Tried With Fire

Flowering quince I'm thankful for a few days of spring-like weather after the bitter cold last week. I've been blessed by the women's study on Philippians. I'm encouraged by the enthusiasm of the ladies and our discussion this week on approving what is excellent in our lives. We've been using Joy! by Keri Folmar. I'm thankful for the sovereignty of God over everything including dying computers. My poor iMac gave up the ghost again (the logic board is my guess). I'm praying I can recover the hard drive. If not, God is sovereign over that too. Doesn't this truth help take the anxiety out of life? I'm thankful for saints who have gone before but  still speak from the grave. Here's a gem from William Spurstowe (1605-1666). Were the way, which leads to heaven a ladder of duties , and not a golden chain of free grace , I could not but fear, that the higher I climb, the greater would my fall prove to be; every service being like a brittle ...

It's my turn to post at Out of the Ordinary: I've had a long relationship with moralism - one which I have been actively trying to sever. Unfortunately, my inner moralist has the knack of raising her ugly head periodically or worse, camouflaging herself under the guise of wanting to do things right. There's nothing inherently wrong with wanting to do a good job. Who wouldn't want their surgeon to perform the operation correctly or have their pilot land the plane without mishap? We should strive for excellence for the glory of God, but this desire ceases to be good when right behavior, understanding, attitude, feelings, and [add your favorites here] determine acceptance and favor with God. Read more here .

Here is a brief summary of the main points from Pastor Ryan's sermon on Job 4-14.  So far, this series has been excellent and given me a lot to ponder. This sermon (which should be available today) and the previous ones can be found  here . I highly commend them. 1. Suffering is not always the result of personal sin. Job's friends made an assumption that was not absolute. Yes, people do suffer as a direct consequence for their sins, but God never charged Job with sin though his friends did. The sun and rain fall on the just and the unjust. Sin, either his own or his parents, was not the cause of the man's blindness in John 9. Rather it was for the glory of God. 2. We must know God, His Word, and His people if we are to counsel well. If we don't know God, His attributes, character, and Word, we will give misguided counsel.  Our understanding of the Word must be systematic because one doctrine interweaves with another. If we hold up God's justice above His...

  Do not fear those who can kill the body... fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Luke 12:4-5 The soul is immortal and it will have sensibility forever. No one can kill the soul. If all the angels in heaven, and all the men on earth, could lay all their strength together, they cannot kill or annihilate one soul. If it may be said; "God cannot do what he will not do'; then he cannot annihilate the soul. Notwithstanding, all his wrath and vengeance that he will inflict on sinful souls, they yet shall abide as conscious and sensible beings, yet to endure, yet to bear punishment. If anything could kill the soul, it would be death; but death cannot do it - neither the first nor second death. When the rich man died as to his body, his soul was found alive in hell (Luke 16: 34). The second death cannot do it, for the worm never dies, but is always torturing them with his gnawing (Mark 9:44).  This shows the greatness of the soul; it has endless life...

“Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.” The great point, then, is, that we are consecrated and dedicated to God, and, therefore, should not henceforth think, speak, design, or act, without a view to his glory. What he hath made sacred cannot, without signal insult to him, be applied to profane use. But if we are not our own, but the Lord’s, it is plain both what error is to be shunned, and to what end the actions of our lives ought to be directed. We are not our own; therefore, neither is our own reason or will to rule our acts and counsels. We are not our own; therefore, let us not make it our end to seek what may be agreeable to our carnal nature. We are not our own; therefore, as far as possible, let us forget ourselves and the things that are ours. On the other hand, we are God’s; let us, therefore, live and die to him (Rom. 14:8). We are God’s; therefore, ...

HT: Reformed Humor on FB

As I've been reading about the promises of God, I am so thankful that God is my God. God heard the cries of the Israelites in Egypt because they were His people, and God answered their cries because he had promised to be their God. His answer was not mere deliverance but deliverance from bondage unto all heavenly and divine blessedness. It was an adoption, a reception into a relationship that proved to be immeasurably fruitful. This relationship grounded for them then and still grounds for us today all of God's promises, because the core of a divine promise is not so much the thing promised but God Himself. The promises bring us into an unshakable, inviolable, and fruitful relationship with God... All of God's promises depend on the truth that God is our God, for only this relationship can secure those things that the promise holds for us... Thus, if we steadfastly believe and rest on the foundational promise that God is our God , we will find more comfort tha...

