Tremendous words from Charles Haddon Spurgeon:
"What a
patience that was which Jesus exhibited for us in our redemption! To come from
heaven to earth, to dwell in poverty and neglect, and find no room even in the
inn! Admire the patience of Bethlehem. To hold His tongue for thirty years—who
shall estimate the wonderful patience of Nazareth and the carpenter’s shop!
When He spoke, to be despised and rejected of men, what patience for Him whom
Cherubim obey! Oh, the patience of the Christ to be tempted of the devil! One
can hardly tell what patience Christ must have had to let the devil come within
ten thousand miles of him, for He was able to keep him far down in the abyss
below His feet . . . do I need remind you of the patience of Christ for us when
the Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all? Patient as a lamb, He opened not
His mouth but stood in omnipotence of patience, all-sufficient to endure."[1]
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
Saturday, January 14, 2017
Don't Trust Your Perceptions
“We must remember this perspective in our times of
desolation, grief, and loss. How things
appear to us, and how they actually are, are rarely the same. Sometimes it
looks and feels like the Almighty is dealing “very bitterly” with us, when all
the while he is doing us and many others more good than we can imagine. God’s
purposes in the lives of his children are always gracious. Always. If they
don’t look like it, don’t trust your perceptions. Trust God’s promises. He is
always fulfilling his promises.”[1]
[1] Jon
Bloom. Things Not Seen: A Fresh Look at Old Stories of Trusting God’s Promises (Kindle
Locations 1317-1321). Crossway.
Friday, January 6, 2017
An Important Balance to the Prosperity Gospel
In a thought-provoking essay by Rev. P. Andrew Sandlin, titled: Economic Atheism, he offers some important challenges to our Christian view of wealth. Within the context of his discussion he makes an assertion that I would hope all evangelical Christians would support. He writes:
"The prosperity Gospel is a travesty of the biblical Gospel."
Now by the prosperity Gospel he means that view whereby "God wants everybody to be healthy, fat, rich and happy -- and if we aren't, it is because we lack faith." I'm not sure that this perversion of the Gospel includes "fatness" but basically he is correct. I would add that usually proponents of this view include the proviso that if you aren't healthy and wealthy, it is either a lack of faith (as he says) or sin in your life (example: Job).
But then Sandlin goes on to touch a nerve. This nerve, I confess, seems to pervade even some of my own favorite preachers and authors. Sandlin writes, "An overreaction to the prosperity Gospel is the poverty Gospel." Here we get this notion that God always sides with the poor; and poverty (if not subsistence living) is to be the norm. We can accidentally fall into the trap that says poor, simple, living receives God's blessing, whereby the pursuit and creation of wealth is an abomination. The reality is that this is not so. More importantly, Sandlin writes,
"When we attack wealth and its creation as such (not its perversion) we are attacking a critical part of the Lord's plan for extending his Kingdom in his world."
The problem among some well-meaning, anti-capitalistic, often "back-to-earth", "back-to-the simple-life" dwellers is that they forget that their choice of minimalist simplicity also diminishes their capacity to further the Lord's work. Thank God for the entrepreneurial profit-seeking Christians who, in good conscience, and with right motives, support the millions of missionaries world-wide in accordance with how the Lord has prospered them.
There are of course a multitude of things that inhibit the expansion of God's kingdom. But in my experience, in relation to money, there are two that stand out. One has to do with Christians who live so beyond their means that their debt-load renders it impossible for them to help others and support the endeavors of the Church. The second has to do with well-meaning Christians who reflect a cynical and judgmental attitude to those who are seeking to work hard, invest well, earn a substantial profit and of course: support the Lord's work both at home and abroad. Both views limit Christian endeavors.
In our abhorrence with the prosperity Gospel, let's not buy into the poverty Gospel.
"The prosperity Gospel is a travesty of the biblical Gospel."
Now by the prosperity Gospel he means that view whereby "God wants everybody to be healthy, fat, rich and happy -- and if we aren't, it is because we lack faith." I'm not sure that this perversion of the Gospel includes "fatness" but basically he is correct. I would add that usually proponents of this view include the proviso that if you aren't healthy and wealthy, it is either a lack of faith (as he says) or sin in your life (example: Job).
But then Sandlin goes on to touch a nerve. This nerve, I confess, seems to pervade even some of my own favorite preachers and authors. Sandlin writes, "An overreaction to the prosperity Gospel is the poverty Gospel." Here we get this notion that God always sides with the poor; and poverty (if not subsistence living) is to be the norm. We can accidentally fall into the trap that says poor, simple, living receives God's blessing, whereby the pursuit and creation of wealth is an abomination. The reality is that this is not so. More importantly, Sandlin writes,
"When we attack wealth and its creation as such (not its perversion) we are attacking a critical part of the Lord's plan for extending his Kingdom in his world."
