Farewell to David

“Then David said to the whole assembly, ‘Praise the LORD your God.’ So they all praised the LORD, the God of their fathers; they bowed low and fell prostrate before the LORD and the king.” - 1 Chronicles 29:20 (NIV)

I finished reading 1 Chronicles today and have spent some time thinking about this 29th and last chapter. It serves as a fitting conclusion to the life of King David, and is a bit of contrast to the description of the end of his life that’s given to us in 1 Kings. In that account, David appears to be a shell of himself, shivering cold and under constant care as he prepares to die. In some ways, 1 Chronicles seems like the edited, made-for-TV version of David’s life, compared to the “director’s cut” version we get in 1 & 2 Samuel. Most of David’s sins and errors are glossed over in 1 Chronicles, but I think this 29th chapter portrays the true heart of this great man of God.

I’m not sure who said this exactly, but I’ve heard it said of David that “he was a great sinner, but also a great repenter”. And we have the Psalms to back up that statement. But there are several things that are clear at the end of his life. David finished his life well. Unlike his son and successor Solomon, David stayed close to God until the end. I love his prayer in this chapter. He also has a heartfelt appreciation for the generous and cheerful giving of the people to the building of the temple. David was a true leader. And although he was rich with money and power, he never forgot where the source of all of his blessings came from:

“But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.” (1 Chr. 29:14)

When you think of the fate of many of the kings that followed him on the throne, and how several were killed while on the throne and otherwise ruled in a wicked manner, it’s quite a different scene here. Although I’ve read these accounts several times now, I’m always a bit sad to see men like David exit the stage. His death was clearly the end of a great era in Old Testament days. A flawed man for sure, but a great man of prayer, faithfulness and devotion to God.

Receiving Power

“How do we ‘receive power’ ? It is the fruit not merely of book learning but of Christ fellowshiping – being more with Him, engaging in serious intercession in His name, meditating more on His glories. Perhaps in our much studying and discussing we have lost the biblical art of ‘waiting’ and are all too prone to run ahead when the Spirit has not sent us with His anointing.”

- Sinclair Ferguson, from In Christ Alone, p. 95

The Half of It

As I’ve mentioned before, I think one of the great things about the blogging community is the “trails” you find yourself on. You click on a friend’s blog, which leads to a comment on another blog that you might not have known about. From there, you find an inspiring post or a book or music recommendation. It seems like a community of never-ending branches.

Well, we’re now a little past the halfway point of this year and I thought it would be a good idea to see what others out there have been reading and what you have on your lists for the rest of 2009. If you can, let me know the following:

1) Best book(s) you’ve read the first half of this year ?
2) What book(s) you’re reading now ?
3) What’s on your reading list for the second half of ‘09 ?
4) Also, just curious where you are in your Bible reading these days ?

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Here’s my list so far….

1) My favorite book of the year’s first half is probably Victorious Christian Living: Studies in the Book of Joshua by Alan Redpath. A very convicting read and the first book I’ve read of his. I then went ahead and bought two more of his books, one on Nehemiah and another on 2nd Corinthians.

2) I’m currently reading The Holy Spirit by John Owen.

3) I’ve read three titles from the Puritan Paperbacks series and have found great help in all of them. So I decided to splurge and bought eleven more of them from WTSBooks. I’m planning on alternating a newer book with a Puritan Paperback as I go along.

Emily over at A Sacrifice of Praise gave a glowing recommendation to Paul Tripp’s A Shelter in the Time of Storm: Meditations on God and Trouble. I’ll probably read that next after I finish the John Owen book.

4) I’m following the Discipleship Journal Bible Reading Plan this year and am currently in 1 Chronicles, Psalms, Colossians and Luke.

I’d love to hear your lists and recommendations if you have time

Time Management

Today is another one of those days that has left me wondering where the time has gone. I’m taking two courses this semester (a shortened summer semester) in my MLS program and have really felt the time crunch over the last month or so. Not so much in a stressful way, just in a wondering where the hours have gone way. I’ve asked God often to manage my day in such a way that’s pleasing to Him and allows me to focus on the important things that need to be done. I’ve seen others suggest that it’s a good idea to write down or make a chart of what you’re spending your time in every day, but I’m afraid that I’d find too much of the chart filled with Internet and TV…

With that in mind, I was reading J.C. Ryle’s commentary on Luke 8 this morning and he offered some thoughts on this particular issue. And as always, he points to the example of our Lord and Savior.

Here’s Bishop Ryle:

“Let the diligence of Christ be an example to all Christians. Let us follow in His steps, however far we may come short of His perfection. Like Him, let us labor to do good in our day and generation, and to leave the world a better world than we found it. It is not for nothing that the Scripture says expressly- ‘He that abides in him ought himself also so to walk even as he walked.’ (1 John 2:6.)

Time is undoubtedly short. But much is to be done with time, if it is well economized and properly arranged. Few have an idea how much can be done in twelve hours, if men will stick to their business and avoid idleness and frivolity. Then let us, like our Lord, be diligent, and ‘redeem the time’.”

