Happy Birthday Johnny Cash

In honor of The Man in Black's birthday, one of my favorite songs of his, "Hurt."

A haunting video.

A Little Friday Humor

Watch this one first. Pretty painful. Feel bad for the guy.



Then watch this. Hilarious.



HT: JT

God Watches You Google

Tim Challies:

In 2006, AOL made an epic misjudgment. As part of a research project headed by Dr. Abdur Chowdhury, AOL made available to the public a massive amount of search data, releasing the search history of 650,000 users over a 3-month period. That totaled some twenty one million searches. Before releasing the data they anonymized it, stripping away user names and replacing them with numbers. Yet because of the nature of the data, people very quickly linked real people to abstract numbers—a massive violation of privacy and confidentiality. Within days AOL realized its mistake and withdrew the data. But already it had been copied and posted elsewhere on the internet where today it lives on in infamy.

Some searches were dark and disturbing, others unremarkable in every way, and still others strangely amusing. Often you could reconstruct a person’s life, at least in part, from what they searched for over a period of time.

Tim includes one very sad string of searches from one person:

body fat calliper 2006-03-01 18:54:10
curb morning sickness 2006-03-05 08:53:23
get fit while pregnant 2006-03-09 18:49:37
he doesn’t want the baby 2006-03-11 03:52:01
uou’re pregnant he doesn’t want the baby 2006-03-11 03:52:49
online degrees theology 2006-03-11 04:05:24
online christian colleges 2006-03-11 04:13:33
foods to eat when pregnant 2006-03-12 09:38:02
baby names 2006-03-14 19:11:10
baby names and meanings 2006-03-14 20:01:27
physician search 2006-03-23 10:20:04
best spa vacation deals 2006-03-27 20:04:09
maternity clothes 2006-03-28 09:28:25
pregnancy workout videos 2006-03-29 10:01:39
buns of steel video 2006-03-29 10:12:38
what is yoga 2006-03-29 12:17:31
what is theism 2006-03-29 12:18:30
hindu religion 2006-03-29 12:18:56
yoga and hindu 2006-03-29 12:32:05
is yoga alligned with christianity 2006-03-29 12:33:18
yoga and christianity 2006-03-29 12:33:42
abortion clinics charlotte nc 2006-04-17 11:00:02
greater carolinas womens center 2006-04-17 11:40:22
can christians be forgiven for abortion 2006-04-17 21:14:19
can christians be forgiven for abortion 2006-04-17 21:14:19
roe vs. wade 2006-04-17 22:22:07
effects of abortion on fibroids 2006-04-18 06:50:34
abortion clinic charlotte 2006-04-18 15:14:03
symptoms of miscarriage 2006-04-18 16:14:07
water aerobics charlotte nc 2006-04-18 19:41:27
abortion clinic chsrlotte nc 2006-04-18 21:45:39
total woman vitamins 2006-04-20 16:38:16
engagement gifts 2006-04-20 16:57:04
engagement rings 2006-04-20 16:58:37
mom’s turning 50 2006-04-20 17:51:13
high risk abortions 2006-04-20 17:53:49
abortion fibroid 2006-04-20 17:55:18
benefits of water aerobics 2006-04-20 23:25:50
wedding gown styles 2006-04-26 19:37:34
recover after miscarriage 2006-05-22 18:17:53
marry your live-in 2006-05-27 07:25:45

Tim's conclusion:

While the search engines may never forget, I am grateful that God does forget. He forgets the sins of those who turn to him and confess those sins. Psalm 103 promises that “As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.” In Hebrews 8:12 God promises “I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.” There is virtue in forgetting.

Read the whole article.

How To Build A God

HT: The Resurgence

Music Review: Newworldson - Newworldson

Genre: Pop/Rock/Funk/Blues/Reggae, etc.
Label: Inpop
Release Date: February 23, 2010

Rating: 3/5

Having never been exposed to Newworldson’s first release, Salvation Station, I have no basis for comparison to that album. My introduction to the band, then, was the first song off their newest, self-titled album. That song, “You Set The Rhythm,” begins with this line: “I was unlucky in love / I didn’t know what a heart was / I felt it beating in my chest / But my best definition was a blood pump.”

Luckily, songs like “Listen to the Lord,” “There is a Way,” and “Total Eclipse” are much better in the lyrical department. Depth of lyrics is clearly not the main attraction with this band, however. Their unique combination of styles (rock, pop, funk, blues, even reggae and others) is fascinating. Some of the album didn’t really appeal to me stylistically, but there is a joy in thankfulness to the Lord that comes through clearly. In many ways, the album is a celebration of God’s goodness through the diversity of musical style.

