Saturday, April 07, 2012
On Being Happy Without Music
Behold, how independent of outward circumstances the Holy Ghost can make the Christian! What a bright light may shine within us when it is all dark without! How firm, how happy, how calm, how peaceful we may be, when the world shakes to and fro, and the pillars of the earth are removed! Even death itself, with all its terrible influences, has no power to suspend the music of a Christian's heart, but rather makes that music become more sweet, more clear, more heavenly, till the last kind act which death can do is to let the earthly strain melt into the heavenly chorus, the temporal joy into the eternal bliss! Let us have confidence, then, in the blessed Spirit's power to comfort us. Dear reader, are you looking forward to poverty? Fear not; the divine Spirit can give you, in your want, a greater plenty than the rich have in their abundance. You know not what joys may be stored up for you in the cottage around which grace will plant the roses of content. Are you conscious of a growing failure of your bodily powers? Do you expect to suffer long nights of languishing and days of pain? O be not sad! That bed may become a throne to you. You little know how every pang that shoots through your body may be a refining fire to consume your dross--a beam of glory to light up the secret parts of your soul. Are the eyes growing dim? Jesus will be your light. Do the ears fail you? Jesus' name will be your soul's best music, and his person your dear delight. Socrates used to say, "Philosophers can be happy without music;" and Christians can be happier than philosophers when all outward causes of rejoicing are withdrawn. In thee, my God, my heart shall triumph, come what may of ills without! By thy power, O blessed Spirit, my heart shall be exceeding glad, though all things should fail me here below. -- Charles Spurgeon
Wednesday, April 04, 2012
The Author and Perfecter of My Faith
My most recent, ardent and repeated prayer has been that the Lord would give me more faith. He has answered by underlining His provisions markedly. By taking them away. And then restoring them.
1) A blessing of insurance that reduced a $1052 dental bill to $200. (Praise God!) Followed by a letter saying the insurance would not cover the bill. (Despair.) Followed by several phone calls that revealed the dentist had submitted the wrong insurance number for our family! (Double praises and realization of how tied to circumstances my weak faith is.)
2) A blessing of substantial college scholarships for Leah. (Praise you, Lord!) Followed by an Award Letter that has the scholarships greatly reduced. (Despair.) Followed by a phone call and an almost immediate correction to the original amount promised. (Oh, Lord, thank you for this generous provision. I wasn't nearly grateful enough the first time, took it as Leah's just desserts for working so hard. Thank you for giving, thank you for taking away and thank you for giving again to make my heart so much more grateful.)
3) A blessing of substantial college scholarships for John. (Praises to Our Provider!!) Followed by an Award Letter that the scholarships would be about half what we had been told. (Doubt, mixed with hope -- but also acceptance: If this is your will for John, Lord, we accept it as best.) Followed by a short period of waiting, and then ... a corrected Awards Letter. (Oh, Lord, I think I'm getting it. I think my faith is growing. I've been missing your provisions, taking them too much in stride or as something that somehow we earned. And I've been too easily daunted by circumstances.)
We are in a period where we have had and will continue to have some large, necessary expenses, most of them dental. I raise my Ebeneezer; Thus far, the Lord has provided. How He will do it in the future, I really don't see. But, thus far, the Lord has provided. All we have needed, Thy hand has provided. Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me.
There are so many more dental expenses. But He has already provided money to cover at least some of these through a surprise refund from a reinvestment. We can trust Him to give us this day our daily bread -- not tomorrow's daily bread -- just today's. I thank you, Lord, for building my faith and meeting our needs in a way that makes it clear that the provision comes directly from your hand at just the right moment.
1) A blessing of insurance that reduced a $1052 dental bill to $200. (Praise God!) Followed by a letter saying the insurance would not cover the bill. (Despair.) Followed by several phone calls that revealed the dentist had submitted the wrong insurance number for our family! (Double praises and realization of how tied to circumstances my weak faith is.)
2) A blessing of substantial college scholarships for Leah. (Praise you, Lord!) Followed by an Award Letter that has the scholarships greatly reduced. (Despair.) Followed by a phone call and an almost immediate correction to the original amount promised. (Oh, Lord, thank you for this generous provision. I wasn't nearly grateful enough the first time, took it as Leah's just desserts for working so hard. Thank you for giving, thank you for taking away and thank you for giving again to make my heart so much more grateful.)
