only the dead see the end of war

table of nations

2010-07-06T08:17:00.001-07:00

quote of the day

2010-04-05T13:40:00.000-07:00

Charles Spurgeon:

When you are so weak that you cannot do much more than cry, you coin diamonds with both your eyes. The sweetest prayers God ever hears are the groans and sighs of those who have no hope in anything but His love.

"He's Alive"

2010-04-04T09:53:00.000-07:00

I'm glad Aunt Patty spent $85 on her new Easter hat. I even like Mr Bob's new pastel blazer he got for $45. The little girls plastered in soft yellows and the little boys with bright plaid pants. It's tough to compete with Easter attire.

But I did.

[the inverted text reads "He's Alive"]

There are louder and happier ways to say He has killed death and lives forever, but not many :)

were you there when they rolled the stone away?

2010-04-03T15:38:00.000-07:00

Saturday Before New Creation

2010-04-03T15:12:00.001-07:00

On the day after Good Friday and before Resurrection Sunday, Scott Clark writes,

Today, God is, as it were, silent but he is not asleep. The tomb is ugly, but it is also sanctus. Today is the in-between time. The first act is finished but the curtain, though torn, is not closed.

ready for spring break

2010-03-17T15:50:00.001-07:00

2004 Sara, helping Anna for an art project.

2010-03-15T18:31:00.000-07:00

ready for spring

2010-03-10T17:17:00.000-08:00

Resurrection

2010-03-10T11:21:00.000-08:00

John Updike:

Make no mistake: if he rose at all it was as His body; if the cells' dissolution did not reverse, the molecules reknit, the amino acids rekindle, the Church will fail. Let us not mock God with metaphor, analogy, sidestepping transcendence; making of the event a parable, a sign painted in the faded credulity of earlier ages; let us walk through the door.

DEAR EPHESUS, WALK iN HiM

2010-03-10T11:02:00.000-08:00

Every time I give myself to the book of Ephesians, I'm always floored. Whether it's how bold and blatant grace is in chs 1-2 or how imperative and precise godly living is in chs 4-6, I'm consistently awed by everything in Ephesians.

One of Paul's main themes is that the Ephesian Christians must walk. This is is the word Paul uses to talk about what their lives should look like [2.1, 2.10, 4.1, 4.17, 5.8, and 5.15]. Most of these exhortations to walk come in the second half of Ephesians. One of the predominant ideas in the first part of Ephesians is that we are "in Christ" [esp see 1.3-14]. I sense that these two themes are meant to be understood in relationship to each other. Meaning, all of Paul's "in Him" language sets up the walking he encourages them to later. The "in Him" is the relational sphere in which the walking must take place.

The Bible is Rated "R"

2010-03-05T15:35:00.000-08:00

Here.

if you don't enjoy this, we probably can't be friends

2010-03-04T15:29:00.000-08:00

Or here.

HUMiLiTY

2010-03-03T17:54:00.000-08:00

From Stanley Hauerwas:

Humility derives not from the presumption that no one knows the truth, but rather is a virtue dependent on our confidence that God’s word is truthful and good.

JESUS iS iNEXHAUSTiBLE

2010-03-03T17:36:00.000-08:00

Charles Haddon Spurgeon:

Brethren, there is an abiding fullness of truth in Christ. After you have heard it for fifty years, you see more of its fullness than you did at first. Other truths weary the ear. I will defy any man to hold together a large congregation, year after year, with any other subject but Christ Jesus. He might do it for a time; he might charm the ear with the discoveries of science, or with the beauties of poetry, and his oratory might be of so high an order that he might attract the multitudes who have itching ears, but they would in time turn away and say, “This is no longer to be endured. We know it all.”

All music becomes wearisome but that of heaven; but oh! if the minstrel doth but strike this celestial harp, though he keepeth his fingers always among its golden strings, and be but poor and unskilled upon an instrument so divine, yet the melody of Jesus’ name, and the sweet harmony of all his acts and attributes, will hold his listeners by the ears and thrill their hearts as nought beside can do. The theme of Jesus’ love is inexhaustible, though preachers may have dwelt upon it century after century, a freshness and fullness still remain.

Tom Wright to the next generation of ministers

2010-03-03T17:12:00.000-08:00

crawling and caffeinated

2010-03-03T16:48:00.000-08:00

Tom Wright on the use of the Bible in the Church

2010-03-03T16:15:00.000-08:00

Here.

2 Cor 13.11

2010-03-03T16:04:00.000-08:00

Brothers,

Rejoice.

Be made complete.

Be comforted.

Be like-minded.

Live at peace.

The God of love and peace will be with you.

the reason i love my wife

2010-03-03T16:01:00.000-08:00

Here.

Brian "Head" Welch

2010-02-23T13:58:00.000-08:00

My class enjoyed this today. It also provoked some interesting and good discussion.

classic Brian McLaren

2010-02-18T08:36:00.000-08:00

Brian McLaren has a new book, "A New Kind of Christianity: Ten Questions That Are Transforming the Faith." Out of these 10 issues, there are 5 or 6 that must be discussed with biblical sensitivity and freshness. However, it doesn't appear as though he accomplishes that.

His 10 questions are:

The narrative question: What is the overarching story line of the Bible? For McLaren, the familiar story line of creation, fall, redemption, consummation (with heaven and hell as a result) is a grotesque Greco-Roman distortion of the biblical narrative. God the creator, liberator, reconciler is the real story line.

