More sinful than you think

Thanks Kevin deYoung

2011-03-09T16:59:00.000Z

I have been really helped by a post that Kevin DeYoung posted this week.

Here are three highlights to whet your appetite:

Here’s one of the hardest truths for Christians to understand, let alone embrace: some of us will do more of a particular good thing than others and some will do less. And the difference may not be sinful.

I don’t have as many stories of personal evangelism as I’d like. I get some once in awhile, but they are few and far between. Many others are more gifted in evangelism. Does that mean I chalk up personal evangelism as “not my gift” and never do it? Of course not. I pray regularly for nonbelievers in my life and pray for opportunities to talk about Christ. But if I hear of someone who shared his faith 20 times in a month and I can only count 1, I try not to necessarily conclude that I’m failure as a Christian.

We simply don’t know what to do with another Christian who prays more or gives more or does more for the poor or reads more or writes more or mentors more. We have no category that allows for one Christian to do more of a good thing than we do without feeling guilty for how we measure up.

He's right. It's so easy to spend our time comparing ourselves to others. Now there are times when we need to be encouraged and spurred on by the obedience of others, but, given how often we feel failures as Christians, it's encouraging to be reminded that we can't be good at everything!

Spurgeon quote

2011-03-03T11:19:00.002Z

From The Forgotten Spurgeon, by Iain Murray:

The preacher speaks his usual time; the people sit patiently enough perhaps; the usual number of verses are sung and the business of the day is over; there is generally no more aout it. No one can deny that this is neither more nor less than a simple statement of the real state of matters in the majority of our churches at the present day. Should the preacher let fall his handkerchief on the Psalm-book, or give one thump louder than usual with the fist ecclesiastic, that will be noted, remembered, and commented on, while there is all but total oblivion of the subject and the nature of the discussion.

Spurgeon commented on this as follows:

You think that because a thing is ancient, therefore it must be venerable. You are lovers of the antique. You would not have a road mended, because your grandfather drove his wagon along the rut that is there. "Let it always be there," you say; "let it always be knee-deep." Did not your grandfather go through it when it was knee-deep with mud, and why should not you do the same? It was good enough for him, and it is good enough for you.

I think the same is true even today, although at times there is a distinction. Sometimes in our churches today it is not that the hole needed mending in our grandfather's time, but needs mending now! Some things worked well 40 years ago, but do not work well now. Just because God used and blessed certain ministries and methods now, does not mean that they are sacred and that he will use and bless them now.

I write this post as one who has recently been noted, remembered, and commented on for not wearing a tie while preaching. It is not out of any lack of respect for God that I did not wear a tie - it is a reflection of the culture in which I live that wearing a tie is not necessary in order to show respect. But if a tie was good enough for the preachers of old, why is it not good enough for me?

Religious people and churches need Jesus

2009-07-01T08:00:00.000+01:00

Check out the Q&A session with Driscoll, Chandler and Chappell at the Advance conference.

A lot of talk centres on churches where the gospel becomes assumed, and the character of God becomes assumed, secondary issues are held too tightly and there's a move from the life-giving gospel. The gospel is left on the shelf, where you got saved, and you enter into soul shrivelling morality. Too many churches have done this, and get fat with religious people.

Here's a direct quote from Mark Driscoll;

What tends to happen, and this is when churches get into decline and death:- They only call the sinners to repent of their sin and don't always call the religious people to repent of their righteousness... so what happens is, over time is: "Here's the Bible, here's sin, here's Jesus, all you sinners repent of your sin," and every week, those who are there get a little more religious, and they feel like they are a little more righteous, and they get a little more cold and indignant and judgemental.

I've seen this, and maybe you have too in your experience. Let's bring this before God and pray for humble, soft hearts in churches in the UK and a real understanding of the gospel for pastors, preachers and members, and how we fit into that. Let's remember that it's not about getting saved, hanging up the gospel and taking up the checklist of morality for ever after in an attempt to look righteous and feel righteous, and earn ourselves the feel-good righteousness factor. I highly recommend reading The Discipline of Grace by Jerry Bridges for a great, detailed and biblical view of the gospel of Jesus, and how we fit into it.

Expository preaching and Calvin

2009-06-25T08:00:00.000+01:00

New Word Alive in Pwllheli is an excellent Bible-believing evangelical conference which I would fully recommend to anyone. And this year, as last, I purchased many books after hearing various reviews and recommendations! For other good book reviews visit: Evanjournalist

One book I finished last night was excellent and very readable for an introduction to the live of Calvin: John Calvin and His Passion for the Majesty of God by John Piper.

A very short book only spanning 59 pages, but one which shows just how in every way Calvin longed to illustrate and demonstrate the glory of God.

Just one point I wanted to mention which was the importance Calvin placed on sequential expositary preaching. This is something I long for the preachers of UK to desire also. Being so committed to 2 Tim 3:16 that they saw fit to preach through the Bible book by book. So congregations may hear not the personal whims or hobby-horses of their preachers each week, but God's word, the difficult sections too!

Calvin had a horror of those who preached their own ideas from the pulpit, and is quoted as saying:

When we enter the pulpit, it is not so that we may bring our own dreams and fancies with us.

This way we are relieved of the excuse that the preacher, on knowing our circumstances, has chosen this particular passage to 'make a point', and all sections of Scripture are given weight.

Calvin believed that preaching continuously through the Bible was a way to combat what he saw as the feaful abandonment of God's Word.

An example of how seriously Calvin took his expositary preaching, with deliberate intent is shared in the book:

On Easter day of 1538, after preaching, he left the pulpit of St. Peter's, banished by the city council. He returned in September of 1541 - over three years later - and picked up the exposition in the next verse.

Let's pray for our pastors and preachers, and also the theological colleges, that they may see the importance of God's Word, preach it and teach it faithfully, and don't stop!

Biblical Womanhood and Idolatry

2009-06-19T08:00:00.000+01:00

I am grateful for the blog called Girltalk. It is such a useful insight and encouragment to what Biblical womanhood looks like and how to pursue it. Biblical womanhood is something I am passionate about, but am very poor at really pursuing in the practical matters. Why? Idolatry of course.

Most of us may assume we don't struggle with idolatry, some may even limit their view of idolatry, focusing on Christian cliches and thinking, "But, I don't love rock stars and alcohol more than God, so I'm fine!" John Piper has recently done a very challenging and comprehensive post on idolatry, which I encourage you to read, and a brief definition is given:
Paul says in Colossians 3:5, "Covetousness is idolatry."
"Covetousness" means desiring something other than God in the wrong way.

My own particular struggle, which is symptomatic of the culture we live in, is comfort and the desire to be entertained. So, I get lazy. The Word of God doesn't fill me with delight, I become weary of doing good in contradiction to the exhortation is Galations 6:9. I desire at the end of the day to sit back, eat and watch a DVD rather than allow God to work in me by thinking on His Word, even praying for 10 minutes for those I love, or doing a short study with my husband, or preparing for the business of the next day. I grow tired of managing the house and the many tasks involved in taking care of my daughter.

This is why I'm grateful for the girltalk blog for timely reminders of what my caling is in Jesus, as a wife and a mother.

In a recent post they have discussed this passage of 1 Timothy 5:14 where Paul says: "So I would have younger widows marry, bear children, manage their households, and give the adversary no occasion for slander."

They comment:

In the Greek, the phrase "manage their households" carries a strong connotation. It literally means to be the ruler, despot, or master of the house. So we see that “working at home” means we are to function as the home manager - taking full ownership for all the domestic duties of the household.

I need to ask God to enable me to overcome my idol of comfort leading to laziness that I might treasure Christ and in doing so, fulfill my calling and honour His name. I encourage you to confront your idols and ask God for His help to highlight them so you too might not waste your life, but show God's glory.

Matter or no matter?

2009-06-08T08:00:00.001+01:00

This brief video by John Piper responds with powerful clarity to the statement made by President Obama on the anniversary of the pivotal Roe vs Wade case which paved the way for wide-scale availibility of abortion.

I find it intriguing that President Obama, in a recent speech noted that:-

Maybe we won't agree on abortion, but we can still agree that this heart-wrenching decision for any woman is not made casually, it has both moral and spiritual dimensions.

Now, here's the crunch.

If abortion is not murder, and is just a matter of flushing away unwanted 'matter', it SHOULDN'T be a matter of moral and spiritual dimensions. It should be a decision that can be made as casually as choosing whether to have a hair cut, or the whether to get your pierced ears or not. It should be a fairly simple and guilt-free matter.

I once read an article by a woman who described her decision to abort her baby being like her decision whether to paint her house a new colour or not. Most of us, pro-choice or pro-life, are shocked to hear such a flippant description of abortion, and why is that?

Why? Because we know that there is real life and real death at stake.

Because we all know deep down that this decision has real and deep repercussions. This is human LIFE, the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27), we are talking about. And it affects everything, and the President knows this, otherwise he would not acknowledge the morality of it all.

A convicting passage

2009-03-06T08:00:00.003Z

A couple of months ago, I came across 1 Corinthians 13 a few times, and attempted (with partial success) to commit it to memory. I find it an extremely convicting passage.

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. (1 Corinthians 13:1-3)

This passage shows me up for how little all my Biblical study amounts to if it is not coupled with love. It has led me to pray, when studying some aspect of the Bible, "Let me grow in knowledge and love," for I so often grow only in the former.

It's starkness amazes me, and convicts me.

...but have not love, I am nothing!
...but have not love, I gain nothing!

Keeping these verses ringing in my ears is a remarkable tool for mortifying my pride, and for reminding me to ask God to help me grow in love as a matter of priority!

Piper vs Santa Claus

2009-03-03T08:00:00.000Z

If you only ever watch one video that I post on this blog, watch the first 25 seconds of this one.

Are you culturally conditioned?

2009-02-25T08:00:00.003Z

I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works. Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control. (1 Timothy 2:8-15)

I quote this whole passage, although I want to focus on the particular bit regarding women teachers. I do this as if I did not, I might perhaps be accused of taking a passage out of context.

There is one common objection to verse 12:

I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet

That objection is that this passage is just cultural. Looking at the previous section in the text, talking about braided hair, you can understand where the argument begins. The important point is adorning themselves respectably, and not having braided hair was an outworking of that in the culture of the day.

And then we come on to the passage about not teaching. Surely, then, that too is cultural, and in this enlightened age, where we understand that oppression of women is wrong, we must understand that women should be allowed to teach and lead.

Before we start, let me say for the record that I do not consider women to be inferior, less intelligent, or even less able to teach. I just consider that it is unbiblical.

