Take and Read

Hands down, these are some of the greatest short-stories ever written:
A Scrap of Time and Other Stories by Ida Fink

You'll never have to forgive me for recommending this read:
The Sunflower: On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness by Simon Wiesenthal

For a deep and practical understanding of how the Gospel changes everything read:
Total Church: A Radical Reshaping Around Gospel and Community by Tim Chester and Steve Timmis

For a classic read on questions of epistemology, Schaeffer rocks an infinite, personal God whom we can come to know intimately in:
He Is There and He Is Not Silent by Francis Schaeffer

A page-turner about the ethics of biotechnology. Sounds incredibly boring, I know. It's not. Trust me and read:
Enough: Staying Human in an Engineered Age by Bill McKibben

As a companion to the previous book, you should read (or re-read) the great science-fiction piece:
A Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

Why not read something amazing and worth your time? You would be a fool not to read:
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

For a very fascinating mixture of sociology, history, theology, and modern/postmodern culture, read:
Above All Earthly Pow'rs: Christ in a Postmodern World by David F. Wells

If you think you understand the doctrine of God, read:
The Doctrine of God by John Frame

Addicted to something? Know someone who is? Then you'd better get to reading:
Addictions: A Banquet in the Grave by Ed Welch

If you've ever doubted the importance of the Atonement, you've got to read:
Death by Love by Mark Driscoll

That should be enough to keep you going for a few weeks.

WWYDWYOWWJDB?

Dilemma: What will you do with your old WWJD bracelet[s]?

Possible Solution[s]:

• They make wonderful collars for small dogs and cats--even your ferret can get a lil' Jesus love on.
• Turn your lust-a-lot Barbie into a bona fide believer with a WWJD "bracelet" headband or belt.
• At the next wedding you attend, forget about throwing rice and birdseed or blowing bubbles--toss your WWJD bracelet at the newly christened husband and wife.
• Hang your old bracelets on any doorknob. It's a great conversation piece.
• If you have more than six bracelets, put them all on your next bottle of Dr. Pepper--they'll keep your hand from getting wet! WWJD bracelets make the coolest coozies.
  
• Cut them up and use them as bookmarks. This way you are guaranteed to finish all your assigned reading--c'mon, Jesus wouldn't sluff off on his studies would he?

There is a reason why postmodern heretics, from feminist theologians to ecumenical pluralists, would rather talk about “God” than Jesus. And there is a reason why so many of the most heated controversies in church history have been Christological. “God” is an abstract enough concept that it can be defined impersonally, as “the divine” or the “Ground of Being.” So the liberal divinity school theologian can speak in terms of “God covenanting with Godself to redeem God's people and to bring them into God's land.” The pluralist dialogue partner can speak of “God” at work as Allah, Vishnu, and whatever Marianne Williamson is calling divine these days.

The gritty flesh and blood reality of Jesus of Nazareth, however, is much more particular and much more exclusive. I think the fatal flaw of contemporary Christianity, on both the right and the left, is what Adrio Koenig called "the eclipse of Christ." We speak of the glory of God, and we aim for “God-centered worship,” but we forget that God's glory is tied up in what Maximus the Confessor called “the Christic mystery,” namely that God's purpose is “to sum up all things in Christ” (Eph. 1:10). Contemporary Christians may have “WWJD” bracelets and other sorts of “Jesus junk” in our closets, but too rarely do we hear the big picture of how our God is no generic God, but the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jesus of Nazareth.

--Russell Moore

Soren: The [possible] Son of a Preacher Man

Soren Kierkegaard was a Christian, a philosopher, a mover and a shaker. If you want to read something sincere, read this guy. That's why I love him.

Writing in the 19th century, Kierkegaard saw the greatest enemy of Christianity as the cultured and respectable Christianity of his day. The tragedy of easy Christianity is that existence has ceased to be an adventure and a constant risk in the presence of God but has become a form of morality and facts to be believed. Its purpose is to simplify the matter of becoming a Christian. This is only paganism, "cheap" Christianity, with neither cost nor pain, Kierkegaard argued. It is like war games, in which armies move and there is a great deal of noise, but there is no real risk of pain--and no real victory. Kierkegaard believed the church of his day was merely "playing at Christianity."

Kierkegaard was convinced that his calling was in "making Christianity difficult." He reminded people of his day that to be truly Christian one must become aware of the cost of faith and pay the price. So he said things like this:

"We are what is called a 'Christian nation--but in such a sense that not a single one of us is in the character of the Christianity of the New Testament."

