Tried With Fire

I'm thankful for: ~Safety during heavy thunderstorms and minor flooding. ~ Returning to the regular routine of school and work. I can't believe this will be our last year of homeschooling! ~ Laughter and hugs. ~ Strength, health, God's faithful provision, and another year to praise Him. ~ God's saving grace which opened this sinner's eyes.

If God's Word is alive and active and powerful, then, first, we should study it with respect for the words. Second, we should study it trusting in the sufficiency of the words - without itching for something else. Such a powerful Word is a sufficient Word. Peter tells us that God's "divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which, he has granted to us his precious and very great promises" (2. Peter 1:3-4). Everything ... all things we need for life and godliness are ours in Christ, who brings to completion every promise God has ever made, every word ever spoken.  The sufficiency of this Word, as it reveals the sufficiency of Christ, should keep us from being the kind of people with "itching ears", who "will not endure sound teaching" but who "will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn aw...

"A Word from God implies a word from outside of us, a breaking into our lives by some transcendent being to whom we are obliged to listen. But our culture is listening much more closely to voices inside ourselves; we tend to read words and say how they make us feel, rather than read words and ask what they say and how we should rightly respond. To read the Bible as the authoritative Word of God means to read it with a heart ready to listen and submit. This is a radical activity in a culture that does not embrace the legitimacy of authority." "If we start with the assumption that we as readers use our individual contexts and experiences to shape our own meanings from the words, then Bible study will consist mainly of a series of personal reactions and opinions. The dance will be chaotic and, in the end, narcissistic. On the other hand, if we study with the assumption that God intends to give us meaning that we can receive more or less clearly through words, then Bible...

This morning's fog highlighted these webs. Spiders are not welcome inside , but I do appreciate their amazing handiwork outside where it belongs.

This past week was a contrast between great joy and sorrow for our church. We witnessed a young couple exchange their vows and celebrated their marriage. We also learned of the loss of a precious baby and wept for the parents. The latter situation made me long for Christ's return. This world is such a sad and broken place. We groan for the day when we will no longer feel the effects of sin. One day, every tear will be wiped away, and all that has been ruined by the fall will be renewed. But as I was reflecting on the wedding ceremony and the words pointing us to Christ and the church, this also makes me long for Christ's return. As much as I pray that this couple has a long and happy marriage, there will be a day when the shadow gives way to reality, the day when we will be forever with the Lord. God was sovereign in drawing this man and woman together, and He was sovereign in bringing this little one home. He hasn't changed. He's the same loving God and Father wh...

96. Q. What is God's will for us in the Second Commandment? A. That we in no way make any image of God nor worship Him in any other way than He has commanded in His Word. 97. Q. May we then not make any image at all? A. God can not and may not be visibly portrayed in any way. Although creatures may be portrayed, yet God forbids making or having such images if one's intention is to worship them or to serve God through them. 98. Q. But may not images be permitted in the churches as teaching aids for the unlearned? A. No, we shouldn't try to be wiser than God. He wants His people instructed by the living preaching of His Word - not by idols that cannot even talk. "[W]e need to be faithful to instruct the people of God. If God designed His people to be taught by the reading and preaching of the Holy Scripture, we should not assume that He can't get the job done without images. The argument made during the Reformation was, "We can't lose the images b...

Our Saviour having shown, in the parable of the Samaritan (Luke 10:36), that the term neighbor comprehends the most remote stranger, there is no reason for limiting the precept of love to our own connections. I deny not that the closer the relation the more frequent our offices of kindness should be. For the condition of humanity requires that there be more duties in common between those who are more nearly connected by the ties of relationship, or friendship, or neighborhood. And this is done without any offence to God, by whose providence we are in a manner impelled to do it. But I say that the whole human race, without exception, are to be embraced with one feeling of charity: that here there is no distinction of Greek or Barbarian, worthy or unworthy, friend or foe, since all are to be viewed not in themselves, but in God. If we turn aside from this view, there is no wonder that we entangle ourselves in error. Wherefore, if we would hold the true course in love, our first step m...

ht: Nancy Pearcey via FB

There can never be a substitute for the local church, but I'm also grateful for the online community of believers. In some ways, it's easier to connect because we don't have to get past how we look, what we wear, how we speak, our mannerisms, etc. Through someone's writing, you get an immediate glimpse into the heart. So I'm thankful for: Friends scattered across the US, in Canada, Mexico, UK, and beyond who I would love to meet in person some day. Technology that allows me to share a prayer request and know that someone across the country is praying. Our bond in Christ. Although we may not see eye-to-eye on everything, the gospel is the glue that holds us together. FInally, I'm thankful to be participating in a new group blog beginning in September. I have been blessed by these women who love God, love His Word, and want to think seriously about what they believe. I hope you will join us next month.

