Polycarp, a direct pupil of the apostle John who lived between 70 and 155 A.D., was arrested on the charge of being a Christian -- a member of a politically dangerous cult whose rapid growth needed to be stopped. Amidst an angry mob, the Roman proconsul took pity on such a gentle old man and urged Polycarp to proclaim, "Caesar is Lord". If only Polycarp would make this declaration and offer a small pinch of incense to Caesar's statue he would escape torture and death. To this Polycarp responded, "Eighty-six years I have served Christ, and He never did me any wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?" Steadfast in his stand for Christ, Polycarp refused to compromise his beliefs, and thus, was burned alive at the stake.
What will the world be like when I'm 86 - if I get to live out those years? What will be the great technological advances that will make life 'easier' for all of us? What will be the great political moves that will shape the world? What will be the new ways that men dream up to express their sin? What will my kids and grandkids be like then? What kind of world will this generation have left them?
What if there is great persecution coming - whether to the whole world or just my little corner of it? Will I be able to face death as faithfully as Polycarp? What would I do at the thought of facing being burned alive?
What brutalities would be possible for this pluralistic, secular world? What things would they do to try to snuff out any allegience to the Lord? Could such a thing ever be possible? Despite the advance3s in technology, the human heart has not changed. Is it possible? You can count on it unless God restrains the evil in the heart of men still longer ... What kind of future do my descendents have to look forward to?
In you alone, O Lord, will I put my trust!
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Saturday, September 19, 2009
“What do I want?”
This is a great question to ask yourself, and to ask of others. It’s simple and straightforward, and yet the desires, thoughts and motives of our very core can be displayed by honest answers to this question. It fits just about any moment of any situation. What is it that is driving me to say, do, feel and think the things I do right now?
This question is in essence a summary of some of the work of Jonathan Edwards as he considered God’s Word. He spoke at length to the desires we all have in his work “The Freedom of the Will.” Edwards’ thesis in this work is that “we are free to choose that which we most desire.” Why do you do what you do in each and every moment of your life? Because you want to – you desire to. Even when we have competing desires, we will always pursue that which is greatest. This is why the things we do reveal our hearts – even though no one can see our inner motives.
“Wait,” you say, “I know there are times I would rather be fishing than at work, or times I do the dishes for the thousandth time when my back hurts.” How can you say that I always follow my greatest desire when so often I feel like I must do something out of a sense of duty, if nothing else? It is true that sometimes we do have a desire to do something other than what we are doing that seems greater. But it is not just these two desires competing, but a third (at least) enters the picture. You know that to abandon work (not speaking of vacations) is to put you job in jeopardy, and your job is how you provide for your family, support the work of your church and other causes you value, and that on occasion, it really does provide you with a sense of purpose. Thus your desire to protect your family, help others, and have a sense of accomplishment with the talents you have been given overrides the momentary desire to be fishing. Thus, even though you’d rather be fishing – you really would rather be faithful to the other causes more important to you than your own enjoyment. So even when we think we are sacrificing a greater desire, we are really doing it in service to a greater desire yet.
“Following our greatest motivation” thus highlights why sin is so offensive. When we sin, we do it because we want to do it – in spite of God’s desire for us. We believe the lie that life is found in this other thing we want rather than in God’s plan for us. This is why sin is so insidious – it promises to us exactly what we want, but hides the price we will pay. Even as Christians – people committed to Christ and His Glory – we often trade the life he offers for a momentary pleasure or power or comfort.
Next, this shines light on the reality that we are not all tempted by exactly the same things. Yes, we are tempted by the similar categories of sin – i.e. pride, lust, greed, self-centeredness, etc. – but the actual things that “hook” our hearts may be different. The things that set off pride for a businessman may be different than for a pastor or a stay-at-home mother – yet they all struggle with pride. The things we want may be as different as our hobbies, careers, or tastes in food – but it is the desire that is in our heart that tempts us (James 1:13-15). Thus, what tempts me may be perfectly innocent for my brother, and we must be careful not to assign our struggles to someone else.
The final thing this points to is the fact that external remedies (isolation, boundaries, fleeing etc.) may be of some value in the moment, but ultimately the thing we need the most is heart change (and it’s the one thing none of us can do for another or even ourselves). We need to desire different things. I am not kept pure merely by the avoidance of situations that may tempt me – although it is Biblical and wise to flee moments of temptation rather than to fall into sin – but by the change of my desires from the things of this world (yes, even good things out of proportion) to the things that please God’s heart. Monasteries were a fine idea – until humans were let in. In spite of their extremely rigorous rules and ascetic conditions, monasteries still found the same sins present as in the rest of the world. The human heart will find ways to go on its own, to chase its own desires. We don’t need a better environment, ultimately – we need a Savior. Christ is yet our example: when the “pressures” of all He went through in his crucifixion and separation from the Father, look at what came out of his heart. When the sponge is squeezed, the liquid that comes out was what was already in there. What comes out of your heart when the pressures of the moment squeeze you?
When Christ is lifted up in all His Glory, he not only draws men to himself for salvation, but captures more and more the hearts of his children. I am convinced that what I need more often than not is a true, vibrant mental picture or understanding of the glorious appeal of Christ for who He is so that the trinkets of earth that so easily amuse me fade into dust in comparison with Him. I need not just to shun sin, but to desire Christ more!
If the gospel has any power – and it does – then it is the answer for us not only when we first come to Christ, but for living life every day thereafter. “What do you want?” – a simple, but powerful spotlight on your heart.
This question is in essence a summary of some of the work of Jonathan Edwards as he considered God’s Word. He spoke at length to the desires we all have in his work “The Freedom of the Will.” Edwards’ thesis in this work is that “we are free to choose that which we most desire.” Why do you do what you do in each and every moment of your life? Because you want to – you desire to. Even when we have competing desires, we will always pursue that which is greatest. This is why the things we do reveal our hearts – even though no one can see our inner motives.
