Have you wondered what it means to pray in Jesus name? RA Torrey suggests it is a lot like going to the bank.
If I go to the bank to cash a check, the teller will check and see if I have that much money in the bank and if so he will cash the check. My request depends on my financial merit. I ask in my name.
If I go with someone's check written to me I am able to receive cash based on their merit, their deposits in the bank. I benefit from the merit of their name. It makes no difference how much money I have in the bank. The check is honored based on his name and merit.
This is what it means to come to God on the merit of Jesus. It is not about my balance (merit) but about his merit.
Torrey says it this way, "So it is when I go to the bank of heaven, when I go to God in prayer. I have nothing deposited there, I have absolutely no credit there, and if I go in my own name I will get absolutely nothing; but Jesus Christ has unlimited credit in heaven, and he has granted to me the privilege of going to the bank with his name on my checks, and when I thus go, my prayers will be honored to any extent.
When I pray in Jesus name I pray on the ground of his merit and not my own. I renounce any claim that I may think I have personally on God and approach him on the merit of Christ alone. God is well pleased with His Son and always hears and answers his requests.
Friday, December 24, 2010
E. M. Bounds on prayer
I'm preaching Sunday on prayer at MercyHill. I am convinced that ministry at MercyHill must be first ministry "by Jesus" not ministry "for Jesus". We are in desperate need of His ministry to us, and only then may we truly minister in His name. The yearning for Jesus ministry to me personally and to those with whom I serve has become my fervent prayer.
While studying for Sunday I found this quote from E.M. Bounds.
"God has plainly and with directness committed himself to answer prayer. If we fulfill the conditions of prayer, the answer is bound to come. The laws of nature are not so invariable and so inexorable as the promised answer to prayer. The ordinance of nature might fail, but the ordinances of grace can never fail. There are no limitations, no adverse conditions, no weakness, no inability, which can or will hinder the answer to prayer. God’s doing for us when we pray has no limitation, is not hedged about, by provisos in Himself, or in the peculiar circumstances of any particular case. If we really pray, God masters and defies all things and is above all conditions.
God explicitly says, “Call unto me, and I will answer.” There are no limitations, no hedges, no hindrances in the way of God fulfilling the promise. His word is at stake. His word is involved. God solemnly engages to answer prayer. Man is to look for the answer, be inspired by the expectation of the answer, and may with humble boldness demand the answer. God, who cannot lie, is bound to answer. He has voluntarily placed himself under obligation to answer the prayer of him who truly prays.
God’s Word does not say 'Call unto me, and you will thereby be trained into the happy art of knowing how to be denied. Ask, and you will learn sweet patience by getting nothing.” Far from it. But it is definite, clear and positive: “Ask and it shall be given unto you.'”
EM Bounds, Complete Works 193-195
While studying for Sunday I found this quote from E.M. Bounds.
"God has plainly and with directness committed himself to answer prayer. If we fulfill the conditions of prayer, the answer is bound to come. The laws of nature are not so invariable and so inexorable as the promised answer to prayer. The ordinance of nature might fail, but the ordinances of grace can never fail. There are no limitations, no adverse conditions, no weakness, no inability, which can or will hinder the answer to prayer. God’s doing for us when we pray has no limitation, is not hedged about, by provisos in Himself, or in the peculiar circumstances of any particular case. If we really pray, God masters and defies all things and is above all conditions.
God explicitly says, “Call unto me, and I will answer.” There are no limitations, no hedges, no hindrances in the way of God fulfilling the promise. His word is at stake. His word is involved. God solemnly engages to answer prayer. Man is to look for the answer, be inspired by the expectation of the answer, and may with humble boldness demand the answer. God, who cannot lie, is bound to answer. He has voluntarily placed himself under obligation to answer the prayer of him who truly prays.
God’s Word does not say 'Call unto me, and you will thereby be trained into the happy art of knowing how to be denied. Ask, and you will learn sweet patience by getting nothing.” Far from it. But it is definite, clear and positive: “Ask and it shall be given unto you.'”
EM Bounds, Complete Works 193-195
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Joy to the World
Tomorrow at MercyHill we are looking at Mary's Magnificat. The title of the message is, "A Heart that Sings". We will be looking at the joy offered us in Jesus. I found this piece and wanted to share it.
See you tomorrow.
Men have pursued joy in every avenue imaginable. Some have successfully found it while others have not. Perhaps it would be easier to describe where joy cannot be found:
Not in Unbelief -- Voltaire was an infidel of the most pronounced type. He wrote: "I wish I had never been born."
Not in Pleasure -- Lord Byron lived a life of pleasure if anyone did. He wrote: "The worm, the canker, and grief are mine alone."
Not in Money -- Jay Gould, the American millionaire, had plenty of that. When dying, he said: "I suppose I am the most miserable man on earth."
Not in Position and Fame -- Lord Beaconsfield enjoyed more than his share of both. He wrote: "Youth is a mistake; manhood a struggle; old age a regret."
Not in Military Glory -- Alexander the Great conquered the known world in his day. Having done so, he wept in his tent, before he said, "There are no more worlds to conquer."
Where then is real joy found? -- the answer is simple, in Christ alone.
The Bible Friend, Turning Point, May, 1993.
See you tomorrow.
Men have pursued joy in every avenue imaginable. Some have successfully found it while others have not. Perhaps it would be easier to describe where joy cannot be found:
Not in Unbelief -- Voltaire was an infidel of the most pronounced type. He wrote: "I wish I had never been born."
Not in Pleasure -- Lord Byron lived a life of pleasure if anyone did. He wrote: "The worm, the canker, and grief are mine alone."
Not in Money -- Jay Gould, the American millionaire, had plenty of that. When dying, he said: "I suppose I am the most miserable man on earth."
Not in Position and Fame -- Lord Beaconsfield enjoyed more than his share of both. He wrote: "Youth is a mistake; manhood a struggle; old age a regret."
Not in Military Glory -- Alexander the Great conquered the known world in his day. Having done so, he wept in his tent, before he said, "There are no more worlds to conquer."
Where then is real joy found? -- the answer is simple, in Christ alone.
The Bible Friend, Turning Point, May, 1993.
Spiritual Greatness
I think most men yearn to be something great and noble in our inner being. I think the following is something that would do us well to ponder.
Maurice Roberts wrote in 1990
Our age has been sadly deficient in what may be termed spiritual greatness. At the root of this is the modern disease of shallowness. We are all too impatient to meditate on the faith we profess….It is not the busy skimming over religious books or the careless hastening through religious duties which makes for a strong Christian faith. Rather, it is unhurried meditation on gospel truths and the exposing of our minds to these truths that yields the fruit of sanctified character.
Maurice Roberts wrote in 1990
Our age has been sadly deficient in what may be termed spiritual greatness. At the root of this is the modern disease of shallowness. We are all too impatient to meditate on the faith we profess….It is not the busy skimming over religious books or the careless hastening through religious duties which makes for a strong Christian faith. Rather, it is unhurried meditation on gospel truths and the exposing of our minds to these truths that yields the fruit of sanctified character.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Tolkien and the cross
Perhaps the best paragraph in the whole Lord of the Rings trilogy is when Frodo is honored with a song to celebrate his success in destroying the Ring of Doom.
And all the host laughed and wept, and in the midst of their merriment and tears the clear voice of the minstrel rose like silver and gold, and all men were hushed. And he sang to them…until their hearts, wounded with sweet words, overflowed, and their joy was like swords, and they passed in thought out to regions where pain and delight flow together and tears are the very wine of blessedness. (The Return of the King, 933)
Like those who listened to the minstrel’s song, we who see our Savior in the last day will also be made merry with the story of his victory. And we too will be hushed by and wounded with the sweet words that are sung of his self-sacrifice on our behalf.
We will have joy like swords—bright and piercing—and all of the pain and loss of Christ’s death (and our daily dying with him) will only mix with and enhance our bliss.
And all the host laughed and wept, and in the midst of their merriment and tears the clear voice of the minstrel rose like silver and gold, and all men were hushed. And he sang to them…until their hearts, wounded with sweet words, overflowed, and their joy was like swords, and they passed in thought out to regions where pain and delight flow together and tears are the very wine of blessedness. (The Return of the King, 933)
Like those who listened to the minstrel’s song, we who see our Savior in the last day will also be made merry with the story of his victory. And we too will be hushed by and wounded with the sweet words that are sung of his self-sacrifice on our behalf.
We will have joy like swords—bright and piercing—and all of the pain and loss of Christ’s death (and our daily dying with him) will only mix with and enhance our bliss.
Good word to men...and women
This seen @Kevin DeYoung
The Spirituality of Taste
Posted: 07 Oct 2010 03:45 AM PDT
J.C. Ryle:
The man whose soul is “growing” takes more interest in spiritual things every year. He does not neglect his duty in the world. He discharges faithfully, diligently, and conscientiously every relation of life, whether at home or abroad. But the things he loves best are spiritual things. The ways, and fashions, and amusements, and recreations of the world have a continually decreasing place in his heart. He does not condemn them as downright sinful, nor say that those who have anything to do with them are going to hell. He only feels that they have a constantly diminishing hold on his own affections, and gradually seem smaller and more trifling in his eyes. Spiritual companions, spiritual occupations, spiritual conversation, appear of ever-increasing value to him. Would any one know if he is growing in grace? Then let him look within for increasing spirituality of taste. (Holiness, 107)
So I ask myself: Do I love Jesus a little more this year and football a little bit less? Do I love the word more and the world less? Do I love to long for spiritual things more and entertainment, politics, and hobbies less? Are the things that truly taste best tasting better to me?
The Spirituality of Taste
Posted: 07 Oct 2010 03:45 AM PDT
J.C. Ryle:
The man whose soul is “growing” takes more interest in spiritual things every year. He does not neglect his duty in the world. He discharges faithfully, diligently, and conscientiously every relation of life, whether at home or abroad. But the things he loves best are spiritual things. The ways, and fashions, and amusements, and recreations of the world have a continually decreasing place in his heart. He does not condemn them as downright sinful, nor say that those who have anything to do with them are going to hell. He only feels that they have a constantly diminishing hold on his own affections, and gradually seem smaller and more trifling in his eyes. Spiritual companions, spiritual occupations, spiritual conversation, appear of ever-increasing value to him. Would any one know if he is growing in grace? Then let him look within for increasing spirituality of taste. (Holiness, 107)
So I ask myself: Do I love Jesus a little more this year and football a little bit less? Do I love the word more and the world less? Do I love to long for spiritual things more and entertainment, politics, and hobbies less? Are the things that truly taste best tasting better to me?
