Week 1: The Screwtape Letters - Starting the Walk

"It is funny how mortals always picture us as putting things into their minds:  in reality our best work is done by keeping things out."  [Screwtape to Wormwood]


Screwtape and Wormwood are first met midway into their correspondence. We quickly note Screwtape's prideful arrogance and sense of superiority in the relationship.  We also realize we're being allowed to witness one battle in a long war.

Letter 1:  Screwtape asserts that the existence of God, whom he calls "the Enemy", is actually quite reasonable to the human mind.  "The heavens declare His righteousness,  And all the people have seen His glory." (Psalm 97:6)   "When Gentiles ... do instinctively the things of the Law... they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness."  (Romans 2:14-15)  Fortunately for the demons, early 1940's English culture is quite adept at drowning out such witness with a "stream of immediate sense experience".  How much further we have traveled down that road by 2010!  You'll not find many today who enjoy spending time in quiet contemplation.  We are so easily distracted away from such soul searching opportunities.  I'm reminded of Obi Wan's "old Jedi mind trick" which worked so effectively on "the weak-minded".  Left unattended, "streams of immediate sense experience" easily drown out "considered reasoning".  Our modern hunger is for "amusement" ... an interesting word.  The "a" at the beginning means "without" and "to muse" means to think, to meditate upon.  "Amusement" literally means an activity "without thinking".  Steep your life in it and you could easily become one of Obi Wan's victims!

As followers of Jesus Christ, how can we build the habit of meditating on the things of God, while resisting the flood of "amusement" around us?  How can we consciously build it into the lives of our children?

Letter 2:  We discover Wormwood's "patient" has become a Christian.  Yet Screwtape does not consider it reason for despair, noting, "All the habits of the patient, both mental and bodily, are still in our favor."      Sanctification is a lifelong process, a day-by-day, repeated process of "putting off" unrighteousness, "renewing the mind" with God's revealed truth and "putting on" righteousness, all made possible by God's grace and through the power of the Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 4:22-24)

The most obvious place to attack a new believer is within the church itself.  Screwtape points out the difference between the actual "body of Christ" triumphant through the ages and the "visible church", the assembly we sit among every week.  We say we love God, but often find His people annoying at best and sinful at worst.  How easy it is to perceive and be outraged by sin in others and yet be blind to sin in ourselves. (Mt.7:3) Don't we tend to expect more from others than we do from ourselves?  "If I, being what I am, can consider that I am in some sense a Christian, why should the different vices of those people in the next pew prove that their religion is mere hypocrisy and convention?"

In our interaction with new believers, how can we best help them start their journey down the road of sanctification?  How do we train our minds off annoyances and onto worship?

Letter 3 deals with the area we probably struggle with most - living out the Christian life in our homes.  If we're impatient, unloving and self-righteous among the brethren, how much easier it is to be that way within the grind of daily living in our homes!  If we're not careful, we begin to routinely assess the actions of others negatively, shining an unflattering light on every phrase and deed, while expecting only the best light be shed on our own words and actions!  We eventually create "an imaginary person", less and less as they truly are.  Screwtape advises, "Once this habit is well established you have the delightful situation of a human saying things with the express purpose of offending, and yet having a grievance when offense is taken."

How can you develop an attitude of expecting "the best" of people, instead of expecting "the worst"?  What Scripture speaks to this issue?  What concrete steps can you take this next week to start to train your mind away from self and towards loving others they way God loves you?

Letter 4:  This week's final letter deals with hindrances to powerful prayer.  Screwtape believes the "best thing... is to keep the patient from the serious intention of praying alltogther."  Barring that, he encourages he make "an effort to produce a vaguely devotional mood in which real concentration of will and intelligence have no part," quoting poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge who described his own prayers as "merely composing his spirit to love."  Another tactic involves turning "their gaze away from Him towards themselves... trying to produce feelings ...by the action of their own wills".  Equally effective in producing powerless prayer is to have the patient pray to a god created from his own imagination, rather than to the real God who reveals Himself in Scripture.

In what ways have your prayers changed as your knowledge of God has increased?  What have you found  helpful to strengthen your prayer life?

