Category Archives: Uncategorized
Last post.
For various reasons, I am going to refrain from blogging for the foreseeable future. I would like to thank those who have followed this blog for all the thoughtful and encouraging comments and wish you all well.
Psalm for the day
Planning on reading a Psalm a day. This is for today:
[Teach Me Your Paths]
[OF DAVID.]
[25:1] To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul.
[2] O my God, in you I trust;
let me not be put to shame;
let not my enemies exult over me.
[3] Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame;
they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
[4] Make me to know your ways, O LORD;
teach me your paths.
[5] Lead me in your truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all the day long.
[6] Remember your mercy, O LORD, and your steadfast love,
for they have been from of old.
[7] Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
according to your steadfast love remember me,
for the sake of your goodness, O LORD!
[8] Good and upright is the LORD;
therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
[9] He leads the humble in what is right,
and teaches the humble his way.
[10] All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness,
for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.
[11] For your name’s sake, O LORD,
pardon my guilt, for it is great.
[12] Who is the man who fears the LORD?
Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose.
[13] His soul shall abide in well-being,
and his offspring shall inherit the land.
[14] The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him,
and he makes known to them his covenant.
[15] My eyes are ever toward the LORD,
for he will pluck my feet out of the net.
[16] Turn to me and be gracious to me,
for I am lonely and afflicted.
[17] The troubles of my heart are enlarged;
bring me out of my distresses.
[18] Consider my affliction and my trouble,
and forgive all my sins.
[19] Consider how many are my foes,
and with what violent hatred they hate me.
[20] Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me!
Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.
[21] May integrity and uprightness preserve me,
for I wait for you.
[22] Redeem Israel, O God,
out of all his troubles.
(Psalm 25 ESV)
Today’s Prayer
Father,
I know You are the Sovereign over the universe. Lord, your breathed life into every living thing. You spoke the worlds into existence, and You hold everything together by Your might, everything from the most vast and distant galaxy to the smallest sub-atomic particle. There is no created thing, no matter how large or insignificantly small, that strays from Your meticulous control.
Not only are You immeasurably, infinitely mighty, You are infinitely good. I confess I sometimes forget Your character when I undergo trial. I forget sometimes that You are God, my God. I am thankful You are aware of my infirmities, failures, and sins, that You know my foolish doubts, yet You love me anyway. I thank you Lord, that you adopted me in spite of You knowing my frame. I am no prize that You should choose me, there is no good of my own in me. I do not deserve Your mercy, yet You extend grace to me. You draw me toward repentance. You lovingly break me, discipline me, that You may remake me, teach me. Teach me to love You more deeply and trust You more completely, to love my neighbor, to love the unlovely just as You love me.
Thank You.
In the name of the Messiah, Jesus,
Amen
Broken Things
This morning, after a long night, I come across this post, copied in full, from More Than Coping:
Broken Things: Streams In The Desert, October 16th, 2011
Posted on October 15, 2011 by erunner
“By reason of breakings they purify themselves” (Job 41:25).
God uses most for His glory those people and things which are most perfectly broken. The sacrifices He accepts are broken and contrite hearts. It was the breaking down of Jacob’s natural strength at Peniel that got him where God could clothe him with spiritual power. It was breaking the surface of the rock at Horeb, by the stroke of Moses’ rod that let out the cool waters to thirsty people.
It was when the 300 elect soldiers under Gideon broke their pitchers, a type of breaking themselves, that the hidden lights shone forth to the consternation of their adversaries. It was when the poor widow broke the seal of the little pot of oil, and poured it forth, that God multiplied it to pay her debts and supply means of support.
It was when Esther risked her life and broke through the rigid etiquette of a heathen court, that she obtained favor to rescue her people from death. It was when Jesus took the five loaves and broke them, that the bread was multiplied in the very act of breaking, sufficient to feed five thousand. It was when Mary broke her beautiful alabaster box, rendering it henceforth useless, that the pent-up perfume filled the house. It was when Jesus allowed His precious body to be broken to pieces by thorns and nails and spear, that His inner life was poured out, like a crystal ocean, for thirsty sinners to drink and live.
It is when a beautiful grain of corn is broken up in the earth by DEATH, that its inner heart sprouts forth and bears hundreds of other grains. And thus, on and on, through all history, and all biography, and all vegetation, and all spiritual life, God must have BROKEN THINGS.
Those who are broken in wealth, and broken in self-will, and broken in their ambitions, and broken in their beautiful ideals, and broken in worldly reputation, and broken in their affections, and broken ofttimes in health; those who are despised and seem utterly forlorn and helpless, the Holy Ghost is seizing upon, and using for God’s glory. “The lame take the prey,” Isaiah tells us.
O break my heart; but break it as a field
Is by the plough up-broken for the corn;
O break it as the buds, by green leaf seated,
Are, to unloose the golden blossom, torn;
Love would I offer unto Love’s great Master,
Set free the odor, break the alabaster.
