Repeatable Words

Quote for the Day

2012-01-09T09:38:00.000-08:00

"...the Bible is not to be doubted when we cannot fit everything together because behind the revelation of the Bible is the mind of God to which nothing is a mystery and in which even the most irreconcilable ideas to our minds are brought together. There is no mystery to God; He knows all perfectly. Mystery is the limitation of the creature, not the Creator. So long as we depend on Him for knowledge, the greatest mysteries will not keep us from truth."

— Richard L. Pratt, Jr., Every Thought Captive

Quote for the Day

2012-01-06T10:03:00.000-08:00

Who Christ is, and What He has Done

Now Christ is the visible expression of the invisible God. He existed before creation began, for it was through him that every thing was made, whether spiritual or material, seen or unseen. Through him, and for him, also, were created power and dominion, ownership and authority. In fact, every single thing was created through, and for him. He is both the first principle and the upholding principle of the whole scheme of creation. And now he is the head of the body which is composed of all Christian people. Life from nothing began through him, and life from the dead began through him, and he is, therefore, justly called the Lord of all. It was in him that the full nature of God chose to live, and through him God planned to reconcile in his own person, as it were, everything on earth and everything in Heaven by virtue of the sacrifice of the cross.

And you yourselves, who were strangers to God, and, in fact, through the evil things you had done, his spiritual enemies, he has now reconciled through the death of his body on the cross, so that he might welcome you to his presence clean and pure, without blame or reproach. This reconciliation assumes, of course, that you maintain a firm position in the faith, and do not allow yourselves to be shifted away from the hope of the Gospel, which you have heard, and which, indeed, the whole world is now having an opportunity of hearing.

Colossians 1:15-23, J B Phillips New Testament

Today in American History

2011-12-31T14:07:00.000-08:00

On this day in 1775 the Battle of Quebec took place.

This was the first defeat suffered by the Continental Army

Quote for the Day

2011-12-30T09:48:00.000-08:00

"Good government generally begins in the family, and if the moral character of a people once degenerate, their political character must soon follow." — Elias Boudinot

Today in American History

2011-12-30T09:36:00.000-08:00

Attack on Savannah

Actually it was 233 years ago yesterday on December 29, 1778 when

the Red Coats captured Savannah, Georgia.

Repeatable Music Video

2011-12-29T20:25:00.000-08:00

Quote for the Day

2011-12-27T11:47:00.000-08:00

George Washington

"27 Of all the dispositions and habits, which lead to political prosperity, Religion and Morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of Patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of Men and Citizens. The mere Politician, equally with the pious man, ought to respect and to cherish them. A volume could not trace all their connections with private and public felicity. Let it simply be asked, Where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths, which are the instruments of investigation in Courts of Justice? And let us with caution indulge the supposition, that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect, that nation morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.

"28 It is substantially true, that virtue or morality is a necessary spring of popular government. The rule, indeed, extends with more or less force to every species of free government. Who, that is a sincere friend to it, can look with indifference upon attempts to shake the foundation of the fabric?"

— George Washington, Fairwell Address

Today in American History

2011-12-26T15:57:00.000-08:00

On December 25, 1776 General George Washington and his army crossed the Delaware River as the first move in a surprise attack against the Hessian forces in Trenton, New Jersey.

For more information regarding the above painting copied via wikipedia public domain please see

Washington Crossing the Delaware by Emanuel Leutze

For further reading:

"Washington's Crossing of the Delaware River" on Wikipedia,

"Washington Crosses the Delaware" at EyeWitness to History.com,

and David Hackewtt Fischer's book Washington's Crossing

Today in American History

2011-12-26T15:32:00.000-08:00

On this day in 1776 the Battle of Trenton was fought. The battle was a resounding physical and moral victory for Washington and his American troops.

Battle of Trenton

Further reading: BritishBattles.com, United States History

Repeatable Gospel Video

2011-12-26T11:29:00.000-08:00

"Jesus wants to meet us in the lowest places of us. He wants to meet us in those places that feel insurmountable. He wants to bring hope to hopelessness. Jesus didn't come to the plastic parts of our lives. He came so we could experience freedom from the places in us that are most overwhelming to us. And in order to deal with that it feels like a death. It is painful and it hurts and Jesus knows that. ... Jesus invites us to a death that brings us to a resurrection."

Christmas Service - Tale of Two Kings
from Real Life on the Palouse on Vimeo.

Repeatable Gospel Video

2011-12-24T15:15:00.000-08:00

2011-12-24T10:52:00.000-08:00

"This book contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable. Read it to be wise, believe in it to be safe, and practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you. It is the traveler's map, the pilgrim's staff, the pilot's compass, the soldier's sword, and the Christian's charter. Here paradise is restored, heaven opened, and the gates of hell disclosed. Christ is its grand object, our good its design, and the glory of God its end. It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently, and prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure. It is given you in life, will be opened in the judgement, and be remembered forever. It involves the highest responsibility, will reward the greatest labor, and will condemn all who trifle with its sacred contents." — Author Unknown

(Epigraph from Into Thy Word, by Richard Joseph Krejcir)

Today in American History

2011-12-23T14:18:00.000-08:00

On this day in 1775: King George III issues a royal proclamation closing the American colonies to all commerce and trade, to take effect in March of 1776. Also in December, congress is informed that France may offer support in the war against Britain.

On this day in 1776: Thomas Pain, an Enlightenment philosopher, had the first volume of "The Crisis" published.

On this day in 1783: Washington resigns as commander in chief of the Continental Army and retires to his home at Mount Vernon.

General George Washington Resigning his Commission

For more information regarding the above photo copied via wikipedia public domain

please see Historical Paintings.

Today in American History

2011-12-22T11:08:00.000-08:00

USS Alfred

Today was a busy day in our American history:

The Continental Congress created a Continental Navy

Parliament passed the Prohibitory Act

The Battle of Great Cane Break took place

Our duty: research, read, remember,

be an informed citizen and act accordingly.

That's the least we should do to honor the founding generation.

Repeatable Music Video

2011-12-20T11:33:00.000-08:00

Heaven Taken by Storm — 3

2011-12-20T11:22:00.000-08:00

Thomas Watson

Offering Violence by the Hearing of the Word

We may bring our bodies to the Word with ease, but not our hearts without offering violence to ourselves. When we come to the Word preached, we come to a matter of the highest importance; therefore we should stir up ourselves and hear with the greatest devotion.

How far are they from offering violence to themselves in hearing who scarcely mind what is said, as if they were not concerned with it. The come to church more for custom than conscience, "They come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as My people, and they hear thy words, but they will nt do them" (Ezek. 33:31).

The Word is to feed. The Word judges men.

That we may, when we come to the Word, offer violence to ourselves and stir up ourselves to hear with devotion, consider:

It is God that speaks to us.
The weightiness of the matters delivered to us
If the Word is not regarded, it will not be remembered
It may be the last time that God will ever speak to us in His Word; it may be the last sermon that we shall ever hear.

— Heaven Taken by Storm

Order from Monergism Books

Free download from Internet Archive

Quotes for the Day

2011-12-20T09:50:00.000-08:00

James Madison

"If tyranny and oppression come to this land it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy."

"I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations."

"It will be of little avail to the people that the laws are made by men of their own choice if the laws be so voluminous that they cannot be read, or so incoherent that they cannot be understood."

"I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article of the Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents."

"The means of defense against foreign danger, have been always the instruments of tyranny at home. Among the Romans it was a standing maxim to excite a war, whenever a revolt was apprehended. Throughout all Europe, the armies kept up under the pretext of defending, have enslaved the people."

"Of all the enemies to public liberty war is, perhaps, the most to be dreaded, because it comprises and develops the germ of every other. War is the parent of armies; from these proceed debts and taxes; and armies, and debts, and taxes are the known instruments for bringing the many under the domination of the few."

"Disarm the people - that is the best and most effective way to enslave them."

— James Madison, quotes re-posted from Goodreads

Repeatable Music Video

2011-12-02T14:52:00.000-08:00

Heaven Taken by Storm — 2

2011-11-29T11:50:00.000-08:00

Thomas Watson

Offering Violence by the Reading of the Word

We must provoke ourselves to reading of the Word.

Read the Word as:

a book made by God Himself
a perfect rule of faith; it contains all things essential to salvation
a book of evidences
the last will and testament of Christ
a book by which you must be judged

Look upon the Word as:

a spiritual glass to dress yourselves by (In mirrors you may see your face; in this glass you may see your heart.)
a sovereign elixir to comfort you in distress

There are two books God will go by - the book of conscience and the book of Scripture; the one shall be the witness and the other the judge. How should every Christian then provoke himself to read this book of God with care and devotion! This is that book which God will judge by at the end. They who fly from the Word as a guide shall be forced to submit to it as a judge.

— Heaven Taken by Storm

Order from Monergism Books

Free download from Internet Archive

Quote for the Day

2011-11-27T18:46:00.000-08:00

"The vices of a ruler pervert the due exercise of his authority, to the disadvantage of the community; and mark his public conduct with oppression and ruin. And we are not to think it strange, if the people fall into perplexity and mourning in consequence"

— An Election Sermon by Gad Hitchcock, 1774

Heaven Taken by Storm — 1

2011-11-25T12:59:00.000-08:00

Thomas Watson

"The best mirror is not that which is most gilded,

but that which shows the truest face. That preaching

is to be preferred which makes the truest discovery

of men's sins and shows them their hearts."

— Heaven Taken by Storm

Order from Monergism Books

Free download from Internet Archive

Quotes for the Day

2011-11-25T07:53:00.000-08:00

"The liberal left has so addicted half the country to government entitlement programs and the fiction that they can’t possibly make it in life without the aid of government that many have forgotten the meaning of personal freedom and the power that comes with it." - Cal Thomas

"Anything other than free enterprise always means a society of compulsion and lower living standards, and any form of socialism strictly enforced means dictatorship and the total state. That this statement is still widely disputed only illustrates the degree to which malignant fantasy can capture the imagination of intellectuals." - Lew Rockwell

"Many of our fellow citizens no longer have the tolerant souls and morals of free men and women. They have the souls and morals of busybodies and petty tyrants who want to run their neighbors' lives." - Edward L. Hudgins

Quote for the Day

2011-11-17T16:37:00.000-08:00

The Crown Rights of King Jesus

"God the Son did not enter history in order to surrender it. He came to redeem His elect, assert his crown rights, make manifest the implications of His victory, and then to re-create all things in terms of His sovereign will." R.J. Rushdoony

by The Quotable Rushdoony on Thursday, November 17, 2011 at 3:50pm

Repeatable Post

2011-11-15T08:20:00.000-08:00

From: A Woman's Body and Fatherlessness

"We have been told, over and over again, that abortion is all about "a woman's right to choose." The pro-life comeback has been -- correct as far as it goes -- that this leaves the child's right to life (and therefore the child's right to choose) out of the equation. This is a valid argument, and a powerful one. But the child's choices are all potential and future, and at the time when abortion is being contemplated, the child is in drastic need for someone who knows God to make choices on his behalf."

. . .

"What are fathers for? The biblical answer goes far beyond the answer provided by Darwin. Fathers are more than inseminating carbon units. God has established and ordered the world in a certain way. God commanded Adam, and all fathers after him, to provide and to protect (Gen. 2:15). That is what fathers are for. Provide for and protect whom? The answer is their wives and children. Unprotected children are fatherless children. Unwanted children are fatherless children. Aborted children are therefore the final word in fatherlessness."

. . .

"But fathers have been excluded, by law, by peer pressure, and by their own selfishness. It has been done by law in that the pattern established by Roe v. Wade has made everyone think that a decision to abort is to be made by a woman "and her doctor." Fathers are removed from the decision by law."

