Milk Truck Monday

Everyone knows how much fun Mondays are:  trying to get back into the swing of things after a weekend that was no where near long enough;  almost nothing goes right; the fog doesn't seem to want to lift; life seems utterly depressing...   

Mondays in our house are affectionately known as "Milk Truck Mondays", because this is the day out of the week where we most feel like quitting whatever thing it is we have to do in order to go drive a milk truck, where you don't have to talk to anyone, you can be as crabby as you want and no one will be upset with you!  Sounds good, doesn't it?!  I've decided that since most of us tend to struggle through Mondays, this is a perfect day to post something encouraging.  So, here it is for today.  If you're feeling bummed out today, take heart.  Here is an excerpt from "Vintage Jesus" (a book I highly recommend), written by Mark Driscoll.

JESUS WAS BUMMED

"Being fully human, Jesus experienced the entirety of human emotions, which means that he had some painful moments like the rest of us who suffer in a cursed and broken world.  Predicting this hundreds of years before his birth, Isaiah 53:3 promised that Jesus would be "despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief."

One of the most astonishing things about Jesus is that as God he actually chose to come into our fallen sick, twisted, unjust evil, cruel, painful world and be with us to suffer like us and for us.  Meanwhile, we spend most of our time trying to figure out how to avoid the pain and evil of this world while reading dumb books about the rapture just hoping to get out.  Jesus truly lived a painful life that was fully human, as the following examples illustrate:

• Jesus was tempted to sin by the Devil himself.
• Jesus had money troubles that included being poor, getting ripped off, struggling to pay his taxes, and being homeless.
• People attacked Jesus by spreading vicious rumors, physically abusing him, and mocking and spitting on him.
• Jesus was continually jacked with by religious neatniks.
• Jesus had some bummer days marked by loneliness, deep sorrow, exhaustion, and weeping.
• Jesus' friends were a joke and no help in times of crisis; they even betrayed him and turned their backs on him.
• Jesus' family thought he was a nut job.
• Jesus turned to God the Father but did not have all his prayers answered as he requested.
• Jesus bled.
• Jesus died.
• Jesus used his final breaths to forgive those who destroyed him.

For those who are sick, abused, burned out, tired, bedridden, flat broke, tempted, weary, hated, lonely, and dying, the humanity of Jesus on his darkest days is encouraging.  Without these insights into Jesus' life, it would be difficult for us to run to him in our time of need because we would be unaware of the similar experiences he had during his life on the earth. Those experiences make him a compassionate friend.  Therefore, the humanity of Jesus is as important for our love of Jesus as his divinity."

"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.  Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."  Hebrews 4:15-16.

I think my wife's a calvinist

My husband, Ben, called me into the kitchen this morning to watch this utube video. I thought it was funny and would be fitting to share considering the fact that we're studying Grudem's "Systematic Theology".

One thing though...I do still like roses, and I don't have a tattoo that says "I heart John Piper" ...yet.

Ladies Bible Study Topic: Systematic Theology???

There are many christian books out there for women to read and use for Bible studies. There are topical studies like how to be a godly woman, wife, mother,... as well as exegetical studies through specific books of the Bible.  So why would Amy and I choose to study a systematic theology book before any of those?  Good question. While reading an entry by Carolyn Mahaney in "Girltalk", I came across a great quote that explains the reasoning behind our madness! 

Bruce Milne explains:

“[As] a matter of plain fact every Christian is a theologian!… By virtue of being born again we have all begun to know God and therefore have a certain understanding of his nature and actions. That is, we all have a theology of sorts, whether or not we have ever sat down and pieced it together. So properly understood, theology is not for a few religious eggheads with a flair for abstract debate—it is everybody’s business. Once we have grasped this, our duty is to become the best theologians we can to the glory of God, as our understanding of God and his ways is clarified and deepened through studying the book he has given for that very purpose, the Bible (2 Tim. 3:16)…[G]etting doctrine right is the key to getting everything else right…[A]t every point right living begins with right thinking.” 

It is our prayer that in our study through "Systematic Theology" by Wayne Grudem, the Holy Spirit will give us understanding as we seek to sit down and piece our theology together so that our doctrine, our thinking, and our practical everyday living will be biblically based and glorifying to God.