The Story

We are in a story.
It's not about us. It's about God, and we are wrapped up in it.
We have a part to play.
How do we know which story we're in?
How do we know what part to play?
The Bible, God's Word in written form.
The Bible has God's authority, and accomplishes his purposes.
How does God's word have authority for us?
It shows us what part to play in his story. It is not a rule book, or a manual for how to pick the right career or spouse. Instead, it tells us how to play our part in light of what God has done, and what he is currently doing.
We are located in a specific act of God's story -- the "already/not yet kingdom."
Jesus brought the kingdom of Heaven to earth, and performed his redemptive act of atonement so that we could become a part of his kingdom.
He is now ascended into Heaven, where he rules his kingdom that continues to break in to the world.
The people of Israel are one of the major characters in the story about God's redemption of his creation.
It is woven so intricately that it is hard to tell what is happening to the characters sometimes.
We are told by God through Paul that we are a part of the remnant of Israel -- an important part of the plot. We are a living example of God's relentlessly faithful love, and we are caught in a time of tension before the ultimate fulfillment.
We are also God's ambassadors, whom he uses to further the story.
So, how do we play our part?
Do we sit back smugly and wait for God to come and judge the world, not caring about anything because "it's all going to burn"?
Do we get so frustrated by our lack of ability to be who we're meant to be that we just give up?
Our lives are subplots in God's main plot -- they all play a part, but they cannot be divorced from their context.
They are like the training montage in a good fighting movie, only they are happening in real time. All of the pain, agony and thoughts of giving up don't pass by in mere seconds, but may last for years. But it will end in victory.
The Bible does not merely apply to our
lives, we apply ourselves to its story, and locate ourselves within it.
So where does our confidence come from? It comes from the one who is writing the story, from whose perspective it has already been written.

The Oh Hello's

Unpretentious music made with great care and good production is so refreshing.

Aptasticray and the Spamity Calamity

Black Oak