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
All will be changed
Sobering words from Bishop J. C. Ryle (Practical Religion pg. 40):
A day is coming when banknotes will be as useless as rags, and gold will be as worthless as the dust of the earth. A day is coming when thousands will care nothing for the things for which they once lived, and will desire nothing so much as the things which they once despised. The mansions and palaces will be forgotten in the desire of a “house not made with hands.” The favor of the rich and great will be remembered no more, in the longing for the favor of the King of kings. The silks, and satins, and velvets, and laces, will be lost sight of in the anxious need of the robe of Christ’s righteousness. All will be altered, all will be changed in the great day of the Lord’s return.
Are you ready?
A day is coming when banknotes will be as useless as rags, and gold will be as worthless as the dust of the earth. A day is coming when thousands will care nothing for the things for which they once lived, and will desire nothing so much as the things which they once despised. The mansions and palaces will be forgotten in the desire of a “house not made with hands.” The favor of the rich and great will be remembered no more, in the longing for the favor of the King of kings. The silks, and satins, and velvets, and laces, will be lost sight of in the anxious need of the robe of Christ’s righteousness. All will be altered, all will be changed in the great day of the Lord’s return.
Are you ready?
Thirst for souls
“Leave your home, your comforts, your bed, your ease, your all, to feed lost souls. The Lord of glory left heaven for this; it is enough for the disciple to be as his Master. It is said of Alleine that ‘he was infinitely and insatiably greedy for the conversion of souls.’ . . . The Lord give you this heavenly compassion for this people. Do not be satisfied without conversion. . . . Remember that a moral sinner will lie down in the same hell with the vilest.”
Robert Murray M’Cheyne, Memoir and Remains (Edinburgh, 1987), page 406.
Robert Murray M’Cheyne, Memoir and Remains (Edinburgh, 1987), page 406.
The past
“Would you like to be rid of this spiritual depression? The first thing you have to do is to say farewell now once and forever to your past. Realize that it has been covered and blotted out in Christ. Never look back at your sins again. Say: ‘It is finished, it is covered by the blood of Christ.’ That is your first step. Take that and finish with yourself and all this talk about goodness, and look to the Lord Jesus Christ. It is only then that true happiness and joy are possible for you.”
Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Spiritual Depression (Grand Rapids, 1965), page 35.
Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Spiritual Depression (Grand Rapids, 1965), page 35.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Idolatry Is Like a Pacifier
I just read this post by Justin Buzzard and thought it worthy of sharing.
The idolatry in our lives is like a pacifier problem I recently observed.
My friend has a 2-year-old son who is always sucking on his pacifier. Always. He sucks on his pacifier all day long. He sucks on his pacifier all night long. Two years of all-day and all-night pacifier sucking has caused a big problem: This toddler’s teeth have hinged forward and up like an old fashioned garage door because of the constant shape and suck of the pacifier.
A pacifier is a good thing. But a pacifier becomes a dangerous and idolatrous thing when we give it our ultimate allegiance–when we suck on it all day long, all night long, for two years. This pacifier has changed the structure and appearance of this little boy’s mouth, and now significant corrective action is required.
Job security, relationships, success, reputation, money, planning, and comfort are also good things. But these become dangerous and idolatrous things when we give them our ultimate allegiance–when these things become the central fixation of our lives rather than our Triune God. Like the pacifier, our constant suck of idolatry slowly but surely changes the deep structure and appearance of our hearts, leaving us in need of significant intervention.
My friend is a good father. He knows what he has to do now. He has to take away the pacifier from his son. With this son, cold turkey is the only method that will work. Daytime will be full of confused crankiness as the son cries out for his familiar pacifier, not understanding why his father withholds it. Nighttime will be the worst. The son has never slept without his pacifier. My friend the father will have to listen to the uncomfortable sounds of tears, restless exhaustion, and anger coming from his son’s crib. This will go on for many nights. It won’t be until many years later that the son understands why his father took away his cherished pacifier.
We all have our pacifiers. We’ve come to love them too much.
Much of this is our fault, our sin. Some of it is not. Had my friend been a more discerning father, he would’ve spotted and stopped his son’s pacifier problem earlier. But he didn’t, and his son’s inordinate love for the pacifier only grew stronger.
This is why the allure of idolatry is so strong in our lives. We attach our attention, affection, and assurance to created things rather than the Creator because of the sin in our own hearts and because of the many ways other people have sinned against us. There’s a double power at work here. When we were young, probably without even knowing it, many of us determined to never again experience the hurt and shame that came from the hands of another person. So we selected a pacifier of self-protection to carry with us at all times.
Some of us chose to not feel. Some chose to always be in control. Some chose to hide. Some chose to be religious. Some of us chose to run away.
Now we’ve grown older. And in rare moments of honesty we’re able to admit, or start to admit, that we have a problem. The pacifier that we thought would protect us and satisfy us, has only hurt us. It’s actually caused us to hurt other people too. This is what always happens when we let something be for us what only God can be for us.
Some of you hurt so badly right now. You hurt because your pacifier has been taken away. Like me, you don’t know how to do life without your pacifier.
But this is what I know about my Sovereign Father: he loves his kids. This never changes. All who repent of running their own life and trust Jesus as Savior have inherited an invincible love relationship with the Father.
And the reason the Father has ripped the pacifier from your clenched mouth is the same reason he chose you before the foundation of the world, justified you at your conversion, and will one day glorify you in his presence: because he loves you! Don’t just read these words, believe these words.
He loves you! He loves you! He loves you!
Child of God, you had a problem and you didn’t know it. You’ve been sucking on a pacifier for years and it’s been damaging you and damaging others. You’ve refused to give it up. Now God has arranged the circumstances of your life to decisively pull the pacifier from your grip. You’re shaken up, but he has you right where he wants you. The only way forward is to trust your Father. Trust him! Let him love you. Trust his plan. Trust him and love him with all your heart. New territory will open up before you
The idolatry in our lives is like a pacifier problem I recently observed.
My friend has a 2-year-old son who is always sucking on his pacifier. Always. He sucks on his pacifier all day long. He sucks on his pacifier all night long. Two years of all-day and all-night pacifier sucking has caused a big problem: This toddler’s teeth have hinged forward and up like an old fashioned garage door because of the constant shape and suck of the pacifier.
A pacifier is a good thing. But a pacifier becomes a dangerous and idolatrous thing when we give it our ultimate allegiance–when we suck on it all day long, all night long, for two years. This pacifier has changed the structure and appearance of this little boy’s mouth, and now significant corrective action is required.
Job security, relationships, success, reputation, money, planning, and comfort are also good things. But these become dangerous and idolatrous things when we give them our ultimate allegiance–when these things become the central fixation of our lives rather than our Triune God. Like the pacifier, our constant suck of idolatry slowly but surely changes the deep structure and appearance of our hearts, leaving us in need of significant intervention.
My friend is a good father. He knows what he has to do now. He has to take away the pacifier from his son. With this son, cold turkey is the only method that will work. Daytime will be full of confused crankiness as the son cries out for his familiar pacifier, not understanding why his father withholds it. Nighttime will be the worst. The son has never slept without his pacifier. My friend the father will have to listen to the uncomfortable sounds of tears, restless exhaustion, and anger coming from his son’s crib. This will go on for many nights. It won’t be until many years later that the son understands why his father took away his cherished pacifier.
We all have our pacifiers. We’ve come to love them too much.
Much of this is our fault, our sin. Some of it is not. Had my friend been a more discerning father, he would’ve spotted and stopped his son’s pacifier problem earlier. But he didn’t, and his son’s inordinate love for the pacifier only grew stronger.
This is why the allure of idolatry is so strong in our lives. We attach our attention, affection, and assurance to created things rather than the Creator because of the sin in our own hearts and because of the many ways other people have sinned against us. There’s a double power at work here. When we were young, probably without even knowing it, many of us determined to never again experience the hurt and shame that came from the hands of another person. So we selected a pacifier of self-protection to carry with us at all times.
Some of us chose to not feel. Some chose to always be in control. Some chose to hide. Some chose to be religious. Some of us chose to run away.
Now we’ve grown older. And in rare moments of honesty we’re able to admit, or start to admit, that we have a problem. The pacifier that we thought would protect us and satisfy us, has only hurt us. It’s actually caused us to hurt other people too. This is what always happens when we let something be for us what only God can be for us.
Some of you hurt so badly right now. You hurt because your pacifier has been taken away. Like me, you don’t know how to do life without your pacifier.
But this is what I know about my Sovereign Father: he loves his kids. This never changes. All who repent of running their own life and trust Jesus as Savior have inherited an invincible love relationship with the Father.
And the reason the Father has ripped the pacifier from your clenched mouth is the same reason he chose you before the foundation of the world, justified you at your conversion, and will one day glorify you in his presence: because he loves you! Don’t just read these words, believe these words.
He loves you! He loves you! He loves you!
Child of God, you had a problem and you didn’t know it. You’ve been sucking on a pacifier for years and it’s been damaging you and damaging others. You’ve refused to give it up. Now God has arranged the circumstances of your life to decisively pull the pacifier from your grip. You’re shaken up, but he has you right where he wants you. The only way forward is to trust your Father. Trust him! Let him love you. Trust his plan. Trust him and love him with all your heart. New territory will open up before you
Monday, October 4, 2010
Piper on criticizing Fundamentalists
I found this blogpost from John Piper and thought it worth sharing. It is no secret that I believe moralism-legalism-fundamentalism is perhaps the greatest danger among conservative brothers/congregations in our day. I still believe that the error in this sort of thinking is convincing some who are unregenerate that they are indeed Christ-followers and confusing moral behavior and the gospel. But at the same time I have a great many friends who have fundamentalist leanings and I love them dearly. I think Piper has a good word for those of us who see the danger but love our brothers.
20 Reasons I Don't Take Potshots at Fundamentalists
June 2, 2008 | by: John Piper |
1. They are humble and respectful and courteous and even funny (the ones I've met).
2. They believe in truth.
3. They believe that truth really matters.
4. They believe that the Bible is true, all of it.
5. They know that the Bible calls for some kind of separation from the world.
6. They have backbone and are not prone to compromise principle.
7. They put obedience to Jesus above the approval of man (even though they fall short, like others).
8. They believe in hell and are loving enough to warn people about it.
9. They believe in heaven and sing about how good it will be to go there.
10. Their "social action" is helping the person next door (like Jesus), which doesn't usually get written up in the newspaper.
11. They tend to raise law-abiding, chaste children, in spite of the fact that Barna says evangelical kids in general don't have any better track record than non-Christians.
12. They resist trendiness.
13. They don’t think too much is gained by sounding hip.
14. They may not be hip, but they don’t go so far as to drive buggies or insist on typewriters.
15. They still sing hymns.
16. They are not breathless about being accepted in the scholarly guild.
17. They give some contemporary plausibility to New Testament claim that the church is the “pillar and bulwark of the truth.”
