Closing Time

"You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here."

I'm leaving blogger for many reasons.

1. Blogger ate 4 posts and held them hostage for half a week.
2. Blogger has very limited back-door options.
3. I need a clean slate.
4. Blogger is a great intro tool to blogging. But it's time to put on the big boy pants at wordpress.

So, if you ever want to hear from me again, it won't be from this blog. I'm trying to start a regularly-updated, content-heavy blog on wordpress. Check it out below.

Go to my new blog: Sincerely Bryce.

Be sure and update your readers! Push this button to add my new blog to your reader!

Subscribe in a reader

Goodbye blogger. But not goodbye readers!

Bryce

-- Timeout Blogger! --

All of this Blogger drama has been getting to me. Last week, four posts were almost deleted while blogger underwent 'maintence'!

I'm taking a short break. Besides, I've been thinking of changing the blog site to wordpress or posterous.

Until things get sorted out, chew on this - the first poem published by Piper in 1969 for $5.

In that land
Were some birds
And some grass
And very much dust
And a number of common folk
Wit a lot of simplicity
And wisdom;
      So it was not unnatural
        That they should expect
The grass to wither
And the birds to fall dead from the sky
When one of their friends,
Looking over his shoulder
Somehow like an ordinary man,
Said,
“Before Abraham was, I  AM.”

LATE POST: Friday Music - Lecrae

*This is from Friday, but blogger 'lost' my posts until now!*



Rehab - $5 on Amazon.com

I used to hate rap. There was no point to it. Then, I found Lecrae - a Christian rapper who occasionally outsells secular artists.

Lecrae's newest album, Rehab, is one of his best. Like his previous one, Rebel, Lecrae uses every lyric to pack in theological truths and ideas.

Some good tracks are "Killa" - about the destruction from lust; "Just Like You" - a look into identity; and the Star-Wars-quoting-fun "40 Deep".

Lecrae delivers another great album and continues to swim against rap's dark culture, creatig songs that edify and point people to Christ





Lyrics from "Just Like You"

I was created by God but I ain't wanna be like Him, I wanna be Him. The Jack Sparrow of my Carribean...
Then in steps Jesus. All men were created to lead, but we needed somebody to lead us. More than a teacher, but somebody to buy us back from the darkness, you can say He redeemed us.
Taught us that real leaders follow God, finish the work cause we on our job...

LATE POST: Mindless Monday Fun:Animal Edition

*This was from yesterday, but blogger ate all of posts. Still funny though.*

Why are animal voiceovers so funny?



There's a whole series of these from BBC, which are surprisingly addicting:

Piper's Principles II: Is God Happy?

Last week, I began to look at some major points in John Piper's book Desiring God. We looked at his book's foundation principle:

The chief end of man is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever. (p. 18)

This week, I want to address this question: If we are going to find joy and happiness in God, how do we know that God is happy? We've failed to find happiness in pleasures here, how do we know He won't fail us too?

----- | Sovereignty | -----

The answer lies in God's absolute sovereignty.

But the foundation of the happiness of God is the sovereignty of God: "Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases." (Psalm 115:3). If God were not sovereign, if the world He made were out of control, frustrating His design again and again, God would not be happy. (p. 33)

The verse he mentions, and many others, teach the idea that God is in absolute control of every atom, event, and power in the universe. I love Piper's next point:

In the end, one must finally come to see that if there is a God in heaven, there is no such thing as mere coincidence, not even in the smallest affairs of life: "The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord" (Proverbs 16:33). Not one sparrow "will fall to the ground without your Father's will" (Matthew 10:29). (p 37)

Knowing this, we can never think that we are in the wrong place, or are not where we should be. Every "chance" encounter stops being "chance" and starts being "divinely appointed." He knows where we are, and has us there for a reason! His sovereignty leaves no room for coincidences.

----- | The Unanswered Question | -----

The lingering question therefore is this: If God is sovereign, why do bad things happen? Why is there evil? Why can't he just stop all evil?

Some people would argue that God is not happy. They would point to the evil acts of men, natural disasters, and the fact that Satan is somehow "winning" here on earth. How could God be happy with the state of things? How could he be happy when bad things happen to his creation?

I have two answers for you.

First, Piper would point you to the death of Jesus Christ. A man was falsely accused, beaten, ridiculed, and murdered - yet this was God's will! Moreover, out of all the evilness, betrayal and darkness, God used these evil things to bring forth a way of grace to mankind. The gospel is a constant reminder that God sees evil and is saying "I know, I know... but just wait until you see what I am doing!" If we see anything in the Bible, it is the continuing theme of goodness coming from evil.

People lift their hand to rebel against the Most High only to find that their rebellion is unwitting service in the wonderful designs of God. (p 35)

The second answer comes is not from Piper, but from Lecrae, a Christian rapper. He takes a different approach on the problem of evil:

Look man, some people say that God ain't real because they don't see how a good God could exist with all this evil in the world. If God is real, then He should stop all this evil, cause He's all powerful right?

What is evil though? It's anything that's against God. It's anything morally bad or wrong. It's murder, rape, stealing, lying, cheating. But if we want God to stop evil, do we want Him to stop it all, or just a little bit of it? If He stops us from doing evil things, what about lying? Or what about all evil thoughts? I mean where do you stop? The murder level, the lying level, or the thinking level? If we want Him to stop evil, we gotta be consistent, we can't just pick and choose. That means you and I would be eliminated right? Because we think evil stuff. If that's true, we should be eliminated. But thanks be to God that Jesus stepped in to save us from our sin. Christ died for all evilness. Repent, and turn to Jesus. - lyrics from "Truth" 

So, yes. We can all agree that evil things happen. But if we want God to just destroy all evildoers - we would all be destroyed!

