Engaged!
December 28, 20077 comments
I'm still trying to convince myself it's not a dream that I will soon be marrying the most wonderful woman in the world. After going to see the Broadway version of "White Christmas" in downtown Raleigh on Wednesday night, Elizabeth and I went for a walk in Moore Square where I asked her to be my wife. Wonder of wonders, she said yes!
Through the whole courtship process, I've come to realize my dependence on God's leading. There is so much that I am incapable of doing on my own, and so much I don't know how to handle or what to do, but with God leading and depending on Him for strength, he hasn't led us astray. To the contrary, he has proven himself dependable and faithful from the very beginning.
Unless the LORD builds the house,
those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city,
the watchman stays awake in vain.
It is in vain that you rise up early
and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
for he gives to his beloved sleep.Psalm 127:1-2 (ESV)
And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
Joshua 24:15 (ESV)
Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.
Matthew 7:24-25 (ESV)
Here are some pictures from the happiest day of my life so far:
Quotes from Mike Huckabee
December 5, 200714 comments
I still haven't decided who I will support as a presidential candidate for the 2008 election. In the past few weeks as Mike Huckabee has been seeing a huge surge in popularity, I've started reading more about him and listening to several of his speeches. One thing I can say about Huckabee that this guy is solid. Check out these quotes I've pulled from some of his speeches:
"My personal relationship with God is through Jesus Christ in a personal way. There is no group plan going to heaven. I'm not going to heaven because I'm an American. I'm not going to heaven because I'm a member of a particular denomination. I'm not going to heaven because I'm white or because I'm male. I'm going to heaven because of Jesus Christ's death on a cross and my personal acceptance of my sin and his death on the cross as substitution for my own death."
"We [Americans] don't understand that the nature of man is not that he's basically good, it's that he's basically selfish. We have a sin nature, not a God nature. We have a God who made us, but we come into this world broken. We come into this world with a self-centeredness that only grace can fix."
"This is a true story. My son made a chocolate cake and put a cup of salt in the cake. If you don't think that will ruin a cake, go home and make yourself one. You won't eat it, but if you have cows around, they'll lick on it for a week. Now, here's what my son did. He didn't understand what "a dash" meant. Nobody had ever defined for him the term, so he made up his own definition. It was not lack of sincerity, it was not lack of effort, it was not even a lack of an honorable and noble purpose, it was that he had redefined the terms, and in so doing, instead of creating a cake he created a disaster."
"I don't understand how people can tell us that we shouldn't change the constitution to affirm that marriage means one man, one woman, for life, but those very people would allow us to change the Word of the living God so that marriage wouldn't mean one man, one woman, for life. Help me to understand the logic behind that argument."
"If your pulpit is not trying to move our societal norms to the norms of the Scripture, but trying to move the Scriptural norms to the norms of society then somehow we've got it all wrong. It is not the purpose of the church to find ways to become increasingly popular, it is important that the church remain ever unceasingly principled."
"I'm not a republican because I like politics, I'm a republican because it's the only place I could go where I could affirm and be affirmed that life is a gift from the almighty God that begins at conception and we have a moral obligation to protect it so long as God gives it breath and life and we do not have the right to take it artificially. ... Let me be clear, if the party to which I am currently a member decides that it no longer believes the things that matter most, that are eternal, that have longer lasting value than the politics of the next election, then I'll have to keep looking and find some other place, or be alone. But being alone in principle is better than being alone in a crowded room where nobody believes in anything or stands for anything."
"[We've moved from] a time when teachers carried paddles and ruled the halls to now where kids carry guns and the teachers are afraid. And yes, I do believe that the old fashioned ways of dicipline are good ones. I was the recipient of quite a few. I tell people that my father was the most patriotic man I think I ever knew. Utter patriotism. He laid on the stripes, I saw stars. True american patriotism. I shudder to think what would have happened had he not given me some clear guidelines to live by."
"I think that those of us who have observed homeschooling ... have come to realize that the government has intervened and interfered way too much and that we need to go back to the idea that if it's working well, leave it alone and let it breathe."
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The Gospel
November 5, 20071 comment
Not the labor of my hands
Can fulfill Thy law’s demands;
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone;
Thou must save, and Thou alone.
Rock of Ages (Augustus M. Toplady)
Now incline me to repent,
Let me now my sins lament,
Now my foul revolt deplore,
Weep, believe, and sin no more.
Depth of Mercy (Charles Wesley)
My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
It is Well With My Soul (Horatio G. Spafford)
When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh may I then in Him be found.
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.
The Solid Rock (Edward Mote)
When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,
And then proclaim: "My God, how great Thou art!"
How Great Thou Art (Carl Gustaf Boberg)1 comment
Reformation Day
October 29, 20071 comment
Reformation day (see wikipedia) is coming up on October 31, which is the day Luther nailed his 95 theses to the church doors in Whittenburg. In honor of this, I thought I'd pass along a great YouTube video called the Reformation Polka. Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WU0f_qJLkLg
Why did Jesus have to die?
October 16, 20071 comment
When I was younger, I never understood why Jesus had to die. I believed what the hymn says,
Because the sinless savior died
My sinful soul is counted free
For God the Just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me."Before the Throne of God Above"
Charitie Bancroft, 1863
But I never understood why. Why couldn't God just say, "I forgive you?" Why did Jesus have to die? I was reminded about this in a conversation on Sunday afternoon. It reminded me of the excellent message that John Piper gave at the New Attitude conference (the message can be found here, titled "Discerning What Pleases God: Himself"). Here is my summary what he said about Christ as the propitiation (@ time index 22:50). I used Piper's words as much as possible.
[Begin Paraphrase of John Piper]"...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins."
Romans 3:23-25 (ESV)
What is the purpose of the cross? To demonstrate God's righteousness. What's the problem? Why is passing over sins a compromise of the righteousness of God that requires the death of the Son? If God passes over sins, the Son of God's got to die in order to demonstrate his righteousness. How is the righteousness of God called into question by the passing over of sins? v23 - All have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God. -- we're back at the glory of God. Sin is an attitude or action that belittles the glory of God. It makes a choice that can only be explained that we value something more than the glory of God. It's how you think, feel, act when you don't prize God's glory as much as you should. Therefore you trample the glory of God in your simple preference for something else. v25 - God passed over that. It means he looked on the trampling of his glory and acted as though it didn't matter. That is the meaning of unrighteousness. Unrighteousness is when you do something profoundly wrong, and don't do something profoundly right. The right thing to do when God's glory is trampled is to vindicate it. And the wrong thing to do is act like nothing happened. So God has acted in a profoundly unrighteous way in passing over your sin, UNLESS there is a way to display the worth of his glory differently than sending you to hell, which would do it just fine. Those are the two options in front of us. You can either go to hell to vindicate the worth of God's glory that you have trampled, or the son of God can die to vindicate the worth of God's glory that you have trampled. And God being rich in mercy sent Christ into the world to vindicate His glory's worth and to clearly demonstrate His righteousness.
