Pastor and author A.W. Tozer is famous for saying that "What comes to our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us."
I, for one, happen to think Tozer is on to something with this statement. And so part of my goal - both as a Christian disciple and as someone who teaches a fair amount of Bible & theology - is to build a strong foundation around a biblical view of God AND continually be returning to and reinforcing a robust, "big," and accurate picture of who God reveals Himself to be. And that means I love it when authors, pastors, and teachers help bring various truths about God to life in fresh, vivid ways. Recently J.D. Greear helped do this for me, bringing God's ability and His generosity together in some cool ways. Check out this quote, from Greear's Gaining by Losing: Why the Future Belongs to Churches that Send (Zondervan, 2015), p. 187:
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I love Psalm 1. It grabs me every time I read it. The picture is paints for us is attractive and compelling - just listen to this selection from the first three verses: Blessed is the one… whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither - whatever they do prospers. Most people I talk with (including myself!) are drawn to the sort of life we see pictured here. We're drawn to the flourishing and the fruitfulness the psalm depicts. But we also need to take careful note of HOW this sort of full life is cultivated . We see an answer in the selection I've included above - we need to meditate on the Bible. A life that is full of God's Word will flourish in all the right ways and bear fruit for God.
So if meditation is such a big deal, what IS biblical meditation? Theology never stays abstract. What we believe should and must shape who we are.
Earlier this month I posted how theologian Wayne Grudem is one example of "theology taking shape" as he responds to and lives in light of his recent diagnosis of Parkinson's disease. Not long after I posted that, I learned that theologian J.I. Packer is ending his "formal ministry" of writing and regular preaching due to his failing eyesight. I've posted on J.I. Packer before (check out some of the posts here and here), and his Knowing God is one of the books I return to repeatedly. Packer is the first formal theologian that gave me a taste for all that the study of theology offers the Church and the individual Christian. Therefore, I was all ears as I read through a Gospel Coalition interview with J.I. Packer about his failing eyesight and what that means. Here's a link to the interview. I encourage you to take some time in the next day or so (or right now) and read through what Packer has to say, and how he's one more example of "theology" taking shape. And don't just read it. Reflect on it. Learn from it. Absorb it. My oldest brother has started something of a "tradition" for his kids' birthdays when family gets together to celebrate - piñatas. He gets a piñata, and then all the cousins line up and do the "piñata thing": they put on a blindfold, grab a blunt stick, everyone backs away out of swinging distance, and the child takes a few swings in the hopes of connecting with the piñata and getting some candy. After plenty of whiffs and unsuccessful attempts, someone finally makes a crack in the piñata and all the kids rush forward for a no-holds-barred struggle for tootsie roll pops, snack-sized candy bars, and gum.
I wonder how often our attempts at spiritual formation - Christian growth - are something like this scenario I just described. We don't really have a clear picture of the target we're aiming for (like being blindfolded with a piñata in front of us), and so we exert a lot of effort and swing wildly in hopes that we'll connect with something - knowing that when (or better, if) we actually make contact we'll get something worthwhile. The process can feel unguided, discouraging, and exhausting. I don't think it has to be this way. As we'll see, Scripture gives us a clear picture of our "target" - we're not swinging blindly. That will be the focus of this post. And neither is our "tool" a blunt stick that's not designed for what it's being used for. There are plenty of good books out there that help us grow in our understanding and practice of spiritual disciplines - not as an end-in-themselves, but as divinely-appointed means by which we can authentically grow in Christ-likness. Let's now hone in on the focus of this post: What is the picture of spiritual formation we're pursuing? As we practice godly disciplines over the course of our lifetimes, what should they be cultivating? Earlier this week I was reading Genesis 27:20. Isaac is asking his son how the food that was being prepared for him got there so quickly. Here's the verse: Isaac asked his son, “How did you find it so quickly, my son?” “The Lord your God gave me success,” he replied. (Genesis 27:20) Taken by itself, the verse seems pretty straightforward. Isaac asks his son a question, and his son answers. Jacob (the son) acknowledges God and credits success to the LORD. This response sounds pretty good, right? WRONG. The larger context of this story (check it out in Genesis 27:1-41) shows us that this answer is heavy with deceit. Isaac thinks he's talking to his OTHER son, Esau, but Jacob tricks his father into thinking he is Esau. The motive for this deceit is that Jacob might "steal" his brother's blessing (and blessings were a BIG deal). This deceit was premeditated and organized. And what I find so scary about this passage is that in the middle of this known, willful, organized deceit, Jacob invokes religious language. Jacob "says the right thing" by crediting God, even though he's in the middle of sin. In other words, Jacob uses theological language but he doesn't mean any of it. Jacob references God casually, as a means to his own ends. Let me go right to the lesson: It's possible to use theological language - about God or anything else - carelessly and for selfish ends. Jacob's story shouldn't scare us away from theology, but it should alerts us to the possibility - the possibility within all of us - to "say the right thing" casually and manipulatively. We can "say the right thing" but mean none of it. Let's learn from Jacob's bad example and be careful to use theology not as a means to our own gain, but as a means to grow in our communion with God and our glad submission to Him. If you liked this post, you may also be interested in:
I'm a fan of Wayne Grudem. I've personally benefited tremendously from his books - so much so that I've required his Systematic Theology and Bible Doctrine as reading for various classes I've taught. I've heard him speak a handful of times at the Evangelical Theological Society, and appreciate both his content and his tone. I attended Trinity Evangelical Divinity School shortly after he left, but was there close enough to his tenure there that I heard from numerous others who were impacted by his teaching. Few contemporary evangelical systematic theologians are as influential as Wayne Grudem has been.