Solomon Said It Well

“He who finds a wife finds a good thing
and obtains favor from the Lord.” – Proverbs 18:22 (ESV)

Amy and I celebrate our second wedding anniversary today. What a wonderful two years of marriage it’s been. Thank you sweetheart…I am so blessed to be your husband

death is not dying

Last Thursday, Rachel Barkey passed away after battling terminal cancer. She was 37 and leaves behind a husband and two small children. I first heard of her story a few months ago and watched a talk that she gave back in March to a group from her church. She titled her talk, “Death Is Not Dying: A Faith That Saves”. I was so profoundly impacted by the speech she gave and have shared it with several friends and family. She was a great woman of faith and a shining example for all of us as she fought her disease. I’ve prayed often for her in these last couple of months and will continue to pray for her family…

If you can, set aside the time to watch her speech by clicking below. You will not regret the 55 minutes you spend doing so.

Death is not Dying from Rachel Barkey on Vimeo.

The Snare Is Broken

“We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped!” – Psalm 124:7 (ESV)

Reading through Psalms 123 and 124 this morning, I stopped for a bit at the verse above. What a hopeful Psalm this is from David. In his life, he had been caught in the snare of adultery (with Bathsheba) and faced jealousy (from Saul). In the early part of Psalm 124, he gives images of being swept away by floods and torrents of water. But he rejoices in the fact that God is on his side and has delivered him. There is much here for us to be thankful for as well. For those who have put their faith in Christ, we have escaped from the snare of Satan by the blood that Jesus shed for us on the Cross. We are able to echo Paul’s words to the Romans, in that we have now been freed from sin, hell and condemnation.

This is the treasure of God’s Word. After spending most of June reading through Psalm 119, it may have been easy for me to skim over the smaller Psalms that follow without the same thought and meditation on the great truths they also contain. But instead I rejoice with David today that God has delivered me as well !

Grateful For The Word

“I am grateful for the Word of God as a source of comfort, hope, joy, worship, and praise. I am also grateful for the Word of God as a penetrating, convicting, discerning sword that doesn’t let me get away with anything. As I expose my life to the Word of God, my sin is revealed. When sin is revealed it can be dealt with. It is that kind of cleansing that makes me able to bear more fruit, to my own joy and to the glory of God.”

- John MacArthur, from The Heart of The Bible, p. 15

The Life I Now Live

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” - Galatians 2:20 (ESV)

Heavenly Father, thank you. Today is two years that I’ve been born again. Thank you for your saving grace. I know there is nothing of my own that makes this possible. That’s hard for me to remember at times, because I feel I disappoint you in so many ways and try to make up for it by “doing good”. I try many days to make myself more “acceptable” to You, and don’t always remember the cry of Your Son, who said “It is finished”. My sin of pride gets in the way of that Father, and I’m sorry. You have given me so much and I get discouraged that I don’t walk in the manner that you’ve called me to. There are days that I’m so disgusted with my sin that I just want to stop. But I’m comforted by the words of Paul, who said to the church in Philippi – “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” These forgetful times make me realize how much I need Your Word, and how I’m completely lost in this life without it. Please continue to keep that hunger for Your Word in me at all times, Father.

Father, you have given me so, so much. A wonderful, patient and loving wife who I feel most days I don’t deserve. Do I love her each day as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her ? Sadly, no. Help me to do this Father. I’m frustrated by how poorly I treat her at times Father. I need your help every day to be the kind of husband you called me to be.

There is so much more to thank you for today, and my small mind will of course forget most of it. But thank you for my family and friends and for brothers and sisters (in-person and online !) who have strengthened me in my knowledge of You and have encouraged and helped me. It’s a great blessing to know them and thank you for placing them in my life. I feel so weighted down by my sins at times Father. And there are days when I wrongly feel alone and need to remember with David that no matter where I am, “even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.” Please take me by your right hand and turn me towards the Cross. I confess I lose sight of it at times.

Thank you again for Your saving grace Father. Thank you for the Holy Spirit. And thank you for Your Son, “who loved me and gave himself for me.” Please help me to live a life that honors You and is pleasing to You. Help me today Father. What an unspeakable joy it is to know You !

I love you and pray these things in Jesus’ Name.

Amen.

The World Jesus Knew

I just finished reading a book that was recommended by my friend Pastor Bill, called The World Jesus Knew by Anne Punton. I’ve grown more and more curious over these last couple of years about what daily life was like some 2,000 years ago, when our Savior “dwelt among us”. This book by Punton is for those who are curious too.

In just under 200 pages, Punton gives a thoroughly interesting account of what life entailed back then. She devotes 16 chapters to topics like the clothes that were worn, the prayers Jesus prayed, the synagogue he attended, the language He spoke, and many others. For example, there is a detailed explanation of the winnowing fork that’s mentioned in the Gospels, and what practical purpose it served for agriculture during that time. There’s also this explanation of the “locusts” that John the Baptist ate:

“The word usually translated as locust probably referred to something entirely different from the grasshopper-like insect. Many commentators think it was the common carob pod…It grows on a low tree and, being wild and plentiful, the poor gathered it for food. The pod is very nutritious.”

