Tomorrow afternoon, I am heading to Chattanooga, Tennessee for the Precept Ministries National Women's Convention. I am not in the position to "live blog," so I plan to come home with plenty of blog fodder. In the rare event that someone out there reading this blog is also going to the NWC, be on the lookout for me in the bookstore.
I just found out that our DSL connection will not be operational until Friday, at the earliest. So after I post this, I will again be incommunicado until Sunday evening.
Have a great weekend!
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Colossians 1:11—The Purpose of His Power in Me
For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience…
—Colossians 1:9-11
Having completed Job, our Sunday school class is now studying Colossians. Most of today’s discussion centered on the passage above. I was especially blessed by our discussion of verse 11. Our teacher, Jim, pointed out that the purpose for which we have been “strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might” is for “the attaining of all steadfastness and patience.” The ESV and NIV use the word “endurance” rather than steadfastness. Two members of the class who had notes in their Bibles indicated that the original Greek word for steadfastness/endurance refers to endurance in dealing with people, and the original Greek word for patience refers to patience in difficult circumstances.
What the passage is saying is that the power we have through Christ in us is for the purpose of demonstrating steadfastness/endurance and patience. Jim suggested that it seems like the power of God in us should be used for something seemingly more significant than in demonstrating patience with people and circumstances; but immediately, I realized that these are precisely the areas where I have the greatest struggles.
Because of said struggles, I am tremendously encouraged by this verse and the implications for my life. Knowing that the power of Christ is in me specifically to enable me to be patient with people and to endure difficult circumstances should release me to let go and enable Him do what I clearly cannot.
—Colossians 1:9-11
Having completed Job, our Sunday school class is now studying Colossians. Most of today’s discussion centered on the passage above. I was especially blessed by our discussion of verse 11. Our teacher, Jim, pointed out that the purpose for which we have been “strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might” is for “the attaining of all steadfastness and patience.” The ESV and NIV use the word “endurance” rather than steadfastness. Two members of the class who had notes in their Bibles indicated that the original Greek word for steadfastness/endurance refers to endurance in dealing with people, and the original Greek word for patience refers to patience in difficult circumstances.
What the passage is saying is that the power we have through Christ in us is for the purpose of demonstrating steadfastness/endurance and patience. Jim suggested that it seems like the power of God in us should be used for something seemingly more significant than in demonstrating patience with people and circumstances; but immediately, I realized that these are precisely the areas where I have the greatest struggles.
Because of said struggles, I am tremendously encouraged by this verse and the implications for my life. Knowing that the power of Christ is in me specifically to enable me to be patient with people and to endure difficult circumstances should release me to let go and enable Him do what I clearly cannot.
Friday, July 21, 2006
Mini Review: Pirates of the Caribbean Dead Man’s Chest
I receive a weekly movie newsletter from Christianity Today, and having glanced over last week’s issue, I vaguely remember a statement saying that Christian reviewers were giving Pirates favorable reviews. Now that I’ve seen the movie I understand why. The film makes it clear that there will be a judgment, and that judgment is something to dread. It also demonstrates that there are two choices in life: bondage to Satan and death, as in Colossians 3:3. I doubt whether the writers intended to show this, but it’s there. There are also discussions about truthfulness, courage, and having a “moral center.” And there are demonstrations of sacrificial love.
Hollywood loves to make statements on issues, and Pirates makes its indictment against corporate greed and the operations of multinational corporations via presenting the unscrupulous activities of East India Trading Company—arguably the world’s first MNC. EITC is presented as being more powerful than even the King of England in its quest to rule the seas.
My husband and I have been amazed at how Pirates has been marketed to young children. McDonald’s Happy Meals are promoting the film, and at Disney World, we saw massive amounts of Pirates merchandise designed for little ones. This is NOT a film for young children. It is frightening, violent, grotesque, and at times, sensual; and for all of its positive attributes, it does include black magic and the now ubiquitous English version of the “f” word, which Americans still don’t seem to get and subsequently see as offensive. (If you don’t know what word I’m talking about, email me, and I’ll tell you.)
