I've been a late comer to the world of podcasts. Not that I'm starting one. I've just started getting addicted to them.
Podcasts have been around for a while. I'm not sure how long. I could look it up, but really, it's not that important. People have been recording their thoughts on audio and putting them out on the interwebs for people to hear. But, I've mainly stayed away. One of the great things about podcasts is that you can absorb information without reading, especially when you are not able to read (like driving or when you're at work). Many are put together by folks who do a lot of research on the topic the podcast covers.
About two years ago, I started listening to a couple of podcasts whenever the new ones were available, other than that, not that much. About two months ago, I ran across a podcast on a subject I'm interested in, and decided to make it easy on myself by downloading a podcast app. And the rest, as they say, is where it gets crazy.
I subscribe now to a bunch of podcasts. I mean a BUNCH. Some are actually seminary lectures. Others are history podcasts. What I want to do today is share some of my favorite podcasts and maybe point you in the direction of something you may be interested in as well. This post will be about the Christian podcasts I listen to. I'll do another post later about my favorite history podcasts.
So, here we go. These are in no particular order.
The Confessing Baptist Podcast
This year I've been seriously looking into Reformed Baptist theology and thinking. I came across this podcast while looking for information on the subject. Jason Delgado & Co. do a really good job on giving information, directing you to books and materials, and if you have questions, they respond really quick. I'm still investigating and exploring, but this podcast has been a great help to me on this theological journey.
Church of the Geek Podcast
This is the first podcast I really started listening to. This podcast has been around for nearly two years (I told you I was a late comer), and is right up my alley. David and Brian do a great job discussing all things nerdy and geeky and how they relate to a Christian worldview. I've listened to every episode so far, and several multiple times. I've been a geeky nerd my entire life. I spent a good bit of time hiding it because most Christians treat you like you have a third eye when you casually mention Star Wars or comics. But this podcast is put together by two ministers. I think their denomination is Geek or something like that.
5 Minutes in Church History
This podcast is more "big name" in Reformed circles, but it's an awesome podcast nonetheless. Stephen Nichols covers a lot of church history that I never got in bible colleges. I've learned something from each podcast I've listened to. That probably says more about my ignorance than anything else, but I think it's great.
Reformed Libertarian
This podcast is rather new. All right, brand new. One podcast new. I'm really looking forward to this one as it launches. In the first episode you are introduced to what "reformed libertarian" means and what the podcast will be all about. If you are interested in traditional (not the political party) libertarian thought, Austrian economics and reformed theology, all wrapped into one podcast, then you'll be looking forward to listening, too.
Others that I've been getting a lot out of include: R. C. Sproul, Jr's, Jesus Changes Everything; James White's, The Dividing Line; and Steven Lawson's, The Expositor Podcast. I think these are more well-known so I will not bother saying a lot about them. i also listen to several lecture series made available as podcasts from Reformed Theological Seminary and Covenant Theological Seminary, but those aren't podcasts in the pure sense.
That's all for now. Later this week I'll try to do a post on history podcasts.
Thanks for reading.
Darth Baptist
Monday, June 15, 2015
Sunday, June 14, 2015
FORGOTTEN GOD - EPISODE VIII
CHAPTER 7 - SUPERNATURAL CHURCH
I had plans on doing this final post last weekend, but sinuses and life events sometimes get in your way. That stated, let's jump in and wrap this one up.
...We've created a whole brand of churches that do not depend on the Spirit, a whole culture of Christians who are not disciples, a new group of "followers" who do not follow. If all God asked for were faceless numbers to fill churches, then we would be doing all right....simply having a good speaker, a service that is short and engaging, a good venue, and whatever else we add to the mix does not make a "good" or a "successful" church. - p. 143
Not only does this fly in the face of all that I was taught in most of my IFB training, but it also is completely contrary to much of what passes for "church" in the United States today.
All that most of us seem to be concerned with is: how many were in church for this service; how good is the speaker (did he stick to the allowable 23.54 minute "GodTalk"?); was the service under the 60 minute allowance; was the service powerful, flashy and exciting enough; how nice is our facility or can we get a loan to build a better one; were the offerings enough this week?
God is not interested in numbers. He cares most about the faithfulness, not the size, of His bride. - p. 143
Well, that'll choke the life out of some people. Who cares about faithfulness today? Not many. Can you bring in a crowd? What kind of tricks can the minister do? That's what's important. Be a glorified Las Vegas act.
