Thursdays, beginning August 17, I plan to be reading John Owen's The Glory of Christ. Owen's writing can be difficult, but is worth the effort. He has written very helpfully on the love and work of the Holy Spirit, on fellowship with God, on how to kill sin, and more. Though it is book one in his collected works, the first copies of The Glory of Christ came from the printer as Owen was dying. The pastor and scholar remarked that he was about to know the subject far better than before. Though this will be a more difficult one, even those who don't read along can check in on Thursdays for a few juicy quotes each week.
Friday, August 4, 2017
Wednesday, August 2, 2017
Upcoming Worship Wednesday Book: The Day of Worship
What does it mean that God has given us a day to "keep holy"?
Holiness is radical separateness, radical special-ness so that something (or someone! Us!) is so reserved for, designated to, and devoted unto God that it is called sacred, consecrated.
But the emphasis isn't upon what it's separated from, but rather upon what it's separated for.
So often, we are tempted to focus upon the negatives of what we cannot do on God's holy day. When we do that, we make the mistake of viewing His day as a day of burden and deprivation, as if we are accomplishing some kind of spiritual super-work by going without for God's sake.
That is the wickedly mistaken attitude that God is correcting in the opening verses of Isaiah 58. And, where He takes us from there is, well, delightful!
So, is the Lord's Day a day set apart to ourselves, so we can finally wind down and get some R&R into the crazed and hectic lives into which we have plunged ourselves in this culture? Or is it a day set apart to something (or Someone! The LORD!) far more delightful and rejuvenating than any created thing could be?
As I get going on my new reading plan, on upcoming Worship Wednesdays I intend to read The Day of Worship: Reassessing the Christian Life in Light of the Sabbath by Ryan McGraw, in which we hope to recover a biblical heart toward the Lord and His day, delighting in it and treasuring it as a glorious and miraculously re-creating gift.
This one will be starting August 16, God-willing.
Holiness is radical separateness, radical special-ness so that something (or someone! Us!) is so reserved for, designated to, and devoted unto God that it is called sacred, consecrated.
But the emphasis isn't upon what it's separated from, but rather upon what it's separated for.
So often, we are tempted to focus upon the negatives of what we cannot do on God's holy day. When we do that, we make the mistake of viewing His day as a day of burden and deprivation, as if we are accomplishing some kind of spiritual super-work by going without for God's sake.
That is the wickedly mistaken attitude that God is correcting in the opening verses of Isaiah 58. And, where He takes us from there is, well, delightful!
So, is the Lord's Day a day set apart to ourselves, so we can finally wind down and get some R&R into the crazed and hectic lives into which we have plunged ourselves in this culture? Or is it a day set apart to something (or Someone! The LORD!) far more delightful and rejuvenating than any created thing could be?
As I get going on my new reading plan, on upcoming Worship Wednesdays I intend to read The Day of Worship: Reassessing the Christian Life in Light of the Sabbath by Ryan McGraw, in which we hope to recover a biblical heart toward the Lord and His day, delighting in it and treasuring it as a glorious and miraculously re-creating gift.
This one will be starting August 16, God-willing.
Tuesday, August 1, 2017
Timeless Tuesday: The Letters of Samuel Rutherford
What do godly ministers do, when they are expelled from their pulpits and spend much of their life on the run?
Well, in some respects, they do what they would have done week by week in the ministry: delight themselves daily in Christ, and shepherd Christ's people to do the same.
Part of God's blessing to the church through the difficult circumstances of Samuel Rutherford's life, and the lives of ordinary Presbyterian folk being persecuted in Scotland in the first half of the 17th century is the glimpse of the beauty of Christ that has been preserved in The Letters of Samuel Rutherford.
Writing as a persecuted pastor to persecuted people, Rutherford sets Christ before us so sweetly that as Christians, we are strengthened to endure almost anything "for the joy set before us."
This is one big reason why I've made this book my first selection for "Timeless Tuesdays" in my new reading program. Won't you join me?
I hope that, beginning August 15th, you will start checking back in on for choice morsels selected from these letters. In fact, I hope that you will be reading them along with me!
Well, in some respects, they do what they would have done week by week in the ministry: delight themselves daily in Christ, and shepherd Christ's people to do the same.
Part of God's blessing to the church through the difficult circumstances of Samuel Rutherford's life, and the lives of ordinary Presbyterian folk being persecuted in Scotland in the first half of the 17th century is the glimpse of the beauty of Christ that has been preserved in The Letters of Samuel Rutherford.
