Scripture for E-Mail, Blogs, Twitter and Facebook (Josh Harris)

Joshua Harris has some paraphrased Scriptures for those of us who blog, twitter or e-mail at Scripture for E-Mail, Blogs, Twitter and Facebook (Josh Harris)

Psalm 141:3

Set a guard, O Lord, over my keyboard; keep watch over the door of my send button!

James 1:19

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to read, slow to reply all, slow to click send.

Proverbs 10:19

When blogging is abundant, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his keyboard is prudent.

Proverbs 12:18

There is one whose comments on blogs are like sword thrusts, but the comments of the wise brings healing.

Proverbs 14:7

Don't follow the Twitter feed of a fool, for there you do not meet words of knowledge.

Proverbs 12:23

A prudent man conceals knowledge, but the Twitter feed of fools proclaims folly.

Proverbs 13:20

Whoever "friends" the wise becomes wise, but the Facebook-friend of fools will suffer harm.

Words of wisdom from the Books of Wisdom.

Drive-Through Church?

From : cartoon: drive-through orders nakedpastor

It's Everywhere!

I'm finding Kingdom Theology and the "now but not yet" concept everywhere now a days. Here's an excerpt from Kevin DeYoung at DeYoung, Restless, and Reformed: A Sermon on the Kingdom of God (Revelation 11:15-19)

I want you to picture a couple of diagrams in your head. I know, it would better if you could see, but just imagine. This was the Jewish mindset. You have two ages: this age and the age to come. This age is present and evil; the age to come is the age in the future where the Messiah reigns and his enemies are destroyed and there is peace and righteousness. They saw this age going in a straight line, then the Messiah, then off into the age to come. But that’s not how Jesus explained things which is part of the reason why they didn’t like him as their Messiah. For the Jesus, and the rest of the New Testament, the two ages work like this. You have this age, then overlapping it is the age to come. When Messiah came he announced the in-breaking of the age to come which was realized in principle. This in-breaking is called the kingdom of God. With the coming of Christ and especially his death and resurrection, the present evil age has become in principle the age to come. But it’s not a clean break from one to the other. They overlap such that this age is growing into what it is in principle. And when the ideal announced by Christ which broke in during his life becomes the reality, then the kingdom of this world will become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ.

Here’s an analogy. It’s not a perfect analogy. So don’t press it too far. But it’s kind of like election day and inauguration day. In this country the president is elected on the first Tuesday in November, but his presidency doesn’t officially begin until January 20. He’s won. His opponent has been defeated. It’s all in the papers and on the internet. The whole country preparing for the transition. The winner starts forming his cabinet and putting together his administration. The new era has begun, but on the other hand it hasn’t. See, in one sense, we live in the time between the election and inauguration. Christ has defeated sin and Satan and death. It is appropriate to talk about Christ as the King. The news is all over the place. And we are supposed to make sure everyone hears about this news. But opposition to King is still strong, and in some ways, growing stronger all time. He is the already, but not yet King. And it will be this way until his enemies are thoroughly defeated and his reign fully in place.

This already and not yet is really important. It’s how the kingdom works and how your salvation works. What’s true on a macro level is true on a micro level too. Your life is not a straight line with a clean break between old man and new man, or non-Christian and Christian. It doesn’t work like that–unconverted, selfish, prideful, boom, in Christ, now I’m completely holy. What happens is that you have your life outside of Christ then you are converted, regenerated, justified, adopted, all of that and now you are positionally in Christ. But who you in actuality is not yet that Christlike. Which is why New Testament ethics are based on who you are in Christ. Be who you are. Work out your salvation. Make your calling and election sure. In other words, grow into in reality who Christ has made you to be positionally.

Skilful Use of Scalpels

From Why Johnny Can't Preach by T. David Gordon:

I believe the preaching in many churches is so poorly done that it is not, effectively, preaching...If the patients of a given hospital's surgeons continue to die, we could, I suppose, abandon the scalpel. We might also consider employing it more skillfully.

My challenge...is this: Show me a church where the preaching is good, and the church is still moribund. I've never seen such a church. The moribund churches I've seen have been malpreached to death.

Hat Tip: DashHouse: "My challenge is this..."

A Blogger's Prayer

Oh Lord...

This cyberspace world is so big
and my little blog voice is so small.

Help me to navigate this ocean with wisdom
and to speak into it with grace.

May my blogging words be seasoned and gracious
and never spoken in anger or haste.

May those who read my musings be blessed
and aided to see and know you more clearly.

This journey is long, a marathon not a sprint.
One to be run with patience and faithfulness
more than sprints of passion.

Help me so that when the race is over,
I can win the laurel wreath of a faithful runner

Amen - The Journeyman

Open Party

From: cartoon: party nakedpastor

I Recommend ... The Jollyblogger

For several months I have been amazed at the high quality writing and blogging being done by David Wayne, aka the Jolly Blogger.

David is a Presbyterian pastor in Maryland. A few months ago he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. During his treatment and struggles with his health he has continued to blog with sensitivity, wisdom and deep insight into God's grace in suffering. I believe very firmly in healing, but also recognize that in the "now but not yet" of the Kingdom not everyone will be healed this side of Christ's return. And whether ultimately healed or not, there are lessons to be learned during times of suffering. As David has said: "God has done things through my cancer that nothing else ever has or could. " Recent reports are that he is doing better. I will continue to pray for his complete recovery.

I liked his blog before the cancer diagnoses, and highly recommend the Jollyblogger's site and writings to my readers.

(John Schroeder at Blogotional wrote a fine tribute to David Wayne at Blogotional: Best Blogging!)

"Twitter Church"

Yes, I know that the Tominthebox News Network is a spoof/satire website, However this story about a guy starting a church that meets only via "Twitter" - - Twitter Church - is funny because it seems almost believable. If you don't know what Twitter is click here.

Someone in the next few years will probably try this (God help us!), and it will probably be in California (are you listening, Duke?)!

Another Trip Around the Sun

One year ago today I started this blogging journey. It just happened by an accident of timing to be on April Fools Day, and I hope there was no cosmic significance to that date! Now, to borrow Jimmy Buffet's phrase, it has been another trip around the sun. This year has been a fun experience, sometimes irritating when I could not think of anything to say, but in general a fulfilling journey. I am especially glad for the new friends I have made along the way. And that's no April fool!

Here's a link to my first post where I stated what I hoped to accomplish as "The Journeyman." I'm not tired of it yet, and hope to get a few more trips around the sun before my time as a blogger comes to an end.

Thanks to my readers who have walked with me on this journey. I hope you will stay with me for another year - and get something helpful from reading my humble blog. God bless you all.

Renewing Every Dimension of Life with the Gospel

“The Christian life is a process of renewing every dimension of our lives —spiritual, psychological, corporate, social — by living out the ramifications of the gospel. The gospel is to be applied to every area of thinking, feeling, relating and behaving.”

- Timothy Keller, Paul’s Letter to the Galatians: Living in Line with the Gospel (Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2003), 53.

Hat Tip: Of First Importance