August 24th, 2008 Jeff
Wrote an article on GoingtoSeminary.com titled, "Starting Seminary Year 4 of ? "
My hope is to encourage those who must take longer-than-average in their studies, specifically as a reminder (to ourselves as well!) that God’s process on the journey is so vital.
While I could perhaps envy those who are able to breeze through seminary without delays, no debt, employed by their church, and with relatively little hardship or disappointments, there is no way I’d change this work of God deep in the soul for another path.
After all, isn’t it my own contention that all of life is preparation ?
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August 17th, 2008 Jeff
9 “Therefore I still contend with you,
declares the Lord,
and with your children’s children I will contend.
10 For cross to the coasts of Cyprus and see,
or send to Kedar and examine with care;
see if there has been such a thing.
11 Has a nation changed its gods,
even though they are no gods?
But my people have changed their glory
for that which does not profit.
12 Be appalled, O heavens, at this;
be shocked, be utterly desolate,
declares the Lord,
13 for my people have committed two evils:
they have forsaken me,
the fountain of living waters,
and hewed out cisterns for themselves,
broken cisterns that can hold no water ."
(Jeremiah 2:9-13)
Did you catch that? Verses 11 and 13 reveal the true sin of God’s people here. It was not primarily that they had done great wicked deeds (they had), but rather the root of the matter was that those bad things were born out of wandering hearts. Their minds and hearts were in love with someone or something other than God. They have forsaken God, and gone after other lesser, non-gods, which cannot satisfy, nor are meant to be worshiped. God uses the metaphor of water, in wells, cisterns and a fountain. Perhaps that is because water is the basic building block of life, the most essential thing our bodies need (and indeed are made of). Without water we die. Water is the best thing for us. So it follows that God is the best Person for us, and chief object of all things and the one from whom we gain our identity, worth and satisfaction.
In the desert, as they were, without the hope of water there is no hope at all. Here is God, the oasis in the desert who satisfies every need, and they want to turn aside and dig their own worthless wells. The metaphors depicts how the people of God in Jeremiah’s day began (continued) to hope in objects and false gods that couple not deliver. Their hopes and faith lay in "broken cisterns that can hold no water" (v. 13). In fact these broken holding tanks were created with their own hands. Oh what poor substitutes. What a shame. These cisterns make empty promises and cannot deliver. And so it is so often in our lives — we become enamored with things that so small and worthless, but somehow eclipse God in our lives. I can relate. Can you relate?
Do you ever take good things and make them into ultimate things? He is not primarily talking about overtly wicked behaviors here. Those follow the true state of the heart, which often prefers a thousand things that are not the true and living Creator God. Thus, they are not aimed on satisfying, nor can they. Only He can satisfy! Do we worship things and positions and opinions like they are God? What do we think about all the time? What are we consumed with? God and Christ and His perfections? We must battle every day to find our joy in God. Not just in the things He gives us, but IN HIM! The affections of our hearts play themselves out in our behavior, and we become like the gods we worship. Not talking about wood and metal statues here. Our gods are in our minds, those things and people we truly value more than life itself. Have we made good things into ultimate things, eclipsing God?
These people had preferred other things to God, exchanging Him and His worth for worthless idols (see v. 11). You see how this is a bit different definition of sin than most. In our day the idea of sin is not en vogue; many say it is does not exhaust and is just a religious and social construct. Yes, sin is a matter of right and wrong (the what and how of life’s daily affairs). But it is also, more deeply, a matter of the heart and mind (the why ). We sin because we want to. And we want to because deep in ourselves we prefer others things to God. Sin is what we do when we are not satisfied with God. Therefore we leave Him all the time. Speaking of sin like this is downplayed since after all doesn’t God want us to be happy. He does! Happy and satisfied in Him! Overjoyed with the replenishing waters of His infinite beauty and worth. Christ came to reveal this glory, God’s worth, and has made it possible for us to drink of this Living Water and not search again (see John 4).
Their two primary sins in this passage where first that they do not seek God as the chief of their whole lives and love, and two that they turned aside and in fact dug their own wells. In the place God was to be they placed their own works and found their identity in cheap substitutes. May we stop and repent of our low views of God, our cheap substitutes for Him, and ask Him to work in us a delight and joy in Him.
Overpower us with Your love, O God! Make us prefer you to anything else in all the world.
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August 10th, 2008 Jeff
As every day is His, these will work at all times too…
Tozer on looking outside ourselves:
“While we are looking at God we do not see ourselves - blessed riddance. The man who has struggled to purify himself and has had nothing but repeated failures will experience real relief when he stops tinkering with his soul and looks away to the perfect One. While he looks at Christ, the very thing he has so long been trying to do will be getting done within him .”
