Ives the Band just released three songs on NoiseTrade. Might want to check these guys out. Their guitar player, Kyle Moore, is a good friend of mine.
My buddy Greg Mazunik is the bass player in a cool new jazz group called Equilateral. The also just released their record on NoiseTrade. I find it to be quite cool. Check it out.
Another interesting artist you might want to check out is Dan Auerbach. His record Keep It Hid is quite compelling. It sounds like it was recorded in 1970 by the same guys who recorded Led Zeppelin. Interesting tones, voice, and melody. You hipsters might like it. Check it.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Continue in Prayer for Haiti
Paul Myhill with a harrowing report from Haiti. Please continue to pray for these people. One day Jesus will make all things right (Rev. 21:5). I tremble for the wrath being stored up for those who would prey upon the weak and defenseless.
Friday, February 26, 2010
My House is Being Used in a Craigslist Scam - Part Two
If you missed part one, start here.
Well, "Clara" just wrote me back. She tried to get me to fill out the "rental form" and then left a short message.
Obviously, I didn't respond to this information. She then kindly left this message.
Huh... She failed to answer any of my questions. That's weird. Thus, I responded with this... (She left me no choice).
We'll see where it goes from here. BTW - I just googled "Mrs. Clara Jones" and found this on Yahoo Answers. Seems that she has been rather busy.
Well, "Clara" just wrote me back. She tried to get me to fill out the "rental form" and then left a short message.
Obviously, I didn't respond to this information. She then kindly left this message.
Huh... She failed to answer any of my questions. That's weird. Thus, I responded with this... (She left me no choice).
Don't Get Caught On A Phishing Hook!
In light of the scam that I have recently been involved in, this post from Ed Stetzer was very helpful. He writes:
In the last few days, I have received hundreds of spam Twitter direct messages from my Twitter friends. Many of them were quite, shall we say, graphic. Others are just the normal foolishness.Read the whole and watch the helpful video.
Here is the direct message I have sent out many, many times the last few days:
You have been phished. Pls change (and better protect) your password so you won't send out these direct messages. Thx.Let me say a few things so you might avoid this.
Trinitarian Worship
Anthony Bradley with an interesting article on our need to emphasize the Trinity more often in our services of worship. His conclusion:
As such, no worship experience should conclude without directed focus, worship, and glorification of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Doesn’t the Holy Spirit deserve more than just an honorable mention on Sunday mornings?Read the whole thing.
John Piper on How To Decide What To Read
His conclusion:
So I recommend reading 1) things that relate to the passions of your life, 2) recommendations from people that are responsible and that you respect, and 3) time-proven, classic, deep works on various issues.Read the whole thing.
Snow and More Snow
This must be a sign from the Midwest. My parent in Iowa are reporting quite a bit of snow! Albuquerque? Not so much.
(HT: Thaibite)
Advice for Newly Married Young Men
Pastor J.D.:
* Be honest about your struggles. Open up to others about what is going on and quit faking... Be mentored by an older, godly, married man. And, whatever you do, don't wait on your wife to tell you that you need counseling. You are the spiritual leader, which means that you have to be the one who knows when you need some help.
* Become a student of (a) women, (b) marriage and (c) your wife. (A) Women are very, very different from you. 1 Peter 3:7 calls them a weaker vessel, and tells us to honor them as such. "Weaker" does not mean inferior, but "weaker" as in the way a thermometer compares to a crowbar. True, a crowbar will not break as easily as a thermometer, but there's a lot of things a thermometer can do that a crowbar can't do. So learn what those differences are, and honor those in your wife. Recognize that she, by design, reveals a different dimension of the image of God than you do. I'd suggest, for that purpose, William Harley's His Needs, Her Needs. (B) Learn everything you can about marriage. Read, fool. Turn off SportsCenter and study what the Bible says about this relationship that determines your personal happiness more than ESPN ever will. I'd recommend Gary Thomas' Sacred Marriage
for that purpose. (C) Become a student of your wife. A married mentor of mine told me that... to observe her, study her, and learn what she loves and what she hates and what hurts her and what thrills her. Your emotional happiness is forever tied to her like it is to no other. Become an certified Ph.D. expert on her.
* Be patient. She is different than you. If she does need to be "changed," you will do that not by being harsh with her or by criticizing her. You will change her by your unconditional love and adoration. Think about it, that's how Jesus changes us. He accepts and loves us into His image. Paul tells us to love our wives like that.