God is sovereign, and He does as He pleases. He is utterly happy (wouldn't you be happy if your will could never be stopped?). And so, Piper argues, we have a sure foundation and source of happiness in this incredible Being.

Podcast: Jesus Plus Nothing Equals Everything

This Sunday, we had a guest pastor give this sermon at the Village Church. It's a fantastic message on the centrality of the gospel:

Tulian Tchividian - Jesus Plus Nothing Equals Everything 

[If this link doesn't work, just go to the main site, and find the one from May 7, 2011]

Tuesday News Roundup

Two Muslim Imams Kicked Off Flight - Last Friday, after going through security and a secondary screening, a pilot in Tennessee refused to take off unless two high-ranking Muslims were removed from the plane. They were headed to North Carolina, ironically, to attend a conference on "prejudice against Muslims, or Islamaphobia." This is disgraceful and cannot happen in our country.

SlutWalk Marches - A police officer in Toronto sparked 'SlutWalk' marches in Toronto and Boston with one bad comment. The walks are a protest against blaming sexual assault victims for the crimes against them. What did he say?

"You know, I think we're beating around the bush here. I've been told I'm not supposed to say this - however, women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimized".              - Constable Michael Sanguinetti 

Syria's Decline - Tanks v. protesters. No, not in Libya, but in a grim situation developing in Syria. Things are looking worse as one Syrian rights group claims 800 civilians have died in fighting...

Mindless Monday Fun: A Visit from the Sexy Sax Man

Give this one a chance. Yeah, it's weird for the first 5 seconds.

But then, the hilarity ensues 12 seconds in.



Now, try not to sing this song all day.

A Primer on How to Drive in Dallas

Yeah, he's from Dallas.

One of the biggest changes I've undergone in Texas was learning to drive in cities like Dallas. My first few days of hour-long commuting, I hated every driver in Dallas. After a week or so, things got easier. And it was then that I realized, I had become... one of them! So, here's a few pointers on how to drive in Dallas:

1. Signaling: Blinkers are a sign of weakness. If you use them, you will be cut off.
2. Tail-Gating: Is the traffic in front of you going too slow? Try this - get as close as you can to the car in front of you. Then, stay there. Congratulations. The car is now speeding up or getting out of your way.
3. Cell Phones: Driving on the highway is the BEST time to call that friend you've missed! Or, why not just text them? After all, it's easier
4. On-Ramps: When entering an on-ramp, press the accelerator to the floor. Studies have shown that entering a Dallas highway is about as hard as a jet launching from a carrier.
5. Bikes: It is a myth that bikers have the right of way on roads. Teach them a lesson by driving by them at a high speed. Same goes for pedestrians.
6. Brakes: You may have heard that 'easing' onto the brakes is the best way. But that is false. When traffic is slowing down, slam that brake pedal! The people behind you will just have to deal.
7. Trucks: Remember when you see the over sized, lift-kit fitted, dinosaur-sized truck - the driver is simply overcompensating. Take pity.
8. Speed Limit: Look at the speed limit sign. Follow this guide:
• Right Lane Speed = Limit - 10,
• Center Lane Speed = Limit +10,
• Left Lane Speed is incalculable as it approaches infinity.
9. HOV Lane: What is that very left lane for? HOV who? I'm not sure what you've heard, but this is actually an extra lane for when traffic is stuck! Just hop in there anytime you feel like it!
10. Honking: It has been proven that Dallas drivers do not have the ability to hear car horns.
11. Highways: Someone dies every day on 635 and I-35. Do not be that person.
12. Stop Signs: You can go first by staring down the other drivers!
13. School Zones: The speed limit says 20 - but Dallas law requires you to go 10 mph OR 40 mph. Nowhere in-between.
14. Accidents: Did you just see an accident? Don't stop! Just slow down a lot so that others can look too.
15. Friendliness: When you wave someone to go in front of you, you've just marked yourself as a push-over to all the other drivers. They're going to go in as well.
16. Traffic Jams: Scientists are mystified by an anomaly in traffic jams: Time actually comes to a stop! They are currently trying to use this to slow down nuclear half-lives.
17. Car Maintenance: Why pay that auto store lots of cash, when duct tape will suffice?
18. Gas Prices: Search google for "syphoning tips".
19. Motorcycles: If you are riding a motorcycle in Dallas, you need to see a psychologist about your suicidal tendencies.
20. Pace: The best way to drive is to keep varying your speed. Speed up, slow down. This will keep the other drivers from predicting your path. And that means "winning".
21. Parking: 'Compacts only' is really a suggestion. Triple-park that beast!

Friday Music - Wye Oak

Wye Oak is indie - very, very indie. Unlike the past few bands, they are not a worship band by any means.

Their debut album, Civilian just came out last month and it is fantastic! The band is made up of only two people - Andy Stack playing drums, keyboard and bass(!) while Jenn Wasner plays guitar and sings in a smoky voice - but they are still able to create a rich, unique sound.

Pitchfork has described them as an "earnest folk-influenced indie rock with touches of noise and dream pop." If this doesn't make sense, just listen to the song below.


These guys are going to be big, mark my words.


Check out "Fish" by Wye Oak:



Civilian - Wye Oak on Amazon - $5.00

"Christian Hedonism" - Sounds Dirty, Right?

Can we have fun and not sin?