“Wait,” you say, “I know there are times I would rather be fishing than at work, or times I do the dishes for the thousandth time when my back hurts.” How can you say that I always follow my greatest desire when so often I feel like I must do something out of a sense of duty, if nothing else? It is true that sometimes we do have a desire to do something other than what we are doing that seems greater. But it is not just these two desires competing, but a third (at least) enters the picture. You know that to abandon work (not speaking of vacations) is to put you job in jeopardy, and your job is how you provide for your family, support the work of your church and other causes you value, and that on occasion, it really does provide you with a sense of purpose. Thus your desire to protect your family, help others, and have a sense of accomplishment with the talents you have been given overrides the momentary desire to be fishing. Thus, even though you’d rather be fishing – you really would rather be faithful to the other causes more important to you than your own enjoyment. So even when we think we are sacrificing a greater desire, we are really doing it in service to a greater desire yet.
“Following our greatest motivation” thus highlights why sin is so offensive. When we sin, we do it because we want to do it – in spite of God’s desire for us. We believe the lie that life is found in this other thing we want rather than in God’s plan for us. This is why sin is so insidious – it promises to us exactly what we want, but hides the price we will pay. Even as Christians – people committed to Christ and His Glory – we often trade the life he offers for a momentary pleasure or power or comfort.
Next, this shines light on the reality that we are not all tempted by exactly the same things. Yes, we are tempted by the similar categories of sin – i.e. pride, lust, greed, self-centeredness, etc. – but the actual things that “hook” our hearts may be different. The things that set off pride for a businessman may be different than for a pastor or a stay-at-home mother – yet they all struggle with pride. The things we want may be as different as our hobbies, careers, or tastes in food – but it is the desire that is in our heart that tempts us (James 1:13-15). Thus, what tempts me may be perfectly innocent for my brother, and we must be careful not to assign our struggles to someone else.
The final thing this points to is the fact that external remedies (isolation, boundaries, fleeing etc.) may be of some value in the moment, but ultimately the thing we need the most is heart change (and it’s the one thing none of us can do for another or even ourselves). We need to desire different things. I am not kept pure merely by the avoidance of situations that may tempt me – although it is Biblical and wise to flee moments of temptation rather than to fall into sin – but by the change of my desires from the things of this world (yes, even good things out of proportion) to the things that please God’s heart. Monasteries were a fine idea – until humans were let in. In spite of their extremely rigorous rules and ascetic conditions, monasteries still found the same sins present as in the rest of the world. The human heart will find ways to go on its own, to chase its own desires. We don’t need a better environment, ultimately – we need a Savior. Christ is yet our example: when the “pressures” of all He went through in his crucifixion and separation from the Father, look at what came out of his heart. When the sponge is squeezed, the liquid that comes out was what was already in there. What comes out of your heart when the pressures of the moment squeeze you?
When Christ is lifted up in all His Glory, he not only draws men to himself for salvation, but captures more and more the hearts of his children. I am convinced that what I need more often than not is a true, vibrant mental picture or understanding of the glorious appeal of Christ for who He is so that the trinkets of earth that so easily amuse me fade into dust in comparison with Him. I need not just to shun sin, but to desire Christ more!
If the gospel has any power – and it does – then it is the answer for us not only when we first come to Christ, but for living life every day thereafter. “What do you want?” – a simple, but powerful spotlight on your heart.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Ultimate Questions
Whenever human beings spend time thinking about "ultimate questions" - "what is the meaning of life," "why am I here," "what is my purpose," "what lies beyond death," etc. - we all approach them in certain ways. Most people approach these questions from the "bottom up" - that is, they start out with themselves (or other people) and their own thoughts and experiences. That is the way the world approaches these things - primarily because they see no ultimate authority outside of themselves.
Some approach ultimate questions in a "generational approach" - that is, "I believe it because my family taught it to me." Such beliefs are not founded on any evidence beyond my family ties - and thus, while sincere, will have little influence on others outside the family.
Others approach these questions in a "traditional approach." By this "tradition," some dominant group or influence is pointed to as the authority backing up what I believe and why. These two approaches have probably dominated much of human culture and history, and fall under the category of "peer pressure" (not meant disparagingly). In the last few centuries, other approaches have come onto the scene.
With the enlightenment came "rationalism" - we can only know what we can use the scientific process to show and what "reason" leads us to. Therefore, we can't know anything about the unseen.
Later came the idea of the experiential - one can only know what one can experience, and experience can't be refuted. "There must be a god because I feel it is so" and "There is no god because I feel it is so" are both experiential arguments.
Yet finally come the "irrational" - language only has meaning as I understand it. My impressions are true because they are mine. I define reality for myself.
Notice again that these approaches are all "bottom up" - they start in some way with man and his perception of the world and reality. Unbelievers (and I'm including those of other faiths) have no other way of approaching life. In reality, none of us have any other way of approaching life - unless there is a God and He takes the initiative to reveal himself to us. Because God is infinite and we are finite, we have a problem trying to understand God. We also have a problem in that we are fallen - and the fall has not only affected our thinking, but has affected our willingness to think right thoughts. If humanity tries to "understand" who God is in this condition, separate from His revelation, we will end up with an inadequate and imperfect view of God. This is the essence of idolatry.
The conclusion hen, and the grounding of all good theology, is that we have an utter dependence on God to reveal himself to us - God must speak! All of the above approaches are ultimately fruitless in humanity's search for God, and they are yet fruitless when brought into the church as a defining authority. But when we are His, He gives us His Holy Spirit and the Word of God and reveals Himself to us. Good Theology is "thinking God's thoughts after Him" and remaining true to what God has revealed about Himself - whether it is out of line with what our families believe, the traditions we have, the experiences we interpret, or how I want to view life. Good Theology helps us to know Him as He truly is and not as the idol our fallen, finite minds make Him out to be. Good Theology, in short, leads to overflowing praise and the enjoyment of the One who has saved us!
