Go to Dark Gethsemane

published with permission from Kevin DeYoung

And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” (Mark 14:32)

Sometimes we picture Jesus far too serene. We imagine him in the garden praying rather stoically, “Not my will, but yours be done.” But the mood at Gethsemane was anything but tranquil. Mark 14:33 says Jesus began to be greatly distressed and troubled. Verse 34 says his soul was sorrowful unto death. And in verse 35 Jesus fell flat on the ground. Here is a man with the weight of the world, and heaven and hell, on his shoulders.

Never has a man prayed facing more temptation than Jesus faced in the garden. Never has a man prayed awaiting so much suffering. Never has a man prayed with such emotion and anguish. Luke records that “being in agony he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat become like great drops of blood falling to the ground” (Luke 22:44). It’s called hematidrosis: under intense pressure or fear, the blood vessels around the sweat glands contract and then dilate violently, causing them to rupture. Blood then enters the glands and is secreted through the pores of the skin. The endocrine system knew what was coming.

It is impossible to exaggerate the depth of Jesus’ anguish in the garden. Imagine knowing your child would die later today or that the planes were going to crash into the Twin Towers or that you’ll have a terrible car accident next Friday. That’s what Jesus knew was coming, only terribly and eternally worse. Jesus was facing more than death or sadness. He was facing God-forsakeness.

Jesus stared at the worst drink a man could drink–the cup of God’s wrath. He gazed into its bitter poison. He thought of draining it down to the dregs. And hoped for another way.

But there was no other way. Upon making his request three times–”Remove this cup from me”–Jesus was not set free from the suffering before him. Just the opposite. After praying in the garden, his closest friends disappoint him (Mark 14:36-41), one of his disciples betray him (14:42-49), and all his companions desert him (14:50).

This is dark Gethsemane where Jesus Christ–the perfectly obedient, perfectly faithful Son of God in perfect relationship with his Father–did not get his request granted. At least not his first one. The cup was not taken from him. The wrath would not be assuaged another way. Jesus could not avoid his infinitely grievous dark weekend of the soul. God’s will would be done. Not the way Jesus had hoped. But the way he was willing for it to be.

For us. For joy. For glory.

The Simple Message

The more I learn of God, the more I marvel at the complexity of his being and purpose—the sheer eternality of it, the otherness of it. He is knowable, but knowable only in the smallest part, he reveals himself to us, but does not reveal all of himself to us; not even close. He truly is transcendent, so far beyond us. His revelation of himself in such that a man may spend his entire life reading it, studying it, pondering it, and uncovering its treasures. He may earn postgraduate degrees and teach systematic theology and lead Bible studies and preach every Sunday for his entire life and still not come close to knowing all there is to know about this God.

And yet that is not the whole story. What God reveals about himself is such that a mere child may know it and believe it and grasp it with childlike hope and confidence. Even a child really can know this God and really can have genuine faith in him.

I find it a strange thing and even an alarming thing that the more I know of God, or the more I think I know of God, the more I am prone to forget the utter simplicity of this message. In the midst of my delight in his complexity, I can so easily forget the simple heart of it all. This matters. This ought to matter.

Sometimes I need to be reminded of the power of the Bible, the simple power of the Bible. I need to be reminded that there have been so many people who have come to faith simply by reading God’s Word. There has been no preacher but the Author, no sermon but the pages of the Bible, and yet many a person has read and seen and understood and trusted and been transformed. No wonder that organizations labor to translate the Bible—or at least parts of the Bible—into every known language and to send these pages into all the world. Every Bible or piece of the Bible goes into the world as a missionary, taking hope, taking life, taking that oh-so-simple message.

Too often I doubt the pure and simple power of the Word of God. How could anyone understand something so complicated as the Bible? Sometimes I doubt the valuing of giving a Bible to someone because I imagine him reading it and, in confusion and despair, throwing it away. “Read the book of John,” I suggest. “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” Could someone really read this and understand it? Can God really speak from his Word to a person with such little knowledge?

I sometimes wonder if I have these thoughts and grapple with these questions because, say, I have been trying to work toward a precise, measured, complete doctrine of the Trinity—a very good thing to do, I’m sure—and amidst all of the careful nuances and fine distinctions, I have forgotten that the heart of the Christian message is so very simple: Christ died for my sins and was raised. A person does not require a full-orbed, Nicene theology of the Trinity in order to be saved; he needs to know that he is a sinner and that Christ is his Savior. He will not want to stay there all his life, of course; once he knows this Savior he will want to know more of him, to explore the depths of this great God. That will come. But Newton’s dying confession is enough: I am a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior.