Here’s another example that Punton cites on the importance of cleanliness, from Luke 8:

“The woman who touched the hem of Jesus’ robe had permanent bleeding. The extreme ritual contagiousness of her state highlights the enormity of her act in grasping the fringes of the prayer shawl, the most holy part of a holy man’s clothes.”

Throughout Punton’s book, the emphasis is on getting her readers to understand the Jewish culture in all aspects of daily living of the time period, and as a result, hopes to give us a greater appreciation for the background of the events and traditions that we’ve read so many times in the Bible. And she really succeeds. The edition I have of the book has many photos and illustrations as well, which help with some of the practices she talks about. I’d recommend this book to anyone who is interested and curious about the time period when our Lord lived on the Earth. Thanks to Pastor Bill for the recommendation !

The Music of Heaven

“The best possible praise is that which proceeds from men who honor God, not only with their lips, but in their lives. We learn the music of heaven in the school of holy living. He whose life honors the Lord is sure to be a man of praise.”

- Charles H. Spurgeon, from The Golden Alphabet, p. 294

The Absence of Prayer

“Let your heart therefore be wholly true to the Lord our God, walking in his statutes and keeping his commandments, as at this day.” - 1 Kings 8:61 (ESV)

The above verse is one of my favorites in the Old Testament and the culmination of a great benediction by King Solomon. In the first eight chapters in fact of 1 Kings we see some shining examples of prayer by Solomon. He asks for wisdom from God as he takes the throne in 1 Kings 3, which greatly pleases God, and then Solomon continues by blessing God in the early part of 1 Kings 8 all the way through his exhortation to the Israelites to remain faithful to God near the end of this chapter. But after that, the Bible is silent on Solomon’s prayer life…

Although Solomon had not asked for riches or wealth from God, it pleased God to give Solomon both during his life. “I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days.” (1 Kings 3:13). But it seemed that after his great prayers and pleadings in chapter 8, something turned within Solomon’s heart. He gets a visit from Queen Sheba in chapter 10, who had heard of Solomon’s greatness and had to come witness it for herself. During her visit, the Queen tells Solomon, “Your wisdom and prosperity surpass the report that I heard.” (1 Kings 10:7). I wonder if it was at this point that Solomon turned from focusing on wisdom to focusing on his prosperity ? He is then visited by many other people from all over, who bring him expensive gifts and Solomon collects large quantities of gold and thousands of horses and chariots. Obviously his housing was not small either. Then in chapter 11, he makes another wrong turn by marrying foreign women. And nowhere in these last chapters of his life do we find accounts of his prayers. The absence of prayer in Solomon’s life at the end speaks volumes.

One thing I am not for sure is a prayer warrior. This is a spiritual discipline that I’ve been particularly poor in during my short time as a Christian. Philippa over at Mental Reflection wrote an excellent post this week on this very same thing, and it kind of jogged my memory to go back and look at Solomon again. Similar to Philippa, I don’t know what the answer is. Is there a shortage of books on prayer ? No. Don’t we have great examples of prayer in the Bible to guide us ? Of course we do. John Piper says we should look at prayer as a “wartime walkie-talkie” to communicate with God. I like that analogy. But still, why is this so lacking in my own life ? Why is it so difficult ?

Solomon started out as a great man of prayer, with humble requests and seemingly constant communication with God. But “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16, NKJV) then seemed to get in his way. I need to take another good, hard look at what’s standing in the way between me and the constant communication with God that Solomon was such a model of early on as king.

Be Hopeful

“Hopeful men bring gladness with them. Despondent spirits spread the infection of depression, and hence few are glad to see them, while those whose hopes are grounded upon God’s word carry sunshine in their faces, and are welcomed by their fellows. When professors by their freezing words chill all hearts, the godly avoid their company. May this never be our character !”

- Charles H. Spurgeon, from The Golden Alphabet, p. 164

Spurgeon on Covetousness

“It is a degrading, groveling, hardening, deadening sin, which withers everything around it that is lovely and Christlike. He who is covetous is of the race of Judas, and will in all probability turn out to be himself a son of perdition. The crime of covetousness is common, but very few will confess it; for when a man heaps up gold in his heart, the dust of it blows into his eyes, and he cannot see his own fault.”

- Charles H. Spurgeon, from The Golden Alphabet, pp 95-96.

Ten2End

From my dear friends and the fine folks at Lemonade International. This is a most worthy cause:

We are three weeks away from the completion of our TEN2END Campaign… and at this point we have 40 people who have signed on to help us in our effort to END poverty, injustice, hopelessness, hunger and despair in La Limonada by taking action and giving TEN dollars a month. Our goal is to have 200 join the campaign by June 30… so as of today we are looking for 160 more.

