Tried With Fire

I'm posting at Out of the Ordinary today: "I can't imaging going through [fill in the blank] if I wasn't a Christian." Your answer for the blank may have been different from mine, but I think we would agree that we would not want to face trials or even an ordinary day without Christ. But what does that really mean when push comes to shove? What difference does it make being a Christian? Does being a Christian mean I won't have any problems? Do I truly get my "best life now?" If being a Christian doesn't give me an automatic out from hardship, does God still love me? Is He with me? How do I know this? Is it a feeling of emotional well-being? But what if I feel nothing? You may be thinking, "Enough of the questions already." You may be answering my questions in your head. But what are your answers and, more importantly, what is the source of those answers? Read more of the post here.

"If you would carry on the work of meditation in such a way as it may be done with sweetness, be sure that it be bounded with the Scripture; and let nothing fall within the compass of your meditation, but what falls within the compass of the Scripture." William Bridge, "The Works and Way of Meditation", 3:154 quoted in God's Battle Plan for the Mind: The Puritan Practice of Biblical Meditation , David Saxton, Reformation Heritage Books, 2015, pg. 18

While Moses was receiving God's instructions concerning the construction of the tabernacle, the people who remained at the foot of Sinai desired to have a symbol of the LORD's presence. This resulted ironically in the making of a golden calf. Whereas the tabernacle, with its golden furnishings, portrayed the LORD as a royal personage, the golden calf, in marked contrast, represented him as a mere beast. Although the people offered sacrifices, their worship of the calf degraded the one who had truly deliver them from slavery in Egypt. Worship, to be true, must be based on the right perception of God . The book of Exodus emphasizes the importance of knowing God as he truly is, and not as we imagine him to be . I couldn't help it, but my mind immediately went to the genre of "Jesus is my boyfriend" books after reading this. Am I being too critical? Perhaps, but it may be worth considering why we feel it is permissible and even necessary to go beyond how Scriptur...

Something came out of the blue this week-end which left me feeling anxious in a way I hadn't felt in a long time. I knew I shouldn't worry, but my stomach twisted itself into a big knot. I had taken all the necessary steps I could at the moment. I knew I should trust God, but it was so hard to overcome that sinking feeling. In the past, I tried to get relief by listening to sentimental Christian-ish songs to drum up a different set of emotions, but it never lasted. Dealing on an emotional plane only addressed the surface problem, not the root. I tried to fight the internal churning but didn't hide it very well. My daughter gave me that look which said, "I know you're worrying. It's not good. Do you need to talk about it?" So I confessed my worries and fears to her. In turn, she reminded me of the gospel and paraphrased Romans 8:32. If God chose to save me, if Jesus died to make that happen, did I really think He didn't care or wasn't big enough t...

I know not a better  rule of reading the Scripture , than to read it through from beginning to end; and, when we have finished it once, to begin it again. We shall meet with many passages which we can make little improvement of, but not so many in the second reading as in the first, and fewer in the third than in the second—provided we pray to Him who has the keys to open our understandings, and to anoint our eyes with his spiritual eye-salve! The course of  reading  today, will give some light for what we shall read  tomorrow , and throw a farther light upon what we read  yesterday . Experience alone, can prove the advantage of this method, if steadily persevered in. To make a few efforts, and then give up—is like taking a few steps and then standing still, which would do little towards completing a long journey. But, though a person walked  slowly , and but a  little  way in a day—if he walked every day, and with his face always in the same dir...

After hearing quite a bit about biblical interpretation this past week-end, my daughter made an interesting observation. "Why do mystics read into the Bible when they don't read everything else that way?" Good question, no? Can you imagine any Christian, mystic or otherwise, taking liberties with a memo from his boss, a contract with a client, or the 1040 tax form? What about an email or a handwritten letter? If my friend is writing about a walk around the lake, would I dare assume that it's an allegory for her journey through life? Ridiculous! Then why on earth do we take liberties when we read God's Word? It seems a bit arrogant and presumptuous to me. If we're willing to respect the intent of the memo, the terms of the contract, and the tax laws (perhaps grudgingly), shouldn't God's Word afford the same if not more honor? Rather than reading between the lines for some deeper, ooh-ahh meaning, maybe we should learn to read His Word for what it ...

