We have to admit that our own resolutions to improve our lives, however well-intentioned and sincerely meant, often have little effect. We cannot even keep our resolutions to lose weight or work out at the gym, much less eliminate our sins of lust and cruelty.
Surely Edwards would agree with Martin Luther, who, in his spiritual counseling, would urge tormented souls to stop looking at themselves. Instead, they should look outside themselves to Christ on the cross.
Salvation, both would insist, is extra nos (outside ourselves), founded on the unshakable grace of God and on the objective work of Christ. When we look inside ourselves we see our sin and our weakness, leading us only to despair. But when we look outside ourselves to the promises in God's Word, we can find joy, confidence, and assurance.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
On Keeping Those Resolutions
Helpful Post For Mac Users and More Top Ten Year Ends
Top 10 Things You Forgot Your Mac Can Do
I knew some of these already, but some I didn't and will certainly use, like the auto dictionary function in Safari, Mail, iChat, etc. Very cool.
Click here for some more very helpful top 10 posts from Lifehacker. There is some great stuff here.
Having "Sticky" Communication Is Very Important
While my father-in-law was here for Christmas he told me that this book was a must read for me as a pastor. It's not a Christian book in the least, but said that there are so many principles laid out in this book that are very practically helpful for any Christian leader. The guys at STR.org feel the same way. They write:
Want your ideas to stick to people's minds like Velcro? That’s what Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die helps you do. If you’re an apologist, philosopher, teacher, parent, or person who wants to influence others (if you’re reading this blog, you’re probably one of these), then I’d recommend this book.
A friend of mine gave me this book. I read the first page and was hooked. The authors rightly point out that having a good idea, point, or argument is not enough. We must be able to make it stick in people’s minds in order for it to count. This is a great book that helps you learn how to make your ideas easier to understand, remember, and apply. In fact, the authors apply their own principles in the book to – you guessed it – make their ideas stick. And it works.
Help For Praying Well In The New Year
How do you keep your prayers from sinking into mindless ruts of repetition?
One way is to make a list of what they prayed for in the New Testament, and pray that.
That's what I did for myself. I keep the list at my prayer bench and review it periodically and sometimes pray right through it.
You might want to print it out and do the same.
Sad News From My Home State
The Associated Press is reporting that the 2004 “Laci and Conner’s Law” (which defines a fetus as a “child”) is about to be tested:“Federal prosecutors in New Mexico believe they may be the first to use a 2004 law to charge someone with killing a fetus while causing the death or injury of the mother. . .
“The Unborn Victims of Violence Act stemmed from the abduction and murder of a pregnant woman, Laci Peterson, in California in 2003. The law makes it a crime to kill a fetus in utero at any stage of development while committing another federal crime; it does not require the perpetrator to know the woman was pregnant.”
This story is a tragedy because a woman and her unborn baby were beaten to death and the man charged with the crime was the child’s father. But beyond the immediate tragedy, one can imagine another that might follow.
The attorney for the defendant says that he intends to pursue any available legal challenges. That means that it is possible that an appeal might challenge the constitutionality of “Laci and Conner’s Law.” In other words, an attorney for the defense might be inclined to argue that the unborn child cannot be treated as a person whose life should be protected in law.
It’s too early to say where this will go, but you can be sure that folks on both sides of the abortion debate will be keeping a close eye on this one.
A Year In Pictures - 2008
In April our church staff went to the Together for the Gospel conference. It was a great time.
While at the conference I warned the staff guys about the horrors of White Castle hamburgers. Since they are all from Albuquerque, NM they didn't know about such things, nor did they heed my passionate warnings. They paid the price.
In May, I held a clinic at DSC for ABQ church musicians. I brought in three professional musicians from Nashville that I used to work with when I was there. It was a great day. If you are in a church band you don't want to miss the videos from these sessions. I think you will find them very helpful.
I just thought this was a great pic of my boy, Emery.
In June, my wife Kim and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary. She is a blessing from God to me. We spent a few days in Durango, CO.
In August, our oldest son, Taylor started school at Oak Grove Classical Academy. If you are a parent of young kids and not sure what to do about school you might want to consider this model of schooling. We have been very pleased with it.
The ABQ Balloon Fiesta is always fun every year in October.
We had three insects for Halloween this year. They had a blast.
Obviously the biggest event of our year was the addition of Mya to our family.
Thanks for taking your Vitamin Z this year!