Your gift of $10 each month is equivalent to one specialty cup of coffee per week… or about four gallons of gas…. or one movie ticket (without enough left over for a small popcorn).

But $10 is also equivalent to what it takes to feed two children at the schools in La Limonada for the entire month.

Would you help us in our work among the children of La Limonada? Here are some ways you can help…

• Join the TEN2END Campaign if you haven’t already – www.TEN2END.org
• Pass this email along to your friends
• Post the following as your Facebook and/or Twitter status: Join TEN2END today and help transform the lives of children in the urban slums of La Limonada in Guatemala City – http://TEN2END.org

Thanks for your love, compassion and support for the people of La Limonada!

- The Lemonade International Team

Drawn To Holiness

“It’s dangerous to assume that because a person is drawn to holiness in his study that he is thereby a holy man. There is irony here. I am sure that the reason I have a deep hunger to learn of the holiness of God is precisely because I am not holy. I am a profane man, a man who spends more time out of the temple than in it. But I have had just enough of a taste of the majesty of God to want more. I know what it means to be a forgiven man and what it means to be sent on a mission. My soul cries out for more. My soul needs more.”

- R.C. Sproul, from The Holiness of God, p. 50.

Walk The Talk

Last night, I had a long conversation with my dear friend Pastor Bill and we talked for a while about orthodoxy vs. orthopraxy (beliefs vs. behavior). I’ve been reflecting on that and how I feel that my walk doesn’t equal my talk very often. I’ve begun reading through Psalm 119 and right in the first verse of this great psalm, we are commanded to match these two up: “Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord!” That mismatch in my own life has caused me to be dejected at times. I really can’t pinpoint the one sin or failing in that regard (too many to count maybe ?) but just a general dejectedness. I often wonder why the sanctification process seems so much more like a “slow cooker than a microwave”, as someone once said.

In addition to Pastor Bill’s counsel and encouraging words, I’ve been going over Charles Spurgeon’s commentary on this verse today as well. Spurgeon ties the two things together beautifully, as he usually does.

Here’s Spurgeon:

“True religion is always practical, for it does not permit us to delight ourselves in a perfect rule without exciting in us a longing to be conformed to it in our daily lives. A blessing belongs to those who hear and read and understand the word of the Lord; yet is it a far greater blessing to be actually obedient to it, and to carry out in our walk and conversation what we learn in our searching of the Scriptures. Purity in our way and walk is the truest blessedness.”

Help For Reading The Psalms, Part II

From John Piper….

Help For Reading The Psalms

“No man needs better company than the Psalms…Oh, to be shut up in a cave with David, with no other occupation but to hear him sing, and to sing with him! Well might a Christian monarch lay aside his crown for such enjoyment, and a believing pauper find a crown in such felicity.” – Charles H. Spurgeon, from The Treasury of David

One area of the Bible that I’ve been focused on of late is the Wisdom Books, particularly Ecclesiastes (which our church recently finished a series on) and the Psalms. I confess that outside of the Bible, I really haven’t read any poetry since college (and those were required courses ). As much as I love reading them, the Psalms have always presented a challenge to me in getting the full benefit from them – what they say about God and ourselves, and how to apply them practically. So I started looking around at books that might help me to better understand this great book of the Bible, and recently came across Michael E. Travers’ Encountering God in the Psalms. This is quick review of it, which I just finished this week.

Dr. Travers states early on that, “The more we read the Psalms, the more we find that they contain every emotion we could ever experience. The psalms put our own deepest feelings into words, and when we read them we direct God’s words back to him” (p. 13). Travers then explains that if we’re to get the full meaning of the Psalms, we have to read them differently – as poetry and not as narrative (which I tend to forget at times). He then outlines the specific ways that poetry differs from other literature in the Bible:

1) Poetry communicates experience
2) The language of poetry is concentrated and heightened (less words but to great effect)
3) Poetry is consciously structured and patterned
4) Poetry uses figures of speech (similes, metaphors, personifications, etc.)

Dr. Travers then categorizes the Psalms into five different types or genres (Hymns, Laments, Royal Psalms, Thanksgiving Psalms, and Wisdom Psalms) and discusses what characteristics to look for in each. For example, Psalm 112 is a good example of a Wisdom Psalm, in that it contrasts the godly man (verses 2-9) with the ungodly man (verse 10), similar to what we often find in Proverbs.

Dr. Travers also encourages us to actively read the Psalms by asking questions of the Psalm. He gives these four as a basis when reading through a Psalm:

1) What is the overall effect of the Psalm ?
2) What is the structure of the Psalm ?
3) What are the figures of speech in the psalm, and what effects do they have ?
4) What are the themes and theology in the psalm ?