The authority question: How should the Bible be understood? Not as a constitution, argues McLaren, with laws and rules and arguments about who’s right and wrong. Rather, we go to the Bible as a community library, where internal consistency is not presumed and we learn by conversation.

The God question: Is God violent? Believers used to think so, but we ought to grow in maturity from fearing a violent tribal God to partnering with a Christlike God.

The Jesus question: Who is Jesus and why is he important? Jesus is never violent and does not condemn. He did not come to save people from hell. Jesus, says McLaren, is peace-loving and identifies with the weak and oppressed.

The gospel question: What is the gospel? It is not a message about how to get saved. The gospel is the announcement of a “new kingdom, a new way of life, and a new way of peace that carried good news to all people of every religion” (139).

The church question: What do we do about the church? Churches—in whatever form and whatever we call them—exist to form people of Christlike love. This is the church’s primary calling, to form people who live in the way of love, the way of peacemaking.

The sex question: Can we find a way to address human sexuality without fighting about it? We need to stop hating gay people and welcome them fully into the life of the church. The “sexually other” may be defective in traditional religion, but they are loved and included in a new kind of Christianity.

The future question: Can we find a better way of viewing the future? No more “soul-sort” universe where our team goes to heaven and the bad guys go to hell. The future is open, inviting our participation. In the end, God’s mercy will triumph and all shall be well.

The pluralism question: How should followers of Jesus relate to people of other religions? “Christianity has a nauseating, infuriating, depressing record when it comes to encountering people of other religions” (208). There is not us/them, insider/outsider. Jesus accepted everyone and so should we.

The what-do-we-do-now question: How can we translate our quest into action? The human quest for God has known many stages. Those in the more mature stages of the quest should gently invite others to grow into fuller maturity, but without being divisive.

Kevin DeYoung has an excellent, healthy, and clear response. Here.

you can't not post pictures of the only SC snow all year

2010-02-18T04:12:00.001-08:00

Getting ready.

My pretty lady.

The mighty James, braving the cold.

The youngest family in Dalewood.

the day i felt like the coolest teacher in the world

2010-02-18T04:04:00.001-08:00

Sara and I were making the journey to Columbia on Tuesday about lunch. Mr James was sleeping soundly in the back. My phone buzzes and the text was from one of my Honors Systematic Theology students who was making a college visit. It said,

I'm at CIU and just sat in a Romans class. The prof was trying to explain Greek stuff and I already knew all of it, even the vocab!

Call it nerdy. Call it prideful. I call it pure delight in my soul :)

Longing for His appearing. And singing about it.

2010-02-16T16:29:00.000-08:00

Here.

Gory Romance

2010-02-16T15:32:00.001-08:00

Valentine's Day 2010 with my lovely Sara. Her report :)

cynicism

2010-02-16T07:25:00.000-08:00

A friend wrote this. It might be one of the most convicting and poignant things I've ever read. It put 10,000 spotlights on my pride.

a beautiful breakdown of Rom 5.1-5

2010-02-16T07:23:00.001-08:00

Here.

the book that i'm writing that i'll really never get around to

2010-02-16T07:03:00.000-08:00

Teaching has really made me want to write a book. I don't have cute letters in front of my name so it will likely not happen. I've got a thorough bibliography, a table of contents, specific charts and paradigms, a thesis, etc, etc.

I want it to be a book that that appropriately blends reading the Scriptures narratively, doctrinally, devotionally, and theologically. My title would be "A King and A Kingdom: God's Story of Grace and Truth."

I've bounced the idea off several people. And, of course, my students are all thumbs up. We shall see. Here are the chapters:

Scripture [what it is and what it isn't]
Glory [the grand goal of it all]
Inclusio [the royal narrative oreo]
Covenant [the relational remedy]
Covenant(s) [the story unfolds]
Jesus [the covenants fulfilled]
Gospel [the kingdom is here]
Soteriology [this all means something about Salvation]
Pneumatology [this all means something about the Spirit]
Ecclesiology [this all means something about the Church]
Eschatology [this all means something about the End]

more places james likes to play

2010-02-16T06:59:00.000-08:00

TOM WRiGHT ON "GOD AND GOVERNMENT"

2010-02-16T06:55:00.000-08:00

This is an address that Wright gave in England on Feb 10, 2010. The intro is more directly for those he is speaking to. The biblical analysis and practical application are more broad.

I love the majority of his biblical sketch, but then his application of it makes me raise an eyebrow and slightly furrow my brow. Still, fun read.

the end of the law

2010-02-16T06:46:00.001-08:00

I've recently been reading "The End of the Law: Mosaic Covenant in Pauline Theology" by Jason C Meyer. He has great discussions about the old-ness of the Old Covenant and the new-ness of the New Covenant. He does excellent exegetical work in 2 Cor 3-4, Gal 3-4, and Rom 9-11. The discussion may be seemingly peripheral, but it's ripple effects are very significant.

In the introduction, Meyer begins with an old Puritan proverb/poem/hymn. Spurgeon attributed it to John Bunyan, but others believe it to be John Berridge. It's really beautiful.

To run and work the law commands
Yet gives me neither feet nor hands
But better news the gospel brings
It bids me fly and gives me wings

what can i say? he loves it.

