A Lesson from the Olympics

Like most of you, I have been feasting on the Olympics this past week. Since Colin has been home sick, we have even seen some of the competitions aired during the daytime. One thing you can't help coming away with is a sense of the commitment each of those athletes made to get to this point. I am reminded of the Apostle Paul's use of athletic metaphors to describe the Christian life, in particular 2 Timothy 2:5  "... if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules." If you don't keep within the guidelines of the rules, you're disqualified. It doesn't matter how hard you're trying, nor how long you have trained. If you don't compete according to the rules, it was all in vain.

Likewise, believers need to be careful to pay attention to the "rules" behind their Christian walk, which brings to mind the oft overlooked area of our motives. Paul writes in Romans 12:1 "... in light of God's mercy, offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship." Note that it is to God we need to be holy and pleasing. Not to each other.. not to ourselves... but pleasing to God. In The Discipline of Grace, Jerry Bridges writes, "We must ensure that our commitment is actually to God, not simply to a holy lifestyle or a set of moral values. We should not seek holiness in order to feel good about ourselves, or to blend in with our Christian peer group, or to avoid the sense of shame and guilt that follows the committing of persistent sin in our lives. Far too often our concern with sin arises from how it makes us feel, rather than on God's dishonor." Bridges relates his experience speaking at a retreat about "the importance of putting on a Christ-like character while at the same time seeking to put off sinful habits." At the end of the sessions he was approached by several people who were concerned about putting off persistent sinful habits in their lives. But no one came asking for help putting on any Christ-like virtues. He surmised the reason might have been because "sinful habits make us feel guilty and defeated. The absence of Christ-like character usually doesn't have a similar effect on us, so there is less motivation to seek change in our lives."

It certainly seems worth doing a little self-evaluation in order to make sure that our motive for living out the Christian life is that we might be "holy and pleasing to God." Just like the Olympians, we must pay close attention to the rules. The motive behind obedience matters.

Feeding on the Trivial

Often if you ask someone for their most recent edifying read or what they've been studying in their Bible, you'll hear how they're too busy for those things right now. It's always a challenge, isn't it? Just when you think you've got a handle on a God-honoring use of your time, you find yourself drifting off into meaningless, trivial activities once again.

Recently I found myself starved for more time to read edifying books, so I began searching my schedule for "free time". That lead me to the few hours between cleaning up from supper and bedtime. Yes, it lead me to... the "TV Zone". Now I enjoy an episode of LOST as much as the next guy, but the rest just leaves me cold. So why do I leave it on? I swear it mesmerizes me into submission! No more, I told myself! I'll still watch LOST, but I now make an effort to turn it off the rest of the time. It didn't take too many nights before my brain woke up and I was able to read with understanding and without falling asleep! It took just a week to jog my brain out of its TV daze. (Perseverance pays off once again! And remember... I'm the one with brain damage.) Then I came across a little devotion by John Piper about the problem of TV. It's a far greater problem than being just a thief of my time! Here's an excerpt.
__________________________________________________________________________________

If all other variables are equal, your capacity to know God deeply will probably diminish in direct proportion to how much television you watch. There are several reasons for this. One is that television reflects American culture at its most trivial. And a steady diet of triviality shrinks the soul. You get used to it. It starts to seem normal. Silly becomes funny. And funny becomes pleasing. And pleasing becomes soul-satisfaction. And in the end the soul that is made for God has shrunk to fit snugly around triteness.

This may be unnoticed, because if all you've known is American culture, you can't tell there is anything wrong. If you have only read comic books, it won't be strange that there are no novels in your house. If you live where there are no seasons, you won't miss the colors of fall. If you watch 50 TV ads each night, you may forget there is such a thing as wisdom. TV is mostly trivial. It seldom inspires great thoughts or great feelings with glimpses of great Truth. God is the great, absolute, all-shaping Reality...

Do you ever ask, "What could I accomplish that is truly worthwhile if I did not watch TV?" You see, it isn't just what TV does to us with its rivers of emptiness; it is also what TV keeps us from doing... For example:

* You might be inspired to some great venture by reading about the life of a noble saint like Amy Carmichael and how she found courage to go alone to serve the children of India. Where do such radical dreams come from? Not from watching TV. Open your soul to be blown away by some unspeakable life of dedication to a great cause.

* You might memorize the eighth chapter of Paul's letter to the Romans, and penetrate to the depths of his vision of God, and discover the precious power of memorized Scripture in your life and ministry to others. No one could estimate the power that would come to a church if we all turned the TV off for one month and devoted that same amount of time to memorizing Scripture..."