At this point you see that the text refers back to the creation order - this is not something which is hanging around in Jesus' time - this is something which dates back to before the fall, when everything was 'very good'. So it's not cultural.

I do not make this point so that I can have a rant about women teachers. I would far rather be taught biblically by a woman than unbiblically by a man. There are worse problems in the church than this.

I am writing this as it occurred to me the other day that when people say that this verse is cultural, the very reason that they are doing it is that they are being influenced by the culture! This hasn't been a topic which has been thriving in the church since its conception. It's a very modern issue. Because feminism is a modern issue. So it's not that this verse was influenced by the culture, but that those who undermine it are!

For further reading, I would recommend a book that Sophie would surely endorse as she gives away enough copies of it: God's Design for Women by Sharon James, perhaps the most intelligent and the most biblically submissive woman I have came across.

Biblical Theologians

2009-02-20T08:00:00.003Z

I found this ace quote from the blog I regularly read called Girl Talk which I heartily recommend women of any age to read to have Biblical yet humourous teaching of the Bible and Womanhood.

Today they are discussing what 'undivided devotion' to God (1 Cor 7:34-35) in regards to singleness looks like, but the quote that follows shows how to do that. It applies in every area of life, whether young, single, married, with or without children, or approaching retirement!

Bruce Milne explains:

[As] a matter of plain fact every Christian is a theologian! By virtue of being born again we have all begun to know God and therefore have a certain understanding of his nature and actions. That is, we all have a theology of sorts, whether or not we have ever sat down and pieced it together. So, properly understood, theology is not for a few religious eggheads with a flair for abstract debate — it is everybody’s business. Once we have grasped this, our duty is to become the best theologians we can to the glory of God, as our understanding of God and his ways is clarified and deepened through studying the book he has given for that very purpose, the Bible (2 Tim. 3:16). Getting doctrine right is the key to getting everything else right. At every point right living begins with right thinking.

So again, getting what the Bible says about how our lives should be in our heads, transforms our living! What we think is what we do.

Bear in mind, though, that sin will try to stop that translating properly, so much grace and prayer is needed from our Heavenly Father! I am particularly aware of that this morning as my poor patient husband has suffered a grumpy wife with much endurance!

The Hero of the Bible

2009-02-17T08:00:00.000Z

A great clip from the series Mark Driscoll is currently running on 1 & 2 Peter. A culturally perceptive (and funny) section on how we shouldn't view the Bible.

Psalm 119:169-176

2009-02-15T08:00:00.001Z

Let my cry come before you, O LORD; give me understanding according to your word!
Let my plea come before you; deliver me according to your word.
My lips will pour forth praise, for you teach me your statutes.
My tongue will sing of your word, for all your commandments are right.
Let your hand be ready to help me, for I have chosen your precepts.
I long for your salvation, O LORD, and your law is my delight.
Let my soul live and praise you, and let your rules help me.
I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek your servant, for I do not forget your commandments.

Let God be God

2009-02-11T08:00:00.006Z

The section of Scripture in Romans 9 is most certainly a controversial one. I know many who try to explain it away or diminish it, and even in the Bible study notes we use when we covered the passage this week it seemed to present a different slant on the passage so as to avoid some of the truths it presents.

But Scripture is Scripture, and I don't need to remind you that all of Scripture is God-breathed (2 Tim 3:16). Here are some excerpts from Romans 9:

It is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but "Through Isaac shall your offspring be named." This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring. For this is what the promise said: "About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son." And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad — in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls— she was told, "The older will serve the younger." As it is written, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated." (Romans 9:6-13)

A good start there to show us the truth of election. But people will object to that truth, surely! God has forseen that as Paul continues in his letter:

What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means! (Romans 9:14)

Amen!

For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." (Romans 9:15)

Anticipating the arguments of so many down the ages, Paul continues a little later on:

You will say to me then, "Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?" But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, "Why have you made me like this?" Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles? (Romans 9:19-24)

Believe it or not, this is not a post about predestination and free will. The Bible resolves that issue clearly and adequately, and I don't feel the need to explore it further here.

This is a post about God being God!

I heard a story about Philip Jensen, that when evangelising students, he would often tackle this passage in Romans 9 fairly early on in a series of Bible studies. Can you imagine that in the Alpha Course?

Week One: who was Jesus?
Week Two: what did Jesus do?
Week Three: sticky controversial debate about free will!

When asked why, he replied that he wanted the people he was telling the Good News to to understand what he meant when he said the word 'God'. He wasn't talking about someone with as much relevance as the Easter Bunny (ie varying degrees depending on the time of year). He was talking about the Creator of the universe who determines all things past, present and future. Perhaps when people grasped that, being under his wrath and needing salvation seemed a more pressing concern. Rather than criticise God for allowing pain and suffering and musing about what they would do if they were God, perhaps we need to be more often confronted with the phrase:

Who are you, O man to answer back to God?

This is the God to whom one day every knee shall bow.

Psalm 119:161-168

2009-02-08T08:00:00.001Z

Princes persecute me without cause, but my heart stands in awe of your words.
I rejoice at your word like one who finds great spoil.
I hate and abhor falsehood, but I love your law.
Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous rules.
Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble.
I hope for your salvation, O LORD, and I do your commandments.
My soul keeps your testimonies; I love them exceedingly.
I keep your precepts and testimonies, for all my ways are before you.

True Theology: Knowing AND Loving God

2009-02-05T08:00:00.001Z

Have we mentioned before what an excellent Bible and study tool the all new ESV Study Bible is?

As well as containing the entire Bible, and explanatory notes, it also have a plethora of useful articles and biblical overviews in the back.

For example "Biblical Ethics: An overview" or "The Bible and World Religions", "History of Salvation In the Old Testament" and "Biblical Doctrine: An Overview".

I can hear some cry out "Boring!" or "Dull doctrine again!" BUT, again I bring to you a few sentences from the section of "True Theology: Knowing and Loving God"

Knowledge without devotion is cold, dead, orthodoxy. Devotion without knowledge is irrational instability.

Again, I'm saying that we can only be devoted to God, and serve God in a way that pleases Him in as much as we KNOW what pleases Him. And it's only in reading the Bible and becoming renewed in our thinking in viewing things God's way, in engaging FULLY with God's Word and its contained doctrine can we do that!

I want to learn "the whole counsel of God" (Acts 20:27)

Do I want to spend my time in reading books about God and reading God's Word so I can sound impressive and have an intellectual understanding of God? NO! I want to so that in knowing more about God, I can love Him, serve Him and become more like Him, as my thinking becomes renewed, and His Holy Spirit can work through His revealed Word!

To quote again from the ESV:

But true knowledge of God includes understanding everything from His perspective. Theology is learning to think God's thoughts after Him. It is to learn what God loves and hates, and to see, hear, think and act the way He does. Knowing how God thinks is the first step in becoming godly.

Psalm 119:153-160

2009-02-01T08:00:00.001Z

Look on my affliction and deliver me, for I do not forget your law.
Plead my cause and redeem me; give me life according to your promise!
Salvation is far from the wicked, for they do not seek your statutes.
Great is your mercy, O LORD; give me life according to your rules.
Many are my persecutors and my adversaries, but I do not swerve from your testimonies.
I look at the faithless with disgust, because they do not keep your commands.
Consider how I love your precepts! Give me life according to your steadfast love.
The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.

Teach me Good Judgement...

2009-01-26T08:00:00.005Z

You may have noticed that every Sunday, we post a portion of Psalm 119. You may have also noticed our particular bug-bear about being discerning about things! This quote from The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment by Tim Challies puts them together in a wonderfully coherent paragraph:

We can only worship and glorify God on the basis of what we know of him. In order to be discerning, we must know and understand what is true about God. To do this we must turn to God's Word. And so, to be discerning, we must first be students of the Bible. We must study it, we must read about it, and we must hear it taught from the pulpit.

This is the purpose of Psalm 119, the longest psalm in the Bible and the one that dwells constantly upon God's Word. The author turns continually to the Scripture as his source of discernment. In verse 66 he writes:
Teach me good judgement (discernment) and knowledge, for I believe in your commandments

When we engage in discernment we attempt to use God's Word to rise above our own limitations so we can see as God sees. Through the truths contained in the Bible, God allows us to see things with his eyes..."

Amen, well said!

Psalm 119:145-152

2009-01-25T08:00:00.001Z

With my whole heart I cry; answer me, O LORD! I will keep your statutes.
I call to you; save me, that I may observe your testimonies.
I rise before dawn and cry for help; I hope in your words.
My eyes are awake before the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promise.
Hear my voice according to your steadfast love; O LORD, according to your justice give me life.
They draw near who persecute me with evil purpose; they are far from your law.
But you are near, O LORD, and all your commandments are true.
Long have I known from your testimonies that you have founded them forever.

Psalm 119:137-144

2009-01-18T08:00:00.001Z

Righteous are you, O LORD, and right are your rules.
You have appointed your testimonies in righteousness and in all faithfulness.
My zeal consumes me, because my foes forget your words.
Your promise is well tried, and your servant loves it.
I am small and despised, yet I do not forget your precepts.
Your righteousness is righteous forever, and your law is true.
Trouble and anguish have found me out, but your commandments are my delight.
Your testimonies are righteous forever; give me understanding that I may live.

Reformation Rappers

2009-01-17T08:00:00.001Z

Ever thought that contemporary rap/hip-hop and a love for reformed theology went together?
Me neither, until I was introduced to Shai Linne and Lecrae. Both black young men from America, committed to Jesus and the understanding of the Word of God, who have sought to put their beliefs into awesome hip-hop and rap.

Lecrae in cites D.A.Carson and John Piper's books as influences.

Shai Linne has also namechecked Carolyn Mahanney in one of his songs "Work it Out" which covers his complementarian (as opposed to evangelical feminism) convictions. I'm posting here a song by Shai Linne all about the correct use and understanding of christian terminology in discussing the important issue of the Atonement. Its brilliant! What a great resource for young people, and any Christian, for clearly defined biblical answers about some of the 'jargon'.

So many are 'anti-jargon', and yes, in use to non-believers, it should be limited, unless clearly explained.
But otherwise, why shouldn't Christians get to grips with the more complex words found in the Bible?
They are they for a reason, to grapple with detail and precision, the exact meanings about what God is saying to us. Let's not use our own mental laziness as an excuse, are we really 'anti-jargon' or 'anti-Bible'?

Check it out,I encourage you to listen to the whole thing.
Let Shai Linne show us how its done.Amen!

Are you bored of God?

2009-01-16T08:00:00.001Z

Just a short post, as I have covered this before, but it seems an ever arising topic in both the wider evangelical world and my own experiences.

