Archives For November 30, 2007

Welcome to InGodsImage.com, the web home of the new I.M.A.G.E. Project for men.   This section of the website will function as a blog.   Project updates will show up here, as well as fresh, thought-provoking material to spur men on in their quest to live God-glorifying lives of integrity.   Older posts will appear to the right of this box.

You can best keep track of developments in the I.M.A.G.E. Project by:

  • Subscribing to the RSS feed (always available in the upper right-hand corner)
  • Joining the I.M.A.G.E. mailing list (always available in the bottom right-hand corner)

Thanks for visiting, and please drop in often.

On the Making of Assumptions

December 29, 2008 — 1 Comment

A young couple moves into a new neighborhood. One morning, while eating breakfast, the young woman sees her neighbor hanging some “washed” laundry outside.

“Those clothes sure don’t look very clean,” she mumbled. “It doesn’t even look like she knows how to do laundry. She must need help.”

Her husband looked on, but remained silent.

Every time her neighbor would hang her laundry to dry, the young woman would make the same sort of comments.

About a month later, the young woman was surprised to see sparkling white clothes on the line and said to her husband: “Look! That woman finally learned how to wash her clothes! I wonder who clued her in?”

The husband said, “I got up early this morning and washed our windows.”

More often than not, our points of view say more about us than they do about the circumstances upon which we are commenting. Let’s try to remember that throughout the day.

Take a moment to listen to Job’s words in Job 31:1:

“I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I gaze at a virgin?”

Guys, the odds are overwhelming that at some point today you’ll be presented with the opportunity to “gaze” at a woman to whom you have no rights.   Why not start the day out by following Job’s admirable example of integrity?   Make up your mind right now:

“I will not allow sinful thoughts to fester in my mind as a result of the inappropriate use of my eyes.   I’ve made a covenant, and I plan to stick to it all day long.”

Do that, and at the end of the day, you will not be ashamed.

I'm Watching You, Dad

December 28, 2008 — 1 Comment

What a great reminder that children are always watching, learning, and storing memories away.   Like little sponges, they absorb more of your influence each day.   If you’re a father, I know you’re busy.   But take just 2:41 for a critical reminder. Your children are watching. What lessons did they learn from you today?



My Jesus, I Love Thee

December 28, 2008 — Leave a comment

My Jesus, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine,
For Thee all the follies of sin I resign;
My gracious Redeemer, my Savior art Thou;
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.

I love Thee, because Thou hast first loved me,
And purchased my pardon on Calvary’s tree;
I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow;
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.

I’ll love Thee in life, I will love thee in death,
And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath;
And say when the death dew lies cold on my brow,
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.

In mansions of glory and endless delight,
I’ll ever adore Thee in heaven so bright;
I’ll sing with the glittering crown on my brow;
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.

- William R. Featherstone, 1862

D. A. Carson, on the danger of Christians conforming to the pattern of this world, specifically when it comes to the use of technology.   A few quotes:

The speed of the Internet is stunning.   A few years ago I was attending a meeting of pastors, most of us with our laptops out taking notes during the complex discussions, when the chap next to me turned his screen to me and invited me to read what was there.   About fifteen minutes earlier he had said something to the group.   What he had said was summarized and sent by another member of the group to his associate back home.   The associate blogged the information, and that blog was picked up by an RSS feed that brought the information to the blog of one of the assistants of the chap beside me.   That assistant emailed his boss, and there was the question on the screen: “Did you really say that?”   Amusing, even fun—but such speed is encouraging us to bash out responses before we’ve heard another side, before we’ve had time to evaluate, before we’ve pondered whether or not it is wise and godly to respond at all, before we’ve cooled down and been careful in our choice of words.   When you set out to write a book, a good editor fosters such virtues, but most blogs pass through the hands of no editors, and graceful communication is not thereby enhanced.