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Best Movies I Watched In 2008
Once
Expelled
Breach
Michael Clayton
The Dark Knight
Where The Light Is
3:10 to Yuma
Into the Wild
Lake of Fire
Gone Baby Gone
Some Scholarly Writing on Pornography
Drafts of papers from a recent conference at Princeton:
- Hadley Arkes, Pornography: Settling the Question in Principle
- Roger Scruton, On the Abuse of Sex
- Pamela Paul, From Pornography to Porno to Porn
- Norman Doidge, MD, Acquiring Pornographic Tastes
- Jill Manning, The Impact of Pornography on Women
- Ana Bridges, Pornography's Effects on Interpersonal Relationships
- Kirk Doran, The Economics of Pornography
- Gerard V. Bradley, Moral Principles Which Govern the Legal Regulation of Pornography
- James Stoner, Freedom, Virtue, and the Politics of Regulating Pornography
- Hamza Yusuf, Climbing Mt. Purgatorio: Reflections from the Seventh Cornice
What Will You Do Before The Window Closes?
The end of the year is a great time to ask ourselves some questions:
- When we come to die, or when Jesus comes for us, with whom will we wish we had shared the good news of the death and resurrection of Jesus the Messiah, which pays the penalty for sin and opens the path to reconciliation with God the Father?
- When we come to die, or when Jesus comes for us, what time will we wish we had allotted for Bible study and prayer instead of whatever it was we did to diddle our days away?
- When we come to die, or when Jesus comes for us, in what ways will we wish we had invested ourselves in the ministries of our local church, or in the lives of the people in our local church, instead of going shopping or aimlessly surfing the web again?
- When we come to die, or when Jesus comes for us, what great works of literature–epic poems, plays of Shakespeare, novels, poetry, and short stories–will we wish we had read instead of reading ephemeral blogs or playing with the latest new feature of Facebook?
The Most Outrageous Political Quote of 2008
“Some princes are born in palaces. Some are born in mangers. But a few are born in the imagination, out of scraps of history and hope....Barack Hussein Obama did not win because of the color of his skin. Nor did he win in spite of it. He won because at a very dangerous moment in the life of a still young country, more people than have ever spoken before came together to try to save it. And that was a victory all its own.”
— Time’s Nancy Gibbs, Nov. 17 cover story.
eah, that Jesus "prince" guy was pretty cool, but OBAMA, that dude is something special!
(HT: Amy)
My Favorite Books From 2008
Worship Matters - This is THE modern manual for leaders of music in the church. A must read for pastors as well. Filled with pastoral wisdom from 30 years or so of experience, you don't want to miss this one. 
Total Church - This small manual for doing church was surprisingly insightful and winsome to me. They cover a wide range of topics that are all essential for healthy church life. I love the focus on Gospel and community. This is must read for all church leaders.
Death By Love - I have not actually read this all the way through (on the list for 2009), but I have read enough excerpts to know that this book is certainly one that you will want to pick up and check out. Mark shows how the gospel applies to a variety of different and challenging pastoral situations. Very practical and serious.
The Drama of Scripture - We studied this book in our home group this year. It's a great primer on Biblical Theology (God's story from Genesis to Revelation) for the lay person. I am more convinced than ever that it is essential for all Christians to be able to articulate the storyline of the Bible.
The Mission of God - What is God's agenda in the world? You'll find it clearly and exhaustively articulated in this tome from Dr. Chris Wright. I would say this book should also be required reading for all Christians. A bit longer than most want to tackle, but the blessing will be enormous. Those of us who are passionate about the gospel will want to consume this book as it convincingly articulates God's heartbeat from cover to cover of the Bible.
How Long O Lord - This year I read this classic from Carson for the 2nd time and it proved even more beneficial. We all will be touched by deep suffering at some point, if we have not already been. This book will help you deal with it or prepare for it in a way that is wisely pastoral and clearly Biblical. Carson is one of the best thinkers of our day and I believe this book is one of his finest. You certainly don't want to miss it.
Worldliness - Though not a big fan of the title (too much negative baggage for people with the word), this little book was very helpful for me in asking great probing questions about the implications of the Gospel in my life. Full of insights from the various authors, I was continually challenged through their practical admonitions for growth.
A Jazz-Shaped Faith - As Christians, what can we learn from jazz? Very much indeed. I drew extensively upon a pre-release of this book in preparing for my final Masters presentation at Covenant seminary. Christians and music lovers alike will find many insights for living the Christian life and the mystery that is jazz for so many people could become a bit less mysterious.
