Links & Quotes

link quote

“Just as God saved man by taking upon Himself man’s flesh, so everywhere in the world He calls men by speaking to them through men of their own flesh and blood. God incarnates Himself—in His Spirit, incarnates Himself in the chosen men, especially in His church, in which He dwells as in a temple; and then through that church He is pleased to bless the world.” —Charles Spurgeon

J. Warner Wallace does an excellent job using his skills as a police detective to investigate the claims of Scripture. Here is a really good post entitled 4 Reasons The New Testament Gospels Are Reliable.

“Most Christians know we’re not saved by our works, but we are often prone to be satisfied by them,” writes Marshall Segal in his post Work With Your Hands, Not With Your Worship. Check out how we can worship and work in a God-glorifying way.

I grew up in the Detroit area, so the Tigers, Lions, Red Wings and Pistons were―and mostly still are (except for the Lie-downs)―my teams. Here’s a really cool post on how these teams got their names.

This phone call from a Planned Parenthood employee reveals the dishonesty this abortion provider is steeped in.

“Forgiving a financial debt costs your balance sheet. Forgiving an owed apology frees you to be generous again.” —Seth Godin

“Prayer and humility, along with a hatred for sin, produces a ‘mind to work.’ ‘So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work’ (Nehemiah 4:6). True revivals of holiness always produce workers. Books and seminars and lectures don’t—but revival does!” —David Wilkerson

Allen Iverson and My Friends

Ball-hog or championship-maker?

Allen Iverson: Ball-hog or championship-maker?

So the Detroit Pistons traded a couple of fairly decent players for Allen Iverson, a very prolific scorer. As the news broke, friends emailed me and posted comments on Facebook: “Great move!” and “Lousy trade!” It’s nice to be able to banter about something which has no lasting impact on my life. Whether it was a good move for the Pistons or not, it really doesn’t have any bearing on my life. Some people call AI a ball-hog, some say he makes other players elevate their game; some people say “The Answer” only seeks to pad his personal stats, while others are convinced he pushes himself and his team to win championships. Either way, my life is not really that impacted.

But in trading playful barbs with my friends, I was reminded of the value of those friendships. I recently called on some friends at the last minute to give up their Halloween night to help us “Light The Night,” and they answered the call without hesitation. Another friend drove over 90 minutes roundtrip just to look at Betsy’s van to figure out what was wrong… and saved us a lot of money in repair bills in the process. Another friend gave me some really honest (and painful, at the time) feedback, and it helped me grow. I don’t know if AI will help the Pistons, or if he’s only in it for himself. But I do know that I am awfully blessed to have some amazingly faithful and generous friends who truly love me.