Remember that quote from Elf?
"Spreading Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear!"
Yeah, that one.
Well, maybe you can't sing.
Let me tell you about someone who can!
My brother-in-law, Toby Baxley, is selling his Christmas album, Worship the Newborn King, on his website www.tobybaxley.com for only $10.
And even better, $2 of every album goes to Sweet Sleep. Sweet Sleep is an organization that provides beds for orphanages around the world.
So when you buy my brother-in-law's Christmas album, you're helping little children in Africa, Moldova, and Haiti sleep well on clean beds this Christmas.
So go to www.tobybaxley.com and buy his album ASAP! You have to buy the physical copy of the album on his website in order for the $2 to go to Sweet Sleep, so while iTunes is great for other music, buying this album direct from him will be providing for precious children around the world.
Thanks!
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Spiritual Disciplines
I just finished reading this book, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, by Donald S. Whitney.
I had to read it for one of my classes here in seminary, and to be honest, I wasn't looking forward to it. I had a paper to write, other books to read for other classes, assignments to complete...I was not looking forward to a dry, boring, book about reading the Bible. I'd rather just read the Bible itself.
The book turned out to be wonderful. It was inspiring, encouraging, motivating, convicting...I found it to be so beneficial that not only am I buying a copy for myself (the book I used was borrowed), but I also want to share it with you. Over the next few weeks I'll be doing a series on the disciplines discussed in the book. It won't be exactly a summary of the book (I hope that you'll buy the book for yourself - it is well worth the investment), but my desire is that it may encourage you to exercise some spiritual disciplines in your own life.
You may be asking, "what are these spiritual disciplines to which you refer?"
Well, they are:
Bible intake (which includes reading, memorization, and meditation)
Prayer
Worship
Evangelism
Serving
Stewardship
Fasting
Silence and Solitude
Learning
These are the "Biblical" spiritual disciplines - the ones that are explicitly commanded/expected from us in the Bible. Also recommendable is journaling, in order to keep a record of what God has been teaching you through the other disciplines.
Now you may be thinking, "Isn't that legalism?"
Suppose you want to run a marathon. So you get up every Sunday morning and watch the runners at the park. You read books on marathon training and even jog a mile or two. Maybe you run on Wednesday evenings, too. Though you may read about running, watch runners, and even job twice a week for one, two, or three years, you won't be able to run a marathon. You have to get up and run. Train daily. Eat well. Discipline yourself.
Suppose you want to lose 20 pounds. So every Sunday, you go to a weight-loss support group. Wednesdays you eat salads. But the rest of the week, you eat hamburgers, chips, cookies, etc. Are you going to lose 20 pounds? Not likely. You have to change your eating habits. You have to create new, healthy habits. You have to exercise. You have to discipline yourself.
Suppose you want to play guitar like Jimi Hendrix, or Eric Clapton. So every Sunday morning and Wednesday evening you watch videos of Jimi or Eric playing. You read books about guitar. You even pick it up and play a scale every now and then. Will you ever reach fame as a talented guitarist? Of course not. You should probably take lessons. You definitely need to practice daily. You have to train your fingers to move quickly, to play the right notes. You have to discipline yourself.
So it is in our walk with Christ.
1 Peter 1:15-16 says, "But like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, 'You shall be holy, for I am holy.'"
Romans 12:1 says, "Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship."
Christians also have a goal. Holiness. Godliness. Christ-likeness.
Just as marathon runners must discipline their bodies to run and their minds to persevere when they lack motivation; just as dieters must discipline their minds to resist cravings and train their bodies to crave good food and exercise; just as aspiring guitarists musts train their fingers to respond to the notes on the page, so must Christians discipline their minds, bodies, and spirits to submit to godliness.
Now don't go thinking that I'm talking about salvation by works. The Bible is VERY clear that we are saved by the grace of God alone, through faith alone, by Christ alone, as revealed in Scripture alone, for the glory of God alone.
Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast."
I'm not talking about spiritual disciplines for the sake of salvation. There is no "magic formula" to salvation. Only Jesus Christ can save - the only thing required of us is to respond to him. He has already justified us before the Father through His blood.
Nor am I talking about self-made godliness, aka, legalism. Just as we cannot justify ourselves, nor can we sanctify ourselves. That is the work of the Holy Spirit.
But just as a marathon runner may have a trainer, he still has to get up and run. Just as a dieter may have a nutritionist, he still has to eat well. Just as a guitarist may have a teacher, he still has to practice. Our sanctification is an active process. The Holy Spirit works in us and through us, and we must respond. We must not harden our hearts to the Spirit's workings.
Hebrews 3:16 says, "Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."
Our response is to draw near. And if we draw near, we will "receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."
The spiritual disciplines are really just ways of drawing near to the Lord. And that is what I am encouraging you to do - draw near to Him.
I had to read it for one of my classes here in seminary, and to be honest, I wasn't looking forward to it. I had a paper to write, other books to read for other classes, assignments to complete...I was not looking forward to a dry, boring, book about reading the Bible. I'd rather just read the Bible itself.
