Bald Thinker

Top 10 Albums of 2011

2011-12-09T09:11:00.013-06:00

2011 was an excellent year for music. There are several albums that I loved this year, and choosing which ones to put in the top 10 was excruciatingly difficult.

With each ranking, I've included a brief snippet about each.

	1. MuteMath - Odd Soul This was not a hard decision. When I first purchased this album, I was unsure that I'd like it, as it's so different than their previous efforts. The band had already lost one of their key members (guitarist Greg Hill), and I was concerned with some of the bluesy overtones that had been added to their typical electro-rock sound. That being said, over time, I found the addition of those elements to be welcome, and given a little more time, it easily became my favorite album of the year. Over time, this album was so well done that it made the previous albums sound half-done in comparison, a task I didn't think possible. A move from their percussion-based sound to a sound that is far more balanced across all the sonic elements bode well for them in this release, and it's by far my favorite album of 2011. I will be seeing them at 3 - count 'em - 3 tour dates next year. I expect they will melt my face off... as always.
	2. Death Cab for Cutie - Codes and Keys One of the things that many people liked about Death Cab prior to this album was their brooding lyrics that tended towards extreme introspection. Don't get me wrong, I loved Plans, and it still holds a place in my heart as one of my favorites ever, but I have to give Ben Gibbard some credit for not repeating the same negative lyrics that they had for the past several years in this album. The reason why is this: Ben Gibbard (at least at the start of this year) was married to this year's "it girl", Zooey Deschanel. He had kicked his alcohol habit, and things were looking up for him. So what does he do? He writes happy lyrics to match his life stage. Being married myself (albeit happier than Ben and Zooey turned out to be), I could relate to these lyrics well. Not only that, but sonically, this album felt less like Narrow Stairs, and more like Plans, the latter of which was by far superior. All in all, this was a good album for anyone who has a penchant towards introspection, but otherwise is enjoying life.
	3. Foo Fighters - Wasting Light Yes, I know they've been around forever, and yes, I know they're holding on to a style that's been somewhat outdated and squeezed out by the indie (or not so indie these days) scene, but let's face it. There's something pretty awesome about four men who choose to do their album using ONLY ANALOG TECHNOLOGY. Nevertheless, you never feel as though they're giving you anything half-baked. The words "this one goes to eleven" come to mind, and their off-stage antics have most certainly led to easy comparisons between them and Spinal Tap. This album was old school in several ways, and the message they're trying to send is clear. We're still here, and we're still rock stars. Yes, Dave Grohl, yes you are.
	4. Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto So Chris Martin could use a poetry class at the local community college, that much is sure, but once you get the somewhat boring, try-too-much, lyrics out of the way, you find yourself with an album that is a real sonic treat. I'm a sucker for a good concept album, so this was a double whammy for me. At the end of the day, you find that their attempts at making something epic, while not as epic as the Foo Fighters or Florence and the Machine, are still effective and you're probably having more lighthearted fun with this album. Once you forgive Martin for his overly sensitive nature, you're left with a sonically-satisfying album that seems to be crafted just right - as an album, and not a series of songs.
	5. Katie Herzig - The Waking Sleep Katie Herzig released parts of this album this year on one of my favorite sites: Noisetrade. It's become an increasingly rare thing for me to find an album with a female vocalist that I actually enjoy. To be honest, many of the female vocalists I've heard lately sound somewhat similar, boring and cookie-cutter. What gets me with this album is the crisp, percussive, orchestral production and the odd instrumentation that comes with that. Ms. Herzig has done an excellent job of creating a consistent feel across the album. There isn't one song that feels out of place or halfway done. This is one album that doesn't get boring with it's upbeat tone and varied textures and there's just something about that voice that I just can't put my finger on, and I bet you can't either.
	6. Ben Howard - Every Kingdom Acoustic album of the year - bar none. Ben Howard, a British folk singer has put together an album that somehow manages to be varied in it's tones, and yet his instrumentation is pretty straightforward. The power of his music is most certainly in the songwriting. Chris Martin could learn a lesson or two from this guy. His lyrics are specific enough to convey a specific message, without being too formulaic. If you listen to the first track on this album, and you don't feel like going camping with your friends, there's something wrong with you. This is one to listen to on a long road trip.
	7. Bon Iver - Bon Iver Justin Vernon's sophomore release gives us more of what we're used to with Bon Iver. The first album, For Emma, Forever Ago, was so well done, being the sonic equivalent of being snowed in and wrapped up in a blanket inside a warm cabin with a roaring fire. This second album does the same, although he's a little more revealing with some of his influences. A good example is the almost out-of-place Beth/Rest, which is the last song on the album, and includes instrumentation that sounds like it came right out of a Bruce Hornsby song. The only thing wrong with this album is that it was released in the middle of June. It's most certainly a winter album.
	8. Foster the People - Torches Lots of people hate this album. And I mean HATE this album. Typically, when they strike out in hatred, it has something to do with the most popular single from this album: Pumped-Up Kicks, which is an upbeat song about a school shooting. Yeah, that's a little strange. But I'll be a monkey's uncle if these guys can't make some music, and make it well. Jennifer and I went this year to see them live, and it was one of the most energetic live shows we've seen. Mark Foster knows how to use his energy in a performance, and he does so extremely well.
	9. Florence + The Machine - Ceremonials Firstly, this album is NOT Lungs. I wasn't doing a top 10 two years ago when Lungs came out, and if I had, I would have probably put Florence near the top of the list. This effort isn't quite as strong as her first, but it's still worth putting on the list. If you want an album that sounds epic, this (or Foo Fighters) would be it. Her vocals are a slight bit more receded than her first album, and "The Machine" seems a little more prominently featured. That being said, there are some anthems that you'll be sure to love. And there's lots of songs about drowning. I'm not sure what's up with that.
	10. Gungor - Ghosts Upon the Earth By far the best (overtly) Christian album on the list. Michael Gungor has a frequently updated blog, and it's clear that he has strong opinions about excellence in music. His opinions have translated, musically, into the best Christian album in several years. A concept album, (again, I'm a sucker for them), Ghosts Upon the Earth presents the fall and redemption of mankind through Jesus Christ, and it presents it with a flair that is reminiscent of Flamenco music, Jonsi, and the occasional Derek Webb-sounding vocals. Gungor, and his wife, Lisa, are virtuosos in the purest sense of the word, and it shows in songs like "You Are the Beauty". And once you get to "This is Not the End", you'll find yourself completely in love with this album and hitting the repeat button on your iPhone.

