Winning Ways: The Strong Tower of God's Name

Could you use some relief from life's pressures right now? Proverbs 18:10 says:

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower;

the righteous run to it and are safe.”

We'll find what we need to endure life's tough patches when we get in the habit of running to God's name.

And that's why we're told in the 10 Commandments that we had better not run over God's name.

You know, if we had the job of listing ten essential things that would serve as the basis of moral living, some of us probably wouldn't have used up prime real estate to warn against misusing God's name. But not only did God include such a warning in the 10 Commandments, he put it "top of the fold," as newspaper editors like to refer to their most important stories. After telling us what gods should not capture our heart (Commands 1 and 2), he tells us who should capture our heart. In the Third Commandment he tells us to cherish our relationship with him. "You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God," God says in the Third Commandment (Deuteronomy 6:11).

That's what it means to honor his name. The name of God is a sort of short-hand for God’s promises, God’s nature, even God’s very being.

It doesn't take a seminary degree to know this: If I were to say a certain person’s name to you right now, it would immediately bring either joy or resentment. That name represents someone who loves you or someone who has hurt you. That name is a kind of shorthand for someone’s character and behavior.

So, to cherish God's name is to delight in his character, his promises, his worth--to delight in him. The Bible writers saw no difference between God's name and God's very presence. So in Psalm 20:1, we read:

“May the Lord answer you when you are in distress;

may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.”

God himself "answering" and the name of God "protecting"--the same thing.

This Sunday we're going to learn how to run to God’s name instead of running over God’s name. In doing so, you'll find a strong tower of protection and rest and restoration.

It's part of our series called "God's Perfect 10." You can catch up with the series at www.HillcrestAustin.org/sermons. This Sunday, join us at 10 for God's Perfect 10!

Links to Your World, Tuesday September 25

The Statesman reports on Heath Eiland's family visiting with recipients of organ donations following Heath's death. Touching. The young man was tied in to our church's youth group.

 

Here's why you should read The Hobbit. Do so before seeing the movie in December.

 

Sports Illustrated estimated that 78 percent of NFL players are either bankrupt or in financial distress within two years after their careers end. Wow. From a Statesman story on Vince Young.

 

“This is my ministry,” said Dr. Dutkowsky, 56. “Some people stand next to the ocean to feel the presence of God. I get to see the likeness of God every day. I see children with some amazing deformities. But God doesn’t make mistakes. So they are the image.” Read the NYT story of Dutkowsky here, who says of his work, "Every day in my work I find myself in the revealed glory of God.” I must say that only the NYT would consider it a "man-bites-dog" story that a respected doctor could also be--gasp--a man of faith. The writer must have marvelled at this supposed juxtaposition 4 or 5 times in the brief article. But the story's still a good read.

 

"Because I do believe in miracles, I know that Chancellor will be better. We're gonna give him lots of love, and I know that God is, is working things out already for him to be totally and completely well. And in my heart, even though Rae Carruth has not shown one single ounce of remorse, to me or anyone in my family, there's not been one 'I'm sorry about what happened to your daughter.' But in my heart, because I'm a Christian, as an act of my will, and because I know it's out of obedience to God, I am forgiving Rae Carruth." Oh, this Sports Illustrated story is worth your time, friends.

How Christian denominations are like NFL teams.

Be more creative: Live longer.






What You Should Save By 35, 45, and 55 To Be On Target for Retirement






"If you are interested in the historical Jesus, this is much ado about not very much." Ben Witherington provides the best line from an NBC News story about the brief ballyhoo about a fragment purported to be from a 4th century Gnostic sect referencing Jesus' wife. Here is the NBC story. Here is a helpful commentary from Albert Mohler, who deems the who story as "sensationalism masquerading as scholarship."






Eric Metaxas explains why gay marriage will take away religious liberty.

















 

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Winning Ways: The Six Commandments?

In the debates about posting the 10 Commandments in tax-funded spaces, one federal judge has a solution: Cut out the first four commandments that explicitly refer to God, and let the last six stand on their own.


Yeah, that'll fix things.

