a bunch of stuff

Here's the best of the best from my reader this week:

A whole lotta stuff on twitter, texting and entertainment: Al Mohler on texting, John Piper on entertainment, reflections from imonk, Melinda from STR on twittering, Christianity Today chimes in, Piper continuing from Josh Harris' post.

Some things that made me laugh: Spurgeon quote from Pyro, a poem by Andrew Peterson,

Free stuff from Challies, free song from Phatfish and a free song from willy porter, and a chance to win a couple copies of The Bookends of the Christian Life.

A good article from imonk on the Bible study fiasco out west.

A good thinker from Russell Moore on how to actual live out the gospel in counseling someone with a very difficult sin: part 1, part 2 and part 3.

A couple of great pamphlets from Boundless.

And a couple of things to encourage: learning from flawed faith and coming to Jesus messy.

-joe

missionaries

In order to help out my missionary friends, I've decided to dedicate some space to them each week on my blog. These are men and women that I support either monetarily or through prayer as they seek to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I encourage you to take some time and pray for them and, if you have the means, support them in their work.

I'm also adding a column along the side of my blog with links to many of my missionary friends so that you, too, can join in the great joy of spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ to all people.

-joe

the cross centered life

I just finished up a short (and I mean short, 85 pages) book by C.J. Mahaney called The Cross Centered Life.

If you are looking for a good, short, easy read on the true nature of the Christian life then go out and pick up a copy.

From the book:

Reminding ourselves of the gospel is the most important daily habit we can establish. If the gospel is the most vital news in the world, and if salvation by grace is the defining truth of our existence, we should create ways to immerse ourselves in these truths every day. No days off allowed.

"To preach the gospel to yourself," [Jerry] Bridges explains, "means that you continually face up to your own sinfulness and then flee to Jesus though faith in His shed blood and righteous life."

What I hope you see is that the cross centered life isn't just one option among many that God offers. It is the life that every Christian is called to.

Yes, we are all called to the cross centered life, may God grant us the grace to live it.

-joe

for alex costa

A while back (maybe even a couple of years) a friend of mine, Alex Costa, had a post decrying the use of pithy catch-phrases in the Christian culture.

Today, as I was finishing up Kevin DeYoung's book Just Do Something I read this and thought of one particular phrase that he hated: "Let go and let God."

And so, without further ado, I give you this:

I know I've been pretty hard on my generation, especially the men. I don't write as one who is the model of manly courage or decision making. And I don't write to crush your spirits. Remember, even if we have made mistakes--or are in the middle of mistakes--God loves to help the helpless. He loves to forgive the brokenhearted and give second and third chances to those who've gone through a dozen mistakes already. The Spirit is stronger than our timidty and wiser than our foolishness. But instead of "letting go and letting God" we nee dto make every effort to grow up in our faith (2 Peter 1:5ff).

Quite blaming God for your inaction and go after living a life for the glory of God.

-joe

from an old professor

I frequently read the blog of a former professor of mine. I tend to agree with little to nothing he has to say and, because of that, I won't be linking to his blog in this post lest he should gain a wider audience for the things he says.

Today he had a quote from a lady that went like this:

"The question of which scriptural teachings are “non-negotiable,” and which bear multiple plausible interpretations, continues to divide the church, as it has ever since Peter and Paul debated the circumcision and dietary laws."

-- Marilyn McEntyre, "Dogma and Disagreement", God's politics

Let me just say a couple of things about why this kind of statement is dangerous to the church (I would say dangerous to the Gospel, but the Gospel is never in danger because it will always win.)

1. Peter and Paul didn't have an ongoing theological debate where both sides thought they were right. Paul corrected Peter and Peter recanted the position. (Galatians 2, Acts 10 and 15)

2. This was not a quibble over differing views of circumcision and dietary laws, it was vital to the Gospel. (It was either free or it was with works, see Galatians 2.)

3. By not stating the real nature of the debate (the Gospel) she opens the thought that ALL matters of faith and practice are open to interpretation.

4. The debate between Peter and Paul clearly shows that when it is a matter pertaining to the nature of the Gospel it is not open to interpretation (since God intervened with a vision to Peter.)

These kinds of "questions" being asked are dangerous because of their deceptive nature and hostility toward the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

-joe

the telling of the heavens

From The Treasury of David, Psalm 19:

It is not merely glory that the heavens declare, but the "glory of God," for they deliver to us such unanswerable arguments for a conscious, intelligent, planning, controlling, and presiding Creator, that no unprejudiced person can remain unconvinced by them. The testimony given by the heavens is no mere hint, but a plain, unmistakable declaration; and it is a declaration of the most constant and abiding kind. Yet for all this, to what avail is the loudest declaration to a deaf man, or the clearest showing to one spiritually blind? God the Holy Ghost must illuminate us, or all the suns in the milky way never will.

Romans 1 says that these declarations make all men guilty before God because they have seen them and not given him His due glory. Oh, that Psalm 19 and Romans 1 would awaken us to the importance and immediacy of evangelism.

They may have the heavens to declare them guilty but we have the Truth to declare them righteous and free! Why are we so small minded not to pray, as Paul commands in 1 Timothy, for all peoples to be saved? Why are we so slow to act when every night we see the judgment of God on our neighbors?

-joe

a bunch of stuff

Here are some of the things that really caught my eye this week in blogland:

Here are some chances at free stuff from the Resurgence and Challies. (By the way...I won last week from Challies! Thanks, Tim, for the books that will hopefully be arriving soon.)

A trio of links from Z:

All three of his posts on Spiritual Alzheimer's. (Think Piper's book Future Grace in super, super condensed form.

And, a quoted post on the emergency of giving.

A little something that made me laugh even though it is kind of sad: 100 million in budget cuts.

Obduracy has become a new favorite word thanks to the Pyros.


Excellent prayer from Melinda at STR.

A little bit of encouragement from the 9 Marks blog.

-joe