“The matter is quite simple. The Bible is very easy to understand. But we Christians are a bunch of scheming swindlers. We pretend to be unable to understand it because we know very well that the minute we understand, we are obligated to act accordingly.

“Take any words in the New Testament and forget everything except pledging yourself to act accordingly. My God, you will say, if I do that my whole life will be ruined. How would I ever get on in the world? Herein lies the real place of Christian scholarship.

“Christian scholarship is the Church’s prodigious invention to defend itself against the Bible, to ensure that we can continue to be good Christians without the Bible coming too close.

“Oh, priceless scholarship, what would we do without you? Dreadful it is to fall into the hands of the living God. Yes, it is even dreadful to be alone with the New Testament.”

He was a severe man. This is why I like Soren Kierkegaard.

If we have a son, Soren [middle name] Smith sounds good to me. It has a nice ring to it. And the legacy of a dead philosopher as well...

Dang. (Oh the Irony of Blogging...)

Car towed far away
How could this happen to me?
Oh yeah, I forgot...

The Tyranny of the Urgent

Ignore the urgent and focus on the important. Why? Because focusing on the urgent just causes more urgent things to come up. The only way to really minimize the appearance of the urgent is to focus on the important. Important issues are the ones to deal with. If you focus on the important stuff, the urgent will take care of itself. Ignore the urgent so that you can do the important things that are necessary to make the urgent fires stop happening in the first place.

With the being said, I would be really interested in knowing how many hours a day everyone out there spends doing facebook, twitter, blogs and email.

How much time do you spend on facebook or twitter each day?

How many blogs or emails do you read a day?

And, if desired: How do you feel about that?


Disclaimer: Sure, this post was a bit of an overstatement, but it’s actually a pretty good principle. Minus the fact that it is very, very convicting. :)

Begone Unbelief

In lieu of my recent posts, I was glad that the Sojourn decided to sing this hymn on Sunday. You can check out the entire Sojourn liturgy for this past Sunday here. If you have yet to hear this beautiful song, take a few minutes and click here for a beautiful sample.

Begone Unbelief

1. Begone unbelief, My Savior is near,
And for my relief Will surely appear:
By faith let me wrestle, with God in the storm
And help me my Savior, the faith to adorn
And help me my Savior, the faith to adorn

2. Though dark be my way, Since he is my guide,
'Tis mine to obey, and His to provide;
Though cisterns be broken, And creatures all fail,
The word he has spoken will surely prevail.
The word he has spoken will surely prevail.

Chorus
Begone unbelief, The Savior is here (3x)
Though cisterns be broken And creatures all fail
The word he has spoken will surely prevail
The word he has spoken will surely prevail

3. Why should I complain, Of want or distress
Temptation or pain? He told me no less
The heirs of salvation, I know from his word
Through much tribulation Must follow their Lord
Through much tribulation Must follow their Lord
Chorus

4. Since all that I meet will work for my good,
The bitter is sweet, The medicine food;
Though painful at present, will cease before long,
And then, O! how glorious, The conqueror's song!
And then, O! how glorious, The conqueror's song!
Chorus

©2005 Kevin Twit Music.

Open Your Mouth. Let Him fill it.

God provides for His people. Open your mouth, God says through the psalmist, and "I will fill it." I can't wait to see my child sit in the high chair and watch him squirm as the spoon full of food yummy makes its way into his face with his mouth open wide. I am smiling right now just thinking about it.

Reality check. God delights to feed us! He delights to provide for us. He is the one who sets abundance around us on every hand, and we are the ones who struggle far too much as we try to understand how intent He is on giving to us, and how how much more intent He is on teaching us how to receive what He gives in all gratitude.

Open your mouth. Let Him fill it.

Pray for me that my mouth would be opened. Pray that the Lord will fill it.

(To the friend whose words were spoken to me about unbelief and sin, thank you. They were especially timely. Thank you for your willingness to minister to me and be transparent in the midst of your own unbelief.)

Quotes from Dead Guys With Cool Names

The following quote is from the pen of Horatius Bonar (1808 - 1889), the great Scottish preacher, poet, author and hymn writer.

