God does show his glory even by horrible events, like letting Alabama win the National Championship by having Colt be injured.

From what I understand most of the foundations of the arguments that it is okay (not a sin) to yell at God is that God wants us to be honest and real and that  God can take it.  Those reasons are true, God can take our temper tantrums and he does want us to be honest and real but it neglects other truths as well.

What that thought neglects is the relationships a Christian has with the Triune God.  So in thinking about those would it be allowed for a subject to yell at their good king.  Would it be 0kay for a bride to yell at her loving husband?  Would it not be disrespectful for a child to yell at their caring father?  Does it show a thankful attitude to yell at someone who is there to comfort you?  A resounding “No” is the answer in every case.

Lecrae – Indwelling Sin

Timothy Brindle w/ Shai Linne – The Battle

BTW, if you do not have Timothy Brindle’s, Shai Linne’s, or Lecrae’s albums I highly recommend them. And if you want, check out the original sin killing manifesto, The Mortification Of Sin by John Owen.

It airs March 26th on Nightline at 11:35pm.  Find more details here.

I must admit that before I give my favorite quotes from the chapter that this was my favorite one and one of the best rebuttels against the argument by Rob Bell in his book Velvet Elvis.

—————————-

“When eternal destiny is on the line and the question is sincere, you get a definitive answer from Jesus, not a question.  He did not want confusion about who He was or what He was asking from people or what the consequences were for rejecting Him.” -40

“The question [whether Mary was a virgin or not] fails to ask whether we get to or whether it is wise to poke holes in any wall we want.  It assumes something rather significant – that we have the right to repaint any painting we stumble across.  But is my Rembrandt as outdated as your Velvet Elvis?  Are the ancient masterpieces that have been regarded as priceless by centuries of experts really on the artistic level as a cheap Velvet knockoff?  Can each of us bring our bucket of Magic Markers and start repainting any canvas we think needs updating?” -41

“Good theology, like good sex, is not optional for the survival of the human race.  It is not for the religious/philosophical Geek Squad.  It is essential.” -43

“If you honor Him as a really good guy – an impressive martyr who showed us how to love and die well, and that’s it – then you’ve gotten something fatally wrong.  If you get your Christology wrong there, you lose your hope and you lose God.” -43

“Good theology and benefiting from its goodness demand that we humble ourselves and admit we don’t know, but we know the ones who do know.” -43

“No matter how we may wish to finesse it, no matter how uncool it may sound or how stupid or culturally out of touch it may make us appear, sometimes a categorical imperative is the difference between life and death.” -44

“In theology, there are big deals and little deals, as well as big and little words. …  What you have to keep your eyes open for is whether this or that belief or doctrine – or “brick” – directly impacts a person’s ultimate relationship with God, his service for God, and whether it enhances or detracts from God’s honor.” -44

“Just because so many people have gotten it wrong or been so unkind does not mean that the attempt to decide what is big is unimportant or bad or simply a waste of time and energy.” -46

“What the key is that you know Jesus.  The real Jesus, not the “Jesus-I-prefer” or the “Jesus-that-fits-my-cutlural-tempermental-preference.”  Jesus was the one who was really insistent about that.” -47

“If your theory about any of the above makes Jesus out to be less than He said He was – merely a quaint, well-intentioned moralizer, a great rabbi even, who simply came to show us the preferred or even the “best” way to live – then the theory is no longer innocuous, it is deadly.” -48

“The issues we do not repaint are elemental:  Is Jesus the Son of God?  Did He have a sinful human nature (i.e., was His mother a virgin)?  Did he die on the corss in order to pay for, atone, forgive, and effectively take away our sin?  Did He physically rise from the dead and thereby defeat sin, death, and Satan?  Do we need to believe in Jesus (confess, accept, trust, surrender, bow down before Him) and claim HIm as our exclusive Lord in order to be reconciled to Him and His Father?  These paintings were finished longbefore we showed up and have stood the test of time.  They are the standards by which all other paintings are judged.  The most you ever need to do with these masterpieces is carefully and respectfully posish their golden frames.” -51

“Then Jesus tells it to us straight up.  He comes to rip and tear families apart because He is bringing not peace but a sword, not unity but division (Matthew 10:35;  Luke 12:49,52).  He was not on vacation in Palestine but on a mission of violence that would end violently.” (13)

From Chapter 1: “King of Fools”

“The big question that looms in my mind is this: If it’s God’s love that wins, then what kind of love wins?” (27)

“There is an inherent, settled antipathy between God’s Kingdom and the kingdom of the world.” (29)

“What we need to make clear with our bumper stickers and culture-current writings is that the move that wins is a holy love.  The love that won on the cross and wins the world is a love that is driven, determined, and defined by holiness” (30)

“Our accomdation to our culture’s insistence on a half-truth puts us in danger of declawing and domesticating the mighty King, whose presence made deamons scream and death flee in shame.” (31)

“His coming was not to be marked by peace and tranquility – He came to impose a test of absolute allegiance.  He forced people into a divisive crisis of choice (Matthew 10:34-39).” (31)

I certainly do not agree with everything in the book.  For instance I would never say that Jesus was a revolutionary like Che or Castro (I would not say he is like George Washington either).  Also, I have a little trouble agreeing that unbelievers can serve God through their art (174).  But taken as a whole I would heartily recommend this book to everyone.  It is very readable and winsome.

Here are the 3 top reasons I like it:

1.  He gives a good explanation of who God is as a joyous, vengeful, righteous, merciful, jealous, and patient King who wants to share his joy with you while demanding that you bow down and worship him.

2.  He gently takes the emerging church to task (especially Rob Bell) by validating their concerns but noting that many times their cure is worse than the disease itself.

3.  He gently takes the fundamentalists to task by giving a solid defense of the arts as a legitimate Christian occupation and that “Apparently for Jesus – no works, no heaven” (156).

I hope soon to post a few of my favorite quotes from the book.