Some approach ultimate questions in a "generational approach" - that is, "I believe it because my family taught it to me." Such beliefs are not founded on any evidence beyond my family ties - and thus, while sincere, will have little influence on others outside the family.
Others approach these questions in a "traditional approach." By this "tradition," some dominant group or influence is pointed to as the authority backing up what I believe and why. These two approaches have probably dominated much of human culture and history, and fall under the category of "peer pressure" (not meant disparagingly). In the last few centuries, other approaches have come onto the scene.
With the enlightenment came "rationalism" - we can only know what we can use the scientific process to show and what "reason" leads us to. Therefore, we can't know anything about the unseen.
Later came the idea of the experiential - one can only know what one can experience, and experience can't be refuted. "There must be a god because I feel it is so" and "There is no god because I feel it is so" are both experiential arguments.
Yet finally come the "irrational" - language only has meaning as I understand it. My impressions are true because they are mine. I define reality for myself.
Notice again that these approaches are all "bottom up" - they start in some way with man and his perception of the world and reality. Unbelievers (and I'm including those of other faiths) have no other way of approaching life. In reality, none of us have any other way of approaching life - unless there is a God and He takes the initiative to reveal himself to us. Because God is infinite and we are finite, we have a problem trying to understand God. We also have a problem in that we are fallen - and the fall has not only affected our thinking, but has affected our willingness to think right thoughts. If humanity tries to "understand" who God is in this condition, separate from His revelation, we will end up with an inadequate and imperfect view of God. This is the essence of idolatry.
The conclusion hen, and the grounding of all good theology, is that we have an utter dependence on God to reveal himself to us - God must speak! All of the above approaches are ultimately fruitless in humanity's search for God, and they are yet fruitless when brought into the church as a defining authority. But when we are His, He gives us His Holy Spirit and the Word of God and reveals Himself to us. Good Theology is "thinking God's thoughts after Him" and remaining true to what God has revealed about Himself - whether it is out of line with what our families believe, the traditions we have, the experiences we interpret, or how I want to view life. Good Theology helps us to know Him as He truly is and not as the idol our fallen, finite minds make Him out to be. Good Theology, in short, leads to overflowing praise and the enjoyment of the One who has saved us!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Review of "Religion Saves"
RELIGION SAVES
+ NINE other MISCONCEPTIONS
by Mark Driscoll
Table of Contents
Introduction
Question 9: Birth Control
Question 8: Humor
Question 7: Predestination
Question 6: Grace
Question 5: Sexual Sin
Question 4: Faith and Works
Question 3: Dating
Question 2: The Emerging Church
Question 1: The Regulative Principle
+ NINE other MISCONCEPTIONS
by Mark Driscoll
Table of Contents
Introduction
Question 9: Birth Control
Question 8: Humor
Question 7: Predestination
Question 6: Grace
Question 5: Sexual Sin
Question 4: Faith and Works
Question 3: Dating
Question 2: The Emerging Church
Question 1: The Regulative Principle
Review of "Religion Saves"
RELIGION SAVES
+ NINE other MISCONCEPTIONS
by Mark Driscoll
Another Mark Driscoll book, another hard-hitting winner as far as I'm concerned. Mark takes the top 9 questions people submitted to him and answers them in his no-holds-barred straight forward style. You may not agree with him on every issue, but you won't wonder where he stands.
Mark takes on "religious" people, who go beyond what the Bible has written on issues and draw firm lines where the Bible has not. Instead, he attempts to think biblically about the issues that seem to dominate some intra- and inter- faith discussions. You may have other pressing questions than these nine, but reading through this book will give you a great sense of where many people are and how Mark answers them as a pastor and a man who cares about truth.
+ NINE other MISCONCEPTIONS
by Mark Driscoll
Another Mark Driscoll book, another hard-hitting winner as far as I'm concerned. Mark takes the top 9 questions people submitted to him and answers them in his no-holds-barred straight forward style. You may not agree with him on every issue, but you won't wonder where he stands.
Mark takes on "religious" people, who go beyond what the Bible has written on issues and draw firm lines where the Bible has not. Instead, he attempts to think biblically about the issues that seem to dominate some intra- and inter- faith discussions. You may have other pressing questions than these nine, but reading through this book will give you a great sense of where many people are and how Mark answers them as a pastor and a man who cares about truth.
Monday, June 29, 2009
The Prodigal God
The Prodigal God
Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith
by Tim Keller
Table of Contents
Introduction
The Parable
ONE - The People around Jesus: "All gathering around to hear him."
Two Kinds of People
Why People Like Jesus but Not the Church
TWO - The Two Lost Sons: "There was a man who had two sons."
The Lost Younger Brother
The Younger Brother's Plan
The Lost Elder Brother
THREE - Redefining Sin: "All these years I've been slaving for you."
Two ways to find happiness
Two Lost Sons
A Deeper Understanding of Sin
Both Wrong; Both Loved
FOUR - Redefining Lostness: "The older brother became angry and refused to go in."
Anger and Superiority
Slavishness and Emptiness
Who Needs to Know This?
FIVE - The True Elder Brother: "My son, everything I have is yours."
What we need
Who We need
SIX - Redefining Hope: "He set off for a far country."
Our Longing for Home
The Difficulty of Return
The Feast at the end of History
SEVEN - The Feast of the Father: "He heard music and dancing."
Salvation is Experiential
Salvation is Material
Salvation is Individual
Salvation is Communal
Babette's Feast
Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith
by Tim Keller
Table of Contents
Introduction
The Parable
ONE - The People around Jesus: "All gathering around to hear him."
Two Kinds of People
Why People Like Jesus but Not the Church
TWO - The Two Lost Sons: "There was a man who had two sons."
The Lost Younger Brother
The Younger Brother's Plan
The Lost Elder Brother
THREE - Redefining Sin: "All these years I've been slaving for you."
Two ways to find happiness
Two Lost Sons
A Deeper Understanding of Sin
Both Wrong; Both Loved
FOUR - Redefining Lostness: "The older brother became angry and refused to go in."
