book review, wayne grudem part 3

Having a blog helps me keep accountable to reading through Wayne Grudems Systematic Theology...

More from the "introduction" chapter:

1. What happens when Christians come to conclusions about theological issues without thorough regard to scripture?  (I am definitely guilty of this, and it doesn't have to be like that!)

Can you ask questions in theology that are not directly answered in the Bible?  Can we ask about things that were apparently not important to the writers in the Bible, such as women's roles in the church, the doctrine of the trinity, etc?
                         
YES, says Grudem.  "Our choice of topics need not be restricted to the main concerns of the biblical authors, for our goal is to find out what God requires of us in all areas of concern for us today." 


It is clear that "we WILL think something about those subjects, and often form our opinion haphazardly from a general impression of what we feel to be a "biblical" position on each subject. 


In fact, this approach - one all too common in evangelical circles today - could, I suppose, be called "unsystematic theolody" or even "disorderly and random theology." 


It tends toward doctrinal fragemntation and widespread doctrinal uncertainty, leaving the church theologically immature, like "children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine." "


2.  We should study systematic theology with prayer.

Just as the psalmist prays in Psalm 119:18, "Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law," so we should pray and seek God's help in understanding his Word." 


"Studying theology is therefore a spiritual activity in which we need the help of the Holy Spirit." 


3.  WE should study systematic theology with humility.

I often connected "theology" with prideful people and also with almost unkindness to people with different theological conclusions...why is that so?

Grudem says, "Systematic theology rightly studied will not lead to the knowledge that "puffs up" but to humility and love for others." 


4.  One last point; we can make logical deductions from scripture about things that are not directly addressed IN scripture.

But, according to Wayne Grudem, "any logical deductions from scripture cannot contradict scripture." 


More to come....

Balcony, part two

Our balcony project got a bit of a delay, thanks to the window replacement company who "occupied" our balcony for about two weeks.  But now they are gone and we are back in business.  And honestly, having all the plants inside was probably good for pushing the seedlings out quicker!

Improvements: two plant stands, flowers actually coming up, a hanging pot, and a few more pot additions...

 Here we will have sunflowers and sweet peas...

 Look at that!  It's dill, chives, and mixed salad (plus a big basil plant that I cheated and bought already grown).

 More mixed salad....it's actually growing!

 Another confession; I seriously doubted if I could grow strawberries and tomatoes from a seed in this cold Swedish weather, so I will just be happy if they survive and produce anything.

 mmmm, look at all that salad in that bucket!

still to come- beautification of the walls, chairs and table, 

and a good book and cup of coffee to be enjoyed out there...

Having friends come for a week and take pictures of our "daily life" really helped me see things freshly through their eyes...and realize what a sweet life we have here! Here's a little list of some of the simple things that I take for granted.....                                                

Number 1: Cabins and countryside

Doesn't this look magical?  It's actually just Daniel's family's front yard!

 Number 2:  Skata fåglar (magpie birds) that keep us company...everywhere!

Number 3: We might live in a rough area but it is still beautiful here. 

Number 4:  The walk to Lydia's playgroup is really amazing!

Number 5:  Even crowded apartment blocks get sweet sunsets.

Number 6:  But it is still apparant that we live in a neighborhood that makes it's own rules about freedoms....they censored and added "clothes" to the naked ladies in this mural on the wall. 

(ps, I am not a fan of naked ladies being painted in public, but this is also art that someone worked hard on which was vandalized).

Number 7:  Did I mention that we live in a beautiful place?  God's hand in creation and nature is stunning. 

Book review, Wayne Grudems systematic Theology part 2.

Book Review part two:  Wayne Grudem's systematic theology (introduction)...

Once again, I will let the quotes speak for themselves...

1.  Theology should put action behind your evangelism, and NOT be an isolated study.
             

"Nowhere in Scripture do we find doctrine studied for its own sake or in isolation from life.  The biblical writers consistently apply their teaching to life." 

2. Reading the Bible is always best, but it does not mean that a Christian who reads ONLY the Bible understands what it summarizes into. (It is easy to read one verse here or there and make your own summaries, while systematic theology compares all the verses on a topic and gives a hopefully more balanced summary.)

"A formal study of systematic theology will make it possible to formulate summaries of biblical teachings with much more accuracy than Christians would normally arrive at without such a study.  (but) summaries of biblical teachings must be worded precisely to guard agains misunderstandings and to exclude fals teachings." 

3.  We all have our own beliefs, but who knows where they came from.  Was it something we heard from a preacher, from school, from relatives/parents, or from the Bible?  And how do we know what should shape our beliefs?



"It is of utmost importance therefore that each person beginning such a course firmly resolve in his or her own mind to abandon as false any idea which is found to be clearly contradicted by the teaching of Scripture.  BUT it is also very important for each person to resolve not to believe any individual doctrine simply because this textbook or some other textbook or teacher says that it is true, unless this book or the instructor in a course can convince the student from the text of Scripture itself. It is Scripture alone, not "conservative evangelical tradition," or any other human authority, that must function as the normative authority for the definition of what we should believe." 


4. Why should Christians study theology?

"Why is it not sufficient simply to continue reading the Bible regularly every day of our lives? 


Matthew 28:19-20, Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you;  and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age. 


The task of fulfilling the Great Commision includes therefore not only evangelism but also teaching."


5.  When the Bible doesn't agree with us or we have used one verse to justify our stance on some issue....what then?

"Studying theology helps us overcome our wrong ideas. It is helpful for us to be confronted with the total weight of the teaching of Scripture on that subject, so that we will more readily be persuaded even against our initial wrongful inclinations." 

6.  Will studying theology help our "walk with God?"

"The more we know about God, about his Word, about his relationships to the world and mankind, the better we will trust him, the more fully we will praise him, and the more readily we will obey him.  Studying systematic theology rightly will make us more mature Christians.  If it does not d this, we are not studying it in the way God intends."  

7.  What is the difference between major and minor doctrines?

" A major doctrine is one that has significant impact on our thinking about other doctrines, or that has a significant impact on how we life the Christian lfie.  A minor doctrine is one that has very little impact on how we think about other doctrines, and very little impact on how we live the Christian life." 

Major:  authority of the Bible, the Trinity, the deity of Christ, justification by faith....
Minor: types of church government, lord supper styles, timing of great tribulation...


Let's end on a good note...what if we disagree only on minor issues?

"Christians who differ over these (minor) things can agree on perhaps every other area of doctrine, CAN live  Christian lives that differ in no important way, and CAN have genuine fellowship with one another." 

book review...Systematic Theology

Surprise, Daniel!  I am realizing the treasures that are sitting on our bookshelf, and want to start with this beloved book of yours, Wayne Grudem's, Systematic Theology.

Did you know that you can listen to all the chapters put out by Grudem himself on itunes?

I haven't gotten so far yet, but here is what has struck me in the first pages:

1.  Theology does not have to be confusing, big words, or only for theologians.

"I do not believe that God intended the study of theology to result in confusion.  A student who comes out of a course in theology filled only with doctrinal uncertainty and a thousand unanswered questions is hardly “able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to confute those who contradict it.” (Titus 1:9)"

2. It is ok to disagree, but it is not ok to be a Christian for so long without knowing where you stand on basic issues!

"I do not expect that everyone reading this book will agree with me at every point of doctrine;  I do think that every reader will understand the positions I am arguing for and where Scripture can be found to support those positions."

“I am convinced that there is an urgent need in the church today for much greater understanding of Christian doctrine, or systematic theology. Not only pastors and teachers need to understand theology in greater depth -- the WHOLE CHURCH does as well. One day by God's grace we may have churches full of Christians who can discuss, apply and LIVE the doctrinal teachings of the Bible as readily as they can discuss the details of their own jobs or hobbies - or the fortunes of their favorite sports team or television program.”  

3.  Theology is not so dry as some may think....

“I do not believe that God intended the study of theology to be dry and boring. Theology is the study of God and all his works! Theology is meant to be LIVED and PRAYED and SUNG! All of the great doctrinal writings of the Bible (such as Paul's epistle to the Romans) are full of praise to God and personal application to life.” 

4.  It starts with believing that the Bible is true...what is "theological studies" without the Bible?

“I think that ultimately we will attain much more depth of understanding of Scripture when we are able to study it in the company of a great number of scholars who all begin with the conviction that the Bible is completely true and absolutely authoritative.” 

....more to come....

Book review...motherhood in the trenches

I don't get so many of the "just out on the shelves" all the way out here in Sweden, but I did snap up this book.

Loving the little years...Motherhood in the trenches. 

If you have small kids or know someone that does, get this book for them.  It is a witty book, but also goes right to the heart of childraising.  If all our actions are "right" but our attitude is wrong, they will pick up on that and that will cancel out a lot of our other hard work!

