All future posts at joshcrews.com

All my future blogging will be at

http://www.joshcrews.com/category/blog/

Public apology for Progesterex

I want to publicly apologize for Progesterex--a stupid, mean, immature email forward that I wrote 10 years ago.

If you read it, I am sorry. It was very wrong of me to write it.

Again, I want to say that I'm sorry.

Josh

I can feel the beginnings of conviction

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.

http://www.joshharris.com/2009/09/selfcontrol_in_a_wired_world_1.php

We will take any needful baby brought to us

We want to publicly state that any women scared about having her baby or an abortion can bring the baby to us, and we will provide for the baby and give it a loving Christian home.

(We aren't searching for babies; but we feel called to joyfully receive all babies to our home and we will provide for them)

Contact:
joshandstephie@yahoo.com
615-354-4655
816 Meridian St.
Nashville, TN 37207

Coverage of the Atlanta pastor's offer that sparked this statement.

Christ died for the ungodly

In old Delhi in bicycle carriage with Eric Brown

Creation Museum in NYTimes

Very excited to see the Creation Museum get covered in the NY Times*.

I haven't been to the Creation Museum yet, but its special to me because it's parent ministry, Answers in Genesis has been a very helpful resource in answering many questions about the Bible and science.

From my 5 years of following and supporting their ministry, I testify that these are solid, biblically-faithful, gospel-centered men and women that seek to serve God before man. They are playing a good part in building up the body of Christ in our day.


*The article doesn't support Answers in Genesis, but they are fair in reporting about the museum.

Eric Brown at Ugly Mugs

We saw Food, Inc. movie at Belcourt

A very solid food industry documentary/propaganda (I mean propaganda in a positive sense).

The main message: trace American food back to its roots and it's profit-driven evil at its worst. By bringing the factory model to farming and meat-production, it's making us sick.

The unexpected star of the film (for me) was Joel Salitan, a sustainable philosopher/farmer in Virginia.

John McGary sent me a link to a talk that Joel did with Michael Pollan at Berkeley in 2005. If you want know what it's about watch this talk. Joel Salitan at Berkeley.

Reformed Hip-Hop Discipleship Conference in Chicago

Stephie and I are going to Chicago at the end of July to the Legacy Conference. I'm attracted because it has

• The best Christian song writing happening in our generation
• By young, black rappers
• And a preacher that has benefited me greatly, Paul Washer

Sign up for Puritan Picks

I just signed up and I'm so excited!

www.PuritanPicks.com
a Christ-centered DVD lending library




Netflix for Calvinists!

Outnumbered, Awkward questions about Jesus

Here's a clip from a British series I saw on YouTube. It's secular--which is to say it comes from a worldview that says what it measured is real, and the supernatural is doubtful and not worth basing your life on.

That used to be my worldview.

In the clip some funny kids ask some hard questions about Jesus.

The questions are filmed as if they don't have good answers.

They do, and I wanted to take a shot at them.



Boy: Why didn't baby Jesus zap King Herod when Herod wanted to kill him?

This question needs to be made harder: why at any point hasn't God zapped all his enemies? Why not at the rebellion of Satan? or Adam?

The answer is not fully given by God. But the primary concern of God is not to minimize all-time evil in the world, but maximize the enjoyment of his glory. And there is greater enjoyment of the character of God through redeeming the world by the death and resurrection of his son than 'zapping' people before the redemption is finished.

God will 'zap' all evil soon.

Girl: And besides Jesus knew that when King Herod died, God would roast him until his eye balls exploded.

While it's likely that Herod's eternal torment has already begun in Hell, I don't think it was a motivating factor for Jesus not to zap him as a 2-year old.

Boy: And why has God given 15 thousand billion years in which to live until the sun dies?

Good question, because the sun wasn't meant to die on us one day. It is an effect of God cursing the creation, that it now groans, waiting for God to finish the redemption of humanity AND restore creation to where it works (Romans 8).

We don't deserve the sun to not supernova on us today and destroy all life. That is the severity of our sin.

Also, the Bible seems to indicate that we have a lot less time than 15 thousand billion years before it is God brings The End.

Boy: Why didn't Jesus shape-shift into a Roman when the Romans were searching for him and then kill them in their sleep?

Before time began, God wrote people's names in the 'the book of life of the Lamb who was slain' (Revelation 13). The suffering and crucifixion of Jesus was planned by the Father and the Son from before time began.

So shape-shifting to avoid the cross was not Jesus' mission. If he had wanted the reward of the cross without the Father's plan, he simply could have agreed to Satan's proposal to bow down to Satan and receive authority over all the nations.

