Why you should use Google Reader

Abraham Piper offers great advice on why you should use Google Reader to read websites/blogs that have an RSS feed. The advice also comes with simple step by step instructions. As a user already, believe me, this will save you a lot wasted time checking sites with no new updates. And who couldn't use a little more time?

Piper and stimulus checks

Piper has some good thoughts over at Desiring God regarding the money we should be receiving soon from the government.

For a moment, forget the political puzzle of getting money back when the country is nine trillion dollars in debt. The more immediate question is: How will you make much of Christ with your "economic stimulus payment"? The president says it will be in the mail in time for Cinco de Mayo.

Clue: Nobody in the world will see you spend your money on yourself and conclude that Christ is your treasure. They will assume you are just like them, no matter how loudly you thank God for this boon. That doesn't mean you shouldn't spend it on yourself (the way we do with most of what we earn). Not everything we do can look different from the world—eat, pay utilities, fill up the car, wear clothes (even thrift-store clothes). And yes, we hope (somehow) that spending on ourselves in some way contributes to our being more Christ-exalting people.

But do we really need this money? Very few do. We would have gotten on fine without it. If we didn't know it was coming, we wouldn't even be feeling the desires we are feeling right now.

May I encourage you to be radically creative and hedonistic. Jesus said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35). And those crazy Macedonians in a "severe test of affliction" and in "extreme poverty" had an "abundance of joy" that overflowed in a "wealth of generosity." They even begged Paul "for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints" (2 Corinthians 8:2-4). They really believed what Jesus said. Really.

Before the check comes dream of some person or ministry which might make much of Christ because you treasured him above your next home project.

The reason God created money and enabled us to earn it is so that we could show by the way we use it that money is not our treasure, Christ is. That's why the checks are coming. So we can make Christ look great.

"Be content with what you have, for he has said,
‘I will never leave you nor forsake you'" (Hebrews 13:5-6).

Into the Wild

I saw this movie last Thursday night. I know I'm a little behind, but I highly recommend it. Since I want you to actually see the movie, I'm not going include any spoilers, but I did want to speak to a few things.

It's based on a true story of a young guy graduating from Emory in 1990, but who wants nothing to do with corporate America and the materialism associated with it. He decides to travel to Alaska and go into the wild to be free of all people and possessions. Throughout the movie he meets a lot of interesting people along his journey. And there is some incredible cinematography in the process. Without giving much away, it ironically shows the despair of isolation and the importance of living life in community.

Honestly, I can't write much more without giving away a lot of the movie. I just encourage you to see it.

Expelled

The documentary "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed" came out this past weekend here in Atlanta. I haven't seen it yet, but hope to see it soon. It basically shows how creationists are laughed at in the scientific community. There's a good article here explaining more about it. And you can check out the Super Trailer here.

I've been exposed to a lot of this type of conversation recently, and it's interesting to see how atheists quickly dismiss creationism as illogical and silly. But how their own ideas sound even more far-fetched, as you can see in the article above. The bottom line is something can't come from nothing. And it seems many evolutionists/atheists know this, but their emotional distaste towards the idea of a God lets them completely reject the idea before even getting started.

My face is peeling

I had the opportunity to go to the Masters last Sunday with my dad. It was pretty cool...thanks again dad. While there, I sunburned the heck out of my face. And thus, the last couple of days I've been peeling. A coworker said something to me yesterday that I still think is hilarious. When I had something in my eye, she said "I think your face is getting in your eye." I don't know why, but I find that so funny. And today, my face was getting all over my suit. I love the simple things that can make me laugh.

