Don’t Forget to Like the KevCast on Facebook!

Starting in March (that’s this week!) the KevCast is back!

This Friday at 5pm CST  join me for a prerecorded panel discussion featuring: our host Kevin Thompson, Pastor Tim Johnson (Rock Valley Chapel - Beloit, WI), Youth Pastor Cory Williams (Central Christian Church - Beloit, WI) and Phil Schomber – editor of Virtual Clarity Magazine.  This event took place at Rock County Christian School as the panel discussion questions submitted by the student body.  Topics include salvation, sanctification, homosexuality and freewill.  You will also be able to download an mp3 recording of the podcast after the completion of the program.  Find out more details on our podcast page – www.blogtalkradio.com/kevcast.

But until then, don’t forget to “like” the podcast on facebook.  On the facebook page I’ll keep you up to date on future guests and topics we’ll be discussing.

http://www.facebook.com/thekevcast

This and That 02-25-12

Amid Rivalry, Friendship Blossoms on the Campaign Trail - In a Republican presidential contest known for its angry rivalries, the Romney-Paul relationship stands out for its behind-the-scenes civility. It is a friendship that, by Mr. Paul’s telling, Mr. Romney has worked to cultivate. The question is whether it is also one that could pay dividends for Mr. Romney as he faces yet more setbacks in his struggle to capture the 1,144 delegates needed to win the nomination.

The Hymn of the Legalist- I hear the Savior say, “You’re not doing enough; Work your fingers to the bone, I will save those who are tough.” Jesus paid it some I will do the rest Sin had left a crimson stain Now I will give my best - Stephen Altroggee

When I Said I Still Liked Rush, I Meant Neil and the Boys… - Ultimately, my point is not to boycott Rush (although if you do, I won’t hold it against you). Just don’t pretend that his show or any other talk radio program is a profound dissertation on real issues. If it was, callers would be superfluous. Experts would weigh in with their carefully researched findings and the logical interpretations they are lead to from that data. Shrill histrionics and catatonic sycophantic babble have no place in something like that. So hey, listen to him- because even he is occasionally right on, you might as well admit your bias now if you can’t concede even that point- just bear in mind that tons of his callers are super annoying and don’t have a clue! – Ian Olsen

The Spectrum of Evangelicalism - We discuss the subject of the various points on the spectrum of evangelicalism with Dr. Kevin Bauder, one of the authors of the book  ”Four Views of the Spectrum of Evangelicalism”.  - The ReformedCast

An Open Letter to Praise Bands – If we, the congregation, can’t hear ourselves, it’s not worship. Christian worship is not a concert. In a concert (a particular “form of performance”), we often expect to be overwhelmed by sound, particularly in certain styles of music. In a concert, we come to expect that weird sort of sensory deprivation that happens from sensory overload, when the pounding of the bass on our chest and the wash of music over the crowd leaves us with the rush of a certain aural vertigo. And there’s nothing wrong with concerts! It’s just that Christian worship is not a concert. Christian worship is a collective, communal, congregational practice–and the gathered sound and harmony of a congregation singing as one is integral to the practice of worship. It is a way of “performing” the reality that, in Christ, we are one body. But that requires that we actually be able to hear ourselves, and hear our sisters and brothers singing alongside us. When the amped sound of the praise band overwhelms congregational voices, we can’t hear ourselves sing–so we lose that communal aspect of the congregation and are encouraged to effectively become “private,” passive worshipers. – James Smith

Coming Soon… From the Resurrection to His Return

I’m glad to announce that the fine folks at Christian Focus Publications were kind of enough to send me a copy of From the Resurrection to His Return by D.A. Carson in order to review on this blog.  Be looking for this review during the week of March 12.

Here’s the production description:

This is not another book on what view to hold about the reality of Jesus’ return but it is about how to live in the light of his imminent return. D. A. Carson accurately determines that the Christian church has always lived in what the bible terms ‘the last days’…the period between his ascension to his Father in heaven and his return on the clouds of heaven.

Based on Paul’s teaching in 2 Timothy 3, D. A. Carson gives wise counsel to today’s church to avoid false teaching and to seek good mentors, those who will lead us in truth. He shows that to rely on worldly wisdom is folly, that the world is utterly sinful, but rather to cling to the Bible as the source of our counsel and guidance and help. But more than that he shows us that it is in holding the Bible out to a needy world we take its message to where it is needed the most.

