Greek It Up

Dan Phillips, of Team Pyro, has begun a blog entirely devoted to the study and discussion of New Testament Greek. It is called,Hellenisti ginoskeis: do you know Greek? He comments in his header:

This blog is all about reading, understanding, translating the Greek New Testament. My essays here are not necessarily disciplined, definitive articles. They are musings, observations, puzzlings, popping-offs, speculations, complaints, pronouncements, questions. I hope other students of the Greek New Testament will join in the Comments, to our mutual growth in understanding this God-breathed marvel.

So, to all my Greek-using buddies out there, this is for you.

(HT: Justin Taylor)

Heartbeat of Miami

Justin Taylor interviews John Ensor here, and what struck me about the interview was the utter Biblicity of it - Rev. Ensor simply speaks the Bible about the issues of abortion, life, and justice. He heads up Heartbeat International's urban initiatives and is working on planting pregnancy life care centers in the large urban areas of the US.

Ensor basically says the Christian reaction to our country's abortion culture should be:

• Read the Bible on the subject. (He highlights key passages.)
  
• Repent for our carelessness. (Yes, that means everyone.)
  
• Get involved with pregnancy life care centers. (Or join with their ministry.)
  

I wholeheartedly recommend the article and the ministry.

It's High Time You Learned of the AFA

The American Family Association is a wonderful, God-honoring organization that is working for the restoration of family (read, Biblical) values in our country. Their website says:

AFA is for people who are tired of cursing the darkness and who are ready to light a bonfire. We are a non-profit (501(c)(3)) organization founded in 1977 by Don Wildmon. The American Family Association represents and stands for traditional family values, focusing primarily on the influence of television and other media – including pornography – on our society.

AFA believes that the entertainment industry, through its various products, has played a major role in the decline of those values on which our country was founded and which keep a society and its families strong and healthy. For example, over the last 25 years we have seen the entertainment industry "normalize" and glorify premarital sex. During that time we have suffered a dramatic increase in teen pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases such as AIDS and abortion as a means of birth control.

We believe in holding accountable the companies which sponsor programs attacking traditional family values. We also believe in commending those companies which act responsibly regarding programs they support.

AFA supporters receive a monthly letter about a specific issue with a recommended action such as sending a postcard or making a phone call. In addition, supporters receive the AFA Journal with news on various moral and family issues.

Check them out. Sign up for the emails. It's simple to get involved by writing e-letters to politicians, companies, and media outlets. The most current issue is House Resolution 254, a bill that's trying to give homosexuals special status under the law, but there are always things coming up in our ever-darkening world.

Those who love Jesus are called to love His light and walk in it, shining Him to expose the darkness along the way (Ephesians 5:1-15). As Micah 6:8 says,

He has told you, O man, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?

God is the Gospel

This is the most important idea you will ever try to get a grasp on. Period.

Pastor John Piper is preaching on this idea at the Resolved Conference this week, and here is an excellent excerpt of his short exposition of John 11:

"How is it love to Lazarus to allow him to walk up to and through the horrors of death? And He gave the answer in verse 4, 'It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.' It is more loving to Lazarus and his sisters and the onlooking Jewish people and you and I reading this, it is more loving that Lazarus die if God will be displayed as more glorious than if he live and God not be displayed as more glorious - which means that the essence and heart of loving human beings is exalting the glory of God for their enjoyment. That's what love is ultimately. You can define love in all kinds of lesser ways - doing good things for people, laying down your life for people, meeting the needs of people - and if you don't get to this point it is aiming at - it doesn't always hit it - it is aiming at their seeing and savoring the glory of God, you don't love them. If you don't want the people to whom you do good to see more of God and enjoy more of God and live forever in the enjoyment of more of God, you don't love them. The world will say you do, but you don't, because you don't care about the ultimate satisfaction of their souls forever in God."

Check it out.

PS - This is also a book by the same title.