More on Rob Bell

Erik posted a book review here of Velvet Elvis, by Rob Bell. You might also be aware that Rob is the creator of the very popular Nooma videos (check here for a review of those). In the review, the author Pat Abendroth reveals many of the ways that this book makes him mad. It's a good summation of why I also believe Rob Bell is dangerous, despite all the many things he might be doing right. Pat sums up his review with these words:

"In my opinion, the reason this book is resonating with so many is because we have seen the evangelical church abandon the Evangel Himself. Yes, much of evangelicalism is empty because the Evangel of our evangelicalism is gone or as David Wells so aptly put it: He has been dislodged from its center. Couple this with a general ignorance of the Bible and church history and you have a book like Velvet Elvis actually seen as publishable by a “Christian” publisher and selling as if it were something novel and good.

Because I love the Evangel of the Bible and therefore historic Christianity, I guess it is off to anger management class for me."

Miracles...Restoration

“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. 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. His miracles are not just proofs that He has power but also wonderful foretastes of what he is going to do with that power. Jesus’s miracles are not just a challenge to our minds, but a promise to our hearts, that the world we all want is coming.” - The Reason for God, p. 96, Tim Keller

Here's to being healthy

Roy posted an article that describes eight healthy reasons for having a beer a day.

Unrivaled Impact

Matt gave a talk at the Gathering Sunday. He ended it with this great quote about Jesus.

"He was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in still another village, where he worked in a carpenter’s shop till he was thirty. Then for three years he was an itinerant preacher.
He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family or owned a house. He didn’t go to college. He never visited a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place where he was born. He did none of the things one usually associates with greatness.
He had no credentials but himself.
He was only thirty three when the tide of public opinion turned against him. His friends ran away. He was turned over to his enemies and went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a cross between two thieves. While he was dying, his executioners gambled for his clothing, the only property he had on earth. When he was dead he was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.
Twenty centuries have come and gone, and today he is the central figure of the human race. All the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed, all the parliaments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not effected the life of man on the earth as much as that one solitary life."

Ideas have consequences

Victor Frankl, survivor of Auschwitz, once said:

“The gas chambers of Auschwitz were the ultimate consequence of the theory that man is nothing but the product of heredity and environment…I am absolutely convinced that the gas chambers of Auschwitz, Treblinka, and Maidanek were ultimately prepared not in some ministry or other in Berlin, but rather at the desks and in lecture halls of nihilistic scientists and philosophers." - Can Man Live Without God?, Ravi Zacharias

Remember

"The next time your child asks you, 'What do these requirements and regulations and rules that GOD, our God, has commanded mean?' tell your child, 'We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt and GOD powerfully intervened and got us out of that country. We stood there and watched as GOD delivered miracle-signs, great wonders, and evil-visitations on Egypt, on Pharaoh and his household. He pulled us out of there so he could bring us here and give us the land he so solemnly promised to our ancestors. That's why GOD commanded us to follow all these rules, so that we would live reverently before GOD, our God, as he gives us this good life, keeping us alive for a long time to come." - Deuteronomy 6:20-24 (The Message)

I love reading through the narrative of the Israelites wandering through the desert (even though reading about the exact measurements and fabric needed to make different things isn't the most interesting). It's fascinating to see God remind His people over and over and over at least three big things. He says, remember where you came from, remember where you are, and remember where you are going. God redeemed them from their slavery. He is showing them their need for Him in the wilderness, by giving them rules that they cannot keep. But they will soon attain the Promised Land.

That my friends is what you call allegory (even though I do believe it is a historical narrative as well). I constantly need to be reminded that God redeemed me from my slavery to sin. And I constantly need to be reminded, that despite my frustrations and struggle with sin right now, God is renewing me day by day for glory. There is a better country, my real home, that I am in pursuit of. And knowing that will provide the ability to endure and even enjoy the craziness that is involved in this life.

Ted Turner the church goer?

I thought this was an interesting article about how Turner is partnering up with churches to help fight malaria in Africa. The once vocal atheist is now having a change of heart about religion. He is now apologetic for the many negative things he's said in the past about religion. For me, this is yet another way of seeing God's effectual grace at work. When He finally wants to break someone's heart...He breaks their heart. Not that Ted is all the way there, but it shows no heart is off limits.
(HT:Friendly Atheist)

Girl dies when she could have been treated

This makes me sad.

