January 2011
7 posts
1 tag
Yue-Kee's-induced insomnia
Going through a spiritual attack atm so I’m trying to find all sorts of reminders of the gospel. Ed has written a very nice piece just for that. May not in word or deed or prayer I find my rest but in God alone. Kevin DeYoung also wrote a pretty crazy article on the following: Now if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure- not to put it too severely- to all...
1 tag
a hurting Pharisee
Heavenly Father, Seriously, why is truth so important to me?Is it that bad to preach a self-esteem gospel?Is it that bad to not preach the power of the cross?Is it that bad to read material cited from the Emergent church?Is it that bad to sponsor pragmatism as a means for church growth?Is it that bad to be a teacher and associate with heretics? Is it that bad to emphasize experience over your...
1 tag
Jesus doesn't love everybody the same way
Title taken from a Desiring God sermon clip. If you went to OIL, then you got a hold of Dr. Carson’s Scandalous. In it he argues against the notion that God was so favorable, so loving to the world that if only people weren’t sinful they could enjoy fellowship with Him. He argues against Jesus’ work merely serving as a cancellation of sin, which implies an impersonal wrath poured...
1 tag
❤
“Someone’s love means absolutely nothing to you unless it is directed exclusively and committedly at you.” - by some Brit, Michael Ramsden. If the spirit of Christ enables, I would like to increase my capacity to love people with this tagged qualification. A love that chases. A love that is highly inefficient…but what worthwhile things ever are?
2 tags
Gospel on steroids
I really abuse this phrase :] Quickly, some convictions from OIL:1) Continued discouragement in the midst of repentance is not victory in Christ! If I’m still sad after repenting, I am making the statement that Christ is not enough for me. 2) God, in His wisdom, placed two irksome guys in my winter break walk so that my capacity to love would increase. I love these guys, and that statement...
1 tag
Ministry of the pew
Winter break concludes with the OIL conference starting Wednesday, which means that break is effectively over by the end of tomorrow. It’s been blessing in that time has been (with occasional contest) God-centered, deliberate, missional, and therefore, not wasted as per the norm. What has helped is the above chart taken from The Trellis and the Vine. Blue shows activities I usually reserve...
1 tag
you have no needs
Jesus did not die to increase our self-esteem. Rather, Jesus died to bring glory to the Father by redeeming people from the curse of sin… To look to Christ to meet our perceived psychological needs is to Christianize our lusts. We are asking God to give us what we want, so we can feel better about ourselves, or so we can have more happiness, no holiness, in our lives.- Chapter 8 of When...