O break my heart; break it victorious God,
That life’s eternal well may flash abroad;
O let it break as when the captive trees,
Breaking cold bonds, regain their liberties;
And as thought’s sacred grove to life is springing,
Be joys, like birds, their hope, Thy victory singing. –Thomas Toke Bunch
Some links for you…
Free Kindle copy (at least at the time of this post) of The World-Tilting Gospel
Can Your Theology Handle the Book of Lamentations?
Top Ten Theologians: #5-Jonathan Edwards
Accountability Groups: The Tyranny of Do More, Try Harder
Skip a Step, lose a Limb: The Amputative Consequences of Poor Hermeneutics
The Plan
On September 11, I visited a church not far from my house. From the information on their website, I was aware that they aligned themselves with Rick Warren’s purpose driven paradigm. Given such, I went in with my discernment hat on.
Upon entrance, I was immediately welcomed warmly and sincerely. These people were not just volunteer ‘greeter bots’ assigned by some greeting team coordinator. There was a very real and tangible warmth to all those who spoke to me. I picked up a very attractive vibe from this smallish congregation.
In the meeting and greeting, I spoke to one gentleman who described the ethos of the church. He reiterated the websites affirmation that they were indeed a Purpose Driven Church and were aligned with the Southern Baptist Convention. He informed me that their music was contemporary, that they did not do hymns. In visiting other churches, I find it interesting how many almost define themselves by their preference to contemporary praise and worship music.
The ubiquitous video count-down timer did it’s declination to zero, prompting everyone to take a seat at one of the dozen or so round tables. There was a brief announcement, and next, the praise and worship set began. Following the three contemporary praise and worship songs, nicely performed and understated, the sermon started.
I came away from the sermon with mixed emotions, with some tensions. The framing metaphor for this sermon, the first of a series, was ‘The Plan’ that God has for your life. That well-known verse, Jeremiah 29:11,
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare[a] and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. (ESV)
was the springboard for the speech, and quite frankly, it bothers me how pop 
evangelicalism sometimes misuses this verse, how it is so often taken out of proper context and applied as a kind of ‘health, wealth, and prosperity’ promise. It is with some contextual irony that Jeremiah is known as the weeping prophet. God’s plan apparently involved much anguish and suffering for Jeremiah.
The idea that God has a ‘plan’ for everyone was reinforced by the pastor asking the congregation to repeat after him that “God has a plan” for each of them. He mentioned the we may be struggling with financial difficulties, with problems in our marriage, with prodigal children, but we should not worry, because God has a Plan, and that plan, it was inferred, involved fixing those problems.
While listening to the pastor speak of God having a plan for our lives, I found myself thinking of the martyr Steven, of the hardships Paul experienced, of the hall of the heroes of the faith found in Hebrews 11 who were slain, who wandered about in animal skins, pariahs. I thought, too, of the sufferings of the Messiah, as the pastor continued to talk about The Plan. Sometimes His plan for your life means you are fed to the lions.
I have grave issues with this evangelical exhortation of “God has a wonderful plan for your live’ because His plan may not involve your marriage being fixed, it may not mean you will be free of financial difficulties in the here and now, that all your felt needs will be met. While God in His grace and glory does often give such gifts to His children, His plan may entail that your marriage and family may not flourish as you think it should. One need only read Matthew 10:21, Mark 13:12, and Luke 21:16 to see that being a Christian sometimes causes divisions within families. Quite honestly, I think God’s plan for our lives may involve no small amount of suffering on our part in order to bring us to a place where we find our ultimate satisfaction in knowing and being known by Christ, a satisfaction that will transcend circumstance.
The sermon moved on to the core text, the first 12 or so verses of Ephesians. The pastor essentially taught verse by verse through the text focusing on ‘who we are in Christ.’ He did a fairly good job with the metaphor of adoption and did not side-skirt the doctrine of election though I do not think he gave the doctrine the weight it was due in the context of the text. With no small irony, in light his affirmation of the doctrine of election, of adoption, as put forth in the preached text, he did use some ‘decisional regeneration‘ language later in his sermon.
In exegeting the texts, the pastor focused on the blessings we have in Christ, and he did a fairly good job, but the blessing mentioned in the text were not defined clearly in the sermon. I think illuminating the contrast between the heavenly gifts we are freely given with what we actually deserve from God, His wrath, would serve to more clearly define how we are actually blessed. Perhaps if he continues reading through Ephesians, chapter two will bring this contrast to the table. To reiterate, the nature of our blessings in Christ can only be apprehended if you understand what we actually deserve in light of our fallen nature and God’s perfect holiness.
In thinking more about ‘the plan’ for our lives so often spoken of, I think the New Testament text makes ‘the plan’ fairly clear. We are work honestly with 
our hands and minds, working for our employer as if for Christ, providing for our families and for those in need. We are to avoid silly, irreverent, and coarse speech. We are to care for strangers and sojourners,for widows and orphans, for the weak and needy.We are to love our spouses. We are to love those who hate us and do wrong to us. I could go on, but I hope my direction of thought is clear. I honestly do not see a call in the Biblical text to discern some personalized plan that God has dangling in front of us like a tease, somewhere just out of sight. I think losing ‘the plan’ metaphors and perhaps speaking more directly about God’s absolute sovereignty over all our circumstances, good or bad, and God’s trustworthiness and goodness therein would be more useful, Biblical, and encouraging.