* Your primary role with her is lover, not pastor-teacher. I see a lot of young, spiritually-minded guys really screw this one up. I did. Yes, you are to "present her faultless to God," but you are primarily her Christ-like lover. If you notice that she is not doing her quiet time every day, don't lecture her about it. If you think she is too concerned about her looks, don't preach to her about the sin of vanity. If she does indeed struggle with those things, you won't correct her by teaching her, you'll only build a feeling of condemnation in her that translates into resentment and her fantasizing about your premature death. Praise her, extol her virtues. Notice the strengths and assume the weaknesses and not visa versa. Over time, the love you show her and the model you are to her will produce more change in her than one of your brilliantly crafted homiletics...
* Realize that God's purpose for you in your marriage is to teach you to love like He does, which means loving a flawed sinner despite all their dysfunction. As Saint Lewis (i.e., C.S.) said regarding Ephesians 5:22, "The husband who gets this verse is the one whose marriage most feels like a crucifixion...This verse is most embodied in the husband whose wife receives most and gives the least, it’s the one whose wife is most unworthy of him, is—in her own mere nature—least lovable. For the church has no beauty but what the bridegroom gives her; he does not find, but makes her, lovely.” Or, to quote Gary Thomas, "Our purpose in getting married is often to find someone who can make us happy by meeting our needs. God's primary purpose in our marriage is to make us holy by giving us a chance to love like He does." (my paraphrase)
* Meditate on the Gospel. As Paul shows us in Ephesians 5:22-31, it is only by knowing Christ's love for you that you can love her properly. Think on it often, and love your wife as you have been loved.
* Give yourselves a while to get good at sex. Especially if you are a virgin when you get married, give yourselves a while to get good at sex. The worst sex of your life will be on your honeymoon. You'll good get at it, I promise. Those who report the greatest satisfaction with their sex lives are married Christian couples who have been married for a while (see Danny Akin, God on Sex).
My House is Being Used in a Craigslist Scam
So my wife got a call or email yesterday (can't remember which) notifying us that our house is being listed as a rental property on Craigslist. Huh?
Yeah, someone just copied the pictures and details from the legit listing of our house, and relisted it as a rental. I'm sure they are just trying to get people to send them a "security deposit" or something and then they'll disappear. In case you didn't know, this type of thing is very common on Craigslist, so never send money orders or anything like that. Always get cash and in person.
Here is what the scammer wrote about our house to the gal that first notified us about the scam:
Dear,
Thanks for your email and interest in my house. I am Mrs.Clara Jones the owner of the House you are interested in. My House is located at Albuquerque NM. Presently am in Texas with my family, we came to stay with my mother-inlaw who is suffering from breast cancer On getting here we discovered that we will be staying here for at least 5 years. so we decided to look for a responsible and caring person to maintain and take proper care of my House.We are honest and sincere family and have spent alot on our properties so I will want you to treat it as your own. You will pay $700/month (AMAZING DEAL) The money involved does not matters to me but I want you to keep it tidy all the time so that I will be glad to see it neat when I come for a check up.
Initialy I and my Husband wanted to sell the house on getting to Texas on a second thought we decided to rent it out since we will be returning back to the house in the next 5 years I will like you to go take a look at the exterior part of the house because you will not be able to go inside to see the interior hence I have all the keys here with me. You can get back to me if you are truly interested.
My house is a 4bed rooms,2.5bath. Very well furnished, the living room also has a fire place, and a mounted plasma screen television. The bedrooms are well furnished with a cheery wood night stand and a chest with a dressing table, a foot board and a head board. (COMPLETELY FALSE) the mattress on it is a serta pillow top mattress, this is the same in all rooms except the master bedroom which had a walking closet and mini Jacuzzi tub, 2 vanity double sink, and a sleep number bed. (FALSE) This room also has a 37 inch plasma television. (VERY FALSE) The kitchen has a stainless steel electric cooker and a self cleaning oven, a built in microwave and a double door whirlpool refrigerator. The house also has a central cooling and heating systems, with ceiling fans in all rooms. Plates, cutlery, and sheets are all provided. Extra blanket and sheets are in the extra closet located by the bathroom. (WE DON"T HAVE AN EXTRA CLOSET IN THE BATHROOM) The cable, light and internet bills are all included in the rent. (WOW, THIS IS A SCREAMIN' DEAL!) Do get back to me if you are truly interested and sure of taking proper care of my house there is a rent application form which I will like you to fill and Send back to me. If you can do all this for me, then I will be willing to rent my house to you.
