Tried With Fire

Here's the list... ~ Spring made a brief appearance and exited rapidly.  I'm grateful for God's provision of shelter and warmth. ~ The upcoming women's retreat.  I'm looking forward to this time of fellowship with my sisters. ~ Sanctification.  It's painful.  It's a blessing.  It's an opportunity to learn to use both oars . ~ This quote: Justification matters because there is nothing more essential in life or death than what God thinks of us.  Ultimately there are two options: God looks upon us either as justified or condemned.  Likewise, we look upon God as either our loving Father or a fearful judge. The good news is that God offers us justification by faith alone in Jesus Christ alone.  For the justified in Christ, there is no condemnation. "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 8:1). No doubt, many of us still struggle with feelings of condemnation, haunted by past sins and loaded down w...

Congratulations, Gregg!  You're the providential winner of Living for God's Glory by Joel Beeke. Thanks to everyone who entered.  There will be more giveaways, Lord willing, so stay tuned.

[W]e should pray and work (ora et labora). Prayer and work belong together. They are like two oars that, when used together, keep the rowboat moving forward. If you use only one oar - praying without working or working without praying - you will row in circles. Holiness takes well-planned, hard, and sweating prayer and work, the Puritans said. Careful planning as to how you are going to live for the Lord is necessary if you want to achieve much of abiding value for Him. Yet the Puritans were not self-reliant. They understood that daily living for a Christian must go something like this: 1.  Look ahead and see what you have to do. 2. Go to the Lord in prayer and say, "Lord, I do not have what it takes to do this; I need divine help." 3. Rely on the Lord to answer the prayer you have offered, then proceed expectantly to the task that lies before you. 4. After completing the task, return to the Lord to thank Him for the help He gave. 5. Ask His forgiveness for all your failures ...

Here's some good advice from the Prince of Preachers: A man who comes up into the pulpit, professes to take his text on the spot, and talks any quantity of nonsense, is the idol of many. If he will speak without premeditation, or pretend to do so, and never produce what they call a dish of dead men's brains—oh! that is the preacher. How rebuked are they by the apostle! He is inspired, and yet he wants books! He has been preaching at least for thirty years, and yet he wants books! He had seen the Lord, and yet he wants books! He had had a wider experience than most men, and yet he wants books! He had been caught up into the third heaven, and had heard things which it was unlawful for a men to utter, yet he wants books! He had written the major part of the New Testament, and yet he wants books! The apostle says to Timothy and so he says to every preacher, "Give thyself unto reading." The man who never reads will never be read; he who never quotes will never be quoted....

God of my life, to Thee I call; Afflicted at Thy feet, I fall; When the great water-floods prevail. Leave not my trembling heart to fail. Friend of the friendless and the faint, Where should I lodge my deep complaint? Where but with Thee, whose open door Invites the helpless and the poor? Did ever mourner plead with Thee, And Thou refuse that mourner's plea? Does not the word still fixed remains, That none shall seek Thy face in vain? That were a grief I could not bear, Didst Thou not hear and answer prayer; But a prayer-hearing, answering God Supports me under very load. Poor though I am, despised, forgot, Yet God, my God, forgets me not; And he is safe and must succeed, For whom the Lord vouchsafes to plead. William Cowper, 1779

In preparation for the Lord's day, here is some advice from Thomas Watson on how to listen to a sermon: 1. Prepare to hear the Word by bathing your soul in prayer. 2. Come to the Word with a holy appetite and a tender, teachable heart. 3. Be attentive to the preached Word. 4. Receive with meekness the engrafted Word (James 1:21) 5. Mingle the preached Word with faith. 6. Strive to retain what has been preached and pray about the Word proclaimed. 7. Put the Word into practice; be doers of it. 8. Beg the Spirit to accompany the Word with effectual blessing. 9. Familiarize yourself with the Word by sharing it with others. From Living for God's Glory , Joel R. Beeke, Reformation Trust, pages 208-209.

So tonight was the night - the first week-end my daughter will have with her dad, his new wife, and at least 1 of her children.  I didn't want to push her, but she brought up the subject during the drive.  It's more than being in an awkward situation.  If you get to to the root, she's wrestling with the age-old question, "If God is sovereign and good, why does He allow sin and evil?" She's watched her mom come to grips with God's sovereignty, and now she knows it's her turn. But I was encouraged as my daughter shared her heart.  She realizes the only thing that is going to keep her in the days ahead is being grounded in the reality of who God is in His Word.  So I'm praying she will be anchored in the truth and see beyond her circumstances to something bigger and more glorious. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things tha...

