An Idiot’s Guide to Week 16 #NFL Predictions

Good week for my picks last week. Bad week for actual football. The Browns slim playoff hopes were dashed. My fantasy team lost (again). And to be honest I have very little to still care about in the NFL. But because I know several of you rely on my bold predictions to make you sound like a genius around your friends, I’ll humor you.

Falcons over Lions
Saints over Cowboys (blowout)
Packers over Titans (close though)
Chiefs over Colts
Dolphins over Bills
Chargers over Jets
Redskins over Eagles
Steelers over Bengals
Bucs over Rams
Panthers over Raiders
Patriots over Jags
Texans over Vikings
Browns over Broncos (upset of the week)
Cardinals over Bears
Giants over Ravens
49ers over Seahawks

Fantasy stud of the week: Jamaal Charles
Fantasy sleeper of the week: Lester Jean

Other Crazy Picks:
Browns haven’t won against Broncos since 1990 that ends this week
3 picks and only 1 TD and 175 yards for Peyton Manning
80 yards for AP
Cardinals D/ST scores thrice
Charles scampers for 200 yards and 2 TD’s
125/2 for Trent Richardson
Eli looks like Super Bowl Eli
Cowboys QB looks like Never-go-to-the-SuperBowl-with-Romo, Romo
McElroy is serviceable
Bengals get blown out by Big Ben

Today in Blogworld 12.22.12

Clarifying Words on Wife Abuse

Awhile back John Piper answered a Q & A about submission and spousal abuse. Some took great offense at Piper’s words. Here he clarifies.

Did Jesus Assume a Fallen Human Nature?

I just had this conversation the other day. I wondered if Jesus cut perfect angles as a carpenter? Did he ever have to throw away a piece of wood? We then started talking about whether or not Jesus ever had a cold. This is somewhat of an answer to those questions.

The Media and the Massacre

Andy Crouch writes on the humdrum of constant broadcasting: “Not a single person in that airport was assisted in any way by these ghastly disclosures, pat press releases, and offensive atheologies. But this is the ironclad logic of continuous broadcasting: Broadcasting must be continuous. Someone must always be saying something even when there is nothing new to say.”

I Am NOT a Depressed Person

Michael Patton reflects on his battle with depression. Calling to his (and our) attention the truths of Romans 6.

Okay this blows my mind. It will certainly blow yours as well:

Top 12 Posts of 2012

Many people are writing Top 12 posts of 2012. I’ll be a lemming and join the crowd. Here are what I consider the top 12 posts of 2012 at Borrowed Light.

12. What if Toto IS in Kansas?/Church Planters Need Curmudgeons

Perhaps I didn’t make the point well. Maybe it just disappeared because they posted on a day when there were a bunch of other great articles. Either way I might revisit the points from these articles in the future. I’m concerned with a couple of things as it concerns the direction of church planting. It might be possible that these articles didn’t get much attention because I’m a crazy loon.

11. Forget This Post

Kind of ironic that this made the list. In some ways this might need be the first one on the list. I have been reminded over the past year (and with a heavenly megaphone recently) that I need to be made willing to be forgotten.

10. In Defiance of Them All

I really enjoyed writing this article. It is a reflection on my son’s castle rebuilding efforts.

9. How You Ended Up Gutted Like a Deer in a Tree

Pornography claims many of young men. The Proverbs serve as helpful warnings to the deadly result of lust and porn. This article is a helpful reminder of the end result of lust.

8. 10 Tips for Destroying Your Children’s Souls

This one was more for me than anyone else. Just as I need to be intentional about serving my wife (see #5) I also must be intentional about discipling my children. I hope this post helps other dads too.

7. God’s Happy Little Trees

Nobody else seemed to really like this article. (I’m judging that from the lack of comments, shares, visits, etc.) I thought it was a good picture of God’s redemptive plan. And I like Bob Ross.

6. The Effect of the Prosperity “Gospel” On Pain/How a Subtle Dualism Robs the Church of Missionaries

Both of these will appear in a little different form in my forthcoming book, Torn to Heal. Dualism and Stoicism are deadly enemies to suffering well. So is the prosperity gospel. That’s why I think these articles are helpful reads.