"My times are in Your hand!" Psalm 31:15 Our times of  adversity  are also in God's hand. As every  sunbeam  that brightens, so every  cloud  that darkens, comes from God. We are subject to great and sudden reverses in our earthly condition. Joy is often followed by grief; prosperity is often followed by adversity. We are on the pinnacle today; tomorrow at its bottom. Oh! What a change may one event and one moment create! But, beloved, ALL is from the Lord! Afflictions  do not spring from the soil, nor do  troubles  sprout from the ground.  Sorrow  cannot come until God bids it. Until God in His sovereignty permits — health cannot fade, wealth cannot vanish, comfort cannot decay, friendship cannot chill, and loved ones cannot die.  Your time of sorrow — is  His appointment.  The  bitter cup  which it may please the Lord that you shall drink this year, will not be mixed by...

In his second sermon on Job, Pastor Ryan asked this question: "Would we rather God be the one in control of every single moment of pain, or do we think it is better if God doesn't have any part of it?" This is a tough question and the very question that drove me to the doctrines of grace during the hardest time of my life to date. There were well-meaning friends who tried their best to comfort me. A common thread was, "God doesn't want this to happen. It's not His will for your marriage to end." This offered temporary relief but if you take this line of reasoning to its logical conclusion, it led to some very uncomfortable questions. If God doesn't want this to happen, why doesn't He stop it? If He can't stop it, then there's something preventing Him from acting. If He can't overcome this opposition, then those things are more powerful than God. Then what  kind of God do I believe in? A God who wants the best for me but wh...

Loving the Church by John Crotts, Shepherd Press, 2010, 140 pages. If I have a relationship with Jesus, why do I need the church? I get together with other Christians on my own. Isn't that enough? What if I've been hurt by the church? What if it isn't meeting my needs? There are plenty of opportunities to serve God outside the confines of the local church, so is it even necessary? These are common questions and ones which John Crotts answers in Loving the Church: God's People Flourishing in God's Family.  The church is not an option for Christians, but we often don't understand what the Bible teaches about its importance to God and the believer. Without this knowledge, we may end up leaving the local church to our detriment for a wide variety of reasons. Through the conversations of believers wrestling with these issues, Pastor Crotts uses their interaction to expose misconceptions about the church in the light of Scripture. He discusses the value of the ...

The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. Romans 8:16 The Spirit of holiness in us is God's seal upon us signifying that we are his. He is the earnest of the glory to come. Great care must now be taken to make him the principle of all our operations and to obey him and follow his movements, as he leads you into communion with God. Be sure you do not mistake the movings of the Holy Spirit with those of Satan or your own passions, pride or fleshly wisdom. The Spirit of God is only for heavenly wisdom, and not for foolish or treacherous craftiness. He is the Spirit of love, unity, meekness, patience, and holiness. He moves us to be conformed to Christ. This is the sure test of his identity. He works in us to perfect our sanctification and obedience. Unprofitable trifles, despair, painful distractions and disturbances of mind make us unfit for duty, and drive us from God. These are not the influences of the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God dra...

Doctrine is not an affair of the tongue, but of the life; is not apprehended by the intellect and memory merely, like other branches of learning; but is received only when it possesses the whole soul, and finds its seat and habitation in the inmost recesses of the heart. Let them, therefore, either cease to insult God, by boasting that they are what they are not, or let them show themselves not unworthy disciples of their divine Master. To doctrine in which our religion is contained we have given the first place, since by it our salvation commences; but it must be transfused into the breast, and pass into the conduct, and so transform us into itself, as not to prove unfruitful. If philosophers are justly offended, and banish from their company with disgrace those who, while professing an art which ought to be the mistress of their conduct, convert it into mere loquacious sophistry, with how much better reason shall we detest those flimsy sophists who are contented to let the Gospel p...

Source With all the rain we've had, I'm very thankful for an old but sound roof over my head and a working furnace. I'm also thankful for driving safety in the wet weather. After chauffeuring my daughter to class, I passed a nasty fender bender on the way home, which makes me thankful for working brakes too. I'm thankful for a good start of the ladies' Bible study on Philippians. I'm encouraged by their enthusiasm to dig into the Word together. Our small group met last night after several weeks off. It was good to be together and discuss Sunday's sermon on Job. I appreciate these brothers and sisters so much. Finally, here's a quote from William Gurnall that gave a good start to my Thursday: Saints should consider the power of God as available for them. They should impress it upon their souls until all their doubts and fears are silenced. We may count this attribute our portion and reap the comfort it yields as freely as one may harvest th...

Suffering is an issue that's always on the back burner of my mind. My new post at Out of the Ordinary is a result of meditating on Sunday's sermon on Job , a chapter in The Gospel Centered Woman , the reality of life and the reality of grace. We have a bridge between our godly longing and our fallen reality that sufficiently equips us to deal with each struggle. It is the gospel. The gospel is the bridge. God has done something through the life, death, and resurrection of Christ by which He is able to make "all grace abound to you." He has done something through Christ that sufficiently quips you and I so that we are abundantly supplied for every good work he has called us to do, this kingdom living that stands in such stark contrast with our fallen earthly reality.  1 Read more  here . 1.  The Gospel Centered Woman  by Wendy Alsup, 2012, pg. 37.

