Prayer before Punishment

John Paton was a Scottish missionary to the New Hebrides islands in the mid-nineteenth century. In his autobiography, he shared how his father responded to his children's disobedience:

If anything really serious required to be punished, he retired first to his "closet" for prayer, and we boys got to understand that he was laying the whole matter before God; and that was the severest part of the punishment for me to bear! I could have defied any amount of mere penalty, but this spoke to my conscience as a message from God.

We loved him all the more, when we saw how much it cost him to punish us; and, in truth, he had never very much of that kind of work to do upon any one of all the eleven—we were ruled by love far more than by fear.

The autobiography is John G. Paton: Missionary to the New Hebrides.

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Are We Living in the Last Days?

Justin Taylor provides an answer based on the biblical data:

According to the vocabulary of the New Testament, the “last day“—the ultimate day of judgment and wrath—is not yet upon us (see 1 Thess. 5:1-11).

However, the “last days” are already here. Biblically, this expression refers not just to the final events immediately before the final consummation, but rather to the entire period between Jesus’ death/resurrection and the final judgment.

This is why John can tell us that “this”—now—”is the last hour” (1 John 2:18).

It’s why Peter says that Jesus was made manifest “in the last times” (1 Pet. 1:20).

It’s why the author of Hebrews tells us that God has spoken to us decisively through his Son “in these last days” (Heb. 1:2).

The last hour/times/days are already here—the last day is yet to come.

Bible Quiz

A Different Kind of Bible Literacy Quiz
So you can name the 12 disciples, the 10 Commandments, and the 7 days of Creation. But do you know how they fit together?

1. What lesson from the life of Jonah did Jesus talk about?
(a) Jonah learned to obey God, because disobedience is punished.
(b) God forgives the repentant as he forgave Nineveh.
(c) God rescues us as he rescued Jonah when he was cast overboard.
(d) Jonah spent three days in the fish as Jesus would spend three days in the tomb.
(e) People are as wicked today as they were in ancient Nineveh.

2. Melchizedek, king of Salem, met with which biblical figure? How is Jesus like Melchizedek?

3. Besides Jesus, name five biblical figures who rose from the dead.How were these incidents different from Jesus' resurrection?

4. Name four biblical instances where the number 40 is important.

5. Whose faithfulness is contrasted with the Israelites' grumbling in Exodus 16-18?

6. Name the four women besides Mary who are included in Jesus' genealogy (Matt. 1:1-17), and describe their circumstances.

7. "No prophet is accepted in his hometown," Jesus said after his inaugural sermon (Luke 4:14-30). He then gave examples from the lives of two other prophets. What were they?

Answers here, at the end of the source article titled, "Why Johnny Can't Read the Bible"

Shake It Off?

Josh Harris:

I was sobered this morning reading Judges 16:20 about Samson and his final flirtation with sin: "And he awoke from his sleep and said, 'I will got out as at other times and shake myself free.' But he did not know that the LORD had left him." When we indulge in sin, we often think we'll be able shake it off and walk away unharmed. Don't believe that lie! Fear God and flee temptation today.

Knowing and Loving God

John W. Woodhouse:

Knowing God is real, not abstract; personal, not just intellectual; and will be displayed in your character and conduct, not your cleverness. That is why I think it is always helpful to link knowing God with loving God: we seek the kind of knowledge here that changes our affections.

*****

We know God, not by a mystical experience beyond words, but by hearing the Spirit-breathed word of God. This Spirit-breathed word of God is meant to be understood. It tells us the truth, and by his Spirit and through his word, God reveals to us himself, his promises and his purposes. …When the Bible says, ‘Oh the depth of the riches and wisdom of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!’ (Rom. 11:33), we are not being discouraged from seeking to understand. Rather, we are being reminded that we can never think of ourselves as having finished our exploration and our growth in understanding. What happens next is quite striking. Once we grasp just a little of the ‘riches’ and ‘wisdom’ and ‘knowledge’ of God, all other thinking about everything is affected.

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What's Narnia All About?

A few days ago, we started reading The Chronicles of Narnia aloud with the boys.

Here's Wheaton College professor Alan Jacobs on this series of children's books by C. S. Lewis:

If we then try to consider the seven Narnia stories as a single story, what is that story about? I contend that the best answer is disputed sovereignty. More than any other single thing, the story of Narnia concerns an unacknowledged but true King and the efforts of his loyalists to reclaim or protect his throne from would-be usurpers.