God loves me? Whaaaaat?

2011-08-27T07:33:00.003-05:00

Okay... so I've been a Christian for years. Nearly my whole life. But, as I was thinking about it really in depth this week, I realized something, I'm not sure that I ever really think about the fact that God loves me.

Sure, I think about it in it's abstract form... you know: "For God so loved the world...", but I rarely think about it and how it actually applies to me.

Recently I've been listening to alot of Christian music, and in doing so, I came across a Sara Groves song called "Maybe There's a Loving God." I've been listening to this song on repeat for a while, and I realized a couple of days ago that, while I spend much of my time immersed in Scripture, planning talks to give the Bible Study I'm in on Sunday morning, or reading books by Francis Chan and John Piper, I rarely stop to think about the fact that the creator of the universe loves me. He actually loves me!

It's a simple thought, but one I think I miss all to often. I think too much sometimes on God's sovereignty, and what I can do for God, that I so often miss what God has done for me, and what is supposed to be a response to God out of gratitude and joy becomes a treadmill where I just wear myself out instead.

Not only this, but I'm a firm believer that we all tend to resemble the way we perceive God. If we view him as a high-pressure being who wants his children to fall in line, then that's the way we're going to try to run our households. If we focus on the fact that he loves us more, then we're going to be more likely to love more. In short, we become the God we believe in (minus, you know, the omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent thing, of course).

Maybe this was made for me
For sitting on my back in the middle of a field.
Maybe that's a selfish thought.
And maybe there's a loving God.

-Sara Groves from "Maybe There's a Loving God"

So, in short, while I love that God is sovereign and transcendent and wise and all-powerful, I sometimes need to remind myself that those characteristics aren't mutually exclusive with his other characteristics: his love, kindness and absolute joy he has in his children. It's absolutely essential.

Taking Sides

2011-03-10T05:48:00.003-06:00

The world too often perceives the Gospel offered by Christ as condemnation, because it requires humility to accept Christ's help. It doesn't matter to the world that the Gospel is not condemnation, but is rather peace between ourselves and God, and is the source of our salvation. Nevertheless, we, as Christians, too often accept the expected role of judge when it comes to our interactions with the world. Being a Christian doesn't mean we take sides with God against the world. It means we take sides with God for the world.

For Christ did not come into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him. (John 3:17)

God did not create the Church in order to enforce a new moral order, but in order to love the world and love each other with the non-condemning, redemptive, love of Christ.

To be sure, we are in a war, but as Paul puts it "...we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." (Ephesians 6:12). It's important to realize what we're fighting, because in fighting the wrong enemy, we may be unwittingly taking sides with our true opponent. Our battle is not against people. It's against the darkness that has come over them.

To be a Christian is not an act of picking sides in a war against the people in the world. It's an act of representing the Captain of a rescue vessel to the passengers of a sinking ship.

Living Offensively

2011-03-07T06:13:00.001-06:00

So Said Musa, who was imprisoned for converting to Christianity, has been released from prison. I've been impressed with the Christian use of social networking, namely Twitter, which has brought attention to his plight, and ultimately aided in shedding light on the persecution happening throughout the world. The use of these kinds of tools by the Christian community is a true offensive tool that we can use to aid brothers and sisters under persecution and imprisonment. I have to say that I am impressed by the Christian community's unified face that was presented to the world in asking for the release of Mr. Musa. In my mind, that is the way the Church is supposed to act in the light of things.

Sometimes, as Christians, it's possible for us to look at the world as though we're somehow the "underdog". As though we're the ones being hunted by the world. And often, we buy into the lie that the world is going to win, and ultimately, we're a dying breed.

As it is written:

"For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered." (Romans 8:36)

And yet, Paul speaks against this thought very forcefully:

"No, in all things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." (Romans 8:37)

Not only this, but Jesus tells us:

"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." (Matthew 5:5)

So given this, shouldn't we stop thinking defensively? Shouldn't we stop being so fearful? After all, we have God's promises that we are indeed on the offense, not on the defense. We know that the good guys ultimately win. We know that the gates of hell will not prevail against us.

So this is an argument to think and live offensively. To be certain, we need to be sure we're not living as though any individual person alive is our problem, or standing in our way. No, that's far too temporal of a viewpoint.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12)

And spiritual warfare uses spiritual weapons.

"Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, an, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is t word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with perseverance, making supplication for all the saints..." (Ephesians 6:13-18a)

So claim the territory. Know God's word. Live God's word. Be ready at all times. Pray for the persecuted and the abused. Pray against their captors and abusers. Take an offensive stance. Love others fearlessly. Then, send a letter or a tweet to a congressman or a president on behalf of those being persecuted. It works. Support a good cause. Be a part of the church universal. We are a threat to the darkness, and the gates of hell cannot stand against us. There's no room for us to think as though we're defeated.

Why I Didn't Like The Lost Series Finale

2010-05-24T12:55:00.004-05:00

I have a confession. I've loved watching Lost for the past few years, ever since my wife introduced it to me while we were dating. The characters were well developed, and the storyline was amply mysterious. For the past few years, my wife and I have made a ritual every Tuesday of sitting down to watch the show. So, needless to say, I was extremely excited for the Lost finale. Jennifer and I had some friends over, and we had (relabeled) Dharma Initiative Beer and Cola, and she even baked a cake I decorated as a "Dharma Initiative Cake". Indeed, we had lots of fun. Nevertheless, I was disappointed at the finale's overly relativistic conclusion.

