a journey of the heart in scripture

 

Spiritual transformation what is it? How do we accomplish it? Much of what is called “discipleship” is nothing more than coaching to “do better” and “try harder” leaving one feeling spiritually exhausted and discouraged. This is not the approach taken by Robert Saucy in Minding the Heart The Way of Spiritual Transformation. 

Saucy’s singular focus is in the title to this delightfully refreshing book; Minding the Heart. The author takes you on a journey through scripture to uncover the meaning of “Heart” in all of it’s uses. The ideas shown in the book from scripture may feel a little strange to the modern mind set, but with the helpful explanation of the author the spiritual significance comes to light. There are thirteen pages of a triple column scripture index at the back of the book that may well be worth the price of the book. I know I will be referring to it often. 

Robert Saucy takes you on a journey of the heart in scripture. You will learn what the heart is, what is it’s nature, what is a heart that God desires, and what all this means for you. This journey is not pop psychology but scripture. It is well worth the effort and will have a profound affect on your life. This work is a great gift from the author to the church at large. 

The book I believe should be read by the widest possible audience. Church leaders and lay-persons alike will find it well worth the time. I would say that the only drawback is that the author is so well organized that I found I needed to slow down my reading pace. There are about 280 pages of actual text but each one is concentrated and deserves some reflection. The author builds on his ideas so I would recommend reading it straight through the first time. 

Many thanks to Kregel Academic & Ministry for providing me with a free copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. 

Bound Together: How We Are Tied to Others in Good and Bad Choices

Bound Together: How We Are Tied to Others in Good and Bad Choices by Chris Brauns

"principle of the rope" -- the simple truth that our lives, choices and actions are linked to the lives, choices, and actions of other people."

This book is not only timely in offering hope and practical action for today's questions about original sin but also timeless in that Chris Brauns digs deep into scripture and the reformed tradition, giving us much to meditate on and ultimately enlarging our vision of Christ, the gospel and the church.



This is an amazing book! The main idea is what the author calls “the principle of the rope” in that we are all bound together. He starts with an explanation of the doctrine of original sin and shows how that principle, “the principle of the rope” is not just bad news; We all get dragged down by Adam's mistake, but it is also great news; We all get lifted up by Christ's obedience if we are “bound together” with Him. Chris Brauns shows how this is true in scripture and offers very practical applications for those who have suffered from the poor decisions of family members.

“Our union with Christ is more than a legal matter, it is also a vital organic connection.”

I was also surprised and delighted by chapter 7 which applies these ideas to Christian marriage. Husbands and wives will have a lot to think about what union really means.



The fear of death is treated in a marvelous way from Hebrews 2:10-18.

“The author of Hebrews understood that if Christians were to be confident in the face of death, they must first be confident they are truly bound to Christ. For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one origin.”

Finally the author offers a cure to our cultures radical individualism. The Gospel and the Church are shown to be the means of change. And by not understanding the solidarity that the Gospel creates in the community of the Church we have not had an answer for radical individualism.




Thank you to Zondervan for providing me an ePub copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Rather Than Enlightening He Obscures

A review of God Desire and a Theology of Human Sexuality by David H. Jensen

I was very excited while reading through the introduction to this book. The author is attempting to offer a three pronged approach to understanding the Bible's teachings about human sexuality. Briefly stated they are:

• A rule based approach that understands the guidelines for sexual behavior in the bible to be self evident.
• A hermeneutic of suspicion that claims sexual rules no longer apply.
• An approach that situates our understanding of sexuality along a long arc of divine desire.

However my excitement turned to disappointment as the arguments offered fell off my fork before reaching my mouth.

My first disappointment is with the author's use of scripture and some of the language used in relation to it.

On page 3 Jensen seems frustrated by Paul's use of porneia, in 1 Cor 5:1, but neglects to compare or contrast Matthew or John's use in the gospels.

Instead he appeals to a reference from The Ethics of Sex by Mark D. Jordan. Jordan claims that Paul's "lists give us very little evidence about the exact meanings of the terms in them... So, too, the Pauline texts may be using porneia metaphorically or symbolically, not intending to refer to specific sexual acts at all."

So if I use the term "child abuse" without giving the exact type and genre of abuse I must be speaking metaphorically?

Porneia is used in the New Testament in 25 verses. Jensen picks out two places and rather than enlightening he obscures.

One more example should suffice. On page 13 Jensen writes, “Controversy over sex has been a part of Christian traditions since the calling of the disciples. Amid this controversy, the church has turned routinely to Scripture for guidance. The New Testament records some of these controversies: Paul's letters for example, document arguments over sexual behaviors that were subjects of Christian disagreement. Though the particulars of these New Testament controversies have receded from light, the rhetoric that Paul employed to address them abides.”