Dr. Travers then provides an application section (usually a few questions) after he analyzes the different psalms, which I found very helpful. He also has a chapter dealing with the often difficult Imprecatory Psalms, analyzing David’s Psalm 59. Dr. Travers also summarizes them in this way:

“The Imprecatory Psalms face us with the sobering reality that there are those who hate God and his grace in Jesus Christ. When we think of the price of our sin, the sacrifice of the sinless Son of God on the cross, we cannot impugn God’s justice in the Imprecatory Psalms. To find fault with God’s sovereignty tempts us to Satan’s sin and places us above God. The Imprecatory Psalms are an antidote to such presumption” (p. 238)

Dr. Travers’ book was a great eye-opener for me and has already helped in my reading of the Psalms. I would recommend this book to anyone who would like to get a better understanding of how to read them. Next week in my Bible reading plan, we begin a three-week stay at the “Mount Everest” of the Psalms – Psalm 119. I feel a little better equipped for the climb now

We Believe In Jesus

Spiritual Warfare

“The only possible attitude to out of control desire is a declaration of all-out war. I hear so many Christians murmuring about their imperfections and their addictions and their shortcomings. And I see so little war ! (murmur, murmur, murmur, why am I this way ?) MAKE WAR !”

- John Piper

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For the last several months or so, the subject of spiritual warfare has really been on my mind. Through Bible reading and other sources, I’ve been trying to get a better grip on what Satan is up to and how I can combat it. Two of my blogger friends recently highlighted this subject on their own sites. Amy Letinsky posted a great list of books that deal with Satan and demons a little while back, and she also pointed me in the direction of a series done by Mark Driscoll on spiritual warfare, which was very helpful. And Claire over at One Passion One Devotion just posted a video by John Piper that encourages us all to make war on the enemies that seem to drag us down so often. With that in mind, I set out to explore this in a little more detail.

I came across a book recently by one of the Puritans called Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices by Thomas Brooks. In this book, Brooks describes nearly 40 of Satan’s devices, or ways he attacks us, and answers that by providing us with over 170 “remedies” or methods to think of to counterattack. It also includes the most extensive table of contents I’ve ever seen, which is worth the price of the book alone as an outline. In addition, Brooks provides an appendix that includes ten “special helps” against Satan and also, he describes the characteristics of false teachers. There’s quite a bit here to chew on !

One section I found very helpful was what Brooks calls “Satan’s Devices to Keep Saints in a Sad, Doubting, Questioning & Uncomfortable Condition”. Brooks outlines how Satan may keep us in despair over our sin to the point that we become totally discouraged. Brooks explains why this is so dangerous – “He who minds not Christ more than his sin can never be thankful and fruitful as he should.” Brooks then takes it a step further and suggests that we need to repent of being this discouraged by sin, and again he tells us why – “Ah ! did precious souls know and believe the truth of these things as they should, they would not sit down dejected and overwhelmed under the sense and operation of sin. God never gave a believer a new heart that it should always lie a-bleeding, and that it should always be rent and torn in pieces with discouragements.”

Having said that, this is no feel-good book. Brooks warns his readers throughout of the seriousness of spiritual warfare. He pleads with us not to take temptation lightly – “To venture upon the occasion of sin, and then to pray, ‘Lead us not into temptation’, is as to thrust your finger into the fire, and then to pray that it might not be burnt.” And Brooks also encourages us to look at sin as we know we will look back on it hours from now, and then realize how much harder it is to repent than to have just steered clear of the temptation and sin to begin with. Brooks then provides us with this vivid picture if we decide to take his words lightly – “For to be tormented without end – this is that which goes beyond the bounds of all desperation. Ah, how do the thoughts of this make the damned to roar and cry out for unquietness of heart, and tear their hair, and gnash their teeth, and rage for madness, that they must dwell in ‘everlasting burnings’ forever !”

As you can tell, this is not light reading But it’s necessary reading. We all need to be on our watch constantly, to be aware of Satan’s schemes, for always “sin is crouching at the door”. Meditating on Ephesians 6:10-20 is of course a great place to start the battle against spiritual warfare. But this densely packed volume from Brooks would make a nice addition to your bookshelf and a great accessory to your spiritual armor.

* You can read this book for free online at Grace Gems here (print out that table of contents !), or download it as a PDF here. It’s also available from Amazon.

Showing Kindness

“And David said, ‘Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?’” - 2 Samuel 9:1 (ESV)

At this point in history, David is well established on the throne, and chapter 8 of 2nd Samuel has just detailed many of his victories as king. Between his family and his life as a king and warrior, David certainly had a full plate to keep him busy and his mind occupied. So I find it interesting that chapter 9 has David reaching back and remembering to the time before he was king, to think of Mephibosheth, the son of his dear friend Jonathan. David sends for Mephibosheth (who’s now crippled) and orders that he always be taken care of, and in addition, David lets Mephibosheth know that he always has a place at his table.

Is there someone out there who we haven’t spoken to in a while, who’s shown us great kindness in the past ? Someone we may have lost touch with ? Wouldn’t it be great to send them a note or email of thanks today ?

