tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53639992012-02-01T10:26:35.619-08:00Thoughts, reinventions, meanderings, struggles, temporary sidebars, momentary peaks, and long-term learnings through my walk of faith with Jesus...Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.comBlogger2361100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-63055893590043422752012-01-30T22:01:00.000-08:002012-01-30T22:01:07.893-08:00

Preface - "Millions of us" Bell's main assumption in the preface is that the Gospel of Jesus must, by definition, be a message of hope in every circumstance and situation or else it is not really worthy of being associated with Jesus, who brought a message of love and joy and hope.  He argues that people are right to say things like "I would never be part of that." Of course, sometimes they are

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-72922117732599226032012-01-30T17:50:00.000-08:002012-01-30T17:52:15.237-08:00

Live for yourself?  What does that mean?  It sounds like selfishness.  After all, aren't we told over and over that the Christian life is about serving others and putting ourself second? This is where a little Christian doctrine, misunderstood and misapplied, goes utterly wrong and wreaks havoc in life and relationships.  I submit to you that to serve others as Jesus did and to live for yourself

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-19523016044355448432012-01-16T13:34:00.000-08:002012-01-16T13:38:39.890-08:00

In the Gospels, there is a scene where Jesus calls a man who just lost his father.  The man asks Jesus to wait while he tends to his father's funeral and such, but Jesus replies, "Follow me.  Let the dead bury their own dead." This is one of those statements where Jesus comes off as almost callous and insensitive.  It is like the place in Luke 14 where Jesus said, "If anyone comes to me and does

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-37491468344214588672012-01-05T08:12:00.000-08:002012-01-05T22:01:56.565-08:00

A friend of mine posted the "A Flowchart for Choosing Your Religion" on his Facebook.  It is pretty funny, especially the part about magical underwear meaning you should become a Mormon.  Here it is, below: Even though this is a joke, it does illuminate a common view among people -that one "chooses" to become a Christian.  But what non-Christians (and actually, many Christians) do not

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-29427243058871110612012-01-03T09:10:00.000-08:002012-01-03T09:15:47.825-08:00

Martin Luther was great.  The way God wired him made him keenly adept, through great personal struggle and suffering, at discerning the pulse of the Gospel.  One of the most personally life-altering ways his thought has shaped me is with his understanding about the function of the Law (and conversely, the Gospel). See, to Luther it was not just a matter of what the Law said (content).  It was a

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-82568066399613270172011-12-30T10:11:00.000-08:002011-12-30T10:11:22.533-08:00

I have been the kind of person who scripts out everything in his mind and wants life to go according to the script.  It needs to happen like this.  I want to be this way.  I want to feel this way and not that way.  I need to perform this way.  I need this person to love me.  I create a definite picture of how I want things to be. That script has changed over the years quite a bit.  It has

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-79994847914926280432011-12-22T09:05:00.000-08:002011-12-22T09:11:27.439-08:00

This isn't a theological post... but I think it has some very practical ramifications.  My son, who is now 17 years old, is not my son by blood.  I adopted him when I married his mother almost 13 years ago. There are lots of things I could discuss about adoption or having adopted children, or about being a step-father and how God is our step-father through Jesus Christ.  But instead I want to

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-75237191585422690742011-12-17T15:23:00.000-08:002011-12-17T15:32:25.442-08:00

Chapter 1 of Rowan Williams' book, "Christ on Trial," takes a look at the trial of Jesus as recorded in Mark's Gospel.  The centerpiece, which struck me so vividly, was how Williams drew out the events in Jesus' trial where, while being accused and questioned by the High Priests, He finally breaks His silence and answers their question, declaring Himself in clarity as the Christ, the "I am," the

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-36907985552821557022011-12-12T15:49:00.000-08:002011-12-12T15:52:47.874-08:00

Sometimes abandoning hope is good and healthy.  In life, there are seriously finite limits to what we can accomplish and what we can handle.  Some of us burden ourselves beyond the point of emotional exhaustion and despair because we stubbornly refuse to admit this.  We don't want to say goodbye.  We don't want to admit it is hopeless.  We don't want to give up.  There is too much at stake. 

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-72340850435298034072011-12-10T16:35:00.000-08:002011-12-10T16:35:43.643-08:00

Some parenting books irk me so much.  And I don't know what it is about Reformed Christians -we (I guess I am still unofficially including myself in this group) seem to overcomplicate and theologize everything to the Nth degree.  I just want simple.  I want to know what I can do, and I like instructions. This entry is written about something I've really come to appreciate the importance of.  I'm

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-92016739165309064042011-12-04T10:12:00.000-08:002011-12-04T10:12:47.908-08:00

Yesterday I went and saw the film "Immortals."  I had been excited to see this movie since I first saw the trailer months ago.  I'm not going to waste time trying to review it.  I just want to note a few things that caught my attention. One of the main themes was that of faithlessness versus faith.  Theseus, the hero of the story, grew into a strong, capable, but faithless young man.  He

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-74680182370770512542011-11-27T15:30:00.000-08:002011-11-28T10:51:26.143-08:00