I would really have loved more information on the controversy over sex that Jensen is referring to. But alas since the particulars have receded from light, I suppose I will forever be in the dark. It is a shame all I have left is Paul's rhetoric!

The rhetoric that Jensen adds to the conversation does not enlighten in my opinion.

Thanks to Westminster John Knox Press for providing an electronic version for review purposes.  

Holy, Holy, Holy: Proclaiming the Perfections of God

Anyone who wishes that the church in America today would have a clearer focus on Holiness needs to read this book. But a word of caution, be careful what you wish for. A quote from the preface gives a foretaste of the ten marvelous chapters;

“By raising our gaze, we come to understand the universal testimony of holy men in the pages of sacred Scripture, who, having had a momentary glimpse of the character of God, were reduced to trembling in dust and in ashes. I believe the church desperately needs this perspective like never before.” -R.C. Sproul

Each of the chapters of this little book is rich for devotion, meditation, and study. I have benefited greatly by my reading of it and I plan to keep it close for further reflection. These words are powerful with scripture and worthy of second and third helpings.

Ligonier Ministries has in these pages assembled some of the finest pastors and scholars in in America (and the Cayman Islands)

Contributors include: Thabiti Anyabwile, Alistair Begg, D.A. Carson, Sinclair B. Ferguson, W. Robert Godfrey, Steven J. Lawson, R.C. Sproul, R.C. Sproul Jr., Derek W.H. Thomas

In chapter 1 titled “I Am the Lord”: The Only God, R.C. Sproul gives an excellent background on the nature of God and His uniqueness contrasting scripture with popular thought.

The chapters that follow are also excellent. I was especially moved by Sinclair Ferguson's comments in chapter 2 about unfolding the mystery. “God has made us not only to have communion with Him, but in such a way that we can grasp and appreciate what that communion is like. . . . No man else may lock eyes with my wife and gaze at her the way I am privileged to do and say, “I love you with all of my being.” (pg 21.)

Thabiti Anyabwile in chapter 5 speaking about sin as treason says, “Beware the evidence of treason that resists correction. Resolve now, while you are in your right mind, while you are sober, that if at any

point a brother or sister should speak to correct you, you will receive that correction with God’s help. You cannot develop holiness of character in a pinch.” (pg. 69.)

Lastly I'd like to mention that D.A. Carson gives much to chew on when he writes, “there is no biblical passage that says “be omnipotent, for I am omnipotent.” Let’s face it, omnipotence is an incommunicable attribute of God. On the other hand, there are many passages that enjoin us to love. God is love, and love is a communicable attribute of God.” and “holy means “separate” and they point out that God is utterly separate. But did the voices around the throne in Isaiah 6:3 really cry, “Separate, separate, separate is the Lord Almighty”? and “Moral, moral, moral is the Lord Almighty”? No. At its core, in the tightest concentric circle, holy is almost an adjective for God.” (pg 80.)

As you can see this book offers much to think about no matter what your tradition. If you value the scriptures you will be built up by reading this work. I commend it to all.

Reformation Trust Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes for which I am eternally grateful. 

Summer Reading Queue

I am blogging my reading list this summer. Reviews will be available here and at my review site at tumblr. So far in the queue is:

Holy, Holy, Holy: Proclaiming the Perfections of God

FROM	Reformation Trust
PRODUCT TYPE	Book
ISBN	9781567692051
PAGES	145
PUBLISH DATE	May 31st, 2010
TOPICS	Theology, God, Holiness

So far this one is a very inspiring read. Well worth each of it's 145 pages. I'll post my review hopefully soon. 

Next up is a controversial subject veiled a little bit by the title: 

God, Desire, and a Theology of Human Sexuality

Author: David H. Jensen 

Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press

Pages: 170

Format: 6 x 9

Product Type: Paper

Publication Date: 4/19/2013

Ok, so who doesn't like sex right? Well this is a can of worms that I will be diving head first into. So far my preview of this text is, well, not favorable. Watch for my review here and at my tumblr site Mu.stEr.ion.

living by more than just bread

living by more than just bread

Paul tells us in 1 Timothy 6 that “those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. ¹

The desire to be rich, the love of money, living by bread alone; where is the sin in that temptation? When we look at the temptation of Jesus to turn stones into bread we wonder don't we? Where is the sin in that? What could possibly be wrong with satisfying a God given hunger? Is that a question or an excuse? Can't you hear just a smidgen of an excuse in that question? What if we applied the same question to a different God given hunger, sex for example? Ah! That's different we have laws for that! We say.

