Has his word of promise ever proved false?!
...Amid so much that is fleeting here, how the heart clings to this assurance of the abiding presence of the Savior! Our best earthly friends—a few weeks may estrange them—but centuries have rolled on—Christ is still the same. How blessed to think that if I am indeed a child of God, there is not the lonely instant I am without His guardianship!
When the beams of the morning visit my chamber, the brighter beams of a brighter Sun are shining upon me. When the shadows of evening are gathering around, "it is not night, if He, the unsetting 'Sun of my soul,' is near." His is no fitful companionship—present in prosperity, gone in adversity.
He never changes. He is always the same—in sickness and solitude, in joy and in sorrow, in life and in death. Not more faithfully did the pillar-cloud and column of fire of old precede Israel, until the last murmuring ripple of Jordan fell on their ears on the shores of Canaan, than does the presence and love of Jesus abide with His people.
Has His word of promise ever proved false? Let the great cloud of witnesses now in glory testify. "Not one thing has failed of all that the Lord our God has spoken." This "word of the Lord is tried!"—"having loved His own, which were in the world, He loved them unto the end."
(John MacDuff, from "The Words of Jesus" (see also previous post))
27 February, 2009
26 February, 2009
Unfoldings of His faithfulness & mercy
The Sonful Servitude
...Can you say with a joyful heart, "O Lord, truly I am Your servant?" He is no hard taskmaster. Would Satan try to teach you so? Let this be the refutation, "He loved me, and gave Himself for me." True, the yoke is the appointed discipline He employs in training his children for immortality. But be comforted! "It is His tender hand that puts it on, and keeps it on." He will suit the yoke to the neck, and the neck to the yoke. He will suit His grace to your trials. No, He will bring you even to be in love with these, when they bring along with them such gracious unfoldings of His own faithfulness and mercy.
How His people need thus to be in heaviness through manifold temptations, to keep them meek and submissive! ... Never is there more gracious love than when God takes own means to curb and subjugate, humble us, and to prove us—bringing us out from ourselves, our likings, our confidences, our prosperity, and putting us under the needed YOKE.
And who has ever repented of that joyful servitude? Among all the regrets that mingle with a dying hour, and often bedew with bitter tears a dying pillow, who ever told of regrets and repentance here?
...There is a promised rest in the very carrying of the yoke; and a better rest remains for the weary and toil-worn when the appointed work is finished; for thus says "that same Jesus,"
"Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, and you shall find REST unto your souls."
(John MacDuff, from "The Words of Jesus")
...Can you say with a joyful heart, "O Lord, truly I am Your servant?" He is no hard taskmaster. Would Satan try to teach you so? Let this be the refutation, "He loved me, and gave Himself for me." True, the yoke is the appointed discipline He employs in training his children for immortality. But be comforted! "It is His tender hand that puts it on, and keeps it on." He will suit the yoke to the neck, and the neck to the yoke. He will suit His grace to your trials. No, He will bring you even to be in love with these, when they bring along with them such gracious unfoldings of His own faithfulness and mercy.
How His people need thus to be in heaviness through manifold temptations, to keep them meek and submissive! ... Never is there more gracious love than when God takes own means to curb and subjugate, humble us, and to prove us—bringing us out from ourselves, our likings, our confidences, our prosperity, and putting us under the needed YOKE.
And who has ever repented of that joyful servitude? Among all the regrets that mingle with a dying hour, and often bedew with bitter tears a dying pillow, who ever told of regrets and repentance here?
...There is a promised rest in the very carrying of the yoke; and a better rest remains for the weary and toil-worn when the appointed work is finished; for thus says "that same Jesus,"
"Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, and you shall find REST unto your souls."
(John MacDuff, from "The Words of Jesus")
25 February, 2009
Reflections of Joy - D. Willeman
One liners from the Grace Community Church ladies' retreat this past weekend, Speaker: pastor's wife and co-church planter, Dori Willeman
* [re her husband] Our greatest common factor is that we love Jesus....We live to know Him and make Him known....
*The younger we are, the more we think we know.
*...The Lord has used those circumstances to shake, and shape, my faith in Christ.
*Sometimes it's the silent answer that speaks the loudest to you.
*...It was just an uncovering process....and God met me.
*There were no bells and whistles. We were just trying to meet people and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
*The one thing we had to cling to was the Gospel.
