Posts Tagged ‘The Monday Muse’

The Monday Muse: Sin to Break Church Unity Over Millennium?

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Comments Posted on Jul 13, 2009 Last Updated Jul 14, 2009 Posted by Jeff Lash

A recent sermon by Mark Dever has been buzzing around the blogosphere. In his sermon on Revelation 20 and millennial views, Dever makes the bold statement that to break church unity over a difference in millennial view is sin. As transcripted by A.J. Gibson:

I think that millennial views need not be among those doctrines that divide us. . . . I am suggesting that what you believe about the millennium—how you interpret these thousand years—is not something that it is necessary for us to agree upon in order to have a congregation together. The Lord Jesus Christ prayed in John 17:21 that we Christians might be one. Of course all true Christians are one in that we have his Spirit, we share his Spirit, we desire to live out that unity. But that unity is supposed to be evident as a testimony to the world around us. Therefore, I conclude that we should end our cooperations together with other Christians (whether near-ly in a congregation, or more at length in working together in missions and church planting and evangelism and building up the ministry) only with the greatest of care, lest we rend the body of Christ for whose unity he’s prayed and given himself. Therefore, I conclude that it is sin to divide the body of Christ—to divide the body that he prayed would be united. Therefore for us to conclude that we must agree upon a certain view of alcohol, or a certain view of schooling, or a certain view of meat sacrificed to idols, or a certain view of the millennium in order to have fellowship together is, I think, not only unnecessary for the body of Christ, but it is therefore both unwarranted and therefore condemned by scripture. So if you’re a pastor and you’re listening to me, you understand me correctly if you think I’m saying you are in sin if you lead your congregation to have a statement of faith that requires a particular millennial view. I do not understand why that has to be a matter of uniformity in order to have Christian unity in a local congregation.

So let’s get right to the point. Do you agree with Dever? Is it a sin to break church unity over the issue of the millennium?

(HT: Justin Taylor)

The Monday Muse: Thanksgiving Traditions

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Comments Posted on Nov 25, 2008 Last Updated Nov 25, 2008 Posted by Jeff Lash

Having already participated (which means stuffed my face) in four Thanksgiving meals, I am seeing turkey day as more of a week long celebration than a one day event. I am set to break a personal record for more meals and most weight gained in a single holiday. One thing I enjoy about getting together with friends for Thanksgiving is hearing about all of the different family traditions for this holiday. Some families play flag football or board games while others enjoy a long nap in front of TV watching the Detroit Lions get crushed again. My family doesn’t really have much of a tradition other than getting together for lunch and laying around the rest of the day. For us, it is a good time to just enjoy each other’s company and relax from the hectic schedule of normal life. So in honor of the Thanksgiving holiday this week, I want to hear about your family traditions.

What kind of Thanksgiving Day traditions does your family have?

The Monday Muse: Auto Bailout

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Comments Posted on Nov 18, 2008 Last Updated Nov 20, 2008 Posted by Jeff Lash

Earlier today I was reading an article on MSN that talked about a possible bailout for American automotive companies. Ford, Chrysler, and GM are all on the brink of disaster and possible bankruptcy. The overall economy has been a killer for these companies. Add in a dose of Honda and other foreign carmakers who are gaining in popularity and the picture doesn’t look too pretty for the big three. So they are calling on Washington to bail them out of this mess. They are open to just about any stipulation that would be tagged onto a bailout deal. They just need a massive loan to keep operations moving forward.

There are so many questions that came to mind while I was reading this article. Let me just pose two for our discussion.

How did Chrysler, Ford, and GM get to the point of near bankruptcy? And is a governmental bailout the right step in solving the problem?

This bailout is being held up by a strong minority of Republicans in Washington who believe that this loan may not solve the real problem and will only put our government in greater debt. What do you think?

The Monday Muse: Struggles

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Comment Posted on Oct 14, 2008 Last Updated Oct 14, 2008 Posted by Jeff Lash

I am going to get back on schedule with the “Monday” Muse eventually. I’ve been a little bogged down in other things recently so it’s been hard to stay on top of things here. Nevertheless, I do have a question that crossed my mind last night.

What are some consistent struggles you face as a Christian?

Now…I’m not asking you all to reveal your deepest, darkest secrets necessarily. But I do think it is helpful to share our struggles with one another, to bear each other’s burdens, and to encourage each other to press on toward godliness. I know that often my weak spots are other people’s strengths. So I benefit greatly from the wisdom and experience of others who have dealt with my struggle and overcome it. And if you have overcome a struggle that was lingering for some time, I would love for you to share what has been helpful in winning that battle.

I will post my thoughts on this topic in the comments soon. I look forward to being edified by our discussion. I hope you will find it helpful as well.

The Monday Muse: Twitter

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Comments Posted on Sep 23, 2008 Last Updated Sep 23, 2008 Posted by Jeff Lash

Here’s a quick one for this week. Ever since it came out, Twitter has been all the rage amongst bloggers. It gives your readers the opportunity to keep up with you throughout the day. It also gives bloggers a way to post quick thoughts as things pop up. I’ve been hesitant to implement and use Twitter for a few reasons. First, do people really need a minute by minute update on my happenings? Do people need to know every single thing I do throughout the day? Second, who even cares? I mean seriously, who cares that I went to the fridge and found a moldy sandwich. So here’s the question:

Is Twitter a good idea or a waste of time?

I’m leaning toward the waste of time option but I’m open to being convinced otherwise.

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The Monday Muse

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