Christian Hedonism - this just sounds wrong. I mean, just look at this definition:
he·don·ism

1. (Philosophy) Ethics

     a.  the doctrine that moral value can be defined in terms of pleasure 

     b.  the doctrine that the pursuit of pleasure is the highest good

2. the pursuit of pleasure as a matter of principle

3. indulgence in sensual pleasures

But, if asked, John Piper would call himself a Christian Hedonist. And, after reading half of Desiring God, I think I would too.

This sounds selfish, base, and utterly un-Christian. How could Piper base his book on this principle? Can a true Christian be a hedonist? Does he make it better by adding the word "Christian" in front of it?

So, let's try to understand how seeking our pleasure relates to following God. Do you think it can?

----- | Be Happy - The Bible Commands It? | -----

Today, Christians tend to see pursuing pleasure as a bad thing. "If it makes me happy, then it must be sin." So, we draw lines, and play things safe. But what if this hedonistic desire is good?

Piper argues that God wants us to be happy - the Bible is laced with hedonistic commands (p 25):

• to "love mercy," not just do it (Micah 6:8)
• to do "acts of mercy, with cheerfulness" (Romans 12:8)
• to "joyfully" suffer loss in the service of prisoners (Hebrews 10:34)
• to be a cheerful giver (2 Cor. 9:7)
• to make our joy the joy of others (2 Cor. 2:3)
• to tend the flock of God willingly and "eagerly" (1 Peter 5:2)
• to keep watch over souls "with joy" (Hebrews 13:17)

And, Piper's favorite: "Delight yourself in the Lord" (Ps. 37:4). He even says:

Not to enjoy God is to dishonor Him. To say to Him that something else satisfies you more is the opposite of worship. It is sacrilege. (p. 22)

So, if I am not joyful when worshiping, am I wrong? Piper would say yes.

If this all sounds too harsh, Piper reaches a clear, concise definition pretty soon.

----- | Piper's Thesis | -----

Piper's main argument, and point is this: we are pleasure-seeking creatures, but will find our purest, most satisfying, never-ending happiness IN God. He quotes a great passage from CS Lewis:

If there lurks in most modern minds the notion that to desire our own good and earnestly to hope for the enjoyment of it is a bad thing, I submit that this notion has crept in from Kant and the Stoics and is no part of the Christian faith. Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinte joy is offered us, like an ingorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased. (p. 20)

So, Piper finally rests on a clear definition of Christian Hedonism:

1. The longing to be happy is a universal human experience, and it is good, not sinful.
2. We should never try to deny or resist our longing to be happy, as though it were a bad impulse. Instead, we should seek to intensify this longing and nourish it with whatever will provide the deepest and most enduring satisfaction.
3. The deepest and most enduring happiness is found only in God. Not from God, but in God.
4. The happiness we find in God reaches its consummation when it is shared with others in the manifold ways of love.
5. To the extent that we try to abandon the pursuit of our own pleasure, we fail to honor God and love people. Or, to put it positively: The pursuit of pleasure is a necessary part of all worship and virtue. That is:

The chief end of man is to glorify God by enjoying Him forver. (p28)

Would you agree with him? In glorifying God, are we not the happiest?

If there is disagreement, Piper starts with this and unpacks it over 300 pages. Give him a chance.

Next week - we'll look at the question "Is God Happy?"

"Take Heart!" - A Reminder

How easily I forget the answer to all of my troubles. Today, I was reminded of a simple, but powerful promise by Jesus:

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” - John 16:33

He promises peace in Himself! Not a peace to come, or a peace from our 'good behavior'. No, we can "take heart" in the fact that our peace is already secure - He has overcome! It's done.


This Hillsong tune fleshes this out in a great way, meeting each of our problems with a trait of God:

[Chorus at 3:50] 

All our troubles, and all our tears,

God our Hope, He has overcome!

All our failure, and all our fear,

God our Love, He has overcome!

All our heartache, and all our pain,

God our Healer, He has overcome!

All our burdens, and all our shame,

God our Freedom, He has overcome!

God our Justice,

God our Grace,

God our Freedom,

He has overcome!

God our Refuge,

God our Strength,

God is with us,

He has overcome!

(lyrics from: http://www.elyrics.net/read/h/hillsong-united-lyrics/take-heart-lyrics.html)

Mindless Monday Fun: My Name is John Daker...

A little late, but this video is hilarious any time of the day:

"My Name is John Daker"



We sang this song in church on Easter, and this video is all I could think about!!

Friday Music - Gungor

Gungor - Beautiful Things

$5.00 from Amazon.com during April.

"Just as the band is about far more than one person, this album is about a God so great and grand that our response should be deep, creative, and passionate. In Beautiful Things, Gungor has achieved just that." - gungormusic.com

Probably my favorite CD ever.  Intimately deep, fantastic musically, Beautiful Things achieves the goal of instilling a yearning for God.

  

Intro - Piper's Principles (Working Title!)

Desiring God has been turning my world upside down.

I've been reading through it during April with Piper's church.  Along the way, he has been posting discussion interviews about the book.  Sadly, I have missed all of those!  But, I'm hoping they're stored away somewhere around the internets.

I am going to be sharing some sweet little nuggets from his book.  Some may be small, some may be way too deep to even try to explain on a blog, but I'm still going for it.  I'm planning to write a post for each chapter starting next week.  Let's say, on Thursdays.  We'll call the posts Piper's Principles.  Or maybe, "Desiring God" Goodies. 

I'll work on the title.  But May 5th will be the start.  It's an amazing book, and I'm excited to share some thoughts!

