Carl at it again

For all two of you read my blog you should know that I devour most articles that Carl Trueman puts up on the Reformation21 blog. We'll lady and gentleman, he is at it again.

He gives a brief synopsis of what it means to make committed decisions in our world that has elevated the ability to choose as the highest human right. This has many problems but let me just give you a few quotes to stir your appetite for destruction:

"To Lead is to Choose."

"...if it is true that this generation is addicted to the cult of choice and of keeping all options open, is it not the case that this generation is ill-equipped to hold any position of leadership?" And I would ask this as well. Because you have to commit to lead and in a generation that will make no enemies how can this be done?

"Of course, there are many other aspects of our culture which point to this reality of emotional retardation. The compulsive need of some to be liked, to the extent that any criticism of them generates visceral and personal responses speaks of a deeply insecure and immature section in our culture."

"The man who has no enemies has no honour." However, the problem with this Presbyterian saying this, is that he makes excuses not to make reconciliation. It is true what he is saying, but, if we are not careful, our humility will go out the window as our enemies grow.

Read the article, its really good.

Long Time, No Blog

As of late I have been working two jobs, breaking into my new marriage, and trying to study 4 books at once. Therefore, I have not had much time to blog, let alone much else. Despite the such the summer is going quite nicely. I have been thoroughly enjoying my sojourn in Lake Tahoe and it is becoming an ever increasingly special plate to me. Much nostalgia.

Theologically Im just getting more pissed off than ever. Recently people in high positions are making excuses for the church not to be evaglistic, or to use their terms we are only supposed to be a 'witness' and then the officers in the church are supposed to do all the work. Sounds like the catholic church to me, where the priest(officer) does everything.

Along those lines Im trying to figure out myself theologically. There are a lot of discrepancies between the Missional(Mark Driscoll and the church I am going to right now) and the Reformed(old stuffy knowitalls). This is causing a great rift in my brain and will take a bunch of time to sort out. But Im gonna try and stick it out at Westminster Semitary(oops) California, where intelect comes to grow and humilty comes to shrink. At least that has been my observation, because they cant admit that they suck, not even at one thing, which is what we in the working world call arrogance, but in academia your nitch.

However with the daily joys of my personal bible reading(Christ is alive!), my wife, the few times I get to go rock climbing, and failblog all hope is not yet lost.

Here is an encouraging quote by Shakespeare to end this blog(so we can try to be pluralistically positive! Yay for relativism!JK)

"Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant never taste of death but once."

The Dude

30% of all attacks are from the front.

Pyromaniacs

Blowing it up again.

Why go to church? Because like Richard Baxter says our lives are like having one foot in the grave and one foot out. We need the word preached to us to revitalize our souls from their automatic apathy.

Frank Turk reviews a book Im reading right now that is anything but cool, except the cover. Here is my favorite quote so far,

"A lot of guys are patting themselves on the back for being revolutionaries, futurists, and rend shapers. There's nothing really wrong with that, but I just dont want to be one of them. In fact, what we're doing isn't revolutionary at all. It's awfully traditional and old. Feel the excitement." -Ted Kluck, Why We Love The Church, p22.

Just like our beloved Machen, they love their tradition, because it sustains blessed historical orthodoxy.

Get it and read it. Very much worth your money.

Trueman Slams it Again

Some people know me as a very driven person. But I slept in today, got out of bed at 5:30am to read some greek New Testament.

So a long time ago there was a goal that was set in front of me. Not so much like a carrot in front of a rabbit, but more like, I had never accomplished anything in totality in my life at this time and a very honorable goal was set before me that the mistress of fate demanded that I take. It was a great priviledge at the time, something I did not deserve, but was offered out of grace. Rising to the trial by ordeal of manhood, like a soldiers first battle I finnaly realized I had something worth fighting for, values worth dying for, instead of aimlessly wandering around the decadence of America. This goal changed my life by allowing me to be shown that I could attain something by shutting my whining adolescent mouth, working hard, sweating profusely, bleeding incandescently, and walking the line of physical torture. All to attain this goal. So in a more blue collar sense, real men call this hard work, real work. I learned this then, and it changed my life.

However, our world is full of whinny people who victimize themselves into self-aggrandizement at the expense of everyone and to the glory of their own self. One quote from the following article, "...but the tactic is different: to win by seizing the moral high ground that belongs to the professional victim." Ever get jacked out of something by a whiner?


Carl Trueman explains our narcissistic culture much better than I. It is a must read.

Here in this article, Carl Trueman shows where our culture has gone and why it is where it is.

Quit Whining. Go do some hard work. Walk the Ancient Ways.

TABLETALK JUNE 09

It is free to look at on the internet. Some very good articles on John Calvin. Enjoy it!