Thabiti, Benny, Osteen, and Fame

The other night I had the joy of fellowshipping with my “blog friend” Thabiti Anyabwile. Pastor T was in town to preach for the Sola Scriptura Conference on Islam and from all reports he brought two very powerful and helpful messages.
After preaching in the morning for my friend Kenny (of the church with no web page) he joined us for our evening service and came back home for some dinner and fellowship. All of this reminded me once again how different men are that love the doctrines of grace.
Some may disagree, but I don’t think you would find Joel Osteen or Benny Hinn coming to our church and giving up an evening to talk ministry. You might say, “Well, these fellows you mention are big time – best-selling authors, television personalities… they are in a different class.” But I beg to differ.
I have spent some time around some pretty large luminaries in the broader evangelical constellation. It is rather funny how that has worked in my life! But it was not until I came around men of reformed persuasion that I met men who were genuinely more concerned for the glory of God than the glory of their own name. They have their assistants and such, but the whole flavour is different. It is not all “entourage” and “take a number” and celebrity “perks.” Rather, it is normal guys, aware of their own wicked hearts, in love with the Saviour and willing to keep on preaching in spite of the popularity.
It struck me last week that popularity, or perhaps “influence” might have been one of the deepest temptations for our Lord. Didn’t the Devil promise authority and glory over all the kingdoms of the world for a moment of worship? So much influence, at such a “small” cost! Yet, “you shall worship the Lord your God and Him alone shall you serve!” Praise the Lord for His faithfulness in withstanding the wiles of the Devil!
Even then, in reading through the Gospels, one cannot help but notice that immediately before many of the times Jesus is said to have “gone alone to a desolate place to pray,” was a moment of immense popular influence. Could it be that Jesus ran to His Father in order to guard His soul from the applause of men?
Weren’t some of Jesus’ sharpest words reserved for Peter when the foot-shaped-mouth disciple urged Jesus to ride the wave of popularity? “Get behind me, Satan!”
The esteem of men is slow poison.
One small compromise here… one great delight in applause there… and soon the heart is chasing the wind of self-exaltation. How do I know? I have had a fairly decent glimpse into my own heart in the matter! And what I see there is frightening.
The only tonic for this heart-sin is Jesus. The Jesus of the Bible who rescues dead sinners according to sovereign, electing grace, by applying His perfect cross-work, and calling God-haters to Himself and keeping them by His power until heaven. And once a man sees all that Jesus has done, is doing, and will do for him… it is very hard to feel like you are much of anything.
I must decrease, but He... HE must increase!
The last few weeks have been a good reminder to me that there is much to be said for a quiet, faithful, God-centered ministry… and much to be feared in fame. I say, let’s pray for those men God has lifted up to positions of great influence. That is no easy place to stand.

Campolo, Pride and Blog Comments

The flurry of comments concerning my post on Tony Campolo’s appearance on The Hour has been very interesting to watch. In some ways, it has made me question the value of these forums since at least three things I stated were entirely misunderstood. I say, “misunderstood” and not “misrepresented” since I personally know almost everyone who has commented and I do not believe any of them purposefully twisted my words.

Communication Degeneration

Is this phenomenon the result of the degeneration of communication caused by all the kinds of things David Wells or Neil Postman would write about? Or does the medium itself work against careful and understandable communication? Is it just too easy to read your opponent quickly, assume you know what he means, then fire off your standard response to his “idiocy?!”

Surely both these things come into play, but the greater issue in my mind is the presuppositions we hold as we approach the conversation. And those presuppositions, in my experience and evaluation, are constantly being tweaked and altered by what informs them.

Now, that gets to at least one of the primary issues at stake.

Can a Proud Man Hear?