- A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God (Camp Hill, PA: Christian Publications, Inc., 1993), 85.
[HT: Of First Importance ]
Wesley on singing in church:
"Above all sing spiritually. Have an eye to God in every word you sing. Aim at pleasing him more than yourself, or any other creature . In order to do this attend strictly to the sense of what you sing, and see that your heart is not carried away with the sound, but offered to God continually; so shall your singing be such as the Lord will approve here, and reward you when he comes in the clouds of heaven."
- John Wesley, from Select hymns with Tunes Annext: Designed chiefly for the Use of the People Called Methodists
[HT: Sojourn Music ]
I pray this happens again this morning as I preach:
And the Lord appeared again at Shiloh, for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the Lord. ( 1 Samuel 3:21 )
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August 1st, 2008 Jeff
“The gospel shows us that our spiritual problem lies not only in failing to obey God, but also in relying on our obedience to make us fully acceptable to God, ourselves and others.
Every kind of character flaw comes from this natural impulse to be our own savior through our performance and achievement. On the one hand, proud and disdainful personalities come from basing your identity on your performance and thinking you are succeeding. But on the other hand, discouraged and self-loathing personalities also come from basing your identity on your performance and thinking you are failing.
Belief in the gospel is not just the way to enter the kingdom of God; it is the way to address every obstacle and grow in every aspect. The gospel is not just the “ABCs” but the “A-to-Z” of the Christian life.
The gospel is the way that anything is renewed and transformed by Christ — whether a heart, a relationship, a church, or a community. All our problems come from a lack of orientation to the gospel. Put positively, the gospel transforms our hearts, our thinking and our approach to absolutely everything.”
- Timothy Keller, Paul’s Letter to the Galatians: Living in Line with the Truth of the Gospel (Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2003), 2.
[HT: Of First Importance ]
Posted in Blog, Gospel, Quotes, Sanctification, Theology | 2 Comments »
July 31st, 2008 Jeff
This week we had week two of our class, Enjoying the Bible for All Its Worth (see note on the first week, on erasing biblical aliteracy ).
The three-week crash-course is meant to only whet one’s appetite for devouring God’s Word, so we can enjoy HIM for all He’s worth!
A number of the attendees asked for a list of helps — how can I understand the Bible better? (If you are like me, you feel so far behind!) I had a stack with me and showed them a few of my most trusted ones. Here’s the list and a comment on each. Some are for beginning and intermediate readers, others are more advanced. I note the features of each. The links are to Amazon, for the least expensive prices available (use these links).
My suggestion: go with one or two of the below and delve in!
Just starting out
The Jesus Storybook Bible // The best children’s Bible I’ve found. Links every story within the overall message of the Bible, pointing the way to Jesus.
There is also no shame in reading this as an adult (even not to your kids), for learning and knowing the overarching Story of Scripture is essential to knowing, loving and enjoying God above all else. [$11.55]
With the Word by Warren Wiersbe // a pocket-sized chapter-by-chapter commentary — a short page per chapter, very brief — on the key themes and main points of each chapter in Scripture. It’s like having the faithful preacher there next to you explaining the way with you, daily. [$12.74]
A Study Bible is also helpful. I’m eagerly awaiting the ESV Study Bible release this fall (watch an intro here ), and have used the Nelson NKJV Study Bible (Kari’s choice; her’s is falling apart after so much use!) and Zondervan NIV Study Bible in the past.
(See links to Bible reading plans below.)
God’s Big Picture: Tracing the Story-Line of the Bible by Vaughn Roberts // A brief panoramic view of all of the Scriptures and God’s big picture in His story, past, present and future. [$9.60]
Intermediate
Playing With Fire: How the Bible Ignites Change in Your Soul by Walt Russell // this forms the essential emphases of the class, and goes deeper and wider than we were able to in our short time together. Russell’s insights and pastoral heart come together with the mind of a brilliant professor/teacher. [$10.19]
Promises Made: The Message of the Old Testament by Mark Dever // An overview of all 39 Old Testament books, the ones we are prone to neglect and misunderstand, in a simple yet comprehensive format. Written for any level of reader. Helps one to see the ‘forest’ as well as the most important ‘trees.’ [$26.39]
Promises Kept: The Message of the New Testament by Mark Dever // An overview of all 27 New Testament books in a simple yet comprehensive format. Written by a veteran pastor with clarity and faithful to the text. Helps one to see the ‘forest’ as well as the most important ‘trees.’ [$19.79]
How to Read the Bible Book by Book: A Guided Tour by Gordon Fee (a revision of many of the concepts from his How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth ) // Book-by-book introduction and discussion of key themes and core emphases. For any level of reader. Both books are tremendous helps.[$12.91 + $11.55]
Daniel Fuller’s Unity of the Bible [$19.79] and the late Ray C. Stedman’s Adventuring Through the Bible [$14.99] are also extremely helpful resources. One of my profs, Albert Baylis, has a more advanced (but with lots of charts and helps) treatment of the OT: From Creation to the Cross (formerly called On the Way to Jesus ) [$20.27]
(Note: I receive a very small kickback on any new books purchased through the links listed above. Only enough to help me pay for shipping on my next order or something like that. But every penny helps, so consider buying through here.)
