Thinking Reformed

I Still Miss Him

2009-10-16T20:35:00.000-07:00

I was chatting with a friend, and we were talking about Christian singers. I was reminded that my very favorite one is in God's presence right now, by way of a car accident in 1997.

"When everything that could be shaken was shaken, all that remained was all I ever really had"

~ Rich Mullins

Captain Kirk on Monotheism

2009-10-03T18:14:00.000-07:00

"Mankind has no need for gods...we find the One quite adequate."

~James T. Kirk, from the Star Trek episode "Who Mourns for Adonais?"

Amen, Captain. The only thing I would add is that it matters not how we "find" Him - He is adequate apart from whether or not we find Him so.

Best Video Ever!

2009-10-01T04:07:00.000-07:00

This is without a doubt one of the best videos I have ever, ever seen:

Ancient Vs. Modern

2009-08-09T18:15:00.000-07:00

I post not infrequently about hymns. One might get the idea I'm a "hymns only" guy, but that's not the case at all.

Growing up, I couldn't stand hymns. I thought of them as religions hold-overs from the good-ole days. Or maybe things the old-timers clung to...maybe so they could complain about the young folks' music.

In any case, several years ago, I began to really appreciate the rich truth that could be found in a lot of the hymns, and they became really precious to me. There are some lines from hymns that I just can't sing without tearing up (or in some cases, outright bawling). Consider:

"My sin (oh the bliss of this glorious thought)...my sin, not in part, but the whole, is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more."

Come ON! What could be better than that?!?

But I'm no "hymn snob", no way! I love "modern worship" music as well. So just to provide some balance, here's a video of one of my current favorite worship songs:

Rainy Sunday

2009-08-03T05:43:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, I had "parking lot duty" at church. I'm always happy to serve in this way, but yesterday was particularly enjoyable. We normally have 3-person teams working the parking lot, helping visitors, keeping an eye on people's cars, etc. Yesterday, one team member was absent, and the other had a conflicting commitment to work in the nursery, so I had the post to myself.

I sat under the large canopy in my chair, and it rained the entire time I was out there. It was very peaceful, and not hot at all. I wish I could do it again today, under the same circumstances (rain).

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father..."

~James 1:17

I'm thankful.

Lose All Their Guilty Stains

2009-07-07T11:44:00.000-07:00

I saw this video last week on Thabiti Anyabwile's blog. This lady sang this at a conference he was speaking at. It's one of my favorite hymns, and this performance of it really warmed my heart. I love this lady's tone!

Comfort from Isaiah

2009-07-07T07:12:00.000-07:00

My wife and I have been going through Isaiah at a very leisurely pace. A couple of weeks ago, we studied chapter 7, and I keep drawing comfort from something written there:

Aram and Israel were making plans to conquer Judah. King Ahaz of Judah was troubled about this (his "heart was shaken"). After describing the attacking kings' plans, verse 7 says :

Yet this is what the sovereign LORD says: "It will not take place, it will not happen."

What a matter-of-fact statement. Only the God of the universe could say that with such confidence and authority. He goes on to say that the heads of those nations are mere humans, and that Ahaz should stand firm in the assurance that God was able to deliver Judah.

It's very comforting to me that in uncertain times (politically, economically, etc) that God is in control of everything.

Random Thoughts About Little Things

2009-06-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

We had to bring my dog to the vet on Friday to have her anal glands removed. She has allergies, and they get inflamed, and it makes her rub her hind end on the carpet. There's a HUGE story I could tell about the multiple screw-ups the vet's office made, but....well, it's too long a story.

Anyway, my dog's stitches came out, and she now has open wounds on her behind, she's constantly bleeding, and suffering. As my wife told the vet on the phone this morning, it looks like someone took a chainsaw to her behind. So we have to bring her in for another traumatic experience and more pain to fix what is increasing apparently a botched procedure. Yes, we'll be finding another vet after this experience. It really breaks my heart to see her suffer and go through the added fear of another trip to the vet. If you're not an "animal person", you may not understand all this, but the pooch really means a lot to us.