Writing as a persecuted pastor to persecuted people, Rutherford sets Christ before us so sweetly that as Christians, we are strengthened to endure almost anything "for the joy set before us."
This is one big reason why I've made this book my first selection for "Timeless Tuesdays" in my new reading program. Won't you join me?
I hope that, beginning August 15th, you will start checking back in on for choice morsels selected from these letters. In fact, I hope that you will be reading them along with me!
Ministry Monday: An Able and Faithful Ministry by James Garretson
I realize that it's not Monday, but sometimes Mondays (like all other kinds of days) don't go as planned. When that happens, I'll try to catch up on Tuesday. Then Wednesday. Etc.
So, this week, I am introducing the books that we will be starting on the week of the 14th.
An Able and Faithful Ministry is kind of cheating for "Ministry Monday" because it's a pastoral theology disguised as a biography. So, really, we'll get two "Timeless Tuesdays" each week for a while!
Samuel Miller was a godly Presbyterian pastor at the turn of the 19th century, and one of the first great professors at what became Princeton Seminary and included greats like Hodge and Warfield.
This book will take us through Miller's life and ministry as a backdrop for learning from him what a faithful pastor should look like.
If you like biographies, or if you are a minister or elder (or hope to be), I think that you will find this book especially helpful.
So, this week, I am introducing the books that we will be starting on the week of the 14th.
An Able and Faithful Ministry is kind of cheating for "Ministry Monday" because it's a pastoral theology disguised as a biography. So, really, we'll get two "Timeless Tuesdays" each week for a while!
Samuel Miller was a godly Presbyterian pastor at the turn of the 19th century, and one of the first great professors at what became Princeton Seminary and included greats like Hodge and Warfield.
This book will take us through Miller's life and ministry as a backdrop for learning from him what a faithful pastor should look like.
If you like biographies, or if you are a minister or elder (or hope to be), I think that you will find this book especially helpful.
Daily Reading
Time to read!
As I settle back into the routine of being a pastor, one of the things that I hope to do is to read widely in a variety of subjects that are selected at keeping my mind fresh and fertile for preaching.
In God's providence, that also means that these subjects are also, generally speaking, useful for the minds and hearts of all believers.
New books begin the week of the 14th
This week, I plan to introduce the books that I will begin (or re-begin) soon.
Then, on Monday the 14th, I hope to actually start the reading. It'll only be a few pages a day, 15-30 minutes for me, not more than an hour for even a slower reader.
I'll read, and blog a short summary or comment on what I've read.
I would be delighted if others took me up on my invitation to read along, and added their own observations and questions from that section of reading in the comments section on the blog article
Join me!
Reading all of the books along with me would end up being quite a commitment, but you could pick one or two of them.
Surely, every one of us has some 15 minutes per week that could be re-assigned to reading good books!
If you are not in the habit of reading good material in addition to Scripture, I strongly recommend that you pick something easy (Saturday), pragmatic (Friday), or both (Tuesday), and read along.
Often, we don't do it because we lack incentive. This is where having a schedule, and interaction can help move us along.
Sometimes, we don't do it because we feel like we aren't understanding what we read. This is where the blog summary, and the opportunity to make observations and ask questions, can help.
And, if it's just going to be a couple pages a week, it'd be difficult to convince ourselves of the excuse that we don't have enough time!
Often, we don't do it because we lack incentive. This is where having a schedule, and interaction can help move us along.
Sometimes, we don't do it because we feel like we aren't understanding what we read. This is where the blog summary, and the opportunity to make observations and ask questions, can help.
And, if it's just going to be a couple pages a week, it'd be difficult to convince ourselves of the excuse that we don't have enough time!
"The List"
The following is the list that I propose to begin soon:
Ministry Monday
An Able and Faithful Ministry by James Garretson
Timeless Tuesday (history and biography)
The Letters of Samuel Rutherford (note that although I will be reading the Banner of Truth edition, other editions may possibly serve as well. I don't have them in order to compare)
Worship Wednesday (focused mainly upon the Lord's Day assemblies)
Theology Thursday (more formal theological reading; usually a tougher slog through, but worth it)
The Glory of Christ by John Owen (volume one, if you have a set of his works)
Family Friday (family, marriage, parenting, etc.)