To be sure, the writers had a very clear message they wanted to convey, and I believe they conveyed it well. In this point, artistically, they succeeded. Unfortunately, the message they wanted to convey is none less than a direct attack on Christianity, and a muddying of the waters when it comes to what Christianity is, leading to further confusion on the part of people who already misunderstand the message of Christ. The finale was clearly meant to leave the viewer with the idea that nothing really mattered on the island, except for the fact that everybody will ultimately go to the same place.

The basic plotline of Lost goes like this:

1. People crash on an island. The first couple of seasons build the characters by use of flashbacks, showing what their lives were like before the crash.

2. At some point, some of the characters leave the island, and their lives are extremely confused, and then are convinced they must return to the island. To do this, they consult with Eloise Hawking, whose laboratory is located in a Church (mind you, in this timeline in the future, the "negative" timeline, the Church is filled only with Christian symbolism). She helps send them back to the island.

3. Once back on the island, they do some time travelling stuff, and eventually explode a hydrogen bomb, which spawns this alternate universe where there are "flash-sideways" to the characters' lives if they plane had never crashed.

4. In these sideways flashes, we start seeing people "remembering" the island, and the plot moves forward to get all of the people to "remember" so they can all, ultimately, gather together in the end.

5. In the finale, they gather together in the church, which is now filled with symbols from all major religions (not simply Christianity), and a man named "Christian Shepard" (yes, his name is significant), explains that everyone is actually dead, and they created this parallel universe in order to find each other again. Note that the place they created is the same as what was the church, but it is now an all-inclusive chapel where there is no definitive truth.

6. In the last scene, they're told they're going to "move on" from this place, and Christian Shepard walks out the front doors of the church into a bright white light. Meanwhile, the characters back on the island, except for Hurley, Desmond and Ben end up either leaving or dying.

So here's the issue. In the real world, the church is a church. It's not a multi-faith facility. In the after death, made up world it's changed. It's "evolution" so to speak, is to no longer adhere to simply one belief, but to adhere to the idea that all beliefs are the same. The after death world was made by the victims of the crash, and the church represents their man-made religion that is to accept all religions. Nevertheless, this all-inclusive religion is portrayed at the end of the show as being somehow right, or at least right enough for everyone involved to "pass through" to the bright light, while following Christian Shepard.

More than that, it's also important to take into account the viewpoints not only of the smoke monster, but of his nemesis, Jacob. The smoke monster's viewpoint on mankind is more consistent with Christianity, in that he believes that men are primarily evil. However, as portrayed by Lost, the result of this viewpoint is ruthlessness and murder. No character on the show holds to a negative view of mankind, but still cares about people on the whole. (The only character who might have fit this category, would have been Mr. Eko, who represented the Christian character on the show, but was nonetheless absent from the "gathering" at the end of the show. Where was he?). Meanwhile, Jacob's viewpoint is that man is basically good, and so, according to the show, the result of his philosophy is kindness and a desire to help people. Sadly, this is a false dichotomy. Christianity states that man is primarily evil, however, the Bible's approach to this is to counter evil with love.

To sum it up, in the end, they killed the monster who believed that man was evil, in order to find themselves in a "better place" where no viewpoint is better or "more right" than another. It's relativism at it's clearest. I was never expecting a Christian viewpoint from the show. I'm not that idealistic or naive. It's a show. Take it for what it is. What I was not expecting, however, was for the entire show to culminate in a preachy ending, where the relativistic philosophy is not simply part of the resolution, but is the resolution in and of itself. For that reason, I could never again recommend this show to anybody else ever again. It raises interesting questions, but I believe the clear message at the end is a bit too much of a direct attack on my faith for me to feel comfortable with. Besides, too many of the mysteries were left hanging.

Believing God Versus Believing in God

2010-03-30T06:26:00.005-05:00

Our English colloquialisms have failed us spiritually.

When we are leading a new believer through praying to "accept Christ", I think we too often miss the mark that is the heart of our faith. We tell people they need to "believe in God" or "accept Christ" instead of telling them they need to "believe God". These are vastly different things.

Romans chapter 4 outlines Abraham's faith. Abraham believed something. His faith was not so amorphous as to say "I believe in God". Instead he believed God. There's a difference. See, our faith isn't simply in the person of God, but in the promises of God. Abraham specifically believed God when He told him that he was going to be the father of many nations. He believed the promise.

If I just walked up to you and said "I have faith in you", I'd better have some good contextual basis for saying this, or you're going to likely look back at me and say "to do what?" See, faith is based on believing a promise. True, you may believe a promise on the basis that a person's character is not such that they would be telling lies, but your faith is still in the promise more than it is the person. I could have the greatest character qualities of anyone on earth, but if I never promised to do anything, you'd have no promise on which to place your faith.

Believing God's promise also takes more faith than simply believing God. Believing in God is a necessary prerequisite to believing God. It's impossible for you to believe that I love my wife if you don't believe I exist. That would make no sense. If you simply believe in God, and don't believe God, then you believe that God exists, but is silent and impotent, that his very existence does not affect our lives at all. If you believe he is, and he is not silent, then you believe in an active God who has the power to save people from their sins. It is this promise that truly transforms lives. It is this promise that is the Gospel in all it's essence.

God promised that Christ's death was enough to pay for all of your sins. He proved it by raising Him from the dead. Do you believe His promise?

The New Dodge Caravan!

2008-03-05T18:58:00.001-06:00

"Bringing families together like never before!"

Apparently so.

Stealing from the Infinite God

2008-02-06T07:29:00.000-06:00

I used to think the reason to refrain from sin was because it simply wasn't good for you. I'm changing my mind. I think sin is bad, not because it hurts you, because I can point out plenty of people who seemingly get away with sin their entire lives (Hugh Hefner, anyone?) I think sin is bad, because sin is stealing from an infinite, jealous God, a pleasure that does not belong to us.

The crazy thing is, for some reason, God chooses to let us take pleasure in it anyways.

