A Fool for Christ is moving...

After a little over a year of blogging, I have decided to move this blog to "Mind in Renewal" at http://www.mindinrenewal.blogspot.com/. I will continue my normal posting there. I hope that you will visit the new site!

Ten Questions to Ask at the Start of the New Year

Don Whitney provides ten questions to ask for the New Year:

1. What's one thing you could do this year to increase your enjoyment of God?

2. What's the most humanly impossible thing you will ask God to do this year?

3. What's the single most important thing you could do to improve the quality of your family life this year?

4. In which spiritual discipline do you most want to make progress this year, and what will you do about it?

5. What is the single biggest time-waster in your life, and what will you do about it this year?

6. What is the most helpful new way you could strengthen your church?

7. For whose salvation will you pray most fervently this year?

8. What's the most important way you will, by God's grace, try to make this year different from last year?

9. What one thing could you do to improve your prayer life this year?

10. What single thing that you plan to do this year will matter most in ten years? In eternity?

You can read his entire article and download the pdf version of this here.

On the Incarnation

My good friend Josh writes on the incarnation:

To feel and comprehend the magnitude of the birth of Christ, one need only to turn to the Holy Scriptures where God lays forth His redeeming plan of salvation, giving hope and light to the depraved souls that walk the earth. Before time even began, God knew that eventually sin would enter the perfect world He would soon create. He knew that man, not perfect, because He and He alone is perfect, would fall prey to the temptations given under the domain of darkness and that redemption would have to be accomplished. He also knew, however, that the only path to true glorifying redemption would be a perfect sacrifice, without reproach, that would bear the darkness of the wretched world. Therefore, because of the fullness of His immeasurable grace and truth, God himself entered the world that He would become this perfect sacrifice the world so desperately needed.

Read the rest of his post here.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas. A time to sit back and take a break from the daily rush of life. I hope that during this day of rest, you take time to focus on who Christmas is truly about (Jesus Christ) and why He came (to live a perfect life, die for our sins, and rise again). May Christ's peace be with you this Christmas.

Luke 2: 1-20:

The Birth of Jesus Christ
1In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them inthe inn.

The Shepherds and the Angels
8And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. 10And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." 13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!"

15When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us." 16And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Isaiah 53:3-5:

3 He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God,
smitten by him, and afflicted.

5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.

Spurgeon and Edwards

I recently finished reading The Power in Prayer by Charles Spurgeon. Though short in length, this book delves far beyond the surface of its subject matter and provides helpful insights into both the reasons and modes of prayer. Starting from the most basic aspects of prayer, Spurgeon masterfully progresses to some deeper and perhaps less thought of facets of the praying life. I especially appreciated Spurgeon's challenge to prepare myself as I come before the Lord of the Universe to make my petitions as well as his treatment of "Order and Argument in Prayer", which I will be posting on later (Lord willing). In all, I recommend this book to you wholeheartedly for your edification.

Another resource that has been encouraging and enlightening to me has been the audiobook A Short Life of Jonathan Edwards, written by George Marsden and produced by Hovel Audio. This audiobook has been an insightful overview of Edwards' life that sets itself apart from other biographies in its comparison and contrast of Edwards to his contemporary Benjamin Franklin. Another short book (about four hours in length), A Short Life receives my full endorsement.

The "X" in X-mas

R.C. Sproul explains why it might not mean what you think. See his article here.

Christmas Giveaway

Trevin Wax has another Christmas giveaway this year. The winner will receive an ESV Study Bible, Trevin Wax's latest book, Holy Subversion, and these ten books for free:

1. Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1859-2009- Greg Wills
2. Unfashionable- Tullian Tchividjian
3. Deep Church- Jim Belcher
4. The Case for Life- Scott Klusendorf
5. The God Who Smokes- Timothy Stoner
6. Adopted for Life- Russell Moore
7. Manhunt- James Swanson
8. Counterfeit Gods- Tim Keller
9. Why We Love the Church- Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck
10. The God I Don't Understand- Christopher Wright

To enter for this contest, visit his blog here.

Billy

Billy Graham has been a faithful servant of God for many years and a man that has always been known for his moral strength and dependence on God. I recently was able to get a closer look at his life through the eyes of one of his close friends.

Billy: A Personal Look at Billy Graham, the World's Best-loved Evangelist, by Sherwood Eliot Wirt, is less of a biography about the events in Mr. Graham's life and more about revealing the character of a great servant of God as seen from a man who was close to him for many years. If you want to get to know Billy Graham and how God worked through him throughout his many crusades over the year, then I recommend this book to you.

