The Best Humorous Calvinism Blog Ever!

Check out this post. You will be rolling if you have Calvinism-obsession tendencies as I do.

And yes, I am still alive. I just haven't made as much time to blog lately. Please forgive me!

Calvinism and its Implications

I have talked to some people that have been around many Calvinists in their lifetime that have obviously been bad examples. I recently had a conversation with someone about this issue. He said that he noticed that all Calvinists think that the doctrines of grace is the most important thing in the Christian faith - the cardinal doctrine by which all Christians should be judged. According to this guy, we think that what people believe about Calvinism is what is most important. Is that true? Do Calvinists think Calvinism is more important than it really is? Is Calvinism important? Does it affect a lot of other things in the Christian faith? He said that the Calvinistic people that he has known have exhibited arrogance, intellectualism, lack of joy, lack of love and lack of evangelism. Do they? I have many thoughts on this, but here are my questions for you guys:

-Tell me how important the doctrines of grace really are and why?
-What are the practical implications of these doctrines?
-Do they affect a lot of what the Christian faith is about?
-Why are there so many arrogant Calvinists?
-Give me some examples of Calvinists who are not / were not arrogant.
-Give me some examples of Calvinists that are not / were not unloving.
-Give me some examples of Calvinists that are / were evangelistic.
-What about joy and Calvinism? Should the two go together?

I think I have lobbed you guys some softballs here. You should have plenty to work with. You guys are going to write a booklet for me. Don't worry. I'll give you credit.

It really concerns me that this is the view (at least of one person I know) of Calvinism to which people hold. I love these doctrines, find them to be thoroughly Biblical, and think they are very important. If you believe the same, tell me why and help me defend these precious doctrines. If you don't, tell me why.

Like Finding a New Toy!

My good friend Mark Redfern showed me how to do some new tricks - nothing that is very difficult (even for an accountant). I now have the ability to do links and pictures. I thought I would use my new skills to put some pictures and links on here. I thought I would take this opportunity to talk about some of the books that have infulenced me most. Perhaps you want to steer clear. :)

Desiring God
When I Don't Desire God
God's Passion for His Glory
The Supremacy of God in preaching
Future Grace
Counted Righteous in Christ
The Sovereignty of God
Shepherding a Child's Heart
Mortification of Sin
The Religious Affections
Today's Gospel
Tell the Truth
The Cross-Centered Life

If I had to pick one that has had the biggest influence on me, I think it would have to be a combination of God's Passion for His Glory, followed by Desiring God, followed by When I Don't Desire God. God's Passion for His Glory expounds on the foundational Biblical truth that God's glory is the ultimate end of eveything. Desiring God expounds on this truth and expands to show that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him. When I Don't Desire God helps you apply the truths taught in Desiring God to your life. Once you see that the affections are not optional, it is devastating. Once you see that you don't have what we are commanded to have, namely, joy in God Himself, it is devastating. The book, When I Don't Desire God gives practical steps as to how to fight for joy in God. These three books together have shaped my theology more than any others. These books give a big-picture, foundational understanding of what the Bible is really all about.

Blogging is fun.

God Comforts the Depressed

Great is my confidence in you; great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort; I am overflowing with joy in all our affliction. For even when we came into Macedonia our flesh had no rest, but we were afflicted on every side: conflicts without, fears within. But God, who comforts the depressed, comforted us by the coming of Titus; and not only by his coming, but also by the comfort with which he was comforted in you, as he reported to us your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me; so that I rejoiced even more. (2 Corinthians 7:4-7)

Sovereignty is at the forefront of my mind because of the Desiring God conference. I was reading Tim Challies live blog from the conference. It is always the big controversial thing to talk about God being sovereign over calamity (a sweet truth that I would never deny). Sometimes we Calvinists have a tendency to focus so much on God being in control of bad, that I wonder if we forget to praise Him for the good things that happen. This text proves that Paul thinks of God as being in control of blessings. In fact, Paul says that "God...comforted us by the coming of Titus; and...also by the comfort with which he was comforted in [them]." So, in Paul's mind, it was not Titus that comforted them but God that used Titus to comfort them. God was the one who providentially comforted them through Titus. I think this is a lesson in the way that we should talk about good things happening to us in our lives. The fact is, people don't talk like this today. Christians rarely talk this way! We would do well to follow Paul's example to give credit (glory) where credit (glory) us due! God is sovereign. If a blessing comes to you, it didn't come from Karma or because "what goes around comes around". It came from God. Let's start reflecting a Biblical vocabulary when good things happen. We calvinists affirm the sovereignty of God in suffering. Let us not forget to praise God and reflect with our speech to others that "Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow." (James 1:17) This is a strange way of speaking in today's entitled, Godless, man-centered, affluent America.