http://oldblog.briantipton.org My perspective on what it really means to live like Jesus and a lot of other stuff, too. Sun, 19 Apr 2009 21:20:27 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 en hourly 1 © brian@briantipton.org () brian@briantipton.org() 1440 My perspective on what it really means to live like Jesus and a lot of other stuff, too. brian@briantipton.org No no http://www.briantipton.org/wp-content/plugins/podpress/images/powered_by_podpress.jpg http://oldblog.briantipton.org 144 144 http://oldblog.briantipton.org/2009/04/19/a-long-time-coming/ http://oldblog.briantipton.org/2009/04/19/a-long-time-coming/#comments Sun, 19 Apr 2009 21:20:27 +0000 Brian Tipton http://www.briantipton.org/?p=114 I will have a lot to say about the last year of my life soon, but not just yet.  The nature and focus of this site is also going to undergo some drastic changes.  To my friends whom I have not responded to emails and other things, let it be known that your concern was [...]]]> http://oldblog.briantipton.org/2009/04/19/a-long-time-coming/feed/ http://oldblog.briantipton.org/2008/04/30/first-what-does-the-text-mean/ http://oldblog.briantipton.org/2008/04/30/first-what-does-the-text-mean/#comments Wed, 30 Apr 2008 16:43:48 +0000 Brian Tipton http://www.briantipton.org/2008/04/30/first-what-does-the-text-mean/ I hate being uncomfortable. Here I sit in front of my computer, in a comfy chair looking outside at a comfy day. I am not out in the sunshine because 1) I am working and 2) it might be a little cool. After all, my home is a perfect 71 degrees (perfect [...]]]> http://oldblog.briantipton.org/2008/04/30/first-what-does-the-text-mean/feed/ http://oldblog.briantipton.org/2008/04/05/doubt-and-faith/ http://oldblog.briantipton.org/2008/04/05/doubt-and-faith/#comments Sun, 06 Apr 2008 04:41:19 +0000 Brian Tipton http://www.briantipton.org/?p=111 I once talked to a woman who had quit praying. She told me that she used to pray fervently and believed that God heard her prayers since He had answered them many times. Her faith was simple (and this is not meant to be derogatory) in that she believed that God did indeed [...]]]> http://oldblog.briantipton.org/2008/04/05/doubt-and-faith/feed/ 00:01:01 I once talked to a woman who had quit praying. She told me that she used to pray fervently and believed that God heard ... I once talked to a woman who had quit praying. She told me that she used to pray fervently and believed that God heard her prayers since He had answered them many times. Her faith was simple (and this is not meant to be derogatory) in that she believed that God did indeed answer prayers. But then, God quit answering her prayers. As more of her prayers went unanswered, her doubts about God grew and grew until finally, one day, she quit praying. She had a problem with doubt and with faith. These two concepts are really part and parcel of the same thing, two sides of the same coin. Doubt and faith are jarring when juxtaposed like this; these two words form the quintessential problem of Christianity. Why does God not live up to our expectations? On the one hand, we desire to have faith and to have it grow. Faith grows based on experienced relationship with the triune God. As God keeps his promises our faith increases. But on the other hand, as God lets us down, our faith is weakened by doubt. In the middle of both of these outcomes is prayer. Now I will be very honest with you. When I falter and my doubts increase, I quit praying. I mean, why bother? If God is not going to honor his commitment to me, why should I honor my commitment to Him? This is the way many people handle their personal commitments to one another; it is no wonder it shows up in our relationship with God. Take a couple who is in crisis. Let's suppose that the husband has violated some major expectation of his wife. No adultery or infidelity, but what he did or thought or did not do shook her to the core because she had assumed that her husband would behave a certain way. When he did not, the relationship was strained and its future called into question. As a result, she quits talking to him. Many such relationships end in divorce. The only way to prevent the relationship from dissolving in divorce is to keep talking and work it out. In a human relationship, there are two, fallible people. One or both could have contributed to the degradation in the relationship. Her expectation could have been valid and he failed