Heavenly Father, help us know the wonders of Your Word and your world.
Keep us from the trivializing effects of our culture.
Help us fight for the joy of seeing great things.
Put us out of taste with trifles.

The Battle for a God-Honoring Mind

The following excerpt is from a devotion by John Piper entitled "Passion for Purity Versus Passive Prayer". [FBCers ... you will soon have an opportunity to order this 31-day Devotional by Piper to read in preparation for Easter. In a few weeks there will be an offer in the Bulletin.]


"If by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live." (Romans 8:13)

"Too many people think they have struggled with temptation when they have prayed for deliverance and hoped the desire would go away. That is too passive. Yes, God works in us to will and to do his good pleasure! But the effect is that we "work out [our] own salvation with fear and trembling" (Phil.1:12-13) Gouging out your eye may be a metaphor, but it means something very violent. The brain is a "muscle" to be flexed for purity, and in the Christian it is supercharged with the Spirit of Christ. What this means is that we must not give a [sinful] image or impulse more than five seconds before we mount a violent counterattack with the mind. I mean that! Five seconds. In the first two seconds we shout, "NO! Get out of my head!" In the next two seconds we cry out [in prayer].


Good beginning. But then the real battle begins. This is a mind war. The absolute necessity is to get the image and the impulse out of our mind. How? Get a Christ-exalting, soul-captivating counter-image into the mind. Fight. Push. Strike. Don't ease up. It must be an image that is so powerful that the other image cannot survive. There are [sin] destroying images and thoughts. For example, have you ever in the first five seconds of temptation demanded of your mind that it look steadfastly at the crucified form of Jesus Christ? ... If you will use the muscle of your brain to pursue - violently pursue with the creative energy that you use to pursue [sinful temptations], you will kill them. But it must start in the first five seconds - and not give up.

So my question is: Do you fight, rather than only praying and waiting and trying to avoid? It is image against image. It is ruthless, vicious mental warfare, not just prayer and waiting. Join me in this bloody warfare to keep my mind and body pure for my Lord ... and my church. Jesus suffered beyond imagination to "purify for himself a people for his own possession" (Titus 2:14) ... "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness" (1Peter 2:24)"

[from: Pierced By the Word, John Piper] 

Encourage One Another

Tim recently posted a  funny song by some Bible students about the advantage of knowing Koine Greek. It's not that we don't have good, reliable English translations, we do. It's that the two languages aren't exactly the same, so there can't always be an exact word-for-word translation. There's also the difficulty of the cultural baggage we may have attached to certain English words. One such example is the word "encourage". When we read that word, many will think of "making someone feel better", perhaps to the point of encouraging them in their sin! Let me give you an example. Suppose you have a friend who is having a tough time dealing with a particular sin. They are convicted, they feel guilty, they feel really horrible about it. How many of us would focus our attention on making that friend feel better, rather than on helping them conquer their sin? I can hear the consoling words now... "It's not that bad."... "God understands you're not perfect." ... "Think of all the other things you do that please God". Our love for our friend makes our top desire be to cheer them up.

But what does Scripture say it means to "encourage" another believer? I was reading through Acts today and came across some interesting examples. In Acts 14:21-22 Paul & his "fellow-workers" are returning to Antioch of Syria, their "sending church" at the end of a Missionary Journey. They stop to visit believers on the way home. 

... they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch (of Pisidia), strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, 'Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.'

What did they "encourage" the new believers to do? They encouraged them "to continue in the faith". And HOW did they do that? What did they say to accomplish this goal? They told them, "Through many tribulations we must enter they kingdom of God." Doesn't sound like OUR idea of encouragement, does it? What they were saying is... times are going to be tough, guys... you'll have many trials/tribulations before going home to be with the Lord. Persevere! Keep on keeping on! Hang in there! Trust in God! Keep walking in faith! That, my friends, is biblical encouragement!

Look ahead to Acts 15:32. "Judas [Barsabbas] and Silas... encouraged and strengthened the brethren with a lengthy message." After the Jerusalem Council, the Disciples & the elders of the church at Jerusalem sent Judas and Silas back to Antioch of Syria with Paul & Barnabas, in order to verify Jerusalem's authority concerning the decision that had been made, thereby backing up Paul & Barnabas. While they were at the church in Antioch of Syria, they "encouraged and strengthened" them. How did they do that? Yes... they gave a lengthy message based upon Scripture. Scripture was the SOURCE of their encouragement.

