What the Thunder Said...

Reading: New Horizons (July, 2007)
Enjoying: Dunn Bros coffee and wireless
Listening: oldies station, but I did get to listen to 93X in the car

I'm in the Twin Cities, helping Ben & Anna Dahlvang move apartments. Then I'm heading back to Fairmont tonight. Everyone who loves the Dahlvangs needs to see this. Seriously. And yes, that is Ben.

God faithfully sustained me in my preaching judgment-ordeal, and I am infinitely thankful for His grace. In the morning I preached at Bethel Ev. Free Church on Exodus 33:18 - 23. In the evening I exhorted at Mission OPC from I John 3:4 - 10.

In the future I may get a chance to post more about these experiences, but I wanted to jot down a few exegetical notes right away. First, from Exodus 33, Moses' request to see God's glory is antithetical to the Israelites pursuit of glory in the golden calf made of Egyptian gold. Moses is a typological law keeper, who follows the second commandment and intercedes for law breakers. He then returns to the camp, aglow with the glory of God. I tried to bring John 1:14 - 18 and II Corinthians 3:15 - 4:4 to bear on the texts. Having been rescued from our self-glorifying by beholding the glory of God in the gospel of Jesus Christ, we are being transformed from one degree of glory to the next. Glory is not as the world defines it, but is found chiefly in the cross of Christ, where our pursuit of our own glory dies and where Jesus is truly glorified. In Christ's resurrection, our hope for a new body that will not be consumed in the presence of God - that CAN look on His face and live - is realized. In the meantime, rather than our faces, our hearts (Paul's "inner man") is lit ablaze with the glory of God, with which we are to return to the camp and proclaim the glory of Jesus' gospel. Obviously, volumes more could be said of this.

In I John 3:4 - 10, I attempted to explain the insidiousness of "lawlessness;" that rather than merely being the breaking of God's law, lawlessness is actually any time I assert my will above God's expressed will, which plunges me into historia lineage of the seed of the serpent, making me a child of the devil and a participator in satanic, antichristian behavior. This historia damnatia actually runs against the historia salutis and God violently wrenches us away from our satanic father and adopts us as His own sons. Christ, our Elder brother, teaches us brotherly love by pouring out His own Spirit of Love upon us, that instead of taking our brother's life like Cain did, we now live to lay down our lives for our neighbors, and show them the knowledge and vision of God's love. This conquering Love(r) keeps us from sinning, so that we are no longer able to practice a lifestyle of sin.

No doubt there will be more to follow.

Labels: Events, Exegesis, theology

Two things real quickly:

If you've tried to call me recently, you may have noticed something funny with my voicemail. If you haven't noticed this, its because you haven't tried to call me recently and it hurts me. Please, stop hurting me.


The reason my voicemail is different is because I've been experimenting with callwave, a Web 2.0 device for cell phones. It does some handy things, like send text messages to your cell phone of voicemail, ringing your computer when your cellphone isn't getting reception, etc. I haven't used it long enough to be able to recommend it whole heartedly, but it may be worth checking out.

I'm not really sure what its like to leave a voicemail for me, but your mileage may vary.

Secondly, I've joined facebook. It is easily already one of the most frustrating things I've ever worked with. I think I'm simple.

Labels: Technology

Reading: Wall Street Journal
Enjoying: cup o' joe
Listening: Rich Mullins

You can't phase me. You won't bring me down. You guys don't know the truth. We're gonna fight for our right to blog as sporadically and inconsistently as we please...

In all truth, its fun to find time to post again. Getting out of Fairmont, MN - which happens to be an internet black hole - and taking some time off from work to think through sermon prep gives me the opportunity to post. I'll be preaching twice this Sunday in two different churches from two different texts. That line from The Fray has been a theme song lately: "Everybody knows I'm in over my head..."

I've really felt something was missing from my life. There was just this gaping hole that Chipotle could not fill (try as I might). So, in good ol' American fashion, I solved the problem by going out and making a purchase. I went out and bought a brother-in-law. His name is Alex, and so far he's been working out really good. Sometimes I think about bringing him back to the store because (obviously, as you can see) he's better looking than I am, so I feel a bit threatened. He was expensive, so I traded in my little sister for him. So far, he seems to have been worth the trade. Welcome to the family, Al (because as everyone knows, you're not really in until you've been recognized on a blog... or facebook).

A few things to point out:
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Mr. Shane Lems' (xanga) church, Sunnyside URC, now has an official website. Pray for God's grace there as the kingdom work continues through the Gospel.

Michael E. O'Hanlon and Kenneth M. Pollack, two researchers writing for the New York Times, penned a surprisingly about-face article, "A War We Just Might Win." Its a surprising article for a number of reasons: both authors, who had been previously frustrated and negative with Iraqi results, were now writing positively and with a marked note of hope in the NY Times, of all places. Might be worth a look.
(HT: P. "Diddy" Loebs)

Kyle Borg of Synod of Saints posted some gleanings from the Church Fathers on justification. I would like to point out that more than merely being data on justification, I think much of the language in the quotes argues not merely for a Protestant understanding of justification but also the imputation of Christ's active righteousness. Swing by his blog and see if you agree. A question for Kyle: which Gregory is the second quote by, and can we get some page numbers?

For more, check out James Buchanan's Justification. Google him with *church father quotes* and see what comes up.

One of the best blogs you aren't reading right now is Kevin's ::cawleyblog::. I'm glad to see he is back from his self-imposed hiatus. Check out some of his recent brilliant Friday Photos. Also, he recommends some interesting reading (Christology) and listening (pinback).

We're leaving for SoCal next week, so maybe you'll hear more from What the Thunder Said... then... or not.

Labels: blogging, WtTS Stuff