Wow - it’s been almost two years since I’ve posted anything here. Anyway - the day job has changed so I expect to start putting some fresh materials up. This is a meditation based on the Babel chapter in Chris Watkin’s excellent “Biblical Critical Theory”.
Wisdom
Matthew 13: Hidden Treasure and the Pearl
in Jesus Christ, Joy, Parable, Teaching, Wisdom
Wow it’s been a while since I posted something here!
44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.
45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.”
Actions: what are we doing with the Bible
in Discipleship, Preaching, Redemption, Sin, Teaching, Wisdom, Joy, Isolation, Freedom, Conversion
Jonah
in Arrogance, Community, Conversion, Culture, Death, Discipleship, Freedom, Father, Grace, Heaven, Hell, Idols, Jesus Christ, Joy, Judgement, Life, Love, Mercy, Narcissism, Preaching, Repentance, Redemption, Resurrection, Sin, Suffering, Wisdom
“Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them.”
Jonah 2:8
5 lies of identity
in Sin, Fulfilment, Grace, Repentance, Joy, Discipleship, Freedom, Life, Jesus Christ, Idols, Wisdom
Colossians 2:8-10
8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.
9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority.
The Rich Young Ruler
in Commandments, Wisdom, Discipleship, Heaven, Sin, Jesus Christ, Consumerism, Idols, Slavery, Teaching
As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’”
“Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”
Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”
The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”
Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!”
“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
Mark 10:17-31
Psalm 63
in Discipleship, Eternity, Death, Evil, Faith, Frustration, Grace, Holiness, Isolation, Jesus Christ, Joy, Judgement, Kings, Mercy, Love, Life, Persecution, Sin, Suffering, Wisdom
Psalm 63
A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah.
You, God, are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you,
my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land
where there is no water.
I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.
Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you.
I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.
I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods;
with singing lips my mouth will praise you.
On my bed I remember you;
I think of you through the watches of the night.
Because you are my help,
I sing in the shadow of your wings.
I cling to you;
your right hand upholds me.
Those who want to kill me will be destroyed;
they will go down to the depths of the earth.
They will be given over to the sword
and become food for jackals.
But the king will rejoice in God;
all who swear by God will glory in him,
while the mouths of liars will be silenced.
Wisely Responding to the Sexual Revolution
in Atheism, Bible, Commandments, Community, Consumerism, Conversion, Creation, Covenant, Culture, Faith, Father, Heaven, Grace, Idols, Isolation, Joy, Love, Life, Narcissism, Prayer, Redemption, Repentance, Revelation, Sin, Service, Slavery, Suffering, Teaching, Technology, Wisdom, Wedding
I attended a lecture by Glynn Harrison recently on this vital (and polarising) topic. He brought a lot of wisdom to bear on the matter of how to respond sensitively as a Christian to widespread changes in thinking on what is or isn't acceptable on the sexual morality front.
In particular his comments on posture (sorry-thankyou-please-never) and dissection of why soft power is so attractive were really helpful. As a Christian I found it particularly useful to listen to the 'better story' that - when properly understood¹ - is incredibly liberating.
My full sketch notes can be downloaded here (7megs).
¹ meaning: when not being used for power games or ideological land-grab antics.
Roots and Fruits
in Holy Spirit, Wisdom, Love, Jesus Christ, Grace, Discipleship, Service, Holiness, Joy, Mercy
Galatians 5:22-23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Shrivelled and Swept Away
All of us have become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;
we all shrivel up like a leaf,
and like the wind our sins sweep us away.