blog.worship.com

The Real Islam

From Boundless:

Now it's true that there's a lot more to Islam than you'll glean from the likes of bin Laden. But it's also true that there's a lot more to it than strictly individual, spiritual struggle. What UNC may be trying to tell students about Islam is "hey, there's no reason we can't all just get along." And if that's their message, they're not promoting understanding of Islam so much as they're whitewashing it.

Don't get me wrong. I don't think the story of the Middle East is a simple tale of noble Americans and Israelis fighting evil Muslims who insanely hate us simply because we're virtuous — because they just can't stand freedom and democracy and all that good stuff. I don’t think the Israeli and American governments are blameless by any means. But I also don't buy the notion that Islam, aside from a handful of militants, seeks nothing more than peaceful coexistence. There's just too much evidence to the contrary.

As sometime Boundless contributor Dr. Mark Hartwig has written (in an article you can find here), Islam has a long history of violence. This dates back to its founder Muhammad in the 7th century; he talked peace at the beginning, but once he gathered enough military power he started launching raids and eventually conquered Mecca. Muslim clerics went on to expand the conditions that justified force, until aggression against any non-Muslims — justified by the need to create a single Islamic state — became the norm. So it remained until the last 300 years or so, when militarily superior Western powers rendered expansionist jihad increasingly impractical. Today's militance is no historical aberration, but a resurgence of the pattern that's characterized most of Islam's existence.

This isn't to say no one would adopt Islam voluntarily; its set of moral rules often hold great appeal to people living in decadent or morally anarchic cultures, including our own inner cities. Nor is it to overlook violent aggression by professed Christians; obviously, there's been plenty of that through the centuries.

Yet we should avoid the religious relativism that seeks to place all faiths on the same level, whether that level is low (“they’re all false”) or high (“they’re all basically saying the same good things”). There is a difference between Christianity and Islam. Christian history contains violence, but the faith isn’t founded in violence; it spread peacefully for its first several centuries and on the whole it hasn’t employed coercion to anything like the extent Islam has. Islam has always spread primarily by the sword, and its regimes are pretty universally intolerant. (This includes American allies like Saudi Arabia, where Christian evangelism is forbidden and harsh punishment for even minor offenses is routine.)

I won’t attempt to analyze all the complexities of Islam, which would take far more space than I have here (if you’d like to learn more, see the resources at the end of this article). My point here is to warn against a reflex that’s common in today’s multicultural, pluralistic America: the lazy, “I’m-OK-you’re-OK” assumption that pretty much every major population group, and belief system, is essentially compatible with the others. Any serious conflicts are presumed to be the work of tiny bands of extremists; any group of significant size just wants to get along with everyone else, raise the economic standard of living and build a generally nice global society.

In fact, however, peoples differ; beliefs differ; faiths differ. Many want not just to exist alongside the others but to triumph over others. That’s not inherently wrong (Christians should want Christianity to spread far and wide). But the preferred approach is persuasion, and not everyone works through persuasion. A great many work through various levels of intimidation and force. They always have and, as long as we’re living in a fallen world, always will.

If the folk at places like UNC really are doing nothing more than fostering a better comprehension of Islam, more power to them. Hysteria never serves us well, especially when it leads to a “we’ve got to stop them at all costs!” mentality that justifies any and all military actions and expansions of domestic government power. Nor does picturing Muslims as fanatical hordes rather than as human beings with a range of perspectives and motives.

But if UNC’s faculty are just pledging allegiance to the flag of global harmony, and the equality and benevolence of all cultures for which it stands, they’re not doing justice to their students. They’re just perpetuating fantasy — and college should equip people to deal with the real world

The Measure of a Man, The Peter Pan Syndrome, and Boys Who Shave: The Problem With Young Christian Men

Seattle's Mark Driscoll talks to the typical adolescent-minded twentysomethings and thirtysomethings in the church---and their girlfriends, Moms and wives.  Funny, yes, but sadly all too true.