AmazonMP3 Daily Deal
I don't understand how this works. If you are a classical music lover you probably can't do better than 99 pieces of music from a historical genius for only $1.99. Unreal.| Price: | $1.99 |
Monday, December 29, 2008
A Rumbling In The Church
There is rumbling in the church. A desire for more. A move out of complacency and away from comfort towards the needs of the world. A recognition that this world is not our home and yet in this world there are many who need a temporary earthly home.
I am deeply encouraged as I see in the evangelical church an awakening to the plight of the orphans globally and locally in our own country. Worldwide there are an estimated 132 million orphans, many of which are orphaned due to AIDS. In the United States alone there are over 500,000 children in the foster care system. Out of those children in the foster care system roughly 129,000 of them are available today for adoption.
Churches and individual believers around the country are not sitting idly by at the mention of these numbers. They are putting faces to them and changing lives by -
- building relationships with their county and State foster care folks
- adopting internationally and domestically
- starting adoption and orphan care ministries to support families and raise awarenesss
- establishing church adoption funds
- partnering with orphanages and committing long term support
- creating life-changing capital through Christ-centered micro-financing
- establishing community wide, cross-denominational adoption/orphan alliances
- putting on conferences, Summits, and concerts
- sponsoring children
This stirring of interest in adoption and orphan care is not a new fad or new “minstry idea” either - it is pure, practical Gospel. James called it “pure and undefiled religion” (James 1:27). It is an expression of the Gospel and the very heart and character of God who again and again calls himself the Father of the fatherless (Psalm 68:5)
We have an incredible opportunity to join in what God is doing for His glory through orphan care and adoption. An amazing opportunity to increase our joy as we dive into God’s global purpose for our lives in this world as He ushers in His kingdom. A chance to transform the life of a child and in doing so, to minister to Jesus Himself (Matt 25:33-46).
Some Reflections On New Years Resolutions
Does "Free Will" Really Explain The Relationship Between God and Evil?
"After reading some neat theodicies (z: how God can be good in light of profound evil) that stress, say, that all suffering is the direct result of sin, or that free will understood as absolute power to contrary nicely exculpates God, I wonder if these authors think Job or Habakkuk (z: they wrestled with God's goodness in light of profound evil) were twits. Surely they should have seen that there is no mystery to be explained, and simple gone home and enjoyed a good night's sleep."- D.A. Carson, How Long O Lord?, p. 200
Christian Culture Resolutions
1. Put the devil on notice more often.
2. Throw at least one movie, CD, or book away and not repurchase it three weeks later when my temporary guilt has worn off.
3. Win the “please turn to” Bible verse race every Sunday.
4. Be the silver medal friend that isn’t good enough to be in the wedding party but instead is asked to read “Love is patient” during the ceremony.
5. Read a one year walk through the entire Bible plan in roughly two years.
6. Master the “Stop that” church hand grab in case my kids ever act up during service.
7. Keep kids at camp or in the youth group from “making purple.”
8. Become a pro at the “whisper of importance” that sly trick we all do when it’s time to break it on down with a serious message.
9. Refuse to use the word “postmodern” in every sentence I speak.
10. Crush all foes in the “VBS Decorating Wars.”
11. Rededicate my life. Again. No this time I’m serious, it is on.
12. Find more subtle ways to discover if I’m with a Christian that will also drink a glass of wine or a pint of beer.
13. Look more spiritual, more in love and more generous at church. (Hint, don’t let your wife knit.)
14. Help tall people get baptized with less awkwardness.
15. Find someone that will paint my mural.
16. Get a holier email address and quit using Godisgoodandbeautiful777@yahoo
17. Retire the Michael Phelps sermon illustration.
18. Write better Christian hate mail.
19. Shine up less scars.
20. Fishbowl a church drummer.
21. Say "Razzle Dazzle" 22% more or stop telling people I’ll prayer for them and then not.
Bob Kauflin ESV Study Bible Giveaway
1. Send me an email using the “Contact Me” tab above by 11:59 PM EST, Saturday, January 3.
2. In your email, use no more than 50 words to tell me why you’d like to receive the ESV Study Bible and read through it.
3. Include your full name, address, and email address in your email. I won’t count those words as part of your word total.
4. If you’re not already signed up to receive Worship Matters by email or through an RSS reader, do me a favor and do one or the other.
5. I’ll pick 5 “best entry” winners, and 5 “out of the hat” winners.
6. I’ll announce the winners on Monday, January 5. You should receive your Bible shortly after that.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Why does the secular left have so little regard for science?