2010-02-16T06:41:00.000-08:00

MSNBC on Matt Chandler

2010-01-31T12:00:00.000-08:00

Here.

quote of the day

2010-01-26T07:17:00.000-08:00

John Wesley:

When I have money, I get rid of it quickly, lest it find a way into my heart.

Bible Verses on Military Guns?

2010-01-24T05:54:00.000-08:00

Here.

HiSTORY?

2010-01-24T05:48:00.000-08:00

What is the definition of "history"?

Does history have any innate meaning?

How do we now history has any meaning?

What gives history its meaning?

Is history objective fact?

Or... Is history facts paired with interpretations of those facts?

Mounce on Sunday and Sabbath in the NT

2010-01-24T05:44:00.000-08:00

Here.

Dr Piper reciting Philippians

2010-01-24T05:40:00.000-08:00

i declare?

2010-01-20T15:34:00.000-08:00

Typography from Ronnie Bruce on Vimeo.

good biblical interpretation

2010-01-20T11:08:00.000-08:00

From "The Art of Reading Scripture" edited by Ellen Davis and Richard B. Hays [pg 3].

Faithful interpretation of Scripture invites and presupposes participation in the community brought into being by God's redemptive action.

Scripture is like a musical score that must be played or sung in order to be understood.

an RC Sproul quote I totally agree with

2010-01-20T11:01:00.001-08:00

I’ll retire when they pry my cold, dead fingers off of my Bible.

enjoy those 11 minutes this weekend

2010-01-16T17:03:00.000-08:00

This is classic.

hymn of the day

2010-01-13T04:07:00.000-08:00

By Anne Steele [1717-1778]

My God, my Father, blissful Name
O may I call Thee mine
May I with sweet assurance claim
A portion so divine

This only can my fears control
And bid my sorrows fly
What harm can ever reach my soul
Beneath my Father's eye

Whate'er Thy providence denies
I calmly would resign
For Thou art just and good and wise
O bend my will to Thine

Whate'er Thy sacred will ordains
O give me strength to bear
And let me know my Father reigns
And trust His tender care

If pain and sickness rend this frame
And life almost depart
Is not Thy mercy still the same
To cheer my drooping heart

If cares and sorrows me surround
Their pow'r why should I fear
My inward peace they cannot wound
If Thou, my God, art near

God made San Diego really pretty

2010-01-13T04:01:00.000-08:00

COLOSSiANS 1.13-20

2010-01-12T11:57:00.000-08:00

Paul's hymn about Jesus in Col 1.15-20 is filled with ideas and thoughts that are almost too wonderful to comprehend. For example,

He is before all things and in him all things hold together.

How does that work? How do all things, living or non-living, have their ongoing sustenance in/by Jesus? Or here's another one,

All things have been created through him and for him.

So, Paul, you're saying that not only did this Jesus cause all that is to come into existence, whether the seemingly infinite galaxies or the subatomic particles, but all things are somehow for Him? Hmmm. Wow.

While the majority of this passage is masterful and elegant in content, style, structure, etc, Paul ends in 1.20 on a minor chord. He says that Jesus

Made peace through the blood of His cross.

Now if you're living in the Roman Empire in the first century, the cross is not cute or even religious. The cross was for guilty criminals whose heinous deeds were known to all. Crucifixions were done publicly so as to shame the guilty. People were more than welcome to mock those being crucified to make themselves feel better.

If one was to think of the cross in light of the Roman Empire, they would think of it as the dark, dirty underbelly of justice. Those people were getting what was coming to them. The cross was a symbol of retribution. No one would ever dare think something as dumb or demented as peace being made through the cross. However, this was precisely the case.

This cross is saying something about the depth of the stain of sin [1.14, 21-22]. This cross is saying something about the greatness of the love of the Father [1.12-13]. There is something so radical and counter-cultural about the cross of Jesus that it changed Paul's thinking to its very core. It must effect the same in us.

Pastor?

2010-01-11T13:51:00.001-08:00

Driscoll pokes fun at what the office of "pastor" has become in many churches. Here.

James' Newest Baby Sitter

2010-01-09T12:32:00.001-08:00

Look what my friend Matt gave me today. I think it is from the 1970s. It has programmed drum loops [i.e. waltz, tango, rumba, and dozens more]. James loves to shake what his mama gave him. Of course, I'll enjoy making music with it and Sara has already loved toying around with it too.

ST AUGUSTiNE LiKES MY BEARD [this life is but a fragmentary solace]

2009-12-31T14:30:00.000-08:00

In one of his discourses about beauty [bk 22, ch 24 of "The City of God"], he says:

Of course, some parts of the human body appear to have no other purpose than to add beauty, as the mamillae on a man's chest or the beard on his face. Certainly if the beard were meant for protection rather than for beauty, it would have served a better purpose for the weaker sex, whose face remains uncovered... I think, that in the creation of the human body, God put form before function.

All of this is Augustine articulating the intricate beauties that we get to partake in. He also talks about architecture, agriculture, navigation, language, rhythm, poise, symmetry, etc, etc. He closes this chapter by saying:

Remember, all these favors taken together are but the fragmentary solace allowed us in a life condemned to misery. What, then, must be the consolations of the blessed, seeing that men on earth enjoy so much of so many and of such marvelous blessings? What good will God not give to those predestined to eternal life, if He gives so much to those who are doomed to death?