Pirates is entertaining fun with a fundamentally Christian world view appropiate for adults and teenagers . I should warn you that the film leaves you hanging at the end. The third and final installment of the series is being filmed right now, and it is scheduled to be released next year. If you didn’t see the first Pirates movie or if you have forgotten most of it, as I had, you will want to rent it before seeing part two so you can keep up with what is going on. It can be hard to follow at times.
That’s my two cents worth.
Hollywood loves to make statements on issues, and Pirates makes its indictment against corporate greed and the operations of multinational corporations via presenting the unscrupulous activities of East India Trading Company—arguably the world’s first MNC. EITC is presented as being more powerful than even the King of England in its quest to rule the seas.
My husband and I have been amazed at how Pirates has been marketed to young children. McDonald’s Happy Meals are promoting the film, and at Disney World, we saw massive amounts of Pirates merchandise designed for little ones. This is NOT a film for young children. It is frightening, violent, grotesque, and at times, sensual; and for all of its positive attributes, it does include black magic and the now ubiquitous English version of the “f” word, which Americans still don’t seem to get and subsequently see as offensive. (If you don’t know what word I’m talking about, email me, and I’ll tell you.)
Pirates is entertaining fun with a fundamentally Christian world view appropiate for adults and teenagers . I should warn you that the film leaves you hanging at the end. The third and final installment of the series is being filmed right now, and it is scheduled to be released next year. If you didn’t see the first Pirates movie or if you have forgotten most of it, as I had, you will want to rent it before seeing part two so you can keep up with what is going on. It can be hard to follow at times.
That’s my two cents worth.
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Lessons from Orlando
Right now, it seems downright ridiculous to me that going into the trip to Orlando my primary concern was the weather. It never occurred to me that I would have to deal with a rebellious attitude in my firstborn son. His distressing behavior manifested itself in three areas: (1) Talking back. Constantly. (2) Questioning every directive. (3) Expecting all activities to revolve around his desires. Perhaps you’re thinking this behavior sounds normal? My son is five. Not yet in Kindergarten. I expected this at thirteen, not five.
This phase (I hope) in my son’s conduct is especially troubling to me for two reasons. First, my son has always been a very good child by anyone’s standard. His current conduct often seems that of a whole other person. He isn’t himself. I have on several occasions stopped what I was doing and prayed against the work of the enemy in him because he seemed downright possessed.
The second cause for distress is what my experience with my son is teaching me about myself. Observing his conduct and feeling my reaction to it have been an ongoing opportunity for the Holy Spirit to reveal to me my own rebellious tendencies, how my rebellion makes God feel, and why I need to be disciplined. For someone who already has a tendency to beat herself up over her sin (another vestige of my Arminian past), this has been very hard to take.
In addition to the trouble with my son, I severely underestimated the importance to my emotional well-being of the two hours to myself I usually have daily from around 9:00 pm to 11:00 pm. My husband is an early riser, and I am a night owl. I make myself go to bed around 11:00 because I know that is what I have to do to get adequate rest. The time I have to myself each night while the house is quiet and still is very important to me, but I had no idea how important it was until I went without it for four days straight. Four people in a standard hotel room—two of whom are five and two—does not a “vacation” make.
All of this emotional stress, and I had been concerned about the weather! It was very good, by the way. Lower nineties. Moderate humidity. Afternoon thundershowers to cool things off. Couldn’t have been better by July in Florida standards. Thank you for your prayers!
My husband spent some time researching the best strategy for tackling Disney World, and his work paid off. We arrived when the park opened at 9:00, and everyone was ready to go by 2:00 when the afternoon thunderstorms were approaching. We never stood in line for more than ten minutes. The kids enjoyed the Magic Kingdom, but I think they would have been just as happy to have spent the morning at the hotel pool. This is no ordinary pool—big shallow area for small children, slide, fountains, lazy river. I highly recommend the hotel. It’s not on the Disney property, but it takes ten minutes max to get to the Magic Kingdom parking lot.