Some of us suffer.  And some of us suffer a lot.  We have broken homes, broken marriages, broken hearts, broken souls, broken emotions, and broken relationships.  We experience betrayal, loss, and destruction.  We have sorrow, anger, grief, and despair.  And then on top of that, and often interlaced within it, we have pride, bitternes, jealousy, envy, and wrath stored up in our hearts.  Life can

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-47734714272379576092011-11-11T09:15:00.000-08:002011-11-11T09:20:15.296-08:00

I used to have a pretty long post that tried to describe the difference between being a doormat and being humble.  I deleted it because I didn't feel like it really captured the point without making things too complicated.  Heck, maybe I didn't even know what the point was or is.  So here it is... again.  When you look at someone who is humble and serving, out of love, and then you look at

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-14226108111573553152011-10-10T09:09:00.000-07:002011-10-10T09:32:05.735-07:00

What do you do when you have sinned?  Well, we sin every day and aren't too terribly bothered by all of them, especially considering how many times we sin in ignorance.  But you know... there are those sins that are particularly destructive and/or prove to be a habitual snare.  What do you do after you fall in that way?  How do you dust yourself off and get up? If you truly hate your sin and

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-53733680734958440962011-10-08T20:48:00.001-07:002011-10-08T20:48:47.687-07:00

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-87053041583503391112011-10-01T02:18:00.000-07:002011-10-01T02:23:42.703-07:00

This may or may not go against certain theological qualifications and categories, but I don't care right now and I need to say it anyway because it is real.  I'm at the point in my life where I see that I need to stop living in the twilight between two worlds.  I've given myself a break, a big break in many ways, because of a lot of tribulation and suffering I've gone through in the past few

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-41358296059545985262011-09-27T11:07:00.000-07:002011-09-27T11:17:17.977-07:00

Below is a video from one of my favorite bands during my teen and young adult years.  Ironically, I could not be more ideologically or theologically distant from them, since they are unabashedly atheistic, but I love their music and though I disagree with them on many fronts I can't help but sympathize with them sometimes when it comes to their jabs at organized religion, namely organized "

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-12539720671799894942011-09-19T09:27:00.000-07:002011-12-22T06:39:24.706-08:00

I always thought Latin was cool.  It was mandatory to take two years of latin at the private school I went to, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.  There is something just... what's the word... classic or distinguished about it. The phrase "simul iustus et peccator" is a Latin phrase that comes out of the Protestant Reformation.  Martin Luther used it to describe the state of a believer in Christ.  He

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-50594316837609756202011-09-18T12:40:00.000-07:002011-09-19T09:00:49.201-07:00

I've posted before on the theological implications of the Sunday morning worship liturgy.  Maybe you think I'm splitting theological hairs.  Why change what seems to be working in churches all across America? I understand.  It is hard to buck against the tide.  Every church in town, and what seems like every church in America, follows the same pattern:  "praise and worship" music, then sermon,

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-11261519127080069402011-09-17T14:25:00.000-07:002011-09-17T14:25:13.889-07:00

I've been reading a great article on sanctification by the late Gerhard Forde, found here: http://pastormattrichard.webs.com/Forde_Sanctifcation.pdf I want to write something longer, later, on this topic, which is so important, but I want to point out a few things in passing that jump out at me from the article. First, sanctification in modern evangelical circles is largely thought of as a

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-30194536351119220632011-09-04T11:32:00.000-07:002011-09-04T11:35:40.945-07:00

We mock the cross when we do not take all of our guilt to it but hold some of it within, deciding how we will redeem or punish ourselves accordingly.  We minimize the significance of both our sin and the cross, opting instead to hide behind a wall with our self-redemption projects or self-flagellation, and we thereby rob ourselves also of the joy and power of the cross to change us. We mock the

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-69390822913948900852011-09-02T16:40:00.000-07:002011-09-09T08:56:07.903-07:00

The Law commands, what?  Love.  At it's essence, God's Law commands love.  That is something that is found in the heart and which ripples out through the actions.  This goes beyond mere outward deeds and gets right down to the very motivations behind what we do and how we interact with others. What do you do when you see that you fail?  What, as a Christian, do you do?  Well, one of the purposes

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-14825104020573762242011-08-31T08:55:00.000-07:002011-08-31T09:07:59.702-07:00

I read this in a book I just downloaded on my Nook.  I stopped at this sentence. "The essence of being a Christian is placing all our hope in God, knowing we can trust Him to fulfill all his promises..."  (Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room, by Nancy Guthrie) That is the essence.  I agree, and it is something that is easy to lose sight of.  Obviously, there are plenty of details left out of this

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-3878748405504322892011-08-28T12:37:00.000-07:002011-08-28T12:37:51.361-07:00

So you put in tons of hard work for someone, maybe when nobody else would.  You try to give them the best you have.  But they treat it like nothing, and they give their thanks to someone else. Have you ever been in a situation like that before? And some people will make you feel terrible for being upset about it.  Some people, often Christians especially, will make you feel like you are being

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-10307276973742318972011-08-12T11:01:00.000-07:002011-08-12T11:14:44.680-07:00

A young woman tried so hard to remain pure until marriage.  Her youth group, which she didn't like for various reasons, was pretty up front about the importance of remaining sexually pure.  They explained how sex outside of marriage is sinful.  They probably even warned her about all of the emotional baggage that comes about from these types of non-committed sexual relationships and encounters. 

