Thoughts From a Treasured Wretch

10 (guilty, guilty) things...

2012-01-15T20:58:00.004-05:00

(I'm looking at you, Adeena.)

I was tagged! Quite deviously, I might add. ;)

Here goes...

1. Describe yourself in seven words.

Remembering Yesterday, waiting for Tomorrow, living Today.

2. What keeps you up at night?

I like what Adeena said - just one more page, either reading or writing.
Most of the time, though, it's usually thinking that keeps me up.

3. Whom would you like to be?

I guess if anything I'd like to be myself, only more compassionate, more patient, and more loving.

4. What are you wearing now?

My comfy pajama bottoms and a generic top.

5. What scares you?

Snakes, small spaces, lost children, the illusions invented by my own half-asleep mind.

6. What are the best and worst things about blogging?

The best would probably be the interaction, making someone think or blessing them with something I've written. I like to get my thoughts out, and it's a bonus for me if they're actually coherent. ;) I also like reading thoughts from other people, or seeing their beautiful photographs.

Worst things: Ohh, the guilt! I get writer's block sometimes, and when long periods go by without a new post, I feel as though I should bury my blog under heaps of shame, disappear into some area where the internet is not, and never try writing anything ever again. I am better about that than I used to be. Mainly, I suppose, because I'm posting more than I used to be. I think.

7. What was the last website you looked at?

My sister's blog. :)

8. If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?

I'm not sure. Every change brings its own set of problems. ;) I guess I would not second-guess myself so often.

9. Slankets – yes or no?

I'm pretty sure that's the blanket with sleeves. Um...I guess? I mean, if someone bought me one for my birthday I would be thankful. I probably wouldn't go out of my way to buy one.

10. Tell us something about the person who tagged you.

Well, what can I say? Adeena is one of my heroes (although she does guilt me into things). She's funny and generous, and she's extremely talented, and she's the Garcia of the family.

Whom are you going to tag to join the quiz?

Mom, (because she will do it)
Tiana, (because mwahaha)
Sarah, (because Christmas is over!)
Dan (so he will have something to post! :D )

Ready or Not

2012-01-12T09:14:00.000-05:00

A prayer

2012-01-06T14:07:00.001-05:00

O, what a silent, subtle creeping,

Not a full-blown charging, leaping,

But a slither, quiet, humble

Moving close to make me stumble.

Evil doesn't roar its name;

It whispers, chanting in my frame.

Bear me up, O Lord, lest I

Should fall, succumb, relent, and die.

Rescue me from my distressing

Hear my plea and my confessing

Answer me and make me new;

Give me life, hide me in You.

Times will change, with seasons passing

Keep me in life everlasting

Teach me joy, contentment, calm

Let Your vict'ries be a balm.

Soothe my soul in endless wonder;

Let us not be rent asunder.

Kill the creeping sin that follows.

Fill up all my holes and hollows

With the grace of Your great mercy;

Give me faith and keep me thirsty

For Your Word; in all my sorrow,

Help me look t'ward Your tomorrow.

Rhythm and music

2012-01-04T12:25:00.004-05:00

I'm here to talk to you out of a dream. That's where this speech was made- in a dream before hundreds of people, standing up on stage, asked to fill in some time while performers are organized. (Do not ask me why this was requested of me, as I am neither a good performer nor a good public speaker. Also, normally I do not remember my dreams, but these words stayed in my mind for a day and a half.) I stepped forward. Standing before those multitudes of faces, I held music in my hands. It had no identifiable shape or form, but it was there in my hands all the same.

I stared out to the crowd, holding music, and I said this:

My friends, I am here to talk to you about music. You are all here for the purpose of listening to music, but do you know its importance? We take delight in a good song, in well-constructed notes or pitch-perfect voices. Yet music is more than this. A song might be technically perfect, and yet people may pass it by, because it is missing something. There is more to music than technical perfection.

You see, music is a distinct and un-overlook-able part of life. Have you ever found yourself matching your steps to a beat? Have you ever whistled a nameless tune? Can you hear the music everywhere? It is everywhere, you know. Can you see it here?

Music, you see, is in more than the instruments we make. The earth is filled with musicality. Music is in the creaking of the old oak trees as they groan back and forth; it is in the wind that disturbs them. Music is in the thunder of horses galloping across the fields; it is in the quivering grass beneath their hooves. There is music in the cooing of a newborn and the returning murmurs of his mother. It is there in the thunder and the lightning; it is there in the soft snowfall.

Music is the soul's expression of what is most beautiful and good in life. It is a reflection of God, Who is most beautiful and most good. We listen to music and, as Beethoven said, it strikes fire into our hearts, and brings tears to our eyes. Through music, we can laugh, or cry, or vent, or share our delight. Music speaks the words that would otherwise remain unspoken. Listen and hear those words.

Thank you.

2011-12-25T09:57:00.005-05:00

Christmas hath a darkness;

Brighter than the blazing noon;
Christmas hath a chillness
Warmer than the heat of June,
Christmas hath a beauty
Lovelier than the world can show:
For Christmas bringeth Jesus,
Brought for us so low.

Christina Rossetti

Merry Christmas, everyone. :)

The King's Child

2011-12-16T12:49:00.000-05:00

I hesitate outside, He sits on His throne

And though I'm here peeking, I feel all alone.

I die to come forward and sit at His feet,

But I know I'm not worthy of such a close seat.

With full trepidation, I peek 'round the door

And see my King seated but, Oh! I want more

I want to be near Him, to see His kind face

But I know I'm not worthy of such a close place.

Oh - is He calling me? Whatever for?

Is it that I'm too close as I stand by the door?

Will He send me away, put me outside, or, no!

Will He tell me I must pack my things up and go?

But He hugs me close, gently, and He whispers to me-

"Child, I know you feel shackled, but I have set you free.

I am with you, I love you, I died for you - see,

This is the price of what you mean to Me.

My scars testify to My heart that is given

To you and all others who have been forgiven.

Now you call me Abba, and that is quite true

For I am your Father and I've made you new.

Your past is redeemed by my atoning blood,

And I loved you, see, before you understood

You are Mine and I love you, so now I implore:

Come close to Me, child, don't stop by the door!

You are My child, beloved, and I welcome you here

So come and sit close, now, and no longer fear.

You are welcome by My grace, you are not alone,

I am with you, I love you, sit near by My throne."

the sufferings of Christ

2011-12-15T12:46:00.000-05:00

I have hesitated to write this blog post for two reasons.

First, I cannot properly articulate the sufferings of Christ, because I do not and could not possibly know the full extent of His pain and suffering. Second, I cannot understand the sufferings of Christ as I ought, for Christ suffered willingly, knowingly, and lovingly. He came to earth as a man with the full knowledge that He would suffer and die. He went through unimaginable agony in rescuing sinners such as myself. He knew He would. He did it anyway.

This sort of suffering is not the type I am familiar with. I am more familiar with suffering unwillingly, stumbling into suffering because I cannot see the future, and hating the pain. I am often quite selfish when it comes to suffering - I do not willingly give myself over to suffer for the sake of others, not too often anyway.

Yet, the sufferings of Christ are extremely pertinent to the Christian faith, and so I will write about them, though you must forgive my fumbling attempts to explain what I barely perceive.

I often think of the different aspects of Christ's earthly life, and wonder what could be termed suffering. Really, all of it could be, in some measure or another. The humility of humanity, the weakness and fragility, the physical limitations, the stubbed toes, the whacked thumbs, the muscle strain, the heat stroke...all these things that the Son of God had never before endured, being omnipotent, God, Almighty. His very earthly life was in itself a form of suffering. And He did it willingly, for you and for me. I speak of His willingness a lot, because it is so astounding to me.

Then you come to the mockery, the accusations, the attempts of the scribes and Pharisees to trip Jesus up and catch Him in His words. They never did, but Jesus was grieved at their hardness of heart and their willful unbelief.

Imagine the pain of betrayal. Yes, Jesus knew that Judas would betray Him, but I doubt that lessened the pain of it in any way. Judas was a close disciple, with Jesus for years. Judas witnessed Jesus' ministry, His mercy, His healing of the sick, the leprous, the weak, the frail, the dead. He still betrayed Him.

Then there is the physical pain of the flogging, the carrying of the cross on which He would be crucified on His stripped back, the striking fists of the Roman soldiers, the hatred of the crowd, the crucifixion itself, the separation from God...Jesus endured a life of suffering.

He was despised and rejected by men;

a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;

and as one from whom men hide their faces

he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

(Isaiah 53:3 ESV)

Yet the sufferings of Christ have brought forth the joy of salvation. As 1 Peter says, suffering is not the end, but rather glory:

inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. (1 Peter 1:11 ESV)

Christ's suffering brought for the joy of salvation, victory over Satan, sin, and death, and reconciliation to God.

Yet the sufferings of Christ have brought forth the joy of salvation, victory over Satan, sin, and death, and reconciliation to God. We ought to look at our own suffering in the light of Christ's. He knew that His suffering was for a purpose.

Often I forget that my own suffering is doing something, affecting me according to the merciful plan and purpose of God. I dwell on the pain instead of on the "subsequent glories".

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (Romans 8:18 ESV)

Do you hear what I hear?

2011-12-07T13:43:00.001-05:00

'Tis the season, and Christmas music is sounding forth from radio stations across the world. Singers and songwriters alike devote themselves to capturing the quintessential beauty found in a single, dangling snowflake. Poets seek to capture on paper the mystical evanescence of what surrounds this holiday. Even the lowest and meanest among us wax poetic and philosophical at this time of year. How can you not be poetic when there are scented candles and pretty lights all around?

I wondered recently whether those who sing certain Christmas songs know what they are saying. Are they oblivious to the words? Do they sing them simply because they are traditional songs, and they sound pretty good, and you can get that Christmas CD out pretty quick by covering an old tune instead of writing your own? Do they sing them because the songs are poetic?

Am I cynical? I'm sure I have asked that question before. But do they know? I would really like to know if these singers realize what the words coming out of their mouths actually mean.

For instance, I hear "Joy to the World" on the radio a lot. It's been sung by many people, old and young. It is a good tune. Just look at the words.

Joy to the World , the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the World, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
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 rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.

Verse 3 is sometimes skipped, but the remaining verses are enough to make you wonder. This carol is a proclamation of the gospel. It declares that joy has come to the world precisely because Christ has come to the world. We are joyful because He reigns. We are joyful because He brings blessings beyond measure, beyond understanding. We are joyful because He rules the world with truth and grace! He is glorious, He is righteous, He is Love Incarnate. I hear the truth found in Jesus Christ in every line of this carol.

I'm not complaining that it's on the radio; in fact, I'm delighted. Except for when someone does a completely messed-up version of the music. That is not so delightful.

But do they hear what I hear?

Gandhi's wisdom

2011-12-04T09:35:00.001-05:00

How many times have you heard this phrase?

"I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ."

I have heard and read it plenty of times in my life, both from non-Christians and Christians (the latter being especially annoying to me). I do not like the phrase. Let me explain.

You might think I do not like it because I'm indignant that anyone would slam Christians as being unlike Christ, because that's a major insult, saying believers are not always like what they believe. Well, no, I'm not offended by that. That, in itself, is true.

What offends me is the misunderstanding of Christ Jesus, and therefore of Christians. Gandhi said this (and people repeat it) because he did not realize Who Christ is, or who Christ's people are. Gandhi says he likes Christ, but does he really? He probably liked the concept of Jesus the good man, the teacher, the one who preached peace and love, who said that the meek shall inherit the earth and the poor in spirit are blessed beyond measure. Who doesn't like that Christ? He's a pretty cool guy. (He doesn't afraid of anything...moving on.)

Yet Christ Jesus is so much more than this good man. He is God, the Son, the Word. He holds the universe together by the word of His power. In Him all things live, move, and have their being. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is the firstborn, the heir of all creation. He is perfect in being, power, wisdom, authority, justice, goodness and truth. He is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. Did Gandhi know Christ? Did he really know this Christ he claimed to like? If he did, how can he cast such a judgment upon Christians? If he did not, by what authority does he claim to pronounce such a judgment?

The fact that Christians are unlike Christ most of the time is really the point. We are bad. We are sinners. Christ is good. He is sinless. He accomplished the law for us and died in our place. Of course we are unlike Christ. That's why we need Him!

The problem is that Gandhi (and those who quote him) expect Christians to be Christ. Christians are often watched because people want to see them slip up, to fall into sin, so that they can say, "You see? Christians are just like the rest of us." That's true. We are. That's why we need a Saviour. You do, too. Because, you're just like the Christians (you see, it goes both ways), who rely on Christ's propitiatory death and victorious resurrection in order to be reconciled to God.

Gandhi may have liked Christ, but it remains to be seen whether he actually believed Him.

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6 ESV)

My Jesus, I love Thee

2011-12-02T12:06:00.001-05:00

William Featherstone (1846-1873) was just sixteen years old when he wrote these words. This hymn is one of my favourites. The words are so full of praise to God. They make my soul resonate with praise, and when I sing this hymn I long to sing it on and on and on, for I never tire of the words.

My Jesus, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine;

For Thee all the follies of sin I resign.

My gracious Redeemer, my Savior art Thou;

If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.

I love Thee because Thou has first loved me,

And purchased my pardon on Calvary’s tree.

I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow;

If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.

I’ll love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death,

And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath;

And say when the death dew lies cold on my brow,

If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.

In mansions of glory and endless delight,

I’ll ever adore Thee in heaven so bright;

I’ll sing with the glittering crown on my brow;

If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.

Distaste

2011-12-01T12:27:00.000-05:00

I used to love honey. Seriously, I was a honey addict. I ate it every day - more than that, I felt like I needed to eat it every day. When we ran out of honey, I would be angry, or I would pout inside. Honey was my friend. Bees were the most glorious creature on the planet. Gold was my favourite colour.

Okay, it wasn't quite that bad, but I did love honey.

I recently went through a period of time (I think it was a little over a month) without eating any sugar or sweeteners of any kind. This was to rid my body of a particularly frustrating ailment. I was desperate, and it was suggested to me that ridding my body of sugar would "starve" out what I carried. It appears so far that this has worked, as the skin rashes, the pain, and the utter fatigue have not returned. (Yes!)

Anyway, at the end of the month I was allowed to eat a little bit of sweets again. Naturally, I went for the honey. I remembered how delicious it was, and that it satisfied every craving and hit every single little spot. Yet when I had some, it wasn't that good. In fact, I didn't like it at all. I took a sip of tea with honey in it and my mouth puckered from the disgusting sweetness. I found my food tastes had changed. I no longer needed honey. I was just fine without it. In fact, I was healthier without it.

I was thinking about that, and I can equate that to sin in my life. As I escape it, as God leads me away from it, I find that when I stumble back, expecting all the pleasure and satisfaction I had from it before, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. It makes my nose wrinkle. I no longer desire it. I'd sooner go without it. I want to be free of it. I want to choke the disease of sin that lingers in my body, waiting for me to give it something on which to feed. My tastes are slowly changing as God works in me. Too bad this sort of change takes longer than a month. ;) More like a lifetime, but God is faithful and I know He will bring it to completion.

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6)

Trying to understand the Trinity

2011-11-25T12:59:00.000-05:00

There are a lot of things I do not understand about God. I know a little bit, and I'm learning a little bit more, but at the end of the day, I can only say this:

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

“For who has known the mind of the Lord,
or who has been his counselor?”
“Or who has given a gift to him
that he might be repaid?”

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. (Romans 11:33-36)

When it comes to understanding God, one question that I have mulled over lately is the question of the Trinity. Exactly how does that work? The only thing I know for sure about the Trinity is that God understands it, while I do not. I can hardly wrap my brain around God existing for eternity, let alone God existing for eternity as one God yet three distinct Persons. If my brain could ever literally explode from confusion, the Trinity would be the reason.

However, I do have some confused and rambling thoughts about the Trinity.

Calvin among others has said that Jesus is "God from Himself", because one of the early creeds said that Jesus is God from God - that is, begotten by the Father from eternity. The argument there is that to suggest He gets His "Godness" from the Father is essentially diminishing Him to the level of a sub-deity. One of the foundational attributes of God is that He must exist from Himself, without relying on anyone else.

Yet I think that whole argument misses the concept of the Trinity! God is one God, in three Persons. It is diminishing to the Trinity to suggest that any Person could exist without any other. All Persons of the Trinity together make up God. This One God cannot exist without the three Persons.

The Son is eternally begotten by the Father. The Son therefore needs the Father. The Father also needs the Son. The Father is not the Father without the Son, just as the Son is not the Son without the Father. The Spirit likewise proceeds from the Father. The Spirit would not be the Spirit without the Father. The Father would not be the Father without the Spirit. The Son likewise. Make sense at all?

The Trinity is God in unity, perfect in existence, power, will and authority. The persons are distinct, but not so distinct that they could exist without one another. I think that in all our meditation upon the Trinity, we should remember to balance the two. God is One, but three Persons. The three Persons are distinct, but one God, unified in love, faithfulness, dedication, and purpose. God works in perfect unity with Himself in all things, including our salvation, adoption, redemption and glorification. Amazing!

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. (2 Corinthians 13:14)

Different Perspectives

2011-11-24T12:48:00.001-05:00

A few months ago, I asked some friends a question about a passage in Psalm 19. It fascinated me how different their answers were. God leads each of His children along a different road, creating unique characters, building distinct perspectives, yet all being crafted more and more towards Christlikeness. We can see many things differently, or have a contrasting "take" when it comes to one subject or another. I love to echo the praise found in Scripture when it says, "I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made!" (Ps. 139)

The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. (Psalm 19:7-11)

Me: There's a lot of interesting stuff in this short passage. What jumps out at you from these verses?

CP: The fear of the Lord is clean. No threat, no condemnation. More of a reverent fear than a fear of pain or punishment. The purest definition of 'awesome' that there can be. Jaw dropping wow. And IT DOESN'T STOP, EVER.

ZS: ‎"More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb." How much do we desire the ways of the Lord? Are His ways gold to us? Personally, I need to do a better job at that. Desire His ways, His word, His fellowship.

JL: "The law of the LORD is perfect" We all know this to be true, but it is always good to see where in scripture that it shows that we should never doubt God's laws and word.

SGB: What amazes me is that God rewards us for finding and serving him, when because he's so perfect and amazing serving him should be enough reward in itself. But no, he adds to it with a refreshed soul, wisdom, a joyful heart, and a new way to see the world just to name a few. I love the passion of this passage, and how in love with God the writer is: it reminds me of my "first love".

BP: ‎"The commandment of the Lord is pure..." is slightly amazing.. it's funny and awe-inspiring to think that we don't even truly understand the meaning of the word 'pure'; everything we've ever known except for God Himself has been tainted in some way. Nothing besides Him is totally as it should be.

~
Thanks, everyone, for your answers! Now, a question for you, Reader: what jumps out at you from Psalm 19:7-11?

The Gadarenes

2011-11-17T08:49:00.001-05:00

Imagine being self-destructive, full of demons, bound, alone and injurious. Imagine that people have tried to subdue you, but they have not the strength to contend. Imagine crying out night and day, seeking relief from the constant emotional and spiritual pain inflicted by this Legion within.