To live in the last days is not to hang on in quiet desperation but to boldly take the word of God and apply it to every situation knowing that it will meet every need just as it has throughout the two millennia since Jesus promised to return again. That is how to live in the last days!

One a side note, I recently found out that Dr. Carson will be speaking at my church in September.  Do you think he will sign my e-book?

Redemptively Different

“We can’t engineer God’s transcendent presence; we can only fall on our faces and beg for it.  In fact, we rob this world of the opportunity to see God high and lifted up – above and beyond us – when we try to program him and fit him into contemporary categories of ‘cool.’  When the size of God grips us more than the size of our churches and leadership conferences, and when we become obsessed with surrendering our lives to God’s sovereign presence, only then we will be redemptively different and serve as God’s cosmic change agents in a world yearning for change.”

Tullian Tchividjian , Unfashionable - Page 18

Obama’s Faith and the Beam in Our Own Eye

Did you hear that the President is really a Muslim?  No, really – he is!  Glenn Beck told me so  or maybe it was Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity?  Or could it have been Rick Santorum?  Wait, perhaps it was some other tea party celebrity or even one of those evangelical talking heads that appear to speak for all evangelicals when they appear on the Sunday news programs…  But, whatever the source, it must be true because so many people believe it…

Wait, I know the President says he is a Christian.  He even claims to pray regularly.  However, didn’t he go to that really radical church with that crazy pastor who wanted God to condemn America – that’s even if he actually attended church at all.  He’s a pro-choice, liberal democrat who spent his days reading Sal Alinsky while walking the streets of the inner city supposedly engaged in community organizing – whatever that means.  He’s not even a moderate Republican.  The guy just can’t be a true believer.

Oh yes, the liberals really hate it when we say things like that, don’t they!  Folks in our postmodern world think words and labels only mean what they want them to mean.  So, they don’t like it when we Conservative Evangelicals have the audacity to state that when you say you are a Christian, that actually means something!  You just can’t be something merely by calling yourself something.  Words have meanings!  People get all upset when we dare question the President’s faith.  The mainstream (or lame-stream media as I like to call them) can’t stand it when real Christians begin to stand up for their beliefs and even suggest that in order to be a Christian you have to believe and act like a Christian!

What’s that? Well, of course I’m a Christian!  Yes, it’s true that I don’t really attend church all that regularly, but you just don’t know my work schedule.  The Bible?  I’ve got one somewhere around here…  I love it with all my heart.  No, I can’t remember the last time I read it…  What about my lifestyle?  Listen, buddy, you can’t judge me!  The Bible says that you can’t judge.  “Judge not!” it says.  Where does it say that?  I don’t know.  It’s in there somewhere!  I’ve heard it before.  You have no right to be questioning my faith like that…

Show Me His Birth Certificate and I’ll Give Him My Vote…

Just A Thought on the Death of Whitney Houston

Whenever a celebrity dies, there are those who cannot wait to pontificate and announce their condemnation of said celebrity to eternal damnation as a warning to all.  I am far from certain that Whitney Houston walking through the pearly gates right now, but I do not see the need to pile on more dirt on the woman’s grave.

Of the dirt-slinging pontifications mentioned above has been the criticism of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.  Governor Christie decided to lower the flags of his state to half-mast recognizing the death of the New jersey-born singer.   Immediately on facebook photos of flag draped coffins appeared claiming that to honor Houston was to dishonor the troops.  Really?  While I abhor the cult of celebrity that plagues our country, I  just can’t see one state honoring a woman (albeit a troubled woman) who entertained millions with her music as a huge slap in the face to our soldiers.  (For the record, I am not a fan of this music)

Anyway, among these pictures I also noticed a friend’s facebook status that I thought was dead-on.  My friend John Cobbett-Walden wrote this status after talking about this subject with his wife Cathy -

I really can’t stand the updates which essentially said “if your sad about whitney Houston’s death then you hate the troops”, but it wasn’t until last night that Cathy helped me realize why. First, it’s sad when people die, and early death from addiction is all the more tragic. Add to that the pivotal role that music plays memory and emotion and you realize it would be weird if people weren’t upset. Secondly, these so called troop supporters aren’t being genuine. They weren’t posting “how can anyone care about the Super Bowl when troops are dying” and yet far more people invested far more time, money, and status updates on the Super Bowl. (Used with permission)

Again, I’m not for the cult of celebrity obsession that over-emphasizes the importance of certain people (and I’m convinced this cult is one of the factors in Houston’s death), but I’m also not in favor of hypocritical arrogance.   We should be praying for this woman’s family, learning from her mistakes (yes, we can call it what is – sin), and mourning the loss of a talented life.  Gloating is just not a Christian virtue.