I was praying for her this morning, begging God to comfort her, heal her, and ease her pain. It occurred to me that as we get older, we don't ask our friends or church family to pray for "little things" with us as much. I remember working with kids in church, getting all kinds of prayer requests...from sick pets to scratched knees. I'm wondering what makes us stop asking friends to pray over certain things.

Is it a symptom of a loss of innocence?

Is it our increasing self-reliance? Do we now only want to "trouble" our Father with the things we can't handle ourselves? Has He become our "Second tier" of support, and only escalated matters get "brought to His attention"?

Is there a deeper issue (pride) causing us to shy away from exposing our utter dependence on God (exposing our weakness/helplessness)?

I don't think it's that we're reticent to bring things to Him, but to let others know we're bringing "little things" to Him. Surely that's an indicator of pride, right? I admit I don't ask friends to pray for certain things because I feel silly about it. Do I think I'm too cool to be overly concerned about my pet (for example)? Because I'm not (too cool, that is). I'm not pointing any fingers, and I'm not saying I'm ready to ask that my dog be put on the church's prayer letter. I don't know if there's a point to all this other than to say "Here's what I've been thinking about".

So I guess there are two sides of the coin I've been pondering this morning: a) I need to remember that I am 1,000% helpless apart from God, and bring everything, no matter how "small", to Him in prayer, and b) I shouldn't care if people observe "silliness" or weakness in me. Indeed, His power is made perfect in weakness.

I must tell Jesus all of my trials,

I cannot bear these burdens alone;

In my distress He kindly will help me,

He ever loves and cares for His own.

I must tell Jesus all of my troubles,

He is a kind, compassionate Friend;

If I but ask Him He will deliver,

Make of my troubles quickly an end.

Pop Quiz

2009-06-05T11:40:00.001-07:00

On a whim, I decided to give my unchurched co-worker a pop quiz:
"Which of these phrases are in the bible, and which are not?"

I didn't have a point in doing this, other than to satisfy my curiosity. Here are the phrases and her responses:

"To thine own self be true" - Yes

"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" - No

"Cleanliness is next to godliness" - Yes

"To each their own" - Yes

"Don't let the sun go down on your anger" - No

"The sun also rises" - No

"Ask not for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee" - Yes

"Forgive and forget" - Yes

"God helps those who help themselves" - Yes

"The road to hell is paved with good intentions" - No

"Spare the rod, spoil the child" - No

"Poor as Job's turkey" - No

"A penny saved is a penny earned" - No

Thursday Thoughts 6-4-09

2009-06-04T10:07:00.000-07:00

My daughter has really been doing well with her walking lately. When she first started walking, she insisted that me or my wife hold one or both of her hands. Now that she's a walking pro (in her mind), she won't hear of us holding her hand at all.

I've noticed lately that she's learning to express an attitude when things don't go just her way. Don't get me wrong - she's just as sweet and good-natured as can be....but she's still fallen. I've wondered if her burgeoning pride and rebellion has anything to do with her newfound independence (i.e. walking skills).

Inevitably, I thought of how there are times I think I am more independent from God than I really am. And there are times I'm acutely aware of my utter dependence on Him, and need for Him, no matter if I seem to be walking fine on my own.

I think I would spend less time being rebellious and prideful, if I was more aware of my complete need for my Father more of the time. I find it funny/ironic that we are to model our parenthood after our heavenly Father - but ~~our goal~~ ONE of our goals in responsibly raising a child is to ultimately make them independent of us for their needs... but for us to grow independent from God is our doom.

I need Thee every hour, stay Thou nearby,

Temptations lose their power, when Thou art nigh.

I need Thee, O I need Thee,

Every hour I need Thee.

O bless me now my Savior, I come to Thee.