*Trusting the Lord is not an easy thing. Sometimes it's a wearisome thing.
*...It became obvious there was no stopping it. This woman's life was being changed by Christ and I had a front row seat.
*..."You know what I see? When you sing, you forget to not believe." [re a story of an athiest friend of hers who had joined a local Gospel choir.]
*...God is just catapulting her towards faith in Christ! And it is a beautiful thing!
*..."Why me? Why me? Why of all the people in the world, why why why would God want to be merciful to me?"
*...We want our faith to be authentic; we want our hope to be genuine and true; we want our love to be genuine and true.
*...The reality of Joy is that it is not trivial, it is not merely surface or temporary. Rather, it is a deep satisfaction in God; our participating in God's delight in himself. [with a nod to John Piper's teaching on this topic]
*...The God who called Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, is a fountain of joy, full as a spring is full. We were created by God - not because of some lack in him, as if he needed us to be happy, but because he wanted to give...of himself. ["...for Thy pleasure, they are created...." and re "...the kind intention of his will...."]
*...God magnifies his glory by creating and redeeming creatures who would reflect back to him his Joy. [here, she quoted Piper re "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied him him."]
*It is precisely our NEED which qualifies us for the Joy of Jesus....SIN is the means by which we approach Jesus! Until we experience our desperation and absolute [spiritual] bankruptcy before God, we won't come to him!
*Guilt makes us hide. We don't want to get close to the one to whom we are guilty.
*My primary concern cannot be to get gifts from God; my primary concern is to get the Giver!
*As he exposes us to ourselves, LET that feel good....It is a gift for him to expose [the sinfulness] our hearts. It is his kindness that leads us to repentance....It is a beautiful thing as he opens our eyes and we can experience the Joy of knowing HIM!
*Repentance is owning the responsibility for our sin and turning to Christ for forgiveness. Repentance makes us broken, and broken people are beautiful, and make for beautiful relationships.
*Our big problem with Joyful community is "rivalry" and "empty conceit." Where we tend to struggle? Self-sufficiency, self-reliance, self-importance. In a word - Pride. "I can only really trust me."
*We live by the motto: "Never let 'em see you sweat." We'd rather give than receive and have difficulty being receivers. But we need to do both - our receiving is giving others the blessing of giving.
*Conceit takes a defensive posture. We believe the lie that "I must be my own savior!" And we put others down to make ourselves feel better.
*Our perspective towards others is perpetually and incurably cloudy. [cf. Matthew ch. 7 re log vs. speck] We lobby for our own cause; we think we are worthy or able, self-sufficient. And we are thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought.
*Jesus' pattern of action is in exact contrast to ours. He, who had every right to be "puffed up," emptied himself, humbled himself.
*Our ego is empty, yet we seek to put ourselves equal with God. Christ's "ego" is full of God, but yet he emptied himself. Consider the beautiful portrait of Christ!
*When God exposes our conceit to us, we tend toward one of two reactions: One, we are crushed by it - and we need to repent. Or Two, we get angry! At ourselves for not being as good as we think we ought to be, or angry at God for making us this way. This is pride! STOP it!
*The Gospel is the only power that can break this self-addiction, our dependence on our idols.
*Here's how God graciously rescued me from the destructive kingdom of my self: He gave himself up for me and for my sin, even when I hated him! I am radically dependent on God....This produces in me a radical humility - a humility that I am unable to create on my own. On my own, I've earned nothing but death and condemnation.
*God is in total control and loves me absolutely. What do I possibly have to fear? Everything and everyone that comes my way is designed by God for my ultimate good and enjoyment in God.
*What right do I have to my own life? It is all a gift.
*To the degree that we trust in ourselves, we will feel displeasure at the world's criticism or persecution. [context was the command to be Joyful even in times of persecution. Text was 1 Peter, ch. 1]
*Some may say "But I don't experience joy when I am persecuted," and they conclude that the test has failed. No, the test is working just fine, you just don't like what it is showing you....You need to repent! Your trust and your treasure is not CHRIST!
*Self-justification robs us of our Joy. Our Joy is anchored in who God is, and what he's done for us.
* [re her husband] Our greatest common factor is that we love Jesus....We live to know Him and make Him known....
*The younger we are, the more we think we know.
*...The Lord has used those circumstances to shake, and shape, my faith in Christ.
