Many a man, brought up in the glib profession of some shallow form of Christianity, who comes through reading Astronomy to realise for the first time how majestically indifferent most reality is to man, and who perhaps abandons his religion on that account, may at that moment be having his first genuinely religious experience.
—Miracles (1947)
(Source: cslewisquotes)
MARTIN: … So you can be joyful even if you’re not happy every single day.
SIMON: And is this the message of the season?
MARTIN: It is. Christ is risen, I think, is an essentially joyful message. You know, if you imagine the disciples on Easter Sunday morning, they were certainly joyful. There’s the story of them running to the tomb. So that Christ had triumphed over death is certainly, I think, the most joyful part of the Gospels without a doubt.
(Source: NPR)
“Look at the night skies: Who do you think made all of this? Who marches this glorious army of stars out each night, counts them, calls them by name?”
Isaiah 40:26
Hebrews 4:16 - Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Apologetics are a poor witness when compared to the truth of a life rooted in Christ.
Brothers and Sisters, does my text say, “It pleased the Father that in Him all fullness shall one day dwell”? No, but, “in Him should all fullness dwell.” Whatever has been done can be done now—and whatever shall yet be done, can be done today, by His Grace.
Our laziness puts off the work of conquest. Our self-indulgence procrastinates. Our cowardice and lack of faith make us dote upon the millennium instead of hearing the Spirit’s voice today!
—CH Spurgeon, The Fulness of Christ, the Treasury of the Saints (via mattjhuber)
Sad part, when I first read this I thought “does my text say” referred to a text message. But this is still a great quote.
As much as 16-year old me would be appalled, I’m not so sure anymore that the Bible makes it super clear there’s going to be a rapture.
In fact, as I think I’ve mentioned here at least once before, while I don’t know exactly what I do think we’re supposed to take away from Revelation and other apocalyptic literature in the Bible, more and more I don’t think it’s meant to be a foretelling of the future — at least not in its entirety and not at this point in church history.
And, as I continue to converse with those who believe in both a rapture and a futurist (though not too futurist — “wars and rumors of wars,” you know, as if this century is more belligerent than, say, the one where they had the 100 Years War) interpretation of Revelation, I’m even less convinced than ever that such views have a profitable result on the practical living of our faith.
Nonetheless, if I wish to throw out this futurist theology — which I’ve held to some degree for most of my life — it strikes me that sooner or later I’ll need to have something in its place. Thus I soon(ish) hope to be reading Revelation: Four Views: A Parallel Commentary.
In the meantime, I found this article thought-provoking and the impetus for this post:
In contrast to Rapture theology, a biblical eschatology:
1) Affirms the inherent value of the earth and motivates care for creation. Rapture theology suggests that we are “just passing through” this temporary dwelling place. Eventually we will escape this world and find our final home in an ethereal realm, a “heaven” filled with mansions and streets of gold. Again N.T. Wright helps to re-frame our expectations. God’s plan is for “a new heaven and a new earth” (Rev. 21:1), what Wright calls “life after life after death” (pp. 148ff). Since the goal is the re-creation and redemption of this world, we have motivation to care for and cultivate it now.
2) Offers a compelling vision for resistance against evil, injustice, and all forms of oppression in the present world order. Rapture theology generates an “escapist” mentality whereby our best hope for dealing with injustice, wickedness, and hopelessness is to simply fly off to a perfect spiritual world unhampered by sin and finitude. Most harmfully, Rapture theology sees injustice, oppression, and even natural disasters as predictive signs of the end of this life for Christians, rather than as the evil and discord they really are.
3) Redefines Christian mission as anticipation of and participation in the kingdom of God. Salvation, as Wright suggests, enables us to be witnesses to and signs of the ultimate salvation of the cosmos, as well as participants in that salvation (p. 200). That’s why the biblical witness says that Christians are to be agents of reconciliation with those who do not yet know God and are to participate in the restoration of the cosmos (2 Cor. 5:20). In contrast, rapture theology suggests a sudden, disruptive end to that project, cutting off hope for reconciliation and renewal.
A de-raptured theology reorients evangelism and the meaning of salvation around the centrality of the kingdom of God. Rapture theology tends to use scare tactics—”Don’t get left behind!”—that market individual salvation as an economic transaction rather than a new way of living justice, righteousness, and peace. A de-raptured evangelism is an invitation to embrace the reality of the kingdom inaugurated by Christ.
