For the fellas...

Days away now... try to focus. I will do the same.
It IS just a game... right?



Only a select few will care, but that just gave me nerd chills right there...

You Are Your Secrets

I found this post by Ray Ortlund to be right on the money: Go visit him.
But in case you won't, here is his post:

O. Hobart Mowrer, the psychologist, set himself to understand more deeply our hollowed-out emotional lives.  He noted that, commonly, when we perform a good deed, we advertise it, display it, draw attention to it, at least hint at it, hoping to collect on the emotional credit of it then and there.  But when we do something cheap, evil or stupid, we hide it, deny it, minimize it.  But the emotional discredit from that stays with us and even accumulates with each further hypocrisy.  This is how we make ourselves chronically bankrupt in conscience and heart.  Our lives are required of us, and we are found wanting.  No felt “net worth.”  Lost confidence, pizzazz.  Our positive energies are depleted by fugitive concealing and pretending.

Then Mowrer wondered, what if we reversed our strategy?  What if we spent our lives admitting our weaknesses, owning up to our failures, naming our idiot-moments, confessing our follies, errors and debts, while also hiding away from everyone’s view our smart ideas, heroic sacrifices, kind deeds, charities and virtues?  What if, instead of throwing back at the other guy his worst failure while trotting out our best moment, we put up our worst against his best?  What would happen then?  Our hearts might start filling up.

He entitled his essay “You are your secrets.”  It is in his book The New Group Therapy(New York, 1964), pages 65-71.

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. . . . Your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Matthew 6:1, 4).

WOOT!

Two for the Price of One

I'm not sure when he wrote them, but Kevin DeYoung has come out with two top notch writings, one a blog post, and the other an article for Ligonier Ministries.

The first is an article that goes hard against the current American Evangelical trend against the 'institutional church' and the post modern 'revolutionaries' of emergent and 'social gospel' stripe.

A taste:

What we need are fewer revolutionaries and a few more plodding visionaries. That’s my dream for the church — a multitude of faithful, risktaking plodders. The best churches are full of gospel-saturated people holding tenaciously to a vision of godly obedience and God’s glory, and pursuing that godliness and glory with relentless, often unnoticed, plodding consistency.

He says our generation all want to be Bono, a lone, rich, social justice machine, when we really just need to be faithful everyday where God has placed us. He calls us back to the church, WHERE LIFE HAPPENS (my words, not his), instead of trying to become a rock star revolutionary.

He closes

Don’t give up on the church. The New Testament knows nothing of churchless Christianity. The invisible church is for invisible Christians. The visible church is for you and me. Put away the Che Guevara t-shirts, stop the revolution, and join the rest of the plodders. Fifty years from now you’ll be glad you did.

Read the whole thing.


The blog post is equally good, and maybe even more practical than the article. It has to do with humility, how we interact with one another, and the role that talking plays in both. It's a really great insight that as I read, brought to mind people I know who really exemplify the humility he describes and who are masterful at drawing people out in order to learn about them and love them. He has a great quote by CS Lewis to start things off:

Do not imagine that if you meet a really humble man he will be what most people call “humble” nowadays: he will not be a sort of greasy, smarmy person, who is always telling you that, of course, he is nobody. Probably all you will think about him is that he seemed a cheerful, intelligent chap who took a real interest in what you said to him.

Read the whole thing.

I have a little more to say about this one I think... not because I disagree with him at all, but there is an aspect of this that there needs to be a warning about. As with most virtues, they can be manipulated and can become a vice. Using questions to deflect the light of conversation away from yourself and shine it on others is a wonderful tool and does indeed show a very humble heart - however, if the person wielding that tool uses it to the point where he is disengaged himself and refuses to allow others in to engage him and to know and to love him, then it is not humility at all - in fact it is pride. It is a false humility that says 'you need me more than I need you.' And is nearly as bad as one who only talks about himself.

