Tried With Fire

O Lord of Grace, The world is before me this day,    and I am weak and fearful,    but I look to thee for strength; If I venture forth alone I stumble and fall,    but on the Beloved’s arms I am firm as the eternal hills; If left to the treachery of my heart I shall shame thy Name,    but if enlightened, guided, upheld by thy Spirit,    I shall bring thee glory. Be thou my arm to support,              my strength to stand,              my light to see,              my feet to run,              my shield to protect,              my sword to repel,              my sun to warm. To enrich me will not diminish thy fullness; All thy lovingkindness is in thy Son, I bring him to thee in the arms of faith, I ...

By Tom Gauld

The following quote is by Alan Jon Hauser - Genesis 2-3: The Theme of Intimacy and Alienation .  Michelle Lee-Barnewell refers to Dr. Hauser's paper in Neither Complementarian Nor Egalitarian in the section where she proposes that unity is the primary theme of Adam and Eve's relationship in Genesis 2 rather than authority/submission or even equality. 1 As I read Dr. Lee-Barnewell's argument and then Dr. Hauser's analysis, I think they have both honed in on something that has been missing from the gender debate. (I would add that Lee-Barnewell's position does not necessarily negate male elders nor any application of Ephesians 5.) If unity/oneness is indeed the hallmark of Adam and Eve's pre-fall state, then sin brought in alienation between men and women and between mankind and God. In Hauser's examination of the text, he notes that the Hebrew verb tenses are plural even when the serpent is addressing Eve, thus emphasizing the oneness of Adam and Eve. But ...

Lord Jesus, great high priest, Thou hast opened a new and living way    by which a fallen creature can approach Thee with acceptance. Help me to contemplate the dignity of Thy Person,                                         the perfectness of Thy sacrifice,                                         the effectiveness of Thy intercession. O what blessedness accompanies devotion,     when under all the trials that weary me,                              the cares that corrode me,                              the fears that disturb me,                  ...

The Tao of the Man Bun with J.P. Sears:

I'm posting at Out of the Ordinary today: My opinion of politics has been marred ever since President Richard Nixon resigned in disgrace. I may have only been a kid at the time, but even a kid knows cover-ups and lying aren't right. Any standard of "right" has undergone a slow deterioration from bad to worse over the years, so I am not encouraged by the state of my nation. It is also easy to become fearful and wonder what will happen to the church-at-large given the political and social climate. But the culture has never been a good metric of the progress of the Kingdom of God. History has shown time and time again that the gospel spreads and the church flourishes in the most adverse circumstances, proving once more that the foolishness of God is wiser than men. ( 1 Cor. 1:25 ) Read the rest of the post here.

Pentecostal Outpourings: Revial and the Reformed Tradition, Robert Davis Smart, Michael A. G. Haykin, Ian Hugh Clary, editors, Reformation Heritage Books, 2016, 280 pages. Most Christians would agree that we need revival today, but what does that look like and what are its fruits? If we are honest, an accurate assessment of modern-day revival is "a humanly engineered series of meetings to convert the unsaved and with a fanatical experience that has little to do with the gospel and biblical theology." 1 Sadly, this definition bears little resemblance to New Testament. Hence our ideas need correcting, and  Pentecostal Outpourings offers a   much-needed biblical and historical corrective. This book examines historic revivals of the past in the British Isles and America. The accounts are not confined to one particular denomination but cover a range of groups all within the reformed tradition. Thus what constitutes  revival is defined by that theological con...