Looking forward to hear from you. Your full information will be used to process all documents that will be coming together with the keys leading to the house and this will come to you through UPS courier service. Thank you and remain Blessed.
Mrs.Clara Jones
So after the honest person who got this email notified us wondering what was going on (she must have seen this fake ad and our real ad), I thought I might have a great opportunity to mess with these people, so I emailed them yesterday with this email:
I was pleasantly surprised this morning to see a reply in my inbox! Her response:
YES! Here is what I wrote back just a little bit ago:
Hopefully I can keep this going with "Clara" for awhile and perhaps it will all be a little entertaining for a few days. The fake listing has been taken down but as long as "Clara" keeps emailing, I'll keep responding!
Thursday, February 25, 2010
What is so "Heart-Wrenching" About Abortion?
Jill Stanek:
...President Obama when speaking at Notre Dame last year, said, "Maybe we won't agree on abortion, but we can still agree that this is a heart-wrenching decision for any woman to make, with both moral and spiritual dimensions."Read the rest.
That inevitably leads to the question, "Why?" What's so "heart-wrenching" about abortion, with "moral and spiritual dimensions"? It isn't heart-wrenching with moral and spiritual dimensions to have one's gall bladder or appendix removed. What makes abortion different?
Embracing a Different Perspective
Mark Lauterbach:
One of the marks of arrogance is viewing all of life through my eyes, not considering how others see things. I find it all too easy to assume that my perspective, my abilities, my limits are the truth for all. It is not so! I am not the center of the cosmos.Read the rest.
Seeing how this affects others was the fruit of another comment by a member of a church I served.
What Can Burst Your Church Bubble
Ray Ortlund:
A church is a delicate thing, like a bubble, easily burst. Inside that bubble is a safety zone of immense significance for people. Inside that bubble sinners can receive grace according to the biblical gospel. They can start seeing God in a new way, they can see themselves in a new way, they can grow and change and enjoy the adventure.
The deal-breaker inside that bubble is not personal sins. They don’t have to burst the bubble. The deal-breaker, such that a pastor and elders must intervene, is making the internal dynamics of a church indistinguishable from the surrounding worldly environment of blame-shifting — what we see constantly in political discourse, for example. The thin film of differentiation, our true “separation” from the world, is the gospel of grace in both our theology and our sociology.
A wonderful place to be, a precious treasure to guard, and, for all its weakness, a mighty force for good.
Abortion: What It Really Means
Melinda Penner:
On last Sunday's radio show, we had several calls on the topic of abortion. The second to last caller, a woman from Texas, began her call affirming her strong opposition to abortion and value for the unborn baby. The next word was "but." But I'm in favor of abortion in cases of rape and incest to "stop the cycle of violence." Women will be traumatized if they carry the "seed" of the rapist. And it's too difficult to put the baby up for adoption and live with the idea of having given up the baby.
This isn't a rare view. People holding this view have no idea what abortion is. And I have to seriously wonder if they truly believe anything before the "but."
Thinking an abortion ends the cycle of violence is absurd because abortion continues the violence. Abortion is the violent dismembering and killing of an innocent, helpless baby.
Aborting the baby rather than giving it up for adopting is absurd because it suggests that the idea of a dead baby is easier to live with than live one without her. Here's what her statement really means: It's hard to live with the idea of my child alive in the world without me having given him up, so I'd rather live with the idea of a dead, bloody, dismembered baby in the trash can. That's what abortion is. That's the alternative. That is in no way compassionate, kinder, or easy to live with.
The only way people can have that kind of absurd idea is because they don't really know what abortion is. Most of the discussion about abortion in our society is conducted without a very clear idea of what abortion really is. Part of the task of pro-life persuasion is to restore meaning to the word, define it for them. Visual images are an effective medium - if used properly - to define abortino and make it real.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
How Pornography Effects the Brain
Scott Sterner:I just read this review by Tim Challies on a new bookthat deals with how pornography effects the brain. It is both terrifying and fascinating. Sexual addiction is epidemic in our culture. We need a wake-up call and this book may help in that endeavor. For the full review go here. Below is a clip:
I read recently of a researcher who wanted to study the effects of pornography on young adult males. He carefully built the structure for the study, determining how he would compare young men who had experienced pornography with a control group comprised of those who had never come into contact it. Tragically this researcher had to cancel his study. He found that he was unable to put together a control group; he could not find young men who had not discovered pornography. The experiment was impossible to conduct.
