losses and crosses

The woman at the well in John 4 made a statement to Jesus: " Sir, You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep." This thought is running through my mind right now after reading A Quest for Godliness by J I Packer. Sometimes, I feel like in our life we have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. I found something this morning that is deeper than I have the ability to draw from... the puritan experience. I am humbled by their life and sobered by Packer's description of their maturity. It makes me feel very shallow when I stand next to them.
His vocabulary makes the book worth reading and I feel like I need to go read a dictionary and learn some new synonyms.

Here's what I found particulary meaningful:


( before you read, keep in my mind, the use of the word "reformed" here is not a branch of theology, but renewed, re-shaped, and revived...)


"...the ideal for the church was that through 'reformed' clergy all the members of each congregation should be 'reformed' , brought that is, by God's grace without disorder into a state of what we would call revival, so as to be truly and thoroughly converted, theologically orthodox and sound, spiritually alert and expectant, in character terms wise and steady, ethically enterprising and obedient and humbly buy joyously sure of their salvation."

" ...and their ( the puritans) knowledge was no mere theoretical orthodoxy. They sought to reduce to practice all that God taught them. They yoked their consciences to His word, disciplining themselves to bring all activities under the scrutiny of scripture, and to demand a theological, as distinct from merely pragmatic, justification for everything that they did. "


I like that phrase: " they yoked their consciences to the word of God..."

more:

" Puritan authors regularly tell us, first of the mystery of God: that our God is too small, that the real God cannot be put without remainder into a man made conceptual box so as to be fully understood, and that He was, is, and always will be inscrutable in His dealing with those who trust and love Him, so that 'losses and crosses' , that is bafflement and disappointment in relation to particular hopes one has entertained, must be accepted as a recurring element in one's life of fellowship with Him."


" By ministering to us these precious biblical truths the Puritans give us the resources we need to cope with the 'slings and arrows of outrageous fortune', and offer the casualties an insight into what has happened to them that can raise them above self pitying resentment and reaction and restore their spiritual health completely. "

( pages 29-34)

quenching the fire

What quenches the fire of people who used to be " on fire for God" ? I can't speak for everyone, but I have identified one thing for me: selfishness. Self absorbed wallowing in self pity is such a deterrent to evangelism and discipleship. When I sit and think about the past in destructive, fruitless ways I am the furthest from being a disciple who is pleasing to the Lord. There is too little time during our lives to waste it pondering the things of the past. Past, present and future is such an interesting idea because the present is such a thin slice of who you are. Who is making you ? What are you reading, thinking and talking about ? Who is influencing you ? You are being conformed to something right now. What is it ? I know that when I neglect to read, I feel shallow, disinterested and bored. When I read the word and other men who follow God, I feel invigorated, challenged, bold and armed. I suppose that media is like sugar...we reach for the m&m's when we should be cutting up cucumbers and carrots. It's not that you can never have the m&m's , but too much of them and you end up with diseases. Here are some cucumbers and carrots:

1. Holiness by JC Ryle
2. From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya Ruth Tucker
3. Just Do Something Kevin DeYoung
4. Spiritual depression Martyn Lloyd Jones
5. Proverbs
6. The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment Jeremiah Burroughs

worth repeating

You may have read or heard this before ...but it's worth repeating here :


I was searching in a greek dictionary for the development of the word : COURAGE and came across the greek word for boldness ( parrhesia) which means the freedom to say all.

In the same definition I found this sentence in the discussion of the boldness that the disciples had in the book of Acts.

Here it is: " This boldness which provokes astonishment, division, and persecution is not something that man has under his control. It is the fruit of the Holy Spirit ( Acts 4:31) that has to be sought again and again ( 4:29). " Later on this sentence appears: " Such courage is not a human quality; it comes from God and Christ ( see I Thessalonians 2:2 and Philemon 8).

I am struck by the phrase: " sought again and again."


So I looked up I Thessalonians 2:2 " For you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain, but after we had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi as you know, we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much opposition. 3 For our exhortation does not come from error or impurity or by way of deceit; 4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts."