The Giles County school board in Virginia is being sued by a student offended by seeing the Decalogue on school property. The biblical list is among a collection of historical documents, including the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence. But it's the 10 Commandments that provoked a lawsuit by the ACLU on behalf of the student. They argue that it violates the Establishment Clause of the Constitution. The case has arrived at federal court, where the judge, Michael Urbanski, asked the school board's lawyer if just removing the first four commandments would settle things.

No word on whether the judge also suggests that "by their Creator" be stricken from the Declaration of Independence in order to allow it to remain in the display, too. It would certainly change the famous document: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: That all men are created equal and are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights."

In truth, when it comes to posting the 10 Commandments in tax-supported spaces, you'll find a variety of opinions among the Hillcrest Family. Regardless of whether our world keeps the list posted in its public spaces, though, we believers need to keep the list posted in our hearts.

And posted there, the first four commandments cannot be excised from the last six. The good life begins by (#1) joining yourself to the right God, (#2) envisioning him in the right way, (#3) respecting his character--his "name"--and (#4) celebrating the rest he has brought us into. You don't follow the 10 Commandments like ordering from a Chinese menu: a little from Column A and a little from Column B. Our success with the last six have a lot to do with our passion for the first four.

The Hillcrest Family just started a series on these 10 Commandments. We're calling it "God's Perfect 10," and the series is for all ages. Preschoolers and children and youth and adults--we'll all have our own age-appropriate study.

This week we'll we find out how to establish our lives on the first 2 commandments! Join us at 10 for God's Perfect 10.

 

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Links to Your World, Tuesday September 18

Paying with cash instead of card is better in these 5 situations.

 

These "crutch words" are literally overwhelming our daily speech. But, you know, it is what it is.

 

As a pastor, I've watched wedding expenses in the last 30 years get out of control. Average cost now: $27,000. The Motley Fool tells you 6 reasons why you need to cut this in half.

 

The WSJ discovers Buc-ee's, between Austin and San Antonio--"Billed as the world's largest convenience store, the 67,000-square-foot colossus on Interstate 35 between Austin and San Antonio is 20 times the size of a 7-Eleven and longer than a football field. It features 60 gasoline pumps, 80 soda dispensers, 31 cash registers, 23 flavors of fudge and entire aisles devoted to varieties of popcorn and beef jerky. The pièce de résistance: 84 gleaming toilets, each with its own dispenser of hand sanitizer and shined at all hours by a small army of attendants."

 

UT Prof Mark Regnerus Cleared Of Misconduct in Research Involving Gay Parents

 

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Winning Ways: Our "Ten Commandments" Study Starts Sunday!

The 300 year-old pecan tree doesn't look like the others in a woody area of Dallas. About 25 feet of the trunk runs parallel to the ground before jutting vertically toward the sky.

It's a native American trail marker, and it makes me think of another "trail marker" waiting to be rediscovered.

The Statesman covered this story in June. Trail markers were formed by native Americans, who bent young trees so that the trunks would grow into pointers. The markers indicated the direction of low-water creek crossings or sacred sites. Arborists and history buffs across the nation have been busy identifying and preserving these pieces of living history.

As I said, the story makes me think of another "trail marker" waiting to be rediscovered. This Sunday the Hillcrest Family will begin a careful look at the Ten Commandments. Native Americans used trees to tell those coming behind them, "This is the way you want to go." In the same way, generations of believers all around the world have pointed to the Ten Commandments and said, "Don't miss the good life. Here's where you can find it."

Indian trail markers have gotten lost by neglect or urban encroachment. And, of course, there are forces at work to obscure the Ten Commandments, too. In the news this week a public school on the outskirts of Philadelphia has been forced to remove a statue of the Ten Commandments that has stood on the property for 50 years. To avoid a lawsuit, they've covered up the ancient laws until they can remove the offending statue. It's unsettling to see photos of God's words covered in plywood as if it was a shameful thing.

But we can have a debate about posting the Ten Commandments in public spaces another time. What I'm interested in is how well we post them in our hearts. That's what we'll be doing at Hillcrest for the next 10 weeks.

We're calling our series "God's Perfect 10," and the series is for all ages. Preschoolers and children and youth and adults--we'll all have our own age-appropriate exploration of God's Perfect 10.

Pray for our series, and think about someone who should join you this week. In fact, you could send this newsletter article to them with an invitation to join you. This ancient "trail marker" is worth rediscovering!

