Thinking About Christ

Thoughts about Christ:

1.       He is humble

‘Behold, your king is coming to you,
     humble the humility of Jesus is always a blessing to me. He is humble enough to care for me.

2.   He is wise. Look how he answered the religious leaders. Truly, never a man taught like him.

3.   He will bring me into the glorious eternal state. He is the God of the living. All men live unto him.

4.   He was genuine and truthful. He did not spit in the wind to see which way it was blowing. He was not afraid of man’s opinion. He always spoke the truth.

In my younger and more ambitious and energetic days, I would sometimes grow impatient with sermons that only dealt with the person and/or work of Christ. “I know all that” I would secretly think. “Let’s get to something practical.” But now I find that contemplation of him is practical. It’s the only thing that really satisfies my soul and gives me the energy to embrace the day.

Give me the Springs as Well as the Land

I have contemplated for years on the event where Caleb's daughter asks for springs to go with the land. Why does God record that incident twice for us?

Well, first of all, I think it is his encouraging us to ask, to keep on asking, to not stop with a little, to ask for more.

Secondly, it is an example of a girl following in her father's footsteps. Caleb was asking for territory to conquer when he was eighty. And here is his daughter asking for the land with the springs. Caleb had passed on his faith.

God, help our family to be like Caleb's family.

Keep on Pursuing

Faint, yet pursuing (Judges 8:4). What a way to describe how we sometimes feel on our pilgrim path. “I don’t have much energy, Lord. In fact, sometimes I feel like I’m blacking out. But with what energy I have, I am pursuing you. Give me strength to make forward progress on the path today.”

Jeremiah Inquires of God for the King

Jeremiah 21

Zedekiah Inquires. God replies.

I. Zedekiah sends messengers to Inquire of God v. 1-2. "Perhaps the Lord will deal with us according to all his wonderful deeds"

II. God replies. I myself will fight against you. 

  A. I will strike down this city. The people that are left well be sent into captivity.

  B. The reason for God's wrath against the city - an oppressive government. "Hear the word of the Lord, O house of David! Thus says the Lord: "Execute justice in the morning and deliver from the had of the oppressor him who has been robbed, lest my wrath go forth like fire and burn with none to quench it, because of your evil deeds."

So what does this say about my government as I see justice perverted? God hates it! My reaction needs to be like Jeremiah's. 1. He was respectful when the king came to inquire. He did as he was asked. He inquired of God for him. 2. He did not flatter the king and tell him he was a good guy and everything would be okay. 3.  He was honest. He spoke all the words of God without regarding the consequences. 4. He was not violent or vengeful.

God is patient and long suffering. Not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. At the same time he rewards the iniquity of the fathers to the third and forth generation. He is a consuming fire. A God to be loved, yes, but also a God to be feared and held in reverence. A truly incomprehensible awesome being.

Dear God, May the glory of your just character and actions be always in my mind. May I grow deeper in my reverence for you day by day. 

Green Leaf in Drought

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
     whose trust is the Lord.
⁸ He is like a tree planted by water,
    that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
    for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
    for it does not cease to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8

Yesterday, I was looking for a book to read, and couldn't find the one I was looking for, so I picked up Green Leaf in Drought by Isabel Kuhn.  

Link to book review at CBD

Anything by this author is good. Not only is her writing lively, it is devotional and inspiring. 

Imagine my surprise this morning, when in the course of my regular Bible reading, I came to Jeremiah 17:7-8, the passage that is the spiritual thesis of the book. It is so reassuring when you see God leading in even the reading material you pick up.

