I’m featured on the front page of Boyce College.com. And while I’m mentioning it, I might as well fully endorse and encourage you to check out the new Worldview Certificate the school is offering. It’s beyond awesome.
I wrote a short article for the blog Marry Well. If you could dedicate a blog post, it’d be to my grandparents and parents who have shown me what a lifetime of service and sacrifice means in a marriage. Thank you so much for your example. God has been so gracious.
You can read it here.
The following video was a part of my past training at Chick-Fil-A, and to be honest, it discouraged me. I was discouraged because I saw a lost, hurting, and dying world and all that I had the opportunity to do was smile, sell chicken, and maybe make a friend. I am well aware that there is more opportunity for ministry than just that, but my time working in the family friendly quick-service restaurant propelled me to a greater passion to offer people more than just a smile and a chicken sandwich. I have the gospel that each of these people need so desperately in their lives.
What is your response to this video?
The following quotation from Darcy Crain-Polly sent shivers up my spine:
“Some day, maybe the words “I do” will not have to be faith specific.”
It seems that God gets in the way. Perhaps one day the very foundation on which marriage was established will no longer be relevant? Perhaps one day God will no longer have any part in the very thing He established?
Seems that is the very wish this writer has.
I just had an article published in the Give Me An Answer Important conference material that it being given out to a few hundred students that are visiting the campus of Southern Seminary to hear speakers like J.D. Greear, Albert Mohler, and Russell Moore (along with Shane and Shane and FLAME). I am extremely excited about it, and honored to have contributed a little bit to the cause of helping students understand what is really important.
The conference theme reminded me of something I had written in the past that continues to convict me each and every time I read it. I was sitting in a coffee shop the other day chatting with a friend about how our technology is affecting our relationships (particularly those who are married). But I also wonder how it may be affecting our most important relationship, our relationship with God.
So I wrote this article about the importance of knowing God in an age of constant distraction, change, and confusion.
I couldn’t help but wonder what he was thinking as he pulled out his iPhone and took advantage of a new Facebook application — right in the middle of the sermon.
It was then that I realized the narcissistic machine that is Facebook.
Shifting uncomfortably in my chair, I found myself desiring to do the same. I shuddered. Have I really come to this place where I’m more concerned about what’s taking place on Facebook than what’s going on in this church service? More concerned about a self-serving social networking site than this Bible on my lap?
Later on that evening, I thought more about my internal battle between Facebook and my Bible. I understand that one of my desires as a Christian should be to know God more deeply; the reality is that I spend very little time actually getting to know Him. Too often, my hours are spent pursuing other human beings through convenient electronic means like Facebook. My life can quickly become all about striving to know my buddies better than my Lord.
Southern Seminary had a highly publicized panel discussion on Rob Bell’s new book Love Wins yesterday that you might consider taking a look at today.
According to Michael Jones, your favorite fast-food chain Chick-Fil-A is now supporting monsters. You can read Michael Jones words for yourself:
You might like the tasty pickles that they put on their chicken sandwiches, but if you’re eating at Chick-Fil-A, you’re also eating at an establishment that partners with some of the most ferocious anti-gay groups around.
Apparently, the openly Christian organization is sponsoring (a.k.a, delivering food) an event held by the Pennsylvania Family Institute this February. They are described as “the leading anti-gay group in the Keystone State and a group that has worked hard to try and pass a constitutional amendment in Pennsylvania banning same-sex marriage.”
The event that Chick-Fil-A is sponsoring is called “The Art of Marriage.” Not too frightening upon first look. But a second glance leads one to realize that this is an event that is calling it’s attendees back to “the biblical definition of marriage.” Shocking, I know. And Michael Jones adds: “Given the work of the Pennsylvania Family Institute, it’s hard not to see where this event is going to go — straight for the jugular of anyone who supports marriage equality for same-sex couples.”
And in case you aren’t convinced, Jones gives a bit more:
They’ve called same-sex marriage a threat to children, argued that same-sex marriage destroys civilization, and said that gay couples hurt families.
It is obvious that the language in this petition paints Chick-Fil-A as an
organization supporting a group that wants to murder and kill homosexuals. Jones uses statements like “[The Pennsylvania Family Institute] called same-sex marriage a threat to children, argued that same-sex marriage destroys civilization, and said that gay couples hurt families” as a supporting argument to hate what Chick-Fil-A is doing. But that is exactly what homosexual unions do. It destroys civilizations, it hurts families, and is a threat to children (both already born children, and obviously the future production of children).
