January 28, 2008 Posted by Roger OvertoncloseAuthor: Roger OvertonName: Roger Overton Email: rogeroverton@hotmail.com Site:http://ateamblog.com About: Roger Overton is currently pursuing a Masters degree at Talbot School of Theology. He has addressed various churches, schools and youth camps throughout the United States. Roger was co-editor of The New Media Frontier (Crossway, 2008) and God and Governing (Wipf & Stock, 2009).
Roger can be emailed at rogeroverton@hotmail.com.See Authors Posts (570)
SALT LAKE CITY — Gordon B.
Hinckley, the longest-serving president of the Mormon church who
presided over one of the greatest periods of expansion in its history,
died Sunday, a church spokesman said. He was 97.
Hinckley,
the 15th president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,
died because of complications from age and was surrounded by his family.
Hinckley,
a grandson of Mormon pioneers, was president for nearly 13 years. He
took over as president and prophet on March 12, 1995. He oversaw one of
the greatest periods of expansion in church history.
The
number of temples worldwide more than doubled, from 49 to more than 120
and church membership grew from about 9 million to more than 12 million.
Like his contemporary, Pope John Paul II, he became by far his church's most traveled leader in history.
And
the number of Mormons outside the United States surpassed that of
American Mormons for the first time since the church, the most
successful faith born in the United States, was founded in 1830.
The
church presidency is a lifetime position. Before Hinckley, the oldest
church president was David O. McKay who was 96 when he died in 1970.
Hinckley
had been diagnosed with diabetes and was hospitalized in January 2006
for the removal of a cancerous growth in his large intestine. In April
2006, he told a church conference he was in the “sunset of my life” and
“totally in the hands of the Lord.”
By
unfailing tradition, at a church president's death, the church's most
senior apostle is ordained within days on a unanimous vote of the
Council of the Twelve Apostles. The most long-serving apostle now is
Thomas S. Monson.
Hinckley began his leadership
role in 1995 by holding a rare news conference, citing growth and
spreading the Mormon message as the church's main challenge heading
into the 21st century.
“We are dedicated … to
teaching the gospel of peace, to the promotion of civility and mutual
respect among people everywhere, to bearing witness to the living
reality of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the practice of his teachings
in our daily lives,” Hinckley said.
Over the
years, Hinckley labored long to burnish the faith's image as a world
religion far removed from its peculiar and polygamous roots.
Still,
during his tenure the Roman Catholic Church, Southern Baptist
Convention and United Methodist Church — the three largest U.S.
denominations — each declared that Mormon doctrines depart from
mainstream Christianity.
“We are not a weird people,” Hinckley told Mike Wallace on “60 Minutes” in 1996.
“The
more people come to know us, the better they will understand us,”
Hinckley said in an interview with The Associated Press in late 2005.
“We're a little different. We don't smoke. We don't drink. We do things
in a little different way. That's not dishonorable. I believe that's to
our credit.”
By the way, the FoxNews.com article opens with an inaccurate statement. The longest-serving president of the LDS church was Brigham Young, who served from 1847 to 1877. Several other presidents served longer terms than Hinckley. For a quick sketch of all the LDS presidents, see my handout.
January 27, 2008 Posted by Roger OvertoncloseAuthor: Roger OvertonName: Roger Overton Email: rogeroverton@hotmail.com Site:http://ateamblog.com About: Roger Overton is currently pursuing a Masters degree at Talbot School of Theology. He has addressed various churches, schools and youth camps throughout the United States. Roger was co-editor of The New Media Frontier (Crossway, 2008) and God and Governing (Wipf & Stock, 2009).
Roger can be emailed at rogeroverton@hotmail.com.See Authors Posts (570)
Francis Schaeffer has drawn many people to the feet of Jesus
through his persuasive writings and personal relationships. But not everyone
has been satisfied with that legacy. One journalist recently claimed that, “The
tragedy of Francis Schaeffer is that, at some deep inner level, he knew what he
preached was a con.” With statements like these, it’s helpful to look to fresh
perspectives on what Schaeffer taught and how he lived and what that means for
Christians today.
