Advent Evenings

Our advent readings this year were from

Jotham's Journey

Fourth Annual Thanksgiving Psalm Memory Challenge

This year's Psalm is 113. We crashed and burned last year during the worst of the morning sickness. This year's looking good!

Praise the LORD!
Praise, O servants of the LORD,
praise the name of the LORD!

Blessed be the name of the LORD
from this time forth and forevermore!
From the rising of the sun to its setting
the name of the LORD is to be praised!

The LORD is high above all nations,
and his glory above the heavens!
Who is like the LORD our God,
who is seated on high,
who looks far down
on the heavens and the earth?
He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap,
to make them sit with princes,
with the princes of his people.
He gives the barren woman a home,
making her the joyous mother of children.
Praise the LORD!


We're also memorizing:

"Father We Thank Thee" by Ralph Waldo Emerson - the kids think it's cool to immediately be able to say nearly half of it by just saying "Father, we thank Thee" or Father in heaven, we thanks Thee" at the appropriate times. :^)

"Now Thank We All Our God" is our hymn for the month




We'll also be reviewing Psalm 100, 150, and 67 from past years, as well as "Come, Ye Thankful People, Come" and other Thanksgiving and praise hymns.

Our Morning Worship readings are from the Psalms this month. We read Psalm 18 yesterday which lead to learning the praise song "I Will Call Upon the Lord".

For our writing this month we're going to have on ongoing list of things we're thankful for and some nice copywork to make into a Thanksgiving book. That's the plan anyway. :^) Here are some link for nice handwriting paper for this.

a to z teacher stuff here and more here


So will you join me in my Thanksgiving Psalm memory challenge? It can be for your family or just for yourself. Leave me a link to your post with your chosen Psalm or just write it in the comments. Let's make this a month to focus on learning to praise the LORD with every moment and every breath.

Praise the LORD!

graphic courtesy of Kaboose

Fantastic Documentary

Follows the story of two Amish men who come to a true faith in Jesus Christ and are ultimately excommunicated from their Amish churches and families.

Scripture and Education

I just got back from a lovely weekend away with my Brian. But I've had a serious shake-up in my world this past week. I've tried to be open-minded concerning educational choices that I consider to be less than ideal, but after hearing a family's testimony that really struck me as wholly wrong, I have been contemplating and researching his even more and I'm just not feeling as open minded. I have no desire to be judgmental, but I am becoming very concerned with what seems to be a lack of biblical dialogue on what Scripture truly does have to say about educational choices. And if those choices are really so open to private opinion. I have a lot that I have sorted through, and I'm not sure how much I want to throw out here, but I'm just going to start with some scripture. I'd love to hear your opinions on how they do or do not apply to the type of education Christian parents can consider for their children. At the very least, they are food for serious thought.

Deuteronomy 11:18 “Therefore you shall lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 19 You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up (NKJV)

What is the best way to do this?
I recommend this article for some interesting insights and statistics. There are lots of rather consistent statistics out there on varying educational results, but verifying original sources has proven to be obnoxiously difficult.

Luke 6:39 He also told them a parable: "Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? 40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.

Can a parent reasonably expect to have more influence than another teacher the child listens to for the majority of his day?


2 Corinthians 6:14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God.

I've most often heard this applied to marriage, and then to business partnerships. Only this past week did I see someone apply this to education. Do you think that this is valid? Can you work together with an unbelieving, Christ-denying teacher/institution/system to educate you children? When is this unbiblical?

I have lots of questions, and not as many answers.

Give me some feedback.

Advent conspiracy

Don't watch this if you like your comfort zone too much.

And our response?

The same as it always should be - PRAISE. God is good all the time; He is control; and the Church, despite persecution or roadblocks, is unstoppable.

So join me in our Third Annual Thanksgiving Psalm Memory Challenge.

So far we've memorized Psalm 100, 150, and 67. This year's Psalm will be Psalm 63.

A Psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah.

1 O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.
2 So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory.

3 Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
4 Thus I will bless You while I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name.
5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness,
And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.

6 When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches.
7 Because You have been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.
8 My soul follows close behind You;
Your right hand upholds me.

9 But those who seek my life, to destroy it,
Shall go into the lower parts of the earth.
10 They shall fall by the sword;
They shall be a portion for jackals.

11 But the king shall rejoice in God;
Everyone who swears by Him shall glory;
But the mouth of those who speak lies shall be stopped.

Now, it's your turn. Choose a Psalm to say with your family at each meal (or however you memorize) and leave your name in the comment box with a link to your Psalm on your blog.

Job the book ~ powerful

You can listen to or read the entire poem or order the book here.

Mother's Day sermon

Today I enjoyed Voddie Baucham's message on Biblical Womanhood.

Caring for ALL the Body

A year or two ago, a friend and I got our heads together and thought that it would be fun to have a Christmas tea and cookie party where each guest brought their favorite cookies and their favorite tea. We made a guest list, but it was December, and no one on the list was going to be able to make it. It's a busy time and plans were already in motion. This year, that friend of mine has cancer. We had a huge surprise birthday party for her. Everyone came. As well they should. And they would come if we had a tea this year too.

But I wonder about something. The Body ought to respond to a member that is wounded. It doesn't always, and that is a terrible thing. If a finger gets cut, someone needs to get stitches and a bandage and take care of it without delay. Some local bodies of believers are terrible at even first aid. I'm grateful to be part of one that takes care of these things. But, individually, as members of this body, are we often only aware of acute needs. I know that I have a natural inclination to gravitate toward people in need, but sometimes neglect them when things regain a more even keel. And I believe that I, and other members like me, may be doing a great disservice to our brothers and sisters in Christ. We care for fingers that cut and bleed, but don't notice them drying and cracking for lack of moisturizer. We don't notice the high cholesterol until the heart attack. We overlook the person, until the cancer.

I Corinthians 12:12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ...14 For in fact the body is not one member but many. ...18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. 19 And if they were all one member, where would the body be?20 But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. 23 And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, 24 but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, 25 that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.

We are to use our gifts to encourage the Body:

Ephesians 4: 11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

Sometimes we're too busy until we're confronted with an emergency. The more excellent way ? Selfless love.