In all unbelief there are these two things—a good opinion of one’s self and a bad opinion of God. Man’s good opinion of himself makes him think it quite possible to win God’s favor by his own religious performances; and his bad opinion of God makes him unwilling and afraid to put his case wholly into His hands. The object of the Holy Spirit’s work (in convincing of sin) is to alter the sinner’s opinion of himself, and so to reduce his estimate of his own character that he shall think of himself as God does, and so cease to suppose it possible that he can be justified by an excellency of his own. The Spirit then alters his evil opinion of God, so as to make him see that the God with whom he has to do is really the God of all grace.

But the inquirer denies that he has a good opinion of himself and owns himself a sinner. Now a man may SAY this, but really to KNOW it is something more than SAYING. Besides, he may be willing to take the name of sinner to himself, in common with his fellow-men, and yet not at all own himself such a sinner as God says he is—such a sinner as needs the cross, and blood, and righteousness of the Son of God. It takes a great deal to destroy a man’s good opinion of himself; how difficult it is to make a man think of himself as God does! What but the almightiness of the Divine Spirit can accomplish this?

Unbelief, then, is the belief of a lie and the rejection of the truth. Accept, then, the character of God as given in the gospel; the Holy Spirit will not give you peace irrespective of your views of God’s character. It is in connection with THE TRUTH concerning the true God, “the God of all grace,” that the Spirit gives peace. That which He shows us of ourselves is only evil; that which He shows us of God is only good!

About as Subtle as a Punch In the Face

The gospel is about as subtle as a punch in the face. And in a culture where most young men spend their time playing video games, watching porn, drinking tons of cheap beer (or Dr. Pepper), talking about zombies, and eating pizza rolls smothered in Velveeta cheese after midnight, this is exactly what is needed.

Hook up. Shack up. Break up. Marry later and stay married shorter, but don’t feel obligated to stay at all. This is our culture. The average dude is no Dude; he’s just a boy who knows how to use a Norelco. Wake up Christian men! How many have to perish before we recognize our brothers who are enslaved to the service of lusts and pleasures (usually pornographic) are living in silent shame, which hinders their growth in Christ and service in ministry? We need men—pastors, fathers, brothers, bosses—who are willing to step up and throw the first punch.

The body of Christ needs brothers willing to throw down like this:
“Why do you act as if sexual sins are ‘out there’ in the media, strip club, or gal with low-rise jeans and hi-rise thong? The problem is in you! It is from the sinfulness of your heart that lust and sin proceed like sewage from the drain. This is the painful, unvarnished truth. Don’t kid yourself. Sin is an onramp to death. If you get on it and don’t repent, turn around, and exit, you will find the landscape getting darker, grosser, filthier, and deadlier.

You are not an animal. You are the glory of God.
You are not a pervert. You are the glory of God.
You are not an addict. You are the glory of God.
You are not a victim. You are the glory of God.
You are not a fool. You are the glory of God.

Man up. Quit being a wuss. Quit living for yourself. Follow Christ. And let’s do this thing together. We need each other. We need Christ.”

Who's going to throw the first punch?
Who's ready to get in line and take one on the chin for the glory of God?
We need both kinds of men.
I am both kinds of men.

Do You See My Wife?

Profound and Beautiful

The Life of the Christian Man,

For it [being a Christian] is not a doctrine of the tongue but of life. It is not apprehended by the understanding and memory alone, as other disciplines are, but it is received only when it possesses the whole soul, and finds a seat and resting place in the inmost affection of the heart.

Sum of the Christian Life: Denial of Ourselves,

We are not our own: let not our reason nor our will, therefore, sway our plans and deeds. We are not our own: let us therefore not set it as our goal to seek what is expedient for us according to the flesh. We are not our own: in so far as we can, let us therefore forget ourselves and all that is ours. Conversely, we are God’s: let us therefore live for him and die for him. We are God’s: let his wisdom and will therefore rule all our actions. We are God’s: let all the parts of our life accordingly strive toward him as our only lawful goal.

Bearing the Cross,

This, therefore, we must try to do if we would be disciples of Christ, in order that our minds may be steeped in such reverence and obedience toward God as to be able to tame and subjugate to his command all contrary affections. Thus it will come to pass that, by whatever kind of cross we may be troubled, even in the greatest tribulations of mind, we shall firmly keep our patience. For the adversities themselves will have their own bitterness to gnaw at us; thus afflicted by disease, we shall both groan and be uneasy and pant after care and sorrow; thus we shall be smitten by the pain of disgrace, contempt, injustice; thus at the funerals of our dear ones we shall weep the tears that are owed to nature. But the conclusion will always be: the Lord willed, therefore let us follow his will...If it be clear that our afflictions are for our benefit, why should we not undergo them with a thankful and quiet mind? Therefore, in patiently suffering these tribulations, we do not yield to necessity but we consent for our own good.