How Absurd

“They exchanged the glory of God for the image of an ox that eats grass.” – Psalm 106:20 (ESV)

Sometimes I read a verse in the Bible and then have to shift into reverse and go back and read it again, and then again. The above verse is one of those verses. Read it yourself and think for a bit about how ridiculous it is ! Here the psalmist is referring to the episode in Exodus 32, where Moses returns to find the golden calf / idol that Aaron, his very own brother, helped to build. Now the Israelites worshiped the calf, and in so doing, “exchanged the glory of God.” Moses then burned the calf and ground it into a powder, threw it on the water, and made the Israelites drink it. I’ll bet it didn’t taste like Kool-Aid going down.

The Israelites had become impatient with Moses’ absence, and begged Aaron to build them a god they could see or touch. One that was supposedly more near to them than the true living God. So they lost faith. But as Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians, “we walk by faith, not by sight” (5:7). Losing faith makes us prone to setting up false idols with a false sense of security, as the Israelites were guilty of in this episode.

So this verse is absurd to me…but it’s absurd mainly because I am guilty of the same patterns in my life at times. A good reminder today from the psalmist about how dangerous this is.

The Days Are Short

“In heaven’s name, I call on you to make your decision quickly, for the days are short. Do not sit under the ministry of the Word and trifle with God and play with New Testament holiness. The Church of the Lord Jesus Christ is not the place for you if you are not in earnest. We have too big a job to do, too big a challenge to face, for too soon the Lord will be here. Remember that Gideon got on better with three hundred men than with thirty thousand men. In Jesus’ name, I call on you, my dear worldly Christian, my dear man who is not right with God, to get to the Cross and get right with God.”

- Alan Redpath, from Victorious Christian Living: Studies in the Book of Joshua, p. 118

Identity

“A Christian’s deepest desire is now for God first, not sin. In fact, each time a Christian sins, he’s momentarily suffering from an identity crisis. When a Christian yields to temptation, he’s living contrary to who he really is; he’s being inconsistent with who he has been remade to be. He’s being deceived by the flesh to think that sin, not God, is what he wants most. But even in the most intense moments of temptation, a Christian desires God more deeply than sin.”

- Tullian Tchividjian, from Unfashionable: Making a Difference in the World By Being Different, pgs. 141-142

The True Dignity

“It would be well if, in the spirit of humility, we recognized the true dignity of our regenerated nature, and lived up to it…Let the dignity of your nature, and the brightness of your prospects, O believers in Christ, constrain you to cleave unto holiness, and to avoid the very appearance of evil.”

- Charles H. Spurgeon, from Morning & Evening (taken from evening reading for May 4)

Espresso Book Machine

I guess I’m a little late in hearing about this, but this sounds pretty cool. The Espresso Book Machine has now launched in London. There are also a few models located here in the U.S. According to an article at guardian.co.uk, here’s what it can do:

…the Espresso Book Machine is being billed as the biggest change for the literary world since Gutenberg invented the printing press more than 500 years ago and made the mass production of books possible. Launching today at Blackwell’s Charing Cross Road branch in London, the machine prints and binds books on demand in five minutes, while customers wait.

Signalling the end, says Blackwell, to the frustration of being told by a bookseller that a title is out of print, or not in stock, the Espresso offers access to almost half a million books, from a facsimile of Lewis Carroll’s original manuscript for Alice in Wonderland to Mrs Beeton’s Book of Needlework. Blackwell hopes to increase this to over a million titles by the end of the summer – the equivalent of 23.6 miles of shelf space, or over 50 bookshops rolled into one. The majority of these books are currently out-of-copyright works, but Blackwell is working with publishers throughout the UK to increase access to in-copyright writings, and says the response has been overwhelmingly positive.

I have a lot of books saved on my PC as PDFs, so it would be nice to take a few to one of these machines and have them printed out as a real book. I’ll keep an eye out for it as the weeks and months go by.

The Value of Journaling

One of the main reasons I started a blog a couple of years back is that I figured it would be a good way to keep a journal on my Bible reading and other Christian material that I go through. I stopped for a while to keep a written journal, but then found it was just easier to keep everything on the blog. By having it online, I can access it wherever I am and don’t have to worry if I’ve forgotten my notebook or journal. Now though I think there is probably good value in keeping both and have thought about restarting a handwritten journal again recently.

I’m currently reading a terrific book by Donald S. Whitney called Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life. I’ve just read through his chapter on journaling, and Dr. Whitney gives some great encouragement to anyone who has been keeping a journal, and also to those wondering whether or not to start one.

Here’s Dr. Whitney:

“Many people think God has not blessed them with much until they have to move it all to a new address ! In the same way, we tend to forget just how many times God has answered specific prayers, made timely provision, and done marvelous things in our lives. But having a place to collect all these memories prevents their being forgotten.” (p. 201)

Bible Memorization

“When Dawson Trotman, founder of the Christian organization called The Navigators, was converted to faith in 1926, he began memorizing one Bible verse every day. He was driving a truck for a lumber yard in Los Angeles at the time. While driving around town he would work on his verse for that day. During the first three years of his Christian life he memorized his first thousand verses. If he could memorize over three hundred verses a year while driving, surely we can find ways to memorize a few.”