18. They are good for the rest of evangelicals because of all this.
19. My dad was one.
20. Everybody to my left thinks I am one. And there are a lot of people to my left.
20 Reasons I Don't Take Potshots at Fundamentalists
June 2, 2008 | by: John Piper |
1. They are humble and respectful and courteous and even funny (the ones I've met).
2. They believe in truth.
3. They believe that truth really matters.
4. They believe that the Bible is true, all of it.
5. They know that the Bible calls for some kind of separation from the world.
6. They have backbone and are not prone to compromise principle.
7. They put obedience to Jesus above the approval of man (even though they fall short, like others).
8. They believe in hell and are loving enough to warn people about it.
9. They believe in heaven and sing about how good it will be to go there.
10. Their "social action" is helping the person next door (like Jesus), which doesn't usually get written up in the newspaper.
11. They tend to raise law-abiding, chaste children, in spite of the fact that Barna says evangelical kids in general don't have any better track record than non-Christians.
12. They resist trendiness.
13. They don’t think too much is gained by sounding hip.
14. They may not be hip, but they don’t go so far as to drive buggies or insist on typewriters.
15. They still sing hymns.
16. They are not breathless about being accepted in the scholarly guild.
17. They give some contemporary plausibility to New Testament claim that the church is the “pillar and bulwark of the truth.”
18. They are good for the rest of evangelicals because of all this.
19. My dad was one.
20. Everybody to my left thinks I am one. And there are a lot of people to my left.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
SPLAT: What Happens When You Hit the Wall
This is a good and timely post from Alvin. I'm afraid I tend to ignore the signs and plunge ahead and hit the wall repeatedly sometimes. I appreciate his honesty, and encourages me to be purposeful in all things.
by Alvin Reid on Tuesday, September 28, 2010 at 8:11am.“You measure the importance of a person by the things to which he says no.” Unknown
I did something on Thursday of last week I rarely do. I walked into a class of amazing students and said, “No more appointments for the next week.”
I love students. I love to meet with students. I love ministers and enjoy fellowship with them. I also enjoy young professionals who seek to connect the gospel to their careers. I consider my ministry as a professor, my call to teaching, to be comprised only about 50% by my time in actual academic classrooms. Every week I meet with many students.
But I hit the wall last week. The wall of emotional fatigue. It was not a major crash, just enough of a bump to say, “Pay attention, mister.”
Like many of you in ministry I constantly have more people who want to see me than I can fit into a week. To be clear, students do not come to me because I am wiser or smarter than others or have some rare Oracle of Delphi quality. And, they certainly do not come only to me, as many colleagues spend much time with students outside class. But I could honestly fill up 40 hour weeks with student meetings at 30 minutes a pop.
So this fall I have been meeting with students every spare minute. Not at night, because I protect my family time (other than Wednesday nights).
But last week I hit the wall.
Splat.
I do not want to hit a wall in the future that causes permanent damage.
You know when I have hit the wall when suddenly I am not energized by meeting with students.
A lot of men in ministry are hitting walls lately. John Piper recently took a lengthy leave of absence from his church. My friend Johnny Hunt took a shorter but no less important break. There are others, lesser known but no less in need of a time off the ferris wheel. Schools of higher learning and increasing numbers of churches realize the importance of sabbatical leaves for leaders.
Ask yourself, are you about to hit that wall?
So forgive me for making this a very self-serving blog article about me and about my schedule. But I want people to know why I am going to say no to appointments in some cases in the days ahead. My problem is not burnout, as I am more energized than ever to teach! But, P90X notwithstanding, sometimes we all get fatigued.
We who love people have got to learn how to say no. I am much better at saying no to speaking opportunities than I once was, although sometimes I am still not wise. I am cutting back a ton from traveling, but I honestly want to cut back even more. I want to pour my life into less people and mentor better while speaking to crowds less.
I have learned I am not as good as I need to be at saying no to individual appointments. I am guessing some people reading this have the same problem.
Let me say a word to those of you who love to meet with professors, ministers, leaders, and who genuinely respect and value our advice: do not stop asking. Keep coming. But understand that the first place for you to go for such wisdom is your local church. You need to plant
deeply into a church that allows you to grow and learn from those who are older and wiser.
Thus I have spent a little time thinking about how I will meet with students and others in the coming days. I will still meet with a lot of people. It is my passion. But I once tried to meet with every single student in my classes in a given semester. Many students do not even need that. So I canned that. Here is what I will be doing. It may help you in making similar decisions, even if you decide my approach is not yours; perhaps it will nevertheless get you to think. My priority in scheduling:
1. Young professionals at my local church. I work with Young Professionals at my church, which includes professionals in the culture, but also a good number of seminary students. So, the students I am most available to are in my local church, thus I am modeling the value of the church. These students will get first priority. The local church comes first.
2. Doctoral students. My primary calling is not to teach evangelism, missional Christianity, or student ministry. My calling is to train leaders. So, one of the big reasons I am slowing down my speaking schedule is to mentor more doctoral students. And there are a lot of them.
3. For lack of a better term, chemistry. There are simply some students I naturally connect with. You recognize that in your own relationships. Other professors and ministers (all leaders in fact) do the same. This includes a select group of students I am currently mentoring (from our church and at SEBTS) and students with whom I develop a much closer relationship than professor-student. Some folks just have chemistry, and some students I just really connect with, and walk with them often for decades, not just semesters.
4. Current students. I will be available for students in my current classes, but not just to hang out and shoot the breeze. I want to sit down with students to talk about life and godliness, the gospel, relationships, growth, and impact as well. I also prioritize current classes, as I want to be available to students in upper level classes first (this fall that means Spiritual Awakenings and Student Ministry), followed by core classes. In our setup I only teach one course required of pretty much everyone, so if you take me for three courses for instance (which rarely happens), you really want to be in my class, so I should give you the best of my time.
5. Everyone else. You might imagine at this point that there is not much time left after all the above. You would be correct, and that is why God gave us email, smile. After that I will meet with other students and former students. But, in the coming days that will be less likely. Then I will meet with pastors and other leaders away from the seminary. And if I do not have time, I am really sorry, but in the case of all of us, if we do not control our time, someone else will.
So, there it is. Nothing profound, and a little bit self-serving, so forgive me. But I want students to know that I really love them and I love spending time with them. But in the days to come it has to be about things that matter, or the meetings will be remarkably brief or will not happen at all.
I value relationships. I have been a tiny part in a lot of couples meeting, for instance, and have helped a lot find ministry positions. I love this. But you and I must heed the advice of the philosopher Clint Eastwood who said, “A man’s got to know his limitations.” I often say every need is not a call, and one cannot determine the will of God only because there is a great need. In the same way, just because some need to visit does not mean I (or you) have to be the one to make that appointment.
As hard as it is, in the days to come I am going to have to simply say to some that the best course of action for them and for me is to talk to someone else (as in the local church). I hit the wall this time. I do not want to crash and burn the next time. After all, the One we most need is not a professor or a leader, but Jesus Himself (Acts 4:13).
by Alvin Reid on Tuesday, September 28, 2010 at 8:11am.“You measure the importance of a person by the things to which he says no.” Unknown
I did something on Thursday of last week I rarely do. I walked into a class of amazing students and said, “No more appointments for the next week.”
I love students. I love to meet with students. I love ministers and enjoy fellowship with them. I also enjoy young professionals who seek to connect the gospel to their careers. I consider my ministry as a professor, my call to teaching, to be comprised only about 50% by my time in actual academic classrooms. Every week I meet with many students.
But I hit the wall last week. The wall of emotional fatigue. It was not a major crash, just enough of a bump to say, “Pay attention, mister.”
Like many of you in ministry I constantly have more people who want to see me than I can fit into a week. To be clear, students do not come to me because I am wiser or smarter than others or have some rare Oracle of Delphi quality. And, they certainly do not come only to me, as many colleagues spend much time with students outside class. But I could honestly fill up 40 hour weeks with student meetings at 30 minutes a pop.
So this fall I have been meeting with students every spare minute. Not at night, because I protect my family time (other than Wednesday nights).
But last week I hit the wall.
Splat.
I do not want to hit a wall in the future that causes permanent damage.
You know when I have hit the wall when suddenly I am not energized by meeting with students.
A lot of men in ministry are hitting walls lately. John Piper recently took a lengthy leave of absence from his church. My friend Johnny Hunt took a shorter but no less important break. There are others, lesser known but no less in need of a time off the ferris wheel. Schools of higher learning and increasing numbers of churches realize the importance of sabbatical leaves for leaders.
Ask yourself, are you about to hit that wall?
So forgive me for making this a very self-serving blog article about me and about my schedule. But I want people to know why I am going to say no to appointments in some cases in the days ahead. My problem is not burnout, as I am more energized than ever to teach! But, P90X notwithstanding, sometimes we all get fatigued.
We who love people have got to learn how to say no. I am much better at saying no to speaking opportunities than I once was, although sometimes I am still not wise. I am cutting back a ton from traveling, but I honestly want to cut back even more. I want to pour my life into less people and mentor better while speaking to crowds less.
I have learned I am not as good as I need to be at saying no to individual appointments. I am guessing some people reading this have the same problem.
Let me say a word to those of you who love to meet with professors, ministers, leaders, and who genuinely respect and value our advice: do not stop asking. Keep coming. But understand that the first place for you to go for such wisdom is your local church. You need to plant
deeply into a church that allows you to grow and learn from those who are older and wiser.
Thus I have spent a little time thinking about how I will meet with students and others in the coming days. I will still meet with a lot of people. It is my passion. But I once tried to meet with every single student in my classes in a given semester. Many students do not even need that. So I canned that. Here is what I will be doing. It may help you in making similar decisions, even if you decide my approach is not yours; perhaps it will nevertheless get you to think. My priority in scheduling:
1. Young professionals at my local church. I work with Young Professionals at my church, which includes professionals in the culture, but also a good number of seminary students. So, the students I am most available to are in my local church, thus I am modeling the value of the church. These students will get first priority. The local church comes first.
2. Doctoral students. My primary calling is not to teach evangelism, missional Christianity, or student ministry. My calling is to train leaders. So, one of the big reasons I am slowing down my speaking schedule is to mentor more doctoral students. And there are a lot of them.
3. For lack of a better term, chemistry. There are simply some students I naturally connect with. You recognize that in your own relationships. Other professors and ministers (all leaders in fact) do the same. This includes a select group of students I am currently mentoring (from our church and at SEBTS) and students with whom I develop a much closer relationship than professor-student. Some folks just have chemistry, and some students I just really connect with, and walk with them often for decades, not just semesters.
