Red Letters over the Red Blood?

I have just begun to read Red Letters: Living a Faith that Bleeds by Tom Davis, president of Children’s HopeChest. I’ll confess that I’ve only read the introduction so far, but I have a few thoughts that should be communicated regarding the premise with which he opens the book: the letters in red (Jesus’ words) point to the red blood (His sacrifice) and, apart from the cross, you have an empty Gospel. What I mean to refer to is this statement from the introduction:

The only gospel worth living is the one that incarnates love. The only gospel worth giving our lives for is the one that elevates the needs of others above our own. that’s what the “good news” is all about (Davis 14).

The reality is, Mr. Davis, that while the Gospel inevitably has social consequences and that all believers are called to fulfill the royal law (James 2) to love our neighbors as ourselves, the social dimensions are not the gospel. The Gospel is the message of redemption: Jesus Christ and Him crucified, for the redemption of all creation, to redeem it from sin and death. In the cross - and only in the cross - can change come to a broken, fallen humanity that is groaning under the groaning and burdening of sin. We must minister to the oppressed, the orphan and widow of our age, and we are obligated to show them Christ in our actions, to redeem their lives, but that is because of the Gospel, not because it is the Gospel. So, I urge you all, brothers and sisters, to focus yourselves on the cross, and then go - bring whoever you can outside the gate to the Cross of Christ - just be sure you equip them for the journey (James 2).

More to come as I continue to read…

New Attitude: Day 4

As I write this, we’re in Washington, PA, nearly back home after one absolutely amazing conference experience. The grace of God was abundantly evident in everything that went on, in how the Holy Spirit has convicted me and many other participants that I have had the privilege to fellowship with, worship with, and study with these last few days. This morning, we met in our community groups for the last time and specifically addressed application from the entire week and what God has used New Attitude to speak to our hearts. For myself, I came to realize that I have, for a long time, failed to place myself under the authority of Scripture. Yes, I’ve learned from the Bible. I know a lot about it, a lot in it, and a lot of different views of it, but all that is nothing and useless - because of the simple reality that I was not lovingly submissive to the authority of the Word of God. So, for those of you who have believed things that I’ve said or found my thoughts persuasive, I apologize for not relating to Scripture rightly in that regards. God, in His grace, has kept me - I believe - from teaching things that are unbiblical, but it is most certainly the case that a teacher who doesn’t submit to the Word is failing himself and his hearers.

Application would be a useless concept if there were not tangible things that were being done to live out the Holy Spirit’s leading. For myself, I’m going to be continuing reading the Bible in one year plan offered at YouVersion, and using Rashi’s Commentary on the Tanach with Old Testament passages. Additionally, I will be recommitting myself to the discipline of memorization - particularly the epistle of James. In all of this, by God’s grace, I will endeavor to hear the voice of God in everything regarding His Word - in preaching, in reading, in speaking, and listening.

These musings are disorganized and may not prove helpful to you at all, but I have found that I need to process and will likely continue doing that in the coming days, to seek the Lord’s leading. Thank you, loyal yokefellow, for bearing with me and reading this, and I plead your prayers on my behalf and for everyone who had the privilege to attend New Attitude. For those of you who God privileged to be wherever you were, I commend the messages to you and they will be availble on New Attitude’s website sometime in the near future. Jesus Christ my Lord, son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Amen.

Soli Deo gloria!

New Attitude: Day 2

It has been a phenomenally busy two days, but two days that were extraordinarily edifying. Having heard from five godly men on the Word of God - Mark Dever, Al Mohler, C.J. Mahaney, Eric Simmons, and John Piper - it has just been a day of solid, clear, Gospel-centered preaching and counsel. In addition to the “normalcy” of conference craziness, I had lunch with a good friend from Virginia, following which was C.J. Mahaney’s session.

Following that was the Rebelution meetup with a few of the forum administrators, Honor Roll Members and other members. Anna L, Holly D, Charlie Albright, Mark Hutchins, Hannah Schlaudt, David MacMillan III, Justin DaVito, and Pastor Timothy D - and some others - all showed up to meet one another (for most, the first time face-to-face) and encourage each other and build each other up in the Lord (and debate…David MacMillan and I were talking into the early hours of the morning). I’ve had very brief (but pleasant) run-ins with Brian Whalen, and some other great guys here also.

