"He is not a tame lion, but He is good."

Yes, i was one of the Narnia nerds who attended the midnight viewing of Lewis' Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe. And if i do say so myself, it was absolutely fantastic. I know, i am bias, but i really do think it was a good movie. However, i would recommend that you read the book before watching the movie. C'mon, it's a kids book! You could read it in a couple of days! It will help tremendously in laying groundwork for you.

Back to the movie...the acting was great, and the visual effects were stunning. All of the Narnian creatures were incredible. Aslan looked so much like a real lion that you could not tell the difference. Go watch one of the best movies of the year, and discover for yourself the deep magic of Narnia.

Packer Ponderings

Here is a section of J.I. Packer's chapter on the Grace of God. Very dominating!

Many church people "pay lip service to the idea of grace, but there they stop. Their conception of grace is not so much debased as non-existent. The thought means nothing to them; it does not touch their experience at all. Talk to them about the church's heating, or last year's accounts and they are with you at once; but speak to them about the realities to which the word 'grace' points, and their attitude is one of deferential blankness. They do not accuse you of talking non-sense; they do not doubt that your words have meaning; but they feel that, whatever it is that you are talking about, it is beyond them, and the longer they have lived without it the surer they are at their stage of life they do not really need it."

Do you agree with this statement? I sure do, but i also see a change in our culture. Then again, maybe it is not a change, but just my being exposed to different ways of doing church, but i digress. With the advent of the church planting movement it seems that there has been an onslaught of churches that operate from an elder type model, and therefore not everything has to go before the church to be voted on or talked about. I believe this is very freeing and allows the pastors and members to focus attention on the truths of God's word. Why have church members been more concerned with the budget than with diving into the word of God? One reason is because their own money ws tied up in the budget. But i think another reason was because they had been told to worry about it by the democratic way of doing church. Just rambling..feel free to disagree and let me know about it, or to echo and expand my sentiments.

i will write again...

For my three readers out there, i promise to write again soon...until then.

News flash--i have a small view of God

So i am reading Knowing God by J.I. Packer as part of my daily devotions and it is really stretching me. If you have ever read Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer, Packer's book is a less flowery, more practical treatise of getting to know the multi-attributed God. Both books are fantastic and should be read by every Christian at some point in their life. Here was the convicting part of today's reading: "Ignorance of it (an emotional relationship or tie with God) argues that, however true a man's thoughts of God may be, he does not yet know the God of whom he is thinking."

This is very striking and piercing to me on two fronts. First, I am not an emotional type of guy. I do not react emotionally most of the time. Part of that is inherited. The other part comes from not wanting to be seen as driven by emotion. I do have problems with people who are driven by emotions (mainly they just get on my nerves), but what is wrong with emotions that stem from truth? Nothing. Resolved, I will try to keep this in mind and put it into practice myself.

The second way this quote is devastating to me comes in the negative. I am at ease worshiping, praising, delighting in God by myself, or when i see that God is being glorified by others. But, when i see that God is not honored, am i torn and upset? No. Should i be? Yes. David said he cried rivers of tears because God's laws were not honored by the people. Even worse, i seek out people who do not honor God as my entertainment by the tv i watch, music i may listen to, etc. Do i cry rivers of tears because of the message that is being sent out to millions of viewers from the shows i watch. Nope. I don't even think about being conflicted. Why is that? Because my view of God is as small as a pin hole. So i must train, labor, discipline, and practice to let God condition me and not the world.

God-Centered Uhauls

In the last few years there has been an obvious push towards "God-centeredness" in different ministries. For some churches and ministries this was a genuine cry, but now it seems that the terms "God-centered," and "Christ-centered" are only cliche; the latest lingo in a long line of "purpose" statements. Who is not going to say that their church is not "God-centered"?

All of that to say this: we have moved! I am now serving in a church in southwest AR. How did i get so much stuff in just four years? Moving stinks! So how can moving have a God-centered approach? How can i glorify God in a real way as i unpack an endless number of boxes? To be honest, it is tough. Everything is unsettled; we are having to learn new people, new places. We are having to pay two sets of bills for the first month; we are having to get cable, internet, etc installed with all those start up fees. All of this can get overwhelming for me and my wife. Enter the Gospel; Enter the Altogether Lovely; Enter my "Tardy Joy" as Augustine labeled Him. I am reminded once again that in the midst of confusion and chaos and boxes, there is only one Rock, only one sure thing. I hope you get the providential opportunity to relish in the Famous One after a week of instability. Do not let the pursuit of God in everything you do become only a banner that you wave around. Stop waving for a while and start living it in the quiet moments of your time here.