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-49971799822276254612011-08-01T10:39:00.000-07:002011-08-01T10:52:14.509-07:00

The God of the Bible kills people.  He sends people to hell.  The Bible is replete with example after example.  God flooded the earth in Genesis 6, killing millions.  God killed hundreds or thousands when He rained fire on Sodom (Genesis 19).  God killed Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, for making an impure offering before Him.  And in Revelation 21, it says that God sends the cowardly and

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-52007433855529337742011-07-30T22:37:00.000-07:002011-07-30T22:41:32.363-07:00

To me, Romans 7 is one of the best passages that gives a sobering and realistic portrait of the Christian life. It has comforted me in many times of internal struggle.  Paul describes himself as loving God's Law, serving God's law in his mind, but also battling his flesh, which wants to do evil. He does not do the good he wants to do but does the bad he doesn't want to do. He is a man in conflict

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-41197712869143767642011-07-27T22:06:00.000-07:002011-07-27T22:06:25.825-07:00

"Fix Me!" This is the cry of the heart of many of us.  We beg for God to "fix us."  We want therapists to "fix us."  We want to fix ourselves.  So, we relentlessly pursue our goal.  Our focus is predominantly performance-based.  And when God doesn't fix us, we become angry with Him or decide He does not care.  When therapists don't fix us, we find another or slump in despair, believing we cannot

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-80571059181257585492011-07-18T09:35:00.000-07:002011-07-18T09:36:55.002-07:00

Some thoughts, today, about manhood -reflections from my own life, mainly my failures. :)  There sort of stack on top of each other and all go together.  1. Mission from God Jesus had a clear cut mission from God.  He knew who He was and what He had to do.  That formed as the foundation of everything else, and He referred to it over and over.  He was sent.  He came to die.  He came to bring a

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-16594795746980542942011-07-18T05:49:00.000-07:002011-07-18T06:09:28.316-07:00

When investigating the question of self-love, one doesn't have to travel too far to encounter the fact that there is a glaring difference in the message given from modern pscyhology and from the conservative Christian community.  The former would say that to a large degree the human problem is that we do not love ourselves enough -we hate ourselves and do not accept ourselves as we are.  The

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-74661001132081770872011-07-11T11:37:00.000-07:002011-07-11T11:37:54.226-07:00

I've been hit more than a few times by the "Christian" idea that if I would just "step out in faith" God would do great things.  I'm sure there are areas of life where I need to do that, where I need to trust Him and let go of things.  In fact, I know there are some areas.  A few come to mind as I write this. But a problem arises when this attitude goes a little overboard.  After all, does God

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-78669411868536816352011-07-03T15:08:00.000-07:002011-07-03T15:08:49.858-07:00

This is a post to show my little girl, who is 11 years old, what my blog is and how I put up a new blog post.  Check out the cool pictures, too. To the left is a picture of this stuff I see at the hardware store all the time.  It is called Anti Monkey Butt Powder.  I'm not entirely sure what it is for, and I'm not sure at all why it seems to be a staple product at hardware stores and nowhere else

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-54655094098629169162011-06-28T11:48:00.000-07:002011-06-28T11:48:08.958-07:00

If you do not know what it means to bear with someone, supporting them and seeking to help them and help carry their burden, even when their issues or problems or weaknesses are personally costly to you and get in the way of what you want, then you do not understand what it is to love someone. It is not enough to simply withhold your wrath and keep your mouth shut while you seethe inside in

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-20695078694442869542011-06-28T09:02:00.000-07:002011-06-28T09:02:46.012-07:00

Should we care about what others think?  Most people would agree that being dependent upon the approval of others is a vice.  It belongs to people who are insecure, who are people-pleasers, and those people are not only not very happy people, they are usually not very effective in the world in relationships or in their contribution to others. The problem is that it is easy to go to the opposite

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-11039534712240173632011-06-27T12:54:00.000-07:002011-06-28T07:34:25.176-07:00

When I first believed in Jesus, something amazing happened.  I wasn't aware of it outwardly at the time, but my whole view of God changed in an instant.  Before then, I had some vague, nebulous notions of God.  God was a "force" that created everything and held the universe together.  God was an "it."  God, if He was a judge at all, was really not all that concerned with what goes on in our lives

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-14544943532825360232011-06-26T12:23:00.000-07:002011-06-26T12:24:53.403-07:00

The "old Adam" is the religious fraud.  He is more about what he can do.  He is constantly looking for places where he can insert himself into the equation and climb up the rungs, either of carnal pleasure or of religious piety.  He wants to talk about his "decision".  He wants to peer into the mysteries of heaven with his charismatic craziness or overzealous doctrinal precision.  Looking back

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-23941550961221505202011-06-19T18:12:00.000-07:002011-06-19T18:12:25.549-07:00

The typical view of the Christian life is this:  now that we are saved, we need to hear some really practical instruction to move higher and higher and improve in our Christian walk.  The Gospel is really for the unsaved.  Now that we know Jesus and are going to heaven, now it's all about learning how to do things right and do what pleases Him. There is certainly some truth to this, but I

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-67717808488652827842011-06-19T17:54:00.000-07:002011-07-15T16:46:19.902-07:00