[End Paraphrase]
Ransom
October 11, 20072 comments
Ps. 49:7-9: "Truly no man can ransom another or give to God the price of his life, for the ransom of their life is costly and can never suffice, that he should live on forever and never see the pit." (ESV)
Eph. 2:8-9: "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." (ESV)
2 commentsMusic I Like, and Why
October 10, 20070 comments
I've had several discussions with friends lately about music, specifically Christian music. These discussions tend to gravitate toward the reasons we like or dislike certain genres, and lamenting that much Christian music is just copying popular secular music. I won't argue that fact at all. But the more I was thinking about the albums that I thuroughly enjoy and noticing the ones that seem to resonate with me, I noticed a pattern.
I'm not musically gifted, so I don't tend to notice musical nuances and styles. I can recognize music that I like, but I couldn't tell you why. For example, I love bluegrass music but I'm not sure why (because I don't like country music in general).
My favorite albums are the ones that have rich lyrics that beautifully adorn great theological truths. Because of this, my favorite artists inlude Caedmon's Call, Sandra McCracken and Rich Mullins. The thing they have in common is that they unashamedly mention Christ and don't write in generalities.
I wrote a post this spring about Sandra McCracken's album, "The Builder and Architect." I haven't listended to it for a while, but pulled it out again this morning and was reminded of how much I love this album. She sings such rich truth! I highly recommend it.
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Wee War
October 1, 20071 comment
Check out Wee War. Pretty fun. Let me know if you want to play a game. (click the image)
My Faith, God's Faithfulness
September 21, 20072 comments
This morning I read Hebrews 11 and wondered why some of these people were mentioned here in this hall-of-faith. I mean, it's obvious why Abraham was mentioned. It took heroic faith to obey God and offer up his only son, Isaac. But why is this in there: "By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff." What faith is required to bless your grandchildren? I think it's faith in God's faithfulness. All of the people mentioned in this chapter had faith that God would be faithful to the very end. Their lives demonstrated this faith. The lesson for me is that no matter what happens, God is, and will always will be, faithful to uphold his promises.
2 commentsGreat is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!Thomas O. Chisholm, 1923
#!/bin/theology
August 18, 20077 comments
# This morning while laying in bed trying to decide # whether or not to get up, I started to wonder # if theological concepts could be expressed in # small bash scripts. Turns out, they can! # justification cat /dev/Luke | grep -v sin # sanctification while [ 1 ]; do head /dev/Christ >> Luke.txt sleep 3600 done # election cat /dev/sinners | grep Luke >> saved.txt # regeneration cd /usr/src/Luke make clean ./configure --newman make make install # atonement # assuming that # "cat /dev/wrath >> /dev/Luke" is running as pid 3829 # and "Christ" is a process that is running. kill -9 3829 cat /dev/wrath >> /dev/Christ killall Christ mv Luke /home/God7 comments
Brothers
August 3, 20071 comment
I went back to Indiana this weekend for my mom's birthday. Unfortunately we're not that big on taking pictures so I don't have much to share other than that it was a great time! My brother took this picture with his phone.. gotta love brothers!
The Dangerous Book for Boys
June 28, 20074 comments
This book, The Dangerous Book for Boys, looks amazing and is very high on my reading list. Even though I'm 26, I'd still love to take a Saturday and do most of the stuff in here. Al Mohler has a nice write-up about it on his blog (http://www.albertmohler.com/blog_read.php?id=949). I love this quote Dr. Mohler pulls out of the book:
If you see a girl in need of help--unable to lift something, for example--do not taunt her. Approach the object and greet her with a cheerful smile, while surreptitiously testing the weight of the object. If you find you can lift it, go ahead. If you can't, try sitting on it and engaging her in conversation.
Amazon.com has a link to this video about how to apply this book in real life. I think it speaks for itself.
4 commentsJohn Owen on Fighting Sin
June 15, 20070 comments
Here are two excellent John Owen quotes on fighting sin. One of his points in chapter 7 of Of Temptation talks about preparing yourself preemptively for times when temptation will inevitably come—fortify your heart.
Why fortify our hearts?
"If Satan, the prince of this world, come and find our hearts fortified against his batteries, and provided to hold out, he not only departs, but, as James says, he flees: "He will flee from us" (4:7). For the provision to be laid up it is that which is provided in the gospel for us."And later.. How do we fortify our hearts?
"[S]tore the heart with a sense of the love of God in Christ, and his love in the shedding of it; get a relish of the privileges we have thereby--our adoption, justification, acceptance with God; fill the heart with thoughts of the beauty of his death--and you will, in an ordinary course of walking with God, have great peace and security as to the disturbance of temptations."
In short, the only defense we have against indwelling sin in our lives as Christians, is the gospel of Jesus Christ (Romans 7:15-25). The best thing we can do to prepare ourselves for the inevitable times when we are tempted to sin is to immerse ourselves in the gospel and be enamored by the beauty of God's plan of salvation. I love the way Owen phrases it, "fill the heart with thoughts of the beauty of his death." Meditate on the doctrines of justification and adoption.John Owen, Of Temptation
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Titus 3:3-7
June 8, 20071 comment
I've been studying Titus this week and I can't get this passage out of my mind. What an amazing two-fold salvation Christ provides: (1) I've been saved from my sin not by my own power, but completely by God's grace, and (2) I've also been adopted into His family and counted as an heir along with Christ.
"For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life."
— Titus 3:3-7 (ESV)
Praise the Lord for His amazing grace!
1 commentNew Attitude Conference Recap
June 3, 20073 comments
Last weekend, I was blessed with the opportunity to attend the New Attitude conference in Louisville with over 40 people from my church. This was the first time I was able to go. Last year I saw everyone come back with stories about meeting up with friends, worshiping God, and learning more about Him from the meetings. More than that, though, I saw how the conference affected everyone once they came back as they put what they had learned into practice. After the conference, I observed deeper and more meaningful fellowship, and friendships that were strengthened. I went this year with high expectations. I was excited to make new friends and to strengthen existing friendships, but mostly I was looking forward to a long weekend filled with passionate worship and intense teaching. I wasn’t disappointed.
On Saturday night, we all shuffled into the main meeting room and found seats up in the stadium seating area. After a while Curtis Allen, a Christian rapper and attendee of the Sovereign Grace Pastor’s College, set the tone for the conference by defining grace with his deep booming voice repeating “Grace: unmerited favor toward those who deserve wrath. Christ gave his life to change our destination!” This led right into singing Amazing Grace and our first time of worship together as a group.