Churchianity

You know you've survived Churchianity if...

• You've ever thrown out all your "secular" cds...only to replace them a year later.
• You've ever sung Amazing Grace to the tune of Gilligan's Island.
  
• Your vocabulary has ever been peppered with words like "burden" or "fellowship."
• For graduation, you were given a Thomas Kinkade painting, Max Lucado book, or a leather-bound copy of The Message.
• You've actually tried a pack of Testamints.
• You wash your car with a T-shirt that says "GAP--God Answers Prayer."
• Your ears perk up when you hear words like The Donut Man, McGee & Me, or Psalty the Singing Song-Book.
• You've ever taken communion with Doritos and Mountain Dew.
• You wore more than one WWJD bracelet at the same time...on the same wrist.

If You Love Me, You Will Love the Church

Love him or hate him, Derek Webb’s songs “The Church” and “Wedding Dress” are some of the finest songs I have heard this millenia. He does such great job of painting a biblical picture of the Chruch that reminds me time and time again what is truly important in this life.

When I am frustrated with the collection of sinful people that makes up the church, “The Church” reminds me that the Church is the bride of Christ:

And you cannot care for Me with no regard for her
If you love Me you will love the church

When I’m either self-righteous and need to be reminded that I’m a sinner or wallowing in my sinfulness and need to be reminded of Christ’s redemption, “Wedding Dress” helps out:

I am a whore I do confess
I put you on just like a wedding dress
and I run down the aisle

5 Reasons Why I Love The Church

1. Announcements in the middle of the worship service. There is nothing more annoying than to be worshipping God in song one second and then hearing about the all-chuch potluck dinner the next. Either put all of the announcements in the church bulletin or don't announce them until the service is over. I can't imagine Jesus stopping in the middle of the Sermon on the Mount to mention the fish fry to be happening later in the evening at Peter's place.
2. Flags. I'm not talking about American or Canadian or Mexican or Russian or any other sort of national flag. I don't have a problem with those. I'm talking about the giant purple, pink, and yellow "Hosanna" flags that either hang on the wall or get paraded around during the singing time. The church can praise God herself; we don't need any loud colored flags to do that for us.
3. "Visitor" time. Attention church: the last thing a first time visitor wants to do is to raise their hand and have every other person in the room stare at them because they are a "newbie." And don't do nametags either, this isn't a 12-step program.
4. Praise and worship guitar solos. Now this cuts close to home, because I love me a mean guitar solo, but there comes a point when you have to ask yourself, "Does Lord I Lift Your Name on High really need another guitar solo?" And I believe if you have to ask yourself that question, you may have more serious questions to consider.
5. Interpretive dancing. I know David got indignant before the Lord and got down with his bad self. And I'm sure he was great. But it is always awkward when the lady holding the microphone starts gyrating on stage to songs like I Can Only Imagine or anything by Casting Crowns.

All kidding aside, I love the Church. I love the body of Christ. I love Sojourn.

I'm not speaking of a specific place or structure or gathering. I'm talking about the Church--those for whom Christ died. Not brick and mortar. Real people. The communion of the saints.

The Church isn't perfect, but Jesus promised to grow his Church; therefore, I'm totally committed to it (Mt. 16.18; Acts 2.39-47).

The Church is precious. Christ purchased the Church with his own precious blood; therefore, I am going to love those for whom he died as best as I know how (1 Pet. 1.19; 1 Jn. 3.14-16).

The Church is called to lift up the truth and hold it high; therefore, it is the community with whom I will labor (Eph. 1.9-10; Col. 1.28-29; 1 Tim. 3.15).

The Church is the body of Christ; therefore, I must daily grow together in conformity to the fullness of Christ (2 Pet. 3.10-14; Rev. 4.4-11; Eph. 4.12-13).

The Church will prevail over the gates of Hell; therefore, in light of that triumph, I am assured that my worship and toil is not in vain (Mt. 16.18; 1 Cor. 15.54-58).

As long as the Lord gives me breath, I hope to invest my life and energies in the ministry and advancement of the Church’s mission. Even with all the announcements and flags and strange interpretive dancing, the Church is the closest we can get to heaven on earth.

