Jonathan Carl

Texting Acronyms - Do You Know What You're Saying???

In the last two years of diving into the world of texting and Facebook, I've been shocked and surprised at the acronyms some teenagers use...some thoughts:

Do the teenagers really know what the acronyms they use mean? (wtf, fml, etc...)
Do the parents know what their kids are saying?
Is it intentional or unintentional? How can I get them to be intentional in speech?
How can I inspire them to be more careful with the language they use?
Foul acronyms are just as awful as foul language.
If you wouldn't say it out loud to your parents, grandparents, teachers, or pastor...you shouldn't be texting/IMing/FBing it as an acronym.
The fingers on a keyboard or cell phone are just as dangerous as the tongue.

James 1:26-27 "26If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. 27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

Proverbs 12:18 "Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. "

Previous posts with texting/technology connections:

Prayer - A Scriptural Study

This is a cool, FREE, online resource about prayer from a Scriptural perspective. It has six awesome, brief study sessions:

Praying for People Facing Hard Times - Part 1, 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13
Praying for People Facing Hard Times - Part 2, 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13
Praying for Leaders in High Places, Nehemiah 1:4-11
Praying that We Will Do More for God, 1 Chronicles 4:9-10
Praying for God to be Famous, 1 Kings 18:36-39
How to Pray for Your Children, Matthew 20:20-28

It is convicting to me how weak my prayers are compared to the intensity, passion, godliness, specificity, breadth, and depth that saturate the prayers we find within the Scripture. How many opportunities to be used have I missed as a result of a lack of God-centered prayer? I hope and pray to draw closer to God every day in order that He may use my supplication and life in a way that glorifies Him in the way He deserves.

Ephesians 6:18 "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints"

Quote - Dietrich Bonhoeffer

"When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die." Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Quotes - Dietrich Bonhoeffer

"Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ." Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Hebrews 11 - Matt Chandler

This is an excellent sermon (HERE) by Matt Chandler of the Village Church, given November 12th at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary's Chapel. It is geared towards anyone (lay and clergy)seeking to serve, lead, and teach within the local church. There are some convicting words of admonishment towards the loves of our life and our motives in service within the church.

2 Corinthians 13:5 "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?" Proverbs 5:21 "For a man's ways are in full view of the LORD, and he examines all his paths."

A Witness of an Ultrasound-guided Abortion

Abby Johnson shares with Mike Huckabee about the ultrasound-guided abortion she witnessed that caused her to quit serving as a Planned Parenthood director. This is a very interesting and detailed perspective that the public often does not get to hear on the abortion process.

HT: JT

Quote - Hannah More

"...No man ever repented of being a Christian on his death bed." Hannah More

What if I blow it? - Parental Discipline Mistakes

ParentLife online offers three simple fixes to parental discipline mistakes:

Apologize
Determine what you will differently next time
Do it!

Colossians 3:21 "Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged"

Ephesians 6:4 "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."

The Abomination of the "prosperity gospel"

John Piper gives a short summary (10min) of Biblical and personal objections to the "prosperity gospel" via video ("Why I Abominate the Prosperity Gospel")

Here is a short video (8min) from Christianity Today on the "prosperity gospel" as it is sent abroad from America. This is an interesting, documentary view of the "prosperity gospel" in action abroad exploiting the poor in Africa.

The Prosperity Gospel from The Global Conversation on Vimeo.

HT: Desiring God Blog & Justin Taylor Blog

Quote - St. Ignatius of Antioch

"My dear Jesus, my Savior, is so deeply written in my heart, that I feel confident, that if my heart were to be cut open and chopped to pieces, the name of Jesus would be found written on every piece." St. Ignatius of Antioch

Quitting Abortion - Planned Parenthood Director Resigns in Disgust

An article published Monday at foxnews.com shares the story of a Planned Parenthood Director in Texas, Abby Johnson, who quit Planned Parenthood and joined a pro-life group after viewing an ultrasound of an abortion. Some excerpts:

"she says she knew it was time to leave after she watched a fetus 'crumple' as it was vacuumed out of a patient's uterus in September"
"'When I was working at Planned Parenthood I was extremely pro-choice,' Johnson told FoxNews.com. But after seeing the internal workings of the procedure for the first time on an ultrasound monitor, 'I would say there was a definite conversion in my heart ... a spiritual conversion.'"
speaking of the abortion business she states, "It's a very lucrative business and that's why they want to increase numbers"
"A spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood refused to answer questions about Johnson's accusations, but released a statement noting that a district court had issued a temporary restraining order against the former branch director and against the Coalition for Life, an anti-abortion group with which Johnson is now affiliated."

If you want to be broken in spirit over this great sin that kills so many thousands daily in our country, go to www.abort73.com (NOTE: this website has graphic photos and videos of abortions that are not appropriate for children...keep in mind however, that it is children who are doing the vast majority of these abortions). It is especially disturbing, convicting, and motivating to see the carnage of the innocents.

TO THOSE WHO ARE 'PRO-CHOICE': Before you try to defend or maintain your 'position', I sure hope you have the courage to look at the torn, dismembered bodies on the above website. Their blood in on your hands as you equip, facilitate, and accelerate this great plague of murder that is spreading across our nation and world. I am so disgusted by those infatuated with the darkness but I am also filled with love, hope, and compassion that you might possibly change through the work of the Holy Spirit.

I hope and pray that many shall rise up in prayer and petition to our God, and to the authorities over us, for change!

Psalm 82:3-4 "Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. 4 Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked. "

Matthew 5:44-45 "But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven."

Psalm 139:13 "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. "

Quote - Augustine

"They, then, who are destined to die, need not be careful to inquire what death they are to die, but into what place death will usher them." Augustine

Who Do You Think You Are?

I do not know if I would use the same language, volume, and anger as Mark Driscoll in the video below...but maybe I should. When you think of sports coaches growing up, you might think of getting chewed out for a horrible loss, performance, or laziness. Many men need to be called out in such a manner for their failures in leading their family, loving their wives, and living in purity. Such harsh and pointed talk can motivate a man in love towards change in a way soft spokenness often won't.

How great would it be if all of us men were called out specifically, personally, and convictingly on the areas of sin in our lives that we have given over to Satan? That sort of accountability can happen from an individual friend, a small group leader, a pastor in the pulpit, or through another form of teaching. You know where, as a Christian, you can go to get INSTANT conviction, accountability, and loving rebuke? The Word of God. For many of us our tolerance of sin (and lack of righteous anger over sin) is a direct result of our light use of Scripture. When we ignore God's Word, we do not allow Him to sanctify us through His Holy Spirit. 1 Timothy 5:20 "Those who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that the others may take warning." Luke 17:3-4 "So watch yourselves. 'If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. 4If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him." Revelation 2:2 "I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. " HT: iMonk

The Power of Spoken Scripture

These two videos of Ryan Ferguson dramatically reciting Scripture are a reminder to me of: 1) the power of Scripture 2) the power of the spoken/audible Word 3) the appropriateness, value, and effectiveness of accurate expression, tone & volume variety, and non-verbal communication in giving Scripture the appropriate emphasis 4) making Scripture boring is just plain wrong and inexcusable 5) my need to enhance and improve my own memorization abilities and delivery skills 6) the weakness of human-contrived poetry, drama, visuals, and videos in comparison with a God-breathed message Hebrews 9-10 (ESV)

Psalm 25 (ESV)

HT: (Hat Tip) to Justin Taylor for posting these videos on his blog

Together for the Gospel - Early Registration!!