We who love theology, we who take joy in diving into the deep waters of the person and work of God, we need to be so careful, lest we make the message more difficult than it needs to be, lest we forget the simple word that we believed in. What a shame it would be if our learning hindered our witness, if the depth of our knowledge negated the beautiful simplicity that lies at its heart. Christ died for our sins and was raised. That is the heart of our message, and it is good. It is enough. By God’s grace and with God’s power, it can and it will save.

Year-End Letter

Our YEAR-END PRINT LETTER that was mailed out in early December is now available for you to read online.

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David & Brodie’s Wedding Story and Photos

RE-POSTED OCTOBER 2011 FOR FamilyTalk INTERVIEW WITH DR. DOBSON

MON-TUE (Oct 10-11, 2011): Dr. James Dobson interviews David Wheaton on SINGLENESS and MARRIAGE

LISTEN TO PART 1 HERE and PART 2 HERE

Dr. James Dobson, host of the Family Talk Radio Program, recently interviewed David and his wife Brodie on the topic of “Longing for Marriage.”  The two-part interview covers issues such as finding contentment in singleness, marrying later in life, trusting in God’s sovereignty, and reflections on their own story.

The interview airs on Monday and Tuesday, October 10-11, 2011.  To find a station in your area click here or listen online at FamilyTalk.org

David wrote the following story for our wedding guests on June 20, 2009 about God’s divine intervention and blessing in our lives.

OUR STORY IS HIS SOVEREIGNTY

While neither of us remember the exact day, Brodie and I met each other at the ages of five and eight, respectively, when her family moved from Cincinnati to the Lake Minnetonka area of Minnesota.

The first contact between our families occurred on a winter day in 1978 when Brodie, her parents, and older brother, Josh, came for cross-country skiing lessons taught by my mother at what would turn out to be an appropriately named place – Lake Grace.

That initial meeting led to a friendship between our mothers and then subsequently our families. Shortly thereafter, my mother shared with Brodie’s mother the life- and eternity-changing message that one can be reconciled to God and have their sins forgiven through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. Mrs. Hackney put her trust in this “good news”, and then later, Brodie and Josh did the same.

Life didn’t turn into happily-ever-after, though, as Brodie’s father eventually divorced Mrs. Hackney and left the family when Brodie was just thirteen.

Yet, God promises to be a father to the fatherless and He has been just that all these years, even providing another earthly father to fill that role in Brodie’s life. My own dad was that earthly father and explains why he is walking Brodie down the aisle today.

For most of my teens and twenties, Brodie was more “my good friend Josh’s younger sister” or like an adopted sister rather than a future life partner. I was busy playing tennis and traveling much of the time yet we were still friends and did things together in group settings like get-togethers with family or trips to the North Shore of Lake Superior.

About ten years ago, Brodie and I dated for the first time after my father encouraged me to consider her as a potential wife. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a strong desire to be married at that time and I was about to make a career transition as well. Brodie asked me where things were going after a year of dating to which I couldn’t give a definitive answer. We stopped dating, yet something interesting happened – our relationship began to grow from good friends to best friends over the next several years.

Knowing that we had so many of the fundamentals of a strong life partnership such as the same faith, values, interests, and background, we dated again a few years ago but this time going from best friends to husband and wife seemed a difficult divide to cross. A second break-up left Brodie thinking marriage to me would never happen (or to anyone else, she tells me now) and my wondering if I was actually meant to be married. And yet remarkably, what could have driven us apart for good, resulted in an even deeper friendship in due time.

Earlier this year, I began to think and pray about marriage again. As I read passages from the Bible and a Christian book on marriage, I began to more fully understand the purposes for marriage such as companionship, co-laboring, pro-creation, and the pre-eminence of Christ. I began to have a growing affirmation in my soul and spirit that Brodie was truly the right one and now was finally the right time.

After inviting Brodie to stop by on her way home from a political event one snowy night in early March, I told her I’d like to get together to discuss the following question: What has hindered us from going from dating to marriage in the past and what would need to change for it to work going forward?

Brodie was surprised that I would bring this up again but agreed to think and pray about it and get together. Two, in-depth, honest, and productive talks later – with several phone calls and emails in between – convinced us (separately) that God had brought us to a new and different point in our lives. I told Brodie I’d “get back to her” with what I thought should be the next step.