Imagine seeing Jesus from afar. Imagine the Legion within you carrying you to His feet, falling down before Him, and begging Him to leave. Who is this Jesus, that His very presence torments the demons, but they cannot help but bow down?

Imagine hearing this man Jesus say to the demons, "come out of him!" Is it possible? Could you finally be free? The demons beg not to leave the country, though they are bargaining because they know they can no longer stay in you. Is it possible?

Imagine the feeling. Freedom. Being self-controlled, finally in your right mind, clothed and sitting. At peace. Finally, finally at peace. Breathe that in.

Imagine Jesus turning to leave. This man who has freed you, this great man who has sent out the demons - a Legion of demons, obeying His word - He is leaving.

As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” (Mark 5:18-19)

In a way, this man's life-change is a picture of our own. We are not all possessed by demons in such a way, we are not all so physically self-destructive, but in many ways our salvation is just as drastic. Jesus comes. Jesus calls. His word is obeyed. He rescues us from our self-destruction, our calloused hearts, our darkened minds. He opens our eyes and replaces our heart of stone with a heart of flesh. He frees us from the bonds of Satan. He redeems us so that we are no longer under the wrath of God.

Like this man, I just want to be with Jesus. I understand and connect with what Paul says here:

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again. (Philippians 1:21-26)

Yet look at what Jesus did - in fact, what Jesus did not do. He did not permit the man to follow Him. The man wanted to be in Jesus' presence, to follow Him, to live the rest of His life at the feet of Christ, and Jesus said no. He says no to us as well, while we wait here in the hope for His return. Someday, someday, I will find that man of the Gadarenes, and I will hug him and I will go with him to bow at the feet of the Saviour Who has said, "not yet," but Who has also said, "behold, I am coming soon." In the meantime, our calling is much the same as it is for every believer:

"Go home to your friends and

tell them how much the Lord has done for you,

and how he has had mercy on you."

The full extent of grace

2011-11-13T09:08:00.001-05:00

To see the full extent of grace, sometimes I have to look at the full extent of sin. My mind works in contrasts a lot. It helps me to learn and to grow - especially when the contrasts are concerning something so utterly relevant and definitive to my life and the way I live it.

For me, the full extent of sin is seen not only in the sinful acts I do, but it is seen in my capacity to sin. Even where I do not sin, when I choose to control myself and not allow the temptation to pull me in, the very fact of my contemplating the sin even for a moment condemns me. My mind is sinful. I find sin attractive. It is an option for me. I am tempted to sin all the time. I relate to temptation. I consider the possibility of acting in sin. I weigh the pros and cons of sinning. My very consideration is a mark against me.

Jesus never considered sin as an attractive possibility. To sin was a concept so foreign and disgusting to Him that He immediately responded to Satan's tempting with righteousness. Satan sought to tempt Him just as he tempts us. The intent of the tempter remains the same in all cases. Satan wants people to fall, to sin, to deny God. Especially, I think, the Son of God incarnate. I imagine he was trying his devious best at that point.

In Christ, there was no connection. Jesus was completely without sin. Satan could not relate. He sought to tempt Jesus, to see Jesus fall, and found no hold. Jesus was sinless, perfectly righteous, perfectly good. Just as the volume of my sinfulness is basically limitless, so too is the volume of Christ's righteousness, of His goodness.

It is beautiful then for me to think of my own atrocious worthlessness, and then look away from my self (knowing full well that I can find no way out of sinfulness on my own) to my Saviour. The full extent of grace is that Jesus was willing to die for sinners, sinners so fully entrenched in their sin that they are ignorant of the depths. He was willing to take the full extent of our sin upon Himself, and bear it all, and die for it. He was willing to transfer to me all of His righteousness. I don't even understand that. It brings tears to my eyes to think of all that Jesus endured, and all that He has given to me, in spite of who I was. Oh to grace how great a debtor daily I'm constrained to be!

Praying in Jesus' Name

2011-11-09T12:17:00.003-05:00

What does it mean to pray “In Jesus’ name”?

I remember when I was younger, I used to finish off prayers with a hasty "Jesus' name, amen". It didn't even register in my mind what those words actually meant. It was just the postscript, the Prayer Finisher. These were the words that let everyone else know you were finished praying. How ignorant I was! Thank God that by His far-reaching mercy, He even hears the prayers of the weak and the foolish.

I think praying in Jesus' name means acknowledging that we have no self-grown merit before God; but we trust in the promises and sacrifice of Jesus, so we have the confidenceto come before the throne of God our Father. This confidence is based solely on what Christ has donefor us, and the righteousness He has attributed to us. To pray in the name of the Saviour means remembering how we are even praying to the glorious, holy God in the first place.

If we pray in Jesus’ name, we must pray for what He would pray for. He will not be our representative in praying for sinful, selfish things. To pray in Jesus' name means to pray for His will to be done, for His Word to be spoken, and for His character to be shown rather than our own. Asking according to His will means praying within the bounds of what He has revealed His will to be. To pray like that means we must be representatives of Jesus' requests. When I pray in Jesus' name, when I say those words, they remind me that my whole life is submitted to the will of my Saviour and Lord. I do not always understand what He is doing in my life, but I know that I can trust Him, and that He will keep me, and that no one can snatch me out of His hand.

To pray the way Jesus would pray means praising God for His holiness. He is perfect, He is light and in Him is no darkness at all. This means that He will never do anything evil or wrong. Because He is good, we can trust that what He orchestrates for our lives is good.

It means praying that God would grow and strengthen His kingdom. It means praying for the souls of men, all the while knowing it is God Who moves hearts and awakens souls.

It means praying God's will would be done on earth as it is in heaven - that is, God's will being perfectly experienced, eliciting the praise God deserves for His perfect mercy. We will not experience God's will perfectly until Christ returns, for we are still debilitated by sin. Yet this prayer asks, "amen. Come, Lord Jesus!" This prayer looks forward in hope to the Lord's return, and lives in the light of that promise.

It means praying that God would provide, recognizing that it is God Who provides your daily needs, whether bread, or life and breath and everything.

It means seeking forgiveness from God, and living in the light of the forgiveness found in Christ by expressing forgiveness to those who have wronged you.

It means asking the Lord to keep you from temptation, acknowledging that He has the power to deliver us from evil. It means knowing that God will not let us suffer anything beyond our endurance (1 Corinthians 10:13).

It means declaring God to be the Sovereign Lord, the Owner and Ruler of the kingdom, the Possessor of omnipotent power...and all glory belongs to Him exclusively. The Lord in Whose name we pray is able to hear and to answer our prayers. The Lord in Whose name we pray intercedes for us Himself before the Father. We can trust Him. We can seek Him. We can ask Him.

And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. (1 John 5:14-15)

A new view...

2011-11-07T10:41:00.002-05:00

Well, my curiosity gets the best of me sometimes.

I'm trying a new blog look - one of their "Dynamic Views".

The only problem is, I've lost all my sidebar things. My blog list, my recent posts, my archive, all of it.

I'm not sure I like that.

I'm not sure I can recover them, either. However, I may keep it and make a new page for my Blog List.

What do you think of this new setup?

Offer him there

2011-11-07T09:25:00.003-05:00

Genesis 22 (select verses):

After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”

He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac.

When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.

But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”

It always makes me cry to think of being in Abraham's shoes. Imagine being asked by the God you love to give up - more than that, to kill yourself - the son you love. God tests Abraham's obedience. Abraham obeys the Lord, believing God will provide His own offering. Abraham believes that God keeps His promises, so he is willing to obey, knowing that God could even raise Isaac, his promised son, from the dead (Hebrews 11:19). Abraham is committed to his God.

Just before Abraham slaughters his beloved son, God intervenes and blesses Abraham. God provides a ram as a substitute. I always think of the relief and joy Abraham must have felt, receiving his son back, being blessed by God.

Part of the reason this passage brings me to tears is that God spared Abraham's son, but did not spare His own Son. God offered Him there on the cross. Jesus was sacrificed for our sake. Jesus knew, just as the Father knew, what was required for sinful men to be reconciled to God. Upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace.

A guest post and something of a milestone

2011-11-05T10:50:00.002-04:00

With this post, the number of blogs published will be 300. I received comment number 600 this morning. Thank you to all who have stuck with me through the years, patiently waiting until I posted something, encouraging me with your comments...I have been blessed by you, as I hope you have been blessed by what I have written.

Anyway, I figured that since this is a milestone, kind of a special post, what better way to celebrate that than by sharing a post from a good friend of mine! Thanks Jarred. :)

Inspiration through a conversation with my friend Andy andan x-ray.

I was at my chiropractor’s office today to get an x-ray ofmy hips. The idea was to see the condition of the hip sockets, especially theright one. Basically there is cartilage which separates the head of the femurand the socket. This allows for functional movement of the head without rubbingthe interior bone. The problem presented in arthritis is that cartilagedeteriorates and when that happens, the bones begin to touch and grind.

He looked at the x-ray and smirked at me when I pressed himfor his opinion and said, “basically it’s the hip of a 65 or 70 year old.”(He’s been right there with me since the beginning of my health condition, andwe are friends, hence the informality.) He went on to inform me that it couldbe worse, since there still is some cartilage present. And, the cool thing isthat there are so many advancing techniques and methods of improving problemssuch as this. For instance he continued, Payton Manning flew over into Europe fora therapy which is currently not approved for use in the US. This therapy seeksto stimulate the growth of new cells, which could allow doctors to replenishlost cartilage. Though unsuccessful for him at this point, the work is outthere.. Quite impressive and hopeful for anyone suffering from a debilitatingproblem.

Later on in the day as I pondered our conversation and mycurrent situation, I had to enjoy the moment. I was walking out of Dominicksback to the car when I introduced a gloomy thought to myself, something to theeffect of how horrible life is since I can’t do something simple like juststart running. (Being an impact type of movement, it would cause undue force onthe problem area.) As my strong arms lifted and lowered my body down into thedriver’s seat, I began to smile. How stupid is it to look at a group ofactivities that I would love to do and get down in the dumps over it, when Ihave such a host of undeniable blessings? I mean for crying out loud, fiveyears ago at this time, my right leg was 100% incapacitated. I couldn’t move itfor fear of excruciating pain. I had to sleep in a recliner that friends fromchurch loaned us. My mom had to tuck me in each night, complete withstrategically placing pillows under knees and lower legs and covering me upwith a blanket. I can remember a time when I could barely maneuver with mycrutches from my recliner across the room, past the kitchen table to thebathroom, or having to sit on a stool in the shower. Now contrast that to mewalking out of the store, all by myself, confidently moving across the parkinglot to the car which I drove, hop in, turn up the radio loud, and drive intothe setting sun. How incredibly blessed I am! I can feel and think. I can seethat beautiful sunset. I can hear the music which I so adore. My awesome footthat doesn’t swell anymore can perfectly slap the gas pedal.

But that isn’t what I started out to say.. Back to the factthat I have a 70 year old’s hip. It struck me that that means I have theexperiences of a 70 year old. I can think and feel like a 70 year old, somebodywho knows what it feels like to have enjoyed tough sports in years past, thoselong bike rides through the woods or the 6 hours spent playing volleyball withfriends. But at the same instant, someone who knows what it feels like to haveincapability, not because of a lack of practice, but because of years ofphysical turmoil and consequent damage.

But I’m not an old man, I have the heart and desires of a 23year old man. So somewhere in that weird mix, I believe a huge blessing ishiding. A blessing called perspective, or perhaps insight. I am so like mypeers, and yet I have both limitations and perspectives which make me sodifferent. Sometimes I catch glimpses of the opportunity for a beautifulfuture. Other times I cry and hurt because of the past and present. But in all,I strive to live. I truly believe God has given me the gift of unending desirefor life- survival. And I sincerely hope that some day the purpose for thiswill be before me and that perhaps I will have the opportunity to use thoseperspectives and insights in such a way to bring satisfaction to my life andglory to my Father. I think there are two things which give me the hope that Icontain: my blessing of survival and the anticipation of God’s planned outfuture for me.

The ties that bind us to life are tougher than you imagine,or than anyone can who has not felt how roughly they may be pulled withoutbreaking. You might be miserable withouta home, but even you could live; and not so miserably as you suppose. The human heart is like india-rubber; alittle swells it, but a great deal will not burst it. –Anne Bronte

Should I shrink from the work that God had set before me,because it was not fitted to my taste? Did not He know best what I should do,and where I ought to labour?—and should I long to quit His service before I hadfinished my task, and expect to enter into His rest without having laboured toearn it? No; by His help I will arise and address myself diligently to myappointed duty. If happiness in this world is not for me, I will endeavour topromote the welfare of those around me, and my reward shall be hereafter. -AnneBronte

Cast down into the darkness
To stumble towards unknown
Only emptiness to hold on to
Only shadows to seek support from
So arm your heart with self-worth
Yet prepare for sorrow; and pain
Don't let the fear eat you from inside
Wear your weaknesses with pride

and even if you crush my body
And drain it 'til the last drop
You can never touch my spirit
You can never touch my soul
No matter; how bleak or how hopeless
No matter how hard or how far
You can never break my conation
Tear the will apart from desire -Equilibrium

~ Jarred Schaufel

"Pain is not the fruit of pain"

2011-11-04T12:59:00.000-04:00

I've wondered sometimes why God calls us through pain. It is, of course, a question that I cannot answer, because God has not revealed the host of His knowledge or the extent of His plan and purpose to me. I rest in His character, in what He has revealed, and what He has promised. I know that whatever pain I go through is for a purpose, for my good and for God's glory.

I know I should not be surprised when a fiery trial comes upon me. It is not something strange, but I treat it like it is. I fear pain, I hate pain, and if I could I would probably escape pain every time.

Yet, when it comes to the existence of pain, when it comes to the reason why God allows us to suffer, I think I know a part of the answer. God's intent is my gain more than my suffering. The dross is purged and purified through the fire. God means pain for something more than just pain. As Elizabeth Barrett Browning said, pain is not the fruit of pain. Something else springs up out of it.

Understanding. Understanding costs something. It costs the death of my selfishness. It costs me my inability to relate to others. It grows compassion in me. I know that when I have gone through terrible things, those who have helped me and encouraged me and lifted me up the most are those who have gone through terrible things as well. I know that I am better able to minister to someone who is struggling because I have struggled. I can say, "I know what you're going through. I understand", and from that standpoint I can begin to encourage and reach out with the gospel.

Patience, too. Because I have been there, I can better understand someone's frailty, and therefore I am more patient with them as they struggle over wounds old and new. The ultimate blessing for me during times where I sat helpless, willing the tears to stop falling, yet being unable to dry my eyes, it has been the patient comfort of others that eased my heartsickness. Suffering has most definitely taught me patience in more than one way. For physical pain, I have learned and continue to learn that sometimes there is nothing you can do but wait until it eases. It's the same with all pain, really. Sometimes it goes away quickly. Other times it takes days.

I have constant pain in my shoulders. It is not debilitating, but it can be frustrating. Sometimes the pain flares into something a bit nastier, and I become grumpy or useless for a day. Yet I think this pain that I have has helped me to deal more patiently with others who suffer daily pain at a greater level than my own.

Gentleness. We are so fragile. We are vessels of dust holding the breath of life in tenuous bodies. Praise be to God, He knows our frame. He never forgets, but we do. I do. I treat others roughly a lot more than I ought to. The pain that God has allowed into my life has taught me something about gentleness. Deal with others carefully; you don't know everything they are going through. God knows the thoughts and hurts of men, yet He is kind, patient, and merciful, not dealing with us according to our sins or punishing us according to our iniquities.

Ultimately, pain teaches me something more about grace, because I know that Jesus suffered the ultimate pain for me. He took my sin upon Himself so that I could be free, redeemed, sanctified and justified before the Father. He took my sin so that I could be adopted into the family of God, being able to call God "Father". He suffered pain for my sake as an expression of love, in the greatest sacrifice in the history of the world. His pain bore the most important fruit: salvation.

Though you have not seen Him

2011-11-03T12:00:00.000-04:00

I have such a great hope. It is the very hope that helps me to endure trouble, to battle against stress, and to live with joy instead of depression.

My hope is in Christ, Whom I have not seen.

I have not seen Him, but I love Him.

When I think of all He has done for me, all He has transferred to me, all He has died for in my name and for my sake, I cannot help but love Him.

Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29 ESV)

Blessed are those. Blessed are those. We walk by faith, not by sight. We hope in the promises of Christ Jesus. We believe in Him and rejoice in His name. We live and rest and delight in abiding in Christ, echoing John in his utterance: Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

He is the Master and King of creation,
Gathering people from every nation
Redeeming them by His own shed blood
Overpowering sin with a gracious flood
Of forgiveness and peace, of mercy and love
Coming down from the Father of Lights up above.
There is no other being remotely above Him
And though I have not yet seen Him, I love Him.

Giving Thanks - Building Up

2011-11-02T20:00:00.000-04:00

"It's interesting that there is no word in Hebrew for "to give thanks." The word (yadah) behind our English translations means to praise or to give public acknowledgement; to tell others what God has done. If someone did you a favor or provided a blessing, instead of saying "thank you" you would respond by saying, "I'm going to declare your name to others. I'm going to praise your kindness and generosity and thoughtfulness to everyone I see." That's what thanksgiving or gratitude was in the Old Testament." ~ Sam Storms

I thought this was a really interesting comment on thankfulness. Thankfulness overflows and affects other people. It is contagious. Thankfulness builds others up, builds their reputation, builds relationships.

Sadly, we are more familiar with gossip and tearing down than we are with thankfulness. Thankfulness feels awkward to me. It battles my natural tendency toward selfish pride. It tastes funny in my mouth; it is not a well-known flavour. I'm far more used to the bitter taste of thanklessness!

Yet God works in me. He shows me how frail and needy I am. He provides me with wonderful friends and family who selflessly give. He reminds me of Christ, Who gave everything - everything! - for my sake, and I am shamed into repentance. The more I dwell on Christ, the more thankfulness grows in me, gaining a hold, overpowering the desire to tear down and destroy, overwhelming pride. The more I look on Christ, the more I wish to imitate Him in giving without a thought for repayment. The more I think about Christ, the more I want to express my thankfulness by telling everyone about Him.

Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!
Serve the LORD with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!
(Psalm 100:1-2; Psalm 100:3-5 ESV)
Know that the LORD, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!
For the LORD is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.
(Psalm 100)

God is not surprised...

2011-11-02T00:00:00.000-04:00

God is not surprised by our prayers. He sends His Holy Spirit to help uswith them.

God is never thrown off by what we pray. He knows what we need before we evenask. He is prepared with an answer before we make the request. Why then, youmight ask, does He even wait for the request? Like everything else, prayer is ameans through which we can develop a closer relationship to God. He wants us toput effort into knowing Him and communicating with Him.