After Peter cutoff the ear of someone in Jesus' arresting party, Jesus said:

"Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?”

What would Jesus do if someone took a rocket up to Heaven and came up to him and punched him in the face? Would he forgive him or would he fight back and knock that man out of heaven?

A crazy hypothetical, but we have some hints as to the answer.

1) Satan rebelled against God, with (millions?) of angels and they got no promise of anything but hell and torment. (1 point for 'knock that man out of heaven')

2) I don't think it's a stretch to see myself as that man--give me a rocketship up to Heaven, I'd like to punch Jesus in the face.

1. Is that not what Paul thought of himself as? "For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it."
2. But later Pauls says of Jesus, "who loved me and gave himself for me".
3. And "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”

(10 pts for the grace of God in Jesus Christ)

So I expect the rocketship man to receive the just punishment for his offense; but never count out the explosive grace of God, recklessly declaring sinners to be 'right' in Christ.

Girl: Couldn't he find a another way like writing to someone and telling them be a bit better or something bad is going to happen?

Amazing question! That is the answer of 80% of Christendom, or Church-ism: be better or something bad is going to happen. (or sometimes the message is just, 'be better! ok?')

If 'be better or something bad is going to happen' could work, there would be no need for a bloody cross to redeem sinners.

God would be amazingly good to just give us his law and the warnings of breaking it (be better or something bad is going to happen).

But I was dead in my sins. "Be better" just brought more death because I was powerless to obey, a slave to my passions.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved me even when I was dead in my trespasses, made me alive together with Christ—by grace I have been saved!

"Be better" was hopeless for me. I need a savior who can a) pay my sin debt and release me from it's power in my life, b) send me supernatural help to live.

Boy: While Jesus was being crucified why didn't he have God send a meteor to kill the Romans?

This has been answered. But he vicar's answer is pretty good too.

Vicar: God wanted to show us sacrifice and forgiveness by sacrificing what was precious to him, his only son, Jesus.

Girl: Then why did he kill him?

Oh, what a wondrous mystery! Why did the Father crush the Son? How is that even possible? Why am I standing here, incredible guilty but forgiven; and Jesus has holes in his hands? What wondrous love is this, oh my soul, oh my soul!

Boy: What if someone stole Jesus' mobile (cellphone), would he forgive him?

I don't know. I only know that all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Boy: What if he were attacked by a polar bear?

Wouldn't Jesus just say 'still' and the polar bear would become as gentle as a puppy?

I don't know the answer. But I do know that we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ, and you can ask him on that day.

He's alive!

What Happened to Me, 5

A series on how I've changed since my conversion to God (December 30, 2003)

Death lost it's sting

Dudes, death is coming. It waits, and then it rips apart everything human. It's like a gloating opponent who knows he has the checkmate. "I'm going to take you down."

Death also makes this boast: Can you name your great-grandparents? No? Well you too will be forgotten from the Earth within a hundred years.

Before my conversion, I didn't think much about death. But it's existence rendered my whole life meaningless. My lifeplan was 'make the most out of these 40-70 years, because it's lights out when you die'.

After my conversion, I taunt death. "Where is your sting death? Where grave your victory?"

My savior died; and my old self died with him. My savior rose from the grave, and I'll be united with him in a resurrection like his.

I may die, but God will undo my death.
I may die, but God will bring me instantly into the joy of my master.

What Adam did for me in bringing death into the world; Christ defeated for me to give me life.

What Happened to Me, 4

A series on how I've changed since my conversion to God (December 30, 2003)

I got a wife!

God gave me a wife!

Before my conversion, I thought wives were for when you are 34 years old.

After my conversion, I had a lot of wrong thinking about women, marriage, manhood, and sexuality corrected while at the same time being in love with a Christian girl.

I believe Stephie's "yes" to marrying me is also a witness to answered prayer. She had a lot of concerns and fears about marrying me; but who can stop a God who loves to do good to his people?

A wife isn't a promise of God to new converts. But it's a great change for me since my conversion.

What Happened to Me, 3

A series on how I've changed since my conversion to God (December 30, 2003)

The Bible went from yeah-whatever to precious

Before my conversion, it was hard to read the Bible. I didn't really get it.

After my conversion, the Bible became a source of real joy to me, because it about the real God--the same one who saved me and let me in on the great plan of all history. I liked that it was all about God--God creates, God rescues, God kills people, God gives laws, God seeks out the lowly, God makes promises, God remembers promises, God tells people "wait a minute, your army is too big, send most of them home so that I get the credit for the victory".

