in the midst of this

jonwasson: Yosemite time lapse. Amazing. watch in HD.

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 14:36:42 -0500

Yosemite time lapse. Amazing.

watch in HD.

"O Lord and Master of my life! Take from me the spirit of sloth, faint-heartedness, lust of power and..."

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:40:15 -0500

“O Lord and Master of my life!
Take from me the spirit of sloth, faint-heartedness, lust of power and idle talk.
But give me rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love to my servant.
Yea, O Lord and King!
Grant me to see my own errors and not to judge my brother; for thou art blessed unto ages of ages.
Amen.”

- A common fourth-century prayer of Lent from St. Ephrem the Syrian

"We modern people think of miracles as the suspension of the natural order, but Jesus meant them to..."

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 10:48:06 -0500

“We modern people think of miracles as the suspension of the natural order, but Jesus meant them to be the restoration of the natural order. The Bible tells us that God did not originally make the world to have disease, hunger, and death in it. Jesus has come to redeem where it is wrong and heal the world where it is broken.”

- Timothy Keller

"Hope alone is to be called ‘realistic’, because it alone takes seriously the..."

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 16:31:19 -0500

“Hope alone is to be called ‘realistic’, because it alone takes seriously the possibilities with which all reality is fraught.”

- Jurgen Moltmann, Theology of Hope

"In the Christian understanding, Jesus does not tell us how to live so we can merit salvation...."

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:41:55 -0500

“In the Christian understanding, Jesus does not tell us how to live so we can merit salvation. Rather, he comes to forgive and save us through his life and death in our place. God’s grace does not come to people who morally outperform others, but to those who admit their failure to perform and who acknowledge their need for a Savior.”

- Tim Keller, The Reason for God

"You can do more than pray after you have prayed, but you cannot do more than pray until you have..."

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:24:35 -0500

““You can do more than pray after you have prayed, but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed””

- John Bunyan

#simplebutprofound

joy upon joy, grace upon grace

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 10:35:32 -0500

joy upon joy, grace upon grace

"Christ became flesh, a servant, without form or comeliness, the most despised of human beings; he..."

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 23:27:43 -0500

“Christ became flesh, a servant, without form or comeliness, the most despised of human beings; he descended to the nethermost parts of the earth and became obedient even to death on the cross. So also the word [the Bible], the revelation of God, entered the world of creatureliness, the life and history of humanity, in all the human forms of dream and vision, of investigation and reflection, right down into that which is humanly weak and despised and ignoble… . All this took place in order that the excellency of the power … of Scripture may be God’s and not ours.”

- Herman Bavinck (1854–1921)

Dogboarding. This video is ridiculous & hilarious all at the...

Sat, 31 Dec 2011 14:16:10 -0500

Dogboarding. This video is ridiculous & hilarious all at the same time.

How is God’s passion for his glory not a form of narcissism?

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 13:13:08 -0500

For me this question has been somewhat of a recurring theme in last couple of months, popping up in conversations, in people’s questions, and in interviews with celebrities and writers… so, I thought this post might be helpful (I hope it is).

In the The End for Which God Created the World Jonathan Edwards wrote,

The emanation or communication of the divine fullness, consisting in the knowledge of God, love to him, and joy in him, has relation indeed both to God and the creature: but it has relation to God as its fountain, as the thing communicated is something of its internal fullness. The water in the stream is something of the fountain; and the beams of the sun are something of the sun. And again, they have relation to God as their object: for the knowledge communicated is the knowledge of God; and the love communicated, is the love of God; and the happiness communicated, is joy in God. In the creature’s knowing, esteeming, loving, rejoicing in, and praising God, the glory of God is both exhibited and acknowledged, his fullness is received and returned. Here is both an emanation and remanation. The refulgence shines upon and into the creature, and is reﬂected back to the luminary. The beams of glory come from God, are something of God, and are refunded back again to their original. So that the whole is of God, and in God, and to God; and he is the beginning, and the middle, and the end.

The answer is: God’s passion for his glory is the essence of his love to us (For just as Edwards proclaimed throughout his work: God’s ultimate end is the manifestation of his glory in the highest joy of his creatures).

But narcissism and megalomania are not love.

God’s love for us is not mainly his making much of us, but in him enabling us to enjoy making much of him forever. In other words, God’s love for us keeps God at the center. God’s love for us necessarily exalts his value and our satisfaction in it. If God’s love made us central and focused on our value, it would distract us from what is most precious, namely, himself. Love labors and suffers to enthrall us with what is infinitely and eternally satisfying: God. Thus, God’s love works to break our slavery to the idol of self and focus our affections on the truly worthy treasure of God.

The God-centeredness of God’s love demonstrated in Christ is seen in John 11:1-6 (the story of Lazarus’ sickness and death).

Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 4 But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.

Three observations:

1. Jesus chose to let Lazarus die. Verse 6: “When He heard he was sick, He then stayed two days longer in the place where he was.” There was no hurry. His intention was not to spare the family grief, but to raise Lazarus from the dead.