The book turned out to be wonderful. It was inspiring, encouraging, motivating, convicting...I found it to be so beneficial that not only am I buying a copy for myself (the book I used was borrowed), but I also want to share it with you. Over the next few weeks I'll be doing a series on the disciplines discussed in the book. It won't be exactly a summary of the book (I hope that you'll buy the book for yourself - it is well worth the investment), but my desire is that it may encourage you to exercise some spiritual disciplines in your own life.
You may be asking, "what are these spiritual disciplines to which you refer?"
Well, they are:
Bible intake (which includes reading, memorization, and meditation)
Prayer
Worship
Evangelism
Serving
Stewardship
Fasting
Silence and Solitude
Learning
These are the "Biblical" spiritual disciplines - the ones that are explicitly commanded/expected from us in the Bible. Also recommendable is journaling, in order to keep a record of what God has been teaching you through the other disciplines.
Now you may be thinking, "Isn't that legalism?"
Suppose you want to run a marathon. So you get up every Sunday morning and watch the runners at the park. You read books on marathon training and even jog a mile or two. Maybe you run on Wednesday evenings, too. Though you may read about running, watch runners, and even job twice a week for one, two, or three years, you won't be able to run a marathon. You have to get up and run. Train daily. Eat well. Discipline yourself.
Suppose you want to lose 20 pounds. So every Sunday, you go to a weight-loss support group. Wednesdays you eat salads. But the rest of the week, you eat hamburgers, chips, cookies, etc. Are you going to lose 20 pounds? Not likely. You have to change your eating habits. You have to create new, healthy habits. You have to exercise. You have to discipline yourself.
Suppose you want to play guitar like Jimi Hendrix, or Eric Clapton. So every Sunday morning and Wednesday evening you watch videos of Jimi or Eric playing. You read books about guitar. You even pick it up and play a scale every now and then. Will you ever reach fame as a talented guitarist? Of course not. You should probably take lessons. You definitely need to practice daily. You have to train your fingers to move quickly, to play the right notes. You have to discipline yourself.
So it is in our walk with Christ.
1 Peter 1:15-16 says, "But like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, 'You shall be holy, for I am holy.'"
Romans 12:1 says, "Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship."
Christians also have a goal. Holiness. Godliness. Christ-likeness.
Just as marathon runners must discipline their bodies to run and their minds to persevere when they lack motivation; just as dieters must discipline their minds to resist cravings and train their bodies to crave good food and exercise; just as aspiring guitarists musts train their fingers to respond to the notes on the page, so must Christians discipline their minds, bodies, and spirits to submit to godliness.
Now don't go thinking that I'm talking about salvation by works. The Bible is VERY clear that we are saved by the grace of God alone, through faith alone, by Christ alone, as revealed in Scripture alone, for the glory of God alone.
Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast."
I'm not talking about spiritual disciplines for the sake of salvation. There is no "magic formula" to salvation. Only Jesus Christ can save - the only thing required of us is to respond to him. He has already justified us before the Father through His blood.
Nor am I talking about self-made godliness, aka, legalism. Just as we cannot justify ourselves, nor can we sanctify ourselves. That is the work of the Holy Spirit.
But just as a marathon runner may have a trainer, he still has to get up and run. Just as a dieter may have a nutritionist, he still has to eat well. Just as a guitarist may have a teacher, he still has to practice. Our sanctification is an active process. The Holy Spirit works in us and through us, and we must respond. We must not harden our hearts to the Spirit's workings.
Hebrews 3:16 says, "Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."
Our response is to draw near. And if we draw near, we will "receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."
The spiritual disciplines are really just ways of drawing near to the Lord. And that is what I am encouraging you to do - draw near to Him.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Please Don't...
Right now I'm listening to a lecture on Scripture memorization for my Spiritual Formation class here at seminary. He said something that really struck me:
"When you walk away from God, the first thing you do is walk away from His Word....the next thing you do is walk away from His People."
This is so true.
And so sad.
Please, read the Word.
Please, find a church that teaches the Word. Then go to it.
"When you walk away from God, the first thing you do is walk away from His Word....the next thing you do is walk away from His People."
This is so true.
And so sad.
Please, read the Word.
Please, find a church that teaches the Word. Then go to it.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Also at Starbucks...
The Starbucks I usually go to is connected to a Barnes and Noble. Last night after studying, I decided to take a few minutes to stroll around the store and clear my mind looking at books, such as everybody's childhood favorite (that I somehow missed out on) Where The Wild Things Are.
Upon re-entering Starbucks, a short, round, grey-haired man in a yamaka was teaching the barista Spanish by saying things like "fat" and "ugly", pointing to himself.
He was speaking Spanish! How could I possibly resist the urge to talk to him??
Well I couldn't, so I did talk to him. :)
It turns out he's from Argentina, and a Rabbi. He made me laugh incessantly and asked me, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" ("Que quieres ser cuando seas grande?"), something nobody has asked me since I was a kid.
I told him that I'm a Christian and he said that when he gets back from his trip (he was on his way to the airport at that moment) we should meet for a cup of coffee and talk about spiritual things.
Before leaving we traded phone numbers and he asked what he should save as my last name.
"Gorda? No no no, no puede ser"
"Fat? No no no, that can't be."