One anothering is exactly that - it requires giving and receiving. Too much of either leaves people weak and vulnerable. Love others, indeed! But you must also allow others to love you.

Truly Reformed

This is an incredible post by Ray Ortlund for everyone who claims Christ, but particularly those of the Reformed Faith.

It's one of those times when someone else clearly elucidates thoughts you have been having, and at the same time. As JT qualifies, it doesn't say everything. But it says much that must be said, and much that needs to be heard.

If you applauded for blog posts, this one would get a standing O'.

I' going to recommend that you go and read it on his blog. Swim around over there and maybe add him to your feed reader. He is usually short and poignant and is consistently worth reading. This post is longer than his usual, but it's length is proportionate to the worth of the read... go get it...

For those of you who I know will not click over, I will post the whole thing below, but you really should check our Mr. Ortlund.

I believe in the sovereignty of God, the Five Points of Calvinism, the Solas of the Reformation, I believe that grace precedes faith in regeneration. Theologically, I am Reformed. Sociologically, I am simply a Christian – or at least I want to be. The tricky thing about our hearts is that they can turn even a good thing into an engine of oppression. It happens when our theological distinctives make us aloof from other Christians. That’s when, functionally, we relocate ourselves outside the gospel and inside Galatianism.



The Judaizers in Galatia did not see their distinctive – the rite of circumcision – as problematic. They could claim biblical authority for it in Genesis 17 and the Abrahamic covenant. But their distinctive functioned as an addition to the all-sufficiency of Jesus himself. Today the flash point is not circumcision. It can be Reformed theology. But no matter how well argued our position is biblically, if it functions in our hearts as an addition to Jesus, it ends up as a form of legalistic divisiveness.

Paul answered the theological aspects of the Galatian error with solid theology. But the “whiff test” that something was wrong in those Galatian churches was more subtle than theology alone. The problem was also sociological. “They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them” (Galatians 4:17). In other words, “The legalists want to ‘disciple’ you. But really, they’re manipulating you. By emphasizing their distinctive, they want you to feel excluded so that you will conform to them.” It’s like chapter two of Tom Sawyer. Remember how Tom got the other boys to whitewash the fence for him? Mark Twain explained: “In order to make a man or boy covet a thing, it is only necessary to make the thing difficult to attain.” Paul saw it happening in Galatia. But the gospel makes full inclusion in the church easy to attain. It re-sets everyone’s status in terms of God’s grace alone. God’s grace in Christ crucified, and nothing more. He alone makes us kosher. He himself.

The Judaizers would probably have answered at this point, “We love Jesus too. But how can you be a first-rate believer, really set apart to God, without circumcision, so plainly commanded right here in the Bible? This isn’t an add-on. It’s the full-meal deal. God says so.”

Their misuse of the Bible showed up in social dysfunction. “It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised. . . . They desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh” (Galatians 6:12-13). In other words, “When Christians, whatever the label or badge or shibboleth, start pressuring you to come into line with their distinctive, you know something’s wrong. They want to enhance their own significance by your conformity to them: ‘See? We’re better. We’re superior. People are moving our way. They are becoming like us. We’re the buzz.’” What is this, but deep emotional emptiness medicating itself by relational manipulation? This is not about Christ. This is about Self. Even Peter fell into this hypocrisy (Galatians 2:11-14). But no matter who is involved, this is not the ministry of the gospel. Even if a biblical argument can be made for a certain position, and we all want to be biblical, the proof of what’s really happening is not in the theological argumentation but in the sociological integration.

Paul had thought it through. He made a decision that the bedrock of his emotional okayness would forever lie here: “Far be it from me to boast [establish my personal significance] except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. . . . For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation” (Galatians 6:14-15). In other words, “Here is all I need for my deepest sense of myself: Jesus Christ crucified. His cross has deconstructed me and remade me, and I am happy. Everything else is at best secondary, possibly irrelevant, even counterproductive. Let Jesus alone stand forth in my theology, in my emotional well-being and in my relationships with other Christians!” This settledness in Paul’s heart made him a life-giving man for other people. He was a free man, setting others free (Galatians 5:1). This is the acid test of a truly Reformed ministry – that other believers need not be Reformed in order to be respected and included in our hearts.