Brant Hansen with some interesting reflections on reading the newspaper recently. Sounds boring, but it's not. Check it out.
Advent - Peace
Advent - Peace from Harvest Bible Chapel on Vimeo.
Kurt Warner
Kurt Warner is a very interesting character. For those of you who don't follow sports, he is the quarterback of the Arizona Cardinals. In the 90's he had huge success with the St. Louis Rams winning a Super Bowl and an league MVP. This past year at the age of 37 he has arguably had an MVP season for the Cardinals.
I have an interesting connection with Kurt. We both graduated from the University of Northern Iowa. I remember seeing him walk around the local shopping mall when he was a nobody college quarterback.
One thing that Kurt is known for is his faith in Jesus Christ. Here is an interesting piece on how this faith effects his life has a professional football player. I would commend it to you.
A Giving Story For Men
Men, you should read this and think through how you can lay down your life for your wife.
Blogging as Microwave Community
I have been hearing good things about this book from Crossway, The New Media Frontier: Blogging, Vlogging, and Podcasting for Christ. I just learned you can download a free chapter having to do with blogging, called, Blogging as Microwave Community.
Just click here to get it if you are interested in reading this sample chapter.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Why Carl Trueman Wishes He Were Catholic And What It Has To Do With Our Economic Woes
The economy needs a certain amount of credit to promote investment, innovation, to keep the wheels of the economy oiled; but when credit becomes the major engine of the economy -- and it is hard to see how a consumer-driven economy like ours can avoid such a result -- then the overall economy is little more than one vast pyramid scheme driven not by hard work, investment, and innovation but by get rich quick laziness. A bubble built on thin, very thin, air. This kind of situation is fueled not by rational investment strategies but by hedonism, by that old washed-up gambler idea that the next spin of the roulette wheel will bring the big jackpot (and even if it doesn't, hey, it was still fun trying). And credit of the almost unbounded kind we have seen over the last decade or so is the modern economic equivalent of a Tower of Babel -- a means of shaking off limits, of breaking old rules and establishing new ones, of making ourselves into gods. I have often joked in class that I wish I were a Catholic because then I would have a better vocabulary for describing what I do when I buy something on credit: I take nothing and I make it into something; I transubstiate a plastic card and an electronic impulse into a book, a car, a holiday. Buying when I don't have the real power to buy makes me god, a creator and a transubstantiator, and fuels my worship of self, as I stand in awe of my god-like powers. Thus, even now, as the credit markets lie in ruins, we are so blinded by our idolatry (Psalm 115!) that we cannot stop.
Best YouTube Video of 2008
I would add a few to his list:
Every year a new baby -- and more joy
Here is a very cool adoption story. The Minneapolis Star Tribune story begins with this:
Every year, Dorothy Bode asks for two things for Christmas: a new Bible and a new baby. The previous year's Bible inevitably has been destroyed by one of the babies. "There's something about those crinkly pages that attract little hands," she said.
So the Bibles keep coming, and so do the babies. This year's arrival is Jeremiah.
This is the seventh Christmas that Dorothy and her husband, Robert, have adopted an infant. Their two-story home in northeast Minneapolis teems with 10 kids from infancy to 12 years old, a blend of birth and adopted children, white faces, black faces and unknown races. The new babies come to them battling autism, fetal alcohol syndrome or their birth mother's drug addiction.
To them this is not sacrifice, it's a mission. It's their way of following Jesus' teaching to love your neighbor. "Every person is equally valuable and important," Dorothy said. "[We are] doing all of this in Jesus' name -- with no strings attached for those we serve."
(HT: Molly Piper)
Put Your Old Bibles To Good Use!
If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably got quite a few Bibles lying around your home—Bibles that have been replaced at one time or another and are now just gathering dust. You don’t want to throw them out, but also don’t quite know what to do with them. Well here is one way of putting them to good use. You can bare your bookshelf and send the books to pastors in other parts of the world. Christian Resources International has a program in place that will help you do just that. “Just enter your name, address, and denomination in the form below, and then we’ll send you—free—all the mailing materials you need to send a Bible to a specific pastor, Christian worker, church member, or seeker overseas. We’ll send you the recipient’s name and address, so you can pray for the recipient by name.” You can go to the post office (if you’re in the U.S., at least) and send that envelope anywhere in the world for only $12. And, because ” the mailing materials bear CRI’s return address, you need not worry that you’ll be personally contacted by anyone overseas.” Take a look at the program and see if it may be a good way of finally clearing out some of those old Bibles.