----- | | | -----

As a teaser, here's a big idea I've been wrestling with:

Do you want God, or do you want His gifts?  Did you receive Jesus Christ from guilt and shame, or is He your Treasure?  Do you believe that there is unending delight and joy in serving God and loving others?

Could it be that today the most straightforward biblical command for conversion is not, "Believe in the Lord," but, "Delight yourself in the Lord?" - Piper

In Support of Artists, not Thieves

Efterklang is mad at Piraters.

What is stealing?

I walk into a store.  There is that new Mumford and Sons CD sitting on the shelf.  Or maybe for you, it's Lady Gaga's new album.  Whatever.  I glance around, no one is looking.  No cameras.  So, I take that CD and put it in my jacket pocket.  Then, I walk out of the store...

We would all agree that this is stealing, right?  What about this:

I get on my computer.  I open up Limewire.  I download Mumford and Sons' new CD.

It is strange to think that this does not seem like stealing to me or my peers.  But, the common thread here is that I took a good without paying for it - that is, common theivery. 

"But Bryce, you didn't put the CD on Limewire.  Someone else did.  You're just copying some digital files!" 

Ok, so I am copying stolen items from a thief. 

By pirating music, you support thieves, not artists. 

----- | Who Buys Music? | -----

During college, I had a music-freak friend.  He was always talking about bands I had never (and still haven't) heard of.  He was starting to write music, and loved playing his favorite bands' songs. 

One day, he told me something shocking - he had purchased all of his 20 GB+ library of music. 

What?!  Who does that anymore?  We have torrents and limewires and so many other ways to obtain a digital file.  We don't even think twice anymore about downloading music.

But, he challenged me to do just that.  Instead of using the 'stealing argument', he was passionate about the converse idea: he wanted to support his artists!

By buying music, you are supporting good artists. (They are good to me, or else I wouldn't buy them!)  Can you really say you are Lady Gaga's / Mumford and Sons / U2's biggest fan if you've never actually bought any of their music?  Don't artists we enjoy deserve our money?  Shouldn't we want to support them so they can do things like buy food, pay their bills, and make more good music? 

----- | A Challenge | -----

1. Stop pirating music.  If you steal music, you do not support that artist or any message they promote.  No one who loves music will pirate music.

2. Delete all music you do not own.  Yeah, this one's gonna hurt.  But only in the beginning.  Then, you will have to become music-savvy.  Read reviews, listen to clips, etc, before buying (supporting) an artist.  Soon, you'll have a small collection of music that you actually like and listen to.

3. Buy music.  I have around 15 GB of music.  I bought all of it.  Is that tough to do?  Yes!  I have a section of budget for music.  I rigorously review bands before I buy their music.  It's tough, and it costs me something.  But, it's worth it.



Efterklang is happy that you buy music.



Support your favorite artists.  Buy their music.  Help them continue to make more good music and continue to spread their message.  Pirating is putting good artists out of business, and instead supports thieves.

Mindless Monday Fun

Two things to make Monday fly by:

The Opposite of Peanuts? - 3eanuts - This is a fantastic idea:

"Charles Schulz's Peanuts comics often conceal the existential despair of their world with a closing joke at the characters' expense. With the last panel omitted, despair pervades all."

Two of my favorites:

"To all the non-believers!!" - Bart Scott Post-Game Interview

You don't really need much background here.  Bart Scott is an infamously emotional interviewer.  This takes place just after the underdog Jets beat the Patriots.  There's some good quotes here!

Yes Monday, now I am ready to take you on.

Friday Music - Hillsong United "Aftermath"

Aftermath - $8.99 on Amazon.com

I've always loved Hillsong.  Who doesn't?  

Still, in their older albums, I was constantly skipping songs.  But in this new one, every track is phenomenal.  You will hear the gospel thirteen times.

My favorite track:

The INTJ Mind & My Achilles' Heel

I recently found this site which describes meyers-briggs personality types very well -

http://typelogic.com/intj.html

As an INTJ, I am very... misunderstood. However, I think this paragraph describes me very well.  

INTJs are idea people. Anything is possible; everything is negotiable. Whatever the outer circumstances, INTJs are ever perceiving inner pattern-forms and using real-world materials to operationalize them. Others may see what is and wonder why; INTJs see what might be and say "Why not?!" Paradoxes, antinomies, and other contradictory phenomena aptly express these intuitors' amusement at those whom they feel may be taking a particular view of reality too seriously. INTJs enjoy developing unique solutions to complex problems.

As good as this is, there is a downside to being an INTJ.

Personal relationships, particularly romantic ones, can be the INTJ's Achilles heel. While they are capable of caring deeply for others (usually a select few), and are willing to spend a great deal of time and effort on a relationship, the knowledge and self-confidence that make them so successful in other areas can suddenly abandon or mislead them in interpersonal situations.

This happens in part because many INTJs do not readily grasp the social rituals; for instance, they tend to have little patience and less understanding of such things as small talk and flirtation (which most types consider half the fun of a relationship). To complicate matters, INTJs are usually extremely private people, and can often be naturally impassive as well, which makes them easy to misread and misunderstand. Perhaps the most fundamental problem, however, is that INTJs really want people to make sense. :-) This sometimes results in a peculiar naivete', paralleling that of many Fs -- only instead of expecting inexhaustible affection and empathy from a romantic relationship, the INTJ will expect inexhaustible reasonability and directness.