Building a Godly Home, Vol. 1: A Holy Vision for Family Life by William Gouge
Sanctification Saturday
Devoted to God by Sinclair Ferguson
Wednesday, July 26, 2017
Observations upon Hearing Some Good Sermons and Some Almost Good Ones
If you are going to tell me that we don't need to dwelling upon Abram, but rather upon Abram's God, spend more than 2% of the next two hours of teaching showing me Abram's God and less than 98% showing me Abram.
Illustrations separate the almost good from the truly excellent. There is a world of difference between great stories and word pictures that enable me to understand clearly the most challenging truths of great texts.
If you have arrived at a contestable conclusion that the text itself doesn't clearly state, don't build a significant portion of your sermon upon it. Don't go on to make a habit of this.
If you are going to scold people for obeying Scripture in a particular way, take them to that Scripture, and explain how it is actually asking to be obeyed. If you can't do that clearly, don't scold in the first place.
Monday, July 3, 2017
Ac 13:6-10 - What a Spirit-filled Response to Charismatic Distraction Sounds Like
Paul and Barnabas were plainly speaking the words of God (cf. 2Cor 4:1-2). But one of these over-dramatic types with a moment of sensational revelation was distracting from it. What does a Spirit-filled response sound like in such a situation?
It sounds like, "O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord?"
Sounds a bit harsh to our culturally enfeebled ears, but it's Scriptural!
Wednesday, June 21, 2017
Esther 3:3-6 - Suffering for Christ's Sake
Then the king’s servants who were within the king’s gate said to Mordecai, “Why do you transgress the king’s command?” Now it happened, when they spoke to him daily and he would not listen to them, that they told it to Haman, to see whether Mordecai’s words would stand; for Mordecai had told them that he was a Jew. When Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow or pay him homage, Haman was filled with wrath. But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone, for they had told him of the people of Mordecai. Instead, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus—the people of Mordecai.
Esther 3:3-6
This reminded me of a recent interchange between an American Senator and a Christian man. The Senator was castigating the man for believing something that is central to the gospel. In a series of attacks, formed as questions, the believer kept responding, "Well, I'm a Christian, and..." Several consecutive times, he would be interrupted and silenced at that point.
Well, here is something similar. Mordecai could worship no mere man. When the king's servants challenged him on it, Mordecai's answer was that he is a Jew. It is interesting that, in v4, it seems that the king's servants at least considered the possibility that he might be given a religious exception. Even by the common grace light of nature, they seemed to know that Mordecai ought to be permitted an exemption, but they apparently knew something of Haman's nature as well.
Sure enough, Haman was so far from willing to grant an exemption that he concluded that if following the religion of the one true and living God meant that they would not bow to him, then he would simply destroy all followers of that religion.
This is the mindset that is developing against genuine, biblical Christianity in America. Never mind that these true disciples of Christ love their enemies and are even willing to sacrifice themselves for those who hate them. Unless Christians are willing to approve that which is wicked and immoral, and unless they are willing to bow and worship as soon as those in the current positions of cultural power appear, they can expect the fiercest responses. There are no religious exemptions, except perhaps for those whose religion it actually is to hate and kill us. Instead, Christians can expect that their quiet and conscientious devotion to Christ and His Word may sooner or later result in a determination to expunge us all.
Are we ready for this? Do we love our enemies precisely because we love Christ? And are we willing to be hated and hunted for His sake? We can be comforted that no one can ever take us from His and the Father's hand. We can be sure that nothing that He has earned for us can ever be lost. And, as is the main doctrine of the book of Esther, we can know that God is ruling and overruling everything for the good of His people, for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Esther 3:3-6
This reminded me of a recent interchange between an American Senator and a Christian man. The Senator was castigating the man for believing something that is central to the gospel. In a series of attacks, formed as questions, the believer kept responding, "Well, I'm a Christian, and..." Several consecutive times, he would be interrupted and silenced at that point.
Well, here is something similar. Mordecai could worship no mere man. When the king's servants challenged him on it, Mordecai's answer was that he is a Jew. It is interesting that, in v4, it seems that the king's servants at least considered the possibility that he might be given a religious exception. Even by the common grace light of nature, they seemed to know that Mordecai ought to be permitted an exemption, but they apparently knew something of Haman's nature as well.
