Toronto Pastor's Conference 2010

This year's line-up looks amazing. You can find out more here.

Hip Hop For Haiti

I first heard of the Christian Hip Hop artist, 'LaCrae' from a 60ish Dutch stone mason from the church I pastor. This man, though not usually a fan of hip hop, bought the album and has been listening to it constantly over the past few weeks. Every time he sees me he raves about the great theology that the singer is getting into his head every day. Praise God for the strong movement of Christian hip hop that is only gaining steam these days!

Though I'm not usually a hip hop fan, I really appreciated the music video attached below. First, I'll copy/paste the explanation from Desiring God ministries, and then I'll paste the video.
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Desiring God produced the music video for LeCrae's new song, "Far Away," over the weekend. It is now available for purchase, along with the mp3, for only $4.99.

If you want to buy just the mp3, it is available in iTunes for $.99. It is ranked 46 in Hip Hop as of now. Let's try to move it into the top 10!

Buy either of these now and all proceeds will go to Haiti relief.

The Canadian Gospel Coalition Conference, Eh!

Click on the poster to view the pdf. . .and spread the word!!

Sovereign Grace Store. . .Sale!

Over the past number of years, I've been blessed by Sovereign Grace Ministries time and time again. What would you expect from a group of Charismatic Calvinists? Their writings and music and preaching and teaching are all marked by a cross-centerdness, an emphasis on application, and a great humility. For this reason, I'm excited to see that their February sale is on again. Books are $5-7 USD, music CD's that usually cost $17 are now $6, music downloads are even cheaper, and DVD's are all discounted as well. Canadians like me will be happy to see that international shipping is half price for the month as well. Americans will be even more excited to see that shipping is free. Stock up and enjoy.

May I recommend:
Books: 1) Living The Cross Centered Life; 2) Humility: True Greatness (both by CJ Mahaney)
Music: 1) Come Weary Saints; 2) Awesome God (for kids); 3) Valley of Vision

This year my wife and I bought the download of 'To Be Like Jesus,' the most recent kids' CD. Ask me in a few weeks what we think!

Click here to find the sale.

Mark Driscoll on Haiti

A few nights ago Natalie and I watched the first twenty minutes of Mark Driscoll's 75 minute message to his church on Haiti. Shortly after the earthquake, Driscoll and James MacDonald went to Haiti together, with the goal of connecting with pastors and learning how their respective ministries can help the church in that country. The video flashes back and forth between Driscoll's message, and video footage of his trip. At one point in the video a 'popping' sound is heard, and the camera pans over to find a man laying on the ground with his brains spattered all over the road. That country is in chaos! I'd strongly recommend watching this video, and considering supporting the ministry of Driscoll and MacDonald, called 'Churches Helping Churches' (or, like I did, find another reputable ministry to give money through).

Tim Keller's Impressions of 'The Shack'

I just read Tim Keller's recent 'impressions' of Paul Young's 'The Shack' and was greatly helped by it. Though I have not yet read the book (I know, I know, I have to since it sold over 7 million copies and I'm a pastor. . .but I procrastonate), I have a hunch that the following paragraph hits the nail on the head:

Here is my main problem with the book. Anyone who is strongly influenced by the imaginative world of The Shack will be totally unprepared for the far more multi-dimensional and complex God that you actually meet when you read the Bible. In the prophets the reader will find a God who is constantly condemning and vowing judgment on his enemies, while the Persons of the Triune-God of The Shack repeatedly deny that sin is any offense to them. The reader of Psalm 119 is filled with delight at God's statutes, decrees, and laws, yet the God of The Shack insists that he doesn't give us any rules or even have any expectations of human beings. All he wants is relationship. The reader of the lives of Abraham, Jacob, Moses, and Isaiah will learn that the holiness of God makes his immediate presence dangerous or fatal to us. Someone may counter (as Young seems to do, on p.192) that because of Jesus, God is now only a God of love, making all talk of holiness, wrath, and law obsolete. But when John, one of Jesus' closest friends, long after the crucifixion sees the risen Christ in person on the isle of Patmos, John 'fell at his feet as dead.' (Rev.1:17.) The Shack effectively deconstructs the holiness and transcendence of God. It is simply not there. In its place is unconditional love, period. The God of The Shack has none of the balance and complexity of the Biblical God. Half a God is not God at all.

You can read the whole thing here.

Churches Helping Churches (in Haiti)

Mark Driscoll and James MacDonald have partnered together in an effort to help the churches of Haiti. I'd encourage you to watch the brief video below, and then to go to this web site to learn more about what they are doing! They travelled to Haiti together last week.