"Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?"
Not much I want to write about tonight, but I am feeling a little bit melancholy because it seems to me that there are so few people out there who truly hunger after the things of God. I have found it so difficult to have friends within the church because those who I have identified as having a zeal for the Lord turn out to have it...in church. Outside of church, it seems the last thing on the minds of people is to discuss the Word and what we have been learning about it. Even within the building where we gather to worship it seems like one annoys others if you speak of the Bible outside of the Sunday school class or the sanctuary. I remember one time heading towards a group of "friends" at church, among them one who I felt was a true friend, and as I approached one said, "look out, here comes the Bible thumper." All of the others laughed. I responded with some comment or other...don't really remember what it was. But I admit I was hurt. Among them, I felt like an outsider because all they talked about was sports or their jobs. While I love discussing my job (though I confess I detest talking about sports), it seems like among my brothers in Christ there is one thing above all we'd talk about...don't you think?
I don't mean to say we Believers should never speak about anything else. Don't make that assumption. What I am saying is that in church, and among our brethren, we are free to speak without reservation about spiritual things, so it seems to me this is the natural direction in which our conversations head. But alas, this is not the case.
About my header. Along with being called a Bible thumper, I have found that these words of Paul are so on target. It seems like people are willing to share their opinions on spiritual matters, but if you disagree with them, and voice that opinion, then you offend them. You may even become their enemy. I have lost "friends" in this manner before, and it is always a very painful experience.
One thing that keeps me cheerful, however, is the thought that despite all this I would rather have a falling away with anyone and everyone rather than compromise on the teachings of the Word. As Paul said elsewhere, "...let God be true but every man a liar." Romans 3:4
God Bless!
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Psalm 4
I've been studying through the Psalms with my 10 year old son and tonight we completed about half of chapter 4. Unfortunately I was not writing out my studies until the 4th chapter so I cannot post those, but as I complete each of the chapters from now on I will post them here. We are not studying every night unfortunately, sometimes because before we know it it's time for his bedtime, and other times because I cannot be at home in the evening in time. And then there are the times when we don't do it because I simply fail in my duty towards my son. May God help me to be more consistent in my study time with my boys!
Well here is the lesson from chapter 4:
Read Psalm 4:1
"Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer."
The psalms are such an encouragement and a reminder that we are never alone. No matter how difficult a time we are experiencing, others have gone though the same or through much worse. What is more, even if we were going through something that nobody ever has gone through before (which is highly unlikely), even then the psalmist reminds us that God is with us.
Here in verse one we see David's words: "Hear me when I call..."
David is pleading with God to listen to him carefully, to listen to him in a favorable manner. He calls out to the God of righteousness, to Elohym, the living God. David does not call out to false pagan gods because only Elohym is the One True God...only He is able to deliver us from our distress. And here David also shows why He is so willing to cry out to His God. God is faithful to us, and in previous experiences God has already delivered Him, so he asks God to deliver him yet again, to be merciful to him, to hear his prayer. Upon whom else can we so confidently place our trust? Nobody. All men will disappoint us, but God will never do so. His promises to us are eternal, and as His children we know that one day all the sufferings of this world will pale before the majesty of His kingdom.
Read Psalm4:2-3
"How long, O you sons of men, Will you turn my glory to shame? How long will you love worthlessness and seek falsehood? Selah But know that the LORD has set apart for Himself him who is godly; The LORD will hear when I call to Him."
This psalm may also have been written during the rebellion of Absalom, and so David now calls upon these men, including his own son. These were men who should have been loyal to him as the annointed King of Israel. These are men that should have been at his side defending him instead of rebelling against him. And so he asks them why they shame him...why they want to cast him down from the throne. How much time will they persist in rebellion against the King whom God chose? He calls them lovers of that which is worthless and seekers of that which is not true. Notice that he compares them to those who plot a vain (or worthless) thing in Psalm 2:1.
