This post marks my 100th published post since starting this blog in April 2013! I am grateful for all God has done in and through this small blog. He has also worked mightily in my heart to teach me many lessons, such as how to interact with those who disagree with me, not to judge my worth based on quantity of readers, and to be patient in my growth as a communicator.
Many have asked me why I write on this blog. I think my answer today would probably be different than what I might have told you back in April of last year. I’d like to share with you now five reasons why I continue to write, tweet and blow up your Facebook feed with my blog posts.
1. It helps to keep me from going crazy.
If you knew me prior to starting this blog, then you know that once I started talking on a topic I was passionate about, I wouldn’t stop. I tended to dominate discussions not necessarily because I was prideful in any way (although that certainly could have been and may still be the case), but because I so rarely got the chance to talk with people about some of these subjects that when the opportunity presented itself I went a little bit crazy.
Having a place to put all my thoughts and ideas has been very cathartic for me. I have found that the longer I write, the less prone I have been to flying off the handle and running my yapper longer than needed. It is reasonable for me to think, then, that continuing to write will allow me to grow further in this area and become even wiser in my actions and speech.
2. I want to grow in my skill as a communicator.
There is certainly something to be said for having a natural disposition for particular skills. Lets face it, some of us are naturally inclined towards music while others of us couldn’t keep a rhythm even if we took dance lessons from Astaire himself. Even the most gifted vocalist needs to hone their craft as a singer.
I look at my gifts and desires to be a good communicator in the same way. Many have told me that I am a gifted speaker and communicator, but that does not give me freedom to take said skill or gift for granted. I will not grow or shape this gift if I do not practice.
Many of you have complimented me and encouraged me as I continue to write, telling me that they can see growth in how my writing so far. I am very grateful for your encouragement, as it strengthens and motivates me to keep at it.
3. I want to grow in my knowledge and love for Jesus.
I’ve never been one to journal or write my thoughts down, but during the last 9 or so months I have learned so much in the studying and writing process that goes into all of these posts. I have found that I retain and learn so much more if I not only read it and think about it, but also to write about it.
This writing and studying process has not only increased my knowledge, but I have grown in my affections for Jesus as well. As I take time to slow down, meditate, think and then write about Godly things I find that my heart and mind are shaped in the process.
4. I want to share with you what I am learning.
Theological knowledge and wisdom is not something to be hoarded. As I am abundantly given to by my professors, pastors, mentors and numerous books so too do I want to give abundantly to my friends and family. I write about these things not to gloat in them but in order to freely share them so that you too can taste and see these things. Every single post I write is fueled by my desire to share something with others such that their wants, desires and love for Jesus will also grow.
5. I both need and want your feedback.
I think there is a misconception that theology is learned, developed and communicated in some sort of Ivory Tower on a hill somewhere. On the contrary, good theology must be informed and developed in all of life; theology grows and matures in the midst of real people, real places, and real (and often hard) situations.
This journey I am on is not one that I want to take or can take alone. Possibly the most important of reasons behind my writing is because I want your feedback, yes YOUR feedback. I want your critiques and criticisms, your modifications. I want to hear about how you think about things and maybe hear from a different angle that I have not yet considered. I want this site to be a safe place for good, open and honest conversation.
If you ever stumble upon something that you like, agree with, disagree with, or want to share, I would love to hear your thoughts. Please do not hesitate to comment, email or find me in person.
Thank you to all of you who have read, continue to read, and encourage me in my growth as a communicator and child of God.
Soli Deo Gloria!
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Question 2.
How many things are necessary for thee to know, that thou, enjoying this comfort mayest live and die happy?
Answer.
Three; the first, how great my sins and miseries are; the second, how I may be delivered from all my sins and miseries; the third, how I shall express my gratitude to God for such deliverance.
O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Rom. 7:24, 25.
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So in 1558, an 82 year old man is martyred for his faith. And that’s one of the significant events, a catalyst moment, in the Reformation in Scotland.
Biologically beneficial, huh? What about some other effects like STD’s? Unwanted births? Destruction of families?
Here’s a correlation scientists might not pick up on: there’s a reason why our straying from God is also called adultery: sin.
4 Things I would Rather Do Instead of Listening to a Prosperity “gospel” Message
Here’s a fun comic from Adam Ford.
