Man, I really think I need an adventure... I wonder if unpleasant moods ("black" moods or anxiety) aren't confused with and/or caused by... boredom. Perhaps I need to either go on an adventure or start to view things that I'm currently doing as a part of the adventure... What a man couldn't do with a stronger imagination!
Let me quote a famous thinker.
"I once thought I had mono for an entire year. It turned out I was just really bored."
-Wayne, Wayne's World
Monday, November 9, 2009
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Tozer's wisdom
The whole outlook of mankind might be changed if we could all believe that we dwell under a friendly sky and that the God of heaven, though exalted in power and majesty is eager to be friends with us.
But sin has made us timid and self-conscious, as well it might. Years of rebellion against God have bred in us, a fear that cannot be overcome in a day. The captured rebel does not enter willingly the presence of the king he has so long fought unsuccessfully to overthrow. But if he is truly penitent he may come, trusting only in the loving-kindness of his Lord, and the past will not be held against him. Meister Eckhart encourages us to remember that, when we return to God, even if our sins were as great in number as all mankind’s put together, still God would not count them against us, but would have as much confidence in us as if we had never sinned...
...The greatness of God rouses fear within us, but His goodness encourages us not to be afraid of Him. To fear and not be afraid - that is the paradox of faith.
-A.W. Tozer from "The Goodness of God" in Knowledge of the Holy
But sin has made us timid and self-conscious, as well it might. Years of rebellion against God have bred in us, a fear that cannot be overcome in a day. The captured rebel does not enter willingly the presence of the king he has so long fought unsuccessfully to overthrow. But if he is truly penitent he may come, trusting only in the loving-kindness of his Lord, and the past will not be held against him. Meister Eckhart encourages us to remember that, when we return to God, even if our sins were as great in number as all mankind’s put together, still God would not count them against us, but would have as much confidence in us as if we had never sinned...
...The greatness of God rouses fear within us, but His goodness encourages us not to be afraid of Him. To fear and not be afraid - that is the paradox of faith.
-A.W. Tozer from "The Goodness of God" in Knowledge of the Holy
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Four things learned from a rough week
1. My sin is much and runs deep. It's not just stuff I do, but it's my heart itself. To be blatantly honest, I often think I'm smarter than everyone else and that somehow makes me better. Yeah, it's ugly.
2. My heart often turns religious. I start well- actions inspired out of his love for me. However, when I lose sight of the love, the actions become "the motions" and I am religious.
3. Faith in the gospel is the way out of both of these situations.
4. I must get out of the city regularly. I think straight when I'm calmed by open spaces.
2. My heart often turns religious. I start well- actions inspired out of his love for me. However, when I lose sight of the love, the actions become "the motions" and I am religious.
3. Faith in the gospel is the way out of both of these situations.
- The gospel shows me why I must be humble- the only reason I am alright is nothing short of the God-man come down to rescue me. How could I boast about anything when my sin required Jesus Christ to die for Brett Ripley?
- Religion is empty action. It happens as I forget about the things I need: God's love, grace, and forgiveness. When I forget about these things, life is average at best, drudgery at worst. But when I believe that there's a God who is here and who loves me and doesn't have an ounce of wrath for me, I am warmed up inside to go face a cold world with love and action rather than religion.
4. I must get out of the city regularly. I think straight when I'm calmed by open spaces.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Faith Today
What are you doing today that requires faith in God? Maybe you're listening to a sermon, reading your bible, going to church, or something along those lines. That's great. My question remains.
Christian, what are you doing today that requires faith?
America makes it so easy to be for me to be a professing Christian and functional atheist.
Christian, what are you doing today that requires faith?
America makes it so easy to be for me to be a professing Christian and functional atheist.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Friday, September 25, 2009
Huxley quote
"For myself, as, no doubt, for most of my contemporaries, the philosophy of meaningless was essentially an instrument of liberation. The liberation we desired was simultaneously liberation from a certain political and economic system and liberation from a certain system of morality. We objected to the morality because it interfered with our sexual freedom."
-Aldous Huxley
Faith is a complex thing. It involves desire, intellectual knowledge, emotion, and most importantly, will- what you want to believe.
-Aldous Huxley
Faith is a complex thing. It involves desire, intellectual knowledge, emotion, and most importantly, will- what you want to believe.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Brett's First Poem
The Things I Now See
-A 2009 remix of "The Rich Man and Lazarus"
As I sit here and think of the chance that I missed,
I guess I didn’t buy that it would all end like this.
So many fun times, there was always a fling
Looking back, what I had didn’t amount to a thing,
My friends, even family, close relatives too,
TV shows, and books, most people I knew,
They all said “don’t worry, have fun while it lasts,
Live up this life, it’ll all soon be past,”
“But when you die, don’t worry, my friend
You’re a pretty good person, you’ll be fine in the end. “
So that’s what I did- I lived without care.
Though people went hungry I didn’t think to share.
Being born here, God gave me great things,
I did what the rest did, I lived like a king.
My days had great comfort while under the sun,
I bought what I wanted, my idol was “fun”.
I knew all about Jesus, he was alright with me,
I called myself “Christian”, what else would I be?
I went to church, I called God #1,
Though I only “obeyed” when he didn’t ruin my fun
That included my time- that’s not God’s to keep,
It included my money, I work hard- life’s not cheap.