"An 11-year-old girl died after her parents prayed for healing rather than seek medical help for a treatable form of diabetes, police said Tuesday.

The girl's parents, Dale and Leilani Neumann, attributed the death to 'apparently they didn't have enough faith,' the police chief said.

They believed the key to healing 'was it was better to keep praying. Call more people to help pray,' he said."

Here's more info on "Christian" Science.

(HT:Friendly Atheist)

Quiet time?

Here's a great post from David Powlison about what we call quiet time. He suggests maybe it shouldn't be so quiet.

"By talking out loud we live the reality that we are talking with another person, not simply talking to ourselves inside our own heads."

(HT:BTW)

Athens weekend

So Roy and I got to go to Athens this past weekend. It was eventful as well as relaxing. This pic to the left pretty much sums up what most of the weekend looked like. From Jittery Joe's to Cups to Hot Corner, we spent most of the time in coffee shops reading and personal computing. Roy also worked on his new website/blog.


One of the highlights for me was being able to see Red Mountain play Saturday night, as well as lead worship at Christ Community Sunday morning. If you've been reading this blog for any amount of time, I'm sure you've become aware of this group of musicians from Birmingham. They pretty much take old unknown hymns and write music to them. And the hymns, unlike a lot of modern day stuff, engage my heart because they talk a lot about how messed up we are, but how much more gracious God is. So, check them out if you haven't already.

Here's what the rest of the weekend looked like:

Athens-based Terrapin Brewing Co. had a grand opening Saturday, so we got to sample some pretty good beer.

We also got to meet the newest member of the Bryant family, Ethan.

Seeing My Own Sin

Lately, this has been hard to do. I go through seasons of being overwhelmed by it to not noticing it much at all. And without the ability to really know my sin, I know that I can't really see how great Christ is.

In talking with a good friend last night, I was reminded that we often view others as more sinful than ourselves. We justify ourselves, knowing we aren't like "that." However, the Truth is our hearts are desperately sick.

I read the following quote today about how this all effects community.

"If my sinfulness appears to me to be in any way smaller or less detestable in comparison with the sins of others, I am still not recognizing my sinfulness at all. My sin is of necessity the worst, the most grievous, the most reprehensible. Brotherly love will find any number of extenuations for the sins of others; only for my sin is there no apology whatsoever. Therefore my sin is the worst. He who would serve his brother in the fellowship must sink all the way down to these depths of humility. How can I possibly serve another person in unfeigned humility if I seriously regard his sinfulness as worse than my own? Would I not be putting myself above him; could I have any hope for him? Such service would be hypocritical." - Life Together, Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Good Friday

Here are a few things to consider today:

Justin Taylor shares this article which goes into incredible detail, from a medical perspective, on what the body goes through during crucifixtion.

Also:

"The suffering of the utterly innocent and infinitely holy Son of God in the place of utterly undeserving sinners to bring us to everlasting joy is the greatest display of the glory of God’s grace that ever was, or ever could be.

In conceiving a universe in which to display the glory of his grace, God did not choose plan b. This was the moment—Good Friday—for which everything in the universe was planned. There could be no greater display of the glory of the grace of God than what happened at Calvary. Everything leading to it and everything flowing from it is explained by it, including all the suffering in the world." - John Piper

"Now, mark: when you see Christ going up the Mount of Doom, you see man going there: when you see Christ hurled upon his back, upon the wooden cross, you see the whole company of his elect there; and when you see the nails driven through his blessed hands and feet, it is the whole body of his Church who there, in their substitute, are nailed to the tree. And now the soldiers lift the cross, and dash it into the socket prepared for it. His bones are every one of them dislocated, and his body is thus torn with agonies which can not be described. 'Tis manhood suffering there; 'tis the Church suffering there, in the substitute. And when Christ dies, you are to look upon the death of Christ, not as his own dying merely, but as the dying of all those for whom he stood as the scape-goat and the substitute. It is true, Christ died really himself; it is equally true that he did not die for himself, but died as the substitute, in the room, place, and stead of all believers." - Charles Spurgeon