It does not matter though, what these plotters think. God sets apart for Himself a particular group of people. These worthless men who plot against their King show by their actions that they are not godly...that they do not belong to God. But David is confident that He belongs to God, and that His God will hear his call!
What a comfort it should be to us that God will hear us. As His people, we can call to Him whenever we want, and He stands ready to listen. When we are confident that this is the God whom we serve, then the trials of this world become more and more insignificant when compared to the heavenly home that awaits us!
Read Psalm 4:4-5
"Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. Selah Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD."
The word translated as "angry" is the Hebrew "ragaz." It means to tremble to quiver with violent emotion. The NASB translates it as "tremble," the NKJV and the ESV as " be angry," and the KJV as "be in awe." The sense we get here is of a person feeling strong emotion. To quake with this emotion makes us understand that this is not merely a passing fancy. And yet, experiencing this emotion is not sin itself. For note that the psalmist says, "ragaz" and do not sin. (see also Ephesians 4:26 to see how the inspired author uses the word).
Note carefully what David is calling for from these wicked men. Whatever emotion they may be feeling, fine. Let us deal with it. But sin not. They were sinning by rebelling, he is telling them not to sin. Be angry with him, be upset at him, tremble with emotion, but do not let it give way to sin!
What a helpful reminder this is to all of us who call ourselves by the name of Christ! We will encounter many things that give rise to strong emotions, but in all things, we must comport ourselves with grace and love. If we allow these emotions to lead us to sinful actions or thoughts, then we bring shame upon ourselves and we stain our testimony before the world. Let us instead make sure our trust is always in God, in the Lord who is the only One that can rightfully take vengeance (Deuteronomy 32:35).
Read Psalm 4:6-8
"There are many who say, “Who will show us any good?” LORD, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us. You have put gladness in my heart, more than in the season that their grain and wine increased. I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety."
Here David speaks to the condition of the world in general. What do they mean when they ask who is there to show them any good? If you look to verse 7 you will see a hint. David speaks to his own happiness, a gladness born of trust in Him. Their gladness comes from prosperity, from worldly increase. True rest comes from knowing God and being His servant. Who does David say helps us to dwell in safety? God. This does not mean temporal safety, or else Stephen and the other martyrs would not have perished. No it refers to peace. To dwell in safety is to know that no matter what happens here in this world, our heavenly reward is secure. Nobody can take this away from us. Nobody!
This then is the major lesson for us today. Note that David starts out with calling upon God for relief. Yet even as this psalm progresses he begins to experience the relief he asks for. How did God give this to him? By David's meditation upon Him. So turn to the Word in your times of distress, focus on our future home when this pilgrimage takes us through hard times!
Well here is the lesson from chapter 4:
Read Psalm 4:1
"Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer."
The psalms are such an encouragement and a reminder that we are never alone. No matter how difficult a time we are experiencing, others have gone though the same or through much worse. What is more, even if we were going through something that nobody ever has gone through before (which is highly unlikely), even then the psalmist reminds us that God is with us.
Here in verse one we see David's words: "Hear me when I call..."
David is pleading with God to listen to him carefully, to listen to him in a favorable manner. He calls out to the God of righteousness, to Elohym, the living God. David does not call out to false pagan gods because only Elohym is the One True God...only He is able to deliver us from our distress. And here David also shows why He is so willing to cry out to His God. God is faithful to us, and in previous experiences God has already delivered Him, so he asks God to deliver him yet again, to be merciful to him, to hear his prayer. Upon whom else can we so confidently place our trust? Nobody. All men will disappoint us, but God will never do so. His promises to us are eternal, and as His children we know that one day all the sufferings of this world will pale before the majesty of His kingdom.
Read Psalm4:2-3
"How long, O you sons of men, Will you turn my glory to shame? How long will you love worthlessness and seek falsehood? Selah But know that the LORD has set apart for Himself him who is godly; The LORD will hear when I call to Him."
