Archive for June, 2005
I often thank God that we can go to church… without anyone trying to kill us. The experience of many Christians around the world is radically different–just claiming to be a Christian can be life-threatening.
Recently I read a report in the July 2 edition of World Magazine:
“Starting on May 22, police raided 100 house churches in Jilin Province and arrested 600 Christians. They released most within two days, but 100 leaders remain in custody…” p. 8-9.
Let’s thank God for the amazing freedoms that we enjoy, and let’s remember to pray for our Chinese (and other nationalities) brothers and sisters whose lives are in danger for claiming Christ.
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Yesterday I told you what I was thinking about Deuteronomy. Where’s the prophet? You can probably guess where I’m going with this one.
Here’s the prophet: the God-man Jesus Christ. Sometimes he’s referred to by his “offices” or the jobs he does in his ministry: prophet, priest, and king.
It’s funny: in the New Testament, Jesus is never explicitly named as a prophet. And yet he clearly is a prophet–he is THE prophet–in that he reveals God to us and speaks God’s word to us.
Jesus doesn’t need to say, “Thus says the Lord” like the OT prophets. Instead, he says: “Truly, truly, I say to you…” He’s not just speaking for God, he’s speaking as God.
For us, that means that Jesus’ words–and the rest of our Bibles that aren’t printed in red–are God’s word directly to us. When we choose to obey Scripture, we choose obey God himself.
So let’s take seriously what we read and look for ways to obey God’s word in every area of our lives.
“For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.” 1 John 5:3.
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This morning I finished reading Deuteronomy. From Exodus through Deuteronomy, Moses is not just the leader of Israel, he is a prophet to the people.
In the Old Testament, a prophet is a person who reveals God to the people and speaks God’s words to the people. Later in the Old Testament, you see how they spoke God’s words with absolute authority - they often say, “Thus says the Lord…” These are words that must be absolutely obeyed, because they are God’s very words. To disobey a true prophet was to disobey God Himself.
Back to Deuteronomy. Moses has just died, and the author wrote these words:
“And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face…” Deuteronomy 34:10.
It reminded me of a promise God made through Moses a few chapters earlier:
“The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me [Moses] from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen…” Deuteronomy 18:15.
There were plenty of prophets who showed up in Israel’s history. Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and so on. But none of them were like Moses. None of them spoke to God face to face.
This promise–this expectation of a prophet who would speak to the people directly from God–went unmet for millenia. What happened? Did God forget His promise?
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I learned today that grilling and barbecuing are not the same thing.
“What’s the difference? If you cook over high heat for less than an hour, you’re grilling. Barbecuing requires indirect heat–around 225 degrees–and takes three hours or more.” I found this in Reader’s Digest.
So what do you call it if you cook something for 2 hours?
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Gardiner Spring died in 1873, but his slender volume, Hints for Parents is packed with wisdom for modern parents.
Weighing in at only 80 pages, the length of this book belies the help it has to offer. Here are some of my favorite quotes from it. I hope they encourage you:
“Our children are heirs to immortality.” Pg 28.
“Be what you wish your child to be… Rules compel; example persuades.” Pg 31.
“Remember, influence is far more powerful than authority as children transform from the dependent and easily-directed early years to the self-aware years, with the heady realization of the world and all its possibilities.” Pg 41.
“Christian families are the nurseries of the divine kingdom.” Pg 63.
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This morning, I spent time thanking God… that I woke up. I’m serious. I thought about all the ways I could have died last night:
- My heart could have just stopped.
- A stroke could have taken me.
- Mortal infection could have set in.
- A thunderstorm could have sent a tree crashing through my bedroom.
- A gas leak could have obliterated our block.
- A meteor could have landed right on my house.
Thousands of people in this country died last night - some in peaceful ways, some violent. I didn’t. I certainly deserve to, given my many sins against the Holy God. And yet here I sit, breathing, sipping strong coffee, and typing away on an exquisite peice of technology. I don’t deserve this!
I once heard someone say that grace is getting what you don’t deserve and mercy is not getting what you do deserve. There is probably more we would want to say, but that is a very good start. I’m still alive this morning because of the grace and mercy of God!
Makes me think of one of the verses I read in my quiet time yesterday morning:
“You are good and do good…” Psalm 119:68a
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Don’t forget: pincic tomorrow at noon at Burke Lake Park. Bring your own food, sports equipment, and sunscreen. You can find the details in the June Archive.
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I know that some of you have wanted to participate in the Summer Reading Challenge (see post below for details), but have had trouble finding a copy of Owen’s Sin and Temptation, edited by James Houston. We know, we’ve had trouble getting it from a distributor.
The reason is that it’s been republished under a new name (hat tip: Dave Hinders). Now it’s called Triumph Over Temptation.
Except for the title and cover, it is the same as the old Sin and Temptation. We’ll have copies in the bookstore on Sunday.
6/25 UPDATE: We’re still having problems getting this book in. For those who are waiting on it, we’ll let you know when it’s in. Or you can give the original, Temptation and Sin and try. So sorry for the delay!
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Benjamin Franklin. Henry Ford. Thomas Edison. The Wright Brothers. Household names, sure. How about Jack Kilby? Ever heard of him?
You should have, but you probably haven’t. The Washington Post reported yesterday that Kilby died on Monday at age 81, after a distinguished engineering career, most notable for his invention of the integrated electronic circuit–better known as the microchip. It was for this invention that Mr. Kilby won the Nobel Prize for physics in 2000, more than 40 years later. If you’re reading this post on a computer (of course you are), enjoy an iPod, or do your homework on a calculator, you have Mr. Kilby to thank.
What lesson do I take away from this? It makes me think of common grace, which author and theologian Wayne Grudem, in his book Systematic Theology, describes like this:
“Common grace is the grace of God by which he gives people innumerable blessing that are not part of salvation.”
Common grace is all around us. This is just one example. Where do you see common grace at work?
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Reading Psalm 119 in my quiet time the last couple days has reminded me of some advice John Piper provides in his book, When I Don’t Desire God. On page 150, he writes:
“Almost every day I pray in the morning that God would give me desires for him and his Word, because the deisres I ought to have are absent or weak. In fact, I follow the acronym myself that I have given many people to help them fight for joy. The acronym is I O U S. It is very limited and focused. It’s not all we should pray for… Here’s the way I pray over the Word in my fight for joy.”
He then explains that praying some or all of the following verses each morning help him fight for joy. They’ve helped me, too:
“Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!” Psalm 119:36
“Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.” Psalm 119:18
“Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name.” Psalm 86:11
“Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.” Psalm 90:14
Praying these verses before you sit down with your Bible isn’t a magic formula - reading them won’t guarantee that you have some dynamic experience. But these verses are a helpful guide to help you bend your soul towards the Savior. Enjoy.
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