Thoughts of the week

1. Shell shock.

2. Seminary seems to be more about developing a good root than about fancy words & big books.

3. "To be a son or daughter of Abraham you have to have the faith of Abraham." -Greenham

4. In America we call it ministry; internationally we call it missions; in reality they're both apart of the Mission. We must not separate the idea mission from our culture.

5. Classes started, gonna be good stuff.

6. Sometimes it's better to be ignorant of a situation when the alternative of knowing means sinning.

7. It's regular for my wife & I to work our way through 3 mugs a day.

8. Ever had to do too many grown-up things in a week? #buildafort

9. The order of words in a sentence shows the order of loves in one's heart.

10. "Amidst all our pursuits & designs, let us stop & ask ourselves, For what end is all this? At what am I doing? Can the gross & muddy pleasures of sense, or a heap of white & yellow earth, or that esteem & affection of silly creatures, like myself, satisfy a rational & immortal soul? Have I not tried these things already? Will they have a higher relish, & yield me more contentment tomorrow than yesterday, or the next year than they did the last? There may be some little difference betwixt that which I enjoyed before; but sure, my former enjoyments did show as pleasant, & promised as fair, before I attained the,; like the rainbow they looked very glorious at a distance, but when I approached, I found nothing but emptiness & vapor. Oh! What a poor thing would the life of man be, if it were capable of no higher enjoyment." ~Scougal 

The Death of Death

There is a place only he can go; there is a place where only love can lead; and there is a spot where we were bought.

It’s on the top of the Skull at the bottom of the pit, the bottom of the cup, which last draught he drank. That detestable liquid that sloshes around in the cup of pain, each drop mingled with eternity and temporary, each sip as unquenchable fire and every taste death.

Death, death, death his laugh is haughty and his smile grim, he sees the victim coming to his jaws, coming to his bite. His hunger is unquenchable and his desire is to rip and slash and tear his victim limb from limb and gorge himself on his blood. He plans it with pleasure and designs the whole affair to be one of maximum suffering, of complete and utter agony, of excruciating torment.

But lo, that victim he is consuming comes crawling back through the throat of that dastardly devil, he breaks out the teeth his enemy with sheer strength, he cracks and breaks the jaw of Death and puts his mutilated head under his bruised foot crushing his head in finality.

The death toll Death typical rung sounded out but with a new tenor, and a melody sprung forth. The sound of death had changed, for he had not rung the toll, no, there was another who began the new song. The one who death could not contain has sounded the first note in the chorus of his victory. The orchestra has been sent to play the tune of salvation; the band sings on and on and on the glory of salvation. The one who took down death and committed Death to his grave and paid the price in full, the price we could not pay.

On high he reins flashing forth the glory of his fame.

Calling men and angels to proclaim the glories of his name.

“Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,” they cry out, “our hope our trust our everything;

Our hope our peace our offering!

Once dead but alive, once abused and refused now victorious and glorious.

The theme of heaven and of earth, the song we sing of our new birth;

That Christ has come and killed Death, and the chains of our sin don’t bind us;

No, we are free to live and live and see that Christ has saved us."

After the Bombs

The song of the month. The one of my heart.

Response to the Colorado Theatre Shooting

How should a Christian respond to the dreadful shooting in Colorado?

As Christians, as people, there ought to be a sense of urgency about life. We don’t know when it’ll end. But we should also not be hardened by this fact.

Should we feel pain for the people who’ve lost? Yes. Should we pray for the man who did this? Yes. Should we weep? If called to, yes. Should we despair at the plight of the world and the evil we see all around us and in us? No. A firm and resounding no.

Why should we feel pain for those who’ve lost? Because they are our fellow man; we inhabit the same time, though we don’t know them they should be shown compassion.

Why should we pray for the man who did this? Because by God’s grace he needs God. There was no discrimination at the cross for murderers, thieves, adulterers and deniers. We, the Church, have been shown grace beyond our understanding and therefore we should show grace beyond human reason. (But to hate the act, the sinful act, is to share in God’s hatred against sin.)

Why should we weep if called to do so? Because we ought to have hearts. Compassion yes, but more than that, we should have love. Which means that in our love for God we see his glory spat on in sinful acts (our own included). We should weep for the brokenness of the world and the devastating nature that the fall has brought about. We should weep because we see vividly the failures of men.

Why should we not despair? Because God has won. The evil around and within us is to be defeated, indeed it has been. Jesus did not die just for the salvation of sinners, no he accomplished much, much more. He died to defeat, to solidly defeat Satan, sin, and death.

The effects we feel and see (especially here) but we must know and believe that God was not caught off guard by a maniac with a gun. Not at all. Is God sovereign? Yes. But asking why God didn’t stop this is asking the wrong question.

We must not ask why he didn’t stop it; rather, we must ask why he planned it. He’s not a tame God, don’t commit the error of thinking him a cuddly bear, but he’s good, he’s a terribly good God.

We must not think too small of God - ever.

(AP Photo/Barry Gutierrez)