Rediscovering Reality

There’s a quote by Michael Horton in his book Christless Christianity that I’ve been thinking about recently.  I don’t have the book with me or else I’d post the actual quote, but here’s the gist of it, to the best of my memory. 

Several years ago some guy did a radio broadcast where he was asked what a city would look like if Satan was given full control.  The man gave an unexpected answer, he said that it would look perfect - families would be functioning properly, kids would be well behaved and say “yes ma’am” and “yes sir,” there would be no crime, the porn stores and bars would be closed down, and every Sunday all the people would be in church…

Honestly, who doesn’t want to live in a place like that?  It sounds perfect, like a little Mayberry (isn’t that the Andy Griffith place?  I’ve honestly never watched an episode in my life) or something.  But here’s the kicker, the quote doesn’t end there.  He says the people would be in a church where the gospel is not preached.

This makes me wonder, in larger evangelicalism and especially my life, do I want the outside to look right or do I want to believe the gospel?  Usually I don’t like the answer when I really look into me.  Obviously, I want to believe the gospel and apply it to every single part of my life.  That has to be true, nothing else matters in my life when compared to it! 

Obviously, Satan wants our outsides to look good if it means that we don’t see our need for Christ.  If we see our need for Christ Satan wants to ruin us, but how often do we hide behind our own morality and call it good enough?

I’m not claiming to know how to always do this, but one phrase that has stuck out to me since I heard it was “the battle begins each morning.  We must fight to submit our lives to the reality of the gospel.”  If I believe the gospel, am I going to forgive the guy who cut me off when I realize what I’ve been forgiven of?  If I believe the gospel, am I going seek to build my kingdom or God’s kingdom?  So often we care more about our platitudes and outwards that we forget to check our hearts.

Martin Luther knew what he was doing when he decided what the first of his 95 thesis would be.  As I grow and mature, I am realizing the importance of this statement more and more.

When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said “Repent”, He called for the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.

Looking at my tumblr the last couple weeks / months / ever I realize that I post a lot of awesome stuff but very few actual posts where I take words from my brain and transfer them through my fingers into the internet.  Or something like that, I’m not really sure how it works.  So, I’m hoping that this will be the first of several actual posts.

Life is good, nothing overly exciting is happening, but you know, I’m content with that.  I’m taking 15 hours - Advanced Expository Preaching, Intro to Biblical Counseling, Marriage and the Family, Religion in the public square, and Devotional life of the minister.  My classes are pretty easy this semester which is awesome.  I’ve pretty much killed myself (metaphorically speaking) with hard classes the last 2 years and now it is paying off.

One of the nifty things about my classes is they are all extremely practical.  Does anyone use the word nifty any more?  Anyway, I’m not saying things like church history and theology aren’t practical.  In fact, I strongly believe if your study of theology isn’t practical than you’re doing it wrong.  But these classes are extremely practical.  For example, in my counseling class we have to work through a sin in the power and grace of God for our main project.  How awesome is that?

In other news, I just got a job at the Cracker Barrel as a server.  I’ve only done training for the last two days but I think it’s going to be a really awesome job.  From what I’ve heard and seen it will be fun.  Also I’m told that servers make pretty good money, and I can’t be sad about that.

And this is where I will end the post.  Any comments?

Today I’m starting a new mission.  There is a book by Tom Moon (who is with NPR) called 1000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die.  I’m going to take his advice and try to listen to all of them.  On the website I linked to, it features a new album every day.  I’m starting off by listening to today’s: Miles Davis - Sketches of Spain.

The main way I’m listening is through Grooveshark, I haven’t figured out what to do when the songs aren’t on it…

So yeah, that’s my new mission.  An album a day would take about 3 years, so that’s what I’ll plan on.  I may even post reviews on here.  Wouldn’t that be awesome?

Ut oh - it seems I’ve run out of stuff to post on tumblr.  Lets see if I can find more.

In the New Testament, God never* commands His people to be something that they aren’t.  Rather, He tells them to stop being something they are not.  All the commands for holiness are simply commands to be who you are.  God’s people are regenerated - given a new heart and sanctified - given a new nature.  Therefore, in commanding us, God tells us to stop pretending we are something that we are not - slaves to sin - and actually be the men and women we are - slaves to righteousness.

*Never as far as I know, but feel free to prove me wrong.  If you can give me an example, I’ll happily change never to rarely.

I learned how to download an audio Bible on MP3.  Here’s how I did it:

Go to esv.org and read the Bible - HERE

Then you go to Options

Select an MP3 for Audio - I love me some Max McLean

Save.

Then search for whatever passage you want

Right click and save the “listen” link.

Awesome - right?