Visual Theology

I love it when people come up with creative ways to teach theology! That’s why I am so excited about Tim Challies’ ongoing series of infographics that he is calling “Visual Theology”. So far there are two of them out, with more on the way. I highly recommend that you check them out. As for me, I’m going to look into printing these out as posters, as they’d be tremendous classroom resources. Here are the links:

The Order of Salvation

The Attributes of God

Both are beautiful (particularly the first one) and easy to read & understand. They aren’t comprehensive, of course, but are definitely more accessible than, say, John Murray’s Redemption: Accomplished & Applied. The recommended resources at the bottom of each graph will point you in the direction of more complete teaching on each subject.

Honoring the God of Fortresses

Yesterday Tim Challies posted this very interesting infographic about U.S. military bases around the world. (You’ll have to click the graphic to open it in a larger, more readable format.)

It is astounding to me that any nation would have a military empire so widespread (over 900 bases in 130 countries), and that it is considered a patriotic heresy to suggest that this might be a leading cause of our budgetary woes (not to mention blowback from those who may not appreciate foreign troops on their soil). But it is for more than just economic/political reasons that I find these statistics startling.

The 11th chapter of Daniel describes what were then future events. The latter half of that chapter likely refers primarily to Antiochus Epiphanes (“Ephiphanes” means “God Manifest”, which is what Antiochus IV called himself), but is also thought by many scholars to foreshadow the eventual “man of lawlessness” described in 2 Thessalonians 2. Listen to this description of this leader who exalts himself above God:

He shall not pay attention to any other god, for he shall magnify himself above all. He shall honor the god of fortresses instead of these. A god whom his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. He shall deal with the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god. Those who acknowledge him he shall load with honor. He shall make them rulers over many and shall divide the land for a price. (Daniel 11:37-39)

Please understand that I am not saying that any particular individual is “the Antichrist”, or that Daniel’s prophecy is referring to America or any other modern nation. What I am pointing out is that when this “man of lawlessness” comes, it appears that he will be noted for his worship of military power and might, and will spend exorbitant amounts of money to support this strength.

Why is this important? Because whether or not this passage is referring to events that will happen in our lifetime (or that have happened in the past), one thing we can be sure of is that these things are representative of the “spirit of antichrist” which is “now in the world already” (1 John 4:3). Many American Christians view our military expansion and intervention abroad as something which contributes to our security, and enthusiastically support candidates (both Republican and Democrat) whose aim is to maintain and grow our empire at any cost. Remarkably, many of these same Christians believe that they could never be deceived by a leader whose goals are anti-Christ.

Our hunger for the perception of honor which accompanies our many fortresses (and the ability our military power gives us to rule over many) ought to give us pause. The fact that we are willing to go so deeply into debt to fund our empire (dividing the land for a price, anyone?) ought to horrify us.

May we all look forward to the day when the LORD “shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.” (Isaiah 2:4)

Photo Credit

Combing the Net – Special Political Edition

I haven’t done a links post in several months, but this week I’ve read quite a few articles that I have really enjoyed. I hope you find them as thought-provoking as I have!

5 Thoughts on the South Carolina Newtslide — Keen observations from Douglas Wilson about the results of last week’s South Carolina primary. Though Gingrich is mentioned in the post’s title, Wilson writes about all four candidates.

Ron Paul: The 21st Century Goldwater — This article from World magazine has a very interesting take on Congressman Paul, drawing comparisons with Senator Barry Goldwater’s 1964 candidacy. The similarity is not so much in their policies (though there are definitely some substantial areas in which they agree), but in their potential legacy. At the time, Goldwater’s views were against the mainstream of GOP thinking, and he was trounced in the election. However, a young, dynamic Republican leader named Ronald Reagan took Goldwater’s message of conservative principles and convinced the American people to believe. With the level of support Paul is receiving from young voters, might there be someone coming along who can take the “Revolution” to the next level?

Newt Gingrich, The Man Who Knows Too Much — Michael Gerson’s recent editorial in the Washington Post highlights the dangers of supporting a candidate with “no history of prudence”. What I found most interesting was the depiction of Gingrich as an excellent diagnostician who comes up short when it comes to prescription. Bonus points for a G.K. Chesterton reference in the headline! (Apologies if the WaPo asks you to sign in to access this article… I didn’t have to earlier this week, but it’s asking for it now for some reason).

What the Debates Say About America — Kevin DeYoung normally stays out of politics on his blog, but I appreciate his thoughts on the topic of the debates. Best line:  ”The debates are American Idol for people who sing worse, dress more respectably, and spend equal time on their hair.” Also, the P.S. at the end is pretty funny… it’s obvious KDY has spent enough time in the blogosphere to know what usually happens to comment threads on political posts!

Also, in case you missed it, I’d like to give yet another recommendation to an excellent article by Voddie Baucham that I mentioned last week: Why Ron Paul?

Music and the Undisciplined Mind

I’ve nearly finished the book Future Men by Douglas Wilson. It is a helpful book on raising sons, and I have really enjoyed it.

This morning I’d like to share a quote from the book, where Pastor Wilson is discussing the importance of cultivating discernment in boys and young men with regard to the type of music, movies, and art they choose to consume. In this instance, the same could be said for daughters as well:

Of course production in pop culture can frequently be quite demanding but the consumption of it rarely is. Take a series of examples in several different areas. The music of Bach is of course demanding to perform, but it also makes demands on the listener. This is why the undisciplined mind avoids such music; it invites thought, contemplation, discipline, lots of icky things. More than one rock guitarist is an impressive virtuoso, but the fingerboard display makes no real demands on the hearer, other than a willingness to be blown over. The listener to classical music is impressively engaged; the devotee of such rock music is left, with a ringing in his ears, right where he started.

P.S. – The picture at the top is Pastor Wilson, who is obviously not opposed to playing the guitar!

Voddie Baucham on Ron Paul

It seems insufficient to simply say that I “like” this article (“Why Ron Paul?”) by Voddie Baucham, which is why I’m highlighting it on my blog rather than posting it on Facebook. I have long been a fan of Dr. Baucham and Voddie Baucham Ministries, and am thankful for his work in the areas of cultural apologetics, family-driven ministry, and classical Christian education. His book Family Driven Faith is one of my favorites.

In his most recent post, Baucham has written one of the most balanced, logical, and well-articulated examinations of Ron Paul’s political platform from a Christian perspective that I’ve seen. It’s the sort of thing I’d love to have written myself, as it captures very well many of my own thoughts, right down to the fact that he’s not my “perfect candidate”, and there are some things about his positions (and Libertarianism in general) that make me a little uncomfortable. Still, as Baucham writes, “I want a man whose decisions are predictable because of a long track record of constitutional conservatism. I may not always agree with a man like that, but I will always know why he did what he did, and I can live with that.“

Baucham lists and expounds upon three reasons he has endorsed Dr. Paul:

1. Ron Paul is a Christian Conservative
2. Ron Paul is a Constitutional Conservative
3. Ron Paul is a Consistent Conservative

No matter what you think of Paul and his policies, I hope you’ll take the time to read this piece as you thoughtfully consider your voting options during this political season.

Why Ron Paul? by Voddie Baucham