Bible Reading Plans
Let me know if you have any questions or need any help.
Enjoy!
Posted in Blog, Books, Enjoying the Bible, Reading, Sanctification, Theology | No Comments »
July 30th, 2008 Jeff
My sweet bride has an insightful article on the subtle (but significant) difference between trust God for something and trusting Him with some circumstance. The former is more prevalent, the second aligns with the New Testament vision of trusting Christ. Period.
Posted in Blog, Kari, godly trajectory, prayer | No Comments »
July 28th, 2008 Jeff
Humility.
“Take every word as spoken to yourselves. When the word thunders against sin, think thus: ‘God means my sins;’ when it presseth any duty, ‘God intends me in this.’ Many put off Scripture from themselves, as if it only concerned those who lived in the time when it was written; but if you intend to profit by the word, bring it home to yourselves: a medicine will do no good, unless it be applied.” (From a sermon by Thomas Watson entitled “How We May Read the Scriptures with Most Spiritual Profit”)
Posted in Blog, Reading, godly trajectory, humility | No Comments »
July 11th, 2008 Jeff
Next to our kitchen sink we have a "slop bucket." It serves in the way a garbage disposal does for most Americans: all the food scraps go in it. At least once a week we take it out before the flies congregate too much. (I’m told it was the norm of previous generations to have slop buckets in their homes.)
It seems that many Christians have a "slop bucket" when it comes to sin. We simply dump our little sins throughout the days and weeks with hardly any care at all, and then go to Jesus seeking forgiveness when things get really bad (or the slop bucket is full). We repent of our slop buckets being too full, and not really of the idolatry of our souls in finding satisfaction outside of Him. (Perhaps we need to repent of our shallow and incomplete repentance?)
The quote on Of First Importance today relates completely to our need to treat Jesus as more than a slop bucket:
“I ought to go to Christ for the forgiveness of each sin. In washing my body, I go over every spot, and wash it out. Should I be less careful in washing my soul?
I ought to see the stripe that was made on the back of Jesus by each of my sins. I ought to see the infinite pang thrill through the soul of Jesus equal to an eternity of my hell for my sins, and for all of them.
I ought to see that in Christ’s bloodshedding there is an infinite over-payment for all my sins. Although Christ did not suffer more than infinite justice demanded, yet He could not suffer at all without laying down an infinite ransom.”
—Robert Murray M’Cheyne, quoted by Andrew Bonar, Memoirs of Robert Murray M’Cheyne (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1960), 175-176.
Also see Jonathan Dodson’s reflections on "Evangelical Confession Booths "
Posted in Blog, Gospel, Jesus, Quotes, Sanctification, Theology, repentance | 2 Comments »
July 3rd, 2008 Jeff
“Our only hope for living the radical demands of the Christian life is that God is totally for us now and forever. Therefore, God has not ordained that living the Christian life should be the basis of our hope that God is for us. That basis is the death and righteousness of Christ, counted as ours through faith alone. On the cross Christ endured for us all the punishment required of us because of our sin. And in order that God, as our Father, might be completely for us and not against us forever, Christ has performed for us, in his perfect obedience to God, all that God required of us as the ground of his being totally for us forever.
This punishment and this obedience are completed and past. They can never change. Our union with Christ and the enjoyment of these benefits is secure forever. Through faith alone, God establishes our union with Christ. This union will never fail, because in Christ God is for us as an omnipotent Father who sustains our faith, and works all things together for our everlasting good. The one and only instrument through which God preserves our union with Christ is faith in Christ—the purely receiving act of the soul.”
- John Piper, The Future of Justification (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2007), 184.
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June 20th, 2008 Jeff
"Better is open rebuke
than hidden love.
Faithful are the wounds of a friend;
profuse are the kisses of an enemy."
Proverbs 27:5-6
Posted in Blog, Sanctification | No Comments »