I will first, highly recommend the book I was given for Christmas called: "The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment" by Tim Challies. It a MUCH needed read for all Christians today, to further understand what discernment looks like and why we need it so much, and also helps to delve more into understanding why current attitudes within the church have gone so Christianity-lite in regards to using God's Word to instruct and define us.

Some Christians delight in their ignorance, claiming they don't want theology; they just want to love Jesus. These people tend to build their faith upon feelings and experiences rather than upon the truths of the Bible...
...We are left with a hodgepodge of disparate, sometimes contradictory beliefs that bare little resemblance to Biblical Christianity

Is God as revealed in His Word enough, or do we like keep needing to have our attention diverted to the latest 'exciting' and highly subjective fad?

Let us pray to say with the psalmist:

How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way. (Psalm 119:103-104)

Theology bores today's Christians, which is another way of saying we are bored with God himself. (Richard Phillips: Hebrews (NJ P&R,2006,179)

Ouch.

Psalm 119:129-136

2009-01-11T08:00:00.001Z

Your testimonies are wonderful; therefore my soul keeps them.
The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.
I open my mouth and pant, because I long for your commandments.
Turn to me and be gracious to me, as is your way with those who love your name.
Keep steady my steps according to your promise, and let no iniquity get dominion over me.
Redeem me from man’s oppression, that I may keep your precepts.
Make your face shine upon your servant, and teach me your statutes.
My eyes shed streams of tears, because people do not keep your law.

Psalm 119:121-128

2009-01-04T08:00:00.001Z

I have done what is just and right; do not leave me to my oppressors.
Give your servant a pledge of good; let not the insolent oppress me.
My eyes long for your salvation and for the fulfillment of your righteous promise.
Deal with your servant according to your steadfast love, and teach me your statutes.
I am your servant; give me understanding, that I may know your testimonies!
It is time for the LORD to act, for your law has been broken.
Therefore I love your commandments above gold, above fine gold.
Therefore I consider all your precepts to be right; I hate every false way.

An evangelical sin

2008-12-16T08:00:00.000Z

I listened to Sinclar Ferguson's message at the Desiring God conference today. He was preaching on James 3:1-12, the passage on the tongue which I quoted a few months back.

Sinclar said something which really challenged me:

Sometimes, I wonder if the misuse of the tongue is a peculiarly evangelical sin. I’ve been on many occasions with brothers, and when someone’s name is mentioned, the first lash of the tongue is to destroy that brother. He may not be perfect, he may have many foibles, but how dare I destroy with a word a brother for whom Christ has died within the context of fellowship with his people?

Absolutely. How dare I destroy with a word a brother for whom Christ has died? I do it all the time, and that is something I will need to be praying about. After all,

no human being can tame the tongue. (James 3:8)

The Highest Court of Authority

2008-12-11T08:00:00.001Z

So, as I said I've been going through Wayne Grudem's Bible Doctrine book, which I would recommend to all who really want to know the BIG questions and answers in the Bible (ie Creation, The Trinity, The person of Christ, The Atonement, Spiritual Gifts, God's Providence, Election, Angels, Demons, Heaven and Hell etc.)

And for those who don't feel confident enough to manage that book, there is a shorter version again, with the 'main' points called Christian Beliefs. Twenty Basics Every Christian Should Know

So, at a snail's pace, I've been trying to go through the first chapter, all about how the Bible is the infallible and inerrant word of God. And one of the points is how the words of Scripture are 'self-attesting'. This means that they cannot be 'proved' to be God's words by appeal to any higher authority. If we try and appeal to higher authority like human reason or science to prove that the Bible is the Word of God, then we are making THAT the highest court of appeal, above the Bible, which would suggest that we then take human reasonsing, or logic or science to be the FINAL word, and therefore above the Bible in reliability and truth.

Now, I'm not saying it isn't important to know and to see that the Bible checks out in terms of correctness geographically and scientifically. But the ultimate authority to show that Scripture is God's Word, must be found in the Bible.

The Bible Doctrine book, then goes on to argue that some may object here by suggesting it is a circular argument:

We believe it is God's Word because it claims to be that, and we believe it's claims because Scripture is God's Word. And we believe it is God's Word because it claims to be that, and we believe it's claims...

But within the secular world, there are similar such arguements, but just using something else as the highest court:

My reason is my ultimate authority because it seems reaasonable to me

Logical consistence is my ultimate authority because it is logical to make it so

Now the chapter goes on to explain this further, about how it's actually more of a spiral where increasing knowledge of Scripture and increasing understanding of God through that Scripture supplant each other harmoniously, each confiming the accuracy of the other...but this is not the reason for my post!

I have just been observing from my own behaviour and that of others, how as Christians, even though we say that God's Word is our highest authority, so often we don't live lives in accordance to that!

So often we follow lines of wrong thinking because "this is what x or y says, and I think they are usually discerning and respectable" Or our ideas are shaped by the highest court of culture, even Christian culture: "I know this Christian and that Christian are watching this on T.V. so it must be an ok thing to see." Or we read certain Christian books without thinking to question whether the book is
giving a correct biblical view of God, but because "x and y say its good, so it must be."

Often rather than taking it to the Bible, and examining things like the Bereans (Acts 17:11 - they were checking the apostle Paul against Scripture), we subject the Bible to our own fallible courts of authority.

Granted, in our limited understanding at times, we will use the Bible and check out what multiple commentaries or respected theologians say about the subject, as well as our own search of the Scriptures, but lets USE God's Word to shape our lives, rather than always trying to shape God's Word around our lives and our highest court of appeal. Us Brits LOVE to rebel against authority, but lets submit to the hard, challenging and amazing truths of the Bible, and not let our own ideas and fallibility get in the way!

Dull Dogma?

2008-12-09T08:00:00.002Z

In the last few months, in order to understand the Bible and the doctrines which open up the Bible and how we should view God, I've been making my way through the book Bible Doctrine by Wayne Grudem. It's an abridged book from his original Systematic Theology.

Now many will groan saying "Boring, dusty, dry, theology" etc!

BUT take a moment with me I ask, so I can show you how powerful, necessary and beautiful right thinking from a right theological perspective is. I won't be particularly good at showing you this, but bear with me.

Before we get all prejudiced about "dull dogma" let's actually disect this.

Question: What is theology?
Answer: Theology is not a specialist science confined to an academic fringe; theo-logy is speaking or thinking (a logia) about God (theos). Theology is nothing less than knowing God, and nothing less than knowing God will shape the grain of our hearts.
The word ‘theology’ also tells us something else about what theology is, for wrapped up in the word is the idea of the Logos, the word or speech of God. And so we know God as he has revealed himself through his word. (Thanks to UCCF for the definition - in this excellent article)

Doctrine is God's Word! And understanding the big ideas and wonderful plan God has been unfolding through understanding that Word! It's not dry and boring! Men and dried-up people who believe knowing ABOUT God equates KNOWING God are BORING and SINFUL yes.... but that doesn't make the DOCTRINE bad! The problem is in its use! Theology and doctrine are to give us a better understanding of God, based on what God says about Himself in His Word!

Rather than getting an understanding based on our ideas which we bring to the Bible, or a vague-fuzzy feeling inside, or random thoughts where we are not sure "Is this my head, or is this God talking," let's dig into to the rich mines of God's Word to discover the big themes of God's Soveriegn and glorious power!

Dorothy Sayers, in the UCCF Annual Review 2008, put it like this:

We are constantly assured that the churches are empty because preachers insist too much upon doctrine – 'dull dogma', as people call it. The fact is the precise opposite. It is the neglect of dogma that makes for dullness. The Christian
faith is the most exciting drama that ever staggered the imagination of man – and
the dogma is the drama.

It is a deeper understanding of the Gospel that will make for a more exciting, more credible witness.

A young pastor once prayed something like this: "Oh Lord, just take away all theology and give us Jesus"

YIKES! Without the Bible, which is the basis of the theology he is talking about, what 'version' of Jesus would he have us 'unite' around, and how would he know a thing about Jesus without God's Word telling him? In order to have a relationship with God, we need to know ABOUT him too!

Lets not be quick to crave our OWN reasoning and ideas about God. Remember doctrine and theology is from The Bible - God's Word! What could be more dynamic, exciting and alive than that?

Psalm 119:113-120

2008-12-07T08:00:00.001Z

I hate the double-minded, but I love your law.
You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word.
Depart from me, you evildoers, that I may keep the commandments of my God.
Uphold me according to your promise, that I may live, and let me not be put to shame in my hope!
Hold me up, that I may be safe and have regard for your statutes continually!
You spurn all who go astray from your statutes, for their cunning is in vain.
All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross, therefore I love your testimonies.
My flesh trembles for fear of you, and I am afraid of your judgments.

How not to be hardened

2008-12-04T08:00:00.001Z

Back to the passage in Deuteronomy:

Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn. For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. (Deuteronomy 10:14-18)

The answer as to how not to be stubborn is found in the little word 'for'. Circumcise your heart and be not stubborn for the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords.

I love the description of God in verses 15-18, and it reminds me that we often don't have a big enough picture of the majesty of God and how great he is. I am so quick to think of what God has done for ME, as if he is MY personal therapist, and of how he has saved ME, and of what he might be able to do for ME, of the fact that he gets ME a free ticket into heaven...

Perhaps I need a little bit more about Him. About the fact that he is:

God of gods
Lord of lords
The Great
The Mighty
The Awesome God
Just
The Provider
Loving

When Moses tells the Israelites not to be stubborn, the reasons he give are all the reasons I have just put in that list. Perhaps if I spend a little more time considering how great God is, I will spend a little less time being stubborn and hard-hearted and a little more time being amazed by this great God, who sent Jesus down to die for my sins and that He might be glorified.

Don't be hardened

2008-12-02T08:00:00.003Z

Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn. For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. (Deuteronomy 10:14-18)

Sophie and I read that passage in Deuteronomy the other morning, and it got me thinking. Hardness of heart is something I struggle with, and I feel it happening all the time. I have a habit of praying as I drive to work, but some mornings I find it more difficult to commence praying than other times. And when I've been sitting in my car for ten minutes, drifting through my thoughts and not praying, I remember that I should probably start praying, but don't do so for another five minutes or so, by which time I notice that my heart has been hardened.

I regularly have to pray:

Incline my heart to your testimonies (Psalm 119:36)

I pray this, because I know that it is God who softens or hardens the heart:

He has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills. (Romans 9:18)

Hardness of heart is something we are regularly warned about in the New Testament, particularly in the letter to the Hebrews:

Exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. (Hebrews 3:13)

Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says,
"Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness." (Hebrews 3:7-8)

The hardness of heart which we experience is directly compared to the hardness and stubbornness of heart which the Israelites were being warned about in Deuteronomy 10.

