In the latest of the secular left media, the attack on the Virgin Birth is a palpable tension within mainline denominations that have completely succumbed to "enlightenment" thinking. Seeing themselves as the most educated and most wise they dismiss everything that they don't agree with by the sweep of the hand. It cannot be so they say, why? Well it just cannot happen. But this isn't where I say, faith comes in and just forget about everything else.
In a way that would be doing the same thing that they are doing, wave of the hand they go away, this isn't about a "power" thing but a "belief" thing. If it was purely about "power" I think we would've already been outdone by the powers that be. This is the point of faith, it is not fully about what we see although we see little snippets, it is about looking at the full nature of the biblical testimony and applying our faith. Matthew says, quoting Isaiah, "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel." How many times does it need to be said? 3, 4, maybe 6 times?
Why would not believing in the Virgin Birth put you outside of orthodox belief? Well that would negate Jesus' divinity, it would instantly put him in the "good man" status that everyone wants to put him in. Cults, like the Mormons, try to reconcile the Virgin Birth through absurd, backward ways like God the Father having sex with Mary. I cannot make anyone believe that Jesus was born of a Virgin, if this is the first time that you are reading something like this I would suggest reading the first couple of chapters of Matthew and doing a study of how Messiah was to come into the world.
These are the times of the year when people try to challenge the beliefs of those who truly do believe in Christmas. Funny that the phenomenon making its way around the web right now is the flash concerts of Handel's Hallelujah Chorus, what would that be just singing to a good man? He is the King and he will reign forever and ever, eventually you must bow to His superior rule and kingship, either on this side of eternity or the other.
This is not simply a myth that is conjured up by the church and kept secret, it is the glorious nature of God's communication to us in real live flesh and blood. He is the Son of God and can only possibly be that through the miracle of the Virgin Birth.
(HT: Al Mohler, his are the main thoughts behind this)
...and He shall reign forever and ever!
Your boasting friend,
Tim
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
year of the gay? the old and new challenges to the Gospel
The Congress voted to repeal "don't ask, don't tell" from the article at the WSJ.com there is more to come.
My feelings about gays serving in the military isn't really the issue, it is the constant barrage that I must accept a lifestyle that is wrong, I must call it good. The other day we were looking out the window and a dog had come into our backyard. Our cat, being the curious type, sat in the crouched position and looked. He continued to look at the dog, who was female, and our daughter piped up, "maybe they have a crush on each other." We informed her that it is hard-wired into their system only to like their own kind and they look for the opposite, male or female. Because God did it and they seem to be okay with that, even to the point that they won't chase after each other in that way.
But this is the point of DADT and other views that the GLBT community seem to continue to barrage the American public with - basically - I'M OK! This is the point of the Gospel we admit our brokenness and then bring it to a God who hears. Continuing as the homosexual community is I would compare it to speaking louder to someone who doesn't know english. I think if there is something they haven't figured out it is that there is no interpretation to their lifestyle, it just doesn't compute to a majority of people. If I could convince any of my homosexual friends of anything it would be stop trying to claw your way to the top, surrender to the God who loves broken people. (Isa. 66:1-3) It seems to me there is an obvious link between the homosexual community and brokenness, believe me I talk to a colleague - who is gay - about his brokenness quite often. See here.
I feel that, as Kate Kendall said DADT "ignited a national conversation not just about the ability of lesbians and gay men to be good soldiers, but about the underpinnings of all sorts of government-sanctioned discrimination..." Could that start with marriage? Of course and here we go with another year of this being shoved out as the "most important" thing while millions won't even get the voice to say what they believe mainly the unborn.
So, I hope I'm wrong about this being the year of the gay but may I find the gospel in the midst of their poverty and my own poverty and may we reach together for the God who forgives those who repent and place their trust in Jesus Christ.
Your boasting friend,
Tim
My feelings about gays serving in the military isn't really the issue, it is the constant barrage that I must accept a lifestyle that is wrong, I must call it good. The other day we were looking out the window and a dog had come into our backyard. Our cat, being the curious type, sat in the crouched position and looked. He continued to look at the dog, who was female, and our daughter piped up, "maybe they have a crush on each other." We informed her that it is hard-wired into their system only to like their own kind and they look for the opposite, male or female. Because God did it and they seem to be okay with that, even to the point that they won't chase after each other in that way.
But this is the point of DADT and other views that the GLBT community seem to continue to barrage the American public with - basically - I'M OK! This is the point of the Gospel we admit our brokenness and then bring it to a God who hears. Continuing as the homosexual community is I would compare it to speaking louder to someone who doesn't know english. I think if there is something they haven't figured out it is that there is no interpretation to their lifestyle, it just doesn't compute to a majority of people. If I could convince any of my homosexual friends of anything it would be stop trying to claw your way to the top, surrender to the God who loves broken people. (Isa. 66:1-3) It seems to me there is an obvious link between the homosexual community and brokenness, believe me I talk to a colleague - who is gay - about his brokenness quite often. See here.
I feel that, as Kate Kendall said DADT "ignited a national conversation not just about the ability of lesbians and gay men to be good soldiers, but about the underpinnings of all sorts of government-sanctioned discrimination..." Could that start with marriage? Of course and here we go with another year of this being shoved out as the "most important" thing while millions won't even get the voice to say what they believe mainly the unborn.
So, I hope I'm wrong about this being the year of the gay but may I find the gospel in the midst of their poverty and my own poverty and may we reach together for the God who forgives those who repent and place their trust in Jesus Christ.
Your boasting friend,
Tim
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
ESPN gets the Gospel right and let's Josiah have his say
I would like to say "thank you" to ESPN for not letting this get edited out. Josiah Viera is a little boy who has had to deal with much suffering. As you can see from his response to the questions about heaven, there is only one response, "Jesus". What would my response be? This little boy has more theology in his little body than most churches have coming from their pulpits.
May God grant mercy so that we can all see it like Josiah sees it.
Your boasting friend,
Tim
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
The Reformation
Here is a great article written by Michael Horton about the Reformation. Here is an overview:
Sola Scriptura -
"Does the Bible define the human problem and its solution? Or when we really want facts, do we turn somewhere else, to a modern secular authority who will really carry weight in my sermon? Of course, the Bible will be cited to bolster the argument. Political ideology, sociology, marketing, and other secular "authorities" must never be allowed priority in answering questions the Bible addresses. That is, in part, what this affirmation means, and evangelicals today seem as confused on this point as was the medieval church."