Probably the strongest INTJ assets in the interpersonal area are their intuitive abilities and their willingness to "work at" a relationship. Although as Ts they do not always have the kind of natural empathy that many Fs do, the Intuitive function can often act as a good substitute by synthesizing the probable meanings behind such things as tone of voice, turn of phrase, and facial expression. This ability can then be honed and directed by consistent, repeated efforts to understand and support those they care about, and those relationships which ultimately do become established with an INTJ tend to be characterized by their robustness, stability, and good communications.

Well, this explains a lot!  I encourage you to check out your personality type, it will help you in many ways.

Jesus Switched Our Cups

Last year, in Israel, I was able to experience one of the most moving sermons I've ever heard.  I think about it every time I take communion, when I hear the gospel, when I think of the Garden of Gethsemane.  The following is my recap of the talk by Ross Strader, of Bethel Bible Church in Tyler, TX. 

----- | Jesus' Anguish | -----

This talk was given on our Israel trip in the traditional Garden of Gethsemane:

 

"The Matthew 26 account is the darkest, most horrific part of the Bible." Ross

Before the day of his crucifixion, Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane.  Look at His state here -

And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. Luke 22:44

Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”  Matthew 26:38

Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Matthew 26:39

Why was Jesus in so much anguish?  Was it because He feared the path before Him?  Or was it something else?

----- | The Cup | -----

What is this 'cup' that Jesus refers to?  We may think that it was his impending crucifixion.  I believe it is referring instead to another cup numerously referenced in the Bible. 

Job 21: 20 - Let their own eyes see their destruction; let them drink the cup of the wrath of the Almighty.

Jeremiah 25:15 - This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, said to me: “Take from my hand this cup filled with the wine of my wrath and make all the nations to whom I send you drink it.

Revelation 14:10 - they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb.

Habakkuk 2:16 - You will be filled with shame instead of glory.  Now it is your turn! Drink and let your nakedness be exposed!  The cup from the LORD’s right hand is coming around to you, and disgrace will cover your glory. 

Psalm 58:7 - In the hand of the LORD is a cup full of foaming wine mixed with spices; he pours it out, and all the wicked of the earth drink it down to its very dregs.

So you tell me, what cup was Jesus asking God to take away? 

Jesus was about to drink the cup that we deserve, that I deserve - the cup of God's wrath.  He was about to take on, in His body, the wickedness of the world.  He did not just experience our sins, the Bible says he BECAME them.  He who knew no sin, became sin (2 Cor. 5:21).   He bore our sins, in His body, on the cross (1 Peter 2:24).  He was about to experience the cup of God's wrath.

From these verses, we can begin to imagine what exactly that cup was.  The cup of wrath is described in Revelation for those doomed to hell (Rev. 14:10).  Imagine the infinite wrath of God for every murder, rape, broken heart, war, death, disease, injury, lie, genocide, suicide bombing, or rebellion.  This is the cup that Jesus drank.

----- | Jesus Switched our Cups | -----

At this time in the talk, we took communion.  We contemplated how deeply painful this cup of wrath must have been.  Enough for Jesus to sweat blood.  And then, just before we drank from the cup, Ross finished the story.

The cup we drink from today is a cup of grace.  The grape juice we drink each week is a reminder.  We were supposed to drink from the cup of wrath.  We deserve it. 

But Jesus switched our cups.  He drank the cup of God's wrath, punishment unimaginable, and gave us His cup of grace. 

Isaiah 53:6 - We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

By accepting Jesus as Lord, we are seen as holy and righteous before God.  

Romans 4:24 - ...but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.  

During Good Friday, remember what Jesus did for you.  Remember the pain, the anguish, the loneliness not just from the cross, but also from the wrath for our sinful actions today. 

And Sunday, let us be joyful of the cup we now have!  

Paleo Diet for Social Media Specifics!

A couple of days ago, I began to wonder what a Social Media Paleo Diet would look like.  Check it out here.

Keeping those goals in mind, I think my time on social media should be really, really limited.  There shouldn't be enough time to just "browse around".  It should be more like a bathroom trip - get in, get out. 

This is what I'm thinking: 

Twitter - can check once per day - 10 mins.
Facebook - can check twice per week - 15 mins each.
Google Reader - can check once per day - 10 mins
Blogger - can use any time as I want (writing new blogs)
News Sites - can check twice per day for 5 minutes.

I've also been thinking about limiting time for video games and things like Netflix.  I could see these consuming all of my time if I'm not online...  As for now, these are still being thought over.

As the month goes on, I'm hoping to shorten these even more!

Do these seem too long or short?  Are there other sites you visit?  Make up your own times! 

After all, we're not cavemen.

----- | Preparation | -----

To prepare, I'm going to do a few things. 

1. Lists.  I'm going to make lists on facebook and twitter for the people I actually care about.  That way, I don't have to surf through everything and can still see how my friends are doing.  I may even make a few for quotes, celebrities, leaders, etc. 

2. Removing all comfortability.  When I open up my internet browser, boom, facebook is just a click away through a link.  Same thing on my phone - tweetdeck is in the center of my phone.  So, I'm going to hide these away.  Goodbye links and goodbye easy access to apps. 

3. Pray.  This experience will be tough.  My only prayer during this time is this: "Lord, be my treasure.  Let me see how I am simply trying to fill a gap by doing all this social media junk.  Let me find all my satisfaction only in you."

So, anybody else interested?  May is just around the corner...

The Paleo Diet for Social Media.

During April, I was challenged to try the Paleo diet.  Basically, the diet only allows you to eat what a caveman could eat - fresh fruit, meat, vegetables, nuts, eggs.  No bread, sweets or even milk!

And I failed miserably. 