As usual, I am glad to be home. Returning from traveling regardless of the circumstances always makes me thankful for my home. I still have a lot to think and pray about regarding what I learned, but for now, I must do laundry.
This phase (I hope) in my son’s conduct is especially troubling to me for two reasons. First, my son has always been a very good child by anyone’s standard. His current conduct often seems that of a whole other person. He isn’t himself. I have on several occasions stopped what I was doing and prayed against the work of the enemy in him because he seemed downright possessed.
The second cause for distress is what my experience with my son is teaching me about myself. Observing his conduct and feeling my reaction to it have been an ongoing opportunity for the Holy Spirit to reveal to me my own rebellious tendencies, how my rebellion makes God feel, and why I need to be disciplined. For someone who already has a tendency to beat herself up over her sin (another vestige of my Arminian past), this has been very hard to take.
In addition to the trouble with my son, I severely underestimated the importance to my emotional well-being of the two hours to myself I usually have daily from around 9:00 pm to 11:00 pm. My husband is an early riser, and I am a night owl. I make myself go to bed around 11:00 because I know that is what I have to do to get adequate rest. The time I have to myself each night while the house is quiet and still is very important to me, but I had no idea how important it was until I went without it for four days straight. Four people in a standard hotel room—two of whom are five and two—does not a “vacation” make.
All of this emotional stress, and I had been concerned about the weather! It was very good, by the way. Lower nineties. Moderate humidity. Afternoon thundershowers to cool things off. Couldn’t have been better by July in Florida standards. Thank you for your prayers!
My husband spent some time researching the best strategy for tackling Disney World, and his work paid off. We arrived when the park opened at 9:00, and everyone was ready to go by 2:00 when the afternoon thunderstorms were approaching. We never stood in line for more than ten minutes. The kids enjoyed the Magic Kingdom, but I think they would have been just as happy to have spent the morning at the hotel pool. This is no ordinary pool—big shallow area for small children, slide, fountains, lazy river. I highly recommend the hotel. It’s not on the Disney property, but it takes ten minutes max to get to the Magic Kingdom parking lot.
As usual, I am glad to be home. Returning from traveling regardless of the circumstances always makes me thankful for my home. I still have a lot to think and pray about regarding what I learned, but for now, I must do laundry.
Thursday, July 13, 2006
On Vacation…So to Speak
We are leaving Saturday to go to Orlando. Yes, I know. Orlando. In July. Sounds refreshing, doesn’t it? Especially since I already endure near 100 degree temperatures on a regular basis during the summer months.
My husband is participating in a yearly professional conference that caters to families, so we are going along. This is our summer vacation as well. At least we are staying in a hotel. Last year, we rented a condo at the beach, which still required a certain amount of cooking, laundry, and keeping things picked up. A hotel is more like it. Of course, as I said last year, at this phase in my life, vacation is just a change of scenery. Not that it isn’t welcomed or appreciated. I’m just trying to be realistic.
I’m the type of person who is affected greatly by my expectations. If I expect something to be great, and it isn’t, I am usually terribly disappointed. However, if I expect something to be unpleasant (such as Orlando in July), and it turns out to be fun… You understand.
Anyway, I will not be posting for at least a week. When I return, I expect to be able to post a treatise on how Orlando in July is evidence supporting unconditional election. If salvation were up to humans, surely such a foretaste of hell would send people running to Jesus.
My husband is participating in a yearly professional conference that caters to families, so we are going along. This is our summer vacation as well. At least we are staying in a hotel. Last year, we rented a condo at the beach, which still required a certain amount of cooking, laundry, and keeping things picked up. A hotel is more like it. Of course, as I said last year, at this phase in my life, vacation is just a change of scenery. Not that it isn’t welcomed or appreciated. I’m just trying to be realistic.
I’m the type of person who is affected greatly by my expectations. If I expect something to be great, and it isn’t, I am usually terribly disappointed. However, if I expect something to be unpleasant (such as Orlando in July), and it turns out to be fun… You understand.
Anyway, I will not be posting for at least a week. When I return, I expect to be able to post a treatise on how Orlando in July is evidence supporting unconditional election. If salvation were up to humans, surely such a foretaste of hell would send people running to Jesus.
