Belatedly Thankful

Surlely, our God deals with us in abounding patience, tender mercy, warm compassion, genuine kindness. Even with us! Paupers. Wanderers. Prodigals still smelling of the garbage we eat in the pigs' trough.

The truth of our condition warrants a stern and cold, removed and impatient, fed up and angry, rigid and scornful God. But we are perpetually met with the weighty reality of You, our Father, and Your unchanging, condescending love. Our sin and self-worship encourage one another; they harden and confuse our hearts. But, LORD, Your goodness melts our hearts; it humbles us in dust and ashes.

We are hidden in the bullseye of your fervent, infinite love for Jesus Christ. Eternity is not long enough to marvel at Your beauty, to join the chorus of praises to your excellency, to comprehend the depth of Your warm compassion. Surely as You say: You will be our God and we will be Your people, forever!

Hello!

hello fellow bloggers,

in an effort not to be considered one of these "lurker" fellows, i have decided to post a posting. well, here goes. i don't have time for pleasure reading aside from the daily tidbits of political gossip i see on the drudgereport or cnn.com, but i am reading an interesting exegesis on the johannine prologue. i had to choose a topic for my new testament class and have alway been fascinated by the opening "in the beginning was the word..." etc.
what do i want for christmas you ask? well, two things. i want to go on a long run with bruner who will never run with me. i also want some more peanut brittle. i bought some from some kid in the publix parking lot in albany for 6 dollars and it was delicious. he wanted to go to washington dc with my money.
what is wrong with "merry christmas?" i, for one, will not be doing my christmas shopping at wal-mart or target. both have decided that the phrase "season's greetings" is less offensive to the masses. oh yes! please do not remind me that the reason for the season is not the new xbox 360.
i also think elvis has some of the best christmas songs ever. seriously.
oh, and tom doesn't like the rolling stones.

merry christmas!

rt

Happy Thanksgiving!!

I hope your days were fun and nondisfunctional. I had a great time with my family...almost all were in town. See (some) of y'all when you get back to Athens.

Silliness

You are silly. ALL of you. Very silly.

I thought these were over...

Urrrrgggg. Now I remember why I hate school: that nauseating feeling of doom is slowly seeping through my insides as I reluctantly resign myself to the sad reality that I will be awake all night working. 24.75 years old and I still haven't learned to start projects earlier than the night before. If anybody can't sleep tonight and wants to hang out, stop by the SLC...I'll be here paying my pennace for procrastination. For the rest of you, sleep tight and sweet dreams. -Ben

A Picture of the South?

"Satan's purpose is not to make good people bad or bad people worse. Satan's purpose is ultimately to make people good without Jesus Christ. If the devil owned any one town in America, it would immediately become the loveliest town in America--crime free, prosperous, and everyone would go to church, where Jesus Christ is not preached." -- Barnhouse

Wooglin Smiles Upon You, Jason.

Yesterday I was in the dining hall trying to stay awake as I waited for customers at the ice cream machine when Tippet came by and shared some humorous news with me. It seems that since Brother Bennet, EE 14, started taking some music class at UGA this semester, his name reappeared on the chapter grade report. The 4.0 he's bound to post should help the chapter slap those (expletive deleted) Fijis and Sig Eps in the face when we get first in grades. Snaps to JB.

Shame on Rass...

Oh Andrew...I'm a bit disappointed in you. Clearly, your review of J.C. Ryle's Holiness does not conform to the proper Reading Rainbow book report format. If I'm not mistaken, the most crucial element of any book review is the closing, "But you don't have to take my word for it"...do doot doot. Please rewrite your review and resubmit. Yours Truly, Ben

What I'm Reading

I am currently reading "Holiness" by J.C. Ryle. It is an amazing book that spurs Christians on towards physically living the Christian life. It has caused me to greatly examine the fruit that I produce and I have realized that there is not much of my fruit that I would eat. It calls Christians to a stong faith and holy living. It's good times.

Problems Posting?

If any of y'all have experienced a problem posting either a comment or a blog entry, tell me or Ben so we can delete and then re-add you to the blog. Apparently, some have tried to post and/or comment and haven't been recognized as members of this blog.

OK. Back to answering Ben's question...

Penny for your thoughts...

