John Piper
Being infinite, God is inexhaustibly interesting. It is therefore impossible that God be boring.
American Indian Christian Mission
This week, I have the opportunity to go on a mission trip to Show Low, Arizona, with two of my daughters. We are headed to American Indian Christian Mission for a week, to work on their facilities at the mission compound, and to conduct some services and Vacation Bible School activities on the White Mountain Apache reservation.
We are looking forward to the opportunity to grow in our faith, and I am excited to be able to do this with two of my kids.
In the meantime, things will be quiet around here for the next week and a half. The weekend quotes, memorize Philippians, and Coffee Breaks will continue, but any additional content will pause for a few days until we return home.
Thanks for being a part of the JR.com community! We would appreciate your prayers for our trip!
Book Review – The Fold by Peter Clines
One of my favorite genres has always been science fiction. Some of the best novels I have ever read fall into this category. Sci-fi has always intrigued me.
When I received the opportunity to read and review The Fold, by Peter Clines, I wasn’t all that excited, to be honest. It was science fiction, and I love the genre, but I usually stick to the tried and true authors that I know and love. Most of the time, a new author just doesn’t cut it.
So I wasn’t too thrilled. And The Fold sat on my shelf for a few weeks. A couple of nights ago, I picked it up and began to read it. It is a fact paced novel, and before I knew it, I was a hundred pages in. The story line kind of grabs you and suck you in. Before you know it, you are hooked.
As I read, I was somewhat engaged by The Fold. Not completely, but enough. The book was both a hit and a miss for me. Let me give the areas it was a hit first.
As mentioned, the story line was good. The plot was well-developed and the characters were portrayed in detail. Convincingly so. And due to the nature of the inter-dimensional science fiction plot, when something in a character’s profile shifted, it was ok, because it fit the story line.
In that regard, The Fold was fun and easy to read, and difficult to put down.
Coffee Break – 07.13.2015
Your Monday Dose Of Inspiration
History is fun. Especially the history you don’t always learn about in school. Like these: In 1585, a group of 108 English colonists, led by Sir Richard Grenville, reached Roanoke Island, NC. In 1812, the first pawnbroking ordinance was passed in New York City. And in 1832, Henry Schoolcraft discovered the source of the Mississippi River in Minnesota.
How To Brew Coffee Without A Coffee Maker – I enjoy experimenting with different ways to make my morning coffee. I have several different methods that I use frequently, from pourovers to a Chemex to a Keurig. But this article from the Art Of Manliness shows how to do it with next to nothing. This will be great for when I’m traveling.
LEGO Minifigs In Amusing Situations – My kids have tons of LEGOs. And they have tons of LEGO minifigs. This photographer has created some incredible creative shots with minifigs in amusing scenarios. I have a couple of Star Wars minifigs. I wonder what I can come up with…
Field Notes At Everest – I love Field Notes brand notebooks. They are functional, and visually appealing. And they are created in limited runs, making them something that not everyone has, which I love. One journalist took his Field Notes to Mount Everest.
Don’t Kill That Quote – Sometimes, when I post a quote here or on Facebook, someone will come back and explain why that quote is wrong. It’s almost predictable. Tim Challies takes a look at this phenomenon and his conclusions are right on point.
Memorize Scripture: Philippians 2:1-2
As Paul wrapped up the first chapter to his letter to the believers in Philippi, he encouraged them to stay positive and have a good attitude in the midst of struggles. As he begins the second chapter, he describes just what that kind of attitude looks like.
Take a look at this week’s passage in Philippians 2:1-2:
Paul’s focus as he begins this section of his letter is both encouragement and unity. If the Philippians have the same priorities as Paul does, then they should be striving towards the same goals. Since the Philippian church was facing opposition from external sources, which Paul mentioned in the previous chapter, in verse 27, these believers needed to draw themselves together for the sake of the gospel.
Since his focus is unity, he gives in this passage four motivations that the Philippians need to share. The old NIV doesn’t translate the word “therefore,” although it is there in the Greek. The newer NIV gets this right. That word links this text back to the struggles the Philippians were facing from without, and the connection is that they needed to focus on unity from within.
The four motives in verse 1 are followed by four results in verse 2. Let’s look at each in turn:
Holiness is characteristic of every Christian. If we are not holy, our profession of Christ is valueless.
Martyn Lloyd-Jones
A Beautiful Mess
We are studying through Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians at our church right now. Let me tell you, that church was a mess!
A lot of times, I hear people say that they want to get back to the way the church was in the first century. And while the church in the book of Acts is a great model, and definitely something to strive for, the church in Corinth wasn’t living up to that image. In fact, it was pretty messed up.
The believers in the church in Corinth were not behaving as believers should. They were suing each other. They were arguing with each other over petty things. They were disrupting the flow of worship during their services. They were treating others with disregard and disrespect. They were divisive and not living in unity. They were tolerating immoral sexual relationships within their midst. They weren’t tithing. They were no longer preaching the gospel.
They were, simply, a mess.
But as you read Paul’s letter to this new, fledgling, church in Corinth, you see a few things that are stunning in their beauty. And by the end of the letter, it is amazing.