Whatever divides us emotionally from other Bible-believing, Christ-honoring Christians is a “plus” we’re adding to the gospel. It is the Galatian impulse of self-exaltation. It can even become a club with which we bash other Christians, at least in our thoughts, to punish, to exclude and to force into line with us.

What unifies the church is the gospel. What defines the gospel is the Bible. What interprets the Bible correctly is a hermeneutic centered on Jesus Christ crucified, the all-sufficient Savior of sinners, who gives himself away on terms of radical grace to all alike. What proves that that gospel hermeneutic has captured our hearts is that we are not looking down on other believers but lifting them up, not seeing ourselves as better but grateful for their contribution to the cause, not standing aloof but embracing them freely, not wishing they would become like us but serving them in love (Galatians 5:13).

My Reformed friend, can you move among other Christian groups and really enjoy them? Do you admire them? Even if you disagree with them in some ways, do you learn from them? What is the emotional tilt of your heart – toward them or away from them? If your Reformed theology has morphed functionally into Galatian sociology, the remedy is not to abandon your Reformed theology. The remedy is to take your Reformed theology to a deeper level. Let it reduce you to Jesus only. Let it humble you. Let this gracious doctrine make you a fun person to be around. The proof that we are Reformed will be all the wonderful Christians we discover around us who are not Reformed. Amazing people. Heroic people. Blood-bought people. People with whom we are eternally one – in Christ alone.

I think he may have posted this before. I think I may have quoted him posting it before... but either way it's awesome and needs to be read probably once a month, or once a week maybe. It's that important.

Ask Paul Tripp

This is a great Q&A session with perhaps the best parenting and marriage counselor of this generation. I always find him helpful and insightful. His approach is merciful, and always encourages me to action in my own life and family. Paul Tripp is a gift. Use him liberally.

I tried to make the video fit right, but it refused... que lastima. So I altered the width of my entire blog to accommodate it... that's me - moving my world for you.
;-)

Enjoy... it's long, but worth every minute in my opinion. Take notes...

'Nuff Said...

Most Popular Hits

Like most bloggers, I keep track of the hits that come in to the site. I use Sitemeter, which I like a lot. I like to see where people are coming to my blog from in the webiverse, and sitemeter has a great referral page.

If I am active in a particular week, I usually see between 30-50 unique hits, which, while always a nice surprise, is by no means a huge feat. I am humbled that anyone would be interest enough to read this blog, which is mostly a few comments on what someone else is talking about, if that, and/or fewer and fewer family updates.

So I was surprised when my sitemeter showed that this week I had 90 unique visitors to this blog.
I don't think it's the first time I've gotten that high, but the last time it was because I got a random link on an MSNBC blog (Clicked) because I posted a random you tube video. I think I got over 100 visits that time...

But anyway, I wanted to know where these hits came from. Here is the breakdown:

17 were "unknown." Which means they likely came from feed readers.
(Bloglines, google reader, etc)

48 (!) were for this post on a sermon I wrote on Proverbs 31. This is the page that consistently gets the most hits each week. Some weeks it is the only page that gets any hits. If you do a google search on "proverbs 31 sermon" that page is ranked like #3 or something. Pretty cool.

A little less inspiring, 13 of the 90 were for this post. Which is the post that gets the second most hits of all pages on this blog. It is the series of humorous promotional commercials that SNY released last year to promote the network. (Which I have re-embedded, since people looking for them were not getting to see them!)

The remaining 12 hits were from other friends blogs and from facebook, where I recently piggybacked this blog.