Quotes for the Day

2011-11-12T17:26:00.000-08:00

"The issue is not the national debt in terms of trillions of dollars; the issue is actually the national debt in terms of millions of abortions; it's the national debt in terms of thousands of unwanted pregnancies; it's the national debt in terms of the epidemic of AIDS; it's the national debt in terms of moral promiscuity; it's the national debt in terms of the dysfunction of family life. THAT is the issue."

FreeDigitalPhotos.net

"A complacent soul sees no need
for repentance."

— Alistair Begg

[Neither does a complacent Nation, I'm afraid.]

Repeatable Post

2011-11-12T09:14:00.000-08:00

James 3:1-5 (NKJV)1 My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. 2 For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.

Read Extreme Teaching from The Song of the Drunkards

Quote for the Day

2011-11-07T16:16:00.000-08:00

"Religion is fashionable in our age. But is it that which sprang up, after centuries of darkness, among our fathers in Europe? Is it that of apostles and prophets? Is it the calm yet thorough religion which did such great deeds in other days? Has it gone deep into the conscience? Has it filled the heart? Has it pervaded the man? Or has it left the conscience unpacified, the heart unfilled, the man unchanged, save with some external appliances of religiousness, which leaves him hollow as before? There is at this moment many an aching spirit, bitterly conscious of this hollowness. The doctrine, the profession, the good report of others, the bustle of work, will not fill the soul. God Himself must be there, with His covering righteousness, His cleansing blood, His quickening Spirit. Without this, religion is but a shell: holy services are dull and irksome. Joy in God, which is the soul and essence of worship, is unknown. Sacraments, prayer-meetings, religious services, labours of charity, will not make up for the living God."

Horatius Bonar. The Everlasting Righteousness (Kindle Locations 45-52). Monergism Books.

Quote for the Day

2011-10-24T06:47:00.000-07:00

"A man's property is his industry; and if it may be taken from him under any pretense whatsoever, at the will of another, he cannot be said to be free, for he labors like a bond slave, not for himself but for another."

— Samuel Adams

The Story of Everything

2011-08-19T14:25:00.000-07:00

Quotes for the Day

2011-08-15T15:14:00.000-07:00

"Envy and contentment never go hand in hand. Covetous which is a sin and contentment which is a grace never co-exist in our lives."

"Christian contentment is clearly independent of my circumstances. Happiness depends upon what happens, but joy is something independent of the chances and changes of our world. Christian contentment is grounded in our union with Jesus. It is a relationship with Jesus which establishes the basis for Christian contentment. First I want to know Christ and in knowing Him I can do everything through Him. Christian contentment is the fruit of an ever deepening relationship with Jesus. The more I know of Christ the more contented I become. Christian contentment is learned. It is learned in the school of God’s providence."

~ Alistair Begg, Sermon: The Secret of Contentment

Quotes for the Day

2011-08-11T17:18:00.000-07:00

"... living is to believe and act on what God says rather than feel what God says. It is living by faith. ...when there is a debate between what your feelings say and what Scripture says, Scripture wins. Any other result and you are essentially telling God that He is not to be trusted. ... You may not understand what God is doing, but to deny that God speaks the truth is itself untrue. It is a lie. Don't believe it. God is truth."

"Confessing sin does not jeopardize our relationship with God. It only enhances it. If we have trusted in Christ, the divine judgment on our sin has fallen on Christ, not ourselves. Confessing sin reminds us that Christ has already dealt with our deepest problem, and we have reason to be thankful."

"Keep a sharp eye out for grumbling and complaining. Like gossip, these are sins that are acceptable in our culture so we don't see their ugly roots."

~ Edward T. Welch

Surging Stream of Grace #36-52

2011-08-03T21:32:00.000-07:00

Lavendar
Tea cozies
Ice
Formosa tea
New friend in Ohio
Skyp
Cherry pitter
Dehydrator
Taste buds
Serviceberries
Audio Speakers
Long lasting friendships
iPod
Audio sermons
Faithful preaching
Alistair Begg
5 gallon buckets with comfortable handles

Quote for the Day

2011-08-03T08:42:00.000-07:00

"When Christ's words dwell in us richly,

he abides in us powerfully."

~ John Piper, When I Don't Desire God

2011-07-05T06:59:00.000-07:00

Surging Stream of Grace #26-35

2011-06-19T14:55:00.000-07:00

Kind State Patrolman who only cautioned me about speeding
Creating a Quinoa Salad Recipe
Pencil & paper
Parish Potlucks
Family Bible Study
Pitch forks
Sharp flat-headed shovel
Pruning shears
Wild flowers growing between cracks in rock canyon walls
Answered prayer even when the means in which prayer is answered is difficult

Surging Stream of Grace #13-25

2011-06-12T15:58:00.000-07:00

Columbines
Rabbit manure
Compost piles
Mosquito free evenings
The rumble of cows stomachs
Cuticle clippers
Fingernail clippers
Tweezers
Cold tea
A walk in the arboretum
Bees buzzing in a tree full of newly opened flowers
Softness of new light green needles on the tips of established dark green branches of White Pine coniferous trees
Talking with Matthew

Surging Stream of Grace #1-12

2011-06-11T14:59:00.000-07:00

Books given by friends
Tears
Online radio
Dirt under my fingernails
Earthworms
Garden tools
Wheelbarrows
Thumbs
The sound of Aspen leaves quaking in the breeze
The smell of moist dirt
Thunder
Hand soap

2011-06-11T09:37:00.001-07:00

Seeing the Worth of Scripture

2011-06-05T18:05:00.000-07:00

"Open my eyes that I might see wondrous things from thy law." (Psalm 119:18)

Lord, please waken in me an unyielding desire for God's Word and grant fresh sight of how the worth of God's Word surpasses all things on this earth.

The Word of God awakens and strengthens faith.
"Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." (Romans 10:17)

Through hearing the Word, God supplies the Holy Spirit.
"And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost." (1 Thessalonians 1:6)

The Word of God creates and sustains life.
"But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name." (John 20:31)
"But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." (Matthew 4:4)

The Word of God gives hope.
"For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope." (Romans 15:4)

The Word of God leads us to freedom.
"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:32)

The Word of God is the key to answered prayer.
"If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." (John 15:7)

The Word of God is the source of wisdom.
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." (Colossians 3:16)

The Word of God gives us crucial warnings.
"More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward." (Psalm 19:10-11)

The Word of God enables us to defeat the devil.
"I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one." (1 John 2:14)

The Word of God is, therefore, the source of great and lasting joy.
"The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver." (Psalm 119:72)
"Therefore I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold." (Psalm 119:127)
"How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" (Psalm 119:103)
"Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food." (Job 23:12)
"Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts." (Jeremiah 15:16)
"O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day." (Psalm 119:97)
— John Piper, When I Don't Desire GOD, How to Fight for Joy, (for complete commentary read pages 95-113)

When I Don't Desire God: How to Fight for Joy

2011-05-22T14:03:00.000-07:00

Christian joy is the satisfaction in God that sustains the believer through any trial. Jesus endured the cross by pursuing this joy, and we too may find, by God’s grace, that delighting in him is our only, but entirely sufficient, hope in sorrow. The pursuit of this pleasure in God is not a frivolous chasing after fleeting pleasures, but a rock-solid, mature, and truly happy, Christ-exalting endeavor. What if we believe this but our emotions do not motivate us to seek God? Such is the continual struggle of sanctification. We must fight for joy, because delight in God is the hallmark of Christianity. But it is also a gift only given by God’s grace. What, then, does it mean to fight for what can only be freely given? In these messages, John Piper answers this overarching question and others on both a deeply spiritual level and the most practical, so that when you don’t desire God you will know how to fight for joy. John Piper

It Will Be A Gift

2011-05-22T13:59:00.000-07:00

"We are like farmers. They plow the field and plant the seed and cut away weeds and scare away crows, but they do not make the crop grow. God does. He sends rain and sunshine and brings to maturity the hidden life of the seed. We have our part. But it is not coercive or controlling. And there will be times when the crops fail. Even then God has his ways of feeding the farmer and bringing him through a lean season."

...

"In obedience to God's Word we should fight to walk in the paths where he has promised his blessings. But when and how they come is God's to decide, not ourselves. If they delay, we trust the wisdom of our Father's timing, and we wait. In this way joy remains a gift, while we work patiently in the field of obedience and fight against the weeds and the crows and the rodents. Here is where joy will come. Here is where Christ will reveal himself (John 14:21). But that revelation and that joy will come when and how Christ chooses. It will be a gift."

— John Piper, When I Don't Desire GOD, How to Fight for Joy, (page 42, 43)

2011-05-10T20:12:00.000-07:00

Stephen Lungu, author of Out of the Black Shadows, preaching God's Word.

"Born in Zimbabwe to a Malawian father and Zimbabwean mother, Stephen had a devastating childhood, being abandoned by his parents at the age of six and placed in a cruel orphanage. In the years that followed, Stephen lived rough under a bridge, eventually forming a formidable and dangerous gang with other homeless kids, known as "the Black Shadows". Initially involved with petty crime, the gang later joined the political struggle in Zimbabwe against the "rebel regime". When a travelling evangelist came to town, the Black Shadows postponed their plan to bomb a bank frequented by white people, preferring to massacre everyone attending one of the Christian meetings. Armed with a bag of home-made bombs, hand guns, AK47s and knives, they sat at the back to initially disrupt the meeting. Then, instead of throwing the bombs, Stephen stayed to listen... ...the following events are more amazing than fiction. Watch this from start to finish and ... DARE TO BE CHALLENGED!"

Rest on the Word of God

2011-05-10T11:41:00.000-07:00

"I trust in thy word" (Ps. 119:42)

Just in proportion in which we believe that God will do just what He has said, is our faith strong or weak. Faith has nothing to do with feelings, or with impressions, with improbabilities, or with outward appearances. If we desire to couple them with faith, then we are no longer resting on the Word of God because faith needs nothing of the kind. Faith rests on the naked Word of God. When we take Him at His Word, the heart is at peace.

God delights to exercise faith, first for blessing in our own souls, then for blessing in the Church at large, and also for those without. But this exercise we shrink from instead of welcoming. When trials come, we should say: "My Heavenly Father puts this cup of trial into my hands, that I may have something sweet afterwards."

Trials are the food of faith. Oh, let us leave ourselves in the hands of our Heavenly Father! It is the joy of His heart to do good to all His children.

But trials and difficulties are not the only means by which faith is exercised and thereby increased. There is the reading of the Scriptures, that we may by them acquaint ourselves with God as He has revealed Himself in His Word.

Are you able to say, from the acquaintance you have made with God, that He is a lovely Being? If not, let me affectionately entreat you to ask God to bring you to this, that you may admire His gentleness and kindness, that you may be able to say how good He is, and what a delight it is to the heart of God to do good to His children.

Now the nearer we come to this in our inmost souls, the more ready we are to leave ourselves in His hands, satisfied with all His dealings with us. And when trial comes, we shall say:

"I will wait and see what good God will do to me by it, assured He will do it." Thus we shall bear an honorable testimony before the world, and thus we shall strengthen the hands of others.

— George Mueller, as quoted in Streams in the Desert

Standing Still

2011-05-08T18:25:00.000-07:00

I have a collection of books written by my grandfather. In one of them, When Days Seem Dark, I came across these words:

"Standing still on some occasions is the paramount duty of the follower of Christ. There are times when we must be merely onlookers--when the flesh and the brain refuse to work, hopes shrivel like autumn leaves, and we simply do not know which way to turn. It may be just then that we shall learn for the first time how to stand still in perfect peace and quietness of soul. Not idling away our time, not hopelessly limp and heedless of the outcome--but working on in such ways as may be given to us. Observing with eager joy the way in which God will work it all out to a perfectly glorious ending.