- Donald Whitney, from Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, pp 40-41

He Meant Well

“And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord. He said, ‘If you give me victory over the Ammonites, I will give to the Lord whatever comes out of my house to meet me when I return in triumph. I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.’” – Judges 11:30-31 (NLT)

The story of Jephthah in the book of Judges is one of the saddest in the Old Testament to me. Judges 11 tells us that Jephthah had a rough time growing up. His half-siblings treated him poorly since his mother was a prostitute, and they chased him off his father’s land. Ironically though, the same folks who had no use for him come to him later on and ask for his fighting skills as they prepare to battle the Ammonites. The elders even promise to make him ruler if he’s successful. Jephthah then has messengers go to confront the king of Ammon, but the king disregards the message.

Maybe the king’s actions got Jephthah fired up. Or maybe he felt he was unstoppable with his new-found mandate from the people. But as he prepares to finally take the battle to the Ammonites, his zeal overcomes him and he makes a vow to God that he can’t take back. In his book Practical Religion, J.C. Ryle noted that, “If zeal is true, it will be a zeal according to knowledge. It must not be a blind, ignorant zeal. It must be a calm, reasonable, intelligent principle, which can show the warrant of Scripture for every step it takes.”

At that point, Jephthah was probably anything but “calm” or “reasonable”. Following the vow, God does in fact give him and his men the victory over the Ammonites, but it comes with a very heavy price. Jephthah’s daughter is the first to greet him as he returns home, and in keeping with his vow to God, he must give her over to God as an offering. This was probably doubly painful for Jephthah, since he had no other children. But he had no choice. As a father, this must have torn him apart inside. Even though Jephthah was judge for only six years, they were probably six long years for him knowing the manner in which he had lost his only child.

Jephthah was a great warrior of God, and he’s given special mention in the “Hall of Fame” of Hebrews 11. He certainly meant well. But his zeal had overcome him at a crucial point in his life and he had to live with the tragic consequences.

Good reminders today from the book of Judges….

The Only Question of Importance

“Rise up each day desiring that your soul may excel, lie down each evening, inquiring of yourself whether your soul has really grown. Remember Zeuxis, the great painter of old. When men asked him why he labored so intensely, and took such extreme pains with every picture, his simple answer was, ‘I paint for eternity.’

Do not be ashamed to be like him. Set your immortal soul before your mind’s eye, and when men ask you why you live as you do, answer them in his spirit, ‘I live for my soul.’ Believe me, the day is fast coming when the soul will be the one thing men will think of, and the only question of importance will be this, ‘Is my soul lost or saved?’”

- J.C. Ryle (1816-1900), from Thoughts For Young Men

Hasty Reading

“Remember, it is not hasty reading—but serious meditating upon holy and heavenly truths, that make them prove sweet and profitable to the soul. It is not the bee’s touching of the flower, which gathers honey—but her abiding for a time upon the flower, which draws out the sweet. It is not he who reads most—but he who meditates most, who will prove the choicest, sweetest, wisest and strongest Christian.”

- Thomas Brooks, 1608-1680

His Finished Work

“Good Friday”, “The Cross”

“‘It is finished.’ What was finished? The work of atonement. What is the value of that to us? This: to the sinner, it is a message of glad tidings. All that a holy God requires has been done. Nothing is left for the sinner to add. No works from us are demanded as the price of our salvation. All that is necessary for the sinner is to rest now by faith upon what Christ did. ‘The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord’ (Rom. 6:23).

To the believer, the knowledge that the atoning work of Christ is finished brings a sweet relief over against all the defects and imperfections of his services. There is much of sin and vanity in the very best of our efforts, but the grand relief is that we are ‘complete‘ in Christ (Col. 2:10) ! Christ and his finished work is the ground of all our hopes.”

-A.W. Pink, from The Seven Sayings of the Saviour on the Cross

Today’s Quote – 4/7/09

“How many auspicious beginnings have been ruined by men’s proceeding too hastily, endeavoring to make their own designs take place, and to have the honor of that success themselves which is due only to God.”

- Adam Clarke, 1762–1832

What Fruit Were You Getting ?

“But you, keep yourselves from the things devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted them you take any of the devoted things and make the camp of Israel a thing for destruction and bring trouble upon it.” - Joshua 6:18 (ESV)

I read through Joshua 6 and 7 this morning and thought for a bit about what happened here and the story of Achan. The Israelites have just finished their conquest of Jericho and Joshua reminded them not to gather up any of the “things devoted to destruction”. In other words, no looting. Not sure what was going through Achan’s mind at that point, but Joshua’s words go in one ear and out the other. He decides to grab an expensive cloak and stuff some other things in his pocket like gold and silver. Achan’s clear disobedience angers God and directly causes their defeat at Ai a short time later. Joshua then calls Achan to appear before everyone, and Achan confesses. Achan is then stoned to death for his crime.