There is something amazing about worshiping our Lord with over 3,000 voices, all singing at the top of their lungs. Through the songs we sang we confessed our dependence on Christ, praised Him for his unmerited favor toward us, and dedicated our lives to Him. Participating in God-focused, God-glorifying worship with that many people really encouraged me in my Christian walk. I was reminded of all the faithful men and women who have followed Christ before me, and I got a glimpse of the day when in God’s presence, with the saints through history from every nation, we will sing praises to God.
The main focus of the conference was discernment. Josh Harris gave an introductory message on Saturday night and defined discernment as "the ability to judge well; to pick out something of good value and quality; to distinguish between good and evil, and separate the wise from the unwise." 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 says, "But test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil." Discerning what is good and what is evil is not easy. We are not told what is evil. Josh said it would be much easier if in the preface of a book it said, "This book contains 80% great content, but 20% is patently wrong and will hinder your walk with Christ. You can find that content in chapters 2, 3, and 9." No, discernment takes hard work. It takes daily study of scriptures, it takes reading good books, it takes practice.
Ultimately, Josh boiled it down to four things that discernment requires, based on Romans 12:1-2. First, it requires resistance. I cannot be conformed to this world and its values. I must understand how this world is trying to shape me, and resist it. It involves getting rejected by the world because choosing God displeases this world. Second, it requires renewal. I must constantly contend for truth and reclaim any ground the world has conquered in my life. I must be reminded of the truth of the gospel. This is why I go to church, and attend conferences like New Attitude. I must spend time daily in the word to renew my mind. Third, it requires action. I must test and do. I can’t discern God’s will by observing from a distance. I must act out what I learn from scriptures and put discernment into practice in my daily life, seeking and doing the Lord’s will. Finally, (but actually firstly), it requires the gospel. The only reason I can discern what is good and pleasing to the Lord is because Christ rescued me from slavery to sin. The only reason I can discern at all is because the power of sin has been broken in my life. This is why discernment must be done with humility, there is no place for an arrogant practice of discernment. Josh concluded his message by stating that discernment is the fruit of a life willingly offered to God.
The rest of the conference fit into this framework of discernment. Mark Dever spoke on "Discerning Doctrine" and gave some excellent, practical ways to test what we are taught. He also spent some time helping us discern what doctrines are worth fighting for, and what beliefs Christians can legitimately disagree upon. Al Mohler spoke on the need for discerning our culture, recognizing that we are like fish swimming in culture. We can’t (and shouldn’t) completely escape our culture, but we must discern how it is trying to shape us and resist whatever is against Christ. CJ Mahaney spoke on discerning the heart, and how to identify and uproot idols in our lives. Eric Simmons spoke on "Discerning Greymatters." By that he meant discerning Christian liberty and when and what we are free to practice and from what we should abstain. John Piper gave two messages, one on "Discerning what pleases God: Himself" and the other on "Obedience." Finally, CJ closed the conference on Tuesday morning by giving us practical ways to apply all that we have learned. These were excellent messages but my head was about to explode by the end. I’m going to have to listen to these messages again to soak it all in.
We started each morning in our community groups, which were about 100 people, and we broke down into smaller family groups of about 10 to 12 people for discussion. During this time, we discussed the messages and certain passages of scripture we would read. This time was one of the most memorable for me. With my family group, we were able to work at applying the messages and scripture. The times of discussion were very fruitful and intensely practical and challenging for me.
I came away from the conference with my brain in a daze. There wasn’t enough time to soak it all in. But CJ encouraged us to take one thing from the conference and work at applying it to our lives, rather than being overwhelmed. For me, that one thing was the hard work that it takes to gain discernment. I came away with a renewed commitment to read and study scripture, reading good books, and to work hard at applying what I learn to my daily life. As I said before, I really was blessed by the conference, and I’m excited about listening to the messages again and reviewing my notes. I’m also already looking forward to next years conference.
Here are some resources if you're interested in learning more about the conference:
- The New Attitude website: http://www.newattitude.org
- The messages are provided for free in mp3 format on the Sovereign Grace Ministries website.
(All pictures shamelessly taken from the New Attitude website)
3 commentsI like this kid
May 23, 20079 comments
Sovereign Grace O'er Sin Abounding
May 15, 20071 comment
Recently, I bought the album "The Builder and the Architect" by Sandra McCracken and have been listening to it on repeat at work. One song in particular stood out to me. It's actually an old hymn, but I had never heard it before. It is rich in Biblical truths and promises. After doing some googling, I discovered it was written by John Kent (1766-1843). You can find a demo mp3, chord sheets, and other information in the Indelible Grace hymn book.
Verse 1
Sovereign grace o’er sin abounding! (Romans 5:20; Ephesians 1:7-8)
Ransomed souls, the tidings swell;
’Tis a deep that knows no sounding; (Romans 11:33)
Who its breadth or length can tell? (Ephesians 3:18-19)
On its glories,
Let my soul for ever dwell.
Once we understand the holiness of God and how violently opposed to sin He is, His grace to sinners is truly amazing. Praise the Lord for his deep wells of grace the depths of which we cannot plumb. God is both the judge and the giver of mercy. My soul has no hope but to rest on this sovereign grace.
Verse 2
What from Christ that soul can sever, (Romans 8:35-39)
Bound by everlasting bands?
Once in Him, in Him for ever; (John 17:11, 1 Peter 1:3-5)
Thus the eternal covenant stands. (Hebrews 13:20-21)
None shall take Thee (John 10:28)
From the Strength of Israel’s hands.
Because God ordained Jesus to pay the penalty for sins, all who believe in Him and put their faith in Him are bound to this grace eternally. There is nothing (not even our sin) that can separate us from the love of God. What assurance! What peace! What grace!
Verse 3
Heirs of God, joint-heirs with Jesus, (Romans 8:17, Galatians 4:1-7)
Long ere time its race begun; (Ephesians 1:4)
To His name eternal praises; (Psalm 145:2)
O what wonders love has done!
One with Jesus, (1 Corinthians 12:12-13)
By eternal union one.
What a wonder.. God's sovereign grace doesn't end with sacrifice for sin. Christians are adopted into the family and are heirs to glory. We are one with Jesus and this union is eternal and secure.
Verse 4
On such love, my soul, still ponder,
Love so great, so rich, so free; (Ephesians 2:4-7)
Say, while lost in holy wonder,
Why, O Lord, such love to me? (2 Samuel 7:18)
Hallelujah!
Grace shall reign eternally!
The more I think of this, the more I'm lost in the wonder of it all. I'm in a completely helpless state, there is nothing I can do to save myself from my sin or reconcile myself to God. But God did this for me. I'm wholly dependent on his grace at every turn, and this grace is eternal and will never cease. There can be no more proper response than to ask "Why, O Lord, such love to me?" and to sing "Hallelujah! Grace shall reign! Hallelujah! Grace shall reign! Hallelujah! Grace shall reign eternally!"