I maintain that Jesus wasn't concerned about dietary laws, would the bread be clean or unclean etc. He was concerned with His relationship with His Father and the work that the Father had given Him to accomplish. Jesus was all about His Father's business. Jesus had a meta-directive, His relationship with the Father. I would like to suggest that our definitions of sin, those that only define which behavior is acceptable or not, are not adequate. They miss a whole other sphere of human experience, relationships. Sin to me is anything that does damage to my relationships, starting with my relationship to God.

Jesus couldn't turn the stones into bread because His Father had not directed that. Jesus said He only did what He saw His Father do and that He did nothing on His own! John 5:19 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.” What a picture of total dependence upon God! 

Paul warns us that it is through God given cravings that some have wandered away. We need to be loved and it is like a hunger. When we attempt to satisfy this need with anything apart from the will of God we fall into a snare. Like Israel who took the God given spoils from Egypt and melted them down at Sinai into a golden calf. We exchange our God given image for whatever we have substituted for Him. We become like whatever we set our affections upon.

Psalm 106:19 They made a calf in Horeb and worshiped a metal image. 20 They exchanged the glory of God for the image of an ox that eats grass. 21 They forgot God, their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt, 22 wondrous works in the land of Ham, and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.

What are we to do? I can never have total dependence upon God like Jesus did! I forget Him daily! The answer is ancient and simple, repent, believe the gospel, for the kingdom of God is at hand! We don't have to live a perfect totally dependent life. Jesus has already done that for us! We only need to trust in His sufficiency as our atonement. The same meta-directive that prevented Him from acting on His own and turning rocks into bread is the same meta-directive that kept Him upon the cross. 

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. When you realize you were the joy set before Him you will swell up with awe and worship!

1 All scripture taken from, The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001)

Center Church by Tim Keller

Center Church: doing balanced, gospel-centered ministry in your church by Timothy J. Keller, Zondervan, Grand Rapid Michigan, ISBN 978-0-310-49418-8

I love this book! Dr. Keller has given a wonderful resource to the church. Any leader or pastor who wants to become clearer and more relevant to the people they are trying to reach would be helped by this book. It is not a book to speed read or skim through. It is a book that requires reflexion and thought, hard thought especially to apply to your specific situation. Dr. Keller argues for a theological vision and then builds a matrix one can pick up and apply with effort to ones own place and time. Dr. Keller starts out asking a few essential questions;

• What is the gospel and how do we bring it to bear on the hearts of people today?
• What is this culture like and how can we both connect to it and challenge it in our communication?
• Where are we located, and how does this affect our ministry?
• To what degree and how should Christian lay-people be involved in civic life and cultural production?
• How do the various ministries in a church, word and deed, community and instruction, relate to one another?
• How innovative will our church be and how traditional?
• How will our church relate to other churches in our city and region?
• How will we make our case to the culture about the truth of Christianity?

Next Dr. Keller fleshes out the answers in a clear and concise manner, making it simple for leaders to develop their own answers for their own situations. This is building what Dr. Keller calls a “theological vision” which he defines as “a faithful restatement of the gospel with rich implications for life, ministry, and mission in a type of culture at a moment in history.”

The one minor objection I had for this book (I now see it as an advantage) was that there are many large sidebars throughout the text. At first I found these distracting but only because I wanted to plodge through as quickly as possible. This is a book meant to be digested, ruminated upon, and reflected. The sidebars are actually rich fields of supporting material by way of story or illustration. And the well footnoted references are worth the price of the book all by themselves.

My favorite sections were: What is the Gospel? The need for Gospel Renewal, and The Gospel and Contextualization. I especially enjoyed Dr. Keller's piece on Biblical Contextualization, he states, Romans 1 & 2 provide the basis for contextualization, the bible takes a mixed view of culture. 1 Cor. 9 speaks to our motive for contextualization, flexibility, ready to adapt. 1 Cor. 1 gives a basic formula for contextualization and shows how to keep a balance between affirming and confronting culture.

Word Study of “Perfect” in Matt 5:48

Word Study of “Perfect” in Matt 5:48

Various Bible versions translate this word “perfect”

New International Version (©1984) Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. New Living Translation (©2007) But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect. English Standard Version (©2001) You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. New American Standard Bible (©1995) "Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.) Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. International Standard Version (©2008) So be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Aramaic Bible in Plain English (©2010) Be therefore perfect, just as your Father who is in Heaven is perfect. GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995) That is why you must be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect. Don't Do Good Works to Be Praised by People King James 2000 Bible (©2003) Be you therefore perfect, even as your Father who is in heaven is perfect. American King James Version Be you therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. American Standard Version Ye therefore shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Bible in Basic English Be then complete in righteousness, even as your Father in heaven is complete. Douay-Rheims Bible Be you therefore perfect, as also your heavenly Father is perfect. Darby Bible Translation Be ye therefore perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect. English Revised Version Ye therefore shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Webster's Bible Translation Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father who is in heaven is perfect. Weymouth New Testament You however are to be complete in goodness, as your Heavenly Father is complete. World English Bible Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. Young's Literal Translation ye shall therefore be perfect, as your Father who is in the heavens is perfect.