"All our little fussiness and haste, all our strong anxiety and warping care are as futile as the tugging of a little child's hand at the great iron knob of a closed and barred gate through which his loving father does not to care to have him go just then."

— As read in Be Still My Soul, by Elizabeth Elliot

Grace

2011-05-06T15:17:00.000-07:00

2 Corinthians 9:8 "And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

"Grace is the work of God on behalf of those who could never accomplish the task themselves. He did it and continues to do it for them. Grace is God's power to perform. Grace is the power of God given to men, enabling them to do things that otherwise would be impossible. It is God working in men to will and do His good pleasure. Grace is the life of God showcasing the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control of God in and through the surrendered human life. It is God living in us and showing the world what He actually looks like."

"So what does it mean to be "saved by grace"? It means that we are saved by the work, effort, and Spirit of God. He does the work on the cross that enables us to be inhabited by His presence, and then He continues to do the work in and through our lives, shaping us into a dynamic picture of His holiness. We are not just saved at the inception of our belief by grace. Rather, it is God's intent that we be "saved" by this grace every moment of every day of our lives moving forward. We need this grace not just for Heaven but for Earth. And not just for the beginning of the journey, but for the middle, and for the end, and for every occasion in between. Grace is the life of God imparted to us."

"...God is in the business of building saints. He is the universe's foremost expert on overhauling the human existence and making it work the way it was originally intended to. And He does this overhaul with a tool known as grace. He saves us with it, He breaks us with it, He rebuilds us with it, and He fully equips us with it to turn this world upside down.

"Grace is the life of Jesus imparted and living, moving, working, and thundering within our very bodies to accomplish the errands of God on planet Earth.

"We are nothing without this grace. We can accomplish nothing without this grace. ..."

— Eric Ludy, The Bravehearted Gospel, page 234-235

Truth

2011-05-01T18:47:00.000-07:00

Quotes from The Bravehearted Gospel Regarding Truth

"Truth does not stretch. It does not adapt. It does not placate. The Word of God is unchanging and does not shift in its meaning from generation to generation. Oh, we might want it to, but, like God, it is the same yesterday, today and forever." (page 118)

"The reluctance to acknowledge truth to be true or facts to be factual in no way alters the truth or the facts. But it does completely alter the way you interact with them, and therefore, the way you live your life." (page 123)

"But, according to the Bible, truth is neither a feeling nor some distant and detached idea; truth is a person - a person known as Jesus Christ, who wasn't distant but came and dwelt among us (John 14:6). He wasn't predictable, ... He wasn't heartless and uncaring, but in fact He gave up His life in order to bring us into an intimate acquaintance with Himself." (page 127)

Isaiah 53

2011-05-01T12:58:00.000-07:00

Who has believed what they heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.

He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.

But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.

By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people?

And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.

Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.

Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

Dressing Up Jesus

2011-04-30T09:11:00.000-07:00

The "cool" mind, with its supersensitivity to public opinion polls and popularity ratings, has unwittingly begun to alter the historic moorings of Christian truth in an attempt to make the truth of Christ more palatable to our degenerate culture.

For instance, the gospel has been reduced to a message merely about forgiveness while the idea of regeneration and transformation seems almost totally forgotten. Grace has become simply a gigantic hug from God and is no longer the muscle of God brought to earth to aid the weakness of men and to give them strength. Faith has morphed into this bizarre idea of "honest doubt" and has lost its essence of rock-solid unwavering confidence in the ability of God to perform that which He promises. Holiness has transformed into moralistic tyranny for the soul and something to be avoided at all costs. Righteousness has been redefined to mean an unreachable standard of perfection. Purity has become nothing more than a legalistic attempt to stay away from things and thoughts that God knows we won't be able to abstain from anyway. Love has become unconditional acceptance and tolerance of sin. The list goes on and on. In our desperate attempt at dressing up Jesus to make both us and Him more appealing to the cool crowd, the simple beauty of truth has somehow become lost under all the pretension and makeup.

The integrity of everything Christ came to accomplish and provide for His bride is hanging woefully in the balance, and there is hardly even a whisper these days about the travesty. If there was ever a time for fixer men and women, warrior men and women, truth-protecting men and women to rise up and do something, it is now.

— Eric Ludy, The Bravehearted Gospel, page 99-100

Quote for the Day

2011-04-29T18:29:00.000-07:00

"A great deal can be learned about people by observing whom and what they imitate. The weak, for instance, imitate the strong; never the reverse. The poor imitate the rich. The self-assured are imitated by the timid and uncertain, the genuine is imitated by the counterfeit, and people all tend to imitate what they admire.

"By this definition power today lies with the world, not with the church, for it is the world that initiates and the church that imitates what she has initiated. By this definition the church admires the world. The church is uncertain and looks to the world for assurance. A weak church is aping a strong world to the amusement of intelligent sinners and to her own everlasting shame." ~ A. W. Tozer

As quoted in The Bravehearted Gospel, by Eric Ludy, page 97

Who Determines Your Worth?

2011-04-22T08:12:00.000-07:00

Matthew 10:29-31 (NKJ)

"Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows."

Reflection

Several years ago I embarked on a five-week life-changing experience in Switzerland. I needed spiritual, emotional, and physical recuperation, and I found it at L'Abri (which means "shelter"), a community study center where Christians and non-Christians can seek honest answers about God and His purposes for their lives. It was there that the Lord spoke to me of my God-worth to the point that it began replacing my self-worth. Before this experience I don't think I had ever really discovered the sense of wholeness in God that I felt there.

One of the things I had to confront in my life was the issue of perfectionism. When you are a perfectionist, you tend either to push yourself all the time to be better or to go into failure mode and give up, believing that you'll never succeed. My tendency was to live with a sense that God was disappointed in me - that I was not good enough. Through study and prayer and time alone with Him, the Lord assured me that I am loved and secure. I know that I'm His princess, accepted and cherished.

Because many people spend much of their time trying to please others, they're uncomfortable in their own skin and don't know who they are. Unfortunately, they derive their sense of worth from what they do or don't do for others. It's all based on a false and conditional love. We can get so wrapped up in our selfishness that we can't see beyond ourselves to find our worth in God - who we are in Him.

Looking Further

If you've read The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien, or have seen the movies, you're familiar with the creature Gollum and his obsession with "my precious," the ring. He was willing to do anything to keep it, and went to great lengths in an attempt to reclaim it. Ultimately, his selfish fascination with the treasure cost him his life. Unlike Gollum, God's love for us is purely selfless because He was willing to give up what's most important to Him - His only Son - to redeem you. H cherishes you as His precious creation. The apostle Paul put it this way:

"For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (5:6-8)

Living It Out

How much time do you spend in the morning thinking about how others will perceive you based on what you look like each day? How could you spend some of that time contemplating your worth in God's eyes? Look in the mirror and realize how precious you are to Him.

From Pure, A 90-Day Devotional for the Mind, the Body & the Spirit

Quotes for the Day

2011-04-21T17:29:00.000-07:00

Gospel-Centered Life

"There is nothing in us or done by us, at any stage of our earthly development, because of which we are acceptable to God. We must always be accepted for Christ’s sake, or we cannot ever be accepted at all. This is not true of us only when we believe. It is just as true after we have believed. It will continue to be trust as long as we live. Our need of Christ does not cease with our believing; nor does the nature of our relation to Him or to God through Him ever alter, no matter what our attainments in Christian graces or our achievements in behavior may be. It is always on His “blood and righteousness” alone that we can rest."
- B. B. Warfield (1851 – 1921) on why the gospel is necessary for Christians

"...we must never separate the benefits (regeneration, justification, sanctification) from the Benefactor (Jesus Christ). The Christians who are most focused on their own spirituality may give the impression of being the most spiritual ... but from the New Testament's point of view, those who have almost forgotten about their own spirituality because their focus is so exclusively on their union with Jesus Christ and what He has accomplished are those who are growing and exhibiting fruitfulness. Historically speaking, whenever the piety of a particular group is focused on OUR spirituality that piety will eventually exhaust itself on its own resources. Only where our piety forgets about ourself and focuses on Jesus Christ will our piety nourished by the ongoing resources the Spirit brings to us from the source of all true piety, our Lord Jesus Christ."

- Sinclair Ferguson

Our Rule Is The Covenant Of Grace

2011-04-03T19:16:00.000-07:00

Richard Sibbes (1577-1635), The Bruised Reed

We must acknowledge that in the covenant of grace, God requires the truth of grace, but not in any particular measure; a spark of fire is as much fire as the flame. Therefore we must look to grace in the spark as well as in the flame. All do not have the same strength of grace, though they have the same precious faith (2Pet. 1:1) by which they lay hold of, and put on, the perfect righteousness of Christ. A weak hand may receive a rich jewel. A few grapes will show that the plant is a vine, and not a thorn bush. It is one thing to be deficient in grace, and another thing to lack grace altogether. God knows we have nothing of ourselves; therefore in the covenant of grace, he requires no more than he gives, but gives what he requires, and accepts what he gives: “If she is not able to bring a lamb, then she shall bring two turtle doves” (Lev. 12:8). What is the gospel itself but a merciful moderation in which Christ’s obedience is esteemed ours, and our sins are laid upon him? In this, God turns from being a judge and becomes our Father, pardoning our sins and accepting our obedience, even though feeble and blemished. We are now brought to heaven under the covenant of grace by way of love and mercy.

It will prove a special help to distinctly know the difference between the covenant of works and the covenant of grace, between Moses and Christ. Moses, without any mercy, breaks all bruised reeds, and quenches all smoking flax. For the law requires personal, perpetual, and perfect obedience from the heart, under threat of a most terrible curse; but it gives no strength. It is a severe task master, like Pharaoh requiring the whole tale of bricks and yet giving no straw. Christ comes with blessing after blessing, even upon those whom Moses cursed, and with healing balm for those wounds which Moses made.

The same duties are required in both covenants, such as to love the Lord with all our hearts and with all our souls (Deut. 6:5). In the covenant of works, this must be fulfilled absolutely; but under the covenant of grace, it must have an evangelical mitigation. A sincere endeavor that is proportionate to the grace we have received is accepted (and so it must be understood of Josiah and others when it is said that they did what was right in the sight of the Lord – 2Kg 22:2).

The law is sweetened by the gospel, and it becomes delightful to the inner man (Rom. 7:22). Under this gracious covenant, sincerity is perfection. This is the death in the pot of the Romish religion, that they confound the two covenants; it deadens the comfort of discouraged ones that they cannot distinguish them. And thus they allow themselves to be held under bondage when Christ has set them free, and to stay in the prison when Christ has opened the doors before them.

We must remember that grace sometimes is so little as to be indiscernible to us. The Spirit sometimes has secret operations in us which we do not know for the present, but Christ knows. Sometimes, in bitterness of temptation, when the spirit struggles with a sense of God’s anger, we are apt to think God is an enemy. A troubled soul is like troubled water: we can see nothing in it, and as long as it is not cleansed, it will cast up mire and dirt. It is full of objections against itself. Yet we may still discern something of the hidden life and of these smothered sparks. Even on a gloomy day, there is enough light to know it is day and not night. In the same way, there is something in a Christian who is under a cloud by which he may be discerned as a true believer, and not a hypocrite. There is not just darkness in the state of grace, but some beam of light by which the kingdom of darkness does not wholly prevail.