In an effort to lure some of you timid creatures out of your hole and into the world of posting your thoughts, here's a simple question you can respond to. What are you reading these days? Any subject, any author, any book, any quote, any thoughts, any anything. (Stop rolling your eyes, Bruner...I know I'm a dork without you having to post it here.)

"Trade Show"

For all you kids living elsewhere, Hal's sermon last Sunday was rooted in Philippians 3:10-11: "I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead." Ever since Sunday morning, I've been trying to unpack what it really means to know Christ. It's an important question to ask. If we are honest, we must confess that often we seek to know about Jesus instead of know Him.

What happens is that we trade a relationship for a system; a relational God for a mechanical God; a passionate pursuit for an academic pursuit. The former god is a self-fabricated god. It is the god of legalism and the familiar god of do-it-yourself salvation. This one is the dull god of history books. And that god is not to be found anywhere in Scripture. No. The God of Israel, our God, our Redeemer is the relational God; for He reveals Himself as such in Scripture.

So why is this distinction, knowing about versus knowing, that important? Because when we pursue knowledge that is disconnected from a relationship, God becomes the focus of our feeble analysis rather than our fervent adoration. And we become biographers and not children.

The biographer, say of a historical figure, knows his subject well because he's studied him extensively. He can speak for hours on end about his subject. He knows all that has been written about him, all that other people thought of him. But, he doesn't know him as a person. He has never met him, talked with him, marveled at him, loved him or been loved by him. In light of all his knowledge he remains a stranger, hidden by distance and anonymity. He never enters into the mind or the mystery of his subject. He knows plenty about him, but he has never known him.

Like Jason wrote in his post last month, if a deeper knowledge of Jesus Christ does not translate into a deeper love of Jesus Christ, we are that biographer who never understands the heart of his subject, who never is warmed with affection for him. Let's each of us supplicate our Father to know Him and be known by Him (1 Corinthians 8:2-3), to seek after His very heart just like David yearned to do. This person, this God-man Jesus Christ is rich and beautiful and full of flavor. Taste of Him and see that the LORD is good! (Psalms 34:8, 1 Peter 2:3). He calls you by name and claims you by name (Isaiah 43:1).

Let us read Scripture not for the sake of knowing Scripture or being puffed up with knowledge, but to know the transfixing person of Jesus Christ. Let us pray not for the sake of praying or feeling more holy, but to understand more and more how our LORD relates to us and how we may rightly adore Him. Let us worship not because it is Sunday morning and that is what we do on Sunday mornings. No, let's do it because it is a Tuesday afternoon...or a Thursday morning...or a Saturday night and our hearts are melted all over again by the reality of His condescending love in spite of our habitual wandering.

There isn't any doubt: Jesus Christ is by His very nature infinitely holy and beautiful and riveting. If we do not presently see Him as such, one reason could be that we have forgotten our first love and exchanged intimacy for formality, a marriage for an acquaintance. Believer, if this sad state is descriptive of your heart, do not despair. If the Father was not willing to spare His only son to purchase you from death and misery, surly He is willing to "renew a right spirit within you" and "restore you to the joy of His salvation" (Psalm 51: 10, 12). Pray this from Him. Seek Him desperately with your whole heart and you will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13). And rest assured that Christ's exceeding merit guarantees God's eternal acceptance of you, even His love for you!

Religion in Georgia

Just a quick tidbit from this week's Onion.

Faith Healer Loses Patient During Routine Miracle

November 9, 2005 | Issue 41•45

WAYCROSS, GA—A routine laying-on of hands ended in a fatal cardiac embolism for a worshiper at the One, True, Glorious, Excruciated, And Risen Christ Traveling Gospel Church Sunday. "Losing a fellow Christian is always the hardest part of this job," attending faith healer Harlon Pearcey said. "I invoked the name of the Holy Trinity to drive the sickness out from the poor sinner's heart, but sadly, a blockage in the sinner's pulmonary artery stopped God's love, and much blood, from getting through." The American Faith-Healing Association issued a statement saying that Pearcey followed trinity-invocation and snake-handling guidelines during the procedure.

A bet

I've got $20 for anyone who can produce an authentic picture of Brent doing any of the following:

1. "chasing ladies"
2. Dancing in a night club.
3. Dancing anywhere at all.