P.S. Bible reading still has some hard days where I don't start the day ready to dive in.

What is the Gospel? (video)

What Happened to Me, 2

A series on how I've changed since my conversion to God (December 30, 2003)

I got weaker in some respects

Before my conversion, I didn't need any spiritual sustaining.

After my conversion, if I neglect thinking about God, praying, reading my Bible, trying to remember the gospel; I lose strength.

Sometimes I am weakened even when I haven't neglected those things.

This is speculation on my part, but I'm suspicious of this prayer, "Lord, whatever it takes, make me like Jesus" as being involved in my added weakness. I think it creates suffering which produces godliness.

I'm also suspicious of these Bible verses being involved in my new found weakness:

1. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
2. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.
3. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
   

It really stinks being weaker in some ways. Sometimes I despair of my life and want to fold on Christianity. I really hope that

1. Jesus can keep all his sheep
2. This turns out to be for my good and God's glory

I hope to continue this series.

What Happened to Me, 1

Something serious happened to me on December 30, 2003--my conversion to God.

I'm starting a new series to document what happened.

Part 1: My major philosophy/life questions have real, verifiable answers

Some people never ask the big questions of life, but many do. And I did.

Who am I? What is reality? Is there a guiding force/destiny to it? What can I know for sure? Is there a God? Is he knowable?

Before my conversion the best answers to these questions were: take your best guess or very little is knowable for sure: study some varying view points.

After my conversion, the answers become clear! They all tie back to Jesus Christ.

Here are all the answers

• Who am I? A human being, created in the image of God. I am beautiful and thinking and feeling because I am made in God's image. I am corrupt, and my life has suffering, and stuff doesn't work right because Adam (the first man) sinned and God cursed man and creation.
• What is reality? Primarily, God is reality. He is the realest real. All other reality is created by God, and sustained by God, and is real because God says it's real.
• Is there a guiding force/destiny to reality? Yes. Before this was a hard question, because history seemed to have an "author", but who? The author is God, and reality/history has a great purpose--to bring glory to God primarily by man's fall into sin and what God is doing in Christ to restore a sin-stained world.
• What can I know for sure? I can know that God exists. I can know that I exist, and I am not God (I am a creature). I can know everything that God has chosen to reveal about himself to me (and mankind). That knowledge is revealed in creation and the Bible.
• Is there a God? Yes! But because of my inherited crookedness, I'm naturally blind to God until God does something (out of his mercy) to reveal himself to me.
• Is he knowable? Yes, on a personal level like I know my friend. I know God through Jesus Christ. Jesus helps me in my weakness as one who knows all my fears and faults.

Glory be to God because

1. I didn't think these questions were ever answerable. Mankind's greatest thinkers tried hard and failed to find answers to these questions
2. The answers are so good! Although my situation was a lot worse than I thought (being an unearthly monster and under God's wrath); God's initiation towards me showed me I am more loved that I dared hope! Everything I need to get all the blessings of God, God provided me in Christ.

I hope I continue this before/after conversion series.

Cream cheese

I discovered letters that spelled out my name is cream cheese this morning.


Stephie wrote it.

My neighborhood, East Nashville, feels like the perfect microcosm of America

What is the perfect microcosm of America? The place you bring a visitor that would let them sample the diverse qualities of a big place in a small, visitable place. Think Epcot World Showcase in Disneyworld.

In a big city, but not in a Big city
If I were in New York or DC; those cities' importance and personalities would dominate at the expense of the rest of the country.




In a city, but in a village within the city
East Nashville has the proximity to the city (jobs, stadium, venues, restaurants, services); but the Cumberland river creates an enclosed community that causes daily life for East Nashvillians to stay more local.

The schools are bad
Perfect example for America.

Captures the religious flavor of the whole country
Nashville will give you the ache of "Christless Christianity"-- the bad feeling you have when christians seem to be everywhere, and are less compassionate and reasonable than secularists and atheists.

All four seasons
Los Angeles would be too consistently sunny, and Chicago cold too long. In Nashville each season has it's right place and comes at the right time.

The poverty is hard
America has a large class of people who rely on the state for support. Poverty really sucks, and it's here in East Nashville.

The "blue state" village within a "red state"
Red State = Only Alabama and Alaska voted more strongly for McCain than Tennessee.
Blue State = When I was in a church meeting in East Nashville, we introduced ourselves by name and home state. The most popular home state, by far, was California. Then Michigan, Tennessee and Ohio.

East Nashville has both flavors of American zeal-- red, white and blue patriotism; and "Yes we can!" Obama optimism.

