Well today is the last day of August and it strikes me that this has been one quick summer! I realize that as we get older time seems to speed up for us but still...
In my own life, many of you know that I have been going through quite a bit in the last couple of months. Well while the worst of that situation appears to be over, it is not completely over nor will it truly be over for the next three years! Unfortunately we live in a wicked society, but this gives me all the more reason to be in the Word and remain faithful to my God! I will not sit down to rest from the battle while the enemy indeed seeks to devour the followers of our Lord!
But aside from that quick update, my purpose in writing tonight is to share a brief thought I've had over the last few weeks. As you know from my blog, I have an account with LibraryThing (you can see the widget that shows my books on the right of my posts). Well I have catalogued all my books on theology and am seriously contemplating doing the same for my books on history and my novels. The only thing that has kept me from doing this so far has been that my widget is on this blog and I don't want my books on WW2 or my novels to show up on my blog! But I may do so anyhow and then remove the widget...we'll see. If I do leave it on the blog just don't be surprised when you start seeing Louis L'Amour novels show up from time to time! lol
Back to my thesis here though...on my LibraryThing account I joined a Christian discussion board and over the last few months I have been reaffirmed in my belief that the vast majority of those who refer to themselves as Christians are not truly saved nor do they even pretend to acknowledge that there is such a thing as the Word of God! They act like members of the Jesus Seminar, deciding for themselves what they will and what they will not believe! So many times I have attempted to engage someone in discussion about some theological point, or about some passage of Scripture in the OT and then found out that the person or persons I was communicating wth did not even believe the passage could really be real or have any possible application to our "modern" times. Only one God and one Mediator (Jesus)? Ha! I must be very arrogant to believe such a thing! Homosexuality, abortion, lust...dare I call these sins? Well I must be a very judgmental person! Does the Bible teach what I have declared? No, and if it appears to do so then it is either my misinterpretation or the Bible is wrong on the issue! After all, it was written by mere men, right?
How sad, no? Due to this, I have shaken the dust from my sandals and have decided not to engage in discussion with these groups of people. Does this mean I don't want to stand firm for Biblical Truth? Not at all. But allow me to give you an example of what my thinking is. Back when I was teaching Sunday school, one of my great joys was to present the Scripture and then discuss the passages with people. Not because I thought we could see what we "thought" the passage was saying but because my hope was to teach and to correct misunderstandings that people had about the Word. But what if someone came into my Sunday school class and denied the authority of Scripture? Or denied the doctrines of the Trinity, eternal security, Deity of Christ, etc...? I tell you honestly right now that I see no reason why in
Sunday school we need to pause the teaching in order to address these people who would voice such thoughts. I say set the question aside and meet with the person one on one later on. Sunday school is, as shocking as it may sound, for the teaching of the Believer!
If ever again it pleases my Lord to permit me to teach His Word, I will continue to teach with this foremost in my mind: there are Truth's that must be assumed. What I mean by this is that when I come before a Sunday school, I have the right to assume that those sitting with me acknowledge the basic Truth's of Christianity. For someone to say they are a Christian and deny these is for them to expose themselves for what they are: Non Believers. NOT Christians. For them, I need to present the Gospel and explain to them their need for a Savior. And this I am happy to do one on one with them. But as I've said often before, if the person devoid of faith in Jesus Christ comes into our churches and our Sunday school classes, let them listen in silence and let them ask questions of the pastor and teacher later on. And most of them do...remain silent that is. For it is my experience that those who speak up with their doubts in the midst of a class are those who wish to attack God Himself. They don't really want answers...they want to present their own worldview and mock Christianity! Fine. Let them mock it all they want, just not in the assemblage of the saints!
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Paul Washer: What is Salvation?
Many of you know from a previous post that I have recently discovered the preaching of Paul Washer. Well I have been going on YouTube and watching many of his sermons which a man named Lane Chaplin (?) has posted. His channel on YouTube is awesome and I highly recommend it.