The Bruised Reed

“I will strengthen thee” Isaiah 41:10

2011-03-29T08:50:00.000-07:00

God has a strong reserve with which to discharge this engagement; for he is able to do all things. Believer, till thou canst drain dry the ocean of omnipotence, till thou canst break into pieces the towering mountains of almighty strength, thou never needest to fear. Think not that the strength of man shall ever be able to overcome the power of God. Whilst the earth’s huge pillars stand, thou hast enough reason to abide firm in thy faith. The same God who directs the earth in its orbit, who feeds the burning furnace of the sun, and trims the lamps of heaven, has promised to supply thee with daily strength. While He is able to uphold the universe, dream not that He will prove unable to fulfill His own promises. Remember what He did in the days of old, in the former generations. Remember how He spake and it was done’ how He commanded, and it stood fast. Shall He that created the world grow weary? He hangeth the world upon nothing; shall he who doth this be unable to support His children? Shall He be unfaithful to His word for want of power? Who is it that restrains the tempest? Doth not He ride upon the wings of the wind, and make the clouds His chariots, and hold the ocean in the hollow of His hand? How can He fail thee? When He has put such a faithful promise as this on record, wilt thou for a moment indulge the thought that He has outpromised Himself, and gone beyond His power to fulfill? Ah, no! Thou canst doubt no longer.

O though who art my God and my strength,

I can believe that this promise shall be fulfilled,

for the boundless reservoir of Thy grace can never be exhausted,

and the overflowing storehouse of Thy strength can never

be emptied by Thy friends or rifled by Thine enemies.

Isaiah 41:10

Fear not, for I am with you;

Be not dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you,

Yes, I will help you,

I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

Mount Up with Wings Like Eagles

2011-03-22T18:22:00.000-07:00

Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.

He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.

Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;

but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.

(Isaiah 40:28-31)

BLB: Today's Promise from the Bible

2011-02-25T09:25:00.000-08:00

Blue Letter Bible

James 1:5

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all [men] liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

Reflection

What an incredible promise! If we lack wisdom all we have to do is ask God and He promises to give it to us. He will not scold us for asking, for He gives it out freely!

My Prayer: Jesus, I am asking You, now, for Your wisdom. You have promised that you will freely give it and I trust in that promise!

BLB: Daily Promise

Isaiah 26:2-14

2011-02-13T16:01:00.000-08:00

"Open the gates, that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in. You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock. For he has humbled the inhabitants of the height, the lofty city. He lays it low, lays it low to the ground, casts it to the dust. The foot tramples it, the feet of the poor, the steps of the needy. The path of the righteous is level; you make level the way of the righteous. In the path of your judgments, O Lord, we wait for you; your name and remembrance are the desire of our soul. My soul yearns for you in the night; my spirit within me earnestly seeks you. For when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness. If favor is shown to the wicked, he does not learn righteousness; in the land of of uprightness he deals corruptly and does not see the majesty of the Lord. O Lord, your hand is lifted up, but they do not see it. Let them see your zeal for your people, and be ashamed. Let the fire of your adversaries consume them. O Lord, you will ordain peace for us; you have done for us all our works. O Lord our God, other lords besides you have ruled over us, but your name alone we bring to remembrance. They are dead, they will not live; they are shades, they will not arise; to that end you have visited them with destruction and wiped out all remembrance of them."

Four Marks of Gospel Community

2011-02-11T14:26:00.000-08:00

Listen to this great sermon on Colossians 4:7-15.
Sharing Life and Ministry
Parish Presbyterian Church

Gems from "The Christian in Complete Armour"- III of ?

2011-01-24T14:02:00.000-08:00

Encouragement in the Battle

REALIZE YOU CANNOT CURE YOUR OWN HYPOCRISY

Hypocrisy is like a fistula sore. It seems like a minor eruption on the surface but is one of the hardest wounds to heal because it is hard to find the bottom of it. Your will might promise never to lie or deceive again; but it is an easy thing to be cheated by your intentions: 'He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool' (Prov. 28:26).

Many people die because they are reluctant to pay the price of seeing a skilled physician while there is still time. Beware of self-resolution and self-reformation. Only God can cure sin. If you experiment with your own heart instead of seeking the help of heaven you may mend one iniquity but tear open two worse sins.

William Gurnall (1617-1679)

Lord's Day Exhortation, January 16, 2011

2011-01-16T16:06:00.000-08:00

One of the traps we fall into is that of defending ourselves both coming and going. We tell others that “all we ask” is that if someone has a problem with what we are doing, that they simply come to us with it. Talk to me, we say, and not about me. And there is nothing objectionable about this—it is right and biblical. That’s why we say it.

But when we complain about those who do not heed this most biblical advice, we sometimes neglect (since it is to our advantage to neglect) how we may not be as easy to approach as we like to think. There are all kinds of ways to make someone wish they had never tried to talk to you about whatever it was—soured friendships, three-act dramas, counter-charges that effectively change the subject, and more.

You get more of what you subsidize and less of what you penalize. If you say with your words that you really wish that people would come to you directly, but if anybody ever actually does it, you really make them pay, then you need to realize that these subsidies and penalties are administered more potently through actions than through words.

The closer you get to someone, the truer this is. You don’t get into enormous tangles with someone you walked by on the street. This is the sort of thing that happens between husband and wife, between parents and children, between good friends. We all want to hear smooth words, and critical input from those close to us can be pretty rough—which is why we react. But we all need to ask the Spirit to deal with our souls in all things, whether rough or smooth.

~ Douglas Wilson

Gems from "The Christian in Complete Armour" - II of ?

2011-01-12T15:52:00.000-08:00

THE UNCOMELINESS WHICH SINCERITY COVERS

I. Temporary External Assets

Encouragement in the Battle

The world honors beauty, heritage, wealth, and intellectual giftedness with more prestige than they are worth. But sincere grace covers them all and re-focuses rightful attention on the person himself. It gains more abundant honor in the sight of God, angels, and men (if they are wise men) than any dishonor and contempt which the lack of external assets can call forth from the world.

(a) Beauty

This is a universal idol which the world stares at. But it is wisdom which makes the face lovely. Who would choose an ornate but empty bottle instead of the vessel full of rich wine? If sincere grace does not fill the heart, nature's beauty of the face makes the person worth very little. A beautiful person without true grace is like a pretty weed - it looks best if you see if from a distance. On the other hand, a sincere heart, without the obvious attraction to itself, is like a sweet flower unpainted with such bright colours - it is better to hold than to look at, more pleasant to smell than to see. The nearer you come to a sincere man, the more you sense life radiating from his heart.

(b) Poor family background

No matter how unworthy a man's birth may be, real grace brings a glorious coat of arms to it, cleanses the bloodline, and makes the family illustrious. 'Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honorable, and I have loved thee' (Isa. 43:4). Sincerity is like a gleaming mark of honor; and wherever this star shines over a lowly cottage, it tells you a great prince lives inside.

Most importantly, sincerity brings the man into the family of the Most Hight God; and this new oneness blots out his own tarnished name and lets him carry the very name of God. He is joined to God by faith unfeigned; and who can say the bride belonging to the Prince of Peace is a commoner?

This word sounds like shame to a proud world. But even if a man is obviously very poor, he has access to a rich mine which will lift him above the world's contempt if a vein of sincere grace runs in his heart. He may have to admit he has no money in the bank but he cannot say he has no treasure; for the man who holds the key to God's treasury is rich beyond compare: 'All things are yours; ... and ye are Christ's' (1 Cor. 3:21,23).

(d) Mental giftedness

The tradition of men gives a standing ovation to intellect and loudly applauds the excellency of knowledge. Indeed, mental ability stands more level with man's noblest faculty, reason. Those others (wealth, beauty, high birth) are so far beneath the spiritual nature of reason that they are like those soldiers of Gideon who could not drink water from the stream. A man cannot rejoice in them until he first debases himself far beneath the lofty stature of his reasoning soul. but intellect, abilities and knowledge seem to lift up man's head and stand him at full height. Therefore none are held in such contempt by the 'wise' world as those with lesser mental gifts.

Thus let us discover how sincerity can cover this nakedness of mind. If you grieve because your shallow understanding seems dull and does not measure up to those with sparkling intelligence, be content with your sincere heart. Their pearl is only in the head, and even a toad can wear a jewel; but yours is in the heart. this pearl of grace is your 'pearl of great price' (Matt. 13:46).

A sincere heart sets you higher in God's heart than weakness debases you in the world's opinion. And even without the abilities natural men have, you will find our way to heaven; but they, for all their mental achievement, will be tumbled down to hell because they lack sincerity. Just remember that, while your small gifts do not make you incapable of heaven's glory, their unsanctified gifts are sure to make them capable of more of hell's misery. And while you shall get a better head, they shall not get better hearts.

II. Sinful Uncomeliness

This is the worst sort of spiritual unattractiveness because it blackens the soul and spirit, which God intended to be the source of the Christian's loveliness. Whatever stains and deforms the soul must be the most serious hindrance to the beauty of holiness sketched on it by the Holy Spirit's perfecting pen.

The soul-monster of sin has so marred man's sweet countenance that it is no more like the comeliness God created than the fiend of hell's similarity to the holy angel which he had been in heaven. But by His grace Christ has undertaken to heal this wound which sin has given to man's nature. His healing power is at work in His elect, but the cure is not yet so complete that no scars remain; this, then, is the uncomeliness which sincerity covers.

William Gurnall

Quote for the Day

2010-12-23T06:43:00.000-08:00

Sooo... let me get this right. "Let's sin and stay in sin until sin is legal."
- a very wise young lady

Gems from "The Christian in Complete Armour" - I of ?

2010-12-21T11:41:00.000-08:00

"If you want heaven but you also want your sins, do not expect to succeed. You must part company with one or the other. If you will not let go of your sins, God will have to let go of you. If you want heaven but insist on purchasing it with your own righteousness, you will fall short of the price."

"May God open the eyes of the unbelieving world so people can see that the things of the spirit are real and not fictitious. Faith and faith alone can make the invisible visible to them."

Encouragement in the Battle

"...heaven is a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Christ is an abiding portion which changes not. His graces and comforts are sure waters that spring up into eternal life. The quail that were food for the Israelites' greed soon ceased, but the rock that was drink for their faith followed them. This rock is Christ. You may lose every temporal comfort, including family and friends, but if your treasure is secure in Christ, you are a rich man still. Christ will come to you in your darkest hour with peace and a promise: 'Fear not death nor devils. I will stay right here beside you until you breathe your last breath. My angels are waiting with Me. As soon as your soul is breathed out of your body, they will carry it to heaven and lay it in the bosom of My love. Then I will nourish you with those eternal joys that My blood has purchased and My love has perfected for you.'"

"We lose the good of material things by expecting too much from them. Those who try hardest to please themselves with earthly goods find the least satisfaction in them."

"Satan is not challenging you to a mock battle; this war is a life-or-death struggle. ... This war is a spiritual holocaust. either you destroy the power of Satan in your life by putting on the whole armour of God and keeping it on, or Satan will destroy you."

"None are so full of remorse at the presence of the least sin as those whose love for Christ is increasing. As winter passes and spring approaches, the sun grows stronger and melts the frost earlier each day. A sure sing that the love of Christ is shining stronger in your heart is when sin cannot lie long without being melted into sorrow and genuine repentance. The decaying soul is the one where sins lie hard and frozen, and where little awareness or sense of sorrow for them appears."

"When a person's conscience is numb to temptation, his graces are in a critical condition."

"If all you care about is your own reputation ... and you have little or no regard for God's reputation, your grace is at a low ebb."