I John 3:16 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? 18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.... 23 And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.

So who, in your local body, do you need to make time for this Christmas?

Stupid Question

Okay, guys, anyone want to try to answer one of my dumb Bible questions? This one has popped into my head more than once and I'm curious to see if any of you have a good explanation. (I'm sure there is one, but it eludes me.)

If Adam and Eve were husband and wife, and they were the only ones in the Garden, then why were they so concerned about being naked after the Fall? I recognize that they were aware of their spiritual death and nakedness before God, but how does physical nakedness figure into that? The only other person around was God and they tried to cover themselves. But don't you ever pray in the shower? With other people around the potential for sin, lust, and the need for modesty is obvious, but what was up with the original reaction?

Hope this question isn't too PG-13, but I was about to e-mail Brian with it and decided to throw it out here first instead.

Behold, the Lamb of God

Brian's been doing a lot of really interesting Bible studies involving the culture at the time and how that sheds light on how the initial audience heard and understood the Bible. I reap the benefits of his hard work on a daily basis. It is an amazing blessing in my life to have a husband who loves to study the Word of God - he does it all the time - and then excitedly shares what he learns. I've been learning so much, but it's hard to blog about it because it's somewhat second hand and he usually does a much better job blogging about it.

Learning about the Jewish education system in Bible times and what it meant to be a disciple was a huge challenge to me. (If you haven't read about that yet, go here.) You can read or listen to more at Follow the Rabbi. Mr. Vander Laan shared in one message how we're so used to reading things in our King's English sometimes we miss the impact of what it sounded like in common Greek. Behold, the Lamb of God - "Look - God's Lamb for the world's sin!"

Today Brian shared another piece of history with me about the day Jesus died, and Bible.org added some info:

"Passover lambs were slain between noon and 3 p.m. on Nisan 14 (recall that there were three hours of darkness, from approximately noon to 3 p.m., when Jesus was on the cross [Mark 15:33]. When Jesus died, the temple curtain was torn in two, from top to bottom [Mark 15:38]—right when the last of the lambs would be on the altar in front of the sanctuary!). In A. D. 70, the last year that the temple was still standing, 270,000 lambs were slain. " Jesus died on Passover; and at 3PM, when he died, Brian says that the shofar was blowing and echoing across Jerusalem that the Passover lamb had been slain. He also pointed out that although the temple curtain ripping does indeed illustrate our direct access to the Father, we shouldn't forget that rending a garment at the death of a loved one was (and still is) a Jewish custom.

Link Fest

Update: Ashley Kate's condition is becoming more and more critical. I know I'm asking a lot but please keep these people in your prayers.

Okay there are a few things you really ought to check out here.

1. First go read Brian's article "Student or Disciple?" at Growing Vertical. It's exactly what I wanted to post...but he types a lot faster than I do. This is a really neat look at what a disciple was in Jesus' time and culture and it ends with a serious challenge.


2. Then pop over to The Sparrow's Nest and read "Raising our Ebenezers." Just go over and look at the pictures of this lovely idea for family prayer. The president of Child Evangelism Fellowship spoke on prayer this weekend at our church. So these two links are a headstart on sharing what I don't have time to write about what God is doing in my heart this week.


3. And finally, won't you pray for sweet little Ashley Kate? She's been doing so much better the past few months, but she's very sick again.

I really want to use Mrs.Wilt's idea for Ebenezer stones - gotta find the right basket. I'm really going to try to read through the Gospels this week. The kids and I are going to embark on a mission to memorize the Gospel of John. We'll begin by reviewing the chunks of chapters 1 and 3 that we learned last year, then add other large chunks from other chapters, then eventually learn the book as a whole, gluing the pieces back together. That's the plan - now off to sleep I go - because I'm gonna have a lot of work to do! :^)

Check out

"OT Christians vs. NT Christians" an interesting and thought provoking post from Cerulean Sanctum.

Gifts and Calling Part 1

Have you noticed that there is a lot of confusion surrounding these two concepts? While I'm obviously no authority on the matter, I decided to go back to the authority of Scripture and see what to had to say.

"God hasn't called me to do that, but if He did, I would gladly do it." "I don't know what God has called me to do with my life, so I'm not sure what to do when I graduate from high school." "I would love to go serve the Lord in at ministry in India, but I'm not sure if that's what He wants me to do."

These type of statements are heard all the time, especially if you're around high school or college age young people. I've really been thinking about them lately, and have even needed to encourage some of these kids.

First, what has God called us to do? Well, I did a word search in the KJV, and the word "calling" in the Old Testament typically referred to literally calling out,calling people together, or calling to rememberance. In the New Testament, the pattern continued with one addition. The call of salvation. That's it. Every reference to "your calling," "heavenly calling," "holy calling," "high calling," etc., is a reference to our salvation and its eventual fulfillment in our glorification. It is never in reference to being "called" to a specific work.

Then I also did a search on the word "called." I found a lot of children being given names. The Lord called Samuel, but He was literally calling to him in order to speak to Samuel and give him a specific message. God called Israel as his chosen people (again a reference to God's election/salvation), as referenced in Isaiah 48:15 and 49:1, and in 51:2 where "I called him [Abraham] alone.". Similar references are found throughout the prophets.

Now the New Testament, in Matthew 4 he tells Peter and Andrew to follow Him, and then calls James and John who leave their nets and follow Him too. So the calling, it seems, was simply to follow Jesus. In Luke 6, He called together his disciples and chose twelve, whom He also named apostles.

Finally, in Acts 13, we have the first reference to someone being called to a specific work.

1. Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
2. As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.
3. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

and later in chapter 16:

9. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.
10. And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us [in chapter 15 Paul chose Silas to accompany him after Barnabas wanted to bring John Mark] for to preach the gospel unto them.

and then in Romans 1,

1. Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,
2. (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)
3. Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;
4. And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
5. By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:
6. Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ:
7. To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Continuing in Roamns 8 & 9, the "called" are referring to those called to believe, the elect. Romans 8:28. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 29. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. Romans 9:24. Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles? 25. As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.