Footnotes: Colin Brown Dictionary of New Testament Theology

So, this raises a question in my mind : " Why do we hesitate to share the gospel with all boldness ? " It could be because we haven't been willing to seek that courage "again and again." We had it at one point in our lives because we were excited about something, but the inevitable fade happened and we went back to the rut of just work, eat, sleep, tv, internet,etc. What keeps that fire burning to see the truth spread out in the city you live in ? Faith comes from hearing and hearing by the word of Christ.

my response looks alot like Gideon's

When I read how Gideon responded to God in Judges 6, I thought: " this is how I feel sometimes."


God has given Isreal to Midianite oppression and they have lost their food, crops and morale. The angel of the Lord appears to Gideon and says: " The Lord is with you O valiant warrior." Gideon says: " If the Lord is with us, then why is all this happening to us ? Where are all the miracles that our fathers told us about ? "

I feel your pain Gideon.

God' s response comes a few verses later: " Surely I will be with you and you shall defeat Midian as one man." God's confidence in Himself never wavered. Can you imagine God doubting Himself or saying: " Well, Midian does have a good team this year...." ? No, He said: " I am with you... keep moving forward."

What we have from God

What do we have from God ?

1. Do we have the promise that we will be alive tomorrow ?
2. Do we have the answer to what city to go to or what job to take ?
3. Do we know that our children are safe from all tragedy ?

The answer to all three questions would be " no." What do we have from God then ? It seems to me after reading several places in the Old testament that we have the promise of His presence. We have the assurance that God is with us and won't fail us. " Not one of the good promises which the Lord had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass." ( Joshua 21:45)

After tracking this idea here's what I found:

1. " I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Matthew 28:20

2. " And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, 'Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city." ( Acts 18:9-10)

encouragement: go on speaking


3. "For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst."
( Matthew 18:20)


4. " Certainly, I will be with you..." Exodus 3:12


5. "Now then, go and I, even I, will be with your mouth, and teach you what you are to say."

Exodus 4:12


encouragement: He equips us


6. From those who brought back the minority report from spying out the land:

" Only do not rebel against the Lord; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us, do not fear them."
Numbers 14:9



notes: 1. if God is for us, who can be against us ?

2. The people's response in the next verse: " STONE THEM !"

3. In our culture, we kind of exalt doubt and questioning as wise. God often punished those who did not believe His word, or act on His commands.





By the way: " What is the difference between 'waiting on God' and 'delayed obedience ' ?



7. " You shall not dread them, for the Lord your God is in your midst, a great and awesome God."
Deuteronomy 7:21



8. " No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you. I will not fail you or forsake you. "
Joshua 1:5



9. "Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you."

Deut. 31:6-7



10. "Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, ' I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you' so that we confidently say, ' The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid, what will man do to me ? ' "

Hebrews 13:5-6



Gideon: see next post

why comparison doesn't help

In John 21, Jesus describes to Peter the path he is about to walk ( I mean the path Peter will take .)

After thinking about this, Peter points to John and says: " What about him? " Jesus says: " If I want him to remain, what is that to you ? You follow Me !"

I take from this that the Lord may have different paths for people. When we find ourselves looking around at that person or that situation, the Lord may be saying to us: " What is that to you ? You follow Me."

Comparison ( frequently) doesn't help when thinking through your life.

writing blogs or just quoting other people ?

Sometimes I wonder if people actually write their own stuff or just quote other people....

so after thinking about it... I think I will ...quote Spurgeon:

"For we long to see all religious teaching built upon the solid rock of truth, and not upon the sand of imagination; but, at the same time, our grand object is not the revision of opinions, but the regeneration of natures. We would bring men to Christ, and not to our own peculiar views of Christianity. Our first care must be that the sheep should be gathered to the great Shepherd; there will be time enough afterwards to secure them for our various folds. To make proselytes, is a suitable labour for Pharisees: to beget men unto God, is the honourable aim of ministers of Christ!"

( taken from another blog of someone who didn't write their blog either, but quoted Spurgeon)

The reason I felt compelled to pass along this quote was for the phrase: " We would bring men to Christ, and not to our own peculiar views of Christianity." ( ouch)

I definitely am guilty of doing this and feel the sting of this statement. Thanks Charles for telling it like it is.