Tried With Fire

Wenceslaus Hollar/ Source For your arrows have sunk into me, and your hand has come down on me.   Psalm 38:2 What has God wrought in you? Has he even given this conviction to you, not a little fight now and then, or a qualm of your conscience? The devil and natural conscience may do this, but when it is wrought in your heart by the Spirit of God, it goes to the bottom, the arrow sticks fast, and a poor soul sometimes endeavors to pray, endeavors to pull it out, all but in vain. Has God wrought this in your soul? Now, when God works this change in the soul, the devil is always busy tempting the poor convicted sinner to despond, if not despair. Ignorant formalists, who are some of the worst people under heaven, when a person is under conviction, think the devil is got into them, whereas the devil is in themselves; for the devil hoodwinks people, and he endeavors to persuade them that there is no harm done to God by sinning against him. It is God who wou...

I'm thankful for: - Farmer's markets that sell summer squash, zucchini, melons, and juicy South Carolina peaches. - Watching the Doctor Who premiere with friends. The TARDIS cookies were more popular than the Daleks. - Library books on cassette tape. Yes, my car is that old. - The annual end-of-summer church crab pickin'. Beautiful weather, delicious food, and being with church family. You couldn't ask for a nicer time. - The long week-end ahead for reading and relaxing. - A new mug for my morning cuppa. - The recent sermon series: But You Were Washed . I appreciate a church that is not afraid to talk about difficult subjects, call sin what it is, but also declare the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ that is able to save to the uttermost. - My identity in Christ. I am not defined by my sin or failures, but neither am I defined by my achievements. All I have is Christ.

I'm posting at Out of the Ordinary today: I've often felt like a square peg in a round hole, somewhat of an outsider when it comes to the crowd, and I accept this fact. But what about the family of God? I would like to say there is no fear and total freedom, but sometimes I can't shake off my square-peggishness. Having experienced past rejection, defense is the default. So the shield automatically activates and gets set on withdrawal mode... Read the post . And for a little musical accompaniment -   Square Peg by Jill Phillips

Karl Briullov/ Source For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. James 1:23 To walk with God implies that the Spirit of God removes the power of the natural heart. Perhaps it may seem hard to some, but our own experience daily proves what the Scriptures in many places assert, that the carnal mind, the mind of the unconverted man, and even the mind of the regenerate, so far as any part of him remains unrenewed, is [at] enmity against God himself. Indeed, one may well wonder that any creature, especially that lovely creature man, made after his Maker's own image, should ever have any enmity, much less a prevailing enmity, against that very God in whom he lives, moves, and has his being. But so it is. Our first parents contracted it when they fell from God by eating the forbidden fruit… and this same enmity rules and prevails in every man that is naturally engendered of the offspring of Adam… He th...

I am thankful for: - Getting caught up with sleep. I can function with everyday tiredness but not the kind that makes me dizzy and zombie-like. I'm thankful to be feeling human and no longer like the undead. - A cooler-than-normal summer. I will take low 80's over upper 90's any day. - A good start to the semester for my girl. I am also thankful for community colleges that offer quality education for a good price. - A new bookshelf. I had books stacked in front of books and books on top of books. It was nice to do a little shelf reorganization and maybe make room for a few more? - An addition to the living room wall thanks to creative photoshopping by Eddie Eddings . And yes, it is a squirrel on C.H. Spurgeon's shoulder. - Being at our home church on Sunday. There's nothing like singing the Word, reading the Word, and hearing the Word preached. - My daughter's public commitment to the church this past Sunday. We had joined as a family when she ...

A few weeks ago, the washer would fill up and then stop. After much jiggling and knob turning, I managed to get the machine to complete the cycle. This happened off and on for a few days. To avoid a repair call, I searched the Internet for a possible home solution. Sure enough Youtube had a video describing my problem. The lid switch often separates over time so the little post on the lid does not activate the switch. The video suggested using a zip tie to bring the two halves of the switch together, which requires dismantling the machine. I wasn't prepared to do that, so perhaps another alternative would be to extend the post to fully depress the switch. I tried this with a screwdriver and it worked. But rather than sticking a screwdriver in the lid switch every time I did laundry, I tried something else - a rubber band and a picture hanger.  The hanger was already squashed at one end, and I needed to pry the other side open with pliers. Just wind the rubber band around the ...

[I]n our human desire to search for a quick fix to our problems, it is often easier to take someone else's personal guidelines and treat them as the solution rather than examine our own sinful hearts. And far too often this turns into legalism as we intentionally or unintentionally impose those restrictions on others. Singled Out: Why Celibacy Must Be Reinvented in Today's Church , Christine A. Colon & Bonnie E. Field, Brazos Press. 2009, pg. 102.