Chris Tomlin’s Journey to Bethlehem |

Worship Leader Chris Tomlin talks about his first Christmas CD, Journey to Bethlehem, at CCM.

Message For Those In Ministry

Must-hear message from Matt Chandler delivered recently at SBTS to seminary students.  All pastors and aspiring ministers should find time to hear this one.  MP3 available here.

Former Terrorist: Moderate Islam More Dangerous Than Islamic Fanaticism?

Grace and Truth to You has posted an inside look at Islam as told by a former leader in the world's largest terrorist organization who now claims to be a Christian.  All of the posts are worth a read.

In the first post, entitled Escape from Hamas: A Christ Honoring Story, the story of the conversion of Mossab Hassan Yousef is referenced as told through a Fox News Investigative Report.  "Yousef is the son of the only surviving founding council member of Hamas, the largest terrorist organization in the world." 

This documentary focused on the extraordinary conversion to Christianity of Mosab Hassan Yousef, the son Sheikh Hassan Yousef, the founder of Hamas. It seems that Yousef (he prefers to be called "Joseph") was led to examine Christianity by a Christian tourist in Jerusalem who took the time to witness to him. Joseph's account on FOX of how he came to faith in Christ, his bold and direct denunciation of Islam and the violence associated with the Koran, and his desire to see his Muslim brothers come to faith in Christ made for extraordinary must see T.V.  A short video about Joseph can be seen here.

In the second installment, Mossab Hassan Yousef, The Son of Hamas, Who Himself Has Become a Follower of Jesus Christ, the author reflects on the content of a message given by Yousef at his church.  Writes the author, Wade Burleson:

One of the more startling things about this refreshingly honest and humble evangelical follower of Jesus Christ is his denunciation of Islamic idealogy. He loves Muslims, but he despises Islamic teaching. He says anyone who can read the Koran, and chooses to believe it, is sick and needs help. The Koran teaches the ideaology of hate and violence. Any logical, rational person who simply compares the teachings of the Koran and the teaching of Jesus Christ would see the radical ideological differences. But therein lies the problem.

Mossab Hassan points out that there are 1.5 billion Muslims. Only 300 million of them speak Arabic, but it is street Arabic and not the "high" Arabic of the Koran. Muslims don't even know what the Koran teaches, so they have to read hundreds of books or listen to dozens of Islamic teachers who will tell them, often incorrectly, what the Koran teaches. Mossab Hassan wants the Koran translated into the common languages of mankind so that people can read it and understand it. He says Muslims are deceived. They are trapped in an ideology of hate, and the only way to provide them solutions for their problems is to show them another way to live--and that is through the ideology of "love"--which provides a solution for every problem, even those caused by your enemies.

In light of the recent murders at Fort Hood by an islamic military major, the third installment, Nidal Hasan: Are Moderate Muslims Are the Most Dangerous Muslims of All? takes an indepth look at the transcript of the message Yousef delivered.

Mossab Hassan says he understands the Islamic ideology that drove Hasan to do what he did...He said something during his talk that got people to thinking. Mossab Hassan said, (quote) "Moderate Muslims are most dangerous Muslims of all." This former Islamic radical fundamentalist, who himself is now urging all Muslims world-wide to love (not kill) their enemies, explained his rationale as follows (direct from the transcript).

• Islamic fanatics are not the most dangerous Muslims.
• Professors, teachers at U.S. universities are dangerous because they support terrorism undercover (raise money here to send to terrorists)
• Most suicide bombers are not fanatics, but moderate, traditional Muslims
• Islam is a religion of steps, like climbing a ladder, with jihad the highest rung on the ladder.
• You cannot measure the speed of a person climbing this ladder. A “moderate Muslim” could reach the top rung in a few months, or in ten years. There is no way to predict it.
• There is no difference between a moderate Muslim and a fundamental Muslim. They believe in the same god.
• Islam's god teaches followers to kill the infidels who will not convert. This act of jihad is the highest rung of the ladder in one's effort to please Allah.

