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
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
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."
Monday, December 14, 2009
Missionary mystics
"The next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what was spoken by Paul, reviling him. And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, "it was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, "I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth." Acts 13:44-47
"And when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in Lycaonian, "The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!" Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker...and [the priest of Zeus] wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds. But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out, "Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them" Acts 14:11-15
These two verses are a good summary of the missionary excursions of the Apostle Paul and they reflect the true nature of his call and I would argue any missionary call, namely to "bring salvation". This is the end for which we were created, to reflect the value and worship of our Saviour to the world around us and offer that gospel to them.
There are a couple of phrases that I want to point out, see Paul's use of the phrase "word of God", so there is a "word", logon in greek, a word, a statement, a speech that is specific of God. I think Paul might be speaking of the Old Testament. Why do I think this? What OT scripture is quoted? Isaiah 49:6, so he quotes from the OT to argue against the Jews, thereby using what is authoritative. This reflects confidence in what God had revealed and used up to that point, and still uses, Paul did not use his words, they would've been weak but speaking, by the power of God, through the Holy Spirit, he spoke the words of God.
Going back to the beginning of the verse we see that everyone gathered to hear, "the word of the Lord." Again there was a reason that they had come, not to hear Paul but to hear him relate the "word of God" using what was proper, the revealed word of God.
The inclusion of the quotes from Acts 14 really set the tone for why they were there. What was their true concern in being there? Obviously they saw the overwhelming need, when you have someone sitting there with no feet, the needs were obvious. Paul's appeal to them was, "we bring you good news...", what is that "good news" of? "A living God, who made the heaven and the earth..." Where did Paul get an idea like that? From the OT, Genesis 1. Also, that was the end of why they did this, not just so you can be healed and walk away but so that you can know God, to glorify Him.
So here are two perfect examples of "missionary moments", if you will, that Paul shared the good news in the midst of suffering and did it within the context of the revealed word of God.
So I had an experience with a missionary in which I listened for about an hour of their hope for the people that they were ministering to. The needs can be overwhelming and I saw how the Spirit of God had moved in their hearts and those around them to provide for needs. I listened intently as he told me about dreams, healings, words of knowledge and supernatural power abounding. I was listening for one more thing, the word of God, not the subjective word, mind you, but the objective, powerful, living, active word of God. I was disappointed, I was told how many people had dreams and words of knowledge and how they even teach classes on this. How the interns come and how they "teach" them to be intercessors, how they will have times where they will be in "prayer" for hours. How that the word of God isn't really that relevant when it comes down to where those people are at. When he sat down next to me after the meeting and we started dialoguing, I asked him how hard it was to keep the gospel, "the gospel" in that context? How do you not make it about the healing or dreams or words of knowledge? I think it was instructive that he kind of stared at me and then proceeded to go back to the dreams, words of knowledge...BLAH, BLAH, BLAH!
I've been in the middle of this movement before, third wave - charasmania, the most deceptive point of this is not the actual use of the Bible but how it is used. My thoughts become king and the gospel becomes something I did, once. I mean, they reason, the Bible wasn't around in Acts, how were they worshipping God? How were they relating to God? I need to relate to God that way, throw away everything, its all "new wine", as they love to name their churches.
They weren't all meeting in houses around town, they were still coming to the Synagouge. Of course that was before they got kicked out. And why? Because they believed what the OT said about Jesus Christ! They weren't just jirating all over the floor or foaming at the mouth. They believed things that were revealed by the word of God.
Lets do a "what if" for a moment, what if the apostle Paul decided to share his own words? I doubt that we would be reading of him first of all. What if he said, you know what, you all are right because you interpret the OT better than I do, yes, you still can be justified by the law, what am I thinking applying what I see in the OT to this given situation? Even worse would've been, "Oh you guys are so stuck in this religious system, you need some 'new wine', listen to me I had this dream..." Some may argue, we'll I'm just interpreting the Bible different from you. Really? What is your final arbitor? Does it come back to your thoughts, what you felt? What your word of knowledge is/was? Do you ever question yourself, has that word of knowledge come about? If it was wrong where does that mean that it came from? If God, then what are you saying? God can be wrong? If God can be wrong than what about Jesus Christ? See how decptive our own thoughts can be?