So I ask you, which is more frightening?

1. God's fatherly discipline followed by His grace.
2. God's detached patience followed by His wrath.

If you're not sure, I beg you to pray that you will know.

Hi. My name is David, and I'm a theological snob.

2007-12-02T22:02:00.000-06:00

Okay, so the title pretty much says it all.

I, the man who has for so long thought himself even keeled and careful in his theological assessment to Scripture has recently been accused of being a theological snob. It seems this accusation may be well founded.

I'm a denominational snob as well.

I grew at Perimeter Church in Atlanta more than I ever grew at any other church anywhere. I still believe the theology taught at that institution.

Nevertheless, they could be wrong, as could I. And the credit for my growth during that time shouldn't be attributed to the church in Atlanta nearly as much as it should be attributed to Christ himself.

God can work through any church. Period.

Far be it from us to call where God can work and where he can't. I'm not sure he would like us creating the zoning laws for his kingdom.

For further reference, please see the book of I Corinthians. Focus on Chapter 3.

Stewardship and Setting It Right

2007-10-08T05:01:00.001-05:00

At my church for the next three weeks, we'll be talking about the idea of stewardship. Stewardship is, in my mind, the act of managing someone elses resources. This idea is largely lost amidst the legalism we have in the church today. Instead of learning how to steward our money properly, we simply pay our 10% and leave it at that. I'm not saying that tithing is bad, I'm just asking what the heart of the issue is (and for most who tithe, I assume the heart is right).

Last night, our Bible study leader talked about the stewardship that Adam had over creation. In Genesis 1:28, God tells Adam and Eve to "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth." I've thought about Christ as a steward, and indeed he is. Being a steward is not something that God asks only of us non-Christ people. I think we often get the idea that Christ is leader only, and does not share in real work. Oh sure, we'll give him lip service, but how many of us really, in our hearts (don't raise your hand), believe that who we are is a product of time with God? We often only see our responsibility, but we fail to see that our responsibility is really an honor. It's an honor so great, that Christ himself is called to the same honor, with a greater responsibility than ourselves. Christ himself is the ultimate good steward. So the parallels to Christ just keep coming.

Ephesians 1:21-23 "...far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he [God the Father] put all things under his [Christ's] feet and gave him a head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all." (ESV, Comments in brackets mine)

And on Christ as a steward:
1 Corinthians 15:28 "When all things are subjected to him [Christ], then the Son himself will also be subjected to him [God the Father] who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all."

This is an amazing relationship between God the Father and Christ, that God the Father as set Christ as steward. Christ is accomplishing the task that Adam didn't. I have alot more to think about on this topic. Paul talks about Adam being the first Christ, who failed at his task miserably, and threw all of us into slavery to sin. It was through Adam that the creation rose up against it's master. Our safety is now in question. People are held in actual slavery, marriages fail, and every other evil that we can possibly think of has to do with the simple fact that Adam didn't steward well. In Christ, this is set right. We don't fully see it all yet (Hebrews 2:8), but we see the beginnings of it, the Holy Spirit in our hearts, and those of us who believe are held to such a high standard, not by men, but by God, that we may be good and faithful servants of the Lord Most High. Through Christ, we've been given an immense honor (which we did not deserve), and an immense responsibility. Through Christ, we are able to carry it out. May we recognize the amazing responsibility we've been given. Praise God for his wisdom.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ

2007-06-19T07:22:00.000-05:00

I was reading Galatians this morning, and I came across something very interesting, and something I think I've been misunderstanding for a while. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the landscape of Galatians, the basic idea is that it is a letter to the believers in the church at Galatia in response to a false teaching, namely the false teaching that circumcision is required for salvation. He calls them "foolish Galatians", and is "perplexed" and "astonished" by their foolishness in turning away from the Gospel. Paul takes the Gospel very seriously, and he takes an attack against the Gospel as personal, since he bears on his body the marks of Jesus (verse 6:17). It's very evident that Paul is not simply making a lighthearted correction directed at the believers, but is genuinely distressed and personally offended by their tainting of the Gospel by adding works to it. I suppose persecution can do this to a person.

Paul is concerned that the believers are not living their lives by the Spirit, but are actually living their lives by the works of the Law. In verse 3:2 Paul poses the question: "Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith?" This is a rhetorical question, and he answers it in verse 10: "For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, 'Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them'". He also poses the positive side of the answer in verse 14: "...so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith." So we receive the Spirit by hearing with faith. What is is that we are to hear? My guess is that we hear the Gospel, because it is the very thing that Paul gave his life to preach. The Gospel. The Gospel that Jesus Christ lived as a cursed man, under the law, that the only one who has the ability to fulfill the law, might do so, and be killed for it, so that we might fall in love with Him for doing so, thus being freed from the Law, that we might have faith in Jesus, and receive the Spirit.

A quick note on my interpretation of the Spirit. I believe the Spirit is evident when one loves Jesus Christ. There is a joy that is evident in the life of a believer that is living by the Spirit, that is simply absent when that same believer is constantly watching over his or her shoulder, avoiding the pitfalls and potholes that he or she might accidentally run into if they're not careful. A live lived by carefulness in avoiding a misstep is a life that does not fully comprehend grace. Christ has come, and he has given us freedom. We have faith in him. From faith comes the Spirit.

So why has this become an issue for me lately? I think we as Christians focus so much on the wisdom of Scripture, and we more often preach the way to live a "proper life" as opposed to preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, of Christ crucified. I have been lately trying to receive the Spirit myself through being good. My idea is that if I am good enough for long enough, I will receive the Spirit in greater measure. What a lie I've believed, and I repent! The truth is that I receive the Spirit by hearing the Gospel that frees me, and uniting that Gospel with faith, which is in itself a gift of God. Moreover, if we receive the Spirit by the hearing of the Gospel, united by faith, then we will live a life aimed at pleasing God, and not pleasing the flesh. I think this is what Paul means when he says "Walk by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you do want to do." (verses 5:16-17). But then notice Paul again, for good measure, tags on faith through grace immediately afterwards in verse 18: "But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law." I love that he pounds that distinction into our heads. Let me repeat that again with emphasis: "But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law." Paul is screaming freedom. We need more faith in the power of the Spirit. We need faith in verses 5:16-18, we do not need to turn it into a law. I suggest our failure comes not in improper teaching obedience to the law (with a lowercase "l" this time--my choice), but in the very fact that in teaching obedience to the law (or the Law) we are missing out on the glory of the Gospel, and are nullifying the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, on which the church universal is built! We often exchange the Gospel for the Law, and in this way, we become just like the Galatians: foolish.