Solus Christus -
"Today, once more, this affirmation is in trouble. According to University of Virginia sociologist James Hunter, 35% of evangelical seminarians deny that faith in Christ is absolutely necessary. According to George Barna, that is the same figure for conservative, evangelical Protestants in America: "God will save all good people when they die, regardless of whether they've trusted in Christ," they agreed."
Sola Gratia -
"The Law is in us by nature. We were born with a conscience that tells us that we are condemned by that Law, but our reason concludes immediately that the answer to that self-condemnation is to do better next time."
Sola Fide -
"According to Scripture, God declares a person righteous before that person actually begins to become righteous. Therefore, the declaration is not in response to any spiritual or moral advances within the individual, but is an imputation of the perfect righteousness that God immediately requires of everyone who is united to Christ by faith alone. When a person trusts Christ, that very moment he or she is clothed in his perfect holiness, so that even though the believer is still sinful, he or she is judged by God as blameless."
Soli Deo Gloria -
"The reformers did not set out to launch a political or moral campaign, but they proved that when we put the Gospel first and give voice to the Word, the effects inevitably follow."
I think that we dismiss great thoughts anymore because our own minds are so filled with apathy, hopelessness and garbage that great thoughts are just chewed up and spit out. May our minds, not be emptied, but full of the Holy Spirit and may we think great thoughts again.
Your boasting friend,
Tim
Sola Scriptura -
"Does the Bible define the human problem and its solution? Or when we really want facts, do we turn somewhere else, to a modern secular authority who will really carry weight in my sermon? Of course, the Bible will be cited to bolster the argument. Political ideology, sociology, marketing, and other secular "authorities" must never be allowed priority in answering questions the Bible addresses. That is, in part, what this affirmation means, and evangelicals today seem as confused on this point as was the medieval church."
Solus Christus -
"Today, once more, this affirmation is in trouble. According to University of Virginia sociologist James Hunter, 35% of evangelical seminarians deny that faith in Christ is absolutely necessary. According to George Barna, that is the same figure for conservative, evangelical Protestants in America: "God will save all good people when they die, regardless of whether they've trusted in Christ," they agreed."
Sola Gratia -
"The Law is in us by nature. We were born with a conscience that tells us that we are condemned by that Law, but our reason concludes immediately that the answer to that self-condemnation is to do better next time."
Sola Fide -
"According to Scripture, God declares a person righteous before that person actually begins to become righteous. Therefore, the declaration is not in response to any spiritual or moral advances within the individual, but is an imputation of the perfect righteousness that God immediately requires of everyone who is united to Christ by faith alone. When a person trusts Christ, that very moment he or she is clothed in his perfect holiness, so that even though the believer is still sinful, he or she is judged by God as blameless."
Soli Deo Gloria -
"The reformers did not set out to launch a political or moral campaign, but they proved that when we put the Gospel first and give voice to the Word, the effects inevitably follow."
I think that we dismiss great thoughts anymore because our own minds are so filled with apathy, hopelessness and garbage that great thoughts are just chewed up and spit out. May our minds, not be emptied, but full of the Holy Spirit and may we think great thoughts again.
Your boasting friend,
Tim
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Page CXVI
02 Be Thou My Vision by PageCXVI
Good stuff, I have their first album from a free download and their other CD I bought. They seem to know the right kind of music to bring the hymns to life.
Enjoy!
Your boasting friend,
Tim
Good stuff, I have their first album from a free download and their other CD I bought. They seem to know the right kind of music to bring the hymns to life.
Enjoy!
Your boasting friend,
Tim
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Giving Liberal Christians their props
Hauerwas continues:
Americans do not have to believe in God, because they believe that it is a good thing simply to believe: all they need is a general belief in belief. That is why we have never been able to produce interesting atheists in the US. The god most Americans say they believe in is not interesting enough to deny, because it is only the god that has given them a country that ensures that they have the right to choose to believe in the god of their choosing. Accordingly, the only kind of atheism that counts in the US is that which calls into question the proposition that everyone has a right to life, liberty, and happiness.
This is from Al Mohler's blog. Just as my previous post is looking at this phenomenon, people want God to be different or their own god and so at least he has the guts to admit it. I appreciate that. We should want people to know God and then confront our ideas about God while lovingly displaying the gospel of grace.
Your boasting friend,
Tim
HT: Al Mohler
Americans do not have to believe in God, because they believe that it is a good thing simply to believe: all they need is a general belief in belief. That is why we have never been able to produce interesting atheists in the US. The god most Americans say they believe in is not interesting enough to deny, because it is only the god that has given them a country that ensures that they have the right to choose to believe in the god of their choosing. Accordingly, the only kind of atheism that counts in the US is that which calls into question the proposition that everyone has a right to life, liberty, and happiness.
This is from Al Mohler's blog. Just as my previous post is looking at this phenomenon, people want God to be different or their own god and so at least he has the guts to admit it. I appreciate that. We should want people to know God and then confront our ideas about God while lovingly displaying the gospel of grace.
Your boasting friend,
Tim
HT: Al Mohler
Pastor's Corner (part 1)
I received this about a month ago from a paper in our local neighborhood and wanted to see how you would respond to it, it is called Pastor's Corner: (pg. 2, bottom right)
(look at the link and read the article if you want to, I'll be commentating through it all so it might help.)
He starts with someone who asked a question, presumably to him and then basically goes onto commentate regarding that question. The gist of the question has to do with God's punishment v. God's love.
In the second paragraph he starts off with a "straw man" - Even a Methodist minister said to me recently, "God is not always good. God is not always loving. God can be angry and destructive." This is obviously a straw man because it is an argument that is used all the time, especially by unbelievers, to make a case. Instead of having meaningful interaction with this and talking about the nuances of how God's goodness and love is shown, even in those things that we cannot explain, we excuse God. In fact, we have a whole movement, Red letter Christians, that take only the words of Jesus and make that their Christianity. Again, God needs to be excused.
He doesn't seem to need that from how I read the Old Testament. (Isa. 45:7; Psalm 115:3), God is God even in those times. Why did Isaiah say to the children of Israel in Isa. 55:7-9, "My thoughts are not your thoughts", about this God? So can God in His infinitely wise character determine to send Joseph into slavery, betrayed by brothers, betrayed by his bosses wife, betrayed by prisoners, but why? See Gen. 50:20, his family and their descendants are saved from destruction, because something seemingly bad happened to Joseph and God cause it to be used for the good.