Occurrences of this word.

This word in this exact form occurs 19 times in 17 verses. In the ESV this word is translated 11 times as “perfect”, 7 times as “mature”, and once as “full”.

Mat 5:48 (twice in this verse: perfect, perfect), Mat 19:21 (perfect)
Rom 12:2 (perfect)
1Cor 2:6 (mature), 1Cor 13:10 (perfect), 1Cor 14:20 (mature)
Eph 4:13 (mature)
Phil 3:15 (mature)
Col 1:28 (mature), Col 4:12 (mature)Heb 5:14 (mature), Heb 9:11 (perfect)
Jam 1:4 (and twice in this verse “full” effect, perfect), Jam 1:17 (perfect), Jam 1:25 (perfect), Jam 3:2 (perfect)
1Jo 4:18 (perfect)

So about 40% of the time it is translated something other than “perfect”.

The books where this word is used the most are James (24%) and 1 Cor (18%).

Various Dictionary and Reference Works

The word translated “perfect” in Matt 5:48 is “teleios” (τέλειος ) in the Greek.

Strong's Number 5046 in the New Testament dictionary. The entry in Strong's dictionary reads: 5046 teleios tel'-i-os from telos, 5056; complete (in various applications of labor, growth, mental and moral character, etc.); neuter (as noun, with 3588) completeness:--of full age, man, perfect. see GREEK for 5056 see GREEK for 3588

Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words:

"complete, perfect," from telos, "an end," is translated "of full age" in Hbr 5:14, AV (RV, "full-grown man").

Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament:

Perfect (τελειο). The word comes from τελος, end, goal, limit. Here it is the goal set before us, the absolute standard of our Heavenly Father. The word is used also for relative perfection as of adults compared with children.

Thayer's Greek Definitions:

- Original: τέλειος

- Transliteration: Teleios

- Phonetic: tel'-i-os

- Definition:

1. brought to its end, finished

2. wanting nothing necessary to completeness

3. perfect

4. that which is perfect

a. consummate human integrity and virtue

b. of men

1. full grown, adult, of full age, mature

Barnes' New Testament Notes:

Matthew 5:48:

Verse 48. Be ye therefore perfect, he concludes this part of the discourse by commanding his disciples to be perfect. This word commonly means finished, complete, pure, holy. Originally it is applied to a piece of mechanism, as a machine that is complete in its parts. Applied to men, it refers to completeness of parts, or perfection, when no part is defective or wanting. Thus Job (Job 1:1) is said to be perfect; that is, not holy as God, or sinless--for fault is afterwards found with him, (Job 9:20, 42:6) but his piety was proportionate--had a completeness of parts--was consistent and regular, he exhibited his religion as a prince, a father, an individual, a benefactor of the poor. He was not merely a pious man in one place, but uniformly. He was consistent everywhere. This was the meaning in Matthew. Be not religious merely in loving your friends and neighbors, but let your piety be shown in loving your enemies; be perfect; imitate God; let the piety be complete, and proportionate, and regular. This every Christian may be; this every Christian must be.
(m) "Be ye therefore perfect" Gen 17:1, De 18:13, Lk 6:36,40, Co 1:28

Scofield Reference Notes:

perfect

The word implies full development, growth into maturity of godliness, not sinless perfection. Eph 4:12,13. In this passage the Father's kindness, not His sinlessness, is the point in question. Lk 6:35,36

Personal Comments

I found Barnes' Notes as well as Scofield's notes to helpful with this verse. Pointing out that it is not God's sinless perfection that is in view but rather His Fatherhood. We are then not being asked to be “perfect” in exact duplication of God but rather to be “grown up” “mature” children displaying attributes consistent with our family heritage as children of God, we should naturally have more love than just for our friends.

1 Jn 2:5 gives some practical insight. “but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him:”

Keeping His word = perfected love = assurance that we are His.

Earthen Vessels

Earthen Vessels: Why Our Bodies Matter to Our Faith

Earthen Vessels; Why Our Bodies Matter to Our Faith, by Mathew Lee Anderson

Matt Anderson has done an excellent job of introducing a less thought about aspect of anthropology, the human body. Although this is only a 231 page work, his notes on each chapter has been a fertile ground for me to add to my reading list. This subject is rich and full in its applications for the Christian and the Church. I will predict that this work will not be his last on this subject and that this little book may just cause some paradigm shifts. I know it has challenged me on many levels. If you are a Christian leader you need to read this book.