The Greek word translated "encourage" is "parakalew", a compound word of the prefix "para-" ["beside"] and the verb "kalew" ["to call"]. Literally the word means "to call along side". It is vaiously translated "exhort", "urge", "implore", "beseech". [Rom.12:1; 1 Cor.1:10; Eph.4:1]. The noun form is used to describe the work of the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus calls "the Paraklete", "the Comforter", "the Helper". [John 14:16]

Hebrews 3:13 says believers are to "...encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today," so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin." Those are our marching orders, people. Let us be busy about the work!

The Work of the Holy Spirit

John Piper had some interesting insights into the work of the Holy Spirit, whose role in the Trinity is often misunderstood. He writes...
"A recent book calls the Holy Spirit the shy member of the Trinity. His ministry is to point away from himself to the wonder of God the Son and God the Father... When Jesus promised the Spirit (in John 16:14), he said, "He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you." The Spirit is ... self-effacing. When we look toward him, he steps back and pushes forward Jesus Christ.

Therefore, in seeking to be filled and empowered by the Spirit  we must pursue him indirectly - we must look to the wonder of Christ. If we look away from Jesus and seek the Spirit and his power directly, we will end up in the mire of our own subjective emotions. The Spirit does not reveal himself. The Spirit reveals Christ... Christian spiritual experience is not a vague religious emotion. It is an emotion with objective content, and the content is Jesus Christ."

[from sermon: "Christ Conceived by the Holy Spirit", by John Piper, 3/11/84]

Travels: Curved Stairways

The architecture of Paris is stunning. I could spend a month just walking around appreciating the intricate architectural beauty of the city... interspersed with sidewalk cafes, books, public fountains and people watching. A feature I especially identify with Paris is the interior curved staircase. I find them visually fascinating and thought I'd share a few shots with you. Aren't they beautiful? And you wonder how French women stay thin!

Advent: Tabernacled Among Us

Now that December is here, I've started reading through a series of writings and sermons centered upon the 1st Advent of Christ. I thought I would share excerpts with you as we advance towards the celebration of the Incarnation of our Lord and Savior. Since the Monday Night Ladies have so frequently discussed the Tabernacle in our OT studies, I thought they, in particular, would appreciate the following passage:

John 1:14 "the Word dwelt among us", literally, "tabernacled among us," which means, "he pitched a tent among us." The OT tabernacle is where God moved in and lived with his people ...

The tabernacle was where God met with men: "I am the way and the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me." (John 14:6).

The tabernacle was the center of Israel's camp, a gathering place for God's people: "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself." (John 12:32)

The tabernacle was where sacrifices for the sins of God's people were made: "But He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God." (Hebrews 10:12)

The tabernacle was a place of worship: "Thomas answered and said to Him, 'My Lord and My God' " (John 20:28)

Just as the tabernacle in the wilderness contained and displayed God's glory (Exodus 40:34-35), even more do we behold "the glory of God in the face of Christ" (2 Corinthians 4:6). Moses sought to look upon the glory of God, and was warned by God himself not to look (Exodus 33:18-20); but we have the privilege of looking upon the face of the Word of God, upon Jesus by faith through his Word. Later, one day, by sight we will see the face of Jesus, who will be the full revelation of God and manifestation of his glory."

[from That You May Believe: New Life in the Son, Joseph R. Ryan]

The Cup

The last few years I've been teaching mostly from the OT. One result has been an increasing understanding of NT allusions to OT concepts, allusions which would not have been difficult for 1st Century AD believers to understand, but which are often lost to modern believers, who don't tend to have their solid understanding of the OT.

I recently became aware of the OT significance of the term "this cup" in Mark 14:36 [cf. Mt.20:22], which Jesus refers to in His prayer at Gethsemane the night before His death. "And He was saying, "Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will." I had always assumed He was speaking of His approaching suffering and death ... the scourging, the humiliation, the crucifixion. On a human level, those would be considered serious, painful events. Being human, we are quick to identify with such suffering. That is certainly the main viewpoint in Mel Gibson's movie "The Passion of Christ".

But Jesus is actually speaking of something He had a very clear concept of, yet something which mankind has little understanding of ... God's wrath against sin. Christ is referring to "the cup of God's wrath", seen frequently in the OT as the just response of a holy God to sin. The reference appears frequently in the OT: look at Ps. 75:8, Isa. 51:17, Jer. 25:15-28, Ezek. 23:32-34 and Hab. 2:16. The NT also refers to the cup of God's wrath in Revelation 14:10, "the cup of His anger", and in Revelation 16:19, "the cup of the wine of His fierce wrath".