And my respect for Wayne Grudem continued to increase when I heard that he's been diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease, and read how he's responding to it. I've included a link to this response at the end of this post. Folks, this is an lived-example of theology taking shape and making a difference in everyday life. This is an embodied example of "theology matters." We all need examples like this. Check out what Wayne Grudem has to say here: "I Have Parkinson's and I am at Peace" by Wayne Grudem Rather than posting any new content today, I simply want to drive us to an appreciation and worship of Christ as we celebrate Christmas this year. And I believe that as we fill our minds and hearts with truth about who Jesus is and what's He's done, this can stir the reflection and worship that is so important for us to do.
With that said, here are four passages that show us who the "Christ of Christmas" is, and what Jesus offers. I love these words attributed to 19th century preacher Charles Spurgeon: The word of God is like a lion; you don't have to defend it, you just turn it loose. Of course, we still work to help people read the Bible well on their own, and this doesn't mean we ignore other study resources that can help us mine the riches of God's Word. But what this quote communicates that I love is the "livingness" and "activeness" of the Bible - that it is "sharper than a two edged sword" and able to penetrate to the innermost depths of our hearts and attitudes (check it out in Hebrews 4:12). God's Spirit uses God's Word to point us to God's Son and accomplish God's work in us and through us. That's AWESOME.
All of that is why I'm all about spending myself to help people feel the warmth of God's Word and see its light, so they can experience the life God offers us in Jesus. That's why the Brookside Institute values biblical literacy so highly - not as an end-in-itself, but because of what biblical literacy should do in us (2 Timothy 3:16-17), and Who it should point us to (John 5:39). And that's why I'm so excited about this "365" emphasis Brookside Church is leaning into in 2016 - where we're encouraging the whole church family to consider reading the Bible in 2016, and where we're facilitating ways for this to happen individually and in our Community Groups. I'm confident there will be more to come, but for now, be sure and check out our "365" page online and begin ramping up for this. 2016 is just around the corner! Christmas is officially two weeks away, and that means many of us are considering gift ideas for others in our lives. If you're looking for ideas for the "reader" you know, here are six suggestions. Each of these suggestions has been recently published (in the last 2-3 years) and will be linked to an Amazon page where you can learn more. You'll see they're listed under 6 categories that I try and stay loosely tethered to:
What other books (in any of these categories listed above) would you suggest people consider? List 'em here!
In the flurry of Black Friday deals and Cyber Monday advertisements, the season of Advent has once again crept in. Like Christ's first coming, Advent doesn't force itself upon us. We can miss it if we're not attentive, and we'll miss out on the blessings this season offers if we're not intentional. So let's be sure and approach Advent the right way.
If you're unfamiliar with Advent, this is the season where Christians around the world set aside time to reflect on and celebrate Christ's coming to earth (Christ's first "coming" or "arrival" is what this season of Advent points to). But what does this reflection and celebration look like? This reflection on Christ's coming includes reflection on the waiting and anticipation that preceded Christ's coming. For thousands of years God's people longed for a Messiah and placed their hopes in God's promises. Advent brings these biblical ideas of waiting, anticipation and trust into the present for us each year. Advent also includes reflecting on the need for Christ's coming - our sin and rebellion against our Creator. The truth that nothing other than the sending of God's Son would deal with THE problem of our sin reinforces God's love for us...and the seriousness of our sin. The celebration comes when we appreciate everything Christ's incarnation means for us: God has now come in the form of a human to reconcile us to God, and to be a representative (standing on our behalf) and substitutionary (standing in our place) sacrifice. The name Christ is given in Matthew 1:23, Immanuel, says it all: In Christ, God is with us. God becomes man to be with us, so that through His death and resurrection we might be with God. So this season, set aside time - individually and as a family - to reflect on Advent and all that it means (this post helped me do this in renewed ways recently). Take time to celebrate everything Advent offers and accomplishes. Find practical ways to give your attention to Advent, knowing that if you're not intentional this season can creep by unnoticed and under-appreciated. And finally? Respond in fresh faith (and the obedience the follows) to all that Advent intends, reconciling us to God so we might know Him personally and be restored to a right relationship with Him. |
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