gospeling

Goodbye Blog

2009-10-28T09:29:00.001-07:00

Dear Blog reader:

I've started a new blog. So this one is going to be gone. Because it's worthless. It's at http://plantingjesus.blogspot.com

C. J.

2009-03-03T11:12:00.000-08:00

Tell me if I'm right. Ferrell as James Lipton = C. J. Mahaney. Do you like how far downhill this blog has gone? And it was never uphill.

http://www.hulu.com/watch/60324/saturday-night-live-inside-the-actors-studio

Starring Neil Patrick Harris as Matt Chandler

2009-02-26T05:45:00.000-08:00

If a movie were made about him ... am I right or am I ... wrong ...

Heretical Praxis

2009-02-26T05:42:00.000-08:00

Go here for an interesting (sorry that I don't have a better adjective) discussion.

I Got It!

2008-10-23T09:11:00.000-07:00

Just needed to let Todd and Everett know that I got the ESV Study Bible. Trutone brown.

Pop Quiz, Hot Shot

2008-09-19T05:16:00.000-07:00

That's right. I'm talking to you, Todd ... or my other faithful reader. What is the difference (if any) between Providence and Sovereignty? I have a bunch of Systematic Theology books on my shelf right next to me, but I'd rather have a distilled answer ... because right now I'm lazy.

C'mon, Dude!

2008-07-18T06:14:00.000-07:00

Mark Driscoll from his blog at The Resurgence said re: a room full of "suits":

"I was one of the only people in the room not in a suit, as I somehow missed the dress code, but everyone was gracious despite my black button-up shirt with skulls and crossbones and matching Affliction boots covered in serpents."

Now, I'm a fan of "The Drizz" in many ways and don't know him personally, but allow me to call him out for a moment (like I'm the first to do so):

1.) This is not the first time this has happened to you.
2.) Does it mean you are stupid ...
3.) Or are you a "rebel"?
4.) Are you 15 years old or something? Why are you wearing those things? And why are you telling us about it?

Church Mission Statement

2008-02-07T08:22:00.001-08:00

This church has got it figured out.

New Plan

2007-12-28T05:47:00.000-08:00

I've got a new plan for this blog. I won't post very often. I'll mainly use this site for the links, and so can you, if you so wish.

Simple Post

2007-12-03T19:23:00.000-08:00

I started reading Simply Christian by N.T. Wright. Any thoughts on the book for those who have read it?

Book Review: Judas and the Gospel of Jesus

2007-11-16T07:56:00.000-08:00

I've been reading this little book by N.T. Wright and find him to be an extremely cogent (is that the right word - guess it depends on what I'm trying to say) writer. This is the first thing I've read by him. His description of gnosticism is very concise and helpful to the "average" person of which I am a member (of the "average" person club, that is). This is about the length of a B-U-R-L-Y book review.

On Hiatus

2007-09-30T06:06:00.001-07:00

To my loyal fan:

I will be on hiatus from this site until further notice.

Yours truly,

B-U-R-L-Y

Calvinist Pick-Up Line

2007-06-22T07:27:00.000-07:00

(found it through the Acts 29 Network Newsletter)

Who I Follow

2007-06-18T04:50:00.000-07:00

Honestly, lots of people. Honestly, sometimes I follow them as a substitute for following Jesus Christ. I mean, I have prided myself on the fact that I don't much care who wins the 2008 Presidential election. I'm opposed to in-utero genocide, so there I'm usually with the GOP. On the other hand, I think the Dems have the advantage when it comes to a desire to help the disadvantaged (well, besides promoting in-utero genocide). So, this time 'round, I don't care so much if our President is Mitt or Hillary or Rudy or Barack.