What brought our Lord to His knees that evening was His knowledge that He was about to take God's wrath upon Himself - wrath He did not deserve, but which our sin had earned. Any other suffering paled in comparison! Romans 8:1 tells us the result of His having done so, "Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Jesus willingly took God's deserved wrath for our sin upon Himself, with the result that it no longer lies upon those who have placed their trust in Christ and His perfect atonement. This is a truth so far beyond our wildest imaginations that I don't think we stop often enough to contemplate the significance of such a loving gift!

What is even MORE amazing is that knowing what was about to occur, Christ's over-riding, greater concern was that God's will would be done! Scripture is full of God's will for us, beginning with having a genuine sorrow for our sin against a holy God, a sorrow that leads to repentance: "For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation..." 2 Corinthians 7:10. May we never take sin against a holy God lightly!

Therefore, Be Reconciled

I have had so many "aha" moments in Bible Study this week I'm dizzy! It never ceases to amaze me how long I can carry a wrong or incomplete understanding of a biblical passage in my head, until the day comes, praise God, the blinders come off! Something I thought I totally understood suddenly opens up to me.

Mt. 5:23-24 is a common counseling passage about being reconciled to a brother. Today I suddenly understood the passage in its greater context . First, I noticed an important word at the beginning of v.23, "Therefore". Hmm... Jesus is about to give a resulting conclusion based on previously given information. Aha....what comes just before this verse? He's teaching about a wider understanding of sin, going beyond the focus on outward actions, as taught by the rabbis, and expanding back into one's thought life (21-22). They had heard rabbis teach that murder is a sin. Jesus now expands upon that teaching to help them understand sinful anger in their thought life is equally worthy of God's judgment! That knowledge gives the worshiper in v.23 a MOTIVATION for being reconciled with a brother who is holding something against him. Love for your brother should motivate you to prevent him from suffering the consequences of sinful anger!

Secondly, I see the verb "be reconciled" is an Imperative of Command in the Greek. There is no personal choice in the matter. The Lord Himself directly gives this command.

Finally, the passage says absolutely nothing about the attitude of the worshiper. It matters not whether the worshiper believes a problem actually exists with his brother. What matters is that THE BROTHER thinks there's a breach. Which leads to an important additional point. The worshiper is commanded to be reconciled to his brother irrespective of the justice or injustice of the brother's judgment! How many of us refuse to take steps to be reconciled with a brother because we consider ourselves to be innocent of any wrongdoing? It's THEIR problem, we say. I haven't done anything wrong. According to this passage, our guilt or innocence doesn't matter. It's the brother's opinion that counts. Remember, Jesus' focus isn't on our guilt or innocence here, but on our brothers sinful anger.

The point is to love your brother enough that you are willing to do whatever is necessary to remove the ground of estrangement from between you, and thereby save him from sinful anger. That's what it means to "build up one another". It's not that believers go around saying, "Good job!"... "Atta boy!" to one another all the time, but that we help each other become increasingly Christ-like, and thereby glorify God!

And we have Christ's own example to follow. "But God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." [Rom. 5:8] That's the selfless, loving attitude Jesus is looking for in His people!

Learning to Read Scripture in Context

"To read a passage of Scripture in context is simply to read it with a sense of its place in the whole. This is, on the one hand, one of the easiest of our hermeneutical principles and takes the least amount of time. But on the other hand, it takes a lifetime. This is true because the Bible is unfathomably rich. So rich that no one can master the Scripture in a lifetime. There is always something more to know, something more to learn from God's Word. And it is precisely from our knowledge of the whole that we must read the part." Tremper Longman III

A Fascination with Hiroshige's Prints

Recently "Chronicle" featured a NH artist who created a series of woodblock prints inspired by the style of the well-known Japanese printer, Hiroshige (1797-1858), probably best known for his series of prints based upon different views of Mt. Fuji. His representations of waves and water are also quite familiar.

I have always been drawn to Hiroshige's prints. There's something about the layering of woodblock prints that fascinates me. I admire the ability to see a finished work broken down into its layered components. I don't have a brain capable of that type of thinking, but admire those who do. His use of color also draws my interest. The range of blues can keep me looking at a print for ages. I also like his contrast of blues with browns. I remember as a child I would wear those two colors together and be teased for it. But I always liked them together.

A third fascination in his work is the opportunity to look into a world far different from my own... not only in time, but in culture (East vs West). His prints, therefore, hold my interest on several levels. I've posted a few for you to enjoy and recommend borrowing a book of his work the next time you go to the Library. Perhaps you'll find the prints as mesmerizing as I do.  Here is a reasonably priced volume of his famous work, ""100 Views of Edo".