Together for the Gospel: The (Unadjusted) Gospel is happening April 13th-15th, 2010 in Louisville, KY. It only happens every other year, and I was extremely blessed by the conferences in 2006 & 2008. It is a gathering across denominational lines of men and women who are united in their focus on the Gospel message and a desire to worship and glorify Jesus Christ. Here are some of the speakers and a video of what to expect. EARLY SIGNUP (at a discounted rate) ends this Saturday...note: as an added bonus you'll come out of this conference with LOTS o' free books Speakers: Thabiti Anyabwile , Mark Dever, Ligon Duncan, John MacArthur, C.J. Mahaney, Albert Mohler, John Piper, R.C. Sproul Breakout Speakers: Eric Bancroft, Tony Carter , Kevin DeYoung , Greg Gilbert , Brian Habig , Joshua Harris , Michael McKinley , David Platt

Together for the Gospel: T4G 2010 Conference from Together for the Gospel (T4G) on Vimeo.

Also, if you want to attend with me (I'm commuting each day), let me know, I'd love to have some good friends to sit and share with...email me before you signup and I'll share an additional online coupon code with you to save a few extra bucks.

C.J. Mahaney - Listen to his heart & passion

Have you heard of C.J. Mahaney? If not, I highly recommend viewing the short video below or linked HERE. I love C.J. Mahaney's love of Christ, humble nature, and desire to pour himself into the lives of others. I have heard his preaching twice in person at Together for the Gospel (www.t4G.org ) and look forward to hearing him again during this upcoming Spring's T4G Conference. C.J.'s book Humility: True Greatness is one of my favorites!

C. J. Mahaney - Study Video from Together for the Gospel (T4G) on Vimeo.

Got Questions - THE BOOK!

My FAVORITE WEBSITE (which gets 3million+ hits a month) now has come out with a book. http://www.gotquestions.org/ has taken its 1600 most frequently asked questions and compiled them into a book. This is a great resource for any Christian who wants concise Biblical answers to the tough questions of life.

An excerpt from the back cover:

"Written in an easy-to-understand format and organized in easy-to-follow sections, Got Questions? will help readers find the answers to the most frequently asked questions regarding spiritual matters. The questions were asked by real people struggling through real-life issues who received solid, practical answers from the Bible. The articles in this volume are compiled from the more than 1600 frequently-asked questions on our website, which are read over 3 million times each month."

I got my GotQuestions? book (just ordered), do you have yours?

Top 5 Free Resources for Parents of Teens

Here are my top 5 free, online resources for parents of teens: www.gotquestions.org – Find a Biblical response to tough questions your teens ask and continue the spiritual conversations you can have with them www.focusonthefamily.com – parenting, marriage, entertainment, & life issues resources (James Dobson) www.familylife.com – Incredible marriage and family resources www.CPYU.org – The Center for Parent and Youth Understanding www.pureintimacy.org – a helpful resource for teaching, correcting, and protecting your teens

Top 5 Free Bible Study Resources

Here are my top 5 online, free Bible Study Resources:

http://www.gotquestions.org/ – Answers over 195,000 tough bible questions

http://www.biblegateway.com/ – A great way to compare translations or search for keywords in the Bible

http://www.4truth.net/ – An SBC website on interfaith, evangelism & apologetic resources

http://www.biblestudytools.com/ – FREE intralinear and parallel Bibles, commentaries, dictionaries, concordances, enyclopedias, lexicons, histories, and more!

http://www.bibleplaces.com/ – Amazing photos and descriptions of Bible places (some free, more extensive collections for sale)

Self-control - Time & Technology

Joshua Harris, pastor of Covenant Life Church and author, shared a portion of his sermon this weekend via his blog. This short introduction to his sermon is filled with wisdom as we consider our own use of technology. Self-control in using technology is something I know I must continue to evaluate and be disciplined with in my own life, and I am thankful for Joshua's instruction from God's Word!

From Josh Harris' blog:
Yesterday I preached a sermon about self-control from Proverbs 25:28 that says, "A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls." I focused on the issue of media, the internet, and today's new technologies. I don't think I'm the only person who would identify this as an area where it's easy to lack self-control. I think a lot of us we could rephrase the words of Proverbs 24:33-34 about the sluggard and say, "A little web surfing, a little Facebook, a little folding of the hands around the smart phone and spiritual poverty will come upon you like a robber."