This psalm may also have been written during the rebellion of Absalom, and so David now calls upon these men, including his own son. These were men who should have been loyal to him as the annointed King of Israel. These are men that should have been at his side defending him instead of rebelling against him. And so he asks them why they shame him...why they want to cast him down from the throne. How much time will they persist in rebellion against the King whom God chose? He calls them lovers of that which is worthless and seekers of that which is not true. Notice that he compares them to those who plot a vain (or worthless) thing in Psalm 2:1.
It does not matter though, what these plotters think. God sets apart for Himself a particular group of people. These worthless men who plot against their King show by their actions that they are not godly...that they do not belong to God. But David is confident that He belongs to God, and that His God will hear his call!
What a comfort it should be to us that God will hear us. As His people, we can call to Him whenever we want, and He stands ready to listen. When we are confident that this is the God whom we serve, then the trials of this world become more and more insignificant when compared to the heavenly home that awaits us!
Read Psalm 4:4-5
"Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. Selah Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD."
The word translated as "angry" is the Hebrew "ragaz." It means to tremble to quiver with violent emotion. The NASB translates it as "tremble," the NKJV and the ESV as " be angry," and the KJV as "be in awe." The sense we get here is of a person feeling strong emotion. To quake with this emotion makes us understand that this is not merely a passing fancy. And yet, experiencing this emotion is not sin itself. For note that the psalmist says, "ragaz" and do not sin. (see also Ephesians 4:26 to see how the inspired author uses the word).
Note carefully what David is calling for from these wicked men. Whatever emotion they may be feeling, fine. Let us deal with it. But sin not. They were sinning by rebelling, he is telling them not to sin. Be angry with him, be upset at him, tremble with emotion, but do not let it give way to sin!
What a helpful reminder this is to all of us who call ourselves by the name of Christ! We will encounter many things that give rise to strong emotions, but in all things, we must comport ourselves with grace and love. If we allow these emotions to lead us to sinful actions or thoughts, then we bring shame upon ourselves and we stain our testimony before the world. Let us instead make sure our trust is always in God, in the Lord who is the only One that can rightfully take vengeance (Deuteronomy 32:35).
Read Psalm 4:6-8
"There are many who say, “Who will show us any good?” LORD, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us. You have put gladness in my heart, more than in the season that their grain and wine increased. I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety."
Here David speaks to the condition of the world in general. What do they mean when they ask who is there to show them any good? If you look to verse 7 you will see a hint. David speaks to his own happiness, a gladness born of trust in Him. Their gladness comes from prosperity, from worldly increase. True rest comes from knowing God and being His servant. Who does David say helps us to dwell in safety? God. This does not mean temporal safety, or else Stephen and the other martyrs would not have perished. No it refers to peace. To dwell in safety is to know that no matter what happens here in this world, our heavenly reward is secure. Nobody can take this away from us. Nobody!
This then is the major lesson for us today. Note that David starts out with calling upon God for relief. Yet even as this psalm progresses he begins to experience the relief he asks for. How did God give this to him? By David's meditation upon Him. So turn to the Word in your times of distress, focus on our future home when this pilgrimage takes us through hard times!
Monday, March 16, 2009
"Deadline" by Randy Alcorn
isbn #1-57673-316-5
Randy Alcorn is one of my favorite Christian novelists and this is the book that first exposed me to his writings. The book deals primarily with one Jake Woods, a liberal newspaper columnist in Portland whose life is turned upside down by a tragic car crash that takes the lives of his two best friends, Doc and Finney.
The book revolves around the challenge of the two worldviews represented by these two men and the battle for Jake's ultimate destiny. Doc, the successful popular doctor with no need or time for God, and Finney, the Christian businessmann whose entire life was devoted to serving God. When Jake discovers that the accident that took their lives and left him injured was not quite the accident he thought it was, he launches into a personal investigation wherein he discovers exactly who his friends truly were. With the help of such memorable characters as Clarence Abernathy (a fellow columnist at the newspaper) and Ollie Chandler (a police detective), Jake puts all the pieces together. Far more importantly than the crime, however, Jake comes face to face with himself...with the man he has become. As he compares himself to his two friends he begins to question everything that he has believed, and he begins to see how his actions have affected everyone around him, from his daughter to his ex-wife, to his coworkers.