Conclusion
I thought of this post idea as I was imagining living in other countries, and became thankful to God for where I do live and how it captures the diverse American experience in a small visitable place.

What is the Bible School of Awesomeness?

The Bible School of Awesomeness is our vision for a part-time Christian school.

The ministry is to serve the parents, supporting them to raise their children in the Lord. The goal is that their children would grow up to have deep taste buds for the glory of God and that they would find a satisfaction in Jesus Christ.

The method for doing this is somewhat like a home-school co-op.

The details and timing aren't clear, but we've had this vision for a couple years.

An inspiration from the scriptures

"And the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work that the LORD had one for Israel."

But something happened.

"And there arose another generation after them who did not know the LORD or the work that he had done for Israel."

It looks like the generation that experienced his salvation, received his word, and saw the mighty works didn't teach their children. Every aspect of the children's lives were terrible.

Summary

I don't know when or if the Bible School of Awesomeness will come to pass, but we already have a great love for children and want to help parents be supported and encouraged to transmit a great love for God to them.

Shai Linne -- Jesus is Alive

Nero is dead, Constantine is dead. Genghis Khan and Attila the Hun are dead. Alexander the Great is dead- however. Jesus is Alive.

Our sewer overflowed into our backyard

This is story of a one day adventure, and what we did to fix it (in case you are Googling this page and our experience might help you)

10am: I found that a piece of solid waste (poop) was floating at the top of our sewer drain! That's not good. And other people have spent thousands of dollars fixing problems such as these.

I asked our neighbors, the Wards, what I should do. They own a plumbing company, so they were very helpful. He told me to try to manually unclog the open sewer access pipe.

What's abnormal about our situation is that our sewer drain access pipe wasn't covered. It should be covered.

11am: I start breaking up the clog in the drain. I loosen part of the clog and 20 gallons of human waste came out! It was so much I wondered for a moment if the city's sewer wasn't backing up into my home.

Water continued to flow out of the access pipe for another 20 minutes. We had a lot backed up.

12pm: Call for a plumber, but no one was available until later.

Here's what we did that worked

We went to Home Depot. The plumbing aisle guy guided us to tool rental, and we got a 100-ft "electric snake". It cost about $60 after tax, insurance and some gloves for 4 hours (only $20 more for 24 hour rental).

The machine twists a metal-pronged head as you feed it down the drain, breaking up clogs. It was totally awesome.

This is an image of what was clogging the drain. My theory is that it was a) hardened grease, b) a chemical/biological reaction that formed a styrofoam-like substance, c) couch cushions. One of my motivations for posting this is that I had a hard time Googling for other images/stories of drains getting clogged with a substance like this.

So in conclusion:

Is your sewer drain stopped up?

You may be in big trouble and have to have professionals remove and replace your entire drain.

But perhaps you can unclog the problem yourself. You'll need

an electric snake

gloves (layer vinyl/latex gloves under leather gloves)

a power cord to reach your backyard

and you need to

1. open the sewer access in the backyard
2. feed the electric snake into the sewer drain (hope it goes the right way, we had trouble with it going towards the house when we needed away)
3. perhaps your situation is that you have to feed the electric snake into the sewer drain for your house. Do more research, but you may need to remove your toilet and start feeding the electric snake for that point.
4. feed the electric snake down the drain while giving little pulses on the foot petal that controls the rotation of the cable
5. repeat a few times, then call a plumber/rooter company if you fail.
6. pray in the name of Jesus Christ. This is what worked for me! Thank you Lord.
7. cover the access drain back.

At the end: a clean drain! It worked!

Was God lonely?

In Nashville, going north from the Capitol is the Bicentennial mall. On that mall is a timeline of the history of Tennessee.

The first entry on the timeline is a great error.

And God stepped out on space,
and He looked around and said:
I'm lonely--
I'll make me a world.

Honestly, it made me a little pissed off. This is not the type thing you want to engrave on granite as your belief about the God who runs the universe.

God was never lonely.

As Paul taught the Athenians in Acts 17, He is:

The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.

Another reason I know he was never lonely, is because the Father had the Son. And the Son is awesome. He's a whole lot cooler than the entire creation.

Men in Nashville

Nashville was just selected as the most manly city in America by a snack chip company. That's interesting, because I look around and ask "where are the men?" What I mean by "men": males who have matured, accepted the responsibilities of work, marriage, and becoming servant-leaders in their communities to the end that others might benefit.