Girls will be girls and boys will be boys no matter how hard you try to ignore it. Not only is this as plain as the nose on your face, there has been serious research on this subject. In Cinderella Ate My Daughter , the author mentioned a study in which a group of vervet monkeys (44 male and 44 female) were given 6 toys. Two were gender neutral - picture book and stuffed animal. Two were stereotypically masculine - police car and ball, and two were stereotypically feminine - doll and cooking pot. Guess what? The male monkeys gravitated to the boys' toys, and the females gravitated to the girls' toys.  This same experiment was replicated 6 years later with rhesus monkeys with the same results. Maybe, I have a warped sense of humor, but I find the concept of this study hilarious. You want to study children, so rather than examine your own species, let's ask the monkeys! Granted they are part of God's wonderful creation. But they aren't even remotely next of kin,...

I was wandering around the public library, and this book caught my eye,   Cinderella Ate My Daughter by journalist Peggy Orenstein, HarperCollins, 2011. As a new mother and firm feminist, the author vowed to raise her daughter to be free from the passive, fairy tale princess stereotype only to discover her 3 year old reenacting the tale of Snow White. Where on earth did she learn this? This led Orenstein on a search to examine the influence of the girlie-girl culture which include: ~ The power of marketing, i.e. the Disney Princess merchandising jackpot - 26,000 Princess items which raked in $4 billion by 2009. ~ The princess meme, a harmless phase or narcissists in training? ~ Gender differences, real or imposed? Real. ~ Beauty pageants and teen idols with feet of clay. ~ Looks versus achievements, which one is more important and which one wins out? Unfortunately, it's still looks. ~ Social media  - virtual friends and intimacy, cyber-bullying, and ...

It's a dark, dreary, rainy day. I'm having trouble concentrating on work let alone finishing the post I started yesterday afternoon. So here's something to jump start Monday morning - an encore from CDZA, The Human Jukebox:

92. Q. What does the Lord say in His law? A. [The Catechism quotes from Exodus 20:1-17 , reciting the giving of the Ten Commandments.] 93. Q. How are these commandments divided? A. Into two tables. The first has four commandments, teaching us what our relation to God should be. The second has six commandments, teaching us what we owe our neighbor. 94. Q. What does the Lord require in the first commandment? A. That I, not wanting to endanger my very salvation, avoid and shun all idolatry, magic, superstitious rites, and prayer to saints or to other creatures. That I sincerely acknowledge the only true God, trust Him alone, look to Him for every good thing humbly and patiently, love Him, fear Him, and honor him with all my heart. In short, that I give up anything rather than go against His will in any way. 95. Q. What is idolatry? A. Idolatry is having or inventing something in which one trusts in place of or alongside of the only true God who has revealed Himself in His Word...

Thou shalt have no other gods before me. The purport of this commandment is, that the Lord will have himself alone to be exalted in his people, and claims the entire possession of them as his own. That it may be so, he orders us to abstain from ungodliness and superstition of every kind, by which the glory of his divinity is diminished or obscured; and, for the same reason, he requires us to worship and adore him with truly pious zeal. The simple terms used obviously amount to this. For seeing we cannot have God without embracing everything which belongs to him, the prohibition against having strange gods means, that nothing which belongs to him is to be transferred to any other. The duties which we owe to God are innumerable, but they seem to admit of being not improperly reduced to four heads: Adoration, with its accessory spiritual submission of conscience, Trust, Invocation, Thanksgiving. By Adoration, I mean the veneration and worship which we render to him when we do homage ...

History of Lyrics That Aren't Lyrics - 26 songs, 47 years:

This week's list: ~ Rain. We've had several days of much-needed rain. ~ Wildflowers. These Turk's caps have been thriving in the heat and drought with nary a sign of wilting. Plus they're hummingbird magnets. Top down view ~ My car passed inspection. It may be old, but I'm thankful for a still-reliable car that's paid off. ~ Skype-ing with my daughter. One week away is much better than two, and she'll be home in time for the annual church crab pickin'. ~ Looking forward to a regular school/work routine. This will be our last year of homeschooling. My how time flies! ~ This quote from Augustine (quoted in the Institutes): “So do, O Lord, so do, O merciful Lord; command what cannot be fulfilled; nay, command what cannot be fulfilled, unless by thy own grace: so that when men feel they have no strength in themselves to fulfil it, every mouth may be stopped, and no man seem great in his own eyes."