(This post is one of my daughter's writing assignments. Since we are beginning our study in Philippians tonight, it seemed very appropriate.) People are designed to search for what is of value. As Christians, we know that the most valuable thing of all is the Word of God. Unfortunately, many people do not know how to study it and instead look for feelings and experiences. On the contrary, proper Bible study is very much like mining for precious stones. Just as with mining, Bible study takes hard work, requires patience, but yields rich reward. Gem mining and Bible study are both hard work. Miners must dig into the earth, often tunneling quite deep. Then they break up and sort through pieces of rock all day, every day. Likewise, Christians must dig deep into the Scriptures, carefully studying what the text says. The Bible will not unpack itself; we have to exert our minds to think. Both exercises also require patience and perseverance. Miners often have to search for a long t...

Yesterday, Pastor Ryan began the sermon series on "Counsel in Job".  After giving an overview of the book, he walked us through the first chapter. The closing verses describe how Job shaved his head, tore his clothes, and fell on the ground - external symbols of grief. All his earthly possessions were gone. His ten children were killed in one fell swoop. Job's sorrow was to be expected. It was normal, and yet he worshipped. These aren't things we would typically associate together, but here is Job prostrate in the dust  and worshipping after burying his ten children. This may seem strange to our minds because "worship" has been reduced to pleasant feelings about God. It may also seem strange because we think being a Christian means always wearing a happy face.   But Job didn't blame God. even though he recognized His absolute sovereignty to do as He pleased.  Job didn't attempt to get God off the hook by attributing his calamity to any other...

You have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God. Romans 6:22 If you have sincerely given yourself up to God, and consented to his covenant, show it, by turning the face of your endeavors and conversation quite another way; seek heaven more fervently and diligently than you ever sought the world or fleshly pleasures. Holiness consists not in a mere forbearance of a sensual life, but principally in living unto God. The principle or heart of holiness is within, and consists in the love of God, his Word, his ways, his servants, his honour, and his interest in the world. It consists in the soul's delight in God, and the ways of God. It is inclined towards him, and seeks after him to please him. It hates to offend him. The expression of it in our lives consists in a constant, diligent exercise of the internal life, according to the directions of the Word of God. If you are a believer, and have subjected yourself to God as your absolute Sovereign, King, and Judge, it wil...

If we are disposed to acquiesce in the simple doctrine of Scripture, there will be no danger of our being misled by such glosses. There one method of confessing is prescribed; since it is the Lord who forgives, forgets and wipes away sins, to him let us confess them, that we may obtain pardon. He is the physician, therefore let us show our wounds to him. He is hurt and offended, let us ask peace of him. He is the discerner of the heart, and knows all one thoughts; let us hasten to pour out our hearts before him. He it is, in fine, who invites sinners; let us delay not to draw near to him. “I acknowledge my sin unto thee,” says David; “and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin,” (Ps. 32:5). Another specimen of David’s confessions is as follows: “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving kindness,” (Ps. 51:1). The following is Daniel’s confession: “We have sinned, and have committed iniqu...

I would like to buy about three dollars worth of gospel, please. Not too much - just enough to make me happy, but not so much that I get addicted. I don't want so much gospel that I learn to really hate covetousness and lust. I certainly don't want so much that I start to love my enemies, cherish self-denial, and contemplate missionary service in some alien culture. I want ecstasy, not repentance. I want transcendence, not transformation. I would like to be cherished by some nice, forgiving, broad-minded people, but I myself don't want to love those from different races -  especially if they smell. I would like enough gospel to make my family secure and my children well behaved, but not so much that I would find my ambitions redirected or my giving too greatly enlarged. I would like about three dollars worth of gospel, please. Basics for Believers, An Exposition of Philippians , D.A. Carson, Baker Academic, 1996, pp. 12-13.

Source I'm thankful for: A good start to my daughter's college class. I'm also thankful for the affordability and close proximity of the community college. New Sunday school class on justification. As part of this class, we will be looking at the move back to Rome via the New Perspective on Paul and other similar views. Women's study of Philippians. In last week's sermon, Pastor Ryan admonished us to not settle for substitutes but to get in the Word. I'm thankful for an opportunity to do just that. I know I shouldn't gauge my state by my feelings, but I am grateful for some emotional relief from specific worries that have been weighing on me. I'm even more thankful for the promises of God which are true and independent of feelings.