GOD OF THE PASSING HOUR, Another week has gone and I have been preserved    in my going out,    in my coming in. Thine has been the vigilance that has turned threatened evils aside; Thine the supplies that have nourished me; Thine the comforts that have indulged me; Thine the relations and friends that have delighted me; Thine the means of grace which have edified me; Thine the Book, which, amidst all my enjoyments,    has told me that this is not my rest,                       that in all successes one thing alone is needful,                          to love my Saviour. Nothing can equal the number of thy mercies    but my imperfections and sins. These, O God, I will neither conceal nor palliate,    but confess with a broken heart. In what condition would secret reviews of my life leave me   ...

ht: Vintage Books on FB

I think most Christians would reject outright the prosperity gospel that promises health and wealth. But I wonder if we buy into a more subtle version, which promises emotional and relational health. For the most part, we understand the physical needs of fellow believers. We pray when someone is sick. We take a meal. We do something. But what about the immaterial- the mental and emotional issues in our lives? This is much harder to understand because it is inside of us, hidden from sight. But if it is inside, does that mean we have more control over it and thus greater ability to "get over it?" My daughter made an interesting statement that we may want to "fix" people in the body of Christ because then we don't have to care for them. And I think she may be right. I just searched at christianbook.com and found more than 2000 books in the category for "Christian Living" for women. These books wouldn't be written if the authors didn't think the...

So I started reading Pentecostal Outpurings: Revival and the Reformed Tradition for an upcoming review.  Before anyone starts wondering (or freaking out), look at the names of the editors. Also the publisher is Reformation Heritage Books, so "Pentecostal" is in terms of Acts 2 not Pentecostalism . On skimming the book, the historical accounts in the British Isles and the United States bear absolutely no resemblance to our post Charles Finney notions of revival. I would describe what passes for a modern "revival" as an emotionally manipulative experience that promotes a genie-in-the-bottle "god" who grants our every wish and whim if we use the right incantation. There is no reverence. There is no repentance. It is marked by hoopla and a carnival-like atmosphere. There is a certain level of arrogance, too, where we almost demand the Holy Spirit act on our behalf and put His stamp of approval on human effort that misrepresents God. And don't forget ...

O LOVER OF THE LOVELESS, It is thy will that I should love thee    with heart, soul, mind, strength,       and my neighbour as myself. But I am not sufficient for these things. There is by nature no pure love in my soul; Every affection in me is turned from thee; I am bound, as slave to lust, I cannot love thee, lovely as thou art,    until thou dost set me free. By grace I am thy freeman and would serve thee,    for I believe thou art my God in Jesus,       and that through him I am redeemed,          and my sins are forgiven. With this freedom I would always obey thee,    but I cannot walk in liberty,    any more than I could first attain it, of myself. May thy Spirit draw me nearer to thee and thy ways. Thou art the end of all means,    or if they lead me not to thee, I go away empty. Order all my ways by thy holy Word    and ...

A Mother's Day PSA: ht: Fake James White on Twitter

I'm at Out of the Ordinary today.  Christian community can be risky business because there is always the chance of misunderstanding, but the benefits can far outweigh the risks. Read the post here .

"When I've asked students and friends to describe an experience of community, they often tell stories about a time of intense emotional bonding with a group of people: a weekend retreat that was deeply affirming, a camping trip with friends, or a short-term mission project where participants began to feel like family. Such experiences of community tend to be brief, occasional, and intense. Communities in which we grow and flourish, however, last over time and are built by people who are faithful to one another and committed to a shared purpose. Community life certainly has moments of incredible beauty and intense personal connection, but much of it is daily and ordinary. Our lives are knit together not so much by intense feeling as by shared history, tasks, commitments, stories, and sacrifices." "But communities need more than shared history and tasks to endure. A combination of grace, fidelity, and truth makes communities safe enough for people to take the risks...

THOU ART THE BLESSED GOD,     happy in thyself,     source of happiness in thy creatures,     my Maker, Benefactor, Proprietor, Upholder. Thou hast produced and sustained me,                  supported and indulged me,                  saved and kept me; Thou art in every situation able to meet my needs and miseries. May I live by thee,            live for thee,            never be satisfied with my Christian progress                  but as I resemble Christ; And may conformity to his principles, temper, and conduct      grow hourly in my life. Let thy unexampled love constrain me into holy obedience,     and render my duty my delight. If others deem my faith folly,                ...