I know we're probably all sick and tired of hearing about Rob Bell... Thanks, Eddie! HT: Derek @ Theoparadox

My thankful list this week: ~ For sound sleep at night and grace to rise earlier. ~ An improved elbow. ~ Discovering what's in our yard.  We have so many daffodils, some of which are fragrant.  And we have tulips! ~ I'm thankful God has declared me righteous because of the active obedience of Jesus Christ.  If He needed to wait until I became righteous, it would take forever. ~ This quote: In the face of our indwelling sin, we need to look to Christ and to remember the work of God in us as the central reality of our lives. Sanctification, after all, is not a mood. Neither is it a code. Sanctification is the dynamic outworking of the gospel in the life of every believer.  This process of conformity to God thrives not when we tweak our attitude here, and modify our behavior there, but when we grow entranced with God, and Christ the "founder and perfecter of our faith" looms large before us, magnificent in holiness, awesome in splendor, tenacious in love...

From Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll Words seem to have lost their meaning nowadays, particularly the vocabulary of Christianity.  The meanings of  God and Jesus are up for grabs, and God's attributes and works are as malleable as a ball of play-dough to be shaped according to our whims.   There are those who would say, "Shouldn't we take people at their word?  We shouldn't be judging their hearts."  But I would respectfully reply that we are charged with more than  taking someone just at their word.  We've been charged to judge a tree by its fruit.  (Matthew 7: 15-20) So forgive me if I'm skeptical when a big name uses Christian vocabulary in a manner contradictory to the scriptures or if a celebrity casually invokes the G or J word.  And forgive me, when I press you to clearly define what you mean for the sake of my own understanding. These words are too important to be misused or misunderstood.

Here are a few more giveaways hosted by my blogging friends: Trisha at A Multitude of Mercies : 2 copies of Choosing Gratitude by Nancy Leigh-DeMoss. This giveaway ends Thursday so hurry on over. Hollie at Freckles and Faith : John Bunyan's Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners .  The giveaway ends Friday. John at While We Sojourn :  Abortion: A Rational Look at an Emotional Issue by R. C. Sproul at the end of this week. And finally, Rebecca at Rebecca Writes : D. A. Carson's The God Who is There . The drawing ends March 29.

In yesterday's sermon on Zephaniah, Pastor Ryan spoke of God's impending judgment on Judah for two particular sins.  One was complacency. The other was syncretism. What is syncretism?  It's the attempt to reconcile disparate, even opposing beliefs and to blend their respective practices. Judah was doing this very thing by praying to Yahweh and to Milcom, the god of the Amorites. But they saw nothing wrong with this.  After all what was wrong with wanting it both ways? But what about us?  We may not be worshipping Milcom, but are we bowing to the gods of our culture?  Do we profess a desire for God and still want the best this world has to offer?  The call to be a Christian is to come and die, but are we trying to somehow reconcile that with the pursuit of the American Dream? Very often those secret idols are revealed in our aspirations for our children. It's very common to hear parents say, "We just want our kids to be happy." ...

Hark, my soul!  it is the Lord; 'Tis thy Saviour, hear His word; Jesus speaks and speaks to thee; "Say, poor sinner, lovest thou Me? "I delivered thee when bound, And when wounded healed thy wound; Sought thee wandering, set thee right, Turned thy darkness into light. "Can a woman's tender care Cease towards the child she bare? Yes, she may forgetful be, Yet I will remember thee. "Mine is an unchanging love, Higher than the heights above; Deeper than the depths beneath, Free and faithful, strong as death. "Thou shalt see my glory soon, When the work of grace is done; Partner of my throne shalt be; Say, poor sinner, lovest thou Me? Lord, it is my chief complaint, That my love is cold and faint; Yet I love Thee and adore; O for grace to love Thee more! William Cowper, 1768

Martin Bashir of MSNBC was interviewed by Paul Edwards  regarding his interview with Rob Bell.    It's worth the listen. ht: Thirsty Theologian

I will be giving away a copy of Living for God's Glory - An Introduction to Calvinism by Dr. Joel R. Beeke.  This was written for "lay-people and ministers who are interested in learning the basics of Calvinism."   The book includes a brief history of Calvinism and detailed chapters on the doctrines including TULIP and the solas.  There are also sections covering the relationship of reformed theology to the the heart, the church,  our practice, and the ultimate goal - doxology. I am about two-thirds through the book and have been greatly helped.  Dr. Beeke's explanation of TULIP is excellent, and he responds to commonly raised objections.  I also appreciate the grounding of this book in the marrow of Calvinism - to define all doctrine and life in a God-centered, God-glorifying way. To enter the giveaway, leave a comment on this post stating why you would like this book.  I will pick the providential winner on March 30.  (US addresse...

