Silent Night?

I think I will try to close out 2008 quietly. My wife and I have never been a couple that goes in for the noisy New Year's Eve celebrations. May you enjoy the last few hours of 2008 and be ready for all that the new year will bring.

May it all be good.

My first mobile post.

My first mobile post. Just looking see if this works. I must say I continue to be amazed at the technological capabilities available to us.

Reflections of 2008

OK, the picture is a bit melodramatic, but 2008 was definitely a year of transition for me. I had not thought about it in too reflective a manner until I read the post on Red Letter Believers entitled, Taste and See,Reflections of 2008.

As though of you who read this blog know, I left the corporate world in late 2007 and embarked on a seminary education in the summer of this year.

God has blessed me with retirement from a career that allowed me to pursue deeper study of His Word. God blessed me by breaking me of a corporate mindset and giving me a ministry mindset. God blessed me by taking a 30 year business career and giving me the heart to use that experience and knowledge (and hopefully a bit of wisdom as well) for His kingdom purposes.

God blessed me by stretching my mind so that it begins to focus on an eternal perspective. By making sure I know I have oh so far to go. By changing my priorities and my focus.

God blessed me by letting me know how much He loves me. By clearing some of the trash off the path so I could more easily follow His Son. By putting a task in front of me too big for me to even start on my own so that I knew from the very first step He was with me.

He has a tough act to follow to make 2009 equal 2008, but He can do it.

Stand Up and Stand Out

Have the courage of your convictions as you head into the New Year.

What Are You?

J I Packer, in the 1973 Preface to Knowing God, talks about the distinctions between the balconeer and the traveler. The balconeer, sitting on the balcony watches the road and has all sorts of time to reflect on theoretical issues. The traveler has to cover much the same ground but in a more practical, "how to" approach.

I have just started the book, so I have not gotten into the major points that Packer makes yet, but I sense it is going to involve some blending of the theoretical and practical aspects of theology, but going beyond the usual to reaching new levels with God, and with knowing God and of God.

As I think of myself, and others I know I can see the value in that. Being in seminary, it is way too easy to get bogged down in book learning only. Scholarship for scholarship's sake only is for, well, scholars. And quite frankly, it should not be so for Christian scholars for as Paul says to the Corinthians, knowledge puffs up. Those of us who plan to do something in ministry need the practical as well as the the theoretical. But those who say "Just give me Jesus", and ignore the theological aspects of their faith, content in the more emotive aspects are going to miss something as well. Theirs will be a faith that does not have the depth to stand up to concentrated, reasoned attacks in a articulate manner.

You may not agree with me, but I believe you need a strong theological basis to your faith, it will only strengthen the worship you give God, it will only embolden the witness you take to the world.

Are you a balconeer or a traveler? I think I want to be someone who falls out of the balcony, lands on the road and starts walking the journey of life with Jesus by my side. But until I fall out and land, I think I am going to both profit from and enjoy reading Packer.

Dare To Dream

Family pressures can be tough, especially around the Christmas holiday season. Stay true to your dreams!

Changes

I seem to be on a one day lag of getting my thoughts in line on my daily readings. I read yesterday from the same two sources that I did the day before, Chambers and Boa. In different parts of Scripture, but they triggered similars thoughts for me:

and said, "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:3 (NASB)



But it greatly displeased Jonah and he became angry.

He prayed to the LORD and said, "Please LORD, was not this what I said while I was still in my own country? Therefore in order to forestall this I fled to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity.

"Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for death is better to me than life."

The LORD said, "Do you have good reason to be angry?"

Jonah 4:1-4 (NASB)

Chambers talked about the need for continuous conversion, even after the point at which we have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior. Boa talked about doing what is right in God's eyes. Jonah was angry that God saved the people who we the tormentors of Jonah's people. Instead of joy at the glory to God shown by this change of heart, Jonah was filled with self righteous anger. Jonah needed some of the continuous conversion that Chambers talks about.

How many times have I been angry that God's plans do not line up with mine? How many times have you? Probably planty for both of us. If we call ourselves children of God, how can we be angry when the Father is glorified? How can we be mad when the sacrifice of the Son is fulfilled in some way before our eyes?

Yet constantly we need be reminded to have a child-like faith in Jesus. Because we are proud, and self righteous, and oh so much better than others.

Yeah, right.