Anger and Superiority
Slavishness and Emptiness
Who Needs to Know This?
FIVE - The True Elder Brother: "My son, everything I have is yours."
What we need
Who We need
SIX - Redefining Hope: "He set off for a far country."
Our Longing for Home
The Difficulty of Return
The Feast at the end of History
SEVEN - The Feast of the Father: "He heard music and dancing."
Salvation is Experiential
Salvation is Material
Salvation is Individual
Salvation is Communal
Babette's Feast
Review of "The Prodigal God"
The Prodigal God
Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith
by Tim Keller
The Prodigal God is one of two books I have read on the "Prodigal Son" parable (A Tale of Two Sons by John MacArthur being the other). Both books have added depth to my understanding and appreciation for what is often known as the "best short story ever written." Neither of the authors focus solely on the Younger Brother, as most discussion I have heard have done - but Tim Keller speaks to all the characters - and the audience of the parable.
One must start with the title, which probably has given many people a bit of a pause - and I think Dr. Keller did that on purpose. I know I tended to associate the word "prodigal" with the excessive lifestyle and wanderings of the younger son, but Keller points out that the definition of prodigal includes "recklessly extravagent" and "having spent everything" - both wonderful descriptions of the lavish love the Father of this story has for his wayward sons. Keller masterfully points us to Our Heavenly Father, who has been "recklessly extravagent" in his pursuit of changing sinners into sons.
Dr. Keller's treatment of the condition of the older son is masterful, and he emphasizes that though both sons are alienated from the Father in different ways, the Father loves both and calls them to reconciliation. He also explains why we are left hanging about the resolution of the Elder brother's relationship to the Father and how that related to his audience - the Pharisees.
This is another book making my top list, and it is one I would recommend to people - even people wondering about Christianity. This really does show how this parable gets to the Heart of the Christian faith - not the religion.
Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith
by Tim Keller
The Prodigal God is one of two books I have read on the "Prodigal Son" parable (A Tale of Two Sons by John MacArthur being the other). Both books have added depth to my understanding and appreciation for what is often known as the "best short story ever written." Neither of the authors focus solely on the Younger Brother, as most discussion I have heard have done - but Tim Keller speaks to all the characters - and the audience of the parable.
One must start with the title, which probably has given many people a bit of a pause - and I think Dr. Keller did that on purpose. I know I tended to associate the word "prodigal" with the excessive lifestyle and wanderings of the younger son, but Keller points out that the definition of prodigal includes "recklessly extravagent" and "having spent everything" - both wonderful descriptions of the lavish love the Father of this story has for his wayward sons. Keller masterfully points us to Our Heavenly Father, who has been "recklessly extravagent" in his pursuit of changing sinners into sons.
Dr. Keller's treatment of the condition of the older son is masterful, and he emphasizes that though both sons are alienated from the Father in different ways, the Father loves both and calls them to reconciliation. He also explains why we are left hanging about the resolution of the Elder brother's relationship to the Father and how that related to his audience - the Pharisees.
This is another book making my top list, and it is one I would recommend to people - even people wondering about Christianity. This really does show how this parable gets to the Heart of the Christian faith - not the religion.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Review of "Lost in the Middle"
Table of Contents
Preface: A New Awareness
Introduction: The Bible and Midlife
Chapter 1: Midlife: A portrait
Chapter 2: Two Midlife Psalms
Chapter 3: The Death of Invincibility
Chapter 4: The Leaves are Off the Trees
Chapter 5: Towers to the Sky
Chapter 6: Lost in the Middle: Don's Story
Chapter 7: Painful Faith: God's Story and Suffering
Chapter 8: May I Speak to the Manager Please?
Chapter 9: Golden Calves
Chapter 10: Finding the Real You
Chapter 11: Last Chapter, First Values
Chapter 12: Grace That is Greater
Preface: A New Awareness
Introduction: The Bible and Midlife
Chapter 1: Midlife: A portrait
Chapter 2: Two Midlife Psalms
Chapter 3: The Death of Invincibility
Chapter 4: The Leaves are Off the Trees
Chapter 5: Towers to the Sky
Chapter 6: Lost in the Middle: Don's Story
Chapter 7: Painful Faith: God's Story and Suffering
Chapter 8: May I Speak to the Manager Please?
Chapter 9: Golden Calves
Chapter 10: Finding the Real You
Chapter 11: Last Chapter, First Values
Chapter 12: Grace That is Greater
Review of "Lost in the Middle"
Lost in the Middle
Midlife and the Grace of God
by Paul Tripp
Life interrupted my reading of this book. I read the first three quarters of it a few months ago and put the book down in favor of other pressing responsibilities. Now that they are completed, I have had time to pick up this book again, and it was refreshing. Reluctantly, I will admit that I am now in "mid-life" - although I surmise that Paul includes just about anyone whose life has shaped up to be different than they planned, but not yet contemplating "retirement." In short, just about everyone.
I have less hair than I used to, and my beard is peppered now. I have been going to the gym to try to regain at least a rough outline of my wrestling physique. My life is certainly not the way I would have arranged it or predicted it, and this book helped me to continue to deal with the fact that the plan my loving heavenly Father has for me is better - even though I don't understand it.
I love Paul's style and his use of real life as examples. I may not be able yet to identify with all the particulars of his examples - but I can see they are just around the bend ... however, the underlying categories of struggles are more than familiar to me ...
My Story is not primarily about me, and it is not limited to my myopic view of the world. Paul points at that we must recognize that there is a larger story in history, a story that includes millions and billions of people - individuals known by name to the Lord and yet gathered as a people for His Glory. Unless I see the bigger story, and see the hand of the Lord moving in my life to make me more into the image of his son for his glory, I will not be able to make sense out of life. If I live for money, pleasure, prestige, or anything other than God, midlife has a way of exposing empty dreams and unfulfilled promises. Just as Adam and Eve fell for the serpent's lie and found much bitterness in following him, we too fall for his tricks as we live for things that will ultimately not satisfy.