When we suffer, I don't think the real issue of pointing to the cross is to say, "Hey, look.  You have Jesus.  It isn't really that bad."  I don't think the idea is to minimize our suffering.  Some people try to comfort us by minimizing our suffering simply because they don't know what else to do.  In some sense, though, I guess it is true that if you have Jesus you have everything, and

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-65850001729659304122011-06-19T17:28:00.000-07:002011-06-19T17:31:59.008-07:00

In psychology, the term "defense" or "defense mechanism" refers to the various forms of character armor that people put on to deal with painful or distressing emotions.  Not all defense mechanisms or degrees of defense mechanisms are bad, but psychologists recognize that they can and often do become "pathological," meaning that they overtake a person's life and significantly inhibit their

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-83912414285975160322011-06-06T09:31:00.000-07:002011-06-06T09:35:50.428-07:00

There is a Biblical mandate for God's people to be distinct from those who do not know God.  There always has been.  It was that way with Israel, and it is to be that way with Christians (though I would argue in different ways). Today, this very Biblical concept can, I believe, sometimes become misguided amongst Christians.  There are two things that often happen.  First, we become ethnocentric

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-23675122588343647392011-06-05T09:30:00.000-07:002011-06-06T06:50:17.890-07:00

The book I've been reading by Gerhard Forde, describing the essence of Luther's theology, has been really helpful to me.  It has given me new appreciation for the Gospel and, especially, for the resurrection. I have often wondered what the point of the resurrection is.  I mean, if we look at the cross in terms of "ladder theology," that the whole point is that we have to climb a ladder to God,

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-8127382135833070232011-06-04T13:19:00.000-07:002011-06-04T13:20:28.202-07:00

I'm reading a book by Gerhard Forde called Where God Meets Man. I love it.  It is a little heady, but it deals with Martin Luther's theology on a conceptual level and has talked about things like Law and Gospel and the "hidden God" versus "revealed God" ideas in his thinking. I really appreciate Luther's thought and find it a helpful attitude toward such difficult concepts. The hidden God and

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-88777484460938634952011-06-04T09:27:00.000-07:002011-06-04T09:34:50.587-07:00

I had the pleasure of talking to some Jehovah's Witness ladies at my door the other day.  No, really.  They were very nice, and nobody threw anything at anyone.  I had to stop the conversation short because a) I saw it was going nowhere, b) I had to get back to work, and c) I guess I have lost a little hope that my conversations will do anything.  There is nothing much I can do about "a" and "b",

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-19286435501902281342011-06-03T08:27:00.000-07:002011-06-03T08:56:12.821-07:00

Someone on facebook just shared a recent news article about a gay softball association who, according to a judge, is allowed to limit the number of straight players on their team. The link is found here: http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/Gay-team-can-limit-straight-players-060211 Boy, can you imagine what it would be like if the tables were turned?  I understand that gay people can be treated

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-25390860732110676992011-05-30T14:25:00.000-07:002011-06-01T11:52:46.615-07:00

Some of us labor endlessly and compulsively to confess our sins.  We feel as though we must confess something every time we feel badly or feel "guilty."  I want to spend a minute or two looking at what I believe the point of confession of our sin to God is, Biblically. First, we should look at what confession is not.  Confession is not a way to obtain God's acceptance.  It is not as though we

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-13526806546842408452011-05-28T22:36:00.000-07:002011-05-28T22:40:11.910-07:00

I have two tattoos.  I may get more.  I wanted each of them to be something I wanted permanently etched on my body, something I am not ashamed of, something that signifies things that will endure long after the skin it is inked on is turned to dust. For my first tattoo, I was unsure what exactly I wanted.  Then the phrase struck me, "Crucified with Christ."  It comes from Galatians 2:20.  That

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-44491119482630716702011-05-20T06:55:00.000-07:002011-05-20T06:55:25.083-07:00

This is from another email I wrote to a person who is confused about how obedience fits in with the Gospel. -------------------------- Works based salvation = I obey; therefore I am accepted. The Gospel = I am accepted; therefore I obey. They are diametrically opposed. The issue isn't with obeying God. It isn't even with the Law. It is our approach to God. Is he a boss, a dispenser of good

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-6065676095431529852011-05-20T06:52:00.000-07:002011-05-20T07:10:32.778-07:00

This is from an email.  I thought it might be worth posting.  A person is confused about the command to "repent and believe" and the idea that the Gospel isn't about "getting it right" but about Jesus getting it right for us, which we passively rely on as a gift. --------------------------- ...in the context you describe with Peter's preaching, you can think of repentance there as a change in

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-74869678804390240202011-04-24T13:33:00.000-07:002011-04-24T13:35:04.996-07:00

Consider Jesus. The Son of God, living in the eternal glory of His Father, steps into human flesh and walks among us. The King arrives, but for what? To be welcomed with open arms? No. To be lifted up? Yes, but as a condemned criminal, not a King. He came to die. He came to live, be tempted, suffer, and die a criminal's death. He knows, it says in Hebrews, what life is like. He can sympathize

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-79203035624874975452011-03-22T11:41:00.001-07:002011-04-24T13:46:20.558-07:00

STREET DOGS LYRICS "You Alone" [Chorus] You alone must stand your ground You take a life worth nothing and turn it around You stand alone, yeah that's the deal You have yourself to count on cause no one really cares Another rainy New England night At your wit's end with no hope in sight You turn on Costello it's welcome to the working week You're broke and cornered no one to call On your

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-30671439908160568252011-03-22T11:39:00.000-07:002011-03-22T11:39:01.590-07:00

I can't remember where I read this, but it is so true.  The true hallmark of leadership is the ability to reproduce yourself.  Or, I would add, the ability to produce something better -sometimes I think having two of me in this world might be a bit much ;).  A leader is a discipler.