3) A blessing of substantial college scholarships for John. (Praises to Our Provider!!) Followed by an Award Letter that the scholarships would be about half what we had been told. (Doubt, mixed with hope -- but also acceptance: If this is your will for John, Lord, we accept it as best.) Followed by a short period of waiting, and then ... a corrected Awards Letter. (Oh, Lord, I think I'm getting it. I think my faith is growing. I've been missing your provisions, taking them too much in stride or as something that somehow we earned. And I've been too easily daunted by circumstances.)
We are in a period where we have had and will continue to have some large, necessary expenses, most of them dental. I raise my Ebeneezer; Thus far, the Lord has provided. How He will do it in the future, I really don't see. But, thus far, the Lord has provided. All we have needed, Thy hand has provided. Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me.
There are so many more dental expenses. But He has already provided money to cover at least some of these through a surprise refund from a reinvestment. We can trust Him to give us this day our daily bread -- not tomorrow's daily bread -- just today's. I thank you, Lord, for building my faith and meeting our needs in a way that makes it clear that the provision comes directly from your hand at just the right moment.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
The Only Antidote to Cynicism
Cynicism is a result of misplaced faith, of arrogance really, of false and shattered expectations. You may recall Katerina Ivanovna from Crime and Punishment. She would latch onto people, invent all kinds of fantasies about them, experience bitter disappointment, and rage at them and the world. This is why the Bible warns us against “putting our trust in princes.” Jesus knew what was in man, and thus did not trust in man.
The gospel never leads to cynicism and is the only ultimate antidote to cynicism. Some of you have heard me say in class that the gospel is infinitely rugged. It destroys both our pride and our despair. Joshua was able to say, near the end of a very eventful life in which he saw both exodus and conquest: 14"And now I am about to go the way of all the earth, and you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one word has failed of all the good things that the LORD your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed” (Joshua 23). This is an absolutely astonishing claim that atomizes all cynicism. I will be sixty very soon, and can say the same thing. We can never expect too much from God and He never disappoints. It is never about us and always about Him.
We at PHC will, by God’s grace, along with all the saints, help to serve the nation, shape the culture, take the gospel to the ends of the earth, build the kingdom. This is my fondest hope and has always been my prayer. This puts God at the center and not ourselves, is not delusional and will not lead to bitterness. As Christians, we are at once both utterly realistic and thoroughly idealistic—wise as serpents and innocent as doves. The cynic, ironically, is neither. He fancies himself the realist, shaking his head sadly at naïve “believers.” In fact, he has no real faith in God, for God’s magnificent realities always trump our tawdry ones. Where our sin abounds, God’s grace abounds all the more.
--Dr. Stephen Hake
The gospel never leads to cynicism and is the only ultimate antidote to cynicism. Some of you have heard me say in class that the gospel is infinitely rugged. It destroys both our pride and our despair. Joshua was able to say, near the end of a very eventful life in which he saw both exodus and conquest: 14"And now I am about to go the way of all the earth, and you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one word has failed of all the good things that the LORD your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed” (Joshua 23). This is an absolutely astonishing claim that atomizes all cynicism. I will be sixty very soon, and can say the same thing. We can never expect too much from God and He never disappoints. It is never about us and always about Him.
We at PHC will, by God’s grace, along with all the saints, help to serve the nation, shape the culture, take the gospel to the ends of the earth, build the kingdom. This is my fondest hope and has always been my prayer. This puts God at the center and not ourselves, is not delusional and will not lead to bitterness. As Christians, we are at once both utterly realistic and thoroughly idealistic—wise as serpents and innocent as doves. The cynic, ironically, is neither. He fancies himself the realist, shaking his head sadly at naïve “believers.” In fact, he has no real faith in God, for God’s magnificent realities always trump our tawdry ones. Where our sin abounds, God’s grace abounds all the more.
--Dr. Stephen Hake
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Where To Look
The hard reality is that the more we grasp the sinfulness of man the more we must watch for the sinfulness of those we hope will teach us wisdom. We are indeed all sinners, which explains why even the most pious among us take wrong turns theologically. But even those who take wrong turns know and teach that the Bible is the map. And what that map always shows us, not surprisingly, is our own sin.
