Is God Fair?? Is Not a Good Question

From Al Mohler:

The Bible never claims that God acts fairly, of course. Fairness is the best we mortals can often hope to achieve. We want our children to learn to play fairly and each child learns all too quickly to cry out, "No fair!"

But God does not claim to be fair. The God of the Bible is infinitely greater than we are. He is faithful, just, holy, merciful, gracious, and righteous. A morally perfect being does not operate at the level of mere and faulty human fairness, but at the level of his own omnipotent righteousness. We hope to make things fair. God makes things right.

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Do You Know Where You Are?

Maybe a reason that we are not out in the world talking to people about the glorious news of the Gospel is cause we do not know the people we live with. (I mean with as in our city).

Jonathan Dodson offers some helpful tips in exegeteing your culture:

• Ask your neighbors and fellow citizens lots of questions. Don’t freakin interrogate them but show sincere, intentional interest in them and the info they possess. Anecdotal information about your city and fellow citizens is unbeatable. Ask them the what, how, and why questions: What do you think is broken in our neighborhood or city? What gets you excited about life? What do you think should be done about economic decline in our city? why do you drive across town to do X? why do you dislike traditional Christianity. Feel free to add to this in the comments.
• Read local, independent publications. Very often the stuff that looks like a waste of time contains some of the most clear voices from within your culture. Get local (not just national) opinions and reviews on movies, books, culture and politics. For Austin: Statesman, The Chronicle, Misprint, Austin 360 blog, the Austinist, etc. Feel free to add to this list in the comments.
• Gather historical information on your city and neighborhood. How did your city come to be the way it is? What political and cultural and economic issues have shaped the ethos and beliefs of your city? Read local authors and histories. Austin: Writing Austin’s Lives, History of Austin DVD, Bob Bullock History Museum, Neighborhood Assns, etc.
• Participate in local art, music, and business. Support local business, go to art shows, listen to local bands. Examples are endless in Austin.

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Would Your Life Change If This Bill Was Passed In The U.S.?

From Radical Womanhood:

The Associated Baptist Press reports this bill was first introduced in 2004 by Sri Lanka's Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) Party -- a political party headed by Buddhist monks. The bill would outlaw religious conversions carried out by "force," "allurement" or other unethical means like taking advantage of a person's "inexperience, trust, need, low intellect, naivety or state of distress." The article continues: Depending on how it's interpreted or enforced, faith-based humanitarian groups fear the law could be used to crack down on all evangelism and encourage violence against evangelical Christians.

My honest question for us here in a country that is open to religion diversity and where conversion is not outlawed is how would this law change your life? Sadly most of our lives may not be that affected by this, because most of us are not active in evangelism, in sharing the gospel. I include myself in a lot of this critique as well. We are good at reading books on being "missional" or on the history of justification, but are we actually speaking to the world, are we out in the coffee shops, workplaces and other gatherings sharing this wonderful news.

I have noticed in my time working at a church that we in "church work" seem to be all about reading the new books, arguing over sometimes really stupid things that in the end are not that important to the here and now of spreading the message of the cross and we never get out to the world, we never spend time with the lost. Here is an idea, let's put down the newest book on culture, theology, missiology-and actually get out and talk to people about Jesus and His Kingdom.

Are You In????

20 Observations

From Unashamed Workman:

A simple but astonishingly helpful ‘exercise’ I use during initial passage study is what I call 20 observations. The idea is simple. Take one verse of the text at a time and force yourself to make at least 20 observations of each verse, soley from the text.

Click Here for the Rest and an example

This looks like something worth doing, it looks like it will take a lot of time, but the gain will be sweet in it!

Props: Pure Church

Dorothy Sayers Brings It!

“We must never forget that the story we have to believe and live in and proclaim is a story of glorious doctrinal assertions. ‘It is the dogma that is the drama,’ penned (Dorothy) Sayers, ‘not beautiful phrases, nor comforting sentiments, nor vague aspirations to loving kindness and uplift, nor the promise of something nice after death-but the terrifying assertion that the same God who made the world lived in the world and passed through the grave and gate of death. Show that to a heathen, and they may not believe it; but at least they may realize that here is something that man might be glad to believe in.’” (DeYoung and Kluck, Why We’re Not Emergent: By Two Guys Who Should Be, pages 116-117)

Young People and Truth

Put this up your Emergent pipe and smoke it, or at least have a conversation about it.