Howto Pray

Howdo you pray?Alone? As a family? In a group? Out loud? Within? Writingprayers down in a notebook? There is no real specific way to pray, since we already learned that there aremany different kinds of prayer. If prayer is our tool of communication withGod, then we should know that, just as we communicate in many different wayswith people, so we communicate in many different ways with God. Still, there issomething to be said for learning how to pray, for prayer can be taught and learnt.

Prayer issometimes messy – look at Hannah praying in bitter grief, Elijah praying indepression, Isaiah praying with a question, asking God where He is…questioningGod does not always indicate unbelief, though our questions should be asked inthe right way.

1John 5:14-15 (if we ask according to HIS will…),

James4:1-2, 3 (you do not have because you ask wrongly…)…

Hebrews 5:7“In the days of his flesh, Jesus offeredup prayers andsupplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him fromdeath, and he was heard because of his reverence.”

Weshould always pray with the knowledge of Who God is and who we are in mind.

1. Praying God's Word back to Him

Wehave to be careful that we do not hide evil motives under a pretense of prayer.For instance, praying “God, please strike so-and-so dead because I can’t standhim. In Jesus’ name, amen” won’t get you very far. Sometimes we demand from Godrather than seeking God. We want Him to answer and provide for us withoutdeveloping a real relationship with Him.

Ifwe pray using Scripture, then we will protect ourselves from falling into thatkind of false prayer. We can pray, "O Lord, please teach me your Word. Let love abound in me more and more, with all knowledge and discernment (Philippians 1). Give me the wisdom to approve what is excellent (Philippians 1:10) and flee from what is evil. Help me to be kind, tenderhearted and forgiving (Ephesians 4:32). Help me to walk in the light (1 John 1:7). Help me to imitate Jesus (1 Corinthians 11:1). Amen." That is a prayer God will delight to answer.

Prayer is Important

2011-11-01T00:00:00.000-04:00

Why is prayer important?

Prayer is a valuable weapon against our enemy. God has ordained prayer as a weapon against theschemes of the devil. In Ephesians 6, it says this:

...and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, (Ephesians 6:17-18 ESV)

It is interesting to note that prayer is mentioned directly after the Sword of the Spirit. Scripture is our first offensive weapon against the schemes of the devil. Prayer is second.

God has commanded us to pray.

Luke 18:1 "And he told them a parable … thatthey ought always to pray and not lose heart."

1 Thess.5:16-17 “Rejoice always, pray withoutceasing…”

God has given us the armour we need in battling the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. We are at war against Satan, sin, and death. Scripture helps to build our armour against these things. Prayer is like the straps holding the armour in place.

God has promised to hear and answer ourprayers.

Jeremiah 29:12 "Then you will callupon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you."

Jeremiah 33:3– “Call to me andI will answer you, and willtell you greatand hidden things that you havenot known.”

Psalm 13 – prayerstrengthens our faith:

1 How long, O Lord? Will you forget meforever?

How long will you hide your face from me?

2 How long must I take counsel in my soul

and have sorrow in my heart all the day?

How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

3 Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;

light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep ofdeath,

4 lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed overhim,”

lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.

5 But I have trusted in your steadfastlove;

my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.

6 I will sing to the Lord,

because he has dealt bountifully with me.

You can see from this psalm that the speaker begins with questionsand doubts, sorrow and humiliation. Yet in speaking to God he reminds himself of the promises andattributes of God, and his faith is restored in verses 5 and 6.

We should remember this when our lack of faith hinders our prayers. If we would only pray, our faith would grow!

Prayer reveals where ourtrue confidence lies.

We should pray through confusion, andrecognize hindrances to prayer. What are some hindrances toprayer?

Unbelief. Sometimes we can have doubts that God will hear or answer our prayer. Is this prayer important enough for God to hear it? Does He care?

Turning away from Scripture. The Word and prayer go together. The more we read God's Word and understand more about Him, the more we will pray more in line with His will. When we neglect the Word of God, we are neglecting an essential part of the armour of God we have been given.

Selfishmotives. When we seek our own will in prayer, or we make demands, that can be a hindrance to prayer. Even if we are praying, our prayer is rendered ineffective if we pray against the revealed will of God.

Fear. What if God doesn't answer my prayer? What if He does?

Pride. This goes back to the idea that we think we are strong enough to accomplish things on our own. We have no need of God for what we determine are "little" things.

Prayer does not always lead to the end thatwe wish it to.

It is not our “get out of jail free” card. God does not have to answer prayer as we think Heshould. Prayer does not make God our servant. Especially as we rememberthe prayers of the righteous men and women in Scripture, we see that theirprayers were based on the fact that God is Lord, not that we are. Those who pray in Scripture always prayed in accordance with the will of God.

Prayer is an entreaty to the God of the Universe thatHe would come down, save, rescue, restore, and build up. We are asking the Kingof kings to help us when we pray. Prayer is not a command, but a request.

Prayer

2011-10-31T12:27:00.002-04:00

What isprayer?

As Christians, there is no greater means wehave from God than prayer.

Prayer is our lifeline.

As a lifeline is thrown to a drowning man to save him and keep him afloat, God has "thrown" prayer to us. He has taught us how to pray.

Prayer has indeed kept me afloat on the best and the worst of days.

It is our tool.

It is fascinating to me to read or hear the prayers of "giants" of the faith. They wield prayer with the expertise of those who practice daily, moment by moment. Someone who paints for twelve hours every day soon knows exactly how to use the brush in order to bring about the greatest beauty in a picture.

God has given us prayer as a tool to use, both in growing ourselves and in seeking Him.

It is through prayer that we communicatewith God.

Prayer takes us into the very presence ofGod. When we pray, we are in a sense standing in the throne room of grace. It is our God-given method of speaking to our Father. He wants us to pray. He has taught us how to pray. He has commanded us to "pray without ceasing".

There are different kinds of prayer – thanksgiving, petition,worship, praise, lamentation, intercession, etc. All of these, God hears and acknowledges. We’re notspeaking to the ceiling when we pray. We converse with God Himself throughprayer.

Whyis prayer sometimes so difficult?

Everybeliever knows that prayer is important, but no matter to whom I speak italways seems like you hear “I don’t pray as much as I ought. I mean to, but Inever really get around to it…”

Part of theproblem is that prayer is a relinquishing of control. What I mean is, when youpray, you are essentially giving everything over to God, and admitting your ownweakness and inability. We would prefer to be in control of our owncircumstances, and make our plans without God’s input. That is one reason whywe can find ourselves reluctant to pray. I know that in my own life, it can be very easy to go ahead and do regular things without praying. Prayer is reserved for the toughest times, the things that I feel I need a "little back-up" for. God is patient, and mercifully shows me that, whether or not I know it at the time, I need Him for everything. I can't draw a breath without His grace.

What else do you think can hinder prayer? What stops youfrom praying?

Another problem is that we canoften have a lack of faith. We don’t quite believe that God will answer us.Spurgeon said it well:

“If there be anything under heaven that I am as sure of as I am ofthe demonstrations of mathematics, it is the fact that God hears prayer.Answers to prayer have come to some of us not now and then, on rare occasions,so that after a series of years we have a few facts to collate, but they cometo us as ordinary circumstances of everyday life.

God has heard for us prayers about great things and prayers aboutlittle things; prayers about things that we could reveal to others, and prayersabout secret matters in which none could join us. We have had so many answersto prayer that the fact is far beyond any further question with us; and yetthere may be a matter pressing upon our heart for God’s glory, and it may be asubject about which we could plead a precise promise, such as this — “If two ofyou are agreed as touching anything concerning my kingdom, it shall be doneunto you,” and yet we are half afraid that our prayer will not be heard: thehusband afraid that the conversion of his wife will never occur; the wifefearful that that swearing husband of hers will not after all yield to theimportunate entreaties which she has addressed to heaven; a teacher in aSunday-school class still afraid that his children, though often prayed for,will not be converted. We have many prayers, but how little faith is mingledwith them!”

~ Spurgeon

More precious than gold

2011-10-29T12:00:00.002-04:00

Faith is a curious thing.

It is supposed to be the word that explains the believer's utter confidence in God, believing in His Word and promises despite tribulations sweeping in from all sides.

Funny then, that sometimes I have faith in my faith instead of having faith in God. Faith becomes the focus. God is out of the picture. If I just believe enough, things will turn out okay. If I am simply sufficiently confident, God will hear me. I focus on what I must do, rather than what God has done. I see my present instead of His past.

Faith doesn't look at itself. It looks at Jesus. I am weak. I doubt. I am often not at all confident. Faith means saying, "Jesus has promised me eternal salvation. He has promised that no one will snatch me out of His or the Father's hand. He has redeemed me." Faith isn't about merely being confident; it's about being confident that Jesus is mighty to save. That's why I believe faith is a gift of God. I can't muster up faith. It is given and grown in me because God keeps His promises. He has never failed me, even in all my distress. My doubts and weaknesses are not a result of His failure to accomplish His purposes, but my failure to remind myself of His consistent grace.

"'At first sight,' says Goldingay, 'the belief that God is behind the trouble that comes to us is a frightening doctrine: what kind of a God is this, whose purpose includes so much distress? But the alternative-a God whose purpose is continually being frustrated by evil-is even more frightening. Better a God whose mystery we cannot understand (but who has given us grounds for trusting when we cannot understand) than one whose adequacy we cannot rely on, or whose interest we cannot be sure of.'' (Quoted by Sam Storms in More Precious Than Gold: 50 Daily Meditations on the Psalms)

Fruit of the Spirit

2011-10-26T17:30:00.000-04:00

Oh how I need these. All the time. Right now.

Love

According to the Greek definition, this actually means a love which centers in moral preference. Preferring another above yourself. Acting for them whether or not it is beneficial to you. It's self-sacrificial love.

This love says, I could live for myself, and do what is best for me, but because I love you I prefer to help you, to see that you are blessed.

Joy

Literally meaning "grace recognized", this is the fruit of the Spirit that acknowledges God's favour. This living joy is the awareness of God's grace. God has done so much. He has given us His favour, and to recognize that is to be joyful. It means saying, "no matter what is going on in my life right now, I know that You, Lord, have given me Your grace. I know that You are with me, and so I am content."

Peace

Another fruit that stems from the knowledge of grace recognized. Peace literally means "wholeness", as in all essential parts being joined together. When we recognize the grace of God in our life, that He is with us, that He governs our lives according to His infinite mercy, it becomes very difficult to worry or fret.

Patience

Long-passion. This means waiting a long time before expressing anger. Not flying off the handle. It means saying, "I could let my temper go right now, and give you a tongue-lashing fit for the dictionary example, but I will not. I will restrain myself."

It means avoiding a personal reaction, taking the time out to consider the circumstances without dwelling upon personal wounds. According to biblos.com, it is being "long-tempered".

Kindness

Kindness, as my pastor always says, is love with hands and feet. It is having time, and talents, and it is using the time and those talents to serve others with a compassionate heart. Being kind is being well-fit for use. For obeying the command of God and offering service to others. It means being helpful.

Goodness

This is talking about a personal quality of goodness. It emphasizes the kindly side of goodness rather than the righteous side of goodness. Goodness, again, means acting in a way that is beneficial. It is evidenced in spiritual excellence, which is in itself evidenced in the virtue of kindness.

Faithfulness

This is having faith, being persuaded to believe that God is God. According to biblos.com, it is a divine persuasion, involving human confidence. God reveals Himself, and faithfulness means being confident in what He has revealed.

Gentleness

The concept of gentleness, when you really think about it, gives the idea of restraint. As in, "I *could* crush your bones, but I won't, because I love you". It is restraint and self-control. It is care, like a mother caring for her newborn, or someone handling a thin glass vase, or a gardener tending to fragile little flowers. Gentleness, as an idea, does not mean weakness. It means power that is kept under control.

Self-control

This really means self-domination. It is mastering yourself, so that you can be patient rather than exploding in a temper, or you can be gentle rather than crushing someone's bones. It proceeds "out from within oneself, but not by oneself". As God gives us the grace to love, and reveals Himself so that we may be joyful, so He enables us to control ourselves so that we do not cause harm, dissension, or bitterness. He helps us control our malicious leanings. He helps us to be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving.

May God grow this fruit in me!

Communion

2011-10-24T15:12:00.001-04:00

I am by no means a expert on communion. However, I have mulled over the concept, as I mull over many Scriptural concepts. It could be said that I am an expert muller. When someone says to me, "mull it over", I think, "ha! Done and doing!" Anyway, I have come to a conclusion about the Lord's Supper.

I think we're doing it wrong.

It seems to me like the small bit of cracker/bread, or the teeny cup of juice/wine, is kind of a diminishing of the concept of communion. I believe communion should be a full meal, where believers gather together to eat together, pray together, cry and laugh together, talk to one another about Jesus, remember all that He has done for us. Here are a few reasons for my belief:

When Jesus implemented communion, He did so over a meal.
And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, "Take; this is my body." And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. And he said to them, "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. (Mark 14:22-24)

Jesus and the disciples were eating the Passover meal together. They did not stop off and partake of little bits. It was within the context of the meal, and the symbolism had (and has) greater meaning than this post can cover.

However, this is the first thing that made me think that communion ought to be a full meal together: Jesus did it that way.

The gathered believers in the Corinthian church were becoming "drunk" off of the wine, and eating their fill.
The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? (1 Corinthians 10:16a)

When you come together, it is not the Lord's supper that you eat. For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk. What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I commend you in this? No, I will not. (1 Corinthians 11:20-22)

The Corinthians were perverting and abusing the Lord's table, which, according to the passage above, seems more like a full potluck meal than anything. Those who had food, ate it, while the poorer believers among them went without. Paul says here, according to John MacArthur, "if they intended to selfishly indulge themselves, they might as well have stayed at home."

Communion was meant for partaking together in remembering Christ. How could the richer church members deny the poorer members their right to partake in the remembrance of their Saviour?

But I am more intent upon highlighting what I mentioned earlier: when you read 1 Corinthians 11:20-22, does it not look to you like a meal? How could people become drunk if they had nothing more than a sip of wine? How could "going ahead with his own meal" equate to "eating a piece of bread". I don't know about you, but I'd still be hungry.

Question: what about "let him eat at home"?
It seems to me that the question involves the idea of discipline and discernment, which Paul talks about from verse 23-32 of 1 Corinthians 11. Here is what it says:

So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another -if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home-so that when you come together it will not be for judgment. (1 Corinthians 11:33-34)

This, to me, does not negate the idea that communion ought to be a shared meal. Rather, it seems to be pointing out the importance of focusing on Christ while gathering together. If someone is ravenous, they will not be dwelling upon the sacrifice of Christ Jesus. They will be dwelling upon how hungry they are, and how delicious the food smells, and how much of it they can get at the expense of others, profaning the name of God as it says in Proverbs 30:

Two things I ask of you;
deny them not to me before I die:
Remove far from me falsehood and lying;
give me neither poverty nor riches;
feed me with the food that is needful for me,
lest I be full and deny you
and say, “Who is the LORD?”
or lest I be poor and steal
and profane the name of my God.
(Proverbs 30:7-9)

Whether hunger or gluttony, when we head to extremes we forget the Lord and profane His name. Better to eat at home, so that when you gather with fellow believers, you can remember what Jesus has done for you.

Practically, remembrance of Christ and what He has accomplished for us ought to be dwelt upon every time we gather for a meal, because we ought to be remembering what He has done for us at all times.
After all, what is communion but a fellowshipping, an exchange of intimate thoughts and feelings, a relationship of discourse? What better place to do that than over an actual meal? Some of the best discussions I have had with family and friends have been over the dinner table. There is an automatic communion involved with eating together. Such a communion is only heightened by the fact that it is believers eating together, reminding one another of the grace and love of Jesus Christ.

"How odd would it seem to have been one of the members of the early church, shepherded by Paul or Peter, and to come forward a thousand years to see people standing in line or sitting quietly in a large building that looked like a schoolroom or movie theater to take Communion. How different it would seem from the way they did it, sitting around somebody's living room table, grabbing a hunk of bread and holding their own glass of wine, exchanging stories about Christ, perhaps laughing, perhaps crying, consoling each other, telling one another that the Person who had exploded into their hearts was indeed the Son of God, their Bridegroom, come to tell them who they were, come to mend the broken relationship, come to marry them in a spiritual union more beautiful, more intimate than anything they could know on earth."

~ Donald Miller

Have been grieved

2011-10-23T17:49:00.003-04:00

Grief.

It's not your average sadness. It is deep, emotional pain. It is intense, severe sorrow, usually associated with the loss of something or someone you were bonded to in one way or another. Grief is a heaviness, and it uses all its weight to the best advantage, pressing down, trying to crush, trying to break. ...grieved by various trials...

Grief is mentioned many times in the Bible. Interestingly, it often speaks of God being grieved. God is grieved by us when we break His commandments, His covenant. When we seek to destroy the bond that He has with us, He is grieved.

Jesus is well acquainted with grief.

He bears our sorrows above and beyond His own. He sympathizes with our weaknesses. He has compassion, even while we spit in His face, mock Him, and defy Him.

Jesus, when He calls us to suffer, never asks us to endure what He has not. He is not like us in that regard. I could very willingly allow people to do hard things, while I myself sit back and let them take the brunt of the work, the brunt of the pain.

Jesus does not do that.

God is well-acquainted with various trials.

For all I suffer in my life, for all the times I am grieved, I know that God bears it, and pours out His grace on me. God Himself is the Ultimate Sufferer. This is why He is the Ultimate Saviour.

He understands. He loves. He gives.

Poetry Wordle

2011-10-19T21:13:00.001-04:00

God's power

2011-10-19T12:07:00.001-04:00

I do not like deep water.

I can swim, but I prefer solid ground beneath me.

If I am forced to swim, I like seeing the bottom. As soon as it gets a little bit shadowed or dark, I begin to imagine that some deep-sea (or deep-lake) monster is going to rush up and grab me, dragging me down into the pressurized darkness, cracking all my bones. Deep water makes me nervous.

The monstrous, roiling waves, capable of overpowering the greatest of ships constructed by man, capable of destroying cities, of overturning houses, of pummeling rock to sand to be lapped up against the shore...this grand, terrifying body is subjected to the God I call Father.

Wow.

Deep calls to deep
at the roar of your waterfalls;
all your breakers and your waves
have gone over me.
(Psalm 42:7, emphasis mine)

I am not comforted by the sea. Yet I am comforted by the fact that the sea is God's sea. The waterfalls are God's waterfalls. The deep that calls to deep, the deep that thunders nervousness in my chest, is the deep that answers to the Creator's call.

When life sends wave after wave of trial and trouble at me, I know that these waves are not battering me in spite of God's attempts to protect me.

God is sending the waves.

And God is protecting me.

God will bring me through what He has in store for me, even if my journey consists of travelling down to the pressurized darkness of the deep. Even if I cannot see the bottom, even if I cannot see the end in sight, I will praise God, because He holds me, and the waves answer to Him.

Loving enemies

2011-10-18T19:49:00.003-04:00

I have been blessed in reading Sam Storms' "More Precious than Gold: 50 Daily Meditations on the Psalms". I picked it up in a grocery store of all places, and it has been one of the best, most soul-filling purchases ever gotten from such a market!