Your Piece of the Local Assembly Puzzle

I love the wisdom in Ray Ortlund's recent blog. I think we must have a driving passion for serving in our local assembly, because God has gifted us to do so. Too often we focus on the gift, rather than the PURPOSE of the gift, which is to help meet a need of the particular assembly where God has placed us to serve. Do you ever think about that? Does it ever occur to you that God may change gifts when the need changes? We lament when we are no longer able to serve in the manner we are accustomed to serving, perhaps due to health issues or a move to a new area. But do we remember God's Providence in these "circumstances"? We are not "locked into" one way to serve... He will enable you to serve EXACTLY where you are needed in your own assembly. Our home church is where God wants us working... whether that is in Chester, NH or Guatemala City or Hong Kong. So what are you doing sitting around on your hands? When a gift of God is not being exercised in the local body... the body is disabled and can't function the way God intended it to.

Here is Ray Ortlund's post:

"My passion isn't to build up my church. My passion is for God's Kingdom."

Ever heard someone say that? I have. It sounds large-hearted, but it's wrong. It can even be destructive.

Suppose I said, "My passion isn't to build up my marriage. My passion is for Marriage. I want the institution of Marriage to be revered again. I'll work for that. I'll pray for that. I'll sacrifice for that. But don't expect me to hunker down in the humble daily realities of building a great marriage with my wife Jani. I'm aiming at something grander."

If I said that, would you think, "Wow, Ray is so committed"? Or would you wonder if I had lost my mind?

If you care about the Kingdom, be the kind of person who can be counted on in your own church. Join your church, pray for your church, tithe to your church, participate in your church every Sunday with wholehearted passion.

We build great churches the same way we build great marriages -- real commitment that makes a positive difference every day."

Encouraging words. You think you have a MORE important agenda than the one God already has for you?

Not Everyone Who "Says"

I've been reading through Jeremiah this week and am struck by two things. First, I noticed that I understood it a lot better than I had the last time I read it. That is something I love about studying the Bible and ancient history. You generally don't realize you are making tiny, incremental steps forward in your understanding. Then one day you read a passage of Scripture and it opens up to you! We tend to be so impatient and want to understand it ALL ... NOW. But it just doesn't happen that way. It takes time and perseverance. And so often we are impatient and give up too easily. Trust me when I tell you it is WORTH every bit of patience and perseverance!

Secondly, I couldn't help realizing how many similarities the self-proclaimed "Christian" culture has with OT Israel. Like them, how many don't really fear God at all? How many "name the name", yet take Him for granted, ignore Him, shake their fist at His authority... and still expect His tolerance and continued blessing, as if He owed them or as if He couldn't see the true condition of their hearts. Look at these verses and tell me what you think...

"... the dread of Me is not in you" (2:19)
"... you refused to be ashamed" (3:3)
"...They have lied about the LORD And said, "Not He; Misfortune will not come on us" (5:12)
"The prophets prophesy falsely, And the priests rule on their own authority; And My people love it so!" (5:31)
"...They were not even ashamed at all; They did not even know how to blush." (6:15)
"Behold, you are trusting in deceptive words to no avail..." (7:8)
"Do they spite Me?" declares the LORD. "Is it not themselves they spite, to their own shame?" (7:19)

And how do you tell the difference between a "professor" and a true follower? Jesus Himself told us in Mt.7:21-23, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me..." If we truly trust in Christ's atonement for forgiveness, it is displayed in our obedience. "Jesus ... said..., 'If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word.'" (Jn. 14:23) Sobering.

OWN a Book

Tim Challies recently had the good sense to quote one of my favorite passages from a book I have long loved called, "How to Read a Book" by Mortimer Adler. Mr. Adler is the reason my books are such a mess my children will never want to inherit them... even though they think they do. I have so thoroughly marked up my books with comments, cross references, arguments and criticisms that few people other than me will ever enjoy having them. Read on and discover how you really "own" a book!

"There are two ways in which one can own a book. The first is the property right you establish by paying for it, just as you pay for clothes and furniture. But this act of purchase is only the prelude to possession. Full ownership comes only when you have made it a part of yourself, and the best way to make yourself a part of it is by writing in it. An illustration may make the point clear. You buy a beefsteak and transfer it from the butcher’s icebox to your own. But you do not own the beefsteak in the most important sense until you consume it and get it into your bloodstream. I am arguing that books, too, must be absorbed in your blood stream to do you any good.

