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On Syria, Immigration and Some Things To Think About…

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Lots of conversation is happening about the Christian view on welcoming Syrian refugees.  Some Christians say we shouldn’t put ourselves in positions of danger (however elusive that category is).  Other say, it’s simple: we love others so we should welcome them.  Here’s an article and a video that get at some things to Christians may think about…

First off, Kevin DeYoung wrote on how Immigration Policy Must Be Based on More Than An Appeal to Compassion.  One part that stood out to me in this:

Our church has always had a vibrant international ministry and we’ve rallied around families trying to work through the labyrinth of U.S. immigration policies so they can stay in the country legally. I too am turned off by the harsh anti-immigrant rhetoric that sounds more like Pharaoh in Exodus 1 than the “love the sojourner” commands in Deuteronomy 10. It is a commendable response to see hurting people and think, “Let’s do all we can to help.”
And yet, this good Christian impulse runs the risk of taking an extremely complex geo-political, international crisis and reducing it to pious platitudes about showing compassion to the least of these and not giving in to fear. As I said at the beginning, I don’t have a plan to fix our broken immigration system and I don’t know the “correct” number of Syrian refugees to welcome into the country, but I do think there is more than one way for a Christian to approach these issues.

But, read the whole thing and make up your own mind.  There is a tension here, it seems.

I was also helped by this video, though.  Take 5 minutes and consider this counsel:

I hope these things are helpful to you as you seek to navigate this difficult issue.

Are You Diagnosing Your Marriage?

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Kevin DeYoung provided 10 Diagnostic Questions for marriages this past week.  Maybe they would prove helpful for those who are married:

1. Do you pray together? 
2. Do you still notice each other? 
3. Do you ever hold hands? 
4. When is the last time you said “I’m sorry”? 
5. When is the last time you said, “Thank you”? 
6. When is the last time you planned a surprise? 
7. When is the last time you embarrassed the kids together? 
8. When is the last time you went out and talked about something other than the kids? 
9. What would others think about your spouse just by listening to you speak about him or her? 
10. Do you think more about what you aren’t giving or about what you aren’t getting?

Are you all out of whack?

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That’s the question Kevin DeYoung asks in a blog post from Tuesday (that originally appeared in Tabletalk). He gives 4 reasons why we can get all out of whack in church life:

First, we are not always gracious in the way we talk about secondary issues.

Second, some of us have never considered that certain issues in the Christian life belong in a Romans 14 category.

A third problem is that some Christians inquire too early and too often about their particular hot-button issues.

Finally, we must be careful our passions are not out of proportion.

Read the post and see if you don’t require some recalibration.

Kevin DeYoung on Two Corners

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DeYoung posted his article from this month’s Tabletalk magazine today entitled A Tale of Two Corners: Knowledge and Maturity. What I loved about this was the pastoral prowess exhibited in recognizing this. In church life, we have those who love theology and want to go DEEP, which is a great thing. However, often those same people have huge maturity issues. And, in the church we have those who are more simpleton’s but demonstrate maturity in innumerable ways. This article highlights this and urges both camps to grow. I found it to be greatly helpful for me as a pastor, not only in shepherding others, but growing myself.

Is ‘zat you Santa Claus?

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Lots of confusion about, as the guy asks on top of the Polar Express on one’s “opinion on the big man”. Kevin DeYoung gives us great help with this two part series on Santa Claus with the Baby in Bethlehem. Here’s his brilliant conclusion:

So this Christmas, give gifts if you like. We will in our family. Receive them all with thanksgiving. But do not forget what we need most–salvation from our sins. This is one gift the real St. Nicholas would not have overlooked. In fact, I’m convinced, if given the opportunity, he would have loved to be there with the shepherds and the angels, bowing down around the manger in Bethlehem. And I bet he would have brought a present too.

Kevin DeYoung “Santa Claus with the Baby in Bethlehem” (Part 1, Part 2)

How Can You Glorify God?

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Here’s Kevin DeYoung’s take:

I imagine most readers of this blog want to glorify God. The chief end of man, after all, is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. But have you ever thought about how to glorify God—I mean practically in every day life?

Here are twenty biblical ways you can.

1. Give God verbal declarations of praise (Rev. 4:8-9).

2. Live a life of noticeable piety (Matt. 5:16; James 1:27; 1 Peter 2:12).

3. Ask God for things in Jesus’ name (John 14:13).

4. Bear fruit and show yourself to be a disciple of Jesus (John 15:8).

5. Declare the truth about Jesus (John 16:14).

6. Love your life less than God (John 21:19; 1 Peter 1:7; 4:16).

7. Worship God as God (Rom. 1:21).

8. Live a life of sexual purity (1 Cor. 6:20).

9. Live a life of generosity (2 Cor. 9:13).

10. Rejoice in God’s glory displayed in creation (Psalm 19:1).

11. Do the works of faith (2 Thess. 1:12).

12. Use your gifts in God’s strength (1 Peter 4:11).

13. Make sure everyone knows you’re not God (Acts 12:23).

14. Live a life of gratitude (Psalm 50:23; 2 Cor. 4:15).

15. In matters of liberty, seek the good of others (1 Cor 10:31).

16. Extend grace to sinners (2 Cor. 8:19).

17. Be a part of a local church (2 Cor. 8:23; Eph. 3:20-21).

18. Tell God you are wrong and he is right (Josh. 7:19; Jer. 13:16; Rev. 16:9).

19. Obey God (Lev. 10:3; Mal. 2:2).

20. Go from a Christ-despiser to a Christ-worshiper (Gal. 1:24).

These twenty ways to glorify God would be a great tool to use in your devotion time or for meditations around the dinner table for family worship. Great stuff.