Think Wink.

Earlier this past week, a dear friend and one of the youth at my old church in KC asked me to reflect upon the book of Jonah. So I went and reread the story of Jonah and pondered upon what his story was trying to communicate. After some earnest reflection, I think that the story of Jonah shows: 1.) The character of God, first seen in Exodus 33:19Open Link in New Window; 34:6-7; 2.) God’s promise to Abraham was to redeem all creation, not just Abraham’s posterity, and Abraham was to be the vessel through which this redemption comes; 3.) Israel had become blinded by her position as Yahweh’s elect people and ignored her function as the channel through which God’s promise to redeem creation, not just Israel, comes into the world; 4.) Only in Jesus the Messiah was/is/will God’s plan to redeem his creation through Israel to be carried out and accomplished.

In previous posts, I have covered the first three points. In the following post, I want to look at the fourth and final point, which might be the most important point of the four. Read more

Reflections on Jonah

Reflections on Jonah Part 3

Reflections on Jonah Part 2

The other day I was asked by one of my youth and friends from Kansas City what my take on the prophet Jonah and his story as told in sacred Scripture. I went back and reread the story and looked to what I felt were some of the main points that the author, presumably Jonah but may be not, was trying to make. After some reflection, I think that the story of Jonah shows: 1.) The character of God, first seen in Exodus 33:19; 34:6-7; 2.) God’s promise to Abraham was to redeem all creation, not just Abraham’s posterity, and Abraham was to be the vessel through which this redemption comes; 3.) Israel had become blinded by her position as Yahweh’s elect people and ignored her function as the channel through which God’s promise to redeem creation, not just Israel, comes into the world; 4.) Only in Jesus the Messiah was/is/will God’s plan to redeem his creation through Israel to be carried out and accomplished.

In the first post I looked at how Jonah illustrates and points the reader the character of God see in Exodus 32-34. In the second post, I looked at how in Jonah, God’s desire to relent from executing his judgment upon Nineveh goes back to his purpose to redeem all of creation through the family-seed-nation promised to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3. In this post I want to talk about what it is that Jonah most clearly and powerfully illustrates. Read more

Reflections on Jonah

Reflections on Jonah Part 2

Interview with Dr. Mark Futato

Yesterday I was asked by one of my youth and friends from Kansas City what my take on the prophet Jonah and his story as told in sacred Scripture. I went back and reread the story and looked to what I felt were some of the main points that the author, presumably Jonah but may be not, was trying to make. After some reflection, I think that the story of Jonah shows: 1.) The character of God, first seen in Exodus 33:19; 34:6-7; 2.) God’s promise to Abraham was to redeem all creation, not just Abraham’s posterity, and Abraham was to be the vessel through which this redemption comes; 3.) Israel had become blinded by her position as Yahweh’s elect people and ignored her function as the channel through which God’s promise to redeem creation, not just Israel, comes into the world; 4.) Only in Jesus the Messiah was/is/will God’s plan to redeem his creation through Israel to be carried out and accomplished. Read more

Reflections on Jonah Part 3

Interview with Dr. Mark Futato

Reflections on Jonah Part 2

Having been reading 1-2 Samuel that last few weeks, I have been really blessed. Seeing how God moved Israel from the period where the nation was governed by judges to the period where Israel was ruled over by her first monarchies, Saul and David. Watching God anticipate the coming of a king through Hannah to fulfilling that hope in David and making a covenant with David to always have a member of his family line on the throne and not be rejected like Saul was rejected.

One of the things I have been looking for while I have been reading the story of David is how do I fit into the story of God. Keep in mind that as a Christian, I look at David as a type who anticipates Jesus Messiah. So where do I fit into that narrative? There is one point of David’s story that really grabbed my attention as a possible way into God’s story. Read more

Redemptive-Historical Preaching and Charles Dennison

Some Thoughts on John

Evangelical Training

Last night was a true blessing to me. It started with High View Baptist Church trusting me enough to teach the youth. That was a lot of fun and a great blessing to me. I really love those kids and look forward to more opportunities to teach them and share with them the hope of the crucified and risen Lord and Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth. What made the night even more fun was the fellowship and fun that we had. There was the rap by Arm & Hammer Baking Soda (myself and two other youth, why I am part of that name I don’t know but it’s fun). Then there was our fun game “Random Draw” where the youth drew a card that had a random activity on that they had to do. One had to dance (looked like the Napoleon Dynamite dance), another had to do the Hokey-Pokey, and a third had to lick his own elbow. I love it.

But to add to all of this, the Lord continues to reveal the impact of my ministry at Faith Community Church (FCC) while I was there for two years. About a month ago, one youth, Jakob, told me how he viewed as one of his favorite theologians, along with John Piper and Jonathan Edwards (my favorite theologian). That was extremely humbling and honoring. It’s an honor to be in such company. But it was humbling in that I know that I am not on the level of men like Edwards and Piper. I am reminded just how much of a theologian I am not. Yet I am looked at and viewed by others as such.

Last night, after church and dinner, I had the opportunity to talk to another youth, Bethany, from FCC. Her hermeneutics class was looking at Matthew 24–a strange text for high schoolers to be learning from. The teacher was making claims that made the student, my youth group member, uncomfortable. This led to the two of us talking about the passage for about three hours last night. She paid me the same complement the other student gave me, favorite theologian and one of the first people she goes to for needing help understanding theology.