Chapter Outline:

1. Earthen Vessels
2. Evangelical Inattention an the Secular Body
3. What is the Body
4. The Body Toward Others
5. The Body as Shaped by the World
6. Tattoos and the Meaning of Our Bodies
7. The Body and It's Pleasure
8. Homosexuality an the Christian Body
9. The Mortal Body
10. Spiritual Disciplines: The Body Shaped by Grace and Gratitude
11. The Body and the Church

Quotes that I particularly liked:

pg 31 This is the paradox of the body: The body is a temple, but the temple is in ruins. The incarnation of Jesus affirms the body's original goodness. The death of Jesus reminds us of the need for redemption. And the resurrection of Jesus gives us hope for it's restoration.

pg 66 In other words, when our original parents sinned, they did not simply destroy our relationship with God, with each other, and with the creation around us. They also destroyed our integrity as human persons so that our internal and external no longer work in harmony.

pg 69 An embodied theology is a theology that acknowledges the radical uniqueness of Christmas, the cross, and Easter. Only there did the on who transcends creation enter it, die for us, and rise again. But in taking the form of a human, Jesus opened the possibility of redemption for everyone and established the pattern for human flourishing. He is not only the revelation of God to us, but the revelation of man to us.

pg 74 Tyler Wigg Stevenson sums up consumerism: "We buy to be; we are what we buy; we are what we consume." (see also Brand Jesus: Christianity in a Consumerist Age by Tyler Wigg Stevenson)

pg 80 For our creation care to be authentically creation care, we must respect the biblical order of keeping humanity at the center. Because of the incarnation, our ecology flows from our theological anthropology--and not the other way around.

pg 82 The body is the seat of our personal presence, which means it has an inherent dignity from the moment of conception by virtue of being a human body.

pg 131 The new testament's basic contention is that our human flourishing is not found in marriages or the natural families that they inaugurate, but in bearing each others burdens in love within the church. (Matt 10:34-39 & ch 19) The only alternative is to minimize the humanity of Jesus by treating his celibacy as an aberration rather than a possibility for our lives.

pg 149 The basic irrelevance to the biological dimension to the question of our formation should also be noted. In fact, the push to find a "gay gene" represents the moral schizophrenia of the scientific establishment. On the one hand, the slim evidence for a genetic basis for same-sex attraction is put forward as evidence that it is normal. On the other hand, the slim evidence for a genetic basis for alcoholism is put forward to find therapy to change it.

pg 192 The body is a social reality, Which means there is no such thing as a spiritual discipline that does not transform our relationships. When we present our bodies to God we begin to discern the ways in which we have trained them to damage others.

pg 203 Many of our prayers --extemporaneous or otherwise-- are grounded in an anxiety that we are not being heard, which manifests itself through repeating the same thing over and over.

pg 227 I've dubbed the phenomenon "Anderson's Law": the volume of the worship band is inversely proportional to the volume and vitality of the congregational worship.

pg 227 The body of the Christian belongs in the body of Christ. The reality of the hiddenness of our life in Christ is a social reality, for it knits our lives together with those who have been called out of the darkness into the kingdom of Christ's glorious light. The invisible working of the Spirit in us takes a visible form in the life of the Church.

Christian Focus BookNotes March Book Giveaway

The kind folks over at christianfocus.com  are hosting a book giveaway on the Christian Focus BookNotes blog. The first place prizes are 3 books:

Systematic Theology Volume One by Douglas F. Kelly

The Priesthood of Christ by John Owen

Ezra & Nehemiah: A Mentor Commentary by Tiberius Rata

And second place gets 2 books:
The Gospel of God: Romans by R.C. Sproul

From the Finger of God by Philip S. Ross

John 3:16 and the Super Bowl

I've read a little bit of discussion about the super bowl ad that got rejected. Here are my 2 cents that I posted over at scientia et sapientia

As much as I would love to see scripture openly promoted in advertising. I can’t help but feel a small bit of relief that this super bowl ad didn’t make it. In my paranoid imagination, if the ad would have run, I can see Bubba turn to Skeeter and ask, “Hey whatever happened to that clown wig guy?” To which Skeeter replies, “Yeah, Rainbow Man, I remember him. Wonder where he is now?”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rollen_Stewart

Not exactly the best effect, IMHO. I salute the creativeness of the ad but I would suggest that the message of the text is what should be displayed not merely a pointer or reference to it. I believe our culture has lost the ability to put the two together.

Strength Speaks to a Broken Mind

Let Eagles bid the Tortoise sunward soar --
As vainly Strength speaks to a broken mind.
                            Samuel Taylor Coleridge

This fragment of Coleridge is perhaps an allusion to Aesop's fable of the Tortoise and the Eagle.