Ultimately, the book is a very satisfying read. Alcorn's depictions of heaven are beautiful. If you are familiar with his non-fiction book "Heaven," you should know that it was from writing this novel and its sequel that Alcorn was inspired to write it. In the novel, Finney dies and is taken to heaven, where he meets His Savior and all the saints that have gone before him. As Jake deals with his life on earth, Finney prays for him and roots for him from heaven. Doc, however, dies and finds himself NOT in heaven. While Alcorn's depictions of heaven are wonderful, his depiction of hell is terrifying. Alcorn does not seem to believe in a literal hell of undying fire, but there is nothing in his version of hell that minimizes the truth that it is not a place where anyone wants to find him or herself!
So pick up a copy of this book and read it. A quick aside here...in the newer versions, it is a bit misleading that they refer to this book as the first in the "Ollie Chandler" series. Ollie Chandler is certainly an important character, but to refer to this book as the first in an "Ollie Chandler" series is to suggest he is the main character...and he is not. His is a support role in this book, as it is in the second book, where Clarence Abernathy is the main character. Ollie Chandler does not become the main character until the third book. Still, don't let that affect whether you read this book or not. Read it and you'll find yourself wanting to read the next two. And by the time you read the third one you'll certainly have become a fan of Ollie Chandler! I certainly hope that Alcorn writes more books revolving around this character!
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Random Thoughts for Today
Well it's been almost a full week since my last post so I wanted to take some time to let all of you know I'm still alive and kicking! ;-)
I had a good week and there are a number of things I want to share, among them:
1) Unless you live under a rock you are probably aware that in the December 15th, 2008 edition, Newsweek magazine featured an article called "The Religious Case for Gay Marriage." This article, written by a Ms. Lisa Miller, attempted to do exactly what the title suggests, argue that there is not any religious reason for opposing gay marriage. The cover of the issue has a picture of a Bible with a rainbow colored bookmark, ironic enough since there may be some religion which can be used to show support for gay marriage, but Christianity is not the one. In addition to this, using a Bible on the cover is disingenuous for the simple reason that Ms. Miller's premise fails in it's attempt to show a biblical case for gay marriage. Well, I would have much more to say on this issue, except that Citizen magazine has done an excellent job of responding to Newsweek. In its February 2009 issue, Citizen asked a number of sound theologians to rebut the article point by point. Among the men asked to write a rebuttal was Albert Mohler. Please pick up a copy of both these articles and read them!
2) Yesterday I went to a men's breakfast at church and the speaker was the youth leader. My sons are very fond of this young man and I was very impressed by what he had to say. The topic of his talk was "What we Value: Christ." His text was from Matthew 13:44-46. I just want to share one quote from him, which I hope will give you a glimpse into his heart, as it did for me. He said, "My weakness is a serious lack of ability to please God through my works." Just so you understand, he did not mean this as in it is a weakness he wants to remedy, but that in this weakness He can turn to Christ and trust totally in Him. He understands what it means when the Bible says we are "dead in our trespasses and sins"! Ephesians 2:1
3) On a personal note, I began memorizing the book of Ephesians quite some time ago...about a decade ago to be honest! How much have I memorized? 1 1/2 chapters! Pathetic. So remember this and help keep me accountable ok? ;-) And since I know so many always respond in this manner, I want to assure you I am not wanting to memorize Scripture in a legalistic manner, or in a prideful manner. I simply want to have this book in particular in my mind because I love it so much. It's as simple as that.