The author, Rachel Jankovic, blogs on desiringgod.org webpage, you can read some more of her blogging here: http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/authors/rachel-jankovic

I think instead of giving a "review," I will let the book speak for itself.

“Sometimes parents can discipline behaviors over and over and over like we are playing whack-a-mole. There is a sin! Get it! This can get very frustrating when it doesn’t seem to be helping anything. We think we are being so diligent! But the real problem is that the child doesn’t know what to do with it.

…Little girls need help sorting out their emotions–not so they can wallow in them, but so they can learn to control them..

We tell our girls that their feelings are like horses– beautiful, spirited horses. But they are the riders. We tell them that God gave them this horse when they were born, and they will ride it their whole life… When our emotions act up, it is like the horse trying to jump the fence and run down into a yucky place… horses are not the problem. There is nothing wrong with the emotions. If we have a little rider who is woefully unprepared to control her horse, well then, we had better start with some pretty serious riding lessons.

Little girls can be scared out of their minds when their emotions charge off with them. They need the security of parents pulling them back.

The goal is not to cripple the horse, but equip the rider…runaway horses can be a very real threat to your little girl.” (Loving the Little Years: Motherhood in the Trenches by Rachel Jankovic p.29-30)


"If there is anything I have learned in the course of my fast and furious mothering journey, it is that there is only one thing in my entire life that must be organized- my attitude. If my attitude falters, even in the midst of external order, so does everything else."


"The state of your heart is the state of your home. You cannot harbor resentment secretly toward your children and expect their hearts to be submissive and tender. You cannot be greedy with your time and expect them to share their toys. Most importantly you cannot resist your opportunities to be corrected by God and expect them to receive correction from you."


"Repenting.Forgiving.Laughing- Lots and LOTS of laughing. There is no room in motherhood to take yourself seriously. Its like trying to strike “cool” poses on a rug that someone is continually pulling out from underneath you."

Book review....The Hunger Games

I was originally not planning to read these books, as science fiction is not really "my thing."

BUT.

Then I read where the writer got her inspiration, namely that she was flipping between a reality TV Show and updates from the war in Iraq.

After living in the Arab world with more than its fair share of dictators, I could really feel the plausibleness of Katniss' situation.  Being monitored, having lots of "no-entry zones," seeing how dictators like to make one or two people suffer to prove the people a lesson, and then finally how classically the revolutions in the Middle East mimic the revolutions happening in The Hunger Games.

One or two big differences though:  In the Middle East, wandering out in the forest with an unrelated guy can be just as big of a crime as simply going into the no-go zones.

It seems like "districts" in the Hunger Games lacked the technology which made Tunisia and several other Arab revolution countries successful in their revolution.  Imagine if the "districts" had twitter and facebook...

And finally, unlike the Hunger Games, I dont think that the revolutions in the Arab World are going to produce any better results for mankind, and in fact will probably result in a wave of Islamic governments and a resulting wave in persecution for minorities in the Arab world.

I just finished book two, and the author has wittingly pulled me in so that I just HAVE to read the third book.

Did you know that they are already translated into Swedish?

Outing with Aunt Sara! Utflykt med faster Sara!

Lydia was spoiled and enjoyed her time going to the park with her aunt Sara.  Oh, what a difference there is in going out with a baby and going out with an almost 3 year old...they understand and can do so much more!

First stop, the petting zoo.  Lydia gets up close and in the face of this surprisingly calm goat.  

(Do they drug these animals, or are they really so calm?)

 Then Lydia and Sara go to play "king of the mountain."

 And then we ALMOST convinced Lydia to go pony riding (for about 3 dollars), but she chickened out when the pony came close and she realized what she was signing up for...

 Lydia is frantically saying, "all done! all done!" here, so off we go...

 Slottskogen has a fantastic playground, including this manual tractor/dirt scraper machine,

 And of course...Markus slept through almost the whole trip!

 So we took advantage of it and loaded down the stroller with our jackets, bags, etc.

 Lydia and Sara went on the super long slide...

 Lydia took Sara for a "drive,"

 And then Markus FINALLY woke up and we had lunch and the mandatory Swedish cup of coffee, and went on our way.  Haha, Markus was dressed as a panda, so in a way he was also part of the "petting zoo!"

What a day!  Thanks Sara, we should do that again!

Happy TWO months, Markus!

This is one of the new "things" that Markus is doing these days....smiling and cooing.  