Anyhow, I just viewed this video below and I was totally wowed by it. Please watch it and ponder his words because this man is truly being used by God in a mighty way. Here is a man who loves the Lord with all his heart and who has a passion for preaching the Word. If six minutes is too long for you to sit and watch a video, then at least focus on what he says between 3:55 and 4:15 to start. Truly Mr. Washer understands the pitfalls of a seeker sensitive church!
If you have even more time, please watch 5:00 through 5:57, where he asks..."what is salvation?" In it he takes on "the little tracks that have been developed by men who do not know theology...[and] the evangelists who hardly study their Bibles...[and] church growth movements that are based on wall street marketing schemes..." Sound familiar to any of you? Recognize your churches here? It is pathetic, isn't it? Sad that so many churches have indeed started relying on the methods of business rather then on the power of the Living God.
Indeed, one of my greatest frustrations is those pesky evengi-cubes! Nothing more clearly reveals how little we think of the work of the Holy Spirit in salvation than this cube. Having problems communicating? Show them a picture! And I would have no problem with this cube if it was used solely in ministering to people whose language you don't speak (though in that case why not let the native speakers do the work?), but when I first saw this thing introduced at my old church it was in the context of witnessing to friends and neighbors. So yeah, let's just tell those we love that we think they are unable to read words in a Bible and now need pictures with arrows and no words! That's definitely guaranteed to soften a hearer to the Gospel right?
But I digress...
Just watch and enjoy the video. Be prepared to be convicted and exhorted all at once! :)
Anyhow, I just viewed this video below and I was totally wowed by it. Please watch it and ponder his words because this man is truly being used by God in a mighty way. Here is a man who loves the Lord with all his heart and who has a passion for preaching the Word. If six minutes is too long for you to sit and watch a video, then at least focus on what he says between 3:55 and 4:15 to start. Truly Mr. Washer understands the pitfalls of a seeker sensitive church!
If you have even more time, please watch 5:00 through 5:57, where he asks..."what is salvation?" In it he takes on "the little tracks that have been developed by men who do not know theology...[and] the evangelists who hardly study their Bibles...[and] church growth movements that are based on wall street marketing schemes..." Sound familiar to any of you? Recognize your churches here? It is pathetic, isn't it? Sad that so many churches have indeed started relying on the methods of business rather then on the power of the Living God.
Indeed, one of my greatest frustrations is those pesky evengi-cubes! Nothing more clearly reveals how little we think of the work of the Holy Spirit in salvation than this cube. Having problems communicating? Show them a picture! And I would have no problem with this cube if it was used solely in ministering to people whose language you don't speak (though in that case why not let the native speakers do the work?), but when I first saw this thing introduced at my old church it was in the context of witnessing to friends and neighbors. So yeah, let's just tell those we love that we think they are unable to read words in a Bible and now need pictures with arrows and no words! That's definitely guaranteed to soften a hearer to the Gospel right?
But I digress...
Just watch and enjoy the video. Be prepared to be convicted and exhorted all at once! :)
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
It's All Greek to Me!
It's public confession time...
As some of you may know, I have been trying to learn Greek. Well, I should actually state that I have made a decision to learn Greek because the "trying" part is not actually happening! Which is the reason for this post. You see, over the last three or four months I have not picked up my book on Greek at all! So even though I was going about boasting to my wife that I knew the alphabet and the first three or four verses of John 1 (O how the proud fall!), I tried to recite the alphabet to myself today and I could not do it without looking at my notes! :(
Well, I am giving public notice to everyone that I am going to return to my Greek lessons again beginning tomorrow during my lunch at work. I will not give up...I hope! :)
Seriously though, for those of you who know me, feel free to hold me accountable and to admonish me...though keep it nice 'cause I am pretty sensitive. And truly, I know I will never be a master of the Biblical languages, but I have a desire to someday read the book of John in the Greek, so that is what I am going to do, the Lord willing and the flesh not being too weak! As for that other language, the one revived by those hardy Israelis (formerly known as Israelites!), I won't even try to go there. For that one I will have to rely totally on those who have been blessed with the brain power for picking up languages.