This diversity makes it somewhat difficult to pinpoint musical references if, like me, you’ve never heard Newworldson. “There is a Way” sounded to me like I was listening to Jimmy Needham, who they’ve toured with. I very much enjoyed this song. Other songs, heavier on the funk/rock side, reminded me of a band a few years back called Hyper Static Union, although I think Newworldson sounds much more polished. Many of the other songs borrow bits and pieces of other styles and influences, meshing them together.

Other songs that stood out were “Jamaican Praise Melody,” with its island praise feel, and “O Lament,” which utilizes an extremely toned down drum beat with a subtle piano riff that sounds directly out of a movie soundtrack. Very interesting to hear these types of songs back to back. The diversity is nice, but it also kept the album from feeling completely cohesive to me. Some of the styles used weren’t that musical interesting to me, but many will seriously appreciate a Christian band branching out this much. Newworldson definitely doesn’t sound like your typical Christian band. For that, I commend them.

Due to that fact, I can see this album taking off for them, and I hope it does. I’m all for a band pushing the Christian music industry away from the same old styles and clichéd writing. This album definitely tries to do that. Overall, though, there just weren’t enough great songs to keep me overly interested throughout, despite the diversity. As I said, though, that might just be my tastes, so I recommend checking them out for yourself if you’re looking for something different.



*This album was provided for review by Inpop Records.

Music Video of the Week: Mat Kearney

Mat Kearney - "All I Have"

Tony Dungy on IAmSecond.com

I Think Seth Likes Sledding

Book Review: John Piper - A Sweet & Bitter Providence

Genre: Theology/Christian Living
Publisher: Crossway
Publication Date: January 31, 2010

If you follow my blog or read my reviews very much at all, you know of my…shall we say, interest in the ministry of John Piper. “Interest” doesn’t capture it at all, really. The running joke in my Bible study is how many Piper references I can throw out when I’m teaching. I respect the man immensely and while I read widely and across theological and other boundaries, I lean heavily on him for many of my theological positions because he makes such strong, biblical cases for his.

All this to say, as much as I try to be objective, I’m a little biased in my opinions of Piper’s latest book, A Sweet & Bitter Providence: Sex, Race, and the Sovereignty of God. That being said, you should definitely read it.

The book is basically an expositional look at the book of Ruth. This sometimes forgotten book is a treasure-trove of insight into the nature of God, suffering, race, and sexual purity. Piper expertly mines the book’s narrative, pointing out what the author of the book is trying to communicate, then pastorally applies those insights to our lives today to help us face suffering with God’s providence in mind, face sexual temptation with God’s holiness in mind, and approach the diversity of races with God’s plan of redemption through Christ in mind.

I would heartily recommend this book to every Christian, but especially those facing a trial or suffering of any kind. It’s a difficult truth, but God’s sovereignty over all things, including difficult things, is comforting at its core. In the book of Ruth, Naomi learns this, and we need to be reminded of this truth as well. What looked like a hopeless situation to her was actually God working out his plan of salvation for the whole world since Ruth would marry Boaz and enter into the bloodline of Christ.

I have yet to find another author who is able to make the scriptures come alive so much for me. Piper writes with a theological sharpness that fits perfectly with his pastoral tenderness towards those who suffer. He values doctrine but doesn’t beat people over the head with it. He encourages them with it. I consistently find the passion in his writing to be contagious as it stirs me up to study the scriptures even more for myself. And more than anything, he helps me love God more. This book did that for me, and I hope it will for many of you as well.



This book was provided for review by Crossway.

A Humble Suggestion...

I've been sitting here trying to come up with how to say this. I can't come up with a more tactful way, so here goes...my wife is the best photographer in the world.

Seriously, I've done my research. There's none better. She's simply the best. Don't believe me? Check out her work at her website, leahrobbins.com. Additionally, she just launched a new and improved blog (leahrobbins.com/blog), which I think looks absolutely fantastic. Head over there and check that out as well. She posts lots of pictures of her work, but also some personal things as well, so you can also read some about our little guy, Seth, and the new baby due in only 5 weeks!

She specializes in weddings, but she also does portrait sessions for families, babies, senior pictures, etc. If you find yourself desiring those kinds of things, and you're near the Cincinnati, OH area, get in touch with her, because in addition to being a fantastic photographer, she's also the best person I know. I can't imagine being married to anyone other than her.