God is present in the midst of our lives, and he is present in our sufferings, mistakes, and sins. He is there because He is committed to us for His name's sake more than we are committed to our folly. Thus, we must know the end of the story - where He is taking us - before we can make sense out of where we are ...
I am planning to give this book to a number of people in my life, and I highly recommend it to anyone who is between graduation and the grave ...
Midlife and the Grace of God
by Paul Tripp
Life interrupted my reading of this book. I read the first three quarters of it a few months ago and put the book down in favor of other pressing responsibilities. Now that they are completed, I have had time to pick up this book again, and it was refreshing. Reluctantly, I will admit that I am now in "mid-life" - although I surmise that Paul includes just about anyone whose life has shaped up to be different than they planned, but not yet contemplating "retirement." In short, just about everyone.
I have less hair than I used to, and my beard is peppered now. I have been going to the gym to try to regain at least a rough outline of my wrestling physique. My life is certainly not the way I would have arranged it or predicted it, and this book helped me to continue to deal with the fact that the plan my loving heavenly Father has for me is better - even though I don't understand it.
I love Paul's style and his use of real life as examples. I may not be able yet to identify with all the particulars of his examples - but I can see they are just around the bend ... however, the underlying categories of struggles are more than familiar to me ...
My Story is not primarily about me, and it is not limited to my myopic view of the world. Paul points at that we must recognize that there is a larger story in history, a story that includes millions and billions of people - individuals known by name to the Lord and yet gathered as a people for His Glory. Unless I see the bigger story, and see the hand of the Lord moving in my life to make me more into the image of his son for his glory, I will not be able to make sense out of life. If I live for money, pleasure, prestige, or anything other than God, midlife has a way of exposing empty dreams and unfulfilled promises. Just as Adam and Eve fell for the serpent's lie and found much bitterness in following him, we too fall for his tricks as we live for things that will ultimately not satisfy.
God is present in the midst of our lives, and he is present in our sufferings, mistakes, and sins. He is there because He is committed to us for His name's sake more than we are committed to our folly. Thus, we must know the end of the story - where He is taking us - before we can make sense out of where we are ...
I am planning to give this book to a number of people in my life, and I highly recommend it to anyone who is between graduation and the grave ...
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Review of "The Reason for God"
Table of Contents
Part 1: The Leap of Doubt
ONE: There Can't Be Just One True Religion
TWO: How Could a Good God Allow Suffering
THREE: Christianity Is a Straightjacket
FOUR: The Church Is Responsible for So Much Injustice
FIVE: How Can a Loving God Send People to Hell?
SIX: Science Has Disproved Christianity
SEVEN: You Can't Take the Bible Literally
Intermission
Part 2: The Reasons for Faith
EIGHT: The Clues of God
NINE: The Knowledge of God
TEN: The Problem of Sin
ELEVEN:Religion and the Gospel
TWELVE: The (True) Story of the Cross
THIRTEEN: The Reality of the Resurrection
FOURTEEN: The Dance of God
Epilogue: Where do we go from here?
Part 1: The Leap of Doubt
ONE: There Can't Be Just One True Religion
TWO: How Could a Good God Allow Suffering
THREE: Christianity Is a Straightjacket
FOUR: The Church Is Responsible for So Much Injustice
FIVE: How Can a Loving God Send People to Hell?
SIX: Science Has Disproved Christianity
SEVEN: You Can't Take the Bible Literally
Intermission
Part 2: The Reasons for Faith
EIGHT: The Clues of God
NINE: The Knowledge of God
TEN: The Problem of Sin
ELEVEN:Religion and the Gospel
TWELVE: The (True) Story of the Cross
THIRTEEN: The Reality of the Resurrection
FOURTEEN: The Dance of God
Epilogue: Where do we go from here?
Review of "The Reason for God"
The Reason for God
Belief in an age of Skepticism
by Tim Keller
It is rather remarkable to have read 4 of my top 10 books in the past six months, but that is what has happened. I had heard good things about this book from my friends and it did not disappoint, as it became the third best book I have read - and it is not far from How People Change and Desiring God, although I would be surprised to see them toppled in the coming years.
Just about everything I have read from Tim Keller's pen has been good, and much of it inspires me to think beyond my own life. I wish this book had been available 20 years ago ... but God planned for me to read this book right at this point in my walk with Him, and so I shall not grumble ...
One can tell from Keller's book that he has had much interaction with real people asking real questions. I don't know how to go about describing this book without writing one myself, so let me share a few quotes that I wrote down as I read:
"Jesus does not tell us how to live so we can merit salvation. He comes to forgive us and save us through his life and death in our place." (p.19)
"God's grace does not come to those who morally outperform others but to those who admit their failure to perform and who acknowledge their need for a Savior." (p.19)
"Religion operates on the principle 'I obey - therefore I am accepted by God." But the operating principle of the gospel is "I am accepted by God through what Christ has done - therefore I obey." (p. 179-180)
"If I was saved by my good works then there would be a limit to what God could ask of me or put me through. I would be like a taxpayer with "rights" - I would have done my duty and now would deserve a certain quality of life. But if I am a sinner saved by sheer grace - then there's nothing he cannot ask of me." (p. 183)
"The latter is ... an effort to get control of God through your prayers and practices ... approaching God as a means to an end ... using God rather than trusting him." (p. 228)
Obviously, those are sections that stuck out to me, based on my history and where I am currently in my walk with God. There are plenty of other great sections of the book that others will highlight. Dr. Keller has done a great job of taking the most profound objections to Christianty and turning them around to show the logical inconsistencies in the argument against the Christian God.
While I wouldn't recommend this for my daughter quite yet, I would definitely recommend this to any teen or adult who wants to have a serious discussion about faith in the God of the Bible.
