Tried With Fire

It is good to understand this clearly. It is good to understand that Christ’s service never did secure a man from all the ills that flesh is heir to, and never will. If you are a believer, you must reckon on having your share of sickness and pain, of sorrow and tears, of losses and crosses, of deaths and bereavements, of partings and separations, of vexations and disappointments, so long as you are in the body. Christ never undertakes that you shall get to heaven without these. He has undertaken that all who come to Him shall have all things pertaining to life and godliness; but He has never undertaken that He will make them prosperous, or rich, or healthy, and that death and sorrow shall never come to their family. I have the privilege of being one of Christ’s ambassadors. In His name I can offer eternal life to any man, woman or child who is willing to have it. In His name I do offer pardon, peace, grace, g...

Let us settle deeply in our minds this great truth, that Jesus Christ was verily and indeed Man. He was equal to the Father in all things, and the eternal God. But He was also Man, and took part of flesh and blood, and was made like unto us in all things, sin only excepted. He had a body like our own. Like us, He was born of a woman. Like us, He grew and increased in stature. Like us, He was often hungry and thirsty, and faint and weary. Like us, He ate and drank, rested and slept. Like us, He sorrowed and wept and felt. It is all very wonderful, but so it is. He that made the heavens went to and fro as a poor weary Man on earth! He that ruled over principalities and powers in heavenly places, took on Him a frail body like our own. He that might have dwelt forever in the glory which He had with the Father, amid the praises of legions of angels, came down to earth and dwelt as a Man among sinful men. Surely this fact alone ...

Joshua is being discharged from the hospital today. He's looking forward to going home, but he still has a long road ahead. He will need six weeks of radiation, five times a week, and chemo over the course of a year. God has given much grace to his family thus far. I am praying for continued grace and strength for them as they go forward day by day. Thanks for praying.

The saucer magnolia tree is confused. The branch tips are covered with fuzzy little catkins waiting to burst into bloom. The problem is, it's November. I hope the buds won't die when we finally get our first frost. We have had a very mild fall. It was sunny and in the upper 60's today, perfect weather for raking leaves. It's hard to believe that December is around the corner!

In contrast to David Wells' accurate assessment of our discontented culture, here are a Puritan's thoughts on the grace of contentment: That I may show it further I would add, there is more comfort even in the grace of contentment than there is in any possessions whatsoever; a man has more comfort in being content without a thing, than he can have in the thing that he in a discontented way desires. You think, if I had such a thing, then I should be content. I say, there is more good in contentment, than there is in the thing that you would fain have to cure your discontent, and that I shall show in several particulars: 1. I would fain have such a thing, and then I could be content; but if I had it, then it would be but the creature that helped my contentment, whereas now it is the grace of God in my soul that makes me content, and surely it is better to be content with the grace of God in my soul, than with enjoying an outward comfort? 2. If I had such a thing, granted my po...

Today, however, there is no such sense of unease with our super-abundance because this kind of moral understanding has much withered. In a secularized culture, God has ceased to be a player in regulating our desires and, besides, his regulation, such as it is, has ceased to be moral and has become only therapeutic. The restraints, therefore are gone. Capitalism has no internal logic or morality which will place limits on the abundance and surfeit which it produces. As a result, in the rough-and-tumble scramble for success, our markets are flooded with far more goods, far more choices, than we actually need. If there is to be restraint it has to come from those who are the beneficiaries of such plenty, but we suffer from none of the introspection and doubt the Dutch exhibited in wondering what a moral use of life would look like. America, as a result, has become a paradise of unlimited, endless consumption, where desire now substitutes for the moral norms which were once there. A...

Today is Black Friday, the traditional start of Christmas shopping in the US. It seems as if the stores are opening up earlier and earlier each year. One store in the area opened at 3:00 AM. The outlet malls in Williamsburg opened at midnight. There is something very sad about Black Friday coming on the heels of Thanksgiving. The Puritans at Plymouth Plantation where thankful to be alive, to have food to eat, and to be able to reap a harvest for the year. They thanked God for the necessities of life and did not take those things for granted. Today in America, most of us do not worry about where our next meal is coming from. Thanksgiving is a day of where we stuff ourselves full and then sit in front of the television. The next day, a good portion of the population, who may already be in debt, spends money on things that are really not necessities but luxuries. I haven't celebrated Christmas for many years. [What!!! And you call yourself a Christian?!] This was an issue of Christian...

ht: Frank Turk

I have friends whose 11-year-old son, Joshua, was diagnosed with a brain tumor last week. He had surgery on Tuesday. The diagnosis is medullablastoma, which is a malignant tumor of the brain stem. The tumor was the size of a Brazil nut. Due to the number blood vessels in the tumor, the surgery took 7 hours but it was reduced to maybe less than 1.5 cc. The parents are believers and so is their son. God has upheld them with much grace during this time, and they acknowledge their total dependence on Him. Their Thanksgiving Day is going to be spent in the hospital, but they are giving thanks with joy. If you feel so led, please pray for them. Thanks.