Lastly, third wavers make their case for their way of thinking by anachronism, thinking that they lived or want to live in the days of the believers in Acts. Funny but these people usually like their toilets inside and their windows on their houses, like me. :) But they don't truly want that, they want no boundries, my thoughts are most relative to the conversation, get around them and you will soon find out that the one with the best story wins. They try to say that the rest of the Bible is just, as one person put it to me, "letters to someone", nothing more, nothing less. They want to skip over not so distant history and look past the heresies that have re-formed themselves but yet they think are so new! And the history of the Nicene Creed where the cannon was formed for that very reason.
So why don't we have a Gospel of Bob, or Jill, or Laura, or Ron? Well, we can thank our forefathers or ancestors that they saw this being of importance and through the power of the Holy Spirit made decisions that needed to be made. Who wanted to read or cared about reading about when Jesus was 12 y/o and healed a bird as the gospel of Thomas reports. Or who cares what my thoughts are if they don't reflect the only words worth my time and breath. The word of God has been carried along by the power of the Holy Spirit for the purpose of salvation and I, for one, am glad that he has done that through and by his Objective power and grace.
Your boasting friend,
Tim
"And when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in Lycaonian, "The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!" Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker...and [the priest of Zeus] wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds. But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out, "Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them" Acts 14:11-15
These two verses are a good summary of the missionary excursions of the Apostle Paul and they reflect the true nature of his call and I would argue any missionary call, namely to "bring salvation". This is the end for which we were created, to reflect the value and worship of our Saviour to the world around us and offer that gospel to them.
There are a couple of phrases that I want to point out, see Paul's use of the phrase "word of God", so there is a "word", logon in greek, a word, a statement, a speech that is specific of God. I think Paul might be speaking of the Old Testament. Why do I think this? What OT scripture is quoted? Isaiah 49:6, so he quotes from the OT to argue against the Jews, thereby using what is authoritative. This reflects confidence in what God had revealed and used up to that point, and still uses, Paul did not use his words, they would've been weak but speaking, by the power of God, through the Holy Spirit, he spoke the words of God.
Going back to the beginning of the verse we see that everyone gathered to hear, "the word of the Lord." Again there was a reason that they had come, not to hear Paul but to hear him relate the "word of God" using what was proper, the revealed word of God.
The inclusion of the quotes from Acts 14 really set the tone for why they were there. What was their true concern in being there? Obviously they saw the overwhelming need, when you have someone sitting there with no feet, the needs were obvious. Paul's appeal to them was, "we bring you good news...", what is that "good news" of? "A living God, who made the heaven and the earth..." Where did Paul get an idea like that? From the OT, Genesis 1. Also, that was the end of why they did this, not just so you can be healed and walk away but so that you can know God, to glorify Him.
So here are two perfect examples of "missionary moments", if you will, that Paul shared the good news in the midst of suffering and did it within the context of the revealed word of God.
So I had an experience with a missionary in which I listened for about an hour of their hope for the people that they were ministering to. The needs can be overwhelming and I saw how the Spirit of God had moved in their hearts and those around them to provide for needs. I listened intently as he told me about dreams, healings, words of knowledge and supernatural power abounding. I was listening for one more thing, the word of God, not the subjective word, mind you, but the objective, powerful, living, active word of God. I was disappointed, I was told how many people had dreams and words of knowledge and how they even teach classes on this. How the interns come and how they "teach" them to be intercessors, how they will have times where they will be in "prayer" for hours. How that the word of God isn't really that relevant when it comes down to where those people are at. When he sat down next to me after the meeting and we started dialoguing, I asked him how hard it was to keep the gospel, "the gospel" in that context? How do you not make it about the healing or dreams or words of knowledge? I think it was instructive that he kind of stared at me and then proceeded to go back to the dreams, words of knowledge...BLAH, BLAH, BLAH!