We have a big wedding photo over our bed, and sometimes Markus will start smiling when he sees that because he thinks it is US in real life looking down on him. Sweet kid. 

 This is what Markus spends a lot of his time doing, going around in the stroller all tucked into his Swedish sleeping bag to keep out the cold/rain/snow.  Soon it will be too warm in there for him though!

 And this, is just a sweet picture of our boy. he's got a "widows peak" hairline, manly features, and oh so serious.

Otherwise, he has settled into a 3 hr schedule, with some great long nighttime sleeps 

(alltime record was 8 hours one night). 

Almost 6 kg, super laid back, loves his big sister, learning to hit the toys on his bouncer with his hands, and almost too big for his basinet.  

We love you Markus!

(on a personal note...doing the bicycle with his legs is the best gas expeller and pain reliever!)

It's springtime! Våren har kommit!

Maybe these next couple of posts will show how glad I am that spring has come....

More sun, more warmth, no more snow, flowers blooming, and so on. 

So we took a nice long walk, picked som vitsippor, peeled off our winter hats and gloves and scarves. 

 Our little girl, all Swedish looking with her blue eyes and blond hair...is desparately clinging to her winter jacket as if it were her security blanket.  Hopefully we can ditch the winter jacket soon too!

 If they werent so pretty I would call them weeds, these flowers are EVERYWHERE now.   Vitsippor are of the flower family Anemones, which also includes poppies and buttercups.

 And of course, the baby slept through the whole thing!

The balcony project. Balkongensprojeket!

Let's face it, our apartment is small, and in American standards it would be seen as "very small," for a family of four.  Heck, most apartments in European cities are small, so I'm not complaining!  I'm just saying that we should use all the space we have.

And that's where our balcony comes in.

Drap colors, right?  Brown outer wall, gray floor, and off white walls!  All winter long I felt like it was pointless to even step out there in the freezing cold, and it has stood untouched.

So all of a sudden Sweden decided to warm up.  I'm talking "you don't need a jacket and you might even risk getting some color if you are out too long," kind of warm.

And I realized that this is a prime chance for Lydia to see how things grow. Probably the whole process will be unbearably slow for Lydia, and she will probably have to be reminded that yes, those seeds we put in WILL come out and we can even eat the herbs we are growing in a month or two.  But it is exciting nonetheless.

Here is the progress we have made....

Seeds planted in abundance, a fun ikea balcony carpet added, and even some wall hangers.  I don't think that chair should stay out there too long, it's not exactly made for rainy weather...

Still to come:

Chairs/table,
Some kind of stand for the plants,
a hanging plant,
tomatoes?!,
some additional un-drabbing of the drabbiness....

and a cup of coffee and a good book to eventually be enjoyed out there....

I have waited a LOOONG time to be able to do this! The past 5 or 6 years never had enough sense of permanancy in one place that I could do this, and now here we are....ahhh, a full summer ahead of us!

Våran lägenhet är liten, och till Amerikanerna ska det till och med kallas för jätte liten, för en familj med två barn.  De flesta lägenheter i Europeiska städer är liten, så jag menar inte att jag klagar över det.  Vad jag menar är att vi måste använda alla plats som vi har!

Och med det ska jag prata om våran balkong.


Tråkiga färg, eller hur?  Brun väg, grå golv, och vit vägar.... hela vinter kända jag mig att det var inget vidare att gå ut på våran iskallt balkong, och så stod det tomt.

Men helt plötsligt bliv Sverige varmt.  Jag menar att ibland behöver man inget jacka och det finns risk att får färg på huden om man är ute!

Och jag upptakt att det är ett perfekt chans att visa Lydia hur grejer växer. Kanske det ska känner otroligt långtråkigt för henne, och vi måste kommer henne ihåg att de frön som hon sådde ska kommer opp och även att vi kan njuta av blommor eller örter senare i sommaren.

Så har har vi gjort en så länge...

Planterat mycket frön, köpt ett roliga ikea matta, och några väggkrukor.  Stolen ska bytas ut, den var inte gjort för att var utomhus!

I framtiden-
Stolar och ett bord,
ett bord till krukor,
en hängande växt,
tomater,
jordgubbar?,
och lite mer färg till väggarna.

OCH ett kopp kaffe och en bra bok att njuta av där ute....

Åh vad jag har väntat att gör såna grejer...de sista 5 eller 6 år hade inte den känsla av rutterna i ett plats så jag kunde växa växter, men nu har är vi, med hela sommaren framför oss!