4. Current students. I will be available for students in my current classes, but not just to hang out and shoot the breeze. I want to sit down with students to talk about life and godliness, the gospel, relationships, growth, and impact as well. I also prioritize current classes, as I want to be available to students in upper level classes first (this fall that means Spiritual Awakenings and Student Ministry), followed by core classes. In our setup I only teach one course required of pretty much everyone, so if you take me for three courses for instance (which rarely happens), you really want to be in my class, so I should give you the best of my time.
5. Everyone else. You might imagine at this point that there is not much time left after all the above. You would be correct, and that is why God gave us email, smile. After that I will meet with other students and former students. But, in the coming days that will be less likely. Then I will meet with pastors and other leaders away from the seminary. And if I do not have time, I am really sorry, but in the case of all of us, if we do not control our time, someone else will.
So, there it is. Nothing profound, and a little bit self-serving, so forgive me. But I want students to know that I really love them and I love spending time with them. But in the days to come it has to be about things that matter, or the meetings will be remarkably brief or will not happen at all.
I value relationships. I have been a tiny part in a lot of couples meeting, for instance, and have helped a lot find ministry positions. I love this. But you and I must heed the advice of the philosopher Clint Eastwood who said, “A man’s got to know his limitations.” I often say every need is not a call, and one cannot determine the will of God only because there is a great need. In the same way, just because some need to visit does not mean I (or you) have to be the one to make that appointment.
As hard as it is, in the days to come I am going to have to simply say to some that the best course of action for them and for me is to talk to someone else (as in the local church). I hit the wall this time. I do not want to crash and burn the next time. After all, the One we most need is not a professor or a leader, but Jesus Himself (Acts 4:13).
Monday, September 27, 2010
JI Packer's 11th Birthday
I picked this up on Justin Taylor's blog post. It was what I needed today. Maybe you do to.
J.I. Packer’s 11th Birthday: The Tale of the Bicycle and the Typewriter
The “dent” in J. I. Packer’s head is the result of a childhood accident.
In September of 1933, at the age of seven, he had “a violent collision with a truck, a bread van.” The result—damage to the frontal lobe of his brain with a chunk of his skull missing—was a three-week stay in the hospital, followed by six months of recuperation away from school. From that time until he went off to Oxford, he had to wear a protective aluminum plate over his injury and to abstain from all sports. Already a loner, Packer withdrew into solitary activities like reading and writing.
Alister McGrath picks up the story:
Every schoolboy of the period longer for the day when he would own a bicycle of his own. Usually around the age of eleven, at the point when a schoolboy would enter senior school, parents would mark their son’s ‘coming of age’ by giving him a bicycle as a birthday present.
Packer dropped heavy hints that he expected to receive a cycle, like all his friends.
However, his parents knew that they could not yet allow their son to have a bicycle. If he were to have any kind of accident, the earlier injury could lead to something much more serious, and potentially fatal. But what could they give their son instead?
On the morning of his eleventh birthday, in 1937, Packer wandered down from his bedroom to see what present awaited him. The family had a tradition of placing birthday presents in dining room of the house. He expected to find a bicycle. Instead, he found an old Oliver typewriter, which seemed to him to weigh half a ton. Although it was old, in was nevertheless in excellent condition.
It was not what Packer had asked for; nevertheless, it proved to be what he needed. Surprise gave way to delight, as he realized what he could do with this unexpected gift. It was not more than a minute before he had put paper into the machine and started to type. It proved to be his best present and the most treasured possession of his boyhood.
—Alister McGrath, J. I. Packer: A Biography (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1997), p. 6, my emphasis
J.I. Packer’s 11th Birthday: The Tale of the Bicycle and the Typewriter
The “dent” in J. I. Packer’s head is the result of a childhood accident.
In September of 1933, at the age of seven, he had “a violent collision with a truck, a bread van.” The result—damage to the frontal lobe of his brain with a chunk of his skull missing—was a three-week stay in the hospital, followed by six months of recuperation away from school. From that time until he went off to Oxford, he had to wear a protective aluminum plate over his injury and to abstain from all sports. Already a loner, Packer withdrew into solitary activities like reading and writing.
Alister McGrath picks up the story:
Every schoolboy of the period longer for the day when he would own a bicycle of his own. Usually around the age of eleven, at the point when a schoolboy would enter senior school, parents would mark their son’s ‘coming of age’ by giving him a bicycle as a birthday present.
Packer dropped heavy hints that he expected to receive a cycle, like all his friends.
However, his parents knew that they could not yet allow their son to have a bicycle. If he were to have any kind of accident, the earlier injury could lead to something much more serious, and potentially fatal. But what could they give their son instead?
On the morning of his eleventh birthday, in 1937, Packer wandered down from his bedroom to see what present awaited him. The family had a tradition of placing birthday presents in dining room of the house. He expected to find a bicycle. Instead, he found an old Oliver typewriter, which seemed to him to weigh half a ton. Although it was old, in was nevertheless in excellent condition.
It was not what Packer had asked for; nevertheless, it proved to be what he needed. Surprise gave way to delight, as he realized what he could do with this unexpected gift. It was not more than a minute before he had put paper into the machine and started to type. It proved to be his best present and the most treasured possession of his boyhood.
—Alister McGrath, J. I. Packer: A Biography (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1997), p. 6, my emphasis
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Theology of Sleep
Here is a short piece on sleep provided by Justin Taylor. I found it helpful.
The conclusion of Fred Sanders’s 2007 blog post on a The Theology of Sleep:
At the very least, sleep is a good opportunity to entrust yourself, your entire self, to God’s care. You’re trusting something when you lay down your body and, with it, the control of your conscious mind. That moment when you consciously choose unconsciousness, and let yourself go, is a daily opportunity to relinquish control to a God who you have to trust.
Sleep is good practice for death. It’s good preparation for life with that same God who you’re going to have to trust eventually. And it’s worth asking for sweet dreams, because he gives sleep to his beloved, and he gives to his beloved in their sleep.
An aside from John Piper’s 1995 lecture on Charles Spurgeon:
A personal word to you younger men. I am finishing my 15th year at Bethlehem and I just celebrated my 49th birthday. I have watched my body and my soul with some care over these years and noticed some changes. They are partly owing to changing circumstances, but much is owning to a changing constitution. One, I cannot eat as much without gaining unhelpful weight. My body does not metabolize the same way it used to.
Another is that I am emotionally less resilient when I lose sleep. There were early days when I would work without regard to sleep and feel energized and motivated. In the last seven or eight years my threshold for despondency is much lower. For me, adequate sleep is not a mater of staying healthy. It is a matter of staying in the ministry. It is irrational that my future should look bleaker when I get four or five hours sleep several nights in a row. But that is irrelevant. Those are the facts. And I must live within the limits of facts. I commend sufficient sleep to you, for the sake of your proper assessment of God and his promises.
And here’s a talk from C.J. Mahaney on A Biblical Understanding of Sleep (MP3).
The conclusion of Fred Sanders’s 2007 blog post on a The Theology of Sleep:
At the very least, sleep is a good opportunity to entrust yourself, your entire self, to God’s care. You’re trusting something when you lay down your body and, with it, the control of your conscious mind. That moment when you consciously choose unconsciousness, and let yourself go, is a daily opportunity to relinquish control to a God who you have to trust.
Sleep is good practice for death. It’s good preparation for life with that same God who you’re going to have to trust eventually. And it’s worth asking for sweet dreams, because he gives sleep to his beloved, and he gives to his beloved in their sleep.
An aside from John Piper’s 1995 lecture on Charles Spurgeon:
A personal word to you younger men. I am finishing my 15th year at Bethlehem and I just celebrated my 49th birthday. I have watched my body and my soul with some care over these years and noticed some changes. They are partly owing to changing circumstances, but much is owning to a changing constitution. One, I cannot eat as much without gaining unhelpful weight. My body does not metabolize the same way it used to.
Another is that I am emotionally less resilient when I lose sleep. There were early days when I would work without regard to sleep and feel energized and motivated. In the last seven or eight years my threshold for despondency is much lower. For me, adequate sleep is not a mater of staying healthy. It is a matter of staying in the ministry. It is irrational that my future should look bleaker when I get four or five hours sleep several nights in a row. But that is irrelevant. Those are the facts. And I must live within the limits of facts. I commend sufficient sleep to you, for the sake of your proper assessment of God and his promises.
And here’s a talk from C.J. Mahaney on A Biblical Understanding of Sleep (MP3).
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Longing after Christ
I ran across these two quotes this evening as I was preparing for tomorrow. How I desire to long for Christ as these two men have so aptly penned.
David Brainerd
Thirsting desires and insatiable longings possessed my soul after perfect holiness. God was so precious to my soul that the world with all its enjoyments was infinitely vile. I had no more value for all the favor of men than pebbles. The Lord was my ALL; and that He overruled all greatly delighted me.
The Diaries of David Brainerd
Richard Baxter the great Puritan who died in 1691 prayed
May the Living God, who is the portion and rest of the saints, make these our carnal minds so spiritual, and our earthly hearts so heavenly, that loving him, and delighting in him, may be the work of our lives
The Saints Everlasting Rest
David Brainerd
Thirsting desires and insatiable longings possessed my soul after perfect holiness. God was so precious to my soul that the world with all its enjoyments was infinitely vile. I had no more value for all the favor of men than pebbles. The Lord was my ALL; and that He overruled all greatly delighted me.
The Diaries of David Brainerd
Richard Baxter the great Puritan who died in 1691 prayed
May the Living God, who is the portion and rest of the saints, make these our carnal minds so spiritual, and our earthly hearts so heavenly, that loving him, and delighting in him, may be the work of our lives
The Saints Everlasting Rest
Faith and Thinking
One of the men who has been most influential in developing my understanding of how to live in light of the gospel has been Martyn Lloyd-Jones. I love the way he analyzes Scripture and draws conclusions about living from it. His work on the Sermon on the Mount is wonderful.
Recently Tim Challies reprinted a quote from Martyn Lloyd-Jones on the relationship between faith and thinking. Lloyd-Jones is commenting on Matthew 6:30 in Studies in the Sermon on the Mount:
Faith according to our Lord’s teaching in this paragraph, is primarily thinking; and the whole trouble with a man of little faith is that he does not think. He allows circumstances to bludgeon him. . . .
We must spend more time in studying our Lord’s lessons in observation and deduction. The Bible is full of logic, and we must never think of faith as something purely mystical. We do not just sit down in an armchair and expect marvelous things to happen to us. That is not Christian faith. Christian faith is essentially thinking. Look at the birds, think about them, draw your deductions. Look at the grass, look at the lilies of the field, consider them. . . .