Paul again speaks of himself as "called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ" in 1 Corinthians 1:1 and in verse 2, speaks of the church there as "called to be saints." Many references continue in that usage. Chapter 7 talkes about continuing in the calling in which you were called. Uncircumcised not seeking to be circumcised or vice versa, slaves not seeking to be free men, or free men slaves, etc. People seeing their position in Christ and not needing to change their postion im the material world. He then states in verse 24, "Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God."

Ephesians 4 seems to be the source of the concept of specific callings [ I recommend reading the whole chapter here], verse 1 says, "that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called," then verses 4-6, "There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all." Then, "... And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine...Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. (ESV)"

The beginning of that passage, once again refers to our position in Christ. And it seems relatively obvious to me that only some people would be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, and that there is also a group of people here that are simply "the saints". All of these gifts or callings are specifically related to the edification of the body of Christ.

In Hebrews 11:8 we see that "By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went."

I may have missed a few things, but even after consulting a concordance, I'm simply finding very few references of people being called by God to do specific work. However they are told to do specific things - more on that in Part 2. But for most of us, our calling is to be saved, holy, saints, and faithful, among other things.

I like this verse in Revelation chapter 17, "...These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful."

Today's proverb

Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked. Proverbs 25:26

The children are quick and eager to learn proverbs set to music. I am eager to teach them as many as they can hold. The new mission: to determine how many tunes I can make up, and they can memorize, in one week. One a week? One a day?...

Teaching the Proverbs

Sometimes, lately, I've read the chapter of Proverbs corresponding to the day of the month for family devotions when Brian is gone or feels too bad. (Tonight he had a migraine again.) I'm thinking about doing this for regular morning devotions, especially when we begin school again. I've been considering Doorpost's Proverbs book. I'm also planning to get Big Truths for Little Kids this year. I was so excited to find out that this goes along with the curriculum that our kids are using in our new shepherding group. Right now we've been working through a very detailed and rather comprehensive Bible story book for evening devotions, The Children's Bible by Golden Press.

Anyway, however and whenever we read the Proverbs, I'm trying to make them very accessible and meaningful. I also want the kids to memorize many of them. Tonight instead of reading all of chapter 11, I decided to pick out a verse. Verse 30 seemed an obvious choice. I read it first, "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and whoever captures souls is wise."

I love teaching my children and watching them grow. They're getting a grasp on "righteous", so we spent a little time on what "fruit" was and paralleled "capturing souls" with the more familiar "fishers of men." By then, it seemed natural that we should quickly memorize it. So I made up a tune on the spot that turned out rather well, the children loved it, and Ethan even fell asleep tonight still singing it.

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,
And whoever captures souls - is wise.

I'm thinking this could be the way to go, but I'd better get a new manuscript book for the tunes so that I don't forget them.


BTW, Doorposts has a free PDF on why you should teach with the book of Proverbs and activities to help you do it.

Lessons in Reformed theology

If you haven't been to Growing Vertical lately, Brian's begun addressing the famous five points after having laid a comprehensive foundation of predestination, God's plan, God's sovereignty, the providence of God, and foreknowledge.

Morning Reading

Sometimes we try so hard when we just need to shut up and get out of the way. That's what I got out of my morning reading today. :^) Think I'd better frame this verse.

"Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent." Exodus 14:13-14

Pruning

"A grape's life cycle starts right after harvest. As temperatures drop, leaves fall off the vine. Vineyard workers prune throughout winter to prepare the vine for the spring growth to come. The pruning helps determine the number of shoots that will bear fruit, thus affecting the next season's yield." - from "The Life of a Grape," an article in Publix's Grape magazine

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch of mine that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit." - John 15:1-2, ESV

Picture courtesy of Download-Free-Pictures.com

How can you trust God?

Okay, I'm back to theology, folks. Thank you so much for your sweet comments and support. Anna Kate slept throught the night finally again (and so did the other two). They're not well yet, but seem to finally all be headed that direction. Brian saw the doctor and it seems that perhaps there is an intelligent explanation for the knee pain. It seems that his knee is higher than it should be, which may be causing the knee, shin, and hip pain. He is doing some new exercises that will hopefully help, and has some other options including cortisone shots to consider. And he had fluid in his ears which was causing all of the dizziness. So maybe soon he'll feel better too.

We've been round and round with a lot of health issues. Brian got really sick when Anna Kate was two weeks old and was eventually out of work for a month pretty much drugged up and writhing in pain with the doctor's telling us that it was IBS and he should learn to live with it. It wasn't. He had a slow burning gallbladder infection and recovered from his three month ordeal rather quickly after its removal. A second downward spiral occurred about the time I got pregnant with Rose and continued to worsen until a couple of months after she was born. Fibromyalgia was the eventual diagnosis this time, and all of the "help" from medical doctors served to only make it worse. Those are very long stories, but the reason I shared was to explain one thing I learned. I didn't learn it then, but I understand it now. Trusting God.

I was overwhelmed. I didn't know what to do. Both times I had to research and go over medical files and find what the doctors wouldn't take the time to look for. Find answers. And take care of my family. And it was stressful. And someone would say, "trust God. He has a plan. He's going to work this together for your good." "Right," I'd think, "this is definitely looking like it's for my good." "I know what kind of good God does. He lets fathers become incapacitated. He lets mothers die. He lets children get cancer. But I know that He has done so much for me in purchasing my eternal salvation. I get that. And I'm grateful. But the trusting Him for stuff right now part? Way out of my grasp. I just don't get that. What am I supposed to trust Him for?"

Some people think that He's going to always do something good in your life if you just trust. A Joel Olsteen kind of good. Your "best life now" kind of good. And I knew that wasn't true. I'd seen friends lose their children. I'd seen unsaved loved ones die and go to hell. I'd read of Christians across the world being totured and killed. That obviously wasn't it. So what the heck was I supposed to be trusting him about?!