So what's the solution to this hardness of heart? More to come on Thursday...

Psalm 119:105-112

2008-11-30T08:00:00.000Z

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
I have sworn an oath and confirmed it, to keep your righteous rules.
I am severely afflicted; give me life, O LORD, according to your word!
Accept my freewill offerings of praise, O LORD, and teach me your rules.
I hold my life in my hand continually, but I do not forget your law.
The wicked have laid a snare for me, but I do not stray from your precepts.
Your testimonies are my heritage forever, for they are the joy of my heart.
I incline my heart to perform your statutes forever, to the end.

Psalm 119:97-104

2008-11-23T08:00:00.000Z

Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.
Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me.
I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation.
I understand more than the aged, for I keep your precepts.
I hold back my feet from every evil way, in order to keep your word.
I do not turn aside from your rules, for you have taught me.
How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way.

Judge not, that you not be judged

2008-11-18T08:00:00.000Z

Judge not, that you be not judged. (Matthew 7:1)

This is a very well known verse, even among non-Christians. It is an extremely common verse to throw at other people, those who disagree with your point of view, and is often done in a defensive manner. "Don't judge me!" Who are you to say whether what I am doing is right or wrong?

In a sense, they are right. It is not for me to hand down judgement. That job belongs to the King of Kings, Jesus Christ, who on that final day, will judge each and every person either according to what they have done, or, if they have hoped in the name of the LORD, according to what Jesus has done. And believe me, Jesus will come, KING of Kings and LORD of Lords, with a blazing sword in his mouth, ready to judge (Revelation 19:11-16 and Revelation 20:4).

And we are to long for that day when justice is finally done.

How long must your servant endure? When will you judge those who persecute me?

But there is a difference between exercising judgement and handing down judgement. Handing down judgement is God's work. However, every day, we make thousands of judgement. As I stand in the supermarket and look at two different pizzas, I make a judgement as to which one represents better value for money, and which will taste better (meat feast, always meat feast). When I drive to work, I make a judgement as to which route will be quicker that day. If walking in the town late on a Saturday night, I would make a judgement as to whether it might be sensible to cross the street and avoid the scary looking bloke who may or may not have a knife.

And in a church setting, I must make a judgement whether the preacher is teaching faithfully from the Bible or whether he is propagating unbiblical ideas. I must make a judgement as to whether the person I wish to go to for advice is trustworthy, or whether he will spread my sin/problem all over the church. I must make a judgement as to whether someone is commtting serious sin which needs to be addressed (1 Corinthians 5).

1 Corinthians 5 is fairly explicit in this regard. The Corinthians are not to judge non-Christians, but they are to judge Christians and whether they are behaving as Christians should - and they are to purge them if necessary!

For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. Purge the evil person from among you.

So, what's my point?

Firstly, we're not here to be judgemental, imposing our standards on all around us, believers or not. At the end of the day, we are sinners saved by grace to live a life for Jesus Christ.
Secondly, it is God who will judge every man on the day of the Lord. Be prepared for it.
Thirdly, we do make judgements all the time. Depending on the attitude behind our judgement, that isn't necessarily a sin, and sometimes it would be a sin not to do so.

And why do I say this? Because Christians seem to have a remarkable lack of discernment sometimes. Because Christians will believe anything they are told, and if challenged on it, would often say "It's not my place to judge." I disagree, and the Bible disagrees - we should always be making judgements of people. Not so that we can hand down judgement on them, but so that we can make sensible decisions and not be led astray.

Psalm 119:89-96

2008-11-16T08:00:00.000Z

Forever, O LORD, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens.
Your faithfulness endures to all generations; you have established the earth, and it stands fast.
By your appointment they stand this day, for all things are your servants.
If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction.
I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have given me life.
I am yours; save me, for I have sought your precepts.
The wicked lie in wait to destroy me, but I consider your testimonies.
I have seen a limit to all perfection, but your commandment is exceedingly broad.

Catholicism

2008-11-11T08:00:00.000Z

I came across an article on BBC News informing me that the Pope is considering reintroducing clocking in and out for everyone who works in the Vatican, even priests and archbishops. The BBC News article said that...

it is all part of a drive to increase efficiency and to make the Vatican more meritocratic. Next year there are plans to introduce performance-related pay.

It just struck me that Catholics are on performance-related pay anyway - they believe that it is not by faith alone in Jesus that you are saved, but by works as well. What could be more performance-related than that?

Music serving Truth

2008-11-06T08:00:00.000Z

Just a quick post to say there is a great example of music serving the great words of truth in the song "Before the Throne of God" with the newer melody by Vicki Cook. Pete bought me a CD for my birthday called Upward. It's done by Bob Kauflin, the worship leader at Sovereign Grace (CJ Mahaney/Josh Harris) who spoke at the Desiring God conference this year. His aim was to use some of the great songs from the great hymnodic tradition of the past, and using their tunes, 'tweak' them a bit, updating arrangements, instrumentation. This CD has been a great find, as the words are centre stage, using great Biblical truths in songs such as Man of Sorrows, Rock of Ages, Before the Throne etc.

In the standout track "Before the Throne" I think there is SUCH a good example of the music serving the words. The music lifts the words, so my soul is stirred by their truth, and my emotions are touched not just by excellent music (which it is) but by the amazing truths of my salvation and my Saviour expounded by the song.

So get ye to Itunes and have a listen!

Before the throne of God above,
I have a strong and perfect plea.
A great High Priest whose Name is Love,
Who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on His hands,
My name is written on His heart.
I know that while in Heaven He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart.

When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end of all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free.
For God the just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me.

Behold Him there the risen Lamb,
My perfect spotless righteousness,
The great unchangeable I AM,
The King of glory and of grace,
One in Himself I cannot die.
My soul is purchased by His blood,
My life is hid with Christ on high,
With Christ my Savior and my God!

Psalm 119:81-88

2008-11-02T08:00:00.000Z

My soul longs for your salvation; I hope in your word.
My eyes long for your promise; I ask, "When will you comfort me?"
For I have become like a wineskin in the smoke, yet I have not forgotten your statutes.
How long must your servant endure? When will you judge those who persecute me?
The insolent have dug pitfalls for me; they do not live according to your law.
All your commandments are sure; they persecute me with falsehood; help me!
They have almost made an end of me on earth, but I have not forsaken your precepts.
In your steadfast love give me life, that I may keep the testimonies of your mouth.

Health and safety in the Bible!

2008-10-30T08:00:00.002Z

I'm not a big fan of Health & Safety regulations, but this verse was shown to me at the weekend to show that God has a heart for Health & Safety!

When you build a new house, you shall make a parapet for your roof, that you may not bring the guilt of blood upon your house, if anyone should fall from it. (Deuteronomy 22:8)

It's all there - ensuring that reasonable precautions are taken to prevent accidents, and if those precautions are not taken, the person who failed to take the reasonable precaution is guilty!

I need to readjust my attitude! Perhaps Health & Safety is sometimes a good thing.

Why pray?

2008-10-28T08:00:00.003Z

In response to what I see in so many denominations of 'Christianity' around the world, where God equals pinata and prayer equals stick, I was intrigued to hear what John Piper had to say about why God wants us to pray, why God wants us to perservere in prayer, and why God wants us to join others in prayer:

Some of you have wondered, Why do we have prayer meetings? Why gather tonight in a larger group? Why have prayer chains and prayer groups? If God is God, and it is his power that makes a difference in answering prayer, why does it matter how many people ask him? If I pick up Noël from the library because our son calls me up and asks me to, she is just as picked up as if all four of my sons called me up and asked me to.

One answer is that the more people that are praying for a thing, the more thanks and honor God will get when he acts. We see this in 2 Corinthians 1:10–11: "And [God] will yet deliver us, you also joining in helping us through your prayers, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the favor bestowed upon us through the prayers of many."

The divine purpose of prayer is to magnify the greatness of God. Prayer exists for the glory of God. Jesus said in John 14:13, "And whatever you ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son." The aim of prayer is that the Father be glorified through Jesus.

So the more people there are praying for something, and thus depending on God for mercy and power, the more people will give him thanks and glorify him when the answer comes.

What a refreshing antidote to the attitude we see in so many churches these days. Christopher Ash describes this trend in his book on marriage:

God is my lifestyle coach, and with a bit of luck and a favourable wind, and if I 'pay' him enough with prayer and a bit of well-chosen religious activity, then he will line up his energies behind my goals.

Whatever happened to "Not my will but thy will be done?" (Luke 22:42)

Psalm 119:73-80

2008-10-26T08:00:00.000Z

Your hands have made and fashioned me; give me understanding that I may learn your commandments.
Those who fear you shall see me and rejoice, because I have hoped in your word.
I know, O LORD, that your rules are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.
Let your steadfast love comfort me according to your promise to your servant.
Let your mercy come to me, that I may live; for your law is my delight.
Let the insolent be put to shame, because they have wronged me with falsehood; as for me, I will meditate on your precepts.
Let those who fear you turn to me, that they may know your testimonies.
May my heart be blameless in your statutes, that I may not be put to shame!

One point Calvinism

2008-10-24T09:12:00.001+01:00

Saw this quote on a blog I like to read. Its by J.I. Packer on how calvinism really boils down to ONE point, which is this;

God saves sinners—and the force of this confession may not be weakened by disrupting the unity of the work of the Trinity, or by dividing the achievement of salvation between God and man and making the decisive part man’s own, or by soft-pedaling the sinner’s inability so as to allow him to share the praise of his salvation with his Saviour. This is the one point of Calvinistic soteriology which the “five points” are concerned to establish and Arminianism in all its forms to deny: namely, that sinners do not save themselves in any sense at all, but that salvation, first and last, whole and entire, past, present and future, is of the Lord, to whom be glory for ever; amen.

Amen indeed! Thank you Lord for your work of total mercy upon my life, a sinner saved alone by your grace.

God in Court!