Sure enough, Haman was so far from willing to grant an exemption that he concluded that if following the religion of the one true and living God meant that they would not bow to him, then he would simply destroy all followers of that religion.
This is the mindset that is developing against genuine, biblical Christianity in America. Never mind that these true disciples of Christ love their enemies and are even willing to sacrifice themselves for those who hate them. Unless Christians are willing to approve that which is wicked and immoral, and unless they are willing to bow and worship as soon as those in the current positions of cultural power appear, they can expect the fiercest responses. There are no religious exemptions, except perhaps for those whose religion it actually is to hate and kill us. Instead, Christians can expect that their quiet and conscientious devotion to Christ and His Word may sooner or later result in a determination to expunge us all.
Are we ready for this? Do we love our enemies precisely because we love Christ? And are we willing to be hated and hunted for His sake? We can be comforted that no one can ever take us from His and the Father's hand. We can be sure that nothing that He has earned for us can ever be lost. And, as is the main doctrine of the book of Esther, we can know that God is ruling and overruling everything for the good of His people, for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Friday, June 16, 2017
Ezra 4:1-2 - Unity Not Always Desirable
"Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the descendants of the captivity were building the temple of the LORD God of Israel, they came to Zerubbabel and the heads of the fathers' houses, and said to them, 'Let us build with you, for we seek your God as you do; and we have sacrificed to Him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here."
Ezra 4:1-2
Sometimes, opposition to Reformation presents itself not as direct resistance, but as a "Unity Party," trying to join with the faithful in a way that will hinder them, dilute them, or slow them down.
"Unity without the Gospel is a worthless unity; it is the very unity of hell." - J.C. Ryle
Ezra 4:1-2
Sometimes, opposition to Reformation presents itself not as direct resistance, but as a "Unity Party," trying to join with the faithful in a way that will hinder them, dilute them, or slow them down.
"Unity without the Gospel is a worthless unity; it is the very unity of hell." - J.C. Ryle
Saturday, June 10, 2017
Matt 21:1-5 - Beholding Our King
"All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying"
Matt 21:4
Here, we see that Scripture must always be fulfilled.
It is impossible that God should lie. Whatever He has predicted or promised is absolutely certain to happen. Let us have confidence in every single thing that the Bible says.
“Tell the daughter of Zion,
‘Behold, your King is coming to you,
Lowly, and sitting on a donkey,
A colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ”
Matt 21:5
Here, the prophecy that Christ fulfilled shows Him in both His kingship and His humility.
He is our King.
He subdues us to Himself, so let us yield to Him first head and heart, and then indeed all that we are, all that we have, and all that we do.
He provides for us, protects us, and defends us, so let us commit ourselves to His care. Literally, "by all means," let us make diligent and zealous use of all the means that He has given us, but let us always rest our confidence upon Him, rather than upon the means that He has given us.
He restrains and conquers all of His and our enemies, so let us never grumble, whine, or complain, but know that even the devil can only do what Jesus has planned for our good. And then, Jesus will punish every last wrong done to us--which He already used for our good!
And He has humbled Himself for us.
He became a man, and that in a low condition. Even as our King, He rode at first not on a great white horse, but on a donkey--and an adolescent donkey at that. He came lowly. And went so low as the cursed death of the cross. Such is the distance to which our God, Lord, Creator, and King stooped for our poor sake.
Let us behold here His love, and dwell upon it, that it might kindle in our hearts the flames of love toward Him. If we love Him because He first loved us, then let us drink deeply of these displays of His love to stir up our own reciprocal love!
And let us be glad to stoop and go low ourselves, for this path has been made beautiful, having been taken first by our Redeemer. Let us consider it an honor to stoop ever so low, to perform the lowest tasks, to receive the lowest gifts, to suffer those conditions and positions that worldlings consider to be far beneath them. They were not beneath our King, and we shall follow Him in them!
Matt 21:4
Here, we see that Scripture must always be fulfilled.
It is impossible that God should lie. Whatever He has predicted or promised is absolutely certain to happen. Let us have confidence in every single thing that the Bible says.
“Tell the daughter of Zion,
‘Behold, your King is coming to you,
Lowly, and sitting on a donkey,
A colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ”
Matt 21:5
Here, the prophecy that Christ fulfilled shows Him in both His kingship and His humility.
He is our King.
He subdues us to Himself, so let us yield to Him first head and heart, and then indeed all that we are, all that we have, and all that we do.
