Justin Taylor's Blog, page 355

Easily Offended?

Are you easily offended? God can work on that. But at least we should be quick to forgive.

Ken Sande (The Peacemaker, p. 83), suggests that overlooking an offense is appropriate under two conditions.

First, the offense should not have created a wall between you and the other person or caused you to feel differently toward him or her for more than a short period of time.

Second the offense should not be causing serious harm to God's reputation, to others, or to the offender. . . .

He explains that overlooking is active, not passive:

Overlooking is not a passive process in which you simply remain silent for the moment but file away the offense for later use against someone. That is actually a form of denial that can easily lead to brooding over the offense and building up internal bitterness and resentment that will eventually explode in anger.

Instead, overlooking is an active process that is inspired by God's mercy through the gospel. To truly overlook an offense means to deliberately decide not to talk about it, dwell on it, or let it grow into pent-up bitterness.

If you cannot let go of an offense in this way, if it is too serious to overlook, or if it continues as part of a pattern in the other person's life, then you will need to go and talk to the other person about it in a loving and constructive manner.

Proverbs 19:11: "Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense."

Proverbs 17:14: "The beginning of strife is like letting out water, so quit before the quarrel breaks out."

1 Peter 4:8: "Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins."

Colossians 3:13: "bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive."

On a related issue, see Kevin DeYoung's excellent post today, "Distinguishing Marks of a Quarrelsome Person."

Said Musa Released from Prison

The latest report is that Said Musa was released from prison last week (February 21) and is out of Afghanistan after intense international diplomatic pressure.

Please now pray for Shoaib Assadullah, an Afghan Christian arrested for giving someone a Bible, who may also be up for execution for his actions.

You can read the reports about both men here.

The Word is not bound!

How Do You Respond When Your 12-Year-Old Dies? "Everybody Dies, But Not Everybody Lives"

A moving testimony here from Rob and Terri Stellrecht, whose 12-year-old boy Trent was killed in a youth group skiing accident last Friday. May God continue to give them much grace, and may he bring much gospel fruit from Trent's short life and death.

On Friday February 18, 2011, God did the unthinkable in our life: He chose to take our 12-year-old son, Trent Lee Stellrecht, home in a skiing accident.

It is only considered "the unthinkable" because our plans are not God's plans, and our ways are not God's ways.

Before Trent was born we have entrusted the Lord with his life and have asked Him, above all else, to bring salvation to our son, to use him in a mighty way for God's glory, and to let him dwell in heaven for eternity.

God only answered our prayers last Friday in a mightier way than we could have imagined, and we have been rejoicing in His good works and His mercies ever since.

Trent was a boy who truly lived. From the very beginning he did what he loved and enjoyed the gifts and skills that God gave him to the full. In his short life he saw much of this world, traveling as far as India, the Bahamas, and Missouri to his favorite destination of Bass Pro Shop for his golden birthday, as well as many camping trips. God instilled a love of hunting and fishing into Trent and a joy of the great outdoors. Since he was little all he wanted was to turn 12 to be able to go hunting. During his 12th year God allowed him to shoot two deer. Trent loved to cook, to pick on his siblings Alexis, Cole, Grace, and Micah, to protect his mother, to snuggle with his father, to be with his friends, especially his best friends Thomas and Samuel. Everything he was interested in he tried, even carving his own long bow and succeeding in taxidermy. In his short years he truly lived.

But as we are all destined to, Trent also died. On Friday, February 18, 2011, we said goodbye to our son as he left for a skiing trip with his friends. Gods says he knows the number of our days, that He has created each one, and that He will do what He pleases. For most of his life Trent struggled with his own sinfulness before God. He knew that he was not right before God, and nothing he could do would ever make up for the sins he committed to make him worthy to enter heaven. In the summer of 2010 God graciously chose to bring salvation to Trent through repentance and the saving grace of Christ Jesus. Trent's life was transformed and we enjoyed the young fruit in his life as we watched God work.

It was with great peace and much rejoicing that we as his family have sent him off before us and accepted God's perfect plan for Trent's life. Our longing is that God would be glorified in what He has done to wake up many to the realization that we are not guaranteed any number of years in this world.

On Friday morning we had our son, on Friday afternoon he was gone.

God's standards to enter his kingdom are high: He expects perfection. Trent was not perfect, not even close. God graciously provided His perfect son, Jesus Christ, as an atonement for our sinfulness and requires that we simply believe and acknowledge Him for it. God does the rest.

What we have asked nearly every person we have seen since Friday is "What if it had been you? Where would you be right now?" We diligently raised Trent up to know his sinful state and taught him what the Word of God says because we know the implications of denying Christ now, and God was gracious to answer our prayers and to save Him. Scripture says that the gospel will go forth with much sorrow and heartache. Please let Trent's short life be a wake-up call to you. We are rejoicing in the sorrow because we know where our son is and that we will one day be with him again for eternity because of our own salvation.

God's mercies are new every day, and His peace does surpass all understanding. God has been so gracious to us in these few days by blessing us first of all with His peace. The family and friends that have surrounded us and have lifted us up in prayer are amazing and another testimony to God's goodness.