I might not be the most objective critic here, but that doesn't mean I'm not right. Check out her work and see for yourself.

Music Review: Starfield - The Saving One

Genre: Worship
Label: Sparrow
Release Date: February 23, 2010

Rating: 4/5

So let’s see if I can get through this worship album review without mentioning again how difficult it is to review worship…nope.

I guess I can just clarify the criteria I’m using in my evaluation then. On many “normal” albums, I find myself picking out the different musical pieces of the song (guitars, vocals, drums, etc.) and analyzing the specific pieces along with the lyrics and song structures. Music, whether I appreciate the style in question or not, can be objectively good or bad, so I’m trying to balance a critique of those elements with my overall impressions and “feelings” related to the music.

For worship, it’s different. These are simply my gut-level, emotionally-induced, heart-response musings about Starfield’s forthcoming album, The Saving One. After numerous listens, the one question that kept coming back to me was this: Did it move my heart towards worship of God? The answer: a resounding YES.

Starfield writes for the Church. They try to produce songs that can be used by the Church to connect people to God through worship. They are talented musically and as songwriters, and they put truths about God to music in a way that stirs your soul with that truth. Your very natural response to this is simply praise. And the things I’m describing happened for me in my car driving, not in a big church.

Songs like “The Saving One,” “Rediscover You,” “No Other Savior,” and “Overwhelm” would be amazing to hear corporately with their anthem-like choruses and soaring guitars. Other songs have a more stripped-down, intimate feel, such as “Something To Say,” “Absolutely,” “Father,” and the acoustic version of “The Saving One.” These songs reveal brokenness, dependence on God, and a falling on grace. The emotion is powerful, and many will easily identify with the confessions of need these songs contain.

These guys clearly have a heart for God’s glory, and it simply shines through in this collection. Very often, albums that are sent to me for review get a few listens to be sure of my impressions and I never listen to them again. I have found myself listening to this album over and over the past few weeks. It never fails to move my heart toward God. I’m thankful for the ministry of talented musicians who choose to use their gifts to serve the Church. Pick up this album. You won’t regret it.



*This album was provided for review by Sparrow Records.

Music Video of the Week: Lecrae

From Desiring God:

Desiring God produced the music video for LeCrae's new song, "Far Away," over the weekend. It is now available for purchase, along with the mp3, for only $4.99.

If you want to buy just the mp3, it is available in iTunes for $.99. It is ranked 46 in Hip Hop as of now. Let's try to move it into the top 10!

Buy either of these now and all proceeds will go to Haiti relief.

Decide to Abandon Retirement as the Reward For Your Life

Book Review: Sally Lloyd-Jones - The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name

Genre: Kids Bible
Publisher: Zonderkidz; Har/Com Dl edition
Publication Date: October 1, 2009

My son is a little over a year old now. One of the things I most looked forward to about becoming a dad was the chance to share the truth about God and Christ with my children through the scriptures. As we asked around, we kept hearing about The Jesus Storybook Bible, by Sally Lloyd-Jones. Everyone (even some friends of ours who didn’t even have kids yet) said it was an amazing Bible. We picked up a copy for ourselves, and I then had the opportunity to get a deluxe edition from the publisher. Based on everything I’d heard, I jumped at the chance.

The first thing that struck me about the Bible was the subtitle, “Every Story Whispers His Name.” All Christians have likely heard at some point that all of the Bible, the Old Testament sacrifices, the prophets, the Psalms, all of it, points to Christ. This is true, but many people have never connected a lot of the dots. As I began working through The Storybook Bible, I was amazed at how clear these connections to Jesus were made through every story. From the Fall, the Flood, the sacrificial system…every story is about Christ in some way. I can understand why some of my friends have used the Bible for themselves even though they don’t have kids. Truths are illuminated in The Storybook Bible in such a clear way that this would make a good devotional even for adults.

But, of course, its purpose is to make the truths of scripture clear to children. Being that my son is just over one year old, he obviously doesn’t understand when we read the stories to him yet (and we don’t turn the pages quite fast enough for him, either). I can already tell, though, what a blessing this book will be for my family. During Christmas this year, my brother-in-law read aloud the Christmas stories from the book to our whole family (they have a 4-year-old who understands the stories and enjoys them). I was deeply moved by the explanations of what Christ was doing by incarnating. The stories are made simple, and the simplicity magnifies their profound qualities. It’s basically like being given the faith of a child again.