That is the kind of society we live in today, a society that is absolutely overwhelmed with pornography. The lure of porn is almost irresistible, particularly to young men. If the devil wanted to find a way of destroying young men, of impacting the ability for men to relate properly to women, of disrupting families and hardening hearts, he could hardly do better than this.
Much has been written in recent years about pornography. But new to store shelves is a book that is different from all the others, at least all of the other books targeted at a Christian audience. William Struthers’ Wired for Intimacy looks not primarily to the heart but to the brain. He shows how the male brain is hard-wired for intimacy and relationships and how pornography affects the male brain. He says “Men seem to be wired in such a way that pornography hijacks the proper functioning of their brains and has a long-lasting effect on their thoughts and lives. … When we better understand the devastating spiritual, psychological, social and biological reality of how pornography violates our unique position in God’s creation, we will be better able to minister to hose who have been wounded by it.
Jesus Sings
Will Turner:
I don’t know why I have never thought about this before: Jesus sang. For some unknown reason, I have always missed this. Sometimes I wonder if my view of Jesus is so warped that I fail to realize and process simple things. I am thankful that Scripture stands as a helpful corrective.
After partaking of the Passover meal with his disciples Scripture says, “After singing psalms, they went out to the Mount of Olives” (Matthew 26:30). Jesus was facing death. Yet, there were certain things which needed to be set in motion before he faced the cross. The Lord ’s Supper was inaugurated (Matt. 26: 26-29) and they worshipped together. For some reason I have a hard time comprehending the Lord of the universe singing. But the text says, “after singing psalms.”
The Psalms they sung were more than likely the Hallel or Passover Psalms (Ps. 113-118). These Psalms were sung in celebration of the Passover when the Lord redeemed his people from out of Egypt. Picture Jesus singing with his disciples and remember they are sung in the shadow of the cross:
I will offer you a sacrifice of thanksgiving and will worship the Lord. I will fulfill my vows to the Lord, in the very presence of all his people, in the courts of the Lord’s house – within you, Jerusalem. Hallelujah! (Psalm 116:17-19).
I called to the Lord in distress; the Lord answered me and put me in a spacious place. The Lord is for me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? With the Lord for me as my helper, I will look in triumph on those who hate me (Psalm 118:5-7).
I will not die, but I will live and proclaim what the Lord has done. The Lord disciplined me severely but did not give me over to death (Psalm 118:17-18).
Jesus sings about himself. He sings about the salvation of Israel from Egypt. He sings about the salvation which he is about to procure for his people on the cross. He will not die, but he will live and through his resurrection he will proclaim what the Lord has done. The Lord will discipline him, putting him to death on the cross, but he will not abandon him to the grave, nor let his holy one see decay. On the third day he will raise Christ up from the grave. He will not give his son over to death. Jesus sung about his death and resurrection.
What a beautiful picture: Jesus singing.(HT: Doug Wolter)
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Crazy Heart Soundtrack
Crazy Heart: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
for only $5.00. There was some good music in this film. Might want to check it out.
Great Church Questions
Some great questions here for your church from Timmy Brister:
(HT: JT)
1. If our church would cease to exist in our city, would it be noticed and missed?Read the rest.
2. If all the pastors were tragically killed in a car accident, would the church’s ministry cease or fall apart?
3. If the only possible means of connecting with unbelievers were through the missionary living of our church members, how much would we grow? (I ask this because the early church did not have signs, websites, ads, marketing, etc.)
4. What are the subcultures within the church? Do they attract or detract from the centrality of the gospel and mission of the church?
5. Is our church known more for what we are not/against than what we are/for?
6. What are we allowing to be our measuring stick of church health? (attendance vs. discipleship; seating capacity vs. sending capacity; gospel growth, training on mission, etc.)
7. Are the priorities of our church in line with the priorities of Christ’s kingdom?
8. If our members had 60 seconds to explain to an unbeliever what our church is like, what would you want them to say? How many do you think are saying that?