Faith, if you like, can be defined like this: It is a man insisting upon thinking when everything seems determined to bludgeon and knock him down in an intellectual sense. The trouble with the person of little faith is that, instead of controlling his own thought, his thought is being controlled by something else, and, as we put it, he goes round and round in circles. That is the essence of worry. . . . That is not thought; that is the absence of thought, a failure to think.
Recently Tim Challies reprinted a quote from Martyn Lloyd-Jones on the relationship between faith and thinking. Lloyd-Jones is commenting on Matthew 6:30 in Studies in the Sermon on the Mount:
Faith according to our Lord’s teaching in this paragraph, is primarily thinking; and the whole trouble with a man of little faith is that he does not think. He allows circumstances to bludgeon him. . . .
We must spend more time in studying our Lord’s lessons in observation and deduction. The Bible is full of logic, and we must never think of faith as something purely mystical. We do not just sit down in an armchair and expect marvelous things to happen to us. That is not Christian faith. Christian faith is essentially thinking. Look at the birds, think about them, draw your deductions. Look at the grass, look at the lilies of the field, consider them. . . .
Faith, if you like, can be defined like this: It is a man insisting upon thinking when everything seems determined to bludgeon and knock him down in an intellectual sense. The trouble with the person of little faith is that, instead of controlling his own thought, his thought is being controlled by something else, and, as we put it, he goes round and round in circles. That is the essence of worry. . . . That is not thought; that is the absence of thought, a failure to think.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
A 12 Point Cure for Complaining
This from my friends at Christian Communicators Worldwide
Complaining is unbecoming of the true Christian and yet we are proficient at it. The cure is found in these verses. In Christ we are never hopeless or forsaken. Every trial has meaning. Meditate on this cure in order to change both your language and your heart.
1. GOD COMMANDS ME NEVER TO COMPLAIN.
Do all things without complaining and disputing. Philippians 2:14(NAS)
2. GOD COMMANDS ME TO GIVE THANKS IN EVERY CIRCUMSTANCE.
In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:18
3. GOD COMMANDS ME TO REJOICE ALWAYS, AND ESPECIALLY IN TIMES OF TRIAL.
Rejoice in the Lord always. Phil. 4:4; Rejoice always. 1 Thessalonians 5:16; Count it all joy when you fall into various trials. James 1:2
4. I ALWAYS DESERVE MUCH WORSE THAN WHAT I AM SUFFERING NOW¾IN FACT, I DESERVE HELL.
Why should any living mortal, or any man, offer complaint in view of his sins? Lamentations 3:39 Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Luke 13:2-3
5. IN LIGHT OF THE ETERNAL HAPPINESS AND GLORY THAT I WILL EXPERIENCE IN HEAVEN, THIS PRESENT TRIAL IS EXTREMELY BRIEF AND INSIGNIFICANT, EVEN IF IT WERE TO LAST A LIFETIME.
The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Rom. 8:18; For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. 2 Corinthians 4:19
6. MY SUFFERING IS FAR LESS THAN THAT WHICH CHRIST SUFFERED, AND HE DID NOT COMPLAIN.
Who when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when he suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously. 1 Peter 2:23
7. TO COMPLAIN IS TO SAY GOD IS NOT JUST.
Shall not the Judge of all the Earth do right? Genesis 18:25
8. FAITH AND PRAYER EXCLUDE COMPLAINING.
I sought the Lord, and He answered me, and delivered from all my fears. Psalm 34:4
9. THIS DIFFICULTY IS BEING USED BY GOD FOR MY GOOD AND IT IS FOOLISH FOR ME TO COMPLAIN AGAINST IT.
And we know that all things work together for the good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28
10. THOSE MORE FAITHFUL THAN I HAVE SUFFERED FAR WORSE THAN I, AND DID SO WITHOUT COMPLAINT.
…and others were tortured, not accepting their release, in order that they might obtain a better resurrection; and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground. All these, having gained approval through their faith… Hebrews 11:35-39
11. COMPLAINING DENIES THAT GOD'S GRACE IS ENTIRELY SUFFICIENT.
My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness. 2 Corinthians 12:9
12. THE GREATEST SUFFERING, THE WORST TRIAL OR DIFFICULTY, CAN NEVER ROB ME OF THAT WHICH IS OF GREATEST VALUE TO ME AND MY GREATEST JOY, NAMELY THE LOVE OF CHRIST.
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered." But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:35-39
Copyright © 2001 Bill Izard
Christian Communicators Worldwide, Inc.
Permission granted for not-for-sale reproduction in unedited form
including author's name, title, complete content, copyright and weblink.
Other uses require written permission.
www.CCWtoday.org
Complaining is unbecoming of the true Christian and yet we are proficient at it. The cure is found in these verses. In Christ we are never hopeless or forsaken. Every trial has meaning. Meditate on this cure in order to change both your language and your heart.
1. GOD COMMANDS ME NEVER TO COMPLAIN.
Do all things without complaining and disputing. Philippians 2:14(NAS)
2. GOD COMMANDS ME TO GIVE THANKS IN EVERY CIRCUMSTANCE.
In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:18
3. GOD COMMANDS ME TO REJOICE ALWAYS, AND ESPECIALLY IN TIMES OF TRIAL.
Rejoice in the Lord always. Phil. 4:4; Rejoice always. 1 Thessalonians 5:16; Count it all joy when you fall into various trials. James 1:2
4. I ALWAYS DESERVE MUCH WORSE THAN WHAT I AM SUFFERING NOW¾IN FACT, I DESERVE HELL.
Why should any living mortal, or any man, offer complaint in view of his sins? Lamentations 3:39 Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Luke 13:2-3
5. IN LIGHT OF THE ETERNAL HAPPINESS AND GLORY THAT I WILL EXPERIENCE IN HEAVEN, THIS PRESENT TRIAL IS EXTREMELY BRIEF AND INSIGNIFICANT, EVEN IF IT WERE TO LAST A LIFETIME.
The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Rom. 8:18; For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. 2 Corinthians 4:19
6. MY SUFFERING IS FAR LESS THAN THAT WHICH CHRIST SUFFERED, AND HE DID NOT COMPLAIN.
Who when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when he suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously. 1 Peter 2:23
7. TO COMPLAIN IS TO SAY GOD IS NOT JUST.
Shall not the Judge of all the Earth do right? Genesis 18:25
8. FAITH AND PRAYER EXCLUDE COMPLAINING.
I sought the Lord, and He answered me, and delivered from all my fears. Psalm 34:4
9. THIS DIFFICULTY IS BEING USED BY GOD FOR MY GOOD AND IT IS FOOLISH FOR ME TO COMPLAIN AGAINST IT.
And we know that all things work together for the good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28
10. THOSE MORE FAITHFUL THAN I HAVE SUFFERED FAR WORSE THAN I, AND DID SO WITHOUT COMPLAINT.
…and others were tortured, not accepting their release, in order that they might obtain a better resurrection; and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground. All these, having gained approval through their faith… Hebrews 11:35-39
11. COMPLAINING DENIES THAT GOD'S GRACE IS ENTIRELY SUFFICIENT.
My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness. 2 Corinthians 12:9
12. THE GREATEST SUFFERING, THE WORST TRIAL OR DIFFICULTY, CAN NEVER ROB ME OF THAT WHICH IS OF GREATEST VALUE TO ME AND MY GREATEST JOY, NAMELY THE LOVE OF CHRIST.
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered." But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:35-39
Copyright © 2001 Bill Izard
Christian Communicators Worldwide, Inc.
Permission granted for not-for-sale reproduction in unedited form
including author's name, title, complete content, copyright and weblink.
Other uses require written permission.
www.CCWtoday.org
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Augustine on miracles
I'm studying for tomorrow's message on the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand, the only miracle of Jesus that is listed in all four gospels. Here is a quote by Augustine marveling at our astonishment in unusual events compared to our blindness to those miracles that are ordinary. I found him, as usual, quite insightful.
"For certainly the government of the whole world is a greater miracle than the satisfying of five thousand men with five loaves; and yet no man wonders at the former; but the latter men wonder at, not because it is greater, but because it is rare. For who even now feeds the whole world, but He who creates the cornfield from a few grains?”
"For certainly the government of the whole world is a greater miracle than the satisfying of five thousand men with five loaves; and yet no man wonders at the former; but the latter men wonder at, not because it is greater, but because it is rare. For who even now feeds the whole world, but He who creates the cornfield from a few grains?”
Saturday, August 21, 2010
The Great Purpose of the Scriptures
Tomorrow preaching from John 5.45-47. The one great theme of all the Scriptures is Jesus and the redemption he offers to sinful man. No greater theme ever penned. I don't have room for this quote in the message, and just had to share it so here from the pen of Michael Horton.
If one is looking primarily for a book of stories designed to teach a moral lesson, the Bible may not be as good as Aesop’s fables. All the biblical heroes represent sinfulness, disobedience, half-heartedness and pride as well as faith and obedience. The real hero is God, who remains faithful to His promise in spite of human sin. No, the moral instruction comes easily to us, but the gospel is not in us by nature; it must be revealed from Heaven. This is chiefly why we have the word of God. To preach the Bible as ‘the handbook for life,’ or as the answer to every question, rather than as a revelation of Christ, is to turn the Bible into an entirely different book. This is how the Pharisees approached Scripture; however, as we can see clearly from the questions they asked Jesus, all of them amounting to something akin to Trivial Pursuits, ‘What happens if a person divorces and remarries?’ ‘Why do your disciples pick grain on the Sabbath?’ ‘Who sinned—this man or his parents—that he was born blind?’ For the Pharisees, the Scriptures were a source of trivia for life’s dilemmas. To be sure, Scripture provides God-centered and divinely-revealed wisdom for life, but if this were its primary objective, Christianity would be a religion of self-improvement by following examples and exhortations, not a religion of the Cross.
If one is looking primarily for a book of stories designed to teach a moral lesson, the Bible may not be as good as Aesop’s fables. All the biblical heroes represent sinfulness, disobedience, half-heartedness and pride as well as faith and obedience. The real hero is God, who remains faithful to His promise in spite of human sin. No, the moral instruction comes easily to us, but the gospel is not in us by nature; it must be revealed from Heaven. This is chiefly why we have the word of God. To preach the Bible as ‘the handbook for life,’ or as the answer to every question, rather than as a revelation of Christ, is to turn the Bible into an entirely different book. This is how the Pharisees approached Scripture; however, as we can see clearly from the questions they asked Jesus, all of them amounting to something akin to Trivial Pursuits, ‘What happens if a person divorces and remarries?’ ‘Why do your disciples pick grain on the Sabbath?’ ‘Who sinned—this man or his parents—that he was born blind?’ For the Pharisees, the Scriptures were a source of trivia for life’s dilemmas. To be sure, Scripture provides God-centered and divinely-revealed wisdom for life, but if this were its primary objective, Christianity would be a religion of self-improvement by following examples and exhortations, not a religion of the Cross.