As we went for a walk with our dogs along Lake Minnetonka on an overcast, calm day on Saturday, April 4th, I did get back to her … with a proposal of marriage and an engagement ring! Rather than a third attempt at dating, I sensed God wanted me to take a small step of faith, and Brodie responded with a shocked look but an affirmative answer.

So now we’re here, eleven weeks from that day of engagement, to enter into a life-long covenant of marriage before God and men. We’re so thankful you are here to share in our joy. We’re especially thankful for our families and their love and support. And we’re most thankful to God. Far from inevitability, our story is about His sovereignty, His timing, and His continuing work in our lives.

To God be the glory, great things He has done!

Below are some photos from our wedding in Minnesota and then our honeymoon in England and Scotland.

For best viewing, click on a thumbnail image.  Once the slideshow opens you will note “next” and “previous” under each photo.  Simply click on these to proceed through the slideshows.

WEDDING & HONEYMOON ALBUMS – Many thanks to my brother, Josh Hackney, for taking the wedding photos.

WEDDING GALLERY

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HONEYMOON – First stop, Wimbledon

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HONEYMOON – Then, Scotland

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Is There Jewish Christianity Today?

S. Lewis Johnson Message of the Week

Is There Jewish Christianity Today?
Dr. S. Lewis Johnson introduces a series on Paul’s writings concerning the fulfillment of God’s promises made in the Old Testament. Dr. Johnson gives an exposition of Paul’s explanation of how Jews after Christ’s ministry participate in the promises.

Scripture Reference: Romans 11:1-6

Click here to listen: Is There Jewish Christianity Today?

Transcript Excerpt:

Our subject for our next few sessions together is “The Apostle Paul and the Purpose of the Ages.”  And we’re turning to Romans chapter 11 and looking at this marvelous chapter in a series of our studies here in this particular radio class.  The subject for today as we look at Romans chapter 11, and verse 1 through verse 6, is “Is There Jewish Christianity Today?”

The question of Israel’s place in the divine purpose has rarely been as relevant to life on this planet as it is today.  Standing at the critical center of the political and military uncertainties and anxieties of the nations is the Nation Israel.  Theologians of different persuasions recognize this fact.  Professor G. C. Berkouwer, one of the really notable Christian theologians of the twentieth century, in his book “The Return of Christ,” although denying in it that Israel the nation has an ethnic future, yet feels it necessary to explain why he must devote a chapter to the nation in his work.  He finds justification for discussing Israel and the future in two things, the renewed attention given to Israel on account of the tragic outbursts of anti-Semitism in our age and the rise of the Jewish state in the land of Palestine.

The issue of Israel rises constantly in our newspapers as they seek to report the life of the globe.  When President Reagan visits an un-denazified German cemetery in a state that is not now the state of Hitler, Hitlerism abounds in our world by another name, communism, the issue of Israel is again highlighted before the Western world as we reflect upon the demonic evil of the holocaust.

For the study of the divine purpose in Israel in the New Testament revelation, one must first and foremost consider Paul’s great chapters in his Epistle to the Romans.  It is in this letter alone that the apostle discusses thematically the future of Israel.  The discussion is found in Romans 9 through 11, and the reason for it is found in the subject matter of Romans 1 through 8.  While the entire epistle is an exposition of the gospel, chapters 1 through 8 form the doctrinal heart of the soteriology of Paul.

Read the full transcript here…

Does Joel Osteen Not Know, or Does He Not Care?

Published with permission from Dr. Albert Mohler

Here we go again. Joel Osteen is in the news once again, this time for saying that Mormonism is just another form of Christianity. Osteen, pastor of “America’s largest church,” as the media repeat over and over, was speaking to The Washington Times in an interview that covered a variety of issues. It was the quintessential Joel on display.

Speaking to the newspaper on Monday, Osteen said, “I see faith in America at an all-time high.” His comments came just as a major research project detailed a significant loss of vitality in America’s Christian congregations. That loss of vitality can be traced, among other things, to a loss of theological and biblical conviction. Joel, of course, is proof positive that you can build a crowd without building a church. He is not inclined to deal in much theological conviction.

In the interview, he distilled his message in these words: “Part of our core message is that seasons change, and when you believe, if you don’t get bitter, and you don’t get discouraged, you may not change overnight, but you can get peace.”