Jeremiah Questions God - A Model for Us

Jeremiah 12

Jeremiah’s complaint and God’s reply- a model for how to question God’s doings

I.                    Jeremiah Compains and Requests v. 1-2

A.      He anchors his complaint in the bedrock of God’s righteousness v. 1

B.      He states his complaint v.1-2

1.       Why do the wicked prosper? v. 1

2.       You are the one that causes them to prosper. v. 2

3.       They are nothing but hypocrites. v. 2

C.       He asks for justice.

D.       He anchors his request for justice in God’s knowledge. V. 3

1.       God’s knowledge of him v. 3

2.       God’s knowledge of the wicked v.3-4

E.       He asks for vengeance. v. 3

F.       He asks how long God is going to put up with them. The land is desolate. v.4

II.                  God replies. V. 5-14

A.      God gives Jeremiah a gentle rebuke. “If you are distressed now, what are you going to do when real trouble comes? When you’re a refugee?” v.5

B.      God warns him not to trust even his family. v. 6

C.      God explains the situation v. 7-13

1.       The land is desolate because I have forsaken it. v. 7-9

2.       The leaders have caused the desolation. v. 10-11

3.       They are not going to get away with evil. God will take vengeance. v. 12-13

Jeremiah, a Man of Faith when Others were Faithless

“There is none like you, O Lord;

  You are great, and your name is great in might.

Who would not fear you among the nations?

 For this is your due,

For among the nations

  And in all their kingdoms

  There is none like you.”

Do I give God the reverence due him? Do I take his opinion into consideration about every aspect of my life? Do I ask him what he would have me do before I make decisions? Do I have the faith of Jeremiah?

Dear God, help me to fear you, to consider your opinions and desires above all else.

The Search for an Honest Man

In Jeremiah 5 God asks Jeremiah to search the land to see if he can find one honest person.

God to Jeremiah: Search to see if you can find one who does justice and seeks truth that I may pardon her.

(Jeremiah goes and looks)

Jeremiah prays to God: "O Lord, do not your eyes look for truth?" They refuse to take correction from you. But these are the poor people. They have no sense for they do not know the way of the Lord. I will go to the great. They know the way of the Lord.

(He goes to the great.)

They all alike had broken the bonds.

Why does God have Jeremiah go through this exercise? Why does he have him try to find just one honest person so that he may pardon Judah? Perhaps Jeremiah is young and naïve. He doesn't understand the depravity of his nation. We know from chapter 4 that he doesn't understand that it is the prophets who are deceiving the people, not God. God justifies himself through this exercise. Jeremiah finds out that God's assessment of the nation is correct, and therefore the coming judgment is deserved.

So what does his prayer "O Lord, do not your eyes look for truth?" have to do with not accepting correction? Maybe truth begins with an honest acceptance of myself. Truth is what really is. It's reality. If I deny that I am a sinner, that I have a sinful heart, I am denying reality. I am not honest.

Dear Lord, help me to accept your appraisal of me. Show me where I'm wrong. Thank you for your Son's blood that cleanses me. Give me grace to change.

Jeremiah Misunderstands God

4:10 Then I said, ‘Ah, Lord God, surely you have utterly deceived this people and Jerusalem saying It shall be well with you: whereas the sword has reached their very life.’  There was a discrepancy between the message God gave him, and the message all the other “prophets of Jehovah” were giving.  He still thought those other prophets were prophesying what God told them to prophesy. If they were, then it was God who was deceiving the people.

How slow we are to understand what is really going on. How quick we are to blame God. How patient God is with us. He never upbraided Jeremiah for this accusation.

Thank you, God for being patient with me even when my heart is slow to understand and slow to believe. Lord, I believe, help my unbelief. 

How Can I Endure Suffering Without Losing my Mind

I am starting to go back through Jeremiah/Lamentations. Meditated a lot on Lamentations 3 yesterday. It really is a source of strength and comfort. I think chapter 3 gives us the theological underpinnings to endure suffering/judgment from God. Our survival really begins when we take our eyes off of ourselves and our problems and anchor into the character of God. He truly is good. If he does not want to afflict me, then that means he intends this to be for my good- my ultimate happiness. When we immerse our minds with the character of God, we can then respond rightly to suffering.

“But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:” (Lamentations 3)

      1.The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases his mercies never come to an end.  He believed that right after losing everything.

      2.The Lord is my portion. He had nothing else, but he had the Lord- and therefore had everything.

      3.The Lord is good for those who wait for him, even when circumstances appear to contradict this.

      4.The Lord will not cast off forever.