9. If the invisible kingdom of God became visible in our city, what would that look like?
10. In what ways have we acted or planned in unbelief instead of faith?
(HT: JT)
The Mission of God's People
This is a book that I am greatly looking forward to: The Mission of God's People: A Biblical Theology of the Church's Mission. From the Zondervan blog:Coming in September of 2010 we'll be releasing Christopher J.H. Wright's new book, The Mission of God's People: A Biblical Theology of the Church's Mission (Biblical Theology for Life). In it Wright offers a sweeping biblical survey of the holistic mission of the church - while providing practical insight for today’s church leaders. Wright gives special emphasis to theological trajectories of the Old Testament that not only illuminate God’s mission but also suggest priorities for Christians engaged in God’s world-changing work. Reader's of Wright's
The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible's Grand Narrative
Chris Wright gave a talk at the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary's Spring Lectureship that centered on the message of The Mission of God's People. You can listen to it here for free.
Eight Reasons You Need to Rediscover Your Passion for Exercise
Great article here from The Art of Manliness blog. Get on it!
I would add a ninth... God created your body. It is good because he says it is good and we should value what God values, so care for it and cherish it.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Jerram Barrs Book Wins Award
Crossway Blog:On Friday February 19th, Outreach Magazine named Jerram Barrs’ Learning Evangelism from Jesusthe book of the year in the evangelism category.
The Outreach Resources of the Year is a celebration of the best books, DVDs and curricula produced to help the Church and Christians reach out in areas such as evangelism, compassionate service and cross-cultural ministries.
Congratulations to Dr. Barrs!
Barrs studied Jesus’ conversations with diverse people in his day and drew lessons and principles for attractively communicating the gospel to unbelievers in ours. While our culture may tempt God’s people to conform, retreat, or be silenced, Jesus exemplified how to attract people to the gospel. He modeled how to initiate spiritual conversations full of grace and truth. Christian evangelism, then, both in theory and practice, must be shaped by his pattern.
We invite you to read the sample chapter on Jesus and the Bible Teacher and consider getting a copy of his award winning resource.
The Proposed Obama Health Plan and Abortion
National Right to Life:
None of President Obama's proposed changes diminish any of the sweeping pro-abortion problems in the Senate bill, and he actually proposes to increase the funds that would be available to directly subsidize abortion procedures (through Community Health Centers) and to subsidize private health insurance that covers abortion (through the premium-subsidy tax credits program)
If all of the President's changes were made, the resulting legislation would allow direct federal funding of abortion on demand through Community Health Centers, would institute federal subsidies for private health plans that cover abortion on demand (including some federally administered plans), and would authorize federal mandates that would require even non-subsidized private plans to cover elective abortion....
That's NOT in the Bible
Michael Kelley:
There a lot of little phrases that we tend to think are in the Bible but really aren’t. In fact, in most of these cases, these phrases contradict the nature of the gospel. Instead of repeating these mantras, we’ve got to turn them on their heads as a way of preaching the gospel to ourselves every day:
Wrong: God helps those who help themselves.
Right: God helps those who know they cannot help themselves.
Wrong: This too shall pass.Read the rest.
Right: This might not pass. But God is faithful to uphold the weak.
Persecution In India
Persecution in India: Francis' Response from Cornerstone Church on Vimeo.
Unedited footage:
Persecution in India: Unedited Footage from Cornerstone Church on Vimeo.
Same Kind of Different As Me
John Piper: If you want to crawl inside the possible world that opens when a dirt-poor, illiterate, former-share-cropin', homeless 50-something enters the life of a swank, upscale, southern, Christian art dealer, read Same Kind of Different As Me
. These two men tell their increasingly interwoven stories in alternating short chapters that kept me coming back night after night. Their names are Denver Moore and Ron Hall. There is a woman who binds them together. But if I tell you what happens to her it might ruin the story for you.
Here are the kinds of lines that would keep me going even if the story didn't (which it did):
- "Denver and I are not preachers or teachers but sinners with a story to tell."
- "You never know whose eyes God is watchin' you through."
- "I hope people will recycle the love they've been givin' to somebody that's not easy to love."
- "This earth ain't no final restin' place, so in a way we is all homeless."
- "Just tell 'em I'm a nobody tryin' to tell everybody about Somebody who can save anybody."
- "How do you live the rest of your life in jus a few days?
Trust and The Book of Job
Ray Ortlund:
I used to think the book of Job is in the Bible because it presents a rare and extreme case of human suffering. “Look at this worst case scenario. If you can see the truth here, then surely in your comparatively small problems . . . .”
Now I think the book of Job is in the Bible because the story is so common. Many are thinking, “What on earth has happened to me? I can’t see what I’ve done that explains this devastation. Where is God in this?”