And that's why I love the church.

The Shack

Eugene Peterson

Said it was good as Bunyan.

He must have meant Paul.

When Hospitality Lands in Your Lap

Sacrificial service in the church doesn’t start with serving. It starts with being served by God. Then as we are satisfied in Him and who He’s revealed Himself to be in His crucified Son, we gladly overflow in service of others. --David Mathis

Augusta, Kansas is home to some of the most kind and generous people God has ever created, and a great many of them share fellowship with the First Baptist Church. Jessica and I have learned so much from their practice of Gospel-hospitality and have benefited first-hand from their generosity that we owe to them more than we could ever possibly give in return. We love you FBC Augusta and are seeking to put into practice the 'open-door attitude' that the Gospel commands and that you modeled for us so well.

Thinking through some of the implications of the Gospel as it relates to our home-life, time, and possessions, we thought we'd put down a few practical considerations concerning living hospitable lives in light of the Gospel.

First things first, we want our home to exemplify grace and love to friends and strangers alike, and always be prepared for drop-by guests.

Romans 12:13: "Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality"
1 Peter 4:9: "Show hospitality to one another without grumbling."

Keep in mind that:

1) Hospitality isn't about having the "right" house [or apartment or condo or whatever].
2) Hospitality isn't always convenient [in fact, true hospitality is rarely convenient].
3) Hospitality isn't always comfortable [if it is, we may need to repent].
4) Hospitality is always about serving others [forget this and you've lost everything].

Hospitality will look differently in different situations and with different hosts, but that doesn't change the fact that we need to be preparing our hearts in advance for what Gospel-hospitality may require of us. Most of us understand how carefully calculated hospitality works and often plan parties or schedule times to open our homes to friends and friends of friends. Calculated hospitality is wonderful! We love it! But it is easy. Though we open ourselves to serve others when we invite them over, the boundaries of our personal comfort remain squarely in-tact and unmoved. The real rub comes when hospitality lands in your lap.

How we handle spontaneous hospitality says to those in our care that we truly care for their needs more than our personal comforts. Every time we open our homes and hearts to someone in need we are serving Christ. We model with our lives the truth of the Gospel when we see the day's interruption or inconvenience as an opportunity to love Christ.

"Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me."
Jesus--Matthew 5.40

We model with our lives the urgency of the Gospel when we decide to get organized. Cleaning the kitchen immediately after dinner; picking up your room before you go to bed; making your bed as soon as you wake up; preparing for all of these things recognizes the fact that 'life happens' and we as Christians should not be caught off-guard in our responsibility to be hospitable.

We model with our lives the transparency of the Gospel with our attitude about our home.
Our homes reflect who we are. Our decorative pieces often tell stories about something in our lives--places, memories, gifts--and should be used as a way of opening up our lives to our guests. Also, have you ever considered that truth that your decorating sense can also serve as a testimony to your commitment to serving others.offering loving hospitality is easiest in a low-maintenance environment. So furniture and carpeting that can withstand spills, feet, and large crowds should be considered when decorating a house.

We model with our lives the provision of the Gospel supplies when we feed those among us. By thinking ahead and preparing double or triple portions, we can provide food for not only for ourselves and our guests, but for those in need as well. Keeping ready-to-bake cookies or brownies handy is always a good idea...for obvious reasons. :)

We model with our lives the love of the Gospel with our attitudes toward those around us. The food you throw together casually and quickly can and often does show more love than a gourmet meal. It's all about your attitude. The question to ask is: Is it more important to you to make your guests feel welcome and comfortable or to impress them with your cooking skills? A good way to sabotage the effects of hospitality is to apologize for your home--a messy room, a simple meal, the paper plates. We find that we do this alot.

Finally, we model with our lives the light of the Gospel when we serve our family in the same way God has served us. The hospitality we show to our spouse/children/roommates will radiate to our guests, and the hospitality we show to our guests will be communicated to our spouse/children/roommates, and it has a ripple effect outward.

Jehovah Jireh

Leviticus 22.1-23.44.
Psalm 44.1-8.

One of God's greatest graces to his people was to invite them to worship him in their delieverance and not leave them to figure out how to do it rightly. God's way is to deliver, invite and instruct so that we might fully participate in our relationship with him. Just as we could never deliver ourselves, we could never rightly respond to God's invitation without his laying out a clear path to obedience. Remember today that all God asks he provides.