The last 3 years of my life were not what I would have chosen for myself. 2007 was a year of intense grief, being unable to accept God's will, and wondering if I would ever be whole again. 2008 was turning the corner when the doctrines of grace found me and radically changed my life. This year was a year of legal battles and learning a new way to live. After 16 years of marriage, the divorce was finalized, but I discovered the unspeakable joy of the Lord after what seemed like an endless night of sorrow. God has given me my life back. There are so many people for whom I am thankful. I am thankful for my precious daughter, my parents, my sister and her family, my brothers and sisters at Grace Baptist Chapel who have blessed me beyond words, my friends Sue and Rosemary and their families for standing with us when the bottom fell out. I am also thankful to my brothers and sisters in the blogsphere who I may never meet in person but whose writings have been an encouragement on this ea...

I went to a candle party on Saturday. This is one of those Tupperware-like product parties where someone opens their home to a salesperson to showcase their wares. Fragrance is a highly personal thing. One scent may appeal to one person but be disliked by someone else. Therefore, there were at least 100 different candle scents. There were fragrance lines that were devoted to a particular type of food such as coffee or baked goods. There were floral scents, seasonal scents, fruity scents, you name it. As I was thinking of all those candle scents, I began to think of some fragrance lines that you would never see in a candle. The Butcher Shop : T-bone Steak, Costco Rotisserie Chicken, Crisp Morning Bacon The Fishmonger : Shrimp Scampi, Calamari with Marinara, Lobster Tail with Butter, Tuna Fish Salad (Of note, the Butcher Shop and Fishmonger candles would not be recommended if you have dogs or cats.) The Greengrocer : Brussels Sprouts, Freshly Chopped Onion, Garlic Press, Collards with Fa...

This morning, several ladies from the church baked cookies and mini pies as part of food boxes that were given to 45 families in the community. It was a good time of baking and fellowship. All the ladies, other than myself, had young children ranging from 1 to 6. The kids did quite well given that their moms were baking all these wonderful goodies for other people. Shortly after lunch, the kids reached their capacity and lost it. Naps were definitely in order. As I watched these young moms deal with their children, it brought back memories of when I was learning to be a mom. It's not an easy task, and anyone who thinks it is should have their head examined. It's a task that is often thankless and frustrating. You often wonder if you are making any headway at all because it seems an endless repetition of correction and discipline. It's daily denying yourself, denying freedom, denying sleep, denying quiet, denying privacy, denying the desire for a span, even a very short span...

For anyone who stops by here who does not read Tim Challies blog , Monergism Books is having a Thanksgiving book giveaway. Details here .

J.C. Ryle Quotes is having a giveaway of a set of Ryle's Expository Thoughts on the Gospels . Enter here .

Are you a true believer? If you are, you ought to glory in Christ. Glory not in your own faith, your own feelings, your own knowledge, your own prayers, your own amendment, your own diligence. Glory in nothing but Christ. Alas! the best of us know but little of that merciful and mighty Savior. We do not exalt Him and glory in Him enough. Let us pray that we may see more of the fullness there is in Him. From Holiness by J.C. Ryle

Today's sunset over the James River.

WORLD: Lactose intolerant Israelis want out of Land of Milk and Honey. MISSIONS: With a Bible in their own language, Klingons no longer considered an unreached people group. For more tweets like these, go here . Tim Challies has an idea for the Ultimate Christian Novel: Cassidy: Amish Vampiress of the Tribulation And just in time for the holidays from Calvinist Cartoons :

Read this post by Kevin DeYoung. Better yet, read this book.

Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal." Then they said to him, "What must we do, to be doing the works of God?" Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent." John 6:26-29 I was in court yesterday. This was the third time and probably not the last. Although the divorce has already taken place, the dispute continues to rage over financial issues. I am sure that my case is not unique. I am at rest that what happened was under God's sovereign control, but I am grieved that I need to fight for my daughter in this way. As I was praying last night, I had this nagging sense that there was a bigger issue at stake than homeschooling. And then it hit ...