I bought a book - Why We’re Not Emergent (By Two Guys Who Should Be) by Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck. We’re heading back for Pittsburgh after the final session tomorrow, and if this seems rushed or random, it has to do with the fact that conferences are notorious for the lack of sleep they allow their attendees. God has been gracious and I fully expect Him to continue that, so praise Him for that happy day, when all our sins were washed away. Soli Deo Gloria.

New Attitude: Day 1

Note: I have decided that, until [Re]Connected is back up, “The Account” will do nicely to publish some material and basic thoughts - but this is not a replacement by any stretch. To begin with, it’s more journal like for the next week or so.

We left Pittsburgh bright and early (6:45 AM) and arrived in Louisville, KY around 2:15 PM…in other words, making good time for a trip that had two meal stops and another unexpected break along the way. We are staying at the Galt House, just two blocks down form the Kentucky International Convention Center, where the New Attitude Conference actually takes place. After checking in both the hotel and for the conference, I attended a meeting for Family Group Leaders (for those who aren’t familiar with Na, “family groups” are basically small groups that are designed to discuss and encourage application from what was being preached during the sessions). Following that, I ran into (quite literally), David MacMillan for the first time in real life, EVER (wish I had a picture for that moment…). We spoke for a moment and then I tracked down my church group before the Session began.

Following a welcome from Eric Simmons, Bob Kauflin and some other wonderful Gospel-centered worshippers led worship for the entire set of conference attendees, which was a wonderful encouragement to us and led our souls right where they needed to be: in awe of God. Following this, we had a first challenge from Josh Harris rooted in Jeremiah 15 - dealing with how we approach and respond to the Word of God. Do we receive it (”eat it” - Jeremiah) or reject it (”burn it” - Jehoiakim)? We met in our community groups, then, for the first time (community groups are a combination of many family groups under the leadership of a local church pastor. My assistant pastor is my community group leader, thankfully) and shared and discussed the challenges that came to us through Josh’s preaching.

Tomorrow holds promises of being a good day, having the privilege of hearing from Mark Dever and Al Mohler as we do, and then lunch with a good friend, a pizza party with my church for dinner, and then the Rebelutionary meetup late in the evening after all the sessions finish up. So, in other words, one heck of an update for tomorrow.

In the Gospel,

David

Just a quick note…

Due to some technical issues with our host, [Re]Connected will not be available for a few more days. If anyone was looking for it in the last week-two weeks, you may have noticed that things weren’t quite what they should have been. I apologize for the inconvenience to anyone who was looking to access the site, but just pray that things transfer to servers with no missing information. Thank you and God bless!

David

Saying Goodbye…

Since I first launched The Account in September 2004, I have had a great chance to learn a great deal, to grow in Christ, and to be challenged in my faith and I know that many of you have had the same opportunity. Yet, times change and needs change and God’s calling on our lives continues. The time for The Account as great as it has been (although rather sporadic and inconsistent in the last year or so), has come to an end for me. I will, however, leave it up for the reading and exploration of any and all who come here.

To all the readers, I want to thank you for reading and challenging me, and being challenged. I trust that God has grown your faith through The Account in one way or another and pray that He will continue to do so. It’s been quite the blast working here with this project and I’ve no doubt that God has used it.

But this is not the last of David Ketter, never fear. I’ll still be writing and podcasting from Regenerate Our Culture as well as working with The Rebelution. Yet, as of this very moment, [Re]Connected is now officially opened. This is a site devoted to a passion in my life: discipling community for Christ. Rather than focusing on strictly doctrinal issues, my hope is to encourage discipleship among believers and raise a community devoted to serving Christ wholeheartedly, growing together to be of one mind in the Spirit of peace. Grace and Peace to you from God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!

A Tribute to My Dad

The word “father” occurs over 1,000 times in the Scriptures (don’t believe me? Check this page out) in many contexts: lineage, promises, God’s relationship with His people,  and the human fatherhood that God has ordained in creation for the heads of households and leaders of the Church.  The Apostle Paul makes a point to deal directly with this relationship many times - the most prominent of these being found in Ephesians 6:1-4 (ESV):

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

The Proverbs of King Solomon the Wise also shed light on this matter, stating:

A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish man despises his mother.  (Proverbs 15:20, ESV)

Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their fathers. (Proverbs 17:6, ESV)

Dads are something that God takes very seriously - a role that the Most High Himself has chosen to use as the representation and understanding of His love and grace and how He desires to relate to us.  Dads are designed to be the human demonstration of God’s fatherly character and, in His grace, He has blessed many of us with fathers who raise us, care for us, provide for us and protect us as we mature.  I myself have been blessed by God in this way to have my Dad.