Memory Time

2009-05-21T12:15:00.000-07:00

It's time my wife and I renewed our habit of memorizing Scripture. We're going to begin (again) with Psalm 91, probably in the New Living Translation. I'll underline some parts that are particularly sweet to me:

1 Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.
3 For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease.
4 He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
5 Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day.
6 Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday.
7 Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you.
8 Just open your eyes, and see how the wicked are punished.
9 If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter,
10 no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home.
11 For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go.
12 They will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.
13 You will trample upon lions and cobras; you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!
14 The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name.
15 When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them.
16 I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation.”

What-I'm-Reading Wednesday

2009-04-22T13:05:00.001-07:00

With my extreme busy-ness lately, I haven't been able to do much reading...but today's book is one I've read probably 40-50 times....and will certainly read again (with my daughter!):

What-I'm-Reading....Thursday

2009-04-16T06:55:00.000-07:00

So in addition to not having much time to blog, I don't have that much time to read...but I am (slowly) reading the following book...sorry, no time for a mini-review either. But I like it so far:

A Blogging Break

2009-04-05T17:57:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, I need to take a short break from blogging - I will be too busy with work to organize many thoughts for the next 2 or 3 weeks (FDIC Audit at our bank). Don't look for any "What-I'm-Reading Wednesdays", "Thursday Thoughts", or "Friday Night Videos" for a little while.

If I make it through the next few weeks with any mental faculty remaining, I'll see ya'll on the other side.

Oh, and if you're inclined, you can pray for the team from my church that will be travelling to Uganda this week for missions work.

Friday Night Videos, 4/3/09

2009-04-03T06:50:00.001-07:00

I thought this was funny...Piper's a good sport:

What-I'm-Reading Wednesday, 4/1/09

2009-04-01T10:15:00.000-07:00

The Secret, by Rhonda Byrne (April Fool!!).

I'm still reading Preaching and Preachers by Martin Lloyd-Jones.

Am I glad I read it? So far, yes.

Will I read it again? Probably...a long time from now.

Reflections? I like the emphasis Lloyd-Jones puts on the primacy of preaching the Word (as opposed to other things that sometimes take first place in churches). One part that struck me was his example from Acts 6 when the first deacons were chosen. I've always heard that taught in connection with "Why We Need Deacons" or "What Deacons Do" type teachings. The Doctor doesn't take a deacon-centric approach to this verse, but a Word-centric one. In other words, yes, Acts 6 deals with the need for deacons in the local church, but it also deals with the importance of the ministry of the Word. The apostles were getting hemmed up doing things that took them away from their primary task: "It is not good that we should give up preaching the Word of God to serve tables." Serving is a great thing, and needs to be done but not at the expense of the preaching of the Word.

Another thought: I think MLJ would take issue with some of Mark Driscoll's methods of evangelism. Maybe the contrasts strike me because the last thing I read was Driscoll's Radical Reformission.

Recommended? Yes.

Friday Night Videos, 3/27/09

2009-03-27T17:20:00.001-07:00

Thursday Thoughts 3/26/09

2009-03-26T07:15:00.000-07:00

"The church has been trying to preach morality and ethics without the Gospel as a basis; it has been preaching morality without godliness, and it simply does not work."

"...by palliating the symptoms you can conceal the real disease." (This reminds me of John Bunyan's discourse in Grace Abounding about relieving people's guilt without addressing the cause of their guilt - namely, sin).

"Man's real trouble is that he is a rebel against God and consequently under the wrath of God."

The above quotes are from Martin Lloyd-Jones' Preaching and Preachers. I find that I'm just unable to write more about the ideas expressed above, as I intended to. My capacity for coherent thought is being limited these days by a preoccupation with an upcoming FDIC audit of the financial institution I work for. Maybe I can elaborate on this stuff in a few weeks.

What-I'm-Reading Wednesday, 3/25/09

2009-03-25T04:12:00.000-07:00

Mark Driscoll's "The Radical Reformission; Reaching Out Without Selling Out". This book challenges me on so many levels.