Belief in an age of Skepticism
by Tim Keller
It is rather remarkable to have read 4 of my top 10 books in the past six months, but that is what has happened. I had heard good things about this book from my friends and it did not disappoint, as it became the third best book I have read - and it is not far from How People Change and Desiring God, although I would be surprised to see them toppled in the coming years.
Just about everything I have read from Tim Keller's pen has been good, and much of it inspires me to think beyond my own life. I wish this book had been available 20 years ago ... but God planned for me to read this book right at this point in my walk with Him, and so I shall not grumble ...
One can tell from Keller's book that he has had much interaction with real people asking real questions. I don't know how to go about describing this book without writing one myself, so let me share a few quotes that I wrote down as I read:
"Jesus does not tell us how to live so we can merit salvation. He comes to forgive us and save us through his life and death in our place." (p.19)
"God's grace does not come to those who morally outperform others but to those who admit their failure to perform and who acknowledge their need for a Savior." (p.19)
"Religion operates on the principle 'I obey - therefore I am accepted by God." But the operating principle of the gospel is "I am accepted by God through what Christ has done - therefore I obey." (p. 179-180)
"If I was saved by my good works then there would be a limit to what God could ask of me or put me through. I would be like a taxpayer with "rights" - I would have done my duty and now would deserve a certain quality of life. But if I am a sinner saved by sheer grace - then there's nothing he cannot ask of me." (p. 183)
"The latter is ... an effort to get control of God through your prayers and practices ... approaching God as a means to an end ... using God rather than trusting him." (p. 228)
Obviously, those are sections that stuck out to me, based on my history and where I am currently in my walk with God. There are plenty of other great sections of the book that others will highlight. Dr. Keller has done a great job of taking the most profound objections to Christianty and turning them around to show the logical inconsistencies in the argument against the Christian God.
While I wouldn't recommend this for my daughter quite yet, I would definitely recommend this to any teen or adult who wants to have a serious discussion about faith in the God of the Bible.
Summer Reading Plan
Here's my summer reading plan:
Galatians (8 times)
Romans
Psalms 1-12
Psalms 138-150
Exodus 20-33
The Expositor's Greek NT Commentary: Galatians
Galatians (MacArthur)
Galatians (Ramsay)
Galatians (Calvin)
Galatians (Ryken)
Galatians (Bible Knowledge Commentary)
Galatians (Wiersbe)
Galatians (Matthew Henry)
Sections on Justification in Chafer, Hodge, Grudem, Tennet
Sections on Sanctification in Chafer, Hodge, Grudem, Tennet
Sections on Just./Sanct. by Edwards, Van Til, Warfield
The Justification of God (Piper)
NT Wright and Piper
Sproul on Faith alone
Just./Sanct. in Paul:An Outline of His Theology (Ridderbos)
Whiter than Snow (Tripp)
The Reason for God (Keller)
Lost in the Middle (Tripp)
A tale of two sons (MacArthur)
The Prodigal God (Keller)
A Quest for More (Tripp)
Step by Step (Petty)
War of Words (Tripp)
Future Grace (Piper)
When People are Big and God is small (Welch)
Let the Nations Be Glad (Piper)
The Dispensational/Covenental Rift (Mangum)
Speaking Truth in Love (Powlison)
The Death of Death in the Death of Christ (Owen)
Seeing with New Eyes (Powlison)
Depression: A stubborn darkness (Welch)
Maybe overly ambitious ... we'll see
Galatians (8 times)
Romans
Psalms 1-12
Psalms 138-150
Exodus 20-33
The Expositor's Greek NT Commentary: Galatians
Galatians (MacArthur)
Galatians (Ramsay)
Galatians (Calvin)
Galatians (Ryken)
Galatians (Bible Knowledge Commentary)
Galatians (Wiersbe)
Galatians (Matthew Henry)
Sections on Justification in Chafer, Hodge, Grudem, Tennet
Sections on Sanctification in Chafer, Hodge, Grudem, Tennet
Sections on Just./Sanct. by Edwards, Van Til, Warfield
The Justification of God (Piper)
NT Wright and Piper
Sproul on Faith alone
Just./Sanct. in Paul:An Outline of His Theology (Ridderbos)
Whiter than Snow (Tripp)
The Reason for God (Keller)
Lost in the Middle (Tripp)
A tale of two sons (MacArthur)
The Prodigal God (Keller)
A Quest for More (Tripp)
Step by Step (Petty)
War of Words (Tripp)
Future Grace (Piper)
When People are Big and God is small (Welch)
Let the Nations Be Glad (Piper)
The Dispensational/Covenental Rift (Mangum)
Speaking Truth in Love (Powlison)
The Death of Death in the Death of Christ (Owen)
Seeing with New Eyes (Powlison)
Depression: A stubborn darkness (Welch)
Maybe overly ambitious ... we'll see
Top 10 books
My Top 10 recommended books that I have personally read ...
10. The Dispensational-Covenantal Rift (R. Todd Mangum)
9. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (CS Lewis)
8. When Sinners Say "I Do" (Dave Harvey)
7. Mere Christianity (CS Lewis)
6. Whiter than Snow (Paul Tripp)
5. Instruments in the Hands of the Redeemer (Paul Tripp)
4. Death By Love (Mark Driscoll)
3. The Reason for God (Tim Keller)
2. How People Change (Tim Lane)
1. Desiring God (John Piper)
10. The Dispensational-Covenantal Rift (R. Todd Mangum)
9. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (CS Lewis)
8. When Sinners Say "I Do" (Dave Harvey)
7. Mere Christianity (CS Lewis)
6. Whiter than Snow (Paul Tripp)
5. Instruments in the Hands of the Redeemer (Paul Tripp)
4. Death By Love (Mark Driscoll)
3. The Reason for God (Tim Keller)
2. How People Change (Tim Lane)
1. Desiring God (John Piper)
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
The Path ...