Okay, it wasn't a total loss.  The bigger goal in doing the diet was to watch what I was eating, and not just eat the same junk I've been eating since I was a sugar-hungry kid.  So, I did learn about some healthy foods by branching out, as well as how to resist the call of sugar. 

----- | | | -----

While I was doing this, I began to wonder, "What if I applied these same principles elsewhere?"  I mean, those 'paleo' men seemed to live pretty well without Dr. Pepper or bread.  What else could I do without?  Where else am I losing discipline?

One of the biggest areas for me is the internet.  I can get into this (sick) cycle of checking Facebook, reading there for a while, then hopping to Twitter to read all of the updates, then heading to Google Reader, catching up on some blogs, use Google Explore, check CNN, FOX News... then back to Facebook.  What?!  Where did that hour just go?  Just like this:

Somehow this social media / connecting thing has become an idol in my life.  Even if I'm just surfing "Christian" blogs and John Piper's twitter feed, I can still waste time trying to feel 'connected'.  It's consuming, it's an idol.  There is a void of lonliness which social media tries to fill, but it is always lacking.  So I keep coming back.

----- | | | -----

So, I thought, "What if there was a Social Media Paleo Diet?"  What would it look like? 

I don't think all social media should be cut out, but it definitely needs it's boundaries.  Strict ones.  The goal isn't to become absent online. 

The goals would be to:

1. Limit time in social media to get to important things.  There are good, beneficial uses for social media.  But, I rarely get to them b/c I stop and watch another "Friday" remix or a laughing baby. 

2. Get more involved with real relationships.  A big goal would be to build more real community.  Write a letter.  Volunteer.  Grab some coffee with a friend.  Start a regularly-meeting group.  At the very least - stop checking twitter while ten of us are sitting together.

3. Remove Social Media's power over me.   The final goal would be to begin to realize just how hooked I am to status updates, links, and tweets.  I believe it has more power over me than I think.  It's a very deceptive idol, this desire to be 'connected.'

Sound interesting?  I'm going to think more on what it would specifically look like.  But, I'm shooting for starting this in May.

We do not do discipline because we are strong, but because we are incredibly weak.

April: The Paleo Diet (Or, Say Goodbye to the Captain)

The second month-long challenge for April is the Paleo Diet.  Inspired by Andrew Bacon's Challenge, I decided to try to only eat what is on the Paleo Diet (basically what a caveman could eat), for the month of April.  On the diet, you can only eat: Lean meats, Fresh fruits, Vegetables, Eggs, & Nuts.  No processed foods, no dairy, no cereal. 

Now, I have heard a lot of things from both sides about this diet.  Some say that the lack of carbs is just plain stupid, while others (especially some friends who are now in the military) have right up there next to the gospel. 

Here's my take:  I have been doing a 'practice run' this week.  I've mostly been eating fruit for breakfast and lunch and meat and vegetables for din-din.  I haven't really been swayed either way until yesterday.  I've been slowly getting over the holidays (yeah, the ones in December), and finally have been running regularly for like two weeks.  I've been trying some longer runs (2.5 miles, if that counts as 'long').  Anyways, the point is this: I had been running the 2.5 mile loop in about 23-24 minutes.  That's like a 10 min mile.  But, yesterday, I finished it in 19:50!  I cut off four minutes of time since last thursday?!  How did I go from a 10 minute mile to under 9 mins? 

Maybe I've just been getting used to running, but I am leaning towards the fact I've been eating healthier. 

But we'll see how April goes.  Now I just have to kill my addiction to the Captain...

I am changing a few of the rules though.

1. Milk in protein shakes is allowed.  Like Andrew, I'm not trying to lose weight, but gain some muscle.
2. Yogurt is allowed.  Hopefully the Greek kind, with way more protein and less sugar. 
3. Coffee after Easter.  I've given it up for lent. 
4. Finally, 'fresh' fruits and veggies are expensive - I'm allowing canned/frozen ones.  Just gotta check that salt/sugar content. 
5. Peanut Butter.  I know cavemen didn't have any... but that's their problem.

There's a good chance I'm going to break some rules, but it's still gonna be an interesting month!  Probably have some updates later.

April: Read Through Desiring God with me and Piper

That's right!  You can read Desiring God AND hear discussions with the brilliant author himself - John Piper! 

During April, Bethlehem College and Seminary is sponsoring the event.  Every Thursday in April, there will be a live webcast (and archived version if you miss it) at John Piper's blog .

I'm pretty excited - I've actually never read the book, but I have started it a few times.  Now, I have a little extra motivation.  I'll be trying to post updates about some topics, but I think there'll be way too much to discuss... we'll see. 

So, join in, even if you've already read it!

The schedule is as follows:

Schedule
12pm EST – Live
12pm CST – Rebroadcast
12pm MST – Rebroadcast
12pm PST – Rebroadcast

March 31

Chapter 1 – “The Happiness of God: The Foundation for Christian Hedonism”
Chapter 2 – “Conversion: The Creation of a Christian Hedonist”

April 7

Chapter 3 – “Worship: The Feast of Christian Hedonism”
Chapter 4 – “Love: The Labor of Christian Hedonism”

April 14

Break (The Gospel Coalition 2011 National Conference)

April 21

Chapter 5 – “Scripture: Kindling for Christian Hedonism”
Chapter 6 – “Prayer: The Power of Christian Hedonism”

April 28

Chapter 7 – “Money: The Currency of Christian Hedonism”
Chapter 8 – “Marriage: A Matrix for Christian Hedonism”

May 5

Chapter 9 – “Missions: The Battle Cry of Christian Hedonism”
Chapter 10 – “Suffering: The Sacrifice of Christian Hedonism”

CRASH (Part VI): A Blessing

(So, maybe that last post was a little misleading.  I mean, what was the 'answer'?  Should I keep going on with medicine?!  Well, you're in luck, because that will be answered now.)