Some things are by his Sovereign decretive will and others by his preceptive will, decretive will is that which he brings about whatever he commands and the preceptive will is that which we have the power to break his laws and commands but do not have the right to do so. (RC Sproul, The Will of God) God is in control over all things, we have no right to go against his law. So do bad things happen and God still be in control? Yes, He can, God is God and we are not. I'm not sure why we feel the need to explain away the Bible instead of confront our own deluded thoughts of love and bow to Him. God's love isn't something that you can bring down to an instantaneous instant, nor can you disprove God's love in an instantaneous instant.
You can be sitting there and saying, "yes, but you don't know what I've been through", all I can say is yes, I cannot imagine but God in his wisdom has allowed that thing, whatever it is, to show you Himself. We call Jesus the greatest gift that has ever been given to the world, what did it take to get that gift? It took Him taking the wrath that we deserved, so that we don't get what we do deserve.
I'll interact with more of it later.
Your boasting friend,
Tim
(look at the link and read the article if you want to, I'll be commentating through it all so it might help.)
He starts with someone who asked a question, presumably to him and then basically goes onto commentate regarding that question. The gist of the question has to do with God's punishment v. God's love.
In the second paragraph he starts off with a "straw man" - Even a Methodist minister said to me recently, "God is not always good. God is not always loving. God can be angry and destructive." This is obviously a straw man because it is an argument that is used all the time, especially by unbelievers, to make a case. Instead of having meaningful interaction with this and talking about the nuances of how God's goodness and love is shown, even in those things that we cannot explain, we excuse God. In fact, we have a whole movement, Red letter Christians, that take only the words of Jesus and make that their Christianity. Again, God needs to be excused.
He doesn't seem to need that from how I read the Old Testament. (Isa. 45:7; Psalm 115:3), God is God even in those times. Why did Isaiah say to the children of Israel in Isa. 55:7-9, "My thoughts are not your thoughts", about this God? So can God in His infinitely wise character determine to send Joseph into slavery, betrayed by brothers, betrayed by his bosses wife, betrayed by prisoners, but why? See Gen. 50:20, his family and their descendants are saved from destruction, because something seemingly bad happened to Joseph and God cause it to be used for the good.
Some things are by his Sovereign decretive will and others by his preceptive will, decretive will is that which he brings about whatever he commands and the preceptive will is that which we have the power to break his laws and commands but do not have the right to do so. (RC Sproul, The Will of God) God is in control over all things, we have no right to go against his law. So do bad things happen and God still be in control? Yes, He can, God is God and we are not. I'm not sure why we feel the need to explain away the Bible instead of confront our own deluded thoughts of love and bow to Him. God's love isn't something that you can bring down to an instantaneous instant, nor can you disprove God's love in an instantaneous instant.
You can be sitting there and saying, "yes, but you don't know what I've been through", all I can say is yes, I cannot imagine but God in his wisdom has allowed that thing, whatever it is, to show you Himself. We call Jesus the greatest gift that has ever been given to the world, what did it take to get that gift? It took Him taking the wrath that we deserved, so that we don't get what we do deserve.
I'll interact with more of it later.
Your boasting friend,
Tim
Monday, October 25, 2010
Gospel in kid's lives
I'm never one to be braggadocios regarding my kids, in fact, usually when you say the first word about your kids it's going to doom you.
Our children are not the result of some mad parenting skills that I or my wife care to share with you. When someone comes up and asks us how or tells us how Justin or Sarah did this or that, we always come back with words like "it's by God's grace" or "praise God" or "we're just praying that we're not screwing them up." :)
I'm not taking away from the grace of God or the actions that our kids display but sometimes it is hard for me to receive compliments. They are great kids and they struggle in the day to day just like any of us would. I don't want them to feel like they need to live up to compliments or feel disparaged when they don't get the compliment. Can you imagine trying to live like that in this world? So, we try to compassionately point them to the cross, where the gospel is displayed in compliments or concerns.
Now, I know the Gospel is the real reason why we even like our kids or want them to succeed. So I was trying to think of a way to express something that I find sometimes inexpressible when someone approaches us. We do read the Bible, we pray, these are huge and I would always recommend those things, get into a good Bible reading plan and let your kids see you reading and read it to them. Reading to your children is a gift that will keep giving even when they get to the ages our kids are now.
We haven't read any parenting books deeply or even gone to classes that promote good parenting. Not that any of those would've been bad mind you, it is just that we never have put that as a priority. So God gave me a sentence that revealed to me, in our weakness and for His glory, what our parenting plan is and I think it encapsulates the gospel...
"Treat them like God's gift to you, not God's gift to the world."
There was only one child born that was God's gift to the world and His name is Jesus Christ, the center of the gospel. When we put our kids in that place we are not honoring the one Name that is given among men whereby we can and must be saved. Children are a blessing from the Lord, they are designed for your family, be kind, gracious, loving, compassionate, forgiving - just as God is to you. Share in the brokenness of your own sin it will be a grace to them that will help this focus, ask for forgiveness, when you've done wrong, and love one another deeply.
Still praying for our kids to have that goal, we're not there by a long stretch but only by God's grace will we be.
Your boasting friend,
Tim
Our children are not the result of some mad parenting skills that I or my wife care to share with you. When someone comes up and asks us how or tells us how Justin or Sarah did this or that, we always come back with words like "it's by God's grace" or "praise God" or "we're just praying that we're not screwing them up." :)
I'm not taking away from the grace of God or the actions that our kids display but sometimes it is hard for me to receive compliments. They are great kids and they struggle in the day to day just like any of us would. I don't want them to feel like they need to live up to compliments or feel disparaged when they don't get the compliment. Can you imagine trying to live like that in this world? So, we try to compassionately point them to the cross, where the gospel is displayed in compliments or concerns.
Now, I know the Gospel is the real reason why we even like our kids or want them to succeed. So I was trying to think of a way to express something that I find sometimes inexpressible when someone approaches us. We do read the Bible, we pray, these are huge and I would always recommend those things, get into a good Bible reading plan and let your kids see you reading and read it to them. Reading to your children is a gift that will keep giving even when they get to the ages our kids are now.
We haven't read any parenting books deeply or even gone to classes that promote good parenting. Not that any of those would've been bad mind you, it is just that we never have put that as a priority. So God gave me a sentence that revealed to me, in our weakness and for His glory, what our parenting plan is and I think it encapsulates the gospel...