Enter Job’s three friends. They were cautious at first. But with their tidy notions threatened by his untidy realities, the moralism started pouring out of them: “Come on, Job, get real with us. You must have some dirty secret that explains all this. Admit it, and this misery will start going away.” Their finger-pointing oversimplifications intensified Job’s sufferings, and this too is a common experience.
I don’t think the book of Job is about suffering as a theoretical problem — why do the righteous suffer? I think it’s about suffering as a practical problem — when (not if) the righteous suffer, what does God expect of them? And what he expects is trust. When the righteous cannot connect the realities of their experience with the truths of God, then God is calling them to trust him that there is more to it than they can see. As with Job, there is a battle being fought in the heavenlies.
Trust in God, not explanations from God, is the pathway through suffering.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Two Challenges For Preachers
There are two challenges for preachers, those of us called to announce this good news. First is to help people understand theologically that the gospel doesn't just ignite the Christian life but it's also the fuel that keeps Christians going and growing every day. The second challenge, which is much harder for me than the first, is to help people understand how this works functionally.
I address the second challenge by regularly asking myself this question: Since Jesus secured my pardon and absorbed the Father's wrath on my behalf so that "there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus," how does that impact my longing for approval, my tendency to be controlling, and my fear of the unknown?
In other words, how does the finished work of Christ satisfy my deepest daily needs so that I can experience the liberating power of the gospel every day and in every way?If you're a preacher, then God has called you to help others make the connection between Christ's finished work and their daily life. To do this, we must unveil and unpack the truth of the gospel from every biblical text we preach in such a way that it exposes both the idols of our culture and the idols of our hearts.
Read the rest.Every sermon ought to disclose the ways in which we depend on lesser things to provide the security, acceptance, protection, affection, meaning, and satisfaction that only Christ can supply.
I pray that as you come to a better understanding of the length and breadth of the gospel, you will be recaptured every day by the "God of great expenditure" who gave everything that we might possess all.
Crazy Heart - A Review
Last night my wife and I went to see Crazy Heart. It was a great movie.
Here is the synopsis:
Four-time Academy Award nominee JEFF BRIDGES stars as the richly comic, semi-tragic romantic anti-hero Bad Blake in the debut feature film CRAZY HEART from writer-director Scott Cooper. Bad Blake is a broken-down, hard-living country music singer who's had way too many marriages, far too many years on the road and one too many drinks way too many times. And yet, Bad can’t help but reach for salvation with the help of Jean (Golden Globe® nominee MAGGIE GYLLENHAAL), a journalist who discovers the real man behind the musician. As he struggles down the road of redemption, Bad learns the hard way just how tough life can be on one man’s crazy heart.
Here are the things I liked about it:
1. It was the anti-Transformers. Low budget, great story, great realism, great acting, great script, no CGI, and completely engaging. It was what John Coltrane is to Britney Spears. Real artistry on display as opposed to a dog and pony show without any substance.
2. Jeff Bridges' performance was the best performance I have seen on the big screen since Heath Ledger as The Joker. From the second he utters his first line I was totally sold on him BEING the character. He completely consumed the part and it was totally worth my $10.50 to see such a strong performance. He better get nominated for an Oscar or something is seriously wrong in the universe.
3. The music was great. I am no country music fan, but as with all good movie music, this music set the tone for the whole film and created a cinematic atmosphere that was completely enthralling. You were transported to their world partly due to the mental associations that most of us have that were conjured up through the music.
4. Amazing cinematography. I think much of the film was shot in my home state of New Mexico. (One scene for sure was shot at the local aquarium that we have been to many times). This is such a beautiful state. I am going to miss it when we move to Madison, WI.
5. **Don't read this if you don't want a spoiler.** I loved the fact that there was not the sickeningly "happy ending" where the guy gets the girl and they live happily ever after. Sin has real consequences in the real world and I appreciated the fact that this was not glossed over or minimized in any way.
If you think Transformers was a great movie, don't see this one, but if you like real art, go see this movie. It won't leave you sorry.
Click here to read more reviews.
The Porn Generation
My friend Seth Ward wrote this comment on my post from yesterday dealing with porn and marriage. I thought it was very insightful so I decided to post it in full for you to read. I wholly agree that this is THE issue for men of our generation. The church needs to rise up with a proactive assault against this sin. If your church doesn't have some sort of structure by which this issue is being dealt with (for men AND women) I would contend that there is something grossly missing.