[Week #2]

Reminder from Young Charles Spurgeon

Having come from a long line of Congregationalists, Spurgeon became convicted of the need for believer baptism soon after coming to the Lord as a young man. Though a member of a local Congregational church, he made arrangements for his baptism with a Baptist church some 8 miles away and wrote seeking permission from his parents. His father replied with reluctant consent. His mother also agreed, but was not enthusiastic about the prospect. She wrote the following to him...

"Ah, Charles, I often prayed the Lord to make you a Christian, but I never asked that you might become a Baptist."

Spurgeon wrote in response...

"Ah, Mother, the Lord has answered your prayer with His usual bounty, and has given you exceeding abundantly above what you asked or thought."

Though this brought a smile to my face, it also reminded me of the importance of praying regularly and fervently for the salvation of our children and grandchildren. Spurgeon recalled his mother reading the Scriptures to her children and pleading with them to be concerned about their souls. "I cannot tell how much I owe of the solemn words of my good mother..." he wrote. "I remember on one occasion her praying thus, 'Now, Lord, if my children go on in their sins, it will not be from ignorance that they perish, and my soul must bear a swift witness against them at the day of judgment if they lay not hold of Christ.'... How can I ever forget when she bowed her knee, and with her arms about my neck, prayed, 'Oh, that my son may live before Thee!'"

[from "Spurgeon: A New Biography" by Arnold Dallimore]

The Priority of Family Worship

I thought I'd share practical advice from a worship pastor with 3 young children (aged 5, 6, 8) concerning Family Worship. The FBC Library recently added a number of resources for you to view/use - you'll find them at eye level on the right as you enter the library, at the end of the "Christian Living" section, I believe. [I'll label it soon!]


1. Keep It Short:
15-30 minutes on average. You don't want it to be a tedious time, but one looked forward to and tied into daily family living.

2. Read Scripture
Read a section of verses, then unpack them together... making sure you understand the wider context. Teach your kids how to make Observations. Interpret what the passage meant to the original recipients. Then consider the Universal Principles and Personal Application. "The important thing is to connect Scripture to life in a way your kids can understand." Remember the main theme of the Bible is GOD... not the characters, who are merely foils to help us learn about God and how He is working.

3. Pray
A family that prays together understands the cares and concerns of each child, and teaches their children that God is willing to listen and able to answer! Prayer is a privilege, bought with a great price ... use it!

4.  Keep It Regular
Choose a time of day and stick to it. Make the time. Keep it a priority. You'll miss a day here and there, but start up again. It will become habit after a while and be a time of great blessing!

5. Older Kids Set the Example
Young ones will watch the older ones. I was blessed to have an older child who embraced Family Worship. Though there was a 4 year age difference, it seemed to work out nicely.

6. Limit TV
It's a proven fact that TV decreases attention span, especially in young children. If you or your kids can't pay attention for more than two minutes, perhaps it's time to pull the plug!

7. Make It a Daily Priority
Remember you're the parent. You get to decide these things. There's nothing more important to do with your children than teach them God's Word and pray with them. Their SS teacher is just a helper... you're their REAL teacher.

EXPAND Your Comfort Zone

One thing I've observed over the years is the tendency for Christians to cling to catch phrases. I've never been a fan, finding them a bit too pat and trite, not giving a truly serious consideration of God's revealed truth. I become especially concerned when I hear (...and read in fb conversations) people quoting catch phrases more frequently than they quote God's Word! Wouldn't bringing God's Words to bear on a situation prove so much more effective?

On his blog Pastor David Hegg, whose sermons I enjoy listening to, recently considered the Christian catch phrase, "stepping outside your comfort zone". I don't believe the phrase represents a true picture of what a God-honoring Christian life looks like. It makes it sound as if serving God and glorifying Him is painful and not filled with joy and satisfaction! The real problem is we've made our "comfort zone" too narrow and we're missing out as a result! Consider Pastor Hegg's words...

"I've been pondering the idea of "stepping out of my comfort zone." Like me, you've heard this many times. We've been encouraged to do it, to go outside the supposed boundaries of our comfort. Those calling us to do so make it sound like comfort is a bad thing, a self-centered thing, and ultimately, a barrier to better living. And all this time I've believed that comfort was a good thing! And so I've been thinking about this, and have come to a conclusion: calling someone to "step out of their comfort zone" is foolish, and actually quite counter-productive. If the thing you want us to do is "outside" the zone of comfort then even if we do it, we'll just retreat back into the zone when you're not looking. This is especially true if you keep telling us that the "thing" is actually uncomfortable! So, I have a better idea.