*Sometimes it's the silent answer that speaks the loudest to you.
*...It was just an uncovering process....and God met me.
*There were no bells and whistles. We were just trying to meet people and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
*The one thing we had to cling to was the Gospel.
*Trusting the Lord is not an easy thing. Sometimes it's a wearisome thing.
*...It became obvious there was no stopping it. This woman's life was being changed by Christ and I had a front row seat.
*..."You know what I see? When you sing, you forget to not believe." [re a story of an athiest friend of hers who had joined a local Gospel choir.]
*...God is just catapulting her towards faith in Christ! And it is a beautiful thing!
*..."Why me? Why me? Why of all the people in the world, why why why would God want to be merciful to me?"
*...We want our faith to be authentic; we want our hope to be genuine and true; we want our love to be genuine and true.
*...The reality of Joy is that it is not trivial, it is not merely surface or temporary. Rather, it is a deep satisfaction in God; our participating in God's delight in himself. [with a nod to John Piper's teaching on this topic]
*...The God who called Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, is a fountain of joy, full as a spring is full. We were created by God - not because of some lack in him, as if he needed us to be happy, but because he wanted to give...of himself. ["...for Thy pleasure, they are created...." and re "...the kind intention of his will...."]
*...God magnifies his glory by creating and redeeming creatures who would reflect back to him his Joy. [here, she quoted Piper re "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied him him."]
*It is precisely our NEED which qualifies us for the Joy of Jesus....SIN is the means by which we approach Jesus! Until we experience our desperation and absolute [spiritual] bankruptcy before God, we won't come to him!
*Guilt makes us hide. We don't want to get close to the one to whom we are guilty.
*My primary concern cannot be to get gifts from God; my primary concern is to get the Giver!
*As he exposes us to ourselves, LET that feel good....It is a gift for him to expose [the sinfulness] our hearts. It is his kindness that leads us to repentance....It is a beautiful thing as he opens our eyes and we can experience the Joy of knowing HIM!
*Repentance is owning the responsibility for our sin and turning to Christ for forgiveness. Repentance makes us broken, and broken people are beautiful, and make for beautiful relationships.
*Our big problem with Joyful community is "rivalry" and "empty conceit." Where we tend to struggle? Self-sufficiency, self-reliance, self-importance. In a word - Pride. "I can only really trust me."
*We live by the motto: "Never let 'em see you sweat." We'd rather give than receive and have difficulty being receivers. But we need to do both - our receiving is giving others the blessing of giving.
*Conceit takes a defensive posture. We believe the lie that "I must be my own savior!" And we put others down to make ourselves feel better.
*Our perspective towards others is perpetually and incurably cloudy. [cf. Matthew ch. 7 re log vs. speck] We lobby for our own cause; we think we are worthy or able, self-sufficient. And we are thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought.
*Jesus' pattern of action is in exact contrast to ours. He, who had every right to be "puffed up," emptied himself, humbled himself.
*Our ego is empty, yet we seek to put ourselves equal with God. Christ's "ego" is full of God, but yet he emptied himself. Consider the beautiful portrait of Christ!
*When God exposes our conceit to us, we tend toward one of two reactions: One, we are crushed by it - and we need to repent. Or Two, we get angry! At ourselves for not being as good as we think we ought to be, or angry at God for making us this way. This is pride! STOP it!
*The Gospel is the only power that can break this self-addiction, our dependence on our idols.
*Here's how God graciously rescued me from the destructive kingdom of my self: He gave himself up for me and for my sin, even when I hated him! I am radically dependent on God....This produces in me a radical humility - a humility that I am unable to create on my own. On my own, I've earned nothing but death and condemnation.
*God is in total control and loves me absolutely. What do I possibly have to fear? Everything and everyone that comes my way is designed by God for my ultimate good and enjoyment in God.
*What right do I have to my own life? It is all a gift.
*To the degree that we trust in ourselves, we will feel displeasure at the world's criticism or persecution. [context was the command to be Joyful even in times of persecution. Text was 1 Peter, ch. 1]
*Some may say "But I don't experience joy when I am persecuted," and they conclude that the test has failed. No, the test is working just fine, you just don't like what it is showing you....You need to repent! Your trust and your treasure is not CHRIST!
*Self-justification robs us of our Joy. Our Joy is anchored in who God is, and what he's done for us.
