I just finished listening to this engaging book about the pervasive influence of Christianity on the modern West. Highly recommend the audiobook read by the author. From the blurb: Is Christianity history? Or is Christian history the deepest explanation of the modern world? Today in the west, many consider the church to be dead or dying. Christianity is seen as outdated, bigoted and responsible for many of society’s problems. This leaves many believers embarrassed about their faith and many outsiders wary of religion. But what if the Christian message is not the enemy of our modern Western values, but the very thing that makes sense of them? In this fascinating book, Glen Scrivener takes readers on a journey to discover how the teachings of Jesus not only turned the ancient world upside down, but continue to underpin the way we think of life, worth, and meaning. Far from being a relic from the past, the distinctive ideas of Christianity, such as freedom, kindness, progress and equality, are a crucial part of the air that we breathe. As author Glen Scrivener says in his introduction: “The extraordinary impact of Christianity is seen in the fact that we don’t notice it". Here’s a sample: 📄.pdf image
“All Christians must beware of the lure of possessions and the temptation to protect one’s physical existence at the expense of one’s eternal destiny.” {Blomberg, Neither Poverty Nor Riches, 127-128} During bull markets, I am more: 1. Prone to forget that I am a pilgrim on my way home 2. Tempted to secure a materially better, more comfortable life Motivation matters. When I forget who I am in Christ, good desires become twisted into idolatrous ones. As NGU, I am tempted to forget that I am utterly dependent on God and am called to steward his resources for his mission and glory. I have a low time preference, and I suspect many of you do, too. But why are we stacking? Motivation matters. Praying that the Lord would guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus in 2025.
Happy new year! Excited for 2025 and what the Lord has in store for us.
It's very difficult to get Christian ministries to adopt bitcoin because you need consensus amongst the executive team, board, and major donors. All love the mission, but many are not interested in delving into the business model and finances. A conundrum.
Merry Christmas! I hope your day is filled with JOY and HOPE today. Joy because Jesus, the Saviour of the world, was born this day. Hope because he will come again.
He who was infinitely rich became poor for our sake so that by his poverty we might become rich. He gave up all of his treasure in heaven and humbled himself, even to the point of death. Why? To make us his treasure. In what ways are you looking to your bitcoin stack for significance or security? Look to Jesus.
We become what we worship. Worship Christ and become more like him, or worship money (bitcoin) and become more like it. Don’t be the foolish man who knew God but didn’t honor him as God or give thanks to him. He exchanged the glory of the immortal/incorruptible (Gk. aphthartou) God for idols. (Rom. 1)