1 commentFaith and Reason
May 10, 20070 comments
One of my professors at Taylor University, Dr. Win Corduan, who taught my Contemporary Christian Belief class, wrote a book called "No Doubt About It." This book takes a look at the Christian world view and walks through many basic apologetic arguments making a case for Christianity based on both reason and faith. He has a chapter that explains the weaknesses of many popular world views such as atheism, agnosticism, deism, pantheism, and panentheism. This is a very practical book, and very accessible to someone who didn't major in philosophy.
You can find the book on Amazon if you're interested. I found this book to be very helpful in understanding my own world view, relating to people with other world views, and understanding the relationship between faith and reason and how those are not incompatible. We have a reasonable faith. I've found it very beneficial to understand as much as possible about my Christian faith and to discover how it is logically consistent.
0 comments(14) But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, (15) but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; (16) yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. -- 1 Peter 3:14-16 (ESV)
Not a mite would I withhold (revisited)
April 30, 20071 comment
I received more feedback than I anticipated on my post earlier about budgeting. Several people have emailed me asking for more details. I did some traveling this week and had some free time to expand on what I wrote earlier. I'm a bit self-conscious writing this because I certainly am not a model of financial responsibility. This article is just a collection of things my parents taught me and have worked well for me when I actually practice them. If you're just graduating college, just getting your first job, or have never budgeted your finances before, this will probably be most relevant to you. The article has a particular focus on budgeting so you can increase your giving and to root out materialism.
Here's the article: Creating a Budget With the Envelope Method
1 commentChicken... road... threads...
April 27, 20073 comments
For the geeks among us:
Q) Why did the multithreaded chicken cross the road?
A) to To other side. get the
Q) Why did the multithreaded chicken cross the road?
A) other to side. To the get
Apparently it was a race between the two chicken threads. :) Sorry. Bad pun.
3 commentsNot a mite would I withhold
April 24, 20078 comments
At home-group last week, we discussed tithing and giving. In the Bible, Christians are commanded to tithe 10% so that's one obvious reason why we should give, but there are many other reasons that compel us to give even more.
First, a definition. This post is not entirely about giving to the church and to Christian causes and charities (although I do believe that the local church is primarily the place a Christian is called to give). This also includes charity in general and giving where there is a need, as well as giving just to be generous. Others may have different definitions, but in this post when I refer to tithe, I mean 10% given to support your local church, and when I say giving or charity I mean giving above and beyond the 10%.
"I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare. In other words, if our expenditure on comforts, luxuries, amusements, etc., is up to the standard common among those with the same income as our own, we are probably giving away too little. If our charities do not at all pinch or hamper us, I should say they are too small. There ought to be things we should like to do and cannot do because our charities expenditure excludes them." (emphasis added)
- C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (book 3, chapter 3)
Why is tithing and giving important?
Well, first we are commanded to do so in the Bible. Jesus commends the widow who gave a penny which was all she had. Notice that he didn't scold her for being foolish when she could have saved it or bought food with it. I assume that she trusted the Lord to provide, although that is not stated specifically in that passage.
Beyond that, it is a way of mortifying materialism. Phil (my pastor) once said that there are two ways to get what you want: get more or want less. It's liberating to be free from an obsessive desire for material wealth, and one way to do that is give away your material wealth. It is undeniable that we live in a materialistic culture. Advertisements continually bombard us with things that we must have. I am particularly vulnerable to materialism when it comes to gadgets, something about them is just so cool.
Typically I think of that last verse in the negative sense -- I don't want to invest in things of this earth because that's not where I want my heart to be. But there is also a positive sense too. When I give my money to my church, my heart will be there. It is very true that if you want to see what is valuable to someone, look at where they spend their money. When we invest our money in things, we have a strong interest in whether it succeeds or fails. I know I certainly want my foremost interest to be the things of God and furthering the spread of the gospel message which has done so much in my life."Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
- Matthew 6:19-21 (ESV)
A thought of practical application
I have just one practical thought to help you be able to give more, and to enjoy giving more. The most important thing is to budget your finances. I'm certainly not an expert in finances, but I've learned the importance of simply keeping a budget. In college this can be hard because you don't have a steady income. But tracking your spending is still a valuable exercise. Once you get a job, I wouldn't even consider budgeting an option, it's a necessity. Tracking my finances has helped me see where my heart lies (i.e. where I'm spending my money), and I can cut back in those areas. For years I used a simple spreadsheet to do this. My own preference is to not use programs like MS Money or Quicken. I'm not an accountant and those programs are too complicated for me. My parents taught me to use the envelope method of budgeting (see Personal budget on Wikipedia) using accounting paper. I quickly switched to a spreadsheet and did that for years. Last year, I found a simple program called Budget which I highly recommend (for Mac and Windows).
To create a budget, first create categories (envelopes) for everything you spend money on such as tithe, gas, electricity, car payment, etc. Then divide your income among those categories to cover your expenses. When you get a paycheck, divide it among the categories and put anything left over in an "Available" category. Now you are guaranteed to have enough money for gas for the next two weeks, and by the end of the month you'll have enough money to pay your electric bill. The key is to not look at your checking account balance as the amount of money you have available to you, but to look at each category individually. For example, you may have $500 in checking, but $400 is reserved for bills, $50 is for tithe, and you have $50 left for spending. See, you don't have $500, you actually only have $50 so no, you can't afford a new ipod. This also makes writing the $50 check for tithe painless and even fun because you've already allocated the funds for it. If you orient your mind to think this way then keeping to your budget is easy.
Tracking expenses is easy too. It's even easier if you do online banking. I use my debit card for almost everything so that my bank tracks my expenses for me. I also get a receipt for everything and stick it in my wallet so I have two sources to verify every expense. Every other week I print out my account summary online and spread out all my receipts across the table. Going down the list, I find the receipt for each purchase and deduct the appropriate amounts from the various categories in my budget. It usually only takes about an hour.
My main point in explaining this is to show that using this method, you can create a "tithe" and a "giving" category. By simply removing $5 or $10 once in a while from some of the slushy categories (like "cash" or even "groceries"), and sticking them into the tithe and giving categories, you can increase your giving and slowly decrease your spending on other things.
I won't belabor the point. If you currently don't budget your finances I recommend using the envelope method and the Budget program or a spreadsheet. It's simple, and has many rewards.
8 commentsJohn Newton - In Evil Long I Took Delight
April 10, 20074 comments
In evil long I took delight,
Unawed by shame or fear,
Till a new object struck my sight,
And stopped my wild career.
I saw One hanging on a tree,
In agony and blood,
Who fixed His languid eyes on me,
As near His cross I stood.
Sure, never to my latest breath,
Can I forget that look;
It seemed to charge me with His death,
Though not a word He spoke.
My conscience felt and owned the guilt,
And plunged me in despair,
I saw my sins His blood had spilt,
And helped to nail Him there.
A second look He gave, which said,
“I freely all forgive;
This blood is for thy ransom paid;
I die that thou mayst live.”