May we turn to Christ alone for salvation and sanctification. May we recognize that there is only one who was ever able to fulfill the Law completely, and by doing so, he became a curse so that we may be blessed free men and women! How glorious is the Gospel of Jesus Christ! How worthy is the Lamb who was slain! May God be praised!

It's a special day!

2007-06-05T14:31:00.000-05:00

Sorry I Haven't Posted Lately

2007-06-03T07:11:00.000-05:00

I've been a bit busy... I made a new friend! We've been hanging out.

The Sabbath (Again)

2007-05-27T10:44:00.000-05:00

Okay, something irked me the other day. Beware... in the following few paragraphs, I'm ranting.

I was at a friend's house last night, and we were all sitting around chatting, and I mentioned how happy I was that today (Sunday) is the sabbath. Basically, I mentioned how I think that the Sabbath should be one of the first laws we teach new believers, because of the greatness of the fact that our God is so independant and self-sufficient, that he doesn't need us one day a week. (The fact is that he doesn't need us seven days a week, but he allows us to serve him, which again, is glorious!) In other words, he lets us, no, he commands us to rest. This is freaking awesome! I love our God, there is no other!

So I'm talking about this, and a friend of mine, a really good guy, says "Yes, but remember that the Sabbath is supposed to be a day devoted to the Lord. It's a day to spend time in the word and in prayer." Okay, perhaps he's right. I agree with him, and on the Sabbath, I do spend time in prayer and in the word, but let's think about this for a second. Do we really need another believer to tell us that? If we do, is there a sign of a deeper issue going on? I'm going to bring the analogy down to a human level for a second, and, admittedly, all analogies fall apart at some level or another, but I think this one holds pretty true, so bear with me, okay?

If a man is in love with a woman, and he decides, that as a gift, he's going to give her a spa treatment for one day (which is something many women are known to love), why does he do it? Certainly, he does it because he desires that she rest, relax, and take it easy for a while. He says "Let me give you something, and let everybody else take care of you for a day. You do nothing. Relax." So, she's telling her best friend about this, and her best friend says to her "Yes, but remember, that the spa treatment is a time for you to think about how much you love your husband."

Does that strike anyone else as a little odd? Of course she's going to be thinking about her husband. She loves him! She loves him even more for giving her a spa treatment and letting her take some time off! My guess is that she'll have an immense sense of gratitude for her husband for giving her something that allows her to relax. My guess is that as she's sitting there on the table getting her massage, or getting some kind of avocado something-or-other put on her face, she'll be thinking of how lucky she is to have a husband who is willing to give her something like that. (Please note that the author really doesn't get the whole avocado thing, but that's another blog for another time.)

I guess I just think that one of the worst things we do to our fellow believers is to tie them down with fifteen million things to do and feel once they're a believer. God commands us to love him. This is not an option. But it confounds me that we would take the emotions completely out of love, and we would focus solely on what we do in our relationship with God, when we would never venture to do something like that in a relationship with another person. When it happens with God, we call it self-sacrificing piety, and when it happens in a relationship, we call it "staying together for the kids." Admittedly, there are times when we feel as though we're so tired, that we just can't go on in our walk with God, but I think that's exactly what the sabbath is about. God is big. He made us. He knows me, and knows what is best for me, and he knows that one day a week to relax will make me be all the more devoted to Him.

Please. Let's not take the one command that Christ himself said was made for us, and turn it into another "task". This is completely against the whole nature of this particular command. The sabbath is supposed to be the "un-task" commandment, and I like it, and think it's great. I love God more for making it. Through it, God refreshes my soul and gives me strength to carry on for another week.

Now, if you're not into relaxing, please disregard this post.

Okay, now I think I'm gonna take a nap, or maybe eat.

The False Martyr's Approach to Resisting Sin

2007-05-25T08:01:00.000-05:00

You've met the false martyr. He's the guy that sucks the fun right out of an otherwise enjoyable situation. He's uncomfortable having fun, and probably believes that fun is bad. Fun, in his mind, takes away from the nobility of an act, because fun isn't self-denial.

The false martyr will probably have some pet sin he's trying to resist. He wants to quit, so he can tell God and others "Look at what I've done! I've haven't done _________ in X years!" He promises God, that if God gives him the strength to resist his sin, then he will give God the glory. It seems like a good deal, he thinks, "I resist the sin, you get the glory." At the core of his being, he knows his sin isn't going to satisfy him, but, not knowing what will, he believes that the pure absence of sin, with nothing else, will ease his conscience. Thus, a clean conscience must be the goal. The problem is, once his conscience is appeased, he has noone with whom to rejoice with about it, because others really don't care whether or not your conscience is clean or not. When was the last time you went to a "clean conscience party", or attended the "Church of the Clean Conscience". (Am I stepping on toes here?)

He's stuck in a dilemma. On the one hand, he has sin that does not satisfy. On the other, he has the hope of a clean conscience that doesn't satisfy either. Both seem unsatisfying, but one seems more noble. So given the choice of unsatisfaction with nobility, or simply unsatisfaction, he chooses the former, and begins to pursue it. It quickly becomes an obsession, and all he hears and reads about faith is interpreted through this filter. He turns inward, working as hard as he can, failing to succeed, then vowing obedience. Lather, rinse, repeat. Over and over again. "I'll be good this time," he thinks.