So that's my rant tonight. A rant aimed solely at myself. Though I guess I could blame those Greeks for not having had the sense to come up with an easier language to learn! As some of our KJV-only brethren might say, "if the King's English was good enough for Paul it's good enough for me!" Then again, I don't know the King's English very well either!
God Bless!
As some of you may know, I have been trying to learn Greek. Well, I should actually state that I have made a decision to learn Greek because the "trying" part is not actually happening! Which is the reason for this post. You see, over the last three or four months I have not picked up my book on Greek at all! So even though I was going about boasting to my wife that I knew the alphabet and the first three or four verses of John 1 (O how the proud fall!), I tried to recite the alphabet to myself today and I could not do it without looking at my notes! :(
Well, I am giving public notice to everyone that I am going to return to my Greek lessons again beginning tomorrow during my lunch at work. I will not give up...I hope! :)
Seriously though, for those of you who know me, feel free to hold me accountable and to admonish me...though keep it nice 'cause I am pretty sensitive. And truly, I know I will never be a master of the Biblical languages, but I have a desire to someday read the book of John in the Greek, so that is what I am going to do, the Lord willing and the flesh not being too weak! As for that other language, the one revived by those hardy Israelis (formerly known as Israelites!), I won't even try to go there. For that one I will have to rely totally on those who have been blessed with the brain power for picking up languages.
So that's my rant tonight. A rant aimed solely at myself. Though I guess I could blame those Greeks for not having had the sense to come up with an easier language to learn! As some of our KJV-only brethren might say, "if the King's English was good enough for Paul it's good enough for me!" Then again, I don't know the King's English very well either!
God Bless!
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Do I Invite Jesus Into My Heart?
I came across this video post of Paul Washer and loved what he had to say. I hope you will watch it and enjoy it as much as I did. By the way, I don't know much about Paul Washer since I just discovered him, but I'm going to be finding out more about him 'cause he seems to be a man worth listening to.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Rick Warren, Politics, and Preaching
This post was on my mind for awhile but I've just this evening been able to sit down and type it out! :)
This may be old news to some but for some of you it will be nice and fresh, so for those of you who fall into the latter category, here goes:
On Monday August 18th, the Idaho Press-Tribune carried a guest opinion from Star Parker, founder and president of CURE. I'd never heard of her, but after reading her article I have visited her site and am now subscribed in order to receive her articles as soon as they are published...yes I liked what she had to say that much! :)
Anyhow, the article was about the hosting by Rick Warren's Saddleback church of the presidential candidates, or more specifically, about what Warren's hosting represents for America, and in my mind, Christianity. Now then, a quick word about the Press-Tribune...they do not keep online sources for more than 14 days unless you pay to subscribe, so I found the article as published originally on Ms. Parkers own website.
You can read the full article HERE
I do not plan on going into some huge anti Rick Warren rant here (only a small one... ha ha), but I do think it bears mentioning that a few days ago I watched a news report in which he was compared to Billy Graham. And as much as Billy Graham has disappointed me due to some silly comments he has made in the last couple of years, I will generously attribute these to the decline of his mental capacities brought on by old age; and despite those comments, I still do not think Rick Warren is worth mentioning in the same sentence as Billy Graham, unless it is to say something like "Rick Warren is nothing like Billy Graham." :)
Indeed, after reading "The Purpose Driven Life" and "The Purpose Drive Church" it truly dawned on me how lacking in discernment too many Christians really are. As you know, most churches fell head over heels in love with his message, singing the praises of Warren and wanting to be just like him...and I still don't understand completely why! But, I have promised to keep this rant short, so I'll leave it at that and maybe at a later time pick it up again, who knows, right?