Feeling Guilty About Quiet Time?
I'm sure most of my Reformed friends out there read Challies.com, but for those of you who do not, I MUST direct you to one of this week's posts: "The Tyranny of Quiet Time." You must also read the article referenced: "Freedom from Quiet Time Guilt."
"Freedom from Quiet Time Guilt" dovetails nicely with what I learned reading and reflecting on The Papa Prayer (see below). And I am especially prone to thinking things aren't going well because of what I have or haven't done—vestiges of my Arminian past.
Read these posts and be encouraged in your relationship with God.
"Freedom from Quiet Time Guilt" dovetails nicely with what I learned reading and reflecting on The Papa Prayer (see below). And I am especially prone to thinking things aren't going well because of what I have or haven't done—vestiges of my Arminian past.
Read these posts and be encouraged in your relationship with God.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Book Review: The Papa Prayer
If you have read the “100 Things About Me,” you may recall number two: I struggle with prayer. More than once in the past year I have described my prayer life as sending up orders to a cosmic short-order cook. So when I picked up a copy of The Papa Prayer by Larry Crabb and read through some passages, I only briefly questioned the voice in my head telling me I needed to buy the book. Of course, what better way to rationalize putting off actually praying than to read about improving your prayer life?
Apparently, not only am I not alone, but my experience seems to be common among believers. In fact, Crabb suggests that the reason I struggle with prayer is because I see my prayers as akin to placing orders with a cosmic short-order cook. He writes, "Most of us find our prayer lives dominated by asking God for things. For most of us, that’s what prayer is. Changing our minds about the point of prayer will be tough. The wrong idea is nearly universal and deeply imbedded in our thinking. But if we hold to it, if we keep on believing prayer is more about getting things than getting God, not only will we eventually get thoroughly confused when prayer doesn’t “work,” but talking to God will at some point feel boring as well, if we’re honest. … I’m starting to think that getting fed up with asking God for what we want is not such a bad thing. It prepares us for relational prayer."
When I read this passage I realized that my dissatisfaction with my prayer life was a result of my prayers being ultimately about me. Even when I use the ACTS approach (adoration, confession, thanksgiving, supplication), my motivation is to get to the “S.” The best thing about The Papa Prayer is Crabb’s consistent emphasis on what he calls “relational prayer”: "The chief purpose of prayer is to get to know God, to deepen our relationship with Him, to nourish the life of God He’s already placed within us, and to do it all to satisfy His desire for relationship with us."
Not that I didn’t basically know this already, but Crabb very effectively demonstrates how we can come to God as if we are pursuing Him when we are still ultimately pursuing our own interests. He says, "In this life, the feeling of satisfaction that comes when a marriage improves or a child turns back to God or…a ministry takes off feels stronger and brings more pleasure than our experience of God. We are foolish to dampen that pleasure, but we are in danger of living for it, of thinking that blessings from God satisfy our souls more deeply than God Himself."
The second aspect of the book I found to be beneficial was in the section on “purging yourself of anything that blocks your relationship with God.” Crabb believes that everything that is wrong in our lives is somehow related to what is going on in our primary relationships and that relational sin starts with fear. We don’t trust God to take care of us, so we attempt to take care of ourselves and subsequently sin against others. He gives some excellent examples of how this plays out in life.
In a nutshell, The Papa Prayer approach is as follows:
P: Present yourself to God authentically; be real with Him as you are with no one else.
A: Attend to how you are thinking of God, how you picture Him as you are talking to Him, and then modify your perception to fit who He tells you He is. (He directs us to Revelation chapter one for a proper view of God.)
P: Purge yourself of your relational faults by taking an inventory of how you put your interests ahead of His and getting rid of anything that blocks intimacy with Him.
A: Approach God just as you are, tuning into your passion to know Him and to honor Him above all others.