Well that's it for now. I am eager to finish up a couple of books I've been wanting to review and I should have one of them done within the next few days. My reading is taking so much longer than I thought because there is SO much to read. Not only do I have the books I want to review, but I also have some books I read for work...ones that I present to teens during outreach events. And no, I don't get paid to read so all my reading has to be done during my lunch hour or at home! :-) On top of that, I try to read the newspaper every day and there are a number of blogs that I follow, among my favorites being the Pyromaniacs and the Pulpit magazine blog which has been incorporated into the Shepherd's Fellowship website. Then there are blogs from friends and family that I like to read in order to keep up with what is going on in their lives, spiritually and otherwise. There's something else I like to read...let me see,what is it? Oh yeah, my Bible! ;-) So anyhow, all that to apologize for not posting my book reviews in a more timely manner. Then, of course, I have not posted a Bible study in some time, so I will work on remedying that situation as well.
God bless for now!
I had a good week and there are a number of things I want to share, among them:
1) Unless you live under a rock you are probably aware that in the December 15th, 2008 edition, Newsweek magazine featured an article called "The Religious Case for Gay Marriage." This article, written by a Ms. Lisa Miller, attempted to do exactly what the title suggests, argue that there is not any religious reason for opposing gay marriage. The cover of the issue has a picture of a Bible with a rainbow colored bookmark, ironic enough since there may be some religion which can be used to show support for gay marriage, but Christianity is not the one. In addition to this, using a Bible on the cover is disingenuous for the simple reason that Ms. Miller's premise fails in it's attempt to show a biblical case for gay marriage. Well, I would have much more to say on this issue, except that Citizen magazine has done an excellent job of responding to Newsweek. In its February 2009 issue, Citizen asked a number of sound theologians to rebut the article point by point. Among the men asked to write a rebuttal was Albert Mohler. Please pick up a copy of both these articles and read them!
2) Yesterday I went to a men's breakfast at church and the speaker was the youth leader. My sons are very fond of this young man and I was very impressed by what he had to say. The topic of his talk was "What we Value: Christ." His text was from Matthew 13:44-46. I just want to share one quote from him, which I hope will give you a glimpse into his heart, as it did for me. He said, "My weakness is a serious lack of ability to please God through my works." Just so you understand, he did not mean this as in it is a weakness he wants to remedy, but that in this weakness He can turn to Christ and trust totally in Him. He understands what it means when the Bible says we are "dead in our trespasses and sins"! Ephesians 2:1
3) On a personal note, I began memorizing the book of Ephesians quite some time ago...about a decade ago to be honest! How much have I memorized? 1 1/2 chapters! Pathetic. So remember this and help keep me accountable ok? ;-) And since I know so many always respond in this manner, I want to assure you I am not wanting to memorize Scripture in a legalistic manner, or in a prideful manner. I simply want to have this book in particular in my mind because I love it so much. It's as simple as that.
Well that's it for now. I am eager to finish up a couple of books I've been wanting to review and I should have one of them done within the next few days. My reading is taking so much longer than I thought because there is SO much to read. Not only do I have the books I want to review, but I also have some books I read for work...ones that I present to teens during outreach events. And no, I don't get paid to read so all my reading has to be done during my lunch hour or at home! :-) On top of that, I try to read the newspaper every day and there are a number of blogs that I follow, among my favorites being the Pyromaniacs and the Pulpit magazine blog which has been incorporated into the Shepherd's Fellowship website. Then there are blogs from friends and family that I like to read in order to keep up with what is going on in their lives, spiritually and otherwise. There's something else I like to read...let me see,what is it? Oh yeah, my Bible! ;-) So anyhow, all that to apologize for not posting my book reviews in a more timely manner. Then, of course, I have not posted a Bible study in some time, so I will work on remedying that situation as well.
God bless for now!
Monday, March 9, 2009
President Obama & Stem Cell Research
I hope that all those self professing Christians who overlooked Obama's pro-abortion stance and voted for him are ashamed of themselves now. I hope they look in the mirror, and if they are truly saved, that they beg God's forgiveness for their sin. I'm sorry if I sound unduly harsh, but I don't know how else to call it when someone professing to be a Believer, one who considers him/herself redeemed by the blood of Christ, when this person sets aside moral issues in favor of economic ones. To have been willing to be taken in by charisma and "hope" outside of Scripture and willingly, nay joyously, vote for this man who is now our President is a travesty. All of you, if you are my brothers and sisters in the Lord, I pray you will seek Him in the Word and not justify the actions of this man.