Confusion about what it means to “own” a book leads people to a false reverence for paper, binding, and type — a respect for the physical thing — the craft of the printer rather than the genius of the author. They forget that it is possible for a man to acquire the idea, to possess the beauty, which a great book contains, without staking his claim by pasting his bookplate inside the cover. Having a fine library doesn’t prove that its owner has a mind enriched by books; it proves nothing more than that he, his father, or his wife, was rich enough to buy them.

There are three kinds of book owners. The first has all the standard sets and best sellers — unread, untouched. (This deluded individual owns woodpulp and ink, not books.) The second has a great many books — a few of them read through, most of them dipped into, but all of them as clean and shiny as the day they were bought. (This person would probably like to make books his own, but is restrained by a false respect for their physical appearance.) The third has a few books or many — every one of them dog-eared and dilapidated, shaken and loosened by continual use, marked and scribbled in from front to back. (This man owns books.) …

But the soul of a book “can” be separate from its body. A book is more like the score of a piece of music than it is like a painting. No great musician confuses a symphony with the printed sheets of music. Arturo Toscanini reveres Brahms, but Toscanini’s score of the G minor Symphony is so thoroughly marked up that no one but the maestro himself can read it. The reason why a great conductor makes notations on his musical scores — marks them up again and again each time he returns to study them—is the reason why you should mark your books. If your respect for magnificent binding or typography gets in the way, buy yourself a cheap edition and pay your respects to the author."

Importance of Context: Morals-Driven vs Gospel-Driven Living

Probably one of the most common problems we face when studying a NT epistle is our desire to "skip ahead" to the "Application" portion of the letter before we have had an opportunity to seriously reflect upon the earlier "Doctrinal" portion which undergirds even the possibility of "Application." As a result we become heavily focused upon "doing" without having a solid appreciation for the rhyme or reason, or the power behind it. Bypassing the doctrine results in a "morals-based" Christianity. We completely focus on the end-product, to the point that we begin to think we are getting "brownie points," "earning" God's favor for having "accomplished" some right behavior. Saved by the gospel, we now abandon its power and turn our focus completely onto ourselves, instead of onto the God who made our obedience even possible. We may even begin to expect that God "owes us," that we "deserve" blessings or at least "a break."

Ephesians 4-6 provides such a good example. In my early biblical counseling training, those three chapters provided a solid basis for Christian living. If you've ever taken "Self Confrontation," you're certainly familiar with the commands in these three chapters: "Be angry and sin not," "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted," "Speak the truth in love." And yet how many times have you heard people say, "I keep working on the same problem!" They know these verses, they try to obey them ... but they continually fail. And what is the eventual result? They might "give up," perhaps contenting themselves in their sin. Or they may concentrate instead on verses that are easier for them to consistently obey, building a foundation of spiritual pride. Or they might conclude, "That's hard." and try to ignore the command. Or even worse, they might say, "I tried that and it didn't work."

It's tragic! Now let's bring in the context. Go back to Eph. 4:1. What KEY connecting word do you see at the very start? You're right... it's "therefore." What does that tell you? Right again... what follows is a RESULT of the truth that has just been written. And what HAS just been written in Chapters 1-3? That's right... it's "doctrine." [You're really good at answering these questions!]

Paul has spent the first 3 chapters explaining what God has done for believers, those who "were dead in trespasses and sins." God "chose" them "before the foundation of the world", He "predestined" them "for ADOPTION as sons through Christ Jesus", He "LAVISHED the riches of His grace" upon them, He "BLESSED them in Christ with EVERY spiritual blessing" ... and so on ... and so on. Stop! Think about these truths, chew on them, reread Eph.1-3 every day for a week and ruminate on truths revealed! Let them seep down in deep, ponder them, think about their implication. Then, and only then, move on to Eph. 4:1... "THEREFORE ... "

Do you see those last three chapters a little differently now? If you truly comprehend the doctrine in Chapters 1-3, then your heart's desire is to respond in obedience. Don't ever separate the doctrine of the early chapters from the commands in the final chapters, or you'll become "morals-driven" and destined for failure, instead of "gospel-driven" and destined to glorify the God who has shed His mercy on you.

The Word Pictures of Thomas Watson

One of the books I'm currently reading is Expository Preaching with Word Pictures: With Illustrations from the Sermons of Thomas Watson, by Jack Hughes. I enjoy reading good books on Homiletics because so many things also apply to good teaching. Thomas Watson is a Puritan author who remains very approachable some 300 years later. Here are a few examples of his work:

"Walking in the ways of sin is like walking on the banks of a river. The sinner treads on the banks of the bottomless pit, and if death gives him a jog, he tumbles in."