He also told the newspaper: “People need to be reminded that every day is a gift from God, and bloom where you’re planted and be happy where you are, and to make that choice to get up every day and be grateful.”

That message includes some truth, of course — but it doesn’t even come close to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Hell will be filled with people who bloomed where they were planted.

On Mormonism, Joel said:

“I believe that [Mormons] are Christians . . . . I don’t know if it’s the purest form of Christianity, like I grew up with. But you know what, I know Mormons. I hear Mitt Romney — and I’ve never met him — but I hear him say, ‘I believe Jesus is the son of God,’ ‘I believe he’s my savior,’ and that’s one of the core issues.”

“I’m sure there are other issues that we don’t agree on. But you know, I can say that the Baptists and the Methodists and the Catholics don’t all agree on everything. So that would be my take on it.”

Osteen just stated his belief that Mormons are Christians. He then expressed the thought that Mormonism “might not be the purest form of Christianity, like I grew up with,” but he affirmed Mormon statements that Jesus is the Son of God and that He is Savior.

Evaluating Osteen’s boyhood understanding of Christianity would be a project unto itself, given the shifting theology of his preacher father, the late John Osteen.

The main point of concern in Joel’s latest comment is the lack of any biblical standard of judgment and the total abdication of theological responsibility. He relegates doctrinal disagreements between Christians and Mormons to the status of theological debates between Protestant denominations and then includes Roman Catholicism. There are plenty of issues there, and the issues are not the same when comparing Baptists to Methodists, on the one hand, and Protestants and Roman Catholics, on the other. Comparing any form of Trinitarian orthodoxy with Mormonism is another class of question altogether.

Joel reminded the paper’s staff that he has never attended seminary. This is true, of course, but there are thousands of preachers who never had the opportunity to attend seminary who have a sufficient grasp of and commitment to biblical truth that would prevent such carelessness.

By now, it is clear that Joel Osteen’s carelessness is deliberate and calculated. This is not the first time that he has encountered the question of Mormonism. Back in 2007, he told Chris Wallace of FOX News that Mormons are indeed Christians:

“Well, in my mind they are. Mitt Romney has said that he believes in Christ as his savior, and that’s what I believe, so, you know, I’m not the one to judge the little details of it. So I believe they are.”

The little details of it? Mormonism does not differ from historic biblical Christianity in “little details,” and a faithful Mormon would be the first to point this out. Mormonism begins with a plurality of gods, not with the monotheism of the Bible. Jesus Christ is an exalted man — not the incarnate Word. The list of categorical doctrinal differences continues throughout the entire belief system.

The very essence of Mormonism is the claim that historic Christianity is fundamentally in error, and that true Christianity did not exist on earth from the time of the Apostles until Joseph Smith. Mormonism can hardly be charged with hiding their movement’s teachings — the Book of Mormon and the other fundamental texts of the Latter Day Saints are published in plain sight.

In a remarkable exchange with Chris Wallace, Osteen muddied the waters further:

WALLACE: So, for instance, when people start talking about Joseph Smith, the founder of the church, and the golden tablets in upstate New York, and God assumes the shape of a man, do you not get hung up in those theological issues?

OSTEEN: I probably don’t get hung up in them because I haven’t really studied them or thought about them. And you know, I just try to let God be the judge of that. I mean, I don’t know.

Here we face a fundamental dilemma. When Joel Osteen hears a summary of Mormon belief that mentions God assuming “the shape of a man,” does he lack the theological discernment to hear how that differs from biblical Christianity, or does it not concern him? In other words, does Joel not know, or does Joel not care?

In the end, we have to conclude that he does not care enough to know, and that is the greater tragedy for a Christian minister. He doesn’t “get hung up” on doctrinal issues, nor has he “really studied them or thought about them.” His own words indict him.

Evangelical Christians are going to face many questions in this season, and the question of Mormonism is not front and center. It will call upon all of us to do what Joel Osteen proudly has not done — to study and thing about these issues. In this political moment, we will have to think carefully and act judiciously without confusing the theological questions. We will need the full wealth of Christian conviction.

We will also need deep doctrinal discernment mixed with urgent spiritual concern. The Latter Day Saints include some of the most wonderful and kind people we will ever meet. They put a great emphasis on character and on the moral values of our common concern. They talk freely and passionately about their own beliefs, including their beliefs concerning Jesus Christ. Furthermore, they put action behind their commitments, sending their young people on mission and fueling a worldwide movement that remains one of the fastest-growing on the planet.

