tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-140913662011-07-28T05:43:48.398-07:00a theoblog of my occasional musings and helpful quotes on the unseen realEternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.comBlogger791100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-4793970524720949692009-08-25T22:55:00.000-07:002009-08-25T23:00:05.125-07:00

The Sir Winston Method: The Five Secrets of Speaking the Language of LeadershipMy rating: 4 of 5 starsWinston Churchill believed oratory was an entirely different form of communication than the written word, and as perhaps the twentieth century's best English orators, he probably has a shred or two of credibility. He studied oratory and painstakingly developed a number of strategies for excellent

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-51179828088303898992009-08-10T08:06:00.000-07:002010-01-25T21:51:23.346-08:00

"The best book on communication in the past decade," my organization's director of communications said. And I agree: this book is fantastic. It's a great read--very accessible, fun, and easy to grasp, because they follow their own advice. It's chock full of examples and anecdotes. I think every person who has to communicate as part of their job or life (even parents and coaches) would benefit

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-71715616835637862032008-10-14T21:08:00.000-07:002008-10-25T09:26:51.589-07:00

One more little gold nugget from Roy Hession, in We Would See Jesus, responding to Jesus' teaching, "I am the true vine." He writes: "We start the day as if it were our day and we make our plans for our day and fully intend to do our best for the Lord. The responsibility and government is really on our shoulders, and we have subtly become the vine. But just because it is our day and we are the

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-67328306273674397752008-10-14T21:07:00.000-07:002008-10-18T10:11:27.974-07:00

Another insightful quote from Roy and Revel Hession:". . . there was not always the mighty working of God that I thought there should have been. The reason is now clear. Our repenting and getting right with God was a means to an end, the end being that souls should be saved--an end other than Jesus himself. . . . We were repenting . . . as a sort of bargain with God" (p. 78).This challenges me:

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-34840805496168559322008-10-14T21:05:00.000-07:002008-10-14T21:13:32.749-07:00

We Would See Jesus by Roy HessionMy Goodreads.com reviewrating: 3 of 5 starsThis is a solid little devotional book, very helpful to me in thinking about why focusing on Jesus is the beginning, middle and end of what we need and do as his disciples. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who doesn't have a solid conception of the "dark night of the soul," because this book would leave you with the

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-79373230489088763912008-06-19T09:36:00.000-07:002008-06-19T15:07:52.085-07:00

This book has helped me so much! I have read it once and am starting to work my way through it again, because it's easy to read but takes real discipline to implement. I am by nature highly disorganized--my desk is perennially piled high and deep, and bills may be found anywhere in my house. By taking the first steps towards implementing this I've already become more confident in my ability to

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-57603635183143983372008-06-06T10:54:00.000-07:002008-06-19T15:11:03.282-07:00

rating: 5 of 5 starsThis book bursts with fantastic theology and, simultaneously, a great method for holding it all together in your mind and even communicating part or all of it to others. If you want to read a novel, this book isn't the most gripping thriller. But if you want theology, it reads as close to a novel as I think you could come while still packing a walloping dose. Reading it help

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-89415562899408822852008-05-28T20:19:00.000-07:002008-05-28T20:26:31.795-07:00

More Mother Teresa quotes:"She had broken her shoulder bone and fractured three ribs due to a fall in Rome, but this was not enough to keep Mother [Teresa] in bed. She was always in haste to give Jesus and gave no thought for herself. At the age of over 80 it surely was not easy to have a hectic day followed by handling the mail each night. However, Mother gave herself completely."A sister wrote,

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-74387344107929282652008-05-02T15:38:00.001-07:002008-05-02T15:43:22.433-07:00

I'm struggling as I write this book on Joy. How do we maintain joy in the midst of all life throws at us? I liked the quote my spiritual director recently read to me from Brother Lawrence. It's helped me a lot this month:"The most holy, most ordinary, and most necessary practice in our spiritual life is the presence of God. That means to take delight in and become accustomed to his divine company

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-39894761180029682032008-05-01T23:25:00.001-07:002008-05-01T23:25:32.857-07:00

