what more can i say

Jeremiah 29:11

It is integral that the Christian is assured of God’s purposes and abilities. When our personal expectations and self-derived ideals of stability and accomplishment trump our yielding to God’s plans we are left floundering. The Christian must know that:

God knows [the plans he has for us].
God is able [to fulfill his plans].

This truth is sufficient for all our doubt and subsequent anxiety. When we struggle with this promise, we must remember that our savior has bid us come and die. Perhaps for others the answer is to work harder, sacrifice, and better oneself. But the Christian is not called to be a self-made man, nor should his dreams be of the American sort. The struggle of long-term life vision is foremost a spiritual one. If our hope is in the hastening of its revelation, we are living in vain. We must rest on the truth that God knows our state and has a plan for us.

“For I know the plans I have for you.”

2011: 06/12
CATEGORY: Life
Work
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The Husband is the Head

A helpful word from C.S. Lewis:

The husband is the head of the wife just in so far as he is to her what Christ is to the Church. He is to love her as Christ loved the Church-read on-and give his life for her (Eph. V, 25). This headship, then, is most fully embodied not in the husband we should all wish to be but in him whose marriage is most like a crucifixion; whose wife receives most and gives least, is most unworthy of him, is-in her own mere nature-least lovable. For the Church has no beauty but what the Bride-groom gives her; he does not find, but make her, lovely.

2011: 04/07
CATEGORY: Family
Gospel
Jesus
Relationships
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The Love of God

Last year Bryce asked me when the last time was that I felt that God delighted in me. He referenced Mark 1:11 when the Father says to Jesus, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” The timing of the Father’s proclaimed affection is essential. At this point, Jesus hadn’t begun his ministry. No miracles, healings, preaching, or rebuking. In fact, if after this event Jesus continued his work as a carpenter and did nothing else, he would’ve been quite forgettable. Point being, the Father is thrilled about his son Jesus before he has done anything noteworthy. Jesus could not win the Father’s affections by his efforts. The Father loves his Son because he is his son. And in the same way, my Father loves me simply for who I am.

Bryce’s question caught me off guard and stumped me. I had no answer for him that day, and so I realized that I am not convinced God loves me. In fact, I struggle to believe anyone is thrilled about me. I know God loves me. I know God sent his only Son to die on a cross for my sins. But the knowledge of this truth is insufficient for the quandary found in the depths of my heart. Somewhere along the line, my sin and the sins of others against me have so wounded and confused me, that I am not convinced of God’s thrilling affections for me.

All the proving of self and insecurities of my life have led me to this: I must know that God loves me and that he is thrilled about me, that there is nothing that I have done, nor any good that I can do which will alter the level of his affections for me.

Paul’s prayer for Ephesus echoes this, he prays, “that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge.”

God’s love alone sustains us. His love addresses the devastating effects sin has wreaked on our lives. God’s love alone is our hope. For this reason, nothing can separate us from his love. The separation of God’s love from the Christian would discount the gospel altogether. We must know deep in our hearts that God loves us. A simple song sums this up quite well:

Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so

Little ones to Him belong, they are weak but He is strong

Yes, Jesus loves me

2011: 03/28
CATEGORY: Gospel
Jesus
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2010 Reading List

Steven’s extensive 2009 Reading List inspired me to read all the books I own that I haven’t read yet. Unfortunately, I only read a handful them. However, I did read more books this past year than I have in probably a decade. And I haven’t had so much fun reading since the Goosebumps series and The Boxcar Children. A couple of these books I read entirely at Borders and/or Barnes & Noble, and one of them I read entirely on the Kindle App on my iPhone. I also discovered a renewed love for the public library. Apparently borrowing books with a deadline is a great motivator to finish them in a reasonable amount of time. Perhaps it’s not an impressive list, but it is a fun list. Without further ado:

Blink – Malcolm Gladwell
What the Dog Saw – Malcolm Gladwell
The Purity Principle – Randy Alacorn
John Newton: From Disgrace to Grace – Jonathan Aitken
The Reason for God – Tim Keller
Chasing Daylight – Eugene Kelly
The Cross Centered Life – C.J. Mahaney
To Own a Dragon – Donald Miller
The Weight of Glory – C.S. Lewis
Freakonomics – Stephen Dubner & Steven Levitt
Son of Hamas – Mosab Hasan Yousef
Christ at Work In Your Transition – Kent Humphreys
Searching for God Knows What – Donald Miller
Celebration of Discipline – Richard Foster
Four Hour Work Week – Timothy Ferris
Superfreakonomics – Dubner & Levitt
Ragamuffin Gospel – Brennan Manning
Made to Stick– Chip & Dan Heath
Nudge – Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein
Accidental Billionaires – Ben Mezrich
Game Change – John Heilemann and Mark Halperin
How The Mighty Fall – Jim Collins
Rework – Jason Fried & David Heinemeier Hansson
A Million Miles in A Thousand Years – Donald Miller

2011: 01/07
CATEGORY: Random
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Logical Requisites for Salvation

This is adapted from the ESV Study Bible notes on Romans 10:14-15.