He provides for us, protects us, and defends us, so let us commit ourselves to His care. Literally, "by all means," let us make diligent and zealous use of all the means that He has given us, but let us always rest our confidence upon Him, rather than upon the means that He has given us.
He restrains and conquers all of His and our enemies, so let us never grumble, whine, or complain, but know that even the devil can only do what Jesus has planned for our good. And then, Jesus will punish every last wrong done to us--which He already used for our good!
And He has humbled Himself for us.
He became a man, and that in a low condition. Even as our King, He rode at first not on a great white horse, but on a donkey--and an adolescent donkey at that. He came lowly. And went so low as the cursed death of the cross. Such is the distance to which our God, Lord, Creator, and King stooped for our poor sake.
Let us behold here His love, and dwell upon it, that it might kindle in our hearts the flames of love toward Him. If we love Him because He first loved us, then let us drink deeply of these displays of His love to stir up our own reciprocal love!
And let us be glad to stoop and go low ourselves, for this path has been made beautiful, having been taken first by our Redeemer. Let us consider it an honor to stoop ever so low, to perform the lowest tasks, to receive the lowest gifts, to suffer those conditions and positions that worldlings consider to be far beneath them. They were not beneath our King, and we shall follow Him in them!
2Chr 36:15-16 - The Great Mercy (and Potential Danger) of Hearing Biblical Preaching
"And the LORD God of their fathers sent warnings to them by His messengers, rising up early and sending them, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place. But they mocked the messengers of God, despised His words, and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against His people, till there was no remedy."
2Chr 36:15-16
Surely, we ought to pray that God would grant that His servant would preach His Word faithfully in each of our churches. Here, He describes such preaching as an act of His compassion. Indeed, those who wish for less preaching, or less biblical preaching, or no preaching at all... are actually asking that God would not have compassion upon them. This is a horrifying thought!
But, let us seek more than just this compassion from Him. For, if the preacher is mocked, and the words are considered of little value or importance, we shall find that we have made God's display of His compassion the occasion by which we have stirred up great wrath against His church.
O, the greatness of the mercy, and potential danger in hearing biblical preaching!
2Chr 36:15-16
Surely, we ought to pray that God would grant that His servant would preach His Word faithfully in each of our churches. Here, He describes such preaching as an act of His compassion. Indeed, those who wish for less preaching, or less biblical preaching, or no preaching at all... are actually asking that God would not have compassion upon them. This is a horrifying thought!
But, let us seek more than just this compassion from Him. For, if the preacher is mocked, and the words are considered of little value or importance, we shall find that we have made God's display of His compassion the occasion by which we have stirred up great wrath against His church.
O, the greatness of the mercy, and potential danger in hearing biblical preaching!
2Chr 32:1-8 - A Biblical Confidence in God's Sovereign Action Leads to Believers' Vigorous Action
Sometimes, I have heard it said of confidence in God's sovereign action that it will stifle believers' activity.
And indeed, I have heard believers describe their laziness or passiveness as "giving the situation over to God"--as if their acting was somehow preventing Him from doing so, or an indication that they did not trust Him to do so.
While it is perhaps true that believers who speak like this were not trusting God previously, their newfound passivity and inaction does not mean that they have now begun to trust Him.
Look at the flurry of Hezekiah's action here:
"And he strengthened himself, built up all the wall that was broken, raised it up to the towers, and built another wall outside; also he repaired the Millo in the City of David, and made weapons and shields in abundance. Then he set military captains over the people, gathered them together to him in the open square of the city gate, and gave them encouragement, saying" (vv5-6)
What drove such a frenzy of action? Was it because he was not "trusting God to work"? By no means! Notice the very next verses:
"“Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid nor dismayed before the king of Assyria, nor before all the multitude that is with him; for there are more with us than with him. 8 With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God, to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah" (vv7-8)
Simply put, when Christian's believe it in a biblical way, they do not do less, but rather more, when they possess the certainty that the Lord is working and will continue to work.
Do I believe this about the Lord, according to His promises and character? Then it will not be demonstrated merely by a warm, ethereal feeling while I fold my hands. Rather, it will be seen by my vigorously pursuing all of the means that God has placed at my disposal. After all, if our Father is working, then so shall we!
And indeed, I have heard believers describe their laziness or passiveness as "giving the situation over to God"--as if their acting was somehow preventing Him from doing so, or an indication that they did not trust Him to do so.