The Artificiality of Christmas

With the Christmas tree up in my house and hot chocolate in my mug, I would say that the Christmas season is in full swing. And, truly, I love this time of year –the carols, the presentations, the snow, the decoration, and, most importantly, the opportunity to celebrate my Savior's birth. The whole atmosphere is exhilarating.

But despite all of these things, there is a portion of the Christmas season that bothers me. There is an element of artificiality that pervades this time of year like no other. Every Christmas, millions of people around the world (particularly in America) put up artificial trees, teach their children about a fake gift-giver, and put on a fraudulent show of charity to match the Christmas season. Now, I have nothing against artificial trees, nor do I think that there is anything wrong with Santa Claus.

However, the latter of these problems causes me some trouble. In my experience, too many people fake a sense of joy and kindness just for the sake of the season. For some, this manifests itself in toothy smiles and a seasonal hospitality that covers up an otherwise discontented and angry soul. For others, their charity is obvious by the large sums of money and material goods they give the Salvation Army and Good Will, while throughout the rest of the year they refuse to give anything more than will get them a tax cut. This is so like human nature, to use one particular season to ease the conscience for the entire year. It breaks my heart.

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that these people give as they do. There are poor and needy people who need it all and more. If these people didn't fake what they did, then I can't think to imagine the amount of people each year that would be left out in the cold (some more literally than others). No, I do not want any of these people to give any less. Count me as the last to discourage anyone from giving, whatever the motive. What I want to see is not less giving, but more giving from the heart. I earnestly desire that people would give from their abundance and serve the poor from a heart made new and released from sin –a heart that is so in love with its Creator that it gives in and out of season, with or without pressure, under any circumstance.

And most importantly, I want these people to put away their facades, to realize their true sinful nature, and to see the blazing truth of Christmas –that God sent His only begotten Son, Jesus, to earth so that He might live and die and rise again to save us all from our artificiality and sin, and to make us real. This is my hope this Christmas.

Advent

Desiring God has several good posts on the meaning of Advent, the period of time leading up to Christmas. Advent has never been something that my family has been dedicated to observing, but these posts make me want to make it a lasting tradition for me and my family in coming years. The symbolism involved and the idea of anticipating Jesus' birth helps to put my heart in the right place during this hectic time of year. Here are the posts:

What is Advent?
Advent: Standing in the Middle
Looking Back: Advent Candles

Born to Die

This is one of my favorite Christmas songs:

"Born to Die"
They never knew a dark night
always had the Son's light
on their face
Perfect in glory
Broken by the story
of untold grace...
come that day

Majesty had come down
Glory had succumbed now
to flesh and bone
In the arms of a manger
In the hands of strangers
that could not know
Just who they hold

Chorus:
And the angels filled the sky
All of heaven wondered why
Why their King would choose to be
Be a baby born to die

And all fell silent
For the cry of an infant,
the voice of God
Was dividing history
For those with eyes to see,
the Son would shine
From earth that night

Chorus

Bridge:
To break the chains
Of guilt and sin
To find us here
To pull us in
So we can join in Heaven's song
And with one voice around the throne

Chorus:
All the Angels filled the sky
And I can't help but wonder why
Why the King would choose to be
Be a baby born for me
Be a baby born to die

By Bebo Norman, Christmas... from the Realms of Glory
You can listen to the song here.

Why Did they Kill Jesus?

Kevin Deyoung has a helpful post on why Jesus was killed. He dispels the notion that it was simply because "Jesus loved too much". I encourage you to check it out.

'Tis the Season

It's only December first and I've already been in the Christmas mood for about four days. Saturday night, I walked down my street to watch a Christmas light show at a neighbor's house. Sunday, I listened to two Christmas sermons. And in addition to that, I've only been listening to Christmas music since the day after Thanksgiving.

I guess I'm just trying to say that, perhaps more than in years past, I am really ready for Christmas this year. It's not that I want gifts or anything like that; I'm just excited to be celebrating my Savior's birth. This is one of the seasons where it's easy to focus on worldly things --money, traditions, and material things. But, if we make an effort to put the focus where it belongs --on Christ-- then this can be a season unlike any other.

Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem

At around 1600 pages, Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem is, as of now, the longest book that I have ever read (excluding the Bible). Though it is technically written to be a text book, Grudem's Systematic Theology is one of the most accessible books discussing theological matters that I have ever read. The only time that I found things hard to understand was when the subject matter itself was difficult, never was I turned away because of Grudem's wording.

I recommend this book as a resource that should be in every Christian household. It's accessibility and plain language make it easy to find answers and study theological subjects. As Christians, we are all theologians, in that we all should be studying about God and the things of God. For those who have never did any real theological study, this book is a wonderful place to start.

3 Reasons I Love John Piper's Preaching

1. It always points me to Christ and Him Crucified.

2. It is so cross-centered that no matter what the subject matter, the cross is never left behind, but always at the forefront being glorified and magnified for all to see.

3. It is truly revolutionary in the best of ways --rebelling against the flesh, the world, and sin.

Reasons Not to Look for Signs

Many of us, as we read the story of Gideon, are tempted to think that because Gideon sought God's will through a miraculous sign then so should we. However, as J.I. Packer and Carolyn Nystrom point out in their book, Guard Us, Guide Us, they break down several reasons why this is not a correct assumption. They are as follows:

1. Most of the Bible had not yet been composed in Gideon's day (the books of Moses and maybe Joshua) and there is no reason to think that country-boy Gideon would have had access to what there was.

2. Gideon's situation was significantly different than our own: he had already been visited by an angel of God. Also, the fate of a nation was being decided, not a personal decision as in our own experiences.

3. Gideon was asking for reassurance, whereas when we "put out a fleece" we are coming dangerously close to what Jesus called putting God to the test (Matthew 4:7, citing Deutoronomy 6:16).

4. "...to treat the Old Testament account of someone's action or experience as a model for ourselves without taking into account the difference made by the coming of Jesus, and the completing of revelation, and the writing of canonical Scripture, plus the present reality of the full post-Pentecost ministry of the Holy Spirit, is always a mistake."

5. "Laying down a fleece" may easily be a sign of laziness with almost no character development.

6. When the Antichrist comes, he will be accompanied by "many signs and wonders".
(taken from pages 39-44)

Tenth Avenue North

Tenth Avenue North is a band that has recently come on the Christian music scene, but they have certainly made waves and, personally, have become my new favorite band. The members of this band have hearts that seek to truly honor God in their music as well as in all parts of their lives and minds that are level-headed as well as talented. This is evidenced not only by their song lyrics, but also by their journal posts which not only explain their songs, but give helpful insights and wisdom. Their first album, Over and Underneath, is one of the few that I can listen to over and over again. I greatly recommend this band for your consideration and I watch with great anticipation to see how God will use them in the future.

Guarded by the Good Shepherd

I've been a little behind on letting you know about the books I've been reading, but I would like to try to remedy that in the upcoming week or so. So, for starters, I would like to recommend to you Guard Us, Guide Us, by J.I. Packer and Carolyn Nystrom.

In their book, the authors explain biblically what divine guidance is, starting from Psalm 23. They relate how God guides us not normally through impressions, visions, or other subjective spiritual experiences, but rather through His Word, through other Christians, and the wisdom that we get from them. They seek to dispel the notion that making decisions without any overt affirmation from God is somehow less spiritual than acting upon personal revelation. In fact, they argue, it takes more spiritual maturity to examine the Bible, understand its principles and evaluating how they relate to your situation so that you can make the right decision –and they expound upon how to do that effectively.

I recommend this book to any who are seeking God's guidance in their lives –which should be all followers of Christ.

From Whence this Fear and Unbelief?

From whence this fear and unbelief?
Hath not the Father put to grief
His spotless Son for me?
And will the righteous Judge of men
Condemn me for that debt of sin
Which, Lord, was charged on Thee?

Complete atonement Thou hast made,
And to the utmost Thou hast paid
Whate'er Thy people owed
How then can wrath on me take place,
If sheltered in Thy righteousness
And sprinkled with Thy blood.

If thou hast my discharge procured,
And freely in my room endured
The whole of wrath divine.
Payment God cannot twice demand
First at my bleeding Surety's hand
And then again at mine.

Turn then, my soul, unto thy rest!
The merits of thy great High Priest
Have bought thy liberty.
Trust in His efficacious blood
Nor fear thy banishment from God
Since Jesus died for thee!

by Augustus Toplady, quoted in Knowing God by J.I. Packer

One Year of Blogging

Wow! It's hard to believe, but, as of today, I have been blogging for one year and, in addition, this is my hundredth post. Praise God for this past year!