A great opportunity
Here is a post I read on Kevin DeYoung's blog that I thought was worth reposting. The church in America has a great opportunity to converse with those without Christ. They will not be reached by impressive productions, but by friendships with believer's who know what they believe and why they believe it. Believing friends who care enough to take the time and effort, first to know about God, but also care enough about their neighbor to explain the character and nature of God and our resulting need of a Savior. May we be this kind of friend to our unbelieving neighbor's.
Steve
A Great Opportunity for Great Theology
Posted: 20 Aug 2010 02:29 AM PDT
Dorothy Sayers (1893-1957) knew how to write. I don’t agree with all her theology, but when she waxes on about the importance of theology she is downright inspiring.
Reflecting on the scene in Britain over fifty years ago, she concluded “there are three kinds of people we have to deal with.”
There are the frank and open heathen, whose notions of Christianity are a dreadful jumble of rags and tags of Bible anecdotes and clotted mythological nonsense. There are the ignorant Christians, who combine a mild, gentle-Jesus sentimentality with vaguely humanistic ethics – most of these are Arian heretics. Finally, there are the more-or-less instructed churchgoers, who know all the arguments about divorce and auricular confession and communion in two kinds, but are about as well equipped to do battle on fundamentals against a Marxian atheist or a Wellsian agnostic as a boy with a peashooter facing a fan-fire of machine guns.
Her summary of the state of Christianity in her homeland was not exactly glowing.
Theologically, this country is at present in a state of utter chaos, established in the name of religious toleration, and rapidly degenerating into the flight from reason and the death of hope. We are not happy in this condition, and there are signs of a very great eagerness, especially among the younger people, to find a creed to which they can give wholehearted adherence.
But Sayers did not despair, and neither should we.
This is the Church’s opportunity, if she chooses to take it. So far as the people’s readiness to listen goes, she has not been in so strong a position for at least two centuries. The rival philosophies of humanism, enlightened self-interest, and mechanical progress have broken down badly; the antagonism of science has proved to be far more apparent than real; and the happy-go-lucky doctrine of laissez-faire is completely discredited. But no good whatever will be done by retreat into personal piety or by mere exhortation to a recall to prayer. The thing that is in danger is the whole structure of society, and it is necessary to persuade thinking men and women of the vital and intimate connection between the structure of society and the theological doctrines of Christianity.
The task is not made easier by the obstinate refusal of a great body of nominal Christians, both lay and clerical, to face the theological question. “Take away theology and give us some nice religion” has been the popular slogan for so long that we are likely to accept it, without inquiring whether religion without theology has any meaning. And however unpopular I may make myself, I shall and will affirm that the reason why the churches are discredited today is not that they are too bigoted about theology, but that they have run away from theology.
Our situation is not identical with Sayers’, especially on this side of the Pond. But surely our day, like hers, provides a great opportunity for great theology.
[Excerpts from Letters to a Diminished Church: Passionate Arguments for the Relevance of Christian Doctrine.]
Steve
A Great Opportunity for Great Theology
Posted: 20 Aug 2010 02:29 AM PDT
Dorothy Sayers (1893-1957) knew how to write. I don’t agree with all her theology, but when she waxes on about the importance of theology she is downright inspiring.
Reflecting on the scene in Britain over fifty years ago, she concluded “there are three kinds of people we have to deal with.”
There are the frank and open heathen, whose notions of Christianity are a dreadful jumble of rags and tags of Bible anecdotes and clotted mythological nonsense. There are the ignorant Christians, who combine a mild, gentle-Jesus sentimentality with vaguely humanistic ethics – most of these are Arian heretics. Finally, there are the more-or-less instructed churchgoers, who know all the arguments about divorce and auricular confession and communion in two kinds, but are about as well equipped to do battle on fundamentals against a Marxian atheist or a Wellsian agnostic as a boy with a peashooter facing a fan-fire of machine guns.
Her summary of the state of Christianity in her homeland was not exactly glowing.
Theologically, this country is at present in a state of utter chaos, established in the name of religious toleration, and rapidly degenerating into the flight from reason and the death of hope. We are not happy in this condition, and there are signs of a very great eagerness, especially among the younger people, to find a creed to which they can give wholehearted adherence.
But Sayers did not despair, and neither should we.
This is the Church’s opportunity, if she chooses to take it. So far as the people’s readiness to listen goes, she has not been in so strong a position for at least two centuries. The rival philosophies of humanism, enlightened self-interest, and mechanical progress have broken down badly; the antagonism of science has proved to be far more apparent than real; and the happy-go-lucky doctrine of laissez-faire is completely discredited. But no good whatever will be done by retreat into personal piety or by mere exhortation to a recall to prayer. The thing that is in danger is the whole structure of society, and it is necessary to persuade thinking men and women of the vital and intimate connection between the structure of society and the theological doctrines of Christianity.
The task is not made easier by the obstinate refusal of a great body of nominal Christians, both lay and clerical, to face the theological question. “Take away theology and give us some nice religion” has been the popular slogan for so long that we are likely to accept it, without inquiring whether religion without theology has any meaning. And however unpopular I may make myself, I shall and will affirm that the reason why the churches are discredited today is not that they are too bigoted about theology, but that they have run away from theology.
Our situation is not identical with Sayers’, especially on this side of the Pond. But surely our day, like hers, provides a great opportunity for great theology.
[Excerpts from Letters to a Diminished Church: Passionate Arguments for the Relevance of Christian Doctrine.]
Saturday, August 7, 2010
The Purpose of Scripture
I'm looking at the three witnesses to Christ's deity found in John 5 in preparation for our worship service tomorrow. I ran across this quote from Martin Luther from one of his sermons on the purpose of Scripture. I found it worth sharing. Enjoy!
Here Christ would indicate the principal reason why the Scripture was given by God. Men are to study and search in it and to learn that He, He, Mary’s Son, is the one who is able to give eternal life to all who come to Him and believe on Him. therefore he who would correctly and profitably read Scripture should see to it that he finds Christ in it; then he finds life eternal without fail. On the other hand, if I do not so study and understand Moses and the prophets as to find that Christ came from Heaven for the sake of my salvation, became man, suffered, died, was buried, rose, and ascended to Heaven so that through Him I enjoy reconciliation with God, forgiveness of all my sins, grace, righteousness, and life eternal, then my reading in Scripture is of no help whatsoever to my salvation. I may, of course, become a learned man by reading and studying Scripture and may preach what I have acquired; yet all this would do me no good whatsoever. For if I do not know and do not find the Christ, neither do I find salvation and life eternal. In fact, I actually find bitter death; for our good God has decreed that no other name is given among men whereby they may be saved except the name of Jesus.
Here Christ would indicate the principal reason why the Scripture was given by God. Men are to study and search in it and to learn that He, He, Mary’s Son, is the one who is able to give eternal life to all who come to Him and believe on Him. therefore he who would correctly and profitably read Scripture should see to it that he finds Christ in it; then he finds life eternal without fail. On the other hand, if I do not so study and understand Moses and the prophets as to find that Christ came from Heaven for the sake of my salvation, became man, suffered, died, was buried, rose, and ascended to Heaven so that through Him I enjoy reconciliation with God, forgiveness of all my sins, grace, righteousness, and life eternal, then my reading in Scripture is of no help whatsoever to my salvation. I may, of course, become a learned man by reading and studying Scripture and may preach what I have acquired; yet all this would do me no good whatsoever. For if I do not know and do not find the Christ, neither do I find salvation and life eternal. In fact, I actually find bitter death; for our good God has decreed that no other name is given among men whereby they may be saved except the name of Jesus.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Idol Hunts
I think and teach a lot about finding out what is underneath our sinful actions or words. We must always go to the heart of the matter or what Keller calls the "sin beneath the sin". Discovering the idols in our lives, I believe, is crucial to dealing rightly with life. Here is a good word from David Powilson about this endeavor. He warns against what I think is sometimes the tendency to be morbidly introspective in our pursuit of rooting out our idols.
How Do I Know If a Desire Is Inordinate Rather than Natural?
Question 7 of 15 from the Q&A in David Powlison’s essay, “I Am Motivated When I Feel Desire,” Seeing With New Eyes: Counseling and the Human Condition Through the Lens of Scripture.
7. How can you tell if a desire is inordinate rather than natural?
By their fruits you know them. Human motivation is not a theoretical mystery; there is no need to engage in introspective archaeological digs. Evil desires produce bad fruits that can be seen, heard, and felt (James 1:15; 3:16). For example, a father who wants his child to grow up to become a Christian reveals the status of that desire by whether he is a good father or a manipulative, fearful, angry, suspicious father. In a good father, the desire is subordinate to God’s will that he love his child. In a sinful father, the desire rules and produces moral and emotional chaos. Similarly, a wife who wants to be loved reveals the status of that desire by whether or not she loves and respects her husband. Visibile fruit reveals whether God rules or lust rules.
It is a serious mistake to engage in introspective “idol hunts,” attempting to dig out and weigh every kink in the human soul. The Bible calls for a more straightforward form of self-examination: an outburst of anger invites reflection on what craving ruled the heart that our repentance might be intelligent. The Bible’s purposes are “extrospective,” not introspective: to move toward God in repentant faith (James 4:6-10) and then to move toward the one wronged by anger, making peace in repentance, humility, and love.
Thanks @Justin Taylor
How Do I Know If a Desire Is Inordinate Rather than Natural?
Question 7 of 15 from the Q&A in David Powlison’s essay, “I Am Motivated When I Feel Desire,” Seeing With New Eyes: Counseling and the Human Condition Through the Lens of Scripture.
7. How can you tell if a desire is inordinate rather than natural?
By their fruits you know them. Human motivation is not a theoretical mystery; there is no need to engage in introspective archaeological digs. Evil desires produce bad fruits that can be seen, heard, and felt (James 1:15; 3:16). For example, a father who wants his child to grow up to become a Christian reveals the status of that desire by whether he is a good father or a manipulative, fearful, angry, suspicious father. In a good father, the desire is subordinate to God’s will that he love his child. In a sinful father, the desire rules and produces moral and emotional chaos. Similarly, a wife who wants to be loved reveals the status of that desire by whether or not she loves and respects her husband. Visibile fruit reveals whether God rules or lust rules.
It is a serious mistake to engage in introspective “idol hunts,” attempting to dig out and weigh every kink in the human soul. The Bible calls for a more straightforward form of self-examination: an outburst of anger invites reflection on what craving ruled the heart that our repentance might be intelligent. The Bible’s purposes are “extrospective,” not introspective: to move toward God in repentant faith (James 4:6-10) and then to move toward the one wronged by anger, making peace in repentance, humility, and love.
