Check out Ben Witherington on the Death and Resurrection of the Messiah.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/06/world/middleeast/06stone.html?hp

So, after a crazy long weekend of ministry, i started to leave Church at 10PM really thankful that i had Monday off and I had nothing to do but sleep all day... then Kris and Timmy asked me what I was doing on Monday and if I wanted to do a one day road trip to Liberty University... I said yeah, that'd be cool... road trips when really tired are the best :-) also... coffee + chocolate + 4AM driving... makes for funny times.

Hit: 'Conn'-versationDr. Bruce McCormack of Princeton Theological Seminary has just written a thought provoking essay on the Christology of the HTFC report and how it does not reflect a Reformed
Christology.
You can read the essay here.

Interesting article from Newsweek.com

The Popularity Gap

A new study reveals that for teens, it's not whether you're really popular. It's whether you think you are.

 Pop Goes Christianity: The deep contradictions of Christian popular culture - Interesting article from Slate.com - an interesting take on the problem of Christians and culture - I think it lacks some obvious theological nuance - but perhaps nuance that most Christians miss out on. The problem that is articulates is the difficulty of living internationally - how do we represent Jesus? - I'm guessing that it's NOT by creating a separate popular culture. 

The new generation of Christians is likely to be a different kind of audience. Raised on iPods and downloadable music, they find it difficult truly to commit to the idea of a separate Christian pop culture. They might watch Jon Stewart or Pulp Fiction and also listen to the Christian band Jars of Clay, assuming the next album is any good. They are much more critical consumers and excellent spotters of schlock. The creators of Christian pop culture may just adapt and ease up on the Jesus-per-minute count, and artistic quality might show some improvement. But in my experience, where young souls are at stake, Christian creators tend to balk. It's always been a stretch to defend Christian pop culture as the path to eternal salvation. Now, they may have to face up to the fact that it's more like an eternal oxymoron.

I was able to speak for my friend Tony at Integrity Fellowship - fun group of people.

Join our guest speaker, Pastor Sam Sutter as he examines three stories within the Word of God and challenges us to see where we fit into these stories in our own lives today.

Three Stories About One Thing (WMA) (MP3)

It's hard to judge which fuel better expands the combustion of doubt and spiritual discouragement.  On one hand people of faith become discouraged when they pray and serve and see little results. But the some thing worse than seeing no results is watching God work in mighty ways only to be disappointed when people and movements slow  or regress in their growth. The prophet Jeremiah began his prophecy in the year 626 BCE. Josiah was king of Judah. This was a time of huge revival for Israel, spiritual life started to spring through the nation. - Josiah led the people to repentance seeking the Lord after decades of idolatrous practices. Josiah began to purify Judah and Jerusalem, destroyed pagan shrines.

Jeremiah prophecies and has a ministry of revival. And this interest in proper worship was answered by conflict from the outside. Through a series of international struggles - Babylon led by Nebuchadnezer took over Judah. By 605 BCE Judah was captured (Dan 1.1-3) By 586 BCE (toward the end of Jeremiah's ministry) Nebuchadnezzar came and decimated Jerusalem. He took captive people and killed the rulers.

Being a representative of Jesus is tough. It occurred to me (in a very Psa 73 sense) that there is little negative correlation between suffering and spiritual success.  I've been praying for the Welte Family, or for Cal and Phyllis Dunnon, or any number of people who are working for revival and victory and being discouraged as they are calling God's people back to Him.  In Judah the stage was set for revival, God's man was King, God's prophet was in place. But God chose to sent international conflict at that very moment in redemptive history. I wonder why God didn't send punishment when... i donno - when there was a bad king and false prophets.  But I wonder if he works the same way today. I'm going to be reading through Jeremiah along with Tremper Longman's commentary on Jeremiah.  I'm hoping to see how to depend on God when ministry is going badly, for all the wrong reasons.

My biggest complaint about my seminary (its weakness in dialog) has been alleviated. The official theological documents under discussion have been released today have been released on Westminster’s website. I'm only partially sorry that I won't have time until next week to read it all but I'm thankful to be able to hear the other side of the theological discussion. But it promises to be an interesting read. Yeah, sometimes I miss being in seminary.

http://lindsaykeswick.blogspot.com/

Lindsay Alice Groen will be having open heart surgery at Boston Children's Hospital to repair a deformed mitral valve and cleft.
We will post updates for our praying family and friends. We covet your prayers for Lindsay's parents (Laura & Jon Groen) and her brother, Tanner.
Thank you for your love and prayers.
Bill, Jan and Zach Welte
America's KESWICK