Mother Teresa had taken a vow never to knowingly deny Jesus anything he asked. Two questions: Wasn't this an arrogant act? And didn't it suck the joy out of her?Maybe for most of us it would be prideful. She, however, waited to make the vow until her spiritual director agreed she wasn't misguided. Her writings and comments from that time forward continue to be peppered with phrases like, "I am

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-78173186176279873962008-04-22T07:42:00.000-07:002008-04-22T07:44:01.609-07:00

Humility is the greatest virtue and the ground of all the other virtues, wrote Andrew Murray. I think the life of Mother Teresa illustrates this stunningly. We all have at least an impression of what an amazing difference she made in this world, particularly amongst the poor and destitute, whom God loves. But where did that power come from? Her personality? Training? Those probably played a small

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-73425423540152022922008-03-24T23:26:00.001-07:002008-03-24T23:26:44.545-07:00

I have been enjoying The Gift of Being Yourself by David Benner. I found these words in his preface refreshing and stimulating:"In all of creation, identity is a challenge only for humans. A tulip knows exactly what it is. It is never tempted by false ways of being. Nor does it face complicated decisions in the process of becoming. So it is with dogs, rocks, trees, stars, amoebas, electrons, and

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-7376757390442208172008-03-19T16:37:00.000-07:002008-03-19T21:32:17.327-07:00

Most people today agree something is seriously wrong with the church, because people in it seem little different than people outside the church. Christiandom today has some pretty major flaws. People have been leaving local churches in droves, and Christian leaders have struggled to know what to do about it. I'm oversimplifying quite a bit, of course, but I think you have an idea of what I'm

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-16071530999683185492008-03-11T20:48:00.001-07:002008-03-11T21:33:26.276-07:00

“In some sense the most benevolent, generous person in the world seeks his own happiness in doing good to others; because he places his own happiness in their good. His mind is so enlarged as to take them, as it were, into himself. Thus when they are happy, he feels it; he partakes with them, and is happy in their happiness.” —JonathanEdwards

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-28830957847898313542008-02-22T00:16:00.001-08:002008-02-22T00:16:06.945-08:00

I especially like the second line of this quote, which I've put in bold: "We do well to note, however, that love is the foundation of the spiritual life and joy is a key component in the Christ life. Joy is not pleasure, a mere sensation, but a pervasive and constant sense of well-being. Hope in the goodness of God is joy's indispensible support."--Dallas Willard, The Great Omission

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-40048720953107344242008-02-17T19:08:00.001-08:002008-02-17T19:08:38.488-08:00

I find these comments by Willard deeply insightful and challenging:"The overshadowing event of the past two centuries of Christian life has been the struggle between orthodoxy and modernism. In this struggle the primary issue has, as a matter of fact, not been discipleship to Christ and a transformation of soul that expresses itself in pervasive, routine obedience to his "all that I have

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-4055912327400645772008-02-12T08:13:00.001-08:002008-02-12T08:13:40.095-08:00

"Vision of God secures humility. Seeing God for who He is enables us to see ourselves for what we are. This makes us bold, for we see clearly what great good and evil are at issue, and we see that it is not up to us to accomplish it, but up to God--who is more than able. We are delivered from pretending, from being presumptuous about ourselves, and from pushing as if the outcome depended on us.

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-448094700777965872008-02-11T07:34:00.001-08:002008-03-19T21:29:53.512-07:00

My friend Derek used to quote someone (I think it was Martyn Lloyd-Jones) who said, "Read a little biography every morning to humble you, and a little theology at night to build you up." I recently started reading Mother Teresa * Come Be My Light: The Private Writings of the "Saint of Calcutta", and wow, has it been humbling. I'll post some of the most striking quotes.At age 18, she left her

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-79889405670737329862008-02-05T21:11:00.000-08:002008-02-05T21:14:09.580-08:00

I heard Thomas Merton quoted in a sermon, and I really like the way he puts this:"There is no greater disaster in the spiritual life than to be immersed in unreality. For life is maintained and nourished in us by our vital relationship with reality."

