Merry Christmas! (again)

The devolvement of discernment

There’s one book I know I’ll be purchasing upon its imminent release: The Discipline of Discernment. Written by the Tim Challies of challies.com, it will be addressing the naked emperor of American Christianity – naivete. Perhaps naivete is too innocent for what passes as Christianity in our country today. Scripture assures us that by nature we would rather appoint and surround ourselves with teachers and leaders who allow us to claim the live we want rather than live those we should.

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. (2 Timothy 4.3-4)

A recent issue of Time magazine ran “Does God want you to be rich?” as the cover story. Joel Osteen now has a board game that after reading about it in challies.com entry, I’d have to echo, “I feel dirty.” Prominent evangelicals fall to moral sin. Large denominations debate side issues of theology.

We could all use some discernment. All that is preached, proclaimed, written and blogged is not truth. Or even helpful. What are we going to do about it? Let’s accumulate the “Top Ten Suggestions for Becoming More Discerning…” Comment away.

Oh no… covetousness (and just in time for Christmas)

Our church has been having an amazing experience with our Journey to Financial Freedom month. All our small groups are going through this material, and it’s been exciting and challenging to witness everyone’s enthusiasm at how to handle our money differently… wisely… generously.

And then this wild speculation came along…

It’s just a photo rumor for the time being, but if it’s ever verified as being the real thing? Oh goodness, hide the wallet and slap your momma.

Reading you like a book

Challies.com has had two provocative posts (his first one here) about how books reveal so much about a person. This new post, however, says you can know a lot about a church by the books it reads (or doesn’t).

Consider this quote from Richard Phillips’ new commentary on Hebrews:

“In my pastoral work,” he writes, “I often find it to be a good diagnostic question to ask for the names of books a person has read in the previous six months. The point is not to promote my own approved reading list, but to see whether the person is fixated on himself, her own wants or search for experiences, or whether he is interested in the character of God, the treasures of the gospel, or the challenges of representing Jesus Christ in the world.”

Let me know what you think.

DTR

I’ve finished reading McManus’ Seizing Your Divine Moment and have begun John Ortberg’s God Is Closer than You Think. While I rarely recommend movies, I am prompt to promote pages. Ortberg is always an entertaining and provocative read. My current pace of a chapter a day will have me done with the book in a week; I’m already in chapter three, and there are 10 chapters.

He brings up the importance of DTR in chapter three. DTR is a concept I became extremely familiar with while working with collegians for eight years. DTR is, simply, define the relationship. Flirting undergrads frequently find themselves in frustrating friendships. (Say that fast 5 times.) There comes a point when one or the other – due to romantic tension, and that usually one-sided – has to request a DTR talk.

Let me abbreviate a DTR talk for you:

• DTR-er: I think we need to take this relationship to another level. (Translated: "I wanna kiss you.")
• DTR-ee: Huh? (Translated: "Oh no, he wants to kiss me!? What have I done to communicate that I’m remotely interested?)
• DTR-er: Uh… (Translated: "I’m an idiot. We’ll have to stay ‘friends.’)
• DTR-ee: Oh look, a cat. (Translated: "This is really awkward.")
• DTR-er: That’s a nice cat. (Translated: "Hmmm… if I buy her a cat, she’ll like me…)

Actually, a DTR talk can relieve a lot of confusion and provide clarity for expectations in a relationship. Ortberg notes this also being essential in our relationship with Jesus Christ. When was the last time you had a spiritual DTR? What does He expect from you? What kind of relationship with Him do you have? Have you been assuming some things in your relationship with Him that are not accurate or true? You can see the immediate necessity and value of a spiritual DTR.

Jesus said, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." What about taking up your cross is confusing? A spiritual DTR might clarify for us all what exactly God wants with us – and what He offers when we come to Him on His terms rather than our own.

"Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him." (John 14.21)

WELCOME TO NOTES FROM THE TRAIL

Thanks for stopping by the newly-ported blog! I’ve gone to WordPress now, and I’m looking forward to learning it as a comprehensive design and site tool. You may see a few theme changes in the next week or so while I get this design or another refined.

For those of you who may be a little site-challenged, let me offer the following tips:

• Click on “Navigation” above to find more information and links.

Enjoy the new look and features, and let me know what you think!

Strange case

This is the strangest case of male "pattern" baldness I’ve ever seen. If only mine could be that cool…

Justa little quiz about me..

Go here to take the quiz about me…

Reading lamp righteousness

I’ve been studying Ephesians one section at a time for the last month or two. I was struck this a.m. by the powerful illlustration used in chapter 5, verses 8-14, about light and darkness.

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible.

Stay with me for a second as we relate Paul’s exhortation here to the apostle John’s description in his gospel, chapter 3, verses 18-21:

This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.

The things of this world are contrasted in stark opposition to the things of Christ’s kingdom. They’re like darkness and light. Followers of Jesus are told to expose the "fruitless deeds of darkness." In other words, we are to allow our actions, habits, relationships, conversations and decisions be ones that glorify God and bring others closer to Him, not ones that are selfish, forgetful of others, and apathetic.

Many of our personal vices are excused on a daily basis. We refuse to classify them as sin even though they fit well with being "fruitless" and hurtful to ourselves or others. To classify them as sinful would require repentance and action. However, as long as we can consider them foibles or folly, we seem content to continue.

I would suggest we adopt the biblical worldview of seeing things as light and dark. Those who follow Christ should progress further into the light, allowing it to expose what truly belongs in our lives as followers of Christ and what may actually be classified as being part of the dark. This growth and progression into luminescence is a lifetime journey, but there’s no excuse allowed for inactivity today. The peril of a spiritual procrastinator is described well in Ephesians 5.15-17:

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.