While it is perhaps true that believers who speak like this were not trusting God previously, their newfound passivity and inaction does not mean that they have now begun to trust Him.
Look at the flurry of Hezekiah's action here:
"And he strengthened himself, built up all the wall that was broken, raised it up to the towers, and built another wall outside; also he repaired the Millo in the City of David, and made weapons and shields in abundance. Then he set military captains over the people, gathered them together to him in the open square of the city gate, and gave them encouragement, saying" (vv5-6)
What drove such a frenzy of action? Was it because he was not "trusting God to work"? By no means! Notice the very next verses:
"“Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid nor dismayed before the king of Assyria, nor before all the multitude that is with him; for there are more with us than with him. 8 With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God, to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah" (vv7-8)
Simply put, when Christian's believe it in a biblical way, they do not do less, but rather more, when they possess the certainty that the Lord is working and will continue to work.
Do I believe this about the Lord, according to His promises and character? Then it will not be demonstrated merely by a warm, ethereal feeling while I fold my hands. Rather, it will be seen by my vigorously pursuing all of the means that God has placed at my disposal. After all, if our Father is working, then so shall we!
Saturday, June 3, 2017
Jn 14:31 - O how Christ loves the Father!
"But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave Me commandment, so I do. Arise, let us go from here."
John 14:31
If we are not amazed at Christ's love for the Father, we have not fully understood the cross.
And it is this love that is reckoned to us through faith in Christ, as if we ourselves had so kept the first great commandment!
Jn 14:8-9 - O that we would see Christ, by faith, in the preaching of the Word!
"Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?"
John 14:8-9
How glorious it is to see Christ! So exactly and completely is He the imprint of the Father that, once having seen Him, there is nothing more of the Father that we may see! Indeed there is nothing un-Christlike in the Father.
But what of us? Coming so long after Philip, have we missed our opportunity in this world for this glorious vision? By no means. For when the apostle Paul defends plain preaching and teaching as his strategem for ministry, he argues that it is God's means for doing something that no device of man could ever do:
"Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake. For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."
2Co 4:1-6
O, let us wrestle at the throne of grace for this: that God the Holy Spirit would attend the preaching in our churches, granting to us to see Christ Himself by faith!
2Chr 19:6-7 - How the godly approach government jobs
Romans 13 makes it plain that this holds up for all governments in every age.
and said to the judges, “Take heed to what you are doing, for you do not judge for man but for the Lord, who is with you in the judgment. Now therefore, let the fear of the Lord be upon you; take care and do it, for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God, no partiality, nor taking of bribes.”
2Chr19:6-7
While v11 makes clear that the "general equity principle" is how this must operate, that principle itself means that the godly magistrate will be seeking biblical instruction for how he is to rule.
God grant, in every nation, men who govern thus, by grace in Christ!
Friday, June 2, 2017
John 13:34 - Lay your life down for the church
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, where are You going?”
Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow Me afterward.”
Peter said to Him, “Lord, why can I not follow You now? I will lay down my life for Your sake.”
John 13:34-37
Peter thought that he would outdo Christ. He thought that Christ had merely washed their feet, but Peter was determined to love Him back by laying down his life. By the end of that evening, and especially the next afternoon, Peter would realize just how backwards he had it.
But when Christ restored the apostle, He brought him back to this conversation, reminding him (and us with him) of the chief way in which we are to "love Him because He first loved us": love one another as He has loved us.
Do you love Him, dear Christian readers? Love one another! This, most of all, is how our Redeemer tells us to reciprocate His love to us.
2Chronicles 12:14 - Preparation of the Heart
Truly, reading through the flawed kings of Judah makes one to confess that Christ alone is King of kings and Lord of lords.
And the Lord holds before us in 2Ch 12:14 how it was that Rheoboam's sinful flesh maintained the upper hand with him, "And he did evil, because he did not prepare his heart to seek the LORD."
(See also 2Chr 19:3, "Nevertheless good things are found in you, in that you have removed the wooden images from the land, and have prepared your heart to seek God." ... and 2Chr 30:18b-19a But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “May the good LORD provide atonement for everyone who prepares his heart to seek God, the LORD God of his fathers" ... and Ezra 7:10 "For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel" ... and 1Sam 7:3 "Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you return to the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths from among you, and prepare your hearts for the LORD, and serve Him only; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines")
The word means to prepare or make ready, with a connotation of strengthening, establishing, and steeling the heart in a particular posture or attitude. God knows our dullness, and He has provided us this instruction: hearts such as ours must be intentionally conditioned to know and love and obey Him. Our hearts will not naturally do so merely because we wish they would. Moreover, He warns us of what we are wont to do if we do not prepare our hearts to seek Him. We are likely to end up rejecting all sound wisdom and indulging the folly and sin of our original, fleshly nature.