Here it is: instead of saying "step out of your comfort zone" to get me to do something uncomfortable, say "enlarge your comfort zone to encompass a new opportunity." Enlarging my comfort zone calls on me to do two things. First, to believe that there are actually "comfortable" things that I don't now recognize. Second, to understand that once I recognize and grasp those as yet unknown comfortable things, it will make my life so much better! ... So, try this:

Think of something you're uncomfortable doing, but you know would really bring a smile to God. Then, concentrating on God's glory, check off all the myths you currently believe that keep you from being comfortable doing what God loves. Then do it! And when you find that you're most satisfied when He's most glorified, you won't be tempted to retreat to a zone of comfort; rather, you'll find that your zone has grown to encompass what God has in mind. So, don't settle for "stepping out". Grow your zone!"

[from: heggthought.blogspot.com]

Deep Waters

From the pen of Lilias Trotter, a late 19th/early 20th century missionary to Muslims in Algiers for over 38 years... a single, older woman with a weak heart. Mission boards rejected her... so she and two friends went on their own! She was a prolific artist, close friends with John Ruskin, in fact, as well as a writer. I look forward to reading more of her work!

She writes...
"I am come into deep waters" took on a new meaning this morning... It dawned that shallow waters were a place where you can neither sink nor swim. In deep waters it is either the one or the other... Swimming is the intensest, most strenuous form of motion. All of you is involved in it, and yet every inch of you is in abandonment of rest upon the water that bears you up. 'We rest on Thee and in Thy name we go.'

Lest We Forget...

"Every so often I’ve contemplated what a Saturday Night Live type of variety program might look like if the topic was “Christendom.” There’s definitely enough material. One of the recurring skits would involve some Christians from the 1400’s about to be burned at the stake. They would be visited by contemporary Christians who would thank them for their sacrifice and tell them how such a great sacrifice gained later Christians ________. You could fill in the blank with all sorts of things. “Your sacrifice has helped give us a world in which our children can learn theology from talking vegetables. Your suffering will all seem worth it when a handsome Texan with a great smile can renovate a sports stadium and broadcast feel-good, gospel-free theology to all the world. Thank you for your noble sacrifice, brother.” Tyndale might have been willing to face the stake for the sake of the Bible, but would he have faced it for a Bible-zine for girls that looks and reads like Cosmo?

I’m a writer, not a comedian, so perhaps it’s not that funny. But the point is that real people died real deaths to pass to us a heritage of the gospel. They were serious, dead serious, and weren’t in the business of printing silly bumper stickers. We evangelicals have long done a remarkable job of trivializing that heritage. Maybe this is what happens when the danger of persecution passes and we enjoy a time of safety, a time of freedom. Or maybe this is what happens when we lose sight of the seriousness of the gospel and the countless sacrifices that made it available to us, when we begin to replace theology with something else, something less."


[from www.challies.com, June 14, 2010]

You DON'T Highlight Fiction?

Many of you seemed surprised to learn that I highlight fiction, and some questioned why I would do that. I thought I'd give you a peek at the most important thing I take note of in every piece of fiction I read... namely, "What is the author's worldview?" That's a crucial question to ask if you want to become a discerning reader.

I made a bookmark I use to remind myself of 5 basic questions I want to ask in order to determine a particular author's worldview. As I read, I look for the answers, HIGHLIGHTING and writing notes in the column of the book as I find evidences in the text.

1. What is the author's view of Reality? [e.g. Atheistic? Deistic? Pantheistic? Biblical?]

2. What does he/she believe is the nature of the external world? [e.g. ordered or chaotic? material or spiritual?]

3. What is his/her view of human nature? [Are men viewed as basically good? As victims of their environment? As captive to their emotions? What happens after death?]

4. What are the ethics of the author? What is their basis of morality? [e.g. What is "good"? What is "evil"? Are there consequences to immoral decisions or is the author pragmatic, leading you to "root" for the sinner?]

5. What does he/she believe is the basis for history? [e.g. Cyclical? Progressive? Chance? Design?]

Why don't you write these five questions onto an index card and tuck it into the next work of fiction you read. You may be surprised to find yourself a more discerning reader by the end of the book!