The book itself is filled with all sorts of intellectual meat. I will be chewing on it all for days upon days to come.

In one chapter, Sam Storms talks about loving one's enemy. Amazingly, our enemies can most often be those who ought to be closest to us. Fellow believers, family members.

"The enemy spews out his venom expecting you to respond in kind. Part of the wicked pleasure he derives from being an enemy comes from provoking you to act just as wickedly as he does."

Enemies generally know how to push our buttons. With what they say, with what they do. They're incorrigible. They're stubbornly against you. The same goes for you, against them. Me, against my enemies.

Yet Jesus tells us to meet evil with goodness. As Sam Storms put it,

"...goodness shames the enemy. It forces him to look at himself rather than at you. When the light of kindness shines back in the face of darkness, the latter is exposed for what it really is. Attention is diverted from the abused to the abuser. The shame he feels upon being 'found out' will either harden or soften his heart."

Kindness is not letting your enemy walk all over you or take advantage of you. On the contrary, Sam Storms points out that kindness can in fact look like un-kindness:

"And yes, we are to 'hate' those whom we 'love'. When they persistently oppose the kingdom of Christ and will not repent, our jealousy for the name of Jesus should prompt us to pray: 'O, Lord, wilt Thou not slay the wicked? Vindicate your name, O lord, and may justice prevail in the destruction of those who have hardened their hearts in showing spite to your glory.'"

Yet, in my case, the usual description of "enemy" does not include taking advantage or any kind of abuse. Rather, I consider my enemies to be those who have, when it comes right down to it, petty disagreements with me.

The author goes on to point out our (my) usual excuses:

"But, Sam, you don't know who my enemies are. You have no idea how vile and vengeful and irritating they can be. They take advantage of my goodness; they are unfair; they exploit the fact that I'm a Christian; they constantly embarrass me in front of others and lie about me behind my back."

I'm sure most if not all people know of someone who takes advantage of them. When simple grievances become our focus, to the point where we are bitterly against another (even another believer), what are we forgetting? What am I forgetting, when I consider the people who get on my nerves, and think of them as enemies?

Sam Storms concludes,

"...if Stephen could love those who viciously stoned him, what excuse do we have for not loving people whose attack on us is admittedly less grievous?"

What indeed?

Kept in heaven

2011-10-15T12:15:00.004-04:00

I love Scotland. I've never been, but I love it. The music, the accents, the plaid, the mountains, the lochs, the history...I cannot remember a time where I did not plan to travel there some day. (I also want to marry a Scottish man who plays a cello and lives in a castle, but I hold that quite loosely.)

I think of my love of Scotland in terms of my love of heaven. Born again to a living hope...

I have an inheritance (kept in heaven) by Jesus Christ, my Saviour (in heaven), Who entered into heaven to appear in the presence of God on my behalf (Hebrews 9:24). One difference between Scotland and heaven (there are not many ;) ) is the fact that my citizenship is actually in heaven. To go to Scotland would mean being a bumbling, delighted foreigner. To go to heaven would mean going home.

I have never been to heaven, but I love it. I love the Saviour Who awaits me there, Who will bring me into His kingdom, Who keeps my inheritance.

“Many shall come from the east and west—and shall sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 8:11)

But there will be nothing to make believers afraid in the kingdom of heaven. Though the sins of their lives ‘were as scarlet, they shall be made white as snow; and though red like crimson, they shall be as wool.’ Their sins will be ‘remembered no more;’ ‘sought for, and not found;’ ‘blotted out as a thick cloud;’ ‘cast behind God’s back;’ ‘plunged in the depths of the sea.’ If we were in the presence of a stern judge, or of a king clothed in awful majesty, we should not dare to sit down. Once joined to Christ by faith, they are complete in the sight of God the Father, and even the perfect angels shall see no spot in them. Surely they may well sit down; and feel at home!"
— J.C. Ryle

The Fires of Mercy

2011-10-15T10:48:00.001-04:00

The fire of mercy consumes me
Burning the chaff of my sin
The gracious forgiveness subsumes me
Healing the gashes within.

Graciousness hurts; it burns away
What I want to hold with both fists
How long it will take, I cannot say
Jesus knows; He will heal even this.

Imperishable, undefiled, and unfading

2011-10-11T15:09:00.002-04:00

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:1-5)

In terms of relation, the only way I can compare the wonderful gift of salvation to any material thing in my life would be by contrast. My body sometimes acts like I am three times my age. Everything I own rusts, gathers dust, chips apart, cracks, bends, or just overall stops working. A couple of years ago (or less) I received a new Bible, and it was pristine. Now, the cover is scratched and dented, and if I hold it up to the light I can see all of my own oily fingerprints all over it. Time wears me, and all my things, out.

Imperishable
Undefiled
Unfading

These are not the language of time, but of eternity. God has blessed me with immeasurable blessings - the fading, material gifts and my own cranky body but some of them. Yet, the greatest, the one that gives me most joy, and humbles me most profoundly, is the gift of salvation in Christ Jesus.

It is imperishable.
Jesus has sealed my salvation. It is "undecaying", eternal, immortal. It cannot be killed, it cannot die, it cannot age. In Christ, salvation is ageless. It is forever.

It is undefiled.
My salvation is pure. It cannot be tainted or contaminated by sin, so it cannot be lost. It is unstained. Even when I sin, my sin is covered. My salvation is not muddied. It is clean, it is pure, and it is holy, because it is given by the clean, pure, and holy Saviour, and He keeps it in heaven for me.

It is unfading.
My Saviour endures, and I am safe in Him. My salvation cannot diminish, it cannot disappear, it cannot perish or fade. Jesus has called me, He will keep me, and I will abide in Him forever and ever according to His grace - amen!

It seems like these three definitions build off one another to emphasize the fact that Jesus will never lose one whom the Father has given to Him. According to His great mercy indeed.

A living hope

2011-10-08T21:44:00.003-04:00

A living hope sustained me today.

I know it is living, because it continued without my sustaining it.

I did not feed hope today.

Jesus did.

He tended and cultivated the little seed of hope, watering it with the life-giving sustenance only He can provide, giving me the comfort and the joy of resting in Him without having to do anything. Without being required to live in a certain way. Without being required to be happy and smiling, healthy and pumped for the day.

He accepted my frustration, my numbness, my sickness, my fickleness.

He is constant, faithful, loving, merciful, patient, giving, and on and on in endless, overpowering grace cascading down from the throne room of heaven.

For you, O Lord, are my hope,

my trust, O LORD, from my youth.
(Psalm 71:5 ESV)

God hears

2011-10-07T07:00:00.000-04:00

God hears
my keening soul-sorrow
my heavy-eyed distress
The gleam abandoned,
The sparkle quenched
In ever-present turmoil.
Preferring obscurity,
opened, asked instead,
Solitude, no, among others
God hears.
Weeping like the willow,
all season, season of anguish
unpleasant, raking, searing,
Hurt.
God hears.
The outpour of my soul,
the soaked garments of woe,
the cry, the rage, the impotence.
God hears.

According to His great mercy

2011-10-03T15:06:00.001-04:00

God's mercy is too great a topic to cover in-depth. If I wrote about God's mercy in every blog post, I could write something new every single day. Truly His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23).

My pastor spoke on God's faithfulness yesterday. In God's faithfulness, He is merciful. The two tie in to one another, seen from the beginning. God is "merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness."

God's faithfulness and mercy are seen in the fact that He keeps His promises. He forgives our sin (1 John 1:9). He will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). He preserves us (John 10:28). He has promised us Heaven and glory (Revelation 21:1ff).

He constantly repeats His promises to His people. He knows our frame, and remembers that we are dust, that we are frail, that we are weak. He remembers that we are bruised reeds.

What about us? How do we act toward one another? I definitely do not always respond in a godly way. More often than not, I am very ungodly. I do not always forgive sin. I sometimes leave and forsake. I forget the weakness of others. Am I merciful? No, not always.

I rely every day upon the sacrifice of Christ Jesus. I cannot live one day, breathe one single breath without needing His grace. According to His great mercy He has caused me to be born again. I would not, could not go so boldly to the throne room without my Saviour.

5 Reasons Jesus Was an Introvert

2011-09-30T12:32:00.004-04:00

1) He often withdrew to be alone.

2) He didn't talk unless He had something extremely important to say.

3) He had a few, close friends.

4) He did not follow the crowd; He challenged the norm by His life and speech.

5) He was misunderstood by the majority of the world.

Blood Ties

2011-09-30T07:00:00.000-04:00

My Saviour redeemed my soul.
Bought me access into the family of God,
Blood ties,
Tied to God forever by the blood of Christ.
He shed it,
gave it,
drowned in it,
The physical manifestation
of His self-sacrificing love,
Poured out not for His own sake,
Given. Given. Given.
A family, a child of God
In life, and death, and life
With blood ties to God, Abba, Father,
Through my Brother, my God, my Saviour
Jesus.

Sanctification

2011-09-29T12:12:00.000-04:00

Music is an interesting thing.

There are so many types, styles, and preferences in music. It is such a broad creature, known by all. Composers throughout the years have tried to express in notes what they feel in their soul. Their message is lasting. Music written three hundred years ago can still speak to me.

The process of learning one of these songs takes a long time. When I started playing an Invention by J. S. Bach, I knew I was horrible. I am still horrible, but at least my ability to keep going has improved. My fingers are catching up with my brain. Still, it is slow work. It doesn't sound so great in some places. I get a bit mixed up (Bach was a genius when it came to writing things that are mind-exploding complex). I find that as I have practiced, as I have played it again and again and again, it is slowly becoming the beautiful thing it was composed to be. I look forward to the day when I can play it through, start to finish, at the perfect tempo, with every dynamic nuance just right, every slur slurred and every staccato staccatoed.

I'm not there yet, but I will be.

People are interesting things, too. God works in His people to bring out what He created them to be. Sanctification is always called a process: the process by which God makes us holy and we live in holiness. It is the state of purity and of purification.

The elect exiles in the Dispersion were reminded by Peter of the fact that God had them in a process. Their exile was not the end. It was the time between, the practice period. God was leading them more and more toward the fullness of His purpose. In the Spirit, they were being progressively transformed by the Lord into His likeness (biblos.com calls it "similarity in nature").

As I walk through life, I realize that right now I am not what I ought to be. I do not sound exactly correct. The Composer of my life sees that I play some notes incorrectly, that I slur what ought not to be slurred, that I am loud when I ought to be piano, that I am soft when I ought to be fortissimo.

I look forward to the day when, in Christ Jesus, I will be exactly what God has created me to be. I will be what He has promised. Until that day, I practice.

"Any notion of our own attainments which could lead us for a moment to speak of what we are with any degree of complacency is only rubbish. For my own part, I desire constantly to stand at the foot of the cross, with no other testimony concerning myself than this -

"I the chief of sinners am,
But Jesus died for me."

Personal holiness is to be sought for with all our hearts, and it can only be obtained by faith in Jesus Christ - by simple faith in him. He gives us power to overcome sin through his precious blood; but, depend upon it, the moment we conclude that we have overcome, and can say what Paul could not say - that he had attained and was already perfect - we are in an evil case. Our pride has overpowered our judgment, and we are fools." ~ Spurgeon

Can We Lose Our Salvation? Part Six..

2011-09-29T07:00:00.000-04:00

Our Condition: Slaves of God

As JohnMacArthur says in his new book Slave, theBible talks about believers (in both the Old and New Testaments) in thelanguage of slavery over 300 times. Most modern translations translate the OTword, ‘ebed, and the NT word, doulos, as “servant”, yet the literaltranslation is slave. Consideringthis, what does it mean for us as believers? The best answer for that is found in Romans 6:

Do you not know that ifyou present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the onewhom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, whichleads to righteousness? But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves ofsin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to whichyou were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves ofrighteousness. I am speaking in human terms, because of your naturallimitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurityand to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members asslaves to righteousness leading to sanctification. For when you were slaves ofsin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you gettingat that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of thosethings is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have becomeslaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternallife. (Romans 6:16-22 ESV)

When you consider aslave, you think of someone whose whole life is bound up in the will andinclination of his Master. Bought and purchased, slaves had no freedom inregards to whom they served. Unless their Master granted their freedom, theywere subjected to the whim of their Master their whole life.

Praise be to God, that Heis a kind and gentle Master, full of mercy, abounding in steadfast love! We areslaves of God – and what a gift that slavery proves itself to be! We werebought at a great price – the price of Christ’s death on the cross. He haspurchased and redeemed us for His own. He is our divine Master, and we are Hisslaves.

In light of this, howcould He let us go? We are His, bought and sealed by His own blood, purchasedand redeemed as slaves of God in righteousness leading to eternal life. Do youthink it is possible that He would let us go merely because we wanted to turn away? Would He "sell us back" to the master of sin and unrighteousness? Would He sell us back to the bondage from which He purchased us? Would He take back His redemption price?

If a slave wanted to go and do something that would harm or kill him, would a kind master let him go? Would that truly be the loving thing to do? Love sometimes means binding the arms that want to cut themselves open. Love sometimes means saying "no".

The Master Who says yes, no, and go to us is also the Father saying "no" to His beloved children. He is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. Rest in His magnificent power as Master of your life and soul! He is a gentle Shepherd, a careful Sovereign, a gracious King.

"Blessed be God that Thou hast filled the soul of Thy servant with joy and peace in believing." ~ Christopher Love

According to the foreknowledge of God the Father

2011-09-28T12:35:00.003-04:00

Sometimes God does things in a way I would not have anticipated. He moves in mysterious ways, indeed. It seems odd to me that God would send His people into a dispersion, for instance, but He has purposes beyond my knowledge.

When I reflect on my life, I realize that basically everything about it is different from what I imagined fifteen or more years ago. From the time I could remember, I was certain that by this time my life would look a whole lot different than it actually looks right now. I can look back on old journals and read my prayers, see my focus, and know that I do not know the thoughts of the Lord. I do not understand His plan (Micah 4:12).

Sometimes it is difficult to rest in the knowledge that God has the knowledge. I want to know. I want to proceed in the way that I have determined is the best for me. God says, "Ah, stubborn child..." (Isaiah 30:1)

On a much greater scale, I'm sure that the elect exiles mentioned in 1 Peter 1:1 sometimes wished they knew what was going on, where their life was headed. They probably struggled with being dispossessed, living in a foreign land, not knowing what tomorrow would bring. They may have thought about how different their life was compared to what they imagined it would be. Peter reminded them about the foreknowledge of God the Father. I so need to remind myself of this, all the time!

God knows where you are.
God hears your distress.
God knows the plans He has for you, even when you do not.
God has not forgotten you.
God delights to answer your prayers.

In life, whether exiled or living out a life you didn't plan, rest in God's plan. My life may look different right now from what I would have imagined, but I can see that the Lord guides me in the way that I need to go. He has led me the best way. He has led me in the way that I needed to go.

For you are my rock and my fortress;
and for your name's sake you lead me and guide me;
(Psalm 31:3)

Send out your light and your truth;
let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy hill
and to your dwelling!
(Psalm 43:3)

Syncopation

2011-09-27T15:55:00.000-04:00

The pulse of my life

is a constant arrangement

The rhythm continuing

through all the years.

Yet sometimes I find

there's a sort of estrangement,

A wandering meter

of sorrows and fears.

The beat does not fall

where I think it ought to

The strength of the motion

is oddly sustained.

God puts the emphasis

where I wouldn't have thought to,

Giving my life

an intriguing refrain.

My Perpetual Kitten, Murdock

2011-09-25T10:11:00.003-04:00

He is the silliest of cats.

His colouring is black, white, and devious. (There he is in the photo with the nicest of cats, the great big ball of adorableness, Sifto.)

He sits on my shoulder because he thinks he's a parrot. I have to remind him that parrots don't purr like he does. And they're not quite so utterly pleased with themselves all the time.

He climbs things and looks to see how I react.

His big green eyes can be so evil, or so cute, depending on what he wants.

He mews like a wee bitty kitty when he doesn't want to exert energy. He sits at my feet with sad eyes until I pick him up. When I give in, his tail twitches because he is so delighted that he got his own way.

He loves to fight, and sometimes gets a bit carried away, as the scars on my hands and forearms will attest.

He always acts like he's starving, and then eats half of what I give to him, just so that he looks superior.

He's a superhero and a supervillain. He plays in boxes and loves to be cuddled. He likes jumping onto the piano as I'm practicing just to mess me up.

Sometimes he ignores me when I first arrive home after being away, but as the evening prolongs he cannot help himself, and has to come and say hello and lick my hand. Or my toe, which he knows I hate, but it's his way of showing he loves me.

I love him too.

Notes against sin - how to battle it

2011-09-24T17:02:00.002-04:00

Sometimes I leaf through old notebooks. I have a lot of them, so it can become quite the pastime.

I love filling notebooks with words - words that mean something. I love owning notebooks, even if I don't need them. Whenever I walk by notebooks in a store, I have to pull myself away or I will buy one. I especially like leather or fauxleather-bound notebooks. I cannot explain why, because I have always liked them.

In one of my old (non-leather) notebooks, I found this written down:

Sin destroys lives. We must battle it by developing an abhorrence to sin.

1) Get a particular sense of the danger and evil of sin.

It is life-destroying. It is crippling. It brings forth death. It grieves the Holy Spirit.

2) Reflect on the punishment your sins deserve.

Sin deserves the wrath of God. Sin deserves punishment. Marvel at the grace of God in Christ Jesus. He paid the deserved price. He is your Redeemer. He has atoned. He has propitiated. He has taken the consequences of your sin upon Himself. He has given the consequences of His righteousness to you. Hunger after holiness. Hate even the garment stained by the flesh (Jude 23). Live to righteousness.

3) Be on guard against those situations that are conducive to temptation to sin.

Fight! Suffer it not. Stand against the powers of darkness. Put on the armor of God. Be aware of what tempts you most. Be watchful of the prowling lion.

4) Meditate on the inconceivable greatness of God.

Live coram Deo. Live in the light of the truth in Christ Jesus. Rely on Him. Cast your cares on Him. Abide in Him.

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. (1 Peter 2:24)

James - The Heavenly and the Demonic

2011-09-23T09:04:00.002-04:00

Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peacable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. (James 3:13-18)

The contrast between the two wisdoms is quite interesting.

Heavenly Wisdom:

Peacable - not seeking strife, willing to overlook differences.
Pure - without wax, not false, not corrupt.
Impartial - not distinguishing one from another on the basis of outward looks (James talks about this when he references the poor and the rich man. To the rich, we say "sit here in a good place!", while to the poor we say "stand over there, or sit at my feet like the dog you are." We look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.)
Sincere - not dishonest, whether in words or actions. Simply letting your yes be yes and your no be no.
Full of mercy and good fruits - "neither do I condemn you; go your way and sin no more", "I forgive you of the incredible debt you owe against me, which you could never repay in a thousand lifetimes", "restore him in a spirit of gentleness". Wisdom also has a practical outworking - it is not bare knowledge, but it is lived out.
Open to reason - not stubbornly refusing to listen to another side, but receiving what is spoken or written with all sincerity. Willing to hash out different ideas.
Gentle - not harsh, not quick to condemn, not breaking the bruised weed, not crushing the dust of men under your feet. Knowing their frame. Being cautious with what you say, or what you do.