Harmony

"O Lord, You arouse us so that praising you may bring us joy, because you have made us and drawn us to yourself, and our heart is unquiet until it rests in you." -- St. Aurelius Augustinus, The Confessions of St. Augustine, Book I

Depth of Mercy

Depth of mercy! Can there be Mercy still reserved for me?
Can my God His wrath forbear, Me, the chief of sinners, spare?
I have long withstood His grace, Long provoked Him to His face,
Would not hearken to His calls, Grieved Him by a thousand falls.

I have spilt His precious blood, Trampled on the Son of God,
Filled with pangs unspeakable, I, who yet am not in hell!
I my Master have denied, I afresh have crucified,
And profaned His hallowed Name, Put Him to an open shame.

Whence to me this waste of love? Ask my Advocate above!
See the cause in Jesus’ face, Now before the throne of grace.
Jesus, answer from above, Is not all Thy nature love?
Wilt Thou not the wrong forget, Permit me to kiss Thy feet?

If I rightly read Thy heart, If Thou all compassion art,
Bow Thine ear, in mercy bow, Pardon and accept me now.
Jesus speaks, and pleads His blood! He disarms the wrath of God;
Now my Father’s mercies move, Justice lingers into love.

Kindled His relentings are, Me He now delights to spare,
Cries, “How shall I give thee up? ”Lets the lifted thunder drop.
Lo! I still walk on the ground: Lo! an Advocate is found:
“Hasten not to cut Him down, Let this barren soul alone.”

There for me the Savior stands, Shows His wounds and spreads His hands.
God is love! I know, I feel; Jesus weeps and loves me still.
Pity from Thine eye let fall, By a look my soul recall;
Now the stone to flesh convert, Cast a look, and break my heart.

Now incline me to repent, Let me now my sins lament,
Now my foul revolt deplore, Weep, believe, and sin no more.

-Charles Wesley, 1740

Living is Hard Work

"For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few" -- Matthew 7:14

Some Christians speak of their readiness to sacrifice it all for the Gospel by being martyred. In others, there is a zeal to be killed "in the line of duty". Many times, this is admirable. Sometimes though, it is naive boasting in one's own zeal and holiness.

My question is this. What is more costly, more sobering, and perhaps scarier: Giving your very life for the Gospel tomorrow, or living to be 85 or 90 years old...obediently bearing your rugged cross each day for the Redeemer.

To those who ask: "Are you willing to die for Him?", I reply with an equally important question, "Are you willing to live for Him?" I submit to the reality that Almighty God has ordained that some are appointed to be martyred for the faith (see Christ's words to Peter in John chapter 21) and that this glorifies Him and satisfies His mysterious purposes.

But in my humble and fallible opinion, living for Christ, bearing this cross day after day, and struggling with the agonizing realities of our sinful flesh might require something more courageous, more perseverant, more daring than martyrdom. Could this be true? What do you think?

Lurkers

So we have lurkers here at Dying to Live. Some (or maybe all) of y'all are reading this but not posting. I know this because it has been admitted.

You know, people do this at churches, too. They lurk. They attend spastically, maybe even regularly, but they don't engage. They don't interact. They don't make themselves known in the house of God. They attend just often enough to convince themselves they've performed their obligation to God, or at least have given a good enough effort to obligate God to be nice to them, and they take advantage of the grace God pours out on His Church.

They take communion but don't examine their hearts. They sit in the fringes, in the unnoticeable places, even if it happens to be in the middle of the sanctuary. They don't participate in the life of the church, including small groups, and they certainly don't serve in any capacity.

They sing but don't live what they are saying. They confess, but their lives show them to be insincere. They have the appearance of Godliness, but deny its power. (Follow the link to see the clear instruction Paul gives regarding these people.)

Brothers, and I call y'all that not only as Christian brothers but also as men along side whom I've labored to learn to love Christ, we must not be lurkers in the church, even if we are lurkers on the blog.

I think some of y'all aren't posting because you don't want to expose yourselves, either to criticism, disagreement, or the possibility of people seeing that you don't know something. This is not that kind of blog. This is primarily a social blog, despite my and Ben's posts about our thoughts on God. Use it to keep in touch, or just come back to see what's up with the others, and if inspiration hits you, show your love by encouraging each other.

Regardless, I'll keep posting, so keep lurking. :) Have you seen these pictures of Paris Hilton? Seriously...she's so ugly.