A Road With Many Curves

         It is true what they say about teenagers and college freshman, "They don't know what they don't know."  I just graduated from California Baptist University (CBU) last week and recognize that during the past four years I have learned much, but also learned that I don't know much.  This is just the beginning.  Both the acquisition of knowledge and the recognition of my ignorance come from the Lord and the godly scholars at CBU.  But really it is I who is wiser to my need, and it extends far beyond book knowledge.

Obedience as the Pathway to Understanding Theology

I was reading Andy Naselli's blog on why John Piper does not own a T.V. and found this snippet mixed in:

John Piper, “By This Time You Ought to be Teachers,” September 29, 1996:

The startling truth is that, if you stumble over Melchizedek, it may be because you watch questionable TV programs. If you stumble over the doctrine of election, it may be because you still use some shady business practices. If you stumble over the God-centered work of Christ in the cross, it may be because you love money and spend too much and give too little. The pathway to maturity and to solid Biblical food is not first becoming an intelligent person, but becoming an obedient person. What you do with alcohol and sex and money and leisure and food and computer have more to do with your capacity for solid food than with where you go to school or what books you read.

 I read something similar in Bruce Waltke's "An Old Testament Theology".  He distinguishes between the Greek concept of theology as an I/it relationship and the Hebrew concept of "the knowledge of the LORD" as an I/Thou relationship.  Because I am in an I/Thou relationship with God the truth I know about him is in connection to my devotion and obedience to him (my right relationship to a holy God).  As in any personal relationship, what I know about God affects my thoughts and actions toward him and reciprocally, my understanding of his thoughts and actions toward me.  A fuller illumination/revelation of his glory demands that I behold and reflect that in my life since I was made in his image to reflect him. In the grandeur of his wisdom he displays his  glorious grace in his love toward us in Christ and simultaneously this love, glory, and grace works out for our good as his creatures--the knowledge of Christ becomes our all-satisfying joy (which by the way brings God glory).

Pointing the Shamed to Christ—Feet First | CCEF

Pointing the Shamed to Christ—Feet First | CCEF

An Interview with Lecrae and Trip Lee

Check this out on JT's blog: his interview with Trip Lee and Lecrae; including their conversion stories and how that led to them expressing theology and the Christian Life through hip-hop. In their words, providing a "soundtrack" to their philosophy of ministry and activities in ReachLife.

An Interview with Lecrae and Trip Lee

Ed Welch - Did Bipolar Make Me Do It?

Dr. Russell Moore on "Christful Peace"

On the 19th of this month Dr. Moore reminded us that sometimes in our talk of "peace" we are not thinking of a biblical peace but a worldly peace.  In other words, there is such thing as a "Satanic peace" in contrast to a "Christful peace".  In his blog post provocatively titled "Christlessness is Peace" Dr. Moore comments:

"I find that, too often, I want a satanic peace, the kind that comes with Christlessness. I just want tranquility, to be left alone with the path in which I want to go. That’s the kind of peace that comes with slavery, and it’s attractive (Gal. 4:9). After all, peace with Pharaoh simply means making more stray bricks. Peace with the flesh simply means watching out for your own tribal loyalties. Peace with Satan simply means marching in rhythm with your desires toward a bloody grave (Eph. 2:1-3).

You can have a Christless pseudo-peace, for a little while.

But true shalom doesn’t leave us alone, as though we were orphans (Heb. 12:8). Christful peace prompts us to struggle (Heb. 12:4), to scream out for deliverance (Rom. 8:15), to be nailed down in execution (Mt. 10:38)."

Great thoughts from Dr. Moore.  A Christian's peace, true peace, is found by means of war; war on the world, the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride in possessions (including tranquil, undisturbed, lonely peace). 

Reflections on Micah 7:8-10: Christians, the Indignation of God toward Sinners, and the Gospel of Victory

Micah 7:8-10:
Rejoice not over me, O my enemy;
when I fall, I shall rise;
when I sit in darkness,
the Lord will be a light to me.
I will bear the indignation of the Lord
because I have sinned against him,
until he pleads my cause
and executes judgment for me.
He will bring me out to the light;
I shall look upon his vindication.
Then my enemy will see,
and shame will cover her who said to me,
“Where is the Lord your God?”
My eyes will look upon her;
now she will be trampled down
like the mire of the streets.


Concerning the Micah 7:8-9, I believe that we can relate to Micah in the seriousness of our sin, the judgment it incurs from God, and faith in God's character to vindicate the covenant people while judging the unrighteous.  Micah did not lose hope because he knew that God had indignation toward him but instead had faith that God would deal with it justly and also plead his case and vindicate him.  He took sin seriously before God and also reveled in his mercy that he would bring him from the darkness into the light.  God would raise him up and he would be victorious over his enemies.