Herein lies my problem with Crabb’s approach. In elaborating on the first point, “present yourself to God” Crabb describes this step as finding your “red dot.” The point is to be honest with God about how you feel and where you are spiritually. I’ve been thinking about this for several days, and I can’t get beyond the conviction that my prayers shouldn’t begin with ME. Maybe it’s just that the ACTS approach has been drilled into me, but it seems appropriate to me to think about who you’re dealing with FIRST in order to get the proper perspective of yourself.
Two more warnings: (1) The first half of the book was somewhat boring to me as it seemed to be an extensive and repetitive introduction to the PAPA approach. (2) Crabb is a psychologist, and every now and then, he veers into what I call psychobabble. However, I am willing to admit that my sensitivity to this is probably a matter of personal taste as I am all about DOCTRINE. No touchy feely here.
Criticisms aside, I would recommend this book to anyone who struggles with prayer or who could simply use some instruction in praying. The substance of the book and the examples from Crabb’s practice are beneficial. However, I still intend to use the ACTS approach. And after reading the book, for all of its helpful content, I know that the only way my prayer life is going to improve is for me TO PRAY.
Apparently, not only am I not alone, but my experience seems to be common among believers. In fact, Crabb suggests that the reason I struggle with prayer is because I see my prayers as akin to placing orders with a cosmic short-order cook. He writes, "Most of us find our prayer lives dominated by asking God for things. For most of us, that’s what prayer is. Changing our minds about the point of prayer will be tough. The wrong idea is nearly universal and deeply imbedded in our thinking. But if we hold to it, if we keep on believing prayer is more about getting things than getting God, not only will we eventually get thoroughly confused when prayer doesn’t “work,” but talking to God will at some point feel boring as well, if we’re honest. … I’m starting to think that getting fed up with asking God for what we want is not such a bad thing. It prepares us for relational prayer."
When I read this passage I realized that my dissatisfaction with my prayer life was a result of my prayers being ultimately about me. Even when I use the ACTS approach (adoration, confession, thanksgiving, supplication), my motivation is to get to the “S.” The best thing about The Papa Prayer is Crabb’s consistent emphasis on what he calls “relational prayer”: "The chief purpose of prayer is to get to know God, to deepen our relationship with Him, to nourish the life of God He’s already placed within us, and to do it all to satisfy His desire for relationship with us."
Not that I didn’t basically know this already, but Crabb very effectively demonstrates how we can come to God as if we are pursuing Him when we are still ultimately pursuing our own interests. He says, "In this life, the feeling of satisfaction that comes when a marriage improves or a child turns back to God or…a ministry takes off feels stronger and brings more pleasure than our experience of God. We are foolish to dampen that pleasure, but we are in danger of living for it, of thinking that blessings from God satisfy our souls more deeply than God Himself."
The second aspect of the book I found to be beneficial was in the section on “purging yourself of anything that blocks your relationship with God.” Crabb believes that everything that is wrong in our lives is somehow related to what is going on in our primary relationships and that relational sin starts with fear. We don’t trust God to take care of us, so we attempt to take care of ourselves and subsequently sin against others. He gives some excellent examples of how this plays out in life.
In a nutshell, The Papa Prayer approach is as follows:
P: Present yourself to God authentically; be real with Him as you are with no one else.
A: Attend to how you are thinking of God, how you picture Him as you are talking to Him, and then modify your perception to fit who He tells you He is. (He directs us to Revelation chapter one for a proper view of God.)
P: Purge yourself of your relational faults by taking an inventory of how you put your interests ahead of His and getting rid of anything that blocks intimacy with Him.
A: Approach God just as you are, tuning into your passion to know Him and to honor Him above all others.
Herein lies my problem with Crabb’s approach. In elaborating on the first point, “present yourself to God” Crabb describes this step as finding your “red dot.” The point is to be honest with God about how you feel and where you are spiritually. I’ve been thinking about this for several days, and I can’t get beyond the conviction that my prayers shouldn’t begin with ME. Maybe it’s just that the ACTS approach has been drilled into me, but it seems appropriate to me to think about who you’re dealing with FIRST in order to get the proper perspective of yourself.