Well, this was just one of the many thoughts I have about this situation, but the only one I’ll share here for now.  Trying to learn that not every thought I have is worth plastering all over the internet…

This and That 02-18-12

Let’s Have More Worship Wars – What if the young singles complained that the drums are too loud, that they’re distracting the senior adults? What if the elderly people complained that the church wasn’t paying attention to the new movements in songwriting or musical style? – Russell Moore

 

A Gospel for Losers of Whom I am Chief

Here is my latest column for the Word on the Street – the official Rock County Christian School newspaper.  This is the special Thompsonian Times blog edition.  My printed column is limited to 200 words, which I found especially difficult this month.  So, for my faithful blog readers, you get the full way-over-200-word edition!

Have you ever just felt like you match up to those around you?  I have, many times.

My three best friends in high school often left me feeling inferior.  They were good friends and they never meant to make me feel this way, but I never quite measured up to where they were at.  They were extremely intelligent; I was barely passing Algebra.  When we sang in chapel, their voices blended together in part harmony while I bellowed out sounds that resembled something like the cry of a wounded dog.  They were popular and well liked; I was literally laughed at once when I asked a girl out to our Christmas banquet.

Even still today I feel inadequate at times.  Every week at church I listen to sermons from my pastor that I struggle to understand even though I have a Bible college degree!  We have some great guys in our church who are smarter than me, better workers than me and for more younger than me…  Its embarrassing sometimes.

However, because of all my many shortcomings, I do have one advantage.  All of this allows me to have a deeper appreciation of the gospel of Jesus.  The message of the gospel is that I am nothing, but Christ is everything.  That’s great news for a guy like me. I can be nothing, no problem!  Often the gospel is hindered by prideful men with egos and accomplishments that hide their sin and nothingness.

Instead of running away from my inadequacies, I chose to embrace them in the warm glow of the cross for they lead me to greater trust and greater dependence upon Jesus.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me – II Corinthians 12:9

This and That – 02-11-12

About Any Claim of A Word from God- There is no such thing as aword from God that iserroneous. If a word affirms error, it is not God who is speaking (Num. 23:19; Jn. 17:17;Tit. 1:2; Heb. 6: 18)…  There is no such thing as a word from God that is not absolutely morally-binding (Deut. 18:19; Jn. 15:22). This absolute obligation is all-encompassing: if God tells us to act or refrain from acting, we must comply; if God tells us to think or believe, we must agree. I sin equally if I fail to love my wife (Eph. 5:25), and if I fail to refrain from committing adultery (Rom. 13:9) — but I also sin if I do not believe that Christ is God (Jn. 1:1) and that He became flesh (v. 14). – Dan Phillips

Joel Osteen Addresses Accusations of Teaching ‘Watered-Down Christianity’ – “I think, for years, people have been pushed down by religion, and I don’t say that disrespectfully, but they’ve been shown a God that you can’t measure up to,” the Texas pastor told the crowd, according to the Hawaii News Now.  ”And so, my goal is to make God good and let them know, hey, I tell them all the time, God’s smiling down on you right now. You’re his child. He’s got a great plan for your life. You can overcome mistakes, and to me, that draws people TO God,” he continued, adding as the crowd cheered: “You are victors, not victims!” – The Christian Post

4 Myths People Want to Believe About Social Media- Myth #4: “I don’t have time for social media, I have more important things to do.”  Really? What are you doing that is more important than staying connected with the other human beings in your life? What are you doing that’s taking all of your time and making you so antisocial? Please tell me it doesn’t involve hiding ammo underground! Don’t you have 10-20 minutes a day you could use to share with other people? Do you really have zippo spare time?

President Horton Announces Retirement – Pensacola Christian College Founder and President Arlin Horton has announced his retirement effective May 10, 2012, concluding 38 years of exceptional leadership at Pensacola Christian College and 58 years at Pensacola Christian Academy. Below is the announcement he shared with the PCC student body on
February 7.