"Treat them like God's gift to you, not God's gift to the world."
There was only one child born that was God's gift to the world and His name is Jesus Christ, the center of the gospel. When we put our kids in that place we are not honoring the one Name that is given among men whereby we can and must be saved. Children are a blessing from the Lord, they are designed for your family, be kind, gracious, loving, compassionate, forgiving - just as God is to you. Share in the brokenness of your own sin it will be a grace to them that will help this focus, ask for forgiveness, when you've done wrong, and love one another deeply.
Still praying for our kids to have that goal, we're not there by a long stretch but only by God's grace will we be.
Your boasting friend,
Tim
Friday, October 22, 2010
You say it best?
Great thoughts from Kevin DeYoung's blog.
Here is an excerpt: (from Ed Welch)
"Here is a basic rule of thumb. The more people are hurting – the more intense their emotions whatever the emotion might be (fear, shame, anger, despair) – the less they will be able to hear. I might think that I am offering words of life, and the words might actually be good and true words, but by the time I get to the seventh word, most people are hearing “blah, blah, blah.” Yes, there are some outstanding teachers of Scripture who can bring truth to hurting and stuck people in such a way that hearers are on the edge of their seats for . . . minutes at a time. Rapt. But none of us should assume that we are one of those people. This is why I have to say, at least once a week, “ugh, I’m sorry, I have been talking too much. Now I am going to try to just be quiet and listen.” Or, even better, to limit the word count – “I’m talking too much; your turn.” Six words."
(HT: Kevin DeYoung)
Boast in the Gospel, use important words, woven together with love and mercy,
Tim
Here is an excerpt: (from Ed Welch)
"Here is a basic rule of thumb. The more people are hurting – the more intense their emotions whatever the emotion might be (fear, shame, anger, despair) – the less they will be able to hear. I might think that I am offering words of life, and the words might actually be good and true words, but by the time I get to the seventh word, most people are hearing “blah, blah, blah.” Yes, there are some outstanding teachers of Scripture who can bring truth to hurting and stuck people in such a way that hearers are on the edge of their seats for . . . minutes at a time. Rapt. But none of us should assume that we are one of those people. This is why I have to say, at least once a week, “ugh, I’m sorry, I have been talking too much. Now I am going to try to just be quiet and listen.” Or, even better, to limit the word count – “I’m talking too much; your turn.” Six words."
(HT: Kevin DeYoung)
Boast in the Gospel, use important words, woven together with love and mercy,
Tim
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
John Piper quote from the DG conference
Speaking about the knowledge of God...
"Don't become romantic about the benefits of ignorance."
Still thinking on that one, guess the conference was a success and I didn't even go to it. :)
Your boasting friend,
Tim
"Don't become romantic about the benefits of ignorance."
Still thinking on that one, guess the conference was a success and I didn't even go to it. :)
Your boasting friend,
Tim
Monday, October 11, 2010
Thought provoking message...
Application (given at the end of the message):
1)Constantly avail ourselves of the Word of God.
2)We must avail ourselves constantly of the life of the local church.
3)We must depend constantly on the corrective of the Holy Spirit.
Your boasting friend,
Tim
(HT: Desiring God)
Friday, October 8, 2010
What do you do when you don't preach the Gospel?
.BMP)
So, anyone for a "pet blessing" service?
Only in America.
Captions for this picture are welcome...the turtle could be saying, "hmmm I didn't know that they had that species of pastor...":) Or, a good Nacho quote, "I've got dead guy dooty, turtle dooty..." Leave your favorite caption.
Your boasting friend,
Tim
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Science Daily takes after Paul
Musing on this quote from Science Daily:
"It's always been known that people have internal dialogues with themselves, but until now, we've never known what an important function they serve," says Tullett. "This study shows that talking to ourselves in this 'inner voice' actually helps us exercise self control and prevents us from making impulsive decisions."
How did Paul know what he knew? In light of this scientific age that gives us more and more knowledge how could a 1st century disciple of Christ know so much. Hmmmm. Yes I know how, he had the infinite God working through him that would destroy the wisdom of the wise through the gospel of Jesus Christ. See some of the verses below and compare it to the above, it is truly amazing how much God's knowledge is ahead of man's knowledge.
II Corinthians 10:5
"We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ..."
Or Philippians 4:8
"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."
Also, lets never forget who's control that it truly is, as Galatians 5:22 says:
" But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. "
I don't think it is ever wise to forget that our brains are not in neutral, they are either being lied to or talked to. This matters in light of the gospel because it is true and knowing truth regards defending and knowing how to talk to ourselves in light of that truth. These internal struggles will never go away but let us learn to have the courage to be truthful with our own thoughts one at a time.
Your boasting friend,
Tim
"It's always been known that people have internal dialogues with themselves, but until now, we've never known what an important function they serve," says Tullett. "This study shows that talking to ourselves in this 'inner voice' actually helps us exercise self control and prevents us from making impulsive decisions."
How did Paul know what he knew? In light of this scientific age that gives us more and more knowledge how could a 1st century disciple of Christ know so much. Hmmmm. Yes I know how, he had the infinite God working through him that would destroy the wisdom of the wise through the gospel of Jesus Christ. See some of the verses below and compare it to the above, it is truly amazing how much God's knowledge is ahead of man's knowledge.
II Corinthians 10:5
"We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ..."
Or Philippians 4:8
"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."
Also, lets never forget who's control that it truly is, as Galatians 5:22 says:
" But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. "
I don't think it is ever wise to forget that our brains are not in neutral, they are either being lied to or talked to. This matters in light of the gospel because it is true and knowing truth regards defending and knowing how to talk to ourselves in light of that truth. These internal struggles will never go away but let us learn to have the courage to be truthful with our own thoughts one at a time.
Your boasting friend,
Tim
Friday, September 17, 2010
Eschatalogical round table
This was good to hear the perspectives and enjoy diversity within the Body.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
God is the Gospel (part 1)
So what do I mean when I say, Gospel? It was a question that I posed to a hotel rep the other day as we had lunch in downtown Dallas. "Well", she said, "I know it has to do with some books of the bible and how we live our lives." I thought it was a pretty good answer, comparatively to other answers that you would get. So we discussed the gospel as "good news". Well, why do we need good news? I went on to share about our sin and God's righteous wrath toward it and how He came down in human form to "take away" that enmity between us and so we can come and worship God freely. Notice that I say "worship God", what makes that so provocative today? Especially in the church. Why should the worship of God be central to the gospel? Is it not the very place where God starts, namely himself?