Demonic Wisdom:

Bitter jealousy - envying someone else's talent or possessions instead of glorifying God for who they are. Hating another, resenting their ability, resenting their position, instead of celebrating that God has blessed them.
Every vile practice - literally, this means "every worthless work". Not beneficial. Detrimental.
Selfish ambition - going hand in hand with bitter jealousy, this would be seeking to be the best among the rest. Wanting the glory for yourself instead of seeing it given to others. Essentially, this forgets God, that He has given to each according to His will.
Disorder - God is not the God of chaos, but of peace. Confusion. Perhaps instability, such as one who is a wave driven and tossed by the wind.
False to the truth - denying what is right for the sake of pride and self, knowing the truth but refusing to accept it. Earthly, unspiritual, demonic.
Boasting - vainglory, building yourself up even when you know that you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition.

When I read that, I grieve and I marvel.

I grieve, because I probably have more of the worldly than the heavenly within my heart throughout the day.

I marvel, because Christ Jesus has saved me fully, completely, absolutely. I have done nothing to deserve His love and everything to deserve His condemnation.

"...you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful..." (James 5:11)

2011-09-22T07:00:00.000-04:00

I cannot say I am a fan of "life verses". This general un-fan-ness can also be applied to life chapters. That is, chapters or passages of the Bible that people take and apply as the be-all and end-all of what one ought to do in order to be a good Christian, whether as a pastor, husband, wife, child, or anything else. People label themselves according to a particular chapter or passage.

Now, I do not intend for my dislike to mean I believe the practice is utterly wrong. I would not condemn anyone who has a life verse, nor would I tell people to give up on being a "Proverbs 31 woman", for instance. In fact, I like Proverbs 31.

But I hope my life will be ordered by the whole of Scripture, not one passage. God's Word in its entirety is meant for our instruction, that we may be competent, thoroughly equipped for every good work. If I structure the whole of my life around just one passage, I wonder, what will I miss?

Considering Proverbs 31, I have a lot of different questions concerning what is written there. Here are a few: Why does she work hard for her family? Why does she give to the needy? What is wisdom? Why does she teach with kindness? What does she teach? What does it mean to fear the Lord?

To find the answers to these things, I would have to search the rest of Scripture. Scripture answers itself. Progressive revelation shows more and more of what God has spoken to us. We can look ahead, look back, look around and through and upside down to find the answers to our questions. The whole of Scripture is meant to give us competence, not one chapter or passage. We ought to read and study and apply the whole thing, not split it up into fractured lists of what applies to one, and what to another.

Consider also Titus 2, which is an excellent instruction:

Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.

(Titus 2:3-5 ESV)

However, my questions spring up again: how can an older woman teach a younger woman about these things without going into the theological reasons behind them? How can they go into the theological reasons without knowing the Bible through-and-through? Why ought a woman to be reverent in behaviour? What is "good"? Why ought a young woman to love her husband and children? Why ought she to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to her own husband? What does it mean to revile the Word of God?

I am not advocating the idea that all believers ought to be certified theologians before talking about the Bible. If I were, I would have to close this blog down right now. However, I do believe that we ought all to search the Scriptures daily, to be familiar with the whole counsel of God. We shouldn't settle on a single verse or passage, even though every single verse is the soul's thirst-quenching need. Look at the whole of God's Word. Look at the entirety of what God has spoken to us. It is a blessing. It is life.

Give me understanding, that I may keep your law

and observe it with my whole heart.

Lead me in the path of your commandments,

for I delight in it.

Incline my heart to your testimonies,

and not to selfish gain!

Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things;

and give me life in your ways.

Confirm to your servant your promise,

that you may be feared.

Turn away the reproach that I dread,

for your rules are good.

Behold, I long for your precepts;

in your righteousness give me life!

(Psalm 119:34-40 ESV)

Nearer My God to Thee

2011-09-21T19:25:00.003-04:00

It's Not What We Do; It's What He Has Done

2011-09-21T13:24:00.002-04:00

If I were to ask you "what is the purpose of Christians?" what would your answer be? Many would say that the purpose behind Christianity is to love God and love others. Even I would say that. That's what Jesus said were the greatest commandments. These were the fulfilling of the Law. These sum up every rule and law that we should follow. So it follows that this is the purpose of Christians: to love God and our neighbours. To obey His word.

What does it mean to "love God"? Are these commandments not the summation of the Law? "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." (John 14:15) Love is the fulfilling of the Law. (Romans 13:10)

Yet, we have never been able to fulfill the Law. We have always broken it. We have always failed to meet the requirements. So we cannot even love in the way we are supposed to.

I've been thinking about this for a while. I tend to think that my efforts of loving God and loving others earn me something.

One day I found within my heart

someone who’d been there from the start.

A prudish person—self appointed,

self sufficient—self anointed.

Though I, a true disciple be

I’ve met the Pharisee in me!

(See the rest of the poem here.)

I know that I cannot keep the law. Everything I do, everything I think, every time I love, falls back on the sacrifice of Christ. My ability to love correctly springs from the debt He paid, and the transaction of His righteousness accomplished and applied for my sake. His blood has washed away my sin. My attempts at doing what is right are washed in the blood of my Saviour. He has pronounced me able. He has pronounced me clean. My ability to move forward, to know more, to understand, has been given to me because Jesus paid the price for my sinful, willful ignorance.

Now, I do believe that God gives us purpose as His children. I do believe that He commands us, and gives us the ability to carry out His commands. Yet these follow as a result of what Christ has accomplished for us, which is everything. Believe in Christ and Him crucified. Jesus calls us to rest in Him. He has accomplished everything. He has paid the price.

I have to constantly remind myself of this fact. I can so easily fall into the depths of despair, settling into the bottom of the Slough of Despond, because I fail to do something I felt I had to do. Or I do something I felt I had to avoid.

There is such freedom in realizing that Christ has earned the merit that I call my own. It's more than a breath of fresh air. It's a breath of fresh Spring air on the top of a mountain in Scotland after a rain, just after you spent fifty years breathing around dusty old encyclopedias.

"Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God." (Romans 5:2)

Hallelujah, what a Saviour!

Can We Lose Our Salvation? Part five..

2011-09-20T08:00:00.004-04:00

Our Condition: Washed; Baptized With the Spirit

And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you werejustified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1Corinthians 6:11 ESV)

To be washed means that we have been made clean ofour former stains. Having been plunged beneath the flood of Jesus’ sacrifice,we are cleansed, washed, clothed in pure robes of righteousness. We are nolonger covered in the filth of our sin. We are cleansed (cf. Ephesians 5:26; Titus3:5-7). We have lost the stains of guilt. This being the case, how can we everbe considered guilty again?

...let us draw near with a true heart in fullassurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience andour bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hopewithout wavering, for he who promised is faithful. (Hebrews 10:22-23 ESV)

We can come before the Lord God in full assurance,knowing that we have been sprinkled clean. God considers us His righteouschildren, cleansed and washed free from evil. Look carefully at the reason forholding fast – He who promised is faithful. As we have seen, God’s faithfulnessgives us confidence to trust His promises. We can hope without wavering, for His word stands.

Do you not know that all of us who have beenbaptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buriedtherefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ wasraised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newnessof life. (Romans 6:3-4 ESV)

If we possess salvation, and follow Christ, itseems absurd to suggest that we could lose what Christ has wrought, for we havebeen baptized with Him into His death, and raised into His life. We are alivein Christ! He is our Lord and Saviour. If we are saved, we are new. This is thetheology behind every call and command to put off the old self and put on thenew, to abstain from former lusts and proceed in good works. We can walk inrighteousness because we walk in newness of life. Our former life is gone! Ithas passed away into oblivion by the sacrificial death and gloriousresurrection of Christ. As many as have been baptized into Christ have put onChrist (Galatians 3:27). He has never seemed like the type to be put off. See the grace in Christ’s sacrifice and life anew! In Him we are metwith more grace and mercy than we could ever understand, in this life or in thelife to come.

Our Condition: New Creation

Therefore, if anyone isin Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new hascome. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself andgave us the ministry of reconciliation; (2 Corinthians 5:17-18 ESV)

God has created us anewin Christ. The old has passed away to be seen no more. See the care and detailof the Lord in these terms: as He first created the universe by His word andpower, assigning each part and parcel of it to fulfill its task, so He has createdus in Christ, new creations. The title of “creation” or “creature” is powerfulenough without the addition of “new”. Focus on that for a moment – to be new isto be fresh, novel. Christians, made new in Christ, are something that has notbeen seen before.

What a mind-boggling idea– that God cares so much for us, that He makes us into something entirelydifferent. The old has passed away and the new has come. This is a great giftfrom God, tied in with the reconciliation that we have through Christ. Whatamazing grace!

Always.

2011-09-19T11:53:00.004-04:00

In Him

With Him

Through Him

Every breath;

By Him

For Him

To Him

Life and death.

Can We Lose Our Salvation? Part four...

2011-09-18T11:53:00.002-04:00

Our Condition:Faithful

What is faith? Can welose it? Essentially, it seems that losing salvation equates losing faith. To answer thisquestion will almost be to answer all. My hope concerning this part of our condition is to show the grace ofGod, and to cause believers to glorify His name in the light of the beauty ofour faith. For truly it is a beautiful thing.

The origin of faith issomething that has often been confused. We tend to elevate ourselves anddiminish God in the question of our faith. We are very protective of the ideathat we are responsible for trustingin Christ. Yet in doing so we lose something of the wonder of our faith – welose the fascinating detail of Christ’s direct and active presence in and withus from the beginning. Our Saviour has always been concerned and involved inour relationship with Him.

For by grace you havebeen saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift ofGod, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are hisworkmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God preparedbeforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:8-10)

This is a passage ofScripture that is both fascinating and controversial. There are, no doubt, asmany interpretations of this text as there are words in the verses. I will attempt to explain what I see of thebeauty of our faith in God.

First, it is not myintent to suggest we have no part in our faith – certainly it is our own faith,and we cultivate and keep it. And yet, when the emphasis is placed upon ourdoing God is left out entirely, and this is wrong. We must understand thatsalvation through faith is by grace, and this grace is a gift of God. Paulbrings this up again so that we may not boast – so that the one who boasts willboast in the Lord. We are the workmanship of Christ, created in Him for apurpose – good works for the glory of God. As we see, God does not leave usfloundering in confusion trying to figure things out for ourselves – He activelyenables and leads us to perform those works. Christ is deep in thisrelationship with us. He is irrevocably involved in our lives.

1 Corinthians 12:9 saysthat the Spirit gives faith. If we believe that the Spirit gives greater faithto some than to others, as this passage would suggest, then is it sounreasonable to believe that the Spirit is active in all true faith? Being Hisworkmanship means we are His art, His poetry, His project. He is concerned withevery detail and shade, even the detail of our faith. He does not leave usalone in any part. Would you want Him to? (Note: There are other passages ofScripture which talk about God’s involvement in faith. See Romans 12:3,Galatians 5:22-23, 2 Thessalonians 1:11, and 1 John 5:4.)

The Greek root of theword translated “faith” is interesting. Permit me to delve into that for amoment. The word is “pistis” andmeans faith, trust, confidence, belief, etc. The root of the word is peithô, which means “to be persuaded” or to come to trust. Faith (pistis) isalways a gift of God, not produced by us. I believe we are persuaded by God to trust Himand place our confidence in His power. This faith does involve our belief, butit has a distinct part, that of God’s persuasion. Pistis also historically has meant awarranty or guarantee. In light of that, we can see that the faith given by Godas His gracious gift goes along with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, who is Himself our guarantee (2 Corinthians 1:22; cf 2 Corinthians 5:5, Ephesians 1:14).The gift of faith is given with the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Thisgiven faith enables us to understand and obey God’s revealed will. Faith andGod’s will are undeniably related in the Bible.

Do you see the grace inthis? Hallelujah, what a Saviour! That the omnipotent Creator and Master of theuniverse should be so inclined toward us, so involved with us, and take delightin us! It is a mysterious and overwhelming grace.

In Christ we have thegift of faith that perseveres and is preserved by the persevering God. He doesnot give up or let go. Christ is the Founder and Perfecter of our faith(Hebrews 12:2). He leads us in faithfulness and perfects our conviction,solidifying our assurance. He shows and reveals more and more of Himself as ourjourney toward the Celestial City progresses. He leads us, and we know Him. The more we know Him, the more we trust (have faith in) Him. The more He reveals about Himself, the greater our confidence in Him. AsChrist has said in the book of John, His sheep know His voice. His voice neverchanges. His presence never wanes. His preparation in and for us never ceases –great is His faithfulness!

You see, when it comes tofaithfulness it is not just our own in the equation, but God’s as well. Is He faithful to His promises? Is He true to His word? He has promised that He willnever lose a single one whom He holds. Can we trust His promises?

Finally, I believe faith has two parts. Thefirst is that God is knowable. He has made Himself knowable. Faith rests on what is known and assured aboutGod. Faith finds conviction in God’s word and trusts His declaration. Thesecond part of faith, the one most often emphasized, is the idea of “blindfaith” – acting despite lack of certainty regarding events. Trusting, moving forward, without knowing all the answers in all the circumstances. Things are often unknown, but faith is not interested in these. Rather, it is interested and focused on the Lord, and loves and knows and believes in Him. He remains known and unchanging throughout unknown, blind situations.Faith is not blind belief. It is more than belief. It sees the Lord, and trusts His word. So our faithfulness is not singularly dependent upon our decision totrust what is unknown. Our faithfulness is dependent upon the God who hasproved Himself eternally, unchangingly faithful.

Love in Truth

2011-09-17T19:00:00.000-04:00

All through the three epistles of John, there is a theme that I see every time I read them.

John is motivated to speak of the grandeur and grace of Christ. He deals with mind-blowing theological concepts and instructs concerning the practical outcome. In all three epistles, he consistently mentions love and truth. They often go together in the theological framework.

John has been called "the disciple of love". It is easy to see why, as he constantly brings it up. Yet, he is also the disciple of truth. He emphasizes truth as much as love. I think the reason for that is, love must be true in order for it to be loving. There is no love without truth. Love loves truly, or it is false. Right? Confusing? I am...

And truth is shelled in the outpouring of love throughout the Word of God.

I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father. And now I ask you, dear lady - not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning - that we love one another. And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it. (2 John 4-6)

John deals patiently with the people to whom he writes. He encourages them. He is gentle. And yet, when it comes to untruth, he deals swiftly and emphatically with it. He rebukes deceivers. He is not afraid to stand up to tyrannical leaders in the church, such as Diotrephes.

John upheld truth so firmly, because he loved Jesus so wholeheartedly. He stood for the foundation of the gospel because he loved the God Who declared Himself through the gospel. John defended doctrine because he was sold out to the God showcased in the theology. Truth is never meant to be merely an intellectual exercise. Truth, like love, is lived out every single day in the life of the believer. John knew truth. He was dressed in it. We live and we act and we speak because of the truth in Jesus. John never talked about godly ideas without living them and encouraging others to walk in the same way. We should never think of truth as separate from love, from action, from service, from devotion. After all, the truest example of love I can think of is seen in the sacrificial, atoning death of Jesus:

In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. (1 John 4:9-11)

To me, it seems that part of what it is to walk in the truth is to recognize daily the fact that God loved us enough to send His Son into the world. I think it is recognizing that we live only through Christ. We walk in truth because of Christ. We are reconciled to God in Christ. We are able to love others because of Christ's love (1 John 4:19). He tells us that we ought to love one another. Such a thing would be hopeless without relying on Jesus! He gives us life and breath and everything.

Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. (Ephesians 4:15-16 ESV)

Can We Lose Our Salvation? Part Three..

2011-09-17T08:00:00.000-04:00

Our Condition: Set Apart

Being set apart means essentially that you havebeen picked up from your original place and set in a new place. It has to dowith being chosen, being selected and singled out from among others. InScripture, being set apart is always for a purpose (Acts 13:2; Romans 1:1;Galatians 1:15; 2 Timothy 2:21). Being set apart is not just a vague conceptabout our position. It is an emphatic statement from God Himself. God is sayingI have picked you up out of your formerstate; I have placed you for my purposes; I have chosen you for a task; I haveformed you for a new existence. In being set apart, we are both declaredholy and prepared for proving it. That is where the purpose comes in: we areset apart for good works andrighteousness. God’s purpose in setting us apart will endure to the end.

Our Condition: Clothed in Righteousness

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord;

my soul shall exult in my God,

for he has clothed me with the garments ofsalvation;

he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,

as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with abeautiful headdress,

and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.(Isaiah 61:10)

Christ Jesus declares in Matthew 5:20 that ourrighteousness must exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees. We might askourselves how this is possible, and come to the swift conclusion that it isnot. Or, perhaps you might be persuaded that you are indeed more righteous thanPharisees. Be aware of your pride in evaluating yourself as better than self-righteous sinners. We cannot be righteous byour own power. All our righteousness, as it says in Isaiah, is filthy in theworst way. Our righteousness is not righteousness at all. It is detestable andsinful.

We must in light of this entrust ourselves to therighteousness of Christ. We can see in the Scriptures that righteousness istied to faith (Romans 4:5). If we have faith that Christ’s sacrifice covers us,and if we repent and believe in Christ as Saviour and Lord, and commit ourlives to Him, our faith is counted as righteousness. We are clothed in therighteousness of Christ, and His blood covers us. We are made clean andrighteous because of Christ (Zechariah 3). It is important torealize that what has been given is not our own doing. It is Christ’srighteousness that has been placed on us. We did not put it on ourselves, andwe cannot take it off of our own accord. The robes of righteousness have beenfixed upon us by Christ. We have His perfection. We are seen by God in the same light as our perfect Saviour.

For if, because of one man's trespass, deathreigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance ofgrace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one manJesus Christ. (Romans 5:17 ESV)

Righteousness is a free gift given by God to thosewho receive the abundance of grace through faith in Christ (Ephesians 2:8-10). Righteousnessdepends on faith (Philippians 3:9).

What does it mean to be a slave? In essence itmeans your rights are not your own; you are owned, bought and purchased bysomeone else; you have no will outside the will of your Master; no say in yourlife. This knowledge of ourselves is, of course, tempered by the fact that weare children of God, but we must take into account the language of slavery. We are slaves of righteousness, the righteousness of Christ. We will gointo more detail concerning slavery at a later time.

But if Christ is in you, although the body is deadbecause of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. (Romans 8:10 ESV)

Listen to the one stipulation; if Christ is in you. If you truly have Christ, if you are trulyindwelt by the Spirit, then you have life because of the righteousness ofChrist. This is eternal life, because Christ’s righteousness is eternal. Whatgreat comfort can be taken from this passage! We have no need to worry aboutfalling from grace, because God indwells us and clothes us with therighteousness which lasts forever in perfection! This is joyous news for dying sinners.