      5. He does not willingly afflict the children of men.

      6. God is sovereign. Good and bad come from him. (v.38) 

Right Responses to the judgment of God- to suffering (Lamentations 3)

1.        1 .Hope in him. (v. 24)

2.        2. Wait quietly for the salvation of God (v. 26)

3.        3. Submit to the suffering (v. 27-30)

4.        4. Test and examine our ways. (v. 40)

5.        5. Return to the Lord.

My responses do not come from looking at a list of right responses and trying to act that way. They come, and can only come, when I have a deep loving relationship with the One who has sent them my way. Only then can I rejoice through suffering, because I find my enjoyment in God.

God's Love is Amazing

Finished Jeremiah this morning. In many ways this is a depressing book. But if you look at it from the angle of God’s love for Israel, you can take hope. “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you” he tells her. Up until the last minute he is offering her deliverance if she will  believe him and do what he says. It’s like he’s in the divorce court and tells her, “I’ll drop the whole thing if you will give up your affairs.” But she won’t. So he sends her away. But even as they are literally being dragged off into captivity, he has Jeremiah send a prophecy with them promising vengeance on their captors and promising their return to the land. There is no human being who loves like that. Truly the love of God is awesome.

1. The love of God is greater far
   Than tongue or pen can ever tell;
   It goes beyond the highest star,
   And reaches to the lowest hell;
   The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
   God gave His Son to win;
   His erring child He reconciled,
   And pardoned from his sin.
   • Refrain:
     Oh, love of God, how rich and pure!
     How measureless and strong!
     It shall forevermore endure—
     The saints’ and angels’ song.
2. When hoary time shall pass away,
   And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,
   When men who here refuse to pray,
   On rocks and hills and mountains call,
   God’s love so sure, shall still endure,
   All measureless and strong;
   Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—
   The saints’ and angels’ song.
3. Could we with ink the ocean fill,
   And were the skies of parchment made,
   Were every stalk on earth a quill,
   And every man a scribe by trade;
   To write the love of God above
   Would drain the ocean dry;
   Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
   Though stretched from sky to sky.

Verse 3 was penciled on the wall of a narrow room in an insane asylum by a man said to have been demented. The profound lines were discovered when they laid him in his coffin. Taken from http://library.timelesstruths.org/music/The_Love_of_God/

Jeremiah: a man of faith in a disintegrating culture

Impending doom
Treacherous people
Open hostility, especially from the religious community
Persistent unbelief
Life threats
War
Imprisonment
Captivity

How would you like to be Jeremiah and face all of this and more? Yet through all this, Jeremiah was a man of faith. He never stopped believing God. Yes, he was depressed. Yes, he despaired of life. But he persisted in his faith.And God never left him. And today he is in paradise.

And so it must be with us. God wants us to trust his word and his character. And he has promised to never leave us. Never to forsake us. And someday we too will be in paradise. 

Rejoice - in the Lord Always

The command is given. Rejoice. Thankfully it doesn't stop there. If we look around, we may at times have trouble finding something to rejoice in. But the command is Rejoice in the Lord always. He is always with us. He is always seeking our good. He is always working out our circumstances for his glory and our good. In that we can always rejoice.

You Left Me for That? - God

As I was reading Jeremiah 2 this morning it hit me that God was using the same words people use when they are hurt by infidelity. 

God says"“What wrong did your fathers find in me
    that they went far from me". A wounded spouse will often say "What's wrong with me? Am I so bad that you left me?"

God then lists all the things he did for his people. A wounded spouse will often say "Look at all I've done for you. You still left after all of this."

God says you traded me for "no gods" and "broken cisterns." A wounded spouse will sometimes say, "You left me for her/him? Look at what kind of person they are."

When I read it from this perspective, I see the deep pain I cause God when I become obsessed with anything but him. He feels like a wounded spouse.

Dear Lord, please help me to put my focus on you. Let my mind continually dwell on you. Let no other thing or person take control of my thoughts.

Isaiah Paints the Big Picture

I'm reading through Isaiah right now, and I really love this book. Isaiah gives us the big picture of what God is doing in the world. We see the depravity of mankind. Their bent on turning away from God. God's judgment of sin. His love for his sinful creation. The sending of a suffering servant to bear their iniquities. The ultimate triumph of his servant in the redemption of mankind and his earthly rule in righteousness and peace.