I would say yes. That is precisely what makes the good news, good news! God is the gift of the Gospel, not healing, not circumstantial joy, not perfect health, not financial windfall. God is the good news and that is what I want my life to be about, my marriage, my kids, my home, my work, my friendships, I want them to be about what is contained in Christ himself.
John Piper has written a book about this precise thing and I wanted to share some lines from it for your meditation. Here are a couple of them:
- "It is stunning how seldom God himself is proclaimed as the greatest gift of the gospel." (Intro., p 11)
When was the last time you reflected on the gospel and did not think about the things that it has brought you, even spiritually, but just thought about Him? Not even justification, forgiveness, glorification, etc... just Him.
- "The acid test of biblical God-centeredness-and faithfulness to the gospel is this: Do you feel more loved because God makes much of you, or because, at the cost of his Son, he enables you to enjoy making much of him forever? Does your happiness hang on seeing the cross of Christ as a witness to your worth, or as a way to enjoy God's worth forever? Is God's glory in Christ the foundation of your gladness?
I would encourage you to take some time and think about this. I don't encourage deep introspection just what the Spirit brings about. Ask yourself, why did Christ become a servant and die on a cross, was it truly just so I would happy, is that shallow to you? Why? Why not? If my happiness is the center of God's affection how does that work for others, if my happiness or joy is not for the good of others?
Your boasting friend,
Tim
I would say yes. That is precisely what makes the good news, good news! God is the gift of the Gospel, not healing, not circumstantial joy, not perfect health, not financial windfall. God is the good news and that is what I want my life to be about, my marriage, my kids, my home, my work, my friendships, I want them to be about what is contained in Christ himself.
John Piper has written a book about this precise thing and I wanted to share some lines from it for your meditation. Here are a couple of them:
- "It is stunning how seldom God himself is proclaimed as the greatest gift of the gospel." (Intro., p 11)
When was the last time you reflected on the gospel and did not think about the things that it has brought you, even spiritually, but just thought about Him? Not even justification, forgiveness, glorification, etc... just Him.
- "The acid test of biblical God-centeredness-and faithfulness to the gospel is this: Do you feel more loved because God makes much of you, or because, at the cost of his Son, he enables you to enjoy making much of him forever? Does your happiness hang on seeing the cross of Christ as a witness to your worth, or as a way to enjoy God's worth forever? Is God's glory in Christ the foundation of your gladness?
I would encourage you to take some time and think about this. I don't encourage deep introspection just what the Spirit brings about. Ask yourself, why did Christ become a servant and die on a cross, was it truly just so I would happy, is that shallow to you? Why? Why not? If my happiness is the center of God's affection how does that work for others, if my happiness or joy is not for the good of others?
Your boasting friend,
Tim
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Response to a homosexual friend
Below is a response to the question he posed to me: "Do you think I'm going to hell because I am gay?"
Because you’re gay, no, because you’re a sinner, yes. I believe that the Bible says things about the way we live and so I tend to listen to it and when it is obvious about what it says then we should be obeying fully. So, my love for your soul being no less diminished I would say that, yes, homosexuality is against biblical teaching. It is a worship of yourself, your own image. (see Rom. 1) My sin is no less before a holy God but the crux of the matter is, am I denying sin and so disagreeing with what the Bible says about it?
I’m not saying this to bash you over the head, please hear me, my heart is to love God and love others, in that order. If God says that something is wrong, is it loving of me to deny that and suppress it because I want someone say, to like me more, or not to cause a stir? If I was in adultery I would say that you would have proper ground to come and confront me with the Word of God and say things that are hard but if they were true then that would give you reason to say it. If I went and celebrated my adultery, flaunted it in my wife’s face, then started a church that celebrated my adultery and judged people that didn’t celebrate my adultery with me then you would think I was a loony. Why? Because adultery is wrong, the bible is clear about it. Now, if I repented, turned from my sin, heeded counsel, struggled with putting the sin away, i.e., did not practice it but like any other human struggled with longing for it, but loved God more than my sin, then I would be considered a Psalm 1 man.
Again, please let me properly align myself under the same banner with you. We are both sinners that are susceptible to all of the same sins, when I write something like this I want to make it painstakingly clear that I’m under the same judgment as a human being.
Now, why do I think it is wrong? I would argue from design as well as from our own sinfulness. Please pay attention as I have written some things after some of the bold sections in parentheses.
Sinfulness:
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men (you and me in the same boat), who by their (those who deny their sin) unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man (this is where I believe that you are worshiping yourself in a homosexual relationship.) and birds and animals and creeping things.
Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
For this reason God gave them up (when the Bible says something once pay close attention, twice is like we’re insane, or just don’t believe the Bible, not to listen. If we do not believe it that is our problem, not God’s, and as it says, maybe the very reason we do what we do) to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another (this sounds consensual to me, does it not to you – so the argument that this is speaking to men who were trying to rape or otherwise have sex with other men that is unwanted doesn’t fit the context, it is a straw man), men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error (can it be any clearer what he is saying?).
(Romans 1:18-27 ESV)
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
(1 Corinthians 6:9-11 ESV) (This addresses some of my sins as well and just like I argued above if I continued to practice them and even celebrate them I have no part of Christ.)
Design:
He [Jesus] answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female (see below, following God’s design, affirming it), and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? (this is a spiritual, as well as a sexual union that is again affirmed by the Son of God as the only legitimate union in the sexual arena before God.) So they are no longer two but one flesh (doesn’t happen outside of man/woman, marriage relationship). What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” (Matthew 19:4-6) (Man/Woman, how it has always been, Jesus affirmed this loud and clear.)
But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said,
“This at last is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called Woman,
because she was taken out of Man.”
Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife (see context, God makes it as it should be and then affirms it as useful), and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed. (Gen. 2:20b-25)
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth (how does this happen in a homosexual union?) and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
(Genesis 1:26-28 ESV)
My goal is to get you to see the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus, I cannot hate you as much as I could hate my son. I pray that you will go to the scripture and see the beauty of it and lay down all of your sin, as I would, and love the gospel more than my own sin.
Take care,
Tim
No, I didn’t say that the body is evil, just as you said about technology, but we, being born into sin, tend that way (read Gen. 3:1-15).