17 February, 2009
"This thorn in my side is from the tree I've planted!"
and these lyrics.... (see also previous post)
BLEEDING ME (Metallica)
I’m diggin’ my way/I’m diggin’ my way to somethin’/I’m diggin’ my way to somethin’ better//I’m pushin’ to stay/I’m pushin’ to stay with something/I’m pushin’ to stay with something better//I’m sowing the seeds/I’m sowing the seeds I’ve taken/I’m sowing the seeds I take for granted/
/This thorn in my side/This thorn in my side is from the tree/This thorn in my side is from the tree I’ve planted//It tears me and I bleed/And I bleed/
/Caught under wheels roll/I take the leech/I’m bleeding me/Can’t stop to save my soul//I take the leash that’s leading me/I’m bleeding me/I can’t take it/Caught under wheels roll/Oh, the bleeding of me/Of me/The bleeding of me//Caught under wheels rollI take the leech/I’m bleeding me/Can’t stop to save my soul/I take the leash that’s leading me/I’m bleeding me/I can’t take it/Caught under wheels roll/Oh, the bleeding of me/Oh, the bleeding of me//I am the beast that bleeds the feast/I am the blood/I am release/Come make me pure/Bleed me a cure/I’m caught, I’m caught, I’m caught under//Caught under wheels roll/I take that leech/I’m bleeding me/Can’t stop to save my soul/I take the leash that’s leading me/I’m bleeding me/I can’t take it/I can’t take it/I can’t take it/Oh, the bleeding of me/I’m diggin’ my way/I’m diggin’ my way to somethin’ I’m diggin’ my way to something better//I’m pushin’ to stay/I’m pushin’ to stay with somethin’/I’m pushin’ to stay with something better/With something better....
BLEEDING ME (Metallica)
I’m diggin’ my way/I’m diggin’ my way to somethin’/I’m diggin’ my way to somethin’ better//I’m pushin’ to stay/I’m pushin’ to stay with something/I’m pushin’ to stay with something better//I’m sowing the seeds/I’m sowing the seeds I’ve taken/I’m sowing the seeds I take for granted/
/This thorn in my side/This thorn in my side is from the tree/This thorn in my side is from the tree I’ve planted//It tears me and I bleed/And I bleed/
/Caught under wheels roll/I take the leech/I’m bleeding me/Can’t stop to save my soul//I take the leash that’s leading me/I’m bleeding me/I can’t take it/Caught under wheels roll/Oh, the bleeding of me/Of me/The bleeding of me//Caught under wheels rollI take the leech/I’m bleeding me/Can’t stop to save my soul/I take the leash that’s leading me/I’m bleeding me/I can’t take it/Caught under wheels roll/Oh, the bleeding of me/Oh, the bleeding of me//I am the beast that bleeds the feast/I am the blood/I am release/Come make me pure/Bleed me a cure/I’m caught, I’m caught, I’m caught under//Caught under wheels roll/I take that leech/I’m bleeding me/Can’t stop to save my soul/I take the leash that’s leading me/I’m bleeding me/I can’t take it/I can’t take it/I can’t take it/Oh, the bleeding of me/I’m diggin’ my way/I’m diggin’ my way to somethin’ I’m diggin’ my way to something better//I’m pushin’ to stay/I’m pushin’ to stay with somethin’/I’m pushin’ to stay with something better/With something better....
"Tear me open, pour me out"
I find these lyrics particularly compelling:
UNTIL IT SLEEPS (Metallica)
Where do I take this pain of mine/I run but it stays right by my side//So tear me open, pour me out/These things inside they scream and shout/And the pain still hates me/So hold me until it sleeps//Just like a curse, just like a stray/You feed it once and now it stays/Now it stays/So tear me open, but beware/There’s things inside without a care
And the dirt still stains me/So wash me until I’m clean//It grips you, so hold me/It stains you, so hold me/It hates you, so hold me/It holds, you so hold me/Until it sleeps...