But their beliefs concerning Jesus Christ are not those of historic Christianity, and their understanding of salvation differs radically from the message of the New Testament. It is the responsibility of every Christian, much less every Christian minister, to know this.

Joel Osteen told The Washington Times that he is constantly “looking for new ways to influence the culture.” Our culture admires those with low theological commitment and high emphasis on attitude. In Joel Osteen’s case, it is the secular culture that has influenced the minister, and not the minister that is influencing he culture.

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I am always glad to hear from readers. Write me at mail@albertmohler.com. Follow regular updates on Twitter at www.twitter.com/AlbertMohler

Cheryl Wetzstein, “Osteen: Americans’ Faith at ‘All Time High,’” The Washington Times, Monday, October 24, 2011. [Add odd irony to this equation -- since The Washington Times was founded in 1982 by the Unification Church of the Rev. Sun Myung Moon.]

R. Albert Mohler, Jr., “Mormonism, Democracy, and the Urgent Need for Evangelical Thinking,” Monday, October 10, 2011.

Dragged Kicking and Screaming into the Modern Age? Lessons from Piers Morgan’s Interview with Joel Osteen

Published with permission from Dr. Albert Mohler

An interview that begins with a statement like, “Well, Piers, to me, faith is all about learning to be happy where you are,” is probably not going to end well. Piers Morgan’s interview with Joel and Victoria Osteen Tuesday night was very revealing about the Osteens — but little Christian truth was revealed. At the same time, the interview deserves closer attention than you might expect.

After introducing the Osteens, Morgan let Joel talk about his latest book, Every Day A Friday, How To Be Happier 7 Days a Week. Like the book itself, Joel’s presentation could be reduced to his own brand of highly therapeutic prosperity theology. For Joel Osteen, it’s not a theology that is reducible to money alone. Instead, his focus is more on individual happiness and self-fulfillment. In his rendering, God might not want everyone to be rich, but he does want his creatures to experience every day as . . . a Friday?

Then, the conversation shifted to issues in the news, such as abortion and capital punishment. On both topics, Piers Morgan pressed Joel to speak clearly, which he was clearly reluctant to do. On both topics, Osteen steered clear of disaster by saying as little as possible, in what can only be described as a garble.

On capital punishment: “You know, it’s a complicated issue, Piers. I haven’t thought a whole lot about it but, of course, you know, and I’m for second chances and mercy, yet, the flip side is there’s consequences for what we’ve done and, so, I — I don’t know what my total stance is . . . ”

On a moral link between abortion and capital punishment: “Well, I think there could be when you say may or may not. You know, that’s the troublesome thing, if we don’t know for sure and, you know.”

There, that clears it all up nicely. The saddest thing about Joel Osteen’s incoherence on all this is the fact that he seems to be totally unaware that Christians have been engaging these issues seriously for centuries. When even Piers Morgan chided Osteen for his fuzziness and lack of an answer to questions, saying to Osteen, “you need to be more definitive,” Osteen responded: “Yes. Well, if I could I would but I’d have to — let me study it and I’ll come back with a great answer someday for you.” Not exactly a “here I stand” moment, to say the very least.

But, with all that as prelude, the interview really got interesting when Morgan turned the conversation to the issue of same-sex marriage. Morgan replayed a clip from Osteen’s appearance earlier this year, when Osteen gave Morgan this statement on homosexuality: “Yes, I’ve always believed, Piers, the scriptures shows that it’s a sin, but, you know, I’m not one of those that are out there to bash homosexuals and tell them that they’re terrible people and all that.” That statement, as Morgan indicated, made headlines.

When pressed, Osteen affirmed his statement: “You know, Piers, it really never changes because mine was — mine’s based out of the scripture. That’s what I believe that the scripture says that — that homosexuality is a sin. So, it — you know, I believed it before and I still believe it now. Again, I would just reiterate what I said, I’m not after — I’m not mad at anybody. I don’t dislike anybody. But, you know, you know, respecting my faith and believing, you know, in — in what the scripture says, that’s the best way I can interpret it.”

But the host’s real intention was to steer Osteen toward the same-sex marriage issue. Would Osteen perform a same-sex marriage?

