On the links

Things I’ve found helpful on the web

Pride isn’t fussy

/ David Thomas / 1 Comment

A while back I posted this on negative pride, the idea that those who have a low opinion of themselves seek to be the centre of attention because of it.  I came across this quote from Tim Keller this morning which I think is  helpful in this regard.

the opposite of thinking highly of ourselves is not thinking less of ourselves, but thinking of ourselves less. 

The more I look at myself, whether it’s with boastful or degrading thoughts, I will reinforce my belief that I am the centre of my universe.  Pride isn’t fussy in that respect, it’ll let me live as the hero or the villain as long as I’m centre stage and playing the lead role.

It’s only as I think less of myself and look more to Christ that I’m truly able to defeat the pride of my heart, by allowing him to rule it.

Memorising God’s Word

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Spend a few minutes thinking of all of the things God’s word is profitable for – teaching, reproof, correcting, training in righteousness, equipping, comforting, upbuilding, counselling, encouraging, …

But though we might be convinced  God’s word is more to be desired than gold and that there is great reward in keeping it, the first step in doing that – actually knowing it, is something we can struggle with.

In her post over here, Jean Williams lists practical tips to help us memorise God’s Word under the following headings:

Prepare – survey it, visualise it, see it, carry it

Repeat – read it, say it, write it, hear it, walk it, sing it

Recall – reread and check it, reflect and pray it, use it

Reinforce – trace patterns, know why, learn with others, study it, teach it

Review – forget it, review it

Jean also gives ideas for memorising the whole of the Bible.

I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. – Psalm 119:11
 
How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!  – Psalm 119:103
 
 

12 guidelines for Facebook

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Following on from his recent articles on Facebook, Tim Chester lists 12 guidelines to consider in using social networking.

  1. Don’t say anything online that you wouldn’t say were the people concerned in the room.
  2. Don’t say anything online that you wouldn’t share publicly with your Christian community.
  3. Ensure your online world is visible to your offline Christian community.
  4. Challenge one another if you think someone’s online self reflects a self-created identity rather than identity in Christ.
  5. Challenge one another if you think someone’s online self doesn’t match their offline self.
  6. Use social networking to enhance real world relationship not to replace them.
  7. Don’t let children have unsupervised internet access or accept as online friends people you don’t know offline.
  8. Set limits to the time you spend online and ask someone to hold you accountable to these.
  9. Set aside a day a week as a technology “Sabbath” or “fast”.
  10. Avoid alerts (emails, tweets, texts and so on) that interrupt other activities especially reading, praying, worshipping and relating.
  11. Ban mobiles from the meal table and the bedroom.
  12. Look for opportunities to replace disembodied (online or phone) communication with embodied (face-to-face) communication.

Aiming for awe

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What are the goals for our ministries?  To build bridges, to get people in, to share the gospel of Jesus Christ, to teach to living Word of God, to encourage the fellowship that already exists in Christ, to bring disciples to maturity.   Over here Paul Tripp reminds us that whatever other goals our various ministries have, we are to aim for nothing less than awe filled worshippers of the living God.  Tripp concludes:

a church must turn people back to the one thing for which they were created: to live in a sturdy, joyful, faithful awe of God.

This means every sermon should be prepared by a person whose study is marked by awe of God. The sermon must be delivered in awe and have as its purpose to motivate awe in those who hear. Children’s ministry must have as its goal to ignite in young children a life-shaping awe of God. The youth ministry of the church must move beyond Bible entertainment and do all it can to help teens see God’s glory and name it as the thing for which they will live. Women’s ministry must do more than give women a place to fellowship with one another and do crafts. Women need to be rescued from themselves and myriad self-interests that nip at their hearts; awe of God provides that rescue. Men’s ministries need to recognize the coldness in the heart of so many men to the things of God and confront and stimulate men with their identity as those created to live and lead out of a humble zeal for God’s glory, rather than their own. Missions and evangelism, too, must be awe-driven.

An evening of eschatology

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Tonight at church, we are having a question and answers session on the first half of the book of Revelation, which we’ve been studying on Sunday mornings and at home groups during previous months.

There are some good questions and I’m hoping this will be a helpful evening.  Studying Revelation can leave us somewhat confused and yet we’re told

Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near – Revelation 1:3

The video above shows how Evangelical Christians with differing views on how to interpret much of the Book of Revelation, can maturely discuss their differences.  It’s two hours long but honestly it’s better than an Agatha Christie Miss Marple – and you don’t have to sit through adverts!