/So tell me why you’ve chosen me/Don’t want your grip/Don’t want your greed/Don’t want itI’ll tear me open, make you gone/No more can you hurt anyone/And the fear still shakes me/So hold me until it sleeps//I don’t want it.....no//It grips you so hold me/It stains you so hold me/It hates you so hold me/It holds you, holds you, holds you/Until it sleeps...So tear me open, but beware/The pain’s inside without a care/And the dirt still stains me/So wash me til I’m clean/I’ll tear me open, make you gone/No longer will you hurt anyone/And the hate still shakes me/So hold me until it sleeps/Until it sleeps/Until it sleeps/Until it sleeps/
UNTIL IT SLEEPS (Metallica)
Where do I take this pain of mine/I run but it stays right by my side//So tear me open, pour me out/These things inside they scream and shout/And the pain still hates me/So hold me until it sleeps//Just like a curse, just like a stray/You feed it once and now it stays/Now it stays/So tear me open, but beware/There’s things inside without a care
And the dirt still stains me/So wash me until I’m clean//It grips you, so hold me/It stains you, so hold me/It hates you, so hold me/It holds, you so hold me/Until it sleeps...
/So tell me why you’ve chosen me/Don’t want your grip/Don’t want your greed/Don’t want itI’ll tear me open, make you gone/No more can you hurt anyone/And the fear still shakes me/So hold me until it sleeps//I don’t want it.....no//It grips you so hold me/It stains you so hold me/It hates you so hold me/It holds you, holds you, holds you/Until it sleeps...So tear me open, but beware/The pain’s inside without a care/And the dirt still stains me/So wash me til I’m clean/I’ll tear me open, make you gone/No longer will you hurt anyone/And the hate still shakes me/So hold me until it sleeps/Until it sleeps/Until it sleeps/Until it sleeps/
12 February, 2009
Driscoll on Resisting Idols - from 1st Corinthians sermon series
"Some of you are frustrated with God because you believe that God is bad....Assume that God IS good, God DOES love you, and God isn't giving you your idol because it's not good for you. You'd be doing Romans one; you'd be worshipping created things rather than Creator God. And it may not be that God isn't willing to give you a spouse or kids or a house or a job or whatever it is because none of those things are in and of themselves bad. God MAY be withholding them because your heart is evil, and you're looking for a little god and he's not going to give away the golden calf. He's not going to make that for you."
Pastor Mark Driscoll, June 18, 2006
http://www.marshillchurch.org/media/1st-corinthians/resisting-idols-like-jesus
Pastor Mark Driscoll, June 18, 2006
http://www.marshillchurch.org/media/1st-corinthians/resisting-idols-like-jesus
Sleeper, Arise! and call out to your God!
"...'What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, call out to your god! Perhaps the god will give a thought to us, that we may not perish....'" (Jonah 1:6)
**I have been profoundly affected by this verse in recent days - the cry of the captain of the ship to Jonah who was asleep in the midst of the storm was a cry of desperation - I almost envision the captain violently shaking, and maybe even slapping Jonah around with one hand while he's grabbed his garment about the throat to pull him out of his slumber with the other....
The mariners had done all they knew to do - and had cried out to their own gods to no avail. They know nothing of Jonah's "god" - only that this man hasn't done his part to try to save the ship.
What is perhaps most profoundly convicting to me is even when these men cry out for salvation from certain death, and Jonah knows precisely what is needful - because while these men may not know so, Jonah CERTAINLY knows so even by his own confession a few verses later that HIS "god" is THE God, and the Maker of the earth AND the sea, this very sea upon which they are tossed and which threatens to claim all of their lives, and yet he still refuses to call upon the Lord! It would seem he would rather drown and take all these men and their ship with him because he would rather run from God's calling on his life to proclaim the Gospel call for repentance.
That is - Jonah himself is refusing to repent.
There is just so much desperation and agony in this, as I meditate on it. As I have occasion to look around me and see so many of my own ship-mates tossed on this sea, desperate for salvation from the storm which threatens to undo them, and they have no concept of what it means to call on the Lord, or even how to do it.
Oh Jonah, where is your compassion! to say nothing of your obedience!
It compells me to my knees, and I pray to God that I would not miss the cry - that a pagan and unbelieving generation would not exhibit more faith than I - that perhaps God would give a thought to them and they would not perish!
My God, let me not be guilty of refusing, myself, to repent, and do not let me run from your call on my life - but rather let me proclaim boldly the Gospel call to turn back to God and receive mercy and forgiveness rather than His just condemnation!
My God, let me love what you love and hate what you hate - let me hate sin, but desperately love those who are as yet imprisoned by it so that I long for their freedom and love your glory.**
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