This is one of my favorite Calvin and Hobbes comics.  I never thought my mom or dad (my dad did most of the cooking) would feed me paint or weed killer, but I did turn up my nose at some of the things on the dinner table including squid. Too chewy, like fishy rubber bands. But even though I never suspected my parents, how often have I  treated God like Calvin treated his mother, doubting His character and goodness? I'd rather not give an answer because I'd be ashamed of the number. All the more reason to side with the Word over feelings, circumstances, and whatever would tell me otherwise even if it's myself. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! Matt 7:9-11

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...

Divorce is a touchy subject. We have our opinions of what can or cannot be done. Those ideas may be based on scripture, the opinion of someone we respect, or even our concept of what is "fair". Sunday's sermon was on the Mark 10:1-12 - a very difficult passage where Jesus answers questions about divorce from the Pharisees. Pastor Ryan made the observation that often our first response is to ask, "What am I allowed to do?" whether it is in terms of pursuing a divorce or remarriage, and I think he's correct.  This question can be mere idle speculation about worst case scenarios from someone who has never suffered the pain of divorce. It may be the question of someone looking for any loophole to get out of a marriage that doesn't meet his/her expectations. This also may be the valid, gut-wrenching question of a cheated, abandoned, and/or abused spouse.  I don't want to minimize anyone in the last scenario. I've been there. But I wonder if there a...

In our day, we think we have the right to formulate our own opinions of God from whatever source we choose. Calvin would disagree. Men's conceptions of God are formed, not according to the representations He gives of Himself, but by the inventions of their own presumptuous imaginations ... They worship not God, but a figment of their own brains in His stead. And from his biographer: The basis of Calvin's theology, therefore, is the belief that through the Bible alone can God be known in His wholeness as the Creator, Redeemer, and Lord of the world. He is not so discernible in any other place - in the creation, or in man's conscience, or in the course of history and experience.  And since, if we are to know God, we must go to the place where He is to be found, it is to the Scriptures that we must go, and there we shall find Him as He is. If a man asks us to meet him in Piccadilly Circus, it is there (if he will and can keep his word) that we shall find him, and not in Trafal...

I've mentioned before that we left a church and stayed out of fellowship for a number of years. It's been more than a decade, but I had some nagging questions and recently got some answers.The more I learned about the past, the more I realized how much we practically set aside the Word of God. Sole adherence to the scriptures would have been vehemently affirmed, but when problems arose, maintaining the status quo, expediency, and man's opinion were the deciding factors. I wasn't making up the statement about God not caring about our repentance in my last post. I heard it from the pulpit. I knew something was wrong but couldn't put my finger on it, because I had no clue how to be a Berean. In a discussion group following that particular talk, I saw people twist their brains into all sorts of mental contortions to somehow make that statement jive with scripture. But sadly, those in authority were never to be questioned on any account, let alone things spoken from th...

This is the Cliff Notes version of our 3+ hour hermeneutic crash course last Friday. It was a bit like drinking from a fire hose since this was a condensed version of our pastor's seminary class taught by Dr. Robert Plummer at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Having lived through many hermeneutical nightmares, how we divide the word is critical to every believer. These aren't heady academic ideas, but the framework we should be using every time we open our Bibles. As R. C. Sproul says, "It is a tremendous thing that people are beginning to open up the Bible and study it together. But it is also an exceedingly dangerous thing. Pooling of knowledge is edifying to the church; pooling of ignorance is destructive and can manifest the problem of the blind leading the blind." from Knowing Scripture , IV Press, pg. 40. (Much of the material came from Dr. Plummer's book,  40 Questions About Interpreting the Bible,  Kregel 2010. Any errors are due to incomplete no...

