ΙΧΘΥΣ [Ickthoos] = fish [Koine Greek]

"And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people" (Matthew 14.19 NIV).

Ἰησοῦς - Yae-sue (Jesus)
Χριστός - Chris-tos (Anointed One)
Θεοῦ - The-ou (God)
Υἱός - Hui-os (Son)
Σωτήρ - So-ter (Saviour)

Collin Hansen over at CT writes a great article on the origins of this symbol of Christian bumper stick fame.

Proud of Our Troops!

A salute to my brethren south of the border!

Home, home on the range . . .

During the safety briefing, the Range Officer looks over at me and my companion "so uh, anyone here ever shoot a gun before?" As I looked around, I knew 2 in the party were newbs . . . so I raised my hand. With a somewhat puzzled look, the RO carefully studied me to read whether or not I was telling the truth. "Yeah sure . . . you a cop? Is this a safety check on our facility?" After confirming his insecurities with another party who also thought he was correct the RO continued with his firearms safety demo with a smile "just in case, I will be extra thorough in my demo this afternoon."


Aside from admiring the Steyr .50 BMG (single shot, no mag - that would be the M1) sitting in the showroom, it was a great afternoon date with a great pair: a Glock 17 and a "Die Hard" Beretta 92FS. Checked out the new Roni pistol/carbine conversion for the Glock 17 (and 23) as well, click here for a great video review, go here for the Roni in action. Inventive and clever system for close quarters combat; not to mention $$$ saver.

The Work of the Trinity in Regeneration

*Regeneration is a sovereign work of God (Jn. 1:12-13; 3:3-8; Jas. 1:18; 1 Pet. 1:3) a radical work or total transformation (Ezek. 36:26-27; 1 Jn. 3:9) not just an addition.

- The SOURCE of regeneration is Christ (1 Pet 1:3; Eph 1:3, 2:4, 4:24; 2 Cor 5:17)
- The AGENT of regeneration is the Holy Spirit (Jn. 3:3-8; Titus 3:5)
- The INSTRUMENT of regeneration is the Word of God (Jas. 1:18; 1 Pet. 1:23, 25) which precedes and causes faith (Jn 6:63-65, 1 Jn 5:1, Eph. 2:5)

(*credit to John Hendryx for the above mentioned)

What is regeneration?

In his book, Concise Theology, Dr. J.I. Packer writes the following under the heading, "REGENERATION THE CHRISTIAN IS BORN AGAIN."

In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." JOHN 3:3

Regeneration is a New Testament concept that grew, it seems, out of a parabolic picture-phrase that Jesus used to show Nicodemus the inwardness and depth of the change that even religious Jews must undergo if they were ever to see and enter the kingdom of God, and so have eternal life (John 3:3-15). Jesus pictured the change as being "born again."

The concept is of God renovating the heart, the core of a person’s being, by implanting a new principle of desire, purpose, and action, a dispositional dynamic that finds expression in positive response to the gospel and its Christ. Jesus’ phrase "born of water and the Spirit" (John 3:5) harks back to Ezekiel 36:25-27, where God is pictured as symbolically cleansing persons from sin’s pollution (by water) and bestowing a "new heart" by putting his Spirit within them. Because this is so explicit, Jesus chides Nicodemus, "Israel’s teacher," for not understanding how new birth happens (John 3:9-10). Jesus’ point throughout is that there is no exercise of faith in himself as the supernatural Savior, no repentance, and no true discipleship apart from this new birth.

Elsewhere John teaches that belief in the Incarnation and Atonement, with faith and love, holiness and righteousness, is the fruit and proof that one is born of God (1 John 2:29; 3:9; 4:7; 5:1, 4). It thus appears that as there is no conversion without new birth, so there is no new birth without conversion.

Though infant regeneration can be a reality when God so purposes (Luke 1:15, 41-44), the ordinary context of new birth is one of effectual calling—that is, confrontation with the gospel and illumination as to its truth and significance as a message from God to oneself. Regeneration is always the decisive element in effectual calling.

Regeneration is monergistic: that is, entirely the work of God the Holy Spirit. It raises the elect among the spiritually dead to new life in Christ (Eph. 2:1-10). Regeneration is a transition from spiritual death to spiritual life, and conscious, intentional, active faith in Christ is its immediate fruit, not its immediate cause. Regeneration is the work of what Augustine called "prevenient" grace, the grace that precedes our outgoings of heart toward God.