The problem among some well-meaning, anti-capitalistic, often "back-to-earth", "back-to-the simple-life" dwellers is that they forget that their choice of minimalist simplicity also diminishes their capacity to further the Lord's work. Thank God for the entrepreneurial profit-seeking Christians who, in good conscience, and with right motives, support the millions of missionaries world-wide in accordance with how the Lord has prospered them.
There are of course a multitude of things that inhibit the expansion of God's kingdom. But in my experience, in relation to money, there are two that stand out. One has to do with Christians who live so beyond their means that their debt-load renders it impossible for them to help others and support the endeavors of the Church. The second has to do with well-meaning Christians who reflect a cynical and judgmental attitude to those who are seeking to work hard, invest well, earn a substantial profit and of course: support the Lord's work both at home and abroad. Both views limit Christian endeavors.
In our abhorrence with the prosperity Gospel, let's not buy into the poverty Gospel.
Tuesday, January 3, 2017
Do We Need Crosses and Images to Enhance Our Worship?
I had an interesting discussion today about icons, idolatry and the incomparable glory of God. A summary of that discussion could be clarified through this simple syllogism [1]. It would go this way:
Premise One: Nothing created adequately describes God in all His glory.
Premise Two: To use earthly representations to facilitate worship is idolatry.
Premise Three: The written Word of God is an earthly representation.
Conclusion: The Bible should not be used as a means of worship.
The conclusion may be logical but it is wrong. What was not included in the logic is that the Bible is God's ordained means to reveal God in a redemptive sense. Although the Bible does not contain all truth, the Bible is all true. And more importantly the Bible is sufficient. The Doctrine of the Sufficiency of Scripture is an important aspect to our Evangelical worship.
The Scriptures ALONE are able to lead a man or woman to saving faith and through to sanctification in grace. No other created thing, no picture, icon, or image can do that. No program or mountain peak can do that. Although we are called by the Second Law of the Ten Commandments not to be devoted to any created thing or image, we can be faith know that the Bible is the exception. The is the pulse beat of Christianity. It is the heart of what it means to be Protestant. It is this truth that separates us from Roman Catholic and Eastern churches.
God's Word ALONE is sufficient.
No, we don't need crucifixes, icons, images and pictures to inform our worship of God. The Bible is sufficient -the rest is insufficient, and by default: idolatry.
___________________________________
1. A syllogism (Greek: συλλογισμός syllogismos, "conclusion, inference") is a kind of logical argument that applies deductive reasoning to arrive at a conclusion based on two or more propositions that are asserted or assumed to be true.
Premise One: Nothing created adequately describes God in all His glory.
Premise Two: To use earthly representations to facilitate worship is idolatry.
Premise Three: The written Word of God is an earthly representation.
Conclusion: The Bible should not be used as a means of worship.
The conclusion may be logical but it is wrong. What was not included in the logic is that the Bible is God's ordained means to reveal God in a redemptive sense. Although the Bible does not contain all truth, the Bible is all true. And more importantly the Bible is sufficient. The Doctrine of the Sufficiency of Scripture is an important aspect to our Evangelical worship.
The Scriptures ALONE are able to lead a man or woman to saving faith and through to sanctification in grace. No other created thing, no picture, icon, or image can do that. No program or mountain peak can do that. Although we are called by the Second Law of the Ten Commandments not to be devoted to any created thing or image, we can be faith know that the Bible is the exception. The is the pulse beat of Christianity. It is the heart of what it means to be Protestant. It is this truth that separates us from Roman Catholic and Eastern churches.
God's Word ALONE is sufficient.
2 Timothy 3:15 (ESV)
15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
Acts 20:32 (ESV)
32 And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
No, we don't need crucifixes, icons, images and pictures to inform our worship of God. The Bible is sufficient -the rest is insufficient, and by default: idolatry.
___________________________________
1. A syllogism (Greek: συλλογισμός syllogismos, "conclusion, inference") is a kind of logical argument that applies deductive reasoning to arrive at a conclusion based on two or more propositions that are asserted or assumed to be true.
Saturday, December 31, 2016
Perhaps the Greatest Gospel Verse in the Old Testament
On New Years Day 2017, I have the privilege of preaching on the fourth Servant Song recorded in Isaiah. It is perhaps the best known. How many of us have not heard many times these comforting words: “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds 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” (Isaiah 53:5–6, ESV)?
Further into the riches of this Song, lies, I believe the greatest Gospel verse in the Old Testament .... perhaps the entire Bible. It is found in Isaiah 53:11 (ESV):
"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."
The substitutionary death of Christ does not end in failure and regret but in great satisfaction. The Hebrew is difficult to translate but it is likely that the commendation of Jehovah toward His Servant, as recorded by Isaiah, should read: "By knowledge of Him, shall My Servant justify many." Who are the "many". Are they not the same "many" as have looked to Him and realized that He suffered for our transgression, our iniquity? The Suffering Servant, Jesus Christ, the Righteous, negatively bore our sin but positively granted us righteousness. What a glorious transaction.