Two more warnings: (1) The first half of the book was somewhat boring to me as it seemed to be an extensive and repetitive introduction to the PAPA approach. (2) Crabb is a psychologist, and every now and then, he veers into what I call psychobabble. However, I am willing to admit that my sensitivity to this is probably a matter of personal taste as I am all about DOCTRINE. No touchy feely here.
Criticisms aside, I would recommend this book to anyone who struggles with prayer or who could simply use some instruction in praying. The substance of the book and the examples from Crabb’s practice are beneficial. However, I still intend to use the ACTS approach. And after reading the book, for all of its helpful content, I know that the only way my prayer life is going to improve is for me TO PRAY.
Sunday, July 09, 2006
Seven Lessons from Job
God cares more about our faith than our pleasure.
—Philip Yancey on Job in The Bible Jesus Read
Our Sunday school class finished our discussion of Job last week. I can’t remember when we started the study, but it has taken some months, and about two-thirds of the way through the book I told my husband that I was sick of Job’s friends. However, my enthusiasm returned at the end of the book, and now I want to reflect on what I learned—or what I already knew that was reinforced.
I. God is sovereign.
No surprise that a “grace girl” would start here, is it? Job presents a concise picture of God’s sovereignty by showing us God’s involvement in and intimate acquaintance with the life of one of His children, and it demonstrates God’s power in the creation and maintenance of His world. One can rightly conclude from Job that nothing happens that isn’t either initiated or permitted by God. Which is reinforced by and leads to my next point…
II. There are things going on in the spiritual realm that we cannot begin to contemplate.
I really don’t like to think too much about the implications for my life of Job 1:8 when God asks Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job?” …Have you considered my servant, Katy? However, as frightening as it may be to consider that God may initiate incredible hardship in our lives to accomplish His purposes, we should find comfort in the knowledge that He allows these things to happen because He has confidence in us. He knows we will endure because of the work He has done and will do in us.
III. It is never about us.
Bad theology reigns supreme in this world and even throughout the church. The philosophy that what we do or don’t do results in either good or bad things happening to us is the primary mode of thinking, and it is NOT Biblical. This thinking is why Job’s friends couldn’t get away from the conviction that Job had committed some sin to kindle the wrath of God against him. God’s wrath is ultimately kindled against Job’s friends because “you have not spoken of Me what is right as My servant Job has.” (Job 42:7) Of course, we will reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7) and we can expect to be disciplined by God for sin (Hebrews 12:4-11), but the ultimate reality of our lives is not based on our actions but on God’s purposes.
IV. Creation is primary evidence for the existence, power, and provision of God.
When God speaks to Job (beginning in chapter 38), He focuses on His creation. This makes me think of Romans 1: 19-20:
…that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.
V. The presence of God satisfies all of our questions.
Up until chapter 38 when God speaks to Job, he repeatedly asks for an audience with God. Understandably, in light of his humanity and his bad theology, Job wants an answer as to why such bad things could happen to someone who is “blameless” (Job 1:8). After God responds in chapters 38 and 39, Job has this to say in chapter 40 (v. 4-5):
Behold, I am insignificant; what can I reply to You?
I lay my hand on my mouth.
Once I have spoken, and I will not answer;
Even twice, and I will add nothing more.
VI. We can only begin to have the proper perspective of ourselves when we see ourselves as God’s servant.
God refers to Job as his servant (1:8) at the outset of the narrative, and he reaffirms Job’s status at the end (42:7-8). The Hebrew word “ebed” used here denotes bondage. The New Testament makes our position even clearer in I Corinthians 6:19-20:
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body.
VII. The restoration of Job’s fortune is not the point of the story. His knowing God is.
In a world filled with proponents of a prosperity gospel, there is a tendency to want to focus on the end of the book of Job and the restoration of Job’s fortune. However, (and this is speculation on my part, but I believe it is enlightened speculation) I believe if you were to ask Job, he would say that the highlight of his experience was coming face to face with God and knowing Him in a way he had not known him before. As another servant, Paul (who lost much from the world’s standpoint), wrote in Philippians 3:8:
More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ.