Again, you may not agree with Mossab Hassan, but I find it interesting that people in the culture of the United States are urging caution in bringing judgment upon moderate Islam over the shootings at Ft. Hood--implying that moderate Islam is different than fundamental Islamic radicals. Yet,a former radical Muslim leader in the terrorist organization Hamas, a man trained for years to kill his enemies, is unequivocally telling us that moderate Muslims are the most dangerous kind of Muslims because nobody knows how fast they will jump to the top rung of jihad.

Interesting. Maybe US army officer Nidal Hasan was truly a moderate Muslim. I guess it depends on whose perspective one chooses to believe.

On a closing note, listen to these messages from our friend Thabiti Anyabwile, a former Muslim who now preaches Jesus Christ.  Along with John MacArthur, John Piper, and R.C. Sproul, Anyabile recently contributed a book called Proclaiming a Cross-centered Theology.

Listen as Thabiti Anyabwile recounts the story of his conversion from Islam to Christianity, and as he describes the beliefs and history of Islam, his own experience as a Muslim, the contradictions in the Koran, as well as the way for churches to approach evangelism with Muslims, which he calls an amazing, God-given opportunity the church has today.

Songs of Justice, Missions of Mercy

Christianity Today looks at why Christian musicians are embarking on a different kind of world tour.

In the late 1970s, the holy rockers of the nascent Jesus music movement distinguished themselves from their mainstream counterparts even further with one radical step: They discovered social justice. And they did something about it. Little did they know how much their actions—and those of the musicians who followed suit—would impact the world.

Christian music pioneers like Randy Stonehill and Phil Keaggy began partnering with Compassion International in 1979, promoting the evangelical organization's child sponsorship program from the stage and in their album liner notes. Since then, many Christian artists—including Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, CeCe Winans, MercyMe, Casting Crowns, and Third Day—have partnered with Compassion and World Vision, some earning stipends from the nonprofits. The results are impressive: Due to artist partnerships, more than 1 million children have been sponsored through Compassion International and World Vision. And in 2008, musicians brought in 49 percent of new World Vision sponsorships.

See also:

Sara Groves: Less Charity, More Justice

Steven Curtis Chapman: Beauty Will Rise

Derek Webb: A Different Kind of Neighbor

Third Day: Diversification Is the Key

Woof ‘n Worship? Seriously?

From Dr. Al Mohler:

Just for the sake of adequate seriousness, I will resist all temptations to pun. That is no easy resistance in light of the report from the Associated Press about American churches developing special services for congregants and their dogs.

The story, reported by Gillian Flaccus, begins with Rev. Tom Eggebeen of Covenant Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles. Faced with an aging and declining congregation. the pastor decided to do something innovative -- he started a service for both people and dogs, "Canines at Covenant."

Gillian Flaccus described Eggebeen's idea: "He would turn God's house into a doghouse by offering a 30-minute service complete with individual doggie beds, canine prayers and an offering of dog treats. He hopes it will reinvigorate the church's connection with the community, provide solace to elderly members and, possibly, attract new worshippers who are as crazy about God as they are about their four-legged friends."

Flaccus also cited Laura Hobgood-Oster, a religion professor at Southwestern University in Texas, who recently conducted a survey that revealed more than 500 churches that conduct blessing services for pets and six that go so far as to offer pet worship services like the "Canines at Covenant" service. One church near Boston offers a "Woof 'n Worship" service. The professor sees "pet-centric" services as a growing trend.

Mohler then offers eight biblical reasons caution should be exercised here, listed below.   Read the entire commentary.

First, the Bible clearly presents animals as part of the goodness of God's creation. As Christians, we are to see the glory of God in the diversity and wonders of the animal kingdom. We are to respect all animals as intentional creations of God and to acknowledge the gifts that these creatures represent. God created animals for his own glory, and humans are to see the glory of the Creator in each animal species and individual.