Thank you Dr. Packer!

Quoting Myself

"Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Jesus of Nazareth, cf. Matthew 5.10)

"There is a difference between being persecuted for being ignorant versus being persecuted for righteousness." (JP circa. early 2000s)

Spec-OPS Cooperate in N. Africa

Where is the UK (SAS) and France (Legion) in all this? Their operators are specifically skilled and familiar with the people and terrain.

For the record, my thoughts on Bin Laden's death are echoed and in full agreement with Dr. Mohler. I believe his thoughts reflect quite clearly my views on the situation.

Being Satisfied With Nothing Else

"Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days" (Psalm 90.14).

What does "being satisfied by God's love" look like for those who profess to be followers of Jesus? Aren't we a culture satisfied by practices, methods, approaches, value systems, ideology and brands? A quick search on Amazon reveals the different types of Christianity that one could subscribe to . . . the different types of church or non-churches . . . types of eschatology . . . missional approaches . . . theologizing . . . central or decentralized leadership . . .

What does "being satisfied by God's love" look like for those who profess that Jesus is Lord and Savior of their lives?

What's wrong with a little harmless idealism?

Since the world just received news of Bin Laden's untimely death ~ and witnessed the idealist response of an idealistic presidential administration. It is poetic and providentially-enriching to reflect upon the principles that caused the world's most wanted man to deviate from orthodoxy.

According to Eric Marrapodi's evaluation, Bin Laden was just another religious, idealistic, radical liberal in his own right. In his editorial entitled, "Bin Laden's Theology a Radical Break with traditional Islam" Marrapodi suggests that the core of what Bin Laden taught or ranted about was NOT Islamic orthodoxy - in fact, according to this CNN Blog Co-Editor, he was a down right, old fashion apostate. Bin Laden was just another liberal who fulfilled his liberal mandate of utopian pipe dreams and fantasy. Another guy who stepped away from orthodoxy and made his beliefs the law.

Apparently, when one no longer abides by their team's Holy Writ, and for example - adds spice with external sources and "good ideas" - they can potentially fall away from their team's perspective of truth and become just another infidel. In my circles we call this the inerrancy debate - substituting the advanced human brain for the infinite wisdom of a Holy God. Ironic? Think Emergent, Classical Liberalism & Radical Extremism. Try nailing jello to the wall for more luck. No accountability, no tracks to run on, no real dialogue and definately no acceptance. Not much different from each other.

Oh and by the way, did anyone else note the tab that this guy cost us? $2.5 trillion according to CNN. Yes, let's allow the idealists to shoot their mouths off now because our present inaction will increase in value when they bomb and shoot us later . . . and go on to destroy our economy of community and orthodoxy. Yes, let's respond to the "do gooders" with more useless idealistic stupidity . . . and hope that as we embrace the rhythms of contemplative spirituality something like a rainbow will pop out of some donkey's . . .

Osama said he would bring down capitalism while others have said they would bring down the North American evangelical movement. Similar principals? Oh yeah, you bet your momma's car on that! Everything starts somewhere . . . everything will come to an end . . . everything has a cost . . . everything draws us close to God or away. To choose to do nothing is a choice in itself.

"God is better . . ."

Don't take the bait, swim away . . . you gonna leave God for that?

Divine Wisdom

"Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. Do not add to His words, or He will rebuke you and prove you a liar" (Proverbs 30.5 - 6 NIV).

"It's not fair . . ."

It's not fair that I'm in a small church.
It's not fair that I'm not in a small church.
It's not fair that I'm a pastor.
It's not fair that I'm not a pastor.
It's not fair that I'm a leader and not a follower.
It's not fair that I'm a follower and not a leader.
It's not fair that I'm still married.
It's not fair that I'm still not married.
It's not fair that I've got kids.
It's not fair that I don't got kids.
It's not fair that I'm a man and not a woman.
It's not fair that I'm a woman and not a man.
It's not fair that I work so hard.
It's not fair that I'm such a slacker.
It's not fair that I'm a husband and not a wife.
It's not fair that I'm a wife and not a husband.
It's not fair that I'm Chinese.
It's not fair that I'm not Chinese.
It's not fair that I'm a Christian.
It's not fair that I'm not Christian.