The text from yesterday's sermon was James 1:22-25: But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 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. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. A few snippets from my notes: The book of James is about sound, saving faith, but a true saving faith will be a faith that works.  Both the gospel and the totality of scriptural revelation will lead us to action. So the implication is: 1. Look into the word. If I am not in the word, what does that say about me and my profession of faith? 2. Persevere in the word.  Not perfect, but persevering - meaning we will have highs and lows, but do we we keep pressing on? 3. Take action.  Don't fall...

Several years ago pre-Doctrines of Grace, a book was recommended to me when my ex- first moved out.  At that point, discernment was the last thing on my mind because all I wanted was comfort and hope.  It seemed reputable and a bestseller, which must be worth something.  W ell written and emotionally compelling, the book pulled at my heart strings. I cried buckets, and upon finishing, I was convinced that God was a lovesick Father. Deep down humanity was longing for God and deeply sorry for their sin. The last thing to do is drive someone away by talking about repentance and sin, so the key is to be as nice as possible and not offend in any way.  It certainly made me feel better, but it also gave false hope for reconciliation. In hindsight, I was banking on sentiment not truth. The book gave me what I wanted to hear and feel at the time. I didn't want to face the possibility of God actually ordaining my trial. I didn't want a God who doesn't give happy endings to hi...

For   the grace of God   has appeared, bringing salvation   for all people,   training us to renounce ungodliness and   worldly passions, and   to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in   the present age,   waiting for our blessed   hope, the   appearing of the glory of our great   God and Savior Jesus Christ,   who gave himself for us to   redeem us from all lawlessness and   to purify for himself   a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.  Titus 2:11-14

If you could have two Biblical characters over for dinner who would you pick and why? Give 1st and 2nd choices, if you like. (Thanks to Chris Brauns for the idea.) 1st choice: Philemon and Onesimus.  Forgiveness is a big issue on my mind and heart recently.  We studied the book of Philemon in small group, and I am still meditating on it.  I would love to hear the details of how Onesimus was brought to repentance, how God providentially sent him to Paul, and what went on in his mind before he returned to Philemon.  I would also like to learn how God enabled Philemon to forgive and be reconciled to his brother.  Incidentally I highly recommend Pastor Brauns' book Unpacking Forgiveness . 2nd choice: Adam and Eve.  Questions about creation, when death entered this world, dinosaurs, whether Adam and Eve had umbilici, and what life was like before the fall could be resolved once for all! So, who would you choose?

This is Hibiscus syriacus better know as Rose of Sharon. The flowers are about 4 inches across, but close once the sun is high in the sky. There were two fat bees fighting over who would get the nectar as I was taking photos this morning. Each blossom opens for just one day as yesterday's bloom was tightly furled. I marvel at the beauty that God bestows on a flower for a single day. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you. 1 Peter 1: 24-25 [A horticultural correction: This is not Hibiscus syriacus AKA Rose of Sharon but Hibiscus moscheutos AKA swamp-rose mallow or rose mallow. The rose of sharon shrub has flowers very similar to this, but they are smaller in diameter. This proves that you can't trust everything you find on the internet.]

And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his   span of life?   And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,   yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  Matthew 6: 27-29

When I have things weighing on my mind (usually every day), I wake up before the alarm goes off and start thinking, which usually leads to worry. To combat this, I have begun to recite Scripture in my head in an effort to preach the truth to myself. For many years, my feelings used to shape my perception of God and my relationship to Him. Now, I need to let the Word declare who God is and take my cue from that. This has been a great help. It's helping my Scripture memorization as well as reinforcing the truth over and over. It's also very interesting how the doubts seem to shrink in the light of objective truth. The Word is a two-edged sword. Right now, I need to use it on myself.

Test your Bible knowledge here .