Bryan A. Follis has provided such a perspective in his book Truth with Love: The Apologetics of Francis Schaeffer. Dr. Follis traces the
intellectual roots of Schaeffer’s theology and apologetics in order to expose
the true picture of one of the 20th century’s most noted apologists.
After a brief introduction and biography, Dr. Follis explores
the theology of John Calvin and Reformed interpretations since. This lays the
groundwork for Schaeffer’s understanding of the dignity of humanity despite its
depravity and the role of reason in his apologetic. The second chapter
considers the various arguments Schaeffer put forward, including the well-known
“taking the roof off,” and places Schaeffer’s love and compassion in proper
relation to his apologetics. Francis Schaeffer has been accused of rationalism
by some evangelicals, so Dr. Follis seeks to defend him against that charge in
the third chapter. He argues that Schaeffer’s argumentation cannot be separated
from his spirituality and that critics simply do not consider the full canon of
Schaeffer’s work and life.
In the fourth chapter, Dr. Follis explores methodology,
noting that Schaeffer was not a presuppositionalist in the tradition of
Cornelius Van Til, but more like a verificationist in the tradition of Edward
Carnell. He makes the important note, however, that Schaeffer did not believe
“there is any one apologetics which meets the needs of all people. The
concluding chapter considers the role of love in Schaeffer’s work and life,
which Schaeffer called “the final apologetic.” Dr. Follis explains the personal
nature of Schaeffer’s evangelism and the importance of community.
Truth with Love by Bryan Follis not only sets the record
straight about the beliefs and life of Francis Schaeffer, but also puts forwards an
inspirational vision for apologetics in our current postmodern culture. It’s
main fault is that some of the points are placed repetitively throughout the book, but
with such important points that may be forgiven.
January 25, 2008 Posted by Roger OvertoncloseAuthor: Roger OvertonName: Roger Overton Email: rogeroverton@hotmail.com Site:http://ateamblog.com About: Roger Overton is currently pursuing a Masters degree at Talbot School of Theology. He has addressed various churches, schools and youth camps throughout the United States. Roger was co-editor of The New Media Frontier (Crossway, 2008) and God and Governing (Wipf & Stock, 2009).
Roger can be emailed at rogeroverton@hotmail.com.See Authors Posts (570)
Over the next few weeks, you'll be treated to some posts by our friend David Nilsen. He's commented a bit here in the past, but I thought it would be good to provide a brief introduction…
David hails from beautiful Escondido, California, though he currently lives in unsightly Whittier. He's a philosophy student at Biola University, but don't take him for a fundie- I've seen a picture of him smoking a pipe! He's also happily married, so I have much to learn from him (maybe I should have gone to Biola for undergrad? seriously, where do I ever expect to meet someone?) Among other things, David likes axiology, chants, and all the old Disney movies (yes, I know he sounds like a Torrey student, but he only hangs out with them). In one of his most unwise judgments, he believes Ninjas are better than Pirates (almost a disqualification for blogging here). Like the rest of us, he's undecided about who to vote for in the coming California primary.
January 23, 2008 Posted by Roger OvertoncloseAuthor: Roger OvertonName: Roger Overton Email: rogeroverton@hotmail.com Site:http://ateamblog.com About: Roger Overton is currently pursuing a Masters degree at Talbot School of Theology. He has addressed various churches, schools and youth camps throughout the United States. Roger was co-editor of The New Media Frontier (Crossway, 2008) and God and Governing (Wipf & Stock, 2009).
Roger can be emailed at rogeroverton@hotmail.com.See Authors Posts (570)
In He Was a Quiet Man, Christian Slater plays disillusioned
office worker Bob Maconel who is on the verge of shooting his co-workers. He’s
a nobody who keeps to himself and lets everyone else walk over him and he’s had
about as much as he could take. The only problem is that another one of the “lame”
workers beats him to it. Bob intervenes to save the only person he seems to
care about from a second shot, Vanessa (played by Elisha Cuthbert), and becomes
an unlikely hero. A bond is formed between Vanessa and Bob that lifts him from
his psychotic depression to the top of the world. But things seem to spiral out
of control from the top more quickly than from the bottom, and the only
question that matters is if Bob has the courage to pull the trigger.