So, let's look at what just happened.  It started with some doubts I had for a long time which finally surfaced - "Do I really want to be doing this?", "Is medicine my passion?", "Have I just been going along this whole time?"  Then, things got bad.  I was going crazy trying to roll up my sleeves and figure this out alone.  When that didn't work, I talked with my community, and finally, God.


In this struggle, the real problem was unearthed: I was finding too much of my identity in what I did.  When I didn't know what I would be doing career-wise, I crumbled away.  Too much of my satisfaction was found in what I was doing.  My whole self was relying on this pillar, and that pillar was crushed.


Who do I believe did this crushing?  Well, I believe that God did.  Why would a good God do that?


I'll show you.

-----| | |-----

(Note: You should know that everything in this series happened in a span of five days.  Two days after things finally settled our story picks up.)


I had a phone meeting with a certain medical school to discuss last year's application.  (The meeting was set before these doubts showed up.)  I called the school and was put on hold.  Then, I realized I was actually going to be talking with the Dean of Admissions!  No pressure, right?


But then something amazing happened.  As I talked with him through my application, we started to click.  Once he found out that I was re-applying as a Texas resident, he encouraged me!  Moreover, he told me that we should keep in touch and that he would be willing to look over my application before I sent it off!  The icing on the cake was this - he told me to let him know when I sent it off, and that he would go and look for it!  How as this happening?! This was the Dean of Admissions!  


Now, I didn't go into this conversation trying to butter anybody up or even 'get my name out there.'  Still, something amazing had happened.  If it wasn't me, how did this happen?  Maybe the dean was just a nice guy, but I believe God had all of this planned out.


He had just crushed my dependency for satisfaction in myself and my career, and now, 48 hours later, He was blessing me beyond belief!


(FYI to answer all those wondering -  I'm going to continue with medicine because I think God is clearing that way for me.  But, unlike before, it's on the table as an option, not a "known".  If I feel lead somewhere else, I'm ready to drop it.  But, like I said, right now it seems as if God has blessed me here.)

-----| | |-----

And so, that's the big, final lesson I learned from all of this.  God wants to crush those areas we cling to, and then bless us.  He brought me through this time of struggle because He loves me as a son:

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”
      Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children.  For what children are not disciplined by their father? -- Hebrews 12:5-7

He found an area of my life where I was shutting Him out, so He pushed me a little, and I fell apart.  Then, once I realized my absolute need and dependency on Him in this area, He brought a little of  His kingdom here on earth - a blessing.  Jesus told us:

“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?  If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" -- Matthew 7:9-11

Now, I'm not promising you anything.  God isn't going to bless us all with corvettes and mansions.  He only works according to His will (which, could include corvettes and mansions I guess).


If there are areas of your life where you are pushing God out - beware!  He will find them, and He will crush them.  Not because He isn't good, but because He loves us.


We read that one day, "every knee will bow. . . every tongue will acknowledge God."  So, by choosing to follow His ways now, we're just getting a head start on the inevitable.  We can choose to acknowledge Him and His ways now, and be a part of His kingdom now; or we could wait it out, and miss out on all the goodness God desires to bring to his people!  Find those places where we are relying on ourselves and destroy them!  


So this is the choice we're left with:  Be crushed now or later. Become an adopted son and see God's kingdom realized here, or continue to be a 'god', building pillars that can't support the weight.  


Your choice - for now.




CRaSH is a short series of lessons learned from a time of deep struggle in my life.  View all posts here.

CRASH (Part V): An Answer!

"What am I living for?"  

This has been a question I've wrestled with for months here in Dallas.  With a 9-5 job, I suddenly had all of this time on my hands.  I could come home, relax, and . . . do what?  The achiever in me thought of grand goals such as reading every book I own, or getting a second job.  The gamer in me just wanted to sit inside and play Xbox.  I had worked and fought for free time in college, and now, I had way more than I could ever dream of.  

Then, all of this stuff came up about my career path.  I had tried to solve things myself - that didn't go well.  Then, I talked it through with some of my community; and I was beginning to get a few answers.  

----- | | | -----

My friend and I had decided that this experience may be less about what my future career would exactly be.  It was more about this: I was holding on too tightly to this path.  There have been so many times when I knew I would've followed God anywhere He told me to go; but in the back of my mind I thought,"...but I'm still going to medical school, right?"  God owed me this, right?  

Of course not!  And so, I gained some good wisdom from that talk - I was most definitely clutching this dream too tightly - so, my mindset went from a fist, to an open palm, as if to say "Do with me as You will."

But this was not the root of the problem.  The root was deeper.  

----- | | | -----

You see, in all of this, I was avoiding the one relationship which could actually help - God.  Oh sure, I prayed a lot during this time, but I wanted an immediate answer.  Instead, I was lead into this time of suffering and struggling without an answer to my prayers.  But, I think He wanted it that way.  

The real answer came after I had tried everything else.  I was contemplating all these events, and praying with the Lord again.  And finally, something was brought to my mind - the real problem.  

The real problem went all the way back to my identity.  Imagine, if you will, that my entire identity was a 'house.'  In it, my strengths and weaknesses, purpose and direction, likes and dislikes, etc.  At the bottom, was the foundation, holding everything else up.