Sometimes I leave Christian events wondering if we resemble the prophets of Baal in 1 Kings 18 more than Elijah, the prophet of God. ...The prophets of Baal had a loud, passionate worship gathering that lasted from morning to evening. When they were done they had a great time of fellowship (I think you can call it that). "But no one answered; no one paid attention." - p.143-144
In our efforts to be more relevant (whatever that means), we've become more concerned with appearances, attitudes, personalities and entertainment than we are about the hearts and minds of those who gather at our so-called services.
Churches we build only by our own efforts and not in the strength of the Spirit will quickly collapse when we don't push and prod them along. - p.155
Which is exactly why many "churches" shrivel up and die after an ego-centric pastor leaves or dies.
By and large Forgotten God was good. It convicted me, made me think, and confirmed some of my thinking. But. Yeah, here's the but. But, it falls short were so many other books fall short: I'm given a problem without a solution. I'm not told what to do to fix the problem. Where's the solution? Yes, I know it's implied. But how? Despite that, that's my only gripe. It's definitely worth a read. I only hit the highlights (to me), so reading my posts doesn't count as you having read the book.
That's all. Have you read this book yet? If so, what are your thoughts? I'd love to read them and discuss them with you here in the comments, via email or on the DarthBaptistReads twitter account.
Stay tuned for more books that Darth Baptist Reads.
Thanks for reading,
Darth Baptist
I had plans on doing this final post last weekend, but sinuses and life events sometimes get in your way. That stated, let's jump in and wrap this one up.
...We've created a whole brand of churches that do not depend on the Spirit, a whole culture of Christians who are not disciples, a new group of "followers" who do not follow. If all God asked for were faceless numbers to fill churches, then we would be doing all right....simply having a good speaker, a service that is short and engaging, a good venue, and whatever else we add to the mix does not make a "good" or a "successful" church. - p. 143
Not only does this fly in the face of all that I was taught in most of my IFB training, but it also is completely contrary to much of what passes for "church" in the United States today.
All that most of us seem to be concerned with is: how many were in church for this service; how good is the speaker (did he stick to the allowable 23.54 minute "GodTalk"?); was the service under the 60 minute allowance; was the service powerful, flashy and exciting enough; how nice is our facility or can we get a loan to build a better one; were the offerings enough this week?
God is not interested in numbers. He cares most about the faithfulness, not the size, of His bride. - p. 143
Well, that'll choke the life out of some people. Who cares about faithfulness today? Not many. Can you bring in a crowd? What kind of tricks can the minister do? That's what's important. Be a glorified Las Vegas act.
Sometimes I leave Christian events wondering if we resemble the prophets of Baal in 1 Kings 18 more than Elijah, the prophet of God. ...The prophets of Baal had a loud, passionate worship gathering that lasted from morning to evening. When they were done they had a great time of fellowship (I think you can call it that). "But no one answered; no one paid attention." - p.143-144
In our efforts to be more relevant (whatever that means), we've become more concerned with appearances, attitudes, personalities and entertainment than we are about the hearts and minds of those who gather at our so-called services.
Churches we build only by our own efforts and not in the strength of the Spirit will quickly collapse when we don't push and prod them along. - p.155
Which is exactly why many "churches" shrivel up and die after an ego-centric pastor leaves or dies.
By and large Forgotten God was good. It convicted me, made me think, and confirmed some of my thinking. But. Yeah, here's the but. But, it falls short were so many other books fall short: I'm given a problem without a solution. I'm not told what to do to fix the problem. Where's the solution? Yes, I know it's implied. But how? Despite that, that's my only gripe. It's definitely worth a read. I only hit the highlights (to me), so reading my posts doesn't count as you having read the book.
That's all. Have you read this book yet? If so, what are your thoughts? I'd love to read them and discuss them with you here in the comments, via email or on the DarthBaptistReads twitter account.
Stay tuned for more books that Darth Baptist Reads.
Thanks for reading,
Darth Baptist
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
FORGOTTEN GOD - EPISODE VII - CHAPTER 6
FORGET ABOUT HIS WILL FOR YOUR LIFE!
It's safer to commit to following Him someday instead of this day. - p 120
Growing up in a Christian culture, I was programmed to be obsessed with "finding God's will for my life". I think many of us miss out on what God actually wants for us by searching for "His will", which we turn into a "wheel". It just becomes one gigantic circle that we constantly chase without ever really doing anything of value.