The problem is not that his sin is so strong. The problem is that the option he sees as an alternative are weak. A clean conscience. Is that it? Do we become Christians simply so we can have a clean conscience? I'll be the first to admit, that I'd rather have my conscience clean than guilty, but still, isn't there more?

Esau traded in his birthright so he could have a bowl of chili. The problem was not that he wanted the bowl of chili. Of course he wanted the bowl of chili. It's tasty and delicious! The problem was that he despised his birthright. He favored the chili over land inheritance. Insert whatever parallel example you want here; the point is that he traded in something great, so that he might have something that's... well... okay. The false martyr sees his options as "okay" and "alright", and is having trouble deciding.

I want to make a suggestion. I personally believe that sin will destroy us all. We all have it. It's a terminal cancer. But I also suggest that striving after a clean conscience first and foremost in life is also sin. Sin is doing or thinking anything that falls short of the glory of God. A clean conscience and self-righteousness does not match the glory of God. The opposite of sin is delight in God himself. You will not be able to put sin to death by the Spirit, unless you are beginning to see the value in God himself. When you see the value of God himself, you rejoice in God and praise him. He satisfies you fully, because only he can fully satisfy. The resistance to sin becomes a simple pleasure, and not a labor, and the labor becomes the quest to continually refresh a love with God, which is, thankfully, a task God has taken upon himself. Our role is to submit. He has truly done it all!

So, today, seek the value of God. Trade up for him. He is perfect, without blemish, holy and blameless, rejoicing in justice and loving those who seek him. He desires to be glorified through joyful saints who worship and love him and are satisfied in him. A clean conscience will only take you so far, but if it is your main goal, it will only bring you to self-righteousness and judgementalism. Seek God instead.

"...the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever..."
- Psalm 19:9a

An Apology for a Past Error

2007-05-24T12:07:00.000-05:00

I have, in the past, been known to get on soapboxes. It's my personality. I've recently discovered that one of my soapboxes is wrong, and I feel the need to publicly apologize.

In the past, I have often criticised missions organizations for employing men and women who would not otherwise succeed in the business world. I've pridefully looked down upon people who, upon failing in business endeavors, seek to make their living preaching and teaching the Word of God instead. I've come to believe this attitude is often wrong. Allow me to clarify.

There are two core reasons a person may fail in business. The first would be that they don't possess the mental capacity or "business saavy" to succeed. The second would be that they are genuinely lazy and do not have a good work ethic. The criticism I previously expressed was directed at people who fail in business for both reasons. While I will continue to discourage those who would enter into ministry because they view the task as "easier", I no longer view those who do not have strong business sense as being unfit for ministry. On the contrary, I believe they may be the most fit for ministry. Allow me to explain.

The foundational idea here would be that those who are in ministry are called to make great of God, and make little of themselves. (Indeed, we are all called to this.) Those who, for God's glory, depend on God for the sole reason that they must depend on God, prove God faithful. Displaying God's faithfulness and goodness should be the primary goal of every minister. I believe there is a direct inverse correlation between the amount of human work (or works in the flesh) put into ministry, and the glory God receives from the ministry. God's chief desire is not that the outside world would look at ministers saying, "what great, honest businessmen they are" (although all Christians should seek to be wise and honest), but rather that they would say "those people could not possibly have done what they've done were it not for God!" The single best qualifier for a minister of the Gospel is the level of his enjoyment of God through Christ. In this way, the focus is on God, and thus God receives glory.

A saavy businessman evaluates the monetary considerations of a deal, and will not attempt behaviors too risky for the risk/benefit scenarios played out in his own head. The risk is simply too high, and the benefit does not outweigh the risks. God is not in the equation. His thought patterns are based around the idea of quid pro quo. Everything is earned.

A minister is called to expect more from God than higher attendance and a better plot of land. I would even suggest that a minister is called to expect more than an increased depth of understanding and passion among their congregation. They are to attempt things so great for God's glory, that they are doomed to fail, lest God be in the endeavor. His thought patterns ought to be based around God's greatness and glory, and he should expect the impossible from God, for God delights in displaying his glory through performing the impossible. His main work should be turning the work over to God, for God to display His glory, and rejoicing in watching God do so. His focus should not be on personal gain, but rather on the sheer exuberance of seeing God do amazing things. The risk/benefit scenario is obliterated in the light of the overwhelming weight placed on the benefit, the display of God's glory. The risk becomes of no concern, as the benefit is not optional, but the entire point. This is the mark of the true minister.

For this reason, I renounce my belief that ministry needs more people who run ministry as a business. Instead, ministry needs more people who gladly and wholeheartedly rely on God, and delight in God himself.

In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."
Luke 10:21-22

Two Kinds of "Study"

2007-05-23T06:51:00.000-05:00

Remember when you were finally in High School? You were given the opportunity to take "electives", which meant that you could finally pick some "fun" classes?

Remember when you finally took the classes, and all the academic feel to them sucked the joy right out of the subject? Suddenly, instead of just enjoying art for it's beauty, you had someone who would "rate" the art, and tell you whether it was good or bad, and why. They wanted you to share in their opinion, and would even test you to make sure you agreed. You were quickly told what was beautiful and what wasn't; what was art and what wasn't. You had to read endless books about perspective, shading, depth, materials, textures, etc., and soon, you didn't really care about the beauty in art anymore. It was all wrapped up in the technical details. Instead of seeing a nude descending a staircase, you saw nothing more than a cubist painting whose lines and colors are to be analyzed and deconstructed. You eventually didn't care about anything but your performance in the class. The whole of art became lost in the details, and the passion lost in the rules.