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-34106280310563040012007-11-22T08:58:00.001-08:002007-11-22T08:58:39.337-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving!My brother pointed out to me yesterday that we don't really enjoy something unless we're able to pause and express our enjoyment, to ourselves or to someone else. In a very real way, pausing to be thankful enables us to experience fully the joy to be had. On the other hand, failing to thank God for all he's created and done starts the downward spiral of a society (Romans 1).On

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-89106945680899671262007-10-19T14:52:00.001-07:002007-10-19T14:53:44.773-07:00

A friend, Chris, introduced me to this website that I've been loving the last couple months. It's a place to find out what my friends are reading, to make recommendations, write reviews, and keep track of good books I need to get or read!Check it out--there's a link here on my blog homepage along with a list of what I'm currently reading . . .And if you join, add me as a friend. I'd love to know

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-31601534987556117242007-09-25T23:47:00.001-07:002007-09-25T23:47:29.145-07:00

True confessions: I've struggled a lot wondering if I should write. At a recent conference I was convicted that I'm not supposed to judge the gifts I've been entrusted to steward, but should steward them. I wrote a few parables to capture my felt conviction. I'll take the risk of posting two here: A wealthy landowner hired a shepherd and left barns full of food and large pastures, saying, "Feed

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-76800398355483249372007-09-22T21:53:00.001-07:002007-09-22T21:53:52.433-07:00

My friend Jeff is a fantastic real estate agent, and a great guy. Recently I polled several friend, "How about real estate? I know Michelangelo will have a lot to contribute to the new creation, but what about Jeff?" They all had similar responses: Jeff and April are incredibly generous and have invested a lot in the Kingdom of God through their giving. They're amazingly hospitable, and many

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-2742545008251547332007-09-21T10:42:00.000-07:002007-09-21T10:45:21.842-07:00

Wow--check this out: Early Church Texts

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-14893239839040445932007-09-20T22:21:00.001-07:002007-09-21T10:09:06.171-07:00

When I was ten years old, I got to see Michelangelo's marvelous sculpture David in person. What an amazing statue! Stunning in it's size and beauty, and unlike anything else I've ever seen. Except all the replicas running around this planet. Come to think of it, those are nothing like the real thing, either. N. T. Wright says an implication of Paul's resurrection theology is that in the new

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-39967341466239524802007-09-19T21:54:00.001-07:002007-09-19T22:03:01.630-07:00

Jen and I just watched The Devil Wears Prada. To say I'm not really into fashion would be an understatement, but I enjoyed it. Clever. Thought-provoking. Meryl Streep plays a great character, Miranda--such a formidable boss, she's widely known as The Dragon Lady. Miranda reigns the empire of Runway magazine with brass knuckles. She doesn't hesitate to make the tough calls, no matter whose life

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-84247134819306278282007-09-18T16:36:00.001-07:002007-09-18T16:42:09.057-07:00

I know it's crazy to think Jesus is still limited to a human body. That's not the picture I've ever had of him. But it's starting to make more sense of the New Testament writings.  Doesn't that mean Jesus is not omnipresent, and therefore, how can he live in us? One way I make sense of this: Paul said things like, "If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-50049030886422746702007-09-17T23:50:00.000-07:002007-09-17T23:51:01.276-07:00

I've recently been stunned by the idea that Jesus took on a human body. No--I'm very familiar with the concept of the incarnation, almost to the point of taking it for granted that God became flesh. It still blows my mind when I take the time to ponder it, but that's not what I'm talking about. What shocked me was realizing this--the Bible never says that Jesus stopped being limited to a human

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-79368388397885878852007-08-24T14:26:00.001-07:002007-08-24T14:26:28.072-07:00

A friend of mine sent me a post by Mark Galli. Here are some excerpts and my response.Last week, Wiley S. Drake, an California pastor and a former national leader of the Southern Baptist Convention, asked his followers to pray for the deaths of two leaders of Americans United for Separation of Church and State (AUSCS).He did so because the group urged the IRS to investigate his church's nonprofit

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-5113190875916725602007-04-22T11:25:00.001-07:002007-04-22T11:25:30.159-07:00