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now, I see.
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now, I see.
Thursday, December 29, 2016
The Sayings of the Wise – Part 12
THIRTY SAYINGS OF
THE WISE
SAYING NUMBER ELEVEN
“Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish them with the
rod, they will not die. Punish them with the rod and save them from death.” (Proverbs 23:13–14, NIV)
Rather than bring death, the right
discipline of a child will "save them from death". The obvious idea in this proverb involves the
use of "corporal discipline". Some define this as: "Corporal
punishment or physical punishment (physical discipline in some contexts)
is a punishment intended to cause physical pain on a person. It is usually
inflicted in settings with a substantial disparity of power between the
partakers. Corporal punishment is commonly practiced on minors, especially in
home and also school settings, usually employing more modest forms. Common
methods in this regard often include spanking or paddling."[1]
"The point is that the discipline has character training as its goal,
not simply behavior; and this training equips the child to persevere in the way
of life (cf. Prov. 22:15), which is the godly parents’ chief aim (cf. 23:15–18,
22–25)."[2] The Lord uses discipline in
our lives. “… your rod and your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4,
NIV). My goal would be that I want to
discipline my children, in the spirit and the means that God, my Father,
disciplines me.
“And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that
addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, “My son, do not make
light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he
accepts as his son.” Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his
children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?” (Hebrews 12:5–7, NIV)
Correction shows us
that we are loved, but it also shows us that we are not above reproach and we are
accountable to someone. Those that ignore
the notion of parental use of corporal punishment miss the obvious in this
text. There is no excuse of disciplining
in anger; spanking as abuse; or punishing with the intent to maim and
disfigure. Most importantly it is never
done outside the application of instruction and the approbation of the
Gospel. As in all cases, proverbial
literature should be balanced with all that God says about the subject. For example: “A
rebuke impresses a discerning person more than a hundred lashes a fool” (Proverbs
17:10, NIV).
Elsewhere the Wise write, “Whoever
spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is
careful to discipline them” (Proverbs 13:24, NIV). This verse holds parents
as responsible to instruct and discipline their children. The weight of the proverb leans heavily toward
"careful instruction" not the use of the rod. Another misuse of these verses is to suggest that
all premature death is due to a lack of parental discipline. One cannot extend the passage to such
extremes.
As a parent, I have always thought of
spanking as the "death penalty" of the home. By that, I mean that "it is the last
resort, not the first option". If
patient, godly instruction and the use of other means of discipline fail –
especially in the face of "in-your-face" rebellion, then spanking may
be necessary – and usually is.
If repeated spankings fail, then we have a
problem. One, if the child is young, you
have exhausted all your options. Two, any escalation of punishment on a young
child is probably wrong. God's Word does
not prohibit corporal punishment, but it emphasizes godly, sustained,
consistent discipline. One of the keys
in all parenting is that important relationship that must be established. We parents fail miserably when we are
inconsistent in our discipline and inconsistent in our relationship. The net result of discipline outside of a
healthy relationship is rebellion.
Tuesday, December 13, 2016
The Sayings of the Wise – Part 11
THIRTY SAYINGS OF THE WISE
SAYING NUMBER TEN
“Apply
your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge.” (Proverbs
23:12, NIV)
There is an unspoken
notion within Christian circles that wisdom and knowledge can either be learned
by osmosis or at the very most the fruit is easy to pick and often left for you
to find. What is osmosis? "Osmosis is the spontaneous net movement of
solvent molecules through a semi-permeable membrane into a region of higher
solute concentration, in the direction that tends to equalize the solute
concentrations on the two sides."[1] In everyday language: IT KINDA JUST HAPPENS!
When it comes to godly
wisdom, it doesn't just happen. The
wisdom of the wise is to "apply your heart" and "your ears"
to instruction and knowledge. Such a correlation "link[s] hearing with the
seat of human intention and purpose."[2] The imperative to "apply" is the
Hebrew word שִׁית that is pronounced "sheeth". It can mean things like to lay your hand on
or set your mind to. It can mean to
appoint or to be set upon.[3]
It just doesn't happen. It takes purpose
and planning.
Here is a helpful paragraph:
"The Bible is a book that is not merely for reading. It is a book for studying so that it can be applied. Otherwise, it is like swallowing food without chewing and then spitting it back out again—no nutritional value is gained by it . . . Studying the Bible can be compared to mining for gold. If we make little effort and merely "sift through the pebbles in a stream," we will only find a little gold dust. But the more we make an effort to really dig into it, the more reward we will gain for our effort."[5]
To gain the most from our study we need to have
a plan; we need to have resources; and we need to "apply
ourselves".
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)