I thought of the situation in terms of a father and child. I trust my Daddy. He's a steelworker /preacher. He's big and he's strong. When you're with him, nothing is going to hurt you. In a normal crowd of men, he could take any one of them. And he would die for me. Without a second thought. He madeall of his decisions regarding me with an eye on my protection. Nothing was allowed to hurt me. No one would have that chance. I was not allowed to be anywhere he deemed unsafe, and no young man was ever allowed to break my heart. I was protected. (I might have said suffocated.) But this is someone you can trust. Then I would try to compare this to my heavenly Father. And the disconnect was unbelievable. If my Dad had it in his power to prevent me from being in an accident, he would. He would have saved my Pap. He would have fixed my husband's body. I was sure he would if he could. But God didn't. I don't remember this being so much a crisis of faith as an inability to do what good Christians do. I was willing, but had no idea how to trust God. I decided trusting God was about it all working out in eternity, and that's about as far as my understanding went.

I know that I still have a lot to learn, but now I see that trusting God is trusting Him to conform us to the image of His Son. That trusting God is believing that He does all things for His glory. That if I seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness then that is all I will want. And that's what I'll get. And the pieces come together. That everything God does is good. No matter what. You can trust that. And it can change the way you live now, because you can know that everything is under his control and He has a reason. And that reason is His glory.

When someone asks Brian how he's doing (and he feels postiviely awful), he says, "Better than I deserve!" It's all about His glory. Anything we desire more than His glory is idolatry. If we seek His glory above all else, then it becomes easy to trust Him. And when you say "why me?" it will be a whisper of gratefulness that He would choose us to glorify Him and enjoy Him forever.

"But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, "You are my God."

Isaiah 53

Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.

He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows;yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.

But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities;upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.

By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who consideredthat he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people?

And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.

Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous,and he shall bear their iniquities.

Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors

Response to "Five Streams of the Emergent Church"

Lindsey linked to this article by Scot McKnight on the emerging church as food for thought and mentioned this concept in particular:

"A notable emphasis of the emerging movement is orthopraxy, that is, right living. The contention is that how a person lives is more important than what he or she believes. Many will immediately claim that we need both or that orthopraxy flows from orthodoxy. Most in the emerging movement agree we need both, but they contest the second claim: Experience does not prove that those who believe the right things live the right way...Here is an emerging, provocative way of saying it: "By their fruits [not their theology] you will know them."

There are at least a few things in this description of the emerging church that are huge red flags to me. This quote is the first one. While it is true that many who have or claim to have the right theology have not lived in a way that reflects their belief, I don't think that it is reasonable to think that you will live the right way if you don't believe the right way. When you grasp a right view of God it should radically change the way that you live. Isaiah caught a glimpse of God and saw what he really was. If you don't believe the right things, then how are you supposed to live the right way? how would you know what the right way was? God gave us His word so that we could know the right way to live. We are commanded to search the Scriptures, study to show ourselves approved unto God, and rightly divide the word of truth. This really sounds like the old faith versus works argument that the Bible already addresses. Without faith it is impossible to please Him, but faith without works is dead, it's not genuine. The same thing could be said of your orthodoxy.

Obviously the "in versus out" debate is a big problem, but even the author of this article addressed that.

The political demographics of this movement leave me appalled. Yes, there are too many Christians who believe that the Republicans are saviors. There is only one Savior. He is the only one who can change peoples hearts and make any lasting changes in their lives. That's something this emerging movement needs to remember as well. Social reform comes from the inside out. The church, not the government, should be responsible for reaching out to those in need and has often failed miserably. While we should seek to have the government address serious social problems (Wilberforce and his fight to end slavery being a very visible example) I cannot conceive of believers supporting the Democratic party as a whole. How can you align yourselves with a party that blatantly opposes nearly anything moral? This seems so narrowly focused. Do you think that there were Christians in Nazi Germany who supported the Nazi party because they thought that it would help their people recover from the financial and economical disaster of the First World War? What do we think of them? Do we wonder how they could have stood by and watched an entire race of people be exterminated? Someone please tell me how the Democratic party's supposed "historic commitment to the poor and to centralizing government for social justice" is worth the blood price of millions of tiny babies. If these innocents can't be protected, then why pretend that your protecting or helping anyone?!Not to mention how they'd like to reform my entire way of life from the pennies in my pocket to the way I educate my children and conform it to their master social plan. No thanks! Maybe I'm crazy, but this constitutes a massive lack of discernment to me.

So that's my take on this article for anyone that cares. If the emerging church wants to use incense or sit in a circle - good for them, but we have been called by a holy God to go into all the world and preach the gospel. Any movement that forgets that the gospel is the only thing that will every change the world has completely missed the point.

Sinning with a high hand

I'm once again linking to the words of the wise man I am blessed to call husband.
Here's a glimpse:

"But consider the sin that is not ignorant. (This is what most of us consider to be sin.) It is a sin with a high hand, that is, it assaults God's authority. This is sin for sin's sake. This is when you want something so badly you dare God to do His worst. It rarely sounds so bold as you prepare to do it. No, it hisses in your ear, "You will not surely die." You know that no good judge would ever find you guilty in his court of law and say, "Aw, it's not that big of a deal." Because it is that big of a deal. But you will deceive yourself into believing God is so unconcerned with your righteousness. You're too important to be bothered with righteousness..."

Read the rest here.

Interrogating the Legalist Within

Seth at Contend Earnestly shared this article by C. J. Mahaney. It's a very good read.

The Real Question

We had some friends over a while back, and I mentioned that I was studying Reformed theology. He replied, "that's like jumping off a cliff, you know." "Why do you say that?", I asked. I'm afraid to try to quote here, but he basically brought up the bottom line objection that if you believe that God chose to save some, then you'll eventually find yourself at the opposite side where He, by default at least, chose to send people to hell. I've been all the way through this and back around again. Here's what I've been thinking.

First, the real problem here has nothing to do with your theology being Reformed or not. If you have a problem with God not choosing people, thus "sending" them to hell, then, in my opinion, you have the exact same problem that I struggled with years before I'd even heard of Reformed theology. Why did God create people that will never be saved? Because, you see, in the end whether it was God's choice or man's choice, God is still all-knowing and knew when that man was created how it would end. Election just seems somehow more severe, less loving at first. But if you could truly see fallen man from God's perspective you would see a mass of people all plunging into the eternal separation from God that they deserve and the absolute rejection and rebellion against his authority that is an intrinsic part of human sin nature. When we see the holiness of God, we should be left gasping in horror at our filthiness and unworthiness, and yet, in love too amazing to be comprehended, God sent His own Son to be the propitiation for our sins. We find amazing grace, not coldness from our Creator. Now we look at the question. But first a couple of illustrations that came to me as I worked through these thoughts and seemed to clarify aspects of them.

