout the church. It may surprise you on what you find.

Colossians 1:1-3

    So you may wonder why the title of the this post  is  the first three verses of the New Testament Epistle to the Colossians written by the Apostle Paul. The answer is twofold, first where I am attending graduate school our theme for the school year is "New Creature Living" taken from Colossians in the third chapter. Secondly, our chapel speaker yesterday Dr. Jim Berg spoke about meditation and scripture memory. Dr. Berg, spoke on using the MAP method of meditation and scripture memory (to find out more see his website or contact him through Bob Jones University). Out of this message I was challenged that my scripture memory is severely lacking and I have decided to memorize the book of Colossians. So to begin I am working on the first three verses.
     Colossians 1:1-3
       1 "Paul an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God and Timothy our brother"
       2 "To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae:"
       3 "Grace to you and peace from God our Father."

    So you may be wondering what is basically the salutation line of an ancient letter of teaching (an epistle) have that is profitable? Doesn't Paul tell us in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 that all scripture is profitable but how can an introduction be profitable? Well today for me verse one was especially close to my heart. Today is much like last Friday in that I had a bad attitude about going to school and was annoyed at myself for not getting enough done and that I always feel like I have to much to do. I was feeling really glum for myself then I went to my first class which we call Friday Preacher Boy's. Today Dr. Bob Jones III spoke to us from Ezekiel and one small thing (not even his main point) that Dr. Bob said struck at me, that if Ezekiel had not been sure of his calling that he would not have ministered to Israel as he did. We are in a day much like Ezekiel with a nation that is sinful and stubborn, who do not want to hear the Word of God. This point of assured calling and my poor attitude made me cry out to God in silent prayer asking for confirmation of my calling. Then I remembered the words of Colossians 1:1 "Paul and apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God..."

   Yes I may be feeling sorry for myself and have a bad attitude and I should not, because as overwhelming and oppressive feeling the responsibilities now are, I have assurance that I am not called to the task now or future tasks by my own will but by the will of God. I can remember the day in which I was called by God to be a proclaimer of His word (no I did not have a vision), I can remember the evening of brokenness at camp where I   re-submitted myself to God's call, and I recall the multiple times God has reaffirmed His call through times of ministry and the joy brought by being in the will of God. Now I take comfort in a sure call by God knowing that it is His Will that I am here today studying, and He is with me as He promised and I can say with Paul "I can do all things through Christ Jesus".

May Jesus Christ be Praised


[Scripture from the  ESV]

Feeling Like Jonah

Have you ever felt like Jonah? You know what God wants you to do but you don't feel like doing it, it feels inconvenient and hard and all you want to do is stay in bed and at ease. However, having the experience of Jonah given to us in Scripture we know the consequences for not doing what you know God wants us to do and we grudgingly get out of bed to face God's will. Yet in our hearts we are still rebelling though outwardly complaint, at the same time we we are missing out on the joy of doing the will of our Creator, Redeemer, and King. This is exactly where I was this morning not wanting to move out of the comfort of bed to face the will of God by going to school. I could make all sorts of excuses and within my mind and heart I did, even to the point of I don't feel well. Then I arrived in at school and my first class where God in his divine omniscient used that very class to strike my heart and convict me of my horrible attitude. Yes school my be challenging and at time down right insanely hard but I can still and should have joy even in the difficulty.  So when we start to feel like Jonah remember the lesson of Jonah, that true joy only comes in willingly obeying the will of God.

Need for today

This week I have attended Bible Conference @ Bob Jones University where I heard powerful and pertinent preaching. But alas have we not had powerful preaching before? What are we lacking then to effect change in us which will spread throughout all true Christianity and the world? The answer is Practical Theology, simply the practical application of the doctrine we are taught. This all seems so high and out of reach but for a few to attain but really the key basis to Practical Theology is simple obedience. However, because of our sinful flesh obedience is not at all really simple within us wars our sinful desires in rebellion to Holy God versus the Holy Spirit. The question remaining is who will you let win?

Ruby on Rails

Beside being a Christian if you have seen some of my previous posts I have a web hosting and development business servicing small business. Currently I do most work with LAMP and Drupal based in PHP and HTML/CSS. However, I have done some work in Ruby on Rails and have a new customer who requires ROR so I am diving back into the world of ROR and plan to post my re-acclimation journey here.

Yet to Come

Have you thought about what lies beyond this mortal flesh? Do you realize that we all will one day stand before Jesus Christ? After time is declared no more all will be judged. Now there are different judgment seats listed in the Scripture but in simplicity all will be judged. My question is on what basis do you want to be judged? Do you want to be judged on your deeds? Have we not all failed? Is anyone perfect? God tells us that His standard of entrance into His eternal presence is perfection. Okay how many of us have stolen? Lied? Been angry without cause? With only three questions of the many we could ask I dare say all of mankind is included in this list that would exclude all from perfection. So if we are not perfect and God's standard is perfection do you want to be judged on your works? Or would you rather be judged on mercy? Scripture tells us that their is mercy with the Lord, yet so many want to stand on their own, and stand on their own they will before God Almighty at which time they will receive the judgment of God and be cast into everlasting torment. I on the other hand would rather stand before God with Christ so that before the Almighty pronounces judgment upon me for my sinful failure and wickedness Christ may say "I have paid for his sin with my blood" with which the complete realization of the mercy of God will be realized for me and instead of everlasting judgment Almighty God will say "enter into my presence, my son." I am not perfect even after accepting the mercy of Jesus Christ and His payment for my sin however, their is mercy with my Lord Jesus Christ. What will you do? Will you stand alone, or will you stand in mercy?

Speaking Lightly of Sin

I am listening to "Guard Your Heart" as sung by Mac Lynch on the cd My Son Give me Thine Heart. In the song it states "never ... speaking lightly of our sin." I wonder where would the Church and even our country if we as Christians would not speak lightly of our sin; whether with each other or even as internally we excuse our sin. I have been reading portions from the gospels and the OT Prophets and I keep finding the recurring emphasis on any sin is to much. Now I know that none of us will be perfect until we see Jesus Christ face to face however, Paul has taught us in 1 Corinthians 5:6 that any hint of leaven (sin) leaveneth (makes the whole sinful) the whole lump of bread dough. We must be on constant guard to prevent any sin from entering our lives and taking root defiling us entirely. Guard Your Heart

Mark 7:6-7

"This people honors me with  their lips, but their heart is far from me; vs7. in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men" Mark7:6b-7.
In this passage Christ quotes the prophet Isaiah on talking about the people of His day. But, if we survey the landscape of the church could we not see the same thing. Indeed we have many that merely pay lip-service to Jesus Christ and their lives are completely void of any sanctification induced holiness. On the other extreme are the law only crowd who teach their standards as Scripture neglecting the most needful thing of fellowship with Christ in an effort to have external holiness. In both cases and even those who lay coldly in the middle all our hearts are far from God. Is it any wonder that we have worship wars going on? What would happen to Christianity as we know it and all the divisiveness if each one of us got down on our knees and started repenting? Maybe then our worship will not be in vain.

Obedience

I am reading the Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges and it is so convicting when what connects us to God's holiness is simple obedience to His Word the Bible.