Hey, friends and readers!This is the last lesson from Ephesians. It has been a powerful study. I still feel I have a way to go in this area, so I may keep going with my study, probably working through teachings of Jesus. But this is the end of the Ephesians road on this topic, for now. I'm just going to draw a couple quick things from this.18 Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-36507101715278475832007-04-06T08:39:00.001-07:002007-04-06T08:39:29.454-07:00

Here's my 26th study on financial applications from Ephesians.The last lesson intrigued me because Paul implied that God has faith. This verse has the same kind of strangeness; remember, as you read it, that Paul's talking about the armor God puts on.Eph. 6:17  Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.God wears a helmet of salvation. Why? I'm used to

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-12014925682550668932007-04-04T08:33:00.001-07:002007-04-04T08:35:00.485-07:00

Here's my lesson 25 in going through Ephesians for financial lessons.We've been working our way through God's own armor as Paul describes it, which equips us for battle against evil and particularly injustice in this world. We didn't talk about the breastplate of righteousness, but since that term is synonymous with justice in the New Testament (and in the Old), we really did cover that with the

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-20048270953443210112007-04-03T14:17:00.001-07:002007-04-04T08:35:00.486-07:00

Lesson 24 as I apply the teachings of Ephesians to money:Paul's been teaching us about spiritual warfare: that God is angry about injustice and oppression in this world, and has put on his armor to fight it. Now that we are the body of Christ, we are to put on that same armor, for we enflesh God in this world.It's important to point out that Paul's writing to us corporately as the church. It

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-66240398866684777142007-03-20T13:30:00.001-07:002007-04-04T08:35:00.487-07:00

Here's what I'm learning in lesson 23 on finances in Ephesians. In chapter 6, Paul's been urging us that we're in spiritual battle, so we need to put on the full armor of God.Eph. 6:13 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Paul got this image straight out of the prophet Isaiah. Look at the

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-52275279318191110812007-03-08T15:35:00.001-08:002007-04-04T08:35:00.488-07:00

The last lesson covered Ephesians 5:19-6:9, so I'm picking up here with about my 22nd lesson.How high are the stakes for how we use our money, time, and the rest of our resources? So far we have said that, of course, the consequences are eternal. I can invest in current wealth and luxury and work to please people, or store up treasure and buy real estate in heaven.But Paul gives a new twist on

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-17780179720463444872007-02-26T11:32:00.000-08:002007-04-04T08:35:00.494-07:00

Today (continuing my study on Financial Freedom) we'll just take one verse, which Paul fills out for us in 3 different relationships in the next 19 verses:  Wives and Husbands, Children and Fathers, Slaves and Masters. Obviously, this is a pretty potent verse, which can teach us about even the most difficult or most initimate relationships:Eph. 5:2 Be subject to one another out of reverence for

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-25182488745484557352007-02-24T07:39:00.001-08:002007-04-04T08:35:00.495-07:00

Here's my study on financial freedom, #19.We easily fall into a major psychological trap: thinking money can make us happy. Our paychecks were deposited this money, so we have a full bank account with thousands in it right now, and my day looks brighter as a result. But how many times have you gotten a paycheck or bought something new, and the initial excitement is much shorter than you expected?

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-81621942281831653212007-02-23T11:29:00.001-08:002007-04-04T08:35:00.496-07:00

Here's lesson 18 in my study on Financial Freedom. Today Paul gives us an application which is simple to understand, oh-so-difficult to do, and tectonic-plate-shifting in its ability to change our lives.Passage: Eph. 5:15-1715 Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, 16 making the most of the time, because the days are evil. 17 So do not be foolish, but understand what the

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-2071803909990006202007-02-18T11:54:00.001-08:002007-04-04T08:35:00.496-07:00

Study #17 on MoneyPaul has been giving a list of old self lifestyles that need to be put off, and the corresponding new self and new mind to put on. Now the pattern breaks, and it appears he's pausing to summarize. Or maybe he's just spending a lot of time on this particular item in the list. Whatever the case, Paul thinks this is worth significant energy and focus. What deserves so much