How to recover from declining grace.
(a) How to recover when sin is the cause:
   - Renew your repentance
   - Reaffirm your faith
   - Renounce your lusts
(b) How to recover when neglect is the cause:
   - Read your Bible
   - Meditate
   - Pray
   - Fellowship with other Christians

William Gurnall

Field Sermon delivered on the Lord's Day, December 12, 2010

2010-12-19T16:26:00.000-08:00

Greeting

I would like to welcome you who have come and assembled together in the name of living God; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I bring greetings from our fellow pilgrims at our local church in Moscow. Come, let us humble ourselves before the Lord our God. Please pray with me.

Prayer

Father in heaven, accept us into Your presence this morning as we come to worship you, to hear Your word, and to be challenged and transformed by the power of Your Spirit. We come to You through the sacrifice of Your Son so that we might be made faithful servants by Your grace and power, through the advocacy of Him Who sits at Your right hand. Hear us, we pray, in Jesus name.

Amen.

The Text

Psalm 2

Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?

The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.

He that setteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.

Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.

Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.

Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.

Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.

Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little.

Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

Amen.

Before I elaborate on the text this morning, I would like to make a short mention of historical significance that will, I believe, help us appreciate the text even more. Yesterday, I mentioned the fact that General Gage considered a good many of the Colonial preachers as ‘subversives’. From his perspective, this was certainly true. To lesser and greater degrees, many of the preachers in the colonies had argued from their pulpits against the policies of the British, insisting that they were unlawful and immoral.

I’d like to make mention here of one of those preachers: Pastor Peter Muhlenberg. Here is an excerpt from one commentator’s summary of Muhlenberg’s sermon and actions on January 21, 1776.

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven,” Pastor Muhlenberg proclaimed, reading from Ecclesiastes 3. “A time to be born, and a time to die.... A time to weep, and a time to laugh.... A time of war, and a time of peace.” He stopped and looked at the people God had put in his care—hardworking farmers and their wives, merchants, recent immigrants. The tiny town of Woodstock, Virginia, was a long way from the fighting in the colonies of New England. And the Blue Ridge Mountains had kept its citizens from hearing the news of events in their own state in early January 1776.

“It is a time for war!” Pastor Muhlenberg declared. “And not only in New England. War has come to Virginia! The British have marched on our own city of Williamsburg, seizing our supply of gunpowder and munitions. Soldiers are entering private homes, homes just like ours.

“It is time for war! ‘We are only farmers,’ you may say. Patrick Henry has rallied five thousand men—farmers just like you—to fight back and drive the British out. It is time to act! Many of us came to this country to practice our religious freedoms. It is time to fight for those freedoms that we hold so dear. It is time for war!

“Let us pray.” With that, Pastor Muhlenberg bowed his head and offered the traditional closing prayer. Then, breaking with all tradition, while still standing in the pulpit, he began to remove his pastor’s robes and vestments. “I am a clergyman, it is true. But I am also a patriot—and my liberty is as dear to me as to any man. Shall I hide behind my robes, sitting still at home, while others spill their blood to protect my freedom? Heaven forbid it!

“I am called by my country to its defense. The cause is just and noble. I am convinced it is my duty to obey that call, a duty I owe to my God and to my country.”

With that, he threw off the final layer of his robes—and now stood before his stunned congregation in the full uniform of an officer of the Continental militia. He marched to the back of the church, declaring to all, “If you do not choose to be involved, if you do not fight to protect your liberties, there will soon be no liberties to protect!”

Just outside the church army drummers waited. At Pastor Muhlenberg’s command, they began to beat out the call for recruits. God’s conviction fell on the men of the congregation. One by one they rose from their pews and took their stand with the drummers. Some three hundred men from the church joined their pastor that day to fight for liberty.

You see, Muhlenberg, and others like him, believed that to live as consistent Christian men and preachers, they of necessity must resist the corrosion of their rights and the invasion of the British.

Our text this morning relates to the theme that these preachers ascribed to, that is: there is no barrier between the Lord of heaven, and the gates of politics on earth. Please pay particular attention to what the Word of God declares in this Psalm.

The first verse asks the two part question: Why do the heather rage, and imagine vain things? Another way of putting this would be to ask why they are irrationally riotous and engage in futile imaginations? Why do they wish to behave in such a manner that has no chance of success? Why do they believe they can alter reality by engaging in futile fictions? Yes, why indeed?

In verses 2 and 3, we see that the rulers and kings of the earth (presumably along with their constituents) believe that they can successfully hatch a plan of rebellion, and overthrow the authority and order put in place by God Himself and His anointed one. They figure they can break His shackles and His ropes that bind them from such rebellion. In effect they beckon and boast, “Come on! How can we not be successful?” The futility of such an effort does not even seem to dawn on them. They will organize, gather together, formulate their plans, execute them, and successfully overthrow the rule of God Almighty. There is no consideration of possible failure. They consider their effort to be invincible.

But this is not the perception given to these hapless rebels by the God who rules heaven and earth. He initially responds with a divine version of “This must be a joke.” Surely this is brought on by the sheer ridiculousness of the plot, and the sadly misplaced confidence of the conspirators. The Lord laughs, and does so in a way that illuminates His grasp of satire.

This humor is short lived however. The Lord’s attitude changes and He responds with the severity that the rebellion warrants. He will speak to them, but will do so in His wrath, and He will vex them tangibly in His displeasure. This portion of this Psalm briefly parallels some of Psalm 18 where we are advised that God causes the whole creation to convulse and his spoken words to result in what is pictured as “hail stones and coals of fire” as He brings retribution on the enemies. This is very vivid imagery indeed.

In verses 6 and 7, God declares the immutability of His will. He has firmly set His king on Mount Zion. And that king is His only begotten Son, resurrected from the dead, the first born from that place (Revelation 1:5). Is there a more emphatic manner in which this could be stated or demonstrated?

Further, the Lord explains some of what He has bequeathed to His anointed, His Son, for an inheritance. He has given Him the heathen, even in the most forsaken parts of the world, for His subjects. These are those who plotted against Him, to overthrow His authority and rule. And they will subject themselves to Him either willingly, or under threat of divine retribution. (vs. 8-9) His power is supreme, and therefore cannot be successfully resisted, even by those who are determined to attempt it.

And what is the commentary of the last few verses? The author of the Psalm offers some advice to the rulers of the world. “Be wise”, he says. “Listen up and be instructed”, he advises. Here’s what to do.

Serve the Lord with fear. Understand that this is no game, and you cannot win by attempting to substitute your conspiracy for His rule.

Rejoice with trembling. Be joyous that you have not crossed far enough over the line to warrant complete destruction. At least, not yet.

Submit to the Son. Do not incur His wrath by refusing to do so. Take a long hard look at the consequences of rebelling. How can it possibly be worth it?

Blessed, says he, are they that put their trust in Him. This is a pretty appealing alternative.

This is the time of year where we commonly celebrate the Incarnation of Jesus. It is a reminder of the joy that the shepherds felt when the announcement of Jesus’ birth came to them by angelic messengers. This celebration is full of warm and sentimental images of the Baby in the manger, seemingly insignificant and helpless. This is all fine, but this is not the Biblical imagery of the resurrected Christ, who is Lord and King. He is the Conqueror of sin and death, and has been given all authority in heaven and over earth. He sits now at the right hand of God the Father, expectantly awaiting as His enemies are subdued one by one. “Political realities” do not affect Him in the least. First century Christians were sent to their deaths as they acknowledged a king superior to Caesar. One of the battle cries of our War for independence was “No king but Jesus”.

Let’s not let the worldly, conspiring rulers of this era fool us for one minute.

Amen.

Closing Prayer/Benediction

I Kings 8:27-30

But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded? Yet have thou respect unto the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O Lord my God, to hearken unto the cry and to the prayer, which thy servant prayeth before thee today: that thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which thou has said, My name shall be there: that thou mayest hearken unto the prayer which thy servant shall make toward this place. And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place: and hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place and when thou hearest, forgive.

Amen.

Quote for the Day

2010-12-18T09:55:00.000-08:00

John Witherspoon

"Nothing is more certain than that a general profligacy and corruption of manners make a people ripe for destruction. A good form of government may hold the rotten materials together for some time, but beyond a certain pitch, even the best constitution will be ineffectual, and slavery must ensue."

Quote for the Day

2010-12-10T09:08:00.000-08:00

‎"Of all ignorance, the ignorance of the educated is the most dangerous. Not only are educated people likely to have more influence, they are the last people to suspect that they don't know what they are talking about when they go outside their narrow fields."
— Thomas Sowell

Liberty is God's Gift

2010-12-08T21:07:00.001-08:00

Witherspoon's underlying argument is that liberty is God's gift and all of creation has been contrived so that it will sweetly, freely, even out of darkness and despair, come to fruition. He believes that God and civil liberties go together:

John Witherspoon

"So in times of difficulty and trial, it is in the man of piety and inward principle, that we may expect to find the uncorrupted patriot, the useful citizen, and the invincible soldier. God grant that in America true religion and civil liberty may be inseparable, and that the unjust attempts to destroy the one, may in the issue tend to the support and establishment of both."

— Michael Novak, On Two Wings, page 16

The Transforming Spirit

2010-12-07T20:51:00.000-08:00

The call to total surrender, complete consecration, and sacrificial cross-bearing discipleship is a call to do the impossible. Or better yet, it's a call to the supernatural. For none of us can live the Christian life, as it is supposed to be lived, in our own power. However, God has given us His Spirit to dwell in us, and it is the Holy Spirit who ultimately empowers us and transforms us. Apart from Him, we can do nothing.

It is striking that in the epistle to the Romans the Holy Spirit is mentioned only one time in the first seven chapters. And it is toward the end of chapter 7 that we see the apostle Paul's desperate cry of frustration: "O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?" All of his efforts to obey the law of God and to do the will of God were in vain. He was not able to overcome indwelling sin. The power of the flesh conquered him. Strive as he might, victory eluded him. He wrestled, but in vain. Then, when finally at the point of real desperation, he ceased his own efforts and cried out for divine help. Then, and only then, do we learn the glorious secret of sanctification. For in chapter 8 of Romans, the Holy Spirit is mentioned nineteen times. He is the divine person of the Trinity purchased by Christ's death to take residence in our hearts and transform the very depths of our souls. His proper name and essential property are holy; for He is the One whose primary work is to make the Christian holy by transforming the soul into the moral image of Jesus Christ. Only the Holy Spirit can save and sanctify the soul, renew and transform the mind, and inspire and empower dedication. Christ died on the cross so that "the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit" (Romans 8:4, emphasis added.).

...

And if we want to experience His power in our lives, we must consider four apostolic exhortations regarding the Spirit.Two are negative and two are positive.

The first one is: "Do not grieve the Spirit." Grieving the Spirit means that we cause the Spirit pain by harboring any known sin, but especially by harboring sins of bitterness and anger. All anger, clamor, and bitterness must be put away. but notice that it is put away from us, not by us. It is the Spirit, not us, who will put these sins away from us if we will yield to His work in us. It is when we resist this work that we grieve Him. If we yield, however, He will mortify our sins and produce in us the precious fruit of the Spirit.

Also, we must not quench the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19). Whereas grieving the Spirit has to do with practicing sin, quenching the Spirit is a result of two very specific attitudes: ingratitude and unbelief. The context of the passage makes it clear that we are to continually demonstrate a grateful attitude by expressing thanks to God. No murmuring or complaining; no whining or self-pity. Moreover, when hearing the Word shared or taught we are not to "despise prophecies" (1 Thessalonians 5:20). In other words, we must not make light of, or ignore, the Spirit's instruction and conviction coming to us through the spoken Word. If we do so, we are quenching His work. Listen to what the Spirit is saying to you through the Word. Be quiet and listen.

