The End of School Violence!!!

Meditate...try not to hate...love your mate...own your own fate...

Bono Still Hasn't Found What He's Looking For

This article from First Things gives us yet another reason to shake our heads at the rock star we used to love and call our own. The music of U2 was such a part of the fabric of my life growing up but it is difficult to listen to them now...even the old stuff. Oh well.

hat tip: Between Two Worlds

Piper on the SCOTUS Decision and Kennedy's Opinion

Here is Piper on the recent decision decision by the Supreme Court to uphold the ban on Partial birth abortion. This is not for the squemish.

Piper on Seeing and Savoring Christ

Here is a link to the 2oo7 Desiring God National Conference audio files. The theme was Seeing and Savoring Christ.

A Lesson Learned from 24

So I am now working my way through Season 5 of 24, the best show ever put on TV. And it is significantly better than any action movie ever made...after all it is akin to a 24 hour movie. But I digress.

While I was watching disc 2 of Season 5 last night I got a little frustrated because there is in every season a lot of personal drama weaved into the overall plot. Relationships suffer and sometimes end due to frustration and often from death. And I was getting tired of it last night. I just wanted Jack to get the bad guys, stay alive, save the innocent, etc.

But I changed my mind this morning.

I slept late this morning because I was up with my 15 month year old son late into the night. He was coughing and sniffing and sneezing and would not go to sleep till around 12:45 am. And so this morning I was wondering why God cannot give my wife and I more than just a few days of healthy children. We have had so much sickness in our house in the past few months, it is overwhelming. And then I put those problems up against the uphill battle we have in being a part of starting Redeemer Classical School as Founding Board Members. And then it hit me.

What Jack Bauer and his coworkers in CTU battle is not done in a vacuum. They must fight against evil in the midst of all the drama of their real lives. They fight while dealing with drug addicts for relatives, children with bad decision making skills and mental disorders, romantic relationships that can be stormy. There is sickness and friends and family in need. And they have the imminent threat of hundreds of thousands of lives being taken because terrorists have a ___________. Life and all its problems that derive from the Fall, cannot be put on hold while the good guys go defeat the bad.

And so I got to thinking. It is the same for myself and all the other board members. Not only will we have all the difficulties and hardships that are part of starting a school from scratch, we will have to deal with runny noses and potty training and jobs and family and bills and all the things God throws our way so we will lean on him and not rest in the hope of not having to deal with life so we can start a school.

Also, I thought about the Israelites ignoring Joshua and Caleb, who trusted they could go in the land and take it. Sure, there were some who were scared of the giants in the land. But they also had other worries about day-in and day-out life and they might have just not wanted to add to all these problems, Giants!!! So they rebelled by not trusting God.

May God give us all the hope of his faithfulness as we heap upon our already difficult lives, the dreams of spreading a vision for changing our communites and the nations so as to glorify the One Who is faithful.

Good Press for Redeemer Classical School

Redeemerclassicalschool.blogspot.com was on the front page of the Greenwood Commonwealth again and this with a picture of yours truly with Peter Baur, our guest speaker.

Our informational meeting was a success! We had almost 60 people there and we got some extraordinary feedback. Please pray for lots of opportunities for us to share our vision with families and other interested parties throughout the Delta.

From CPA to the MIssion Field

Wanna hear a Testimony of Risk?

3 Articles on Postmodernism

The following are two articles on postmodernism by James Arlandson at the American Thinker.

Postmodernism and the Bible

The Origins of Postmodernism

Postmodern Truth Soup

China Soul

I heard John Piper the other day talk about a 4 hour documentary about the Christians in China that was put out by a group called China Soul.

The video is entitled, The Cross - Jesus in China, which is just like the Chinese Christians to give it such a title. It costs $15.00 and that includes shipping and it will get to you within 3 days.

I have only watched the first two hours but I am astounded and rebuked, encouraged and brought low. They have a joy in the midst of suffering which I am amazed at seeing.