It's not fair that Kangaroos carry their young in their pouch.
It's not fair that Rabbits can reproduce so quickly.
It's not fair that Dogs can lick their behinds.
It's not fair that birds can fly, fish can swim and bears can sleep all winter.

It's not fair that I'm in jail.
It's not fair that I'm not in jail.

It's not fair that heroin is so addictive.
It's not fair that I can't operate on myself.
It's not fair that I have a heart and brain.
It's not fair that I need air to breath and food to eat.
It's not fair that woman can bear children and men can't.
It's not fair that men can marry women but can't marry their sister, mother or daughter.
It's not fair that I can't have multiple wives.
It's not fair that I grew up middle-class.
It's not fair that I'm not in abject poverty.
It's not fair that our government is so easy going.
It's not fair that things are fair.

It's not fair that God has a position on so many things.
It's not fair that there is only one way to heaven.
It's not fair that good things happen to bad people.
It's not fair that God created everything each according to its own . . .

"Life's not fair, but God is good." To say "it's not fair" is to desire equality in some area that we do not want responsibility in. In some weird manner, it is to defy and oppose God and His created order . . . because we secretly think that it's not fair that God is God and we are not.

What is liberal theology?

According to Dr. Al Mohler, he quotes Richard Niebuhr, "A God without wrath brought men without sin into a kingdom without judgment through the ministrations of a Christ without a cross" (H. Richard Niebuhr, The Kingdom of God in America; New York: Harper and Row, 1959; page 193). A Christless Christianity that is void of God's wrath, man's sin and a Jesus who never went to the cross (because it's just too violent and grotesque to think about as civilized, rational beings).

I had a theology professor who once quipped, "if a rat falls into a cookie jar, does it make it a cookie?" Nope.

If a tree fell in the forest . . .

. . . would you hear it? This was too sweet to pass up.

Ekklesia & The Missional Church

Something which has been stewing on my mind as of late is the whole idea of "ekklesia" being this "source of wisdom and good counsel for the wider society in which it is embedded" (ala Frost & Hirsch). I did lousy with 2 semester of Greek, but I do remember that along with the typical usage of "assembly" or "gathering of town folk," the biblical meaning could be taken literally. "Ek" - out from and to; "kaleo" - to call. Not only would this imply an organized [called] gathering, but in addition the implication that the assembly is composed of those who are "called out" and in a Christian sense "separate." Biblically, this would suggest that this particular assembly would be composed of those who are called by God, regenerated by the Spirit, justified by grace and now disciples of Jesus Christ. Having said that, "F & H" have more recently been using the quote "if [the church] were taken away from its neightborhood, would the whole community grieve its loss?" Nowadays, with this evangelical pendulum swing towards the social gospel, we are witnessing an evangelical Costco-sizec purchase of all things moralistic and community-oriented. Does the church of Jesus Christ serve the community for the sake of the community? OR does the church of Jesus Christ serve the community for the sake of Jesus? The missional concept - in some circles - is quite solid, however in other circles might we remember the impact of the "ekklesia" as recorded in Acts by Paul? For example, the "city within a city" called the church of Ephesus? Have we forgotten the riot that resulted with the presence of the gospel of Jesus Christ in that place? Or for that matter, Jesus' own teaching of faith as absolute surrender and loyalty to Him, "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters — yes, even his own life — he cannot be my disciple" (Lk 14.26). Why does "missional" in some circles seem to forget that the church is the locus of missions (ala Leslie Newbigen) - it is the place where the redemptive power of Jesus Christ is declared and displayed (proclamation & demonstration of the gospel)? "Missional" is not just about turning the church into my highschool service club, it's got to be about Jesus and find its root/source in Him. Otherwise, close down your church and start a service club . . . becuase that's all you really are. Next we'll be counter-cultural, commune-living hippies . . . wait, that's already happened.

For the record, the Ephesians grieved the presence of the Christians in their city ~ especially the Ephesian temple-related business and artisans . . . they would've celebrated their departure. Talk about counter-cultural.

God's Sovereignty Over Disasters

"As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today" (Genesis 50.20 ESV).