I could not have said it better myself:

“I know that some in my generation have a hard time with truth claims. But I’m convinced there are just as many of us-Christian and not-in our postmodern world who are tired of endless uncertainties and doctrinal re-paintings. We are tired of indecision and inconsistency reheated and served to us as paradox and mystery. Some of us long for teaching that has authority, ethics rooted in dogma, and something unique in this world of banal diversity. We long for Jesus-not a shapeless, formless, good-hearted ethical teacher Jesus, but the Jesus of the New Testament, the Jesus of the church, the Jesus of faith, the Jesus of two millennia of Christian witness with all of its unchanging and edgy doctrinal propositions.” (Why We’re Not Emergent: By Two Guys Who Should Be, pages 116-117)

Top 10 Sweetest Moments of 2008

I realize that I am a couple of days late in getting in my reflections of 2008 but here they are. Everyone and their mom did a best of album list, which for the most part all have the same artists that are cool, indie and coffee shop pop. So what I have decided to do is list of the top 10 sweetest things in my life that happened in 2008. What makes things sweet, well they are life changing, eye opening and soul affecting. So here they are.

#10-The New York Giants Win the Super Bowl

Ok so not the deepest way to start, but hey it was a great game and being a Giants fan in NM means I only see the G-Men when they play the Cowgirls. But with a Super Bowl win the NYG were on a lot more this season!! Do I smell a repeat in 09, I think so!!!

#9- Reading Augustine’s Confessions and Schaeffer's True Spirituality

Augustine was a dude that lived during the waning days of the Roman Empire. Even though he lived long ago Augustine’s works are profound for today’s world. Augustine is blunt and honest about his sin, struggles and wonder of God.

Francis Shaeffer may be one of the most amazing theologian, apologists of all time. His book True Spirituality to take a phrase from the UFC "Rocked Me". It was one of those books that you have to read, then re-read, then get up off the ground cause it just knocked you over again and agian.

#8-Barack Obama Elected President

While I am thoroughly disgusted by his stance on the slaughtering of babies, I am also excited that the first president my son and daughter may see and remember will be an African American man, and not some old crusty white dude!

#7-Watching Band of Brothers

This is a must see for all dudes. I especially believe this series is a must see for all men who want to lead in ministry, or plant a church. It shows what leadership is, and isn’t as well as shows what community and the need for solid men in one’s life.

#6- The Well

The College ministry that I am over at my church has grown and tripled in size during the last 5 months of the year. I say that not to gloat at all, but to say the impact of that growth has been overwhelming at times. I have learned of my utter failure at organization and my need to repent of laziness, even busy laziness and work to make the use of time the Lord gives me for prayer, fasting, and doing hard but nesacary things for the ministry. It has also been amazing to see young leaders step up and take on responsibility, I hope for more of that in 2009.

#5- This Adoption

Watching my brother in Christ and good friend Zach and his family trust in God and obey Him in taking care of orphans has been mind blowing. Zach is an uber white dude, and his and his wife's adoption of this little African American girl named Mya is such an amazing picture of the Kingdom of God. It has also amp’d up the talk with me and my uber white wife about getting serious about adoption.
Read Z's own testimony of this amazing story. Part I, II, III, and IV

#4-Mom

My mother has been battling cancer since the spring of 2007. The most amazing thing though was what I saw in her this past Christmas service. As we were singing about the birth of our Glorious King Jesus I looked over at her and she was singing with arms out in praise to our God. The Lord has done an amazing work in her and my dad, their faith is inspiring to me. I love my parents and praise God for the faith He has placed in their hearts even when the hearts are hurting!

#3-This Woman

Lauren and I celebrated our 3rd anniversary this past year and I can honestly say that I am more in love with her and feel more of a soul connection today than ever! I am more attracted to her and passionate about loving her than I thought I could be. I fail daily at being a husband worthy of anything but hell, yet she shows me grace and love as well as a heavy dose of patience. Her love for our kids is something that makes me almost burst with tears of joy as I type this. She is my love!

#2-This Girl

Jordyn turned 2 back in January and she is a full on girl with attitude. She is growing up to be a beautiful girl (she gets that from her mom) which means daddy is going to be getting a shotgun soon enough ☺. Raising her has been a joyful challenge, there have been tough times of discipline, as well as times of laughter as she is developing quite a personality

#1-Brayden Nestor's Arrival

On March 9th Brayden Nestor Griego was born. He has grown to be a cute little boy with a “Charlie Brown” head. I love that boy and am intimidated and excited to be raising a father, grandfather and husband in the Lord.

Man what a year, we are stoked, excited and a bit nervous about what 2009 holds, lets find out....