James, soaking up some Florida sun

2009-12-31T14:28:00.000-08:00

CA 10 [part 1]

2009-12-31T14:00:00.001-08:00

We left Christmas night about 8:00 pm and drove 17 hours straight to Austin, TX.

After Austin, we drove through west Texas. I guess "everything is bigger in Texas" also means that everything is faster in Texas.

The barrenness of west Texas provided a nice salt flat to drive on. The back roads of New Mexico and Arizona were not that much more lively.

Our two consecutive nights on the road took us to Las Vegas. This was our hotel. The light that comes out of the top of it can be seen with the naked eye from space. Impressive.

We then tracked through the lowest point of elevation in North America - Death Valley, CA.

This brings us to the west coast. We shall see what awaits.

GO READ THiS BOOK.

2009-12-31T13:36:00.000-08:00

Aside from being overwhelmingly needed, Chan's book is a great combination of devotional and theological. It's almost Puritanical in that you can't divorce the two in nearly every chapter.

He writes with relevance, awareness, and pastoral sensitivity. He also includes examples from the lives of other believers that are encouraging and hope-giving.

Chapter 1 begins by citing Tozer:

We may as well face it: the whole level of spirituality among us is low. We have measured ourselves by ourselves until the incentive to seek higher plateaus in the things of the Spirit is all but gone. We have imitated the world, sought popular favor, manufactured delights to substitute for the joy of the Lord, and produced a cheap and synthetic power to substitute for the power of the Holy Ghost.

By grace, Chan remedies this challenge in his book. It is even seen in the book's summary subtitle: "Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit."

for sara. i miss her.

2009-12-29T16:47:00.000-08:00

i love my son [ontological goodness]

2009-12-27T09:12:00.000-08:00

I listen to my own music way more than I should. In a totally unarrogant way, I might be one of my favorite musicians. It's kind of like your opinions. Your opinions are always right, because that's the definition of opinion. Better yet, the composer or creator of a thing always enjoys that which he creates or else the created entity would never come to be.

The past six months of my life have been beautiful for this precise reason. I love my son because he is our son. That is why I have a strange, yet persistent delight in him even if I can't explain it and even if I should be frustrated because he didn't sleep the night before.

Why does this happen? What is the source of this creator/created relationship? How can this relationship be explained?

I'm helped here by our friend Augustine. In Book 11 of City of God, he writes:

The only meaning we can give to the constant refrain "God saw that it was good" is God's approval of a work as having been fashioned in accordance with that art which is His own wisdom.

There is no Creator higher than God, no art more efficacious than the Word of God, no better reason why something should be created than that the God who creates is good.

The explanation, then, of the goodness of creation is the goodness of God. It is a reasonable and sufficient explanation whether considered in the light of philosophy or of faith.

For, God is the kind of artist whose greatness in His masterpieces is not lessened in His minor works - which, of course, are not significant by reason of any sublimity in themselves, since they have none, but only by reason of the wisdom of their Designer.

JESUS' EMPiRE

2009-12-23T06:11:00.000-08:00

Napoleon:

I know men and I tell you that Jesus Christ is no mere man. Between Him and every other person in the world there is no possible term of comparison. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I have founded empires. But on what did we rest the creation of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded His empire upon love; and at this hour millions of men would die for Him.

Augustine:

I have read in Plato and Cicero sayings that are very wise and very beautiful; but I never read in either of them: "Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden."

beware

2009-12-14T03:09:00.000-08:00

Does the gospel you believe include "a God without wrath bringing men and women without sin into a kingdom without judgment through a Christ without a cross"? [H. Richard Niebuhr]

It's happening.

what i thought about while falling asleep last night:

2009-12-13T12:03:00.001-08:00

That every Christian is a catholic and a baptist... technically speaking, of course. Every believer is a catholic without a capital C and a baptist without a capital B. "Catholic" simply means "universal." And a baptist is someone who maintains that baptism should be practiced.

stolen from Abraham Piper

2009-12-12T06:49:00.000-08:00

Here.

A LOVELY CHRiSTMAS TUNE THAT NEEDS TO BE SUNG MORE OFTEN

2009-12-05T11:48:00.001-08:00

Here. And here.

Galatians 6 - St Paul and the Three Bears

2009-12-05T06:39:00.000-08:00

Wow. That is immensely cheesy. It was even kind of embarrassing to type. But I can't lie. That's how I remember Paul's train of thought in Galatians 6.

Paul says that if there is a brother in Christ caught in a deliberate sin, those who are living according to the Spirit should restore him [6.1].

BEAR one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ [6.2].

But there is also a warning attached to this restoration process. If those doing the restoring aren't careful, they might slip in temptation [6.2]. Paul says that if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing he deceives himself [6.3]. He says that everyone must test their own work [6.4] because

Each must BEAR his own load [6.5].

Then Paul humbly says that he will not even boast, except in Jesus [6.14]. Bad boasting and deception and pride are not part of the new creation that we are now apart of [6.13-16]. The false teachers in Galatia have caused him trouble. He could be boasting because he is preaching the true gospel [1.6-10]. Instead, he accepts the persecution of the gospel to attest to its glorious veracity.

I BEAR on my body the marks of Jesus [6.17].