The main differences in the deluxe edition versus the original edition are that the cover is different and it comes with 3 CDs of the audio narrative. I didn’t spend a ton of time listening to the audio, but the voiceover works great for kids to listen themselves. I think, however, the power of this book is experiencing it as a family with your children by reading to them. I can’t wait for the day my son can understand the truths the book explains and depicts so well.



This book was provided for review by ZonderKidz.

Book Review: R.C. Sproul - Romans

Genre: Bible Commentary
Publisher: Crossway
Publication Date: October 31, 2009

My favorite book of the Bible is Romans, hands down. Add to that the fact that I’m a pretty solid Reformed theology nerd, and R.C. Sproul’s Romans Commentary is a clear winner with me. Containing the sermons from his series on Romans delivered to Saint Andrew’s Church in Sanford, FL, the book functions less like a traditional commentary in that it’s not as “word-by-word” as some others. Instead, it’s delivered in sermon form (the passages being discussed are bolded to help with references), with Sproul including stories, anecdotes, and other tangential thoughts to the specific scriptures. Being that it was a series of sermons, there are certain threads carried through the different chapters, so it’s more beneficial when read through and the reader can trace those threads.

I have utilized the book to help my study with my small group Bible study, which is currently going through Romans. I’ve had the privilege of leading the group a few times, and the insights I gained from this commentary were extremely helpful in that respect. Sproul does a great job of making the doctrine contained in Paul’s amazing letter to the Romans come alive and connect to real life. His analogies and examples explained the scriptures in profound and clear ways.

Being that it’s R.C. Sproul, some will clearly disagree with his treatment of chapters 9-11 of Romans. These difficult passages are in many ways the backbone of Reformed, Calvinist theology, and they are the chapters that can easily cause division. I found Sproul’s handling of these texts to be direct and truthful, but also gentle and warm. Doctrine is clearly not just an intellectual pursuit for him. He has a pastor’s heart, and it shines through here.

There are a handful of really solid Bible teachers that I look to when I have questions about what I read in scripture. I definitely count R.C. Sproul in that group. This Romans commentary is just the first in a series of expositional commentaries coming out from him (The Gospel of John has also released), and I can’t wait to add those to my library.



This book was provided for review by Crossway.

Book Review: Chris Tomlinson - Crave: Wanting So Much More of God

Genre: Non-Fiction
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers
Publication Date: January 1, 2010

I really enjoy reading books by younger Christians. Don’t get me wrong, I love John Piper. I read R.C. Sproul, D.A. Carson, and many others. Men like these have been extremely influential in my theological and spiritual growth. It’s nice, however, every now and then, to read something by a younger Christian, someone who has a similar perspective to me about things, someone who can articulate many of the same thoughts I have about living out faith in Christ in our current context.

That’s why I enjoyed Chris Tomlinson’s Crave: Wanting So Much More of God so much. Tomlinson isn’t a pastor or theologian. He’s a businessman. His stories aren’t all about fighting big battles for the Lord and accomplishing giant things for Him (though like me, he wants to do those things). Instead, they’re about things like struggling to be fervent in prayer, obedient in action, and vulnerable in evangelism. Yes, Tomlinson has done some pretty cool things and been a lot of places, but his descriptions of his walk with the Lord seemed extremely familiar for me. I’m guessing it will for many of you as well.

Told in large part through stories, Tomlinson discusses a series of areas of the Christian life (Habit, Silence, Rules, Hunger, Suffering, Joy, among others). Written with some of the straightforwardness and transparency of what you’d typically get from a blog, most of the chapters begin with a story from his life that deals in some way with the topic. For example, in “Habit,” he described trying to use sticky notes to remind himself to pray for 21 days straight to make it a habit. This leads to discussion about what he learned from the experience and how he’s grown (and still learning) in that area.

One thing I really enjoyed about the book is that Tomlinson’s brutally honest about himself and his motives in the different situations. He explains, for example, why he doesn’t really want to talk to the girl next to him on the plane that seems to really need it. He articulates the struggles each of us face as we try to walk faithfully. It’s extremely encouraging, actually. I think that’s what I came away from the book with the most: encouraged. The Christian life isn’t easy; sanctification isn’t instant. We all spend our lives trying to “figure it out.” Tomlinson doesn’t pretend to have figured anything out, but he has learned enough to encourage others.