2. His motivation was a passion for the glory of God displayed in his own glorious power. Verse 4: “This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it.”

3. Nonetheless both the choice to let Lazarus die and the motivation to magnify God were expressions of love for Mary and Martha and Lazarus. Verse 5: “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus … so he stayed … where he was.”

Many people today – even Christians – would mutter at Jesus for heartlessly letting Lazarus die and putting Him and Mary and Martha and others through the pain of this event. And if they saw that this was motivated by Jesus’ desire to magnify the glory of God many would call this harsh or unloving. What this shows is how far above the glory of God most people value pain-free lives. For most people love is whatever puts human value and human well being at the center, so Jesus’ behavior is unintelligible. Additionally, they view their system of values as bringing about the greatest level of personal satisfaction.

But, we should pause a moment to learn from Jesus concerning what love is and what our true well being looks like. Love is doing whatever you need to do even to the point of dying on the cross to help people see and savor the glory of God forever and ever. Love keeps God central. Why? Because the soul was made for God.

Jesus confirms that we are on the right track here by the way he prays for us in John 17. I assume that he is praying for us (v. 20) and that this prayer is a loving prayer (John 13:1). Consider how Jesus prays here:

When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

This is the way God prays when he is being loving to his people. He prays that his glory be upheld and displayed.

The connection with us comes in verse 24, “Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.” The love of Jesus drives him to pray for us and then die for us, NOT that our value may be central, but that his glory may be central, and we may see it and savor it for all eternity. “That they may see My glory!” – for that he let Lazarus died, and for that he went to the cross.

See one illustration of Paul’s experience of this way of being loved. 2 Corinthians 12:7-10:

So to keep me from being too elated by the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from being too elated. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Many man-centered Americans who have defined the love of Christ as his making much of them, not his helping them to enjoy make much of him, would cry out to Jesus in this situation: I don’t care about your power being made perfect, I care about not hurting with this thorn!

But, when we carefully read the Scriptures we come to see that Christ, not comfort, is the true all-satisfying and everlasting treasure. Magnifying the supremacy of God in all things, and being willing to suffer patiently to help see and savor this supremacy is the essence of love. It’s the essence of God’s love. And it’s the essence of your love. Because the supremacy of God’s glory is the source and sum of all full and lasting joy. Therefore, the God of the universe making much of his glory and instructing creation to do the same is an act of the greatest love, which aims at bringing about ultimate and lasting satisfaction.

*If this sounds more than a bit John Piper-ish that’s because it pretty much is. This post is my adaptation of his original blog post, which can be found here: http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/articles/how-is-gods-passion-for-his-own-glory-not-selfishness

For background, go to the Christianity Today article on the...

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 16:00:16 -0500

For background, go to the Christianity Today article on the matter here. For Mike Licona’s 2011 ETS paper in which he addresses this controversy, go here. (An mp3 of his November 17, 2011 presentation of his paper can be found here.) Best blog post on the controversy can be found here.

Originally posted by francisbeckwith

"The truth which I have proposed to handle, and whose defence I have undertaken in the ensuing..."

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 16:54:00 -0500

“The truth which I have proposed to handle, and whose defence I have undertaken in the ensuing discourse, is commonly called THE PERSEVERANCE OF SAINTS; a doctrine whereof nothing ordinary, low, or common, is spoken by any that have engaged into the consideration of it. To some it is the very salt fo the covenant of grace, the most distinguishing mercy communicated in the blood of Christ, so interwoven into, and lying at the bottom of, all that consolation which “God is abundantly willing that all the heirs of the promise should receive,” that it is utterly impossible, it should be safe-guarded one moment without a persuasion of this truth, which seals up all the mercy and grace of the new covenant with the unchangeableness and faithfulness of God. To others it is no grace of God, no part of the purchase of Christ, no doctrine of the gospel, no foundation of consolation; but an invention of men, a delusion of Satan, an occasion of dishonour to God, disconsolation and perplexity to believers, a powerful temptation unto sin and wickedness in all that do receive it.”

- John Owen, Doctrine of the Saints’ Perseverance

What say you?

a great day for the church.

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 18:18:45 -0500

a great day for the church.

Steadfast in Prayer

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 13:16:00 -0500

Steadfast in Prayer

Video

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 14:49:17 -0400

The Future of Our City... A Critique of the New 20-Year Strategic Plan.

Sat, 30 Jul 2011 12:25:19 -0400

The Following Is An Op-Ed Written by Tim Davis and Published by the Springfield News-Leader:

In case you have not read the city of Springfield’s 20-year Strategic Plan, please be advised that: You are not in Kansas anymore. The chapter of the Strategic Plan titled “Global Perspective and Diversity Planning” is something foreign. It condenses the ideas of the 2010 Strategic Plan for the Mayor’s Commission on Human Rights, which, in turn, springboard from the lament that: “Springfield is the last metropolitan area in Missouri to not have sexual orientation and/or gender identity in the city nondiscrimination ordinance.”

