Monthly Archive for April, 2010

Page 3 of 5

A win for the ladies at Augusta, Georgia

Published on April 12, 2010 in Marriage and Sports Links. 1 Comment

imageBefore I forget – - one reminder from Phil Mickelson is simply to smile.  Smile broadly.  Smile often.  It goes a long ways.

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My wife, cried, when Phil won on Sunday.  And, it wasn’t because she has a soft spot for lefties.  She was so encouraged to hear him say how much it helped to have his wife and family there.

Rick Reilly explains why the ladies won Sunday.

AUGUSTA, Ga. — It’s not often women win the Masters, but they did Sunday.

Actually, Phil Mickelson won, but for millions of women around the country, it must feel like a lipstick-sized victory. Mickelson, in case you forgot, is the guy who stayed true to his wife. He’s the guy who’s been missing tournaments the last 11 months while he flies her back and forth to a breast cancer specialist in Houston. He’s the guy who didn’t need reminding that women are not disposable. . . Mickelson is the guy whose heavy head on the bed pillow lately wasn’t self-inflicted. Both his wife, Amy, and his mother, Mary, have breast cancer. Usually, those two are at every tournament he’s in, but for the last year they’ve been fighting, resting, and fighting again at home. And Mickelson has gone back to his rented homes alone.

So when Amy turned up on the 18th green Sunday at Augusta National for the first time in 11 months and Mickelson practically fell into her outstretched arms, you wanted to hug somebody yourself. Mickelson hugged and cried. And his wife hugged and cried. And his coach and his caddy hugged and cried. And 10 minutes later, the caddy was still crying.

"This is way beyond golf," said caddy Jim "Bones" Mackay, who’s been with Mickelson for 19 years. "This is about a guy who loves his wife. This is about a guy who had a really hard year. Twenty years from now, nothing will compare with this. This is his greatest win, by far. Because of Amy, because of his mom, everything. God bless all those women that go through what Amy and Phil’s mom have gone through. Because I’ve seen it and it ain’t easy."

"Of all the majors I’ve been involved in," said Mickelson’s coach, Butch Harmon, "be they with Tiger, Phil, anybody, this is the most emotional by far. This year has been a big, big strain on him. His game has suffered. What he really wanted was to be home with his family."

You figured a guy who came into this Masters having played only seven tournaments this year — and never placing better than eighth in any of them — would have a snowball’s chance. But something melted in him when his wife and three kids showed up for the first time in nearly a year on Tuesday.

Here to read the rest.

Poland’s unprecedented tragedy

Published on April 12, 2010 in Pictures and suffering. 0 Comments

So far as I am aware, no country in the modern era (or ever?) has  immediately lost so many leaders during peace time.  I am told that even in World War II, Poland’s loss of key leaders was not so horrific.

The Big Picture:

On the morning of Saturday, April 10th, Polish President Lech Kaczynski, his wife Maria, and 94 other members of Poland’s government and clergy were on a flight to Russia to mark the 70th anniversary of the Katyn massacre. Their airplane, a Polish Air Force Tupolev Tu-154M, crashed in apparently heavy fog, clipping an antenna and breaking apart in a forest less than a mile from the airfield, killing all passengers and crew.

Would you click through, take a look at these pictures, and pray for Poland?

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Click here to see more.

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The below email comes directly from Poland from someone who is close to a family in our church.

You maybe already heard of crane crush that carried top Polish officials to Katyn in Russia. According to media, it’s the biggest such drama in global history during peace time; in that crush died 96 people, including over 40 officials:

· The President and his wife

· Top representatives of the President’s cabinet, including head of National Security Office

· Top representatives of the Parlament (close to 5% of lower and upper house), including two deputies of parliament speaker

· Top representatives of Prime Minister’s office, including deputy of foreign minister

· Top representatives of other government institutions, including the head of the National Bank of Poland

· ALL senior military chiefs of Polish Army (even during II World War the army didn’t suffer such loss as yesterday), including the chief of defense and chiefs of all services

It’s a true political and military earthquake – people are even more shock that during the death of the Pope 5 years ago; since yestardy a few hundred thousand people came by the Presidential Palace in Warsaw to light a candle and pay tribune plus everyone is gathering in churches all over Poland.

Although our constitution takes into account death of top representatives and their succession, death of such many at one time is a nightmare – so far the government works; my god that on that plane was not present the prime minister (who went to Katyn two days earlier and parliament speaker – then truly we would have constitutional nightmare

the Parliament speaker is acting president as of yesterday (in Poland we don’t have vice president since we have Prime minister office) and new elections will be held by the end of June (the presidential elections where planned in October but now it has changed – the current president was planning to run again for the office but he had very little public support and no chance for re-election)

The officials were going to Russia for the 70th anniversary of the massacre of Polish military officers during II World War by Russians (they murdered over 20 thousands of them as part of the plan to eliminate Polish elite as the preparation for the occupation after the war – which ended in 1991); Russia for decades cover-up this crime blaming for it the Nazi – this anniversary was the most important so far since for the first time Russians officials (Prime Minister Putin) was present during the official ceremony. By the way, the Katyn massacre was suppressed also by the British and USA during the war and after it (the USA where afraid that telling the truth about the Soviets will break the coalition which was needed to defeat Japan – in the 1950’s there was Congress investigation which proved that Roosevelt suppressed all reports about Katyn; the same holds true for the Brits who not only suppressed the truth but also until the 1970’s where blocking Polish emigrants in Britain in building there memorial of Katyn)

The good thing (if there could be any of such drama) is that politicians from all parties united (we already had brutal presidential campaign); also, so far it shows that this drama which happened in Russia may bring Poland and Russia together.