If a king had a group of the worst of all criminals, indeed criminals who had committed their heinous crimes against himself, if he were to pardon one of these criminals, wouldn't we be shocked at his capacity for mercy and graciousness and love. Would we find him unjust if he never pardoned any?

I wonder if we have a bit of a Superman mentality when we think of God's justice. What if we were watching a film, and a bus full of people were about to plunge into a deep gorge. Suddenly, Superman swoops down, opens the emergency exit and saves two men as the rest of the bus crashes into the ravine. We stare at the movie screen in shock and maybe outrage. Why would he save only two when he was perfectly capable of lifting the entire bus and carrying it to safety? But what if we suddenly discover that the bus is full of Hannibal-like serial killers? Now we wonder why he bothered to save any at all.


Why create people that will never be saved? I have not found a humanly satisfying answer to that. Unless you can find great satisfaction in the unalterable fact that He does all things for His glory. And that, in knowing His character, we know that He does what is good and holy and just and right and loving. And that the real question ought to be, why did He ever come at all? Why save any of us? Especially me.

For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Titus 3: 3-7, ESV

Abstract Randomness

Why I thought I would ever be able to stick with set ideas or any kind of intelligent flow in this blog is beyond me. How should I ever have expected it to be much different from the rest of my life? :^) My mind flies in so many different directions at all times that I have a hard time focusing on one thing long enough to blog about it!

Have any of you been watching American Idol? (Yes, I read Challies post on it - very valid points.) We've never paid any attention to it before, but we know Chris Sligh, you know, the chubby guy with the big hair. He used to go to our church. We don't know him well or anything, but he would recognize us, and some of our friends used to be in his band. So anyway, we've been watching. And he's done a good job, but I really like that Blake guy's voice. It's beautiful. A lot of those guys have really fantastic voices. (Was that just a "duh" statement?)

Last night I was in need of some fiction and read Lori Wick's The Rescue for at least the third time. All the way through again (mostly at least). And, yes, I stayed up too late doing it. But I've been getting up earlier anyway.

The last three days have been fantastic weather and today the kids were outside all day! It was really weird actually. Being inside with that much quiet. At least when they weren't running in and out.

Ethan finished his kindergarten math book (Horizons), so I need to get first grade. I'm planning on having him do some at least a couple of times a week in the summer too, so perhaps we could even be in second grade math by next school year. He's also reading much better these days.

We watched Johnny Tremain for family movie night this week. Ethan and Anna Kate were pleased. They like colonial history.

Rosie's in the "no" stage so we've decided to put it to good use. Whenever we want to drive Ethan crazy, we just tell Rose to go tell him, "no." She chases him around the house yelling, "no, NO, nooooo!"

I got R.C. Sproul's book, Chosen by God, out of the library and Brian's reading a chapter to me whenever time allows. It's pretty funny, actually. I'll stop Brian with a though, question, or argument springing from what he just read, and it is, inevitably, the very next thing Mr. Sproul addresses. It drives Brian a little nuts. More on that later...

Anna Kate's teeth have been getting more and more misaligned from her thumb sucking. They began to be bent in opposite directions just after her last birthday. I have read and researched many times and many things. After spending most of another day reresearching the thumbguard and finally gaining Anna Kate's approval of the idea (not that I need my daughter's approval to so something, but everything I've read has indicated that it's very effective if the child wants to be helped), I ordered it Tuesday.

Speaking of Anna Kate, I think that I may have her start kindergarten next fall. Her writing is improving and she does half of the stuff with us anyway.

Rose has all of her first year molars and her incisors coming in at the same time. Need I say more?

I gave up on Brian, and finally watched the first disk of A&E's Pride and Prejudice tonight. Love it - so far - but of course I already know how it ends which is the only reason I didn't stay up until 4AM to finish it tonight.

Oh, and I got my hair cut. Off. Mostly. And he likes it. :^)

Desiring God Chapter 1 - The Happiness of God

I'm finally getting an opportunity to share my thoughts on the first chapter of this book. I'll try to do it without typing the whole chapter. :^)

Piper follows a logical thread of biblical arguments to establish that God's own happiness is the basis for our pleasure in Him. He shows that God is sovereign and His purposes can't be frustrated, even evil is under His control and fulfilling His ultimate purposes. Because of this "We will not find a frustrated, gloomy, irritable Father who wants to be left alone, but a Father whose heart is so full of joy that it spills over onto all those...who are thirsty."

A major theme that stood out to me in this chapter is the question, Why does God want and command our praise? Here come some great quotes! Piper says:

"The second reason people stumble over the teaching that God exalts His own glory and seeks to be praised by his people is that the Bible teaches us not to be like that. For example, the Bible says that love "does not seek its own" (1 Corinthians 13:5, NASB). how can God be loving and yet be utterly devoted to "seeking his
own" glory and praise and joy? How can God be for us if He is so utterly for Himself?

The answer I propose is this: Because God is unique as an all-glorious, totally self-sufficient Being, He must be for Himself if He is to be for us. The rules of humility that belong to a creature cannot apply in the same way to its Creator. If God should turn away from Himself as the Source of infinite joy, He would cease to be God. He would deny the infinite worth of His own glory. He would imply that there is something more valuable outside Himself. He would commit idolatry."

While I may have occasionally wondered about the question above in passing, I certainly never stumbled over it, but I really liked the answer.

The next concept to stick with me was, "We praise what we enjoy because the delight is incomplete until it is expressed in praise." Piper stumbled upon this concept while reading C.S. Lewis's Reflections on the Psalms, which I am also adding to my ridiculously long reading list - but I think it may get bumped to the top. :^) Lewis expressed that people praise whatever they are enjoying, and not only do they praise it, but they invite others to join them in praising it.