But just because I don't have political superstar idols doesn't mean that I don't have the propensity to look toward others as my functional savior. Speaking of functional saviors, I have a bad habit of taking things that Rev. Tim Keller has to say as Gospel truth (he uses the phrase "functional savior" all the time). And there are a few other superstar preachers I really like. Some of my friends really like Rev. John Piper. I have to admit that internally I say to myself "As if. Piper doesn't even come close to being as relevant and clear in his presentation of the Gospel as Keller." Subconsciously I think I'm saying "I follow Keller" (well, I guess it's now consciously). Kind of like the Corinthians say "I follow Paul" or "I follow Appolos."

I need to turn my heart to Christ in such a way that I can say "I follow Christ, and Christ alone," while only following Christ following superstars like Keller and Piper as they follow my true hero, Jesus.

That brings me to a question for you. It'll require a fresh reading of First Corinthians chapter three, and my question is this. Who do you follow? Who or what is your "functional savior"?

Who Do You Follow?

2007-06-15T10:25:00.000-07:00

Hillary? Obama? Mitt? Rudy? Or are you so purple in your politics that you no longer have any heroes in the political arena? But what about heroes in other areas? This post is a sneak peek at a post that is coming soon. I'll be giving some brief commentary on the third chapter of Paul's first letter to the Corinthians. Prepare to be dazzled, convicted and tranformed [*wink*].

[As an aside, I have to be honest. I'm having a lot of trouble thinking of McCain as a viable candidate -- because of the combover]

Justice or Mercy?

2007-06-14T06:36:00.000-07:00

My answer is "both, please." But I must nuance my answer with a bit of background as follows:

God created a man, then a woman. Both of them lurched at power by doing what God told them not to do. This threw human history into a tailspin of sorts. God decided not to wipe out the human race entirely - he wasn't shocked - he saw it coming. He had mercy on the man and woman who were created in his image by not killing them on the spot. Fast forward four to twenty thousand years (or more depending on your view of the age of the earth - whatever, dude [or dude-ette]) to the birth of a man who was also God - Jesus of Nazareth, son of God and son of Mary and Joseph. He came and lived a perfect life, and died the JUST death we should have died. JUSTICE was served. So was MERCY served by God to the people who got to bypass the wrath of God. God crushed his Son (Jesus) who was willingly crushed by death on the cross for the sins of all mankind (including those who came before him who were awaiting such a Messiah/Christ/Redeemer).

People ever since that time have called out for mercy by turning to the one who took the JUST punishment for the sin we deserved.

People ever since that time have called out for justice, too. Rightly so ... sometimes. Depends. If they see that there's something dreadfully wrong with the world, then if we call out to the God who sent his only Son to die that justice might be ultimately accomplished, then good. If it's a call for justice, because we think we deserve to be treated better, we're dreadfully wrong. We don't deserve to be treated better. We deserve the justice that Jesus took for us - death. We are rotten without him. And we're in the process of becoming less rotten internally and in the way we live as we turn to him. So, be careful about the way you call for justice. I try to err on the side of calling out for mercy - because I am confident that God will take care of the justice (he already has, and I know he will).

So, when I look at the injustice in the world, I want to take action! And sometimes I do take action. And I think that's right and good. BUT, when I lose sight of the fact that God takes ultimate care to accomplish his JUSTICE and his MERCY, then I'm in trouble. Thank God for his mercy. My trouble isn't everlasting! I have life everlasting because of him.

What is Gospelizing?

2007-06-12T18:44:00.000-07:00

Very simply, gospelizing is doing just what the title desription says - seeking transformation the good old way. Seeking it for who? For me, for you, and for anyone you or I happen to run into along the way. Gospelizing is the work of God, but it's a work he invites us to join him in spreading. If the aim of human history - and the universe as a whole for that matter - is to see all things unified in Jesus Christ, then I figured the gospel and the actions toward spreading it might make good subject matter for a blog. I'd like to explore different topics here as they relate to God (specifically the God who became a man named Jesus) and people (specifically me and you - whoever you may be). That gives me a lot of liberty in what I decide to post, but narrows it a bit in that I hope to look through the lens of the good old way - the gospel.