Back to Ms. Parker and her article!
In her article, which I hope you will all read, Parker says the following about the event held at Saddleback:
"For whatever good intentions Pastor Warren may have, by posturing as a neutral broker between different points of view, many of which have profound moral and religious implications, he contributes to the moral ambiguity we'd expect a pastor to be combating."
In other words, despite asking tough questions of both candidates, Warren does a disservice to the church by allowing candidates of both parties to speak, especially when one of the candidates holds opinions that, no matter how much he protests that he too is a Christian, are contrary to what Scripture teaches. Now, before someone accuses me of wanting only Republicans to come speak at churches, I will state plainly and without any reservation that I don't think ANY politician should be given the floor within a church and allowed to speak about his/her political stances. If a politician comes to a church and addresses the congregation, it had better be in the form of a sermon and not about politics! The pulpit belongs to those who will carry out that highest of callings, to preach the Word. Not to those who are running for office and want to give their political speech. For Warren to permit his pulpit to be used in this is, therefore, distressing to me because it is indicative of his lack of appreciation for the supremacy of preaching. And as Parker so truly says, moral ambiguity is the last thing we want from our preachers. Warren, by turning over his pulpit to representatives of the political parties, allowed his people to be exposed to this ambiguity...what a sad affair.
Later on we read this:
"When a pastor hosts a political candidate that has a 100 percent rating by NARAL Pro-Choice America and a 0 percent rating by the National Right to Life Committee, he gives legitimacy to that candidate. When legitimacy is given to a line of reasoning that says that poverty and AIDS are symptoms of anything other than moral breakdown, the relativist views of the left are justified...[a]nyone that thinks this ambiguity is helpful in addressing poverty, crime and disease is misinformed."
Wow.
If Ms. Parker can see this so clearly, why can't a man who is supposed to be shepherding the flock of the Lord? Why is he so eager to engage in world wide PEACE initiatives instead of fulfilling His calling? God forbid that it be selfish ambition and the desire to be thought of positively by the world!
But you understand, don't you, that it is indeed disturbing that a man such as the candidate descibed by Ms. Parker in the quote above could enter a church and be given the right to speak? Such a one, if he claims to be a Believer, needs to be chastised, NOT allowed to speak before the congregation. Anyone who wishes to hear him speak has countless opportunities to do so in a secular setting, why profane the place where we meet to worship our holy God?
Finally, Ms. Parker concludes her article with the following statement:
"We need political leaders that are more moral. Not church leaders that are more political."
Did you catch that? Go back and read it again if you did not!
To Rick Warren and to all of his acolytes throughout the world...I implore you, preach the Word and feed the flock. Devote yourselves to this and leave the world of political debates to the secular arena...use your churches instead to call upon the nation to repent and to turn to the Lord as the only solution to all the problems of the world.
This may be old news to some but for some of you it will be nice and fresh, so for those of you who fall into the latter category, here goes:
On Monday August 18th, the Idaho Press-Tribune carried a guest opinion from Star Parker, founder and president of CURE. I'd never heard of her, but after reading her article I have visited her site and am now subscribed in order to receive her articles as soon as they are published...yes I liked what she had to say that much! :)
Anyhow, the article was about the hosting by Rick Warren's Saddleback church of the presidential candidates, or more specifically, about what Warren's hosting represents for America, and in my mind, Christianity. Now then, a quick word about the Press-Tribune...they do not keep online sources for more than 14 days unless you pay to subscribe, so I found the article as published originally on Ms. Parkers own website.