These Three Bears are all the same in Greek [βαστάζω]. In this, he leaves the Galatians with something tangible. It was in bearing that they boasted in Jesus [6.14] and experienced peace and mercy [6.16]. May it be the same for us.

he is growing up so fast [true, but with a sarcastic tone for the below photographs]

2009-12-05T06:30:00.001-08:00

This past week at work felt like an eternity. So James and I decided to hit the links. I got him a new hat :)

After a grueling round of golf, we thought it would be nice to have a pipe together. It was priceless father-son bonding time.

Galatians 5 - Am I as spiritual as the Galatians were told to be?

2009-12-05T05:11:00.000-08:00

Paul is really ticked off in his letter to his friends in Galatia. They are starting to give in to another gospel that's really not the gospel [1.6-10]. After personal testimony, calling out the false teachers, and some poignant questions, Paul goes on to describe what faithful Christian living looks like.

Paul lists characteristics of what this life is like. For example, it is about freedom [5.1, 5.13]. It is about hope [5.5]. It is about faith working through love [5.6]. It is about serving one another [5.13-15]. It is NOT about a huge list of things in 5.19-21.

But what makes all of the above things make sense?

The source of all of these things for Paul is living by the Spirit. The way that the real gospel is really lived out is by the individual believer and the corporate community of faith living according to the Spirit's lead.

Paul even uses four different and powerful Greek verbs to depict how the Spirit should be our Guide and we should be His dependents.

In 5.16, Paul says we must WALK by/in/with the Spirit. This verb is περιπατέω.

In 5.18, Paul says that we must be LED by the Spirit. This verb is ἄγω.

In 5.25, Paul says that we LIVE by the Spirit. This verb is ζάω.

In 5.25, Paul says that we must KEEP IN STEP with the Spirit. This verb is στοιχέω.

Paul desires his friends in Galatia to have such a relationship with the Spirit of God that the Spirit's power and presence are lucid to all. He hints at this further in 3.2-5 and in 5.22-23.

So, is my life being lived by/in/with the Spirit in such a manner that it can be described as such? Am I merely giving the Holy Spirit a theoretical and theological head nod? How is this kind of living done? Does anyone live this way? Can I get their number?

children in a Richard Dawkins ad are evangelicals. classic.

2009-11-25T18:24:00.001-08:00

Here.

Word of the Day

2009-11-22T10:12:00.000-08:00

The Hebrew word hesed is one of the most pregnant and potent words in the Old Testament. Psalm 136 repeats it in a refrain in each of its 26 verses: "His hesed endures forever." Notice how different translations often render this term:

"unfailing love" [NIV]

"lovingkindness" [NASB]

"steadfast love" [ESV and NRSV]

"mercy" [KJV, NKJV]

"faithful love" [NLT]

One my favorite theological books of all time, The Jesus Storybook Bible, hints at the idea of hesed when it frequently refers to "God's Never Stopping, Never Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love."

This idea of hesed is the ultimate sentiment between YHWH and His covenant people. The meaning of hesed is bound to YHWH's covenant promises to Abraham. It is not mere love or emotive adoration. Hesed includes and implies covenantal favor, love, mercy, fidelity, and kindness. The word almost tells a story in itself.

We can rejoice with the prophet Micah when he says, "Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression? You do not retain Your anger forever, because You delight to show hesed."

[for more word studies on hesed, read here, here, here, and here]

Jude 1-2

2009-11-18T03:34:00.000-08:00

There are layers of thick theology in Jude's brief, two-verse salutation. He wants to be known as a slave. This is a beautiful enough picture to discuss and delve into. Yet, he wants to be known as a slave of his brother, the Messiah! Even the Greek structure of "Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ" [ESV] is only shared by James, another earthly brother of our Lord. No other NT writers depict their servanthood in the the same way as Jude and James.

Furthermore, in his introductory benediction, he extends mercy, peace, and love to whom he his writing. This blessing is also unique to Jude. Perhaps there is something about each of these that he desires people to cling to as they "earnestly contend for the faith" [Jd 3].

Lastly, his addressees are merely "the called ones." These are the first and last words in the following Greek phrase:

τοῖς ἐν θεῷ πατρὶ ἠγαπημένοις καὶ ἸησοῦΧριστῷ τετηρημένοις κλητοῖς

Now, notice how the middle of this phrase is structured:

ἐν θεῷ πατρὶ ἠγαπημένοις

ἸησοῦΧριστῷ τετηρημένοις

Their calling is not vague, detached, or meaningless. Their calling is bound up in the fact that they are loved by God and kept by Jesus Christ. This may not land on you they way it should. Maybe it didn't land on them as Jude intended. But after he warns them of false teachers in their midst who are destructively leading people astray, his closing doxology ends by saying, "To Him who is able to KEEP you... be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all ages and now and unto all ages" [Jd 24-25]. They definitely get it now.

spiritual warfare and demonic activity

2009-11-17T11:39:00.001-08:00

In my classes, we are discussing these issues right now. Some of my students get a little freaked out about it. James' command [echoed by Peter in 1 Pe 5.7-9] to "resist the devil" in Js 4.7 is not a theoretical, spiritual antidote for tough times. James wants believers to actually do it.

So, how does that work? What does it look like to "resist the devil"?

I'm showing them this lecture/talk that I think helps to biblically answer the how-to question when dealing with demonic activity. Some of the stories are intense and downright crazy, but Driscoll's thoroughly biblical approach is what must be noted.