The transformation of Zacchaeus is a testimony to the power of Jesus to save. When you are meeting with seekers who want God, don’t get in the way of the capital S Seeker who seeks and saves the lost. He is the One who can transform a heart.
Pray to Him. Ask Him to put you in the right place at the right time. Do whatever it takes to introduce people to Him. Don’t make seekers climb trees to get around you in order to see Jesus.
Digging out of the celebration of the Lord’s Day is in itself a refreshing thing. Turns out, greater obedience in this area gave me greater insight into what kind of rest I actually need. I don’t need a clean space, I need an obedient one. I don’t need a perfect haven of restfulness, I need a heart of rest. I don’t need all the external resources to celebrate the Lord’s Day without consequences. I need the consequences of the Lord’s Day for the rest of the days to be joyful.
We Don’t Have to Read the Book or See the Movie to Know Heave is Real
Until then, we do not need the testimony of an impressionable 4-year-old boy, a neurosurgeon, spine surgeon, sports writer, or even a pastor to know that heaven is real. We have everything we need in the Bible. Its testimony is enough to generate genuine faith in Christ, as well as a greater longing for unending life in his presence.
3 Common Traits of Youth Who Don’t Leave the Church
This is not a formula! Kids from wonderful gospel-centered homes leave the church; people from messed-up family backgrounds find eternal life in Jesus and have beautiful marriages and families. But it’s also not a crapshoot. In general, children who are led in their faith during their growing-up years by parents who love Jesus vibrantly, serve their church actively, and saturate their home with the gospel completely, grow up to love Jesus and the church. The words of Proverbs 22:6 do not constitute a formula that is true 100 percent of the time, but they do provide us with a principle that comes from the gracious plan of God, the God who delights to see his gracious Word passed from generation to generation: “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”
Oh God and Father,
You have promised your people that you are building a church that the gates of hell shall not overcome.
You have promised that your Word will go out and shall not return to You void;
that Your gospel will be preached to the ends of the earth, and then the end will come.
You have promised your called-out-people, this ek-klesia, the Spirit of Truth that will lead us into all truth, all knowledge and wisdom.
You have given to us your Holy Word, the Scriptures, in which you still speak through and to us today. This Word reveals all about you that is right, true and good.
But Father, in the midst of these promises a contra-gospel arises.
Despite your goodness and gifts to us to guide and sustain us,
there are those who would seek to twist and distort Your Word;
those who wish to tickle their own ears with lies and fabrications that only fit the greed and lusts of their hearts.
We know that the desires of our flesh, the desires of our eyes and the pride of our lives does not come from You,
yet some would teach otherwise.
Father, there is a generation who is hungry and desperate for truth and light.
We seek the bread, not crumbs.
Yet, we stand in between two generations. Those who have come before us who have bought this lie of prosperity,
this lie that the American Dream can be compatible with our faith in You; this lie that your Son was surely an American Jesus who only seeks our comforts, health and wealth.
Now there arises a new generation as well, a young generation of those who will seek your truth in the midst of competing “gospels.”
O Lord, my prayer now is for my generation, this generation who stands in between those who have come before and those who are coming after.
My prayer is that you would give us the love, the courage and the heart to
speak out against this so-called prosperity gospel.
That you would give us the faith and wisdom to live out the Christian faith as you would have us do, for this is a task that we cannot do on our own but only as an extension of your mercy and grace.
Oh I AM, would you stop the spread of this message and disease, this perversion of your truth,
not only from spreading in this country alone,
but in all countries, especially those who have nothing yet are so desperate for anything to cling to.
Father, empower true, gospel-preaching missionaries to boldly preach for your kingdom in these foreign places,
by your Spirit would you see your gospel spread to all nations.
O Lord, my prayer now is that you would tear down the strongholds of this health and wealth “church,”
that you would cease the lies and false utterances of these false teachers;
the Joel Osteens, the Benny Hinns and the Creflo Dollars.
And yes, Lord, we shall not be afraid to name them when necessary;
just as Paul was not afraid to name Hymenaeus and Alexander – the prosperity teachers plaguing your church in Ephesus.
