Joy to the World: A Biblical Worldview (A Four-Part Series) Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 Part 3: Far As the Curse Is Found “Joy to the World” is a Christmas carol that proclaims a biblical worldview. This is the third post on Isaac Watts’ famous hymn which is based on Psalm 98. The lyrics of this hymn reflect a biblical worldview, a worldview that brings honor to God in all that we do. The first part of this worldview has to do with the joyful anticipation of Christ’s rule. The second part encourages us to delight in the ongoing reign of our Savior. This third element of the worldview acknowledges that there is much […]
Culture
252 posts
Gift giving can be a dangerous activity, especially if you give gifts to yourself. I am not talking about the present under the tree that is labeled from you to you. I am talking about the gifts you give to others that are really meant for you. Let me explain. One example is giving a gift to someone for the pleasure of seeing how much you are appreciated. For example, you are feeling unappreciated by your child. You find a gift you think will please her and tip the scales back in your favor. This is where things get murky. You spent money on something you really could not afford, so that she would think you are wonderful. When your […]
Psalm 72 declares that God alone does wondrous things. How easily this truth is discarded! Since the Fall, the only hope of mankind has been the gospel and the gospel alone. Ultimately, the reason that you have electric light instead of candlelight is the gospel. The reason someone lets you into the next traffic lane instead of running you off the road is the gospel. The reason you can buy food instead of having to kill others for it is the gospel. Sound strange or naïve? Take a moment to consider the plight of all humans immediately after the Fall. When Adam and Eve believed Satan’s lie, not only did spiritual death occur, but at that moment hope ceased to […]
Proverbs 18:15 teaches that the ears of the wise search for knowledge. The message is that not everything that you need to know as a parent will be handed to you wrapped in a bright warning label that says “Danger, check this out.” Sometimes the warning signs are subtle. They can easily get lost in hectic pace of life. Teenagers just getting started with drug abuse often fit into this category. Drugs are readily available today, sometimes teenagers need only your own medicine cabinet to get started. If you find any indication of drug use, don’t hesitate, get whatever help is needed as quickly as possible! I have asked my good friend and fellow elder, Richie Batson, to provide some […]
One objective you have as a parent is to keep your children safe. But this objective is not an easy one. Planning ways to keep your children safe implies there are dangers in life. And even with the best planning, hard things still occur. There are enemies on every side, both spiritual and earthly. Living as children of light angers the forces of darkness. You and your children are part of a cosmic battle that has been raging since creation. A preoccupation with being safe may keep you from trusting God. No, I am not suggesting you should be irresponsible and ignore safety. But what I am saying is that it is God who ultimately keeps you and your children […]
In 1953 Hugh Hefner published the first issue of a magazine that would become an American icon. The magazine became symbolic of a nation in pursuit of pleasure, the objectification of women, and moving beyond biblical morality. Hefner framed his views with a long-running series of articles that attempted to show the tyranny of biblical morality and historic Christian theologians like John Calvin. He wanted to see the Bible thrashed and tossed aside. Hefner’s “philosophical” views were a thin veneer that covered his own fantasy that women served no higher end than to fulfill his perverted desire. Hefner died this past Wednesday, but his dream lives on. This dream has shaped the way our culture views women and God for […]
In 1933 some of the leading educators and thinkers of the day penned and signed the Humanist Manifesto. Among the signers was John Dewey, arguably the most influential voice in modern American education. Two full generations have come and gone, but the core beliefs of this document continue to shape American values, culture, and educational philosophy. The Manifesto found in Sartre’s version of existentialism a rich soil in which to grow and propagate its anti-Christian agenda. The Manifesto sought to strip biblical influence from western culture. it has largely succeeded in its mission. People seem to think that their ideas and values are law unto themselves. The question is will the church embrace truly biblical thought so it can once […]
This is a short story of two young men with two radically different views of the same treasure. One thought he could not live without the treasure and one who knew could not live with it. This is the choice your teenagers face: should they live for what they can see or for what they can’t see? Moses, as a young man, was offered all the treasures of ancient Egypt. They were the best his world had to offer. Power, possessions, prestige — they were all his. All he had to do was be passive and enjoy the providential circumstances that were literally dropped in his lap. But he said no to all of that. Instead he chose disgrace for […]
Solomon did not have a web page. He didn’t blog. He didn’t tweet. He wasn’t on on Snap Chat or Instagram. But he can still help you navigate the seas of social media. Here are three important terms to know when using the internet: Verify, Verify, Verify! In the world of social media, little is as it seems. You must verify that what you read and see is not just a half-truth or flat-out deception. Proverbs 18:17 says: The first to present his case in a dispute seems right, until his opponent comes and cross examines him. It is easy to accept texts, tweets, posts, emails, etc., at face value. Don’t! This isn’t cynical, but just realizing that the Bible […]
The most important part of our lives are our relationships. Relationships, whether good or poor, live on in the landscape of our minds. God made humans for relationships; they shape our perception of who we are and provide us with our sense of self-worth and purpose. Relationships are most fulfilling when they are rooted in the trinitarian God who is the source and model for all good relationships. God’s ultimate expression of relationship to people was to send his son, Jesus Christ, to show you and me what makes relationships work. When asked about what was the most important of all the things God commanded his people to do, Jesus answered simply and directly. Love God with everything that is […]