It's all there. And it's there to give us hope. This world that we live in is not all there is. For those who believe God, there is coming a glorious time when all wrongs shall be righted, and we shall live in justice and peace with our Savior.

Helping Little Ones Understand the Sermon

This is an idea I got from Edith Schaffer's book The Hidden Art of Homemaking, a book I recommend.

Today we were sitting in church listening to a sermon on Isaiah. My five-year-old was squirmy as usual. Then I recalled Edith Schaeffer's idea about illustrating the sermon with stick figures, or other drawings if you happen to be artistic. Part of the sermon was about how Jesus felt disappointed because his mission seemed to end with nothing to show for it. (Is. 49). So I drew a sad Jesus. But then God comforted him by telling him he would give him the nations. So I drew a cloud with the word "God" in it, and people bowing down to Jesus.The drawing was really pathetic, but my five-year-old sat still and even got something out of the sermon that otherwise would have been completely over his head.

The Purposes of God are Sure

"For the Lord of hosts has purposed,
   and who will annul it?
His hand is stretched out,
   and who will turn it back?" 
                         Isaiah 14:27
As I read through the book of Isaiah, I see the purposes of God for the wicked stated over and over, and these purposes are terrifying. Destruction of nations and cultures- it doesn't make for happy reading.


But when I contemplate on the fact that the same God who purposes destruction for the unrepentant wicked, purposes unimaginable good for those who turn from their sin and look in faith to Christ for salvation, my heart is filled with joy and thankfulness. He has purposed that someday I will be like Christ. He has purposed that I will be with him in glory. He will accomplish his purposes for me.


^" And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified;those he justified, he also glorified"
    Romans8:28-29


Just a parting thought. Anyone reading through Isaiah should check out Pastor Mark Minnick's sermons. What a blessing it is to hear this every Sunday in church.

I Will Trust, and will not be Afraid

Behold, God is my salvation;
  I will trust, and will not be afraid;
 for the Lord God is my strength
  and my song,
 and he has become my salvation.
With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.
Isaiah 12:2-3

Here's the lyrics from a song I heard as a child. I wish I knew the title and composer.

I will trust and never be afraid,
 Though I tread in sunshine or in shade.
Jesus walks along the road with me,
 And he guides my footsteps constantly.
Such a friend as through the years
 has been my guide,
Through the valley still will keep me
 by his side.
And some day when light grows dim and fades,
I'll trust in him,
I will not be afraid.

Dear God, help me today to trust in you. Help me to draw my strength from you. Help me to be joyful as I meditate on your salvation.

Volunteering for the Unknown Mission

Isaiah saw the Lord high and lifted up in the glories of his temple. The blazing light of God's glory enabled him to see his true sinfulness, his need of cleansing. He denounced his sinfulness.God forgave him..

And then Isaiah records "I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me." And he said, "Go, and say to this people: "Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive." Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes..."
(Isaiah 6:8,9 ESV)

Many of us have heard this story since we were young children. We sing songs about his response. But did we know back then that Isaiah had no idea what he was going to do? God didn't tell Isaiah the nature of his ministry, that people wouldn't listen to him, that he was actually an instrument of God causing them to harden their hearts to their own destruction. God didn't say "Here's the plan, Isaiah. What do you think?" God asked for a volunteer, and when Isaiah volunteered, then he got his marching orders.

And so it is with us.God asks us to offer ourselves as living sacrifices. We give ourselves to him, and he leads us, often in ways we never would have dreamed of and maybe wouldn't have chosen had we known ahead of time.

But now that Isaiah is with the Lord, I don't think now that he, that he regrets volunteering for a difficult mission. And neither will we. Eternity in God's glorious kingdom will make it all worth while.

Running in Circles

Ever feel like you're running in circles? As soon as the house is cleaned, it needs to be cleaned again. The grass always needs mowing. The dishes never get done. The bank account keeps needing more money. The kids want another meal, and don't forget the snack. Time to fill the car up again, weed the garden again, go to work again. Yes, life often feels like you're running in circles.