Sounds good, right?  What God showed me was another column, underneath that whole 'house', struggling to support the entire thing.  In that column was where I found my true satisfaction, purpose, direction - and that was in my career and the things that I can do.  That column propped up everything.  And that's what all of this was about - that pillar was crumbling, and so the entire house was falling!  Without knowing exactly what I would be doing, (I mean, I just had a little doubt about how passionate I am!) the entire thing fell.

And so, the answer was this: My satisfaction, my joy and purpose will never be satisfied by a career.  I will never be satisfied by how much I can do or get done.  What I do is not meant to support the rest of me - it can't!  And, it didn't - it fell apart when things got tough.  

----- | | | -----

So, I want to touch on the importance of identity.  Specifically, what our foundation is.  If everything else were to fall apart, what would we have left?  Our money?  A spouse?  A son or daughter?  Creativity?  Something we've done?  Our body?  What would we try to find our hope in?

Well, here's a newsflash - whatever we put there is going to eventually fail!  We will lose money, get old, lose a loved one, become disabled. . .  Anything and everything we fall back on will fail.  (Just ask Brett Favre).

Apparently, my faith has been in my performance for a long time, and I had built up a nice pillar for my career.  And then, with a little stress, it just crumbled away this week.  A very weak foundation, indeed.

I submit that we must put our full trust and faith in something else.  That is, someone else: Jesus Christ.  The bible says that He loved us, even in our rebellion; He came to bring us to the Truth, despite all the world's lies; and He died and rose again, allowing us to come into a relationship with a true Foundation.  It is only in Him, the eternal lover of mankind, who calls us to Him, where I can put my true faith and trust.  

Because everything else will fail.

----- | | | -----

"Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it." - Mathew 7:24-28

(Don't fret, there is one last lesson coming in this series!)

CRaSH is a short series of lessons learned from a time of deep struggle in my life.  View all posts here.

C.R.a.S.H. (Part IV): Community

"It is true, of course, that what is an unspeakable gift of God for the lonely individual is easily disregarded and trodden under foot by those who have the gift every day.  It is easily forgotten that the fellowship of Christian brethren is a gift of grace, a gift of the Kingdom of God that any day may be taken from us, that the time that still separates us from utter loneliness may be brief indeed... It is grace, nothing but grace, that we are allowed to live in community with Christian brethren."

- Dietrich Bonhoeffer (Life Together)

If you remember, I was in a desperate place.  I had realized how many hidden doubts and fears I was keeping.  When these came to the surface, there were just too many.  I couldn't handle it, I couldn't begin to process them all.  Like I said before, things were really going downhill. . .

I had to talk with someone besides myself.  I had literally thought and worried myself into a corner.  There was nothing else I could do. 

So, the next place I turned to was my community. 

----- | | | -----

A good community is very healthy.  I stress good because not all friends and fellowship are good.  A good community should:

• Allow members to freely express doubts, fears and challenges.
• Confess with each other.
• Point each other back to biblical truths and eradicate lies the members believe.
• Serve each other
• Challenge each other to live out what they believe.
• Commit themselves to each other's growth.
• Have dance parties together.   

For Christians, we need to find other Christians.  Why?  Because other Christians understand that we are both mere rebels before a holy God.  In fact, advice given from a non-Biblical perspective may hurt us more. 

Bonhoeffer explains this very well:

"The most experienced psychologist or observer of human nature knows infinitely less of the human heart than the simplest Christian who lives beneath the Cross of Jesus. The greatest psychological insight, ability, and experience cannot grasp this one thing: what sin is. Worldly wisdom knows what distress and weakness and failure are, but it does not know the godlessness of man. And so it also does not know that man is destroyed only by his sin and can be healed only by forgiveness. Only the Christian knows this. In the presence of a psychiatrist I can only be a sick man; in the presence of a Christian brother I can dare to be a sinner. The psychiatrist must first search my heart and yet he never plumbs its ultimate depth. The Christian brother knows when I come to him: here is a sinner like myself, a godless man who wants to confess and yearns for God’s forgiveness. The psychiatrist views me as if there were no God. The brother views me as I am before the judging and merciful God in the Cross of Jesus Christ." - Dietrich Bonhoeffer (Life Together)  

Community is under-appreciated.  But, it really is a blessing when worked out properly.  I highly recommend Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer.  The man has some practical ways to live out deep, thoelogical truths.  Very good stuff for any community. 

----- | | | -----

A year ago, in the Forge, I had the 'dream-team' community.  There were twenty-four of us, dedicated to each other, teaching, challenging, inspiring, and rebuking one another.  Twenty-three other solid rocks for when one of us was not so solid. 

Today, my community is much smaller, but still effective. 

So, after two days of struggling with all of this alone, I finally sent out a few emails and made a few phone calls.  I met up with a really close friend.  I spilled out all of these crazy thoughts and doubts and fears I had been steeped in.  And, honestly, being vulnerable never felt so good.

And here's the amazing thing.  My friend didn't need to give me an answer from some deep theological proof.  In fact, half of the healing was in his listening.  As I sorted everything out in my mind to explain things, just talking about them made many things clearer. 

When we did talk, it was about simple truths and promises in the Bible.  Nothing deep.  I had heard what he told me before, but now I really heard them.  The words really were a Rock I was clinging to.  Like Psalm 40 says: "He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand."

After our conversation, I talked with others in my close community.  And slowly, more answers came. 

So, wherever you are, find a community.  Not only will you need it one day, but you can bless those who are currently struggling.  A community is one of the best investments you could make.  Find one, or start making one.

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. -- Hebrews 10:24-25