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-29851270679273106942011-03-22T09:04:00.000-07:002011-03-22T12:08:34.825-07:00

There are lots of well-meaning Christians out there who write books and articles to help people just like me.  There are millions of them out there, telling people that they "just need to remember their identity in Christ."  I have to say... I was not aware, until I started looking, at the handful of buzz-words out there in the Christian self-help and Christian counseling circles.  You aren't "

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-88211475796085798012011-03-14T09:05:00.000-07:002011-03-14T09:05:09.183-07:00

In this world, many times love and acceptance in relationships looks like this: I love you if... I accept you if...  I want to leave you when you don't live up to my expectations or satisfy me, and I will only stay with you and accept you if you do this and change in this way.  You do the work, and I'll decide if I accept you. God loves and accepts us like this:  I love you because I love you. 

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-65926264360103655972011-02-24T14:37:00.000-08:002011-02-24T14:37:46.802-08:00

The more I look at Jesus the man, as depicted for us in the New Testament, the more I see a man that I want to be like.  Sure, He did miracles and is the Son of God.  But I'm talking about His character and, for lack of better terms, His psychological and emotional makeup. He was not a people-pleaser.  He did not subject Himself to the opinions of others.  He did not fret and torture Himself to

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-79097648661260679582011-02-23T10:42:00.000-08:002011-02-23T11:15:19.124-08:00

I'm reading the book, Life Without Limits, by Nick Vujicic.  You may have heard of him or seen the videos of him on Youtube.  He is a man born without arms or legs, yet he now tours the world speaking to people, especially youth, with a message of hope and purpose. In one of the chapters, he recounts meeting Joni Eareckson Tada.  If you aren't familiar with her (which would be shocking if you

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-84739788962329490872011-02-23T10:11:00.000-08:002011-02-23T10:17:18.013-08:00

All of us will leave a legacy of some kind.  It will either be a legacy that made a difference, that left a positive impact in the lives of those around us, or it will be a legacy that blows away in the wind, like chaff. Teens, you are young, but you are building a legacy right now.  If you were to be blown off the face of this earth right at this moment, what would your legacy be?  That even

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-42952399823605745362011-02-10T21:08:00.000-08:002011-02-10T21:08:29.877-08:00

Mark Driscoll noted something very striking to me in a recent sermon clip he posted on Facebook.  To paraphrase, he said that the remedy for pride is not humility.  When you realize you are proud, you do not say, "Well, I will become more humble, then.  So, let's try to be humble, shall we?"  The reason is because, although the goal seems worthy, in reality you are still all about you.  You are

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-28742769676461195932011-02-10T09:35:00.000-08:002011-02-10T09:35:33.935-08:00

Failing is uncomfortable, but it is humbling.  Sometimes, you fail on such a massive scale, radically affecting your life and the lives of those closest to you, that there is really nothing you can do about it.  It feels like a form of paralysis.  You can blame other people for their contributions to the overall chaos and destruction, which is undoubtedly true, but the truth inevitably nails you.

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-43528715973412433762011-02-09T21:05:00.000-08:002011-02-09T21:05:32.851-08:00

Can I really just admit and accept, "I'm not that big a deal -Jesus is a big deal?"  Or do I have to be a big deal, have to be the most desirable, have to be the best, have to be the hottest, the best in bed, the most knowledgeable, the most theological, the best at everything I do?  These represent two utterly separate paths.  With one, I am content with being no bigger than an ant, because

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-11566660798740629552011-02-08T21:58:00.000-08:002011-02-09T11:29:59.185-08:00

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: "Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-22696553805922646342011-02-05T15:54:00.000-08:002011-02-05T15:59:16.462-08:00

Have you ever been betrayed?  If you live long enough, you will be.  But some of us experience horrible betrayal -things that nobody would dare to make up, things that human creativity wouldn't dream up for fiction.  Not only was the act severe, but the pain of betrayal is fueled also by the identity of the betrayer: the more the attachment to them, the closer they are to your heart, the greater

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-54654794764662801422011-02-05T15:41:00.000-08:002011-02-05T15:41:40.515-08:00

"Gospel humility" is the humble attitude that results when an individual personally encounters Jesus Christ and the reality of the Gospel: the good news that Jesus came, suffered, and died a horrible death for our sins so that we could be reconciled to God, as a free gift to undeserving sinners. The thing about Gospel humility, however, is that the more you talk about it the more it becomes an

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-55721729038066610992010-09-13T09:28:00.000-07:002010-09-13T09:55:37.233-07:00