I appreciate your willingness to address this issue in men. I always find that posting things such as this inspires much silence in the comment section.
Our generation of men is THE porn generation. The internet awakened during our adolescence and sexual peak. Parents from the baby boomer gen looked at the computer and internet as a glorified video game, harmless, turning a blind eye, while MILLIONS of young men developed ravenous appetites for pornography and the control that it gave them. Gone are the days of sweating it at out the gas station to buy something filthy in public. Magazines? Miss October? Old hat.
In my opinion, it is time for the church to truly address and meet the internet porn industry head-on. The Promise Keepers started *something* and the isles were full to the alter during confession time at the end. But that's not enough. There needs to be not "a", but "THE GREAT" concerted, across the world effort and CHURCH offensive to ban and utterly filter pornography in the homes. Every church should pay and supply filters for every household to begin with. Free of charge. No pressure on the government, or political coalitions. This is a distraction. There we will find no help. This is the church addressing the church. Christian to Christian. Setting the standard. This will also take the understanding and support of just about every wife in the church. God will have to grant a special grace to this generation of women to help us stand together against it. There is no excusing it, however, they should understand that they married addicts, on some level or another. Aside from that, it has turned sex in marriage into just sex. Birth control is through the roof. There is nothing procreative about it. In fact, that is seen as an absolute annoyance and a bad side effect to sex by most marriages (now). More control.
Porn is the silent cancer eating away at marriage in my generation today. The church is doing a thing or two, but nothing on the scale that it needs to be.
I would venture to say that there isn't a 20-40 year old male living in this country who does not struggle or has struggled in this area.
It is as if a mental cocaine was introduced into every home in the country and the church is on the whole oddly and embarrassingly silent about it.
I'm serious when I say that I haven't met a man, not one, married or unmarried, who hasn't struggled with internet pornography. Not. One.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Yet Another Way That Porn Will Destroy You and Your Marriage
I have not mentioned the effect of lust on my marriage. It did not destroy my marriage, did not push me out find more sexual excitation in an adulterous affair, or with prostitutes, did not ever impel me to place unrealistic demands on my wife's sexual performance. The effect was far more subtle...
I stare at a Playboy centerfold. Miss October has such a warm, inviting smile. She is with me alone, in my living room. She removes her clothes, just for me, and lets me see all of her. She tells me about her favorite books and what she likes in a man.
Because I have... gone over every inch of Miss October as well as the throng of beauties that Madison Avenue and Hollywood recruit to tantalize the masses, I start to view my own wife in that light.... I begin to focus on my wife's minor flaws. I lose sight of the fact that she is a charming, warm, attractive woman and that I am fortunate to have found her.- "The War Within", Anonymous, Leadership Magazine, Fall 1992
Beyond that, lust affected my marriage in an even more subtle and pernicious way. Over time, I began to view sex schizophrenically. Sex in marriage was one thing. We performed OK, though not as often as I liked, and accompanied by typical misunderstandings. But passion, Ah, that was something different. Passion I never felt in my marriage.
If anything, sex within marriage served as an overflow valve, an outlet for the passion that mounted inside me, fed by sources kept hidden from my wife. We never talked about this, yet I am sure she sensed it. I think she began to view herself as a sex object - not in the feminist sense of being the object of a husband's selfish greed, but in the deprived sense of being only the object of my physical necessity and not of romance and passion.
Read the rest.
Tiger’s Remorse and Questions About Buddhism to Consider
Chris Brauns with a great reflection on Tiger Woods' "press conference" today.
God Worked To Secure What They Could Not
Why some people and not others receive this sovereign grace in election is a question not answered in Scripture; the Bible is a book designed to address God's people, not to answer all the questions of the world. But it is this totally unmerited chooseing and enabling that further underscore the message of mercy that the Bible makes its main point. The point made clear is this passage (Eph. 2:1-10) and many others is that we can never stand before God and say, "The reason that I am yours is what I did or chose through my good actions, good sense, or good heart." Our salvation is entirely a gift of God - of his grace. The point of Scripture is not to explain why some and not others, but rather to comfort those who face the impossibility of being saved by their own works that God has sovereignly worked in their behalf to secure what they could not. There can be no boasting or pride in this, but only a growing appreciation for grace that is made more precious the more we understand the nature of our heavenly Father. This is why our focus must be more upon the person of God, rather than upon the nature of predestination.
- Bryan Chapell, Ephesians (Reformed Expository Commentary), 89
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)