Dear friend, I hope that you have found your trials so sweetened, and so sanctified, by God's blessing, that you have been enabled to rejoice in them! Whatever may be the immediate causes of your troubles--they are all under the direction of a gracious hand--and each, in their place, cooperating to a gracious end. Your afflictions all come from God's heart, who loves you better than you love yourself! They are all tokens of His love and favor--and are necessary means of promoting your growth in faith and grace. You are in the hands of Him who does all things well, and conducts His most afflictive dispensations to those who fear Him, with wisdom and mercy! The Lord knows what is best for you! When there is an especial need-be for your being in the furnace--He knows how to support you; and at what season, and in what manner, deliverance will best comport with His glory and your good. These are the two great ends which He has in view, and which are inseparably connected togethe...

I am thankful that the sun came out today. After several days of torrential rain and wind, it was a beautiful sight. I am thankful to God for His mercy during the storm. Many people had it so much worse. My neighbors only had a few bent shingles from the domino effect of the tree falling in our yard. They are relieved and so am I. We are also now on much better terms. The "tree guy" cut the small evergreen leaning against their roof in 30 seconds flat this morning. He will come back in three weeks to remove our cedar tree because he has so many emergency calls right now. I am thankful that my mom's biopsy from her lumpectomy came back showing no cancer. This means that whatever cancer was there was removed in the initial needle biopsy. It was a blessing to be with the saints today for worship, the Lord's Table, and the preaching of the Word. With the crazy weather, I hadn't seen anyone from church since last Sunday. I missed seeing my brothers and sisters. I am s...

Nothing so hardens the heart of man as a barren familiarity with sacred things. Beware of a half–hearted religion. Beware of following Christ from any secondary motive, to please relations and friends, to keep in with the custom of the place or family in which you reside, to appear respectable and have the reputation of being religious. Follow Christ for His own sake, if you follow Him at all. Be thorough, be real, be honest, be sound, be whole–hearted. If you have any religion at all, let your religion be real. See that you do not sin the sin of Lot’s wife. From Holiness by J.C. Ryle, Chapter 8 - A Woman to be Remembered

This was the gem of the day from gracegems.org taken from The Silent Christ by J.R. Miller. This was very appropriate because I was feeling extremely stressed with responsibilities this morning. My plate has been full with the storm, homeschooling, the process of selling the house, job, school, and going to court again next week. This is a statement of fact, not a complaint. I do not want to quarrel with the place God has me now. I do not want to be ungrateful to the Lord for all that He has done on our behalf. I know I can pour out my heart to the Lord and not keep things pent up behind a stiff upper lip. I want to know Him as my very present help in time of trouble when I feel helpless and alone. I want to find my rest and security in who God is, not in what my circumstances say. "A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to Him, crying out, 'Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession!' Jesus did not answer her...

When I raised the blinds this morning, I discovered a cedar tree had fallen down in the yard last night. There was a period of high winds early in the evening. Combine that with the saturated ground, and you get a fallen tree. It did not hit the house. However, it is leaning against my neighbor's smaller trees and bushes and have pushed them against their house. I walked over there this morning, and it doesn't look like their roof is damaged. A tree guy (I think arborist is the correct title) is coming soon to check out the situation. We have had some tension with our neighbors due to the unfinished addition. They were rightly upset over that situation. I would rather not be in another conflict with them, but God is sovereign over the tree falling where it did. He must have a purpose for this. I am praying for grace and peace.

The Nor'easter has been drenching the area for more than 24 hours. We are expected to get a break from the storm on Saturday. Bridges and tunnels have been closed due to flooding and winds. We now have a moat around the house and a pond outside the kitchen window. There was a lone squirrel crouched at the base of a willow oak. On either side of the tree, little pondlets were forming. He (or she) reminded me of Piglet getting stranded in his house. Last time I checked, the squirrel was gone, so he must have made it to higher ground. I had to run some errands today. Some of the roads are flooded. Thankfully, I was able to get home safely after negotiating some minor flooding. We are getting some water in the basement which is only to be expected with the saturated ground. But I am thankful for a large floor squeegee, a working sump pump, electricity, shelter, and warmth.