Second, God made human beings as the only creatures made in his image. As the image-bearers of God, humans alone have the capacity to know and to worship the Creator. Animals reflect the glory of God, but only human beings can see the glory of God and know the Creator.  Animals may possess consciousness, but they do not have souls. They lack the capacity to know the Creator.

Third, God assigned human beings dominion over the animal kingdom and clearly marked a separation between humans and animals. This separation is clear, ranging from the dominion theme to the prohibition of bestiality. To compromise that separation is to disobey God. Some part of our contemporary confusion over this distinction is due to emotionalism and sentiment, but much of it is driven by an ideology that reduces the status of humanity to that of the animals.

Fourth, while recognize and celebrate the consciousness of many animals, we recognize that their consciousness is different from our own. We must also be aware that we tend to read features of human consciousness onto animals. We enjoy stories and movies that feature talking animals and endearing animal characters, but this is fiction, not fact. Many animals do enjoy forms of community and relatedness, but they are not humans. We must always be aware of the temptation to read human abilities and states of mind onto animals.

Fifth, to put the matter simply, animals do not worship God. Jesus told the woman at the well [John 4] that the Father seeks worshippers who worship him in spirit and in truth. The biblical concept of worship is not limited to attendance at a service, but involves the conscious and active knowledge of himself through Jesus Christ. Dogs do not worship. As Gillian Flaccus reported, the dogs at the "Canines at Covenant" service "didn't seem very interested in dogma." That observation is cute, but profoundly understated.

Sixth, the Bible says a great deal about animals. From Genesis to Revelation animals are keys to understanding God's revelation. Genesis shows us the indescribable wonder of the animals in creation. The Bible reveals the catastrophic impact of the Fall on animals, leading to predation and violence. At the end of the Bible, we are given the picture of the new creation and the reversal of the curse of sin as the lion and the lamb lay together. But, amazingly enough, even as the Bible mentions animals as beasts of burden and agents of violence, it gives virtually no attention to animals as pets.

Seventh, America is a pet-centric culture, and this reveals much about us. We have the wealth to spend billions of dollars on pets. The ownership and enjoyment of pets is a sign of wealth and plenty. We are also a society that is trading human relationships for the companionship of pets. We cut off our elderly from extended family and leave them alone with their pets. We see increasing numbers of younger people who decide not to have children, but instead to pour themselves into relationships with their pets. Restaurants, malls, and hotels are asked to allow pets even as they allow children. Professor Hobgood-Oster points to the pet-centricity of our society as evidence of "the changing family structure, where pets are really central." The woman who brought her two dogs to the "Canines at Covenant" service said, "I don't have any kids, so my pets have always been my children." Postmodern Americans see these statements as evidence of new lifestyle choices. Christians should see these statements as tragic.

Eighth, the churches that offer these services are concentrated on the liberal wing of American Protestantism. The declining membership of liberal churches is matched to a loss of theological focus. Churches concerned with the preaching of the Gospel, committed to authentic evangelism and biblical preaching, are not going to demonstrate the confusion that leads to "Canines at Covenant." It is not surprising that Covenant Presbyterian Church lists its support for same-sex marriage and opposition to California's "Proposition 8" defending traditional marriage on the front page of its Web site.

I am thankful for dogs. My own family cherishes a friendly and inquisitive Beagle who reveals the glory of God in just being a Beagle. But Baxter does not go to church. I am absolutely convinced that animals will be a part of the New Creation we are promised in Christ. But is is believers in Christ -- redeemed humanity -- that yearn for this New Creation. To blur the distinction between humans and animals is to confuse the Gospel itself.

David Crowder to be on Steve Brown Etc. Friday at Noon Eastern

On Steve Brown Etc.: David Crowder - Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven, but Nobody Wants to Die: Or the Eschatology of Bluegrass

Steve Brown Etc. is recorded on Fridays from noon - 1 ET, then aired on stations across the country that weekend. Listen live and call in at 1.888.54.STEVE (1.888.547.8383).

