The God of Israel (Yahweh), His People, and the Land

I finished my intense week of study at Lake Geneva with Dr. Dan Block.  We focused on the book of Deuteronomy which is more foundational for understanding Scripture than most of us realize.

One of Dr. Block’s points of emphasis was the relationship between God, the people, and the land.  He showed from Deuteronomy how the land suffers if Israel breaks covenant relationship with God.

One of my “cohorts,” Daryl Dashouse, of the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) posted on this point.  He does a great job explaining it.  You can read his thoughts here and I can’t imagine how he got it up so quickly.  He most be blogging from an airport.

The Effect of Technology

My daughter still assures me that she is on the only 8th grader on earth without a cell phone.  That being the case, we continue to dialogue about the idea of her having a cell phone.  And, we have had some great talks reflecting on how text message is not a neutral method of communication.  I have emphasized to her that we need to think carefully about how technology is affecting us.

Owen Strachan has written a post reflecting on how the technological drive may effect us.  Here is an excerpt.

More significantly, the technological drive seems to push us away from appreciation of what is permanent. Because our current interest is constantly shifting and transferring itself to whatever is new, and hot, and sleek, and better, we gradually lose our appreciation for permanent things. We come to esteem not that which is tried and true but that which is novel and new. Faced with the choice between the hot idea, the cool trend, and the permanent principle, we’re very much tempted by the technological drive to choose the former. This can have deleterious effects on one’s approach to life, broadly, and one’s theology, specifically.

Agree or disagree, it’s worth reading.  Click here for the whole thing.

Studying Deuteronomy / You Must Watch

I am intensely studying Deuteronomy at a retreat with other doctoral graduates at Lake Geneva, WI.  We are privileged to have both Haddon Robinson, President of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and Dan Block of Wheaton leading our time together.

To give our overloaded minds a rest, while on break, we pastors entertained ourselves watching this video.

 

Who Are You?

Who are you? In asking that question, I do not mean, “What’s your name?” Rather, what is the nature of your heart? What motivates you and moves you forward in life?

Before you answer too quickly, meditate on Proverbs 16:2.

“All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the LORD.”

Knowing yourself is not as easy as you might think. There are times when we don’t even know our own motives.

Dietrich Bonehoeffer stood up against Hitler and was eventually executed. But, even shortly before his execution he struggled to know himself. From prison he wrote,

Who am I? . . .

Am I really all that which other men tell of?

Or am I only what I know of myself,

Restless and longing and sick, like a bird in a cage,

Who am I? They mock me, these lonely questions of mine.

So, how can we get to know ourselves? The Proverb gives us the answer. “Motives are weighed by the Lord.” It is only as we see ourselves in the mirror of God’s Word - - only as we are sharpened and strengthened in the community of God’s people - - -It is then that we begin to understand ourselves more truly.

Your Sin Will Find You Out

Read this NY Times article (Click here) about how a Mac camera was used to catch some incompetent thieves.

The late Don Knotts would have been a good choice to play these guys in a movie.

The worst part is that now the Mac-ites will use this to argue their case.

HT: Josh Harris

What is the Most Crying Need of the Church Today?

Justin Taylor has posted a summary of how some leading pastors and theologians answered that question.  Click here.

If you only read one of the answers, I would recommend Dever’s. 

Remember the Church (composed of local churches) is as much God’s plan for this age as the Ark was for Noah’s.

Mark Dever responds that the most crying need of the Church today is:

For pastors to know and understand what a local church should and can be and for pastors to teach this to their congregations. Much of the blessings and benefits of good teaching in evangelical churches in America goes into the hearts of individuals and then perhaps into the lives of their family and friend but is then largely lost in the sands of American individualism. If the preaching of the gospel and expositional preaching are the glorious founts of life, the local church is to be the bowl, the container, in which that life is caught and held up for display to a thirsty world. That pastors should know and understand and teach this is the most crying need in evangelical churches in America today.

Self Control, Atkin’s, Discipline, Etc.

You can expect that by Christmas I’ll look like the guy over on the Jollyblogger. 

Here’s the deal.

Proverbs 25:28, says, “Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control.”  When we fail to be disciplined, our lives are vulnerable to all kinds of invaders.

And, we are in an increasingly undisciplined culture.  Hence, our lives are invaded by obesity, financial irresponsibility, temper problems, poor time management, and many other symptoms of a lack of self-control.

So, I’m thinking about doing a series on self-control in the Fall - - not a real long one - -just a parenthesis in our time in Hebrews. 

But, preaching a series means that I have to get my own house in order and one of the areas where I am most undisciplined is in how I eat.  Jollyblogger has me thinking about the low-carb approach to life.  He refers to this Jimmy Moore guy who has lost a “Subway-Jerod” (see here) like amount of weight.

Here are a couple of questions for you, dear reader.

(1) Can you think of other areas besides the ones I mentioned (eating, finances, time management, and temper) in which a lack of self-control causes problems in life?

(2) Do think a series on a biblical theology of self-control would be good to do?

(2) Do you have experience with a low-carb approach to eating?  How did it work?  How did/do you feel?

I never liked bread that well anyway.

On Being Salt and Light

Tullian Tchividjian reminds Christians that transformed people are called to transform culture.  (Read it here).  Certainly, this transformation includes evangelism.  But, we should also transform culture by being salt and light wherever God has called us to live and serve.

More Wisdom on Home Schooling and Public Schooling

Last week, I pointed to an excellent challenge that Josh Harris (of I Kissed Dating Goodbye fame) gave members of his church on the issue of school choice.

Jollyblogger David Wayne continues the discussion today sharing both his own experiences but also more Harris interaction.  Read it here.

Another Post On Modesty

It may be time to  pre-order C.J. Mahaney’s upcoming book, Worldliness: Resisting the Seduction of a Fallen World, or read the next excerpt by clicking here.