—Philip Yancey on Job in The Bible Jesus Read
Our Sunday school class finished our discussion of Job last week. I can’t remember when we started the study, but it has taken some months, and about two-thirds of the way through the book I told my husband that I was sick of Job’s friends. However, my enthusiasm returned at the end of the book, and now I want to reflect on what I learned—or what I already knew that was reinforced.
I. God is sovereign.
No surprise that a “grace girl” would start here, is it? Job presents a concise picture of God’s sovereignty by showing us God’s involvement in and intimate acquaintance with the life of one of His children, and it demonstrates God’s power in the creation and maintenance of His world. One can rightly conclude from Job that nothing happens that isn’t either initiated or permitted by God. Which is reinforced by and leads to my next point…
II. There are things going on in the spiritual realm that we cannot begin to contemplate.
I really don’t like to think too much about the implications for my life of Job 1:8 when God asks Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job?” …Have you considered my servant, Katy? However, as frightening as it may be to consider that God may initiate incredible hardship in our lives to accomplish His purposes, we should find comfort in the knowledge that He allows these things to happen because He has confidence in us. He knows we will endure because of the work He has done and will do in us.
III. It is never about us.
Bad theology reigns supreme in this world and even throughout the church. The philosophy that what we do or don’t do results in either good or bad things happening to us is the primary mode of thinking, and it is NOT Biblical. This thinking is why Job’s friends couldn’t get away from the conviction that Job had committed some sin to kindle the wrath of God against him. God’s wrath is ultimately kindled against Job’s friends because “you have not spoken of Me what is right as My servant Job has.” (Job 42:7) Of course, we will reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7) and we can expect to be disciplined by God for sin (Hebrews 12:4-11), but the ultimate reality of our lives is not based on our actions but on God’s purposes.
IV. Creation is primary evidence for the existence, power, and provision of God.
When God speaks to Job (beginning in chapter 38), He focuses on His creation. This makes me think of Romans 1: 19-20:
…that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.
V. The presence of God satisfies all of our questions.
Up until chapter 38 when God speaks to Job, he repeatedly asks for an audience with God. Understandably, in light of his humanity and his bad theology, Job wants an answer as to why such bad things could happen to someone who is “blameless” (Job 1:8). After God responds in chapters 38 and 39, Job has this to say in chapter 40 (v. 4-5):
Behold, I am insignificant; what can I reply to You?
I lay my hand on my mouth.
Once I have spoken, and I will not answer;
Even twice, and I will add nothing more.
VI. We can only begin to have the proper perspective of ourselves when we see ourselves as God’s servant.
God refers to Job as his servant (1:8) at the outset of the narrative, and he reaffirms Job’s status at the end (42:7-8). The Hebrew word “ebed” used here denotes bondage. The New Testament makes our position even clearer in I Corinthians 6:19-20:
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body.
VII. The restoration of Job’s fortune is not the point of the story. His knowing God is.
In a world filled with proponents of a prosperity gospel, there is a tendency to want to focus on the end of the book of Job and the restoration of Job’s fortune. However, (and this is speculation on my part, but I believe it is enlightened speculation) I believe if you were to ask Job, he would say that the highlight of his experience was coming face to face with God and knowing Him in a way he had not known him before. As another servant, Paul (who lost much from the world’s standpoint), wrote in Philippians 3:8:
More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ.
Saturday, July 08, 2006
Read Widely and Think Carefully
Why Christians shouldn't limit themselves to "Christian books":
*"whereby we seek and find confirmatory evidence in support of already existing beliefs and ignore or reinterpret disconfirmatory evidence"
—Scientific American
The reality of confirmation bias* and its threat to intellectual integrity is one reason that Christian thinkers must read widely and think carefully. We must not limit ourselves to reading material from those who agree with us, fellow Christians who share a common worldview and perspective. Instead, we have to "read the opposition" as well -- and read opposing viewpoints with fairness and care.
This does not come easily, but Christians bear a particular responsibility to be watchful for confirmation bias and its effects.