The amazing thing is that God planned it that way. He planned for life to seem futile, relationships unfulfilling, accomplished ambitions unsatisfying. The book of Ecclesiastes is about the senselessness of life apart from God.God has put "eternity in our hearts". Without him, we really do run in circles from the day we are born till the day we die.

Thankfully, the book doesn't end without hope, and life doesn't have to be hopeless either. "The end of the matter, all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments for this is the whole duty of man." Living in the fear of God, and walking in his ways gives hope and purpose to life.

Words Without Knowledge

 Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm. He said:

      "Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge?" 

       Job 38:2

Job is so human in his response to suffering, in his case intense suffering. He asks questions like "Where is God? I can't find him." "Why is He doing this to me? I haven't done anything wrong." "Where is God's justice? This is unfair." And he makes statements like "I wish I could die." And "God is out to get me. He chases me like a hunter."

And yet Job is described as the most righteous man on the earth, the greatest man of the east.

But he really had no idea what God was doing in his life. He had no idea of the cosmic forces at play. He had no idea that after his suffering would be twice as great as he had been. So he responds to his pain with words without knowledge.

Thankfully, because he was a man of faith, Job came to a correct view of God, and truly did come forth from his as gold purified in the furnace.

“I know that you can do all things; 
    no purpose of yours can be thwarted. 
 You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’ 
    Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,
    things too wonderful for me to know.

 “You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak;
    I will question you,
    and you shall answer me.’ 
 My ears had heard of you 
    but now my eyes have seen you. 
 Therefore I despise myself 
    and repent in dust and ashes.”

God is greater by far than man. His plans are beyond our comprehending. 

Lord, help us to trust your wisdom and love even when life is painful and doesn't make sense.

Friendship with Jesus

"And truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ." I John 1

The contemplation of our relationship with God, our friendship with the creator of the universe, the sharing of our life with the omnipotent lover of our soul, is a fountain of unending joy.

Lord, let me drink constantly from this fountain today.

Called to Take Up a Cross

Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, "Do not think to yourself that in the king's palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" ...Esther told them to reply..."I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish" Esther 4:12-16


And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. Matthew 10:38-39

What has God given me to do today? Whatever it is, I must take up my cross, and like Esther deny my instinct for self preservation, and follow him. Only then will I truly find my life.

So I Prayed to the God of Heaven

In my reading through the Scriptures I have now come to the book of Nehemiah. Two things stand out to me as I read this book.

1. Nehemiah had God's interests at heart. He cares about God's people. He plans for their welfare. All of his actions are for their good. He has no personal ambition, no desire for personal gain.

2. Nehemiah is totally dependent on God to do the work.  He prays about everything. He realizes that God is the real doer of the work. God is the one who assigns the work and gives the strength, ability, resources and protection to complete the work. It's all about God, not "me".

So the wall was finished...And when all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem, for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God. Nehemiah 6:15-16 (ESV)

Dear Lord, help me, like Nehemiah, to do the great work you've given me to do, totally depending on you for the strength and resources to do it.

Put on Your Bible Glasses

We have this rule at our house: Bible First. My children know they are to read their Bible before they do anything else, except maybe get a quick bite to eat.

Yesterday I was checking on them, to see how they were progressing on their morning routine, and there was my 12 year old reading a library book. "Have you read your Bible yet?" I asked. "No" she replied sheepishly. I put my arm around her. "Honey," I said, "Reading your Bible is like putting on your glasses. You know how I can't see without my glasses? Well, you can not look at the world right until you put on your Bible glasses. Read your Bible first, put on your Bible glasses, and then you are prepared to look at the world through your Bible lens."

Enough is Enough

The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by his messengers, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place. But they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words and scoffing at his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord rose against his people, until there was no remedy.
2 Chronicles 36:15-16 (ESV)

The Lord is patient and long suffering. Not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But he is also holy. Absolutely holy. And just. But there comes a point when enough is enough. Our sins bring guilt- real guilt. Not just a figment of our imagination that we need to go to therapy for. We can either suffer the consequences of our sin (the wages of sin is death), or let Christ bear the punishment for us. "He is the propitiation for our sins (the satisfaction of God's wrath). And not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." I John 2:2 (ESV)

Thank you, Jesus, for satisfying God's wrath in my place.

