Pursuing Biblical Love

Principles for Dating #2

2011-06-14T12:32:00.000-07:00

Hello my children,

The second principle is "The Confirmation Principle."

Holland argues that it is important to submit your dating relationship to the God-ordained authorities in your life as well as the providentially placed people in your lives, like friends.

If you look at the relationship that Samson wanted to have with the Philistine woman in Judges 14:1-5, you see that not only was his interest in her based purely on physical attraction, but he also broke principle 1 in that he did not care about her character or even her religious beliefs. Even further, he didn't care about the input of his parents. He rejected their advice and "one thing led to another" and his wife betrayed him, 30 men died, multiple crops were destroyed by fire, and his wife and father-in-law were burned to death (Judges 15).

There is a God-ordained and designed level of care, instruction, and protection that God has woven into your lives. The first thread is your parents. Before you are an adult they are in authority over you and have responsibility to guide, teach, and protect you. But even once you are an adult they are to be honored and recognized as a valuable resource and can still serve as guides, teachers, and protection if you will let them.

It is good to have your parents involved from the beginnings of a relationship (or even before one starts). It would be good to involve them in considering who to pursue for a relationship and how.

Regardless of how exactly this works out, it should be the heart of a child to get their parent's thoughts, listen to their concerns, and honor their admonitions.

Parents are given for many good reasons that should be considered:

Exodus 20:12 12 ¶ "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you.

Leviticus 19:3 3 'Every one of you shall reverence his mother and his father

Ephesians 6:1-3 Ephesians 6:1 ¶ Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 Honor your father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise), 3 that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth.

Proverbs 6:20-23 My son, observe the commandment of your father, And do not forsake the teaching of your mother; 21 Bind them continually on your heart; Tie them around your neck. 22 When you walk about, they will guide you; When you sleep, they will watch over you; And when you awake, they will talk to you. 23 For the commandment is a lamp, and the teaching is light; And reproofs for discipline are the way of life.

Proverbs 10:1 A wise son makes a father glad, But a foolish son is a grief to his mother.

If God gave you parents He expects them to have very important input into this vital decision. It is true that not all parents are wise in these matters, but as in everything, check their advice and wisdom against God's word.

Grace and peace,

Dad

Principles for Dating: #1

2011-06-13T21:10:00.000-07:00

I am in the process of writing letters to my children about things they should think about regarding dating. I am posting them here in case they can benefit others.

Hi loveys,

This is the second installment of the dating series. We are going over Rick Holland's ten principles from the book _5 Paths to the Love of Your Life_.

The first principle is: The Character Principle.

The basic idea is that it is more important to _be_ the right person than to _find_ the right person. In other words, you should really concentrate on being conformed to the image of Christ. If you are seeking Christ you will desire a person who also seeks the Lord and wants to do His will.

Titus 2:2-8 gives a good list of character qualities for us to measure ourselves against.

sober-minded
dignified
self-controlled
sound in faith, love & steadfastness
reverent in behavior
not slanderers
not slaves to wine
teaching what is good
loving
pure
hard worker
submissive to authorities
a model of good works
having integrity
sound in speech
people have noting evil to say about you.

Other passages add other qualities:
humility (Phil 2:3-11)
holiness (1 Pet 1:14-16)
godly love (1 Cor 13:4-8)
selflessness (James 3:14)
the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-25)
Christlikeness (Eph 4:13)

It would be good to go through this list and see what areas you need to grow in. It is most important that you look upon your heart, because that is where God looks (1 Sam 16:7).

Titus 2 and 2 Timothy 2 indicate that it is helpful to have a mentoring relationship where someone encourages you and holds you accountable in these areas. Perhaps it would be good for you to ask your discipler to go through the list and talk about these things with you.

Finally, in addition to being the right kind of a person, in trying to find the right kind of person, these are the characteristics you should look for in others as well.

King Lemuel said it well: "Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." (Prov 31:30)

Again, let me know what you think. If you have questions or want to discuss something, feel free to respond to this message or send me a private one.

I love you all,

Dad

Defending the Faith

2011-02-11T14:01:00.000-08:00

I recently received this note from a non-christian friend. I thought I'd share my response in case it helps someone else in thinking through these things. Pray for his salvation.

Friend's comments: I was gonna ask you about this show I watched the other night. God vs Satan. We all know that god cast Lucifer out of heaven for basically trying to throw a coup. At this time Lucifer was a cherub, and he had managed to get one third of gods angels to back him. I have no idea who created gods cherubs, that's another mystery to me, but he cast out Lucifer and in turn made him king of the underworld. I think that was a big mistake for someone who knows all and sees all. He turned an ordinary cherub, into a king. Some call it a balance. Kind of like the ying and yang.
If we look at society today, it's easy to see that the devil is winning this game. Now don't get me wrong, I don't believe in any of that crap. But if I was a god. I believe I would have sacrificed Lucifer instead of waiting so long than to creep into a womans house when her man wasn't home and raping her like a common criminal.
I'm a big fan of the History channel where they are continously blowing gods out of the skies and this idea had occured to me. That god in the old testament makes a lot of mistakes, just in the first book of Genisis.
And another thing occured to me in our last discussion about evolution. I have to go with the walk of man as a good example of that. At least that is solid proof. And why could Jesus perform all the magic tricks like walking on water, raising the dead, healing the sick, and feeding the multitudes but he couldn't do a thing with those nails. But cried to his so-called daddy and his daddy turned his back on him. Lucifer came out smelling like a rose.

