Archive for September, 2009

Heaven Part 1: Laboring For Vanity

Jonathan Edwards said that we should labor to get a sense of the vanity of this life. The hope in doing so is that our affections for the next life would increase. I am pretty certain I do not long for Heaven like the authors of the New Testament did. There are chances you don’t either! This is due to many things, some of which include what Christian subculture has done to the idea of heaven. For some reason the word heaven conjures up images of naked baby angels and clouds and really sunny weather! Is that what Paul was talking about when he said to depart and be with Christ would be far better than remaining in this life? (Phil. 1:23)


Furthermore, there is the saying that you can be so heavenly minded that you are no earthly good. Really!? It seems when Paul talked about setting our minds on things above he saw doing so as the only way to mortify the flesh of sinful desires (Colossians 3:2-6). I would say that the only way to be of any earthly good is to attach your desires and affections and hopes on Heaven. Only then will your grip on earthly things be loosened, only then will your anxiety and fear of tomorrow be put to death, only then will you cherish the Gospel as newly discovered treasure.

So I thought I would do a brief blog series on Heaven and maybe clarify a few things about it and hopefully show you why setting our hope in the next life is the best way to live this life.

To be continued…

GB
2009
09/30
CATEGORY
Edwards
Heaven
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John Calvin Is My Homeboy


I love John Calvin, the man was incredible! Recently the Desiring God National Conference was held in Minneapolis with the theme With Calvin In The Theater of God. The audio and video is now available for free HERE! I know what’s going on my iPod!


GB
2009
09/29
CATEGORY
Desiring God
John Calvin
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The Contradictions of Jesus

I am learning how to think like Leonardo Da Vinci! Well, I am at least reading a book called How To Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci! The author of this book says that one of the seven steps to doing this is learning to live with paradox. You know what paradox is right? It’s when something that at first glance appears to be senseless, self-contradictory and logically impossible, but when investigated or explained, turns out to be true. This was something that Da Vinci seemed to understand despite the fact that he was a genius!


But forget Da Vinci, Jesus is ultimate when it comes to paradox! In fact I would be so bold as to say that without embracing paradox, you will not understand the Bible, the kingdom of God or the Gospel! Let me unpack for you why. Think of all the contradictions that Jesus seemed to imply:

You find your life by losing it!
You take his burden and find rest!
You humble yourself to be exalted!
You give to receive!
You lead by serving!
You live by dying!
You become great by being the least!
You mature when you become a child!
You become enslaved in order to be set free!

These things don’t make sense at first, they seem antithetical, but when you embrace them in your life and begin to live the upside-down, subversive way of the kingdom, you find that they are true!

Other areas would include God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility. The Bible teaches that God is sovereign over all things, including who is saved. The Bible also teaches that man is fully responsible and morally culpable for his own actions. These are not doctrines that need to be reconciled or joined or figured out, they are paradoxes that need to be embraced. This, to me, is why many people have a problem with Calvinism, they can’t seem to accept that these two things can be true at the same time. When asked how to reconcile these two doctrines, Charles Spurgeon said, “I don’t have to reconcile friends.”

How about the Incarnation? Jesus was and is fully God and fully man! He was not 50% God and 50% man, He was 100% God and 100% Man! Paradox! Or take the Trinity; God is Three Persons yet One, each member is fully God, but not three distinct gods. Augustine said if you deny this you will lose your soul, if you attempt to explain this you will lose your mind! Paradox! Embrace it, enjoy it, take it seriously!

GB

2009
09/29
CATEGORY
paradox
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YouTube Sensation: Dude Perfect – ESPN VIDEO

2009
09/27
CATEGORY
Uncategorized
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Discipled To Scatter


“Jesus didn’t call the disciples to regular discipleship. Regular disciples would have stayed in Jerusalem, founded a school, studied the words and works of their master, carefully screened and admitted only the most promising students. He commanded his disciples to scatter, to go to the ends of the earth, preaching and teaching the good news, healing the sick, casting out demons, witnessing about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus’ command ensured that the disciples would go out to the people, not sit and wait for an interested few to come to them.”(Leonard Sweet, The Gospel According To Starbucks)


GB

2009
09/23
CATEGORY
Discipleship
Leonard Sweet
missional living
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Faith’s Review and Expectation

Thought I would blog something familiar to many of us, John Newton’s famous hymn, Faith’s Review and Expectation, or you might know it better as Amazing Grace!

1. Amazing grace! How sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me!

I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.

2. ‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,

And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed.

3. Through many dangers, toils, and snares

I have already come;
‘Tis grace that brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.

4. And when this flesh and heart shall fail,

And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

5. When we’ve been there ten thousand years,

Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we first begun.

2009
09/22
CATEGORY
Grace
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Friday Is For Ghosting!

2009
09/18
CATEGORY
Friday
Fun
Ghosting
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Grace In Action

Check this video out! What a picture of God’s grace toward us and what we do with it sometimes! And despite what we do with it, God still loves us!

http://www.myfoxphilly.com/video/videoplayer.swf

GB
2009
09/17
CATEGORY
Grace
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Deligting In The Desert

If God loves you then He will take you to a desert at some point in your spiritual journey through this life. Historically God does most of His work in the hearts of His people in the desert. The desert is usually the last place we want to be despite the fact that its the place where we learn the most, pray the most, become the most human and learn to pant after God like a deer panting for streams of water (Psalm 42:1).

Your desert could be a time of financial strain, physical suffering, a time when God seems to be absent, a rebellious child, or simply a season of confusion and mystery. Your hope in what God is doing is waning and your wonder and ferocity for life are utterly drained.

The great thing about the desert is that nothing lives there except things made to do so. Spiritually speaking, idols cant live in the desert. Sin cant live in the desert. Wondering affections cant live in the desert. Self-sufficiency cant live there either. The desert is where hope is kindled and prayer becomes as natural as breathing. The desert is where you learn to pant for God like you never have. This is what David learned. Psalm 63 is one of the Psalms in which we know the context: “The wilderness of Judah.” This is where David longed for God, where he found satisfaction in God, where he wanted God, not just the blessings God provides.


If you don’t find God while you are in the desert, He will not be enough for you when you get out of the desert. If you don’t learn to pray in the desert, you may never learn to pray. If you don’t loosen your grip on the things of this world in the desert, they may take over the affections that only God was meant to have. So learn to delight in God in the desert and you’ll realize He is all you have and as well as all you need.

GB
2009
09/17
CATEGORY
Christian Hedonism
delight
desert
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You Need This Book!


I am reluctant to tell people what they need to read since I rarely read what someone tells me I should read! Too many “reads” in that sentence! Anyway, I can say with confidence that you NEED to read this book. It is the best book on prayer I have ever read. You will no longer talk about your “prayer life”, you will instead see prayer as life! There is a big difference. I did more repenting and more digging in Scripture than I have in a long time while reading this. So if you can afford $10.19 which is the price at Amazon.com, I can’t think of a better way of spending it! If you sincerely can’t, let me know and I will buy it for you and have it shipped to your house!


GB
2009
09/13
CATEGORY
Paul Miller
prayer
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