This passage reminded me of some verses I read recently in both the Old and New Testaments – Numbers 32:23 “But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the LORD, and be sure your sin will find you out.” and Romans 6:21 “But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.” Although it doesn’t seem like Achan had much time to reflect on what he had done, I wonder if he would have been able to answer a simple question – was it really worth it ? To put family members and fellow countrymen to shame and subject them to punishment like that ? For a coat and some extra money in his pocket ?

This is a good warning for us as well. We don’t sin in a vacuum. We can think we’re slick and can cover up those things that we shouldn’t be doing. But God never turns a blind eye to it. Our sin will always find us out.

Remember The Days of Old

“Remember the days of old; consider the generations long past. Ask your father and he will tell you, your elders, and they will explain to you.” – Deuteronomy 32:7 (NIV)

I’ve read through the book of Deuteronomy a few times now and always feel a little sad to see Moses exit the stage. I can’t think of another Old Testament figure who had to put up with as much as he did, but he almost always showed great leadership while doing so. It seems like the word used most often in the book of Deuteronomy is the word “remember” and I think it’s something for us to keep in mind today.

Looking at my own prayer life, there can be too much looking forward and not enough looking back – “God, please provide for my wife, my family members, for a new job, healing from sickness, etc.” Of course, I like to think I’m not at all like those ungrateful Israelites in the days of Moses (ha !), but there are times when I don’t look back enough to thank God for what He already has provided. By not reflecting on those times, it can easily lead to worry and lack of faith. It didn’t take long for the Israelites to start complaining after leaving Egypt, and it won’t take us long to do the same if we lose focus on how God has worked wonders for us in the past. Moses’ constant reminders to his fellow Israelites in Deuteronomy to look back and remember has helped me to do the same.

Let’s look back with gratitude today.

“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:19 (ESV)

Today’s Quote – 3/27/09

“A lady went to work at a sewing factory. On her first day on the job the foreman instructed, ‘If the thread gets knotted, call me!’ Sure enough, the thread got knotted. She tried to correct the problem only to make a larger and more difficult knot. Giving up, she called her foreman and said, ‘I did the best I could with this knot.’ ‘No,’ the foreman said, ‘The best you could have done would have been to call me.’

With God, we often try to get ourselves out of the knots of life. The best that we can do is to call on Him. The degree of our dependence upon Him is going to be evident in the frequency of our calling out to Him. We cannot say we depend upon Him unless a regular and consistent part of our life is calling out to Him.”

- Pastor Steve Horn, First Baptist Church, Lafayette, Louisiana

Today’s Quote – 3/26/09

“Truth is sweetest where it breaks from the smitten Rock, for at its first gush it has lost none of its heavenliness and vitality. It is always best to drink at the well and not from the tank. You shall find that reading the Word of God for yourselves, reading it rather than notes upon it, is the surest way of growing in grace. Drink of the unadulterated milk of the Word of God, and not of the skim milk, or the milk and water of man’s word.”

- Charles H. Spurgeon, from his sermon “How To Read The Bible”

Not Just Idle Words

“They are not just idle words for you—they are your life. By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.” – Deuteronomy 32:47 (NIV)

Here in Deuteronomy 32, Moses is delivering his famous “Song of Moses” to the Israelites as he prepares to pass the baton to Joshua and the Israelites get ready to enter the promised land. Moses proclaims God’s goodness and then reminds the Israelites what will happen if they continue to fall into disobedience. Moses spends the entire book of Deuteronomy reminding his fellow countrymen of this over and over. And in this last sentence of his song, he emphasizes that these are “not just idle words”…

This may sound strange, but these words of Moses highlighted for me why I do not write in my Bible. I’m sure that puts me in the .001% of people who don’t, but it’s something I feel strongly about. Don’t get me wrong, I have notebooks and journals (and this attempt at a blog), but I think for me at least, there can be a tendency to become too familiar with a passage and what its meaning is. I don’t want to read my comments year after year. The Bible is “not just idle words”…I want to read each section of Scripture as if I’m reading it again for the first time and hear God’s voice and not my own. If I need to, I can always find what I wrote about it somewhere else.

My friend Claire over at One Passion One Devotion reminds her readers to look for “the one thing” when you’re reading your Bible. So I look for it, pray about it, and usually write it down somewhere – just not in my Bible

The Father’s Hand

“My friend, you are in a world that is full of trouble. You are unable to take care of yourself in life, much less will you be able to do so in death. Life has many trials and temptations. Your soul is menaced from every side. On every hand are dangers and pitfalls. The world, the flesh and the devil are combined against you; they are too much for your strength.

Here then is the beacon of light amid the darkness. Here is the harbor of shelter from all storms. Here is the blessed canopy which protects from all the fiery darts of the evil one. Thank God there is a refuge from the gales of life and from the tenors of death – the Father’s hand – the heart’s true haven.”

- A.W. Pink, from The Seven Sayings of The Saviour on The Cross