Because you’re gay, no, because you’re a sinner, yes. I believe that the Bible says things about the way we live and so I tend to listen to it and when it is obvious about what it says then we should be obeying fully. So, my love for your soul being no less diminished I would say that, yes, homosexuality is against biblical teaching. It is a worship of yourself, your own image. (see Rom. 1) My sin is no less before a holy God but the crux of the matter is, am I denying sin and so disagreeing with what the Bible says about it?
I’m not saying this to bash you over the head, please hear me, my heart is to love God and love others, in that order. If God says that something is wrong, is it loving of me to deny that and suppress it because I want someone say, to like me more, or not to cause a stir? If I was in adultery I would say that you would have proper ground to come and confront me with the Word of God and say things that are hard but if they were true then that would give you reason to say it. If I went and celebrated my adultery, flaunted it in my wife’s face, then started a church that celebrated my adultery and judged people that didn’t celebrate my adultery with me then you would think I was a loony. Why? Because adultery is wrong, the bible is clear about it. Now, if I repented, turned from my sin, heeded counsel, struggled with putting the sin away, i.e., did not practice it but like any other human struggled with longing for it, but loved God more than my sin, then I would be considered a Psalm 1 man.
Again, please let me properly align myself under the same banner with you. We are both sinners that are susceptible to all of the same sins, when I write something like this I want to make it painstakingly clear that I’m under the same judgment as a human being.
Now, why do I think it is wrong? I would argue from design as well as from our own sinfulness. Please pay attention as I have written some things after some of the bold sections in parentheses.
Sinfulness:
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men (you and me in the same boat), who by their (those who deny their sin) unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man (this is where I believe that you are worshiping yourself in a homosexual relationship.) and birds and animals and creeping things.
Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
For this reason God gave them up (when the Bible says something once pay close attention, twice is like we’re insane, or just don’t believe the Bible, not to listen. If we do not believe it that is our problem, not God’s, and as it says, maybe the very reason we do what we do) to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another (this sounds consensual to me, does it not to you – so the argument that this is speaking to men who were trying to rape or otherwise have sex with other men that is unwanted doesn’t fit the context, it is a straw man), men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error (can it be any clearer what he is saying?).
(Romans 1:18-27 ESV)
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
(1 Corinthians 6:9-11 ESV) (This addresses some of my sins as well and just like I argued above if I continued to practice them and even celebrate them I have no part of Christ.)
Design:
He [Jesus] answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female (see below, following God’s design, affirming it), and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? (this is a spiritual, as well as a sexual union that is again affirmed by the Son of God as the only legitimate union in the sexual arena before God.) So they are no longer two but one flesh (doesn’t happen outside of man/woman, marriage relationship). What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” (Matthew 19:4-6) (Man/Woman, how it has always been, Jesus affirmed this loud and clear.)
But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said,
“This at last is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called Woman,
because she was taken out of Man.”
Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife (see context, God makes it as it should be and then affirms it as useful), and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed. (Gen. 2:20b-25)
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth (how does this happen in a homosexual union?) and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
(Genesis 1:26-28 ESV)
My goal is to get you to see the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus, I cannot hate you as much as I could hate my son. I pray that you will go to the scripture and see the beauty of it and lay down all of your sin, as I would, and love the gospel more than my own sin.
Take care,
Tim
Friday, August 27, 2010
Foolishness
"lounge in the pool like it is your last afternoon on earth"
The above quote is from a Lexus commercial for an "end of the summer" sales event. I thought what triviality that we see this time as. No thought of eternity, what if hell is your destination? According to theological thought that should be your last reaction.
But that is the nature of the written Word of God, it is counter cultural. In a culture that wants comfort it says sacrifice. In a culture that needs approval by what I drive it says lose your life so that you can gain it. In a culture that has lost all moorings with any morality it says gouge out your right eye, lop off your arm to gain the kingdom. Yes, these are all the words of Jesus.
No there isn't any drawn out discussion of something so insignificant as a commercial on radio but these thoughts struck me as I thought about this world and its trappings. Someone actually had to come up with that and I pray for them to know the nature of the true gospel in all of its glory.
Your boasting friend,
Tim
The above quote is from a Lexus commercial for an "end of the summer" sales event. I thought what triviality that we see this time as. No thought of eternity, what if hell is your destination? According to theological thought that should be your last reaction.
But that is the nature of the written Word of God, it is counter cultural. In a culture that wants comfort it says sacrifice. In a culture that needs approval by what I drive it says lose your life so that you can gain it. In a culture that has lost all moorings with any morality it says gouge out your right eye, lop off your arm to gain the kingdom. Yes, these are all the words of Jesus.
No there isn't any drawn out discussion of something so insignificant as a commercial on radio but these thoughts struck me as I thought about this world and its trappings. Someone actually had to come up with that and I pray for them to know the nature of the true gospel in all of its glory.
Your boasting friend,
Tim
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Come as you are - a gospel call
Listening to Geoff Moore's song and just celebrating that He called me, me a prodigal and one who would rather sell my Father's inheritence to eat with the pigs. May I celebrate my Father's call to me! Is he calling you? Are you listening?
[The Parable of the Prodigal Son]
[11 ] And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. [12 ] And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. [13 ] Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. [14 ] And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. [15 ] So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. [16 ] And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.
[17 ] “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! [18 ] I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. [19 ] I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ [20 ] And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. [21 ] And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ [22 ] But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. [23 ] And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. [24 ] For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.
The Gospel calls to you and says come, come with your broken heart, shame of sin, the dark blackness of the existence that you sometimes call joy and come to him. Don't let the sin drown out His call to you, please listen to him. Cling to Him in faith admitting your sin, he said this to the tax collectors and the Pharisees looking on, he is not a respecter of persons, don't look at your education, your filthiness, your weaknesses, your looks, your money, your connections that contiue to plague you. Look to the Cross and be saved, look, look, look...
Come as you are
Open hands, broken heart
As you are
Come with your joy
And your pain
With your doubt and your shame
As you are
Prodigal daughters and sons, everyone
All will be forgiven
No matter what you’ve done
And when the Father sees you he will run
No matter how far
Come as you are
Come, please don’t wait
There’s still time
It’s not too late
To come as you are
Christian lyrics - COME AS YOU ARE LYRICS - GEOFF MOORE
[The Parable of the Prodigal Son]
[11 ] And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. [12 ] And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. [13 ] Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. [14 ] And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. [15 ] So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. [16 ] And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.