My Comments:
In exploring things like this it is important to separate what the Bible actually says from things that it is purported to say by those who build straw men arguments against it. It is true that the Bible teaches that there must have been a rebellion in the angelic world (2 Pet 2:4; Jude 6). It is also possible that Isa 14:12-15 is a reference to the fall of Satan, although that is debated.

The cherub designation comes in if Ezekiel 28 is a reference to Satan (That is debated as well since this is in the context of referring to judgment upon earthly kings). But let's say that Satan is a cherub. It is important to note that cherub in the Bible is not some fat baby angel like in art works, but was a class of angels.

You say that you do not know who created God's cherubs. Well, that Bible says, Exodus 20:11 11 "For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them."

So, it appears that God created the angels as well.

You also mention the name Lucifer, which only appears in the KJV of Isaiah 14:12, which should probably be translated as "shining one."

But, regardless of all of that, the Bible does not say that God made Satan the king of the underworld.

Understanding how to answer that depends though on what you mean by "underworld." If by that you mean hell, then the Bible does not teach that Satan is in charge of hell. Rather hell is the place designed for his eternal punishment (Rev 20:10).

If however by underworld you mean the earth where people live, then God also did not make Him the king of the earth. Now, you may be arguing that God's act of casting Satan out of heaven made him a default ruler of sorts. If that is what you mean then i would agree, but that is only because the hearts of unbelievers follow him. It is true that he exercises a dominion over the hearts of those who do not believe in Christ. He serves as their so-called "god" as he blinds their eyes and holds them captive to do his will (Acts 26:18; 2 Cor 4:4; Eph 2:1-2; 2 Tim 2:26).

However, it is not really like the Chinese philosophy of Yin and Yang. In the Bible God and Satan are not equal opposing forces. God is the sovereign creator who rules all of creation and Satan is a created but fallen being and a defeated foe (Hebrews 2:14-15) on a short leash allowed certain freedom to do his evil, but really only ends up furthering God's plan. He is able to be resisted by Christians (James 4:7; 1 Pet 5:8-9) will be crushed under their feet (Rom 16:20), and will be cast into the Lake of Fire (Rev 20:10).

As for looking at society and thinking that the devil is winning the game, once again this is not a biblical perspective. The Bible does not teach that God is trying to win some game. Rather, the Bible teaches that God is accomplishing the salvation of His people. And I can testify as one of them that he is doing really well. It never teaches that the world will get better, rather the expectation is that things will get worse. A rule of righteousness, peace, and love will only occur when Christ returns as King and destroys His enemies.

Now as to your idea that it would have been better to sacrifice Satan, well, once again, according to the Bible that would not have accomplished anything other than killing Satan. Jesus, who was fully God and fully man, was sacrificed in fulfillment of the OT prophecies and sacrificial types in order to as a human perfectly fulfill God's law in order to be a blameless sacrifice, and as God he was able to bear an eternity of the wrath of God toward the sins of all of His people in the short time upon the cross. Thus, he perfectly satisfied God's justice so that those who believe in Him as their savior may have the forgiveness of all of their sins.

As far as Jesus on the cross. The fact is that he could have called 12 legions of angels to defend him (Matthew 26:53-54) or could have come down himself if he had wanted to, but why would he? He lived his whole life for this purpose, to die for the sins of His people. The Bible teaches over and over that he laid down His life willingly. Then, he was resurrected so that those who believe receive the benefits of his death and are joined to Him in His resurrection as well to live a new life which will go on for eternity. As for his crying out "My God, My God Why have you forsaken me?" That is a quote from the OT in Psalm 22 and signals that Christ was fulfilling prophecy. It is true that he was abandoned to suffer the cross in the place of sinners so that he could bear the wrath of God, but this was not a weak or pitiful thing, it was rather a path to victory over death, sin, and Satan.

As for your contention that the incarnation was an act of rape, again you have it wrong on several counts. First, just for facts sake Mary was not yet married, so her "man" wouldn't be home with her. She was probably still living at home. Second, God did not rape her. He did not have a body, and did not have intercourse with her. He performed a miracle by causing her to conceive. After this miracle she is still called a virgin. So the biblical picture is not of rape. Third, perhaps you do not like the fact that He caused this to happen at all and feel that it was forced upon her. Well, if you read the account Mary is a very willing participant and in fact rejoices over her privilege to have this happen (Luke 1:26-2:7). So, your straw man argument doesn't hold up.