Most of all, my sex-life was mine.
Let’s not be old fashioned- let’s get with the times.
I joined in the fun, many nights were a “win”
Though I sensed something wrong, I never called it sin.
As the time passed, I found myself grown,
A job, a house, and a wife of my own
Though I admit, I didn’t always treat her,
With the respect she deserved, but hey, I didn’t beat her.
My kids too, I just couldn’t relate,
So I’d crack a few beers, mow the lawn to escape
As the kids went off, made the same mistakes I did,
My emptiness complete, I was a master to hide it.
And that’s how I died, with a wife, but alone.
A muffled despair in my high-priced home.
I thought God was just love, life a wide path.
If I’d just read His book, I’d read of his wrath,
That justice had for me, for all of my sin.
When I think it’s extinguished, again it begins.
You see I thought Hell was a place for the worst,
Hitler, Stalin, those men were cursed
But little old me, I’m nice- never mean
Hardly any sin, here. I’m a good guy- I’m clean.
“I wasn’t that bad”, I thought up on Earth
Everyone told me how much I was worth.
But 10,000 years later, I'll still be here.
I thought there’d be flames; turns out its clear.
The only things missing down here are love,
joy, peace, and that guy, God, up above.
People here hate me, most days it’s just tears.
All my friends made it too, but there’s no friendship down here.
No days are good, I'm always depressed.
It's like I haven't slept in years, but I can never find rest.
If only I’d thought of the God –man come down,
for sinners like me, he laid down his crown.
Was tortured and beaten and nailed to a tree
And he took God’s wrath, he took it…. …. For me.
So I could be right with the Father who loves,
So I could be with him, King Jesus, above.
So I could live life with purpose anew,
And say “not my will, Father- It’s all about you.”
If I had only given in, submitted to Christ,
His death covering my sin’s unpayable price.
And his perfect life credited to me,
I wouldn’t know hell- In heaven I’d be
With the God who once put his love on display
Who’d rather die than see me go my own way.
Your death is a day on the calendar friend,
Look to Him now, you don’t know when it ends
Dying seemed mostly an idea to me,
If I only knew then, the things I now see.
Luke 16:19-31
-A 2009 remix of "The Rich Man and Lazarus"
As I sit here and think of the chance that I missed,
I guess I didn’t buy that it would all end like this.
So many fun times, there was always a fling
Looking back, what I had didn’t amount to a thing,
My friends, even family, close relatives too,
TV shows, and books, most people I knew,
They all said “don’t worry, have fun while it lasts,
Live up this life, it’ll all soon be past,”
“But when you die, don’t worry, my friend
You’re a pretty good person, you’ll be fine in the end. “
So that’s what I did- I lived without care.
Though people went hungry I didn’t think to share.
Being born here, God gave me great things,
I did what the rest did, I lived like a king.
My days had great comfort while under the sun,
I bought what I wanted, my idol was “fun”.
I knew all about Jesus, he was alright with me,
I called myself “Christian”, what else would I be?
I went to church, I called God #1,
Though I only “obeyed” when he didn’t ruin my fun
That included my time- that’s not God’s to keep,
It included my money, I work hard- life’s not cheap.
Most of all, my sex-life was mine.
Let’s not be old fashioned- let’s get with the times.
I joined in the fun, many nights were a “win”
Though I sensed something wrong, I never called it sin.
As the time passed, I found myself grown,
A job, a house, and a wife of my own
Though I admit, I didn’t always treat her,
With the respect she deserved, but hey, I didn’t beat her.
My kids too, I just couldn’t relate,
So I’d crack a few beers, mow the lawn to escape
As the kids went off, made the same mistakes I did,
My emptiness complete, I was a master to hide it.
And that’s how I died, with a wife, but alone.
A muffled despair in my high-priced home.
I thought God was just love, life a wide path.
If I’d just read His book, I’d read of his wrath,
That justice had for me, for all of my sin.
When I think it’s extinguished, again it begins.
You see I thought Hell was a place for the worst,
Hitler, Stalin, those men were cursed
But little old me, I’m nice- never mean
Hardly any sin, here. I’m a good guy- I’m clean.
“I wasn’t that bad”, I thought up on Earth
Everyone told me how much I was worth.
But 10,000 years later, I'll still be here.
I thought there’d be flames; turns out its clear.
The only things missing down here are love,
joy, peace, and that guy, God, up above.
People here hate me, most days it’s just tears.
All my friends made it too, but there’s no friendship down here.
No days are good, I'm always depressed.
It's like I haven't slept in years, but I can never find rest.
If only I’d thought of the God –man come down,
for sinners like me, he laid down his crown.
Was tortured and beaten and nailed to a tree
And he took God’s wrath, he took it…. …. For me.
So I could be right with the Father who loves,
So I could be with him, King Jesus, above.
So I could live life with purpose anew,
And say “not my will, Father- It’s all about you.”
If I had only given in, submitted to Christ,
His death covering my sin’s unpayable price.
And his perfect life credited to me,
I wouldn’t know hell- In heaven I’d be
With the God who once put his love on display
Who’d rather die than see me go my own way.
Your death is a day on the calendar friend,
Look to Him now, you don’t know when it ends
Dying seemed mostly an idea to me,
If I only knew then, the things I now see.
Luke 16:19-31
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)