We should be "very careful" about our decisions and pursuits. Let’s not allow our moral laziness to coddle our personal "failures" when they’re actually deeds of darkness. I call this reading lamp righteousness. When I sit under a reading lamp, the rest of the room is usually dimly lit, or not lit at all. The reading lamp gives me just enough light to read by, but not enough light to read anything with clarity across the room. I have limited scope and perception under a reading lamp.

For many, that is the length to which they’ve followed the Lord. They allow Him to be their reading lamp, to illuminate a little about their lives. However, He has not yet become for them the Light of the world.

I’m reminded of the scene in Bug’s Life where the moths are drawn inexorably to the bright light saying, "I can’t help it. It’s so pretty." Fortunately for us all, the light of God doesn’t kill us like a bugzapper, but it does transform us.

Perhaps it’s time for us to turn on the lights on our attitudes, behavior, decisions, and conversations.

Houston, wake up…

The Razorbacks didn’t lose tonight against South Carolina. That’s about all that can be said. They certainly didn’t win the game outright.

After my last post stirred the Hogs and Coach Nutt on to eight straight wins, I thought it best to post one entry before the season concluded to warn Houston of his proclivity to disappoint us all. At no time was this penchant for underachieving more visible than tonight’s game against the Gamecocks. So, it’s time for a strong wake up call. After all, I’ve been overwhelmed by all the Hog fans emailing and calling me to thank me for setting Houston straight at the beginning of the season and inspiring the team to a record-tying streak. (The Razorbacks’ eight-game winning streak is their longest since the 1998 club won its first eight games to open the season. Those streaks are the longest for Arkansas since the 1970 squad won nine straight.) If it hadn’t been for my previous posts, we might be looking at just another average year.

Which brings us to tonight’s game… With a 23-6 lead over a struggling South Carolina team at half-time, Coach Nutt led the Hogs to do what they’ve done so unimpressively for the past several years… sit on a lead. The Hogs scored 3 points in the second half. You can review my earlier post about them and compare the play calling I talked about there to tonight’s game. Run, run, desperation pass. Run, run, desperation pass. We won’t even talk about why in the world Nutt benched the #1 freshman quarterback in the nation for Casey Dick tonight. Mustain didn’t even get a chance to contribute. It was Mustain who has led the team to eight straight wins. But it was he who was riding pine. I

‘m glad the Hogs are undefeated in SEC play, but let me sound the warning gong. A better team would have downed the Hogs easily tonight. If the Hogs default back to their tired, old game philosophy of "hang on tight, boys, and we might win," they won’t. The Hogs scored more than USC2 tonight, but it didn’t look to me like they won. Wake up, Houston.

On alcohol…

After a post at MonticelloLive regarding the local VFW applying for a liquor license, Mark posted about the use of alchohol in general. Rather than posting this over at his blog and taking up cyberspace there, I’ll risk the comment explosion and post it here. You’ll have to read his entry and the following comments there to understand what follows. At markverse, it was implied that some of my comments there may be presumptuous or prejudiced. I had said there:

Working on the college campus for many years obviously allowed me to see too much of the latter and to little of the former. Very few adolescents and those stuck in post-adolescence demonstrate the ability to restrain themselves from having one too many (or 10 too many). For these, I default to the law. Obey the laws that govern you. Scripture emphasizes the same. There is no argument for drinking for a 16 year-old at present. In the same light, we live in a democratic society, some segments of our country demonstrate different mores than others. Monticello has historically voted to be a dry county. Regardless of our opinion of that, if we live here, we are bound to obey the law and wishes of the majority. Should that restriction ever be changed, then we will all have more opportunity to see the impact of alcohol on small rural towns in the south (ever been to Dermott?). The current demographics of our area do not seem to be conducive to the total population holding their liquor well.

Continue reading »

The joy of imitation

Recently, Carolyn’s grandmother spent a week with us. It’s always fun, and this particular visit was no different. It was made all the more interesting by the fact that she’d recently broken her kneecap in a fall and was still wearing a brace while it healed. As a result, she was propped up when seated and hobbled up when walking. Our daughter took great delight in mimicking her walk as we ventured to Wal-Mart one afternoon. I captured this on my handy-dandy Palm Treo 650.

Don’t get any ideas…

Simple Spirituality 1

Living according the teachings of Jesus and His follwers as revealed in the New Testament… so many folks act like it’s burdensome or difficult. Now, don’t get me wrong. Our main struggle is with our conflicting desires – to gratify our self or to grace others.

When I read a passage like Ephesians 4.2-3, I am reminded about the simplicity of character that Jesus asks for:

• Humility
• Gentleness
• Patience
• Bearing with one another in love
• Eagerness to maintain unity in an attitude of peace

Compare those qualities with those demonstrated by other world religions. Contrast these distinctives with the behavior of Christians and it’s a litmus test for how well they’re currently following the God whose name they claim.

Other "lists" in Scripture are also helpful to gauge our personal submission and transformation to the teachings of Jesus (Galatians 5.22-23, Colossians 3.12, 2 Peter 1.5-8). The simplicity of Christianity is this: you’re either following Jesus’ teachings, or you’re not. You’re either allowing your decisions, conducts, attitudes, and treatment of others to be influenced and directed by Him or you’re not.

It’s rather simple conceptually. But experientially… I think we can all testify with the apostle Paul:

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. Romans 7.15
What a wretched man I am! Romans 7.24

But how about meditating on the above character traits today? We are urged to do so in order to walk in a "manner worthy of your calling." (Ephesians 4.1)