As for the statement that "Lucifer came out smelling like a rose." Its absurd (whatever it means?). Rather, I think he will smell more like burnt toast.

Two final comments: 1) As to your contention that God made mistakes, there is no evidence of that in the Bible. If you read the whole thing it consistently reveals that God is perfect and His whole plan can be seen in context. It is only when one tries to stand in judgment upon the Bible by their own skewed perspective and does not take it as it is intended by God that it could be construed as God making mistakes.

2) I have no idea what you mean by "the walk of man" as "solid proof" of evolution. Do you mean the fact that man walks upright? If so, wouldn't that better be evidence of a great designer?

Well, thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak the truth about my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and hopefull clarify some things. I pray that your eyes will be opened to see your sin and your need of the glorious savior and His work on the cross.

Grace and peace,

Brian

Merry Christmas from the Shealy Family

2010-12-24T15:27:00.000-08:00

On our wedding day in 1988, Brian and I were given a Christmas memory book that has space for recording 25 years of holiday memories. I am completely amazed to find that Brian and I will be celebrating our 23rd Christmas this year and our book is almost full! Our family Christmas photo has eight more people in it than when we started, our life is full and busy, and God has proven His faithful love to us year after year! 2010 was no exception. Here’s an update on our family…

Caleb (5) is determined to grow up in spite of the fact that he will always be our baby. Recently, he has discovered jokes, like this: “Why do chickens sit on eggs? Because they don’t have chairs.” Some of his favorite things are his cereal bowl with a built in straw, his black ankle socks, marshmallows, and Dad’s funny series of bedtime stories called The Bee Bop Bear Cops.

Luke (9) joined swim team a few months ago, and has grown about 3 inches this year. He is a big fan of Ereth, a funny, grumpy porcupine character from the Poppy book series, and is really happy when Seth is around to play video games with him. Luke and Caleb enjoy battling each other throughout the day with all their Nerf swords, axes, and guns, complete with lots of homemade sound effects.

Briana (11) has collected an armful of silly bandz this year, and loves to chat with her friends on the phone. One of her favorite memories of 2010 was going ice skating with a couple of her friends on her birthday. She loves to read books from The Charlie Bone series, and is hoping to be baptized this next year.

Lindsay (13) loves to swim and work out, and enjoys planning and organizing things. Making cards and giving gifts makes Lindsay happy, and most often she likes to give away friendship bracelets that she makes from patterns she finds on the internet or creates herself. She took voice lessons this year and sang in the girls’ youth choir at our church.

Ali (15) Ali has been exploring all forms of art this year like styling her family’s hair, singing with her friends, learning guitar and piano, drawing everything from sketches to portraits, and has just recently discovered photography. (I think it runs in the Shealy veins.) She is always available to be Savannah’s model when she needs someone for a photography class project.

Adam (17) is a senior in high school, and is thinking about career choices and possible majors. He loves to plays sports such as basketball, and volleyball with our church’s summer league. Relaxing for Adam means enjoying the X-box 360 and computer games, but he still has a soft spot for good books, (which is a good thing since he just got a new box full of books in the mail today that must be read before graduation!).

Seth (18) is recovering from having all 4 wisdom teeth removed this week, and from taking Chemistry his first semester in college. He is working toward a degree in criminal justice, and has recently applied to a cadet program with the police department. Seth got to travel to South Carolina with Brian for Thanksgiving this year, and has become quite a good swing dancer.

Savannah (21) spent the year building her wedding and portrait photography business, and was excited to travel to New York to shoot the wedding of a friend. You can see her work at: www.savannahlauren.showitsite.com. She is now pursuing a degree in photography, and in her spare time enjoys swing dancing and doing aerials with her brother, stalking the blogs of her favorite photographers, exploring San Francisco with her friends, and finding new Spurgeon and C. S. Lewis quotes.

Myra – I’m beginning to feel as if the kids are growing up in time-lapse photography speed! Within the next year the youngest child will start kindergarten and three will have graduated from high school. These are busy days, but I must say they are some of the happiest days of my life! Aside from watching God at work in our family, I’ve been so encouraged this year by the latest music of Steven Curtis Chapman, his CD called Beauty Will Rise. It is a strong testimony to God’s love and faithfulness to His children in their most painful trials. I’m looking forward to a “day off” next week that Brian is giving me, and I hope to dust off my camera, write on my blog, and maybe explore my favorite thrift store.

Brian has seen some major physical changes since last year. He lost 30 pounds, shaved off his beard, and took our family through an intense 90 day exercise program! No, this isn’t a midlife crisis, just an effort to help us all strive for better health. The results have been exciting, and it has been a fun thing to do as a family. Brian has completed two years of his PhD program, and is as busy as ever overseeing The Cornerstone Seminary, serving on the elder board at our church, and shepherding our home fellowship group.