Obedience, Prosperity, and Invasion

Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and right and faithful before the Lord his God. And every work that he undertook in the service of the house of God and in accordance with the law and the commandments, seeking his God, he did with all his heart, and prospered. After these things and these acts of faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah and encamped against the fortified cities, thinking to win them for himself. 2 Chronicles 31:20-32:1(ESV)

Wouldn't it be great if the story ended after the word "prospered"? Hezekiah sought the Lord. He ridded the land from idols. He restored temple worship. He called the people from both Judah and Israel to celebrate the Passover. He pursued God with his whole heart. He prospered.

And then came trouble. Like my dad would say, if you don't have troubles now, don't worry. They're coming. Why the biggest battle of Hezekiah's life after all he's done for God?

I don't know if we ever get a complete answer in this life. We just get warnings from God that we will have trials, that the Christian life is a warfare, that our final rest and victory will be when we get to heaven.

Hezekiah's biggest battle turned into his biggest victory because he met it with faith and courage. Let's hope and pray it is that way with us. Let's pray that we too, till the end of our days, will meet whatever God sends us with  the same faith and courage.

It's not over till it's over. Keep on with God.

Relishing the Relationship

"See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are." I John 3:1

Christian disciplines, like Bible meditation, are given to us, not as burdens to bear, duties to be performed or intellectual studies to be mastered.  They are given to us to help us deepen our relationship with God our Father. He has given us life. I am his child. I cannot begin to comprehend the ramifications of this fact. But in its contemplation, and as I grow in my understanding of it, I grow to love Him more. I am able to give Him more thanks for what He has done for me. Little by little I relish the immense privilege of being His child.

Prone to Wander

I'm reading through 2 Chronicles right now. As I read the lives of the kings I am amazed at the stupidity of the human heart. Why, after defeating someone in battle, would you want to take their idols and add the worship of their gods whom you defeated, to the worship of the true God, who gave you the victory. It is incomprehensible. There is something inherently wrong with the human heart to make us act in such a fashion. That's why we need a Savior.

Prone to wander,
Lord I feel it.
Prone to leave the God I love.
Here's my heart O take and seal it.
Seal it for Thy courts above.

D-Day and the Christian Life

I am reading a book about D-Day, the most famous battle of World War II. It is mind boggling to think of what our boys went through. Walking into machine gun fire. Watching your buddies drop dead and wounded all around you. Arrive, if you survived, at the beach exhausted and dazed by what you just experienced. And now to have to advance up cliffs under fire. The miraculous thing was that there were a few who started the advance in the face of impossible odds. Those few encouraged the others and the tide of the battle was changed.

Our life as Christians is like that. We may think that any effort we exert to advance Christ's kingdom is fruitless. The chance of us doing anything to stem the tide of wickedness is nil. But we need to put on the armor of God, pick up the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God, pray with all prayer, and do our part in the mission God has given us.

Some of those boys died not knowing that they had made a difference in the war. So to, we may never know till we get to glory how God used our feeble efforts for his kingdom. But let's press on. Do our part and leave the results to Him.

O How I Love Thy Law

I was sitting in Sunday School about a year ago, and the teacher made and the teacher made this comment: Affection drives cognition. I have thought a lot about that statement. You can apply that thought in so many areas. If I love something, I will do whatever it takes to learn about it. If I truly love God's law, I will be thinking about it constantly. It will be my default mode.

O how I love thy law. It is my meditation all day long.
Ps. 119:97

It's all about being in Christ

I just finished going through I John again. This time I was impressed by the fact that being in Christ is a packaged deal. When you get him, you get it all; his life and his character. There is no other kind of Christian.

