Phillip Yancey and Discernment

I am (or was) a big fan of Phillip Yancey, but after reading a review on each of a couple of his books ("What's So Amazing About Grace" and "The Christ I Never Knew") on 9 Marks ministry website. I have to agree with the reviews, remembering the nags in my head about some of what I was reading at the time. In fact, I liked reading "What's So Amazing About Grace", and was going to re-read it because I but felt it was largely unresolved in what Yancey was trying to achieve. Now, I am thinking that my discernment button is broken, under-exercised or maybe even untrustworthy. Grrrr... I know I am not suppose to figure it all out, being part of the journey... I just wish I knew what I was doing once in a while.



I am currently reading Donald Miller's Blue Like Jazz. It has a lot of nuggets (things to think about). I especially like the repeated thoughts concerning the some of the more 'got it together' (I know - a subjective term) Christians who act like they talk to God everyday and in fact, sounded (confident in their understanding) like they just got off the phone with Him.



In an email conversation with a friend, he writes I have a few of Yancy's books but I've never been a "fan", because 1) he is definitely Arminian [or Pelagian!] but in my mind in a disconcerting way that fails to wrestle through the issues, such as the one book he did on suffering, where he really failed to address the issues of Job's suffering from a robust theological interaction [which some Arminians do try to do & I respect even if I disagree], 2) he seems to mostly tell stories & often argues from them instead of any exegesis of biblical texts [the case of the homosexual friend comes to mind (Amazing Grace?), although its been a long time since I read that book too] 3) in kindness I'd say, he doesn't seem "for me anyway" to come across with anything profound, not that everything has to be profound, but like many "popular writers" at this point in my Christian walk, too much of it comes across as "fluff". I read a couple of Lucado's books & frankly I wasn't impressed. Consequently I've steered clear of a lot of the popular guys although I read & enjoy much of what MacArthur writes. I also appreciate Colson's Breakpoint not so much for his theology but for keeping me aware of current events touching on church & theolgoical issues. We are defintely working with a "Christianity for Dummies" version in a lot that is written today tragically.



The "Dummie" books can be quite comphrehensive, at least the two I have (one is on Diabete II)... Maybe it is time for a Dummie like book on Arminianism and Reformed thinking or on Worldviews and how they seem to affect theology for the bad.

Blue Like Jazz - Notes from the chapter "Problems"

We know 'something' about us is broken.
 
We need police to keep the order. Cops in our society is part of check and balances. We break a law and we pay the price. Countries where the police are corrupt are chaotic. Countries where there are no checks and balances have warring tribes, genocide, rapes, murders in huge numbers. 
 
Do you really think you are above these things?
 
Why does a child need to be taught right from wrong? If two children are brought up, one without instruction and one with, which child will be better. What would happen if that child that is taught right from wrong has checks and balances removed? Why does it take no effort to be bad, but most time, a lot of effort to be good?

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Satan weapon is not to entice us into sin, but to waste time, removing/neutralizing time to tell others of Christ.
 
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Ultimately, the problem with the world is me.
 
I cannot solve the worlds problems because the problem starts with me. I can rage against materialism, social and industrial actions of the United States, but I have no control over my own heart. I am a hypocrite

Four Types of Christians: (or Why Christians Become Lukewarm)

In the area of discipleship, Baxter outlines four classic conditions of true believers.
 
The first are the young and weak. Baxter writes, �There are many of our flock who are young and weak, who, though they are of long standing, are yet of small proficiency or strength. This indeed, is the most common condition of the Godly. Most of them content themselves with low degrees of grace, and it is no easy matter to get them to go higher. Yes, it is a very sad thing for Christians to be weak.� To be young and weak is to be weak in discipleship, or spiritual growth and service. They are weak and young even though they may have been Christians for ten or twenty years.
 
A second class of converts that need our special help are those who labor under some particular corruption. This makes them a trouble to others and a burden to themselves. �Alas, there are to many such persons addicted to pride, worldly minded sensual pleasures...� Maybe it�s pride, fits of anger, or a sexual addiction of some kind. We can estimate, for example, that between 60% and 70% of all men are involved in pornography...both Christians and non-Christians. We must have a heart to offer such men special help, which means making effective resources available to them (counseling, church discipline, accountability, small groups).
 
A third class of converts are those whom Baxter called declining Christians. These may have once burned bright, but years of neglect and compromise has caused the fire to die down. This is a common sight in most churches today. Many of the men I meet who are declining Christians have come to that point because of a dream that didn�t come true. They believe in Jesus, but there was something else they thought they needed in order to be happy. And not getting it has somehow dulled their relationship with Christ. These men slowly withdraw. They just cooled down, never noticing the change in their temperature.
 
The fourth class represents the strong. �The last class, whom I shall notice here as requiring our attention, are the strong, for they also have need of our assistance...� How much better to leverage the strong than merely attend to the sick.


 

Thoughts from the book "Blue Like Jazz"

By Donald Miller
 
In the Chapter: Beginnings
 
Do we think of God as a slot machine? Do we get on our knees and pray, as in pulling the handle, hoping that the cherries will line up and our prayer will be answered, and if note, just making a mental note that it is a matter of luck?