HERE is a link to the video embedded below:

The audio of his full sermon is available HERE

Quote - Thomas Aquinas

"To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible." Thomas Aquinas

The HOW & WHEN of your Personal Walk

A busy husband, father, pastor, and speaker - Matt Chandler, shares the HOW & WHEN of a personal walk with Christ. I especially value his statement concerning decisions we must make regarding where our affections lie. Check out the VIDEO HERE and embedded below:

What are some practical steps you must take in your life to draw closer to Christ day by day? It is a convicting, yet inspirational, thought as to how we can improve in the consistency, depth, and quality of our devotional time. Hebrews 10:19-25 "19Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. "

Quote - Charles Spurgeon

"You may speak but a word to a child, and in that child there may be slumbering a noble heart which shall stir the Christian Church in years to come." Charles Spurgeon

Angry Americans? Demand Spiritual Reform.

Are you an angry American? Are you disappointed with our government? With their social policies? Health care ideas? Crime rates? International Affairs? War policies? Tax plans? Party interaction? Economic strategies? Bureaucratic inefficiencies?

A FoxNews article today states "Americans are overwhelmingly angry at the U.S. government and is nearly as let down by the lack of ideas from both political parties...Sixty-six percent of voters in a national poll said they're angry at the policies of the federal government, including 36 percent who counted themselves as very angry"

We are a sinful nation that have been led to idol worship over many generations of Ahabs and Jezebels (1 Kings 16-22) in our governments, media, and society as a whole. We have our Baals and Asherahs that we worship and adore...we simply give them different names: individualism, wealth, prosperity, independence, sports, entertainment, popularity, Hollywood, success, 'The American Dream', retirement, beauty, long life, relativism, etc.

May we become a nation who doesn't merely seek political, social, economic, or military reform, but one who seeks SPIRITUAL REFORM through a repentance of our sin and a turning towards Christ alone. May we seek Jesus Christ in prayer and worship and allow His leadership to prevail instead of our own. Isaiah 1 "2 Hear, O heavens! Listen, O earth! For the LORD has spoken: 'I reared children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against me. 3 The ox knows his master, the donkey his owner's manger, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.' 4 Ah, sinful nation, a people loaded with guilt, a brood of evildoers, children given to corruption! They have forsaken the LORD; they have spurned the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him. 5 Why should you be beaten anymore? Why do you persist in rebellion? Your whole head is injured, your whole heart afflicted. 6 From the sole of your foot to the top of your head there is no soundness— only wounds and welts and open sores, not cleansed or bandaged or soothed with oil. 7 Your country is desolate, your cities burned with fire; your fields are being stripped by foreigners right before you, laid waste as when overthrown by strangers. 8 The Daughter of Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard, like a hut in a field of melons, like a city under siege. 9 Unless the LORD Almighty had left us some survivors, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah. 10 Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the law of our God, you people of Gomorrah!"

Remembering Names

I ALWAYS struggle with remembering people's names. I found these tips online yesterday for how to remember fellow churchmembers names...I can use all the help I can get! My favorite is #12, but is #1 for me "Pray for better memory and name retention!"

Cell Phone vs. Bible

My wife shared this with me the other day...it is a copy of an email forward that makes you think about the prominence and access we give God's Word in our lives.

Some of you may have read this before, but it is a helpful (and convicting) reminder of how we might change some aspects of our day to day lives in order to spend more time with God!

Cell phone vs. Bible
"Ever wonder who at would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phone?

What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?
What if we flipped through it several time a day?
What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?
What if we used it to receive messages from the text?
What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?
What if we gave it to kids as gifts?
What if we used it when we traveled?
What if we used it in case of emergency?

This is something to make you go....hmm...where is my Bible?

Oh, and one more thing...unlike our cell phone, we don't have to worry about our Bible being disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill....and no dropped calls!"

Deuteronomy 6:6-9 "These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates."