Desiring God Blog

C.S. Lewis on Why to Seek an Author's Intention (Mon, 23 Nov 2009)
(Author: John Piper) In answering the question why we should care about an author's intention, C. S. Lewis gives two answers in his book An Experiment in Criticism. "Why," they ask, "should I turn from a real present experience—what the poem means to me, what happens to me when I read it—to inquire about the poet's intentions or reconstructions, always uncertain of what it may have meant to his contemporaries?" There seem to be two answers. One, is that the poem in my head which I make from my mistranslations of Chaucer or misunderstandings of Donne, may not be so good as the work Chaucer or Donne actually made. Secondly, why not have both? After enjoying what I made of it, why not go back to the text this time looking up the hard words, puzzling out the allusions and discovering that some metrical delights in my first experience where due to my fortunate mispronunciations, and see whether I can enjoy the poet's poem, not necessarily instead of, but in addition to my own. (100-01, paragraphs added) I would add two more. Courtesy Treat authors with respect and seek what they were trying to communicate. I call it the hermeneutical Golden Rule: Do unto authors as you would have them do unto you. Most of us are offended if someone spreads the rumor that we said hurtful x, when in fact we said helpful y. Authority If we are reading the Bible, it's authority lies in the author's intention (ultimately God's) not our perceptions. We honor the authority of scripture by doing the hard work of thinking authors' thoughts after them.
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Desiring God's Prison Ministry (Sun, 22 Nov 2009)
(Author: Carol Steinbach) As Pastor John wrote on Friday, there are real people in our prisons who need to hear the gospel and to be encouraged in their faith. Desiring God seeks to serve them and the chaplains in those prisons through our volunteer-led inmate ministry: Individual Inmates Every inmate who writes to us for the first time receives a welcome packet that includes a letter describing our ministry, a copy of our evangelistic booklet, For Your Joy, a copy of The Dangerous Duty of Delight, and an application for free correspondence courses through Mount Zion Bible Institute. We also send them one other Piper book under our whatever-you-can-afford policy. (If an inmate does not request a specific book, we select one for him or her.) After our initial correspondence, inmates may request a book once a month. Currently we receive letters from approximately 200 new inmates every month. We have a group of volunteers who come in every week to read these letters, pray for the inmates and write a personal note of encouragement on the welcome letter. The volunteers also read mail and process book requests from inmates who have contacted us previously. Prison Chaplains and Volunteers When chaplains request resources from Desiring God, we work with them to determine what will best meet their needs. We frequently send out sets of 12-15 Piper resources for their prison libraries, as well as multiple copies of books for use in Bible studies or chapel services. If a volunteer at a prison has permission to take Piper resources in for a Bible study, we'll happily supply books, DVDs and study guides. We have also produced a brochure for distribution to inmates which includes a tear-off, business reply-paid postcard on which an inmate can select one of five Piper books to receive. We send these out in bundles of 100 to anyone who is able to distribute them in prison. Will you help us spread a passion for God to people in prisons? Please contact me for more information!
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John Piper's Presentation at ETS (Sat, 21 Nov 2009)
(Author: Abraham Piper) You can now read or listen to John Piper's presentation at ETS regarding A Common Word.
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As Nice As They Let Me, As Mean As They Make Me (Fri, 20 Nov 2009)
(Author: John Piper) One of the growing ministries of Desiring God is the outreach to prisoners. Those of you in the Philippian Fellowship hear about this more often than the rest of our website guests. On Thursday a team of four of us stopped in at Angola Prison in Angola, Louisiana. Warden Burl Cain was very gracious to take us into his world, even the most painful part of it. Here is what he said three years ago in Decision Magazine about this prison: This prison is the largest maximum-security prison in America. It is one of the most famous prisons in the whole world. It has only murderers, rapists, armed robbers and habitual felons. The average sentence is 88 years, with 3,200 people in one place serving life sentences. Ninety percent of the inmates will die here. This is a place of hopelessness, so if Angola can change, the rest of the country's prisons can't say, "We can't do this." For those who know prison culture from the inside, this place is astonishing. On a campus of 18,000 acres, which is mainly farm land, the prisoners raise virtually all their food and eat three meals for a total cost of $1.45 each. The fish and crawdads that we ate were from "the Farm." There is a local extension of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in the prison and about 140 prisoners are enrolled. There are six churches in the prison and they train their own pastors. They send trained "missionaries" to other prisons to plant churches. They do this without using any tax money. But O the money—and lives—it saves! Violence in the prison is rare. Courtesy and respect is pronounced. The ministry team of women who were visiting at the same time we were said they were treated with more respect from prisoners here, than in many places on the "outside." Public profanity is not allowed. The 42-inch church bell hangs high over the chapel in a prisoner-built tower. They rescued the bell from storage where it had been put after falling and killing a man. Some of the prisoners say: The bell killed a man and we killed a man, but now the bell and we serve the Lord Jesus. Warden Cain says: I am as nice as they let me be and as mean as they make me be. Given the job he is given to do, it is a good motto. I saw the Warden's "nice" as we sat for half an hour with G.B., a prisoner on Death Row whose death by lethal injection the Warden will oversee in January. There are over 80 on death row, some now for over 14 years as appeals go on. The Warden asked me to share the gospel with G.B. Never have I felt a greater urgency to say the good news plainly and plead from my heart. The thief on the cross is a hero on Death Row. The Warden answered all G.B.'s questions about what the last day would be like and who from his family and the press could be there. He gave G.B. unusual privileges for these last seven weeks. He was manifestly compassionate while stating the facts with precision. I took G.B.'s picture with my phone and said I would pray for him. (Perhaps you would too.) I preached with all my heart to those who could fit in the chapel, and to the rest by closed circuit television. G.B. (and three others on Death Row) told me they'd be watching. I pulled no punches: For 90% of you the next stop is not home and family, but heaven or hell. O what glorious news we have in that situation. And believe me it is not the prosperity of Gospel. Jesus came and died and rose again not mainly to be useful, but to be precious. And that he can be in Angola as well as Atlanta. Perhaps even more.
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Art and the Precious Limits of Reality (Thu, 19 Nov 2009)
(Author: John Piper) Here is Chesterton on the essence of art. Art is limitation; the essence of every picture is the frame. If you draw a giraffe you must draw him with a long neck. If in your bold creative way you hold yourself free to draw a giraffe with a short neck you will really find that you are not free to draw a giraffe. (Orthodoxy, 71) When I read this I remembered the thoughts I had in writing the advent poem called The Innkeeper. So quickly do we pass over the Christmas words, "Herod...slew all the male children…two years old and under." But the poet lingers, weeping, raging, looking at the dark spot, in hope that any prick of light might become a portal for the sun. And what he sees he strains with words to show—pressing us against the perforation in the wall of pain. Why this struggle? Why does the poet bind his heart with such a severe discipline of form? Why strain to give shape to suffering? Because Reality has contours. God is who he is, not what we wish or try to make him be. His Son, Jesus Christ, is the great granite Fact. His hard sacrifice makes it evident that our spontaneity needs Calvary-like discipline. Perhaps the innkeeper paid dearly for housing the Son of God. Should it not be costly to penetrate and portray this pain? The Innkeeper seeks to reveal the Light that shines behind this brutal moment in history and our own path of suffering. Come and see! (3) I pray that this advent season every part of the Great Story will have a fresh luster because it is a Granite Fact.
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Your Donations Yesterday (Wed, 18 Nov 2009)
(Author: John Knight) We are deeply humbled and very grateful to God for the more than 630 people who gave to Desiring God through GiveMN yesterday. As we prayed last week about this opportunity and how to present it in a prayerfully-dependent, God-centered way, we had no idea that God would raise up so many people during that short amount of time. It appears that this group of friends gave just over $139,000 in that 24-hour period. We will know final results, including our portion of the match, in the coming days. We are also grateful for all those who emailed who cannot give to us right now because of unemployment, health issues, or giving being guided to church or other ministries. We feel your affections and your prayers! Please continue to pray for us. This is a great help as we enter December, which is our month of greatest financial need. God is kind to provide that encouragement so early in this year-end season. And, obviously, we remain dependent on him to provide the rest. Thank you for being part of God's provision to Desiring God!
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Invitation to Our 2010 Pastors Conference (Wed, 18 Nov 2009)
(Author: John Piper) Dear fellow shepherds of God's people, For over 20 years, we have assumed the foundation of Christian Hedonism at the Desiring God Conference for Pastors. But we have never focused on it. Until now. I thought it was time. Our theme for 2010 is The Pastor, the People, and the Pursuit of Joy The Apostolic Aim of Pastoral Ministry At least twice, the apostle Paul sums up the goal of his ministry in the joy of his people. First, to the Corinthians: "Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy." (2 Corinthians 1:24) Second, to the Philippians: I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith." (Philippians 1:25) The pastoral implications of being "workers for your joy" are huge. I am still trying to figure them out and work them out after 30 years at this church. Speakers Sam Storms I am eager to have Sam Storms help me. Sam has written extensively on the place of joy in biblical theology and in the Christian life. Sam and I have both drunk deeply at the fountain of Jonathan Edwards. That's one reason why I resonate so deeply with Sam's insights. He will give 3 keynote addresses. Sam is pastor of Bridgeway Church in Oklahoma City and President of Enjoying God Ministries. He has served for over 30 years in the pastoral ministry and taught theology at Wheaton College for 4 years. He's been married to Ann for over 37 years and has two grown daughters and two grandsons. My prayer is that the man God has made Sam to be, and the messages God will give us through him, will make us more and more into the kind of pastors who serve "with joy and not with groaning" (Hebrews 13:17). Eric Mason I am deeply thankful that Eric Mason was willing to come and be a part of the conference this year. He is the co-founder and lead pastor of Epiphany Fellowship in Philadelphia. He serves on the boards of the Acts 29 Network and Reach Life Ministries and is an adjunct professor at Biblical Theological Seminary. When I invited him I said, When I heard your message on the credibility of the church at Advance 09 [in Durham, NC], I took note especially of the ending where "glory in the church" was the focus. We wear the God-gear for the world to see and go out and buy it (Matthew 13:44, my addition). I wondered to myself, How does Eric relate the pursuit of maximum joy in God to that gear? And specifically, How does he do it in his context? How does the pursuit of joy in God relate in your context to the things people need and enjoy? He said yes, and I told him to do whatever he thought would be helpful for pastors under this general theme. I expect to be helped. Bob Blincoe Every year, because Jesus lays claim on all the peoples, we bend our focus toward the unreached nations of the world. To help us do that this year, Bob Blincoe will tackle the theme of joy in the context of world missions. I wrote to him and said, You are a risk-taker and are bold to call others to risk their lives, not in the hobbies of skydiving and hang-gliding and ropeless mountain climbing, but in the proclamation of the gospel. I have heard you speak, and I am eager for you to open your heart for the Muslim world for these brothers. I am thrilled that he said yes. Biography of C.S. Lewis My part will be a biographical study of C.S. Lewis. There is no one quite like him. He does so much good and gets some things so wrong. But mainly I love him and owe him more than I can say. He is in the top 5 dead people who have shaped the way I see and respond to the world. His autobiography is called Surprised by Joy. Not surprisingly, his life is hugely relevant to the conference theme. Worship With a theme like the pursuit of joy, I expect our corporate worship to be profoundly rich with great reasons for gladness in God. There are not many sounds I love more than your voices singing at the pastors' conference. We will pray for each other. We will reconnect with friends. We will lug home kilos of discounted books. And we will, I pray, leave empowered to live for the glory of Christ in the progress and joy of the faith of our people. Eager to see you and worship with you, John Piper
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Do Not Labor for the Food That Perishes (Tue, 17 Nov 2009)
(Author: David Mathis) This week's sermon: "Do Not Labor for the Food That Perishes" Jesus isn't eager to be useful to our natural desires. He's too loving to be content with us seeing him as anything less than our supreme Treasure. So the Gospel of John was written to make known the glory of Jesus, not the glory of his gifts. The story points again and again to the person of faith, not the product of religion. Jesus tells us in John 6:27 not to labor for the bread that perishes but for the food that endures to eternal life. Laboring for the enduring food does not mean earning his favor. Rather, Jesus turns our inclination for doing upside down. This is what we're required to do: Believe in Jesus. It's a kind of doing that isn't doing. Those who eat the enduring food, Jesus himself who is the Bread of Life, don't work to earn him but believe to receive him. But what does it mean not to labor for the food that perishes? Stop working altogether? Quit our jobs? No, but our jobs should be changed. When Jesus is our highest Treasure something about everything changes. And the effect isn't lazy, sloppy, gloomy labor, but zealous, excellent, joyful work that magnifies the beauty of our Bread and gladly meets the needs of others.
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Update on the Matching Gift Opportunity (Tue, 17 Nov 2009)
(Author: John Knight) As of 3:30 p.m. today, God has provided 315 gifts to Desiring God through GiveMN.org! We are grateful to God for his kind provision to us through these friends of the ministry. And, as Pastor John tweeted this morning, "zero pressure," but if you are prayerfully considering a donation to Desiring God, gifts given by 8:00 a.m. (CST) tomorrow morning (November 18) qualify for a match from GiveMN.org. You can give through Desiring God's site at GiveMN.org. We'll provide an update on the totals when we have them tomorrow, probably later in the morning. Thank you for praying for us.
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Today Is the Matching Gift Opportunity for Desiring God! (Tue, 17 Nov 2009)
(Author: John Knight) As we reported last Friday, from now until 8am tomorrow, GiveMN will be matching donations made through their website to all Minnesota-based non-profit organizations, including Desiring God. $500,000 has been committed to be given to Minnesota non-profits through this one-day campaign.* GiveMN is covering all transaction fees, so 100% of your gift will come to Desiring God. You do not need to be a resident of Minnesota, nor do you need to register with their site to make a one-time gift. I tried it out last week and everything worked as they described, including the opportunity to make an anonymous gift if you prefer. Here's how to participate: Pray about giving. If you have never given before, would you pray about financially supporting Desiring God? We only want you to participate as you feel the Lord leading. God is good to provide for all of our needs and we are grateful for every person who donates. But we do not want you to feel any pressure to participate except happily in response to God's call. And please only give after you have first given to your local church. Visit Desiring God's page at GiveMN.org between now and 8:00 a.m. tomorrow. Choose your donation amount and click the green "Donate" button. You'll be asked for credit card information and an email address for your receipt. The minimum amount that can be donated is $10. There is no maximum, but they limit their match to $2,500 per individual. You're done! An electronic receipt will be generated through Network for Good. It will indicate your donation amount and date, and list Desiring God Ministries as the recipient of your donation. Desiring God will receive your gift and the match by December 15 from GiveMN.org. You may also choose to give a recurring gift through this site, which requires registration. * We won't know how much of the $500,000 matching funds are coming to Desiring God until after all the gifts to all non-profits have been tabulated. If Desiring God's portion of total giving to all non-profits is 5%, we will receive $25,000, or 5%, of the $500,000 matching grant, regardless of how much is actually given to Desiring God. Thank you for your prayers!
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Review of N.T. Wright's Latest Book (Mon, 16 Nov 2009)
(Author: Abraham Piper) Read David Mathis's review of N.T. Wright's Justification: Paul's Vision and God's Plan.
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When You Don't Want to Do What You Ought To (Mon, 16 Nov 2009)
(Author: John Piper) If your "want to" does not conform to God's "ought to," what can you do to have peace? I see at least five possible strategies. You can avoid thinking about the "ought to." This is the most common strategy in the world. Most people simply do not devote energy to pondering what they should be doing that they are not doing. You can reinterpret the "ought to" so that it sounds just like your "want to." This is a little more sophisticated and so not as common. It often takes a college education to do this with credibility, and a seminary degree to do it with finesse. You can muster the willpower to do a form of the "ought to" even though you don't have the heart of the "want to." This generally looks pretty good, and is often mistaken as virtue, even by those who do it. In fact, there is a whole worldview that says doing "ought to's" without "want to" is the essence of virtue. The problem with this is that Paul said, "God loves a cheerful giver," which puts the merely "ought-to givers" in a precarious position. You can muster the willpower to do a form of the "ought to" and feel remorse for not having the heart of the "want to." This is not hypocrisy. Hypocrisy hides one of the two contradictory impulses. You can seek, by grace, to have God give the "want to" so that when the time comes to do the "ought to," you will "want to." Ultimately, the "want to" is a gift of God. "The mind of the flesh is hostile to God…it is not able to submit to the law of God." (Romans 8:7) "The natural man cannot understand the things of the Spirit of God…because they are spiritually appraised." (1 Corinthians 2:14) "Perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth." (2 Timothy 2:25) The Biblical doctrine of original sin boils down to this (to borrow from St. Augustine): We are free to do what we like, but we are not free to like what we ought to like. God's free and sovereign heart-changing work is our only hope. Therefore we must pray for a new heart. We must pray for the "want to": Incline my heart to Your testimonies. (Psalm 119:36) He has promised to do it: I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes. (Ezekiel 36:27) This is the new covenant bought by the blood of Jesus (Hebrews 8:8-13; 9:15). (Adapted from a 1998 Taste & See Article)
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Dense with Magnificent Truth (Sun, 15 Nov 2009)
(Author: John Piper) What an amazing array of glorious acts of love God shows toward us in 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14. I pray that God will make my thoughts this dense with magnificent truth. Loved Chosen Saved Sanctified Believing Called Obtaining glory 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14: But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved , through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth . To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ .
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"Ask Pastor John" Audio and Video (Sat, 14 Nov 2009)
(Author: Tyler Kenney) The media from last week's webcast of Ask Pastor John—where John Piper fielded questions sent in through Twitter—is now online. Ask Pastor John Live—November 2009, Part 1 Ask Pastor John Live—November 2009, Part 2 Ask Pastor John Live—November 2009, Part 3
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Meeting Hector (Fri, 13 Nov 2009)
(Author: Abraham Piper) My wife Molly met our sponsored child in El Salvador yesterday. I recommend reading her thoughts on the day.
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