Dr. Albert Mohler, "Confirmation Bias in a Fallen World"
*"whereby we seek and find confirmatory evidence in support of already existing beliefs and ignore or reinterpret disconfirmatory evidence"
—Scientific American
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
True Freedom
So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed in Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
John 8:31-32
What makes you free? Knowing the truth.
Who knows the truth? Disciples of Jesus.
How do you know a true disciple of Jesus? A true disciple continues in the Word.
The Greek word for “continues” is “meno”, and it is defined as follows:
I. to remain, abide
A. in reference to place
1. to sojourn, tarry
2. not to depart
a. to continue to be present
b. to be held, kept, continually
B. in reference to time
1. to continue to be, not to perish, to last, endure
a. of persons, to survive, live
C. in reference to state or condition
1. to remain as one, not to become another or different
II. to wait for, await one
Meno is the same word Jesus uses in John 15 when he describes Himself as the true vine and instructs His followers, the branches, to abide in Him. Therefore, to know the truth, the follower of Jesus must abide in Him.
Placing one’s faith in Christ sets one free from eternal punishment, but only by abiding in Christ can we know the truth and be free in this life. Paul makes the reality of a choice clear in Galatians 5:1 when he writes: “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.” From this we can conclude that we can choose to abide in Christ, know the truth, and be free or we can choose to subject ourselves to a yoke of slavery. The yoke of slavery Paul is referring to in Galatians is legalism.
When one is abiding in Christ, He is being led by the Holy Spirit, so there is no need to resort to a list of rules and regulations to know how to live. The Spirit of Christ will not direct the believer to do anything in conflict with God's word. Galatians 5:18 says, “But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”
The tendency to live by rules and regulations and to attempt to obtain one’s righteousness from them is manifested by those who do not abide in Christ, who do not have a relationship with Him. According to Paul, people who live this way are in bondage. In Galatians 3:1 he asks the question: “Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?”
Paul is talking to Christians. He is saying, you were saved as a result of the work of the Holy Spirit. Now that you are saved, are you going to sanctify yourself by attempting to keep the law? That’s foolish. Just as you were unable to save yourself, you are unable to sanctify yourself. Only the Spirit can do that.
And He does it when you abide in Christ.
Happy Independence Day.
John 8:31-32
What makes you free? Knowing the truth.
Who knows the truth? Disciples of Jesus.
How do you know a true disciple of Jesus? A true disciple continues in the Word.
The Greek word for “continues” is “meno”, and it is defined as follows:
I. to remain, abide
A. in reference to place
1. to sojourn, tarry
2. not to depart
a. to continue to be present
b. to be held, kept, continually
B. in reference to time
1. to continue to be, not to perish, to last, endure
a. of persons, to survive, live
C. in reference to state or condition
1. to remain as one, not to become another or different
II. to wait for, await one
Meno is the same word Jesus uses in John 15 when he describes Himself as the true vine and instructs His followers, the branches, to abide in Him. Therefore, to know the truth, the follower of Jesus must abide in Him.
Placing one’s faith in Christ sets one free from eternal punishment, but only by abiding in Christ can we know the truth and be free in this life. Paul makes the reality of a choice clear in Galatians 5:1 when he writes: “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.” From this we can conclude that we can choose to abide in Christ, know the truth, and be free or we can choose to subject ourselves to a yoke of slavery. The yoke of slavery Paul is referring to in Galatians is legalism.
When one is abiding in Christ, He is being led by the Holy Spirit, so there is no need to resort to a list of rules and regulations to know how to live. The Spirit of Christ will not direct the believer to do anything in conflict with God's word. Galatians 5:18 says, “But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”
The tendency to live by rules and regulations and to attempt to obtain one’s righteousness from them is manifested by those who do not abide in Christ, who do not have a relationship with Him. According to Paul, people who live this way are in bondage. In Galatians 3:1 he asks the question: “Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?”
Paul is talking to Christians. He is saying, you were saved as a result of the work of the Holy Spirit. Now that you are saved, are you going to sanctify yourself by attempting to keep the law? That’s foolish. Just as you were unable to save yourself, you are unable to sanctify yourself. Only the Spirit can do that.
And He does it when you abide in Christ.
Happy Independence Day.
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