 

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Links to Your World, Tuesday September 11

Remembering...






These ingenious parents handed out treat bags with premptive apologies to fellow passengers when they boarded a flight with 14-day-old twins.

 

I love it! This WSJ sports reporter called the Washington Redskins the "Baylorskins."

 

Time magazine discovers Lecrae, the evangelical Christian rapper who has taken over the iTunes hip-hop/rap chart.

 

Brian Stanley gets it right: Seeking our identity in others' attention is naive and only leads to bitterness. "There must be a Copernican revolution of the self. Instead of pointlessly cursing the sun to go around me, my chance of contentment is learning to orbit, being the world’s audience instead of demanding the world be mine." Excellent article. Progress in life starts here.

 

Character, even more than IQ, is what leads to real and lasting success. And overcoming adversity is what produces character. This article says children are not being prepared in this area, and thus are not being prepared for success in real adult living.

 

"I was struck by how aggressive the Democrats were on the subject [of abortion], no longer talking about reducing abortion or making it "rare," but cheering its mention....Whatever your views on abortion, and whether you're Republican or Democrat, cheering is not the right response" (Ed Stetzer).

 

Trevin Wax explains how Todd Akin should have answered when asked about the legitimacy of aborting a child following rape. Or we could just go with Robert Roy MacGregor's answer in the film Rob Roy. When his wife revealed she was pregnant from rape and that she couldn't bring herself to kill the child, he replied (in my best Scottish brogue), "It's not the child that needs killin'."




 

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Winning Ways: We're Back in Our Renovated Auditorium!

The Hillcrest Family has some exciting things to look forward to. Here are some highlights.

Celebration Sunday in Our Renovated Auditorium. Join us this Sunday back in our renovated auditorium! We'll celebrate some baptisms, award Bibles to our littlest new Bible readers, thank some people, and ask God to make our worship center a lighthouse for our city. Things get started at 10 a.m., and instead of our 11 a.m. small-group ministry, we'll enjoy a come-and-go reception in the gym.

"God's Perfect 10: The Ten Commandments for Today." While you're at this Sunday's reception, be sure to sign your entire family up for our Fall Campaign, a study through the 10 Commandments. Look for Steve and Karen in the gym so your children and teens can receive their T-shirts and other materials. The study begins next Sunday, September 16.

HILL Classes. Another thing you can do while you're at our reception this Sunday is to enroll in a HILL class. Many classes begin Sunday evening, September 9. You don't have to wait until the morning reception, though. You can register online at our website.

The Anchor Course: Exploring Christianity Together. One of the HILL classes is especially for seekers and for Christians trying to explain the faith to seekers. The study is based on a book I've written called "The Anchor Course." We'll meet for 8 Wednesdays. To check it out, attend the "Get Anchored" dinner on Wednesday, September 12. There's no obligation to continue beyond that first night if it's not what you're looking for. Contact my assistant, Jami, to register for the September 12 dinner (345-3771 or jami@hbcaustin.org). For more information, go to www.HillcrestAustin.org/AnchorCourse.

AWANA returns! When Karen announced this last Sunday, the applause let us know how excited the Hillcrest Family was to hear about this. It's actually part of a re-worked Wednesday night schedule that should be more family-friendly. This new format begins Wednesday, September 19. We'll tell you more about it across the next few weeks.

It's an exciting time to be part of the Hillcrest Family. Here's how you can do your part. First, pray now for God to bless your church through these activities. Second, re-arrange your schedule to participate. And, third, take a moment right now to think about someone you need to invite--or invite back--to join you!

 

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Links to Your World, Tuesday September 4

What 6 songs best define your life? A new online project wants to know.

 

What 5 songs would you recommend to a profoundly deaf person whose hearing aids allow him to hear music for the first time?

 

Wells Fargo Fires Employee Who Committed 10-Cent Fraud in 1963

 

Does the hell of a prison system's solitary confinement say anything about the psychological impact of loneliness?

 

Most divorced people identify the same top five regrets—behaviors they believe contributed to their marriage's demise and that they resolve to change next time. Here they are. You don't have to wait til 'next time' to do something with these.