He isn’t like most dads these days, actually  My dad is of the old way of thinking (a way that I myself support on many fronts): working hard to provide for his family and doing work for and with his family at home.  Yard work, house work, office work, car work (we’ve been doing quite a bit of that lately), he is always prepared to “get ‘er done” so things can keep going as they should.

That’s definitely one of the main things I appreciate most about my dad.  For as long as I can remember, he has worked day and night to give us a home, a living and to constantly make sure his family is provided for.  Day after day for years, he has dealt with a particularly stressful occupation (property management for non-profits) to do that.   To top it off, rarely has a weekend gone by when he hasn’t done work around the house or with the car, or maybe helping others in the family, etc. with their needs in that respect too.

It’s an amazing commitment to family, a value that he is teaching me (I’m a slow learner) more and more.  By the grace of God, I have in him an example of committed loyalty to family and to providing for that family - both immediate and extended.  “You can choose your friends but you can’t choose your family” is a frequent saying of his and I’ll confess that it was often received by me with a sort of resentment at the truth of that fact.  Yet, God has worked in me and in many ways, I’m beginning to see the wisdom of God in choosing both our family and friendships for us - He knows best.

Dad: Thank you for your loyalty, sacrifice, hard work, and demonstrated love time and time again.  I couldn’t ask for a more committed father than the one that God has given me in you.  I love you, Dad.  Happy Father’s Day!

In Memoriam: Crosses

This poem was authored by a relative of mine, who is an extremely-gifted poet and has often blessed me with his writing. As Memorial Day approaches, I thought this gem would be well worth your reading and reflection:

CROSSES

Pale white crosses….row upon row;
Silent monuments to those who lay below.

Symbols of the greed and inhumanity of man.
The consequence of war since time began.

They went off to war and did their best.
Gave up their lives and now lay at rest.

Fallen warriors who left home to fight,
For their country’s honor…to make things right.

In the futility of war, they lost their lives;
Leaving parents, siblings, children and wives.

They knew not whether the battle was won,
But they were heroes…each and every one.

We owe our freedom to those who lay below,
Those pale white crosses….row upon row.

Vance Oliphant
© June, 2001

Behold! The Lamb of God!

The next day he [John the Baptist] saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29, ESV)

The joy that John the Baptist must have felt upon seeing Jesus pass by him! John’s entire life had been built on waiting for his Lord to come and be revealed to Israel. Had had lived 30 years the life of a Nazirite, never tasting wine, never cutting his hair, never eating certain types of food. For some time, John had been preaching a message of repentance - a message of judgment and fire - that had prepared the way for the coming of Jesus the Messiah. But was John’s joy in the fact that everything he had worked for (by God’s grace) was finally coming to the point of results?

Not at all. In fact, John makes it quite obvious that his joy is in Christ - and in His mission. Who is Christ? The Sacrificial Lamb of God! What does He come to do? To take away the sins of the world! How wonderful that this Lamb’s ministry is not some past event or a future event, but a present event. Even as Paul quotes the Prophet Isaiah [49:8, ESV], “In a time of favor I have answered you; in a day of salvation I have helped you…” NOW is the day of salvation! Christ’s ministry of reconciliation, that which we who believe have come into, is the present active work of the Lamb, slain before the foundations of the earth were laid.

How great is the love that the Father has lavished upon us! In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. (Ephesians 1:7-10, ESV). What have we to do but be faithfully grateful? What have we to do but faithfully worship? What have we to do but acknowledge how He has faithfully kept us?

Nothing! Emptiness! If we are not living in response to our Lord’s sacrifice, ever-present as it is, then we live for nothing! Abba, let not our hearts seek after vain things. Only let them live faithfully in response to You, for Your glory and honor. Let Your Spirit enable us to bow our knee and confess “Jesus is Lord.” In the Power and Name of Your Son, Whose own blood was spilled for us, amein.

Rabbi Jacob Emden’s Appeal to the Christians…

Rabbi Jacob Emden (d. 1776) was a famous Rabbi for his day and is highly regarded in the Orthodox Jewish tradition, particularly among the Chasidic Jews. This epistle, I think is quite a challenge and a revelation that Christians today (like their predecessors in Europe) need to hear. Read this with and open mind and a heart tuned to the Spirit of God, rather than our own “comfort zone” of theology.

Rabbi Jacob Emden’s Letter (Seder Olam Rabbah Vezuta)