Constructive criticism is "speaking the truth in love," as God's Word calls it.  It says in Proverbs that a blow from a friend is a good and welcome thing.  True friendships bear the responsibility of striking the other when necessary.  It is not an option.  A person who can never tell you the truth, who can never confront you in love, is not really your friend.  You may hang out a lot. You may

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-43495489531464082632010-07-27T17:20:00.000-07:002010-07-27T17:29:17.154-07:00

What is the flesh?  I've been thinking about this for a while and seeing it in operation in myself in greater degrees.  Is the flesh just that part of us that does bad things?  Below are my thoughts on the topic. The flesh is that part of us that is committed ultimately to self and therefore to managing our lives apart from God.  The thing that makes this definition, in my opinion, more helpful

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-65802807798858966272010-06-23T07:02:00.000-07:002010-06-23T07:12:56.211-07:00

One of the newer movements within Christian circles, especially within the past five years or so, is the drive for men to become "real men."  American culture has been feminized, and the Church, the Body of Jesus Christ, is no exception.  Things are geared more toward women, women are given more leadership opportunities and reasons to get involved in things like Church, more is expected of women,

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-61552214843299703122010-06-14T17:42:00.000-07:002010-06-14T17:43:49.777-07:00

What is God's secret to true greatness?  It may not be what you think. "Blessed is he whose sins are covered.  Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not count his sin." (Romans 4)  The man is blessed who, through owning his moral and spiritual poverty, trusts wholly in the mercy of God through the saving work of Jesus Christ.  That man is blessed.  That man has no sin counted against him,

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-68590558893948480332010-06-03T10:14:00.000-07:002010-06-03T10:26:18.664-07:00

Shame is one of those interesting and complex topics that I for some reason don't seem to find much written on in Christian circles.  The stuff I do find written on it either offers more secularized "self-esteem-based" solutions ("you just need to see that you are loved and are special") or more pseudo-Biblio-stoic solutions that don't really do justice to the pain and damage of shame ("you just

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-84370349176449422652010-05-21T14:04:00.000-07:002010-05-21T15:34:14.697-07:00

If you've lived long enough on this planet, you have experienced abuse of some kind at the hands of another.  Abuse, generally considered, is not so much a one-time sinful act of one inflicted upon another.  It is generally a pattern of sinful relating that degrades and assaults the dignity of the other person.  It may be Abuse (big "A"), such as things like domestic spousal abuse or sexual abuse

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-83754690680227292442010-05-15T13:20:00.000-07:002010-05-15T13:37:05.017-07:00

Last night, we caught a few minutes of the animated movie Bolt, starring the voices of John Travolta and Miley Cyrus, among others.  Actually, it was my three-year-old who caught it.  She wanted me to stop, while I was flipping around, so that she could watch it.  She is still at the age where she likes to watch movies she has seen 3,000 times again and again. We came upon a part of the film

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-23030526895635965912010-05-10T07:57:00.000-07:002010-05-10T08:04:10.207-07:00

All of us have gifts.  Some of us have natural abilities in sports, others music, others art, others in intellect and academics.  Some of us are physically beautiful.  Some of us even have more intimate abilities that I won't go into detail about here.  There are variations all in between.  No matter how gifted we are or believe we are, there is invariably someone, somewhere else in the world,

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-38752817971747891702010-04-13T10:30:00.000-07:002010-04-13T10:30:49.859-07:00

Everyday, almost, some new insight or perspective or place in Scripture hits me and seems to carry me through a part of the day with renewed life.  I think to myself, "Aha!  This is what I have been missing!  I need to write this down!"  I frantically try to fit it in with all the other nuggets I can recall from recent memory, as if I'm trying to put in that last piece of the engine to fix the 

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-47013141218071768902010-04-07T10:03:00.000-07:002010-04-07T10:28:31.148-07:00

I admit that there is a part of me that is inextricably drawn to systematics, to problem-solving, to taking a moment to stop and think and then plotting a course out.  Perhaps that's why I found myself studying mechanical engineering in college and, now, building software applications.  You are faced with a problem, you gather information, you ponder, you design, you sort out extraneous

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-2781600300125356272010-04-06T09:37:00.000-07:002010-04-06T09:37:32.817-07:00

When we stand under the light of the cross of Jesus and claim it for ourselves, we are admitting and exposing to God, ourselves, and to the world that we are so selfish, so committed to ourselves, our wants, and our own little kingdom, that the Son of God had to die so that we could be saved. We are also admitting and exposing to ourselves, to God, and to the world that our self-serving,

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-83732305278948670582010-03-28T09:38:00.000-07:002010-04-06T09:40:09.415-07:00

What does it mean to grow and change as a Christian?  How do we "grow after Jesus?"  Is it that we become saved by what Jesus did for us and then grow and change solely by following His example, or is there more to it? For Jesus to be our example for conduct means this: I see how Jesus treated people; therefore, I should treat them as He did. There is truth to that.  Jesus is to be our example

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-60480190612253481372010-03-23T10:18:00.000-07:002010-03-23T10:21:38.110-07:00

At least for posterity, it is worth it for me to take note of a devotional book that I have really enjoyed reading and have once again picked up off the dusty bookshelf.  More than just enjoy it, God has used it to speak to me.  It is a book called Come Away My Beloved by the recently passed Frances J. Roberts. What makes this book so different from other devotional books is the way it is