I've finished listening to The Pilgrim's Progress again. If you have not read this gem, please do. You'll soon find out why this is the most widely published book after the Bible. Here's an excerpt where Mr. Great-heart explains the gospel/imputation to Christiana: So then here is a righteousness that Christ, as God, has no need of; for he is God without it: Here is a righteousness that Christ, as man, has no need of to make him so; for he is perfect man without it. Again, here is a righteousness that Christ, as God-man, has no need of; for he is perfectly so without it. Here then is a righteousness that Christ, as God, and as God-man, has no need of, with reference to himself, and therefore he can spare it; a justifying righteousness, that he for himself wanteth not, and therefore giveth it away: Hence it is called the gift of righteousness. This righteousness, since Christ Jesus the Lord has made himself under the law, must be given away; for the law doth not o...

ht: Scripture Zealot

My daughter and I have interesting conversations. Yesterday, she asked, in a historical sense, when did girls began to fall for jerks. Interesting, no? Given that the attitude which makes one a jerk comes from sin, we would have to go back to Genesis 3 for the origin and I dare say the origin of those who would fall for such behavior. Also the Bible is not without its examples of bad boys such as Samson (yes he is in Hebrews 11 but his treatment of women was rather unchivalrous) and Nabal. Even in literature, all the ladies in Meryton were ga-ga for Mr. Wickham in Pride and Prejudice . In Mr. Wickham's case, he tried to hide his true character to ingratiate himself, but nowadays, it seems guys don't try to hide it at all. In media and music, women are objectified by men and they don't seem to mind. As we were talking, the thought crossed my mind that perhaps this is the only strength women see today. Compared to what Ahhnold called "girly men", it appears stro...

Therefore, brothers... we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus.  Hebrews 10:19 Jesus appears before God for us - representing us continually before his Father - and mark: not only has Jesus this liberty to enter into heaven, but unto all the saints, and that not only at death but in their life time. All of us, not only when we die, but now we have boldness to enter. The veil is rent, and now we have the privilege to come freely to converse with God. O, what a great privilege is this that we have a Father in heaven! Though we do not have personal access till death, yet by the blood of Jesus we may come with boldness presenting ourselves before the Lord with all our needs and desires. The great distance between heaven and earth shall not hinder our communion with God, since we have a friend above. Therefore it is very comfortable now to say: 'Our Father in heaven', that is, our gracious and reconciled Father, in and by Christ. Since we have a Father...

We have elsewhere observed, that forgiveness of sins never can be obtained without repentance, because none but the afflicted, and those wounded by a consciousness of sins, can sincerely implore the mercy of God; but we, at the same time, added, that repentance cannot be the cause of the forgiveness of sins: and we also did away with that torment of souls—the dogma that it must be performed as due. Our doctrine was, that the soul looked not to its own compunction or its own tears, but fixed both eyes on the mercy of God alone. Only we observed, that those who labour and are heavy laden are called by Christ, seeing he was sent “to preach good tidings to the meek;” “to bind up the broken-hearted; to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;” “to comfort all that mourn.” Hence the Pharisees were excluded, because, full of their own righteousness, they acknowledged not their own poverty; and despisers, because, regardless of the divine anger,...

Source I'm thankful for: ~ A restful time over the holidays to read and recharge. ~ Normal, everyday, boring life. The break was nice, but I'm glad to be back in our regular routine again. Routine is good. ~ Lessons in praying rather than worrying first ~ Dead theologians. I'm reading Voices from the Past  again as part of my devotions. There's nothing like a daily dose of the Puritans. ~ Upcoming women's study of Philippians. We will be using Joy! by Keri Folmar. ~ The promises of God. Ah, what a mercy it is that it is not YOUR hold of Christ that saves you, but HIS hold of you! What a sweet fact that it is not how you grasp His hand, but His grasp of yours that saves you. ~  C.H. Spurgeon

I'm posting my review of Lost in the Middle: Midlife and the Grace of God by Paul David Tripp at Out of the Ordinary . Read the review and enter the giveaway here .

“I will never leave you, nor forsake you ” has been proven by God’s saints in all the ages that are past. Turn to the pages of your Bibles and see if ever a man was ashamed that put his trust in Christ! See if he that wrestled with the invisible God was ever confounded. Has not the Lord stayed with His people at all hazards—broken the necks of kings and scattered empires like chaff before the wind sooner than that one of His faithful ones should come to ruin? It has been so even in your own experience. You, too, have found the text to be true. You have gone through fire and through water, but He has never left you nor forsaken you! Your vessel scarcely had enough water to stay off the bottom, but though she had almost grated on the gravel, yet she has kept afloat and though, perhaps, you have been wrecked, yet you have come safely to shore. You have lost much, you say, but you have been a gainer by your loss and where you are today you are by et...