Pride is our enemy and we would be fools to think it does not effect how we blog. It takes a lot of humility to be publicly corrected... not so much to publicly disagree. That makes me think that most of us approach these “discussions” from a very defensive stance. Rather than carefully weigh an opponents observations (even if they are made in a rotten way), we tend to dig in our heels and concoct new arguments to defend our views. Like the proverbial husband who is preparing his next defense in his mind while he should be carefully listening to his wife.

Some might say this is just the nature of debate – and it might be – but that doesn’t make it right.

When I was a boy I went to the ocean and built a sand castle. I didn’t know anything about tides. As the waters got closer, I kept throwing more and more sand up on my “wall.” It was a losing battle and soon my castle was back to being beach. Paul versus the ocean – that, my friends, is pride.

Of course, nobody tends to think they are the castle! We believe we are ocean... and there are few things worse in the world than a smarty pants ocean!

What does all this mean? At the very least I think it means we should acknowledge blog comments really are an inherently weak form of communication. In the second place, it probably wouldn’t hurt us to listen to 2 or 3 critiques carefully before replying. In the third place, I think we should try to approach our “conversations” with an attitude that says, “You know, I may just be wrong.”

In the coming days I hope to write a little more on the whole idea of our presuppositions, but for now, I want to stop and think about my own humility (if there is any) and how I can be a better blogger.

Pride - the Source of Worry (A Poem)

Many of you will know that my father's health is declining in his two-year battle against cancer. My Dad, whom I love deeply, is not a believer in the Lord Jesus - and so I would greatly appreciate you praying the Lord would save him.

We needed to get Dad to the hospital on Wednesday night and while I was in the waiting room I determined to redeem the time. I did not have a Bible with me, so I decided to meditate on 1 Peter 5:6-7 ("Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you"). As I rolled those words around in my mind, a couple of phrases came to me that I then wrote down.

You have to understand something. I know I am not a poet! So, most of anything I ever write stays secretly with me. But I read this to my family during devotions last night and they seemed encouraged. So, with no hope of recognition, I offer the words to you. I think the major thought is an important one: the foundation of "bad worry" is pride. Getting that concept squared away helps immensely in the mortification of anxiety.

Pride, the Source of Worry
Sufficient trouble in each day
Is sure to find you out
Enough to try the surest saint
And make the godly pout!

Unless fresh visions from the Word
Transform our feeble minds
Anxiety and dreadful doubt
Are all that we will find.

The Master spoke of birds and blooms
As under God’s control;
He slept while waves and wind were strong
Still trusting through it all.

When heart rates rise and worries soar
And adrenalin starts flowing,
These are the signals pride is strong
And the humbling best get going.

His mighty hand is no less strong
When circumstance looks bleak
As when all things seem to go well;
At both times – I am weak!

So keep me humbled, Lord, I pray
Beneath that mighty hand
And grant the grace to throw my cares
Upon the Son of Man.

© Paul W. Martin. February 14, 2007.

[UPDATE: If you read this far, you deserve more! Here is a much better poem from my favorite poet, John Newton:

Why art thou cast down?
Be still my heart! these anxious cares
To thee are burdens, thorns, and snares,
They cast dishonor on thy Lord,
And contradict his gracious word!

Brought safely by his hand thus far,
Why wilt thou now give place to fear?
How canst thou want if he provide,
Or lose thy way with such a guide?

When first before his mercy–seat,
Thou didst to him thy all commit;
He gave thee warrant, from that hour,
To trust his wisdom, love, and pow’r.

Did ever trouble yet befall,
And he refuse to hear thy call?
And has he not his promise past,
That thou shalt overcome at last?

Like David, thou may’st comfort draw,
Saved from the bear’s and lion’s paw;
Goliath’s rage I may defy,
For God, my Savior, still is nigh.

He who has helped me hitherto,
Will help me all my journey through;
And give me daily cause to raise
New Ebenezers to his praise.

Though rough and thorny be the road,
It leads thee home, apace, to GOD;
Then count thy present trials small,
For heav’n will make amends for all.

John Newton, Olney Hymns, #40.