The film is listed as a comedy, but if it’s a comedy then it
fails miserably. As a drama, it paints well a melodramatic picture of being a
drone in the corporate world. It provides occasional entertainment, such as a
talking fish that berates Bob for not killing his co-workers. Against the
backdrop of the mediocre film is an excellent performance by Christian Slater
and the beautiful presence Elisha Cuthbert (she also gives a good performance
but doesn’t need to).
Bob’s problem is one of meaning- he has nothing to live for.
His house is a disaster, he watches a TV that doesn’t work, and the most he’s
ever “gotten out” is to Sizzler. His emptiness is contrasted with the emptiness
of everyone around him, and in the end it seems that no one has a purpose. The
difference with Bob is that he’s the only one willing to admit it. He Was a
Quiet Man is the result of a worldview that recognizes the depressing plight of
humanity but offers no hope. Ultimately, the film is a waste of time and I see
no reason to recommend it.
Family notice: movie contains nudity and coarse language
January 19, 2008 Posted by Roger OvertoncloseAuthor: Roger OvertonName: Roger Overton Email: rogeroverton@hotmail.com Site:http://ateamblog.com About: Roger Overton is currently pursuing a Masters degree at Talbot School of Theology. He has addressed various churches, schools and youth camps throughout the United States. Roger was co-editor of The New Media Frontier (Crossway, 2008) and God and Governing (Wipf & Stock, 2009).
Roger can be emailed at rogeroverton@hotmail.com.See Authors Posts (570)
Preterism is the belief that many or most of biblical
prophecy has already been fulfilled. Prophecies that haven’t been fulfilled include
Christ’s second coming, the resurrection of all peoples and the final judgment
at the end of the age. Like many theological doctrines, there is a wide
spectrum of beliefs in the preterist camp. Historical (orthodox) preterists are
sometimes referred to as partial-preterists. At the far heretical end are the
full-preterists, those who contend that all prophecy has been fulfilled.
The opposing view to preterism is futurism (which has its
own spectrum). Futurists believe that there are still prophecies to be
fulfilled specific to national Israel
distinct from the church. They are premillennialists, holding that Christ will
come before a millennial reign that is yet to come. In contrast, preterism is
often rooted in postmillennialism.
I’m an amillennialist. I believe that the current age is the
millennium, that we live in the “already and not yet.” Since the amillennial
position holds that some things refer to this age and some to the age yet to
come, it seems to me that preterism (to some degree) fits well within the
amillenial model. Some people may want to bring up a number of possible conflicts
(such as the dating of Revelation), but since the preterism I’m advocating is
partial, I need only to defend the fulfillment of one prophecy.
I am a preterist because I interpret Matthew 24 literally in
that the prophecies were fulfilled before “this generation” passed away,
specifically by A.D. 70 in the destruction of the temple. I don’t believe the
events of the first century exhaust the meaning of the text, but I also don’t
see any good reason to avoid the common sense reading of the text. Adam Parker
at Bring the Books… summed up the passage quite nicely:
These predictions include:
a) False messiahs (v. 4-5)
b) Wars and rumors of war (v. 6-7)
c) Famines and Earthquakes (v. 7)
d) Times of unmatched persecution (v. 9-14)
e) Lawlessness (v. 12)
f) Gospel preached to the whole world (v. 14)
g) The Abomination of Desolation (Predicted in Daniel 9:24-27; Reiterated in v.
15)
h) The Great Tribulation (v. 21-22)
i) Jesus comes with judgement, on the clouds (v. 29-30)
Now, the short version of it is that in verse 34, Jesus says something very
important regarding the timetable for the things he is predicting. “I tell
you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these
things have happened.” This really is the clenching idea; did Jesus'
predictions come true within the lifetime of those listening to His words, or
not? (The Geneva Institute for Reformed Studies has done a nice little
study demonstrating how each of these predictions of Jesus have,
historically speaking, been fulfilled.)
If the predictions of Jesus did not occur within the
lifetime of His audience, then he was incorrect when He said they would occur
before that generation passed away.
January 11, 2008 Posted by Roger OvertoncloseAuthor: Roger OvertonName: Roger Overton Email: rogeroverton@hotmail.com Site:http://ateamblog.com About: Roger Overton is currently pursuing a Masters degree at Talbot School of Theology. He has addressed various churches, schools and youth camps throughout the United States. Roger was co-editor of The New Media Frontier (Crossway, 2008) and God and Governing (Wipf & Stock, 2009).