His answer: “Well, you know what, I’m going to respect the law and I’m going to respect gay people like I do now, you know, have plenty of people that come to our church and friends, I would call, that are gay so I’m going to respect that. I think where it puts a difficult situation is me being a Christian pastor believing the scripture, you know, it would be against my faith to marry two gay people.” Later, he added: “No, it would be against what I believe the scripture teaches and, so, that’s where I think the rub comes in with people like myself. It’s not that I’m against anybody or, you know, if people want to live together, that’s up to them. But, my faith, when we say marriage, I mean, I think about it, Piers, and all through the Bible there are, you know, hundreds of marriages but none of them are shown as between, you know, the same sex. And, again, I’m not against anything but I just believe that’s what the Bible teaches . . .”

Morgan would not let the topic drop, clearly sensing an opportunity to find a crack in Osteen’s position. The host then asked the Osteens if they would attend a same-sex marriage ceremony. Joel Osteen said that he would, if the individuals were friends.

Morgan pressed further. How does this fit within Osteen’s previous statement: “Well, I haven’t been to many weddings lately to begin with and I’m talking about somebody that was, you know, dear to us. I’m not going to disrespect somebody that’s dear to us and say, you know what, you’re not good enough for us or something like that. That’s the way that I would see it. Now, I’m not going to just run off and go attend, you know, certain marriages just to make a statement because that’s not who I am and that’s not what I stand for and, again, I don’t look down on those people.”

In other words, Joel Osteen sees homosexuality as a sin and same-sex marriage to be contrary to God’s will. He cannot perform same-sex marriage ceremonies or endorse same-sex marriage, because he is bound by Scripture. On the other hand, he can attend a same-sex ceremony, if the participants are friends, and thus endorse by his presence the credibility of the ceremony itself and join in the celebration of what he believes, or says he believes, is sin.

This is beyond mere incoherence. It is moral and theological nonsense. More than that, it is a massive statement of ministerial malpractice. Piers Morgan had the sense to see that much. You cannot celebrate what you say you know to be sin. You cannot honestly say that same-sex marriage defies the law of God, and then join in the celebration of that ceremony.

Joel Osteen should know better, but you can add that to the things that someone like Joel Osteen should know, if indeed he is to present himself as a Christian preacher and leader.

The larger problem is that many evangelical Christians would follow Joel Osteen’s logic without a second thought, or without even what the psychologists would describe as “cognitive dissonance.” They say they believe that homosexuality is a sin, and that same-sex marriage is contrary to God’s will. But they allow personal relationships and social pressure to override their (evidently) lightly-held convictions.

The hypothetical case Piers Morgan invented for his interview with Joel and Victoria Osteen is precisely the reality many American Christians will face — or have already faced — with the legalization of same-sex marriage. Unless convictions are deeply held, they will melt away in the face of cultural pressure.

Oh, one final and very significant statement from the interview demands attention. Piers Morgan looked at Joel Osteen and asked the million-dollar question:

But, I mean, shouldn’t the scripture be dragged kicking and screaming into the modern age. I mean, we were talking before the break about the issue about eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, not everything in the scriptures, really, is, in my view, conducive to modern life. I mean, like everything else, doesn’t it have to move with the times and isn’t it down again to people like you to interpret it in a way that evolves when you’re known as a very progressive preacher?

Shouldn’t the Bible be “dragged kicking and screaming into the modern age”? There you have the modernist worldview reduced to a single question. The Bible will simply have to give way to modern moral authorities, and have to be interpreted “in a way that evolves.”

To his credit, Joel Osteen tried to stand his ground. To his discredit, he didn’t stand very well, and he seemed to lack all of the vital faculties for holding theological traction. We can only hope that other pastors — and other Christians — will do better. Sadly, without developing deeper biblical commitments and without drawing from the full wealth of Christian conviction, that is not going to happen.

Sadly, without a deep, humble, and faithful commitment to Christ, the Gospel, the Bible, and the structures of Christian thought, both the church and the Bible will be, to use Piers Morgan’s unforgettable phrase, “dragged kicking and screaming into the modern age” — and we know exactly what that means.

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I am always glad to hear from readers. Write me at mail@albertmohler.com. Follow regular updates on Twitter at www.twitter.com/AlbertMohler

Transcript, Piers Morgan Tonight, CNN, Tuesday, October 4, 2011.