An all Star Wars follies and nonsense... HT:  Balakov 's photostream HT:  Inkslinger

Here's the list for this week: I'm thankful for the time change even though I haven't adjusted yet. I'm thankful for my mom's successful cataract surgery yesterday.  She called me afterwards excited to see colors and objects for the first time in a long time. I'm thankful for a touch of tendonitis in my elbow.  This will keep me from overworking myself, so I consider this a blessing from the Lord.  Thankfully, a little ibuprofen and a pack of frozen vegetables is helping quite a bit. I'm thankful for good discussions in the women's Bible study.  We finished chapter 9 in Transforming Grace  by Jerry Bridges which deals with those gray areas in our lives that can become bones of contention and possibly impose on Christian liberty.  I appreciate that we don't necessarily see eye-to-eye all the time.  If we were Stepford women, there wouldn't be very much iron sharpening iron. I'm thankful that I can rest in the sovereignty of God given...

We don't know the definition of joy.  We think it is happiness, a pleasant feeling.  But we are commanded to rejoice, and it's not a command to our emotions.  God knows our emotions can't be trusted. Joy is an abiding sense that all of reality is centered in something outside of ourselves.   No matter what, no matter how painful, God is on His throne. From yesterday's sermon on Habakkuk by Pastor Ryan Davidson.

Immortal honours rest on Jesus' head; My God, my portion, and my Living bread; In Him I live, upon Him cast my care; He saves from death, destruction, and despair. He is my refuge in each deep distress; My Lord, my strength and glorious righteousness; Through floods and flames He leads me safely on, And daily makes His sovereign goodness known. My every need He richly will supply; Nor will His mercy ever let me die; In Him there dwells a treasure all divine, And matchless grace has made that treasure mine. O that my soul would love and praise Him more, His beauties trace, His majesty adore; Live near His heart, upon His bosom lean; Obey His voice and all His will esteem. William Gadsby (1773-1844), to the tune Toulon, Genevan Psalter 1551

It was a beautiful day-  sunny, mid 60's, and another day to rejoice in the Lord. I met my best friend for lunch and fellowship.  I was blessed and encouraged as we caught up on our families and the Lord's dealings in our lives. Afterwards, we visited the Borders bookstore and picked through the remaining books on sale.  I found a book with pictures from the Hubble telescope which will be great for astronomy, a sewing book, and one just for fun .  It's probably not to everyone's tastes, but it appeals to my sense of humor. The quince is now in full flower, and the daffodils are getting ready to burst into bloom. Lastly, I finally learned how to take videos with my camera.  The video isn't that interesting, but Big Bun was the only available subject. Have a blessed Lord's day tomorrow and don't forget to advance the clock.

Tonight I drove my daughter to meet her dad.  This is the last week-end they will have together before he remarries.  We were both quiet in the car.  I don't know if this was on her mind or not. This will be the final closure after a long four years. I can't help but shed a few tears for the man who's now a stranger to me and for our daughter. We had Jeremiah 29:11 engraved in our wedding bands.  Naively we thought God's promise for a future and a hope meant a happy Christian marriage.  But He had something else in mind, and He didn't renege on His word.  I still have a future and a hope.  Not in happily-ever-after, but in the God who gives the promise. Our enemies would allot us a very dreary portion, but we are not left in their hands.  The Lord will cause us to stand in our lot, and our place is appointed by His infinite wisdom.  A wiser mind than our own arranges our destiny.  The ordaining of all things is with God, and we ...

HT: Dan Phillips HT: John Samson HT: The Wittenburg Door

Here's the list: I'm thankful for a reliable plumber.  We had a slow draining tub which needed to be snaked. The plumber was able to improve the situation somewhat but wanted to check the pipes in the crawl space. He discovered problems with the retrofitted tub drain as well as a leak.  Thankfully, it's been repaired. I'm thankful that I can relax my pace with work.  I've had positive feedback from my 2 new doctors and was told that I'm returning dictation faster than it can be filed.  I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to keep up with the demand if I didn't work some evenings and week-ends.  I'm relieved that's not the case. I'm thankful for saints who are responding with truth to the latest round of Christian-cloaked error.  I'm thankful for the posts addressing the less-than-popular topics of hell, universalism, inclusivism, and wrath versus love.  Some would say this is hair-splitting, but our view of eternal punishment dir...

Let us never forget that we who stand in the historic stream of Christianity really believe that false doctrine, at those crucial points where false doctrine is heresy, is not a small thing.   If we do not make clear by word and practice our position for truth as truth and against false doctrine, we are building a wall between the next generation and the gospel.  And twenty years from now, men will point their finger back at us, this is the result of the flow of history... Evangelism which does not lead to purity of life and purity of doctrine is just as faulty and incomplete as an orthodoxy which does not lead to a concern for, and a communication with, the lost.  ~ Francis Schaeffer The context of this quote was Schaeffer's concern over Billy Graham's desire to join forces with liberal theologians and Catholics under the umbrella of a supposedly common gospel.  According to Iain Murray, Schaeffer's warning went unheeded. From  Evangelicalism Divided by Iai...