Ministries of Mercy  by Timothy J. Keller, P&R Publishing, 1997. The book is divided into two sections: principles and practice. In the first part, Keller gives a biblical basis for mercy ministry. We may have the misguided idea that poverty is strictly lack of material wealth, but it's spiritual. We are all needy in the sight of God. We've been alienated from Him and each other by sin, the result of which is poverty and injustice. But as those who have been shown mercy, we should extend mercy to others by ministering to them in word and in deed. This includes meeting physical needs but also seeking to meet the deepest need of all with the gospel. The second section gives practical advice for fleshing out mercy ministry in the context and under the leadership of the local church. Keller doesn't promote a single model as every situation is different. He gives examples of ministries that have worked well and those that have not. Also the goal is to help the  ind...

Carrie Sandom opened her talk at TGCW12 by mentioning a whodunit she recently read. As much as she enjoyed the book, it couldn't tell her how to bake a birthday cake for her sister or give her directions to the Orlando Airport. Why not? Because it wasn't written for that purpose. Well, what about the Word of God? "In order to understand it, we need to know the purpose the authors' had in writing it. The Bible is not going to tell me how to bake a cake for my sister's birthday. It's not even going to help me get to the airport tomorrow. but what it does tell me is absolutely life-changing. In fact, it is more important than any novel, any recipe book, or any city map. We need to let the Bible speak to us and not come to it with the wrong kind of questions." Her statement gave me quite a bit to ponder. I don't know about you, but I have come to the Bible far too often with too many wrong questions.  I would readily agree that the Bible is not a re...

88. Q. What is involved in genuine repentance of conversion? A. Two things: the dying-away of the old self, and the coming-to-life of the new. 89.Q. What is the dying-away of the old self? A. It is to be genuinely sorry for sin, to hate it more and more, and to run away from it. 90. Q. What is the coming-to-life of the new self? A. It is a wholehearted joy in God through Christ and a delight to do every kind of good as God wants us to. 91. Q. What do we do that is good? A. Only that which arises out of true faith, conforms to God's law, and is alone for his glory; and not that which is based on what we think is right or on established human tradition. "In short, conversion brings newness. New life. New direction. New inclination. New affections. The old has gone and the new has come. In conversion, the Spirit of God gives us a new awareness of sin, a new interest in the word of God, a new passion for holiness, a new desire for prayer, and a new sense of the majes...

The Apostle testifies that the law pronounces its sentence of condemnation in order “that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God,” (Rom. 3:19). In another place, however, the same Apostle declares, that “God has concluded them all in unbelief;” not that he might destroy all, or allow all to perish, but that “he might have mercy upon all,” (Rom. 11:32); in other words, that divesting themselves of an absurd opinion of their own virtue, they may perceive how they are wholly dependent on the hand of God; that feeling how naked and destitute they are, they may take refuge in his mercy, rely upon it, and cover themselves up entirely with it; renouncing all righteousness and merit, and clinging to mercy alone, as offered in Christ to all who long and look for it in true faith. In the precepts of the law, God is seen as the rewarder only of perfect righteousness (a righteousness of which all are destitute), and, on the other hand, as the stern avenger of ...

More swamp mallow I'm thankful for: Cooler weather and rain. Days in the 80's are a blessing. Changes in our daily schedule that are helping my time discipline. At the Smithfield Bakery Great fellowship over lunch with Melissa . We need to do this more often.  An upcoming blogging venture. Stay tuned. Daily reminders to trust the Lord with all my heart and not lean on my own understanding. Ties in the body of Christ. We said farewell to family who are moving far away. They were one of the first families I knew at our church and were so welcoming my first Sunday.  Good-byes are always sad, but I"m thankful for bonds in Christ that remain.