The Holiness of God

I finished this book a week ago, and have been stirred up by many of its thoughts. As I mentioned earlier in a previous post, I have needed to be reminded of how holy God really is. I have needed my fear to be shifted from man to God. This book has really helped in that. Here are a few thoughts throughout the book:



Regarding the love of Christ:

“No man was ever more loving than Jesus Christ. Yet even His love provoked men to anger. His love was a perfect love, a transcendent and holy love, but His very love brought trauma to people. This kind of love is so majestic we can’t stand it.”

Regarding the injustice we often ascribe to God:

“If ever a person had room to complain of injustice it was Jesus. He was the only innocent man ever to be punished by God. If we stagger at the wrath of God, let us stagger at the cross.”

Regarding our attitudes of deservingness:

“We are not really surprised that God has redeemed us. Somewhere deep inside, in the secret chamber of our hearts we harbor the notion that God owes us His mercy.”

and

“We soon forget that with our first sin we have forfeited all rights to the gift of life. That I am drawing breath this morning this morning is an act of divine mercy. God owes me nothing. I owe Him everything.”

Finally regarding the errors of Arminianism:

“I am convinced that with all its virtues Semi-Pelagianism (Arminianism) still represents a theology of compromise with our natural inclinations...Evangelicals today have unconverted sinners who are dead in trespasses and sin bringing themselves to life by choosing to be born again...The failure of modern evangelicalism is the failure to understand the holiness of God. If that one point were grasped, there would be no more talk of mortal enemies of Christ coming to Jesus by their own power.”

And the coolest part about all this is found in this powerful verse:

"For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: 'I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and a lowly spirit.'" - Isaiah 58:15

He dwells with us if we realize how unworthy we are!! Be fearful and be encouraged.

St. Patrick's Day...where did it come from?

St. Patrick's Day is just around the corner again (Saturday), and I wanted to be reminded again of why there is a holiday for this guy. Last year I posted about St. Patrick mainly through this post from Stand to Reason's blog. It is a very insightful post, and here are a few paragraphs summing up this man's life:

"Sometime around 400 AD, Patrick, a sixteen-year-old Briton, was kidnapped by Irish pirates and sold into slavery in Ireland. He had previously rejected the Christian faith of his parents, but during his six years of captivity, he repented and gave his heart to God, praying constantly as he tended sheep alone in the hills. When he escaped and returned to Britain, Patrick was far behind his peers in terms of education and never really caught up, but he worked hard to receive the theological training he needed so he could return to the Irish as a missionary--to the very people who had enslaved him"

"Thanks to Patrick's love and service, within a hundred years, the country was transformed from an illiterate, pagan nation of war, slavery, and human sacrifice to the guardian of the literature of Western civilization as Rome crumbled. After the dust settled, it was the Irish who traveled into Europe to plant the seeds of spiritual renewal and learning through the creation of monasteries that protected the ancient manuscripts and re-evangelized Europe."

"The irony of this holiday is that Patrick would be horrified to learn that not only is there a special day now devoted to him, but that day is cluttered with leprechauns, gold, and good-luck charms--the kind of paganism he worked so tirelessly to rescue people from in the first place."

The importance of both Solitude and Fellowship

I've blogged twice now on solitude, here and here. I'm very intrigued by the subject I guess. However, I know about myself that it's easier to retreat into solitude than to engage others in fellowship. I was struck by this sentence when reading Life Together yesterday. It comes from the chapter, "The Day Alone."

One who wants fellowship without solitude plunges into the void of words and feelings, and one who seeks solitude without fellowship perishes in the abyss of vanity, self-infatuation, and despair."

Wow...very convicting.