You can read the full article HERE
I do not plan on going into some huge anti Rick Warren rant here (only a small one... ha ha), but I do think it bears mentioning that a few days ago I watched a news report in which he was compared to Billy Graham. And as much as Billy Graham has disappointed me due to some silly comments he has made in the last couple of years, I will generously attribute these to the decline of his mental capacities brought on by old age; and despite those comments, I still do not think Rick Warren is worth mentioning in the same sentence as Billy Graham, unless it is to say something like "Rick Warren is nothing like Billy Graham." :)
Indeed, after reading "The Purpose Driven Life" and "The Purpose Drive Church" it truly dawned on me how lacking in discernment too many Christians really are. As you know, most churches fell head over heels in love with his message, singing the praises of Warren and wanting to be just like him...and I still don't understand completely why! But, I have promised to keep this rant short, so I'll leave it at that and maybe at a later time pick it up again, who knows, right?
Back to Ms. Parker and her article!
In her article, which I hope you will all read, Parker says the following about the event held at Saddleback:
"For whatever good intentions Pastor Warren may have, by posturing as a neutral broker between different points of view, many of which have profound moral and religious implications, he contributes to the moral ambiguity we'd expect a pastor to be combating."
In other words, despite asking tough questions of both candidates, Warren does a disservice to the church by allowing candidates of both parties to speak, especially when one of the candidates holds opinions that, no matter how much he protests that he too is a Christian, are contrary to what Scripture teaches. Now, before someone accuses me of wanting only Republicans to come speak at churches, I will state plainly and without any reservation that I don't think ANY politician should be given the floor within a church and allowed to speak about his/her political stances. If a politician comes to a church and addresses the congregation, it had better be in the form of a sermon and not about politics! The pulpit belongs to those who will carry out that highest of callings, to preach the Word. Not to those who are running for office and want to give their political speech. For Warren to permit his pulpit to be used in this is, therefore, distressing to me because it is indicative of his lack of appreciation for the supremacy of preaching. And as Parker so truly says, moral ambiguity is the last thing we want from our preachers. Warren, by turning over his pulpit to representatives of the political parties, allowed his people to be exposed to this ambiguity...what a sad affair.
Later on we read this:
"When a pastor hosts a political candidate that has a 100 percent rating by NARAL Pro-Choice America and a 0 percent rating by the National Right to Life Committee, he gives legitimacy to that candidate. When legitimacy is given to a line of reasoning that says that poverty and AIDS are symptoms of anything other than moral breakdown, the relativist views of the left are justified...[a]nyone that thinks this ambiguity is helpful in addressing poverty, crime and disease is misinformed."
Wow.
If Ms. Parker can see this so clearly, why can't a man who is supposed to be shepherding the flock of the Lord? Why is he so eager to engage in world wide PEACE initiatives instead of fulfilling His calling? God forbid that it be selfish ambition and the desire to be thought of positively by the world!
But you understand, don't you, that it is indeed disturbing that a man such as the candidate descibed by Ms. Parker in the quote above could enter a church and be given the right to speak? Such a one, if he claims to be a Believer, needs to be chastised, NOT allowed to speak before the congregation. Anyone who wishes to hear him speak has countless opportunities to do so in a secular setting, why profane the place where we meet to worship our holy God?
Finally, Ms. Parker concludes her article with the following statement:
"We need political leaders that are more moral. Not church leaders that are more political."
Did you catch that? Go back and read it again if you did not!
To Rick Warren and to all of his acolytes throughout the world...I implore you, preach the Word and feed the flock. Devote yourselves to this and leave the world of political debates to the secular arena...use your churches instead to call upon the nation to repent and to turn to the Lord as the only solution to all the problems of the world.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Back to My Blogging!
Well it's been a slow month as far as publishing on my blog! The main reason, to be honest, is that I keep hoping and praying that I will soon be able to publish really really good news! Alas, the Lord reminds me through this whole ordeal that I must learn patience and total reliance upon Him! :-)
At any rate, since my last post I have felt very confident about everything, though in His time I would love to hear from the powers that be about the final resolution. Even so, I have spent so much time in the Word that I keep wondering why it is that we Christians so often need the motivation of hardships in order to be completely immersed in the things of the Lord. Oh well, may the Lord help me to remain as faithful every day from now on as He has already helped me these last few months.