Thus, while His death my sin displays
In all its blackest hue,
Such is the mystery of grace,
It seals my pardon too.
— John Newton4 comments
Easter (part 5 of 5) - The Purpose
April 9, 20070 comments
I tried writing this fifth part in first person, but the narrative was getting in the way of what I wanted to say so I gave up. This is a reflection on the purpose and meaning of Easter weekend.
It has been fun putting myself in the place of a disciple and spending the weekend immersed in the Gospels. I've often wondered what my reaction would be like going through those events without knowing that the resurrection would happen on Sunday morning. It's easy for me to think I would have been able to piece it all together, but honestly I don't think I would have understood any better than the disciples. The most difficult part about writing this (aside from the fact that I'm not a writer) was to read passages like Matthew 16:21, 17:22-23, 20:17-19, Mark 8:31, 9:30-31, 10:32-34, and Luke 9:21-22, 9:43-44, 18:31-33. In these passages, Jesus overtly tells the disciples that he is going to Jerusalem and he will be killed, but he will rise again on the third day. It seems to me if I were told this three times, I would at least remember it even if I didn't believe it or understand it at the time. When the events started to unfold, I'd like to think that I would remember and hold out hope for the resurrection. Luke 18:34 says, "But they did not understand this saying, and it was concealed from them, so that they might not perceive" (ESV), and Luke 24:44-45 says, "Then he said to them, 'These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.' Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures..." To think that I am any different would be foolish. Jesus had to opening their eyes to the truth before they grasped it. Without God working in my life and opening my eyes to the truth, I would be just as clueless to God's plan of salvation.
What is the point of Easter? Why did Jesus die and come back to life? What did the law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms say about Jesus? When I was pretending to be a disciple, I was looking at the events from a very localized and temporal perspective. In that view, it looked like Jesus was the victim of unfortunate circumstances and jealous political maneuvering. In reality, these events were orchestrated long ago, and the parts were played out by the chief priests, government officials, and all those involved in the crucifixion. Just as God hardened Pharaoh's heart so that His glory could be displayed, God designed the crucifixion in the same way.
With a view of the entire Bible, one can see that this event was foretold thousands of years before it actually happened. When man fell and sin entered the world, the first hint of a coming savior was given. This savior didn't come to bring an earthly kingdom like David's kingdom, he came to usher in a new era, the Church age. God is just, but he is also loving and merciful. His justice demands that a penalty be paid for sin ("For the wages of sin is death...", Romans 6:23a). In God's mercy, he orchestrated events so that a perfect substitute would take our place for that punishment ("...but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.", Romans 6:23b). Jesus lived a perfect life, one without sin. The only person who ever lived who didn't have to die as punishment for sin, was the only person who could perfectly bear that consequence for all the elect. That is what really happened on that long weekend. Jesus died a sinners death, but he conquered death. It couldn't keep him in the grave. He bore our sin for us, what glorious news! Because of that weekend, Christians have the hope of seeing God and not facing eternal damnation. While it is nice to focus on the crucifixion and resurrection on Easter weekend, let us never lose focus of this act. The atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ should be the central focus of our lives as Christians.
0 commentsEaster (part 4 of 5) - The Resurrection
April 8, 20070 comments
Early this morning, Mary and some of the other women went down to Jesus' tomb. They came back a little while ago saying that his body wasn't there and that he must be alive. I remember Jesus saying things about the resurrection of the dead, but I never really understood what he meant. I mean, I think these women are just jumping to conclusions here. Most likely, the chief priests have taken his body and are trying to stage some kind of set-up to get his followers into the open. They've gone too far with this. They crucified the man who was most likely going to be Israel's messiah, isn't that enough for them? Peter and some of the others ran down to the tomb to check it out.
Later
It's almost too good to believe! I've heard several reports from various people that Jesus has actually appeared to them in person! This has happened to too many people for it to be a fluke. There were a couple guys walking to Emmaus and they said a man that they didn't know walked with them and they discussed the events of this past weekend with him. Once they got to their destination they realized that this was none other than Jesus himself! He had walked them through scripture and explained these most recent events in view of scripture. As soon as they recognized him, he disappeared.
I had heard similar reports from several of the other disciples. Tonight, we were all together having dinner and talking about what it could all mean when he appeared right there with us all. Initially we were all scared, we thought it was a ghost! But he assured us that it was Jesus, our teacher and Lord. He ate fish. Ghosts don't eat fish. It was Jesus! He explained by using scripture to show us that all of these events have been written for generations. Jesus fulfilled all the prophecies, even though we didn't understand it at the time.
This is amazing! Jesus didn't die as a victim of cruel circumstances and political maneuvering like I thought yesterday. He allowed it to happen. He knew what was going on. That's why he never called the lightning storm or the legion of angels to conquer the hill. He did this all voluntarily. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around it all.
0 commentsEaster (part 3 of 5) - The Long Sabbath
April 7, 20070 comments
My mentor, teacher, and (I thought) Lord was crucified yesterday. I was willing to follow him anywhere and do anything for him, but I never expected something like this to happen. The past several hours have been filled with mixed emotions. He wasn't just a teacher, I considered him a friend. He was killed by the state, officially as a usurper but in reality out of the jealousy and envy by the religious leaders.
Something I've been mulling over in my head ever since yesterday is whether or not the works of men could thwart God's plan for our nation. I still do believe that Jesus was not just a common man or even a great teacher. Could we have ruined our only chance for Israel to be redeemed? Will God send someone else? Maybe I should have fought back instead of running away. Really, this is partly my fault. I should have been there for Jesus when he was taken away in the garden. Instead, I hid like a coward. If we had all banded together we might have been able to fight back. Oh God, can you forgive us? What have we done?
Today is the Sabbath, so we can't finish preparing Jesus' body for burial. Tomorrow morning some of the women plan to go back to the tomb. I heard rumors that guards have been posted around his tomb. I think they are still afraid that we will band together and lead a revolt in his name. This is why it has been dangerous for those of us known to be his followers. We've been hiding all night lest we be charged as fellow conspirators. I'm not certain what we will do now. One thing is for sure, it's not safe for us to be seen right now. We will lay low for a few days.
0 commentsEaster (part 2 of 5) - Crucified
April 6, 20070 comments
6am
What a difference one day can make. Yesterday morning I was enjoying the sunrise and reflecting on God's faithfulness to Israel. This morning, I'm scared for my life. It seems I wasn't the only one who thought Jesus might have come to Jerusalem to lead a rebellion. Last night while we were in the garden, a large group of people came to meet us led by Judas. He had the audacity to kiss Jesus on the cheek, which must have been a signal to the mob because that's when they took him away. There was nothing any of us could do. One person tried to fight back, but Jesus rebuked him. Jesus, himself, didn't even fight back. He went peacefully with them. Who knows what they're doing to him right now.