Thanks @Justin Taylor
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
The Sluggard
Here is a classic post from C.J. Mahaney that expands my understanding of what it means to be lazy. I find laziness extremely distasteful, but Kidner helps me understand that one can be lazy while being very busy. A good study.
The Sluggard
by C.J. Mahaney 12/3/2008 9:13:00 AM
My study in the book of Proverbs began shortly after my conversion in 1972. And it wasn’t long after this that I began reading and learning from Dr. Derek Kidner’s little commentary. For decades now Dr. Kidner has been one of the scholars holding my hand, leading me through the book, and helping me to discover what he calls “the neglected wealth of the Proverbs” (p. 9).
One of the most distinct features of the commentary is his brief subject studies. In these summaries he covers the topics of God and man, wisdom, the fool, the sluggard, the friend, words, the family, and life and death (see pages 31–56). I wish all Christians could read these brief and pointed studies and experience the grace and wisdom I have derived from them.
When I began my Christian life, I held to a narrow and limited understanding of laziness. Then I read Kidner’s subject study on the sluggard.
I’ll never forget it.
As I began reading, I saw my face in the picture. My definition of laziness was expanded, and its subtlety was exposed. I discovered that I could be—and often was—a sluggard.
Here are the words I read:
“The sluggard in Proverbs is a figure of tragi-comedy, with his sheer animal laziness (he is more than anchored to his bed: he is hinged to it, 26:14), his preposterous excuses (“there is a lion outside!” 26:13; 22:13) and his final helplessness.
(1) He will not begin things. When we ask him (6:9, 10) “How long…?” “When…?”, we are being too definite for him. He doesn’t know. All he knows is his delicious drowsiness; all he asks is a little respite: “a little…a little…a little…”. He does not commit himself to a refusal, but deceives himself by the smallness of his surrenders. So, by inches and minutes, his opportunity slips away.
(2) He will not finish things. The rare effort of beginning has been too much; the impulse dies. So his quarry goes bad on him (12:27) and his meal goes cold on him (19:24; 26:15).
(3) He will not face things. He comes to believe his own excuses (perhaps there is a lion out there, 22:13), and to rationalize his laziness; for he is “wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a reason” (26:16). Because he makes a habit of the soft choice (he “will not plow by reason of the cold,” 20:4) his character suffers as much as his business, so that he is implied in 15:19 to be fundamentally dishonest…
(4) Consequently he is restless (13:4; 21:25, 26) with unsatisfied desire; helpless in face of the tangle of his affairs, which are like a “hedge of thorns” (15:19); and useless—expensively (18:9) and exasperatingly (10:26)—to any who must employ him…
The wise man will learn while there is time. He knows that the sluggard is no freak, but, as often as not, an ordinary man who has made too many excuses, too many refusals and too many postponements. It has all been as imperceptible, and as pleasant, as falling asleep.”
-Derek Kidner, Proverbs (IVP, 1964), pp. 42–43.
The Sluggard
by C.J. Mahaney 12/3/2008 9:13:00 AM
My study in the book of Proverbs began shortly after my conversion in 1972. And it wasn’t long after this that I began reading and learning from Dr. Derek Kidner’s little commentary. For decades now Dr. Kidner has been one of the scholars holding my hand, leading me through the book, and helping me to discover what he calls “the neglected wealth of the Proverbs” (p. 9).
One of the most distinct features of the commentary is his brief subject studies. In these summaries he covers the topics of God and man, wisdom, the fool, the sluggard, the friend, words, the family, and life and death (see pages 31–56). I wish all Christians could read these brief and pointed studies and experience the grace and wisdom I have derived from them.
When I began my Christian life, I held to a narrow and limited understanding of laziness. Then I read Kidner’s subject study on the sluggard.
I’ll never forget it.
As I began reading, I saw my face in the picture. My definition of laziness was expanded, and its subtlety was exposed. I discovered that I could be—and often was—a sluggard.
Here are the words I read:
“The sluggard in Proverbs is a figure of tragi-comedy, with his sheer animal laziness (he is more than anchored to his bed: he is hinged to it, 26:14), his preposterous excuses (“there is a lion outside!” 26:13; 22:13) and his final helplessness.
(1) He will not begin things. When we ask him (6:9, 10) “How long…?” “When…?”, we are being too definite for him. He doesn’t know. All he knows is his delicious drowsiness; all he asks is a little respite: “a little…a little…a little…”. He does not commit himself to a refusal, but deceives himself by the smallness of his surrenders. So, by inches and minutes, his opportunity slips away.
(2) He will not finish things. The rare effort of beginning has been too much; the impulse dies. So his quarry goes bad on him (12:27) and his meal goes cold on him (19:24; 26:15).
(3) He will not face things. He comes to believe his own excuses (perhaps there is a lion out there, 22:13), and to rationalize his laziness; for he is “wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a reason” (26:16). Because he makes a habit of the soft choice (he “will not plow by reason of the cold,” 20:4) his character suffers as much as his business, so that he is implied in 15:19 to be fundamentally dishonest…
(4) Consequently he is restless (13:4; 21:25, 26) with unsatisfied desire; helpless in face of the tangle of his affairs, which are like a “hedge of thorns” (15:19); and useless—expensively (18:9) and exasperatingly (10:26)—to any who must employ him…
The wise man will learn while there is time. He knows that the sluggard is no freak, but, as often as not, an ordinary man who has made too many excuses, too many refusals and too many postponements. It has all been as imperceptible, and as pleasant, as falling asleep.”
-Derek Kidner, Proverbs (IVP, 1964), pp. 42–43.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Happy Independence Day!
I don't have anything new or profound to say this fourth of July, but thanks to Justin Taylor I have something to share.
enjoy!
A Note to Our British Friends: “It’s Too Late to Apologize”
enjoy!
A Note to Our British Friends: “It’s Too Late to Apologize”
The Wonder of Rain
This from John Piper by way of Jim Elliff. After watching the rain yesterday and thinking through what occurred to make it happen I agree with Job, He does great and unsearchable things.
But as for me, I would seek God,
And I would place my cause before God;
Who does great and unsearchable things,
wonders without number.
He gives rain on the earth,
And sends water on the fields.
(Job 5:8-10)
If you said to someone: "My God does great and unsearchable things; He does wonders without number," and they responded, "Really? Like what?" would you say, "Rain"?
When I read these verses recently I felt like I did when I heard the lyrics to a Sonny and Cher song in 1969: "I'd live for you. I'd die for you. I'd even climb the mountain high for you." Even? I would die for you. I would even climb a high mountain for you? The song was good for a joke. Or a good illustration of bad poetry. Not much else.
But Job is not joking. "God does great and unsearchable things, wonders without number. He gives rain on the earth."
In Job's mind, rain really is one of the great, unsearchable wonders that God does. So when I read this a few weeks ago, I resolved not to treat it as meaningless pop musical lyrics. I decided to have a conversation with myself (= meditation).
Is rain a great and unsearchable wonder wrought by God? Picture yourself as a farmer in the Near East, far from any lake or stream. A few wells keep the family and animals supplied with water. But if the crops are to grow and the family is to be fed from month to month, water has to come on the fields from another source. From where?
Well, the sky. The sky? Water will come out of the clear blue sky? Well, not exactly. Water will have to be carried in the sky from the Mediterranean Sea, over several hundred miles and then be poured out from the sky onto the fields. Carried? How much does it weigh? Well, if one inch of rain falls on one square mile of farmland during the night, that would be 27,878,400 cubic feet of water, which is 206,300,160 gallons, which is 1,650,501,280 pounds of water.
That's heavy. So how does it get up in the sky and stay up there if it's so heavy? Well, it gets up there by evaporation. Really? That's a nice word. What's it mean? It means that the water sort of stops being water for a while so it can go up and not down. I see. Then how does it get down? Well, condensation happens. What's that? The water starts becoming water again by gathering around little dust particles between .00001 and .0001 centimeters wide. That's small.
What about the salt? Salt? Yes, the Mediterranean Sea is salt water. That would kill the crops. What about the salt? Well, the salt has to be taken out. Oh. So the sky picks up a billion pounds of water from the sea and takes out the salt and then carries it for three hundred miles and then dumps it on the farm?
Well it doesn't dump it. If it dumped a billion pounds of water on the farm, the wheat would be crushed. So the sky dribbles the billion pounds water down in little drops. And they have to be big enough to fall for one mile or so without evaporating, and small enough to keep from crushing the wheat stalks.
How do all these microscopic specks of water that weigh a billion pounds get heavy enough to fall (if that's the way to ask the question)? Well, it's called coalescence. What's that? It means the specks of water start bumping into each other and join up and get bigger. And when they are big enough, they fall. Just like that? Well, not exactly, because they would just bounce off each other instead of joining up, if there were no electric field present. What? Never mind. Take my word for it.
I think, instead, I will just take Job's word for it. I still don't see why drops ever get to the ground, because if they start falling as soon as they are heavier than air, they would be too small not to evaporate on the way down, but if they wait to come down, what holds them up till they are big enough not to evaporate? Yes, I am sure there is a name for that too. But I am satisfied now that, by any name, this is a great and unsearchable thing that God has done. I think I should be thankful-lots more thankful than I am.
Copyright © 2010 John Piper.
Permission granted for reproduction in exact form. All other uses require writen permission.
Find more free articles at www.BulletinInserts.org, a ministry of Christian Communicators Worldwide: www.CCWtoday.org
But as for me, I would seek God,
And I would place my cause before God;
Who does great and unsearchable things,
wonders without number.
He gives rain on the earth,
And sends water on the fields.
(Job 5:8-10)
If you said to someone: "My God does great and unsearchable things; He does wonders without number," and they responded, "Really? Like what?" would you say, "Rain"?
When I read these verses recently I felt like I did when I heard the lyrics to a Sonny and Cher song in 1969: "I'd live for you. I'd die for you. I'd even climb the mountain high for you." Even? I would die for you. I would even climb a high mountain for you? The song was good for a joke. Or a good illustration of bad poetry. Not much else.
But Job is not joking. "God does great and unsearchable things, wonders without number. He gives rain on the earth."
In Job's mind, rain really is one of the great, unsearchable wonders that God does. So when I read this a few weeks ago, I resolved not to treat it as meaningless pop musical lyrics. I decided to have a conversation with myself (= meditation).
Is rain a great and unsearchable wonder wrought by God? Picture yourself as a farmer in the Near East, far from any lake or stream. A few wells keep the family and animals supplied with water. But if the crops are to grow and the family is to be fed from month to month, water has to come on the fields from another source. From where?