I must say, I find it stunning that there is so much anger over the fact that Chick-Fil-A would want to support the biblical definition of marriage. I am certainly not for hate groups that would malign homosexuals or treat them with vitriol and anger. That is wrong. They need love and care and most of all, the gospel. But these men and women are wrong. They are hurting civilization. They are hurting the family. They are hurting themselves. Same-sex “marriage” is not marriage, and can never be recognized as such. Genesis 1. Romans 1. 1 Corinthians 6. 1 Timothy 1.
This is a hill to die on as believers. It’s not a gray area. It is not something God hasn’t been clear about.
But let me say this, I’m not out on an agenda to simply attack those who struggle with same sex attraction or something ridiculous like that. What I am saying is that as the church and as believers we cannot bend on “the biblical definition of marriage.” That biblical definition stands as a building block for our society, and particularly our churches. When we lose the family, we lose the very thing God has created to build His Church, the bride of Christ.
That said, Chick-Fil-A has every right as a private organization to support a group like this: a pro-Family group, not an “anti-gay” group. The language is so unfair in this “demand.” Painting Chick-Fil-A in this light is sad, and creating a monster out of the Pennsylvania Family Institute is disheartening. It destroys any chance for any type of real conversation or understanding of the matter at hand. It simply plays with people’s emotions – apparently over 19,000 of them – who are unaware of the details, and believe this organization hates people. And in turn will now flood Chick-Fil-A with unnecessary emails that are probably filled with hate in and of themselves.
Chick-Fil-A is not anti-Gay.
UPDATE:
This is a statement provide from Chick-Fil-A corporate:
First and foremost, thanks for your patience as we made sure we gathered the facts in regards to recent postings. We have determined that one of our independent Restaurant Operators in Pennsylvania was asked to provide sandwiches to two Art of Marriage video seminars. As our fans, you know we do our best to serve our local communities, and one of the ways we do that is by providing food to schools, colleges, civic groups, businesses, places of worship, not-for-profit groups, etc. At his discretion, the local Operator agreed to simply provide a limited amount of food. Our Chick-fil-A Operators and their employees try very hard every day to go the extr…a mile in serving ALL of our customers with honor, dignity and respect.
My latest article published by a new organization called Generation Impact:
I couldn’t help but smile as I looked beyond the casket and towards the podium as family and friends rose from their seats, walked onto the stage, and proceeded to speak.
Is it odd to say that I just came from an awesome funeral?
–Unknown
This morning I got to watch sky fade from darkness into a radiant and blinding red and orange – and it made me think about heaven.
It made me think of heaven because, although the sunrise was spectacular, I felt that it just wasn’t enough. Something told me that this sunset was most certainly like looking through a filthy window pane – or maybe the windshield of my car earlier in the morning before the defrost started working. Almost impossible to see, yet we catch just a glimpse, a glimmer, of the greatness to come.
No more cancer. No more welling up with pain inside or overflowing with tears. No more terrorists or towers collapsing. No more orphans or parents dying. No more accidents and frantic calls for help. No more starvation, no more AIDS, no more broken homes. No more divorce, no more anger, no more worry, no more stress, no more aches and pains, no more bloody knees or broken faces. No more rumors, no more hurt feelings, no more lack of love.
And this place – heaven – will be a place so much like earth – eating, music, animals, water, trees, food, a celestial city. So much more than we could ever imagine. – and not simply floating around on clouds. It is a most wonderful place that Jesus is preparing for us, and we know He makes all things good.
And it is there we shall see His face.
That, my dear friends, is what struck me most violently as I contemplated and wondered and longed for heaven. I long more than anything else to see His face, the face of the One who has forgiven me of wrongs that no one should forgive, of sin so deep that no one would want to see it.
And we should long for Him in a radical way.
A. W. Tozer has said, “Let no one apologize for the powerful emphasis Christianity lays upon the doctrine of the world to come. Right there lies its immense superiority to everything else within the whole sphere of human thought or experience….We do well to think of the long tomorrow.” *
We do well to think of the long tomorrow. So think about it as we long to see His face. Oh, I can’t wait to go home!
* (http://www.epm.org/artman2/publish Randys_books_excerpts_from_Randys_books/59_Excerpts_from_Randy_Alcorn_s_In_Light_of_Eternity.shtm)
* Originally published December 30, 2009.
Site protected by VNetPublishing.Com Web Security Tools