In the remaining days of the Christmas season, our family will enjoy the special things that go along with the holiday: the food, opening gifts, seeing all the beautiful lights, and receiving cards and photos from many of you. But when it is all over for another year, the tree comes down, and the gifts have all been put away, the Savior that came to Earth so long ago will still remain the living gift that we desperately need. “Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners.” He is still the only hope that never disappoints. Our prayer is that in the year to come you will treasure Him above any earthly gift you have or desire.

Merry Christmas with love,
Myra for Brian, Savannah, Seth, Adam, Ali, Lindsay, Briana, Luke, and Caleb

Example of Christian Liberty - Charter Schools

2010-10-07T12:11:00.000-07:00

Awhile back I posted a series on Christian liberties. These areas are often difficult to navigate through. I have often had people raise specific issues regarding liberties so I thought I would post an example of an issue to try to help someone think through an area of Christian liberty. I do not by any means think I necessarily have the perfect answer to difficult issues like this, but at least it is an example of working through an issue. Hopefully it will help someone. The issue involves Christian homeschoolers and Charter Schools. Here is a sample letter:

Dear Friend,

Thank you for the packet of information on Charter School ISPs. I can appreciate your concerns. I am thankful for your desire to honor the Lord in all things and I’m thankful that you would come to me with your questions. Issues like these where there is no explicit command from Scripture (i.e., Don’t use Christian materials when you homeschool through a Charter School.) we have to try to apply principles that would be more implicit.

It is good to gather information on an issue as you have, but consider that these materials only present one side of the issue. What we should do in trying to solve a problem or come to a conclusion about something is to make sure that we can fully understand the other person’s viewpoint and even be able to argue their perspective better than they can, if possible. Then if we still disagree at least we can be sure that we are accurately reflecting their side and know for sure what we are rejecting and why.

The issue under consideration, as I understand it, is: First, that there are some Christian families that have their children in Public Charter Schools. Second, your issue is not that they choose to do this, but rather that some of these people use Christian educational materials during their school time instruction which you believe clearly violates the CA Constitution. Third, in your conscience, if you would do this, you would see it as sinning against God by not submitting to authorities (Romans 13:1-6). Do I have that right?

In looking at the info you gave me it was interesting to note that several of the position papers or pamphlets are arguing against anything but Christian homeschooling. They are arguing against Charter Schools because a Charter School as a public school would prohibit a Christian education. If I understand you correctly, that is not an issue with you. You would allow for freedom in regard to school choices. Someone could choose public school, public charter school, private school, or homeschool and that would be their liberty. Correct? So, we would not give weight to these arguments.

The other interesting thing that I find in the info is that none of it comes to the clear conclusion that you have come to, that if a Christian homeschools under a Charter School and yet uses Christian curriculum he is sinning by not submitting to authorities. They talk about the problems with Charter Schools. They mention that Charter Schools are not supposed to allow Christian education during school time. They mention that some Charter School administrators do allow parents to buy and use Christian curriculum, but are not supposed to. They state that parents in Charter Schools are allowed to supplement the child’s education with their own money on their own time. Yet, interestingly, none of the material, unless I missed it, states the conclusion that a parent who’s Charter School allows it would be in sin for doing it because of violating the Constitution. Mainly, they talk about the risks/dangers involved in doing so. If the courses were audited there could be repercussions such as loss of credits or even expulsion from the program. Roy Hanson comes the closest to saying it is sin when he states that it violates the regulations and then refers to possible deception involved and cites 2 Cor 4:2, which is Paul's statement about his ministry being of a different character than the false apostles because he did not come by way of deception.

So, I guess the questions would be: 1. Since it appears that it is a violation of State regulations, is it also a violation of the commands to submit to the governing authorities? 2. Is it deception?

The first problem I have in answering these questions is that I do not have the benefit of knowing how people who are doing this would answer them. I can’t make their argument better than they themselves make it because I do not know it. So, I would have to reserve final judgment upon it until I have heard their thinking on it. They may have valid points I have not considered. So, until then how should I evaluate it for myself? First of all I would approach the issue believing the best about my brothers and sisters in Christ (1 Cor 13:7) and assuming that they are not sinning until it is undeniable. Then, as the issue arises in conversation I would want to hear how they do process the situation and their actions. It is possible that some people are just ignorant of all of the factors involved. For these you can patiently inform them over time. Others may have fully thought through it all and are acting in good conscience.

Nevertheless, let’s try to answer the best we can in light of what we do know. As for the second question it seems easy. A person should know whether he or she is lying or not. If they are going to violate the regulation then they should not lie about it or try to deceive those who would inquire.

The first question is more difficult. It seems to me to be clearly a violation of regulations but even so there may be several possible legitimate reasons for such a violation. Here I would need to hear the person’s reasons for it. But I can propose some possibilities:

1) They believe it is an immoral law for the government to dictate that children cannot be taught from a Christian worldview, yet they also have the freedom to be in a public Charter School and benefit from it, so if they choose to be in it they must disobey a command to exclude God from their education.

2) Another possibility would be that there are conflicting interpretations of the law in other branches of the government (judiciary, executive, legislative) that would allow an interpretation of it that would provide freedom for homeschoolers to supplement within the school hours. Perhaps this is unlikely and I do not know of any, but I have seen this kind of thing happen often.

3) Some might feel that they have conflicting authorities. They are submitting to their immediate government authority who allows this, while other authorities do not. It is interesting that there are many laws on the books that are not enforced by governing authorities at various levels. In fact, as for going against the Constitution there are many governing authorities that go against the original intent of the US Federal Constitution. So, what do we do in such cases? Do we follow the Constitution or the particular governing agency or office that is violating it and overseeing us in the particular sphere we are operating? Sometimes these are tough questions.

4) Perhaps there are other justifications.

As it stands now I would have to conclude that this is a matter of conscience. If a person is convinced in his own mind that they are not lying and that they are free to use Christian materials in violation of this regulation and that it is not a violation of God’s command because of one of these justifications, then while I might not follow their rationale myself, I would not judge them as sinning against God. I would let God determine that (Romans 14:4, 10, 12, 13).

If after all of this a person still has a problem with people doing this and believes it is clearly a sin then in our church they would need to realize that they are in a church whose leadership views it as a freedom of conscience issue. So, they would need to do what makes for peace.

So, this is where I’m at on the issue presently. I’m certainly open to further discussion. Feel free to gain input from other elders or mature Christians you interact with. I hope this helps some.

Grace and peace,
Brian

True Biblical Love

2010-07-19T11:57:00.000-07:00

I recently did a 2-part series on genuine biblical love for the college and career ministry at our church and thought I'd share it here for anyone that might be interested. Click here.

The Relationship of Discourse Analysis to Exegesis

2010-05-31T09:42:00.000-07:00

In recent studies of the Bible there has been and emphasis on something called Discourse Analysis. Much of what has been discovered by this trend involves overlap with traditional steps of exegesis, yet where they intersect discourse analysis provides a strengthened concentration on the matters it covers.

Traditional exegesis has emphasized context. It could be argued that discourse analysis is context on steroids because of the heightened analysis. It emphasizes co-text which refers to the relationship of the text to the larger context of linguistic data in which it is set. It also focuses on the "intertext" which would involve the larger linguistic frames of reference. And when they speak of context it usually means the historical context. Here it is important to ascertain the situational features that shape the text: “place of writing, occasion, and readers’ circumstances.”

However, Discourse Analysis also includes grammar, but usually focuses more on the big picture, so it is concerned with the macrostructures that connect larger units like paragraphs. It also helps in outlining and understanding the flow of the argument so that one might best understand how a particular passage functions in the overall text. Here the cohesion and coherence of a text are studied to see what is communicated and how.

Discourse Analysis also provides exegetes with fine tuning for many other hermeneutical considerations such as analyzing the “sequence of information, the overall form and the structural conventions of a given discourse,” the study of deixis, speech acts, intertextuality, genre analysis, and rhetorical analysis. And it goes on from there. There is no end to the various aspects of Discourse Analysis, yet it certainly has great payoff in helping exegetes gain from the overall context and flow what is often missed in microsyntactical and lexical studies.

The Role of the Holy Spirit in Interpretation

2010-05-08T17:11:00.000-07:00

The Role of the Holy Spirit in interpretation is something that is often mentioned in hermeneutics and exegesis books, but little discussion is devoted to explaining what that role is, where the Bible teaches it, and how we know when it occurs. After much reading on the subject and a study of related passages of Scripture it is the contention of this writer that the Spirit has a multifaceted role in the life of the believer as he interprets Scripture.

The Spirit’s work in the interpreter is necessary because of the depravity of man. Due to the effects of sin a natural man, the unbeliever, “does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised” (1 Cor 2:14). This means that the unbeliever does not see the word of God as wisdom, but rather foolishness. Therefore he rejects it. While he does have a level of cognitive awareness of the signification of the words, He cannot understand in the sense of experientially knowing it as truth in a relationship with God. This is due the fact that it is spiritually discerned. The unbeliever is spiritually dead (Eph 2:1) and consequently has a futile, darkened, ignorant mind, and a hard heart that makes him callous to spiritual things (Eph 4:17-19). He is hostile to God and cannot bring himself under the Scriptures as his authority (Rom 8:7-8).

Therefore, the Spirit’s initial work involves turning a person into one who has many of the necessary presuppositions to begin to interpret the Scriptures. The Bible speaks of these changes in terms of the person being “born again” (John 3:3), “born of the Spirit” (John 3:5, 6), and saved by the “washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5). When the word is preached the Spirit attends His word and some receive it with joy as the word of God (1 Thess 1:5, 6; 2:13). This is because their spiritual eyes which were blind (Matt 13:15; Rom 11:8) are enabled to see (Matt 13:16). These facets of the changes of salvation give the person a new world and life view. They will then have the necessary preunderstanding concerning beliefs about God and His word for interpreting the word.

At conversion the Spirit also takes up residence in the life of the believer (Rom 8:11). Now he lives, and has the capacity to walk, be led, and filled by the Spirit (Gal 5:16, 18, 25; Eph 5:18). He has the Spirit of Christ (Rom 8:9) and thus, the mind of Christ (1 Cor 2:16). As the believer is conformed to the image of Christ through sanctification by the Spirit, he is given the proper thinking to have a whole hearted understanding and embracing of the Word as truth and gets to understand and know God better. His eyes are enlightened to know the truth more deeply (Eph 1:18).

This indwelling Spirit is the same Spirit of Truth who was promised by Jesus to teach His disciples all things, bring to their remembrance all that he had said, guide them into all truth, and declare the things to come (John 14:26; 16:13). It is difficult to determine how much of the Spirit’s work in their lives from these promises was limited to them and what aspects are normative for believers of all times. John himself includes some examples of how the apostles remembered what Jesus had said and understood the significance after His resurrection (John 2:19-22; 12:16; cf. 20:9). One can certainly see how this perfect memory would be important for writing the Gospels. His teaching them and guiding them into all truth could certainly explain the epistles. Further, declaring the things to come would explain Revelation. So, perhaps this is a promise for the apostles’ ministry and the process of inscripturation.

Yet, when the same writer, John, later addresses a church in 1 John 2:20, 27 he tells them that they have received an anointing from the Holy One and as a result they know all things and they do not need to be taught. It would contradict the very letter John is writing if these were absolute unqualified statements. The context would rather indicate that they know the truth about Jesus well enough to not be led astray by those who deny Him. If the anointing here is the Spirit, which is a reasonable conclusion, then believers are presumed to be taught the truth by Him and therefore know the truth, understand it well enough to believe it, and understand the significance of it so that they can obey it. So, the teaching ministry of the Spirit seems to be normative in relation to the truth already revealed.

Another passage that bears on this issue is 1 Cor 2:6-16. There Paul speaks about revelation that has been made known to “us” which they make known. It is possible again that this is intended to refer to the unique role that the Spirit had in revealing the mystery of the Gospel to Paul and other recipients of direct revelation. However, there are some universal truths if one reasons through Paul’s words. The very wisdom they received is imparted to others (1 Cor 2:6); it was prepared for those who love God (2:9); the Spirit knows the depths of God (1 Cor 2:10-11); the Spirit was received by them and He enabled them to understand the things given (1 Cor 2:12). So, the things given are revelation of truth, but the understanding of that truth is distinct from the revelation of it. Therefore, there is the revelatory role of the Spirit in Paul’s life, but believers who have received this same Spirit should also be able to expect that by the Spirit they too would understand the word. Again the Spirit teaches and gives spiritual discernment (1 Cor 2:16). Second Timothy 2:7 coheres with these ideas since while Paul instructs Timothy he is confident that the Lord will give him understanding of his instruction.

In summary, the Scriptures lead one to conclude that the Spirit who inspired Scripture regenerates a person and enables him to have a spiritual appraisal of the preached word, which He embraces as truth. This internal recognition of the word as truth is sometimes referred to as the internal testimony. As a person grows and is sanctified by the Spirit, as He uses the word, the Spirit guides him to understand and apply truth. While the believer is not promised infallible interpretive abilities, the Spirit does work in his life to have the capacity for the proper presuppositions needed to rightly interpret, embrace, understand, and apply Scripture.

Casting Our Cares Upon Jesus

2010-05-03T11:04:00.000-07:00

First Peter 5:6 tells us to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God. He is powerful, sovereign and wisely working all of our circumstances out for our good and His glory. In verse 7, the way that we humble ourselves under His mighty hand of protection is by casting our cares upon Him. That is, through prayer we take our concerns to Him and watch Him work them out. The verse ends with the words, "because He cares for you." That is an amazing thought. The mighty God wants us to come to Him and entrust Him with all of our problems and we come knowing that He really is concerned with us.

Authorial Intention

2010-05-01T15:50:00.000-07:00

The following is a short paper I did in a PhD seminar. It won't resonate with everyone but perhaps some will find it helpful.

Is discovering the author’s intended meaning the only goal of interpretation?