A couple of months ago, I went to the museum with some friends in Atlanta. One of the women who went with us, Ashley, is an art teacher who is also an art lover. In one area of the museum, there were several preliminary sketches by famous artists. I and most people at the exhibit found them to be mostly boring, and preferred the colorful paintings to the sketches. Most of the group went downstairs, while Ashley continued browsing. After a few minutes, I went upstairs to let her know we were waiting downstairs. She started telling me how important the sketches are, and how beautiful they are because they represent the "normal" life of an artist. She was honestly frustrated that we only pay attention to the final product, when the majority of the life of an artist is spent in sketches. Her emotion, mixed with her knowledge, ignited a passion in me (however small) for the same thing. I had academic knowledge that drawings were preliminary, but I had never thought of what that means to the artist himself. Hearing her speak on the subject widened my thoughts just enough to ignite passion. And passion is more contagious than knowledge.

Growing up, I was taught something called "inductive Bible study". Basically, it's method to study Scripture, where you first observe, then interpret, then apply the word to your life. While I still do inductive Bible study today, at the time I was given the impression that this was the only good way to read Scripture. Yesterday, in an attempt to make my soul happy in God through reading Scripture, I started a brief inductive Bible study on Hebrews chapter 3. I observed as much as possible, underlined alot, sought themes and outlines, and tried to interpret and apply. Nevertheless, I felt academic, bound by rules, and detached from the subject matter, in much the same way the scientist is detached from the cells on a slide. Quite frankly, I missed the point, which meant I missed God, and that hurt.

Today I tried something different. I read Psalms. Many of them I can't relate to, but there are still many I can. Instead of studying Hebrews this morning, I turned to the Psalms, and instead of picking them apart, I allowed myself to worship with King David. In faith, I chose to believe King David's exclamations about God's greatness. I agreed with him, and asked God to stir in me a similar desire for himself. I didn't overanalyze the text, do sentence diagrams, or read each line several times emphasizing a different word each time. I simply read the Psalm to enjoy God. My heart was filled with joy in Christ, and my soul is closer to being happy and at rest in God. How satisfying is God himself!

Do we take this job of seeking joy in God seriously? Do you seek after God blindly, not realizing that God himself lies just beyond the pages of the book? May we fall in love with Christ, and run after him. We should watch ourselves so we don't fall into the trap of the Jews to which Jesus said in John 5:39: "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life." "You will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free" (John 8:32), but remember Christ said "I am the way and the truth, and the life." (John 14:6). Christ himself is the truth. We have the written word of God, but do we have the Word of God made flesh?

boredom 2

2007-05-22T16:00:00.000-05:00

"I'm so bored of little gods
while standing on the edge of something large.
While standing here, so close to You
We could be consumed
What a glorious day."

from "How Great" by David Crowder Band

George Müller

2007-05-22T07:12:00.000-05:00

If any of you have never read about George Müller, you should. He ran an orphanage in Bristol, England completely on prayer.

You read that right. He ran the orphanage on prayer. One evening, as the children in the orphanage were sitting to eat a dinner that was not before them, for there was no food in the orphanage, Müller prayed, thanking God for the food they were about to receive.

The milk truck broke down in front of the orphanage, and the baker had extra bread, as he had a contract cancel on him.

Like I said, he ran the orphanage on prayer.

I read a quote in Desiring God that reminded me of him yesterday. It reminded me of George Müller because George Müller said it. It goes like this:

I saw more clearly than ever, that the first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day was, to have my soul happy in the Lord. The first thing to be concerned about was not, how much I might serve the Lord, how I might glorify the Lord; but how I might get my soul into a happy state, and how my inner man may be nourished.... I saw that the most important thing I had to do was to give myself to the reading of the Word of God and to meditation on it.

Preach it, brother George!

Father God, Mother Church.

2007-05-21T07:02:00.000-05:00

Tell me if this sounds familiar to you:

1. Man becomes interested in spiritual things.
2. Man is told about Christ.
3. Man prays a prayer to accept Christ.
4. Man wonders "now what"?
5. Someone tells man "Now, get involved with the church. Start reading your Bible. Tell people about Christ. Pray alot."

Now wait a second. This man is a baby Christian? Let me phrase it another way:

1. Woman gets married.
2. Woman gets pregnant.
3. Woman has baby.
4. Baby wonders "now what"?
5. Someone tells baby "Now go eat some food. Buy some clothes for yourself. Start working. Find a job, then find a wife and have kids of your own."

That makes no sense! No, we coddle a baby. We give him milk. We take care of him and slowly start teaching him what he needs to know in order to be full-grown, healthy and working.

So why do we fail to do this in church? I think the church has it backwards. We've erroneously asked people in our churches to pray a prayer to accept Christ, then we put a burden on them to produce fruit, before properly introducing them to Christ. Two, maybe three years down the line, and you have a very frustrated believer who wonders why nothing works. And we wonder why there are millions of "Christians" who do not show the joy of knowing Christ. The burden should be on the church, not on the new believer. It is the responsibility of those of us who have the knowledge and love of Christ to pour into those who are interested, but are still learning. It is our responsibility, not theirs. If a baby dies for lack of nutrition, we do not blame the baby, we blame the adults, in the same way, if a new believer backslides or apostasizes, we, the church, should see that as our failure. (A clarification: a seasonsed veteran of the faith who apostasizes is a different matter than what I'm speaking of.)

Here's another suggested path, then:

1. Christian becomes a new believer.
2. The new believer is told to do nothing. I mean it. Nothing. Christ is sufficient for them. There is no need at this early stage in a Christian's life for the new believer to be loaded down with tasks. Allow them to do what makes them comfortable, and do not hinder them should they desire to tell people about Christ, but do not force them into it. Youth is a time of discovery. Allow them to discover, but do not force them into it. Be gentle. Wear kid gloves.
3. The church offers ways to come to know Christ. These are not for non-Christians, but for the Christians. It is of utmost importance that those who "pray the prayer" come to know Christ. Once they know Christ, they will love Christ, but praying a prayer does not mean you know Christ any more than a three minute conversation with a girl at church makes me comfortable with her and ready to settle down with her. I must come to know her first, then I ask her to marry me.
4. The Christian becomes knowledgable in Christ, not from the academic perspective, but from the experiential perspective. The Spirit of God, being the overwhelming love for Christ, will propel the believer into doing the right things. They will end up sharing with others, for the sheer joy of sharing in their Savior. They will read the Bible, for the sheer joy of knowing their Savior. They will pray, for the sheer joy of communing with their Savior. The solution for a young believer who is not praying, reading or sharing Christ is not to throw guilt upon them, but rather to show them more of the love of Christ.