[17 ] “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! [18 ] I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. [19 ] I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ [20 ] And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. [21 ] And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ [22 ] But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. [23 ] And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. [24 ] For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.
The Gospel calls to you and says come, come with your broken heart, shame of sin, the dark blackness of the existence that you sometimes call joy and come to him. Don't let the sin drown out His call to you, please listen to him. Cling to Him in faith admitting your sin, he said this to the tax collectors and the Pharisees looking on, he is not a respecter of persons, don't look at your education, your filthiness, your weaknesses, your looks, your money, your connections that contiue to plague you. Look to the Cross and be saved, look, look, look...
Come as you are
Open hands, broken heart
As you are
Come with your joy
And your pain
With your doubt and your shame
As you are
Prodigal daughters and sons, everyone
All will be forgiven
No matter what you’ve done
And when the Father sees you he will run
No matter how far
Come as you are
Come, please don’t wait
There’s still time
It’s not too late
To come as you are
Christian lyrics - COME AS YOU ARE LYRICS - GEOFF MOORE
Friday, August 20, 2010
Evangelism and the Manti Pageant; FAIL
But this is now being threatened.
The Town Council of Manti is considering a proposal which would shut down the main street going to the pageant location thus inhibiting our brothers and sisters from doing the work of the gospel where it has been unobstructed before. They would turn the street into a park but with special "rules". Basically this would inhibit those coming to Manti from a public venue that they can, as I said, lovingly confront the false gospel that the Mormons hold to. It seems as if there is not a lot of debate on this but we need to get the message out. There is a proposal from John Kauer of thinkabouteternity.org that would allow the City and LDS to buy the property but maintain the civil liberties that any public park would have.
The Gospel is not at all affected or offended, they will still go and there will still be the evangel in Manti but this is an assault. There would be signs of prohibition against proselytizing, can you imagine? I know that I've seen, "pick up after your dog", "no alcohol", "no parking after dark", "don't litter". But, "don't talk about the true gospel"? :)Please pray:
for the town council of Manti.
for the ministries that are seeking to minister there.
that the gospel would continue to go out w/o hinderance from those opposed to it.
Your boasting friend,
Tim
*here is the real sign that is out there, of course it is not as good as my sign above, being truthful...:)
Monday, August 16, 2010
Could there be anything worse?
This an excerpt from Justin Taylor's blog:
"We need to realize that those who are in hell desire nothing more than the absence of God. They didn’t want to be in God’s presence during their earthly lives, and they certainly don’t want Him near when they’re in hell. The worst thing about hell is the presence of God there."
—R. C. Sproul, The Truth of the Cross (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2007), pp. 157-158; my emphasis.
What a gift we have in this faith that but for the grace of God we would be with those who deny God and live in rebellion to him. May God continue to grant us eyes to see.
A few months ago I posted here regarding hell and the actualities of it.
Your boasting friend,
Tim
"We need to realize that those who are in hell desire nothing more than the absence of God. They didn’t want to be in God’s presence during their earthly lives, and they certainly don’t want Him near when they’re in hell. The worst thing about hell is the presence of God there."
—R. C. Sproul, The Truth of the Cross (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2007), pp. 157-158; my emphasis.
What a gift we have in this faith that but for the grace of God we would be with those who deny God and live in rebellion to him. May God continue to grant us eyes to see.
A few months ago I posted here regarding hell and the actualities of it.
Your boasting friend,
Tim
Friday, August 13, 2010
Learning the Gospel via Jerry Jones
Not quite him teaching it intentionally but this is what I get everytime there is a Cowboy's game and I'm coming home on I30. Instead of starting the "I hate Jerry Jones" Facebook page I instead think of the gospel applied to my own heart.
Jerry Jones may never know how much he is contributing to my sanctification through the activity of the Holy Sprirt that He gets each time that I have to wait in traffic. So may the gospel come to Mr. Jones in a tangible way and may my life be more of an example as I sit in the mess of I-30. :)
Your boasting friend,
Tim
Jerry Jones may never know how much he is contributing to my sanctification through the activity of the Holy Sprirt that He gets each time that I have to wait in traffic. So may the gospel come to Mr. Jones in a tangible way and may my life be more of an example as I sit in the mess of I-30. :)
Your boasting friend,
Tim
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Forgotten God
If I were to recommend some reading on the Person and work of the Holy Spirit I would not hesitate to recommend Francis Chan's book Forgotten God. Basically he works from the premise of the Bible, imagine that, and then works out of that. He dosen't tend to get lost in minutae in his writing which is refreshing as it is challenging. I cannot believe that people could bore you with the Holy Spirit but that is what we tend to do in forgetting his work in our lives and trying to disect Him instead of worship Him. Check out the book and don't be bored in church or outside of it anymore.
Some great quotes:
"We are not all we were made to be when everything in our lives and churches can be explained apart from the work and presence of the Spirit of God." (p. 18)
"It is true that God may have called you to be exactly where you are. But it's absolutely vital to grasp that He didn't call you there so you could settle in and live out your life in comfort and superficial peace. His purposes are not random or arbitrary. If you are still alive on this planet, it's because He has something for you to do." (p. 92)
"The Spirit who raised Christ from the dead is not someone we can just call on when we want a little extra power in our lives. Jesus Christ did not die in order to follow us. He died and rose again so that we could forget everything else and follow Him to the cross, to true Life." (p. 122)
"I believe He is calling me - and all of us - to depend on Him for living in a way that cannot be mimicked or forged. He wants us to walk in step with His Spirit rather than depend solely on the raw talent and knowledge He's given us.
But instead of living this way, we've created a whole brand of churches that do not depend on the Spirit, a whole culture of Christians who are not disciples, a new group of "followers" who do not follow." (p. 143)
"No matter where you live and what your days look like, you have the choice each day to depend on yourself, to live safely, and to try to control your life. Or you can live as you were created to live - as a temple of the Holy Spirit of God, as a person dependent on Him desperate for God the Spirit to show up and make a difference. When you begin living a life characterized by walking with the Spirit, that is when people will begin to look not to you but to our Father in heaven and give Him the praise." (p. 156) [emphasis mine]
Your boasting friend,
Tim
Some great quotes:
"We are not all we were made to be when everything in our lives and churches can be explained apart from the work and presence of the Spirit of God." (p. 18)
"It is true that God may have called you to be exactly where you are. But it's absolutely vital to grasp that He didn't call you there so you could settle in and live out your life in comfort and superficial peace. His purposes are not random or arbitrary. If you are still alive on this planet, it's because He has something for you to do." (p. 92)
"The Spirit who raised Christ from the dead is not someone we can just call on when we want a little extra power in our lives. Jesus Christ did not die in order to follow us. He died and rose again so that we could forget everything else and follow Him to the cross, to true Life." (p. 122)
"I believe He is calling me - and all of us - to depend on Him for living in a way that cannot be mimicked or forged. He wants us to walk in step with His Spirit rather than depend solely on the raw talent and knowledge He's given us.