Throughout the history of the Church’s interpretation of the Bible there have been many theories that have led to subjectivity, because they place the locus of meaning in the understanding of the reader, or impossibility, because of radical pessimistic philosophies of language. These have included the four level allegorical approach of the Medieval Church, the sensus plenior determined by the Catholic Church magesterium, the two horizons approach of Gadamer, Derrida’s deconstruction, reader response criticism, and post-structuralism. Nevertheless, despite the confusion prospered by these approaches, there are many reasons to contend for the author’s intended meaning as the goal of interpretation. Before erecting this defense, it is necessary to establish definitions.
By the “author”, we understand this question to mean “the person who originates the text in the particular language, words, genre and structure we find them in.” By “intention” we understand that his “communicative intention” is meant, not wishes, motives, or psychological experience, but what he actually communicates in the text. By “meaning” we understand “that which is communicated through language.” “Interpretation” is understood as discovering the meaning of the text. Finally, it is assumed that, while not stated, the above question relates to the interpretation of the text of Scripture.
Discovering the author’s meaning as the goal of interpretation is first contended for based upon the nature of Scripture as God’s revelation of Himself to man. This is a basic presupposition that demands that Scripture be approached as writing that is able to communicate truth through language. Further, God created man in His image as a communicative being, thus enabling him to receive and understand communication through the medium of language.
Second, there is no other criteria by which to distinguish valid from invalid interpretation other than the author’s intention. If the author “dies” in our interpretive process of his text then authors don’t really author, there is no real “truth” to be discovered, and any objective meaning is impossible. It is the author’s intention that makes his words count as a particular action rather than another. So, he must be considered as the one that fixes meaning.
Third, any meaning derived by any means other than seeking to understand the author’s intended meaning would necessarily make the one who derives that meaning the author. If the meaning is not set by the author of the text then it collapses into subjective relativism.
Now as to whether this is the “only” goal of interpretation depends upon what is meant by “goal.” Determining the author’s intended meaning is certainly the “first” task of interpretation, because any valid application or significance must be based upon it. However, the reasons a person would interpret a text should go beyond just knowledge of the author’s meaning. The purposes for which God gave the Scriptures should also be seen as reasons that we would interpret—that we would believe it, appropriate it to be lovers of Christ and our Church families, and spread His gospel to all nations.

Is it discoverable?

The author’s intended meaning in a text of Scripture is discoverable through a historical-grammatical process applied to it. However, if by “intention” someone means the author’s psychological experience, or his wish, desire, or purpose for which he wrote, then these would not be discoverable unless the author stated them. The Scriptures are plainly written in a way that the average person can understand the author’s meaning.

Are there any problems in discovering it?

While the Scriptures are perspicuous, there are challenges that face interpreters. These arise from the dual nature of Scripture. On the one hand the Bible is to be interpreted like any other human book. The fact is though that it is an ancient book and as such there are several gaps that must be bridged between the modern day reader and the ancient author.
These gaps include language, literature, history, culture, and geography. Through studying the historical background, original languages, culture, geography, and genres of the author’s time period the signification of his words can be arrived at with a high degree of certainty.
On the other hand, the Bible is also a divine book. Therefore, the divine author’s intention causes one to see the whole Bible as a context for the parts. Thus, typology, prophecy, and intertextuality will call for special considerations.
So, in summary, discovering the author’s communicative intention in the text of Scripture is the first task of interpretation, but not the only goal of it. It is discoverable through a grammatical-historical process even though the dual authorship and ancient date present challenges.

Urban Legend: God Won't Give You More Than You Can Handle

2010-04-29T11:22:00.000-07:00

Have you ever heard the saying, "God won't give us more than we can handle"? It is usually given by well-meaning people to encourage those going through trials and I do not presume to know what everyone means by it when they say it. Perhaps sometimes it is a simple platitude. Perhaps others have a well thought out theology behind it and use it as an abbreviated statement for many well founded truths.

Yet, I wonder where it comes from because as it stands it is not a complete biblical concept. It is similar to the popular saying, "God helps those who help themselves," which is also not in the Bible.

These platitudes may be well intended and may contain partial truths, but are not really very helpful. While they mention God and perhaps sustain a concept of one or more of His attributes they actually place more emphasis on man-centered and humanistic thoughts that focus on our strength rather than God's.

It is possible that the saying, "God won't give us more than we can handle," probably has its roots in 1 Corinthians 10:13, "No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it."

However, this verse is in the context of how Israel in their trials in the wilderness succumbed to idolatry and other evil. Paul is telling the Corinthians that in trials we are often tempted to sin, but God is always faithful to give us an exit path so that we can endure the trial without sinning. The focus is not on the crass notion of our ability, but rather His enabling grace to be faithful to us and provide escape from temptation.

I think the "saying" derived from this and just took the notions of "God", "will not allow", "you are able to endure it." They leave out the fact that it is talking about temptation and sin and the notions of God's faithfulness and his provision. I think the danger is that we place confidence in man and do not realize how dependent we are upon Christ. While the statement acknowledges God it doesn't give Him all the glory.

Rather than us having some notion that we will be able to "handle" a trial we should really be encouraging people who are undergoing trials with Scriptures that stress God's power and ability and our dependence upon Him for everything. For instance,
1 Peter 5:6-7 "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, 7 casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you."

We need to understand that God is mighty and we need to simply humble ourselves before Him by continually casting our anxieties upon Him and watch His mighty hand work. We submit to His will and He will exalt us in His time, but the strength is all His, as is the glory.

The most encouraging thing about this verse to me is that it says, "because He cares for you." For those who have become His children through faith in Christ's work on the cross, we have a mighty God who cares deeply and passionately for us and will exercise His mighty power to prevail in our trials.