I was also told a lot about "being well balanced", "finding balance in life", blah, blah, blah. You would think the church was filled with gymnasts. That's another part of our American Dream Theology - mental and quasi-theological gymnastics.
Nowhere in Scripture do I see a "balanced life with a little bit of God added in" as an ideal for us to emulate. Yet when I look at our churches, that is exactly what I see: a lot of people who have added Jesus to their lives. - pp. 121-122
That really sums it all up. We just add a little bit of god here, a dash of Jesus there, a splash of Bible, and...wait...why isn't everything working out? Why don't I feel satisfied? God, don;t you love me?!
The God of the universe is not something we can just add to our lives and keep on as we did before. ...Jesus Christ did not die in order to follow us. He died and rose again so that we could forget everything else and follow Him to the cross, to true Life. - p. 122
A little bit of Jesus doesn't cut it. A little bit of spirituality does no one any good at all. Francis Chan says the only thing that does for you is cause you to totally miss what God wants for your life.
What's more, Chan emphasizes that if we just want to live a semi-moral life and attend church on a regular basis, we don't need the Holy Spirit! Plenty of people worldwide live somewhat moral lives and attend regular religious services. We only need the Holy Spirit if we truly want to live changed..transformed lives by following the Way of Jesus Christ.
We've come to think of living for Jesus as "taking up our cross". You know, when bills have to be paid because we buy more than we need, we get a cold, a sinus migraine or the cat's litter box needs to be changed. Nope. I don't think that's what Jesus was talking about at all. People all across this planet do, well some of, those things every day without following Christ. And they do those things with pretty good attitudes, too. No, He calls us to a life of radical commitment. True, genuine commitment.
That commitment only comes about through a genuine relationship. An ongoing relationship. "Instead throughout Scripture we read of a relationship that calls us into an active pursuit of the Spirit." (p. 127) "Living by the Spirit implies a habitual, continual, and active interaction with the Holy Spirit." (p. 131)
So, where are you at?
I challenge you to examine yourself. Look at the "fruit" of your own life and let it be a gauge for you of your own connectedness with the Spirit. - p. 130-131
Thanks for reading.
Darth Baptist
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
FORGOTTEN GOD - EPISODE VI - CHAPTER 5
A REAL RELATIONSHIP
We're winding down my look at Francis Chan's book, Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit. There will only be about three more of these, and I'll be moving on to my next book. Eventually, as I write about more books, I'll try to get some kind of linking arrangement set up that will make it easier on those who have missed particular posts for whatever reason. Be patient with me, I do this on my free time because I want to.
Serving God and living faithfully can become a constant guilt trip of "trying harder" and "doing better next time". - p. 104
The trap of legalism. At some point, I guess we all can fall prey to it. I did. Sometimes, this snake rears its ugly head in my life. A lot of the issue I have had and still do have in this area stems from my religious background. But, I have learned by listening to other believers, sermons from a wide variety of evangelical pastors, and reading books and articles that legalism is not limited to Independent Fundamental Baptists. It's a cancer that invades all forms and branches of true Christianity. We must be on guard against in our own lives, our families and our churches.
But, other times we have issues due to baggage we carry from childhood.
Perhaps you've subconsciously taken the failures from sinful human relationships and imposed those shortcomings onto a perfect God. Now uncertainty creeps into even your relationship with God. - p. 104
We all know (maybe it's yourself) people who have are difficult time in their relationship with their Heavenly Father because of the baggage they carry from their earthly father. Even those who had the best of parents will sometimes carry over the negativity they feel towards them to the Father. How do we resolve that? One way is to remember that God is not a man, and His ways and thinking is totally unlike anything we know. Another way is to remember that the Helper wants to keep us from that negativity.
It is the Holy Spirit who keeps us from this path and gives us confidence so we can enjoy intimacy with our Creator. ...It is then that we can serve God as a beloved child rather than a stressed-out, guilt-ridden slave. - p. 104
I've known some that think it is their personal calling to make everyone guilty about everything. God doesn't want that for us. He wants us free. Free to serve Him. Free to love Him. He forgave us so that we will not have to be bound by the chains of guilt and shame.
I like how Chan recalls how he has struggled with these same things, and what the Holy Spirit used to free him from the tyranny of the performance driven branch of American Dream Theology.
A study through Galatians helped me discover and destroy the strongholds of earning and insecurity. - p. 104
Galatians? Really? Yes, because God doesn't want us to be slaves bound by chains of shame, regret, guilt and the past. He wants free children who have a close relationship with their Father. The Holy Spirit is the One Who makes that relationship possible.