One Of My Favorite Moments From Our Christmas Eve Service
Caitelen Schneeberger on vocals. Me on piano. The text is very powerful:
Let all mortal flesh keep silence,Thanks to Fernando Ortega for drawing attention to this song and giving inspiration on the arrangement. You can get his version here on AmazonMP3 or at
And with fear and trembling stand;
Ponder nothing earthly minded,
For with blessing in His hand,
Christ our God to earth descendeth,
Our full homage to demand.
King of kings, yet born of Mary,
As of old on earth He stood,
Lord of lords, in human vesture,
In the body and the blood;
He will give to all the faithful
His own self for heavenly food.
Rank on rank the host of heaven
Spreads its vanguard on the way,
As the Light of light descendeth
From the realms of endless day,
That the powers of hell may vanish
As the darkness clears away.
At His feet the six wingèd seraph,
Cherubim with sleepless eye,
Veil their faces to the presence,
As with ceaseless voice they cry:
Alleluia, Alleluia
Alleluia, Lord Most High!
.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
We Are Thankful For Mya This Christmas
Fading memories ignored
I crawl across the forest floor
Pool reflects an orphan child
Dirty, lost, alone and wild
Fatherless and nameless still
Fallen heart and broken, will
there ever be a place where I belong
I cower ‘neath the monster trees
And try to stand on tired feet
But gravity knocks me to the ground
Where I give up, and tears roll down
I claw the dust and beg the end
Curse the day that I began
to hope there’d be a place where I belong
I hear a sound I recognize
You lift my chin and seek my eyes
Song of love You sing to me
I ache to sing it back to Thee
"Father Love prepares a place
Brother Jesus leads the way
Follow to the place where you belong!"
How did I miss this wondrous song?
The forest sang it all along
"River rinses all your shame
Father offers you His name
Father Love prepares a home
Brother Jesus leads you on
Follow to the place where you belong!"
"Father Love prepares a place
Brother Jesus leads the way
Follow to the place where you belong
Follow to the place where you belong!"
- Chris Rice
I think this is one of the best adoption songs I have ever heard. You can get it here (
, AmazonMP3) if you are interested.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
O Holy Night
Tonight for our Christmas Eve service we are doing the song O Holy Night. In our rehearsals leading up tonight I have been very moved by the power of the text and the music.
Recently I was made aware of another version that I found equally as moving.
Gather the family, make some hot chocolate, sit by the tree and bask in the glory of this rendition.
Merry Christmas.
(HT: A. Piper)
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
The Gospel On The Gridiron
You need to read this story. So powerful.
Please read the rest.They played the oddest game in high school football history last month down in Grapevine, Texas.
It was Grapevine Faith vs. Gainesville State School and everything about it was upside down. For instance, when Gainesville came out to take the field, the Faith fans made a 40-yard spirit line for them to run through.
Did you hear that? The other team's fans?
They even made a banner for players to crash through at the end. It said, "Go Tornadoes!" Which is also weird, because Faith is the Lions.
It was rivers running uphill and cats petting dogs. More than 200 Faith fans sat on the Gainesville side and kept cheering the Gainesville players on—by name.
"I never in my life thought I'd hear people cheering for us to hit their kids," recalls Gainesville's QB and middle linebacker, Isaiah. "I wouldn't expect another parent to tell somebody to hit their kids. But they wanted us to!"
And even though Faith walloped them 33-14, the Gainesville kids were so happy that after the game they gave head coach Mark Williams a sideline squirt-bottle shower like he'd just won state. Gotta be the first Gatorade bath in history for an 0-9 coach.
But then you saw the 12 uniformed officers escorting the 14 Gainesville players off the field and two and two started to make four. They lined the players up in groups of five—handcuffs ready in their back pockets—and marched them to the team bus. That's because Gainesville is a maximum-security correctional facility 75 miles north of Dallas. Every game it plays is on the road.
(HT: Big Mike)
Will There Also Be Faith?
"This is, at the end of the day, the ultimate test of our knowledge of God. Is it robust enough that, when faced with excruciating adversity, it may prompt us to lash out with hard questions, but will never permit us to turn away form God?But perhaps it is better to put the matter the other way round: the God who put Job through this wringer is also the God of whom it is said that, with respect to his own people, "he will not let (them) be tempted beyond what (they) can bear. But when (they) are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that (they) can endure it" (1 Cor. 10:13). God could not trust me with as much suffering as Job endured; I could not take it. But we must not think that there was any doubt in God's mind as to whether he would win his wager with Satan over Job!