Am I glad I read it? Yeah.

Will I read it again? Probably.

Reflections? As I said, it's challenging. I want to be missional so badly, but don't feel that I am, at least to the extent I should be. Being from Driscoll, this book is entertaining, in-your-face, and thought-provoking. I'm not so sure about some of the things he has to say about evangelism, but I'm no expert. Maybe it's just that my mind is so shaped by "the way things have always been done". I do have some things to think and study through. I'll blog those thoughts as they develop.

Recommended? A lot of people don't care for Mark Driscoll, and if he rubs you the wrong way with his preaching, you probably won't enjoy the book. However, if read with an open mind, I think he'll at least give you something to think about, and to examine in your own context.

A Great Legacy

2009-03-24T08:39:00.000-07:00

I just read of Martin Lloyd-Jones, that when he died, he left behind a congregation that "loved the Gospel more than a good sermon..."

What a great testimony.

The Trifecta

2009-03-23T08:29:00.000-07:00

I've been reading one of Mark Driscoll's books (The Radical Reformission), and I've been considering something from it.

The Church.

The Gospel.

Culture.

How do these relate to each other? DO they relate to each other? Obviously, the Gospel is related to the Church, but what about Culture? Even talking about culture and the Gospel together brings up thoughts of one of the biggest buzzwords in the western church world these days: Relevance. I've heard of certain preachers "He really made the Bible relevant to me". The job of preachers is not to make the Word of God relevant - it's already relevant. The job of preachers is to help us understand what the Word says, and how to apply it to our lives. Maybe that's semantics. I just see a distinction. Obviously the Gospel is lived out in the context of our culture. It can't be ignored.

The Gospel + the Church without the Culture = Fundamentalism

The Gospel + the Culture without the Church = Parachurch

The Church + the Culture without the Gospel = Liberalism

For effective reformission, Driscoll says, all three need to be considered, even though not all three have equal weight.

My point? I'm not sure I have one. It's just something I've been thinking about.

Time To Hit The Books

2009-03-22T14:13:00.000-07:00

I had a very interesting conversation with a good friend of mine this morning. I won't go into the details, but it was very encouraging to me. In light of our conversation, I decided to get back to something I started a few years ago...

I've always wished I could go to seminary. At this stage in the game, I just don't think that's going to happen. But I figure with the wealth of resources we have here in the West, surely one can get a seminary-quality education without going to one, if he/she is sufficiently motivated. I had this thought a few years back, but as I got more confused about what God wanted me to do, and where He wanted me, and more busy with life in general, I just let it slide to the back burner. So I'm thinking "What the hey?" - I'm going to give it another go. I'm going to try to outline a course of study, and get to learning. It may not contain all the stuff I'd learn in seminary, but I'll have to play that by ear, with trial and error, and input from some trusted friends. I'll chronicle my progress on this blog.

Friday Night Videos, 3/20/09

2009-03-20T07:08:00.000-07:00

Mark Driscoll is indeed an effective communicator. A lot of Christians don't like him. Here's a video of him explaining his (then) upcoming message at a Desiring God conference. I'll follow that with a video of John Piper explaining why he likes Driscoll so much.

Thursday Thoughts 3/19/09

2009-03-19T11:18:00.000-07:00

One of my very favorite works of fiction is "Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog)". It was written by Jerome K. Jerome, published in 1889. I would call Jerome sort of a British Mark Twain. This is one of the few books that can make me laugh out loud uncontrollably. Having said that, the book offers occasional wisdom as well. The quote below is in the context of how the three friends were trying to decide what to bring with them on their trip down the River Thames. The list got so exhaustive, they figured they'd be better off deciding what they absolutely could not do without. I reflect on it often.