And because of [God] you are in Christ Jesus, whobecame to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption,so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” (1Corinthians 1:30-31 ESV)

Let us take this to heart with all sincerity anddevotion. It is in the Lord we boast, and not ourselves, because Christ is ourrighteousness, wisdom, sanctification and redemption. We boast in Him, for wehave done nothing on our own; we boast in Him, because we are in Him.

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree,that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have beenhealed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherdand Overseer of your souls. (1 Peter 2:24-25 ESV)

Listen to the fascinating before-and-afterdialogue; we were straying like sheep, but nowhave returned to the Shepherd. There is a past standing and a present emphasis.We were something, now we are something else. We are healed byChrist’s wounds, dead to sin and alive to righteousness (Romans 6:11).

Saved, we have been given arighteousness that is not our own. Christ has clothed and cleansed us from ourformer sin. We are no longer filthy, but refreshed. We no longer wear robesfull of human waste (Zechariah 3), but have been made clean through thesacrifice of Christ. In light of that, is it possible to lose the righteousnessthat we did not even place upon ourselves? The question leads to another, for Ihave mentioned briefly that righteousness is tied in to faith. If that is so,then can our faith be dissolved? Can our faith be lost? We will answer thatnext.

If you know that he is righteous, you may be surethat everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him. (1 John 2:29ESV)

If we truly practice the righteousness that comesfrom God, then we have been born of God. As we have already seen, those born ofGod are adopted children of God, declared heirs by a legal, irrevocablearrangement. Now, we know that it is possible for evil to conceal itself asrighteous (2 Corinthians 11:14-15). However, this does not mean that truerighteousness by faith in Christ can be lost. It does not mean that those whoare disguised were ever saved. In fact, by implication we can see that thoughthey were disguised as servants of righteousness, they remained Satan’s slavesthroughout. Satan twists truth and makes evil look appealing. This is a warningfor us to heed: we must be faithful to devote ourselves to the Word of God andto prayer, to guard against false truth that looks beautiful and innocent.

Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoeverpractices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes apractice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from thebeginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of thedevil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides inhim, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. By this itis evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil:whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who doesnot love his brother. (1 John 3:7-10 ESV)

Let us take a moment to comment on 2 Peter 2:20-22.It would seem to suggest that those false prophets once knew truerighteousness, and fell away. However, a careful reading of the context wouldprove that they never knew righteousness. They only lived among the righteousand claimed it for themselves, without truly being partakers in Christ. Theywere always false, always slaves of corruption (2 Peter 2:19), the unchangeddog, the sow trusting in her own cleanliness. They were deceivers and deceived,never truly changed by true faith in Christ. They were apostates and bringersof destructive heresies. This passage is not a defense for a belief in theability to lose one’s salvation. Rather, it is a warning for us to remember thatthere are false teachers who will seek to lead us astray. It is a call tofaithfully study the Word of God for ourselves and not follow after everyleader who claims to have the truth without testing his words against the TrueWord.

Can We Lose Our Salvation? Part Two..

2011-09-16T08:00:00.000-04:00

Our Condition: Adopted Children of God; Born of God

Butto all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right tobecome children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of theflesh nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12-13 ESV)

By God’s grace we are born of God, made childrenthrough Christ’s redemptive sacrifice. Most parents would tell you that as soonas they lay eyes on their child for the first time, or even before they lay eyes on them, there is a connection, apromise of loyalty and protection and care and love that cannot be revoked.

And yet, we have all heard stories of parents whogive up their children, who do not care for them; so we must go deeper thanusing parenthood as an example, though God does make the statement thateven if nursing mothers reject their babes, He will never reject His people.That said, let’s look into the term “adoption”.

Foryou did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you havereceived the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”(Romans 8:15)

Andnot only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of theSpirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemptionof our bodies. (Romans 8:23)

...toredeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.(Galatians 4:5)

...hepredestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to thepurpose of his will, (Ephesians 1:5)

Adoption was a serious thing in Greco-Roman times.The law of adoption was rather complex, public, and irrevocable. Being adoptedmeant that you lost all ties (and all debts) that were connected with yourformer relations. You took on the inheritance of the family into which you wereadopted. You were treated no differently from natural born sons. Essentially,adoption meant you changed loyalties from one party to another.

In light of this, we can surmise that adoption intothe family of God, being freed in order to call God “Abba, Father”, means thatall ties to our former life of sin and bondage have been severed. We arechildren of God, adopted sons. God has effectively signed a contract in frontof witnesses that He has taken us into His family as His children. Would Herevoke such a contract? We have been given the same inheritance as Christ in God's family, since we are co-heirs with Him. It is amazing to think of this.

Allow me a moment to comment on the above verses inmore detail. If you’ll notice, the first two verses from Romans 8 seem at firstglance to contradict one another. The first says that we have received theadoption as sons through the Spirit; the second states that we are waiting foradoption. Which is it? I believe it is referencing the idea of the “now and notyet”; much like sanctification, where we are sanctified right now in Christ,and yet we are being sanctified, and will be sanctified in glory. They are notcontradictions, but additions building up from the foundation. We are adoptedright now, and we are waiting for the culmination of the adoption - that is,the redemption of our bodies. The adoption is not nullified in the waiting. Rather, it is enforced by future hope and longing.

The last two verses make it plain that it isthrough Christ’s redemption that we receive adoption. Ephesians touches onpredestination - that is, that God has predestined believers for adoption -which we will not go into too much detail about. Suffice it to say that Godplanned from before the foundation of the world to make sinners sons. That isgrace indeed.

Foreveryone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victorythat has overcome the world—our faith. (1 John 5:4)

Are you not fascinated and overwhelmedby the grace of this word? Everyone - read again, everyone - who has been born of God overcomes the world. Do you seeit? Our faith - true faith - is victory! We have overcome the world, with allits sinful desires and bondage to Satan. We are no longer under the power ofthe ruler of the earth, the prince of the principalities and powers, the leaderof the demonic hosts against us. We have overcome. Our faith has found itsresting place in Christ. Our faith is finalized and victorious in the death andresurrection of the Son of God. We can sing hallelujah without restraint whenwe consider this glorious grace by the mercy of God.

Weknow that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but hewho was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him. (1 John5:18)

A small note here: true faith, the faith thatovercomes the world, shows and proves itself. As the book of James says, faithwithout works is dead - and true faith necessarily leans away from sin. Ofcourse, this does not mean that believers never sin; but believers have losttheir taste for sin. It is bitter and unpalatable. Besides this, we areprotected by Christ; the evil one does not touch us, even when we dwell in the mire. Satan has no more hold onus. The chains have been broken. The bonds are loosed.

...since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; (1 Peter 1:23)

Those born of God – whohave a living, abiding faith – overcome the world. We have victory in Christ.The world can no longer reach us, for we have been born of God. We are heirs ofheaven, co-heirs with Christ, and victorious in His power. We are born ofimperishable seed! That is, the seed of Christ and His righteousness. The seedof Christ’s blood and victory. The seed of Christ’s resurrection and glory. Wehave been born again into newness of life. It appears to me impossible toreturn to the old life, which has passed away. As long as God’s word is livingand abiding, the seed of our newness of life is imperishable. Christ has saidHis words will not pass away. (Matthew 24:35)

Can We Lose Our Salvation? Part One...

2011-09-15T09:40:00.002-04:00

The end then of learning is to repairthe ruins of our first parents

by regaining to know God aright

and out of that knowledge to love Him,to imitate Him, to be like Him,

as we may the nearest by possessing oursouls of true virtue,

which being united to the heavenlygrace of faith

makes up the highest perfection. ~ JohnMilton

Christendom is divided over this question. What is salvation? Can we lose it? If so, how can we lose it? If not, why not? The following will be an attempt to answer some of the questions.

There are three points I want to make as a preface.They shall take up very little space, but I hope they will set the groundworkfor what will come later on.

1. “Can We Lose Our Salvation” is the wrongquestion to ask. It comes from a perspective that raises us to the forefront. Theemphasis is on us, and it is rather humanistic and arrogant to put forth aquestion concerning something of the utmost importance - such as salvation - withoutbringing God into the equation. Rather than asking, “can we lose oursalvation”, I propose we ask instead “Will God let us be lost?”

2. Personal experience should not sway our minds inmatters concerning the message of Scripture. To say “I can’t believe thatso-and-so, whom I knew as a wonderful, pious person, was never saved. ThereforeI must believe, based on my experience, that we can lose our salvation.” Butthat argument comes from a foundation of emotion, not necessarily one of truth. Whether or not youhave a personal tie with someone who renounces Christianity while formerlyembracing it should not cloud the issue. The question, naked and plain, is notdependent upon our emotional experiences, but on Biblical fact. If Scripturaltruth contradicts our experiences, it is not Scripture that must change, butour perspective.

3. A brief comment which ties to the previouspoint: if we know someone who seemed to be a Christian and then fell away, wemay concern ourselves with two options: (a) they are an apostate, never havingtruly owned and accepted the free offer of Christ, only living in such a manneras to deceive others and themselves. Not for nothing does Jesus remark thatthere will be those who cry “Lord, Lord”, who think they have done great worksin the name of Christ, who have cast out demons, etc., who will hear Jesus say“depart from me, I never knew you”.(b) They are backslidden, not lost; and believing friends have a responsibilityto chastise and exhort them through the Word of God, leading them to repentanceafresh and a redoubled knowledge of their standing in Christ. The Bibletells us that the heart is deceitful above all things. Not only can we deceiveourselves concerning someone’s salvation, but we may also deceive ourselvesconcerning his or her loss of it. While they live there is hope for restoringthem in a spirit of gentleness. We have the opportunity and responsibility tothunder forth afresh the gospel of salvation, which is the only thing able toawaken dead men’s hearts. I pray we never fall back into despair or apathy whensouls are at stake.

Let me now seek to answer the question, “will Godlet us be lost”. In no way will this be the definitive answer, but I hope it will be a God-glorifying answer. I hope, by the end of this, that believers will be strengthened in their faith.

Our Condition: In the Light

Inthe beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Hewas in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and withouthim was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was thelight of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has notovercome it. (John 1:1-5 ESV)

AgainJesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows mewill not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12 ESV)

In Christ, the Word of God, God Incarnate, ourPropitiation, our Sacrifice, our Resurrected Lord, we have life. This life,according to the passage in John 1, is the light of men. Jesus calls Himselfthe “light of the world”, and says that whoever follows Him will not walk indarkness. His followers have the light of life – that is, they have ChristHimself. Now, pay close attention to what the passage says: The light shines inthe darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. Darkness cannot layhold of nor seize the light. Light and darkness are incompatible.

Now, if God is represented by light, what doesdarkness represent? Does it not represent the darkness of wickedness andunrighteousness, the demonic host, the Deceiver himself? God is not bound bySatan any more than light is bound by darkness. Turn a switch, and the shadowsflee before the light. Satan is subject to God. There is no eternal battle between the two. God is victorious, Satan is the ultimate loser. It is not a contest. Considering this, does it not seem absurd to suggestthat God could give any of His people, whom He has brought into the light andmade children of light (Ephesians 5:8; 1 Thessalonians 5:5), back into thedarkness? We do not illumine ourselves. We are lit by Christ, and He is notextinguished, nor will He ever be.

Even in this, we can see that as children of light, we abide in the light. We are kept by the Light of the world. God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. In Him, we are lit eternally. Darkness cannot overcome us, for it cannot overcome Christ.

Stuck in my head

2011-09-14T12:35:00.002-04:00

I listened to a repetitive song for about a minute today while reading an article, and now it is rehashing itself through my mind on automatic repeat.

It's amazing to me how easily some things can latch themselves into your mind. A phrase, a song, a lyric, a sound. A picture. An idea.

Often the sort of thing that sticks is just the sort of thing you'd sooner be rid of, especially where songs are concerned. Like the one in my head, although it is catchy enough that I have not yet bashed my head against the wall.

Every so often you have the joy of having something stuck in your head that you actually like. Don't underestimate these times. They are few and far between. Cherish them.

And if you have a method of getting rid of recurring jingles, let me know.

Talking Beyond Myself

2011-09-12T07:00:00.000-04:00

I say a lot of things on this blog.

In none of them am I an expert. Except, of course, for the various acceptable uses of "so's your face". (Answer: any time is acceptable. So's your face.)

However, the majority of what I write about here are thoughts about God and life. I know neither of these things as well as I should like. I often feel that I am talking beyond myself - writing beyond my capability. I try my very best to communicate what I want to say. Sometimes I fail at it. Hopefully, sometimes I succeed. I know that, at best, my attempts, my thoughts, are weak.

Yet, I know that God works through the weak, showcasing His own power.

For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:10

It is the power of Christ in me that makes me able to do anything, let alone write a coherent post from time to time. And so, it is my continual prayer that what I post here is a blessing to someone. If I can be nothing more than a messenger, hardly seen, I would be glad, so long as the message I deliver is this:

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.

He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to Him.

The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

He has suffered as we have, so He is able to sympathize with our weaknesses.

If I can only know these, and tell other people about the wonders of God, then I will be glad to talk beyond myself for as long as I am able.

Are We the Elder Brother?

2011-09-11T11:06:00.001-04:00

One pastor I heard said that the parable in Luke 15, normally titled "The Prodigal Son", is better titled, "the Parable of the Two Lost Sons".

There are two brothers in the story. The younger son, the more famous of the two, demands his inheritance from his father. Upon receiving it, he goes away and squanders all that he has in reckless living, ending up as a pig feeder, desiring to eat the pods that the pigs are eating! He gave up everything that he had - security, rest, love, respect - and settled for hunger and the company of swine.

What a picture of our own lives. Instead of being filled by the Bread of Life, we are content to live out our lives in desperate hunger, all the while knowing where to be filled, all the while refusing to do so, just like the dwarves in The Last Battle by C. S. Lewis. They sat and ate less-than-delicious food, refusing to open their eyes and see what was truly around them, what was truly possible.

The prodigal comes to his senses eventually, and decides that he can move home and be a slave at his father's house. Better to be a slave where you are treated decently than to be a slave, going hungry, who feeds pigs for a living. He wants to move from terrible slavery to better slavery.

However, the father sees him coming, and has compassion. He runs to him, embraces him, kisses him. The son begins to say that he wishes to be a servant, but the father cuts him off, declaring that his son was lost and is now found. The father wants to throw a celebration for the return of his son, whom he loves.

All that is preliminary to what hit me most in this chapter.

The elder son comes in from working in the field. This son has never left the father. He hears that his younger brother has returned, and that they are celebrating with the fattened calf.

He is angry, and refuses to go in.

Why? Because the prodigal son does not deserve this! He has taken his inheritance which the father so graciously gave to him, and squandered it! He has done nothing - not one single thing - to merit such grace.

Indeed, he has not.

So the elder brother refuses to celebrate his return.

The father comes out and entreats the elder brother: won't you celebrate his return?

The elder brother says, look, I have done so much, I have obeyed you, I have followed the rules. He says, "that son of yours". The message is clear: I am not affiliated with him.

In response, the father says, all that I have is yours, my son. Then he says, "this your brother". The message from the father is equally clear: Yes, you are.

My question today: are we the elder brother?

So often, in desiring to serve the Father, we do, do, do. We make mental lists of what constitutes appropriate behaviour. Often these things are noble, as we desire to follow the Word of God, to bring glory to God by our obedience, stemming from our desire to love God to the best of our ability.

Yet, because of our own sin, we turn these actions, this obedience, into something arrogant. We see other Christians who do not have exactly the same list as us, and we think, I am not affiliated with them.

We follow one denomination, one ancient creed, and we see those who do not follow the same and think, I am not affiliated with them.

We see those who believe speaking in tongues means something different from what we would define, and we think, I am not affiliated with them.

The list goes on, and on, and on. We refuse to celebrate with those who are, to our mind, lesser Christians. They have done wrong. They have this or that wrong. Their theology is wrong. Their orthodoxy, their orthopraxy is off. And so we are angry that they celebrate with the Father. We are angry that they receive the same grace that we do.

Yet the Father says, no, you are affiliated. You are equal to me for one reason: Christ Jesus. No matter our disagreements on doctrine or practice, we are one in Christ Jesus. We are heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ because of the grace to be found in our Redeemer, Mediator and Propitiator: Christ!

There is nothing that we have done to deserve the feast that is laid out for us. There is nothing we have done to merit the Father's love. Christ has done it all for us. Our denomination, our creed, our practice, all of these things are done and believed according to our utmost desire to serve God in the best way we can. By no means should they be ammo with which to shoot our fellow believers. Our brothers. Our family. We ought to say, "I believe this, and you believe that, but thanks be to God in Christ Jesus, we can both celebrate with the Father at the table, brought there by grace in Christ Jesus. Oh to grace how great a debtor daily I'm constrained to be!"

My pastor always talks about remembering grace, and he has often said something like this:

If a prostitute walked into church on Sunday, what would your response be? I should hope that we would say, praise God she is in church where she can hear the message of grace, rather than saying, get out of here and dress appropriately and change, and then maybe we'll accept you!

By all means, hold to sound doctrine. Live according to the glory of God. But celebrate Christ. Celebrate the grace of God that finds us and makes us alive.

It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’”

(Luke 15:32 ESV)

A righteous man - Q&A

2011-09-11T03:30:00.000-04:00

The Bible often talks about the righteous man, what God will do for him, how things will go for him, etc. But what really is a righteous man?

The answers to all of these questions can become sort of confusing. The reason for that is that they all have two parts. The answers are paradoxical, but beautiful, because these questions-and therefore the answers-concern God's character, and the gospel itself.

What really is a righteous man?

The Bible says that no man is righteous, no, not one (Romans 3:10). That being the case, we could say the righteous man is non-existent. Yet, Abraham "believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness". So there's a mysterious presentation of grace toward believers. God favoured Abraham. Abraham did not do anything to merit God's love and affection. God simply placed His favour upon this man.

In Christ we are seen as righteous, for He is the Righteous Man. Emmanuel, God Incarnate, Love-in-the-Flesh. He has provided the way for us to be seen as righteous. He has paid the price for our unrighteousness.

How can you be righteous so you receive favour from God?

You cannot, by yourself. Outside of Christ, we can do nothing. All our self-invented righteousness is nothing more than dirty rags constructed in the idol factory of our hearts. We are tainted by and with sin. We cannot hope to please God by doing anything righteous.

And yet, in Christ Jesus, there is nothing that we could do to lose the favour of God! He sees us through Christ Jesus, washed in His blood, clothed in His pure garments. We are loved by God so much. He forgets our sin. He casts our unrighteousness into the depths of the sea. He has separated us from our sin as far as the East is from the West. This is marvelous grace. It can hardly be fathomed.

Is any Christian righteous?

In himself, no. In Christ, though, we are seen by God, as righteous as we can be. The righteousness of Christ has been imputed to us. This means that we are viewed right now, at this moment, as perfectly righteous, even while we as yet struggle with sin.

But he certainly doesn't always do righteous things?