A few mini-reviews: The Cross and Gendercide: A Theological Response to the Global Violence Against Women and Children , Elizabeth Gerhardt, IVP Academic, 2014. Drawing from Martin Luther's theology of the cross and Dietrich Bonhoeffer's life, Dr. Gerhardt argues that the church should/must offer a theological response to the gendercide of women and girls.  She acknowledges that the church's primary goal is the preaching of the gospel, but the gospel does not turn a blind eye to this sin because it "violates the integrity and humanity of God's creation."[92] Thus, we care for the oppressed because we have been justified and are saved by faith alone but by a faith that is never alone. The Cross and Gendercide is very different from many secular books on this subject which stop short at political action and education. While those efforts are helpful, only the gospel has the power to heal a life devastated by abuse. This was a tough read because of the s...

I am beloved of the Lord, if, having his love in my heart, I show it by loving those he has loved. Some people may say, "I love you, but I do not love those about you, your friends;" you are not bound to love all alike but it may teach you to be civil to that person's beloved. As soon as ever we hear of a Christian, as soon as ever we hear of a believer, as soon as ever we hear of a sinner turning to God, we should rejoice and be like the angels  in heaven who rejoice over one sinner's repentance. Some people may say, "I love dearly to hear of persons being converted by such a minister; I love dearly to hear of persons being converted by a dissenter; I love dearly to hear of persons being converted by a churchman, but I do not like people should be converted by this and that person." I believe there are a great many people whose hearts are thus narrow, but this mixture is not of God. And I pray God they may know it by experience; that they may know they are ...

If they had used a puppy, it would have been a melon collie baby. ;)

Philadelphia skyline/ Source I am thankful for: A long week-end with family and extended family. My family by birth is also my family in Christ. Taste buds to enjoy all the good food.  My favorites were the blueberry mascarpone ice cream at the Bent Spoon in Princeton, NJ and the handmade noodles in Philadelphia's Chinatown. My parent's good physical health. I'm also thankful for their independent living situation and their desire to share the love of Christ with the other residents. Safe and uneventful travel. Sound sleep which was much needed after the busy week-end. Catching up work in one day. Everyday routine and time to recharge. Anticipating being with my church family on Sunday.

The Lord God will help me. (Isaiah 50:7) These are in prophecy the words of Messiah in the day of His obedience unto death, when He gave His back to the smiters and His cheeks to them that plucked off the hair. He was confident in divine support and trusted in Jehovah. O my soul, thy sorrows are as the small dust of the balance compared with thy Lord's! Canst thou not believe that the Lord God will help thee? Thy Lord was in a peculiar position; for as the representative of sinful men -- their substitute and sacrifice -- it was needful that the Father should leave Him and cause Him to come under desertion of soul. No such necessity is laid upon thee: thou art not bound to cry, "Why hast thou forsaken me?" Did thy Savior even in such a case still rely upon God, and canst not thou? He died for thee and thus made it impossible that thou shouldst be left alone; wherefore, be of good cheer. In this day's labors or trials say, "The Lord God will help me." Go for...

ht: Reformed Memes Daily

I am thankful for… - Glimpses of wildlife. These two mourning doves were sunning themselves right by the front door. I think they were nest mates and newly fledged based on their markings and size. - My old car passing inspection. I'm thankful it still runs well and has low mileage for its age. I'm also thankful for a reliable mechanic. - Nearly 8 hours of sleep last night. - A friend who is a very talented hairdresser. I feel like a new woman with 3 inches cut off. - Sisters in Christ, near and far, who encourage me in the gospel and who are faithful to pray. - The opportunity to visit family. - The hope we have because of Christ's resurrection. Even though the outward man is decaying, the inward man is being renewed. But we also have the hope that even our bodies will be fully restored at the last day.

I have heard of a person who was in company once with fourteen ministers of the gospel, some of whom were eminent servants of Christ, and yet not one of them could tell the time God first manifested himself to their soul. Zaccheus's was a very quick conversion, perhaps not a quarter of an hour's conviction: this I mention that we may not condemn one another. The Lord works with each of us differently and in different seasons. We do not love the pope, because we love to be popes ourselves, and set up our own experience as a standard to others. Those that had such a conversion as the jailer, or the Jews; O, say you, we do not like to hear you talk of shaking over hell, we love to hear of conversion by the love of God and of being drawn to him for his great love; while others that were so shaken, as Robert Bolton and other eminent men were, may say, you are not Christians, because you had not the like terrible experience. You may as well say to your neighbor, you have not ha...

ht: Bunya on FB