You surely all know by now that just today our President reversed a ban on federally funded embryonic stem cell research. Yes, our country has slipped down the moral slide even more. According to President Obama, ideology has driven science for far too long, and his actions will somehow protect science from being bullied by nasty ideology. Except for one thing: science has shown that it is adult stem cell research that has shown promise, NOT embryonic stem cell research. So, based on his own ideology, President Obama has ensured the killing of even more babies. Great. This is what you voted for, O Christian man and woman.
In my local newspaper, the Idaho Press-Tribune, I read how one Dr. Curt Civin made the following statement: "We've got eight years of science to make up for,...Now, the silly restrictions are lifted." Silly restrictions? Yes, how silly to believe that when an egg is fertilized by a sperm it should receive protection. How stupid to believe that this life has value. Ah, you might reply, it is only a potential human! Well, yes, and as one author I once read so eloquently put it, this is certainly not a potential dog or cow! Lie to yourself all you want and call this life potential anything, but until the day comes when you know without a shadow of a doubt at what point the transformation takes place that makes this life fully human, you are supporting murder.
Civin's reply to this? "This was already life that was going to be destroyed, the choice is to throw them away or use them for research." Can we make an apology now to the Nazi concentration camp doctors who experimented on inmates? I mean, that was life that was going to be destroyed anyhow right? Why did we hang those doctors? As for choices, Christians have been offering up another one for years, how about placing those embryos in willing mothers who are unable to have their own children? You know, that thing called adoption? And did Civin just call fertilized embryos life? There you have it. It's life. Who cares though when millions and millions of dollars are on the balance?
I had hoped during the election that Christians cared.
"Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me." Matthew 18:5
And yes, I know the context is different for that verse, but it applies here so very well.
Monday, March 2, 2009
"The Cross: The Pulpit of God's Love" by Iain H Murray
isbn #978-0-85151-974-6
This is going to be one of my shortest reviews for two reasons: 1) It was a small booklet (a total of 40 pages), and 2) it left me with no clear understanding of the author's intent in writing.
First off, while the book was edifying in many ways, I was left with a dissatisfaction overall. The author never made clear exactly who held the position that he was addressing, was it hyper-calvinists? I'm still not sure. To be fair, Murray does a wonderful job of presenting the fact that we are to preach the Gospel to all men without any distinction. But where I came away confused is in his embracing of this idea AND the idea that in presenting this Gospel we are to assure all men that Jesus died for all men. Now I know that Murray is no emergent...on the contrary he is a sound Reformed man. He is certainly no Arminian. But still, while I agreed with him on many issues, I disagreed with him on others. Mainly, I guess, it was a matter of semantics...and maybe I need to read the booklet a couple more times. All I know is that two men I highly respect love this booklet (in fact I received this from one of them). So I must simply say that I am not satisfied with Murray's conclusions in this booklet. I am sorry, dear reader, that I am being so vague, but I am struggling here because I cannot say anything truly negative about the booklet, and certainly it is very valuable...but, again, I was unable to follow the logic employed by Murray here. This could be entirely my own failing, of course. I am sufficiently aware of my own deficiencies to acknowledge this, so if anyone reading this has any thoughts to enlighten me with I would surely welcome them.
For now, I would say this would be a good read if you have no other theological work to get through...but it is a secondary work as far as the value of the contents. This is my opinion and you can take it or leave it of course! ;-)
God bless!
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Pray Fervently...But Ask Permission First!
I just finished reading from Al Mohler's blog and it left me irked, not at him but at the subject he addresses. Please read it, I'd be interested to know what some of you think. I agree with Dr. Mohler that the implication is pretty ominous. Read it HERE.
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