Thus & Such, Vol. 1

Another busy week this week, so this post will be short, but at the same time it will give me a chance to do something that I've wanted to do for a while now.

I'm going to be adding a new category to this blog called "Thus & Such."  This category will be in the same vein as Tim Challies' "A La Carte" and Dan Phillips' "Hither and Thither."  In other words, I'm going to start doing some posts that contain things from the internet that I have read, seen, laughed at, gotten angry about, etc., that I just don't have time to comment on in longer form, and that I think readers of this blog might profit from.  Each of the links in this category will lead you to stuff on the internets that I have found compelling or interesting.  So here goes.

1. "The Local church is the front line of ministry.  In the battle against the spiritual forces of evil, the church is the trench.  Christ's bride is dug in, charged up, and ready to die for the freedom of souls.  I relish the trench.  It's messy, at times gruesome, and the noise makes it difficult to sleep.  But I love it."  This is from an article that compares the church's ministry to a battlefield, called "I Want to Die in the Trench."  It's a bit cliche, a tad on the cornball side, but I found myself getting fired up as I read it.

2. "Will there be touchdowns in the new creation?  Grand-slam homeruns?  Three-pointers at the buzzer?  When heaven comes down to earth, we shouldn't expect anything less."  Have you ever though about whether or not there will be sports in heaven?  I hadn't, until I read this article.  It argues convincingly that there will indeed be sports in heaven.  I have some questions about the author's conclusions, but still pretty interesting.

3. "Recently my commitment to consecutive exposition was acutely tested.  I tacked the chapter every seminoid dreads from the day he graduates, namely Leviticus 15 (you know, the heart-warming one about emissions and discharges of various bodily fluids).  The challenges of preaching this sticky wicket are manifold."  When's the last time you heard a sermon on Leviticus 15?  Me, never.  This guy's giving it a shot.

4. "God, in demanding that he be praised, is "not like an old vain woman seeking compliments."  Have you ever thought that it's a bit egotistical for God to demand that everyone worship him?  It's a fair question, and the answer is great.  You begin to see that God demands praise for himself, because praising God is the best thing his creation can do.  Check out this video to hear more.