So is there anything new to share? No. But don't worry so much about this because in some ways no news is good news in this situation. And how have I been doing? Surprisingly well. Thanks to the patient love and admonition of God. This time has also helped me to bond with friends I did not realize I truly had. I have a dear neighbor who cried with me when all of this first started, and his love for me and his total trust in the righteousness of my case have humbled me so very much. He has been a shoulder to lean on when others were not there for me. Another neighbor down the street also came to me and expressed his support for me. This man assurred me I could turn to him with any needs. In addition to these fine Christian men, a dear brother from my old church has been helping me to deal with all of this too. He and his family came to us as soon as they knew of my situation and offered us their support, bringing us dinner and opening their home to us as well. Every one of my co-workers who is aware of my situation has expressed their support as well. And finally, what could we do without the love of family? They have given the unconditional love which overwhelms a person. Without all of these people and the loving expressions of trust and support...this would have been a far more difficult journey for my family and I.
All of this has made me realize how important one's witness is. Why have I received such support? Without a doubt it is because these people know me and, praise be to God, they have seen in me the man that God has been shaping me into. I do not say this as a boast...I say it in humble surprise. My whole Christian life I have felt like such a failure in the things of my God. I have not been the best husband or father, and yet somehow He has been working in my life. Working to shape me into the "image of His Son." Can I claim that I have been responsible for any of this? NO! For I know my own heart...I know that often I have wanted to do those things I know I should not do, and that sometimes I have not done that which my God requires of me. So it is not what I have done with my life, but what God has done to my life! This is the only witness I have before the world: That God has worked in me despite myself! How precious indeed then is my salvation! All of it is His work and none is mine.
So my prayer is this: That He continue to work in my life, to mold me and shape me; that I be open to all that He would teach me from His Word; and that my wife and children will forgive me when I fail to be a good father and/or husband. My greatest desire is to see my sons walk with God all the days of their lives, and if I live to see all of them grow to manhood and see them walk with Him, then I will give the credit and the glory where it belongs: God deserves it all!
At any rate, since my last post I have felt very confident about everything, though in His time I would love to hear from the powers that be about the final resolution. Even so, I have spent so much time in the Word that I keep wondering why it is that we Christians so often need the motivation of hardships in order to be completely immersed in the things of the Lord. Oh well, may the Lord help me to remain as faithful every day from now on as He has already helped me these last few months.
So is there anything new to share? No. But don't worry so much about this because in some ways no news is good news in this situation. And how have I been doing? Surprisingly well. Thanks to the patient love and admonition of God. This time has also helped me to bond with friends I did not realize I truly had. I have a dear neighbor who cried with me when all of this first started, and his love for me and his total trust in the righteousness of my case have humbled me so very much. He has been a shoulder to lean on when others were not there for me. Another neighbor down the street also came to me and expressed his support for me. This man assurred me I could turn to him with any needs. In addition to these fine Christian men, a dear brother from my old church has been helping me to deal with all of this too. He and his family came to us as soon as they knew of my situation and offered us their support, bringing us dinner and opening their home to us as well. Every one of my co-workers who is aware of my situation has expressed their support as well. And finally, what could we do without the love of family? They have given the unconditional love which overwhelms a person. Without all of these people and the loving expressions of trust and support...this would have been a far more difficult journey for my family and I.
All of this has made me realize how important one's witness is. Why have I received such support? Without a doubt it is because these people know me and, praise be to God, they have seen in me the man that God has been shaping me into. I do not say this as a boast...I say it in humble surprise. My whole Christian life I have felt like such a failure in the things of my God. I have not been the best husband or father, and yet somehow He has been working in my life. Working to shape me into the "image of His Son." Can I claim that I have been responsible for any of this? NO! For I know my own heart...I know that often I have wanted to do those things I know I should not do, and that sometimes I have not done that which my God requires of me. So it is not what I have done with my life, but what God has done to my life! This is the only witness I have before the world: That God has worked in me despite myself! How precious indeed then is my salvation! All of it is His work and none is mine.