We are leaving now to the Presidential Palace to light a candle…

Mike Wittmer with summary points about America’s greatest theologian

Published on April 12, 2010 in Jonathan Edwards. 0 Comments

Jonathan Edwards was the greatest theologian in the history of North America.  So far as I am aware, this is a point beyond dispute.  If you don’t know much about Edwards (and even if you do), then you will benefit from reading Mike Wittmer’s summary points.

Last week I made the time to carefully read through George Marsden’s magisterial biography, Jonathan Edwards: A Life This is an important book for pastors, especially those in America.  It seems important to know the finest pastor-theologian that our country has ever produced.  At risk of oversimplifying an engrossing 500 page story, here in random order are a few things that we can learn from and about Edwards.  Nate Archer recently took a doctoral class from Marsden on Edwards, so Nate, if you’re around, feel free to chime in.

1. Edwards died from a smallpox vaccination which he received when he became the president of Princeton.  So there you have it—America’s greatest theologian, killed by Wellness Week.

2. Edwards was frugal.  He wrote his indecipherably small script on the front and back of receipts and other scraps of paper.  Edwards didn’t believe in wasting things, and he would probably approve of me and my old CRX.

3. Edwards always had scraps of paper with him so he could jot ideas down as they came to him and then pin them to his clothes.  When he came home from a ride on his horse he would unpin his notes and organize them.  He would have gone nuts with post-its.

4. Edwards was a perfectionist who probably wouldn’t have been too much fun to have around.  He was better than you and he wasn’t shy about letting you know it.  He was willing to die on principle, which is admirable but also got him fired.

Read the rest here.

He Reigns

Published on April 11, 2010 in Worship. 2 Comments

Amazing.

HT: Z

On the Pursuit of Unity: “We must affirm that there are differences that are honorable but not vital . . .”

Published on April 10, 2010 in Church and Ephesians. 1 Comment

Sunday (D.V.) I will preach on Ephesians 4:1-6.  The focus in this passage is to walk worthily of our call in unity.  Thinking about this stress on the unity of the Body of Christ, we must mourn over the number of denominations.

Our response should be to strive to unify in a way that is worthy of our call.  Here is a careful statement by Bryan Chappell.  Notice that he not only emphasizes unity, but also stresses that we are not permitted to unite with those who abandon the truth.

We are called out of our separateness not to do as we please, but to direct our faith and practice toward the truths given to us by the testimony of Scripture. This calling also causes us to honor brothers and sisters of other churches and denominations who unite their thoughts and actions to Scripture. In doing so we must affirm that there are differences that are honorable but not vital; there are believers with whom we differ on matters important, but not essential; and even as were are correcting ourselves by Scripture, we are called to seek ways to come together with those who are with us in their testimony of one Lord, one faith, and one baptism. What we are not permitted to do is unite ourselves with those who have abandoned these truths affirmed in Scripture.[1]

[1] Bryan Chapell, Ephesians, 184-85.

Profound insights on Ketchup

Published on April 10, 2010 in Stupid Stuff. 0 Comments

HT: Kevin DeYoung

How to die

Published on April 9, 2010 in Bonhoeffer and Recommended Reading. 3 Comments

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was hung naked by the Nazis when he was 39 years old. Below is a clip from the final scene of a movie about him.

Soon enough, Nazis or not, it will be our turn.  Because Christ has freed us from our fear of death, we can do as well (Hebrews 2:14-15).

Justin Taylor points to a new Bonhoeffer biography.  I have already ordered it.

How do you become Jesus’ friend?

Published on April 9, 2010 in Gospel and Quotes. 0 Comments

John Frame answers the question:

First, by recognizing that no matter how good you may be in your own eyes and in the eyes of other people, you are a sinful person in the eyes of a holy and righteous God (Romans 3:23).  Second, by recognizing that sin against perfect holiness deserves death (Romans 6:23).  Third, by recognizing that you can do nothing to prevent the eternal death that is coming to you, and by throwing yourself upon the mercy of God (Ephesians 2:8-9).  Fourth, by recognizing that Jesus died in the place of his people (Mark 10:45) and that he offers eternal life to all who trust in that sacrifice (John 3:16).  Fifth, by personally trusting Jesus: asking forgiveness on the basis of his shed blood and seeking to obey him as your Lord, your supreme Master.  Evangelical Reunion, page 15.

Calvin: The preaching of the Word serves “To make our faith firm and steadfast, even to our dying day”

Published on April 8, 2010 in Church, Preaching and The Red Brick Church. 0 Comments

I am thankful that during my sabbatical I leave our pulpit in the capable hands of men like Mike Wittmer, Bob Bixby, and Jeremy Scott.  I remind our flock that we need to hear the Word preached, even to our dying day.

A quote from Calvin:

But St. Paul tells us that so long as we are in this world, we must continue to profit in God’s school, and have our ears beaten daily with his Word, that we may on the one hand be checked, and on the other hand be strengthened and set forward more and more. . . Therefore God’s vouchsafing to have his Word preached to us even to our dying day, serve to make our faith firm and steadfast. John Calvin[1]

[1] John Calvin, Sermons on the Epistle to the Ephesians, Rev. translation. ed. (London: Banner of Truth Trust, 1973), 377.

Before you make this loan, ask how good is God’s credit rating?

Published on April 8, 2010 in justice, Missions and Proverbs. 1 Comment

Proverbs 19:17, “Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will repay him for his deed.”

Wouldn’t you agree that God is a good credit risk?

Matthew 25:40