1. One will only call on Christ if he/she believes he is able to save.

2. Belief in Christ is only possible if one has knowledge of him.

3. One will only know of Christ’s message if another person tells him/her.

4. Christ’s message will only be proclaimed if one is called and sent by God and granted provision by senders.

The proclamation of Christ’s message, the gospel, is only urgent and necessary for those who believe the only path to salvation is by believing this message.

2010: 12/22
CATEGORY: Gospel
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Career Vision

Not really sure what I’d like to do, but I think I need to pursue something. Trying things out halfheartedly nearly always bears inaccurate results. Craig Parker offered a great priming question, “Who do you look up to and what do they do?” This leads me to ask, “Why do I look up to them?” At the end of the day it must be a question of why and not what. So perhaps it is not about what we do, but why we’re doing it. My new friend Paul reminded me that in our 20s, we ought to discover what we’re passionate about. If we don’t address this, we will likely be trying to figure this out as we race towards an inevitable mid-life crisis. A few desires for career I thought of the other day:

It must be challenging. Not easily conquerable in a few months.
It must allow me most evenings and weekends to be with my family.
It must compensate enough for me to support my family and share with others.
It must allow me to spend most of my time among the lost.
I must not be so important to the firm/organization that I can’t take off for regular extended time with my family.

2010: 12/03
CATEGORY: Work
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Romans 6:20-23

Paul is set on his readers understanding God’s grace accurately. The most erroneous response is to believe that God’s grace permits us to sin and even increase in sin. In chapter six, there are two misconceptions: the former believe that if grace in its fullness is true, then all will choose unabashedly to sin, so they tend to legalism. The latter group is unsure of God’s grace empowering the sufficiency of Christ’s redeeming work, so they prefer to mark their salvation by quantifiable efforts. But grace is an affront to both of these perspectives. The gospel asserts that God’s grace does not grant us freedom to sin. Further, it presents that any mark of spiritual transformation is solely by the Holy Spirit and not our own efforts. It is integral that this chapter is punctuated upon verse 23. Because “the free gift of God” being our righteousness destroys doubting the sufficiency of grace or the requisite of works. God’s grace, fully exemplified in his gift of offering Christ’s work for us, both wholly frees us from the propensity to sin and empowers us to freely choose lives free of sin. It is both an unwavering assurance of our salvation and righteousness, and an empowerment of ourselves to freely choose to obey “the standard of teaching to which [we are] committed” (17).

2010: 12/02
CATEGORY: Gospel
Jesus
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Faith

“No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.” – Romans 4:20-21

Abraham’s faith grew in the face opposition, perhaps even because of opposition. And from him we can borrow a great example. For our faith to increase, our circumstances must be increasingly dire. Not that we ought to seek such circumstances – no sane person would, but it is in these times our faith is tested and has opportunity to increase. This truth is an encouragement to those facing tough times and relief for those who worry of looming disaster. Truly, desiring ideal circumstances of a balanced life of togetherness is an illusive state that the enemy loves to use to deceive us. Challenging circumstances are essential for the development of our character and transformation into Christlikeness.

2010: 10/21
CATEGORY: Gospel
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Circumcision

After studying Galatians this past month I found that in sum, this book is about circumcision. A theologically integral issue, yet awkward and humorous nonetheless. It is a ritual likely confounding to even the most faithful church-goer. I propose that to understand Paul’s argument surrounding this issue requires us to get past initial thoughts of foreskins.

The Jewish-Christians in Rome during Paul’s day boasted in their circumcision as a mark of their faith. And yet Paul rebuked their lack of true obedience to God. They believed their salvation was intact if they faithfully adhered to rituals. Paul rebukes this understanding and implores that their outward appearance is of little value, for God knows and looks to their hearts.

The pseudo-Christians Paul describes in Galatians would rather accept circumcision as defining of their faith rather than Christ’s redemptive work. They desire to hold on to their Mosaic-Law traditions because they fear persecution from the Jews, but they fail to realize that their souls are imperil. Their hope in circumcision negates faith in God’s plan through Christ, God’s grace, and severs them from Christ.

The spirit of circumcision is anything that we rely on to prove our faith as Christians. It is something that is widely accepted among the religious culture as appropriate, and even brings us personal comfort as we attempt to evade trying circumstances. Perhaps difficult situations which will require of us faith. It is something we are proud of because when others know this to be true about us, we are tempted to boast in it. And it is divisive, disrupting church unity. In fact, those who have it are regarded as superior to those who do not.

Anything come to mind? What fits this description for the church in the U.S.?

2010: 10/19
CATEGORY: Gospel
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Gifts

“The cool part, the punchline, is that giving a gift for no reason and with no transaction contemplated is actually incredibly powerful. It changes your approach to the market, it changes your relationship with the recipient and yes, it changes you.”

From Seth Godin’s Blog. Reminds me of Proverbs 18:16,

“A man’s gift makes room for him and brings him before the great.”

2010: 10/17
CATEGORY: Generosity
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this is what i'm learning.