The National Weather Service has issued a high wind warning, coastal flood warning, and flood watch for our city and the surrounding areas. As I listen to the rain and wind beating against the roof, I am reminded of this quote from The Mystery of Providence by John Flavel: However contrary the winds and tides of Providence at anytime seem to us, yet nothing is more certain than that they all conspire to hasten sanctified souls to God and fit them for glory.

(Sorry for the following rant, but I had first-hand contact with some postmodern pathogens today.) Most people are probably familiar with the Pharisee version 1.0 stereotype. These people examine everyone around them with a microscope to see if others live up to a standard of behavior. The standard can be, "Don't drink, don't smoke, don't chew, and don't go with women who do" and others rules of the same ilk. But it seems Pharisee version 2.0 is available as well. Today, there is overwhelming pressure to not take a stand on anything for fear of offending anyone. The bywords are, "Don't judge me. God accepts me just the way I am and you should, too". Therefore, no one can say anything negative about anything. Even in our language we dance around the word sin by calling things issues . "So-and-so has an issue with authority." Maybe So-and-so really has the sin of rebellion, but God forbid that we would dare say that. I'm not tal...

This has been one of those days where I am thankful that God is sovereign. Just when you think things are proceeding in one direction, something completely unexpected happens. But the unexpected is only unexpected to me. The "unexpected" was planned and ordained by God. So rather than the usual hand wringing and fretting, I am determined to meditate on God's absolute sovereignty and rest in that tonight. ( Here are some very helpful sermons by Dan Phillips on the subject.)

I am often overwhelmed by circumstances and fears. However, I was blessed to be overwhelmed by the good news of the Gospel today. In the worship, the songs, and the preaching of the Word, the truth of the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ was declared. I am "lost in wonder, love, and praise".

ht: Recover the Gospel

This afternoon, I listened to the sermon I missed last week when we were away visting family. It was a spiritual palate cleanser after the eisegetical talk we heard at my parent's church. One thing that really bothered me was when the guest speaker said that God was only nurturing us now. He no longer needed to provide us with "structure", only "nuture". Therefore, we would feel so loved that we would choose to change ourselves . In contrast, today I heard about the value of discipline. God discplines us because He loves us. We will suffer in this life, we will endure pain. But what is the prize at the end? The prize is Christ! So we run the race, encouraging one another to not give up, looking to Jesus alone - the focus of our gaze, our forerunner, our goal.

Subjectivism takes place when the truth of a statement is not merely expanded or applied to the subject, but when it is absolutely determined by the subject. If we are to avoid distortion of Scripture, we must avoid subjectivism from the beginning. In seeking an objective understanding of Scripture, we do not thereby reduce Scripture to something cold, abstract, and lifeless. What we are doing is seeking to understand what the word says in its context before we go about the equally necessary task of applying it to ourselves. A particular statement may have numerous possible personal applications, but it can only have one correct meaning. Alternate interpretations which are contradictory and mutually exclusive cannot both be true unless God speaks with a forked tongue. Knowing Scripture by R.C. Sproul, InterVarsity Press, 1979, page 39.

It looks like they have declared a winner .

This is one of the books I brought home. (I was surprised to find my name in the front cover. I must have bought the book during my undergraduate years when I was briefly exposed to reformed theology.) I'm terrible about picking up books and not finishing the ones I've started, but I think this book will clarify some issues about rightly understanding and interpreting scripture. On Sunday, we went to the church where my parents meet. It is the same group that started out as a house church, only it's larger now and they no longer meet in a home. A visiting missionary pilot was asked to speak. Without going into the gory details, he used some verses from one of the gospels and then launched into his personal interpretation of it in relation to his experience. To give him the benefit of the doubt, I don't think this brother was deliberately trying to deceive, but it sounded like it was out in left field and in contradiction to other scripture. Sadly, there were choruses of...

We had a good visit with family, but it's nice to be home. My mom is recovering slowly. She is experiencing the usual post-surgery pain. We are awaiting the biopsy results which will determine whether she will need postoperative chemo or radiation treatment. We worked hard sorting through the remnants of more than 40 years worth of belongings at my parents' home. We brought home 9 boxes of books, 4 of which I am giving away. We found old pictures, letters and cards my parents sent to each other during their engagement. We also found dresses which my grandmother gave to my mom when she left China to come to college in the US. These were for her trousseau, when and if she ever married. My daughter was able to fit a few of the dresses so we brought those home as well. Our car was packed full. There are still 8 boxes at my sister's house that we need to bring back on our next trip. Oh, well. So much for trying to declutter.