I'm ashamed to say that soon after I saw the mob and realized they were taking Jesus away, I ran. After all, I can only assume they regard us as his fellow conspirators. As much as I wanted to fight back, there really was nothing I could have done. There were too many of them. I spent the night hiding in the garden until everything was clear. I don't know what happened to the rest of the disciples. I think some went with him, others I saw running away. Early this morning, I made my way back in to town. Eventually, I found Peter weeping. He said he was ashamed of himself because he had denied knowing Jesus. I'm not the only one who lacked courage when my teacher needed me most, but somehow that isn't much comfort.
Peter said they had some sort of mock trial and completely twisted Jesus' words to make him sound guilty. I guess now they're taking him to Pilate, the Roman governor here in Jerusalem. Peter and I are going over there to see what we can find out.
10am
We were standing in the courtyard by Pilate's house with a crowd of people who had gathered to see what was going on. Pilate must have been interrogating Jesus. Nobody out in the courtyard seemed to know us so we just blended into the crowd. Eventually, Pilate came out on his balcony and asked whom he should release. It is his custom to release a prisoner during the Feast, so we were very hopeful that the people would choose Jesus. As it turns out, some of the chief priests and the elders were in the crowd stirring up the people against Jesus. They chose to release Barabbas! Pilate washed his hands of the situation and turned Jesus over to be crucified. This is infuriating! It's all political. The chief priests don't like what Jesus is teaching so they're playing the Roman legal system. Pilate is afraid to upset the religious leaders, not to mention the crowd, so he just goes along with it. He seems to even know that Jesus is innocent of the charges.
Pilate passed down a death sentence, by crucifixion like a common criminal. There is no justice in this. Jesus, my teacher, never hurt anyone. Eventually they gave him a cross to carry. They had beaten him up pretty bad in there. When he came out I could hardly recognize him. He was so weak that he couldn't carry the cross all the way so they grabbed someone from the crowd to help him. When they got there, they nailed him to the cross and raised him up.
Just a few hours ago we were all together enjoying a feast, and now I see him hanging on that tree over there. I must say that I don't understand what's going on. We have seen with our own eyes the power that Jesus has, and that power could only come from God. He teaches with such authority. I was convinced that he was the promised messiah. The others were convinced of this too, I know this for a fact. We had talked about it among ourselves frequently. Initially some thought he was just a wise teacher, or maybe a prophet. But after spending several years with him and seeing what we have all seen, there was no doubt in our minds that he was sent from God.
I look at him hanging on the cross, the victim of cruel political maneuvering, and I can't help but wonder if I have been deceived. Maybe he was just a man with great wisdom and he stepped on one too many toes. If that's so, what about all that he taught us? If he can't save himself from this debacle, does that invalidate his teaching which seemed so wise and full of power?
3pm
Until now, I was holding out hope that something miraculous would happen. Jesus has done amazing miracles before, I had hoped that he would call lightning from the sky and strike down the guards, or maybe lead an angelic army to conquer that hill. But he just died. They even pierced his side to make sure. He didn't move at all.
Earlier, the crowd was getting a bit nervous. The sky went black a couple hours ago. Just as he died, the earth shook. Even the guards started murmering among themselves wondering what they had done. I heard one say, "Surely this man was innocent!" Could a man sent from God be destroyed by men's schemes? If so, I don't want to be around when God unleashes his anger against those responsible. I know in the past when our people turned from God, terrible things happened. With the sky turning black and the earthquake, what could it mean?
A tomb has been donated and some of the women are making preparations for the burrial. I don't think I'm going to go. Several of the other disciples are getting together secretly. I fear that it's not too safe for us to be seen in public right now.
0 commentsEaster (part 1 of 5) - Passover
April 5, 20071 comment
It's early Thursday morning and the others are still asleep. I like getting up early to watch the sun rise, especially here in Jerusalem. So much has happened in this city, there is so much history here. As I look out over the city, I'm reminded of how faithful God has been to our people through the generations. It's good to be here, especially during the Passover.
I still don't fully understand why Jesus brought us here, though. On Sunday, we finally arrived and many in the crowd were very happy to see him. He rode in like a king (except on a donkey), and everyone was shouting "Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!" Is he about to establish the kingdom? Is that why we're here? I hope so, we have waited for so long for the promised messiah. It will be nice to have our own nation established again and be rid of this Roman occupation. But something doesn't seem quite right. As we were traveling here, Jesus was saying very disturbing things. He said several times that he was going to be delivered over to be killed, but after three days he will rise again. Sometimes I have a hard time understanding what he means. He often speaks in parables so maybe this is one of those, I don't know.
In any case, we're here now and he has been teaching around town. Everywhere we go, a crowd gathers around. He always knows exactly what needs to be said. He has this way of seeing into the soul and drawing out issues by the root. For instance, a couple days ago an obviously wealthy young man came and boasted to Jesus about having kept all the commandments, and asked what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. Jesus saw the heart of this young man, and saw that it was devoted to his wealth. He called him to sell his possessions and follow him.
Most of his teaching this week has been about watching and waiting. It seems we're on the edge of something happening. I think Jesus knows what's going to happen and we're just waiting at this point. I hope he calls us to arms and leads a revolt, throwing these Roman dogs out of the holy city. I know many will follow him, we have enough support at this point. The people love him and I think they are wondering if he's the messiah too. The problem is the chief priests and all the corrupt religious rulers here in town. There is always a group of them hanging around in the background whispering. They have it good here in Jerusalem and are essentially collaborators with Rome. They probably won't be too happy if Jesus stirs up trouble. We'll need to keep an eye on them.
Later...
We celebrated the first day of Passover with Jesus tonight here in Jerusalem. We used the upper room of a very hospitable man. All of us close to Jesus were there and it was a great meal. Some of the others are cleaning up now, so I thought I'd take a few minutes to write.
While it's great to sit and listen to Jesus teach, I think I most enjoy the times like this that we spend with him. Being a close friend, I get to see a side of him that many don't. His passion and devotion to God and his ministry are evident not just in public, but also in private. He really cares about us. I can see him being a great ruler some day once he takes the throne. They say that David was a great ruler because he wasn't caught up with his own power, he loved the Lord, and he was wise and just in his dealings. Jesus has that same air about him, I think he will be a fair and just ruler.
He said another very disturbing thing tonight though. Like I said earlier, I'm really not sure what's going to happen. It seems that everything is all set up for him to lead a revolt, but he keeps saying that he is going to be betrayed. He said that again tonight. I can't imagine one of us betraying him, what would we have to gain from it? I'm keeping my eyes open though, if I can I want to protect Jesus from whatever is going to happen.
We're heading out to a garden around here to spend the evening and relax. It looks like they're finished cleaning up and are ready to leave so I better go. I'll write more tomorrow.