On the positive side, we are told first, to "be filled with the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18) and to "walk in the Spirit" (Galatians 5:16). the filling of the Spirit happens when we practice both personal and corporate praise and worship. We are to make it a practice not only to be grateful in our hearts, but also to sing our praises - to "offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name" (Hebrews 13:15). As we discipline ourselves to be grateful, the Spirit is please to fill our lives, as the glory filled the temple. With His presence real in our lives, the fruit of the Spirit is produced in us. And we "walk in the Spirit" by yielding to His guidance and permitting Him to manifest His fruit in us. We literally "keep step" with the Spirit.

Much more could be said about God's work of sanctification. Indeed, entire tomes have been written on it. ... He wants a yielded will. Yield to Him and He will renew your mind, transform your soul, and sanctify your affections.

— David Vaughn & Diane Vaughan

The Beauty of Modesty, Cultivating Virtue in the Face of A Vulgar Culture

One of Many Duties of Parents

2010-12-05T20:08:00.000-08:00

... [A]nother duty of parents is to constantly pray for the conversion of their children. God must open the child's spiritual eyes to be regenerated. The Spirit of God must enter the child's soul, thus turning him away from darkness and sin, and toward God and holiness. The impartation of the divine life in the child's soul is really foundational to true training in virtue. But please remember that regeneration is not the same as "saying the sinner's prayer," "walking the aisle," or even being baptized. How, then, do we know if a child has been converted? The same way we know if an adult has been converted - by spiritual fruit. This would include the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), love of others (1 John 3:1-24), a desire for God's Word (1 Peter 2:1-25), the practice of prayer (Matthew 6:5-13) and a spiritual understanding (1 Corinthians 3:1-23). These are just a few possible marks of conversion. If these are not present, at least in an immature expression, then it is not safe to presume that your child has been converted.

Regeneration is the beginning of new life in the soul, and the rest of the child's life should show growth in grace or progressive sanctification. The parents must constantly and earnestly pray for this growth to take place, for it is, at its deepest level, a work of God in the soul. This point can hardly be overemphasized. One of the chief problems in Christian homes today is not that the kids don't know the Bible. The real problem is that while they know the truth, they do not love the truth. Why? Because they are either unconverted or unsanctified. The truth of God's Word is there, so to speak, but it has no attraction to the carnal soul. Thus, Christian teens will choose to listen to vulgar music or wear scandalous clothing because their hearts, that is, their real affections, love the world and not God. The condition of the soul shapes the life — in all its choices. Simply telling your daughter that an item of clothing is inappropriate is to miss the point. The point is, she likes it, even though it is morally ugly. That's the real problem. And more rules won't fix it. What is needed is a transformation of the soul by the Word and Spirit of God. When the soul loves God, it loves holiness, which means it also loves true beauty.

— David Vaughn & Diane Vaughan

The Beauty of Modesty, Cultivating Virtue in the Face of a Vulgar Culture

Heidelberg Catechism Q. 2

2010-12-05T14:14:00.000-08:00

Question: How many things must you know that you may live and die in the blessedness of this comfort?

Answer: Three. First, the greatness of my sin and wretchedness. Second, how I am freed from all my sins and their wretched consequences. Third, what gratitude I owe to God for such redemption.

— Dr. Zacharias Ursinus

... best known as the principal author and interpreter of the Heidelberg Catechism which is a Protestant confessional document taking the form of a series of questions and answers, for use in teaching Reformed Christian doctrine.

The Commentary of Ursinus upon the Heidelberg Catechism

Jehovah-Nissi, The Lord My Banner

2010-12-04T09:25:00.000-08:00

   Exodus 17:15

   By whom was David taught
   To aim the deadly blow,
   When he Goliath fought,
   And laid the Gittite low?
   Nor sword nor spear the stripling took,
   But chose a pebble from the brook.

   'Twas Israel's God and King
   Who sent him to the fight;
   Who gave him strength to sling,
   And skill to aim aright.
   Ye feeble saints, your strength endures,
   Because young David's God is yours.

   Who order'd Gideon forth,
   To storm the invaders' camp.
   With arms of little worth,
   A pitcher and a lamp?
   The trumpets made his coming known
   And all the host was overthrown.

   Oh! I have seen the day,
   When with a single word,
   God helping me to say,
   "My trust is in the Lord,"
   My soul hath quell'd a thousand foes
   Fearless of all that could oppose.

   But unbelief, self-will,
   Self-righteousness, and pride,
   How often do they steal
   My weapon from my side!
   Yet David's Lord, and Gideon's friend,
   Will help his servant to the end.

   ~ William Cowper

Proposed Seal for the United States

2010-11-28T15:59:00.000-08:00

IV. Religion and the Congress of the Confederation, 1774-89

On July 4, 1776, Congress appointed Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams "to bring in a device for a seal for the United States of America." Franklin's proposal adapted the biblical story of the parting of the Red Sea. Jefferson first recommended the "Children of Israel in the Wilderness, led by a Cloud by Day, and a Pillar of Fire by night. ..." He then embraced Franklin's proposal and rewrote it. Jefferson's revision of Franklin's proposal was presented by the committee to Congress on August 20. Although not accepted these drafts reveal the religious temper of the Revolutionary period. Franklin and Jefferson were among the most theologically liberal of the Founders, yet they used biblical imagery for this important task.

Heidelberg Catechism, Q. 1

2010-11-28T15:33:00.000-08:00

Dr. Zacharias Ursinus
18 July 1534 - 6 May 1583

Question: What is your only comfort, in life and in death?

Answer: That I belong — body and soul, in life and in death — not to myself but to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ, who at the cost of his own blood has fully paid for all my sins and has completely freed me from the dominion of the devil; that he protects me so well that without the will of my Father in heaven not a hair can fall from my head; indeed, that everything must fit his purpose for my salvation. Therefore, by his Holy Spirit, he also assures me of eternal life, and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.

— Dr. Zacharias Ursinus

The Commentary of Ursinus upon the Heidelberg Catechism

Field Sermon delivered on the Lord's Day, June 13, 2010

2010-11-07T15:10:00.000-08:00

Greeting

I would like to greet you this morning and invite you to come, hear the Word of the Lord, and to bow before His throne. He is God, there is no other.

Greetings also from the members of our local church congregation in Moscow, who also love the Lord and serve Him.

Prayer

Father in heaven, we are assembled here today in Your name and by no other authority. As You are King and Lord over all, we seek to submit ourselves, our hearts, minds, bodies, and souls. Teach and exhort, strengthen and try us according to Your own good purposes. May we hear the voice of our Great Shepard as we consider what Your word presents to us. Teach us through the person and power of Your Spirit, for we ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Sermon

Text: Matthew 4:1-11

“Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered. And when the tempter came to him he said, If you be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, and saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

Jesus said unto him, it is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

Then the devil leaveth him, and behold, angels came and ministered unto him.”

In order to better understand this account of the temptation of Jesus, we first need to affirm and understand some basic facts concerning His nature and the Incarnation.

The Bible asserts authoritatively that Jesus Christ is God. He is referred to in a number of ways that show this. The opening of John’s gospel account declares that He is the eternal Word, who has always been God in His nature, co-dwelling with the Father and the Holy Spirit. This is the foundational understanding of the Trinitarian doctrine declared in the scriptures. John further explains that this eternal Word, this person of the eternal God, was fashioned into flesh through His birth via a woman, and displayed the glory of the Father as the only begotten Son. He lost none of His nature in the incarnation. Yet he walked among us as a man.

This, of course, raises a number of questions concerning the temptation of Jesus in our text today. For instance, if Jesus is God, could the temptation be real and not a mere pantomime to make a point? The author of the New Testament book of Hebrews answers this question head on. “For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted.” (Hebrews 2:18) And again in chapter 4:15 he says, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” These statements necessitate the fact that the temptations we are looking at were real temptations, and not hypothetical.

Let’s examine the nature of the temptations themselves.

Note that the first two temptations are taunting demands for proof of Jesus’ identity. To paraphrase them, “If you are the Son of God, prove it. And here is the proof required.” Notice that the devil wants to shift the responsibility of proof to Jesus, and allows no inquiry as to the legitimacy of his demand for proof. This is an even more profound and bizarre demand when we consider that the devil is a created being actually brought into existence by Jesus himself. They knew each other from the beginning point of the devil’s existence, and that particular knowledge was present at this account of the temptations. Of course, the devil’s rebellion and fall substantially altered the relationship between the two, but didn’t alter the knowledge of who the other was. Here is the devil, once again assuming the position of superiority, rebelliously making demands for proof.

The first temptation is an obvious one. Jesus had been fasting for forty days and nights. He would have been in a state of hunger and physical weakness. The devil appeals directly to His weakened condition. “How about some bread made out of stones?” This is something Jesus could do, the mere rearranging of atoms into something that would satiate His real, personal need. Yet He would have to submit to the tempter’s juggernaut, meeting his requirements for demonstrable proof.

How does Jesus respond? He responds with the authority of recorded Scripture, and with an application that the tempter didn’t anticipate. “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 8:3, showing that life is predicated on, and maintained by more than morsels of food.

The second temptation is a little more subtle. The tempter quotes Scripture back to Jesus, citing a portion of Psalm 91, where the Lord promises to watch over and protect those who seek Him. The problem with the devil’s approach is that he quotes this as if it completely isolated from the rest of God’s revelation, and as if these promises actually indicate that they are absolute for every situation. However, in the same collection of Psalms, various authors express their concerns over their enemies’ abilities to harm them, as well as various frustrations that the wicked sometimes have the upper hand. So, as we take note of this, it is obvious that the tempter’s lack of overall context perverts the actual place of these promises, and how they should be appropriated. So the devil’s temptation is essentially one dealing with the credibility of God’s promises, and the level of trust in them. “Go ahead,” he says, “Jump. God has promised He will never let harm come to you.”

Jesus refutes this twisted logic, again adding overall Scriptural basis and context, “…it is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God,” here quoting from Deuteronomy 6: 16. In short, God’s promises are not to be presumed upon, and men are forbidden to arbitrarily press the limits of His sovereign authority. It is also plainly obvious that faith is required in order to please the Lord, and efforts to prove, in a theoretically absolute manner, any precept about Him from a basis other than faith will be futile. He requires faith.

The third temptation deals with the desires of political power and its attendant wealth. “Here,” says the devil, “I will give you all of this. Just one condition. Fall down and worship me.” At first blush, this seems to be the most incoherent of the three temptations. After all, Jesus (with the Father and the Spirit) created everything that exists. It continues to exist by virtue of the power of His declaration. In numerous places, Scripture declares the message that “the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof; the world and they that dwell therein.” So if the cosmos belongs to God by virtue of it being His creation, He, as creator, has inherent title to it. Further, the Creator is obviously superior to that which He creates. This is apparently lost on the tempter, a created being. The Lord has never, in any place or time, conveyed ultimate rule and authority to any other being.

But there is other subtlety at work here. Jesus came into this world with an express mission and purpose; to provide the redeeming atonement for the sins of men. The process of accomplishing this was also expressly ordained. The path to victory lay through the suffering of the cross. This was a path that any rational being would find difficult, or even undesirable. Yet this was the only possible route for the salvation of sinful men. No atonement, no forgiveness of sins. The devil was trying to offer Jesus a painless alternative to accomplish the position that He already held, but without the salvation of men. The account of Jesus’ agony in the garden just prior to His arrest and crucifixion is no fabrication. This temptation was a diversionary tactic the devil was seeking to employ. Only there was one small, but significant, problem. He was requiring Jesus to deny the Father as the only true God, and idolatrously worship a substitute. A very clever bait and switch. “Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve,” Jesus responds. (Deuteronomy 10:20) To fall to this temptation would be to deny the very person of God, His own status as the second person of the trinity, and to condemn all of mankind without hope of redemption. Only the Lord God is worthy to be worshiped and obeyed. And Jesus was willing to submit to the ordained method of accomplishing redemption despite what He knew He would have to endure. The author of Hebrews explains this in the following manner, exhorting us to “… (look) unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Chapter 12:2)

So, what can we gain in practical application as we ponder these things?