2008-10-21T08:00:00.002+01:00

I got this from BBC News:

A US judge has thrown out a case against God, ruling that because the defendant has no address, legal papers cannot be served. The suit was launched by Nebraska state senator Ernie Chambers, who said he might appeal against the ruling. He sought a permanent injunction to prevent the "death, destruction and terrorisation" caused by God. Judge Marlon Polk said in his ruling that a plaintiff must have access to the defendant for a case to proceed. "Given that this court finds that there can never be service effectuated on the named defendant this action will be dismissed with prejudice," Judge Polk wrote in his ruling. Mr Chambers cannot refile the suit but may appeal. Mr Chambers sued God last year. He said God had threatened him and the people of Nebraska and had inflicted "widespread death, destruction and terrorisation of millions upon millions of the Earth's inhabitants". He said he would carefully consider Judge Polk's ruling before deciding whether to appeal. The court, Mr Chambers said, had acknowledged the existence of God and "a consequence of that acknowledgement is a recognition of God's omniscience". "Since God knows everything," he reasoned, "God has notice of this lawsuit." Mr Chambers, a state senator for 38 years, said he filed the suit to make the point that "anyone can sue anyone else, even God".

Looking past the sheer bizarreness of this article, three thoughts come to mind:

I wonder what a permanent injunction against God would achieve?

He blames God for the death, destruction and terrorism. Aside from the fact that it was our sin that brought death into the world, look at what the book of Job says in response to death and destruction.

or charge God with wrong

God's omniscience is recognised. One of the few sensible arguments made by Mr Chambers is that God knows that he has been summoned to attend Court!

Psalm 119:65-72

2008-10-19T08:00:00.000+01:00

You have dealt well with your servant, O LORD, according to your word.
Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe in your commandments.
Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word.
You are good and do good; teach me your statutes.
The insolent smear me with lies, but with my whole heart I keep your precepts;
their heart is unfeeling like fat, but I delight in your law.
It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes.
The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.

What a shocking verse!! It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes. How different from the attitude I so readily cling to.

Pride

2008-10-16T08:00:00.000+01:00

I quote Mark Dever's recent sermon on Genesis 5-11.

Fight pride. Fight pride. Understand pride to be your most socially acceptable and spiritually dangerous enemy. Realise that God opposes pride - that you must either turn loose of your pride (that is your consideration of yourself according to what others think of you more than what God thinks of you) or face the opposition of Almighty God.

I think of what the Bible says:

Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." (1 Peter 5:5)

Many sins are socially unacceptable and rightly so. More sins are socially acceptable and wrongly so - and worst of all of these, as Mark Dever rightly says, is pride.

Remember, God opposes the proud, and gives grace to the humble. How badly we need that grace.

A story

2008-10-14T08:00:00.006+01:00

From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. (James 3:10)

This video is chilling.

Psalm 119:57-64

2008-10-12T08:00:00.001+01:00

The LORD is my portion; I promise to keep your words.
I entreat your favour with all my heart; be gracious to me according to your promise.
When I think on my ways, I turn my feet to your testimonies;
I hasten and do not delay to keep your commandments.
Though the cords of the wicked ensnare me, I do not forget your law.
At midnight I rise to praise you, because of your righteous rules.
I am a companion of all who fear you, of those who keep your precepts.
The earth, O LORD, is full of your steadfast love; teach me your statutes!

Atheism vs God

2008-10-11T08:00:00.000+01:00

Atheists believe one of two things.

Either that matter has always existed, and one day life spontaneously came about.
Or that some other, unknown thing first existed which one day spontaneously created matter, which one day spontaneously sprung into life.

Christians believe something different:
Life first existed, and Life created matter, and then Life created life.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. (John 1:1-4)

Those two views of things are very different in some ways, but not in others. Both believe that something was 'there' from the beginning, whether that thing be God or matter or something else. Atheists might ridicule Christians, saying "But who created God?" but their argument would come to the same stumbling block in a different way - what created the Big Bang? or what created the things that led to the Big Bang? or what created the things that created the things that led to it? And so on.

I sometimes try and get my head around the eternal nature of God, but am unable to. John Piper put it very well in his sermon this week:

If your child — say, four or five years old — asks, "Where did God come from?" you will answer, perhaps, "God didn’t come from anywhere. He was always there. He never had a beginning. He was there before anything else was there. He made everything else. There wasn’t anything before God."

Then your child will ask, "But how did he get to be the way he is?" And you will say, "He just is the way he is. He didn’t get to be that way. He’s always been what he is. Nobody made him the way he is. No force or power made him what he is. He has been what he is forever and ever and ever and ever. He just is. That’s what it means to be God."

He just is.

Colossians 1:15-17

2008-10-09T08:00:00.000+01:00

Just was thinking about how God is to be glorified and these verses about the supremacy of Christ came to mind, just check them out for how awesome it is!

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heave and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; ALL THINGS WERE CREATED BY HIM AND FOR HIM. He is before all things and IN HIM ALL THINGS HOLD TOGETHER. (Colossians 1:15-17)

What an amazing God and what awesome assurance we have that The Creator and Sustainer is in control over all aspects of our lives, and our lives are to bring him glory, as they are FOR him, that is our purpose for being here!

Psalm 119:49-56

2008-10-05T08:00:00.002+01:00

Remember your word to your servant, in which you have made me hope.
This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life.
The insolent utterly deride me, but I do not turn away from your law.
When I think of your rules from of old, I take comfort, O LORD.
Hot indignation seizes me because of the wicked, who forsake your law.
Your statutes have been my songs in the house of my sojourning.
I remember your name in the night, O LORD, and keep your law.
This blessing has fallen to me, that I have kept your precepts.

For those who spend their days arguing about election and predestination, whether we choose God or he chooses us, just look at the first verse here. He has made me hope in His Word. Praise Him!

Psalm 119:41-48

2008-09-28T08:00:00.001+01:00

Let your steadfast love come to me, O LORD, your salvation according to your promise;
then shall I have an answer for him who taunts me, for I trust in your word.
And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, for my hope is in your rules.
I will keep your law continually, forever and ever,
and I shall walk in a wide place, for I have sought your precepts.
I will also speak of your testimonies before kings and shall not be put to shame,
for I find my delight in your commandments, which I love.
I will lift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on your statutes.

God is to be Glorified

2008-09-25T08:00:00.006+01:00

The Word of God and the glorious gospel message of salvation through Jesus alone is always under attack, and mainly (worryingly) from within the church. You see, unfortunately, the church is full of sinners, and most of us hermaneutically challenged sinners!

The most common threat I see around is due to a church submerged by culture. Forgetting our purpose in life. What is that? To glorify God and enjoy Him forever.

God created us, so that we may bring Him glory. Wherever God has put us right now in life, that should be our aim. Whether we are single, married, married with kids, in a job we love or a job we hate, our aim in life is not to get through as comfortably as possible (which always ends up being my default setting...d'oh!!!!) but to seek to serve and glorify God in all we do.

Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31)

Glorify God in your body, and in your spirit (1 Corinthians 6:20)

I'm not saying this to weigh people down in a suffocating bunch of rules. God in His grace gives us His spirit to enable us to live in a manner that glorifies Him, and God forgives and restores when we fail (which I do!). But let's at least get it in our mind-set that our aim is to glorify God, and not the other way around.

It's a popular and very man-centred theology these days which is known as Christian-moralistic-therapeutic-Deism. Where God is therapist. God provides a betterment of circumstances in whatever way that is, whether health, or wealth or whatever. In this, God glorfies us rather than the other way around.

This is dangerous thinking...Jesus is not a means to an end - Jesus IS the end! Jesus is the ANSWER.

Dear children, keep yourself from idols (1 John 5:21)

Is Jesus enough? Or are you using him to get what you REALLY want? It's not wrong to ask God in prayer for the things we need, for alleiviation of a hard circumstance, for healing, for a child, for a spouse etc; it's Biblical, but are we willing to lay it down as in the prayer of Gethsemane?

Yet not as I will, but as you will (Matthew 26:39)

If we aren't willing to say that, then hadn't we better check that it is really Jesus that we want? Or are we merely using Him to get to our idol?

People think there is OTHER WEALTH to be gained, other than Christ as your treasure.
Jesus is the greatest treasure, the Holy One, the Son of God who wrought our salvation by His substitionary atonement on the cross, and our lives should be about following Him and giving glory to Him, the greatest treasure of all!

Jesus is offensive

2008-09-24T08:00:00.002+01:00

The curious paradox of the atoning death of a bloody Jesus rising above the plane of human history with a mocking crown of thorns is that he is offensive in an attractive way. It is the utter horror of the cross that cuts through the chatter, noise, and nonsense of our day to rivet our attention, shut our mouths, and compel us to listen to an impassioned dying man who is crying out for the forgiveness of our sins and to ask why he suffered. Tragically, if we lose the offense of the cross, we also lose the attraction of the cross so that no one is compelled to look at Jesus. Therefore, Jesus does not need a marketing firm or a makeover as much as a prophet to preach the horror of the cross unashamedly. (Mark Driscoll)

Singing the Truth

2008-09-22T08:00:00.001+01:00

Listening to what Bob Kauflin has to say on singing and worship in the trailer for the Desiring God conference this year has lead me to consider the importance of truth in worship.

Worship of God by singing has become more about emotion for many Christians. Singing about US and our response. An event in itself. Is it the music and emotions we get 'lost' in? If so, the emotions will fade, we will come to our senses, and we will not be changed in any significant way. Perhaps we will be damaged, believeing that this emotional fog we have whipped up was a genuine encounter with God.

TRUTH changes us.

Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. (John 17:17)

If the things we are singing are not Biblical truth, then it is damaging and dangerous.

When singing, are people being motivated by the truths of Jesus? His subsitutionary atonement, His intercession for us in heaven, His resurrection from the dead, His Glory?

Or are we more moved by the music? Emotions are not necessarily evil, and music will evoke a response, BUT, unfortunately, truth is not predomniant in many of the songs we sing. So tunes become the means by which we are moved, tunes become more important. The Truth should transcend the tunes. Truth will outlast tunes. BUT if truth is not clear or objectively presented, the tunes will be more powerful, and tunes are emotional response driven.

We need to consider the fact that tunes get old. Truth remains. It doesn't need new packaging, but to be seen more clearly. I must say that I am not against putting new music to biblical truths at all, but we must remember that its the Words of truth that should be motivating and moving, not the music.

Also, if you consider how much music is a tool for learning, then the impact it has on a congregation as a means of teaching, is huge.

For example... if I started reciting to you the first few words of a Psalm or a Bible passage, most times, most people would struggle to finish the sentence or paragraph. Yet, if I started singing the first line of any of the songs in Mission Praise, most people could then from memory sing me the rest of the verse, or even the entire song. Singing, and music is a wonderful resource for learning God's truth. BUT, if what we are singing isn't in fact God's truth, but rather a reduced, or watered down, or man-centered version of God's truth, then we are drilling into our minds (unconsciously) things which are not found in the Bible! Building up whole pictures of ourselves and God, which are NOT true to God's word. When I think of HOW many songs are man-centered and in some cases completely unbiblical, it's a worrying thought. How many of the congregation, struggling to keep up with their daily quiet time, are instead being taught by errors or half-truths of the songs that may be sung? Or those who believe that getting to know God and his character is actually done, not primarily by spending time in the Bible or in prayer, but by 'worship' and are therefore selling themselves short and heading into dangerous water by holding onto a songwriters fallible and often unbiblical view of the world and expecting to 'find' God in events of pure emotional, rather than the unchangeable truth of the Bible and through prayer.