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-184907554287598622007-02-16T22:05:00.001-08:002007-04-04T08:35:00.497-07:00

Here's my study #16 on finances.Paul continues in Ephesians, giving areas that need to be put off and put on. Some of these relate directly to money, most indirectly. Passage: Eph. 4:29-3229 Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-21234982491703286122007-02-14T11:37:00.000-08:002007-04-04T08:35:00.497-07:00

I'm on Lesson 16 or so, learning about finances.Today Paul gets practical about the very topic of money itself. He continues listing areas which require transformation to put on Christ. As you read the next two, you'll see the same pattern of three elements--what to put off, what to put on, and the new mind of Christ we're to adopt.Passage: Eph. 4:26-2826 Be angry but do not sin; do not let the

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-60785239912935237252007-02-12T10:18:00.001-08:002007-02-12T10:18:15.380-08:00

Here's a lesson that was very powerful for me tonight. I really love the word of God!These lessons take us to where Paul gets into the nitty gritty of life now: what specifically to put off, what to put on in its place, and the renewed spirit of mind we should seek. I think he's listing examples, not an exhaustive list, but they are highly important examples. I plan to take these slowly, at least

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-75708019602655041102007-02-03T09:26:00.001-08:002007-02-03T09:26:32.197-08:00

Today's lesson, (#13 on finances) is from Eph. 4:22-27, one of the most exciting passages I know. I had started on this before my excursion into Psalm 37, and I left some important application questions unanswered, which I'll work on today.A refresher: Passage: Eph. 4:20-2420 That is not the way you learned Christ! 21 For surely you have heard about him and were taught in him, as truth is in

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-23626086577237150732007-02-02T21:52:00.001-08:002007-02-02T21:52:52.717-08:00

Yesterday I talked about real estate, real property, and gave some reasons why Jen and I would like to own a house. I have more reasons:1) We would be located permanently until we decided to move--we couldn't be kicked out by a landlord. Jen's parents have lived in one house since she was little, and there's something about stability that's good for our souls, I think.2) Our kids would be locked

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-43866083294952518842007-02-02T10:21:00.001-08:002007-02-02T10:21:26.685-08:00

Jen and I have thought and talked a lot about buying a house. I don't really have a deep desire to own one, and I'm not eager for the hassles that come along with it, but many people have urged us to do so because it makes so much financial sense. And it really does:1) In renting, we're "throwing our money away," whereas by owning we would build up equity. 2) The house would be very likely to

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-19110698975652176322007-01-29T13:39:00.001-08:002007-01-29T13:39:55.658-08:00

Here's my finances study #10.Now we're getting to the meat of Paul's application. I love the first lesson here, because it is so practical and helps me see how all these amazing promises of the Kingdom of God really come to us. Passage: Eph. 4:22-27 22 You were taught to put away your former way of life, your old self, corrupt and deluded by its lusts, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-18869005421820377412007-01-27T17:01:00.001-08:002007-01-27T17:01:06.111-08:00

Here's my 9th study on financial freedom. I did this study the week before Christmas, but my posting went awry, so I'm posting it now.Eph. 4:1-16: This section doesn't pertain strongly to money, although there are a few relevant points. (1) "Make every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit": Money and financial matters often create strife and division in the community of believers, and we

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-39027457342352288062007-01-26T09:35:00.001-08:002007-01-26T19:48:24.281-08:00

Money and Financial Freedom study #8This passage has a very exciting message for anyone concerned with money. Paul addresses the very roots of why we need money, what money can do for us, and what it cannot do. Passage: Ephesians 3:14-2114 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. 16 I pray that, according to the riches of

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-36808375102021610702007-01-24T22:45:00.001-08:002007-01-24T22:59:06.093-08:00

Here's lesson #7 on finances: Passage: Eph. 3:1-131 This is the reason that I Paul am a prisoner for Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles-- 2 for surely you have already heard of the commission of God's grace that was given me for you, 3 and how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I wrote above in a few words, 4 a reading of which will enable you to perceive my understanding

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-16217038041132258342007-01-23T14:25:00.001-08:002007-01-23T14:25:54.871-08:00