So my prayer is this: That He continue to work in my life, to mold me and shape me; that I be open to all that He would teach me from His Word; and that my wife and children will forgive me when I fail to be a good father and/or husband. My greatest desire is to see my sons walk with God all the days of their lives, and if I live to see all of them grow to manhood and see them walk with Him, then I will give the credit and the glory where it belongs: God deserves it all!
Thursday, August 7, 2008
A Short Update...and Good News!
Hello everyone!
For those of you who are aware of the trial that I have been facing...I have received some good news! It is not yet the best news that I wanted to hear but after receiving this latest information I am greatly encouraged and am confident that my cause will be justified. Already much good fruit has been demonstrated through the trust and complete support I have received from so many people. Please continue to pray that final resolution will soon come my way...but even so, ultimately, I truly feel like my cry to my Lord has been heard clarly...the cry which I echoed from the psalmist when he cried out "Make haste, O God,to delive me! Make haste to help me, O Lord!" - Psalm 70:1
So I do indeed thank Him that He has apparently chosen to deliver me in the here and now...as prepared as I was to await my justification until that final deliverance! :)
For those of you who are aware of the trial that I have been facing...I have received some good news! It is not yet the best news that I wanted to hear but after receiving this latest information I am greatly encouraged and am confident that my cause will be justified. Already much good fruit has been demonstrated through the trust and complete support I have received from so many people. Please continue to pray that final resolution will soon come my way...but even so, ultimately, I truly feel like my cry to my Lord has been heard clarly...the cry which I echoed from the psalmist when he cried out "Make haste, O God,to delive me! Make haste to help me, O Lord!" - Psalm 70:1
So I do indeed thank Him that He has apparently chosen to deliver me in the here and now...as prepared as I was to await my justification until that final deliverance! :)
Monday, August 4, 2008
Sharing a Quick Thought
Today is a good day. Every day when I wake up I thank God for another day to worship Him and learn the valuable lessons He may hold for me, and today has been one in which I have been filled with peace. I still don't know, of course, what is happening with my situation, but as always the knowledge that God is in control helps me to set aside my fears and give it all over to my Lord.
My wife wrote a letter to our extended family and wanted me to look it over before she sent it; I'm glad she did because she shared some really good things from "The Voice of the Martyrs." At the risk of giving it away to those in the family who may read this post, I want to share it too! :) Those of you who are familiar with the magazine mentioned above know that it is all about our Christian brothers and sisters throughout the world who are suffering for their faith...and not just suffering like we do in America but painful, physical suffering. Two quotes from the magazine:
"My life is in the hands of the Lord. If it is His will, I will die even if I am not shot. But if it is not His will, not even 1,000 bullets can kill me."
"Faith does not mean that I am not fearful, that I don't cry out or that I won't want to escape. Faith is also to cry, to tremble, but with a strength that keeps you in peace."
Wow. These are my spiritual superiors! These ones who probably don't have access to the tons of books that I own...they are the ones from whom I have much to learn. How dare I compare my suffering to theirs? I cannot. But I can honor their suffering by doing no less through my own trials and tribulations...remaining faithful to my Lord and maintaining complete trust in Him who alone can give us "a strength that keeps [us] in peace."
God bless
My wife wrote a letter to our extended family and wanted me to look it over before she sent it; I'm glad she did because she shared some really good things from "The Voice of the Martyrs." At the risk of giving it away to those in the family who may read this post, I want to share it too! :) Those of you who are familiar with the magazine mentioned above know that it is all about our Christian brothers and sisters throughout the world who are suffering for their faith...and not just suffering like we do in America but painful, physical suffering. Two quotes from the magazine:
"My life is in the hands of the Lord. If it is His will, I will die even if I am not shot. But if it is not His will, not even 1,000 bullets can kill me."