Let me clarify that worship is important, and it is a time when we can get to know God better and worship Him for who He really is. I'm all for that. But does it really glorify God when the songs we sing are more about us and our response than about Him?

Psalm 119:33-40

2008-09-21T08:00:00.001+01:00

Teach me, O LORD, the way of your statutes; and I will keep it to the end.
Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart.
Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it.
Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!
Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways.
Confirm to your servant your promise, that you may be feared.
Turn away the reproach that I dread, for your rules are good.
Behold, I long for your precepts; in your righteousness give me life!

Yes, LORD, turn my eyes from looking at worthless things, and give me life in your ways!

Do we really believe?

2008-09-19T08:00:00.000+01:00

I read a challenging article in the Times today. It talked plenty of American politics, which is not something I'm particular concerned about on this blog, and so I have edited those bits out. But if you want the article in full, click here.

Many atheists behold the persistence of religion in the West with something close to incredulity. How can it be, they lament, that despite the absence of any evidence for the central tenets of Christianity, despite the enormous progress of science in explaining the origins of the Earth and its inhabitants, that so many people continue to believe pre-Enlightenment gobbledegook?

That the world was created by an invisible deity, that He later impregnated a virgin who then bore a son who was His own father, that we have immortal souls and will live for ever in Heaven if we are good and love Jesus - how can anyone who has even attended high school believe such things? It defies belief.

So it does. And if something defies belief, a good starting position is not to believe it. That is my position. I am not shocked by the persistence of religious belief in the West because I do not believe it exists. It is simply not possible for people who know as much as modern Westerners do to believe in the central tenets of Christianity or the other major religions.

Of course, religious assertion persists. But there are many reasons for saying religious things other than actually believing them. Most often, I suspect, people are expressing their hopes rather than their beliefs - substituting “I believe” for “I wish” in the unconscious endeavour to convince themselves.

The real test for genuine belief is not what people say, but what they do. To believe something is to be disposed to act upon it. The vast majority of Western Christians fail this test. Imagine this. Recognising that many people find their children an unwelcome burden, the Government creates a network of slaughterhouses. Each year, about a million unwanted children are dropped off for extermination.

It is a horrifying idea. Anyone who believed it to be happening would surely rise up against the regime, with violence if necessary, or at the very least passively resist by not paying taxes or refusing to recognise the legitimacy of the State. To do nothing while millions of children are murdered would display despicable moral complacency.

Yet British Roman Catholics allegedly believe that such slaughter is really happening. They claim that humans have immortal souls from conception, and that killing a foetus is no less murder than killing a ten-year-old. From the Catholic point of view, abortion clinics are slaughterhouses for children.

Is the lack of anti-abortion militancy - at least in Britain - not then strange? If they believe what they claim to, they are no better than those who turned a blind eye to Nazi atrocities. But I do not think they are that wicked. It is just that they don't really believe the things they say about foetuses and immortal souls.

I do not mean to pick on Roman Catholics. All Christians fail to act on their avowed beliefs. Suppose you believed that Heaven exists and that only some of us will qualify to live in it for ever, as the vast majority of Christians claim to. How would this affect your behaviour?

It would depend on what you thought were the admission criteria for Heaven. But whatever you took these virtues to be, they would utterly dominate your life. When everlasting bliss is on offer, nothing else matters at all. People who believed in Heaven would surely act quite unlike those who do not.

Yet the expected behavioural difference is not to be observed. The vast majority of Christians display a remarkably blasé attitude toward their approaching day of judgment, leading lives almost indistinguishable from those of us open non-believers. Put simply, they fail the behavioural test for belief.

The persistence of religious profession is irritating. It is a sign of something intellectually unserious in the professor and his appreciative audience. But it is not alarming once you realise that it is all just talk.

I must say that I disagree with a large proportion of what the writer says. I don't think there's no evidence for the central tenets of Christianity. I don't think we live in Heaven forever as a reward for being good. I do believe Christianity, whether the author believes me or not.

However, he has a point. The world is supposed to recognise we are Christians by the fact that we live differently. Yet so often, it doesn't.

Let me quote one bit from his article again:

The vast majority of Christians display a remarkably blasé attitude toward their approaching day of judgment, leading lives almost indistinguishable from those of us open non-believers.

With that statement I agree. The Bible has things to say about those whose lives do not reflect what they believe:

Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. (James 1:22)

If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. (James 1:26)

Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.... (Matthew 25:41-46)

Let's pray that we would not be counted among those who heard the Word of God, but who did not act upon it and let it change our lives.

Psalm 119:25-32

2008-09-14T08:00:00.000+01:00

My soul clings to the dust; give me life according to your word!
When I told of my ways, you answered me; teach me your statutes!
Make me understand the way of your precepts, and I will meditate on your wondrous works.
My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to your word!
Put false ways far from me and graciously teach me your law!
I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I set your rules before me.
I cling to your testimonies, O LORD; let me not be put to shame!
I will run in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart!

Ice cream and soda pop

2008-09-08T08:00:00.001+01:00

On a similar theme to Pete's post on 'Taste and See', I had been musing on things which make God's Word become tasteless to us. Of course, to stipulate exactly in list form would become legalistic, but each of us know the area in which we struggle, or should pray for the Holy Spirit to convict us of the idolatry in our hearts.

I was reading the classic "By Searching" by Isobel Kuhn, and many things she wrote in her testimony resonated with me.

We were living with my brother on his ranch for the summer, and as there were no other young people around I had to occupy many evenings and found a good novel was my first resort. This particular time, it was an exciting story that I could not lay down. I never did read the modern sexy novels, but chose clean, exciting love stories. Very often these were not really true to life. Life does contain moments of adventure, but these times are interspersed with long periods of plain, unvarnished hard work. The real things of life are attained at these monotonous level periods, so to speak, more than they are at the high peaks of excitement. People who in their reading feed on the lurid and melodramatic are not prepared for the long stretches of routine work which fill every life. I believe this is partly responsible for many broken marriages today. Young people think married life should be all moonlight and thrills, and they balk when they find themselves on the level stretches of plain, ordinary working together, which actually are the real life and backbone of a home.

Anyway, I was deep in the excitement of the book. Midnight came and I was so near the end that I could not stop. In fact, it was one o'clock in the morning before I finished the book and took up my Bible for evening devotions. But I got no blessing from it. Never had the Bible seemed so drab and dull. When I tried to pray, the Lord seemed far away. It's just sleepiness, I told myself, and curled up for slumber.

But the next morning things were little better. God still seemed far away and the Bible stuffy and uninteresting. Before the Teachers' Summer Institute opened I was clerking in a Bible Depot which belonged to my father. He had felt that Victoria lacked a Christian bookstore so, supported by Christian friends, he had opened this Bible Depot as a sideline. I substituted for the clerk while she was on summer vacation, and traveling into town by bus gave me time to think. What had happened to me, that the Lord seemed no longer real? And why had the Bible, which I had begun to read through from Genesis to Revelation for the first time in my life—why had the Bible become insipid? I was alarmed. Sitting in the bus, I talked to the Lord about it in my heart.

"Oh Lord, what is wrong with me?" I prayed. "Why can't I sense Your Presence now as I have lately? Why has the Bible become dry?"

"When a child fills her stomach with ice cream and soda pop," the Lord seemed to answer, "why does she lose her appetite for meat and potatoes?"

We often try to fill our lives with 'ice cream and soda pop' - with things not bad in themselves but that distract us from the best things such as prayer and Bible study or active ministry to those around.

Or, as is also popular, we seek out only the 'thrill-a-minute' Christianity, not content with faithful perserverance, but demanding of God endless pyrotechnics. This is often in lieu of spending time in the Word and making God our treasure, rather than as a means to get to our treasure.

So how about, to combat the "ice cream and soda pop" problem, we pray for the Holy Spirit to convict us as to when we need to give up the 'good' in favour of the 'best'. For example, my mum enjoys watching '24' to relax in the evenings, but finds it gets in the way of her time praying and so has given it up. She now prays more. TV isn't bad, but prayer is better.

And then to cleanse us from pyrotechnic Christianity, like I said, how about we ask God to make Him our treasure, whether we're going through a period of drudgery or excitemnet in our lives. Are we seeking to glorify God or to see Him glorify us?

Psalm 119:17-24

2008-08-31T08:00:00.001+01:00

Deal bountifully with your servant, that I may live and keep your word.
Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.
I am a sojourner on the earth; hide not your commandments from me!
My soul is consumed with longing for your rules at all times.
You rebuke the insolent, accursed ones, who wander from your commandments.
Take away from me scorn and contempt, for I have kept your testimonies.
Even though princes sit plotting against me, your servant will meditate on your statutes.
Your testimonies are my delight; they are my counselors.

Desiring God conference

2008-08-30T08:00:00.004+01:00

You may have noticed a theme in these posts - John Piper videos on Saturdays.

The Desiring God conference is held in September of every year, and I have been extremely intrigued by this year's conference. It's all about the tongue, and this is what the Bible says about the tongue:

How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. (James 3:2-12)

What an interesting subject for a conference. Watch the trailer here:

Piper on reading the Bible and reading about the Bible

2008-08-28T08:00:00.002+01:00

Following my recent posts on reading the Bible vs reading about the Bible, I was interested to read what John Piper had to say on the matter:

There are bad reasons to turn to other writers besides the Bible. And there are good ones. One of the bad reasons we turn to other writers is that we find the Bible tame and tasteless. It is anything but tame and tasteless. One of the good reasons we turn to other writers besides the Bible is the we savour the taste of God not only in the Bible, but also in the way others savour him. The best writers intensify our taste for the Bible, and especially for God himself.

1 Thessalonians 1:2-3

2008-08-27T08:00:00.004+01:00

We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labour prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 1:2-3)

I read 1 Thessalonians last night, and was struck by this verse near the beginning, and particularly the phrase "your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ."

I have thought of John Piper's short video clip on perserverance, and lamented on how it is not something I have a great deal of, and then I read this verse which suggested that endurance is inspired by hope in Jesus Christ.