If I had been asked if I give praise to God, I would certainly have said that I do. I praise Him for my life, for good food, for nice weather, for green lights... But now I think of all of the other things that I praise so enthusiastically. The last episode of 24 ("You've got to watch that show; it's awesome!), my Rosie in pigtails ("isn't she so cuuute?!"), a great new latte flavor ("you've got to try this, mmm,mmm,mmm"). Yes, I can be spastically spontaneous in praising all of these things to the people around me. Do I so delight myself in God that my delight spills over in praise so effervescent that it infects those around me?

"All the works of God culminate in the praises of His redeemed people. The climax of His happiness is the delight He takes in the echoes of His excellence in the praises of the saints. This praise is the consummation of our own joy in God. Therefore, God's pursuit of praise from us and our pursuit of pleasure from Him are the same pursuit..."

New ESV

I just found out that Crossway has finally released a single column, verse by verse (instead of paragraph form), wide margin bible. It comes in hardcover or black trutone; no pretty colors or designs yet. I like my old Rose floral thinline, but some of you might want to go check this out.

Can theology change your life?

This is the question that has been simmering in my heart for weeks now, and I've waited for the right way and the right time to answer with the decided and resounding "yes!" that is really just a testimony of what God is doing in my life.

Theology is literally the study or knowledge of God. So the real question would be "is learning who (or the knowledge of who)God is capable of changing the way I live?" Anyone who has a personal relationship with their Creator would have to say "yes," but far too many fail to look further and realize that the more we know about God and how He thinks and how He saves and what He does can continue to change the way that we live and think.

For example, I can know that "all things work together for good," but until I understand the sovereignty of God and that he is working everything out for His glory, I will never truly be able to grasp how the bad things in my life could ever be good. Or I can know that you cannot lose your salvation, but until I understand how God has chosen me and brought me to himself, not of my works, because even the work of believing was His Spirit's work, only then do I truly understand how truly saved I am.

The study of God's salvation is transforming my heart. I feel newly saved. I cannot believe that I could have been saved for 27 years, but never glimpsed its true depth until just these past few months. Realizing the truth of salvation from God's perspective has humbled me, excited me, and created in me the longing to know Him better, to hunger and thirst after righteousness, in a way I could only wish for before. God chose me, He overcame my sinful will that would have led me to damnation, He sacrificed His only Son to be the propitiation for my sins, and He will continue this work in me. This is truly good news! This is the gospel.

Now go and tell the world.

Reformed theology

So, I'm still working my way through reformed theology. I can't help but love reading the stuff - it's so saturated in Scripture and the glory of God. I just found a fantastic resource. This link is a list of all sorts of Reformed sermon series, study guides, doctrinal statements,etc. I just found it tonight, and I'm lovin' it! All, or at least a lot, of my questions answered in one place - ya gotta like that. I was telling Brian, though, that the more I read, the more questions I have about everything I used to believe about doctrine. I am definitely reading my Bible on a quest for truth; approaching it completely open to finding the truth as it is, rather than how I thought it was, think it might be, or want it to be.

Well, I can't find the exact source of these Bible studies,they're labeled The Sovereign Grace of God Bible Studies, but the one I wanted to share as food for thought is the lesson "The Extent of the Atonement". I can't even figure out who wrote it, but the section I'm sharing is mostly quotes from J.I. Packer's introductory essay to John Owen's The Death of Death in the Death of Christ, so I hope he doesn't mind.

The Problems with Denying Particular Redemption

All quotes are from J.I. Packer's introductory essay to John Owen's The Death of Death in the Death of Christ

Particular redemption is the doctrine that Christ's death made certain the salvation of everybody He died for, and thus He didn't die for all people since all are not saved. Universal redemption is the view that Christ died for every individual without exception--those who perish in the same way as those who are saved.

Particular redemption preserves the truth that the cross saves.

“Calvary, in other words, not merely made possible the salvation of those for whom Christ die; it ensured that they would be brought to faith and their salvation made actual. The Cross saves. Where the Arminian will only say: “I could not have gained my salvation without Calvary,” the Calvinist will say: “Christ gained my salvation for me at Calvary.” The former makes the Cross the sine qua non of salvation, the latter sees it as the actual procuring cause of salvation, and traces the source of every spiritual blessing, faith included, back to the real transaction between God and His Son carried through on Calvaries hill.”

We are not stressing limited atonement because we are interested in confining the limits of divine mercy, but because we wish to “safeguard the central affirmation of the gospel--that Christ is a redeemer who really does redeem.”

“Christ did not win a hypothetical salvation for hypothetical believers, a mere possibility of salvation for any who might possibly believer, but a real salvation for His own chosen people....Its saving power does not depend on faith being added to it; its saving power is such that faith flows from it. The cross secured the full salvation of all for whom Christ died.”

Universal redemption lessens God's love, the glory of Christ's death, destroys the gound of our assurance. And universal redemption must deny that the cross actually saves.

“So far from magnifying the love and grace of God, [universal redemption] dishonors both it and Him, for it reduces God's love to an impotent wish and turns the whole economy of `saving' grace, so-called (`saving' is really a misnomer on this view), into a monumental divine failure. Also, so far from magnifying the merit and worth of Christ's death, it cheapens it, for it makes Christ die in vain. Lastly , so far from affording faith additional encouragement, it destroys the Scriptural ground of assurance altogether, for it denies that the knowledge that Christ died for me (or did anything else for me) is a sufficient ground for inferring my eternal salvation; my salvation, on this view, depends not on what Christ did for me, but on what I subsequently do for myself.”

Particular redemption is needed for a proper understanding of the gospel

“Our minds have been conditioned to think of the Cross as a redemption which does less than redeem, and of Christ as a Saviour who does less than save, and of God's love as a weak affection which cannot keep anyone from hell without help, and of faith as the human help which God needs for this purpose. As a result, we are no longer free either to believe the biblical gosepl or preach it.”