First, we should understand that temptation is universal. Even Jesus was tempted, yet without falling to sin. Living in a world that has not yet been fully transformed and restored guarantees that we, ourselves, will be subject to temptations of various sorts.

Second, we have been given the means to oppose and rebut these temptations. We have been given the inspired Word of God in Scripture, and the Word of God incarnate in Christ. But we need to take special care that we do not fall to the error of viewing particular portions of this declaration in isolation from the overall context of the total revelation He has given to us. Used properly, the Word of God is a potent defensive weapon.

Third, we need to recognize that temptation works in concert with the nature of the worldly system. The apostle John wrote, “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world”. (I John 2:16) We need to scrupulously avoid the traps that are set for us that come with appealing and worldly facades. We need to be able to see past the disguises to the essence of the matter. We can only do this if we understand Scripture in the same context as Jesus.

We need to also consider what James says in Chapter 1 of his letter. “…every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren.” We need to be familiar with the nature of and enticements that temptation presents to us. Temptation takes root in the fertile ground of our culpable hearts. In the end, what looked appealing brings forth deadly consequences. No wonder we are advised to always be vigilant.

We are, I believe, engaged in the greatest struggle of our lifetimes. The contest is over whether godly and just government, and the liberty it helps to foster, will continue to exist in this land. To ensure that it does, it means that we must rely on the God to Whom the whole creation actually belongs. As we continue to seek means and methods to bolster and reestablish liberty in our nation, we need to be very, very cautious that we not fall to any of the worldly temptations that appear in our path, or appear to be expedient or helpful. We need to avoid biting on the bait of convenience, compromise, and the lure of power lest we find, suddenly, that the hook concealed in it is set in our jaws. We need to appeal to God to help us as we seek victory in a just cause. May He deliver us from all evil. Amen.

Closing Prayer/Benediction

Psalm 91

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; there shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.

Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation.

Quote for the Day

2010-10-16T07:38:00.000-07:00

Psalm 36:9

For with You is the fountain of life;

In Your light we see light.

"The best position for a Christian is living wholly and directly on God’s grace—still abiding where he stood at first—“Having nothing, and yet possessing all things.” Let us never for a moment think that our standing is in our sanctification, our mortification, our graces, or our feelings, but know that because Christ offered a full atonement, therefore we are saved; for we are complete in him. Having nothing of our own to trust to, but resting upon the merits of Jesus—his passion and holy life furnish us with the only sure ground of confidence.

~ C. H. Spurgeon

Quote for the Day

2010-09-28T14:02:00.000-07:00

"True atheism is nonsense. If there is such a thing as beautiful, such a thing as good, or even such a thing as bad, then there is a transcendent standard that determines which is which. An atheist can say that society prefers mothers to murderers, but he cannot say that this is as it should be. Tell us what is, by all means. But without God, you cannot tell us what ought to be.

"An atheist can tell us that he is a good person, that he has never stolen a lawn mower or murdered his wife. I believe him. What he cannot tell me is what is fundamentally wrong about lawn mower theft and wife killing. He will try, but he can't change the fact that in his world there is no such thing as fundamental wrongness.

Notes from the Tilt-a-Whirl, by N. D. Wilson

(Page 74)

Subverting Leisure

2010-09-25T21:22:00.000-07:00

Devotion to leisure did not appear with the onset of television, but has long been a struggle for Christians throughout history. In the Roman Empire, the rulers knew they could stay in power if they pacified the populace with enough food on the table and enough public entertainment. Juvenal, an ancient satirist, called the Roman policy "bread and circus." If you keep bellies full of food and minds occupied with shows and games, you keep control. One of the ways the Caesars solidified their power was through mass entertainment.

The early Christians did not deny that sports and entertainment could have a legitimate place in a person's life. In his letters, the apostle Paul included athletic metaphors mentioning the value of bodily training and the rules by which an athlete must play. Paul spoke of himself as running the race of faith and straining forward to "the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

However, Christians also saw how love for the arena and the theater could become idolatrous. As they witnessed the pagans' worship of sports and entertainment, Christians subverted leisure by standing against the decadence and wastefulness of the entertainment mind-set.

The early Christians subverted leisure as they imitated Christ, the Son of God who lived according to his Father's timetable. Jesus came not to be served and pampered with the luxuries of this world, but to fulfill his kingdom mission. He also instructed his followers to seek first the kingdom. Christians recognized that a life of perpetual leisure competes with a life that is on mission for God.

The Christian's life is not grounded in leisure; it is grounded in the cross. If we have truly been set free from the bondage of sin and death, then we have been set free from the slavery of perpetual leisure that would have us live only for ourselves. We have been delivered from the desire for constant entertainment and the never-ending pursuit of our own pleasure. God has given us freedom from leisure, and he has also given us a task. We are called to proclaim the good news of God's kingdom. As the Father sent Jesus, so Jesus has sent us.

Therefore, the way we spend our free time reveals what we believe about God. If we are imaging God rightly by following his instructions for resting and working, we will not allow leisure to take the throne of our lives. As we put leisure back in its proper place under the lordship of Jesus, we will make different choices when it comes to our leisure activities.

There are three main ways that we as Christians can subvert leisure and entertainment. First, we must think seriously about the choices we make regarding our free time. Next, we must purposefully structure our free time in a way that glorifies God. Finally, we must turn our focus away from the things that entertain us to the people that God has entrusted to us.

Holy Subversion, Trevin Wax

(pages 92-93)

Field Sermon delivered on the Lord's Day, May 9, 2010

2010-09-08T12:22:00.000-07:00

Greeting

I would like to welcome all of you this morning, who have joined with us to hear the Word of the most High God, creator of all the earth and heavens. Please accept the warmest greetings from the members of our home church in Moscow who also trust in Christ Jesus.

Opening Prayer

Heavenly Father, hear our prayer this morning as we come to be instructed by Your Word. Open our eyes, ears, hearts, and minds that we might more fully understand your ways, and the magnitude of Your mercies. We ask this in the name of Jesus, Your Son, by whom Your mercies are extended to us. Amen

Sermon

And it came to pass, when Solomon had finished the building of the house of the LORD, and the king's house, and all Solomon's desire which he was pleased to do, that the LORD appeared to Solomon the second time, as he had appeared unto him at Gibeon. And the LORD said unto him, I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before me: I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually. And if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep my statutes and my judgments: then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom upon Israel for ever, as I promised to David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel. But if ye shall at all turn from following me, ye or your children, and will not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods, and worship them: then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and this house, which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all people: and at this house, which is high, every one that passeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss; and they shall say, Why hath the LORD done thus unto this land, and to this house? And they shall answer, Because they forsook the LORD their God, who brought forth their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and have taken hold upon other gods, and have worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath the LORD brought upon them all this evil. (I Kings 9:1-9)

The text today illuminates us concerning Solomon’s second audience with the Lord, as He revealed Himself to Solomon. This account follows immediately after the dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem, and event of extreme significance and importance. This temple, as a significant practical and typological element of importance, was to establish the name of the Lord within the boundaries of

Israel

, and as a beacon to call the unbelieving world to faith in the Lord. The primary purposes of the temple were pretty straightforward. It was established as the singular, formal place where God had promised to meet with mankind. It was the only place where the offerings for the atonement of sin would be accepted. It was established as an emblem that, if any would turn their prayers and petitions toward the God that it represented, that He would hear their supplications. Under the administration of the Older Testament it represented, in its beauty and complexity, what the Messiah would powerfully and fully accomplish in His substitutionary death many centuries in the future, the act which inaugurated the New Testament.

The Hebrew Israelites were the covenanted people of that period. God had chosen them from all of the tribes of the earth to bear His name among all of the inhabitants of the world, and to bid them all to believe and be joined in this saving covenant with the Lord. Being chosen as such, they were afforded the benefits of the covenant that God made with them, these benefits being consistent with the stated articles of the covenant. This was all based on the mercy, grace, holiness, and justice of God, and His favorable disposition toward them. His stated promises were all good. There were, however, conditions associated with them. They must believe, and obey what He commanded of them. And this was to be the natural consequence of a people who received and understood the magnitude of the grace He had shown and given to them. These conditions also had a variety of consequences associated with them, and the covenant articles made it very plain as to what would happen if they became rebellious and disobedient to them. This gives us the contextual background for the account we have before us today.

In this encounter, the Lord affirms that He had heard Solomon’s supplications that he had presented upon the formal dedication of the Temple, that He would indeed place His name, eyes and heart there continually. He was promising to be in their midst, and therefore confirming their witness to the unbelieving nations that God Almighty, Himself, was beckoning them to come and partake of the salvation He grants. This was no small privilege (as recognized by the apostle Paul in Romans, Chapter 3, where he expounds on this).

The Lord then reconfirms his promise to David, that He would establish his heirs as leaders and rulers. But there are conditions and stipulations associated with this promise. Solomon and his posterity are charged with the requirement to:

-walk before the Lord: that is, to humbly acknowledge the creator/creature distinction, and accept the authority and will of God as it is manifest in divine revelation and providence.

-walk in integrity of heart: this requires absolute honesty with God and yourself.

-walk in uprightness: that is, to walk in conformity to the objective standards that God Himself has established. This should banish all forms of arbitrary morality.

-to hammer this point home, this standard is explicitly explained in His commandments, statutes, and judgments. What does true holiness and righteous conduct look like? The answers are given in these.

But what is contrariwise promised if the leaders and people choose to depart from the Lord and rebel against His goodness and standards and assimilate the fictitious standards and practices of idols and idolatries? He promises to cut them off, and cast away the symbol of His abiding in their midst (the temple), and to make a proverbial mockery out of them because of their rebellion and thanklessness concerning His mercies. The reasons for their demise will be as obvious as the nose on a man’s face, or by simply connecting the dots. It will be obvious that they, as a people, treacherously and treasonously, thought that they could double-deal with God and get away with it. Why would all of this evil fall upon them? Because they lacked an appreciation and thankfulness concerning what God had delivered them from, and had forsaken the Lord, preferring empty, impotent, and dead idols.

Now, keep in mind that this was all revealed to Solomon during one of the most successful, prosperous, and glorious times that would occur in the entire history of

Israel

. While neither David nor Solomon were perfect men, God had enabled them to conquer the land He had given to them for a possession, and established Solomon’s reign in peace with a great degree of prosperity. As a people, they were enjoying high times and an immense abundance. How could things go wrong?

Yet things did go wrong. Anyone familiar with the rest of history of

Israel

knows that what followed were generations of trouble. While there were some brief moments where the leaders and people repented, the basic path of the whole culture was a downward spiral that ended in a destruction of the nation, and its remaining inhabitants being carried away to exile in Babylon. Not a very pretty ending is it?

So why is this important to us? Good question. In I Corinthians, Chapter 10, the apostle Paul insists that we pay attention to the history of the Older Testament, drawing from the similarities of events that are recorded there. He notes that mankind, even those who are in covenant with Christ, frequently suffer from what he calls “common temptations” (vs.13). He concludes with the admonition, “Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry”. (vs. 14)

What are some of the legitimate comparisons we can make in regards to the principles that are inherent with the text we have been examining?