Thanks to Calvinist Cartoons You may have never heard of Friedrich Schleiermacher (1768-1834).  I had no idea who he was until last week-end.  You also may think, "Why on earth would I care about some dead German theologian whose name  I can't even pronounce".  But you might be more familiar with him than you think: [C]reed and character have no necessary connection - that it matters not what we believe so long as our hearts are right.  (page 9) Religion stands in no need of doctrine and rigid precepts, or of revelation from another world - that certain pious and devout sentiments towards God and Christ are all that is necessary for salvation. (page 9) If these sound familiar, we can thank Schleiermacher's influence because these ideas are now part and parcel of today's Christianity.  There are many who think sound doctrine is a nicety but subordinate to what we feel.  However, if you take this idea to it's logical conclusion, it becomes a very sli...

From www.dailypress.com Here's an interesting article about a local seeker-friendly church which made the front page of Friday's paper.  I think Neil Postman was right.

Nahum was the subject today in our series on the minor prophets, which tells us of a God who judges.   This is hardly a palatable subject in our politically correct, post self-esteem, tolerance-rabid world,  but I'm thankful for a pastor who preaches the whole counsel of God.  From my notes: Because God judges, there is hope for justice.  Why?  If God did not just, He would not be holy.  He would not be righteous. This is the very reason that good triumphs over evil. He will destroy His enemies.  Why is that a comfort?  Because in a world that is increasing hostile to God and His people, we know He is completely in control.  In the end,  every knee will bow in heaven and in earth. If God is a God who judges, repentance is necessary.  It's not praying a prayer. It's not a one-time event.  It's  a continual, daily turning from sin and running to Christ as our sacrifice.  We can't rely on the previous ge...

Be still, my heart! these anxious cares To thee are burdens, thorns, and snares; They cast dishonour on thy Lord, And contradict his gracious word. Brought safely by his hand thus far, Why dost thou now give place to fear? How canst thou want if he provide, Or lose thy way with such a guide? Did ever trouble yet befall, And he refuse to hear thy call? And has he not his promise passed, That thou shalt overcome at last? He who has helped me hitherto, Will help me all my journey through; And give me daily cause to raise New Ebenezers to his praise. John Newton (1725-1807)

" This speaks to me, because this is where I am ." I'm borrowing the line from a Tim Hawkins' routine , but how often have we heard or used that very line.  Sure, we may be at a certain phase in our sanctification, provided one is a Christian, but where I am  doesn't give me the right to tweak God or twist His Word to fit nicely where I am .  By His very nature, God is unchangeable.  So guess who needs to do the changing?

From the Sacred Sandwich (At our church, the coffee would be Dunkin Donuts.) HT: Effectual Grace

Flowering quince My thankful list: Longer days, warmer weather, new flowers to discover in the garden.  The current sermon series in the minor prophets.  It's wonderful to see how the prophets testify to Jesus Christ. I'm grateful for God's provision, but quickly fell into the trap that I was the one who needed to ensure it would continue by working above and beyond what was expected of me.  This was not good for me or my daughter.  So I'm thankful for grace and conviction to stop overworking myself.  This quote from Hugh Binning: Men that lack children often supply their want by adopting some beloved friend in place of a son; and this is a kind of supply of nature for the comfort of those who lack.  But it is strange that God, having a Son, so glorious, the very expression of his person, and the brightness of his glory, in whom he delighted from eternity; strange, I say, that he should in a manner lose and give away his only-begotten Son, that he...

USS Ross We were treated to a personal guided tour of the USS Ross this afternoon. Our friend is returning to civilian life soon, so he and his wife wanted to take us on a final tour of his ship.  Our field trip combined science, current events, and nautical information. Needless to say, we were impressed with the ship and its technology. USS George H.W. Bush We did get a glimpse of the George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier.  Huge is an inadequate adjective to describe the size of this thing.  (This is a stock photo as I did not want to upset the Navy by taking unauthorized pictures.) In the captain's chair on the bridge We had a wonderful afternoon, and I'm thankful to the Lord and our friends for giving us this opportunity.

We know that God knows more than we do, and that he's morally superior - "better".  But we still assume that God, broadly speaking, shares our sense of justice and morality, our view on love and sex, our politics and passions, our idea of an evening well spent and a life worth living.  He's basically like us ... like me. It is this assumption that's at the heart of what the Bible calls our sin. The Serpent promised that we could be "like God," which is really just another way of saying, "God is like you, so do as you please."  And we have believed this lie ever since. Over and over the Bible has to say he's not like us because we repeatedly try to make him like us.  We squeeze God into our own mental universes.  We domesticate him and fashion hm after our image, but what foolishness!  This is the God who created the universe with words.  This is the God who destroyed the world with a flood.  This is the God who sruck down two priests fo...