I've been listening to these talks from the Gospel Coalition Women's Conference re: word-based women's ministry ( here , here , and here ). Concurrently, I've been realizing my own lack in really understanding the importance of the Word and the singularity of the Word as the sole source of authoritative revelation of God from God. It's better late than never, but part of me wishes that I had been taught how to read, study, and rightly value the Word a long time ago. But reading and studying involved the mind, and the mind was somehow at odds with the Holy Spirit. Or so it was taught and inferred. During a severe trial, I read the Word night and day. But I was looking for messages from God about me and my situation rather than the revelation of who He is and letting that change me and my perspective. To make matters worse, a friend, who I looked to as a spiritual mentor, advised me that I could only take verses as promises from God when the Holy Spirit "an...

I was never part of the in crowd from kindergarten on up. I have never fit in and I still don't. I have yet to find a Bible tailored to my niche demographic - Asian American, single, homeschooling moms who like Star Wars and get mail from AARP. If I"m honest, I want acceptance, and I want to fit in even if it's fitting in among those who don't. Recently, I was bemoaning that lack of fit-in-ness or doing an indirect boast ("Hah! You'll never pigeonhole me, you pigeon-holers. I defy categorization!") I'm not sure which it was, when my daughter said to me, "The only category you need to be concerned about is being in Christ, and God has already fit you in." Bingo. In Christ   - the only place where real acceptance can be found, where we can find peace and our true identify, and the only category where eternity is at stake. Life and death hang in the balance on whether you're in or out.  We can strive to get in with all our might, bu...

(I have a very special guest blogger today, my daughter.  This short essay was a school assignment which s he graciously allowed me to share with you. ) Christians need to be joined to a local church in order to obey many Scriptural commands, build up one another in the Lord, and be fed by the preaching of the Word. First of all, many commands and instructions in Scripture require that believers be church members. In Hebrews 10, we are told not to neglect to meet together (Heb. 10:25). Matthew 18 gives instructions regarding church discipline, an act which cannot be executed without church membership. For example, Paul told the Corinthian church to exclude someone who was unrepentant in immorality. Logically, the church could only exclude him if he had first been included, and therefore inclusion in the church must have had a concrete definition. Hebrews 13:17 tells us to submit to our leaders in the church, because they will have to...

86. Q. We have been delivered from our misery by God's grace alone through Christ and not because we have earned it. Why then must we still do good? A. To be sure, Christ has redeemed us by His blood. But we do good because Christ by His Spirit  is also renewing us to be like Himself, so that in all our living we may show that we are thankful to God for all He has done for us, and so that He may be praised through us. And we do good so that we may be assured of our faith by its fruits, and so that by our godly living our neighbors may be won over to Christ. 87. Q. Can those be saved who do not turn to God from their ungrateful and impenitent ways? A. By no means. Scripture tells us that no unchaste person, no idolater, adulterer, thief, no covetous person, no drunkard, slanderer, robber, or the like is going to inherit the kingdom of God. First, we do good because the Holy Spirit is working in us to make us more like Jesus (2 Cor. 3:18). The same Spirit who caused us to be ...

Since our fall from life unto death, all that knowledge of God the Creator, of which we have discoursed, would be useless, were it not followed up by faith, holding forth God to us as a Father in Christ. The natural course undoubtedly was, that the fabric of the world should be a school in which we might learn piety, and from it pass to eternal life and perfect felicity. But after looking at the perfection beheld wherever we turn our eye, above and below, we are met by the divine malediction, which, while it involves innocent creatures in our fault, of necessity fills our own souls with despair. For although God is still pleased in many ways to manifest his paternal favour towards us, we cannot, from a mere survey of the world, infer that he is a Father. Conscience urging us within, and showing that sin is a just ground for our being forsaken, will not allow us to think that God accounts or treats us as sons. In addition to this are our sloth and ingratitude. Our minds are so blinded...

Swamp mallow My thankful list this week: Good talk with my daughter. It's funny how we get wrong ideas about each other. I'm thankful we could clear the air and have a good laugh about our misconceptions. The blessing of normal life and everyday, humdrum activities.  A lunch date with Melissa on Saturday. I can't wait! Being at church with my daughter this Sunday, God willing. She has been away 7 week-ends in a row due to visitation and our vacation. I am so looking forward to being together with our faith family.

I never got around to finishing my post for today. The words were on the tip of my brain/fingers, but they just wouldn't come out in a satisfactory manner. Also time with my daughter this evening was infinitely more important. I don't want blogging to become an idol that must be appeased by a daily post, and if I'm honest the temptation is there. It was rather nice letting go of the pressure of completing a post for the sake of completion's sake. I should learn to do that more often and let real life win.