[Gleaned from James Sires' The Joy of Reading; his updated version is How to Read Slowly]
[Related Post: How to Become a Better Reader]

Don't Let Me "Get Over It"

There are high and low points in the spiritual walk of every Christian. There are times we rejoice seeing God work through us... and times when we burn with shame over missed opportunity: We didn't speak for God when we should have...We suddenly realize how selfish we've been with our God-given resources, oblivious to the suffering of others...We come to the realization that we've placed other things in life above our love for God. Two short-term missions groups, as well as two members who have been working in Haiti, recently returned to FBC. They all had opportunity to see the world through God's eyes. I would guess each one of these men and women came away with a desire to reflect Christ's love and compassion to a lost world, to prioritize their personal lives and make life decisions in a manner which would glorify their Lord and Savior. They don't want to ever "get over" the experience God has given them.

Tim Challies' blog today touches upon what a struggle it can be to maintain that kind of view in our ever distracted, overly busy, "there's always tomorrow" lives. He looks back upon the loss of a former co-worker, a man of similar age and family situation, who was about to succumb to leukemia. Deeply regretting his lost opportunity to clearly present the gospel to this man, Challies vowed to use the experience as a perpetual reminder. Here is an excerpt...

"So now I sit here at the time when it is too late, wondering why I did not do more. Sure I told the family that I was praying for them and asked if I could pray with them. And sure I tried to get Mike to think about preparing for eternity. But I did so in such a pathetic way. Such a half-hearted way. I burn with shame as I write these words thinking of all I didn’t do and didn’t say. I feel burdened with guilt that Mike is days or maybe even hours away from standing before God, and that I did not make one clear, strong presentation of the gospel. I failed him. And I failed God.

Do you know what may be even worse? The likelihood that I’ll get over it. Two days from now I probably won’t even think of Mike. I’ll get busy with my life and the guilt will ease away. In a week or two I guess I’ll attend his funeral and feel this guilt again, but a few days after that I’ll conveniently put Mike out of my mind and go back to life. But you know what? I don’t want to get over it!

Truly I don’t.

This burden I feel right now—why can’t I feel this same burden for the lost all the time? Why is it a burden birthed from guilt rather than from a desire to see the lost be saved? I’ve asked God to tell me why. The only answer I find is the hardness of my own heart.

Still, with hope in my heart I pray for Mike, that maybe, just maybe, there will be someone in that hospital who can reach out to him with the message I failed to bring. Maybe God will bring to Mike’s mind some fragment of Scripture he heard as a child, or some words I shared with him years ago. Maybe. Hopefully.

With hopeful sadness I pray for Mike’s family, that somehow God would use this awful situation to draw them to Himself. That somehow God would make His presence felt and provide meaning through the pain.

And then with tears I pray for myself, that God would not allow this burden to disappear, but that He would use my shortcomings to teach me how I can do better next time, not simply to avoid this crushing, burning guilt, but to use the opportunities He provides.

Because I just don’t want to get over it. Oh God, please don’t let me get over it!"

[To see the entire post go to: www.challies.com/]

Impatience with God's Timing

In Mt.4 we see the Holy Spirit leading Jesus into the Judean wilderness to be tempted by Satan. Unlike Adam, Jesus responds righteously to Satan's temptations, demonstrating for us the correct way to react to any temptation we may encounter.

As we walk through the Christian life, all believers find themselves tempted to sin. We're bombarded by a world system opposed to God, by fallen angels, and perhaps most insidious of all, by our own flesh. Scripture informs us we're in a daily spiritual battle, whether we realize it or not. The 3rd temptation of Christ unveils a subtle temptation all believers can face at times. Satan "showed [Christ] all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; and he said to Him, "All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me." Satan offered Christ what the Father had already promised Him (Mt.28:18) ... but without the cross. Rather than relying upon God's perfect timing, Satan tempted Jesus to gain God's desired end in different timing. And the price would be heavy... worship Satan.

In the same manner, we might desire some good thing God's providence may have in store for us, but we want it now, rather than in God's perfect timing.  If pursued, we may compromise our obedience to God, our morals, even our faith in order to get it. Consider for a moment. Perhaps we have a desire to marry and have a home, or our heart may yearn for a fulfilling vocation, or we find ourselves craving financial stability or solid relationships with others or well-behaved children or successful ministry or church growth or ... you fill in the blank. While the desire itself may not be sinful, wishing to bring it to pass in our own timing (now!) instead of in God's perfect timing can lead us far from God. If we're not careful we may find ourselves trying to accomplish God's purposes... on Satan's timetable.