1 commentAnd now for something complete different
March 30, 20070 comments
I've seen websites where they show pictures of funny signs before, but yesterday I got an overdose of amusing signs when my mom sent me an email full of some of the best I've seen. I thought I'd share. Enjoy!
0 commentsCalvary Covers It All
March 27, 20071 comment
by Ethelwyn Taylor (1916)
Far dearer than all that the world can impart
Was the message that came to my heart;
How that Jesus alone for my sin did atone
And Calvary covers it all.
[chorus]
Calvary covers it all,
My past with its sin and stain;
My guilt and despair Jesus took on Him there,
And Calvary covers it all.
The stripes that He bore and the thorns that He woreFollow this link for the history of this hymn.1 comment
Told His mercy and love evermore;
And my heart bowed in shame as I called on His name,
And Calvary covers it all.
How matchless the grace, when I looked in the face
Of this Jesus, my crucified Lord;
My redemption complete I then found at His feet,
And Calvary covers it all.
How blessed the thought, that my soul by Him bought,
Shall be His in the glory on high;
Where with gladness and song I'll be one of the throng
And Calvary covers it all.
Harmony of Attributes
March 21, 20071 comment
It's exciting to study the attributes of God. The deeper I go, the more I see that they are tightly woven together, and one cannot be disregarded without the others becoming distorted. I've come to realize how important it is to have a full view of all of God's attributes. If I focus too much on God's wrath against sin, I get discouraged and God seems to be angry and harsh toward sinners. If I focus too much on his love and providence, then it's easy to view him a cosmic vending machine. If I focus too much on his mercy, then my attitude becomes, "Why fight sin? God will forgive me!" You see what I mean? While all of those attributes I mentioned are true characteristics of God, it's important to hold them together and not separated from one-another.
Here's an example. Reading through the Bible, I can see that God reacts very angrily against sin. That's frightening because the Bible also says that we are all sinners (Romans 3:23). Since God hates sin, then that puts me in an awkward position. That's why his wrath cannot be viewed on its own. God's love for us (John 3:16) fuels his mercy (Ephesians 2:4), patience and faithfulness (Exodus 32:9-14) so that ultimately he stays his wrath and displays his glory through those saved by Christ (Romans 9:22-23).
All of God's attributes were on display in the act of Christ giving his life as a ransom for sinners. Lets think through that for a minute. God's holiness is displayed in the perfect life of Christ, and also the necessity of the cross since none of us could live up to God's holy standard on our own. His wrath against sin was poured out on Christ on the cross. His justice is seen in that he does not just wave his hand and forget sin, but demands that there be a penalty paid for sin. His mercy was shown when Christ voluntarily gave himself to pay that penalty for sinners. His patience can bee seen in the thousands of years leading up to the cross and how it was foreshadowed in the old testament. Perhaps no other attribute is more evident in the cross than his love, why else would he give up his only son to die for sinners and take the punishment that his justice demands?
I encourage you to take some time and think about God's attributes and how they are displayed on the cross. I promise it will be a fruitful line of thought, it certainly has been for me.
Life Update
March 17, 20070 comments
I'm terrible at keeping up with people. Since I've moved to North Carolina, I have only seen my extended family back in Indiana a handful of times, and I've written them less than that. So this post is for them and it comes with an apology for seeming to drop off the face of the earth.
What have I been up to lately? Well, there are really only three things that consume my time and I'll put them in order of priority:
1. Church
When I moved down here, a friend put me in contact with someone at Sovereign Grace Church in Apex. Let me tell you, the people at this church have been such an incredible blessing in my life. In fact, this church is the reason I've decided to stay down here. The teaching here is what actually drew me in originally. The pastors preach exegetically through the Bible and are very intentional about getting their doctrine right. The gospel is central to everything they teach. I could talk for quite a while about how much of a blessing this church has been in my life, but I'll spare you. However, I would like to point you to the podcast of sermons if you're interested.
I teach 5th and 6th grade sunday school one Sunday a month. We do sunday school different than I've normally seen. We don't have adult sunday school, it's just for kids up through 6th grade and is during the sermon (which is an hour long!). The sunday school curriculum is all designed to help the kids understand the gospel and to prepare them for participating in the main service. We teach them all the "big words" like justification, sanctification, redemption, and regeneration and the concepts behind the words. Essentially by the time these kids graduate from our class, they know more about theology than I did when I graduated from Taylor! It's a fun class to teach, and the kids are amazing. Our discussions in class are very challenging. There have been times when I had to go home, look stuff up to answer their questions, and present it again the next week I teach.
2. Work
On January 9, 2006, I started full-time work with CharitablePlanning.com, LLC. It's a company started by a lawyer in Baltimore. He wanted a place to post commentary on new law and various events in the charitable world. Basically, he had a concept and he hired me to design and program the website, and manage the project. My official title is Chief Technical Officer, which might sound impressive until I tell you that I'm really the only employee other than our editors. My job includes website design, PHP programming, Oracle database administration, writing web spiders to fetch and archive public domain documents, system administration, and project management. Oh, and I work from home which is pretty much the sweetest thing in the world.
3. Education
The reason I moved down here originally was for grad school at NC State. Well, I quickly realized that God used that as an excuse to get me to move down here. The real reason He wanted me here was my church. Rather quickly, school became secondary. When I got my job last year, I worked full time and went to school part time for 9 months, which isn't really the best situation, especially if you're lazy like me. So I did the logical thing, I put school on hold. I just have two more classes to finish before I get my masters in computer science, and I'll be finishing those this fall.
Oh, and I bought a house in February of 2006. You can find some pictures and details about it here (the pictures on that page are terribly out of date, they're from before I moved in). A friend from Taylor is rooming here, and the house seems to always be full with friends. If you're ever in the area or need a cheap vacation, let me know! I'd love to have you visit.
God is good! His amazing grace in my life is impossible to put into words. It goes beyond redemption, which is amazing in itself, and extends to all areas of life. We serve a mighty God who is sovereign over all creation and, as my pastor once said, even cares about the poor man's cloak (Exodus 22:26-27).
0 commentsBreaking Down the Self-esteem Engine
March 10, 200712 comments
I went to a public high school and I sure remember all the baloney I was taught about how I needed to think highly of myself before I would accomplish anything. "If you don't think highly of yourself, how can you expect others to?" Going along with this was the thought that everyone should be praised so they feel good about themselves so they will achieve more. Let me tell you, this is hogwash. I'm not saying that we shouldn't encourage children when they do well. I am saying that self-esteem is not our problem. I have two thoughts on the matter:
Thought #1: This past Sunday my pastor drew our attention to how Moses was the mediator between Israel and God. The people of Israel saw their sin and were afraid to approach God. They recognized their place when confronted with the awesome power of God, and they asked for a mediator – someone to represent them before God.
Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled and they stood far off and said to Moses, "You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us lest we die." (Exodus 20:18-19, ESV)
Thought #2: In a blog post by chelseykarns on Xanga titled " Why Christian Women Are Miserable" (linked to by Big Steve), she gets at the heart of why all of us, not just women, are miserable – too much focus on self, not enough focus on God. Point #5 in particular drew my attention and prompted this post. "5. 'I have low self-esteem' vs. 'I have high self-esteem'. The truth is that we are not to esteem ourselves at all. God is to be glorified, and if we try in any way to esteem ourselves, whether it is positively or negatively, we will be miserable."
[As a side note, I'd like to refer you to Albert Mohler's comments on a New York Magazine article that came out last month. Al's article is titled "The Self-Esteem Movement Backfires -- When Praise is Dangerous."]
I'll boil it down to this and tie these two random thoughts together: the self-esteem movement is terribly man-centered. Our problem isn't that we don't have enough self-esteem, it's that we even esteem ourselves at all. We should be like Israel and recognize our standing before God which by itself would be a fearful thing. I am a sinner, and the only thing that ultimately matters is that I am guilty before the only Being who ultimately matters (God). What do my accomplishments matter in comparison to that? What does it matter what I think of myself when I know that all my intentions and motives and sinful deeds are laid bare before God? What is my worth? Nothing, apart from Christ who is the new Moses that was promised in Deuteronomy 18:15-18. I have done nothing that merits favor in God's eyes, only that which merits his wrath. Praise God for Christ and His sacrifice through which I, a sinful man with nothing worth esteeming in myself, do not have to represent myself before God but can claim Christ's righteousness and have God count it as my own!
12 commentsPassive Regeneration
March 5, 20070 comments
I am reading "Redemption, Accomplished and Applied" by John Murray. This evening as I was reading, this passage stuck out to me as particularly poignant:
- "It has often been said that we are passive in regeneration. This is a true and proper statement. For it is simply the precipitate of what our Lord has taught us here. We may not like it. We may recoil against it. It may not fit into our way of thinking and it may not accord with the time-worn expressions which are the coin of our evangelism. But if we recoil against it, we do well to remember that this recoil is recoil against Christ. And what shall we answer when we appear before him whose truth we rejected and with whose gospel we tampered? But blessed be God that the gospel of Christ is one of sovereign, efficacious, irresistible regeneration. If it were not the case that in regeneration we are passive, the subjects of an action of which God alone is the agent, there would be no gospel at all. For unless God by sovereign, operative grace had turned our enmity to love and our disbelief to faith we would never yeild the response of faith and love." (pp. 99-100)
Before this paragraph, Murray compares regeneration to our initial physical conception and birth, referencing John 3 (Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus).
- "...[W]e are instructed by our Lord that for entrance into the kingdom of God we are wholly dependent upon the action of the Holy Spirit, an action of the Holy Spirit which is compared to that on the part of our parents by which we were born into the world. We are as dependent upon the Holy Spirit as we are upon the action of our parents in connection with our natural birth. We were not begotten by our father because we decided to be. And we were not born of our mother because we decided to be. We were simply begotten and we were born." (pp. 98-99)
The Importance of Sound Doctrine
February 22, 20071 comment
"For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.... You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion is not from him who calls you. A little leaven leavens the whole lump." (Galatians 5:1,7-9, ESV)
beloved, these are dangerous times
because you are weightless like a leaf from the vine
and the wind has blown you all over town
because there is nothing holding you to the ground
so now you would rather be
a slave again than free from the law
beloved these are perilous days
when your culture is so set in its ways
that you will listen to salesmen and thieves
preaching other than the truth you've received
because they are telling lies
for they cannot circumcise your hearts
beloved listen to me
don't believe all that you see
and don't you ever let anyone tell you
that there's anything that you need
but me- Derek Webb, "Beloved"
Why is it important to saturate ourselves in scripture and sound doctrine? The world is full of vain things that can easily side-track us from the gospel. Swift talking deceivers are around every corner, teaching in our schools, on television, and quite possibly among our sphere of friends. We must arm ourselves with the Truth and protect our minds so we don't fall into the same folly as the Galatians, forgetting that Christ has set us free!
1 commentCultural Clash
February 8, 20071 comment
Recently while watching a movie, I became acutely aware of how my Christian worldview is in direct opposition to pop culture. It's striking, really, when you stop and think about it. It's not just in matters of moral choices. Clearly in those circumstances as a Christian I try to make the right moral choices rather than choose what "feels good" or would bring some kind of instant gratification. The funny thing is that this was actually a good, clean movie. But the entire basis of the movie was man-centered. Way down at the core, I am fundamentally different. The purpose of my life is not me, but Christ. I do not live for the pursuit of happiness, I live to see God glorified. That may mean that I become less so He can be seen more. A friend of mine has a shirt that is all black and in white letters simply states "It's not about me." When people look at me, I don't want them to see me, but see Christ and the amazing grace that saturates my life.
1 commentDefending God's Holy Name
January 6, 20070 comments
I was reading one of my favorite stories in the Bible this week found in Daniel 3. It's the story of Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego and the way they stood up for God's law and his name before the most powerful man in the world. Rather than defaming God by bowing to an image of the king, they were willing to sacrifice their lives. My favorite part is verses 16 to 18: "Oh Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning firey furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up." [underline added]. Wow. Lord, grant me the boldness to stand up for the holiness of your name in my daily life.
0 commentsThe Nativity Movie
December 26, 20060 comments
I recently saw "The Nativity". It's a movie that came out this year about the birth of Jesus Christ. I went in fairly skeptical, but came out rather amazed. While it obviously took literary freedom on many areas (most notably in the role of Joseph), in all the places that matter, it was true to the scriptural account. They didn't shy away from the divinity of Jesus, nor did it diminish his actual purpose for coming. It showed how everyone hoped he would free them from Rome, but hinted that his kingdom would be different. I especially like the way they wove in classic Christmas carols as background music. When the movie opens, a few bars of "Oh come, oh come, Immanuel" played, and right at the very end it played very loudly, "Christ the Savior is born!". Over all, I was impressed and very blessed by the movie. But I echo what the guy sitting behind me in the theater said at the end, "I liked the book better."
0 commentsChristmas Party
December 19, 20060 comments
Back in August, the ladies in the singles group at my church made an incredible Italian dinner for all of us. We decided to do the same for them, so on Sunday evening we had a Christmas party at my place, organized by the guys. Matt and Chuck wrote a hilarious skit, I was in it but couldn't keep from laughing through the whole thing. You can find a video of it here on Google Video. Maybe the best part of this video is Mandy laughing in the background. Thanks, Missy, for taking the video!
0 commentsThe Kitchen Table Project
December 11, 20060 comments
The past three days I have been using every free minute to build a new kitchen table. I just finished about a half hour ago, except for staining and varnish. This is something I've been wanting to do for years. Check out the pictures!
0 comments