Finding Fulfillment

C.S. Lewis writes in Mere Christianity, "What Satan put into the heads of our remote ancestors was the idea that they could 'be like gods'--could set up on their own as if they had created themselves--be their own masters--invent some sort of happiness for themselves outside God, apart from God. And out of that hopeless attempt has come nearly all that we call human history--money, poverty, ambition, war, prostitution, classes, empires, slavery--the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy."

Desires are to be fulfilled. Fulfillment comes when your desires are met. And if your ultimate desire is not met here on earth (which it never will be), then the fulfillment must come from outside of us--God. That is what makes this quote true. Only God can make us happy. Isn't ridiculous how simple this all sounds. Why do we mess it up and make intimacy with God so convoluted? But we must also be careful not to reduce the infinite into a platitude (new word i learned!!). So this is life, being happy in God and discovering how immense and deeply engaging He is. Live.

Break out the Buble'

Friday night was a most unforgettable night for kate (Kate is the name of Luther's wife or course) and me. I took her to the Michael Buble concert at the Memphis Botanical Gardens. When you mix Buble and Botanical Gardens, that can only spell one thing...r-o-m-a-n-c-e. The night did not start out very promising though. Kate got home for work, we got ready, packed our little pic-nic basket with sandwiches and drinks, packed our blankets and lawn chairs and took off. We took off in the wrong direction. Kate and i are not too good when it comes to the Memphis 240 loop. So we ended up on the wrong side of town, far away from our intended destination. To make matters worse, we were in standstill traffic for about 30 minutes! All we wanted to do was to get to the concert early, layout our blanket and enjoy the evening. Believing in sovereignty is strangely difficult in those moments. However, providentially, we arrived to the concert in plenty of time to see the terrible opening comedic act. The air was clear except for one huge cloud that was putting on a display of pinkish heat lightning. The temperature was bearable, the stars were out, and the concert was extraordinary. I highly recommend Buble's cd. He is a Harry Connick Jr. of sorts, and there are not many of his kind out there, so you have to give credit when a good one comes along.

dead people, great thoughts

"Most secret and most truly present; most beautiful and most strong; stable, yet not supported; unchangeable, yet changing all things; never new, never old; making all things new, yet bringing old age upon the proud, and they know it not; always working, ever at rest; gathering, yet needing nothing; sustaining, pervading, and protecting; creating, nourishing, and developing; seeking, and yet possessing all things. Thou dost love, but without passion; art jealous, yet free from care; dost repent without remorse; art angry, yet remainest serene...Thou owest men nothing, yet payest out to them as if in debt to thy creature, and when thou dost cancel debts thou losest noghting thereby. Yet, O my God, my life, my Holy Joy, what is this that i have said? What can man say when he speaks of thee? But woe to them that keep silence..." Augustine, Confessions
Men of old speak more clearly than present man. Why is that? Why are we not able to articulate great thoughts about God and the life the extends from him. Surely it is not that everything about God has been said or explained. Instead, we take no time to think deeply about who God is or how He operates or what the Bible says about Him. Instead, we are content to live in a bumper sticker society with cute quips and catchy phrases. Our minds have been conditioned to accept no more than the fast paced, quick camera shots that tv has fed us. Our actions are usually only geared to bring us instant satisfaction, with no thought as to how it might affect the future. We thing we live in a time where the philosophy of the day is that truth is relative. However, I think that has turned into a veil so that we can do whatever we want to with no regard to ultimate truth or relative truth. We are only interested in now and being pleasured. The sad truth is that many have turned their back on the only one who can bring the ultimate satisfaction. One commentator on Schaeffer's book The God Who is There seems to have made a good point when he said that (paraphrasing here) "the philosophers and artists of the modern/postmodern era at least were brought to some point of despair. Today people do not even do that." They are content to live in a way of life (themselves being there beginning) that offers no hope. If this is the case, where will the next generation be?

hello everyone. welcome to my blog. this will be the sketchpad of my brain. no thoughts posted on here are set in stone; all are subject to change and reforming, so please help me on this road of reformation.

cj