I am not saying to hold back the believer from doing what they desire to do spiritually. Far from it! I am saying, however, let's not push people to do things against their desires in the church. The Spirit of God will fill us with desire for Christ. Let our actions be out of the Spirit (out of our love for Christ), and not out of the flesh. It is no profit to a man should his actions be out of the flesh, and our actions will be weighed by Christ. Let's kindle the love of Christ in the new believer through a contagious delight in the Lord. Let's quit our prideful assumptions of who we believe we should be, and let's start being on fire for Christ. May our love overflow into action.

"For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery." - Galatians 5:1

"...and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." - John 8:32

"For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God." - Romans 8:13-14 (emphasis mine)

"No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God." - Romans 2:29 (emphasis mine)

Stop. Think. Rest.

2007-05-20T12:30:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since I've taken the sabbath seriously.

I went to Memorial Park this morning. I got there around 8:30. I stayed roughly 15 minutes, before realizing I was being eaten alive. So I left to go buy some "Off!", and then I came back. When I got back to the park, I sat down and started journaling. I realized I'm not completely satisfied with Christ. I try to be, but I often settle for less. I prayed and repented of my lack of enthusiasm for Christ. I repented of my belief that God can't really fully satisfy me in certain ways. I realized that even in my "quiet times", I'm working. Should it really be that way? Shouldn't we feel fed in our quiet times, instead of feeling like we're making some massive sacrifice? Have we started thinking of God as being needy and demanding, but giving so little in return? I have. This morning, I repented. I'm sure there's more of that coming.

Then it occurred to me. It's Sunday. I consider Sunday the sabbath, but I don't often consider it "holy", or "set apart". Today is to be different. It's supposed to be a day of rest. And I mean non-working rest. We don't work at rest. We don't work at sleeping. We just sleep. It's natural. Too often I twist the sabbath into another day when I'm supposed to "work", as if I'm trying to prove to God that I take the sabbath seriously.

It's the sabbath. Relax. If you want to go wash your car, wash your car. If you want to write a book or a blog today, go ahead. Do what you enjoy. It's the sabbath. God has given you this day. He has given this day to you. It's your day. Let other people celebrate the sabbath as they want to. You celebrate it like you want to. It's yours. Our God is the only God who says "Relax. Let me do the work."

So I went to the park. I journaled for a while. Then I stacked my books on my picnic blanket, laid my head on them, listened to some Andrew Peterson, and watched the clouds roll by. Tears welled up in my eyes. Not tears of sadness, but tears of joy. Tears from a man who has for too long failed to see grace in the sabbath. It's amazing, that God says to us "Rest. Relax. For one day this week, let me be God, and let me shower my love on you. Don't try to do anything. Don't try to earn anything. I'll do the work today. I love you so much. Now relax, and let me show you what grace is all about."

Sin dies

2007-05-19T16:09:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking lately about a theological idea.

We believers have Christ, but also sin. Those without Christ only have sin, for they don't have Christ.

When Christ returns, all sin will die.

So what remains when we have Christ? What remains when we don't?

How does this change your view of death?

Boredom

2007-05-18T17:02:00.001-05:00

Do you ever wish that something would happen?

That's how I feel right now.

Cable woes

2007-05-17T08:34:00.000-05:00

I was supposed to get cable and internet Tuesday morning between 8 and 11 AM. The cable guy showed up at 1:30 PM. After tooling around for three hours Monday afternoon, and calling in another cable guy to help, they finally determined that my "cable-ready" apartment wasn't. Lucky me. And I work from home.

So I called the cable company, and they told me that the next time they'd be able to get anyone out to install jacks in my apartment was next Monday, and to get installation of the cable box, it was going to be next Wednesday. I was mad. I like Starbucks, but I don't like it that much, and if I don't have Internet at home, it's off to Starbucks I go. So I did what any well-informed consumer would do.

I raised a stink.

After emailing the audit committee chairman at Comcast, and the investor relations group at Time Warner, I got a call an hour and a half later. "Hi! This is Angel. I was calling to set up a time to come rewire your apartment."

"When do you think you could come?" I asked.

I heard someone speaking in the background. "How does an hour and a half sound?"

"Sounds great!"

So Bailey, the coolest cable guy I've ever had shows up at around 1:30 in the afternoon to start working on installing jacks. After about 2 hours of him working, the maintenance men at my apartment decide to show up to fix my vertical blinds and the second bolt on my door, which previously didn't lock. This was the scene yesterday around 3:30 in the afternoon in my apartment:

Well, the good news is that everything seems to be locking, closing and connecting now.

There's more to the story, but I figured you'd be bored reading it all.

Get some fire in your soul!

2007-05-14T08:42:00.000-05:00

It's Monday morning. The sun is shining. My apartment is clean. I'm at Starbucks and I haven't bought a thing.

All has been forgiven. The Son has set us free. We are free indeed.

Life is good.

Praise God.

Greatness lived here

2007-05-13T10:11:00.000-05:00

I went to the mailbox this morning. In my box there was a credit card offer for Charles Norris.

That's right. Chuck Norris lived here.

Goodbye Mr. Spider

2007-05-13T06:28:00.000-05:00

So I moved!

My new apartment is an old building. There were a couple of spiders and some little flying things (but not too many) in the apartment. I never have quite understood the spider's attraction to an empty apartment, but every apartment I move into seems to have a spider as it's previous resident.

Well, Mr. Spider is no more. I killed him.

Long live King Morton, conqueror of spiders!

A second blog? Why?

2007-05-11T23:31:00.000-05:00

Acceptions is getting heavy. Lighter stuff will be posted here.

Stand by for content.

Go ahead, subscribe. You know you want to.