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8.28 ESV).

The NIV translates Genesis 50.20 as "God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives" . . . perhaps the most difficult thing for a fallen and sinful humanity to imagine is simply "what is good?" Is the present suffering, hardship, tragedy, death, disease that I am enduring good? "Finitum non capax infinitum" as John Calvin posited, "the finite cannot grasp the infinite," As a sinful humanity evaluates the good of a situation with the limitations and temporalness of the finite, will they ever grasp the eternal, infinite holy goodness of the sovereignty God?

Preaching is Important

How does one "be the gospel" without words and preaching? According to Scripture, "being the gospel" requires first the preaching and declaration of the gospel.

"For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm" (Psalms 33.9 ESV). Both the Father and the Son share this one thing in common - proclamation that precedes demonstration. J.I. Packer reminds us that the first act of public ministry performed by Jesus was to preach the gospel, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 4.17 ESV & cf. v.23). Such is the importance of such a ministry that a Mighty God would use "speaking" as the primary means of "creating" . . . how important and significant it is for us to always remember "to preach the word."

Divine Wisdom

"It is not good to have zeal without knowledge . . ." (Proverbs 19.2a)

"When I Don't Desire God" ~ Piper's Teaching on Prayer

An excerpt from Dr. John Piper's "When I Don't Desire God" (pages 151 - 152) . . .

"Here’s the way I pray over the Word in my fight for joy . . . IOUS"

I—(Incline!) The first thing my soul needs is an inclination toward God and his Word. Without that, nothing else will happen of any value in my life. I must want to know God and read his Word and draw near to him. Where does that “want to” come from? It comes from God. So Psalm 119:36 teaches us to pray, “Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!” Very simply we ask God to take our hearts, which are more inclined to breakfast and the newspaper, and change that inclination. We are asking that God create desires that are not there.

O—(Open!) Next I need to have the eyes of my heart opened so that when my inclination leads me to the Word, I see what is really there, and not just my own ideas. Who opens the eyes of the heart? God does. So Psalm 119:18 teaches us to pray, “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.” So many times we read the Bible and see nothing wonderful. Its reading does not produce joy. So what can we do? We can cry to God: “Open the eyes of my heart, O Lord, to see what it says about you as wonderful.”

U—(Unite!) Then I am concerned that my heart is badly fragmented. Parts of it are inclined, and parts of it are not. Parts see wonder, and parts say, “That’s not so wonderful.” What I long for is a united heart where all the parts say a joyful Yes! to what God reveals in his Word. Where does that wholeness and unity come from? It comes from God. So Psalm 86:11 teaches us to pray, “Unite my heart to fear your name.” Don’t stumble over the word fear when you thought we were seeking joy. The fear of the Lord is a joyful experience when you renounce all sin. A thunderstorm can be a trembling joy when you know you can’t be destroyed by lightning. “O Lord, let your ear be attentive to . . . the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name” (Neh. 1:11). “His delight shall be in the fear of the LORD” (Isa. 11:3). Therefore pray that God would unite your heart to joyfully fear the Lord.

S—(Satisfy!) What I really want from all this engagement with the Word of God and the work of his Spirit in answer to my prayers is for my heart to be satisfied with God and not with the world. Where does that satisfaction come from? It comes from God. So Psalm 90:14 teaches us to pray, “Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.”

Vancouver BC Real Estate Market Roller Coaster

This is a great video produced by the market saavy http://vancouvercondo.info/ ~ "real estate don't hurt people, people hurt people." When I first moved out to the GVRD back in 2006, one group of people swore that post-2010 Winter Olympics would produce the best affordable real estate prices within the Lower Mainland in years. Dude, that never happened ~ maybe, at most, a soft landing and immediate re-launch back into the stupid-sphere. What's up with the agents out here? What's up with realtors in Canada? What's up with the entire industry? Crazy.

Divine Wisdom

Proverbs 3.19 - 27 (ESV)

"The LORD by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding he established the heavens; by his knowledge the deeps broke open, and the clouds drop down the dew. My son, do not lose sight of these — keep sound wisdom and discretion, and they will be life for your soul and adornment for your neck. Then you will walk on your way securely, and your foot will not stumble. If you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Do not be afraid of sudden terror or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes, for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught. Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it."