Chan admits that he doesn't have a four step plan to connect with the Holy Spirit. He does suggest that there are likely two obstacles that prevent all of us from a right relationship with the Spirit: comfort (our lives are too safe), and volume (our lives are too loud).
Comfort - why do we need to experience the Comforter if our lives are comfortable enough already. I do take some issue with this point of his. "Comforter" has been handed down to us from the Geneva and King James Versions of our English Bibles. "Comforter" in those days didn't mean the same thing it does now. It didn't mean to coddle and pamper as we think, or to be a shoulder to cry on. It means to "provide or cause to have courage". Which is a whole different thing entirely. But, still, I see his point and agree.
Volume - we are so connected to everything else - phones, tablets...hey, look here! We don't have enough gadgets to distract us, let's get Dick Tracy watches, too! (I know, another reference that zipped past you.) We refuse to unplug ourselves and shut things off, and wonder why our spiritual lives suck. I know, says the guy telling you this over electronic communications.
In the craziness of our world, it takes tremendous effort to find a quiet place. - p. 109
Even if you're an introvert like me who greatly values quiet and personal space, we often tend to stay plugged into our devices way too much.
I think that gives us a lot to mull over. I'll end with another quote.
Do you ever want to distance yourself from [God] because you feel so much shame over your sin?
....I wanted to prove that I was sorry for what I did by being faithful for a period of time. I wanted to develop a good track record before pursuing my relationship with Him again. I wanted God to see that I could be a good servant. THEN I felt good enough to talk with God again. But God didn't want a good slave who really tried hard. He wanted me to see that He was a good Father. He wants intimacy. - p. 113
Thanks for reading.
Darth Baptist
Monday, June 1, 2015
FORGOTTEN GOD - EPISODE V - CHAPTER 4
WHY DO YOU WANT HIM?
Remember that one time a magician showed up in the pages of Scripture. Actually, there were a few. Even a couple of groups of unnamed magicians. But there was one in particular to show up in Acts 8. The King James Version calls him, "Simon the Sorcerer". Sounds even cooler right? Wrong. When you read situation in Acts, you walk away (or at least you should walk away) thinking, "He's just like most of us! Sometimes I'm just like that!" This Simon was a lot like most PROFESSING Christians - he thought he could buy or someway earn the power of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is not a commodity to be bought or traded according to our individual wants, whims, or even our felt needs. We absolutely cannot have this discussion about the Holy Spirit without calling our motives into question.
- p. 84
The questions Francis Chan really directs us to, is stated in the Chapter title: why do we really want the Holy Spirit? To make ourselves great, famous, powerful....why? What is your real reason?
Many believers and the churches where they are members all claim they want the power of the Holy Spirit. There have been books written about how to get said power. There are conferences, seminars, videos....it keeps going.
Here's another question to ask: how can we know if a believer or a church has the power of the Spirit.
Answer: A sure sign of the Holy Spirit's working is that Christ is magnified, not people. - p.87
So, who do you magnify? Yourself? Your pastor? Some other person that you have elevated to god-like status? Who does your church magnify? Who does those you look up to magnify?
Let's move on. More times than I can count or remember, I've heard pastors, read or heard of books that all tell you have you can (for lack of a better term) repeat their formula or "Five Step Program" to do this or that. You want to have a Pentecost Sunday? Well, you can! Just buy my book, and follow the steps! Grow your church in 90 days! Come to the 45th annual conference for the reinstallment of my glory...blah, blah, blah.
If we expect God to perform certain miracles or to give us a particular experience, it will be tempting to manipulate or even fake experiences of the supernatural. - p. 89
Well, fake it 'til you make it! Amen?
Um, no. I can't tell you how much manipulating the circumstances and faking experiences I've seen on a variety of issues and programs in the last 20 years.
Quit faking. Start repenting.
Honestly, what would it really looked like if all true believers got serious about living out the Great Commandment. Not the Great Commission. We'll worry about that later. Let's just focus on the Great Commandment. What would it look like in my life, in your life, and in your local body of believers?
I honestly believe that most of us - while we might say we want to be led by the Spirit - are actually scared of this reality. - p. 90
I know I am. Where would He send me? What would it take? I want to be in total control of my life, and that requires a total surrender to God and total abandonment of my control! I don't know about you, but I find this to be scarier than an invasion of Weeping Angels. [Apologies if you don't understand the reference. Forget it. No, I don't apologize. After reading this, go watch the Doctor Who episode "Blink".]