Scarcely less important than speed of access is the Internet’s sheer intoxicating addictiveness—or, more broadly, we might be better to think of the intoxicating addictiveness of the entire digital world.   Many are those who are never quiet, alone, and reflective, who never read material that demands reflection and imagination.   The iPods provide the music, the phones constant access to friends, phones and computers tie us to news, video, YouTube, Facebook, and on and on.   This is not to demonize tools that are so very useful.   Rather, it is to point out the obvious: information does not necessarily spell knowledge, and knowledge does not necessarily spell wisdom, and the incessant demand for unending sensory input from the digital world (says he, as he writes this on a computer for an electronic theological journal) does not guarantee we make good choices.   We have the potential to become world citizens, informed about every corner of the globe, but in many western countries the standards of geographical and cross-cultural awareness have seriously declined.   We have access to spectacularly useful information, but most of us diddle around on ephemeral blogs and listen to music as enduring as a snowball in a blast furnace.   Sometimes we just become burned out by the endless waves of bad news, and decide the best course is to turn the iPod volume up a bit.

Read the whole article here.

ht: Between Two Worlds

Johnathon Bowers on at least 11 things snow says at once:

Minneapolis is in a deep chill today.   Both of my car doors were frozen shut this morning.   Thankfully, there is a cloak of snow over everything to bring a beauty to the freeze.   Beyond delighting the eyes, however, snow speaks to those who have ears to hear.   And it is saying more than one thing:

1. “This is a day for valiant acts of faith.”   (1 Chronicles 11:22)
2. “God is unspeakably powerful.”   (Job 37:5-6)
3. “Be humbled, O man.”   (Job 38:22-23)
4. “God commanded me to fall.”   (Psalm 147:16-17)
5. “Praise the Lord!”   (Psalm 148:7-8)
6. “Be a faithful servant in all of your roles.”   (Proverbs 25:13)
7. “Seek wisdom with all of your heart.”   (Proverbs 26:1)
8. “Take care of your family.”   (Proverbs 31:21)
9. “God will forgive your sins through Christ.”   (Isaiah 1:18)
10. “God’s word will accomplish all his purpose.”   (Isaiah 55:10-11)
11. “This is what Jesus looks like.”   (Daniel 7:9; Revelation 1:14-15)

Psalm 34

December 14, 2008 — Leave a comment

I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad.
Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together!

I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.
This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.

Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!   Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack!
The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
What man is there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good?
Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.
Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry.
The face of the LORD is against those who do evil,
To cut off the memory of them from the earth.
When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.
The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all.
He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.
Affliction will slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
The LORD redeems the life of his servants;
None of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

A young couple moves into a new neighborhood.   One morning, while eating breakfast, the young woman sees her neighbor hanging some “washed” laundry outside.

“Those clothes sure don’t look very clean,” she mumbled.   “It doesn’t even look like she knows how to do laundry.   She must need help.”

Her husband looked on, but remained silent.

Every time her neighbor would hang her laundry to dry, the young woman would make the same sort of comments.

About a month later, the young woman was surprised to see sparkling white clothes on the line and said to her husband: “Look!   That woman finally learned how to wash her clothes!   I wonder who clued her in?”

The husband said, “I got up early this morning and washed our windows.”

More often than not, our points of view say more about us than they do about the circumstances upon which we are commenting.   Let’s try to remember that throughout the day.

A sermon I presented in the 12/7/08 A.M. assembly at Laurel Canyon.

Job.   A tremendous Biblical example.   Not only did he endure unspeakable hardship with great patience and spiritual stamina, Job was a man of exemplary integrity and character before the trials ever came. It didn’t take a natural disaster to turn Job’s attention to God.   It didn’t take the losing of 7 sons and 3 daughters for Job to consider the nature of life on earth.

But have you ever wondered how you would react to such hardships?   How would the Book of Job be introduced if it were written about you?   What would Satan need to do to shake your faith?   Use these resources as a tool to seriously consider those eternally important questions.