2 Cor 4

2009-11-08T04:40:00.001-08:00

IN ALL THINGS

afflicted
... but not crushed
perplexed
... but not despairing
persecuted
... but not abandoned
knocked down
... but not destroyed

ALWAYS carrying the death of Jesus in the body so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our body.

Paul's theology betrays his grammar ["our body"]. I love it when he does that. Then, with the odd couple of contrition and confidence, he tell the Corinthians,

So, death is at work in us, but life in you.

How and why are modern gospel-ministries often not described as such?

this is what i remember listening to when i was young. if you're not charasmatic by the end of watching, you've got issues.

2009-11-07T13:03:00.000-08:00

ROMANS iNTRO [1.1-7]

2009-11-07T12:31:00.000-08:00

From Paul

[a slave of Christ Jesus]
[called as an apostle]
[set apart for the gospel]

For the Gospel

[which God promised beforehand]
[which God promised through His the prophets in the Scriptures]
[which concerns His Son]

The Gospel about God's Son, Jesus

[who descended from David]
[who was declared the Son of God in power, through the Spirit, by His resurrection]
[who is our Lord]
[through whom we have grace and apostleship for the obedience of faith among the nations]

To all those in Rome

[called to belong to Jesus]
[who are loved by God]
[called to be saints]
[grace and peace to you all from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ]

some thoughts on women in church from 1 Cor 11 and 14

2009-11-07T06:54:00.000-08:00

Paul says that "every wife who PRAYS or PROPHESIES with her head uncovered dishonors her head" [1 Cor 11.5]. Now don't think about the definition of the spiritual gift of prophesy. Don't think about the head-covering issue. Think about the fact that Paul assumes women will PRAY and PROPHESY in church.

This reality in Paul's mind is not posited against 1 Cor 14.33-34, but alongside of it: "Women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak."

So, how is this not a flagrant contradiction? What is Paul's problem? He can't even think straight.

The context of the 1 Cor 14 passage is a discussion on orderly worship and the gift of prophecy. Paul says that when people prophesy, others should "weigh in" [ESV] or "judge" [NASB] or "evaluate" [NLT] the prophecy that was spoken [14.29-33]. It seems that Paul just doesn't want women weighing in or discerning these prophecies.

Just as there is functional subordination in the Godhead [the Son is equal is essence to the Father, but also obeyed Him], there is the same in His image bearers [see Gen 1-2]. The man and the woman bear the image together, but have distinct roles in the image-bearing process.

So, do I think women can participate in church on a Sunday morning? Sure. In what capacity? It appears a limited one. Guess we'll have to dig there later.

Proverbs 7, ESV

2009-11-07T05:21:00.000-08:00

She seizes him and kisses him and with a bold face she says,

I had to offer sacrifices and today I paid my vows; so now I have come out to meet you. I have spread my couch with coverings, I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. Come let us drink our fill of love till morning. For my husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey.

With much seductive speech she persuades him; with her smooth talk she compels him. All at once he follows her.

... As an ox goes to the slaughter.

... As a stag is caught fast till an arrow pierces.

... As a bird rushes into a snare.

HE DOES NOT KNOW THAT IT WILL COST HIM HIS LIFE.

Now, O sons, listen to me. Let not your heart turn aside to her ways; do not stray into her paths, for many a victim has she laid low, and all her slain are a mighty throng. Her house is the way to Sheol, going to to the chambers of death.

WKND VACATiON

2009-11-07T04:53:00.000-08:00

James and I, taking in the Folly sunset.

Crouching tiger. Hidden butt-crack.

So happy. I love them.

Ladies, please.

Baby Mama. Baby Daddy.

Sunny Sara. Sleeping Mikey.

Nonna and Poppa playing with Skeebo.

Mom and I are having a great time. James looks a little confused about it all.

I caught him with one hand. I had just thrown him about 9 ft in the air.

BiBLE BEE

2009-11-07T04:22:00.000-08:00

This summer I helped out with Bible Bee contestants. You make think this to be lame and sound a little too VBS-ish, but be patient. It was a group of high-schoolers competing for a national prize. 17,000 kids participate across the country. Each student must memorize large portions of Scripture from the OT and NT. They also had to take to memory dozens of Bible facts and random questions. It really was a daunting task for most of these teens. I would say that several of them know more Bible than their pastor. Anywho.

They were awesome to work with. Most of these kids were generally conservative and/or fundamentalist in their upbringing. I do live 12 miles from Bob Jones. And here's the crazy thing. What would you say the prize is for the national winner of this competition?

A gold-embossed, bonded-leather KJV?

A lifetime supply of everything Tim LaHaye has ever written?

How about a scholarship to Liberty? or CIU?

No. The prize for the high school winner of the Bible Bee gets a $100,000 check. Yes. You read those zeros correctly. There will be a kind, happy, conservative, God-fearing, 16-year old kid with their name on a check for $100,000. My lifetime salary might not add up to that until I'm 30.

Here's the best part. One of the kids that I got to "coach" and help this summer went to the national competition [they start with hundreds of regional competitions]. In the national competition, he moved from the top 100 to the top 20. Today they will cut it down to 7. Then a winner will be picked. I'm kind of proud of the whole thing.