"How many people, on that voyage (up the river of life), load up the boat till it is ever in danger of swamping with a store of foolish things which they think essential to the pleasure and comfort of the trip, but which are really only useless lumber. How they pile the poor little craft mast−high with fine clothes and big houses; with useless servants, and a host of swell friends that do not care twopence for them, and that they do not care three ha'pence for; with expensive entertainments that nobody enjoys, with formalities and fashions, with pretence and ostentation, and with − oh, heaviest, maddest lumber of all! − the dread of "what will my neighbour think?", with luxuries that only cloy, with pleasures that bore, with empty show that, like the criminal's iron crown of yore, makes to bleed and swoon the aching head that wears it! It is lumber, man − all lumber! Throw it overboard. It makes the boat so heavy to pull, you nearly faint at the oars. It makes it so cumbersome and dangerous to manage, you never know a moment's freedom from anxiety and care....Throw the lumber over, man! Let your boat of life be light, packed with only what you need − a homely home and simple pleasures, one or two friends, worth the name, someone to love and someone to love you, a cat, a dog, and a pipe or two, enough to eat and enough to wear, and a little more than enough to drink; for thirst is a dangerous thing. You will find the boat easier to pull then, and it will not be so liable to upset, and it will not matter so much if it does upset; good, plain merchandise will stand water."

What-I'm-Reading Wednesday 3/18/09

2009-03-18T16:08:00.000-07:00

"J.I. Packer Answers Questions for Today". In this fun little book, Dr. Packer gives short answers to questions posed by young (high school and college age) people.

Am I glad I read it? Yep.

Will I read it again? Probably.

Reflections? Down to earth questions, and practical answers in a style Packer elsewhere calls "sanctified common sense".

Recommended? Yeah, it's Packer!

Friday Night Videos - 3/13/09

2009-03-13T05:05:00.000-07:00

A year or two ago a friend and I were talking about how some churches seem a little weak in theology for the sake of relevance. We differed (as we often do) on where the line should be drawn. In support of his point, he told me of a popular worship leader (at that time) that had said something he considered profound during a recent concert in our city. The worship leader said "God loves our bad theology." I can't tell you what point he was trying to make with that. I strongly argued that that might be the most ridiculous thing I'd ever heard. I could possibly write for days on why God does not love our bad theology, and I'm not even that smart. There are people who could probably write effectively for decades on the subject.

For today's videos, I've got a couple more of my favorite preachers speaking on the importance of theology. I'm enjoying the chance to hip some of my readers to preachers they may have never checked out. Last week, my buddy Ryan told me he had never heard of Matt Chandler, but has really been enjoying many of his sermons since then.

First up, Tim Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in NYC.

Next up, Mark Driscoll, who pastors Mars Hill Church in Seattle.

Thursday Thoughts 3/12/09

2009-03-12T07:14:00.000-07:00

Today's quote is from the book I mentioned yesterday: CJ Mahaney's The Cross Centered Life.

"The cross was the centerpiece of Paul's theology. It wasn't merely one of Paul's messages, it was the message. He taught about other things as well, but whatever he taught was always derived from, and related to, the foundational reality that Jesus Christ died so that sinners would be reconciled to God and forgiven by God."

What-I'm-Reading-Wednesday - The Cross Centered Life

2009-03-11T13:54:00.000-07:00

Last year I got CJ Mahaney's book The Cross Centered Life. I really love this little book. CJ does a great job keeping the main thing, the main thing. This is a really short book, and it's easy to read. There happen to be 7 chapters, so right after I got it, I was reading a chapter a day, and repeating each week. I used the daily readings as a devotional each morning. I plan on starting that up again.

Am I glad I read it? Absolutely.

Will I read it again? As much as I can.

Reflections? I particularly liked the chapter on overcoming legalism. Very liberating. This book resonates with me, because I try so hard to never "get over" the Cross. I don't want to ever stop being amazed that Christ died to reconcile sinful and wicked people like me to God.

Recommended? Unequivocally.

Friday Night Videos 3/6/09

2009-03-06T07:27:00.000-08:00

I just really love Matt Chandler. This video really starts hitting home around 2:54, and keeps gut-checking me through the rest of it.