"Flaca? No no, eso tampoco esta bien"
"Skinny? No no, that's not right either."
"Te dije que soy bueno? Porque si te lo dije, fue mentira."
"Did I tell you that I'm good? Because if I did, it was a lie."
If he weren't an Argentinian Rabbi, I might have had to slap the man! But Argentines have a way of making you laugh no matter what they say. It's impossible to stay mad an Argentine because he'll make you laugh so much you forgot why you were mad in the first place.
And of course, you can't slap a Rabbi. That would just be wrong.
Upon re-entering Starbucks, a short, round, grey-haired man in a yamaka was teaching the barista Spanish by saying things like "fat" and "ugly", pointing to himself.
He was speaking Spanish! How could I possibly resist the urge to talk to him??
Well I couldn't, so I did talk to him. :)
It turns out he's from Argentina, and a Rabbi. He made me laugh incessantly and asked me, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" ("Que quieres ser cuando seas grande?"), something nobody has asked me since I was a kid.
I told him that I'm a Christian and he said that when he gets back from his trip (he was on his way to the airport at that moment) we should meet for a cup of coffee and talk about spiritual things.
Before leaving we traded phone numbers and he asked what he should save as my last name.
"Gorda? No no no, no puede ser"
"Fat? No no no, that can't be."
"Flaca? No no, eso tampoco esta bien"
"Skinny? No no, that's not right either."
"Te dije que soy bueno? Porque si te lo dije, fue mentira."
"Did I tell you that I'm good? Because if I did, it was a lie."
If he weren't an Argentinian Rabbi, I might have had to slap the man! But Argentines have a way of making you laugh no matter what they say. It's impossible to stay mad an Argentine because he'll make you laugh so much you forgot why you were mad in the first place.
And of course, you can't slap a Rabbi. That would just be wrong.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Welcome To Texas
A guy just walked into Starbucks with a buckle on his belt and spurs on his boots.
Real spurs.
His one year old son is wearing cowboy boots as well.
I'm officially back in Texas.
Real spurs.
His one year old son is wearing cowboy boots as well.
I'm officially back in Texas.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Be Wise
"Make your ear attentive to wisdom,
Incline your heart to understanding;
For if you cry for discernment,
Lift your voice for understanding;
If you seek her as silver
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
Then you will discern the fear of the Lord
And discover the knowledge of God.
For the Lord gives wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding."
Proverbs 2:2-6 NASB
Incline your heart to understanding;
For if you cry for discernment,
Lift your voice for understanding;
If you seek her as silver
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
Then you will discern the fear of the Lord
And discover the knowledge of God.
For the Lord gives wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding."
Proverbs 2:2-6 NASB
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Midterms
Three down.
One to go.
In case you forgot, I'm in seminary.
And somehow I managed to sign up for four of the most challenging professors in the school, all in one semester.
BUT I'm thankful. I came here to be challenged. I came here to learn. And I'm learning a whole stinkin' lot!!
My schedule this semester is:
Church History 1 (New Testament church through...the Reformation? I'm not sure at what point in history the class ends)
Old Testament 1
Hermeneutics (that means "the art or science of interpreting texts")
Elementary Greek 1 (I'll take a a total of four semesters of Greek, and two of Hebrew)
and Spiritual Formation, a class that deals with yourpersonal spiritual life.
Last week I had three midterms...so far I only know the grade for Church History. I made an A. :)
Thursday I have Old Testament. Those who have taken the class before me have given their advice for doing well on this exam, which covers The Pentateuch (Genesis - Deuteronomy). They say, "basically, just memorize the Pentateuch."
Awesome.
I think I'll be satisfied if I can memorize the three Scripture passages we're required to write from memory, complete all the readings (Gen-Deut twice, two text books, Justin's Dialogue w/ Trypho, and something else which I haven't even started...), and still remember my own name.
It's hard work, but it's totally worth it.
"Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." Deuteronomy 6:4-9
One to go.
In case you forgot, I'm in seminary.
And somehow I managed to sign up for four of the most challenging professors in the school, all in one semester.
BUT I'm thankful. I came here to be challenged. I came here to learn. And I'm learning a whole stinkin' lot!!
My schedule this semester is:
Church History 1 (New Testament church through...the Reformation? I'm not sure at what point in history the class ends)
Old Testament 1
Hermeneutics (that means "the art or science of interpreting texts")
Elementary Greek 1 (I'll take a a total of four semesters of Greek, and two of Hebrew)
and Spiritual Formation, a class that deals with yourpersonal spiritual life.
Last week I had three midterms...so far I only know the grade for Church History. I made an A. :)
Thursday I have Old Testament. Those who have taken the class before me have given their advice for doing well on this exam, which covers The Pentateuch (Genesis - Deuteronomy). They say, "basically, just memorize the Pentateuch."
Awesome.
I think I'll be satisfied if I can memorize the three Scripture passages we're required to write from memory, complete all the readings (Gen-Deut twice, two text books, Justin's Dialogue w/ Trypho, and something else which I haven't even started...), and still remember my own name.
It's hard work, but it's totally worth it.
"Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." Deuteronomy 6:4-9
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