And plus, he's an incredible kid... Go Joshua! I'm going to try to watch him live online :)

Quote of the Day

2009-10-25T06:09:00.000-07:00

J. I. Packer:

Our understanding of Christianity cannot be better than our grasp of adoption.

More here.

Disturb Us, O Lord

2009-10-22T11:08:00.000-07:00

Sir Francis Drake:

Disturb us, Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves, when our dreams have come true because we have dreamed too little, when we arrive safely because we have sailed too close to shore.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly to venture on wider seas where storms show Your mastery; where losing sight of land we shall find stars. We ask You to push back the horizons of our hopes; we ask You to [lead us into] a future of strength, courage, hope and love.

conflict and the cross

2009-10-21T03:14:00.000-07:00

Perspectives from Peacemaker Ministries on Vimeo.

Oh Israel, Trust in YHWH

2009-10-18T16:43:00.001-07:00

I got one of those ESV Study Bibles for free. My old NASB has endless scratchings on nearly every page - highlighters, pens of various colors, and tons of notes in the margins. So, the first thing I did in this new Bible was read straight through the book of Psalms. I just finished. It was so refreshing.

In my Psalter journey, I underlined every time the word "trust" was used. If this is the way God has desired His people to relate to Him throughout history [Hebrews 11], I figured the OT's hymnbook was a good place to discover the nature of true faith/trust.

The word itself is used close to 50 times in Psalms. Out of its 50 uses, YHWH or YHWH's promises are generally the object or aim of the faith/trust exhibited. In fact, it is only used negatively 7-8 times [i.e. Ps 44.6: "For not in my bow do I trust"].

Thus, as Paul says that idols are not real gods in 1 Cor 8, so faith/trust in other things apart from YHWH is not really faith/trust at all. It has the appearance or the sense of faith/trust, but not the essence. Truly trusting can only be done toward one Being. Any faith/trust between humans is too mingled with our selfish ends even if it appears to be serving or sacrificial. However, believing and trusting God is the grounds for us to have a kind of sincere honesty among the people of God.

Individually and corporately walking in this faith/trust is God's desire for His people. First, vertically. And in turn, horizontally.

Those who trust in YHWH are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever [Ps 125.1].

Game Day James

2009-10-17T08:21:00.000-07:00

hymn of the day

2009-10-12T04:05:00.000-07:00

"It is Not Death to Die" [Henri Abraham César Malan]

It is not death to die
To leave this weary road
And midst the brotherhood on high
To be at home with God

It is not death to close
The eye long-dimmed by tears
And wake in glorious repose
To spend eternal years

James' first driving lesson

2009-10-11T16:16:00.000-07:00

After church, we went to Chili's for lunch. James wanted to drive home. I let him steer the whole time. I just closed my eyes. He told me when to apply the brakes because his legs are short and fat. He did a good job.

CAUTiON: you might be humming this melody after viewing

2009-10-09T13:52:00.000-07:00

deductive eschatology

2009-10-08T16:14:00.000-07:00

Jesus said the kingdom was here. Peter says in his Acts 2 Pentecost sermon that we are now living in the last days. There is not a lot of ambiguity here. We have been in the end times since Jesus.

I think most modern approaches to eschatology start on the wrong foot, namely, Revelation 20. I'm not seeking to be a trendy deconstructionist here, but seriously, who defines a theological position out of six verses in the Bible. The only place in the Bible that clearly talks about a "millennium" is Rev 20.1-6. Yet, from this text you can have postmillennialists, several kinds of premillennialists, and a couple kinds of amillennialists. How absurd. Of course Rev 20.1-6 matters. But state with clarity the eschatological kingdom realities replete in the gospels and in St Paul and then maybe you'll have a healthier frame of reference for interpreting John's Apocalypse.

So, because St Peter says that Jesus left us an example of suffering [1 Pe 2] and because persecution was an assumed part of most first century Christianity, I can deduce that any eschatological position that wants to avoid tough times might not be the most faithful to the flavor of biblical Christianity.

So, goodbye pretribulational premillennialism.

Furthermore, to say that the gospel will spread and spread to the point of near-global takeover is to fall off the other side of the horse. We are ambassadors who wage war [Eph 6]. We will continue to wield the sword of the Spirit until Jesus' return.

So, goodbye postmillennialism.

LiTTLE PEOPLE

2009-10-08T15:59:00.000-07:00

Our little friend, Mr Cooper.

James hanging out with Aunt Barb, supporting Let's Do Lunch.

I can't lie... I'm elated.

2009-10-08T15:28:00.000-07:00

I feel like I'm 18 again. I'll cherish this. I might even have a cameo. Here.

Sara and I are ready to go.

2009-10-07T18:46:00.000-07:00

Please go read this.

Quote of the Day

2009-10-07T11:00:00.000-07:00

Bryan Chapell:

Because of the Gospel, my accomplishments don't distinguish me and my failures don't destroy me.

unadulterated grace

2009-10-01T15:32:00.000-07:00

If we think we deserve grace, whatever we have in mind is not grace. If you believe that you should receive God's gracious mercy, then you un-define what grace means. The nature of grace is that it is purely unmerited and undeserved. If grace can be merited, then it is no longer grace. If grace is earned, it is not grace; it then becomes the same as that which you receive from a whore after you give her money.

If this seems too flagrant or blatant, then perhaps we are on the right track. There is no reason for grace except grace.

