DC

When I was at my worst, He loved, chased, and secured me.

[Keith Plummer @XianMind]

"A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion." (Proverbs 18:2)

[Jeff Vanderstelt @JeffVanderstelt]

I have led several groups through a process of describing what contributed most to their spiritual transformation. The top responses: 1) Intentional relationships; and 2) Suffering. Said no one: Sunday services. Something to consider as we invest our time and resources.

[DC @daine1985]

“Where Adam collapsed, Jesus conquered. Where Adam compromised, Jesus refused to negotiate... The second Adam triumphed for Himself and for us.” —R.C. Sproul

[Chad Bird @birdchadlouis]

Is Jesus Yahweh Incarnate? Just Ask Jude

There’s no shortage of religious people, even some who claim to be Christians, who deny that Jesus is fully divine. They may even say he is the Son of God, but confess that he is ultimately a creature, one who was made by God.

They would certainly deny that Jesus is Yahweh incarnate.

If you ever find yourself in a conversation with such a person, there are many excellent passages you can discuss with them. John 1:1ff, for example, where the Word (=Jesus) is God, or even John 20:28, where Thomas says to Jesus, “My Lord and my God.”

But another passage that might not come immediately to mind is Jude 5, which reads, “Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.”

Who saved Israel from Egypt? Jesus. In the Old Testament, of course, it says that Yahweh saved Israel from Egypt. Therefore, Jude is saying that Jesus is Yahweh. He is the LORD incarnate.

This passage from Jude is so shockingly blatant in its claim that it even bothered some scribes, whose responsibility it was to hand-copy the NT manuscripts all those centuries before the printing press. The reading of “Jesus” in Jude 5 is present in a wide variety of early Greek manuscripts. It has very strong manuscript support. But there are also variants in other manuscripts. Some have “Lord” or “God” instead of “Jesus.” This reading of Lord/God is (unfortunately, in my opinion) adopted in many English translations, such as the KJV, NIV, NASB, etc. Others, such as the ESV, CSB, and NET have “Jesus” in Jude 5.

Textual criticism is the science of deliberating which words in which ancient manuscripts reflect the probable original text. It is not guesswork but a highly developed science, used not only for biblical manuscripts but all ancient texts. A standard rule of textual criticism is that the most “difficult” reading is likely the original. In Jude 5, the difficult reading is “Jesus,” because, as I say, this is a shockingly blatant claim that Jesus delivered Israel. The easy reading would be “Lord” or “God,” because that would be expected and unremarkable. And it is not uncommon for scribes, in some manuscripts, to alter the difficult word or phrase for an easy one. That would explain why some Greek manuscripts have "God” or “Lord” instead of "Jesus."

If “Jesus” is the original reading—and I, along with many others, think that it was—then Jude is boldly and rightly telling us that Jesus is none other than the Creator of the world, the Savior of Israel, God himself. He is Yahweh in the flesh.

[Timothy Keller (1950-2023) @timkellernyc]

True gospel humility means I stop connecting every experience and every conversation with myself. I stop thinking about myself altogether.

[DC @daine1985]

She’s on another level. #elite #tori #torikelly

https://t.co/Ia27f9ZDdR

[Chad Bird @birdchadlouis]

Humility Online: Some Thoughts

Something I constantly remind myself of, especially when online, is that I don’t need to have an opinion on every issue (and I certainly don’t need to express one). In fact, it would be the height of arrogance for me to do so, because I simply cannot know enough. My knowledge is limited. I have much to learn. I am one person.

I am not an expert on military issues, health concerns, legal questions, etc. And reading an article or two, even a book or two, does not make me one.

Wisdom has not been democratized. Some have more, some have less, some have none. There is also a hierarchy of learning and expertise. I strive to learn from those who seem higher on that scale.

For all its good, social media is also an extremely dangerous area. It gives an equal platform to both sages and fools. All too often, it rewards those who are the loudest and most obnoxious. It also allows us to give immediate vent to emotional reactions we may have (never a good idea).

Let us then pray for humility, patience, and discernment when opening FB, Twitter, or some other social media. Make it your goal to be positive and encouraging as much as possible. If something negative must be said, first give it 5 minutes. Then, if you still want to say it, do not attack the person but critique an idea.

Social media can be a place we make better or worse. The decision is ours. Let us strive, as much as possible, to leave it better than we found it.

Peace to each of you.

[DC @daine1985]

@KatelynBeaty Northway Collective, Matt Redman, Brooke Ligertwood, Rend Collective, Fred Hammond, Anita Wilson, Israel Houghton

[DC @daine1985]

@richvillodas Amen!

[The Gospel Coalition @TGC]

With great sadness we mourn the loss of TGC co-founder Timothy Keller, 72, who died today, more than three years after he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

[DC @daine1985]

@AntonioPaganii @bballforever_ That is equally true.

[DC @daine1985]

@PhillyPedro1 @bballforever_ Didn’t U watch the 2015 series? Cavs almost won that round without Kyrie&Klove! Why do you think they cried&brought KD? Andre was irrelevant in retrospect. The voters couldn’t come to grips that Steph changed the game & someone like him can be a finals MVP. Since then corrected.

[DC @daine1985]

@DrLoritts 😂

[DC @daine1985]

@thederekminor Overall production and sound? POL Chp 1. It’s never been the same for Fred since that album. It’s timeless.
But in terms of bass grooves and congregational songwriting(eg: give me a clean heart, you are the living word), then purpose by design has the edge.Mix however was muffld

[DC @daine1985]

@gpackiam @richvillodas @SHoddeMiller This is exciting. Dream team indeed!

[DC @daine1985]

@PeytonBowen10 🙌🏽💪🏽

[DC @daine1985]

@NelsonSolomon Dallimore is boss. One of the best bio books on a theologian. Wrecked me years ago as I read it.

[Charlie Dates @CharlieDates]

I submitted this statement out of a sense of conviction and lament.

Every generation of the Black Church has had, in good faith, to mark the bounds. I do not speak for all Black churches, just mine.

We love everybody. So, we won’t oblige to everything.

https://t.co/4jzo78gzZZ

[Marc Stein @TheSteinLine]

LeBron James won NBA Finals MVP by a unanimous vote of 11-0