We who long that kings would be righteous, and that we ourselves would be upright in all that we do... Here is a biblical prescription for us: we must prepare our hearts to seek the Lord!
Let us be eager at the Word, sacraments, and prayer... these means through which we have Christ's own heart by grace.
2Chronicles 9:8 - One Greater than Solomon
How have you responded to Christ? There are many who demand something from Christ before they will believe.
Of those Pharisees that insisted that Jesus satisfy their demands, He said, "The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here." (Mt 12:42)
And how had she responded?
"Blessed be the Lord your God, who delighted in you, setting you on His throne to be king for the Lord your God! Because your God has loved Israel, to establish them forever, therefore He made you king over them, to do justice and righteousness." (2Ch 9:8)
The Lord grant to you, dear reader, that this is how you respond to encountering Jesus Christ in His Word! Truly, He is the one greater than Solomon.
Monday, May 1, 2017
Samuel Miller, upon Resolving to Pursue Gospel Ministry
O my Father's and my Mother's God, I yield myself to Thee! Yet, what an office for a poor, polluted, weak creature, who is helpless in himself, to aspire unto! Lord, help me to realize my own weakness and unworthiness; to lie in the dust of abasement, and habitually to look for strength to Him who can "make me strong in the power of His might." Lord, I, this day, devote myself to Thy most worthy service. I am Thine by creation and preservation; I ought to be Thine by a holy regeneration and a gracious adoption; and I would humbly devote myself to the promotion of Thy glory to my latest breath.Quoted from The Life of Samuel Miller on p17 of An Able and Faithful Ministry
Thursday, February 23, 2017
I Cannot Wait to See Him
A Good Article on the 2nd Commandment
Tim Challies has a good post on the second commandment over at https://goo.gl/vQcpsg
Praise the Lord that Mr. Challies is speaking plainly about a simple issue upon which the "Reformed" in our day have equivocated so unhelpfully. It's good to see that the increasing breadth of his audience and 'fame' has not shortened the range of issues to which he is willing to put his keyboard plainly.
Now, I would love to see him do the same with the 4th Commandment!
But Aren't the Reformed Just Overreacting to Roman Catholicism?
To think further about the right way to worship God, approach Him, and even think about Him, may I suggest considering Nadab and Abihu? Only, this time, begin at Leviticus 8:1, and immerse yourself slowly in the context that leads up to the more famous portion in 10:1-3.
They were two of the five men ordained to do it; they had just completed the full process for their ordination and installation; there is no indication of a lack of sincerity--in fact, after that week's worth of sacrifice and being repeatedly stained with animal blood, it is highly likely that they took this very seriously and were very sincere.
And yet God burned them up. Why? Because they were creative about worship. Worship is not a place for creativity or innovation. Only what God has commanded may be called true worship, and everything else offends Him. When we are creative with worship, we take upon ourselves the prerogative of God Himself.
I am repeatedly shocked to observe candidates for the ministry, whose education included being steeped in the kind of sophistry that permits of images of the second person of the Trinity.
We have lost a sense of the holiness of God.
Even Well-Instructed Children Understand Better the Holiness of God
As one 7th grader recently answered, when his youth leader asked, "what would you do if Jesus were here?"... the lad answered, "I would faint, of course."
Even the apostle fell on his face as though dead. It is precisely because we cannot conceive of the great holiness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ, that we must never "image" Him, not even in our minds. Shall we invite our young ones to imagine Christ? They will only create for themselves an idolatrous caricature! Or to imagine what they "would do" in His presence? They would of course do whatever He commanded!
His glory is no longer veiled.
Or as a five year old girl, who had already been catechized, once told the dear and sincere Christian grandma who was babysitting her... the Grandma had brought over a Bible story book, and they were happily reading along, until they came to a page with a picture that was obviously purporting to include the second person of the Trinity.