It is with great rejoicing that we release our son, Trent Lee Stellrecht, age 12, to our Heavenly Father. Dance before your King my son.

Doubters Anonymous

Doubt can be one of the hardest struggles for Christians—especially if you are a ministry leader.

If this describes you, Reclaiming the Mind is starting a new project where you can log on to a forum anonymously and talk through various issues.

You also may want to check out Os Guinness's book, God in the Dark: The Assurance of Faith Beyond a Shadow of Doubt.

May God rescue each of us who confess, "I believe; help my unbelief!"

Pray for Sayed Musa: Afghan Christian Set to Be Hanged within Days? (Updated)

The Daily Mall and others are reporting on Said (or Sayed) Musa. Earlier I had posted a link to his letter from prison describing sexual and physical abuse. Here's the new report:

An Afghan physiotherapist will be executed within three days for converting to Christianity.

Said Musa, 45, has been held for eight months in a Kabul prison were he claims he has been tortured and sexually abused by inmates and guards.

Mr Musa, who lost his left leg in a landmine explosion in the 1990s, has worked for the Red Cross for 15 years and helps to treat fellow amputees.

He was arrested in May last year as he attempted to seek asylum at the German embassy following a crackdown on Christians within Afghanistan.

He claims he was visited by a judge who told him he would be hanged within days unless he converted back to Islam.

But he remains defiant and said he would be willing to die for his faith.

He told the Sunday Times: 'My body is theirs to do what they want with.'

You can also read the Compass Direct News report, which begins:

An Afghani amputee in prison for his Christian faith since May will face a judge this Sunday (Nov. 21) without legal representation or knowledge of the charges against him, according to local sources.

Denny Burk suggests that if you have Twitter, you post one of the following:

Mr. President, speak wisely and boldly, in private if necessary, for Said Musa, imprisoned in Kabul. http://dsr.gd/ezR3jW @BarackObama

Mr. President, please persuade the Afghan govt. not to execute our brother Said Musa. http://bit.ly/bQ5RLQ @BarackObama Prov. 24:10-12

Update: A valid point by Paul Marshall:

If the actions of a Florida pastor who threatened to destroy a book holy to Muslims deserved public and presidential attention, then the actions of the Afghan government, ostensibly a 'democratic' ally, to destroy something holy to Christians, a human being made in the image of God, also deserve public and presidential attention.

Clarification and Reminder: Two things to keep in mind here:

It's very difficult to get reliable information in a situation like this. I'll do my best to keep folks updated. There are rumors he is to be executed; other rumors that he is soon to be released. It's almost impossible to know for sure what might be going on behind the scenes. All we know this far is that this man is imprisoned for his faith, and Scripture gives us good guidance for how to respond when one of our brothers is on trial for his faith.
It is appropriate to appeal to authorities. Paul did it: "If then I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything for which I deserve to die, I do not seek to escape death. But if there is nothing to their charges against me, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar" (Acts 25:11). At the same time, let us remember that there is a King of Kings and a Throne of Grace and that because of our Savior and by the Spirit we may approach our prayer-hearing God with confidence, making an appeal for our dear brother. Like the Apostle Paul, Mr. Musa is " suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But," as Paul is quick to point out, "the word of God is not bound!" (2 Tim. 2:9). May God be glorified.

Update:

Bob Smietana reports in The Nashville Tennessean that (1) Mr. Musa has been moved to a safe prison, that (2) the authorities in Afghan are feeling pressure to release him, and that (3) his family have fled the country.

Denny Burk writes:

Please keep up your prayers for Said Musa. Even if the authorities decide to release him, he will be in a precarious situation. His conversion is now national news in Afghanistan. When/if he is released, he will be exposed to a great many people outside of prison who might try to kill him for his Christian faith. So pray for Said and for a speedy reunion with his family. Pray that he would be a faithful witness for Christ no matter what happens.

Should Christians Oppose Collective Bargaining?

Doug Wilson looks at the question from a biblical perspective.

Breakfast of Overcomers

"Let the laying hold of Christ as my propitiation be the unvarying initial act of every morning."

—Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Thomas Chalmers, p. 248.

New Sojourn Split-EP Worship Project: The War & The Mercy Seat

New music out of Sojourn Church in Louisville: a split EP with Jamie Barnes, "The Mercy Seat" and Brooks Ritter, "The War."

You can stream all 10 songs for free online, as well as purchasing the MP3s.

A video preview:

Conference Attending: Encouragement and Caution

A wise article here by Jason Helopoulos. Upshot:

Are Christian conferences good? Yes. Should you attend? Yes. You don't have to attend them all. Indeed, you shouldn't! But it is helpful every once in a while to have your soul fed by a conference experience. Just do so with a little trepidation.

Read the whole thing to see both the good and the potential dangers.

If you do attend conferences, here's a resource to copy or bookmark: Don Whitney's "Ten Questions to Ask to Benefit from a Conference or Special Event."

Does My To-Do List Reflect Arrogant, Evil Boasting?

Come now, you who say,

"Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit"—

yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring.

What is your life?

For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.

Instead you ought to say,

"If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that."

As it is, you boast in your arrogance.

All such boasting is evil.

So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

—James 4:13-16