A TORTOISE, lazily basking in the sun, complained to the sea-birds of her hard fate, that no one would teach her to fly. An Eagle, hovering near, heard her lamentation and demanded what reward she would give him if he would take her aloft and float her in the air. "I will give you," she said, "all the riches of the Red Sea." "I will teach you to fly then," said the Eagle; and taking her up in his talons he carried her almost to the clouds suddenly he let her go, and she fell on a lofty mountain, dashing her shell to pieces. The Tortoise exclaimed in the moment of death: "I have deserved my present fate; for what had I to do with wings and clouds, who can with difficulty move about on the earth?'

Moral: If men had all they wished, they would be often ruined.

I have spent many a day wishing I was something or someone else. Dissatisfied with my lot and discouraged with myself I longed to be something more or at least something else.  To be sure Coleridge did as well. He suffered from divorce, depression and drug addiction.

His epitaph reads:

"Beneath this sod
A Poet lies; or that which once was he.
O lift one thought in prayer for S.T.C.
That he, who many a year with toil of breath,
Found Death in Life, may here find Life in Death."

Let Eagles bid the Tortoise sunward soar... Have you ever heard them bidding? Calling you up? Wooing you to a place you wish you could go. I believe this is a common human experience. No matter who or what we are we all have at times wished we were someone or something else.

As vainly... Coleridge seems to believe that it is an impossible thing for people to change. Not an uncommon belief when trapped in drug addiction or some form of mental affliction.

Strength speaks to a broken mind. If the mind is broken how then can Strength supply any help or remedy?

There is a part of every human that is broken. The Bible calls it the "inner man" or "inner being". It is that part of us that resonates with justice, love, truth, and beauty. Eternal qualities that we admire but are just out of our grasp. And like Coleridge we despair of ever soaring higher. But the truth and strength of the Bible doesn't just speak to the mind. The mind is where we think we should start. The apostle Paul tells us in his letter to the Ephesians that we need to start deeper. No one can understand with the mind the love of Jesus unless God has strengthened their inner being by the Holy Spirit. Pray this prayer with Paul.

Eph 3:16-21; that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

The truth of the gospel is not a creed or doctrine to be only apprehended with the mind. It is a person with whom we will become utterly captivated; Jesus Christ, God's son. The strength of our relationship is not and never will be dependent on my ability to understand, reason, think, or comprehend. My transformational life in Christ takes place because of what Jesus did and does. It's as if I am looking at snap shots of my life, baby pictures, toddler-hood, school days, teenager, adult. What did I do to get from one stage to the next? Nothing much, just eat, sleep and live. So it is in Christ, I simply follow Him. No incantations, no magic formula. Just a love that bids me to love Him in return.

Lessons from the Book of Job

Job 1:1

There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job;

The meaning of his name is “hated” this could be because of Satan who came before God wanting to do Job harm. The children of God are hated by Satan and his followers. Jesus tells us that we too will be hated by all because of His name. Mark 13:13.

and that man was blameless,

Job was one who was complete, morally innocent, and having integrity. So he was considered blameless, Christians are blameless before God. God does not see our sin since we are “in Christ” He sees instead the blamelessness of Christ. 1 Corinthians 1:8.

upright,

Job was righteous, so too is the Christian in Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 1:30 &31 say, But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption,so that, just as it is written, "LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD."

fearing God

Not the kind of fear that makes one afraid but the type that fills one with reverence and awe. As Jesus tells us in Luke 12:32 “Do no be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.” This was surely a true sign that Job was grateful to God and full of appreciation for all that he had.

and turning away from evil.

Job moved away from evil and moved towards God. The book of Hebrews encourages us to “draw near” to God through Jesus (Heb 7:25) and James 4:8 promises us that if we “draw near to God He will draw near to us” It is a hard thing to fight against sin. We try to resist our bad habits and sins only to discover we are powerless to overcome them. Turning away from evil is not the same as fighting sin. When we turn away from anything we are turning towards something else. That something else that has power over sin and evil is Jesus Christ. We must not get caught in Satan's trap of trying to purge ourselves of our sin. We can only repent, turn away, turn toward the One who has the power to forgive and to cleanse and take them away from us. Jesus gives us victory over evil.

These four characteristics are traits that God will boast of in His servants...

Job 1:8

The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.”

God boasts in his servant Job. One who is “hated” as his name means. As a servant of God I am blessed to hear God boast in this way since I too am His servant. To see God's love for Job as He brags about him to Satan encourages me because if He boasts of Job He will also boast of me. Jesus is not ashamed to call me His “brother” and God is not ashamed to be called my God. (Heb 2:11 & 11:16) Oh the comfort and joy of my soul to know that my God delights in me because of my glorious savior Jesus Christ.