"Faith does not mean that I am not fearful, that I don't cry out or that I won't want to escape. Faith is also to cry, to tremble, but with a strength that keeps you in peace."
Wow. These are my spiritual superiors! These ones who probably don't have access to the tons of books that I own...they are the ones from whom I have much to learn. How dare I compare my suffering to theirs? I cannot. But I can honor their suffering by doing no less through my own trials and tribulations...remaining faithful to my Lord and maintaining complete trust in Him who alone can give us "a strength that keeps [us] in peace."
God bless
Saturday, August 2, 2008
In His Arms
We have entered a new month and while I wish I could now give everyone good news regarding the situation I am in...it is not to be. No decision has been made and so I find myself facing yet another month in which I must take it day by day and continue to seek the only comfort that we can ever truly have; the knowledge that He is with us and that He is in control of all things.
It has been fascinating for me to observe through my circumstances how such a simple statement as "God is in control" can be so powerful and bring such peace of mind. When I have been tempted to despair I have been able to gain immediate consolation from that truth. Amazing isn't it? The fact is that I am surprised that I have never completely appreciated how much our faith truly comforts us...maybe because until now I had never experienced true tragedy as an adult. I don't know if this will make any sense to anyone other than my wife, but a part of me gives thanks to God for what has happened. You see, the Lord has permitted to truly and completely experience the ministry of the Holy Spirit in my life! For this I must praise His name and I must give thanks.
Some time ago (two weeks?) I wrote a review of "A Shephed Looks at Psalm 23" by Phillip Keller and much of what he wrote continues to resonate with me. For one, my current struggle has shown me how important His Word is. It is such an extreme comfort to open up the Bible and read the words contained in it. A mind and a heart of sorrow are pacified and made glad, the threat of despair is banished, and a soul longing for His presence is filled! It is all too easy to smile and praise the Lord during those times when everything is going good...it is all too easy to ask Him to work in our lives and shape us into His image. Now, at this time, I am feeling that work of molding in my life; I confess that it does not feel good! But what does feel good is to know that He would not be doing this work in my life if I were not His. I have hungered and thirsted for His righteousness for a very long time...now I am finding out the joy that comes from being filled. I can honestly and without hesitation say that it is so sweet to be where I am right now! Yeah, you may think I refer to my troubles...but I refer to being in His arms!
:)
It has been fascinating for me to observe through my circumstances how such a simple statement as "God is in control" can be so powerful and bring such peace of mind. When I have been tempted to despair I have been able to gain immediate consolation from that truth. Amazing isn't it? The fact is that I am surprised that I have never completely appreciated how much our faith truly comforts us...maybe because until now I had never experienced true tragedy as an adult. I don't know if this will make any sense to anyone other than my wife, but a part of me gives thanks to God for what has happened. You see, the Lord has permitted to truly and completely experience the ministry of the Holy Spirit in my life! For this I must praise His name and I must give thanks.
Some time ago (two weeks?) I wrote a review of "A Shephed Looks at Psalm 23" by Phillip Keller and much of what he wrote continues to resonate with me. For one, my current struggle has shown me how important His Word is. It is such an extreme comfort to open up the Bible and read the words contained in it. A mind and a heart of sorrow are pacified and made glad, the threat of despair is banished, and a soul longing for His presence is filled! It is all too easy to smile and praise the Lord during those times when everything is going good...it is all too easy to ask Him to work in our lives and shape us into His image. Now, at this time, I am feeling that work of molding in my life; I confess that it does not feel good! But what does feel good is to know that He would not be doing this work in my life if I were not His. I have hungered and thirsted for His righteousness for a very long time...now I am finding out the joy that comes from being filled. I can honestly and without hesitation say that it is so sweet to be where I am right now! Yeah, you may think I refer to my troubles...but I refer to being in His arms!
:)
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