Above and beyond the aforementioned concerns, I actually felt the pastor delivered a needed message of encouragement to this humble, warm, and friendly congregation. Again, I was inundated with a sense of welcome by these lovely people.
As an aside, I did see a copy of The Shack on one of the tables. I should probably avoid any of their small groups that may reading through that book. I would probably present a difficult test their graciousness 
Richard Sibbs: The Bruised Reed
If you have read the previous four or five posts, you find my thoughts on The Shack. Quite frankly, it made me feel dirty while reading it. I know such sentiment places me in a minority in regards to the many good evangelicals who read and find solace in books of this kind, but there I stand.
As previously mentioned, I have picked up where I left off in reading The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbs. I cannot recommend it more highly. It is one of those books where most everything found there-in in quotable and Christ-centric. In reading it on my netbook using the Kindle application, I find myself highlighting so much that sometimes little text is left without a highlight.
The Bruised Reed is not a book for those looking to find five steps to overcoming temptation or discouragement. You will not find tips on living a higher Christian life of complete victory, health, wealth, and prosperity. You will not find too many exhortations to just buck up and get out there and tithe more, witness more, be more involved in your church. You will not find exhortations to gin up some super-duper, extra-special audacious faith to make ‘the sun stand still’ as is so common in the fad-driven American church.
Within this book,though, one finds the Messiah, the God-man Christ applying the sweet balm of the Gospel to the troubled souls of Christian sojourners. You will find a merciful and kind Shepherd who will not beat you up with the Law, but instead you find a kind Messiah who knows you are but made of dust and understands your weakness. Indeed, it is in your weakness that He is most glorified. I would like to share with you with some quotes, pulled, for the most part randomly, from the Bruised Reed.
Ungodly spirits, ignorant of God’s ways in bringing his children to heaven, censure broken hearted Christians as miserable persons, whereas God is doing a gracious, good work with them.
Richard Sibbes. The Bruised Reed (Kindle Locations 138-139).
Suffering brings discouragements, because of our impatience. `Alas!’, we lament, `I shall never get through such a trial.’ But if God brings us into the trial he will be with us in the trial, and at length bring us out, more refined. We shall lose nothing but dross (Zech. 13:9).
Richard Sibbes. The Bruised Reed (Kindle Locations 709-711).
Consider the names he has borrowed from the mildest creatures, such as lamb and hen, to show his tender care. Consider his very name Jesus, a Saviour, given him by God himself. Consider his office answerable to his name, which is that he should `bind up the broken hearted’ (Isa. 61:1). At his baptism the Holy Ghost rested on him in the shape of a dove, to show that he should be a dove like, gentle Mediator.
Richard Sibbes. The Bruised Reed (Kindle Locations 150-153).
And as there are differences with regard to temperament, gifts and manner of life, so there are in God’s intention to use men in the time to come; for usually he empties such of themselves, and makes them nothing, before he will use them in any great services.
Richard Sibbes. The Bruised Reed (Kindle Locations 107-108).
He shed tears for those that shed his blood, and now he makes intercession in heaven for weak Christians, standing between them and God’s anger. He is a meek king; he will admit mourners into his presence, a king of poor and afflicted persons.
Richard Sibbes. The Bruised Reed (Kindle Locations 157-159).
…this bruising makes us set a high price upon Christ. Then the gospel becomes the gospel indeed; then the fig leaves of morality will do us no good.
Richard Sibbes. The Bruised Reed (Kindle Locations 122-123).
After conversion we need bruising so that reeds may know themselves to be reeds, and not oaks. Even reeds need bruising, by reason of the remainder of pride in our nature, and to let us see that we live by mercy. Such bruising may help weaker Christians not to be too much discouraged, when they see stronger ones shaken and bruised.
Richard Sibbes. The Bruised Reed (Kindle Locations 128-131).
I think what attracts me to this book is that it is a refreshing alternative to all the quasi-legalistic human-centric stuff that floods the Christian marketplace. Instead, it gives the reader the true Gospel, what God has done for you. Only when you begin to understand that God is not glorified by your performance that you begin to understand the Gospel.
As an aside, I think The Shack and The Bruised Read are, to some degree, competing approaches to how God renders mercy to suffering Christians. In The Shack, we find an a-biblical god that is more a therapist, it seems, while in The Bruised Reed, we find a Messiah who is a good Shepherd. Only in The Bruised Reed to I really find true Gospel balm, and unlike Young, Sibbs does not throw the Bible under the bus to bring the immanence, the nearness of a tender God to the reader.
Perhaps, when I run into those times when the font of my bloggeria intermittently sputters and runs dry, I shall share more quotes from Sibbs.
Westminster Bookstore
