I’ve launched a new website, happytensions.com to capture explorations of God’s mysteries, which make us supremely happy. Readers here on this site may be familiar with the fact that “happy tensions” are one of my favorite themes about which to muse. Here’s a new-old thought on a key one. Promises Made, Promises Kept We wait in the middle, between when God’s promises were made, and when they will be fulfilled, kept to their fullness. On this, John Calvin writes: “Let us also remember that we are all in the same condition as Abraham. Our circumstances are all...

If we simply grasped the simple reality that every command (imperative) in Scripture is rooted in God’s promises (indicatives). Wondering what I’m talking about? … Read on: Happy Tensions: WHOs + DOs SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "So much would be solved", url: "http://www.deTheos.com/2010/02/22/so-much-would-be-solved/" });

What do you think Christianity is? How do you read the Bible? It is quite easy to think of the Bible as a book of rules — things to DO. Yet, it is far greatest The Story of God, of His coming near to us, and in that way is not primarily about us. The Bible is about GOD. And not just facts, figures and fables — as if God were a science experiment, a idea to be calculated, quantified and categorized. In reality, God has acted in history — in this real world — and as we read Scripture we discover the stories are true, the characters are generally failures, and God is always faithful. That’s...

I’m still sorting out what I’ll blog next, and seeing how a rhythm of life will allow me to do so. In the meantime, here are some of my favorite articles from the last year or so: Happy Tensions: What, Why, How … + Who // my favorite article on seeing all things through the lens of Jesus. We need a Redeemer, not a system of redemption (how-to’s). I was pastoral intern at a purpose-driven church at the time Gospel-distorting approaches to change // perhaps another way of saying that all sin is idolatry, and since we worshiped our way to sin, we must worship our way out Happy...

A friend asked if I would join in a “Sovereignty of God blog series” this Summer, giving no set boundaries other than to ask us to share how we interact with God’s sovereignty from a theological and personal perspective. On the docket are lots of well-known bloggers, and then me. Oh yeah, and he scheduled me to go first. Humbling. My post “A Story of Sovereignty” is up now It’s a bit longer than a normal blog post. Won’t blame God for that … (The revised version posted is a bit shorter than the full version I’ll start posting here tomorrow,...

A friend sent me this recently. Perhaps related to my previous thoughts on rhythms. “I must be aware of two kinds of weariness in my life. The first is the weariness of giving out faster than I take in. That is the weariness of overcommitment; it is the fatigue of being over exercised in my service to God for others. The second kind of weariness is more subtle; it is the weariness of God Himself. My life is a series of emptying and fillings. As I empty myself in service, I must refill myself by drawing upon God’s infinite resources. If I fail to refill, I will become drained and exhaustion...

For the two of you who read my post on "relevance ," one might think I like to talk over people’s heads and not make the Scriptures relevant to daily life. Then, if you were in the junior high worship this past Sunday (or high school on Weds night), you might think I was dumbing things down too much and not teaching every minutiae of the text. Just the opposite happened, I think. There is a vast difference in attitude between making God relevant, and showing that He already is. The first posture makes the assumption that the Bible cannot be read with clarity by normal people, and...

Christianity refuses to choose between head and heart. It is both head and heart. It is intellectually credible (if you would take time to study), as well as experientially pleasing. Christ fills our heads, and captivates our hearts. God’s Word forces us to think deeply, but touches us on the deepest level. It is real, and must be experience in real-time. We each are drawn towards one direction. Be tethered to both. Those who detach the two are either swimming in a sea of religion, or being swept away in an ocean of mysticism. Know God. Love Him. Enjoy Him. Fill your mind with Him , and never...

"We wrestle with ‘making the gospel relevant.’ But God is about transforming the world to fit the shape of the Gospel." — Total Church WHO is more relevant than GOD? Seriously, can there by anyone cooler than the Creator? We bore ourselves with second-rate nonsense, and then conclude that God is irrelevant.  In fact, it is you and I who are irrelevant. Only Christ gives us lasting value, for while we were yet sinners (our real identity), Christ died in our place (Romans 5:8). He made us relevant. Our new purpose becomes showing how relevant God truly is. That is...

Two posts are worth investing further: John Piper asks, Does God "Lead Us Into Temptation?" (Desiring God blog). The short answer: yes. Tim Chester (author of Total Church , and pastor in the UK), contrasts Communities of Grace vs. Communities of Performance (the Resurgence), an expansive of some of his thoughts earlier (a third comes to mind too: "Community: Convenience vs. Grace" by church planter/pastor Jonathan Dodson) The connection is that we shall enjoy a mysterious union of Christ leading us into temptation, and our participation in being victorious by viewing...