Worship: A Mighty Evangel

From Ravi Zacharias:

Years ago, I read a definition of worship that to this day rings with clear and magnificent terms.(1) The definition comes from the famed archbishop William Temple: "Worship is the submission of all of our nature to God.  It is the quickening of the conscience by his holiness; the nourishment of mind with his truth; the purifying of imagination by his beauty; the opening of the heart to his love; the surrender of will to his purpose—all this gathered up in adoration, the most selfless emotion of which our nature is capable."

The more I have thought of that definition, the more I am convinced that if worship is practiced with integrity in the community of God's people, potentially, worship may be the most powerful evangel for this postmodern culture of ours.  It is imperative in planning the worship services that church leaders give careful attention to every element and make sure that the worship retains both integrity and purpose.  People come to church generally "beaten down" by the world of deceit, distraction, and demand.  There is an extraction of emotional and spiritual energy that brings them on "empty" into the community.  The church's task is to so prepare during the week that it is collectively the instrument of replenishment and fresh energy of soul.  Even being in the presence of fellow believers in worship is a restorer of spiritual hope.  We so underestimate the power of a people in one mind and with one commitment.  Even a prayer can so touch a hungry heart that it can rescue a sliding foot in a treacherous time. 

Andy Stanley Interviews Veteran of Iraq War

Andy Stanley briefly interviews CPC Chris Plekenpol about his time in Iraq.

Twitter Theology: What Do Tweets Tell Us About What Pastors Really Value?

From Scot McKnight, on pastor tweets:

...there are observations to make about what we see from pastor tweets. Over time I’ve noticed that many pastors tweet links to business people and leadership gurus, Seth Grodin being the most common. We discover plenty of emphasis news items, especially controversial ones. Pastors often became “green” in the recent Iranian student revolution. Pastors tweet a lot about sports. There seems to be a near obsession in pastor tweets with terms like “creativity” and “innovation,” and a corresponding neglect of our great tradition or our heritage in the Church.

Pastors tweet quotes from their reading, and inform us of what they are reading. Sunday tweets tend to be gratitude tweets. We also regularly discover who is meeting with whom (and the “whom” is always a notch above the “who”), or where someone is traveling. We hear about accomplishments but almost never any failures or disappointments, making the Twitter world largely a happy face community.

I have seen some gospel in Facebook updates – some tweets about Jesus, his life, death, and resurrection, but very few about how Israel’s story came to its goal in Jesus. Very few, in fact, about the Old Testament at all. There is some theological orientation. Even if it is hard to reduce theology to 140 words, the limit of a normal tweet, it can be done and it has been done well. The issue is how infrequently pastors and religious leaders provide such theological orientation and how often they link us to such concerns. Oddly, there is an absence of short prayers for others or ejaculatory prayers for God’s help in a tough situation. In fact there are almost no prayers at all.

10 Free Christmas Songs

From WorshipTogether: 10 Free Christmas Songs for consideration as you plan your Christmas season worship services.

Christmas Emmanuel (Hallowed Manger Ground) - Chris Tomlin
All Creation Sing (Joy To The World) - FEE
Sing - Josh Wilson
Born In Bethlehem - Third Day
Here Is Our King - David Crowder*Band
Glory In The Highest - Chris Tomlin
Silent Night (Emmanuel) - Matt Maher
Joy Has Dawned - Keith Getty & Stuart Townend
Love Came Down - Ben Cantelon
Born That We May Have Life - Chris Tomlin

The Motions: Matthew West

Matthew West offers an acoustic version of "The Motions."

The Human Heart: Don't Follow It

From Re:Train:

The popular mantra, “follow your heart,” assumes that we have inherent goodness deep inside us that we just need to express to others....

...Actually, Jesus has some bad news regarding what comes out of the human heart: evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, false testimony, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly (Matt 15:17-20; Mark 7:20-22). He concludes, “All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person” (Mark 7:23).

In Galatians 5:17-21, Paul follows Jesus’ lead and tells us that inherent within us is sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these.