to live up to it. More often than not, her expectation was invalid; he could never live up to it or should never have been expected to live up to it. Once they begin talking, perhaps with the help of a third party, this can be overcome and the relationship healed. When I quit praying it is because God did not live up to my expectations. So, I get mad and quit talking. After a while, though, I realize that God could not make a mistake or do something wrong--he is God, right? Even though I do not yet know why God did what he did or allowed to happen what God allowed to happen, I know that I will never know if I do not keep talking to Him. When I start praying again, I am angry and hurt and I let God know that. I let God know that on the one hand I believe he is God and is perfect and Holy, but on the other hand I have doubts because of whatever has happened. I wish I could tell you that after a couple of days he gives me an answer. Most of the time he does not let me know why what happened happened. He does remind me that he loves me and that one day all things will be made right. I just have to decide whether I really believe God loves me or not. So I keep praying. Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. (Luke 18:1) If the way to keep our relationship with our spouse healthy is to keep the lines of communication open, then the way to keep our relationship with God healthy is much the same. That requires prayer. The only way back to faith from doubt is to pray through the doubt back to faith. Prayer,,Reflection brian@briantipton.org no No http://oldblog.briantipton.org/2007/12/16/thoughts-for-a-new-convert/ http://oldblog.briantipton.org/2007/12/16/thoughts-for-a-new-convert/#comments Sun, 16 Dec 2007 06:02:06 +0000 Brian Tipton http://www.briantipton.org/2007/12/16/thoughts-for-a-new-convert/ We had two baptized this week. In Como, we always purchase a good, quality, NIV Study Bible to give as a gift to a new convert. We want to make sure they have a good copy of God’s word so that they can grow. I believe this is good. But what [...]]]> http://oldblog.briantipton.org/2007/12/16/thoughts-for-a-new-convert/feed/ http://oldblog.briantipton.org/2007/11/10/a-word-to-the-apologist/ http://oldblog.briantipton.org/2007/11/10/a-word-to-the-apologist/#comments Sun, 11 Nov 2007 02:30:09 +0000 Brian Tipton http://www.briantipton.org/2007/11/10/a-word-to-the-apologist/ “A god who let us prove his existence would be an idol.” — Dietrich Bonhoeffer Copyright © 2012 Brian's Perspective - Old Blog. This Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact legal@oldblog.briantipton.org [...]]]> http://oldblog.briantipton.org/2007/11/10/a-word-to-the-apologist/feed/ http://oldblog.briantipton.org/2007/10/22/now-zotero-friendly/ http://oldblog.briantipton.org/2007/10/22/now-zotero-friendly/#comments Tue, 23 Oct 2007 02:48:43 +0000 Brian Tipton http://www.briantipton.org/2007/10/22/now-zotero-friendly/ In a previous article I told you about Zotero, a research manager that is integrated into the Firefox browser. I have since discovered several additional plugins that integrate a WordPress blog with Zotero or any other COinS based citation reader. On the address bar of your Zotero enabled browser, you will notice a [...]]]> http://oldblog.briantipton.org/2007/10/22/now-zotero-friendly/feed/ http://oldblog.briantipton.org/2007/10/20/too-funny/ http://oldblog.briantipton.org/2007/10/20/too-funny/#comments Sun, 21 Oct 2007 03:23:11 +0000 Brian Tipton http://www.briantipton.org/2007/10/20/too-funny/ You just have to see this to appreciate it! http://teddyallen.blogspot.com/2007/10/as-floats-in-boat-parades-go.html Copyright © 2012 Brian's Perspective - Old Blog. This Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact legal@oldblog.briantipton.org so we can take legal action [...]]]> http://oldblog.briantipton.org/2007/10/20/too-funny/feed/ http://oldblog.briantipton.org/2007/10/09/god-has-competition/ http://oldblog.briantipton.org/2007/10/09/god-has-competition/#comments Wed, 10 Oct 2007 04:28:34 +0000 Brian Tipton http://www.briantipton.org/2007/10/09/god-has-competition/ A surprising application was made near the end of may that has caught the attention of some. Researchers have filed a patent application with the US Patent Office #20070122826 which is an application for the construction of a new life-form. That’s right. A new, never before in existence, life-form. The abstract [...]]]