For there is no one like him on the earth,

These words hold more meaning than just a story of Job. For the prophet Isaiah foretold of another who was also hated, and to be sure “there was no one on earth like Him”. Isa 52:3&4, “He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely our griefs He Himself bore,
And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted.”

Jesus the Messiah is unique. There is no one exactly like Him on earth. He was born of a virgin. Lived a life without committing a sin against man or God. Allowed Himself to become the focus of God's “hatred” for sin on the cross. In Matthew 26:39, He prays, “if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will." The cup of God's anger against sin was what Jesus drank on the cross. God “hates” sin. So Job (hated) is a picture of the One who was to come later to take away sin. To make a way for everyone who comes to Him to become “like”Him, blameless, upright, fearing God, and turning away from evil. Giving to all who would believe in Him, His nature so that we may become the children of God. 2 Peter 1:4, “His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.”

How Much Should I Give?

The thought occurred to me that folks are always asking “Give me a number” “How much should I give” from their pastors or spiritual leaders. When answered with a number, 10%, $50 per week, or whatever, it then becomes a contract or pledge with that person or group. It should be in my opinion a point of contact with my living Lord. An act of worship that is guided by Him and the resources He has given me. If I make a pledge with you then I am happy when I fulfill my pledge. If I give to God out of a heart of love I am never satisfied with my amount as I learn more of His gift to me.

John Piper has a sermon where he mentions three cases when the NT speaks about money. The rich young ruler, sell everything and give. Sell a field and give. Sell your possessions and give. Piper's sermon, magnifying-god-with-money

John Wesley is often quoted as saying “Earn as much as you can, save as much as you can, give as much as you can.” If it truly is more blessed to give than receive then we have to challenge our tendency to horde possessions and money. If love is the mark of a Christian it follows so must be generosity.

Metitation on James 1:21

don't be 

one of those

who look down their nose

at those 

who look down their nose

at others.

Top Ten Unanserable Questions from Ask Jeeves

Search engine Ask Jeeves reports that these are the top 10 unanswerable questions from the past decade:

JEEVES' UNANSWERABLES
1. What is the meaning of life?
2. Is there a God?
3. Do blondes have more fun?
4. What is the best diet?
5. Is there anybody out there?
6. Who is the most famous person in the world?
7. What is love?
8. What is the secret to happiness?
9. Did Tony Soprano die?
10. How long will I live?

I suppose this is the obvious difference between humans and computers, humans have self awareness and that gives us an advantage over "Ask Jeeves".  Because of our self awareness it also leads us to become aware of our creator. So with my tongue firmly in my cheek I'll submit my answers to the "Unanswerables".

1. What is the meaning of life?
Everyone who has ever read a Douglas Adams novel knows it's "42". Or to put it into catechism format:
 Q. 1. What is the chief end of man?
A. Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.

2. Is there a God?
Of course silly. Look in the bible and then in the mirror and you will see you are made in His image.

3. Do blonds have more fun?
Duh, NO.

4. What is the best diet?
I'd recommend a diet of moderation of all the good food God has provided. Then there is always:
The Diet of Worms http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diet_of_Worms

5. Is there anybody out there?
Duh, YES. See the answer to question #2.

6. Who is the most famous person in the world?
Uh, go back to question #2 and look in the bible again, find the stories about Jesus Christ. Oh and he is famous for more than just everybody saying his name while they're mad.

7. What is love?
Ah. Yet another question #2 answer. See you've got to be human to pick this stuff out. Jeeves just doesn't get it. So back in the bible we read:

• Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

• In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.

• This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.

8.  What is the secret to happiness?
 Easy answer is that God created you to enjoy pleasure and that the best pleasure in the universe is God, but most of the time we settle for lesser pleasures and remain unsatisfied. Or to put it into catechism format:
 Q. What are the benefits which in this life do accompany or flow from justification, adoption and sanctification?
A. The benefits which in this life do accompany or flow from justification, adoption and sanctification, are, assurance of God's love, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Ghost, increase of grace, and perseverance therein to the end.

9.  Did Tony Soprano die?
Uh, a simple google brought up: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Soprano where we are told that Tony Soprano is a fictional character. Fiction sometimes leaves us in the dark. It's called an "open ending".

10. How long will I live?
Well that depends. How well have you treated your parents? How well have you treated yourself? How well have you treated others. Or to go back to the bible in question #2 again:
The fifth commandment is, Honor thy father and thy mother; that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. "Long upon the land" I take to be at least the average years of lifespan of my grandparents, but that is only taking genetic disposition into account.  The flip side of that is what kind of person I am. My morality can influence my physical disposition and short circuit my genetics.

Let me call you Sweetheart . . .

