A Better Covenant

I remember when I first heard about blogging about 2 years ago. I didn’t know much about it but it peaked my interest as I went from site to site reading the discussions and it was refreshing to find African Americans who were Reformed and were also coming out of churches that happened to not be so sound in theology and practice. I thought to myself that I had something to say also. So my first blog was pretty much an outlet to deal with all of the pinned up pain of the Word of Faith and Apostolic movement that I was a part of for the first 9 years of this thing called Christianity. I found myself mirroring other blogs that would mock not only the “leaders” but also those who followed these leaders. I wanted to expose every lie, and slick tactic that they employed. I wrote about the crossfire of such an ambition and the sin committed in such a practice.

I then went to try to be less confrontational and really wanted to work through theological issues and truths I was being introduced to by reading: Maheney, Piper, Carson, Packer, Carter, MacArthur, Sproul, Lawson, Owens, Baxter, Bunyan, and other Calvinistic and Reformed authors/pastors. I was also introduced to New Covenant Theology about a year and half ago and Covenant Theology about a year before that. So I attempted to work through those things by blogging because there weren’t any opportunities to do that where I was. I must admit I have learned a lot through the medium of blogging and have been introduced to some of the smartest men I know. I have had opportunities to dialogue with people that I listened to on-line, authors of books I have read, and even a Hip Hop MC that I listened to who happens to be one of the most Godly and wise man I know. I have been blessed so much by so many people through this blogging deal that it would be hard to really convey it.

But (you knew this was coming) I also realized some things about myself that has become increasingly alarming. For starters, I would catch myself blogging versus going out and establishing relationships with real people. It is much more comfortable to sit behind here and dialogue with really little to no commitment to a person that I can touch and love on. Secondly I found myself being more combative because blogging can actually become a castle of sorts. What I mean is that people are  a lot more bold on line than they ever would be face to face. Blogging can easily give you bravery juice that you would posses if the person walked into your living room. Finally blogging took me away from investing all I have into my local fellowship. My faith has/had become more theoretical than practical and I found myself engaged in conversations about modes of baptism versus pouring every ounce of energy into my local fellowship which I should be doing.

Thus, I find myself where I found myself about 6 months ago. I would rather take the blogging time and invest it in my community, friends, family, and church. I realized that though God had given us a good gift in blogging, just like every other good gift it can easily replace what its original intent is really for. Blogging is a great tool to communicate God’s truth, establish a theological community (for us that are not in seminary and really don’t have the time or money to go), and to gleam from some of the greatest minds rather they are national (Piper, Johnny Mac, C.J, Sproul, Mohler) or rather they are local great minds (Ronjour, Pastor Gunny, Lance Lewis, Q-Jones (truth in the innermost), Jim P (Timeless Faith), Sam Walker (A Lion has Roared), Anthony Bradley, and others).

As I stated earlier I am back where I started a few months back and though I shut down from conviction of earlier posts and using it as an outlet versus communicating my concerns to the Lord, I think blogging has become sort of an idol for me. I love it, a lot to be honest, a bit to much if you really want me to be honest and it has replaced Incarnational ministry for me. Instead of picking up a ball and going to the court, or helping my neighbor do his lawn, or even trying to meet needs at my local fellowship, I would rather dialogue about doctrinal issues and theological issues that mean a hill of beans to most around us. I do believe those discussions are fruitful but they are at the bottom of the list of priorities in ministry. God has strategically placed me in Texas (from MI originally) in the DFW Metroplex (I wanted to go to Houston) in my specific community (I would rather be in the city), and in my local church (there are a couple of churches that would be more pleasing to me because of their theological positions one being Providence the other being Redeemer both are way too far for me to get in authentic ministry in with and the recent housing market has been brutal to my community).

So my priorities have changed and I hope to get some more time in within my local community. Maybe joining an HOA team, doing some things around my community, going to more local events, spending more time discipling and teaching, going to some local men retreats, spending more time with my son in areas of visibility, being more hospitable with my local church, and spending more time evangelizing in the Denton City. So I said all that to say this. My blogging will slow down and be focused more on providing others with great links to information and books. I will give movie and music reviews a little more frequently and talk about how God used me and others in my local fellowship and in the community abroad. So my discussions will become less opinionated and more focused on being and doing than theoretical in nature.

Hopefully we will have more free resources to give away as we gave away about 40 copies of Pipers “Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ” a few months back. I believe Tyris’ pastor (Jim Ellif) will give us a few copies to give away of some of his work. So be blessed and thanks for visiting and interacting. As I stated I will continue to blog and bring up interesting discussions but this will probably be reduced to once a week to twice a month. I pray that God would do exciting things and ask that you would pray for me also.