Which means that the ones we ought to be listening to are those who are least likely to tell us what to think, who are most likely to tell us where to look. Those who speak, who write about their own sin, those are the ones who have been given wisdom. Those, on the other hand, who are most quick to point out the sins of others, that is where we need a godly skepticism. Sinners speak of their own sin and God’s grace and pronounce peace. The proud, on the other hand, speak of the sins of others and pronounce judgment. In short, where the gospel shows its impact is where we see ourselves. Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner. -- Posted by Ligonier Ministries September 17, 2011
Which means that the ones we ought to be listening to are those who are least likely to tell us what to think, who are most likely to tell us where to look. Those who speak, who write about their own sin, those are the ones who have been given wisdom. Those, on the other hand, who are most quick to point out the sins of others, that is where we need a godly skepticism. Sinners speak of their own sin and God’s grace and pronounce peace. The proud, on the other hand, speak of the sins of others and pronounce judgment. In short, where the gospel shows its impact is where we see ourselves. Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner. -- Posted by Ligonier Ministries September 17, 2011
Monday, September 05, 2011
All Grace
To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. (I Corinthians 12:7)
God is pouring out His grace on us through our church. After receiving a letter from our insurance company Monday, Aug. 29, setting a Sept. 20th deadline for fascia repairs to our home, we were scrambling. This fascia has been dangling for more than two years. Every time we think we will have money to fix it, the money goes for something else we deem a higher priority -- sometimes wisely, sometimes not. Now we were cornered, and with seemingly no way out. In South Florida it's the rare handyman who even shows up to give an estimate within the time frame we were facing.
On Tuesday, Leah and I read this passage in her Stewardship lesson: "In many ways, it is easier knowing that all of your possessions are His. When you live in a rental property and you have a leak in your roof, you just call the landlord and he takes care of it. Someday you may have your own home. Maybe you'll find a leak in the roof. When you remember that your house is really his, call on your heavenly landlord and let Him know he has a problem with His roof. Ask Him how He intends to fix it! It really is a liberating way to live. I confess I have difficulty remembering this concept in every crisis, but when I do, it is comforting to know that the problem is His responsibility." -- Steven P. Demme
And so we prayed about the fascia. I felt silly and irresponsible to pray this way. I felt that the fascia problem was our own fault. And it is.
But I was reminded and humbled again this week: With God, it is all grace.
Instead of a consequence or even a lecture, He poured out His grace.
When I told our friend, who knows how to do these kinds of things, about our deadline, he was over the very next day, measuring fascia. Then the following day, he came back with three other guys -- and four of their sons -- and they ripped down the old wood, ripped it down with evident joy at serving. Today, he was back with three different guys (and one son) to cut and put up the plywood soffit.
They explained this kindness, so overwhelming, by pointing to verses we are studying in I Corinthians in our Sunday School class. They are happy to use the gifts God has given them to strengthen us in the areas in which we are so weak and lacking.
Their grace, their generosity -- it's so big. And yet... how much bigger is the Lord's? My tiny mind is trying to grasp this: How big is God's Grace? I am stunned into silence. All I can say is: Thank you.
God is pouring out His grace on us through our church. After receiving a letter from our insurance company Monday, Aug. 29, setting a Sept. 20th deadline for fascia repairs to our home, we were scrambling. This fascia has been dangling for more than two years. Every time we think we will have money to fix it, the money goes for something else we deem a higher priority -- sometimes wisely, sometimes not. Now we were cornered, and with seemingly no way out. In South Florida it's the rare handyman who even shows up to give an estimate within the time frame we were facing.
On Tuesday, Leah and I read this passage in her Stewardship lesson: "In many ways, it is easier knowing that all of your possessions are His. When you live in a rental property and you have a leak in your roof, you just call the landlord and he takes care of it. Someday you may have your own home. Maybe you'll find a leak in the roof. When you remember that your house is really his, call on your heavenly landlord and let Him know he has a problem with His roof. Ask Him how He intends to fix it! It really is a liberating way to live. I confess I have difficulty remembering this concept in every crisis, but when I do, it is comforting to know that the problem is His responsibility." -- Steven P. Demme
And so we prayed about the fascia. I felt silly and irresponsible to pray this way. I felt that the fascia problem was our own fault. And it is.
But I was reminded and humbled again this week: With God, it is all grace.
Instead of a consequence or even a lecture, He poured out His grace.
When I told our friend, who knows how to do these kinds of things, about our deadline, he was over the very next day, measuring fascia. Then the following day, he came back with three other guys -- and four of their sons -- and they ripped down the old wood, ripped it down with evident joy at serving. Today, he was back with three different guys (and one son) to cut and put up the plywood soffit.
They explained this kindness, so overwhelming, by pointing to verses we are studying in I Corinthians in our Sunday School class. They are happy to use the gifts God has given them to strengthen us in the areas in which we are so weak and lacking.
Their grace, their generosity -- it's so big. And yet... how much bigger is the Lord's? My tiny mind is trying to grasp this: How big is God's Grace? I am stunned into silence. All I can say is: Thank you.
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