Some food for thought. Oh, and in case you're wondering who John Owen is, according to J.I. Packer at johnowen.org,

"Owen was by common consent the weightiest Puritan theologian, and many would bracket him with Jonathan Edwards as one of the greatest Reformed theologians of all time. Born in 1616, he entered Queen's College, Oxford, at the age of twelve and secured his M.A. in 1635, when he was nineteen. In his early twenties, conviction of sin threw him into such turmoil that for three months he could scarcely utter a coherent word on anything; but slowly he learned to trust Christ, and so found peace. In 1637 he became a pastor; in the 1640s he was chaplain to Oliver Cromwell, and in 1651 he was made Dean of Christ Church, Oxford's largest college. In 1652 he was given the additional post of Vice-Chancellor of the University, which he then reorganized with conspicuous success. After 1660 he led the Independents through the bitter years of persecution till his death in 1683."

Desiring God

I just began reading John Piper's Desiring God : Meditations of a Christian Hedonist. I'm so excited to be reading this book, and all I've read is the introduction! I also can't believe that it's taken me this long to get around to reading a Piper book. I have a feeling it's going to be full of things to share, so I'm going to start right now so that I don't get too far behind.

First, I seriously wonder if there wasn't a conversation in the Piper living room with Noel saying, "I understand what you're wanting to communicate, John, but do you really have to use the word 'hedonism' ". Just one of those things my weird mind will spend time thinking about, because that's what I would have said.

Now on to what really struck me. Am I the only one who grasps a truth that was so obvious that I wonder how I, or anyone else, could ever have missed it?

Psalm 37:4 says, "Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart." Now at first, one might think that if you delight in the LORD, he'll give you whatever stuff, things, dreams you have. Later, you might read, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires that He has placed in your heart." That was how I interpreted it. But let's take it at face value, shall we? "Delight yourself in the LORD, and when He is all your delight, He will give you Himself, the Desire of your heart." That is so much better than any other desire I could have or He could fulfill. Psalm 73:25-26 "Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Many will see it and fear, and will trust in the LORD

I hope everyone enjoyed the game last night. It was so interesting to watch the media try to analyze and comment on the actions and reactions of both teams' Christian coaches. They apparantly both have stellar reputations, and neither raises their voice. Someone was commenting on Tony Dungy never using a bad word of any kind.

At the end of the game, as they had after they won the semi-finals both the Colt's owner and their coach, Tony Dungy, gave the praise and glory to God. One commentator mentioned how amazing this was, especially in light of the fact that one of his son's had committed suicide just over a year ago. I knew very little about this man, before the Superbowl, but I was reflecting on all of this this morning, and this Psalm came to my mind.

Psalm 40:1-3 NKJV
1 I waited patiently for the LORD;
And He inclined to me,
And heard my cry.
2 He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,
Out of the miry clay,
And set my feet upon a rock,
And established my steps.
3 He has put a new song in my mouth—
Praise to our God;
Many will see it and fear,
And will trust in the LORD.

It struck me that even when our praise wasn't exactly in the from of a song, when we praise God it is a testimony to lost souls who may indeed see it, and fear, and trust in the LORD.

This morning I saw a comment by "me" (not me) over at Lindsey's post about the Superbowl. And she had left a link to Tony Dungy's testimony that aired on Family Life Today. You can listen to it OnePlace.com.

Doing righteousness and justice

I decided to go back to the beginning of what we'd been reading in Genesis and begin seeking out the passages that refer to God's relationship with His people and the doctrine of salvation. I'm hoping to get through the whole Bible this year doing this, and I'm very excited about it.

The passage that really stuck out to me today fit that theme, but struck me more as a parent.

For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice, so that the LORD may bring to Abraham what he has promised him. Genesis 18:1

What a blessing it would be to have it said of us as parents that we commanded our children to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice! That's aiming a lot higher than "brushing your teeth and saying your prayers."

Never in January

If you've ever struggled with a Bible reading plan, go read this article by Noel Piper.

From a Reformed perspective, why do evangelism?

If you actually made it all the way through the previous post, then you'll understand that I wrote it because I wanted to share where I've been and where I'm going on this theological saga. After working through limited atonement (which, to me ended up being so closely tied to election that I no longer had an issue with it - I'll probably explain that better another day), then my next job was working back through what I've always believed and reviewing it in the light of what I was beginning to more fully understand about election. One of those things was evangelism. I knew I didn't want to be on the "hyper" side of calvinism. Obviously Jesus gave us a commission to go into all the world and preach the gospel. But what to say? "Jesus Christ died for you if you're one of the elect and if you're one of the elect you should consider this your notification that it's time to give your life over to Him." ?

This is the question Eric answered last week in for the Irish Calvinist's Q&A Friday. He quotes Spurgeon who (of course) says is better like this, “If God would have painted a yellow stripe on the backs of the elect I would go around lifting shirts. But since He didn’t I must preach `whosoever will’ and when `whosoever’ believes I know he is one of the elect.”

Election Update

As I 've worked through the 5 points of Calvinism the past couple of months, I've really found such a great peace about things that terribly disturbed me. The doctrine of election was such a stumbling block for me. Of course it's in the Bible. Everyone knows that (I think). But I didn't want to give it too much weight. I wanted to keep it securely tied to free will. Because there were things I didn't like about election. To me, if some were elect, then some were obviously not elect. And this was a problem for me.

Let me backtrack a bit. My Pappy (my maternal grandfather) was probably my favorite, most loved person in the world. I was his first grandchild, and the only one for six years until my brother was born. I was his "baby." My Grandma still calls me that. I prayed for him to be saved every day for as long as I can remember. Then one Sunday morning, when I was ten years old, he had a massive heart attack. He died. I had prayed for my daddy to be saved, and when I was three, he gave his life to Christ and soon was called to preach. I prayed for my aunt to be saved, and when I was seven, she received Christ. I prayed for my Pap to be saved... and he died... and went to hell. And I can't say or think that 20 years later without sobbing.

So this election thing bothered me. It bothered me that he could go to hell period. Because he wasn't just some nebulous "someone who rejected Christ." But worse still, could God elect some people and not others? Why not him? This was personal. Intensely personal. And the dialogue of my thoughts bordered on blasphemous. How could God do this? How could it be right? And yet at the same time I was so grateful for what He has done for me. And I knew that God's thoughts are high above our thoughts.

So, there were times that I was so overwhelmed by God and who He is, that my questions suddenly paled in comparison. And there were many more times that I simply pushed those thoughts back away, into their little corner, because I still couldn't figure it out.