Quote of the Day

2009-09-27T10:32:00.001-07:00

George Washington:

I have no lust after power but wish with as much fervency as any man upon this wide extended continent, for an opportunity of turning the sword into a plow share.

George is stealing his imagry here from Is 2.4 and Mic 4.3. Thanks, Lewis.

Why I Still Appreciate Mark Driscoll

2009-09-27T05:32:00.000-07:00

Quote of the Day

2009-09-26T18:00:00.000-07:00

John Piper:

There are two kinds of Bible scholars: those who are playful with truth and those who smell the smoke.

Wine/Alcohol in the Bible

2009-09-26T07:10:00.000-07:00

It's quite unique to note the way that the biblical writers talk about wine/alcohol. There are primarily two ways that it is referred to.

First, it is seen negatively as that which, because of irresponsibility, should incur judgment and wrath. This negative view of alcohol can be symbolic or literal. Paul says to not be drunk with wine. This is irresponsible and cannot yield living life rightly. On the other hand, Isaiah and the Apostle John write of the the wine press of the wrath of God. See Prov 20.1, Is 51.17-23, Jer 25.15-29, Job 21.17-20, Rev 14.9-10, Eph 5.18, Is 5.11-12, and Rev 16.19.

Secondly, wine/alcohol in the Bible is seen as something celebratory, joyous, or satisfactory. The fact that God gives wine for man to enjoy is grounds for praise for the psalmist. Before you arrive at the end of chapter 12, some of the only snapshots of fulfillment in Ecclesiastes are when Solomon says that we should eat, drink, and be merry. Shockingly, this is not a reference to Welch's. Jesus even kept a wedding fiesta going by making 120 gallons of tasty wine. Conservatively, this is about 2,500 glasses. See Ps 104.14-15, Ecc 5.18, Ecc 9.7, Is 55.1, Mt 26.26-29, Mk 14.22-25, Lk 22.14-20, and Jn 2.1-11.

Maybe, just maybe, balance is the key to many things. Here's the point though: The emphasis on wine in the NT is that it serves as a two-fold eschatological metaphor.

In Revelation, John writes several times about the cup of wine of the fierce wrath of God. This is the negative.

Conversely, in each synoptic gospel, Jesus holds forth hope to His disciples by telling them that He will one day drink New Covenant wine with them in the Kingdom. This is the positive. And I'm looking forward to it.

MY WiFE JUST SAiD:

2009-09-26T06:59:00.000-07:00

I remember thinking in middle school that when I get to heaven I'm going to have an eternally long Kit-Kat bar in one hand and an eternally long Slim Jim in the other.

On a much more sweet, beautiful, and maternal note, her last blog is fun.

my son... king of the fat rolls.

2009-09-25T14:53:00.000-07:00

SWEET SOCRATES... [a crash course in logic]

2009-09-25T14:51:00.000-07:00

Here.

THE BiBLE iS KiND OF iMPORTANT

2009-09-23T18:06:00.000-07:00

"As in paradise, God walks in Holy Scriptures, seeking man" [St Ambrose].
"A single line of the Bible has consoled me more than all the books I have ever read" [Immanuel Kant]."
Abraham Lincoln called the Bible "the best gift God has given to man."
A dictionary published by the Soviet government in mid-1900s called the Bible "a collection of different legends, mutually contradictory and written at different times and full of historical errors, issued by churches as a 'holy' book."
"A thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education" [Theodore Roosevelt].
"There's nothing written in the Bible that says, 'If you believe in Me you ain't going to have no troubles.'" [Ray Charles]
"Give a man an open Bible, an open, mind, a conscience in good working order, and he will have a hard time to keep from being a Baptist" [A. T. Robertson].

Maybe We Should Call the Bible Belt the "Live Like Hell" Belt

2009-09-22T18:33:00.000-07:00

A team at Kansas State University plotted the geographical sway of the seven deadly sins across America. Those south-easterners are a bunch of rabid hellians. Very interesting graphs here.

The Future of Denominationalism

2009-09-22T18:04:00.000-07:00

By our friend, Al Mohler. Here. It starts getting deeper about 10 or 12 minutes in.

12 reasons that affirm that Adam was a real historic individual

2009-09-22T17:50:00.000-07:00

Here.

Packer on the Gospel

2009-09-22T17:48:00.000-07:00

Here.

Wheaton Theology Conference

2009-09-21T18:32:00.000-07:00

Very much looking forward to this. Tom Wright, Kevin Vanhoozer, Richard Hays, and friends.

Happy Late Birthday, John Calvin

2009-09-16T16:05:00.000-07:00

Calvin's 500th birthday was this year. There have been conferences and celebrations all over the world, and rightly so.

I'll steal wisdom from Ghandi here. Of Christianity, he said, "I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians; they are so unlike Christ."

I feel the same way about John Calvin. He was a faithful pastor who wanted to preach the Bible. Yet many people who want to go by his name are arrogant knuckleheads. He would've hated the title "protestant" and loved the title "reformer." He was way more Catholic than Presbyterians and Catholics are willing to admit. Timothy George correctly states that Calvin was "a theologian of both/and, not either/or: divine sovereignty and human responsibility, written Word and living Spirit, the Church invisible and the Church congregational, already and not yet."

George's full article can be read here. He discusses Calvinism as it relates to capitalism, Calvin and Servetus, and three reasons Calvin's ideas are getting traction again today.