5. Husbands and “Honey-Do’s”

I’m not sure that the article is really the fifth best, but the effects of it are. God really convicted me about being a more intentional servant to my wife. I believe it has made me a better husband (and a handy-man at that).

4. How John Piper Helped Me in Darkness

Anytime I can help someone that struggles with depression I’m excited. I believe this post was helpful to many people that battle darkness.

3. 12 Things I Doubt Pastors Will Hear in Heaven

This post took about 10 minutes to write. I had just read a debate about something really insignificant and I set to writing twelve things that I doubt will be significant in eternity. More people read this article in 2012 than any others.

2. The Root of Angry and Divisive Calvinists Summary

This series was picked up at SBC Voices as well. The conversation was crazy. I had originally written this piece to be included in a piece on John Newton. But it evolved into something different. I think it’s an important series for young calvinists to consider . But it rightly faded into the background when Greg Dutcher’s excellent book Killing Calvinism came out in April.

1. The Pain of Being Blackballed by @Challies & @TGC

This was a tremendously fun piece to write. For two days I pretended as if I was very wounded by Challies and The Gospel Coalition because they had never linked to me. I had uncovered a vast conspiracy where these “superstars” of blogging and gotten together to blackball me. It was really fun. Especially on Twitter. Ironically enough, this post is one of my favorites because it initiated an online friendship with Tim Challies. Since then the blackball has been removed and Challies has linked to me several times. But I’m starting to think I might have been on to something as it concerns The Gospel Coalition…

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Honorable Mentions: You Know What Happens When You Assume: on the dangers of assuming the gospel.
Why Your Prayers May Be Hindered: A reminder to husbands and wives about how much he values marital unity.
Faithful Disciples Aren’t Just Wet Disciples: A disciple is marked by passionate worship AND faithful ministry
The Googlization of Bible Study: Google has harmed my Bible study. I might do a Google fast for a few days in 2013. We’ll see…

The Christmas Victory March

With his one good arm the decaying man hoisted himself up from his slumber.

“O Come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant…” the humble choir sang.

A sparkle now seemed to fall upon his eyes. This dying man was looking upon a victory march. Perhaps his own.

“O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.” Young and old passed by his room. Some too young to know what they were singing. Others so beaten down and distracted by the cares of the world that they’re only singing from memory, not taking in the full effect of this parade. Yet, some are truly belting out the victory of Christmas.

The sounds of adoration now fade down the halls. The old man turns his feeble ear to hear the fading sounds of Christmas victory. The parade continues marching down the corridor proclaiming the joys of Christ to others enduring the curse. Reaching the end of the hall, the choir marches back towards his room as they begin a new song.

“Joy to the world…”

What a silly, and even offensive, song to sing to dying men if the gospel isn’t true. This isn’t a birthday song. This is a victory cry. The curse is being lifted. The long awaited King has come and joy is the only fitting response. Yes, such far-reaching joy would be silly to proclaim to those that are daily assaulted by the atrophy of their bodies. Unless of course the gospel is true. Then, it’s not silly at all, it’s altogether necessary.

The choir now passes by the old man’s room again. “He comes to make His blessings flow, Far as the curse is found, far as the curse is found, Far as, far as, the curse is found…”

He feels that curse every day. But tonight he feels something different. Tonight, he feels the victory of Christmas. He will still die. Maybe days from now. Maybe months. He might even hang on for a year or two, but eventually the curse will overtake him. Yet, if he is found in Christ, the curse will not consume him. Death has lost its sting.

We still live on the fallen side of a Redeemed Eden and so we still mourn and we still sing things like “O Come, O Come Emmanuel”. We long for just to make things fully right. Yet because of the victory of Christmas and the Cross we march down the halls of this nursing home proclaiming the triumph of Christ over the curse.

I’ve always enjoyed the phrase “charging hell with a water pistol” to speak of youthful vigor. Wednesday night I enjoyed doing something similar as my four year old son and I walked into a nursing home with our brothers and sisters in Christ and proclaimed to dying men and women that the curse is lifted. The Conquering King has been born.

“…Born that man no more may die, Born to raise the sons of earth, Born to give them second birth”…

May we continue this Christmas march throughout every day of 2013.