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-16030017076691120872010-03-15T13:34:00.000-07:002010-03-15T13:53:37.588-07:00

I remember going through a particularly difficult time a few years ago.  I'd rather not discuss the details right now, but there was one experience (among many) that stuck with me and which I see still in myself and in the lives of others. I was having a rough day -lots of strife inside and outside, lots of emotional pain ringing through my bones.  I went into the bathroom and locked the door,

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-16894876545948832872010-03-12T13:20:00.000-08:002010-03-15T14:03:07.428-07:00

A young friend on Facebook recently posted the somewhat rhetorical question (paraphrase): "I know we're supposed to love, but how do you love others when they have stomped on your heart and ripped it to shreds?" I replied in comment: "We learn it, slowly, not by looking at others and how they treat us but by looking at the God who died for His enemies (you and I and everybody else). The more we

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-68592931360266488042010-02-25T07:30:00.000-08:002010-03-15T14:09:42.208-07:00

Since becoming a Christian and straying from my more nominally Roman Catholic roots, I've also strayed from the more liturgical aspects of my upbringing such as observing the liturgical calendar.  But, you know, there is something I'm really growing to appreciate about the lenten season.  Namely, I am growing to appreciate the idea of giving certain things up, making a sacrifice. Granted, there

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-81509776492207622312010-02-24T11:53:00.000-08:002010-02-24T11:59:23.156-08:00

"... [N]ormal desires for love [are] mutated into something very different.  This happened because we made the world about us and our desires.  We want to be admired, respected, and important.  We want fame, as long as it doesn't interfere with our comfort.  We want... glory, glory for ourselves. What we really need is a changed heart. There it is again:  Whose kingdom?  Where is our treasure? 

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-30459596089029742632010-02-23T11:47:00.000-08:002010-02-23T12:00:57.015-08:00

I struggle with insecurity.  Most people, if they are honest, will admit that they do.  I'm not really sure why, but I sorta always have.  Some experiences in life certainly haven't helped. The Lord has shown me how my insecurity is laregely pride, a quest for my own glory.  I feel insecure about how I compare to others, but I simultaneously am compelled to do things which show how great I am

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-54442961449779793322010-02-22T06:38:00.000-08:002010-02-22T06:38:21.498-08:00

I've been reading a book by Eugene Peterson called, The Jesus Way: Conversations on the Ways that Jesus is the Way.  So far, I'm really enjoying it, although some of it is a little slow -I want it to get going.  But it has been used by God to remind me and connect me more deeply with how Jesus is the Way and how that way includes following Jesus. I find it funny how the simple things get muddled

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-31510043567172339392010-02-21T22:04:00.000-08:002010-02-21T22:20:43.020-08:00

I notice how I am. I tend to reinvent myself when I come across some new, ground-breaking knowledge, when I find a new favorite teacher or preacher who really brings something to life that I've never seen before. And I create new, vast ideas. Since I like to write, I sometimes create new blogs. A new idea comes into my head, and it becomes a new blog, a new "ministry" to save one minscule

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-90861046708884019882008-12-30T21:22:00.001-08:002008-12-30T21:27:07.743-08:00

Let's be real. Most of us are dead. I know that most of the time I am. We see our problems and little more. We see red lights, the slow person in front of us, the traffic, and the clock and how much time is running out before our next "thing." We see the fresh stain on our shirt, the brakes that need to be fixed, the dishes that need to be done, and the bills that are piling up. We see the

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-63159691759643957602008-12-04T08:07:00.000-08:002008-12-04T08:49:55.854-08:00

At some point in your life, the things of this world will truly disappoint you and make you feel empty. It is then that you will say, "God, I want more." Your marriage is on the rocks -it is cold and lifeless. "I want more." Your job is unsatisfying. "I want more." Your children are undisciplined, in spite of your best, most prayerful efforts. "I want more." All of those things you hoped in to

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-86860958605769692192008-11-10T15:57:00.000-08:002008-11-10T16:15:13.167-08:00

I have recently been muddling through some of Soren Kierkegaard's work, The Sickness Unto Death. If you have never read it, picking it up will blow your mind -not necessarily because of its insight, although I believe it has great insight, but because of how difficult to read it is! Insecurity and self-hatred have been enemies of mine for a long time. I only recently came to see this. I always

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-43884964828601789542008-11-01T09:44:00.000-07:002008-12-04T09:24:07.820-08:00

You can feel free to disagree with me about Halloween, and I can still call you brother. I have no problem with that. Below is a compilation of questions I put together to think through some issues. You may remain in your convictions, and that is fine, but I hope I am able to stir some honest thought instead of fostering what I generally feel is a kind of phobia or hysteria toward anything deemed

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-33021821746698657682008-07-19T11:49:00.001-07:002008-07-19T12:36:08.532-07:00

Some things in my life lately have caused me to reflect a lot on the issue of sex. Some of the reflections have been personal, and some of them have been sort of mental commentary on things I have seen on television or heard discussed from others. Sex can certainly be a touchy topic, but before I get to it, let me back up first and lay a little ground-work.A bit of truth that has hit really