Here's lesson 6. Passage(s): Eph. 2:11-2211 So then, remember that at one time you Gentiles by birth, called "the uncircumcision" by those who are called "the circumcision" --a physical circumcision made in the flesh by human hands-- 12 remember that you were at that time without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-47490645293205048802007-01-20T13:37:00.001-08:002007-01-20T13:45:06.634-08:00

Whoops! I have been posting regularly via email for the past several months, but I just found out they were going to the wrong place (some black hole in cyberspace, I guess). So I will post all my lessons over the next couple weeks until I catch you all up! Financial Study #5 Passage: Eph. 2:4-104 But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us 5 even when we were dead

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-1163810023246349112006-11-17T16:33:00.000-08:002006-11-17T16:42:05.403-08:00

Here's my financial study #4. Passage: Eph. 2:1-3 2:1 You were dead through the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. 3 All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-1162770268175845902006-11-05T15:44:00.000-08:002006-11-05T15:59:11.796-08:00

Here's my Study #3 on God and Money: Passage: Eph. 1:8-21With all wisdom and insight 9 he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. 11 In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-1162746440274309402006-11-05T09:07:00.000-08:002006-11-05T15:52:52.610-08:00

Lesson 2 of my study on Money and God. Passage: Eph. 1:3-8 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. 5 He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-1162410742816765972006-11-01T11:32:00.000-08:002006-11-17T16:34:41.723-08:00

It's funny how feasting on the Word increases my appetite for it. I have been so fed, challenged and shaped by the 2 SettingCaptivesFree.com online Bible studies over the past year that my hunger and delight in the Scriptures must have grown ten times a strong! And I thought I already loved the Word.So I am embarking on a new daily Bible Study course in a different area of discipleship--Finances.

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-1162312600509944672006-10-31T08:36:00.000-08:002006-11-05T16:01:05.050-08:00

I have been following Jesus seriously for over 30 years, since I was a child. I began to gain weight in college--growing up we seldom had "all you can eat." Our lack of an overabundance kept my body at a healthy weight, but taught me to eat anxiously, among other things.In college I began to put on weight, as every meal was a buffet. I "buffeted my body!" But I didn't see this as a spiritual

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-1151093298553572412006-06-23T12:59:00.000-07:002006-06-23T13:08:18.573-07:00

Here's the background for my previous post, which was a response to a friend of a friend who wrote an email about the Proverbs 31 woman. His contention was that the Old Testament promises are under a different covenant and therefore don't apply to us. The Old Testament describes a series of covenants that God makes with his people--Noah, Abram, Moses, and David. In each he reveals more and more

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-1151092716597204662006-06-23T12:10:00.000-07:002006-06-23T12:58:36.673-07:00

A friend of a friend wrote an email about the Proverbs 31 woman. His contention was that the Old Testament promises are under a different covenant and therefore don't apply to us. Here's my response, in two parts. First, I'll post my response specifically to Proverbs 31. Second, I'll post the background for that answer, my take on understanding the covenants of God.As far as Proverbs 31, here is

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-1145295164950153482006-04-16T22:19:00.000-07:002006-04-17T10:35:05.763-07:00

it's a wierd thing about the five senses: we think of something as really real when we can hear it, touch it, or see it. Actually, that's not wierd: what's wierd is that it's very hard for us (in the West) to think of something as real which we can't touch or see.I think that's a legacy of the So-Called Enlightenment. I love science--I was trained as a scientist, and though I found it difficult

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-1142233486331991392006-03-12T23:04:00.000-08:002006-03-12T23:04:49.360-08:00

How can we have any knowledge of the unseen real?I listened to a Mars Hill Audio piece (2 cassettes) about a fascinating guys named Michael Polyani, a world-class scientist who switched over to philosophy of science and of politics late in his life. The piece is called "Tacit Knowing, Truthful Knowing" or something close.If you want a book, I think his book "Personal Knowledge" would be the

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-1141886891341023982006-03-08T22:48:00.000-08:002006-03-08T22:48:11.400-08:00