*****

There is a King of Kings and Lord of Lords whose Son is the rightful ruler of this world. Indeed, through that Son all things were made, and the world will end when he ‘comes again in glory to judge the living and the dead’, though ‘his kingdom will have no end’, in the words of the Nicene Creed. Meanwhile, in these in-between times, the rulership of Earth is claimed by an Adversary, the Prince of this world. And what is asked of all Lewis’s characters is simply, as the biblical Joshua put it, to ‘choose this day’ whom they will serve.

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Spiritual Pride

Jonathan Edwards (lightly modernized by Ray Ortlund):

Spiritual pride is the main door by which the devil comes into the hearts of those who are zealous for the advancement of Christianity. It is the chief inlet of smoke from the bottomless pit, to darken the mind and mislead the judgment. It is the main source of all the mischief the devil introduces, to clog and hinder a work of God.

Spiritual pride tends to speak of other persons’ sins with bitterness or with laughter and levity and an air of contempt. But pure Christian humility rather tends either to be silent about these problems or to speak of them with grief and pity. Spiritual pride is very apt to suspect others, but a humble Christian is most guarded about himself. He is as suspicious of nothing in the world as he is of his own heart. The proud person is apt to find fault with other believers, that they are low in grace, and to be much in observing how cold and dead they are and to be quick to note their deficiencies. But the humble Christian has so much to do at home and sees so much evil in his own heart and is so concerned about it that he is not apt to be very busy with other hearts. He is apt to esteem others better than himself.

Thank You for the Testing

Don Carson has some reflections on worship from Psalm 66:8-12:

There the psalmist begins by inviting the peoples of the world to listen in on the people of God as they praise him because “he has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping.” Then the psalmist directly addresses God, and mentions the context in which the Lord God preserved them: “For you, O God, tested us; you refined us like silver. You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs. You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance” (66:10 -12).

This is stunning. The psalmist thanks God for testing his covenant people, for refining them under the pressure of some extraordinarily difficult circumstances and for sustaining them through that experience. This is the response of perceptive, godly faith. It is not heard on the lips of those who thank God only when they escape trial or are feeling happy.

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Reading the Bible

J. C. Ryle on how to read the Bible:

1) Read the Bible with an earnest desire to understand it.

2) Read the Scriptures with a simple, childlike faith and humility.

3) Read the Word with a spirit of obedience and self-application.

4) Read the Holy Scriptures everyday.

5) Read the whole Bible and read it an orderly way.

6) Read the Word of God fairly and honestly.

7) Read the Bible with Christ constantly in view.

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It's the Cross

Kenneth Woodward:

Clearly, the cross is what separates the Christ of Christianity from every other Jesus. In Judaism there is no precedent for a Messiah who dies, much less as a criminal as Jesus did. In Islam, the story of Jesus' death is rejected as an affront to Allah himself. Hindus can accept only a Jesus who passes into peaceful samadhi, a yogi who escapes the degradation of death. The figure of the crucified Christ, says Buddhist Thich Nhat Hanh, "is a very painful image to me. It does not contain joy or peace, and this does not do justice to Jesus." There is, in short, no room in other religions for a Christ who experiences the full burden of mortal existence--and hence there is no reason to believe in Him as the divine Son whom the Father resurrects from the dead.

Even so, there are lessons all believers can savor by observing Jesus in the mirrors of Jews and Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists. That the image of a benign Jesus has universal appeal should come as no surprise. That most of the world cannot accept the Jesus of the cross should not surprise either.

NEWSWEEK March 27, 2000

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When Satan Takes Over

Michael Horton:

What would things look like if Satan really took control of a city? Over a half century ago, Presbyterian minister Donald Grey Barnhouse offered his own scenario in his weekly sermon that was also broadcast nationwide on CBS radio. Barnhouse speculated that if Satan took over Philadelphia, all of the bars would be closed, pornography banished, and pristine streets would be filled with tidy pedestrians who smiled at each other. There would be no swearing. The children would say, “Yes, sir” and “No, ma’am,” and the churches would be full every Sunday ... where Christ is not preached.

From Christless Christianity

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Four Points of Intersection

Tim Chester:

Here is a framework that may help talk about the gospel in the context of ordinary conversations.