If I am not mistaken I think you can watch this video on the website.

The following is their Purpose, Mission and Commitment.

Purpose: With Jesus Christ as our focus, the spread of gospel as our purpose, modern media as the tool, videos and literature of high quality and wide horizons as the pursuit, our commitment is to influence people's hearts and to awaken their souls.

Mission: Let vision be transformed into pictures. Let God's light shine upon China, the Land of God. Let history become truthful records.

Commitment: With the earnestness of loving God and compatriots, we commit and dedicate ourselves to evangelistic mission. We are coworkers of the same ministry in one accord, and spiritual companions to edify one another as well. We are fellow-passengers along the heavenly road, sharing the happiness and afflictions. Each of us, with a prayerful heart as well as God's grace, is devoted to perform our respective duties to glorify God and benefit people in our lives and ministry.

Don't Waste Your Life

I probably have a few readers out there who have not read Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper. If you have not I would highly recommend you do so. There is no other book in print I would recommend more highly than it. I have given away dozens of copies and I have watched it change people, myself along with them. It is singular in its message and not a book to be trifled with. You do not just walk away from such a book. Either it changes you or you are cold to the touch...perhaps an overstatement but it rings true from I have seen and known. having read it now about 10 times its message spills over into my work as a youth pastor. I work in lives on the path of waste.

The website dedicated to this message is chock full of helps. There are video podcasts and more.

Also if want to start reading the book right now go here.

If Only They Knew Him

On Dr. Veith's blog he tells his readers about how he hates "Awesome God" by Rich Mullins. And then he asks others to talk about their most hated song. And so the comment section is full of people discussing "praise songs" they hate and discussing their distaste for "Awesome God" also. Now Justin Taylor has linked it widening the discussion.

Whether or not someone likes the song "Awesome God" or not (I don't really like it all that much) there should be enough respect for a man like Rich Mullins (1955 - 1997) to hold your tongue. I still think all this talk about aesthetic standards can be helpful if it is not mixed with ridicule and the songs are not laughed at. If it is a serious enough issue to discuss publicly and to be specific about then perhaps we should use a serious tone. This was decidedly not the tone in the first 5 or 6 comments on Veith's blog. It seemed like Rich's song and others were the butt of a joke.

If you want to learn more about Rich Mullins, watch the following clips taken from a video about Rich after he was killed in a car wreck. It's called Homeless Man.


Homeless Man Part 1



Homeless Man Part 2



Homeless Man Part 3a



Homeless Man Part 3b



Homeless Man Part 4



Homeless Man Part 5



Homeless Man Part 6

There are also a number of videos on YouTube with Rich performing in concert.

Piper Speaks at Texas A&M

I commend to you this message to college students at Texas A&M from earlier this week. However, I ask you to procede with caution because it may cost you the American Dream.

Distance Education Through CCEF

I just started taking counseling classes through the Distance Ed. program at the CCEF. The first class which I am taking is called Dynamics of Biblical Change which gives me that same feeling I get when I read John Owen.

These are the same folks who put out Journal of Biblical Counseling. My hope is these classes will equip me for the ever increasing opportunities for counseling as a youth pastor.

All of you out there who are pastors need to look into this. Without reservation I recommend them as a way to be better equipped as a counselor to the people in your congregation.

Informational Meeting on Thursday, April 12th About Classical Education

What is Classical Christian Education?

presents

Peter Baur from Westminster Academy in Memphis


Thursday, April 12, 2007

Turn Row Book Co.

6:30 PM

Redeemer Classical School exists to assist parents in teaching their children how to think deeply about God and his world through academic excellence in a Christ-centered environment in order to transform families, institutions and nations for the glory of God.

Redeemer plans to begin classes Fall 2008

Redeemer Classical School Makes the Front Page

We are getting lots of good feedback and interest is growing in Redeemer Classical School because of this article on the cover of the Greenwood Commonwealth this past Sunday.