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-59588296060975449042008-03-01T21:49:00.000-08:002008-03-01T23:03:48.710-08:00

I was discussing parenting and our parenting methodology with someone from work, the other day, and an interesting issue arose. My co-worker was concerned that the kind of discipline I spoke of sounded good, but she would be concerned that it would turn things like running or physical exercise (used as a form of correction) into a negative things viewed as punishment. She wants to encourage

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-66305997360539169832008-02-12T14:36:00.000-08:002008-02-12T14:57:49.750-08:00

How would you describe the Christian life? It is commonly called a "walk." The writer of Hebrews calls it a "race." These metaphors describe certain aspects of the Christian walk. There is a path, and endurance is required (and graciously supplied).Lately, I've been realizing more and more that the Christian life involves a constant renewal and increase of the knowledge of your own sinfulness

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-64447408929731314442007-12-13T13:01:00.000-08:002007-12-13T14:08:45.306-08:00

Common Objection: "Well, I just think that people should be able to believe whatever they want."Response:Does this mean that we should not force people at gunpoint to believe just as we do? Well, then I certainly agree. I should not hate my neighbor for not being a Christian. In fact, it is because I love my neighbor that I should seek to bring the truth to him.What this objector is really

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-45256744281729319382007-12-10T08:22:00.001-08:002007-12-10T08:41:22.640-08:00

It is common for us to associate joylessness either with external circumstances or with how we feel about ourselves, our self-esteem. So, in either case, something has happened, or is still happening, which makes us feel joyless or which makes us feel deprived of love and a good self-image, which makes us feel joyless.We know, Biblically, that the kind of joy which does not depend upon

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-25022572373279534122007-11-20T13:46:00.000-08:002007-11-20T14:21:35.939-08:00

If we are to maintain that Jesus died for all men, or that somehow His death was a general satisfaction pertaining to all of mankind, then some will immediately object, claiming that one cannot truly believe in a substitutionary, vicarious death and hold to a general satisfaction. Why? Because it is believed that a true substitution means that, if He died for all, that all would be saved -else

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-10913336858682047412007-11-17T09:21:00.000-08:002007-11-17T14:30:25.681-08:00

Since I have been discussing limited atonement in view of the distinction between a commercial satisfaction and a penal satisfaction, I thought this quote from Clifford on John Owen's view of limited atonement would be good to include. This is particularly important since the "stock" Calvinistic doctrine of limited atonement today is basically taken from Owen's thought. Most Calvinists of today,

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-41938733257285831812007-11-16T07:19:00.000-08:002007-11-17T07:19:45.792-08:00

Here are a few thoughts on the issue of limited atonement and the offer of the Gospel. The doctrine of limited atonement teaches that Jesus died for the elect and only the elect. He made actual provision for their sins and their sins only. Commonly this is expressed, as I indicated in my previous post on commercial versus penal satisfaction, in terms of a commercial understanding of satisfaction

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-7919305169035181862007-11-12T09:55:00.000-08:002007-11-12T13:01:13.748-08:00

In my wrestling through the issue of the extent and nature of Christ's death, I began to see more fully why many of my held beliefs were causing me confusion. I took for granted a lot of argumentation received from books, booklets, and articles on the issue of limited atonement. Over and over, so many of them said the same things: "If Jesus really paid for the sins of all, then why isn't everyone

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-20732417511683382122007-11-11T15:53:00.000-08:002007-11-11T15:54:18.132-08:00

Ingratitude is a subtle killer. In my experience, it sneaks up on me. It saps your joy. Perhaps a better way to say it is that ingratitude is the vacuum created when our joy is not placed primarily in Jesus Christ. We see, and we see that we do not have what we want or what we believe would be better to have (in order to be more fulfilled, more joyful, etc.), and thus our gaze departs from

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-76558231358029350492007-11-04T08:11:00.000-08:002007-11-04T08:17:11.636-08:00

Which one of the following is the most significant issue we struggle with as Christians?a) Which presidential candidate to endorsed) Whether to home-school our children or notc) Our enormous propensity, which we are often ignorant of, to wander from the cross and the centrality of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in our lives every single dayd) Which church to go to this week

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-18371454026961006612007-11-04T07:38:00.001-08:002007-11-04T08:10:57.520-08:00

Which one of the following represents our most serious and earnest problem as people?a) We aren't living up to our potential for happiness and success.b) We weren't loved enough somewhere along the line, and now we lash out because we have low self-esteemc) We are depraved creatures who have, universally, rebelled against God. We do not just do bad things, we love darkness -we prefer just about

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-82842896192566434672007-10-31T06:50:00.000-07:002007-10-31T06:53:55.950-07:00

Rom 5:1-5(1) Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.(2) Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.(3) More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,(4) and endurance produces character, and character

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363999.post-66285979954181796762007-10-31T06:24:00.000-07:002007-10-31T06:46:31.320-07:00

Parenting, as many can attest, is the hardest job in the world. If you are like me, sometimes it makes you want to pull out the rest of what is left of the few hairs on your head. Parenting, if you are lucky, really breaks you. Don't get me wrong, I sometimes still wish I could trade one of my kids in for a new one ;), but the thing that grounds me is the truth that God is working... even in me..

Matheteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397786729695983441noreply@blogger.com0