Well, the sky. The sky? Water will come out of the clear blue sky? Well, not exactly. Water will have to be carried in the sky from the Mediterranean Sea, over several hundred miles and then be poured out from the sky onto the fields. Carried? How much does it weigh? Well, if one inch of rain falls on one square mile of farmland during the night, that would be 27,878,400 cubic feet of water, which is 206,300,160 gallons, which is 1,650,501,280 pounds of water.
That's heavy. So how does it get up in the sky and stay up there if it's so heavy? Well, it gets up there by evaporation. Really? That's a nice word. What's it mean? It means that the water sort of stops being water for a while so it can go up and not down. I see. Then how does it get down? Well, condensation happens. What's that? The water starts becoming water again by gathering around little dust particles between .00001 and .0001 centimeters wide. That's small.
What about the salt? Salt? Yes, the Mediterranean Sea is salt water. That would kill the crops. What about the salt? Well, the salt has to be taken out. Oh. So the sky picks up a billion pounds of water from the sea and takes out the salt and then carries it for three hundred miles and then dumps it on the farm?
Well it doesn't dump it. If it dumped a billion pounds of water on the farm, the wheat would be crushed. So the sky dribbles the billion pounds water down in little drops. And they have to be big enough to fall for one mile or so without evaporating, and small enough to keep from crushing the wheat stalks.
How do all these microscopic specks of water that weigh a billion pounds get heavy enough to fall (if that's the way to ask the question)? Well, it's called coalescence. What's that? It means the specks of water start bumping into each other and join up and get bigger. And when they are big enough, they fall. Just like that? Well, not exactly, because they would just bounce off each other instead of joining up, if there were no electric field present. What? Never mind. Take my word for it.
I think, instead, I will just take Job's word for it. I still don't see why drops ever get to the ground, because if they start falling as soon as they are heavier than air, they would be too small not to evaporate on the way down, but if they wait to come down, what holds them up till they are big enough not to evaporate? Yes, I am sure there is a name for that too. But I am satisfied now that, by any name, this is a great and unsearchable thing that God has done. I think I should be thankful-lots more thankful than I am.
Copyright © 2010 John Piper.
Permission granted for reproduction in exact form. All other uses require writen permission.
Find more free articles at www.BulletinInserts.org, a ministry of Christian Communicators Worldwide: www.CCWtoday.org
Friday, June 25, 2010
Fear of Man
I have not read this book for many years, but @Justin Taylor synthesized Welch's points well about the fear of man. I believe most if not all of us deal with this issue at some level. I know I do. The book is worth the read, but short of that here is a good synopsis.
Fighting Fear of Man
“The fear of man lays a snare,
but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe.”
Proverbs 29:25
“Fear of man is such a part of our human fabric that we should check for pulse if someone denies it.”
—Ed Welch, When People Are Big and God Is Small.
In order to fear God not man, here are the steps Welch sets forth in his book:
Step 1: Recognize that the fear of man is a major theme both in the Bible and in your own life.
Step 2: Identify where your fear of man has been intensified by people in your past.
Step 3: Identify where your fear of man has been intensified by the assumptions of the world.
Step 4: Understand and grow in the fear of the Lord. The person who fears God will fear nothing else.
Step 5: Examine where your desires have been too big. When we fear people, people are big, our desires are even bigger, and God is small.
Step 6: Rejoice that God has covered your shame, protected you from danger, and accepted you. He has filled you with love.
Step 7: Need other people less, love other people more. Out of obedience to Christ, and as a response to his love toward you, pursue others in love.
Fighting Fear of Man
“The fear of man lays a snare,
but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe.”
Proverbs 29:25
“Fear of man is such a part of our human fabric that we should check for pulse if someone denies it.”
—Ed Welch, When People Are Big and God Is Small.
In order to fear God not man, here are the steps Welch sets forth in his book:
Step 1: Recognize that the fear of man is a major theme both in the Bible and in your own life.
Step 2: Identify where your fear of man has been intensified by people in your past.
Step 3: Identify where your fear of man has been intensified by the assumptions of the world.
Step 4: Understand and grow in the fear of the Lord. The person who fears God will fear nothing else.
Step 5: Examine where your desires have been too big. When we fear people, people are big, our desires are even bigger, and God is small.
Step 6: Rejoice that God has covered your shame, protected you from danger, and accepted you. He has filled you with love.
Step 7: Need other people less, love other people more. Out of obedience to Christ, and as a response to his love toward you, pursue others in love.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Concert in the Park
Tomorrow evening MercyHill is hosting a Concert in the Park featuring JJSTUPOTE. We will be handing out informational pieces about the church and engaging attendees in gospel conversations. I hope you can come out and join us. They will start playing at 6:00pm. If you are unable to come please pray that Christ will be honored.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Reformed Humility
I always enjoy reading Ray Ortlund. I was first introduced to Ray through his devotional book on Romans, A Passion for God. Since then I have been a fan. He has a great post on the tendency in reformed circles to be proud. You can find the article here
it is worth reading. Here is the conclusion:
My Reformed friend, can you move among other Christian groups and really enjoy them? Do you admire them? Even if you disagree with them in some ways, do you learn from them? What is the emotional tilt of your heart – toward them or away from them? If your Reformed theology has morphed functionally into Galatian sociology, the remedy is not to abandon your Reformed theology. The remedy is to take your Reformed theology to a deeper level. Let it reduce you to Jesus only. Let it humble you. Let this gracious doctrine make you a fun person to be around. The proof that we are Reformed will be all the wonderful Christians we discover around us who are not Reformed. Amazing people. Heroic people. Blood-bought people. People with whom we are eternally one – in Christ alone.
it is worth reading. Here is the conclusion:
My Reformed friend, can you move among other Christian groups and really enjoy them? Do you admire them? Even if you disagree with them in some ways, do you learn from them? What is the emotional tilt of your heart – toward them or away from them? If your Reformed theology has morphed functionally into Galatian sociology, the remedy is not to abandon your Reformed theology. The remedy is to take your Reformed theology to a deeper level. Let it reduce you to Jesus only. Let it humble you. Let this gracious doctrine make you a fun person to be around. The proof that we are Reformed will be all the wonderful Christians we discover around us who are not Reformed. Amazing people. Heroic people. Blood-bought people. People with whom we are eternally one – in Christ alone.
C. S. Lewis on humility
“Mere Christianity”
“…Do not imagine that if you meet a really humble man he will be what most people call “humble” nowadays: he will not be a sort of greasy, smarmy person who is always telling you that, of course, he is nobody. Probably all you will think about him is that he seemed a cheerful, intelligent chap who took a real interest in what you said to him. If you do dislike him it will be because you feel a little envious of anyone who seems to enjoy life so easily. He will not be thinking about humility: he will not be thinking about himself at all. If anyone would like to acquire humility, I can, I think, tell him the first step. The first step is to realize that one is proud. And a biggish step, too. At least, nothing whatever can be done before it. If you think you are not conceited, it means you are very conceited indeed.” (page 128)
HT@Kevin DeYoung
“…Do not imagine that if you meet a really humble man he will be what most people call “humble” nowadays: he will not be a sort of greasy, smarmy person who is always telling you that, of course, he is nobody. Probably all you will think about him is that he seemed a cheerful, intelligent chap who took a real interest in what you said to him. If you do dislike him it will be because you feel a little envious of anyone who seems to enjoy life so easily. He will not be thinking about humility: he will not be thinking about himself at all. If anyone would like to acquire humility, I can, I think, tell him the first step. The first step is to realize that one is proud. And a biggish step, too. At least, nothing whatever can be done before it. If you think you are not conceited, it means you are very conceited indeed.” (page 128)
HT@Kevin DeYoung
Meekness
June 8, 2010
Welcome to my blog. I plan on using this place to post my thoughts, or just various things I find that are amusing or especially insightful. I thought I would inaugurate things with a quote from D. Martyn Lloyd Jones that I have returned to again and again. My hope is that I am heading in the right direction with meekness.
Meekness
Then let me go further; the man who is meek is not even sensitive about himself. He is not always watching himself and his own interests. He is not always on the defensive. We all know about this, do we not? Is it not one of the greatest curses in life as a result of the fall--this sensitivity about self? We spend the whole of our lives watching ourselves. But when a man becomes meek he has finished with all that; he no longer worries about himself and what other people say. To be truly meek means we no longer protect ourselves, because we see there is nothing worth defending. So we are not on the defensive; all that is gone. The man who is truly meek never pities himself, he is never sorry for himself. He never talks to himself and says, 'You are having a hard time, how unkind these people are not to understand you'. He never thinks: 'How wonderful I really am, if only other people gave me a chance.' Self-pity! What hours and years we waste in this! But the man who has become meek has finished with all that. To be meek, in other words means that you have finished with yourself altogether, and you come to see you have no rights or deserts at all. You come to realize that nobody can harm you. John Bunyan puts it perfectly, 'He that is down need fear no fall.' When a man truly sees himself, he knows nobody can say anything about him that is too bad. You need not worry about what men may say or do; you know you deserve it all and more. Once again, therefore, I would define meekness like this. the man who is truly meek is the one who is amazed that God and man can think of him as well as they do. That, it seems to me, is its essential quality.
Studies in the Sermon on the Mount Vol 1.
Welcome to my blog. I plan on using this place to post my thoughts, or just various things I find that are amusing or especially insightful. I thought I would inaugurate things with a quote from D. Martyn Lloyd Jones that I have returned to again and again. My hope is that I am heading in the right direction with meekness.
Meekness
Then let me go further; the man who is meek is not even sensitive about himself. He is not always watching himself and his own interests. He is not always on the defensive. We all know about this, do we not? Is it not one of the greatest curses in life as a result of the fall--this sensitivity about self? We spend the whole of our lives watching ourselves. But when a man becomes meek he has finished with all that; he no longer worries about himself and what other people say. To be truly meek means we no longer protect ourselves, because we see there is nothing worth defending. So we are not on the defensive; all that is gone. The man who is truly meek never pities himself, he is never sorry for himself. He never talks to himself and says, 'You are having a hard time, how unkind these people are not to understand you'. He never thinks: 'How wonderful I really am, if only other people gave me a chance.' Self-pity! What hours and years we waste in this! But the man who has become meek has finished with all that. To be meek, in other words means that you have finished with yourself altogether, and you come to see you have no rights or deserts at all. You come to realize that nobody can harm you. John Bunyan puts it perfectly, 'He that is down need fear no fall.' When a man truly sees himself, he knows nobody can say anything about him that is too bad. You need not worry about what men may say or do; you know you deserve it all and more. Once again, therefore, I would define meekness like this. the man who is truly meek is the one who is amazed that God and man can think of him as well as they do. That, it seems to me, is its essential quality.
Studies in the Sermon on the Mount Vol 1.
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