I always seem to think that I've been married a long time until I am in the presence of my elders. I have a friend who has been married now for almost 6 decades. He tells me that he has been with his wife (who he always refers to as sweetheart) for longer than he's been away from her. I think I can say the same thing. . . but they've been married longer than I've been alive.

Anyway my friend was sick in the hospital, really sick. He has had several serious conditions any one of which would make me cry with despair. Any one of which could kill him. As he laid there he had to tell me what was really bothering him. "Do you want to know what is the worst thing about all this," he said. I expected to hear him tell me how bad the hospital food was. Instead he grabbed my hand and said "The worst thing about all of this is I can't be with my sweetheart. There were tears in his eyes.

His habit you see was to go to the nursing home where his wife lived and feed her, since she couldn't feed herself. Alzheimer's had taken her mind some time ago. As I stood there looking at my friend I felt an awe, a reverence. Something that is more reserved for things that are holy.

My mind raced. I thought what a perfect thing. At his time of life to be so lost in love for his sweetheart that his physical condition was only a mild distraction compared to the pain of being away from his sweetheart.

My dear friend, I want you to know how much you taught me that day. You have encouraged my resolve so that when I get to the bend in the road where you are now I too will care for naught but my sweetheart. Thank you for taking the time to shake my hand. It was an honor indeed.

I am an outstanding sinner

I am an outstanding sinner

Like a scarecrow outstanding in a field

A lifeless corpse of straw

Hanging dead upon the cross


I am an outstanding sinner

Outstanding in a field the birds don't fear me

Hardly noticing I exist

Why do I feel so alive?


I am an outstanding sinner

Where sin is increasing grace is increasing more

I am no longer a slave to sin

Dead in His death yet alive in His life to God

Which would you prefer, persecution or thorns?

“If it became illegal to be a Christian would there be enough evidence against you to get a conviction?”

This question has been around for a while. I can't remember when I first heard it but, it is one of those phrases that you hear in Christian circles that seems almost ubiquitous. I've heard it on the lips of the study group leader, the Sunday school teacher, the Minister and piously among believers having casual conversation. It's intended purpose I suppose is to encourage holy living. But it has never done that for me. The best that it has done is point out my weaknesses and faults. Not much motivation there. Unlike in the early church.

In the first few centuries of the church it really was illegal to be a Christian. But the law was not always enforced. Sort of like some of our current laws i.e. spitting on the sidewalk but with a much harsher penalty; death. In fact many early Christians lived out their lives in harmony without persecution amidst societies that understood they were illegal. What kept them from being brought up on charges? It seems that the Roman government had made being Christian a capital offense but felt it was too trivial to enforce on a regular basis. I suppose even Rome had budget problems. This law provided much motivation for holy living because Rome would only act on the law if a Roman citizen filed a complaint against someone for being Christian. This built in tension for the early Christians provided an impetus to love their neighbors, because if their neighbors became displeased with them they could call them to the courts. (I am not saying that this is the only reason early Christians lived holy lives, just that it added motivation to their existing desire to please God)

Do today's Christians have any similar “tension” built into modern society? I know that in parts of the world there are Christians being persecuted but I am thinking mostly about my society, American society. Do we have any impetus in our culture or government that turns us toward holy living like the threat of persecution for early Christians? I don't see any. I could be missing some and I would welcome comments on this.

What I do see is the exact opposite. An impetus to live for one's self.

In the parable of the sower Jesus explains the problem I have with holy living:

Matthew 13:18-23 (New Living Translation)
18 “Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds: 19 The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. 20 The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. 21 But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. 22 The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced. 23 The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”

Although many would point to the government as silencing Christians with laws about public prayer, the current battle over homeschooling in some communities, or to the media and academia with their bias against the Christian world view. I think the bigger danger is in the thorny lifestyle I have come to love more than my neighbors. I will not be pulled into the courts for my faith in Jesus but I have been pulled into the marketplace, the bazaar, the torrent of bigger, better, newer, faster, cheaper, latest technology, consumerism. This is where my challenge lies. My holy living is drowning in an ocean of stuff. I am not being asked to acknowledge Cesar as god and offer worship to him but I am being asked to worship achievements and possessions.

1 John 2 (New Living Translation)
15 Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 16 For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. 17 And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.

I took the "Which Church Father are You?" quiz

I took the "Which Church Father are You?" quiz over at http://www.fathersofthechurch.com/ and here are the results. I am St. Justin Martyr. ;)

You’re St. Justin Martyr! You have a positive and hopeful attitude toward the world. You think that nature, history, and even the pagan philosophers were often guided by God in preparation for the Advent of the Christ. You find “seeds of the Word” in unexpected places. You’re patient and willing to explain the faith to unbelievers. Find out which Church Father you are at The Way of the Fathers!