When we suffer, there will sometimes be mystery. Will there also be faith?"
- D.A. Carson, How Long O Lord?, p. 156
Melissa and Rick
(HT: Carl Trueman)
Christmas Is Not About Warm Fuzzies
It seems that many people think you can only celebrate Christmas if all is well. You can see this in the various statements beginning with, “It just does not seem like Christmas because ….” Perhaps we set ourselves up for failure by expecting everything to be just right at this time of the year.His conclusion:
Christmas is not the pretense that all is well now. Such pretense is a sham and people see through it as Scrooge did. No, Christmas is the blessed assurance that God is still at work redeeming His people. It is the reminder that God accomplishes salvation even when it looks bad. This gives us hope and points us forward to the coming day when God will make all things right. With this truth in mind we can celebrate in hope and declare our hope and joy as a statement of faith.Read the whole thing.
AmazonMP3 Daily Deal - For Emma, Forever Ago
Many of the blogs I have been reading have said that Bon Iver's, For Emma, Forever Ago, is the record to get from 2008. You can check it out here and get it for $5.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Reflections on Our Adoption - Part 4
A friend on Facebook recently asked me some questions about our adoption. To answer them I went back and reread some of the posts on adoption that wrote a few months ago. This one struck me as I was reading over our reasons to adopt. Under #5 I wrote:
FOR US, our only real reason for NOT adopting is selfishness. If we can afford to support three kids I think we’ll probably be ok with four. The prospect of having an even crazier home, or getting up with another child in the middle of the night, or having enough energy to train and discipline another child pales in comparison with the overwhelming needs of an abandoned child who needs a loving Christian family.All these things have happened:
1. A little crazier home life
2. Getting up in the middle of the night
3. More energy expended dealing with four children
All I can say is that even though these small challenges have been present, I feel more alive than ever. I remember sitting in the airport as we were ready to leave Alabama with Mya and having this profound sense of being fully alive. I don't really know what other way to describe it than that. I know what the soul numbing effect of sin feels like and this felt like the exact opposite.
Yes, I fully expect that in the future I will have to lay down my life for this child but in that moment as I held her I felt like I was right square in the center of where God wanted me and that He was confirming these promises:
Acts 20:35 - In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’
Matthew 10:39 - Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
John 12:25 - Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
I Found This Profoundly Insightful
"We must beware of our own biases. One of the reasons why many people are dissatisfied with this ending (of the book of Job where he is rewarded materially) is because in the contemporary literary world ambiguity in moral questions is universally revered, while moral certainty is almost as universally despised. The modern mood enjoys novels and plays where the rights and wrongs get confused, where every decision is a mixture of right and wrong, truth and error, where heroes and antiheroes reverse their roles. Why this infauation with ambiguity? It is regarded as more mature. Clear-cut answers are written off as immature. The pluralism of our age delights in moral ambiguity - but only as long as it costs nothing. Devotion to contemporary moral ambiguity is extraordinarily self-centered. It demands freedom from God so that it can do whatever it wants. But when the suffering starts, the same self-centered focus on my world and my interested, rather ironically, wants God to provide answers of sparkling clarity."
- D.A. Carson, How Long O Lord?, p. 154
Lord, Make This True Of Me
“The Christian gospel is that I am so flawed that Jesus had to die for me, yet I am so loved and valued that Jesus was glad to die for me. This leads to deep humility and deep confidence at the same time. It undermines both swaggering and sniveling. I cannot feel superior to anyone, and yet I have nothing to prove to anyone. I do not think more of myself nor less of myself. Instead, I think of myself less.”
- Timothy Keller
(HT: OFI)
Why Credit Card Rewards Probably Are Not Worth It For You
"Dave joins Your World With Neil Cavuto to talk about credit card reward programs. It may sound good on paper, but Dave talks with Neil about why they are not worth the trouble. He gives plenty of numbers to support his reasoning."
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Frightening News For Everyone Who Has A Conscience
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Watch For The Light: Readings For Advent And Christmas
(HT: James Grant)We have become so accustomed to the idea of divine love and of God’s coming at Christmas that we no longer feel the shiver of fear that God’s coming should arouse in us. We are indifferent to the message, taking only the pleasant and agreeable out of it and forgetting the serious aspect, that the God of the world draws near to the people of our little earth and lays claim to us. The coming of God is truly not only glad tidings, but first of all frightening news for everyone who has a conscience.