Friday, January 18, 2008

Preaching Hell in a Tolerant Age

Tim Keller's sermons are masterful in the way he is able to convey truth that is relevant both to the questions people are asking and to the cultural mindset that people bring with those questions. The doctrine of hell is perhaps the most unpopular and unappealing Christian doctrine in our times. In an article titled Preaching Hell in a Tolerant Age, Keller presents insightful strategies on how to convey the truth of hell in a way that makes sense to the "postmodern" thinker.

Highly recommended.

Sunday, January 13, 2008

The Battle- Wrestling with the Flesh

Dear friends

It has been a few months since I've posted anything here. I must admit that I am dealing both with sickness (the muscle aches I've told you about) as well as a battle with sin in my heart and life. In order to be effective and fruitful as a Christian I need to win these battles and walk before God with more integrity. I also need to be feeling better physically, so that I may have the energy I believe will be necessary to pursue my calling-- which I continue to think has to do with being a communicator of God's truth, in writing and in music and through my life. I feel that the battles I'm fighting are interrelated-- that my physical battles reflect inner spiritual turmoil.

I ask for your prayers that the Lord would grant me a repentant spirit and that He would provide the wisdom and tenacity to overcome in the battle with sin in the flesh. What is the "flesh"? What I mean by this is the Bible teaching that humans have a natural tendency towards sin as a result of being "fallen" creatures. Even though the Christian is born again--receiving the Holy Spirit and becoming a new creation-- he or she still must deal with the fact that they continue to live on a corrupted Earth, and to live inside bodies drastically tainted by sin.

Certainly the battle with sin will not be over until the Lord returns, for sinless perfection in this life is not possible. However, my desire is to be approved of by God, and blameless before Him. This blamelessness does not mean being sinless, but it does mean being obedient to God as a general pattern of life. May the Lord grant this to me and to all of you.

Thank you for reading and visiting Jordan's View.