Explaining Propitiation to Children

About a week ago I had to break up a scuffle between a couple of my kids. "You can not hit her," I told my son. "But she was mean to me and annoying me and it makes me so angry." "You're right," I told him. "Your sister was mean and annoying. You know that anger you feel? That's how God feels when we sin, even more so, because all sin and meanness is ultimately against God. But Jesus died so he could be the propitiation for our sin, so he would take God's wrath in our place. If you tell Jesus you are sorry for your sin and ask him to forgive you, God's anger about your sin falls on Jesus instead of you. Jesus really loves us to tell God to be angry with him instead of us.

The lights went on. His face softened as he realized the greatness of God's love for him, and the truth of propitiation.

I John, a Book of Contrasts

One of the things that strikes me as I read this book is all the contrasts; love and hate, truth and lies, abiding in Christ and not abiding in Christ, children of God and children of the devil. The list goes on and on. This should not be surprising because John himself was a man of contrasts. He had a passion against evil ("Lord, should we call down fire from heaven and destroy them?"), and deeply loved Christ, the embodiment of good. John was the one who leaned on Jesus' breast.Right now I am making a list of all the contrasts. It is taking me quite a while, but I think it will be worth it. I think John is drawing two circles for us- those who are in Christ and those who are not.

The over-arching questions of the book are "How can I know who is in Christ and who is not?" and "How can I know if I'm one of those in Christ?" These questions are vital to all of us, including children. The need to satisfactorily answer them grows more intense as they become teens and enter adult hood. The questions could be rephrased as "How can I know I'm saved?" and "How do I know who's telling me the truth?".

After I finish my list of contrasts, I want to make a list of all the occurrences of the word "know". Then I hope to tie it all together in an outline. 

Thinking About I John

Some people are forest people and some people are tree people. Forest people see the structure first and fill in the details, and tree people see the trees first and then get the structure. I tend to be a forest person. I never really feel I understand something until I see the structure.

I've been trying to get a handle on the underlying premises of I John. Here's what I've come up with. I would consider these a work in progress and subject to further clarification.

1. God has made known to us eternal life in the incarnation of his Son. This is the basis of our fellowship with Him and with others.

2. Those who have fellowship with God and are in Christ will be evident because they display his character-God is light and God is love- and have his Spirit.

Psalm 37: Promises for when the Wicked Prosper

I made a list of all the things God promised, both to the wicked and to the righteous. Then I reread my list. "Do I really believe this?" I had to ask myself. The promises are so great.Almost fantastical. Imagine the God who created the universe caring, helping, protecting and providing for me. From a naturalist point of view this is weird. Unbelievable. But for those who are born of the Spirit, who have the Spirit of God indwelling them, these promises are a bedrock of confidence and comfort.

Here is a partial list of the promises.

Promises for the Wicked

• They will fade like a leaf.
• They will be cut off.
• Their sword shall enter their own heart.
• They will perish.

Promises for the Righteous

• If they delight in God, God will give them the desires of their heart.
• If they commit their way to him and trust in him, he will act.
• They will have an abundance of peace.
• God will bring forth their righteousness as the light. He will vindicate them.
• God will give them justice.
• God will uphold and help them.
• God will provide for them in famine.
• Their children will be a blessing.
• God will not abandon them to the power of the wicked.
• God will not forsake them.

Verses 39-40 sum it up.

The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;
    he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.
⁴⁰ The Lord helps them and delivers them;
     he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
    because they take refuge in him. (ESV)

Prayer 

Dear God, help me to really believe this and to trust you when times are tough.

Psalm 37: What to do When the Wicked Prosper

Honestly, looking at our society can be discouraging. I felt a need in my soul for some help in focusing on the ultimate reality that God is in control, even when it looks like he isn't. So every day this week I have been starting off my Bible reading with psalm 37. The more I read it, the more parallels I see to our culture.

I started my mini study of this Psalm by listing all the things God wants us to do when the wicked prosper. There are both positive and negative directives.

Negative:

1. Don't fret.
2. Don't be envious.
3. Don't be angry. 

I don't know about you, but these are my natural tendencies when I look at the wicked who are in control.

Positive:

1. Trust in the Lord.
2. Do good.
3. Feed on faithfulness.
4. Commit your way to the Lord.
5. Be still before the Lord.
6. Wait patiently for him.
7. Turn away from evil.
8. Keep the Lord's way.