No indeed! We cannot escape our sin while we live on this earth. Yet there's the beauty of grace: it has never been up to us to earn our salvation in any way. God has brought us, saved us, adopted us, clothed us, fed us...Jesus has done all things for us. We have only to rest in Him. We ought to battle sin, and I think that as we grow in grace we grow in the desire to escape sin, and grow in the hatred of it, but we can praise God and rest in the fact that even while we do unrighteous things, Christ has paid the full price. We have no more debt. He has paid it all. It is finished!

Tips for your personal Bible-reading time pt.2

2011-09-10T13:06:00.000-04:00

Continued from part one...

3) Take Notes!

I really believe this is important. It requires you to think more deeply about what you are reading, and it will help you to remember what the passage was about. Now, I may be biased because this is just the way I learn; I can't merely listen or read. I often take notes, whether in my Bible reading or in listening to a sermon or in reading a schoolbook. But even if it's not your "thing", I would suggest you take up a pen and paper and write down what sticks out to you in the chapter or verse you read. What in the chapter applies to your life? What in the chapter hits you in a way that shows you that you need to change? Write these things down.

4) Pray Through the Text

Since the Holy Spirit inspired the words in the Bible, we should pray and ask Him to help us to understand what we are reading.

James 1:5 says, "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him."

God promises that He will give us wisdom if we ask for it. Matthew 7:11 says, "If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!" God delights to give good things to His children. If we pray and ask God for understanding and wisdom, He will give it to us. That's a promise we can trust. Are you willing to trust God?

One author said this about praying through the text:

"I recently meditated on Psalm 119:50: "This is my comfort in my affliction, that Thy word has revived me" (NASB). I prayed through the text along these lines:

"Lord, You know the affliction I'm going through right now. Your Word promises to comfort me in my affliction. Your Word can revive me in my affliction. I really believe that is true. Your Word has revived me in affliction during the past, and I confess my faith to You that it will revive me in this experience. I pray that You will revive me now through the comfort of Your Word."

(Donald S. Whitney, "Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life")

5) Take the Time to Dig Deeper

If you read a shorter passage but spend more time really trying to figure out the message, then that is a good thing. From the same author I quoted above, here are some questions you can ask as you read your Bible:

Does this text reveal something I should believe about God?
Does this text reveal something I should praise or thank or trust God for?
Does this text reveal something I should pray about for myself or others?
Does this text reveal something I should have a new attitude about?
Does this text reveal something I should make a decision about?
Does this text reveal something I should do for the sake of Christ, others, or myself?

Take the time to "interview" the passage. Ask questions, and sincerely apply the answers you receive.

You will be blessed for your effort. In reading the Bible you will be drawn to a closer relationship with Christ. You will be challenged and refreshed in His Word. You will gain wisdom and understanding. You will be able to more efficiently battle sin.

Are you willing to be blessed? Then pick up that sword of the Spirit.

Tips for your personal Bible-reading time pt.1

2011-09-09T13:03:00.000-04:00

I wrote this a while ago for an online group of which I am a member. I don't believe I have posted it here before, so I will do that now and hope that it is beneficial to you! I don't mean for these tips to be set in stone, that you must do this or you won't be blessed in your Bible reading. If I believed that, I'd be kind of silly, as I don't always follow all of these. So, it won't hurt my feelings if you don't take the tips. ;)

It is long enough that I think I ought to post it in two parts.

~

If you want to deepen your relationship with God there is nothing more important than Bible reading. Listening to preachers and teachers is good and beneficial; reading books by brilliant theologians is helpful; but the Bible alone carries with it the authority and wisdom from God Himself. He gave us His Word (2 Timothy 3:16), and He desires that we hear it (Joshua 8:35; 1 Timothy 4:13; Revelation 1:3) and read it (Acts 17:11).

Your growth in godliness is affected by your Bible intake. No, it's true. In John 17:17, Jesus says of His people, "Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth..." God works through His word to sanctify us. Do you believe that?

Think of Jesus' example. All through the Gospels you can see Jesus continually quoting Scripture in His arguments against the Pharisees and scribes. He obviously thought that the Scriptures were not only worth reading, but memorizing as well. He certainly believed they were useful for doctrine, correction and reproof, enabling the man of God to be competent, equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:17).

So, here are some tips for your personal Bible reading. I hope they help you to think about what you can do to benefit most from the Word of God.

1) Read With the Intent of Applying What You Learn to Your Life

As it says in 2 Timothy 3:17, the purpose of Scripture is not only knowing the truth (doctrine, correction and reproof), but competence in good works. Our Bible reading should cause us to change our lives for the glory of God. We should walk away from our reading refreshed and challenged.

You see, the Christian life is work. We are not called to sit back in passivity and do nothing. God calls us to do, to pursue, to act and strive. We are supposed to run the race. We are supposed to chase after righteousness and godliness. God requires action from His people.

2) Take the Time to Memorize

The Psalmist says "I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you." (Psalm 119:11) You see that memorization of Scripture can help us to battle sin. When you have Scripture memorized, the Holy Spirit can use it to help you fight your sinful tendencies. Most of us don't carry a Bible wherever we go; but if we memorize Scripture, we have that arsenal within our mind that the Holy Spirit can draw upon. The Word of God is called the "Sword of the Spirit" (Ephesians 6:17). With Scripture we can counter-attack and defend ourselves against the onslaught of Satan and our own sin.

If you think of any swordsman, you must think of all the time and effort that was put into becoming a master of the craft. Hours upon hours of practice and study make a master swordsman.

You might think you are bad at memorizing things, but you're not as bad as you think. If you can remember your name, your phone number, and your address, you can remember a few verses in the Bible. All it takes is the discipline to keep at it.

Speaking of keeping at it, I have a rather negative example from my own life. In the past I had memorized Romans 8 and Romans 12. Full chapters within my mind. However, I did not keep up the review of them, and so I have lost much of what I had stored. While I remember the "gist" of each chapter, I did not keep up my memorization review, and so I have lost those weapons that I had. Now, I have memorized them in the past, and I know I can do it again; but it does take practiced discipline and devotion. It takes some hard work. But remember, we are called to hard work. We are called to digging deeper. Are we willing to devote time and labour to memorizing the Word of God?

A few tips for memorization:

Write the verses you want to memorize on index cards, so that you can go over them throughout the day without much difficulty.
Draw picture reminders, if that helps you. I have personally never done this, but it may help others who are more visual learners. It doesn't have to be elaborate; you can draw stick figures and one-line images. Anything to help the verse stick in your mind.
Break the verse or passage apart into sections. I memorized 1 Timothy 5 in this way. "The aim of our charge is love/ that issues from a pure heart/ a good conscience/ and a sincere faith."

Perhaps you would memorize it easiest if you heard it spoken. If that's the case, a number of online Bible websites like www.biblegateway.com have a "listen" option.

The toys I'll never give up.

2011-09-09T12:25:00.000-04:00

I have toys. I recently came across the question, "what toys would you never give up?"

Because of an early childhood admission, most of my toys are bears. (I like bears.)

I have multiples - stuffed, plastic, glass, smaller plastic, wood, super-stuffed, oversized, teeny-weeny...all kinds of bears. I counted them once. I couldn't believe how high the number was. Most of them were birthday or Christmas gifts, as well as a few non-holiday gifts from my Mom, who, whenever she saw one at a reasonable price, would hold it up and say "you LOVE it, don't you?"

What could I say? Of course I did.

Anyway, one bear in particular comes to mind when I think of the ones I would never give up. You see, most of the bears carry some sort of significant affectionate memory along with them, but this bear carries the most.

His name is Jack. Underneath the wear of years, he's fluffy, white, and entirely huggable.

He used to be kind of pudgy, but nearly two decades of being hugged and slept on has thinned him out. His eyes are kind as ever. He's been bathed in tears, dragged across the floor, torn, and patched up with crooked stitches. I've used him as a pillow, and as a blanket when my real cover fell off the bed. (He's small, but he did his very best.) He has a lot of wisdom for a bear. He can listen for days and never get a bored look in his gentle eyes.

So, he is a toy I could never give up. The reason I could never give him up is that to me, Jack is so much more than merely a toy. I could never let him go... ;)

Wanting Hell?

2011-09-08T12:02:00.000-04:00

Recently I engaged in a discussion over hell, specifically concerning different beliefs on hell. This branched into a rather enjoyable conversation with an Arminian gentleman over what Calvinists ought to think about hell if they are to be consistent. His position (in the name of Calvinists) was as follows:

God chooses to condemn people to hell.

God's being is not separated from His actions.

Therefore hell exists because God has desired and ordained it to exist; His very being demands the existence of hell.

Therefore Calvinists should want hell to exist and even delight in its existence.

I was unable to respond at the time because comments were closed, but I thought the misconception ought to be answered to the best of my ability. I believe that, even while believing that God does indeed ordain hell, and that He passes over some (thereby essentially condemning them to hell), and that His very holy being necessitates hell's existence, we can mourn that unbelievers end up there, and regret that they do. Therefore, I have been accused (politely) of cognitive dissonance.

However, I do not believe it is dissonant at all.

Saying Calvinists should delight in the existence of hell is sort of like saying God should not say He has no pleasure in the death of the wicked, since He condemns them to such a fate. Why, then, would He not take pleasure in it?

Or perhaps Calvinists shouldn't grieve when a loved one dies, because God has ordained when every person will die, and Christ holds the keys to Life and Hades. Why, then, do we cry?

Or perhaps the Holy Spirit shouldn't be grieved by sin, since He is omniscient, so He already knows people will sin, and besides, He has not moved them not to sin. Why, then, be grieved?

The argument seems to confuse emotion with theology. That is, that because Calvinists both believe in hell, and believe that God has ordained it, and ordained that people should end up there, and yet are saddened by the fact, we are either ignorant of cognitive dissonance or bold-faced liars intent upon holding on to two contrasting ideas. It's not so. Emotional response does not contradict theology.

This "therefore" argument seems to stem from this idea that Calvinists are robotic intellectuals with a seriously sparse supply of emotion. In my limited experience, this is a common misconception. It leads to the idea that Calvinists are not really Christian at all. I won't go into much on that.

Romans 9:2 talks about Paul's sorrow and anguish of heart. Why is he sorrowful? Read it and you will see his sorrow stems from the fact that some Jews are not saved. This is the chapter well-known for its emphasis on God's sovereignty, where Paul expounds upon the idea of the elect, upon the idea that God does as God does, and who are you to answer back to Him? And here Paul is mourning the fact that some of Israel's descendants do not belong to Israel! Is this cognitive dissonance? Is Paul contradicting himself?

No, I do not believe so. Even while celebrating the sovereignty and very Godness of God, Paul mourns for his fellow Jews. In like manner, I believe that I, even while "Calvinist" in theology, can mourn that people die without being saved, without casting themselves upon the Lord's mercy.

I do not delight in the existence of hell per se. I do, however, delight in the existence of the Sovereign God, for He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to Him. I delight in God, Who is and will be glorified in both salvation and judgment. I delight in the God Who cannot deny Himself, and Who does not go back on His word. I delight in God, Who saved me, a poor wretch with no merit and little understanding. I delight in God, because He does not give up. While we live, there is hope.

For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord GOD; so turn, and live.”

(Ezekiel 18:32 ESV)

and rend your hearts and not your garments."

Return to the Lord your God,

for he is gracious and merciful,

slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love;

and he relents over disaster.

(Joel 2:13 ESV)

Changing Seasons

2011-09-07T22:04:00.000-04:00

One of the best things about living where I do is the variety. It is nice to have the different seasons, to see how things change.

My favourite season is coming up rather quickly. I love Autumn. It just seems like Life is answering the call of God to rest. Life is shaking off the dust of summer toil, being cleansed by the rain and the wind. Labour is done. It is time to settle down.

I love that - the settling down. It seems like each season brings something different. Spring always brings the excitement of awakening - things are beginning to move, to grow, to change. Spring carries some of my favourite scents in the whole world. The smell of Life. The smell of hope. Of joy.

Then Summer rolls up its sleeves, rubs its hands together and commences with the work. Summer is the season of dirt, of ultimate ache - the ache that can only come from a good day's work. That satisfying ache, the knowledge that you have accomplished something great even while the sun tried to bake you where you stood.

Then, of course, Autumn comes around, followed too soon by the heavy blanket of winter snow. Life slumbers, but not completely. There are days in winter when you can feel Life keenly beneath the surface - if you only brushed away that first layer of gigantic flakes, you could find it again.

But I really love Autumn. I love jumping in the pile of leaves. I love the harvest. I love the colours, even though I grumble sometimes about what it means. I love the crisp, cold air. I love the wind. I love the camp fires, and the woodstove fires. I love the crackling sounds. I love the spice. I love eating soup on colder days, and drinking hot chocolate in the evenings.

What is your favourite season?

Personality type: interesting stuff.

2011-09-07T13:12:00.000-04:00

This is from the "D.I.S.C." personality test.

I am a "CS".

Conscientious
(Cautious, Compliant, Correct, Calculating, Concerned, Careful, Contemplative)

Slow and critical thinker, perfectionist.

Logical, fact-based, organized, follows rules.

Doesn't show feelings. Private. Few, but good friends.

Steady
(Submissive, Stable, Supportive, Shy, Status quo, Specialist)

Consistent, likes stability.

Accommodating, peace-seeking.

Likes helping and supporting others. Good listener and counselor.

Close relationships with few friends.

Asks, rather than tells.

(You can get more info on each type here.)

I reminded myself of this today because I wrote about four blog posts today, and determined that none of them are ready for posting. I thought to myself, "maybe I'm too cautious, or too contemplative". So many people have said that our greatest strengths can also be our greatest weaknesses. (That sort of wisdom is even in comic books, people. It's legit.)

I tend to be cautious, and that can sometimes be problematic. Sometimes I wish that I could let go and jump, but that's not me. I hold on. I watch. I wait.

It's amazing how God uses each individual with their specific traits and personalities. He forms us from the womb. Each work of art is spectacularly different. We all have different purposes and different ways of going about things.

It is by God's grace that we get along so well. I am an introverted CS, yet I can get along with my polar personality opposite. Big differences don't cut us off. Rather, they show God's creativity.

God brings the beauty of diversity into the beauty of unity in Christ Jesus. It's pretty amazing.

Things that make me happy

2011-09-05T09:55:00.000-04:00

Music.
Poetry.
A well-written story.
A good conversation.
Art.
Coffee.
Rainy days in Autumn.
Sparkling days in winter.
Cheery days in Spring.
Windy days in Summer.
Thunderstorms.
Crackling fire.
Fun socks.
Steampunk clothes.
Cool boots.
Beauty.
Honesty.
Hilarity.
Dancing.
Singing.
Solitude.
Company.
Sincerity.
Theology.
Colour.
Black and white.
Difference.
Similarity.
Well-earned sleep.
Sunshine.
Butterflies.

Why are you afraid?

2011-09-04T15:42:00.000-04:00

Last Sunday at church we discussed Exodus 14, when the Israelites cross the Red Sea. We covered quite a bit, but one thing in particular stood out to me as applicable to my own life.

The chapter revealed, among many other things, what the character of the Israelites is, and what the character of God was, is, and always will be.

You can see the sequence of their self-trust:

In verse eight, the Israelites go out defiantly (boldly) from Egypt. They are confident in their escape. They have the treasure from the Egyptians. They feel pretty good about themselves.

Meanwhile, the Egyptians pursue them. In verse ten, the Israelites see the enemy. Their gloating stops. They see the physical threat, and they fear greatly. They are terrified. Their immediate response to seeing the Egyptians is basically, "we're going to die" (verse twelve). All of their boldness has flown away in the face of the great Egyptian army. They cry out to the Lord and complain to Moses.

What struck me particularly is found in verse fifteen. God says, "why do you cry to me?"

Why do you cry to God? Do you trust Him? Do I trust Him?

He hasn't changed. He is the same as He was when you went out defiantly. He is the same God whether you are bold or fearful.

I know that when things are going "well", I tend to neglect prayer and reading of God's Word. I tend to be bold in my own self. Change in circumstances reveals just how fickle we really are. We see nothing wrong, and we are bold. We see a looming threat, and we are afraid, and certain that we are goners.

It seems that when my situation is bad, I think that God has suddenly changed His character. I know theologically that He does not change, but I act like He does.

It's a reminder of how faithful God is, even when we are not. When I say, "I'm dead! I'm dead! I can't live through this!", God says, "you don't have to do anything. Be still and know that I am God."

He has accomplished my salvation. He has brought me and will bring me through every trial, for my good.

"Why do you cry to me?" I should rather trust in Him, knowing that He is the same yesterday, today and forever. He is as good in bad circumstances as He is in good circumstances. Praise Him! Trust Him!

No Regrets?

2011-09-03T12:22:00.000-04:00

Recently I read a quote from a grand ol' theologian who lived quite a number of years ago. In general, I love to read what he wrote. His words are a blessing and an exhortation.
However, this particular quote gave me some pause. It said something to this effect:
"Let us strive to have no regrets on our deathbed."
I know I will have regrets on my deathbed. I just will. I will regret not being braver, of saying nothing when I ought to have said something - or saying something when I ought to have said nothing at all. I will regret that I let opportunities pass by. I will regret that I have not loved as deeply or truthfully as I could have. I will regret every time I was unjustifiably angry. I will perhaps regret, as Andrew Fuller did on his own deathbed, that I will not have enough strength left to worship God.
But it's not about my regrets.
Life is not about being able to lay down your head for the last time and say, "I'm happy with what I've done and been."
Life - and death - are about Christ Jesus. It is about what He has done for me.
I will have regrets. Yet all my regrets will be demolished by this one thought:
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! (1 Corinthians 15:57)
All my regrets are washed and overcome by my Saviour. As I lay dying, if I am not taken swiftly, I hope that my mind will not dwell on what I have accomplished (or failed to accomplish). I hope my mind will be dwelling on my Jesus, praising Him for His gift of salvation, and smiling upon the last few moments of life that are all that remains between me and seeing His face.

Why Christians Should Read Fairy-Stories

2011-08-28T10:29:00.001-04:00

It is a question dividing Christendom: should Christians read fairy-stories? Should Christians read and enjoy fantasy of any kind? I believe they should. There is much to be had from a fictional tale, an epic of heroism, courage, and perseverance. There is much to be said for a story that promotes fighting against evil to your last breath. Here are some reasons:

1) The woven tale gets the point across in a way that non-fiction prose sometimes cannot.

a) when a fantasy story includes things like witches, or sorcery, or any magic, it is - nearly 100% of the time - not meant to promote witchcraft. Such things are an afterthought, and the utilization of such characters and powers is for a purpose. The characters are used just like the rest: to promote the message of the story. I have read stories that include witches, and I have never once come away from the book thinking about witchcraft or magic. Rather, I think about the turn of the tale, the message of the story, and whether the author got it across very well.

b) including witchcraft in a story does not go against what the Bible condemns. It is the practice of witchcraft and sorcery, the telling of fortunes and interpretation of omens that is an abomination unto the Lord. To mention them in a tale does not equal practicing such things. If it did, then the Bible promotes witchcraft and magic in the mentioning of them.