You have hurt me
You have wronged me
What you have done deserves death
You deserve to die a painful death
You deserve hell
The path I travel is a painful one
A path of remembering
A path of looking behind more often than ahead
A path of pain
A path of sorrow
A path of brokenness
A path of unfulfilled potential
A path of tarnished dreams
A path that should never have been
I will be your everlasting judge
Whenever you come near me, you will face my wrath
I will cover my contempt with smiles and hugs
But you will know my loathing for you
At times, I will actively hate you
I will work for your undoing
I will seek your demise
I will pluck the flesh off your bones
Every day will be life-sucking
Other times I will ignore you
I will not think of you
You will not enter my thoughts
It will be as if you never existed
You will not have the joy of my companionship
You will not be comforted
You are exiled
Someday, you will get yours
When that day comes, I will cackle
Over your broken body
I will rejoice in your demise
I will send gifts to those I love
Rejoicing that your name will soon be forgotten
But not by me
For your name will be a curse
A word I will use to show contempt
A word that I will use callously and trivially
I will dream of your screams
I will know the sound of your bones being crushed
Justice
For all you have done
This is a path of stinking dung
Dung so deep my legs sink in to my knees
Muck so thick that I struggle to take the next step
Each time I labor to lift my foot
There is a sucking sound
As if the muck tries to pull me in
If I stand still
All is lost
I will drown
And I will be added to the muck and mire
Seeking to bring others down to me
My sin
My sin is against the One who is love
My sin is against the Creator and sustainer of all things
My sin is high treason against a good and perfect King
My sin is worse than despicable
My sin stinks up the whole universe
My sin wraps around my neck like the vines of a rose bush
Promising flowers but delivering piercing thorns dripping with blood
It pulls me down to the grave like so many science fiction monsters
But this is real
It pulls me down into the depths of the grave
Into hell itself
My very name
Is a curse to me
I have chosen my own way … rather than the way of one who loves me perfectly
I have chosen to try to rule my own life … rather than to trust Him
I have chosen to set up my own Kingdom … rather than build His
I have chosen to pursue my own comforts … rather than serve Him
I have chosen my foolishness … rather than His wisdom
I have chosen darkness ... rather than light
I have chosen death … over life
Death
Darkness
Silent screams full of terror
Disorientation
Not knowing which way is up
Unable to breathe
Flames lapping at my feet
But never quenched
Justice
For all I have done
Despair
Hope
A light piercing the darkness
The last word not yet spoken
Destinies can be changed
If only
If only there was a King
A King greater than our sin
A King more loving than our hatred
A King committed to Himself
And all that is right and good and true
More than we are committed to our folly
A King with grace and mercy as his companions
A King whose word is his bond
And whose heart is true
Where is this King
We look for this King
Could he be the One
Whom we have disregarded
Whom we have spat upon
Whom we have flogged
Whom we have forsaken
Whom we have cursed
Who has forgiven us freely
For no other reason than He wanted to
We who have brought shame to His Name
We who have insisted on making our own path
We who have judged others
We who call on mute idols to save us
Like riches, power, position, pleasure, or independence
We who fought to be the Captain of our souls
And then shipwrecked upon those jagged rocks of sin
Always seen, rarely feared
We who scourged him
We who drove the nails in
We who crowned him with thorns
We who pierced his side
And mocked his nakedness
And watched him die
No justice
For what had he done to deserve this
For the joy
For the joy set before him
For the joy of bringing many sons and daughters into the Kingdom
For the joy of forgiveness
For the joy of restoration
Forgiveness is not free
Someone paid my debt
Someone took my punishment
Someone took my death
That I fully deserved
That I fully earned
That someone is him
While I was still his enemy
While I was still a rebel
While I was still a thieving murderer loose in his kingdom
He died
He died for me
He died in my place – not just that I might live
Not just that I might be a good slave
Not just that I might have a second chance
He died to make me His
He died to make me His child
He gave me full rights as a child of God
Where I go, I do not deserve
Where he leads, I go – and rejoice
His people resemble him
His children rise and call him blessed
His people call him Faithful and True
Compassionate and Loving
Just and Merciful
Righteousness clothed in unrighteousness
Beauty clothed in ugliness
Majesty crowned in criminality
Paradox
Wonder of wonders!
Life clothed in death
Justice upheld
Mercy triumphant
Love fulfilled
Grace granted
Only believe
The path of a citizen
The path of one forgiven so much
The path of an adopted one
People of the Kingdom forgive
Ambassadors of the King forgive
Children of the King forgive
The path of a beloved
The path of a son
His path
Forgiveness
Not because they must, but because they want to
They want to resemble their King, their Savior, their Father …
We are most like God when we forgive those who have wronged us
Those who have hurt us
Those who have done things that deserve punishment and condemnation
Forgiveness is the loosing of the hand on the noose
The dropping of the whip to scourge
The burning of the ledger of debts
Forgiveness is setting down the hammer and spikes
Time and time again
As you find them in your hands
Forgiveness is remembering the price paid for my great debt
and the smallness of the debt before me
and doing holy math
completing the divine equation
letting flow from my heart what has flowed into it
receiving grace as I kneel before the King
and freely offering it to my worst enemy
Forgiveness frees us from hanging on to the one who hurt us
Bitterness binds us to them every step they take
Forgiveness allows us to see the world again
Bitterness draws the one who hurt us nose to nose that we might extract vengeance … and see nothing else
I’m remembering the hurt … again
The pain … the tears …
I need to remember
Remember the great debt you forgave me
That I might not see this debt through a microscope
Making small things large
And yet, this pain is so overwhelming
It is impossible to forgive
Father, you excel in the impossible
You make your great name and power known
Through change
Change in people like me
To do impossible things
Father forgive us our sins
As we forgive those who sin against us
Father cleanse me
As I release others from my grasp
This path is hard
This path is painful
This path is self-denying
This path
Leads
To
Life
This path
Leads from a cross
To the throne
Of our Father
We must walk it
More than once
And lead others
Through it
This path
Is good
You have wronged me
What you have done deserves death