Dear Lord, help me to model this psalm in my life.

I John 4:4-5

Little children (This is who we are- God's children. We are not powerful. We are humble little children, but God's children.)
You are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

As we live in a culture that continues to turn away from God, and therefore continues to disintegrate, we can remain confident and positive. We have overcome the world; not because of who we are or anything we've done, but because of who our Father is. He has overcome the world, and we are in him.

Solomon's Temple

As I read today about the building of the temple I was impressed by two things.

1. The immense amount of wealth that went into the Holy of Holies, and yet no one ever saw this except the high priest once a year.  Much thought needs to be given on what value and cost it took/takes to enter into the presence of God. See Hebrews.

2. God promised to destroy the  temple if his people no longer obeyed his commandments. Our worship means nothing to God if our lives don't match what we say.

Solomon's Temple. A visual tour

Out of the Mouths of Babes

Last Friday and Saturday I and my younger children tagged along on my older son's scout camp out at Congaree Swamp National Park. After dragging our stuff a mile through the woods in light rain, eating cold hot dogs, managing to get a fire going and roasting some marsh mellows, we were snuggled in our sleeping bags, trying to go to sleep. All around us scouts were singing and setting up tents. As I lay there, I suddenly heard two little boys singing "Praise Ye the Lord, the Almighty the King of Creation." It was my sons. They they too were having trouble sleeping and decided to sing. What a blessing to my heart to hear God praised in the midst of his creation to whoever happened to hear.

Serving God with Joy

Here's a great quote from Matthew Henry on Deut. 12.


 What we do in the service of God and to his glory redounds to our benefit, if it be not our own fault. Those that sacrifice to God are welcome to eat before him, and to feast upon their sacrifices: he sups with us, and we with him, Rev. 3:20. If we glorify God, we edify ourselves, and cultivate our own minds, through the grace of God, by the increase of our knowledge and faith, the enlivening of devout affections, and the confirming of gracious habits and resolutions: thus is the soul nourished. 

Thanking the Lord for His Righteousness

I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness.

   Psalm 7:17

When I first read that I owe the Lord thanks because he is righteous, I wondered why righteousness specifically was mentioned as the reason to give thanks. God's righteousness has awed me and sometimes even frightened me. He, totally right and just in everything he does. Me, a sinner, not worthy of his love or a place in heaven. His righteousness would demand my separation from him. How could I give thanks for this?

So I decided to make a list of the benefits his righteousness brings me. My list included things like bringing justice to the earth, treating me fairly, making sure that I personally would receive justice for all the wrongs done to me.

Then we were in church singing "Jesus, thy blood and righteousness, my beauty are, my glorious dress" and it hit me. This was the greatest reason to thank God for his righteousness. Christ came and lived a totally righteous life. He offers his righteousness to me if I repent of me sins and turn to him in faith. I now have his righteousness instead of my sinful rags. All the joys I have now and the eternal joys that will be mine are because of his righteousness.

Thank you, God, for your righteousness.

Studying I John with the Kids

One of the things our church is doing together this year is learning how to study a book of the Bible. We were encouraged to pick a book that we could read through at least a couple times a month, memorize the chapter content of the book, memorize a chapter from the book, and read a commentary on the book. I needed to pick a book that my children could handle so we could work on it all together. We picked I John.

Since I homeschool, it is pretty easy to incorporate the study of this book into our schooling. We work on our chapter memorization at meal time. So far we have chapter one and part of chapter two memorized. Our goal is to memorize the whole book this year. This is not a hard task for young minds. For those of us who are 50+ it takes a little more work, but it is still possible.

I also take time to read through the book together with my elementary aged kids. Eventually, they will read it on their own. I will also probably read the commentary with them. Maybe we'll read it together at meal time.

On my own, I am using a method I learned from the Inductive Study Bible. Every time I read through it, I note all the occurrences of a key word. So far I have noted the occurrences of life, love and abide. This helps give me an idea of the major themes of the book.

I have not come up with chapter content yet, but I think I have a working title for the book; Knowing the Truth.

This study is a real blessing to me. I'm glad our pastor suggested it.