I've been meditating recently on the vastness and greatness of God. The following is a paraphrase of the ideas in Isaiah 40:10-31, when Isaiah was obviously contemplating that aspect of unseen reality.-God is so strong he can do anything he pleases--he has ultimate power over everyone and everything in ths cosmos.-Yet he is as tender as a shepherd, as a mother caring for her children.-His size

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-1141177391108300482006-02-28T17:39:00.000-08:002006-02-28T17:56:58.706-08:00

"Two more critical resources for us are energy and faith. Is faith a resource?" my friend Mike wondered in a recent email.I used to think of faith as a resource--Jesus says the disciples have "little faith," and even faith the size of a mustard seed enables us to move mountains. (Which depresses me a little-I must not have that much faith!)But Willard has convinced me faith isn't something

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-1140156688156829482006-02-16T22:11:00.000-08:002006-02-16T22:11:28.206-08:00

How long, O Lord? What a range of emotions! As I’ve been praying my way through the book of Psalms, I have been struck by how many different emotions the Psalmists express—and not just the pretty ones like love, worship, adoration or even sorrow. Rage, jealousy, anger, bitterness, despair, loneliness, hopelessness, loss of faith, fear, anxiety, envy, sarcasm, complaining . . .  I don’t usually

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-1139981480002024712006-02-14T21:28:00.000-08:002006-02-14T21:31:20.023-08:00

Here's another slightly long post in the vein of spiritual direction: Reflections on the Life of Abraham.What an absolute giant Abraham was, in terms of faith. For most of us faith means trusting God to work in ways that we have seen or heard of before, or perhaps a little beyond that. Abraham’s life is marked, not by perfect faith or lack of doubting, but by a striking number of spectacular

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-1138250568489107682006-01-25T20:39:00.000-08:002006-01-25T20:42:48.516-08:00

I'm doing a series of studies for a spiritual direction course I'm taking. Each one reflects on the life of a biblical character through the lens of spiritual direction. It's slightly long for a blog, but here are my reflections on Jesus from the book of Mark. If you like it, leave a comment or email me and I'll post reflections on other characters.What does the life of Jesus, as recorded in the

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-1132978488811373082005-11-25T20:02:00.000-08:002005-11-25T20:14:48.823-08:00

To understand true reality, the unseen real around us, sometimes requires unmasking the seen that poses as real.I like the way my friend Abner put it in his blog on Nov. 2: "This was my train of thought as I stood in line at Ralph’s yesterday; one cashier, and about six people in front of me. "As Americans we are a physically, emotionally and spiritually obese people. We’re so use to having our

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-1132811974437192462005-11-23T21:45:00.000-08:002006-01-25T20:50:48.463-08:00

I was really stirred by a teaching by Paul Kaak recently: What does it mean that Scripture says all believers are priests?Kaak breaks the role of a priest down into 4 functions:1. Intercede for the people2. Image God to the people3. Instruct the people about God4. Impart blessing to the people How can you be a priest as a police officer, accountant, nurse, office manager, or computer programmer?

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-1126225937410993202005-09-08T17:26:00.000-07:002005-09-08T17:32:17.413-07:00

Dallas Willard said this in a lecture I heard on an mp3: His main point is that God makes incredible power available to us."[There is] no power shortage. But we have to be able to exercise it. We have to grow to the point to where we can be safely given the power of the Kingdom. And the growth is the issue. We have to grow into the kind of person who just routinely does the things that God would

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-1125160752042846462005-08-27T09:33:00.000-07:002005-08-27T09:39:12.043-07:00

Franke ends his introduction with a quote from Hans Frei on his term "Generous Orthodoxy"--a term I instantly liked.Here's what Frei said: "Generosity without orthodoxy is nothing, but orthodoxy without generosity is worse than nothing."That seems true. Being "orthodox" about such an extravagantly generous God (doesn't grace mean generosity?) is a vicious lie if it is not accompanied with

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-1125160430283263182005-08-27T09:24:00.000-07:002005-11-03T16:55:51.440-08:00