 

A massive study has found a significant decline in the use of "virtue words" denoting the general moral worth of a person--words like "character, conscience, decency, dignity, ethics, morality, rectitude, righteousness, uprightness, patience, honor, kindness, sincerity, courage, generosity, mercy, wisdom, humility." Why does that matter? The authors say, "Fewer virtue words in books means that the concepts those words stand for are less a part of the individual and societal consciousness."

 

Speaking of the loss of words, according to the annual Beloit survey of incoming college freshmen, 'the Biblical sources of terms such as “Forbidden Fruit,” “The writing on the wall,” “Good Samaritan,” and “The Promised Land” are unknown to most of them.' The annual list was originally created to help professors know which cultural touchstones were no longer relevant for communicating with their young charges. Read the rest. This is the first time the Beloit annual list has included the loss of biblical references. What are the implications when emerging adults no longer understand scripture-inspired touchstones?

 

Competitive bog snorkeling, anyone?

 

"Persistent pot smoking can lead to a lower IQ, attention problems, and issues retaining memories, according to a new study from Duke University and King’s College London." (story)


 

"While it may not be surprising that cancer can prompt distress, what is striking is that distress can affect a patient's physical progress." (story)

 

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"A very high opinion of God and a very low opinion of His works"

Wendell Berry's Jayber Crow, is a fictional first-person account of the life of the Port William barber. He attended the small church in the small community--a church often led by brief pastorates of young seminary students. Jayber remembered most of the young men in this way:

The sermons, mostly, were preached on the same theme...: We must lay up treasures in Heaven and not be lured and seduced by this world's pretty and tasty things that do not last but are like the flower that is cut down. The preachers were always young students from the seminary who wore, you might say, the mantle of power but not the mantle of knowledge. They wouldn't stay long enough to know where they were....They were not going to school to learn where they were, let alone the pleasures and pains of being there, or what ought to be said there. You couldn't learn those things in a school. They went to school, apparently, to learn to say over and over again, regardless of where they were, what had already been said too often. They learned to have a very high opinion of God and a very low opinion of His works--although they could tell you that this world had been made by God Himself.'

Great line: School was where they learned to have "a very high opinion of God and a very low opinion of His works." Of course, Jayber writes, "what they didn't see was that it is beautiful, and that some of the greatest beauties are the briefest."

The young preachers must not have understood that to deny "the world" is not to deny the beauties of God's creation but the corruptions of a world-system at odds with God's rule. No, it is not God's creation that we are to deny. Jayber beautifully describes what is right and good to praise about this world of God's creative hand:

In Port William, more than anyplace else I had been, this religion that scorned the beauty and goodness of this world was a puzzle to me. To begin with, I didn't think anybody believed it. I still don't think so. Those world-condemning sermons were preached to people who, on Sunday mornings, would be wearing their prettiest clothes. Even the old widows in their dark dresses would be pleasing to look at. By dressing up on the one day when most of them had leisure to do it, they signified their wish to present themselves to one another and to Heaven looking their best. The people who heard those sermons loved good crops, good gardens, good livestock and work animals and dogs; they loved flowers and the shade of trees, and laughter and music; some of them could make you a fair speech on the pleasures of a good drink of water or a patch of wild raspberries. While the wickedness of the flesh was preached from the pulpit, the young husbands and wives and the courting couples sat thigh to thigh, full of yearning and joy, and the old people thought of the beauty of the children. And when church was over they would go home to Heavenly dinners of fried chicken, it might be, and creamed new potatoes and creamed new peas and hot biscuits and butter and cherry pie and sweet milk and buttermilk.

 

(pp.160-161, Jayber Crow, Wendell Berry)

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AN Wilson's Return to Faith

AN Wison:

My own return to faith has surprised no one more than myself. Why did I return to it? Partially, perhaps it is no more than the confidence I have gained with age. Rather than being cowed by them, I relish the notion that, by asserting a belief in the risen Christ, I am defying all the liberal clever-clogs on the block. But there is more to it than that. My belief has come about in large measure because of the lives and examples of people I have known - not the famous, not saints, but friends and relations who have lived, and faced death, in the light of the Resurrection story, or in the quiet acceptance that they have a future after they die.

Read the rest.

 

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