Theologically, there are clear influences from men such as John Piper, which is probably part of why I identified with his stories so much. He’s trying to live out practically the things he knows to be true theologically about God and who we are in Christ. This is what I try to do every day. I felt a connection to him through this. God is glorified when we do this, even though we constantly fail. In many ways, this is the book I wish I'd written.

If you’ve tried all kinds of different methods to stoke your fire for God, or have settled into a comfortable Christian lifestyle that demands little of you, you should probably read this book. It will challenge and encourage you to pursue God in all of your life.



This book was provided for review by Harvest House Publishers.

Music Review: TobyMac - Tonight

Genre: Pop/Rock
Label: ForeFront
Release Date: February 9, 2010

Rating: 4/5

Fans of TobyMac won’t be disappointed with his newest release, Tonight. The album has everything you’ve come to expect from the former D.C. Talker and Jesus Freak: a ridiculously catchy mix of rock, pop, and hip/hop, some less than stellar lyrics in terms of depth, a clear desire for the Lord, and some cool cameos on some of the songs.

I’ve enjoyed TobyMac’s first 3 releases, and there’s been some growth musically from each to the next. For this one, though, I don’t feel like Toby really branched out that much. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing. The music has such a professional feel to it, it becomes easy to take for granted how Toby can consistently produce such high quality, catchy music. That said, this feels like more of a continuation to me of what he did on Portable Sounds, which I did enjoy.

The album leads off with “Tonight,” which is vintage TobyMac. It mixes rock, hip/hop and pop perfectly and features John Cooper from Skillet. The autotune being used was a little different for me, but it wasn’t overly distracting. “Get Back Up” follows, which is the extremely catchy pop song on the album. My least favorite song on the album was easily “Funky Jesus Music,” which utilizes the phrase, “Gimme that juicy flow.” Seriously. It does.

Other highlights on the album were the first single, “City On Our Knees,” which still sounds to me like something OneRepublic could come out with and has fantastic lyrics. “Changed Forever” features Nirva Ready and her vocals compliment things perfectly. TruDog (Toby’s son) makes his obligatory appearance on “Loud and Clear (TruDog ’10), and this continues to be a fun part of each TobyMac album. “Wonderin” features Matt Thiessen of Relient K and sounds exactly like you’d expect a song from TobyMac and Relient K to sound.

Overall, I enjoyed most of the album musically. Toby continues to craft some of the most ridiculously catchy songs in CCM. He’s a true professional when it comes to production, and everything sounds crisp and clean. One thing I could have done without was the prevalent use of autotune on this album, but that’s just a pet peeve of mine. Others may enjoy its inclusion. Overall, TobyMac has delivered again, and the king of Christian pop isn’t going anywhere soon.



*This album was provided for review by ForeFront Records.

Music Video of the Week: Our Lady Peace

Our Lady Peace - "Innocent"



No, I don't agree with the premise of the song, but I love Our Lady Peace and the song is awesome.

Music Review: Day of Fire - Losing All

Genre: Rock
Label: Razor and Tie
Release Date: January 26, 2010

Rating: 4.5/5

I grew up on a lot of non-Christian music before I was a Christian. I was a big Metallica fan. I listened to Alice-in-Chains, Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots, Our Lady Peace, Nirvana, and later Finger Eleven and Buckcherry. I was a fan of some older rock as well – Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Skynyrd. I listened to the gamut, the Almond Brothers and Clapton to Black Sabbath, The Who to Megadeth, Guns N' Roses and White Zombie, among many others. When I became a Christian, I quickly looked for Christian counterparts to some of these bands, ones that would portray a better message (I still listen to a lot of same bands – I’m not saying they’re evil).

Although Christian music has come a long way in terms of production thanks to the money being made in it, true musicianship and song-writing capabilities are still not at the level of secular music, in my opinion. Especially in the rock genre, you can still hear a difference in the level of songs, even though the production has caught up.

Enter Day of Fire. Back in my earlier days, one of the bands I listened to was Full Devil Jacket, the band Josh Brown fronted before becoming a Christian and starting Day of Fire. While I enjoyed the band’s first 2 albums (“Cornerstone” is an amazing song), I hadn’t been quite as impressed as I was by Josh’s work with Full Devil Jacket. There was just a rawness missing. After a break that included new management and a new label, Day of Fire is back with Losing All, and it marks a return to why I enjoyed Brown’s earlier work more – this is simply a fantastic rock album.