So, I must fix my eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 3:1). Isn't it a blessing to have Jesus to fix our eyes on. Consider Jeremiah:

For twenty-three years [...] the word of the LORD has come to me, and I have spoken persistently to you, but you have not listened. (Jeremiah 25:3)

He didn't have Jesus to fix his eyes on (at least not a full revelation of Jesus), yet he persevered for 23 years in the face of great discouragement (and that's still only halfway through his book).

Lord, I pray that you would help me to fix my eyes on Jesus, and as I do so that you would inspire endurance and perseverance in my heart.

Titus 2:11-14

2008-08-26T08:00:00.004+01:00

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope — the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. (Titus 2:11-14)

I love this passage. We are so quick to think that people who are sinning shouldn't be 'allowed' grace. Surely if we show them grace, they'll just keep sinning and never know they've done wrong! Surely it just gives them licence to sin!

That's not what these verses say. Grace teaches us to say No to ungodliness. Burdening someone with the law and commands just shows them their sinfulness and establishes them in their sin. Grace teaches them to say No.

Jesus Christ died for us, paying the penalty for our sins. We receive this as a free gift of grace. It's amazing how quick we are to take the grace that Jesus offers for our own lives, but not offer it to others for fear that it may be abused. That's not what the Bible says. It says we should offer grace to all.

I'm not saying, please note, that we should ignore sin. For repeated, unrepentant sins, church discipline is appropriate, and it may be necessary to remove someone from the church and treat them "as a Gentile or a tax collector". So remove them from the church then! But how do you treat a Gentile or a tax collector? You tell them the gospel, and tell them about God's grace.

Has anyone seen sin? Wrath, anyone?

2008-08-25T08:00:00.003+01:00

When did we forget about sin and God's response to sin?

I have heard countless gospel presentations over the years at beach missions, evangelistic events, testimonies and the church, and so so many of them either ignore sin, or ignore what God thinks about sin and thus the real reason why Jesus came to earth.

Don Carson illustrated this at New Word Alive:

Have you ever heard a gospel presentation a bit like this?

"In the beginning God made everything good, but sadly we made a mess of everything. We have sinned and destroyed the world. We bring death. We bring decay. But God in his mercy has intervened in the world again and again. He intervened through Abraham, Moses, and the prophets. Jesus came and destroyed death. He opened a new beginning. Resurrection existence will happen in the future, but in the present we are bringing in something of God's kingdom."

There's nothing wrong with that is there?? Well...nothing in it is false, but in leaving something out, either mistakenly or not, it can lead to wrong thinking about God, and it can lead people astray. What is missing is God's relationship to that sin. How sin is against God himself, and how it horrifically offends God. How, in the Bible the wrath of God is mentioned time and time again (36 times in the New Testament), as it is the righteous response to the creation He made defying Him to His face. The reason that Jesus was needed was to take that wrath, to divert the path of God's wrath from us without compromising the need for justice to be done (Romans 3:21-26). The perfect, sinless sacrifice of God's only Son, Jesus Christ (Hebrews 5:8-10). Now THAT is Love (Romans 5:8).

Grace is not just God's big freebie: "Yay God thinks we are all just so loveable and ace that he will just ignore the matter of sin." And when Christians try to market grace without God's response to sin, we are selling out!

Who cares about God's love if there's no real reason for it? If I am doing fine by myself, and I have friends and family to love me, I'll say: "Yeh, thanks God, but I'm ok. I'm just filled up to the max with warm-fuzzy feelings, so I'll pass on the offer this time."

How many times have you heard sin or wrath mentioned in gospel presentations or the church lately? In actual fact, the ones I hear don't even mention the 's' word. Sin is just so unpopular these days. No-one wants to offend, no-one wants to put people off, no-one wants to be all 'heavy'. Most Christians don't notice that sin and wrath are missing...and that's the scary bit. But in the end, any gospel presentation has to come down to this:

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. (John 3:36)

It's not a conscious rebellion on the part of most people...it's just that culture got to us (Matthew 5:13). Culture is so deeply in-grained in feel-good shallow words: all talk of self-worth and love, and yay us, we rock, you rock, yeah, I rock...that most of us have not even noticed that sin took off, and God's gospel suddenly got weaker on our watch.

God's wrath and God's Love, His incredibly Real Love, because of HIS response to OUR spit-in-your-face-defy-you-daily-sin, they are totally inter-twined. Let's not separate them and be responsible for a limp-wristed gospel with no power. (See here for an awesome John Piper clip on this).

For Christ [sent me] to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. (1 Corinthians 1:17)

Human wisdom says NO to sin and the whole gospel (Galatians 1:6-9)...God's wisdom says otherwise.

Psalm 119:9-16

2008-08-24T08:00:00.003+01:00

How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.
With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments!
I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.
Blessed are you, O LORD; teach me your statutes!
With my lips I declare all the rules of your mouth.
In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches.
I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways.
I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.

Pay particular attention to verse 11. I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Do I really appreciate the significance of that verse? Perhaps if I did I would spend more time storing up God's word in my heart.

Piper - God is enough

2008-08-23T08:00:00.003+01:00

This is an awesome video. Some might question Piper's language to describe the prosperity gospel, but let's remember that this isn't someone known for his bad language. I think he uses the word he uses because Jesus might have used the same word if he were addressing the leaders of the prosperity gospel today. After all, Jesus always reserved his harshest language for those who called themselves religious but did not truly love him.

Reading the Bible vs Reading about the Bible

2008-08-22T08:00:00.002+01:00

I have a few thoughts that I'd like to bring together.

THE ESV
By coincidence, on the morning I posted about the ESV, Gordon Cheng of the Sola Panel also had some things to say about it. He's seen the study notes for the book of Jonah, and found himself thinking that it looked very promising, despite his dislike of study Bibles. Here are some extracts of what he has said:

It was with interest and some nervousness that I heard that there is coming the new ESV Study Bible. Interest because, well, it’s interesting. Nervousness because Study Bibles, no matter how terrific they are, are the bane of every Bible study leader’s life. When you ask “What does the text say?” there will always, always, be the one nerdy member of the group who says “Well, it says here in the explanatory notes that...”

I am profoundly bigoted against any scribbles in the margin of my Bible that do not emanate from my pen.

That said, I am disappointed to tell you that having looked through the free download of the notes on Jonah it’s pretty darn good so far.

CHRISTIAN BOOKS
I have found myself in recent weeks, months and years reading many excellent Christian books. Two I can particularly recommend at the moment are 'Humility' by CJ Mahaney and 'The Discipline of Grace' by Jerry Bridges. Particularly the one by Jerry Bridges, which is setting out to show the need for both discipline and dependance on God in our Christian life, and on every page brings it back to the gospel of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:2).

But again, I am convicted that I spend more time reading about God's word than reading God's word. I read the Bible every morning with Sophie (we're currently working our way through the book of Jeremiah), and I also have an audio Bible which I listen to in the car so that I might be able to saturate myself with the word of God. But in the evenings I read books and books about God's word, and I rarely sit down and read a chapter or a book of the Bible itself.

SKIPPING BIBLE VERSES
And it gets worse. I don't know if this is a habit which is exclusive to me or is fairly common, but when I am reading a book and it then prints a verse of Scripture, I often skim-read the verse. Even when they have reproduced it in the text for me (if they haven't reproduced it for me but just given the reference then forget it, my laziness is just too much), I don't stop and slow down to see what God is saying, but instead I fast-forward. I am more interested in what people are saying about God's word and the Christian life than I am in reading the Bible itself. I am now trying to train myself to slow down when I get to the passages of Scripture and take the time to read them properly, perhaps even twice.

IN SUMMARY

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

All human words are breathed out by humans and are profitable to the degree that they point to Scripture and to Jesus Christ. They should never be a substitute for reading God's word itself.

Mortification

2008-08-21T08:00:00.001+01:00

I liked this post from the Sola Panel - the blog written by writers of The Briefing. They have done a few posts recently on virtues found in the Bible which we dislike. I was challenged by this one, and so I thought I'd share it.

The story of the Bible can be summarized in two words: death and resurrection. Ultimately, the story of the Bible is about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. This is the core of the story we call the ‘gospel’.

When we are justified and included in Christ, the story of our lives also become his story. Paul can say that he has been crucified with Christ, and so he no longer lives, but Christ lives in him (Gal 2:20). All those who are baptized into Christ are simultaneously ‘immersed’ into his story—the story of death and resurrection (Rom 6). This, of course, gives us great hope for the future: we look forward to the time when we will receive resurrection bodies instead of mortal bodies (e.g. Rom 8:11). But this story doesn't just apply to the end of our lives; our life in the Spirit now consists in lots of little ‘deaths’ and ‘resurrections’ day by day. In Colossians 3:5-14, we read that we must put to death whatever belongs to our earthly nature (e.g. sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, covetousness, which is idolatry, anger, wrath, malice, slander, obscene talk, lying, etc.), and put on the things that belong to our resurrection self (e.g. compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience and love, above all).

So the story of our lives can also be summed up in two words: ‘death’ and ‘resurrection’. Consequently, our view of the Christian life is distorted when we neglect one or any of these other aspects of Christian living. Those who focus too much on ‘putting to death the misdeeds of the body’ in the Christian life can tend to be pessimistic and negative, emphasizing the ‘don'ts’ of the Christian life—perhaps giving the impression that God is a killjoy who would be much happier if we just stayed in a monastery, twiddling our thumbs. Some Christians in past ages have been big on the idea of the ‘mortification of the flesh’, going to great lengths and schemes to “put to death” the misdeeds of the body. There have been very weird extremes too: self-flagellation, enforced celibacy, hermits doing penance in the desert, etc.

But I think that, in our day, the opposite tends to be more the problem: we in the modern western world don't like negativity; we're far more comfortable with the positive. To make a huge generalization, I don't think modern Christians are too bad at emphasizing the ‘resurrection’ side of Christian living: God loves me, he has a wonderful plan for my life, he wants me to love others—to be kind and compassionate, to read the Bible, to tell others the wonderful message, to look forward in eager expectation for the new creation, etc. These are all very positive characteristics of our new resurrection life that God has given us in Christ, and they're all true. But how do we go at remembering and embracing and proclaiming the fact that the ongoing story of our Christian lives is also about death? Are you comfortable with the teaching that we must be killing the old self daily? If so, when did you last make a concerted attempt to murder some aspect of your earthly and sinful self—for example, greed or sexual impurity? Many Christians have plans and goals for the future, but how many of your plans and goals involve killing and combatting sin in your life?

Saying ‘yes’ to God is simultaneously saying ‘no’ to sin. Death and resurrection (or, to use slightly older terms, ‘mortification’ and ‘vivification’): it's the story of our lives.