In deference to the LGBT lobby, plans for the city and mayor’s commission intend a multistage program that promotes the gay, lesbian and transgender lifestyle.

The first stage of this program targets children. The plan for the mayor’s commission recommends training and curriculum for “all school aged children (public, private, home schooled)” that will “educate children about values and concerns of diverse groups, their norms and customs.” Whether parents want their children educated about the values and customs of the gay, lesbian and transgender community is not questioned. The rightness of such education is assumed, as is the risk that, without it, students will be “stagnant to new ideas.” The city hopes to influence 10,000 to 20,000 students with its message.

The program’s second stage targets the workplace. State and federal laws prohibit private employment discrimination based on race, gender, disability and other traits — but not sexual orientation. Springfield offers something new: penalties for failing or refusing to hire gay, lesbian and transgender applicants. “Area churches and area universities” are expected to comply. The strategic plan for the mayor’s commission identifies pro-LGBT hiring policies and “diversity training” as conditions precedent to obtain a business license.

The city also proposes decals, to be displayed at the entrance to each place of business, on websites and advertisements, indicating whether a business has pro-gay policies. Decals allow businesses to “highlight their desire to be inclusive.” At the same time, businesses without decals are red-flagged. The Achilles’ heel of the whole scheme is the cost to enforce compliance; so, in addition to decals, the plan foresees private informants who will “monitor businesses that infringe on human rights” or fail to show “mutual respect.” Penalties could be up to one year in jail, with each day of noncompliance being a separate offense. It is a grey, Orwellian land.

Nothing in the city’s plans targets hate crimes. And no one should confuse the elevated language of the plans with an attempt to curb violence.

Municipalities lack statutory authority to enact relevant penalties. And, anyway, crimes against gay and lesbian persons are already prosecuted as state or federal felonies, typically under the Matthew Shepard Act of 2009 which heightens penalties for crimes motivated by sexual orientation and expands the jurisdiction of federal courts to address such crimes. The U.S. Department of Justice reports three (3) hate crimes, motivated by the victim’s sexual orientation, in Southwest Missouri in 2009, the most recent statistics available.

Springfield has posted its plans: www.springfieldmo.gov/strategicplan/ and www.springfieldmo. gov/boards/humanrights/pdfs/humanRightsStratPlan2010.pdf . Speak up.

Tim Davis has a Ph.D. in economics and a law degree from Oxford. In 2010, he was a candidate for United States Congress in the 7th District. He practices law in Branson.

"Christianity is not the move from vice to virtue, but rather the move from virtue to grace."

Mon, 25 Jul 2011 14:26:43 -0400

“Christianity is not the move from vice to virtue, but rather the move from virtue to grace.”

- Gerhard Forde

"Contemporary theology has lost touch with the missionary impetus of the Christian faith precisely..."

Mon, 04 Jul 2011 12:46:00 -0400

“Contemporary theology has lost touch with the missionary impetus of the Christian faith precisely when this is needed more than ever… It is true, of course, that European and North American theology has been labouring in a threatening intellectual environment, and to that extent has been notably sensitive to its culture and to its apologetic task within the culture. But it has been on the defensive, and the shape of its theology shows this.”

- peter jensen, The Revelation of God

Can you practice Islam and be 100 percent Christian?

Tue, 28 Jun 2011 15:21:35 -0400

Can you practice Islam and be 100 percent Christian?

"What is antinomy? The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary defines it as ‘a contradiction between..."

Fri, 10 Jun 2011 22:49:00 -0400

“

What is antinomy? The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary defines it as ‘a contradiction between conclusions which seem equally logical, reasonable or necessary.’ For our purposes, however, this definition is not quite accurate; the opening words should read ‘an appearance of contradiction.’ For the whole point of an antinomy—in theology, at any rate—is that it is not a real contradiction, though it looks like one. It is an apparent incompatibility between two apparent truths. An antinomy exists when a pair of principles stand side by side, seemingly irreconcilable, yet both undeniable. There are cogent reasons for believing each of them; each rests on clear and solid evidence; but it’s a mystery to you how they can be squared to each other. You see that each must be true on its own, but you do not see how they can both be true together. Let me give an example. Modern physics faces an antinomy, in this sense, in its study of light. There is cogent evidence to show that light consists of waves, and equally cogent evidence to show that it consists of particles. It is not apparent how light can be both waves and particles, but the evidence is there, and so neither view can be ruled out in favor of the other. Neither, however, can be reduced to the other or explained in terms of the other; the two seemingly incompatible positions must be held together, and both must be treated as true. Such a necessity scandalizes our tidy minds, no doubt, but there is no help for it if we are to be loyal to the facts.

It appears, therefore, that an antinomy is not the same thing as a paradox. A paradox is a figure of speech, a play on words. It is a form of statement that seems to unite two opposite ideas, or to deny something by the very terms in which it is asserted.

”

- J. I. Packer