But instead of living this way, we've created a whole brand of churches that do not depend on the Spirit, a whole culture of Christians who are not disciples, a new group of "followers" who do not follow." (p. 143)
"No matter where you live and what your days look like, you have the choice each day to depend on yourself, to live safely, and to try to control your life. Or you can live as you were created to live - as a temple of the Holy Spirit of God, as a person dependent on Him desperate for God the Spirit to show up and make a difference. When you begin living a life characterized by walking with the Spirit, that is when people will begin to look not to you but to our Father in heaven and give Him the praise." (p. 156) [emphasis mine]
Your boasting friend,
Tim
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Little reminders in the midst of busyness...
This is from Carl Trueman at the Reformation 21 blog:
"Above all, the iPhone phenomenon speaks of the need to be continually occupied with texts, tweets and whatever. The obsession with texting and these other phenomena is indicative of the general noise we need to generate to keep ourselves occupied. One of those things which calls to mind Pascal: the measure of true human being is the ability to sit alone in silence in a room. Were we to do that, in our fallen state we would have no choice but to face our own mortality, the ultimate hopeless futility of our existence without God.
Have a nice day."
It sounds like my daily struggle with consuming myself with other stuff instead of thinking on Him.
May we find times of reflection sobering yet with a smile. :)
Your boasting friend,
Tim
"Above all, the iPhone phenomenon speaks of the need to be continually occupied with texts, tweets and whatever. The obsession with texting and these other phenomena is indicative of the general noise we need to generate to keep ourselves occupied. One of those things which calls to mind Pascal: the measure of true human being is the ability to sit alone in silence in a room. Were we to do that, in our fallen state we would have no choice but to face our own mortality, the ultimate hopeless futility of our existence without God.
Have a nice day."
It sounds like my daily struggle with consuming myself with other stuff instead of thinking on Him.
May we find times of reflection sobering yet with a smile. :)
Your boasting friend,
Tim
Monday, March 15, 2010
Hell, yes. You will live for eternity.
A couple of years back Robert Jeffress of 1st Dallas wrote a book, Hell, Yes! it was regarding the nominal views of hell that have been purported in the press and even in a lot of theological studies these days. But without Hell what is Heaven other than a place where the good people go who would help some old lady across the street or go buy the bum in the alley some food? I mean hell is going to be a party and so I'll get over to heaven one of these days in eternity somewhere when the party dies down right? But hey what do they always say, "its going to be a !$#% of a party!". Well not the way the Bible lays it out, it is going to be anything but and I would like to say that if you are a Christian reading this that a deeper view of hell will actually inform and reform your personal evangelism.
At night my family and I like to go through a Family Catechism, going through the questions that are posed and then answered. It is the revised work of a guy named Charles Spurgeon a 19th century preacher in England.
Question 39 is posed like this:
At night my family and I like to go through a Family Catechism, going through the questions that are posed and then answered. It is the revised work of a guy named Charles Spurgeon a 19th century preacher in England.
Question 39 is posed like this:
"What will happen to the wicked at the day of judgment?"
Answer:
"At the day of judgment, the bodies of the wicked will be raised out of their graves, sentenced together with their souls and sent to bear unspeakable torments with the devl and his angels forever in hell."
You can read that over again slowly one more time, not to celebrate it or think of someone who is going and relish it but to feel the tortorous monstrosity that will be hell. Now, if he stopped there that wouldn't be good but of course there is always "back up" to what is answered. So listen to God's Word...
"And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt." Daniel 12:2
"28 Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment." John 5:28-29
"9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might," 2 Thess. 1:9
"41 “Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels." Matthew 25:41
Aptly we end with Jesus' own warning against those who would not prepare themselves for eternity. As the book of Hebrews says, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" Hebrews 10:31.
So what of you, what will be your eternal home? Please don't read John 5:29a and say, "Whew, I'm good, I mean I know what evil is and I'm not it." But how are you defining "evil" there? This is where hell gets more personal, because as you look down the corridors of history you see only One that did no evil, Jesus Christ. What John is saying there in the preview of the end, when all known things will come to an end and everyone will give an account, is that there is only one way to be "good" or "good enough" to measure God's exacting standard, and it isn't by what you do. What do I mean? I mean that your own righteousness wouldn't measure up to God and it never could, only God could bring it to us and the way that he has done that is through his Son, Jesus Christ.
Please, if you care for your soul, read through those verses again and consider eternity without God, without hope.
Your boasting friend,
Tim
Please, if you care for your soul, read through those verses again and consider eternity without God, without hope.
Your boasting friend,
Tim
Friday, March 5, 2010
Cape Town 2010
I love to see that the Body of Christ is moving in directions that would bring about the proclamation of the gospel to all the nations. To that end this video was a great sense of the hope that will be at Cape Town 2010. May God use it to lift up the cross of Christ and bring many to himself.
(HT:desiringgod)
(HT:desiringgod)
Friday, January 15, 2010
The Gospel in light of depression and anxiety
"I want to begin by observing that the gospel applies to the depressed and anxious person the same way it applies to the emotionally healthy person. We are all sinners in need of forgiveness who find our only hope in the life, death, resurrection and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ. True life for all is found through repentance and faith in Jesus (cf. Acts 20:21; Rom 10:9-10).
In a world oriented towards personal pleasure and fulfilment, I need to understand that what is truly good is faithful service of God. In Christ, we see that our lives are for the glory of God. There is only one opinion that matters. The pride of my heart is humbled by the knowledge that I am not and cannot be God—that I cannot be superhuman—that I am reliant on God for his forgiveness and grace every day of my life—and that even what I achieve is achieved through the strength and action of God. Only the gospel can bring the required humility to assess ourselves rightly."
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