Israel

, our nation was founded on the notion of being in covenant with the God of the Bible, and that this covenant has an impact that applies beyond merely personal concerns. Jesus’ own summary of all of Biblical law is to “Love God, and love your neighbor as yourself”. This has ramifications far beyond sentimentality and emotional responses.

While

Israel

was founded by overt, divine decree, our nation was founded by divine providence: that is, the working out of God’s purposes in a manner not entirely revealed by inspired pronouncements, but according to His will as revealed in history, and in a manner not contradictory to His explicit revelations. This means that, because the nation was founded upon a specifically biblical notion of being in covenant with Christ, that we are accountable to that covenant.

Israel

, the evidence continues to accumulate that we, like they, seem to have lost our way with the passage of time. We no longer appear to acknowledge where our standing before God comes from. Nor do we credit His goodness in the deliverances, liberty, and abundance we have enjoyed. We think we are ‘special’, but we seem to want to be just like the other, idolatrous nations. We have ceased to be thankful and have become presumptuous. Somewhere along the way we lost our vigilance, giving way to complacency and lethargy, and learning a refined way to shift the blame to “them”. Are we not, as evidence suggests, caught in a similar downward spiral?

Do we, as individuals want to be saved, receive His grace and mercy, and be freed to live in the true liberty of His Spirit? Then we must flee to Christ, as he is the only one who can save us. Do we, as a nation, want to be reestablished as a place where grace, truth, and justice abide as signature elements of our society? Then we must reject the idolatries of our times and return to Christ, willingly submitting ourselves and our culture to Him.

Let us remember the place that we have fallen from, and repair to the Lord in humility and repentance. Let us reject the wisdom of this world, and submit ourselves anew to Him, walking in obedience, in faith, to His commands. Let us pray that we, and our nation, would be reestablished in the righteousness that comes only from Christ. We started well, let us finish well also. Amen.

Closing Prayer/Benediction

This is a portion of Solomon’s prayer at the dedication of the temple. Be mindful of the fact that the temple, under the Old covenant administration, represented “God with us” in a real and tangible way. This is the interpretation of the name “Emmanuel” which is applied to Jesus.

“But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded? Yet have thou respect unto the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O Lord my God, to hearken unto the cry and to the prayer, which thy servant prayeth before thee today: that thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which thou hast said, My name shall be there: that thou mayest hearken unto the prayer which thy servant shall make toward this place. And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people

Israel

, when they shall pray toward this place: and hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place: and when thou hearest, forgive." (1 Kings 8:27-30).

Field Sermon delivered on the Lord's Day, ???, XX, 2010

2010-08-02T13:13:00.000-07:00

Greeting

Welcome in the name of our Lord, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, by Whom all things have been created and by whose Word they are upheld and maintained. I also bring you warm greetings from those at our home church in Moscow. We gather here to worship Him and hear His Word that we might respond with faith at the hearing of it, and with obedience consistent with that same faith.

Prayer

Father in heaven, we thank You that You have not forsaken us and left us entirely to our own understanding and devices, but have spoken clearly through Your Words of declaration in the Scriptures, and more particularly through the life, death, and resurrection of Your only Son, Jesus. Cause us here today, by the power of Your Spirit, to hear, know, believe, and obey that which You have commanded and given to us, washing, nourishing, and granting us strength by that Word, and by that Spirit, for we ask it in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Sermon

Today I have a fairly lengthy text to present to you, the 8^th chapter of I Samuel, so I ask you to bear with me, and give particular attention to this portion of the Word of God.

1Sa 8:1 And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over

Israel

1Sa 8:2 Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: they were judges in Beersheba.

1Sa 8:3 And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.

1Sa 8:4 Then all the elders of

Israel

gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah,

1Sa 8:5 And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.

1Sa 8:6 But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD.

1Sa 8:7 And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.

1Sa 8:8 According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee.

1Sa 8:9 Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.

1Sa 8:10 And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people that asked of him a king.

1Sa 8:11 And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots.

1Sa 8:12 And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots.

1Sa 8:13 And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers.

1Sa 8:14 And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants.

1Sa 8:15 And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants.

1Sa 8:16 And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work.

1Sa 8:17 He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants.

1Sa 8:18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day.

1Sa 8:19 Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us;

1Sa 8:20 That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.

1Sa 8:21 And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the LORD.

1Sa 8:22 And the LORD said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said unto the men of

Israel

, Go ye every man unto his city.

It has become fashionable in our modern times to consider that the Bible is a “religious” book, which is to maintain that it only speaks to “religious” and/or “spiritual” issues. This attitude therefore attempts to relegate the content of scripture to the ethereal, never to touch down on earth in any authoritative or meaningful manner. However, this is simply not the case. The Bible addresses every significant aspect of life, and is far from the Gnostic premises of exclusive “other worldliness”.

As a consequence of this contemporary Gnosticism, many wish to maintain that the Word of God has nothing to do with, or say anything about, the whole area of politics. Many wish to maintain that “religious” concerns are over here (on one side) and political matters are way over here (on the far opposite side). Nothing could be farther from the truth. Every system of politics rests on an inherently religious basis regardless of protestations to the contrary. Therefore, competing political systems should be understood as representing competing religious systems. This is inescapable.

To simplify this concept, we should be reminded of the fact that whatever a man sows in his garden, or society, is exactly what he should expect to reap. You do not reap grapes from star thistle seeds, no matter how hard you may try.

In our text today we have the biblical definition of tyranny as delivered by the prophet Samuel to the children of

Israel

. We would do well to note that this was a revolution against the governmental system that had been ordained for this people, recorded in the books of Exodus, Deuteronomy, and Leviticus. As pastor Samuel Langdon rightly noted in a sermon in May of 1775:

“The Jewish government, according to the original constitution which was divinely established, if considered merely in a civil view, was a perfect republic. The heads of their tribes, and elders of their cities, were their counselors and judges…. Counselors and judges comprehend all the powers of that government, for there was no such thing as legislative authority belonging to it, their complete code of laws being given immediately from God by the hand of Moses.”

This is what the Jewish nation was rejecting, and fomenting a complete replacement of.

I want to draw your attention to a number of the important statements in the scriptural text itself.

First, the substitutional system they were demanding would be characterized overwhelmingly by “taking”. Their new “change” would implement a government that would require (and allow) the following.

1. The taking of their sons for the use of the king. This would be, in effect, a form of conscription for the personal benefit of the king as well as providing for the manufacture of the weapons of war and a standing army. “He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots. And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots.” (vs. 11-12) This was something unheard of in their previous estate. Previously, they had relied on what we would call “militia”.

2. The taking of their daughters to be impressed as servants for the king’s table and pageantry. “And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers.” (vs.13) This sort of thing was antithetical to a variety of prohibitions against forced servitude declared in the Laws of God.

3. The notion of private property would be abolished. “And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants.“ (vs. 14)

4. The new system would include the redistribution of wealth from those who were the producers to the king and to those whom found the particular favor of the king. This would establish a politically privileged class. “And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants. And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants. And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work.” (vs. 14-16)

5. A new system of taxation to support the new apparatus would be established to maintain all of this, and would arrogate the status of the new state to that of ‘godhood’ by demanding at least parity with the true God by taking 10% (or more) in taxes to be levied on the people. “And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants… He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants.” (vs. 15, 17) Remember that the tithe that God requires of His people is 10%.

6. Basic personal freedoms would be all but abolished. There would be the termination of any form of basic self determination. Arbitrary abridgements of these rights would become the norm. “He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants.“ (vs. 17 and others) What do we call a system in which your property, wealth, children, indeed your very life, are all subject to such arbitrary power that assumes authority over all of these? Slavery.

7. The new government would include a revision of their system of judicial review, and likely a revision of their judicial code. “That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us…” (vs. 20)

Not a very pretty picture is it? Do you think we could find any parallels today in the modern world? How about in our nation? How about in our counties? Maybe in our towns and cities?

So where did this impulse come from? The text itself answers this question.

The first thing that we should note is that there was a generational discontinuity between Samuel and his sons. His sons did not follow faithfully in the footsteps of their father and had perverted and corrupted the system of justice that was in force. This was not a failure of the system, but rather was a moral failure in Samuel’s sons and their contemporaries. Nonetheless, the people cited this as one favorable point in arguing for their revolution.

Secondly, it appears that the people of

Israel

were impressed by the governmental systems of the pagans that surrounded them. These are what they pointed to as the ‘new’ paradigm which they wanted to follow. They wanted to be just “like them”. Perhaps they believed that these alternate systems were “cool” or “progressive”. They certainly were novel compared to the system that God had given to them.

Third, and most significantly, this was a consequence of their defection from faith in the Lord Himself. Samuel was told by God not to take this too personally, as he was merely a representative, a stand in, for the Lord. The people really didn’t want to serve God any more, and had already (at that time), rejected Him as their King. They wanted a substitute who would be more like them. Never mind all of the privileges and benefits they had received from God. They already had a history of being resistant and stiff-necked in relationship to the Lord and to the covenant which He had ordained for them, and this revolution was the fruit of their lack of repentance.

Fourth, this would be a formulation of what we now call the ‘nanny’ state. Note that they were not only desiring a ruler to make a public show, but one that would take care of them by fighting their battles for them (as particularly stated), and it is implied that they expected to be well taken care of in other ways. Thus, this was a creation of a god-state to replace the true and living God.

Verse 18 anticipates the future of this agenda. It predicts a time in which the people would wake up to the magnitude of this error and realize that this mistake had cost them far more than they had anticipated or imagined. Why, they would even be driven to cry out to God for deliverance! They are forewarned of the consequences. God warns them that He would not listen to them in that day just as they had refused to hear Him and his prophet. This is not a declaration or a threat of absolute abandonment, as subsequent history demonstrates, but certainly an indication that God would be in no hurry to respond to their despondency. This is a history lesson we should be prepared to pay acute attention to.

We also should be asking ourselves questions about the causal nature of our present miseries. Could it be that we, like the Israelites of old, have forsaken the living God, and traded His benefits (both temporal and eternal) in for an unfaithful and unfruitful pagan model? If so, what should we expect? Do we have a basis to believe that we deserve anything different than those of whom we learn of in this text? If this is the case, if we have forsaken the Lord and His ways, we should diligently, faithfully, and sincerely confess our sins to our Lord and King, repent of our infidelity, and hope in His great mercies. We do not know whether it is too late. I don’t believe it is, and I hope that it is not. But we must respond in a way that pleases God, and not ourselves.

May we find grace in the sight of the Lord.

Closing Prayer

This is a prayer written by David, while he was hiding in a cave, on the run from Saul, the first king (and tyrant) after the revolt we have just considered.

Psalm 142

I cried unto the Lord with my voice; with my voice unto the Lord did I make my supplication. I poured out my complaint before him; I shewed before him my trouble. When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me. I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul. I cried unto thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living. Attend unto my cry; for I am brought very low; deliver me from my persecutors; for they are stronger than I. Bring my soul out of prison that I may praise thy name: the righteous shall compass me about; for thou shalt deal bountifully with me.

Quote for the Day

2010-06-30T08:20:00.000-07:00

Upholding Honor

“On the battlefield, when surrounded and cheered by pomp, excitement, and admiration of devoted comrades, and inspired by strains of martial music and the hope of future reward, it is comparatively easy to be a hero, to do heroic deeds. But to uphold honor in ordinary circumstances, to be a hero in common life, that is a genuine achievement meriting our highest admiration.”
~ Booker T. Washington

Quote for the Day

2010-06-21T08:14:00.000-07:00

To indulge pride--is to nourish a serpent in the bosom!
~ James Smith, 1802 - 1862