So how do we counter temptation toward impatience with God's timing?

Step #1  Remember... Satan always promises more than he can give and God always gives more than He promises. ["...Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us..." Ephesians 3:20] 

Step #2  Worship God... "Worship" is primarily a verb in Scripture. It means to give honor, homage to someone of great worth. Literally it means "to kiss towards". In the ancient Near East, when men of equal rank met they kissed each other on the lips. When those of slightly different rank met, they kissed one another on the cheeks. But when someone of low status met someone of very high status, he bowed down, touching his forehead on the ground or prostrating himself full length and "threw kisses toward" the one of exalted rank. ["Ascribe to the LORD the glory due to His name; Worship the LORD...". Psalm 29:2] 

In Scripture sacrifice is a key element of worship. NT believers are called to "to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship." [Rom.12:1]  In Hebrews 13:15 believers are commanded to "continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name." We're to thankfully worship the Lord 24/7, to be willing to say to God every day, "Not my will, but Yours be done." Be faithful today to what God has for you... this is true worship!

Step #3 Seek Him in His Word...  Jesus countered Satan's temptation, even his misuse of Scripture, with a right understanding of God's Word. Knowledge and use of God's Word is essential in answering temptation.

If we focus upon worship and God's revealed Word, we can respond correctly to the temptations we face... and God will be honored.

[inspired by a sermon by Dr. Tom Halstead]

7 Ways to "Quench the Spirit"

In 1 Thessalonians 5:19 Paul commands believers, "Do not be quenching the Spirit". To "quench" means "to dampen, hinder, repress, as in preventing the Holy Spirit from exerting His full influence" on a believer. Puritan author Richard Sibbes, in his book The Bruised Reed, points out several ways believers might "quench" the Holy Spirit. It's good to examine ourselves lest we should cling to such behavior!

"My sin is too bad." - False despair of Christ's mercy:
"As soon as we look to heaven, all encouragements are ready to meet us ...None are damned in the church but those that are determined to be... that they may have some show of reason to fetch contentment from other things..."

"Sin now... repent later." - False hope of Christ's mercy: 
"There are those who take up a hope of their own, that Christ will allow them to walk in the ways to hell, and yet bring them to heaven."

"I'm saved... I don't need to pray... read the Bible... sit under preaching... fellowship... submit" - Presuming on Christ's mercy:
"If we are negligent in the exercise of grace received and the use of the means prescribed, allowing our spirits to be oppressed with many and various cares of this life, and take not heed of the discouragements of the times, for this kind of neglect God in His wise care allows to fall into a worse condition in our feelings than those that were never so much enlightened."

"I'll look elsewhere for comfort." - Seeking another source of mercy:
"How do they wrong themselves and Him that will have other mediators to God for them than He!...Let all, at all times, repair to this meek Savior, and put up all our petitions in His prevailing name. What need do we have to knock at any other door?"

"I love Jesus... I just don't like some of His people." - Mistreating the Heirs of Mercy:
" When He is so kind to us, shall we be cruel against Him in His name, in His truth, in His children? How shall those that delight to be so terrible to 'the meek of the earth' hope to look so gracious a Savior in the face?"

"How dare you!" - Strife Among the Heirs of Mercy:
 "Our discord is our enemy's melody...The more to blame are those that for private aims affect differences from others, and will not allow the wounds of the church to close and meet together."

"We need to soften the message so it's not offensive." - Despising the Simple Means of Mercy:
"They carry themselves very unkindly towards Christ who...are ashamed of the simplicity of the gospel, that count preaching foolishness... (who) mend the matter with their own devices so that they may give better satisfaction to flesh and blood."

The Source of Discouragement

Discouragement... we all experience it at times. We throw ourselves into service for the Lord and see little fruit. Poor health  prevents us from serving God in the way we desire. Our path through this world doesn't proceed the way we thought it would/should... financially, socially, vocationally. We repeatedly struggle with a sin issue and fear we'll never be able to conquer it and glorify God.

Puritan Richard Sibbes, in a helpful passage from his book, The Bruised Reed, investigates the source of discouragement in a believer's life. He writes, "Where, then do these discouragements come from?