Direct words for the sake of the Gospel

2008-08-20T08:00:00.002+01:00

There are often many reports of different things happening around the Christian world, and as we hear of these things, be it Todd Bentley and Lakeland, or for the older folks the Toronto Blessing, we are unsure about what to do with this information...should we, in fear of 'quenching the spirit' just accept everything we have been told, or should we just roundly condemn every report as demonic?

I read a quote last week, an excellent insight into discernment and what that looks like... AW Tozer (1897-1963) said:

Many tender-minded Christians fear to sin against love by daring to inquire into anything that comes wearing the cloak of Christianity and breathing the name of Jesus. They dare not examine the credentials of the latest prophet to hit their town lest they be guilty of rejecting something which may be of God. They timidly remember how the Pharisees refused to accept Christ when He came, and they do not want to be caught in the same snare, so they either reserve judgment or shut their eyes and accept everything without question. This is supposed to indicate a high degree of spirituality. But in sober fact it indicates no such thing. It may indeed be evidence of the absence of the Holy Spirit. Gullibility is not synonymous with spirituality. Faith is not a mental habit leading its possessor to open his mouth and swallow everything that has about it the color of the supernatural. Faith keeps its heart open to whatever is of God, and rejects everything that is not of God, however wonderful it may be. Try the spirits is a command of the Holy Spirit to the Church. We may sin as certainly by approving the spurious as by rejecting the genuine. And the current habit of refusing to take sides is not the way to avoid the question. To appraise things with a heart of love and then to act on the results is an obligation resting upon every Christian in the world. And the more as we see the day approaching.

Many Christians are hungry for things of God, but;

We’re spiritually hungry—which can be a good thing. But sometimes, hungry people will eat anything. (Charisma Magazine)

We sorely need the Word of God and prayer to discern these things and test the spirits.

As Christians we should follow the Word of God as ultimate authority, Sola Scriptura. And prayerfully, regardless of our natural theological stance, ask God to show us through Scripture what we should be thinking about these matters. The Bible teaches wisdom, truth and discernment through God's Word and the Holy Spirit. The Bible is also pretty hard hitting in reference to false gospel and doesn't err on the side of acceptance. After all, if we have a false gospel then we are nowhere!

Prayer soaked and Bible saturated... that's how we view the reports around the world.

Driscoll on prayer

2008-08-18T08:00:00.008+01:00

Soph and I just watched a sermon by Mark Driscoll on prayer. It's just over an hour long, but if you can find the time to watch it, I'd highly recommend it to build you up in your faith. I don't usually like to post videos over about 5 minutes in length - after all, I presume that this isn't the only blog you read and I presume that when you come to check the blogs you normally check, you don't plan to spend over an hour doing so. Still, if you have the time, I would recommend having a listen/watch. He starts with a couple of church notices but gets right into the good stuff!

I particularly enjoyed the part where he talked about a good place to start when praying: thankfulness. I often find that if I'm not sure where to start praying, or if I'm finding it difficult to start praying, spending some time in thanks to God is always useful.

Psalm 119:1-8

2008-08-17T08:00:00.004+01:00

Psalm 119 is my favourite Psalm, and so every Sunday for the next 22 weeks, I'll be posting one section of the Psalm:

Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD!
Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart,
who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways!
You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently.
Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes!
Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.
I will praise you with an upright heart, when I learn your righteous rules.
I will keep your statutes; do not utterly forsake me!

This Psalm is one I always like to turn into prayer for my own life. Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes!

Piper on perseverance

2008-08-16T08:00:00.001+01:00

This a short clip by John Piper on the values of perseverance. This is a great challenge to me personally, as perseverance is not a virtue I possess in abundance.

Discernment

2008-08-15T08:00:00.001+01:00

Charles Haddon Spurgeon, "Prince of Preachers", a British Reformed Baptist preacher who died in 1892, said:

Discernment is not a matter of simply telling the difference between what is right and wrong; rather, it is the difference between right and almost right.

Sweeter than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb

2008-08-14T08:00:00.000+01:00

I have to tell you, I'm looking forward to the release of the new ESV study Bible this October.

The ESV is my translation of choice. When I first became a Christian I was a fan of the NLT because it used everyday language. Over time, I have found myself desiring a translation more faithful to the original text, and have tried the NKJV (which I found was overly complicated in its reliance on the original word order) and the NASB (which just seems to jar slightly with me). The NIV is good as a bog-standard translation, but in New Word Alive the ESV came highly recommended and I have enjoyed reading it ever since. For those of you not familiar with it, I find it to be a cross between the NIV and NASB.

The ESV Study Bible is coming out in October, to good reviews from Adrian Warnock, CJ Mahaney, John Piper, Jerry Bridges, Joshua Harris and Mark Driscoll. It is edited by Wayne Grudem and includes articles by JI Packer, John Piper, Mark Dever, David Powlison and more. It promises to be awesome.

But why? What is so awesome about a study Bible? Surely the most important thing, as any of those contributors will tell you, is God's word itself, not the words they write about God's word. Surely the most important things are the writings of Paul, Luke, David, Ezra, Moses and all the other contributors to the Bible. Surely a few words written by God are preferable to many words written about God.

I'm not trying to say that study Bibles are bad things, or that we should forsake commentaries, or not read books about Jesus, or stay away from morning Bible study notes. But we must remember that they are not the most important thing. Maybe I should be a little more excited by the Bible already sitting on my shelf and what God is saying through that before I start getting excited about a new study Bible and what Wayne Grudem is saying about it.

The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces. (Psalm 119:72)

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. (Psalm 119:105)

And best of all:

The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul;
the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;
the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;
the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;
the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.
(Psalm 19:7-10)

Worship in Spirit and truth

2008-08-13T07:17:00.006+01:00

For a month or so after doing an excellent study by Precept ministries on worship, I've been thinking a lot and the theology of worship has really been on my mind.... and before readers get turned off by use of the word 'theology' in the context of worship (!!!) I'm meaning: What does the Bible say about worship and what God requires of us and what does Biblical Christ-centred worship look like?

When Jesus talks to the Samaritan woman at the well, (John 4:1-26) she is preoccupied with talking about the physical, thinking Jesus is talking about physical water to drink rather than the 'spiritual' water talked of by Jesus (which refers to being born-again and regeneration) and she further focuses on the physical with her questions about where was the correct 'physical' place to worship. Jesus answers her by telling her that a time was coming when the physical place of worship would no longer matter:

"But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." (John 4:23-24)

Spirit and Truth. This is how God wants his people to worship him. But though these words are often quoted, what does this look like? What does this mean?

We see from verse 24 that God is Spirit, and also we have learnt that 'spiritual' things differ from 'physical' things. And Paul in his letter to the Phillipians says:

"Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh" (Philippians 3:2-3)

Here Paul is talking about those who put their trust in circumcision rather than Jesus for salvation, but my point is that we cannot trust the flesh, the physical. For example - in times of worship and singing in church, what is it that we trust that makes us feel close to God? Is it our emotions, or how exuberantly we worship? It's worth noting that exuberant worship is entirely Biblical, and can be a fitting way to worship God, but what is it that makes us know that we are God's children, or close to God? Is it our untrustworthy emotions and our trust in the physical? How we feel or what we do with our arms and hands during singing? Or is in the truth of the words we have sung? Which leads me ask that favoured question of psychology students (tee hee): What is Truth?

Jesus, in what is known as the "High-Priestly prayer" in the garden of Gethsemane, prays for his disciples and asks God to:

"Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth." (John 17:17)

There you have it - God's Word is truth.

Which leads me on the the next thought - if in the context of corporate worship expressed in singing we are to worship God in "spirit and truth", how much of what we sing is actual Biblical truth?

Are the songs we are singing filled with truth about who Jesus is? Accurate pictures of who the God of the Bible is, how exactly our sin was dealt with by Jesus' death on the cross, the removal of God's wrath by the propitious work of Jesus, the great love of God as shown by the sending of his Son? The list could go on. Songs which talk about our response as humans and talk about our emotions are not bad things as the Psalms are full of these too, but more important is to get the full-rounded gospel truths of Jesus, the truths that don't change when we feel awful. That way, by the Holy Spirit working in our hearts and the truth of God's word, regardless of our physical state, we can worship God in spirit and truth.

More on why truth in worship songs matter next.....

What God has joined together...

2008-08-11T12:57:00.008+01:00

I listened to a sermon by CJ Davis of our old church in London today. He is starting a series called "What God has joined together..." It covers various subjects (tears and joy; struggle and rest; love and fear; in the world but not of the world) which the Bible holds together but we sometimes don't, picking the one which is more palatable or appropriate to us at any given time.

CJ says:

I want to suggest to you that it's possible to be a spiritual bandit when we come to the Bible - that is to stretch it or cut bits off when it doesn't fit our view of reality and the way we think things ought to be. I don't think we do it deliberately but I think it's quite possible to do it.

The fact is that we all have some sort of overall background understanding of the Christian faith in our minds - a sort of system or grid or package of things we believe that are Christianity. If you're really technical, you'd call it our Systematic Theology. We may recognise that, it might be very well developed and we might know exactly what it is, or we may not recognise it and it may be quite vague. But it's still there - it's the list of things I understand to be true about Christianity.

But the question is - what happens when that list of things I understand about Christianity comes into conflict with the Bible - when the Bible says one thing and my list says the other? Which is it that wins? I suspect that quite often its possible for it to be my list that wins, not the Bible. What that means is that I end up with Christianity according to CJ Davis. And let me tell you, Christianity according to CJ Davis is not worth anything. I don't want you to listen to anything I say if it is not found in the Bible.

I quote this because we have just started a new blog and named it. And I suppose that we have given it the name we have because people don't hold God's love and God's wrath together, but try and separate them. God's wrath, and along with it sin, has dropped out of fashion as a doctrine, and many churches avoid the topic altogether. It doesn't fit in with what we like to believe about God - we can't understand how a loving God could ever know wrath.

Jed Bartlet (of the West Wing), when confronted with this problem, said:

I'm more of a new Testament man myself.

As if we need to be ashamed and embarrassed of God's less cuddly attributes!

But if we're not sinners destined for hell and the eternal wrath of God, what exactly are we saved from? Sophie and I are more sinful than you, or even we, think, and we are two sinners saved by the glorious grace of God. Grace isn't God's big freebie, it is God's unmerited favour to those who deserve only judgement. And he pours his grace upon us because he loved us enough to send Jesus to die for us (Romans 5:8). So however much we like or dislike talking about our own sinfulness, we must never forget it and in doing so empty the gospel of its power.

Where to start?

2008-08-07T15:30:00.004+01:00

What better place to start than with something summing up what we believe?