I've been in the middle of this movement before, third wave - charasmania, the most deceptive point of this is not the actual use of the Bible but how it is used. My thoughts become king and the gospel becomes something I did, once. I mean, they reason, the Bible wasn't around in Acts, how were they worshipping God? How were they relating to God? I need to relate to God that way, throw away everything, its all "new wine", as they love to name their churches.
They weren't all meeting in houses around town, they were still coming to the Synagouge. Of course that was before they got kicked out. And why? Because they believed what the OT said about Jesus Christ! They weren't just jirating all over the floor or foaming at the mouth. They believed things that were revealed by the word of God.
Lets do a "what if" for a moment, what if the apostle Paul decided to share his own words? I doubt that we would be reading of him first of all. What if he said, you know what, you all are right because you interpret the OT better than I do, yes, you still can be justified by the law, what am I thinking applying what I see in the OT to this given situation? Even worse would've been, "Oh you guys are so stuck in this religious system, you need some 'new wine', listen to me I had this dream..." Some may argue, we'll I'm just interpreting the Bible different from you. Really? What is your final arbitor? Does it come back to your thoughts, what you felt? What your word of knowledge is/was? Do you ever question yourself, has that word of knowledge come about? If it was wrong where does that mean that it came from? If God, then what are you saying? God can be wrong? If God can be wrong than what about Jesus Christ? See how decptive our own thoughts can be?
Lastly, third wavers make their case for their way of thinking by anachronism, thinking that they lived or want to live in the days of the believers in Acts. Funny but these people usually like their toilets inside and their windows on their houses, like me. :) But they don't truly want that, they want no boundries, my thoughts are most relative to the conversation, get around them and you will soon find out that the one with the best story wins. They try to say that the rest of the Bible is just, as one person put it to me, "letters to someone", nothing more, nothing less. They want to skip over not so distant history and look past the heresies that have re-formed themselves but yet they think are so new! And the history of the Nicene Creed where the cannon was formed for that very reason.
So why don't we have a Gospel of Bob, or Jill, or Laura, or Ron? Well, we can thank our forefathers or ancestors that they saw this being of importance and through the power of the Holy Spirit made decisions that needed to be made. Who wanted to read or cared about reading about when Jesus was 12 y/o and healed a bird as the gospel of Thomas reports. Or who cares what my thoughts are if they don't reflect the only words worth my time and breath. The word of God has been carried along by the power of the Holy Spirit for the purpose of salvation and I, for one, am glad that he has done that through and by his Objective power and grace.
Your boasting friend,
Tim
Thursday, December 10, 2009
The Manhattan Declaration
So I signed it.
There is a huge debate within the blogosphere and there is a continuing drawing of lines that can be good and bad. Not to not fall on either side of this, I'm squarely behind those who signed.
I don't completely disagree with those who are opposed to a declaration made by a 'melting pot' of those in the evangelical community. It is very hard to come to some consencious regarding something of a theological debate but this isn't theological, it might be to those who are purporting it to be somekind of in-gathering. Regardless of those that would do that it is clearly not a theological treatise. There is nothing mentioned of Justification by faith, transubstanciation, baptism, soteriology, etc...
It is a simple, well written, declaration on what we believe about the 'core' issues in our society. I work all day, every weekday in this society and we need some parameters to put on the "PC' (political correctness) that is continually thrown in our face. Everyday I talk to gay people and they have no scruples about living in a society like ours that doesn't have biblical moorings.