2) Fairy-stories, if proper, show that good wins out over evil.

a) No matter how close the battle, good has the victory in the end. Tolkien wrote an essay on fairy-stories, and talked about the idea of "eucatastrophe" - which essentially means that good rises to the victory even if it is bittersweet. Is that not akin to life? Fairy tales should reflect life, and the good ones do so. Think of Jesus - He is the absolute Victor, and yet His heel was bruised. In our own lives we can see that there is a mix of joy and sadness. We go through things that affect us deeply. We get hurt. We fall down. And yet, in the gospel there is the sweet and comforting hope of final victory. In Jesus, believers are more than conquerors! Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ - not persecution, nor famine, nor nakedness, nor sword, nor anything else that attacks us on this earth. Paul mentions these things in Romans 8 because we do go through such things. We are not living a life of ease, a life free from pain. So fairy-stories, in showing the bad, in showing that bad is very evil, that it wants to see good destroyed, reflects life in a way that stays with you. In the best of fairy-stories, bad is shown to be bad and good is shown to be good. And good, ultimately, always wins.

Based on the points above, I would heartily recommend Tolkien's Lord of the Rings (and any of his other tales, actually) and Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia. These stories show ultimately that good is good and bad is bad. They show that there is something "worth fighting for". They show that evil destroys itself, it is corrupt, and it collapses in the face of good. They show that when Jesus (in Narnia, Aslan) appears, He wins. There is no contest. Evil falls down. Evil is destroyed. There is no duel between Aslan and the white witch (though there is a duel between Peter and the witch - another message that shows how vulnerable we are when battling the devil without relying on Jesus). He simply destroys evil.

These stories also show the nobility of self-sacrifice. In fact, they show many heavenly qualities even without specifically mentioning them, which is what fairy-stories ought to do: give the sense of greater things within an enjoyable tale. At the finish of a fairy-story, one ought to contemplate the message, discern the meaning, and see the truth. Now, I do not advocate reading just anything. I do believe there ought to be discernment when reading anything - fiction or not. It is not the genre that is dangerous, but the message within it. Many non-fiction books are dangerous, and so are many fantasy stories. Not because they talk about magic, or talk about violent or evil things; these simply point to the main message of the tale. It is the message we should discern, not how the author goes about relaying it.

There are so many messages springing up out of Tolkien's work, it is difficult to say only a few. (I am considering further posts that will go into these things.) There are even places which show the sovereignty of God - such as, in the Hobbit, Bilbo "stumbling upon" the Ring, which the Ring itself did not intend. God is sovereign over evil, and He works through it to bring about the victory. We can see that throughout the Bible when it comes to God's people - Joseph, David, Paul, Peter, etc.

We see weakness in Frodo - but, ultimately, it is not about Frodo. Just as this life is not about us. It is about good (I would say, God) working through Frodo, a very weak vessel, and all the others of the "Fellowship", to accomplish His will. Fairy-stories, as I said earlier, ought to reflect reality. When they do, they are definitely worth reading, and I would heartily recommend them.

L.I.S.T.E.N.

2011-08-25T10:50:00.000-04:00

I have a love/hate relationship with acrostics. I love them like I love salad. Occasionally you get a salad that is as close to perfect as salad can go. Usually, I am not the one who has made it. The lettuce is delicious and crisp, the tomatoes are juicy and actually have flavour beyond that of cardboard, the olive oil is light, just flavourful enough without being overpowering and bitter. On the flip side, you can get salads where the lettuce is all limp and brown, and there's really nothing good to go on the lettuce. So basically it's not a salad. It's a lettuce. And it's gross.

While I have a slight fascination with acrostics, I'm not very good at making them. Kind of like salad.

I've been thinking lately on what it means to listen. Naturally, I made an acrostic of it.

Listen:

Love

Inquire

Sympathize

Turn

Encourage/Exhort

Nurture

Love

The whole law of God is summed up in loving Him with our whole being, and loving our neighbour as ourselves. I would not imagine listening to anyone without love being the foundation of the interaction. Often we find ourselves listening to things that we do not necessarily wholly agree with, and therefore the definition of love from 1 Corinthians 13 is applicable to listening as much as to every other situation. I would say that patience is especially important when listening.

All too often I'd prefer not to listen. I'd sooner jump in with my own conclusions, or the solution to the problem, even if I don't really know what the problem actually is. I want to fix things. I want to connect the dots. Love means taking the time to truly listen, to patiently hear, to understand. God truly listens to us, because He loves us. We know that when we pray to God, He hears our cry. He inclines to us. Do we incline to others?

Inquire

I would suggest that listening often leads to questions. When you are listening, questions spring up to help you delve deeper into the issue, to get at the root of the problem. In order to do that, you have to pay attention. Listening means you do not let your attention wander. You focus, so that you can understand all the particulars, and inquire as to the things that you don't quite understand. Jesus always asked the important questions. He got down to the bottom of things. He remained focused on the true issue, not on the rabbit trails that could develop through the conversation.

Sympathize

If you truly listen, you do not remain aloof and indifferent to the struggles of others. You feel, as best you can, what they do. You put yourself in their place in order to grasp the truth of the situation. Jesus sympathizes with our weaknesses. He knows us. He is tender and gentle with us. He knows our frame. He is so careful, in every sense of the word. Are we careful with others?

Turn

Turn the conversation back to what is most important: Christ Jesus. As you listen, keep your mind on the gospel, on how God has spoken His healing (and admonishment) upon a given situation. Remind the hurting of the hope in Jesus. Remind the joyful of the ultimate source of their joy. Give praise to God, cry out to God, lead to God even as you listen. Point back to the Beloved Son. Listen to Him.

Encourage/Exhort

Listening is an encouragement all by itself. For the person relating their struggles, it is an encouragement to know that someone is hearing them, walking with them. Don't leave them to flounder in self-pity. Be there. Speak the truth. I find so much comfort when I pour out my heart to my Saviour, because I know that He listens and hears every word by His grace. I have nothing special or spectacular to say. My words are often small, weak, and pitiful. I repeat myself, carry on with the same old, same old. Yet, God never tires of my repetition. He speaks His words of love, His words of rebuke, His good news over and over to my heart, spreading the balm of grace all over my wounded soul.

Sometimes, when you are listening, there comes a time for you to speak up and admonish, to rebuke. This, too, should be done in love, with a mind toward a deeper understanding of the truth. People tend to share so that you will communicate. Now, this is not always the case - sometimes people merely want you to listen - but be prepared to respond. This also requires you to focus on what they are saying.

Nurture

Cultivate your relationship through communication. Seek something deeper. Point to Christ. Seek a furtherance of trust and understanding, of wisdom and resting together in the grace of God. Jump in. Go deep. Jesus never stayed on the surface. He went straight to the heart. He was always refreshingly real. He always listened, and He always will listen.

O my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations, and the city that is called by your name. For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy.

Daniel 9:18

Answering questions from a friend

2011-07-23T14:33:00.000-04:00

A friend of mine asked me some questions in response to my previous blog post. Since the questions are good, I thought I'd make another blog post out of it. Not that they're usually bad... ;)

If salvation cannot be lost then why did he say: “depart from Me, I never knew you!”

This is found in Matthew 7, where Jesus is finishing up His sermon on the mount.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ (Matthew 7:21-23 ESV)

The implications of this can be quite scary. First of all, there are those who perform great and mighty works who have not truly put their faith in Christ Jesus. This is scary for more than one reason - not only are these people deceiving themselves, but it is possible, in light of Matthew 7:15-20, that these are influential people who could be leading others astray along with them.

The one concern I do not have is that this shows a possibility of losing salvation. The main reason for that is found in Jesus' words.

"I never knew you..."

The very idea of Jesus never having known them proves that they were never saved, for elsewhere Jesus has said:

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. (John 10:27-28 ESV, emphasis mine)

Jesus knows His people. Believers have a family relationship with God. Through Christ we can cry, "Abba, Father!" This is talking about an intimate, close knowledge, far beyond speaking of God's omniscience. This is more personal. It is talking about first-hand relationship and perception.

For Jesus to say "I never knew you" implies that these people were never of His flock.

Also what is sin and what isn't?

Sin is not being or doing what God requires, or doing what God forbids. It is sin when God says "do this", and we say "I will not!" It is sin when God says "do not do this", and we say "I will, rather!" When we go against His character and command, when we go against what we ought to be, when we do not love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and love our neighbour as ourselves, it is sin.

Sin is lawlessness (1 John 3:4). Whatever does not proceed from faith is sin (Romans 14:23). Failing to do what we know to be right is sin (James 4:17).

Is everything enjoyable sinful?

Certainly not, although we can most definitely enjoy things that are sinful. However, God made us with the ability (and need) to enjoy. God created beauty, and we are meant to enjoy it; He created relationships, and we are meant to enjoy them. The beauty of such things is corrupted and broken down from its original intent, but that does not mean that we may not enjoy what is enjoyable.

Specifically in relationships, people can certainly enjoy them sinfully, and yet there are relationships that are God-glorifying and most certainly enjoyable, and I would not say the enjoyment is sinful.

Are all altruistic behaviors grace?

I would say so, although altruism does not necessarily prove salvation (or the lack of it). All through the Bible there is mention of God being the giver of all things. It is most clearly seen in Acts 17:25:

...nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. (Acts 17:25 ESV)

More to the point, though, I would say altruistic behaviours in people find their source in the character of God, for He is the Source of all good things, and selfless acts are understood universally to be good. God has created us in His own image, and so we do bear the marks of His character, stained though they may be.

Far beyond my own failing, pitiful altruism, I would emphasize that I most certainly find grace in what I consider to be the most supreme altruistic act, which was Christ Jesus giving Himself up on the cross as a propitiation for my sins, when He had committed no sins Himself. He bore the wrath and punishment reserved for me, and paid the price in full. Not only has He paid the price, but He has given me assurance in His promises that He will keep me forever, and no one is able to snatch me out of His hand. The heaviness of my sin (and, reading again what I wrote above about what sin is, it is quite the weight) is removed from my shoulders, and I am given joyful rest in Christ.

Concerning salvation

2011-07-22T12:55:00.000-04:00

Straying is something Christians do. We fail, we fall, we rebel, we stray. We are not sinless.

Some would say that straying can lead to loss of salvation.

Yet, in the profound mystery of grace, we are viewed as sinless in Christ Jesus. His blood has washed away our sins. His death has brought us life. By His stripes we were healed. God does not see us as sinful anymore. He views us through Christ. So to lose our salvation, not only would we have to withdraw from God, but God would have to withdraw from us. He would have to withdraw all of His promises, and view our rebellion apart from Christ Jesus. Yet it must be asked: if Christ died once and for all for all those who put their faith in Him, then wouldn't any unbelief/rebellion/rejection (sins) committed by a straying Christian be covered by His blood? So wouldn't any Christian, having once been Christian, even if they wanted to leave the faith, still go to heaven by Christ's merit? Whether a man lives his life in relative goodness, or lives a life of debauchery, Christ must still pay the redemption price. It is only by the sacrifice of Christ Jesus that we are viewed as righteous, and the blood of Jesus washes away all the believer's sins.

It would seem to me that Christians who stray would be treated like Peter jumping out of the boat. Christ saved Peter, and asked "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" Despite Peter's doubting, Jesus saved him. Peter believed in Jesus. He did not have perfect faith in order to stay afloat, but Jesus does not rely on the perfection of our faith in order to act on our behalf. He is, after all, the Perfecter Himself. He completes and gives what we cannot produce.

The concept of secure salvation ties in to all of life. It gives me confidence to go forward in life and faith and ministry, knowing that Christ Jesus keeps me. My efforts have a foundation of grace. I don't have to worry that what I do is not enough - of course it is not enough. Jesus doesn't expect "enough" from us. He has given us everything. He has promised us everything. So taking the gospel, receiving the gospel, preaching the gospel, keeping the gospel, are all things that we do in very failing measures. We often go against God's Word. We often sin. We often fail to do what is required of us.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, gave up His Son. Because of Christ's propitiation, we are safe and secure. By the guarantee of the Holy Spirit, I can cry tears of joy, not worry, knowing that He keeps me, failure that I am. It gives me hope, and it most certainly gives me rest, but it also gives me enthusiasm to go forward for Christ's sake, because He owns and keeps my life, because my inheritance is kept in heaven by God, imperishable, undefiled and unfading.

Random Mish-Mash

2011-07-20T12:33:00.001-04:00

Sitting - at my desk in the office, enjoying my lunch, although my tea is almost too hot to drink at the moment. I will let it cool for a while.

Hoping - that I will not delay or hinder the work of this ministry. Hoping that I will have the talent to accomplish what needs doing. Hoping my head doesn't explode.

Reading - nothing, at the moment. I finished a book and have yet to pick the next one from my obnoxious list.

Wondering - why you always have to cough when things are quiet.

Contemplating - Hebrews. I just read through it again. It is a great, comforting book. Jesus is greater than all others! Persevere. Trust. Be comforted.

Wearing - my glasses on the top of my head, since my eye was all bothered for reasons unknown to me.

Thinking - about friends and family who are wonderful blessings to me. It's awesome to have peeps.

Deciding - whether it might not be better for me to cut my foot off instead of endure the annoying, dull pain of whatever it is I did to my foot. I think I bruised something. My foot is all swollen, and it hurts to bend my toes. Hm.

Concluding - having two feet is better, pain or not.

Besides, how would I wear a pair of toe socks?

The Weight of It All

2011-07-05T13:01:00.001-04:00

The weight of it all bears downward upon me,

Incessantly pressing my hopes and my dreams,

Carting me onward, forcing me under

To places where dark, void anxiety teems.

I look up, exhausted, wipe sweat from my brow

Another step forward, beware lest I fall-

With sudden and clarified realization

I see that I am not the bearer at all.

The weight of it all rests upon my Lord Jesus,

He takes all my burdens, the old and the new,

And all as I see this and my heart is opened,

I realize afresh that He carries me, too.

Now I look forward in anticipation,

Knowing He carries, holding me near,

The weight of it all drops right off of my shoulders

And I am at rest, with not one thing to fear.

Reflecting on Grace - Needing it More Than Ever

2011-06-10T10:59:00.001-04:00

My thoughts of late have been more of the reflecting kind than the writing kind. It is difficult to put into words the thoughts that are more like images, emotions, and recognition...without any formulation of vocabulary. Language is more than words, and so I have been "speaking" to myself (and God has been speaking to me) in a way that cannot be translated onto a blog.

Hence the long absence.

Recently I have been battling myself, battling my desire for simple answers and lists of accomplishments. I have been thinking, If only I do this, or go there, or leave that behind, things will be better. I need to do these things in order to be happy.

Legalist, you need grace.

It is funny that God has been reminding me of my weakness more than my strength these past few weeks. Sometimes He reminds me of my strength in Him - that I can do all things through Christ. He is my strength, my certain help, and I am strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.

Yet I need to be reminded of my weakness. I am a pitiful little nothing. I boost myself up on my tippy-toes, making myself look taller, using words I do not yet understand, in order to converse with the adults. I am a child, playing "Grown-up". I become frustrated when I try to thread the game in exactly the way I want. I weave and move with the intent of making things perfect. I end up with a tangled mess.

But God.

Those words are beauty to my ears. God steps in. He has shown me my weakness, again, and I need the repetitious lesson because I forget it every moment. He is patient. He loves me. He is showing me.

God is weaving something beautiful out of something pitiful. Out of death, darkness, and destruction, God resurrects beauty, grace, and forgiveness. He is revealing Himself as my everything, my King, my Sovereign.

I love His lessons, even though I sometimes hate them. I want to get it right away. God is teaching me to be patient, as He teaches me everything else. I need His grace now and always.

I only got four minutes to write a blog...

2011-06-01T12:31:00.000-04:00

...and I'm not going to waste the time by singing about it.

Too bad for you, because I have an amazing voice.

2011-05-31T13:31:00.001-04:00

When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart,

I was brutish and ignorant;

I was like a beast toward You.

Nevertheless, I am continually with You;

You hold my right hand.

You guide me with Your counsel,

and afterward You will receive me to glory.

Whom have I in heaven but You?

And there is nothing

on earth that I desire besides You.

Psalm 73:21-25

Book Review: The Essential Bible Companion to the Psalms

2011-05-07T21:53:00.000-04:00

I have not often been able to find an easy, insightful and helpful look into the Psalms, either in groups or individually. The Essential Bible Companion to the Psalms is all of these things.

It begins with introductory explanations of the Psalms, both from perspective (i.e. the Psalms as songs, ceremony, prayers or book) and from groups, outlining Psalms of praise, Psalms of thanksgiving, Psalms of lament, etc.

The authors, Brian Webster and David Beach, included everything necessary for someone new to the Psalms. Anyone could pick up this (eye-pleasing) book and read it alongside the Bible and gain "key insights for reading God's Word", as the subtitle of the book claims.

Each Psalm is given a page's worth of explanation. The authors delve into seven insights per Psalm:

- Theme

- Type

- Author

- Background

- Structure

- Special Notes

- Reflection

Each of these, fitting all together on a page, gives enough information to get the idea, while leaving it simple enough to understand. I found the special notes, structure and background especially fascinating.

I could easily pass this book on to my younger siblings as a helpful study of the Psalms. Likewise, I could just as easily give this book to any pastor or teacher as a resource for their preaching or teaching. I would definitely recommend it.

Just Believing in Myself? No Thanks

2011-04-29T08:57:00.000-04:00

Some people say that to succeed in anything, you just have to believe in yourself.

I don't think that has ever worked for me, even once.

The reason such "positive thinking" fails is because I know myself. I know most of my failures and weaknesses, and no matter how much I tell myself "you can do this!", another part of me is saying "you probably can't".

Even if I believe in myself, to some degree I also believe in my failure. So it just doesn't work for me. Self-esteem fails strictly because it starts with "self".

Enter the people I love and respect. If I am heading toward something big, something nerve-wracking, and someone I admire tells me, "you can do this!", I believe them, because I believe they believe in me. It makes a world of difference to know they are rooting for me, more confident than I am that I will succeed. I am strengthened by their encouragement, support and presence.

That's also (in part) why God often encourages us with the words, "I am with you", or "My presence will go with you". When I remember and dwell upon the fact of God's presence with me, I am more confident to do anything than if I thought, "I am capable". Because the truth is, by myself I am incapable. Yet I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.

"And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." Matthew 28:20

It gives me more confidence to know that God is with me, and that He is for me. What can be against me? He is by my side. What can man do to me? He loves me. What can the hatred of the world accomplish against me?

I don't believe in myself. I believe in God. The knowledge of His close presence and immanent relationship is my confidence and hope.

"Nevertheless, I am continually with You;
You hold my right hand."

In Case You Were Wondering...

2011-04-26T18:33:00.000-04:00

I have that little clicky-button "Write More About This" for a reason.

I do pay attention to when people clicky it.

I had a written list of all the posts I had to write more about, but I, being who I am, lost the page.

So, today I went through and wrote them all down again, back to the beginning of the year.

Therefore, take heart, You-Who-Clickies-the-Button, I'm listening.

I'm just slow.

Just think of me as a lesson in patience. (har har har)