I have been encouraged to find that, since I posted it, so many people have seen the ending of the sermon on Proverbs 31. My encouragement is (knowing my own heart) probably at least a bit self-serving, but it's not often as a pastor that you say something potentially original about a text. I say 'potentially' because I haven't read or heard every sermon ever given on that text, nor every commentary, but as far as I know, that is an original approach to that text. And after 2000 years of preaching and commentary, things like that just don't happen very often. So I am thankful to God for the thought, and more thankful that others are seeing it and perhaps even using it in their own sermons on the text.

But those are the most popular pages so far. Strange and Cool.

O the Guilt!

Kevin DeYoung has a great post for Christians who feel guilty a lot.

Guilt has it's place in the lives of Christians, mostly because we SIN, but as DeYoung says, "I don’t believe God redeemed us through the blood of his Son that we might feel like constant failures."

He gives 4 reasons why we DO feel that way, and some consequences...

Highly recommended read for the guilty and the ignorant alike.

A Contemporvant Service

This from JTs blog at the gospel coalition:


"Sunday's Coming" Movie Trailer from North Point Media on Vimeo.


There are so many obvious pokes at real people in this video that make it even funnier than it is intended to be (I think). I hope they have a sense of humor.
Beyond that however, it's kind of sad that this phenomenon is so prevalent and so popular that it can satire itself in the same way that this movie genre does and arguably do a better job...

I've never been in that church. But I know me, and I ought not ever be in that church.
But I'll post some of their you tube videos. ;-)

Make War (2 Cor. 10:3)

It's a little on the harder side of rap for my usual tastes, but I think that's appropriate for the subject matter... and I love the Piper quote...

Devotions Aren't Magic

This is a great post from the Desiring God Blog - It doesn't need my commentary.

Devotions Aren't Magic
(Author: Jon Bloom)

We know that—for the most part. But still, we can be tempted to think that if we just figure out the secret formula—the right mixture of Bible meditation and prayer—we will experience euphoric moments of rapturous communion with the Lord. And if that doesn't happen, our formula must be wrong.

The danger of this misconception is that it can produce chronic disappointment and discouragement. Cynicism sets in and we give up because devotions don't seem to work for us.

The longing for intimate communion with God is God-given. He will satisfy it fully some day. And the Spirit gives us occasional tastes. But God has other purposes for us in our daily Bible meditation and prayer. Here are a few:

Soul Exercise (1 Corinthians 9:24, Romans 15:4): We exercise our bodies to increase strength, endurance, promote general health, and keep unnecessary weight off. Devotions are like exercise for our souls. They force our attention off of self-indulgent distractions and pursuits and on to God's purposes and promises. If we neglect this exercise we will go to pot.

Soul Shaping (Romans 12:2): The body will generally take the shape of how we exercise it. Running shapes one way, weight training shapes another way. The same is true for the soul. It will conform to how we exercise (or don't exercise) it.

Bible Copiousness (Psalm 119:11, Psalm 119:97, Proverbs 23:12): A thorough, repeated, soaking in the Bible over the course of years increases our body of biblical knowledge, providing fuel for the fire of worship and increasing our ability to draw from all parts of the Bible in applying God's wisdom to life.

Fight Training (Ephesians 6:10-17): Marines undergo rigorous training in order to so ingrain their weapons knowledge that when suddenly faced with the chaos of combat they instinctively know what to do. Similarly, devotions make us more skilled warriors.

Delight Cultivation (Psalm 37:3-4, James 4:8, Psalm 130:5): When a couple falls in love there are hormonal fireworks. But in marriage they must cultivate delight in one another. It is the consistent, persistent, faithful, intentional, affectionate pursuit of one another during better and worse, richer and poorer, sickness and healthy times that cultivates a capacity for delight in each other far deeper and richer than the fireworks phase. Similarly, devotions are one of the ways we cultivate delight in God. Many days it may seem mundane. But we will be surprised at the cumulative power they have to deepen our love for and awareness of Him.