Should saints have a Halo?

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There’s a helpful article here from Rich Clark on How to Respond to the Video Game Crisis. Video games are often demonised by those who have little exposure to them, and glorified by those who feel twitchy without a games controller in their hands.

Video games can certainly distract us from our gospel commission, but so can many other things.  Rich sums up his article like this:

Yes, video games are contributing to our crisis of a pervasive entertainment culture. Much of what we watch, listen to, and play encourages escapism. But the problem isn’t so much with the medium as with the naïve and thoughtless ways we indulge ourselves. Neither blindly chasing “cool” video games nor stubbornly rejecting every new form of entertainment can protect us from our sinful disposition. What we choose to play, we must learn to responsibly engage.

God’s 10 txt msgs

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With thanks to Steve Jeffery

1. no1 b4 me. srsly.

2. dnt wrshp pix/idols

3. no omg’s

4. no wrk on w/end (sat 4 now; sun l8r)

5. pos ok – ur m&d r cool

6. dnt kill ppl

7. :-X only w/ m8

8. dnt steal

9. dnt lie re: bf

10. dnt ogle ur bf’s m8. or ox. or dnkey. myob.

M, pls rite on tabs & giv 2 ppl.

ttyl, JHWH.

ps. wwjd?

Whose kingdom are you building?

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Following on from previous posts, here and here, Paul Tripp gives a series of principles to help examine the motivations of our hearts here.  How can we determine whether we’re laying up treasures for God’s kingdom or for self?

Tripp gives the questions below as a helpful diagnostic.

  • The absence of what causes us to want to give up and quit?
  • The pursuit of what leads us to feeling over-burdened and overwhelmed?
  • The fear of what makes us tentative and timid rather than courageous and hopeful?
  • The craving for what makes us burn the candle at both ends until we have little left?
  • The “need” for what robs ministry of its beauty and joy?
  • The desire for what sets up tensions between ministry and family?

Will you be my Facebook friend – Part IV

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The final post in Tim Chester’s series on Facebook and social networking can be found here.  Again I recommend you read the whole thing for yourself if only for the highly amusing (and highly accurate)  paragraph on Facebook being the creation of nerds for the generation of nerds.

If you don’t get that far consider these words Tim closes with:

Think about what you have written and read on your Facebook wall this week. Think about the tweets you have followed this week. Imagine reading them in six months time. I am guessing, but I suspect that most of what is written will be drivel. Trivia. Empty. “Eating egg on toast. Yum.” “On my way to the station.” “Great party last night.” “Jack just fell over. LOL.” “Love the photos. You’re so gorgeous.” Poke. Listen to the prophet Isaiah:

A voice says, “Cry out.”And I said, “What shall I cry?”“All men are like grass,and all their glory is like the flowers of the field.The grass withers and the flowers fall,because the breath of the LORD blows on them.Surely the people are grass.The grass withers and the flowers fall,but the word of our God stands for ever.” (Isaiah 40:6-8)

The Facebook comments wither and the tweets fall,  but the word of our God stands for ever.

Be confident of the gospel and preach Jesus

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Here’s a great post from Jeff Bethke on reaching the next generation.  His bottom line concern with current youth and children’s ministry

The biggest mistake by an adult is to think the younger generation “can’t handle” all of the truth or can’t comprehend it.

Amen to that.  Here’s Jeff’s 10 must do’s

1. Preach Jesus

2. Don’t Take Yourself Seriously.

3. Speak Truthfully, Boldly, and Fervently.

4. Preach Jesus With Your Life.

5. Don’t Shy Away From “Taboo” Sins.

6. Be Transparent.

7. Lead In Repentance.

8. Show God is After Our Joy, Not Our Buzzkill.

9. Don’t Water Down Jesus’ Harsh Sayings.

10. Preach And Articulate Real, Biblical, Transforming Grace.

Not a word about needing to be young, be with it, good at sports, or able to empathise with teenage angst.  Nothing about keeping kids off the streets or out of trouble. Teaching them to be good, upright, respectable citizens wouldn’t even make the top 50.

Simply be confident of the gospel and preach Jesus with your words and life. Once again, amen to that.

Psalm 78:1-7