Psalm 33 ~ May Your Unfailing Love Rest Upon Us

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Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance.

From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth —

he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do. (vv 12-15)

A praise psalm for everyone.

The psalmist insists that praise should ring out for the Lord from all, from the nations to the individual hearts of those in the nations. God does not see us in the collective, his eyes roam the planet in search of you and me. Following psalm 32 which described the joy of the person who has confessed his or her sin and has been restored. To unroll the scroll and speak the words of this psalm to life is a reaction sourced deep in the heart of the forgiven.

No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength.

A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save.

But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. (vv 16 – 19)

The psalmist helps us to arrange our thinking properly. We praise God less for his actions such as delivering us from our enemies ( which can cause us moments of unease when He doesn’t ) and more for his God’s attributes. If we recognize the source of the deliverance as being rooted in His unfailing love, moments of question are quickly dismissed. Even if we face temporary setbacks, God’s unfailing love is unfolding all around us and we see that even our struggles can be a sign of His love.

Photo by David Ohmer

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The Googleization of Argument

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Google, in both its noun and verb form has brought a less rigorous form to the state of discussion. In academic and general conversation, the ability to search Google based on a keyword pertinent to your studies or a thread you are participating grants you the ability to expand your knowledge on that topic. The creation of the hyperlink opens up whole new worlds with regard to pointing readers to your source or support for a point you’re making. The trouble comes in the uncritical use of this facility.

In the largely self-edited environment of the interweb it is incumbent upon you to search further than the page that you want to reference to determine the underlying character of the site before naming it a reliable source of credible support for your point. For example, if I say that we cannot know something about the nature of the world, adding the link that I did leads you to a web site that supports my statement. Obviously, the majority will find the beliefs espoused here to be quite contrary to reality.

Another class of web sites that is often linked to are those in the advocacy category. The site you are reading could be considered an advocate for the truth of Christ. The troublesome links are those that take a completely one sided position on some topic, so much so that they are not to be considered as a single source point of information. The advocacy position should either be revealed or an argument from another source that balances the first should be offered. In a recent discussion a link was offered that was to be considered representative of all Jewish thought on a subject. Unfortunately, just a few moments of searching revealed the extremely narrow theological and philosophical viewpoint of the writers making the opinion worthless in the larger scope of the discussion. Unless the original poster meant to use this opinion to bolster his argument deceitfully, the viewpoint should have been considered and revealed.

If we’re going to discuss anything of importance, it’s crucial that we maintain a standard of credibility. Consider both sides rather than simply rattling off your talking points. Be balanced in the sources you cite. Be nice.

The Google logo is trademarked by Google.

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The Joy of Teaching

imageWhen I think of all the things that energize me and that I would do even if I had all the money I needed and did it for free, teaching is in the top two (preaching the Word is number one.) I’ve been teaching at Regis University for fifteen years and, despite the amount of work involved, I love every minute of it. Teaching someone a skill or an idea that will improve their life and help them achieve whatever objectives they have is one of the better contributions that I can make to the lives of my students.

People ask what it’s like to have bored students and I’m quick to point out that boredom is about 90% the teacher’s fault. It is your job as the teacher to reach ALL of your students and the variety of learning styles that they bring to the classroom. You can’t simply bring your default method (e.g. lecture) to the course and expect everyone to conform to it. You must get to know your students to the best of your ability and meet each of them where they are prepared to be met. You have to care.

Caring is shown in a number of ways but pushing a student to expand their abilities and do their best at all times is one of the most important. Students may not want to be stretched, relying instead on whatever they define their comfort zone to be. When you think about it, your favorite teachers were those who challenged you, weren’t they? The student may erect a hurdle saying that the challenge is beyond their ability but the good teacher is always prepared to leap over these barriers and show the student that they can be successful. They may not thank you this semester but somewhere down the line, the student will always remember someone who believed in them.

photo from foundphotolj’s

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Psalm 32 ~ You Forgave

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The confession in Psalm 32 does not strike the modern ear in the same way that it would have the ancient Hebrew’s

Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my inquiry.

I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord – and you forgave the guilt of my sin. (v 5)

Our evangelical heritage has trained us to be confessors, to turn our sin over to God for judgment only to receive grace. This is an act filled with danger as we can easily begin to take that grace for granted. Perhaps the next verse should make its way into our journals and our hearts;

Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise they will not reach him. (v 6)

The ominous caution—while you may be found—warns against taking the privilege of confession too lightly. We can slip into a mindset that the all-aware God already knows of our transgressions and has addressed them forthwith. In taking this attitude however, we miss an important component of the confession in the humbling that comes with kneeling before the Judge and confessing. The act of lowering one’s head in respect of God’s lordship is in itself an act of trust that our survival instinct rebels against. To take our eyes off of the One who could potentially take all from us including our lives requires a deep faith in the anticipated outcome.

Better in the future to not risk the heavy hand of God, as Yahweh Himself teaches,

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.

Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you. (vv 8-9)

Trust in the grace of the Lord but do not test its boundaries.

Photo by Wstryder

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The Ravenhill Challenge

Revival, friends. Revival is what the Church at large needs. Not more buildings or programs. Not more feel-good outreach or books or even pastors. The Church is in desperate need of the fire of revival. That’s what the Ravenhill challenge is all about. The challenge derives from the consistent message of Leonard Ravenhill’s books and preaching and the same thoughts expressed by Michael Brown in his book The End of the American Gospel Enterprise. Go to the site and check out what the folks have started and catch the fire.

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Atheist Evangelism

imageI’ve recently been involved in extensive discussions with an avowed Atheist which has brought something interesting and saddening to light. Many Christians participate in this forum and have had their beliefs challenged or outright disputed by this man but, rather than addressing the fallacies or misrepresentations of his arguments, I’m alarmed to find that most either respond in a repeated confirmation of their faith or avoid him altogether. No one seems able or willing to confront him and his statements.

Sorry folks but this is not what Peter was thinking when he wrote “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.”

While tolerance of opposing views is important in our civil society, it is more important to have the preparation and ability to address a challenge to your faith that is rooted in the false premise of Atheism. As you have probably noticed, the ‘new atheism’ has been making quite a name for itself in the past couple of years. Harris, Dawkins, and Hutchins are names that have entered the cultural milieu as supposed authorities carrying the truth. They are actively proselytizing for their worldview and the majority of Christianity is unprepared to confront it. They are evangelizing and Christians are content to let it go on without challenge.

No more. We’re going to build muscle and trim fat and confront these falsehoods and point out the logical fallacies that the atheist must rely on make his points.

We’re going to fight for the heart of our king…

UPDATE:

Robert, participating in our dialog below, proposed the discussion of a Hebrew verse Isaiah 45:7. Here is the verse in the original language:

isaiah4571

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Midweek Beauty Break ~ Change of Seasons III

Change-of-Seasons-III, originally uploaded by wrachele.

The Forsythia’s golden bells are often the first spot of color as spring begins to unfold before us. The long limbs of the plant cover themselves with a brilliant yellow-gold coat of tiny flowers before the green of summer takes hold. Though temporarily muted by the spring snow, a day or two of Colorado sunshine will revive them and the contest between the Sun and the flower will continue…

The Unexpected Adventure by Lee Strobel & Mark Mittelberg

imageAs we follow our particular paths through life we’re all going to encounter people like Jack, people laying tile nearby another conversation, and spend moments with our neighbors and friends. We may find ourselves in the company of a young Hindu farmer or even a Billy Moore. In every one of these interactions there is an opportunity for God to call us into the adventure of a lifetime, opening the door for a spiritual conversation that may be the turning point in someone’s life. In The Unexpected Adventure, authors Lee Strobel and Mark Mittelberg draw us into the excitement of recognizing these moments without the pressure that sometimes accompanies a programmed evangelism process.

Adventure is about opportunity. Strobel and Mittelberg speak do not set out a program as we might find in Mark’s earlier effort ‘Becoming a Contagious Christian’ and the training program of the same name. Thousands of churches have participated in these types of programs and trained numerous people in how to have the most important conversation that can be had. You learn your spiritual style and how to find those interactions where this can be utilized to the greatest advantage. In many cases, men and women have been successful in implementing the lessons and have gone on to important evangelistic efforts. Many others have found themselves watching and waiting for their opportunities to put the steps into practice but have been too shy or hesitant to move. What sets Adventure apart is its singular focus on the moments of spiritual opportunity that surround us every day. Strobel and Mittelberg serve up vignettes of personal contacts in which they recognized an opening to tell the gospel story, both directly and obliquely.

Written as a collection of 42 devotion-style entries, each of the chapters serves up a different example of the myriad ways in which God arranges spiritually needy lives to intersect with His evangelistic partners, you and me. From an overheard conversation with someone else, through a misunderstood Buenos Dias, or to a close friend who confides her darkest secrets to you; each is a possible invitation to introduce the hope that you know to someone keenly in need of that hope. The variety of encounters that the authors recall is so broad that you will be able to easily locate yourself in more than one. When you have tuned your spiritual antennae to be alert to these invitations you will find that it becomes the most natural thing in life to share what you know without the pressure of thinking about the ‘E’ word or worrying that it must be done in a specific way.

Strobel and Mittelberg have made a fantastic contribution to the Church and her commandment. This book stands up with Rebecca Pippert’s Out of the Shaker, Paul Little’s Know books and Joe Aldrich’s Lifestyle Evangelism in making sharing your hope a natural outpouring of your transformed life. What sets Adventure apart is page after page of recognizable moments in life that we all have. After reading each chapter, you will fold the pages over your finger and think back to similar times in your own life, perhaps recognizing them for divine appointments and hungry for another chance. With no steps to remember, telling your story of hope or simply answering a question will become a response as easy as breathing. Sign up now for The Unexpected Adventure, you won’t regret it.

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