Some Old Revivalists

This video reminds me of Piper's talk at Passion this year when he asked the question, "Do you feel more loved by God because he makes much of you or because he enables you to make much of him?" The world - and God's designs for it - is not mainly about us; it is mainly about God and his glory. Our salvation itself is about God's glory! But oh, how sweet are the rewards for us in his divine design, in which he has chosen to glorify Christ by having us be united to him by his death and resurrection.

Is God the end for you? Or is he the means to some other other end? Is God the means to health, wealth, and prosperity? Or more subtly, is God simply the means to your forgiveness, salvation, joy, and peace? Any good thing, even God's good gifts, can become an idol if it takes the place of God and becomes ultimate in your life; God alone is the ultimate end. God's glory and his grace are seen in this: by Christ's reconciling death, God has become both the means and the end.

The Dangers of Blogging

For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. (John 12:43)

One of my idols is the praise of men. Growing up I was driven with the desire to never be in trouble with anyone. I was the good kid at school, and I didn't speak up too much. I excelled at academics, especially at math, and I loved the attention that came with that. I did not brag too much, but I wanted to be the best, and I wanted to be seen as the best. I believe I achieved that. People in all my spheres of life thought I was incredibly smart. Perhaps it was not always conscious, but I really thirsted for that praise.

Picking Piper's Brain: Think (4)

"How does the act of thinking relate to the rise of faith?" That is one of the primary questions Piper seeks to address in Chapter 4 of "Think". Let us look at Matthew 16:1-4.

The Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. He answered them, "When it is evening, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.' And in the morning, 'It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah." So he left them and departed.

Here Jesus affirms the logical capacities of the Pharisees and Sadducees. They use their minds well to draw the logical conclusions from their observation of the sky. Jesus seems to be approving of this empirical use of their minds, and this acknowledgement that they have working minds is actually the grounds for the indictment of the second half of the passage. In other words, "You obviously have the ability to interpret, and yet you cannot see who I am. You reject me."

That they "cannot" interpret the signs of the times does not mean that they do not have the sensory and rational capacities necessary. So what then is the nature of this "cannot"? Answering this question should help us understand how faith and reason are connected.

Other Blogs

I am such a sinner, and I have been so blessed by the grace of God. I have been blessed with the opportunity and the energy to write this blog. I have been blessed to hear of readers who have, by God's grace and certainly not my spiritual or intellectual prowess, been helped in various ways. I want to take this opportunity to point out some other blogs and resources from people who are more qualified to write and who most certainly live out the realities our words point to better than myself.

Picking Piper's Brain: Think (3)

In Chapter 3 of "Think" Piper takes a closer look at what he means by thinking. He acknowledges that the act of thinking can be very broad and that different people use different definitions. To invest the concept with content appropriate to the theme of the book - knowing and loving God by using our minds - he examines good reading as a primary act of thinking.

Thoughts from West Virginia

I am currently in West Virginia at a Ski Resort with my church's youth group. I was invited as a guest speaker and teacher, and I am supposed to lead our group meetings at night. My topic of study for these few days is one that has been with me throughout my time in college. We are studying the person and work of the Holy Spirit.

Paul Tripp video - "War of Words"

War of Words by Paul Tripp from David Jimenez on Vimeo.

I am currently reading through Paul Tripp's book on marriage with Nicole. He is definitely Gospel-centered, and he is very good at drawing out practical life implications and applications from major Scriptural truths. It has been a few months since I watched this talk, but it is very convicting and perspective-enlarging on a topic we don't think about too much - how we use our words.