Roger can be emailed at rogeroverton@hotmail.com.See Authors Posts (570)
How do we know if someone speaks for God? Amy provided a great response in a post at Stand to Reason.
From Os Guinness to Frank Schaeffer (son of Francis Schaeffer) regarding his latest book, Crazy for God: “What you have written is a tissue of falseness, distortion, and unchecked allegations — in short of shoddy journalism.” (HT: Pro-Existence)
My favorite ad for Tim Challies's book has a Canadian flag in the background and simply says “A book, eh?” Apparently, the Canadian market is quite strong and Crossway intends to exploit it.
My co-editor of The New Media Frontier, John Mark Reynolds, will be teaching a special weekend mini-course in February at Biola on Cultural Apologetics. Those in the area will not want to miss it. Someone needs to keep track of how many times John Mark references Star Trek and Disney.
I re-designed RogerOverton.com, mostly so that feeds from my blogs get posted on the front page. Let me know what you think.
I don't really want a pet due to the mess that ensues, but if I did, I'd totally want a fainting goat:
Joanna Martens provided one of the best descriptions of James R. White: “James White kicks major apologetic-argue/debate anything that is
against the Bible and leave you on the floor in a fetal position
sucking your thumb, butt. His presence alone is intimidating, causing
the very walls in the room to vibrate. He's def. not the dude you'd
want to meet alone in an alley somewhere, only if it were indeed the
great White, you'd be getting the smack down on radical Biblical
theology, calling you to repent and believe in Jesus Christ as your personal Savior.”
AMY:Which aspect of contemporary Western culture do you think most hinders us (Christians shaped by this culture) from developing the skill of discerning the truth about God and His will? Which aspect of Western Christian culture? What practical steps can we take in our own lives to help us resist these particular cultural influences?
TIM:In the book's second chapter I deal with some of the negative influences that tend to keep Christians from emphasizing spiritual discernment. I mention internal, spiritual and cultural influences. There are four cultural influences that I write about there: a secular worldview, a low view of Scripture, a low view of theology and a low view of God.
Whenever I pause to think about these four influences I reach a different conclusion about which of them is most detrimental or most destructive. But maybe we could take one step further back and look to a different aspect of our culture and that is an unrealistic assessment of mankind. After all, if we get our own human nature wrong, we also get God wrong and Scripture wrong and everything else wrong. Our culture tells us that we are innately good at heart. It tells us that we are not the work of a loving Creator, but the result of an evolutionary process that “chanced” us into existence. We have no planned beginning and have no place to look forward to in the end. Even morality becomes something that has developed intrinsically rather than something that is extrinsic to us–something handed to us from God. Culture exults humanity and human reason to the place of divinity, determining that in our own minds we can prove that God does not exist. We elevate reason above the one who created it. In this cultural atmosphere it is increasingly difficult for Christians to have a realistic, biblical assessment of their own nature and hence their own depravity.
Discernment is a skill that is necessary because of our sinfulness. In heaven we will have no need for discernment as good and evil will no longer be in conflict. We will have a prefect appreciation of the vast difference between God and man and will truly understand who we are. But today we continue to elevate ourselves and to lower God. The more highly we think of ourselves and the more we blur the lines between humanity and deity, the more difficult discernment will be.
When we consider which aspect of Western Christian culture most hinders us, sadly, we do not need to consider anything too vastly different. Western Christian culture today bears such a resemblance to the secular culture that in many cases they are nearly indistinguishable. Where mainstream civilization struggles, so too will Western Christian culture. So I suppose the Christian culture's persistent refusal to truly separate itself from the world is what most hinders us from developing discernment.
To resist these influences I think we need primarily to think biblically; we need to think Christianly. We need to develop the mind of Christ so that we understand ourselves the way we truly are and the world the way it truly is. We need to be mature, discerning, growing Christians who are dedicated to knowing God and to living in the way that He commands us in His Word. As we mature in the faith, we will grow in our discernment and we will rejoice ever more in good and be grieved ever more by what is evil. The only way to maturity is to dedicate ourselves to those ordinary means of grace God gives us–prayer, the reading of Scripture, fellowship with other Christians, and the like. These are the means God gives to teach us both to think and to be more like Him.