Now don't think that I have it all figured out now. But a few things have become crystal clear to me.

Several posts at the Irish Calvinist dealing with election and limited atonement gave me yet another opportunity to work through these things. And Eric was ready to give Biblical answers to any questions I brought up. I also recently worked through what a truly biblical view of assurance of salvation was. And I was also confronted with an angle of this isssue in the Way of the Master evangelism Sunday school class at church. So it was time to once again try to reconcile the God I love with His ways that I cannot understand.

Then my brother was arrested again and went back to prison. He knows so much about God. He has a level of discernment in theology that just blows your mind when you try to put it together with a life that is obviously not the life of one who is attached to The Vine. In the midst of the pain his actions and continued lack of submission to His Creator caused my family, God spoke to me. I shared it with you then, but I didn't realize the ripple of impact it would have in my own heart:

God will always get glory from whatever happens. We just have to adjust our thinking. Even in terms of the eternal destinies of those we love most. My new prayer became, "God make my desire to see you be glorified more important than anything I feel, or anyone that I love."

And that really was the key all along. Do I want God's truth or Alicia's truth? Do I want God to be glorified, or do I simply want what I want? I had had a sneaking suspicion that if I really loved God more than I loved these people that I've loved and held here on earth, I would have a better perspective. God's glory is the most important thing. Jesus said, "Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me." Make my desire to see you be glorified more important than anything I feel, or anyone I love.

Once I put my issues aside and opened my heart to what the Scipture was saying I was able to grasp the complete depravity and hopelessness of fallen man. The free will is there, but we would never choose him without Divine intervention. We would choose our own way. Yet He chose us before the foundations of the world. For his glory. Soli Deo Gloria!

How to Fight for Joy

Jump right over to The Irish Calvinist and watch the John Piper video posted right under the "Straight from the Armenian Hymnal" article. (It doesn't have its own permalink, and I think it's a bit misplaced.) You don't want to miss this mini sermon on joy. I think it's only about 30 seconds long. So go. Right now. Then you can click the back button and settle in for a visit.

Assurance of Salvation

Kim at Lifesong has a post on assurance that resonated with me. I realized that my comment was getting too lengthy, and that I should write a post here instead.

Just before beginning my blog, I started a Bible study on this topic and found a fantastic article online, "Assurance" by Arthur W. Pink. I would encourage anyone struggling with or seeking a better understanding in this area to read this article. I believe in the finished work of Christ on the cross, and have given my life to Him. Growing up as an Independent Baptist I was taught proof texts for assurance of salvation, and thought that if I just believed enough I would "feel" assured of the salvation that had already been purchased for me by Christ's blood. But it wasn't always so simple. And it seemed like it was simple to so many others. I thought I might go crazy. I wondered about things like the passage where the people said, "Lord, Lord" and He said, "I never knew you." I alternated between absolute certainty and outright terror. I needed better doctrine. While at first this article may make assurance seem less attainable, the author urges us to make our "calling and election sure;" and, for me, his historical and Scripture-saturated treatment of the topic resulted in the very opposite effect. Here are a few samplings from the article:

"Let the really concerned soul read slowly and thoughtfully through this first Epistle of John, and let him duly observe that not once in its five chapters are we told, “We know that we have passed from death unto life because we are resting on the finished work of Christ.” The total absence of such a statement ought, surely, to convince us that something must be radically wrong with so much of the popular teaching of the day on this subject. But not only is there no such declaration made in this Epistle, the very first passage which contains the familiar “we know” is quite the reverse of what is now being so widely advocated as the ground of Christian assurance. “And hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments” (1 John 2:3). Is not that plain enough? A godly life is the first proof that I am a child of God."

“For everyone that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in (or “by”) God” (John 3:20, 21). Here is one of the vital differences between the unregenerate and the regenerate, the unbelieving and the believing. Unbelief is far more than an error of judgment, or speculative mistake into which an honest mind may fall; it proceeds from heart-enmity against God. The natural man, while left to himself, hates the searching light of God (v. 19), fearful lest it should disquiet the conscience, expose the fallacy of his presumptuous confidence, and shatter his false peace. But it is the very reverse with him who has been given “an honest and good heart.” He who acts sincerely and conscientiously, desiring to know and do the whole will of God without reserve, welcomes the light."

Election

The other one. The one where God "chose us in him before the foundation of the world(ESV)." The Irish Calvinist has some posts I'm carefully following here and here. They have a great discussion going, so if you take a peak don't forget to read the comments. I'm really trying to work through some of that stuff and really understand it. (Is that possible or am I just kidding myself?) I'm thinking about asking some of my questions and opening some serious cans of worms. But not tonight.

Real Hope and a Purpose

This blog is written for the glory of God to give hope.

• To share the good news of the gospel with anyone asking the reason of the hope bubbling up from inside me (1 Peter 3:15)
• To encourage believers to set their hope in God and not forget the works of God,but keep his commandments (Psalm 78:7)

Are you separated from Christ, having no hope and without God in the world? By one man, Adam, sin came into the world. And death and hopelessness resulted. And every man came to deserve death, because everyone broke God's law.

Have you ever sinned and broken God's law? Have you ever lied, stolen, hated someone (Jesus said that that is the same as committing murder in your heart), loved anything more than God? Of course you have. We all have. We cannot stand before a perfect, holy Being and be called innocent, good, or righteous.

But, "as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." (1 Cor.15:22) How is this possible? Aren't we guilty before God? Yes, we were, but now in Christ Jesus those of us who believe have been brought near by the blood of Christ. Able to stand before a holy God. Because, at the cross, Jesus took the punishment and the death that belonged to you. And then he came back to life, abolishing death's grip. "The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Cor.15:56-57)

He won a battle we could only have lost. Now you have a choice. Death or life. Repent, cry out to God for forgiveness and accept the gift of life through His only Son's sacrifice. Follow Jesus. Have hope. Live...

Or live your own life. Your own way. The way that leaves you hopeless. The way that ends in death. God's Word says "I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life..."(Deut.30:19 ESV).

Join me in "waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works." (Titus 2:13-14 ESV)