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Radical Womanhood: Feminine Faith in a Feminist World

Free MP3s from Northbrook Baptist Church:

Embracing God's definition of femininity is a radical choice.

Have you considered how feminist ideals have affected your perception of the role of women? At the Fall 2009 Northbrook Conference for Women, we considered popular ideas of women in the home, workplace, church, and culture, and how these ideas compare to God's wise and gracious design for women.

Our speaker, Carolyn McCulley, is a former feminist who now accepts the biblical distinctions between men and women. During Friday night and Saturday sessions, she presented material from her recent book - Radical Womanhood: Feminine Faith in a Feminist World. She describes it as the book she wishes someone had given her when she was a new Christian seeking to understand the Bible's teachings about womanhood, sexuality, marriage, family, and children.

In an engaging manner, Carolyn presented an insightful overview of the "three waves of feminism," exploring how feminism has attacked the institutions of marriage and the family and has influenced both contemporary society and the church. In contrast, she set out the pro-woman message of the Bible and the hope of the Gospel found in Jesus.

Women of all ages and all seasons of life were challenged as Carolyn encouraged them to confront feminist ideology by being radical women and living by God's design.   Messages available free for download. 

Session 1: Men Aren't the Problem

Session 2: The Importance of Home

Session 3: The Mommy Wars

Preaching versus Worship

Writes Jeff Purswell:

...My friend Bob Kauflin recently invited me to speak at the WorshipGod09 conference and to address an audience populated by faithful servants engaged in leading worship, singing, and serving musically in diverse ways. These are gifted people and we benefit from their example, leadership, and service each Sunday in our local churches.

But as much as I appreciate what they do, I told them the following: What you do each Sunday is important, but it’s not most important.

Musical worship is inspiring, informative, and a wonderful privilege, but there is nothing more central to Christian worship than the preaching of God’s Word. Notice I did not say preaching is a great and necessary follow-up to worship, or that preaching is an optional extra in worship. Preaching is central to worship each Sunday....

...Why? Why so much preaching? Why all this talking? Because the primary way we encounter God in worship is through the preaching of the Word of God.

Think about it this way. Normally, in what we call “worship,” we spend significant time—perhaps the whole time—addressing God, singing to him, praising him, extolling him, praying to him. Wonderful! But in preaching we are no longer addressing God; he is addressing us. Nothing is more important than this moment. And this is why the most important worship leader in your church is your pastor.

That really gets to the heart of preaching. The Bible is not simply a book that we talk about. When God’s Word is faithfully preached, God is addressing us. God is speaking. We hear not merely a man’s voice. We hear the voice of God. \

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Amazing Grace, Live From the Coliseum in Croatia

The Four Tenors (Il Divo) performing "Amazing Grace" in the Coliseum at Pula, Croatia.

 

Interview With Matt Redman

Bob Kauflin and Matt Redman discuss Matt's new CD entitled We Will Not Be Shaken. 

Excerpt:

Bob: Themes of God’s sovereignty pervade the songs on this album. Why did you choose to make that focus for this album?
Matt: I had a sense that many people right now need re-assurance that God is in control in their lives. So many recent events, particularly economic ones, have reminded us that much of this life and this world is fragile, temporary and changing. We’ve heard so many statistics about mortgage payments defaults and unemployment - but these aren’t just facts and figures - this is real people’s lives. So into this environment I wanted the songs to inject some truth - that in contrast to all of this, God is unchanging, unfailing, unshifting and unshakeable. Jesus is the solid ground and firm foundations we can build our lives upon.

FaithBook: Churches Use Facebook to Develop Online Congregations

Inside Facebook notes that "While church-focused Facebook applications have been around for years, now real-life churches across the country are spreading their messages online, giving more people access to worship services and helping the churches reach a broader number of people."

Rising from the Valley of Death

Steven Curtis Chapman opens up about losing his daughter, their family's arduous journey, and a new album of songs chronicling the path of pain and hope.  Christianity Today.