I just saw this paraphrase of Lesslie Newbigin in Brian McLaren's book, A Generous Orthodoxy."[Newbigin] articulated his own position concerning Christ and salvation along the following lines: exclusive in the sense of affirming the unique truth of the revelation in Jesus Christ, but not in the sense of denying the possibility of salvation to those outside the Christian faith; inclusive in the

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-1125159610354971592005-08-26T22:20:00.000-07:002005-08-27T09:24:07.326-07:00

I'm accustomed to the term "exclusivity of the Gospel" to designate the truth that Jesus is the doorway into the Kingdom of God. But a recent manuscript study in the book of Ephesians has made me rethink this phrase. "With all wisdom and insight [God] has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-1122678129831637892005-07-29T15:47:00.000-07:002005-07-29T16:02:09.836-07:00

Ideas are extremely powerful. Our culture's popular notion of heaven is one of the most depressing and misleading, all at the same time. Part of the problem is geography--or should I say "cosmography"--this vague feeling that heaven is located far away in space and probably time.I was a little surprised and helped by a recent Christianity Today article on Jack Hayford:Jack Hayford "got up on the

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-1122676287772244522005-07-29T14:43:00.000-07:002005-07-29T15:31:27.790-07:00

Two books I read recently resonated deeply with me--almost too deeply for comfort. Here are a few quotes:"Restlessness is another type of loneliness. It refers not so directly to the experience of alienation or estrangement from others, but to the constant dissatisfaction and restlessness within us that perpetually keeps us frustrated and in a state of unrest. . . . this type of loneliness is not

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-1122503539975746042005-07-27T15:25:00.000-07:002005-07-29T14:37:44.493-07:00

Well, I can now give first-hand testimony that it's tough to blog while on vacation, then packing up house and moving, changing internet service providers, etc. I'm finally logging in once again, sitting in my house, surrounded by boxes.I noticed a blog entry which gives detail and more theological musings on scientific studies of prayer, which you might like here at Christianity Today's blog.

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-1121321247691443492005-07-13T23:07:00.000-07:002005-08-02T00:57:38.136-07:00

Michael Shermer is right--we can't fall into the trap of believing God's a cosmic lab rat who will respond to our stimulus (prayer) by doing the task we set for him. (See my previous post--"Scientific Prayer?" of July 9).Yet, having been trained as a mathematician and scientist in college, I like the scientific method and I think it can be useful in learning about the unseen reality--and how

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-1121262767363054892005-07-09T10:32:00.000-07:002005-07-13T06:52:47.370-07:00

In his column in the November 2004 Scientific American, the sharp and amusing Michael Shermer, public atheist and publisher of the Skeptic (www.skeptic.com), picked apart a variety of studies on the effectiveness of prayer.He raises a number of excellent points. Most of these studies are flawed scientifically. While it's exciting to be able to say "Scientists have shown prayer works,"

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-1120322327658930582005-07-02T09:38:00.000-07:002005-07-02T09:38:47.660-07:00

Reality, seen and unseen. Real life. I want to understand it.I want to understand how to live well, with joy and peace and harmony. This seems like an impossible dream, a utopian speculation, except that I have biographies of a few individuals who lived that way, more or less. Not only by their own account, but also according to the people who lived with them and knew them intimately. And I've

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-1120196136192788442005-06-30T22:35:00.000-07:002005-07-02T08:31:37.453-07:00

If theology = theos + logos = words about Godthen theoblog = theos + web + logos = words about God on the web.I want desperately to know reality, since I am becoming more and more convinced that living in reality is the essence of maturity. And that only mature people possess true, deep, abiding joy, which I desperately long for.To know reality we need to get at the root, the base, the source,

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14091366.post-1120162969351479692005-06-30T13:11:00.000-07:002005-06-30T13:22:49.356-07:00

Primarily, this theoblog is for me. I want to learn. I want to learn about reality, seen and unseen. I hope this will help me do that in several ways:1) Writing compels me to clarify my thinking for my own sake.2) A blog will help me write a little every day (I need help!).3) It will collect thoughts, facts, and so on, for later use. In case there ever is a later use.4) I hope to improve at the

Eternal Learnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10223644777635333246noreply@blogger.com1