What is much more common than men are boys, playing with toys, tools, and ESPN who enjoy the benefits of manhood (sex, leadership) without the responsibilities (marriage, fatherhood, honest labor).

From that article (Nashville is the most manly city...):

That's the conclusion of a study released Thursday that ranks "America's Manliest Cities" on criteria such as the number of professional major league sports teams, popularity of tools and frequency of monster truck rallies.

What makes a city "unmanly"? Seemingly fatherhood:

Cities lost ranking points for "emasculating" characteristics like the abundance of home furnishing stores, high minivan sales and subscription rates to beauty magazines.

Although I agree with the "beauty magazines" being criteria for emasculating.

Later the article mentions that Nashville did well because of hunting/fishing, home improvement and NASCAR. Those are manly and good things. I don't want to redefine hunting out of man-ness. But I would love to see a new generation of real men; husbands, fathers, workers; become hunters and not stay 30-year-0ld hunter-boys.

10 reasons I am a Christian

1) The New Testament makes more sense of the world than any other philosophy.

Why is their beauty in the world, but also evil and violence?
Why does my heart want justice?
Why does my heart invent ways of doing evil?

When I pose those three questions to every worldview, religion, philosophy, or life slogan; the New Testament has the strongest, most believable, reasonable answer.

2) Either Jesus said and did what "The Gospels" report; or his followers made it up to start a religion.

Either the reports of Jesus's life are fakes, or they are real. God's signature is on the whole thing. I find it easier to believe that they are true and reliable, than followers invented the content of The Gospels.

3) He found me.

I believe in Jesus because he found me. He stopped my own plan for my life, tracked me down, hemmed me in and found me. He converted me.

Why does the horse like running? It's a horse; and it has a horse's nature. Why do I like Jesus; I'm a Christian and I have a new nature.

4) I haven't seen any other power for people to change

5) Animals, landscapes, human history seem designed.

There seems to be a personality behind the created order and history. It forces the question: who is it? What's he like? Does he require anything? Is he pleased or upset with me? Will he reveal himself to those who seek him?

6) Sovereign grace

I'm a Christian because God, before time began, chose me; not based on any foreknowledge of whether I would respond positively to him or not.

Though I loved breaking his law, and teaching others to do so as well, he sent his Son to die for me. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. He will keep me by this same love forever.

7) I would never come out of my bedroom is Jesus isn't raised.

I'm too depressed about the state of the world, myself, where things are headed, a meaningless life, and an extinguishing death; if Jesus wasn't raised from the dead.

If he wasn't raised, I'm stupid, and we are all screwed. If he was, there is hope.

8) Answered prayers

God answers my prayers, specifically. I have not yet seen every prayer answered, but I've seen a lot. Enough that people would scoff at me for leaving Christianity after seeing this many prayers answered. I ought to start writing them down more.

9) In poker terminology, I've already gone "all in"

In poker, when you bet every chip on one hand (go "all in"), you are committed to see that hand all the way to the end. If it wins; you win big. If it loses, you lose everything.

I have a sin problem, in that I'm a sinner. I've wagered all my hope to be saved on Jesus. I've never seen anything else that comes close to being a cure for my sin problem, so I'm "all in" on Jesus.

Check out this "hand": I'm guilty. Jesus Christ lived the perfect life before God. He died the death a sinner deserves. The Son of God hung on a cross crying, "My God, my God why have you forsaken me?" and the world turned dark at midday.

He was buried. He was raised on the third day.

All of a sudden, a "giant loophole" opened in the universe. God can be just, and justify a sinner. I'm really dirty, and now God can tell me I'm clean without lowering his standards.

Jesus Christ died for sinners!

So I'm gathering up all my chips, every place where I've been hedging my bets to be safe, prosperous, and feel normal; and moving all those chips onto Jesus that he can give me more than I ever wanted.

I'm already "all in" on Jesus. So I'm going to stay a Christian until the end to see if my hope is well placed.

10) He likes me

God is my new favorite. I like history, he likes history. I like Nashville, he likes Nashville. Jesus wants to rescue a people for himself, I want to be rescued. I want to be with God and his people, where the adventure and the conversation never has to end. He's going to make it happen.

He loves... me! And I love being loved by God.

All the Josh Crews' of the world

I searched for "Josh Crews" on Facebook.

I had no idea how many Josh Crews' there are in the world (really, in America).

Most of them look similar too: single white guys, in 20's, with a rural/southern influence.

These factors drive that: Josh, as a boy's name, came out of no-where in the early 1980's to be very popular. Crews, from my experience, is very much a "red-state" white name that leans toward the deer-hunting demographic.