From the energy of the opener “Light ‘Em up” and first single “Lately,” it’s clear that Josh has discovered how to balance his Christian faith with creating a rock album that lacks a distinctly “Christian” sound. Save some of the lyrical content, I have no trouble imagining some of these songs played on my local rock station. The quality and sophistication of song-writing is that good. The guitar riffs, drums and baselines are straight-up rock, mixing in just enough guitar solos to keep things interesting. Simply put, I haven’t enjoyed a “Christian” hard rock album this much in a long time.

Lest you think my suggestion they could be played on a normal rock station suggests they’ve toned down distinctly Christian thoughts, think again. The lyrics are nuanced and symbolic (like most good rock lyrics), but are powerful and, at times, profound. One song, in particular, that’s been haunting me is the album’s closer, “The Dark Hills.” Musically, the song is fantastic; utilizing a pulsating drum beat throughout that crescendos magnificently. When this is combined with the lyrical imagery, the results gave me chills.

Brown sings:

If anybody knew this ugliness inside me
Would they throw a stone, would they crucify me?
How heavy was the crown of thorns?
I wonder if I’m too far gone

They say Jesus walked the dark hills
He broke bread with beggars and thieves
If I cry out in this darkness, if I fall down on my knees
If he walks the dark hills, will he come for me?

I think this album will likely go largely unappreciated. It’s not polished by overproduction. It has a very raw sound to it, both instrumentally and vocally. I picture hearing this music in a small club amidst smoke in the air. I have my doubts that feel will have large mass appeal in the Christian market. Hopefully, the album will connect with some non-Christians who will hear powerful pictures of grace like “The Dark Hills.” I would have listened to them back before I was a Christian, and I’ll definitely be listening to this album plenty now that I am.

Judging, Conan, and Haiti

Many of you know that I also contribute reviews to The Christian Manifesto on occasion, and I keep up with the site almost daily. My friend Calvin Moore, the proprietor of said site, recently got into a "Tweet Off," as he put it, with author Jackson Pierce after Calvin made a comment about the excessive nature of the pay-offs to Conan O'Brien and his staff as well as the cost of some of the jokes he did during the last week in light of the devastation in Haiti. Pierce jumped on him with the "Christians shouldn't judge people" line, and some interesting back and forth ensued.

I actually made a comment about the jokes Conan was doing myself, basically just saying it came off crass in light of what was happening in Haiti. I think Conan seems like a really good guy, and he did a lot during the last week to encourage people to give to Haiti. That doesn't mean those expensive jokes weren't a bad idea, though. Was I judging Conan? Is that actually a bad thing?

Calvin wrote a post over at TCM discussing these issues. I was reminded of value of judgment and the danger of it as well. I was encouraged and challenged. I found it a very solid piece and thought I would share. Here's a quick sample:

Ms. Pearce took issue with the judgmental tone my tweets took. “Aren’t you supposed to judge not?” was the initial question posed to me. From here, it spiraled into questions of excess versus poverty, luxury versus contentment, the nature of hypocrisy, and relative wealth. This is not the first time I have been called judgmental. And, to be honest, sometimes I have been pharisaical in how I go about dispensing grace (as if it were mine to dispense). That cannot be denied. My human frailty often puts me on the wrong side of judgment. So, I would like to thank Ms. Pearce for the reminder that I am an agent of grace, not condemnation.

Be that as it may, there is something troubling about the world we find ourselves in as Christians when it comes to the practice of judgment. Ms. Pearce’s response and many others like hers beg the question: Are Christians called to judge? What does it mean to judge? If I look at the situation and say, “That’s wrong on a fundamental level,” is that judgment, or it is something else?

Jesus says, “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.” (Matthew 7:1-2, ESV) This is the verse that is often alluded to in order to bolster the argument for Christians not standing in a place of judgment over others. And rightly so. This is a great warning against Christians pronouncing other people guilty before God. Approaching other people’s lives and actions with a judgmental and harsh attitude results in God judging us in the same manner. But, it is not a proscription against judging altogether. Quite the contrary. Matthew 7:1-2 is the opening of Christ’s statements of how Christians are called to judge rightly.

Head over to TCM to read the whole thing. And check out the other content on the site (book, music, and movie reviews, blog posts, entertainment news, etc). It's good stuff.

Giveaway: Chris Tomlinson's Crave: Wanting So Much More of God

Note: The contest is now closed. Thanks!
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Thanks to Harvest House Publishers, I've been able to get a couple copies of Chris Tomlinson's new book Crave: Wanting So Much More of God. One is obviously for me to review, which means I've got another one to give away to you.