Tim Challies has a good post on the second commandment over at https://goo.gl/vQcpsg
Praise the Lord that Mr. Challies is speaking plainly about a simple issue upon which the "Reformed" in our day have equivocated so unhelpfully. It's good to see that the increasing breadth of his audience and 'fame' has not shortened the range of issues to which he is willing to put his keyboard plainly.
Now, I would love to see him do the same with the 4th Commandment!
But Aren't the Reformed Just Overreacting to Roman Catholicism?
To think further about the right way to worship God, approach Him, and even think about Him, may I suggest considering Nadab and Abihu? Only, this time, begin at Leviticus 8:1, and immerse yourself slowly in the context that leads up to the more famous portion in 10:1-3.
They were two of the five men ordained to do it; they had just completed the full process for their ordination and installation; there is no indication of a lack of sincerity--in fact, after that week's worth of sacrifice and being repeatedly stained with animal blood, it is highly likely that they took this very seriously and were very sincere.
And yet God burned them up. Why? Because they were creative about worship. Worship is not a place for creativity or innovation. Only what God has commanded may be called true worship, and everything else offends Him. When we are creative with worship, we take upon ourselves the prerogative of God Himself.
I am repeatedly shocked to observe candidates for the ministry, whose education included being steeped in the kind of sophistry that permits of images of the second person of the Trinity.
We have lost a sense of the holiness of God.
Even Well-Instructed Children Understand Better the Holiness of God
As one 7th grader recently answered, when his youth leader asked, "what would you do if Jesus were here?"... the lad answered, "I would faint, of course."
Even the apostle fell on his face as though dead. It is precisely because we cannot conceive of the great holiness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ, that we must never "image" Him, not even in our minds. Shall we invite our young ones to imagine Christ? They will only create for themselves an idolatrous caricature! Or to imagine what they "would do" in His presence? They would of course do whatever He commanded!
His glory is no longer veiled.
Or as a five year old girl, who had already been catechized, once told the dear and sincere Christian grandma who was babysitting her... the Grandma had brought over a Bible story book, and they were happily reading along, until they came to a page with a picture that was obviously purporting to include the second person of the Trinity.
The little girl froze, not wanting to participate in breaking the second commandment, but keenly aware that she needed to honor the grandma to keep the fifth commandment. The dear lady from church was now seriously concerned for the soul of a five year old who apparently could not identify the picture... "don't you know who that is? That's Jesus!"
"Oh no, ma'am. That cannot be Jesus. Jesus is in heaven, and He is so glorious that we cannot imagine what He looks like. I can't wait to see Him!"
If We Do Not Have the Faith of These Children, We Impoverish Our View of the Gospel
It is this Holy One, who alone defines worship, and this Terrifyingly Glorious One, before whom apostles fall on their faces as though dead... this one, God the Creator, and Almighty King, and Terrifying Judge of all, who dwells in unapproachable light who suffered humiliation, submitting Himself to humanity, and to death--even that of the cross.
He before whom angels cover their faces endured the mocking of men and demons and suffered the wrath of God for me.
For all eternity, I will wonder at this, never fully understanding it. In my current condition, if I were to see Him, I would fall down as though dead. But, He is sitting on His throne, and fitting me for glory. I cannot imagine, now, what He looks like, but I cannot wait to see Him!
For Further Study
For more Christ-exalting, affections-stirring understanding of Holy Scripture on this issue, I recommend that you read and digest https://goo.gl/z21IXd
"Oh no, ma'am. That cannot be Jesus. Jesus is in heaven, and He is so glorious that we cannot imagine what He looks like. I can't wait to see Him!"
If We Do Not Have the Faith of These Children, We Impoverish Our View of the Gospel
It is this Holy One, who alone defines worship, and this Terrifyingly Glorious One, before whom apostles fall on their faces as though dead... this one, God the Creator, and Almighty King, and Terrifying Judge of all, who dwells in unapproachable light who suffered humiliation, submitting Himself to humanity, and to death--even that of the cross.
He before whom angels cover their faces endured the mocking of men and demons and suffered the wrath of God for me.
For all eternity, I will wonder at this, never fully understanding it. In my current condition, if I were to see Him, I would fall down as though dead. But, He is sitting on His throne, and fitting me for glory. I cannot imagine, now, what He looks like, but I cannot wait to see Him!
For Further Study
For more Christ-exalting, affections-stirring understanding of Holy Scripture on this issue, I recommend that you read and digest https://goo.gl/z21IXd
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