"An idle person is the devil's tennis ball, which he bandies up and down with temptation till at last the ball goes out of play."

"The world is but a great inn where we are to stay a night or two and be gone. What madness it is so to set our heart upon our inn as to forget our home!"

If you've never read anything by Thomas Watson, I'd recommend trying The Godly Man's Picture. Don't expect to rush through it, but work your way through it slowly, savoring the words.

"Boredom" & Life Expectations

As many of my teen friends will attest, there are few phrases that raise my hackles as quickly as the words, "I'm bored".  It's a common enough status on fb if you're between the ages of 13 and 18.  I especially find it ironic when their previous status was often, "I have so much work/studying/homework to do I can't stand it."  You would think a little down time would be a welcome break!

I'm sure in many cases it is primarily a call for companionship, but I think there is an underlying truth I find quite disturbing.  It's a call to "be entertained".  The need for constant entertainment and "business" is a siren call for many.  I find myself wondering if we parents have contributed to that by raising kids with an activity schedule that would make your head spin!  There are so many "programs" available that our kids grow up thinking they can't be content unless they are "busy" participating in an organized activity.  I remember struggling with this when my kids were little.  I tried to limit "programs" so there would be plenty of time for "free play", for "reading", for "family conversation"... and especially in our house, for "chores". [Raising animals meant work!]

The "Jollyblogger" recently posted on the subject.  He wrote, "Boredom is a decision we make, not something that happens to us.  There really is no excuse for being bored.  The "bored" of the world are those who believe it is the job of others to make them happy and keep them entertained ... A learner is never bored, an inquisitive person who pays attention to the world and people around him can always find something to engage his attention."

So I encourage parents to consider avoiding the rut of over-programming their children.  Allowing them time to learn to self-engage with the world around them can be a much more valuable gift in the long run.

Teach Self-Control

Sometimes it's hard to take the time necessary to teach our children the lessons they need to learn. We become caught up in the business of life, or embarrassed by their public display of sin or just get distracted with other things. The following post on the Council for Biblical Manhood & Womanhood blog gives a great example of how and when to do it: 

"Two sports events this weekend, one seen across the globe, the other far more mundane, provided me with an opportunity to teach my six-year-old son a crucial lesson in biblical manhood.

The first event unfolded Saturday on a little league diamond near our home in a game involving my son. After getting a hit in each of his first two at-bats, Jeffrey grounded out to first base. He stroked a nice, hard grounder, but the first baseman made an even nicer play. A runner moved from second to third base on the play and thus it was, in baseball parlance, a productive out. 

As his coach, I was pleased. As his father, I was less pleased, however, by what happened next: Jeffrey threw his batting helmet in anger. In the dugout, he knocked around some equipment and even gave his glove a brisk toss. Now, this is certainly no way to treat your equipment, but that is beside the point. As the team went back into the field for the next inning, I kept Jeffrey in the dugout with me. "You're out of the game for the rest of the day," I told him. Needless to say, he wasn't thrilled. 

After the game, we talked about sportsmanship and self-control and idolatry and doing all things to the glory of God. We talked about the humbling nature of baseball, how even Ted Williams failed seven times in 10, how you must put failure behind you and how the game parallels the Christian pilgrimage. Self-control and learning how to fail gracefully are critical lessons for future men to learn; they are a critical part of manhood, a critical part of a man's ability to lead well. "A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls." (Prov. 25:28) Self-control is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:23) and Paul urged young men to be self-controlled (Titus 2:6). I want my sons to learn this lesson in baseball, where the damage is limited to a scarred helmet, rather than in real life, where the damage can be catastrophic and eternal. 

Event No. 2, the British Open golf tournament that concluded Sunday, provided the perfect illustration for a lesson on self-control. At 59, Tom Watson missed becoming the oldest golfer to win the esteemed tournament when he left short an eight-foot putt on hole No. 18. Watson had made that putt ten thousand times before, but this time he missed and lost a four-hole playoff to Stewart Cink. In overtime, Watson's game fell apart. On the third hole, he drove deep into the rough while Cink, who spoke afterward of his Christian faith as a steadying reality, salted away his first victory in a major tournament. 

It was Watson's calm demeanor over those final five holes that provided the lesson. After misfiring on one of the playoff holes, Watson strode calmly down the fairway, doffed his hat and smiled to the cheering gallery. When he missed the putt that would have clinched the win, there was no club throwing, no foul language, no fit of anger, only a slight grimace and a pained smile. In the end, Watson stood at Cink's side, wearing a smile, graciously extolling his younger opponent before the media. Pure class. Real manhood. 