First, a little about the book. Here's the summary from the website for the book:

There’s a certain feeling writers have about their first book, or so I assume because I have this feeling. There’s the sense that I will never again write another book, because all has been said, and because writing doesn’t get any better than this. And there’s another sense of discomfort that this book will be in print, because people are going to realize writing does get much better than this, and there’s far more to say than the simple words I’ve written.

Even so, Crave represents a season in my life that all Christians have passed through or will encounter. At its core, it’s a story of desire, of wanting so much more of God, and the struggle that ensues with God, purpose, faith, and setbacks. For years, I sensed there was more to my faith than I knew or had experienced, and I wanted more, but I didn’t know how to go about getting it. So I dove into church, and study, and service, and evangelism, and spiritual disciplines, and I ended up a burned out Christian.

I didn’t yet know the source, or the purpose, of our cravings. But God was content to write one chapter in my life at a time. And as He put the finishing touches on this season of my life, I came to see something about my cravings I hadn’t seen before. Something simple. Something profound. Which has just started an entirely new story. Join with me in this journey and find how your own pages will be written.

If you'd like to win a free copy, all you have to do is comment on this post with a way for me to contact you if you win. That's it. The contest will run through next Wednesday, Feb. 10th. Please pass along the link, and if you follow me on Twitter (please do), please RT that as well. Thanks for reading, and good luck!

To further encourage you to enter, here's a quick promo video for the book.

Crave Video Trailer from Chris Tomlinson on Vimeo.

AP Story on Matt Chandler

This story has already been making the rounds, but if you haven't read it, you should definitely check it out. It's written by the Associated Press, and it details much of the situation regarding Matt Chandler and his recent diagnosis of brain cancer.

Another cancer patient Chandler has gotten to know spends his time in radiation imagining that he's playing a round of golf at his favorite course. Chandler on this first Monday in January is reflecting on Colossians 1:15-23, about the pre-eminence of Christ and making peace through the blood of his cross.

Chandler's hands are crossed over his chest. He wears a mask with white webbing that keeps his head still when metal fingers slide into place on the radiation machine, delivering the highest possible dose to what is considered to be fatal and incurable brain cancer.

This is Matt Chandler's new normal. Each weekday, he spends two hours in the car — driven from his suburban home to downtown Dallas — for eight minutes of radiation and Scripture.

At the hospital, Chandler sees other patients in gowns who get chemotherapy through catheters in their chests and is thankful he gets his in pills before going to sleep at home next to his wife.

Chandler is trying to suffer well. He would never ask for such a trial, but in some ways he welcomes this cancer. He says he feels grateful that God has counted him worthy to endure it. He has always preached that God will bring both joy and suffering but is only recently learning to experience the latter.

It's not everyday that Colossians 1 gets mentioned by the AP (with words like "pre-eminence of Christ," "blood," and "cross" to boot). God is definitely accomplishing something through Matt and his situation.

From the story's conclusion:

Chandler never thought such a trial would shake his faith. But until now, that was just hope in the abstract.

"This has not surprised God," Chandler says on the drive home. "He is not in a panic right now trying to figure out what to do with me or this disease. Those things have been warm blankets, man."

Chandler has, however, wrestled with the tension between belief in an all-powerful God and what he, as a mere mortal, can do about his situation. He believes he has responsibilities: to use his brain, to take advantage of technology, to walk in faith and hope, to pray for healing and then "see what God wants to do."

"Knowing that if God is outside time and I am inside time, that puts some severe limitations on my ability to crack all the codes," he says. "The more I've studied, the more I go, 'Yes, God is sovereign, and he does ask us to pray ... and he does change his mind.' How all that will work is in some aspects a mystery."

Since falling ill, Chandler has gotten letters from the governor and pastors in Sudan. He has tried to steer attention to others, including a 6-year-old Arizona girl with cancer.

At church, he has deflected sympathy with reassurances that this is a good thing, that he is not shrinking back. Chandler has preached the last two weekends and is planning trips to South Africa and England. He recently lost his hair to radiation but got a positive lab report last week and feels strong.

"The human experience commonly shared is suffering," said Mark Driscoll, pastor of Seattle's Mars Hill Church and a friend of Chandler's. "If he suffers well, that might be the most important sermon he's ever preached."

Thank God for Matt Chandler. Please continue to pray for him, as well as any others who are struggling with cancer.