Netanyahu Coming to New York to Address U.N. Next Week: Will confront Palestinian statehood bid and Ahmadinejad

Published with permission from Joel Rosenberg

Senior aides to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin originally told me the PM was not going to come to the opening session of the United Nations General Assembly this year. But things have changed. Tensions between Israel and the Palestinians, Iran and Turkey are intensifying and Israel is becoming increasingly isolated. Haaretz and Ynet News are now reporting that Netanyahu is coming to New York and will deliver a major address before the U.N. General Assembly next week. [Update: Some reports say the speech will be Wednesday; others say Friday; I'll keep you posted.] The decision reflects the PM’s desire to personally, directly and very publicly confront the Palestinian effort to unilaterally declare a state and receive a U.N. blessing, rather than engage in direct negotiations with the Jewish State. Netanyahu will also strongly condemn Iran’s bid for nuclear weapons and challenge the world to rein in Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who is also coming to the U.N. next week.

During a press conference in Jerusalem yesterday with the visiting Czech Prime Minister, Netanyahu told reporters: “I have decided to personally convey the message of direct negotiation and striving for peace at the General Assembly — I know Israel doesn’t get a fair hearing at the General Assembly. It has an automatic majority which is quick to denounce Israel. I have decided to go… to tell the truth.”

The Palestinian Authority this week announced that on Friday, September 23rd it will formally submit its bid for full membership in the United Nations. A General Assembly vote would likely go overwhelmingly in favor of the Palestinians. The U.S., however, has vowed to veto a Palestinian statehood bid if it comes before the U.N. Security Council.

Please pray for wisdom for Israeli leaders, and especially the Prime Minister, as he comes to the U.S. Please pray for the protection of all Israeli diplomats around the world, and especially those in Jordan and Egypt who are under direct threat. Please pray for Christians, too, to show unconditional love and unwavering support for Israel and the Jewish people as Israel is increasingly isolated internationally. Please also pray for tensions between Israel and Turkey to be defused — in the last few weeks, Turkey has broken off diplomatic relations with Israel, kicked out Israel’s ambassador, cut off trade ties with Israel, and now is threatening to send war ships to accompany another flotilla to Gaza.

>> To learn more about and support The Joshua Fund’s efforts to educate Christians around the world about God’s love and plan for Israel, and to support our humanitarian relief work to care for needy Israelis and Palestinians, please click here.

>> To pre-order a copy of The Tehran Initiative, my new political thriller that will be released October 18th, please click here

UPCOMING EVENTS WHERE JOEL WILL BE SPEAKING THIS FALL:

• September 24: Joel will speak and have a Q&A session at North Syracuse Baptist Church in Syracuse, NY, hosted by Dr. T.E. Koshy
• October 7 & 8: “Understanding The Times” conference at Grace Church in Eden Prarie, Minnesota
• October 22: “The Gathering Storm” national simulcast – please encourage your pastor to host this simulcast in your church; this event can only be viewed at churches hosting the special simulcast; it won’t be available on Oct. 22 for individuals hoping to watch on the web.

Evangelical Feminism and the Bible, part II – Galatians 3:38

S. Lewis Johnson Message of the Week

Evangelical Feminism and the Bible, part II
Dr. S. Lewis Johnson continues his discussion of feminism within evangelical thought by expounding the Apostle Paul’s teachings on the role of women in the early church.

Scripture Reference: Galatians 3:38

Click here to listen: Evangelical Feminism and the Bible, part II

Transcript Excerpt:

Last week we started our series of studies on evangelical feminism and the Bible.  And I started out by making what I think is an important form in the form of a question.  And it was, what is the unique significance of our maleness and our femaleness?  And have we really forgotten that?  Or are we so exposed to thoughts that are characteristic of our society that we do not realize what the word of God has said from its beginning.  I suggested that a question that most of the feminists cannot answer is a simple question that a child, a girl or a man or boy may ask his parents, “Dad what does it mean to be a man and not a woman?”  Or “Dad what does it mean to be a woman and not a man.”  These are questions that the Scriptures have significant things to say about in the egalitarianism of the society of which we are a part now.  That’s largely lost.  And so often we know that in evangelicalism, the things that the world thinks about and bombards us with are soon the things that we see in the church of Jesus Christ.  They slip often unnoticed and it’s not until difficulties have arisen in the church of Christ that we realize that we have been subjected to influence from unchristian sources.  We don’t doubt at all that rationality may exist in differing view points, at least plausibility I should say.  It appeared to be rationality exists in many of the things with which our society is occupied.

…. you can read the full transcript here.

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