But Lord, my prayer is not to see the character, reputation or honor of these men and women tainted or destroyed; only that they themselves would diminish and You would increase.
Father my prayer is not that you would have it come to pass that these teachers or their followers would come to harm, but that they would be loved and shown the truth of your grace in Christ.
Remove their spiritual blindness and hardheartedness, allowing them to see who Christ is and what he’s done on our behalf.
Teach your church, your body, what it means to be gentle and loving, yet firm and bold.
Show us how to stand up for truth not in the manner that seems appropriate to the world,
but only by the manner that suits inheritors of Your kingdom.
Lord, it is easy for me to adamantly speak out against the so-called prosperity gospel,
yet be comfortable with living my own prosperous lifestyle.
Father, rid me of these distractions, these wrongful desires that take me away from you.
Renew my heart and mind to only seek the things that are above,
for how can I speak against prosperity gospels when I myself love said prosperity?
Rid me of my comforts and needless pleasures, that you might be glorified in and through me.
Not because of me, but in spite of me.
Amen
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I love this scene from the first Middle Earth movie, The Fellowship of the Ring. In this short clip, Gandalf is telling Bilbo that he needs to leave the one ring behind (to later be taken up by his nephew, Frodo). The lure of the ring – Tolkein’s imagery for sin – is too much for Bilbo and it causes him to respond with greed and selfishness at such a request.
Gandalf’s response is both powerful and endearing.
His initial reaction is stern and booming, powerful and strong. He reminds Bilbo of who he is NOT – someone out to harm him. He follows up this somewhat fearful presentation with gentleness and love, reminding Bilbo of who he IS – someone who is there to help him.
I think Christians can learn a lot from this short scene. I’ve written previously on how in Christ we grow and become more of a complete person. In summary of my last post, what I mean by this is that we are being “rounded out” as Christians; we learn to convey a wide variety of emotions because we are being made whole by Christ. We know when to let our emotions out, and we know when to rope them in. This ability comes through growth and faith in our Savior as he makes us more like him.
An additional reflection of this growth in Christ is learning wisdom and discernment for when we should be stern and strong, or gentle and humble. The truth is, the Bible can sometimes come off as being full of dichotomies. Sometimes we see Christ or the Apostle Paul (and many others) speaking in one way, but then at other times we seem them acting or speaking in a way that seems contrary to their previous behavior.
So how do we reconcile these things?
How do we know whether to make a whip of chords and flip tables (John 2:15-17), or gently speak to others about grace and truth (John 4:1-45)?
How do we know whether to strive for unity and destroy divisions in the church (1 Cor. 1:10-17), or to preach strongly against false teachers and their doctrines (1 Tim. 1, 6)?
How do we know whether to encourage love and peace (2 Cor 13:11-12), or to employ sarcastic rhetoric and defend ourselves (2 Cor 11)?
We can learn something here from that wiry old wizard: we need to know when and how to do both.
Too often in this post-modern culture, our desires for peace and “tolerance” work its way into the church, so we’re content with just saying “as long as you claim the name of Jesus, we’re good.” On the flip side, brothers and sisters who are filled with pride and arrogance hatefully and jealously fight and slander one another in a manner that looks anything but Christian. Are these really the only two sides to the Christian reality?
Part of growth as a Christian is learning discernment and wisdom. And as we become more like Christ, we will know when its appropriate to engage in conversations that sometimes require strong and forceful actions, language, and tone. We will also learn when it is appropriate to be gentle, nurturing and soft.
The root of either end of the spectrum is love. We should always be rooted in love, and our actions should always be winsome. Therefore, it is entirely possible for us to contend, fight, defend and argue for the faith and do so lovingly and gently. The Christian defense and contention looks distinctively different from how the world would do it. In contrast, it is quite easy for us to claim peace and unity, but do so in an unloving fashion. While it may appear loving on the surface, at its root our “peaceful and loving” actions are actually rooted in fear of man, insecurity, and a lack of confidence.
The first test to ask yourself in any situation is: am I acting out of love for others that is rooted in Christ? The answer to this question will probably give you a clue as to whether you’ve discerned the appropriate behavior and speech.
As for Gandalf, well, he’s a good example but less than a mere shadow of the One we follow. Seek him, look to him. Believe him. Follow His example.