These are all great points I think. The full article has been clipped for a later reading. I’m not really a very good theologian, and am intimidated by eschatology. However some thoughts:
Some of these thoughts (like “ our best hope for dealing with injustice, wickedness, and hopelessness is to simply fly off to a perfect spiritual world unhampered by sin and finitude”) might stem from the Platonism that’s infiltrated Christian thought — it’s kind of what makes some Christians think that the spiritual is better than the physical, or that the Earth is evil & corrupt, while Heaven is perfect and good. The fact is that God created the Earth and said it was good. He did not create it to destroy it, but rather to redeem it, to return it to a previous state of beauty and perfection.
“Heaven”, when you think of it in the way lots of Evangelicals do, means where you go when you die. However, this place is only temporary — our true home will be the New Earth, the redeemed Earth with our new and resurrected bodies.
I know I’ve talked about it enough, but “Heaven” by Randy Alcorn. Seriously.
Absolutely agree with both of you on this - and will note that the purpose of sanctification (the working out of my faith in this world here and now) became much more purposeful and fulfilling when I realized how Platonic thinking had affected my understanding of life after death. As the article says N.T. Wright says, “Salvation … enables us to be witnesses to and signs of the ultimate salvation of the cosmos, as well as participants in that salvation.” What a stunningly beautiful way to live.
I’d also suggest this beautiful lecture about heaven and the redeemed Earth that I heard at L’abri fellowship in England last year: Go here and search “heaven” in the title field - it’s the second two down “What on Earth is Heaven?” by Jim Paul.
What will people think-d.c. Talk, Jesus Freak
When they hear that I’m a Jesus freak.
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.1 Corinthians 1:18
Recently, I am reminded more and more on a daily basis that the lifestyle I have chosen, and at the same time for which I have been chosen, is completely and utterly bizarre. That’s all there is to it - it’s downright weird. And the working out of this lifestyle - the daily choices I make about what I do and where I go, they are also odd. Who would live this way? Only someone whose mind and heart has been affected by something outrageously powerful. Some potent force that flips this world on its head and calls to one’s heart from something better.
Stumbled across this quote:
“It’s in the Ten Commandments to not take the Lord’s name in vain. Rape isn’t up there by the way. Rape is not a Ten Commandment, But don’t say the dude’s name with a shitty attitude.”
— Louis CKAnd wanted to point out that it is there, actually: do not steal, and do not covet. Both occur within rape. Therefore, rape violates the Ten Commandments.
Newsflash: women are not property or things and therefore cannot be stolen or possessed/coveted.
I don’t think this is the point she is trying to make. It is absolutely true that no human being is property of another, no matter male or female (It is important to note that rape is not limited to any one demographic, gender or age range.) In fact, to take it a step further, humans are given their sexuality, physicality, and emotional capacities as gifts from God, and therefore to violate those is to in effect steal and covet parts of another human being that belong to them, and ultimately, to God. Even more importantly, the Bible teaches that all humans are created in the image of God, meaning they have inherent worth no matter who they are. So yes, this means that women (and men, and children) are not property or things; more than just that, they are children of God, loved and cherished by Him, and to violate the commandments is to violate one of these children.
In addition to all this, in Matthew 22, Jesus expounds:
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”These commandments do not negate or eliminate the ten, but in fact summarize them beautifully. I would argue that by following the second of these commandments you are also following the first, since humans are created in the image of God. In addition, by following these two, you are following all of the ten given in Exodus, for each applies either to loving God directly or loving his children.
Also: I generally wouldn’t consider Louie CK someone worth my time debating, since he is, in fact, a comedian looking for the best punch line, not theological truths. However, this is a fairly common misunderstanding of a very well-known passage of Scripture, and so I thought I’d share.
(Source: , via nerdy-nicole)
I just spent the last week with 9 of the loveliest children in a tiny town near Guadalajara, Mexico. They are foster children being cared for by an amazing family whom I had the honor of staying with and assisting. If you think of it, keep these “small things” in your prayers as they grown and learn and heal after difficult beginnings to their childhoods.
(Source: lovequotesrus, via corcordium)
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