Thursday Thoughts 3/5/09

2009-03-05T10:16:00.000-08:00

"Justification is an act. It is not a work, or series of acts. It is not progressive. The weakest believer and the strongest saint are alike equally justified. Justification admits no degrees. A man is either wholly justified or wholly condemned in the sight of God."

~William Plumer

I've been thinking about justification a lot lately. Not really trying to figure it out...just "gazing" at it in stupefied wonder. I'm so thankful.

Friday Night Video - 2/27/09

2009-02-27T10:31:00.001-08:00

How convicting! This video was made by Francis Chan's church to help explain why they decided not to build a $20 million new facility for their huge church. They opted for a much cheaper outdoor amphitheatre instead so they could extend God's love to more people around the world, in practical ways.

Thursday Thought

2009-02-26T07:50:00.000-08:00

Today's thought comes from one of my very favorite books, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners by John Bunyan. I first read this book when I was going through probably the darkest time in my life, dealing with a ton of condemnation, and what a timely gift from the Lord this book was. I recommend this to every Christian, especially those who have ever felt like they are unlovable, too wretched for God to bother with.

This quote comes from the part of the book in which Bunyan tells of his deep concern over the state of his soul...he's begun to realize he's lost, knows God can save him, but hasn't yet come to saving knowledge of Christ.

"While I was thus afflicted with the fears of my own damnation, there were two things that would make me wonder: The one was when I saw old people hunting after the things of this life as if they would live here always. The other was when I found believers much distressed and cast down when they met with outward losses, as of a husband, wife, or child...If my soul was in good condition, and I was sure of it, how rich would I esteem myself, though blessed but with bread and water. I would count those but small afflictions and would bear them as little burdens."

Friday Night Video

2009-02-20T18:48:00.000-08:00

I figured I might as well carry the Friday Night Video feature over from my martial arts blog as well. The following video is a bit lengthy (under 7 minutes), but I was pretty challenged by it. I like Francis Chan.

Thursday Thoughts

2009-02-19T09:21:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning, and oddly, the first thing that popped into my head was "D'oh! I should have called my 'Wednesday Quote' feature 'Thursday Thoughts' for some alliteration!" It was a very head-slapping "I-shoulda-had-a-V8" moment.

I'll remedy that right now! Effective immediately, the dry old, uninspiringly titled "Wednesday Quotes" will be replaced by the much more effective "Thursday Thoughts". Just rolls off the tongue, doesn't it? In order that you, dear reader, should not have to wait 8 long days for a new quote, you'll get a "two-fer" this week. Today's quote comes from the book "Your Mind Matters" by John R. W. Stott. Far from being anti-emotional, this short book responds to the tendency of some Christians to leave their reason in "park" for fear of developing a dry religion. I highly recommend it:

"...the fact that man's mind is fallen is no excuse for a retreat from thought into emotion, for the emotional side of man's nature is equally fallen. Indeed, sin has more dangerous effects on our faculty of feeling than on our faculty of thinking, because our opinions are more easily checked and regulated by revealed truth than our experiences."

Wednesday Quote

2009-02-18T14:45:00.000-08:00

On my other, martial arts blog, I just started a weekly feature called "Wednesday Quotes", and thought I'd do the same thing here. I'll be quoting from books, sermons, conversations, etc.

This quote comes from a great book I'm re-reading right now: "What Is Reformed Theology?" By RC Sproul.

"God is free and we are free. But God is more free than we are. When our freedom bumps up against God's sovereignty, our freedom must yield. To say that God's sovereignty is limited by man's freedom is to make man sovereign."

John Piper's Take on the "Prosperity Gospel"

2009-02-18T14:34:00.001-08:00

So John Piper is one of a handful of my very favorite preachers. Not for his personal charisma, but for the impact his biblical, God-centered, God-glorifying teaching has had on me and my wife's life. Here's a video set to some of his preaching regarding the so called "prosperity gospel". Amen.