Life in a fallen world is fraught with losing, for biblical Christianity is a perennial competition between two factions warring for supremacy over the human heart. God warns us about this reality early in His Word (Gen. 3:15a). All men fail on some level and even the most sanctified man will emerge from this war with scars from battles lost and battles won. My son must learn to deal with victory and defeat now. I pray that these lessons will make clear his desperate need for the One Victorious Man, the One who won the war over sin and death and yes, even helmet throwing and glove kicking, once and for all (Rom. 5:19)

[Jeff Robinson]

"Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." 1 John 2:15

In general, the term "the world" speaks of an ordered, as opposed to a chaotic, system. In Scripture it can have three possible meanings, determined by the context where it is used. It can mean the physical earth (Jn.21:25). It can also mean the human race, mankind (Jn.3:16). But predominantly it has ethical import, i.e. the human race in its alienation from and opposition to God. In the above verse, John has in view the world of humanity steeped in sin and dominated by the Evil One. (1Jn.5:19)

John then gives three reasons why such a prohibition is crucial. I've spent some time considering the first reason (15b "the love of the Father is not in him"). In the Greek construction, there are three possible meanings for "the love of the Father":
1. the love that comes from the Father [Source]
2. the Father's love for the individual [Subjective]
3. the individual's love for the Father [Objective]

Considering the immediate context, "love of the Father" is opposite "love for the world". Therefore, I would lean towards the 3rd definition, it is speaking of the individual's "love for the Father". But... since our love for the Father is the result of His love for us (1Jn.4:19), there could be a sense of the 2nd definition underlying the immediate context.

John is saying that love for the Father & love for the world cannot hold mutual sway in the same human heart. [cf. Mt.6:24] For a believer, love for the Father is the motivating force in his heart & life. And therein lies the challenge. God created man to be a worshiper. If he does not worship God, then he is worshiping something else. Quite often the object itself is amoral. It's his attitude towards it, his love of it, the placing of that object above the things of God that is the problem. For an unbeliever that is to be expected. But for a believer it is gross sin to love something more than God.

That brings me to an observation I made while doing errands yesterday. It has long been a habit in our family to read bumper stickers and vanity plates on people's cars. I was idly doing so as I crept around Derry and Londonderry. Then it hit me... we advertise our idols on the outside of our cars for the world to see! In our culture we publicly declare our "love", our "idol" to everyone. What kind of things do people in our part of the cosmos worship? Take a look the next time you're out driving ... everyone is promoting his own personal idols!

And that brings me to a personal challenge... what or who is foremost in your own life? Is it your children and their "honor roll" status? Is it your sports team? Is it your hobby? Is it some type of exercise? Is it your car? Is it your "social cause"? Is it the environment? Is it your pet? Is it some media figure? Is it your pet peeve? Is it your politics? All of those things are amoral in themselves. It's our love of them, our elevation of them in our heart that becomes sinful. Is there something you love more than God? Where is your time devoted? Where is your money devoted? What do you tend to talk about the most? What thoughts fill your head when your mind is on "idle"? What bumper sticker would God put on the outside of your car?

The Content of Prayer

I'm often struck by the difference between our prayers and the prayers we read about in Scripture. I am too often guilty of directing my focus to subjects of "safety" and "benefit" for those I am praying for. Especially when it comes to my own family I fear I "overdo" prayer in the areas of safety and protection. I find myself imagining every possible injury, illness and need that might occur and "praying up", as it were, protection against the possibility of such things ever happening. Such prayers reflect more of a concern for the comfort of my loved ones, than a desire for God to work in whatever way might be necessary to bring them to greater spiritual maturity and an increasing love for God, which so often requires travel on the road of trial and tribulation.

It's not that we should not be praying for those things, but that we need to expand our horizons beyond "the hedges" of protection we ask God to keep around those we care for - whether family, missionaries or fellow believers in the local assembly. While rereading the book Not By Chance: Learning to Trust a Sovereign God for our Ladies' Book Club, I came across the following quote by a missionary named Timothy A McKeown. His words are worthy of our contemplation.

"Most prayers in Scripture focus not on the personal safety and benefit of believers, but on the power, majesty, testimony and victory of God over His - and our - enemies ... The Lord calls us to obedience in spite of the 'costs' - not to personal comfort and safety." He adds that he often asks those who pray for him & his family to "focus not so much on our 'safety' as on our 'faithfulness' in whatever circumstances our Sovereign God might call us to minister."

If you're praying for me, I ask that you pray for my obedience and faithfulness to the Lord. In what ways could the Lord use me if those things were consistently strong in all areas of my life!