Tag: John Piper

Read Your Bible More and More – Desiring God

Read Your Bible More and More - Desiring God.

I love the first two reasons Piper gives as to why reading the Bible everyday (whether one feels like it or not) is not legalism.

  1. You are confessing your lack of desire as sin, and pleading as a helpless child for the desire you long to have. Legalists don’t cry like that. They strut.
  2. You are reading out of desperation for the effects of this heavenly medicine. Bible-reading is not a cure for a bad conscience; it’s chemo for your cancer. Legalists feel better because the box is checked. Saints feel better when their blindness lifts, and they see Jesus in the word. Let’s get real. We are desperately sick with worldliness, and only the Holy Spirit, by the word of God, can cure this terminal disease.

I actually founds this as I searched DG for "daily Bible reading" to see what Piper or some other might have to say to "stir me up" and rekindle my fire for reading the Word before breakfast each day. Why do I go to DG? Because a true friend tells you what you need to hear instead of what you want to hear, and I can often count on the folks at DG for that, and Piper is simply the most motivating advocate of daily reading of the Word in personal and/or corporate devotions, but especially the former.

Let us continue the race of faith, slowly and steadily, always quick to listen and slow to speak, humbly and boldly.

via Read Your Bible More and More - Desiring God.

A Copy of St. Andrews Seven

John Piper said St. Andrews Seven is one of the best books he has read on missions, so a lot of people (including me) flocked to Amazon to buy said book, months ago.

This book is no longer in print.

That afternoon, the prices increased from $30 to $50 to $75 and then...almost $300? (We're talking about a tiny, used book). I didn't buy it originally because I thought $30 was too steep for a used book...

I was creating an Evernote about the experience today as I sat down to read the copy I checked out at HST (from the phenomenal library on campus), when I decided to check to see if there are any copies on Amazon  still for $300 a pop), just for the sake of accurate note-creating, today, and there were some.

The price was still jacked up except for on one copy! Caught and bought after being sought for months--you rascal!

St Andrews Seven
St Andrews Seven

I think I'll wait for that copy in the mail, so I can make notes in it (with pencil).

This evolved from an Evernote note, to a Facebook Status, to a blog post before I could save or submit the former--

My, how things can escalate quickly.

Match Point Opening Scene: Luck vs. Greatness

As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. (Genesis 50:20, ESV)

Last night Linli and I watched a movie given to us by a dear friend who asked us to pass it along after we watched it: Match Point. She probably asked us to pass it along not because the message is the best, but more likely because not many people will want to watch it more than once. By no means is it a "feel good" film, but Match Point is interesting and definitely provocative. I will not go into more detail, but I do want to share the opening scene because I think it is beautifully done.

The movie's themes, aside from commenting on the dichotomy of love/lust and marriage, strongly revolves around fate having a greater role than ability.

I love reading, listening to, and watching artist's explorations of the ancient question: how much of life is in our control?

One verse in the Bible that I believe gives us insight, despite how many Christians will disagree, is the one at the top of this post, and below:

As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. (Genesis 50:20, ESV)

The NIV even translates the word as "intended" rather than "meant." There is a large difference between this idea, that God not only knew it was going to happen but moreover meant that it take place, is quite different from the common, "oh, God will use it for good, even though you meant it for evil." True, he will, but this verse, often misquoted, says that he meant it for good, and I do not believe that He makes mistakes.

http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/ask-pastor-john/how-can-i-believe-that-god-is-in-control-when-something-bad-happens#/listen/full 

*By the way, I do not recommend the aforementioned movie to everyone. To the Christian strong in faith, I do. To those easily offended, I do not. Indeed, the taking of the Lord's name in vain several times in the movie is hard to hear, but for some, the movie may provide insight without causing them to sin. The film is rated R for "some sexuality."

Fatherhood According to Piper (plus his relocation to Knoxville)

John Piper steps away in Knoxville for a year of writing and reflection, and shares his thoughts on fatherhood » Knoxville News Sentinel.

“Dads, start with being a son, and I mean a son of God, and if you’re not a son of God get that right through faith in Jesus. Start by being reconciled to your Father.

“Secondly, don’t let your imperfections presently and failures of the past dictate your efforts at love in the future. I think all of us, if we are honest, look back and say, ‘Good night, I could have done this better!’ Because you learn so much as you get old. You learn from your grown kids, really. And it’s easy then to be paralyzed.

“God is in the business of taking a mess and making it useful in the future. Don’t let the past failures hinder your future with your kids. Your kids may be 40, 50 years old, and you can venture new things, you can reach out in new ways to them because God is a God of redemption.”

via John Piper on Fatherhood (plus his relocation to Knoxville).

John Piper Spurgeon Lecture | Reformed Theological Seminary

John Piper Spurgeon Lecture video| Reformed Theological Seminary.

The following words are Charles Spurgeon's (not John Piper's), and I want to note them here, for sharing with  you and personal review later:

"Oh, that you and I might get into the very heart of the Word of God, and get that Word into ourselves! As I have seen the silkworm eat into the leaf, and consume it, so ought we to do with the Word of the Lord—not crawl over its surface, but eat right into it till we have taken it into our inmost parts. It is idle merely to let the eye glance over the words, or to recollect the poetical expressions, or the historic facts; but it is blessed to eat into the very soul of the Bible until, at last, you come to talk in Scriptural language, and your very style is fashioned upon Scripture models, and, what is better still, your spirit is flavoured with the words of the Lord.

I would quote John Bunyan as an instance of what I mean. Read anything of his, and you will see that it is almost like reading the Bible itself. He had read it till his very soul was saturated with Scripture; and, though his writings are charmingly full of poetry, yet he cannot give us his Pilgrim’s Progress—that sweetest of all prose poems — without continually making us feel and say, “Why, this man is a living Bible!” Prick him anywhere—his blood is Bibline, the very essence of the Bible flows from him. He cannot speak without quoting a text, for his very soul is full of the Word of God. I commend his example to you, beloved."

"Puritanism, Protestantism, [and] Calvinism are poor names which the world has given to a great and glorious faith: the doctrine of Paul the Apostle, the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

"Those who do away with Christian doctrine are, whether they are aware of it or not, the worst enemies of Christian living."

Defining preaching:  "to know the truth as it should be known, to love it as it should be loved, to proclaim it in the right spirit and in it's proper proportions."

via John Piper Spurgeon Lecture ! | Reformed Theological Seminary.