Movie Reviews #2

"Little Miss Sunshine"
Funny, inappropriate, yet still winsome. B+

"Facing the Giants"
Has the Gospel, but not the best production. Still encouraging. A

"Heavyweights"
Ben Stiller, fat kids, and summer camp - a Disney movie to the max. C

"X-Men 3: The Last Stand"
Maybe the best X-men. Active, explosive, even interesting. A-

"Anchorman"
Will Ferrell is hilarious, the dialogue is inappropriate. B-

"You, Me, & Dupree"
Raunchy, silly, occasionally fun. C+

"Ocean's Twelve"
Not as good as the first. Should have been better. B-

ESPN.com: Sports Page or Liberal Propaganda?

I've been forced to ask this question a couple times in the last few years because of some questionable news coverage. First, it was a story on a homosexual WNBA player that made ESPN.com's front page, and recently it has been another story, this time on a homosexual former NBA player, John Amaechi. ESPN.com has been reporting on Amaechi
nonstop for about a week and a half now, first breaking the story on February 5. Not coincidentally, ESPN is also the publisher for Amaechi's forthcoming book (see the "product details" about a page down).

While it is clear that homosexuality is wrong - Biblically, morally, culturally, and absolutely wrong - the interesting thing about this case is that ESPN is using their sports platform to promote acceptance of deviant sexuality. Simply put, it is not their job. It is not in their job description. It has nothing to do with sports. I like my sports reported, not tainted, thanks.

Obviously, ESPN has quite a lot of cash to make if they hype Amaechi into a media "firestorm." As publishers, they stand to make the most money off of its sales. Not only that, they are deceptive and misleading about it. They do not reveal that they are Amaechi's publishers, and they sneak his name into various unrelated NBA stories. One columnist, Marc Stein, won't stop talking about Amaechi. He apparently enjoys bringing it up in every article he writes.

And they haven't stopped there. ESPN has continued to delight in reactions to Amaechi's announcement. Eliciting statements such as Tim Hardaway's, "I hate gay people," is exactly and unquestionably what ESPN wanted. They have continued to hype up his statements and the subsequent reaction. They want to keep Amaechi in the media as much as possible until the release of his book.

Let me put this simply and clearly: I do not have a personal problem with John Amaechi. Homosexuality is absolutely evil in any context, but this is not a post about homosexuality. This is about how such a lawless practice is portrayed in the media. ESPN is pushing a liberal, relativistic mindset on its readers, and they have a ton of money to make for it.

Cool Hand Luke: The Band, The Music

Cool Hand Luke is my favorite band. Period. And here's the reason why: I've never heard a band who so musically combines Scripture with feeling, and who does it so well.

Check some lyrics from their last album, The Fires of Life:

"Friendly Jas"
I thank my God for every (Philippians 1:3) / Memory of you
The lessons learned and / The way the Spirit moved
I remember hearing “church is more than just a building”
I remember when we proved it true

Flowers fall and seasons change / And you know how we treat the rain
In times of drought we pray it comes / And when it falls we turn and run
The moon is new; you’ve left your seat / The time has come to go in peace
With my own hand the bow was strung / The arrow shot now falls beyond

Everything has changed / But our hope remains the same
I want you to know that I’ll be here / Through a hundred years of rain

************************

"I'm Not Running"
For the message / Of the cross is
Foolishness / To those who are perishing
But to us / Being saved
It’s the power / Of God (I Corinthians 1:18)

There’s no turning back / Unless we’re turning back to you

I’m not running away from this / I’m not falling asleep
I’m not taking a bribe from anyone for anything
I’m not running away from this / I’m not falling asleep
I’m not turning back on the one thing that I know

***************************
Their new album, The Balancing Act, is coming out on February 20, and I will be getting it.

The Holiness of God: DG's Pastors Conference

Go here for all the audio from the recent Desiring God Pastor's Conference, including three addresses from R.C. Sproul on his favorite topic.