1. Not from the Father, for he has bound himself in covenant to pity us as a father pities his children (Psalm 103:13)...

2. Not from Christ, for he by office will not quench the smoking flax. We see how Christ bestows the best fruits of his love on persons who are mean in condition, weak in abilities, and offensive for infirmities... And this he does, first, because thus it pleases him to confound the pride of the flesh, which usually measures God's love by some outward excellency; and secondly in this way he delights to show the freedom of his grace and confirm his royal prerogative that 'he that glorieth' must 'glory in the Lord' (1 Corinthians 1:31)...

3. Neither do discouragements come from the Spirit. He helps our infirmities, and by office is a comforter (Romans 8:26; John 14:16). If he convinces of sin, and so humbles us, it is that he may make way for his office of comforting us.

Discouragements, then, must come from ourselves..."

I suspect the primary source of discouragement comes when our personal expectations are thwarted by the realities of life. We develop an idea of how WE think life should proceed, and it's often quite a rosy picture without the realities of pain and struggle. Inevitably our expectations don't materialize... and we become discouraged, perhaps depressed and maybe even angry at God for not delivering on our expectation. Life isn't the way we planned it...and it's painful!

For a believer, the key to moving away from a life of discouragement is to focus instead upon submission to God's hand in our lives, and to replace OUR particular expectations with His. Scripture says we do that by daily denying self and following HIM. We  keep our focus on HIM, saturating ourselves in His Word, meditating on how to conform our lives to the truths found there, communicating with Him through prayer and gathering together for mutual edification/building up to do the work of the ministry. We learn to regularly examine our heart's expectations, changing them as we walk with our eyes on Him, highly sensitive to whatever situation He might bring us into that day. We rest in His comfort, His purposes, His timing... His sovereignty.

"Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:18-18

A Call for "Coronary Christians"

More memorable words from John Piper, in another of his devotionals, Life As a Vapor:

I am glad for adrenaline; I suspect it gets me through lots of Sundays. But it doesn't do much for Mondays. I am even more thankful for my heart. It just keeps on being a humble, quiet servant - during good days and bad days, happy and sad, high and low, appreciated and unappreciated. It never lets me down... It just keeps humbly lubb-dubbing along.

Coronary Christians are like the heart in the causes they serve. Adrenal Christians are like adrenaline - a spurt of energy, and then fatigue. What the church and the world need today is marathoners, not just sprinters. People who find the pace to finish the (lifelong) race.

Oh, for coronary Christians! Christians committed to great causes, not great comforts. I plead with you to dream a dream that is bigger than you and your families and your churches. Un-deify the American family, and say boldly that our children are not our cause; they are given to us to train for a cause. They are given to us for a short season so that we can train them for the great causes of truth and mercy and justice in a prejudiced, pain-filled, and perishing world.

Oh, Lord, this is our heart's desire.
Forgive us for adrenaline spurts of righteouness.
Forgive us for little sprints of holiness.
Forgive us for short flashes of noble-minded sacrifice.
And build into the fiber of our faith a rugged, resilient,
never-say-die perseverance in the cause of truth and love!
Make us coronary Christians!

The Art of the Book Pile

As we age we discover we have become adept at many esoteric things. One of my gifts is apparently the ability to create good book piles. (And we all know beauty is in the eye of the beholder. My husband does not find them quite as mesmerizing as I do.) I keep several piles around the house. Next to my "study" chair and ottoman is the "Study Pile". There you will find my two basic Greek books... kept within hand's reach for easy access, the books needed for whatever projects I'm working on, Challies' current classic book and a few candidates for future Ladies' Book Clubs. Next to the love seat is a stack of Seminary Journals, an easier to read book for the evenings I'm brain dead and two fat puzzle books (crossword & Suduko) for emergency use. Upstairs beside my bed are the books I read at bedtime, along with my "waiting to be read" stacks. In the Library are some works I am working through more slowly, as well as the overflow stacks of books I've already read, but wish to keep near for reference, lending or rereading. The system seems to work for me, so I thought I'd give you the visual basics of book piles.

Here's a good example of a "project pile". Using table space, however, can be problematic as you may want to actually use the table for eating. [Table surfaces tend to get covered much too easily!]