Speaking to my wife about this and being able to articulate what I saw in the article that I could agree on I think that the ones who would not sign and defend their positions don't work in the everyday world. If it is a mistake to sign then God will have to deal with me but to have something, that is not beating around the bush and isn't from a dominionist perscpective was refreshing. I will debate Roman Catholics and Orthodox faiths on the foundational issues that we definitely disagree on, I don't go into this blinded by ecumenism or that it becomes my foundation.
To have SOMETHING that states in words that are pertinent to the world we live in. Why I believe that it isn't a 'giving over'.
"We as Orthodox, Catholic, and Evangelical Christians, have gathered...we sign as individuals, not on behalf of our organizations, but speaking to and from our communities."
Individuals signing a document doesn't bind them together in more than that, individuals desiring to say that morally this is where we stand. The only change that will truly come about is by a proclamation of the Gospel of Christ. Some signing do not believe that but it doesn't define my view of the Gospel or the way that I proclaim it. Stating where someone stands is just that, a statement. Unfortunately those in the Reformed community aren't seeing that as something relevant to our current state. I feel as though I'm becoming part of that, I don't understand why they haven't put anything out stating what the Gospel does say about such things. Instead of reacting why don't we become proclaimers and show the world what the Gospel will do but especially those of us who follow and listen to them! Paul said that he did what he did, In II Tim. 2:10, "Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect...", for the sake of the elect. Bring out your thoughts regarding culture so that I can live in the midst of it.
Yesterday there was a known gay person in my office that I make reservations for, I have a collegue who is gay, my manager is gay. I have marriages all around me that are in disarray, I can feel the tightening of the religious police who will come into my office and cringe becuase of my Bible or other books that are on display. I say to those leaders who are against the Manhattan Declaration to come out with something that they can or will agree on to the point that it would compel me to sign and say, "Yes, I can go to my office with that in mind and to the glory of God do my job." I'm not saying that that doesn't happen, it does, not by my working but by God's outworking.
To know the Gospel and love the Gospel is my goal, I would never disparage it in any way, I want to be a model of God's gracious love and power. I have a clear conscience, that is a nice thing to say but more than that I want to bring the Gospel and how it speaks to every situation so that Christ might be exalted and treasured above all.
Your boasting friend,
Tim
To have SOMETHING that states in words that are pertinent to the world we live in. Why I believe that it isn't a 'giving over'.
"We as Orthodox, Catholic, and Evangelical Christians, have gathered...we sign as individuals, not on behalf of our organizations, but speaking to and from our communities."
Individuals signing a document doesn't bind them together in more than that, individuals desiring to say that morally this is where we stand. The only change that will truly come about is by a proclamation of the Gospel of Christ. Some signing do not believe that but it doesn't define my view of the Gospel or the way that I proclaim it. Stating where someone stands is just that, a statement. Unfortunately those in the Reformed community aren't seeing that as something relevant to our current state. I feel as though I'm becoming part of that, I don't understand why they haven't put anything out stating what the Gospel does say about such things. Instead of reacting why don't we become proclaimers and show the world what the Gospel will do but especially those of us who follow and listen to them! Paul said that he did what he did, In II Tim. 2:10, "Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect...", for the sake of the elect. Bring out your thoughts regarding culture so that I can live in the midst of it.
Yesterday there was a known gay person in my office that I make reservations for, I have a collegue who is gay, my manager is gay. I have marriages all around me that are in disarray, I can feel the tightening of the religious police who will come into my office and cringe becuase of my Bible or other books that are on display. I say to those leaders who are against the Manhattan Declaration to come out with something that they can or will agree on to the point that it would compel me to sign and say, "Yes, I can go to my office with that in mind and to the glory of God do my job." I'm not saying that that doesn't happen, it does, not by my working but by God's outworking.
To know the Gospel and love the Gospel is my goal, I would never disparage it in any way, I want to be a model of God's gracious love and power. I have a clear conscience, that is a nice thing to say but more than that I want to bring the Gospel and how it speaks to every situation so that Christ might be exalted and treasured above all.
Your boasting friend,
Tim
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