Book Review: Ted Dekker & Carl Medearis - Tea With Hezbollah

Genre: Non-Fiction
Publisher: Waterbrook Multnomah
Publication Date: January 26, 2010

Being a pretty big fan of Ted Dekker, and not having read any non-fiction by him, I was pretty intrigued by the premise of his newest book with Carl Medearis, Tea With Hezbollah – Sitting At The Enemies’ Table. “Co-author” Carl Medearis is basically an expert on Christian-Muslim relations, having spent a good part of his life in extremely dangerous places attempting to love them. With his connections, Medearis was able to arrange a “Middle East Tour” where he and Dekker were able to sit down with prominent Muslim leaders, asking “People Magazine”-style questions in order to paint a more human picture of these people.

In this respect, I would say they accomplished their goal. The interviews definitely show a side of these people you won’t see in the news. There are no 1-dimensional portrayals of Jihadist terrorists here. These “enemies of the West” are real people with families, fears, hopes, and stories. Dekker (as he was really the author of the book) provides extensive background on the people and places (via Medearis in most cases, I’m sure). In addition, some chapters are basically journal-like entries with Dekker discussing his emotions and pre-conceived notions of the people he’s about to meet. Finally, there is a very interesting story about a girl named Nicole that weaves its way through the book and the places they visit. Dekker’s trademark narrative style shines here.

Despite its success in showing a different side of these people, though, I was disappointed with the book overall. The differences between Christians and Muslims theologically are great, and this book won’t do anything to shine any light on those differences or help people understand and discuss those differences. Some might want to complain that theology doesn’t matter. It does. Dekker tries to state multiple times that this book isn’t about religion, but bits and pieces of his theology come out unintentionally throughout the book. Everyone does theology; we need to be intentional about the theological statements being made. Unfortunately, the conversations in the book that mentioned Jesus were very shallow (as a side note – Dekker’s insistency over and over that Jesus was basically killed for teaching people to love their enemies gets tedious since it’s just not true).

I read the book hoping to get some insight into the differences between Christians and Muslims and how those differences can be discussed intelligently. Unfortunately, that was not the intention of the book at all. Maybe that’s my bad. From what I hear, I need to read some of Medearis’ stuff, which is apparently very solid. For this book, I enjoyed the parts where Dekker was doing what he does best (narrative storytelling) but was put off by the theologically-shallow conversations that didn’t really help me understand Muslims any better.



This book was provided for review by Waterbrook Multnomah.

Bored With Singing About The Gospel?

Bob Kauflin had some great thoughts about worship over at his blog:

Glorying in Jesus Christ means glorying in his cross. That doesn’t mean looking at some icon or two pieces of wood nailed together. Nor does it imply that every song we sing has the word cross in it. It has little to do with church gatherings that are more like a funeral than a celebration. The cross stands for all that was accomplished through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, the Son of God. It focuses on his substitutionary death at Calvary but includes everything that gave meaning to that act. His preexistent state in glory. His incarnation. His life of perfect obedience. His suffering. His resurrection. His ascension. His present intercession and reign in glory. His triumphant return...

...But over the years I’ve seen learned that this vital truth can be misapplied. We can practice gospel-centered corporate worship in a way that is more obligatory than faith-filled. What once magnified the glory of Christ becomes lifeless repetition. My friend, Jon Payne, shared some thoughts with me on this topic that I found helpful. He pointed out that a formulaic approach to gospel-centered worship can lead to some of the following problems:

• thinking every song should be exclusively about justification, boldness before the throne, or our sins being completely forgiven.
• thinking every song list should climax with a “gospel” song.
• an inability to reference or articulate uniquely other aspects of the gospel - adoption, reconciliation, union with Christ, etc.
• a scarcity of other themes in our songs such as the wisdom of God, the eternity of God, the power of God, the incarnation, the kingship of Christ, heaven.
• worshiping a doctrine rather than allowing that doctrine to lead us to a living Savior. We are not “crowning the gospel with many crowns.”

Leading gospel-centered worship in a faithless way can lead to some bad fruit:

• The gospel and the Savior lose glory in the eyes of bored worshipers.
• People develop a limited view of God and his attributes.
• People don’t learn how to apply the gospel to other areas of life/Biblical themes.
• The gospel becomes a crude, repetitive statement of facts rather than a lens through which we view all of life.
• We think an explicit reference to the gospel makes our worship acceptable, rather than trust in a crucified and risen Savior.
• Rather than expecting to encounter God because of the gospel people come expecting to repeat faithless facts.

Music Video of the Week: Day of Fire

Day of Fire - "Lately (Live)"