> http://oldblog.briantipton.org/2007/10/09/god-has-competition/feed/ http://oldblog.briantipton.org/2007/09/11/my-911-wish/ http://oldblog.briantipton.org/2007/09/11/my-911-wish/#comments Tue, 11 Sep 2007 13:56:28 +0000 Brian Tipton http://www.briantipton.org/2007/09/11/my-911-wish/ Six years later, I don’t know how much progress has been made in the war on terror.  But in the war we fight as ministers of God, much seems to be the same. As I ponder what will happen over my children’s lifetime with regard to terrorist activities, several things keep going through my mind [...]]]> http://oldblog.briantipton.org/2007/09/11/my-911-wish/feed/ http://oldblog.briantipton.org/2007/09/04/zotero-research-must-have/ http://oldblog.briantipton.org/2007/09/04/zotero-research-must-have/#comments Wed, 05 Sep 2007 03:48:24 +0000 Brian Tipton http://www.briantipton.org/2007/09/04/zotero-research-must-have/ It is only about 7 years late in the making for me, but there is finally a tool that will help you organize your research effectively and integrates with Word and OpenOffice. Zotero is a plugin for Firefox that, according to their site, help[s] you collect, manage, and cite your research sources. It lives right [...]]]> http://oldblog.briantipton.org/2007/09/04/zotero-research-must-have/feed/ http://oldblog.briantipton.org/2007/09/04/facebook-toolbar/ http://oldblog.briantipton.org/2007/09/04/facebook-toolbar/#comments Wed, 05 Sep 2007 03:07:53 +0000 Brian Tipton http://www.briantipton.org/2007/09/04/facebook-toolbar/ Brian, brace yourself, but here comes #3! I have not used Facebook a whole lot, but am doing so more as more people I know get on it. However, I think I will be using it more not that I found this great Facebook plugin for Firefox.  If you are not Firefox friendly, [...]]]> http://oldblog.briantipton.org/2007/09/04/facebook-toolbar/feed/ http://oldblog.briantipton.org/2007/09/04/we-have-to-make-the-first-move/ http://oldblog.briantipton.org/2007/09/04/we-have-to-make-the-first-move/#comments Tue, 04 Sep 2007 16:35:29 +0000 Brian Tipton http://www.briantipton.org/2007/09/04/we-have-to-make-the-first-move/ There has been, at least in America, a gap between science and religion. Many religious people believe that science is the enemy; many non-religious people view religion as the enemy. Wars are stable things since both sides are easy to identify. A report out today suggests that the divide is just as [...]]]> http://oldblog.briantipton.org/2007/09/04/we-have-to-make-the-first-move/feed/ http://oldblog.briantipton.org/2007/09/03/drugs-dont-hurt-anyone-else/ http://oldblog.briantipton.org/2007/09/03/drugs-dont-hurt-anyone-else/#comments Tue, 04 Sep 2007 01:57:47 +0000 Brian Tipton http://www.briantipton.org/2007/09/03/drugs-dont-hurt-anyone-else/ For everyone who has ever argued that casual drug use is OK because it doesn’t harm anyone else other than the one doing the drug (which is a stupid argument anyway–think about it), check the following story: FOXNews.com - California Infant Dies After Mom Uses Meth Pipe Swab to Clean His Nose - Local News | [...]]]> http://oldblog.briantipton.org/2007/09/03/drugs-dont-hurt-anyone-else/feed/ http://oldblog.briantipton.org/2007/08/24/mother-theresas-crisis-of-faith/ http://oldblog.briantipton.org/2007/08/24/mother-theresas-crisis-of-faith/#comments Fri, 24 Aug 2007 21:00:14 +0000 Brian Tipton http://www.briantipton.org/2007/08/24/mother-theresas-crisis-of-faith/ There is an article at Time.com about Mother Theresa and a collection of letters written by her to her confessors entitled, Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light. If you have ever done any reading around the Dark Night of the Soul, then you are probably going to want to read this. The Time [...]]]> http://oldblog.briantipton.org/2007/08/24/mother-theresas-crisis-of-faith/feed/ http://oldblog.briantipton.org/2007/08/22/moose-gas/ http://oldblog.briantipton.org/2007/08/22/moose-gas/#comments Wed, 22 Aug 2007 16:59:04 +0000 Brian Tipton http://www.briantipton.org/2007/08/22/moose-gas/ I can’t make this stuff up. FOXNews.com - Researchers: Moose Gas Hurting Environment - Science News | Current Articles Researchers in Norway claim a grown moose can produce 2,100 kilos of methane a year, equivalent to the amount of CO2 caused by an 8,077-mile car trip, der Spiegel reported. The article goes on to say that there are [...]]]> http://oldblog.briantipton.org/2007/08/22/moose-gas/feed/