Here's the reality of it all. God doesn't care about our comfort or temporary happiness. I know, that just lost everybody. All four of you.
[God] wants us to know that His gift of the Holy Spirit is really not for our own pleasure or purposes. The Spirit is meant to lead us toward holiness. The Spirit is here with us to accomplish God's purposes, not our own. - p. 93
Sorry American Dream Theologians, it's not about you after all.
How are we to do this? We must crucify our flesh, and choose to walk with the Spirit. And that's not even remotely possible if you do not have the Spirit of the living God within you. As Jesus told a Pharisee on a roof top, "You must be born again!" Are you truly a confessing Christian? Have you truly been born again? Or are you just a professing Christian? You may claim to be a believer. You may pretend all you want. But you can never hope to live and walk in the Spirit if you have never laid it all aside and come to Christ for salvation.
Thanks for reading.
Darth Baptist
Remember that one time a magician showed up in the pages of Scripture. Actually, there were a few. Even a couple of groups of unnamed magicians. But there was one in particular to show up in Acts 8. The King James Version calls him, "Simon the Sorcerer". Sounds even cooler right? Wrong. When you read situation in Acts, you walk away (or at least you should walk away) thinking, "He's just like most of us! Sometimes I'm just like that!" This Simon was a lot like most PROFESSING Christians - he thought he could buy or someway earn the power of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is not a commodity to be bought or traded according to our individual wants, whims, or even our felt needs. We absolutely cannot have this discussion about the Holy Spirit without calling our motives into question.
- p. 84
The questions Francis Chan really directs us to, is stated in the Chapter title: why do we really want the Holy Spirit? To make ourselves great, famous, powerful....why? What is your real reason?
Many believers and the churches where they are members all claim they want the power of the Holy Spirit. There have been books written about how to get said power. There are conferences, seminars, videos....it keeps going.
Here's another question to ask: how can we know if a believer or a church has the power of the Spirit.
Answer: A sure sign of the Holy Spirit's working is that Christ is magnified, not people. - p.87
So, who do you magnify? Yourself? Your pastor? Some other person that you have elevated to god-like status? Who does your church magnify? Who does those you look up to magnify?
Let's move on. More times than I can count or remember, I've heard pastors, read or heard of books that all tell you have you can (for lack of a better term) repeat their formula or "Five Step Program" to do this or that. You want to have a Pentecost Sunday? Well, you can! Just buy my book, and follow the steps! Grow your church in 90 days! Come to the 45th annual conference for the reinstallment of my glory...blah, blah, blah.
If we expect God to perform certain miracles or to give us a particular experience, it will be tempting to manipulate or even fake experiences of the supernatural. - p. 89
Well, fake it 'til you make it! Amen?
Um, no. I can't tell you how much manipulating the circumstances and faking experiences I've seen on a variety of issues and programs in the last 20 years.
Quit faking. Start repenting.
Honestly, what would it really looked like if all true believers got serious about living out the Great Commandment. Not the Great Commission. We'll worry about that later. Let's just focus on the Great Commandment. What would it look like in my life, in your life, and in your local body of believers?
I honestly believe that most of us - while we might say we want to be led by the Spirit - are actually scared of this reality. - p. 90
I know I am. Where would He send me? What would it take? I want to be in total control of my life, and that requires a total surrender to God and total abandonment of my control! I don't know about you, but I find this to be scarier than an invasion of Weeping Angels. [Apologies if you don't understand the reference. Forget it. No, I don't apologize. After reading this, go watch the Doctor Who episode "Blink".]
Here's the reality of it all. God doesn't care about our comfort or temporary happiness. I know, that just lost everybody. All four of you.
[God] wants us to know that His gift of the Holy Spirit is really not for our own pleasure or purposes. The Spirit is meant to lead us toward holiness. The Spirit is here with us to accomplish God's purposes, not our own. - p. 93
Sorry American Dream Theologians, it's not about you after all.
How are we to do this? We must crucify our flesh, and choose to walk with the Spirit. And that's not even remotely possible if you do not have the Spirit of the living God within you. As Jesus told a Pharisee on a roof top, "You must be born again!" Are you truly a confessing Christian? Have you truly been born again? Or are you just a professing Christian? You may claim to be a believer. You may pretend all you want. But you can never hope to live and walk in the Spirit if you have never laid it all aside and come to Christ for salvation.
Thanks for reading.
Darth Baptist
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