I was impressed with the well-rounded picture of discernment expressed in The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment.Tim Challies approaches the subject from all angles:its necessity, the centrality of knowledge, the importance of character, decision making in our practical everyday lives, the dangers of failing to discern as well as the pitfalls we can easily fall into when we succeed (pride, witch hunting, withdrawal from Christian fellowship, etc.), and more.
But what I appreciate most is that he puts everything into the proper perspective by grounding the whole enterprise of discernment first and foremost in knowing God:
We can only know God's will when we first know God's truth, for what God desires and requires of us must always be consistent with his character.Wise decisions are those that are made on the firm basis of what is true about God and, thus, what is true about the world, about life, and about ourselves.Those who make decisions that honor God are those who have invested effort in studying what God says to be true.(p. 54)
And he communicates all of this in a clear, accessible, engaging way.This is why I'm excited about the book–its wisdom, accessibility, and practical help (he doesn't just leave you with a vague challenge to become discerning but gives specific exercises you can use to develop your skill) make this book a great tool for small groups in any church.And we need this.We need this to better love, honor, and follow our great and glorious God.
I posed a question to Tim about discernment and will post his response tomorrow, then he'll be ready to discuss the subject with you; be sure to stop by with your comments.We'll see you then!
Tim Challies will join us on The A-Team Blog this Wednesday as part of a blog tour promoting his book, The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment.He'll be here to interact with all of you in the comments section, so be sure to stop by with your questions, challenges, and congratulations.
I've read most of the book now and highly recommend it.In his book, Challies defines discernment as “the skill of understanding and applying God's Word with the purpose of separating truth from error and right from wrong” in the two areas of “the truth of God and the will of God.”
Here's a taste (I'll post another teaser quote tomorrow):
Spiritual discernment has never been an easy calling.Throughout the Bible we see men and women of discernment being persecuted, mocked, and reviled both by those within the church and those outside of it.Just as the judges, prophets, and apostles suffered for their discerning faith, so those who seek to emphasize discernment in our time can expect to suffer.They can expect to face opposition and disagreement from those who claim Christ and those who do not.They will face opposition from their own sinful hearts and from spiritual forces.And still, like the apostle Paul, they must persevere, straining forward to what lies ahead and pressing on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Phil. 3:13-14).They must believe that to serve and honor God–to think Christianly, to treasure the Bible, to seek to know God as he is, and to humble themselves before his holiness–is a prize far greater than anything they may suffer. (p. 51)
December 31, 2007 Posted by Roger OvertoncloseAuthor: Roger OvertonName: Roger Overton Email: rogeroverton@hotmail.com Site:http://ateamblog.com About: Roger Overton is currently pursuing a Masters degree at Talbot School of Theology. He has addressed various churches, schools and youth camps throughout the United States. Roger was co-editor of The New Media Frontier (Crossway, 2008) and God and Governing (Wipf & Stock, 2009).
Roger can be emailed at rogeroverton@hotmail.com.See Authors Posts (570)
Due to recent events (my old car died on the way home from ETS and had to be towed 56 miles home) I've had to buy a new car and that's presented some financial issues. So I've decided to sell off a good chunk of my library (at least 20%). This means over the next few days hundreds of my books will be listed on Amazon. I've already listed over 200. Many of them are actually good, or at least interesting, and I tend to list them at the lowest price options. So go have a look and help a brother out. If you want to buy a few from me directly, I can save you on shipping (since Amazon charges $4 per book).
Update: For those interested, I've finished listing the books I'm looking to sell at this point. And I should clarify that I'm not in any sort of financial crisis. The “issue” is that buying a new car delayed my plans for going back to school full-time any time soon. So my effort to sell some of my books is really about getting back to school full-time sooner than later.
How often we approach the throne of grace as desperate beggars. Yet He never once turns us away, but lavishes the richest of riches upon us. 2009-10-06
January 28, 2008 Posted by Roger Overton 
Posted in Main Page, Mormonism, Roger's Posts 
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