You deserve to die a painful death
You deserve hell
The path I travel is a painful one
A path of remembering
A path of looking behind more often than ahead
A path of pain
A path of sorrow
A path of brokenness
A path of unfulfilled potential
A path of tarnished dreams
A path that should never have been
I will be your everlasting judge
Whenever you come near me, you will face my wrath
I will cover my contempt with smiles and hugs
But you will know my loathing for you
At times, I will actively hate you
I will work for your undoing
I will seek your demise
I will pluck the flesh off your bones
Every day will be life-sucking
Other times I will ignore you
I will not think of you
You will not enter my thoughts
It will be as if you never existed
You will not have the joy of my companionship
You will not be comforted
You are exiled
Someday, you will get yours
When that day comes, I will cackle
Over your broken body
I will rejoice in your demise
I will send gifts to those I love
Rejoicing that your name will soon be forgotten
But not by me
For your name will be a curse
A word I will use to show contempt
A word that I will use callously and trivially
I will dream of your screams
I will know the sound of your bones being crushed
Justice
For all you have done
This is a path of stinking dung
Dung so deep my legs sink in to my knees
Muck so thick that I struggle to take the next step
Each time I labor to lift my foot
There is a sucking sound
As if the muck tries to pull me in
If I stand still
All is lost
I will drown
And I will be added to the muck and mire
Seeking to bring others down to me
My sin
My sin is against the One who is love
My sin is against the Creator and sustainer of all things
My sin is high treason against a good and perfect King
My sin is worse than despicable
My sin stinks up the whole universe
My sin wraps around my neck like the vines of a rose bush
Promising flowers but delivering piercing thorns dripping with blood
It pulls me down to the grave like so many science fiction monsters
But this is real
It pulls me down into the depths of the grave
Into hell itself
My very name
Is a curse to me
I have chosen my own way … rather than the way of one who loves me perfectly
I have chosen to try to rule my own life … rather than to trust Him
I have chosen to set up my own Kingdom … rather than build His
I have chosen to pursue my own comforts … rather than serve Him
I have chosen my foolishness … rather than His wisdom
I have chosen darkness ... rather than light
I have chosen death … over life
Death
Darkness
Silent screams full of terror
Disorientation
Not knowing which way is up
Unable to breathe
Flames lapping at my feet
But never quenched
Justice
For all I have done
Despair
Hope
A light piercing the darkness
The last word not yet spoken
Destinies can be changed
If only
If only there was a King
A King greater than our sin
A King more loving than our hatred
A King committed to Himself
And all that is right and good and true
More than we are committed to our folly
A King with grace and mercy as his companions
A King whose word is his bond
And whose heart is true
Where is this King
We look for this King
Could he be the One
Whom we have disregarded
Whom we have spat upon
Whom we have flogged
Whom we have forsaken
Whom we have cursed
Who has forgiven us freely
For no other reason than He wanted to
We who have brought shame to His Name
We who have insisted on making our own path
We who have judged others
We who call on mute idols to save us
Like riches, power, position, pleasure, or independence
We who fought to be the Captain of our souls
And then shipwrecked upon those jagged rocks of sin
Always seen, rarely feared
We who scourged him
We who drove the nails in
We who crowned him with thorns
We who pierced his side
And mocked his nakedness
And watched him die
No justice
For what had he done to deserve this
For the joy
For the joy set before him
For the joy of bringing many sons and daughters into the Kingdom
For the joy of forgiveness
For the joy of restoration
Forgiveness is not free
Someone paid my debt
Someone took my punishment
Someone took my death
That I fully deserved
That I fully earned
That someone is him
While I was still his enemy
While I was still a rebel
While I was still a thieving murderer loose in his kingdom
He died
He died for me
He died in my place – not just that I might live
Not just that I might be a good slave
Not just that I might have a second chance
He died to make me His
He died to make me His child
He gave me full rights as a child of God
Where I go, I do not deserve
Where he leads, I go – and rejoice
His people resemble him
His children rise and call him blessed
His people call him Faithful and True
Compassionate and Loving
Just and Merciful
Righteousness clothed in unrighteousness
Beauty clothed in ugliness
Majesty crowned in criminality
Paradox
Wonder of wonders!
Life clothed in death
Justice upheld
Mercy triumphant
Love fulfilled
Grace granted
Only believe
The path of a citizen
The path of one forgiven so much
The path of an adopted one
People of the Kingdom forgive
Ambassadors of the King forgive
Children of the King forgive
The path of a beloved
The path of a son
His path
Forgiveness
Not because they must, but because they want to
They want to resemble their King, their Savior, their Father …
We are most like God when we forgive those who have wronged us
Those who have hurt us
Those who have done things that deserve punishment and condemnation
Forgiveness is the loosing of the hand on the noose
The dropping of the whip to scourge
The burning of the ledger of debts
Forgiveness is setting down the hammer and spikes
Time and time again
As you find them in your hands
Forgiveness is remembering the price paid for my great debt
and the smallness of the debt before me
and doing holy math
completing the divine equation
letting flow from my heart what has flowed into it
receiving grace as I kneel before the King
and freely offering it to my worst enemy
Forgiveness frees us from hanging on to the one who hurt us
Bitterness binds us to them every step they take
Forgiveness allows us to see the world again
Bitterness draws the one who hurt us nose to nose that we might extract vengeance … and see nothing else
I’m remembering the hurt … again
The pain … the tears …
I need to remember
Remember the great debt you forgave me
That I might not see this debt through a microscope
Making small things large
And yet, this pain is so overwhelming
It is impossible to forgive
Father, you excel in the impossible
You make your great name and power known
Through change
Change in people like me
To do impossible things
Father forgive us our sins
As we forgive those who sin against us
Father cleanse me
As I release others from my grasp
This path is hard
This path is painful
This path is self-denying
This path
Leads
To
Life
This path
Leads from a cross
To the throne
Of our Father
We must walk it
More than once
And lead others
Through it
This path
Is good
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
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