The fact that these kids are so interested in theology, and wanting to be consistent in their theology, means so much to me. While there, the other youth leaders and I really tried to show them how theology matters to their lives and how it impacts their decision making and actions. Now I know that a discussion on eschatology may not seem like the biggest topic to impact daily living. But it does. And the fact that the passion is there, something I personally tried to instill in the kids, is so rewarding. The impact of my ministry puts a smile on my face. That Jesus chose to honor me and my ministry when I am so wretched a sinner blows my mind. I did not consider myself more than another leader of the kids at FCC and a teacher. I had no idea just how much of an impact I had until now and I have been gone since August.

It’s very encouraging and as Paul says, I press on towards the prize to which God has called me and to walk in a manner worthy of the call to which and with which God has called. I pray that God will give all his ministers enough of a glimpse at the fruit of their ministries to be encouraged but still keep them humble. There’s nothing like the knowledge that God is blessing your ministry to lift you up.

Reflections from Hebrews 1-2

Timothy and Esther’s Prayer

Some Interesting Reads

Today I started through 1 Samuel again. I really love the story of Samuel and the early monarchy of Israel–the house of Saul the Benjamite. The brotherhood displayed between David and Jonathan as well as the emotional roller-coaster that David goes through while being pursued by Saul through Israel and Philistia. The story that 1 Samuel tells is engaging to say the least.

Today I read the first two chapters of the narrative. There were some things that stood out to me that I had never really picked up before. Such as in 1 Samuel 2:10 and 1 Samuel 2:35. These texts speak of Yahweh’s anointed, his king. Before there ever was a king, the people of Israel had some expectation of a king through whom Yahweh will reign over Israel and defeat their enemies. This king, Yahweh’s anointed, will reign over Israel and the priests shall minister before him to Yahweh. But the expectation of a king that early in the narrative had caught me somewhat off guard, to my joy. Read more

La Voz

Peace Part 3

In Genesis 1, Elohim gave humanity in Adam the responsibility to subdue the earth and to take dominion over it, filling it with the image of Elohim through procreation. Humanity’s great position in the universe is to reign as Yahweh’s vice-regents and to represent his presence upon the earth. However as we look around the world around us, we can clearly see something happened because the image of God, humanity, is busy rejecting the very God who created them to rule and have dominion over the earth. The created order is at war with the imago dei with violent storms and earthquakes and the animal kingdom fixed an a circle that is deadly to humans. Humanity itself is so concerned with itself that it will kill itself. The question is, what happened?

Genesis 3 is where the answer to this question lies. It is here that humanity will find out why the world around them is so broken, ravaged by disease and death. Read more

Imagio Dei

An Informative Review

“In his image” and Aramaisms

Michael Bird has collected together Michael Horton’s helpful critique of N.T. Wright and his book Justification. I believe his critique of Wright and this book has been the most helpful because he doesn’t just point to previous works that Wright has written but also to what is in this book that is helpful to understanding Paul and Justification. Most reviews of Wright will just point to previous works, like Wright’s defense of the resurrection of Messiah, and how helpful they are but not in the study of justification and Pauline theology. While I’m not entirely sold on covenant theology I enjoyed reading a response to Wright from a classical covenantal framework. Here are the links to the review.

Introduction
Justification and God’s single plan: The Covenant and History
Justification and God’s people
Justification and God’s Righteousness: Imputation and Future Hope
Justification and God’s Righteousness: Covenant and Eschatology
Justification, Faith, and Faithfulness: The Works of the Law
Justification and the Testimony of Paul
Justification and Romans
“Works of the Law” – Soteriology and Ecclesiology
Conclusion

Two Good Links

More Thoughts On N. T. Wright’s Justification

Reviews of N. T. Wright’s New Book

I have been thinking about the imagio dei in Genesis 1:26-28 and how it relates to humankind and to Messiah. More and more I am having to agree with my theology prof. that part of what we see in the four canonical Gospels is the Image of God par excellence fulfilling the command that the original Image of God failed to do. The following is my thoughts on Genesis 1:26-28 and what I am believing it to mean in when Elohim created the human race. Read more

Thinking Through the Death of the Amoral

Imago Dei Part 2

I have been reviewing Greg Boyd’s arguments against the Calvinistic reading of Romans 9, namely that election is to eternal destiny. In argument #1 Boyd argued that this reading minimizes the revelation of God in Jesus Christ, that is God’s love. However, this is very dangerous in that it appears to minimize the fact that Jesus reveals God’s righteousness, holiness, and justice as well as God’s love, mercy, and grace. Calvinism has always argued that all is shown equally in Jesus. Piper will try to reduce all of these attributes (and there are many more to be sure) down to God’s honor and beauty, namely God’s glory and name. But he definitely goes too far in how he does so. Calvinists have not minimized the revelation of God, for as Paul says in Romans 9:22 God desires to show his wrath and make his power known and thus patiently endures vessels of wrath prepared for destruction along with displaying his riches of glory prepared for those vessels of glory. Calvinism has always sought that balance. Read more

Objections to Calvinism Part 1 of 5

Objections to Calvinism Part 7 of 5

My Comfort in Romans 9