Four points of intersection
Everyone has their own version of the ‘gospel’ story:

creation – who I am or who I should be
fall – what’s wrong with me and the world
redemption – what’s the solution
consummation – what I hope for

When we hear people expressing their version of creation, fall, redemption or consummation, we can talk about the gospel story. Talking about Jesus begins with listening to other people’s stories and sharing our own story of Jesus.

Technology Basket

Do you have a tech basket at your house? Should you?

I think this is a great idea, simply for the sake of recognizing and setting boundaries for the sake of prioritizing family relationships.

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Feeling Guilty?

Kevin DeYoung asks, So why do so many Christian feel guilty all the time?

Here are his reasons. Click here to read his elaborations on each point.

1. We don’t fully embrace the good news of the gospel.

2. Christians tend to motivate each other by guilt rather than grace.

3. Most of our low-level guilt falls under the ambiguous category of “not doing enough.”

4. When we are truly guilty of sin it is imperative we repent and receive God’s mercy.

Dissatisfaction and Idolatry

Mack Stiles:

Ask yourself this question: In what ways are you dissatisfied with how God is running things? If you can identify your dissatisfaction with how God is running the show, you can identify the place where you are tempted for idols to become your God.

Kill the idols in your life by making Christ your life.

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Whitefield on True Charismatic Theology

George Whitefield:

In order to walk closely with God, his children must not only watch the motions of God’s providence without them, but the motions also of his blessed Spirit in their hearts. “As many as are the sons of God, are led by the Spirit of God,” and give up themselves to be guided by the Holy Ghost, as a little child gives its hand to be led by a nurse or parent. It is no doubt in this sense that we are to be converted and become like little children. And though it is the quintessence of enthusiasm [extreme, unbiblical forms of charismatic teaching] to pretend to be guided by the Spirit without the written Word, yet it is every Christian’s bounden duty to be guided by the Spirit in conjunction with the written Word of God. Watch, therefore, I pray you, O believers, the motions of God’s blessed Spirit in your souls, and always try the suggestions or impressions that you may at any time feel, by the unerring rule of God’s most holy Word: and if they are not found to be agreeable to that, reject them as diabolical and delusive. By observing this caution, you will steer a middle course between the two dangerous extremes many of this generation are in danger of running into; I mean, enthusiasm, on the one hand, and deism, and downright infidelity, on the other.

From his sermon "Walking with God"

Get Happy...in the Lord

From George Muller's diary, on this date in 1841:

I saw more clearly than ever that the first great primary business to which I ought to attend every day was, to have my soul happy in the Lord . . . not how much I might serve the Lord, . . . but how I might get my soul into a happy state, and how my inner man might be nourished. For I might seek to set the truth before the unconverted, I might seek to benefit believers . . . and yet, not being happy in the Lord, and not being nourished and strengthened in my inner man day by day, all this might not be attended to in a right spirit. Before this time my practice had been . . . to give myself to prayer after having dressed myself in the morning. Now, I saw that the most important thing I had to do was to give myself to the reading of the Word of God, and to meditation on it, that thus my heart might be comforted, encouraged, warned, reproved, instructed; and that thus, by means of the Word of God, whilst meditating on it, my heart might be brought into experimental communion with the Lord.

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New Sermon Series from Proverbs

This Sunday we begin a new sermon series from the book of Proverbs that will cover a variety of topics related to wealth and work. The Scriptures must be our authoritative guide as we consider what we have, what we want, how we get it, and what we do with it. Join us for each of these eight weeks as we pursue the biblical way of wisdom!

May 9

Wisdom for Wealth

How We Should See Money

May 16

The Distortion of Wealth

Money Changes How We See

May 23

Contentment and Envy

You’ve Got What I Want

May 30

The Roots of Poverty

Whose Fault Is It?

June 6

Diligence and Laziness, Part 1

Working Hard

June 13

Diligence and Laziness, Part 2

Hardly Working

[June 20 will not be part of this series]

June 27

Honest and Dishonest Gain

Cheaters Never Prosper?

July 4

Generosity toward the Needy

It’s the Givers Who Get

Zambia Photo and Video

I've been back from Zambia for over a week now, but the blog has been silent as I've been preparing for the quarterly congregational meeting and a new sermon series.

At the meeting Sunday night, Dave mentioned his site with a lot more photos and videos from our trip to Zambia. You can peruse them here.