To those who have relentlessly criticized Warren at the Desiring God National Conference:

…competitive comparison is the main way elder brothers achieve a sense of their own significance. Racism and classism are just different versions of this form of the self-salvation project.  This dynamic becomes exceptionally intense when elder brothers pride themselves above all for their right religion.  If a group believes God favors them because of their particularly true doctrine, ways of worship, and ethical behavior, their attitude toward those without these things can be hostile.  Their self-righteousness hides under the claim that they are only opposing the enemies of God.  When you look at the world through those lenses, it becomes easy to justify hate and oppression, all in the name of truth.

“The Prodigal God” by Tim Keller, pp. 53-45

Well, okay, so he wasn’t addressing the situation directly.  But I think we would do well to heed the warning.

Beware your heart. It is untrustworthy.

Paul Tripp tweeted two very quotable thoughts this AM that I thought were worth capturing in one place. (Also, the tweets were too long to retweet :))

Perhaps the things that you’re going through don’t look like they come from a God of grace because you don’t have a biblical view of grace.

What keeps us from recognizing God’s grace is that we long for the grace of RELIEF when what we actually need is the grace of REFINEMENT.

Reminds me of these scriptures:

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. Romans 8:18-21

and

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:3-7

i’m getting tired of being interviewed for or asked to endorse books that are about “radical christianity.” especially when those books typically use that term to describe what should be garden variety, everyday christianity. it shouldn’t be the work of the “radical” to reach out to those who are…

on Derek Webb’s Tumblr…

Amen, brother.

This last year I’ve been fascinated with a question that has long haunted me: how the Old Testament fits with the New. There are many (wildly) different ideas out there, and one’s stance on this particular issue is central to the formation of one’s particular Christian practices. Misunderstanding this relationship also appears to me to be the root of much of the wackiness we see in Christendom.

Being a book nerd, and without giving a position (yet), I have found several books by authors I respect on the topic. One I personally recommend reading is The Promise Plan of God by Walt Kaiser:

Exploring the difficulty in determining the true nature, method, scope, and motivation for biblical theology, this book proposes the promise of God as the center of Old and New Testament theology and applies the solution to each of its eras.

I have a few others on my “to read” list and am confident in recommending them as good reads based solely on the authors.

The God Who Is There by Don Carson

It can no longer be assumed that most people—or even most Christians—have a basic understanding of the Bible. Many don’t know the difference between the Old and New Testament, and even the more well-known biblical figures are often misunderstood. It is getting harder to talk about Jesus accurately and compellingly because listeners have no proper context with which to understand God’s story of redemption.

Commentary on the New Testament use of the Old Testament by Beale and Carson

Readers of the New Testament often encounter quotes or allusions to Old Testament stories and prophecies that are unfamiliar or obscure. In order to fully understand the teachings of Jesus and his followers, it is important to understand the large body of Scripture that preceded and informed their thinking.

Three Views on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament by Stanley, Kaiser, Bock, and Ens

This book in the Counterpoints: Exploring Theology series introduces three approaches presently employed in the study of the uses of the Old Testament in the New Testament, especially in those instances where the New Testament authors discern the fulfillment of a prophetic element in the Old Testament text. The foundational issue concerns the relationship between an Old Testament author’s meaning and the meaning of that same passage when it is used by a New Testament author.

Happy Reading! This is important stuff!

Umm….

wow.

These poor, poor people…

“Thou Shalt Sleep With Thy Fathers” Deuteronomy 31:16 (part of it, anyway)

A friend of mine is reading the book The Happiest Baby on the Block (which I don’t necessarily recommend in any fashion).

They used this verse to advocate co-sleeping. No, seriously.

Never mind the fact that this verse is God telling Moses that he is about to die.

Why is theology important? Because we all do it.

How we do it (or rather, what we do with it) is of utmost importance, because it effects every area of your life.

Absolutely ludicrous things have been done (are being done) in the name of God. Some of them laughable, some of them maddening.

My plan is to start chronicling these ridiculous theology fails (and epic wins) here.