This is a cardinal sin... NEVER place knick-knacks where books should be. Don't listen to HGTV! This is a waste of perfectly good bookshelf space. It IS acceptable to place small items in front of the books, as long as it doesn't slow down your ability to grab a book quickly. Pictures hung on book shelves over books are also no-nos.

This is what the book pile next to my study chair normally looks like. You can tell it's an "active pile", that serious work is going on here and that it's more than just a dust collector next to my chair. A slightly cluttered pile shows thinking is going on.

This is that same book pile after Tina has cleaned my house. It takes me an entire week to get it back into its "proper" position!

                                                                                                                                                                        And this is how Tina REALLY wants to stack them! Beware of overachievers like this!

Contemplating Your Navel or Thoughts on Biblical Application

Most of us are familiar with the three primary steps of Bible study: 1. Observation (author, recipient, when written, why written, key words/phrases, literary genre, development of thought, historical background, etc.) 2. Interpretation [meaning to original recipients, taking into account context, history, culture, original language, etc.] 3. Application What are the universal principles & how do they apply in your life? I think I have a better handle now on the points the old Word of Life Quiet Times had in mind when, after each Bible reading they asked, "What does it say?", "What does it mean?", "How does it apply?". To be honest, I never understood what they wanted. What's the difference between the first two questions? Should I answer the first question by copying the verse word-for-word? I just didn't get the point... and it seemed pretty boring. If they had only explained Observation - Interpretation - Application, I might have made real progress in my Bible study!

Recently I've been thinking a lot about the "Application" stage of study. That step is difficult because it takes thought based upon biblical truth, honest evaluation of your life and meditation on both ... chewing on it, turning it over in your mind, examining the ins and outs. In my biblical counseling training days, a lot of time was spent looking at the application sections of the epistles. I remember someone once saying to me, "I just want the Bible to tell me what to do and I'll do it." Really? I find myself feeling a lot more like Paul in Romans 7 when I look at clear Biblical commandments and resolve to obey them ... until the next time I'm tempted, that is. 

In recent years it seems the final step of "Application" has become more akin to the world's fascination with "self-help". The Bible is too often viewed as a guide to making your life function better. What steps do I need to take to have a manageable, fulfilling life? How can the Bible make my marriage better? ... make my children more obedient? All those things are possible, of course, but I think the questions are wrong. These things are BY-PRODUCTS of living a life pleasing to the Lord, not goals within themselves. God did not give us the Bible to make our lives better. He gave us His word as a revelation of HIMSELF! He gave us the Bible that we might know HIM.

So how should we think about the "Application" step in our Bible studies? When Pastor Wragg first came to FBC, he tried to get me to think more about "Implication", before thinking about specific "Application" in my life. I didn't understand what he meant at first, but I think I'm beginning to get a handle on it. When I read God's word now, I look for the "big picture". What is it teaching me about God? For example, when I prepared to teach the Book of Ruth last year, instead of asking myself, "What can I learn about the life of Ruth and/or Naomi?", I continually asked myself, "What can I learn about God and what is the Implication of that in my life?"

So what did I come away with from the Book of Ruth? I learned that God is always good and always faithful to His people, even when circumstances might make it appear that He is not. THAT is the main point of the Book of Ruth, which is why (like John Piper) I chose my title for the Book from an old poem about God's providence, "The Hidden Smile of God".  Once I had determined what God is teaching about Himself in Ruth, I had to spend time thinking about the implication of that truth in my life. From a broad perspective, the "Implication" is that as one of His own, His goodness and providence is present in MY life, just as it was in Ruth and Naomi's. The implication of THAT would then would be: I must trust Him, even in the midst of trials and difficult circumstances. Another implication would be that a trial in my life does not mean I am being punished, but that God in His goodness knows precisely what experiences will make me more like His Son ... which is THE ultimate goodness that can happen in my life! From that point comes more specific, day-to-day personal life "Applications" ... one trial at a time.

I would encourage you to train yourself to think this way as you study God's Word. Step back and see the bigger picture of what God is revealing about Himself. Then contemplate the Implication of those truths in your life. You'll find such an approach results in a change in your "inner man", in your thinking ... which will ultimately be expressed in a lasting change in your outer actions. What a depth of richness there is for those who contemplate God. Don't settle for "self-help". Get your eyes off your navel and onto God!

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.
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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!