My two cents,

Brian

Abraham Piper's Admonition to Blog

2010-04-28T13:12:00.000-07:00

I recently came across this article, apparently by Abraham Piper, John Piper's son on why pastors should blog. I am going to try to take his advice. Enjoy his words:

"In this article I want to convince as many pastors as possible to sit down and start a blog today. If I can’t convince them, then I want to convince churchgoers to hound their pastor until he does.

OK, all that’s overstatement, perhaps. You can still be a good pastor and not blog.

However, here’s why I think it would be good for you and your congregation if you did.

Pastors should blog…
1. …to write.
If you’re a pastor, you probably already know the value writing has for thinking. Through writing, you delve into new ideas and new insights. If you strive to write well, you will at the same time be striving to think well.

Then when you share new ideas and new insights, readers can come along with you wherever your good writing and good thinking bring you.

There is no better way to simply and quickly share your writing than by maintaining a blog. And if you’re serious about your blog, it will help you not only in your thinking, but in your discipline as well, as people begin to regularly expect quality insight from you.

2. …to teach.
Most pastors I’ve run into love to talk. Many of them laugh at themselves about how long-winded they’re sometimes tempted to be.

Enter Blog.

Here is where a pastor has an outlet for whatever he didn’t get to say on Sunday. Your blog is where you can pass on that perfect analogy you only just thought of; that hilarious yet meaningful story you couldn’t connect to your text no matter how hard you tried; that last point you skipped over even though you needed it to complete your 8-point acrostic sermon that almost spelled HUMILITY.

And more than just a catch-all for sermon spill-over, a blog is a perfect place for those 30-second nuggets of truth that come in your devotions or while you’re reading the newspaper. You may never write a full-fledged article about these brief insights or preach a whole sermon, but via your blog, your people can still learn from them just like you did.

3. …to recommend.
With every counseling session or after-service conversation, a pastor is recommending something. Sometimes it’s a book or a charity. Maybe it’s a bed-and-breakfast for that couple he can tell really needs to get away. And sometimes it’s simply Jesus.

With a blog, you can recommend something to hundreds of people instead of just a few. Some recommendations may be specific to certain people, but that seems like it would be rare. It’s more likely to be the case that if one man asks you whether you know of any good help for a pornography addiction, then dozens of other men out there also need to know, but aren’t asking.

Blog it.

Recommendation, however, is more than pointing people to helpful things. It’s a tone of voice, an overall aura that good blogs cultivate.

Blogs are not generally good places to be didactic. Rather, they’re ideal for suggesting and commending. I’ve learned, after I write, to go back and cut those lines that sound like commands or even overbearing suggestions, no matter how right they may be. Because if it’s true for my audience, it’s true for me, so why not word it in such a way that I’m the weak one, rather than them?

People want to know that their pastor knows he is an ordinary, imperfect human being. They want to know that you’re recommending things that have helped you in your own weakness. If you say, “When I struggled with weight-loss, I did such-and-such,” it will come across very differently than if you say, “Do such-and-such if you’re over-weight…”

If you use your blog to encourage people through suggesting and commending everything from local restaurants to Jesus Christ, it will complement the biblical authority that you rightly assume when you stand behind the pulpit.

4. …to interact.
There are a lot of ways for a pastor to keep his finger on the pulse of his people. A blog is by no means necessary in this regard. However, it does add a helpful new way to stay abreast of people’s opinions and questions.

Who knows what sermon series might arise after a pastor hears some surprising feedback about one of his 30-second-nuggets-of-truth?

5. …to develop an eye for what is meaningful.
For good or ill, most committed bloggers live with the constant question in their mind: Is this bloggable? This could become a neurosis, but I’ll put a positive spin on it: It nurtures a habit of looking for insight and wisdom and value in every situation, no matter how mundane.

If you live life looking for what is worthwhile in every little thing, you will see more of what God has to teach you. And the more he teaches you, the more you can teach others. As you begin to be inspired and to collect ideas, you will find that the new things you’ve seen and learned enrich far more of your life than just your blog.

6. …to be known.
This is where I see the greatest advantage for blogging pastors.

Your people hear you teach a lot; it’s probably the main way that most of them know you. You preach on Sundays, teach on Wednesdays, give messages at weddings, funerals, youth events, retreats, etc.

This is good—it’s your job. But it’s not all you are. Not that you need to be told this, but you are far more than your ideas. Ideas are a crucial part of your identity, but still just a part.

You’re a husband and a father. You’re some people’s friend and other people’s enemy. Maybe you love the Nittany Lions. Maybe you hate fruity salad. Maybe you struggle to pray. Maybe listening to the kids’ choir last weekend was—to your surprise—the most moving worship experience you’ve ever had.

These are the things that make you the man that leads your church. They’re the windows into your personality that perhaps stay shuttered when you’re teaching the Bible. Sometimes your people need to look in—not all the way in, and not into every room—but your people need some access to you as a person. A blog is one way to help them.

You can’t be everybody’s friend, and keeping a blog is not a way of pretending that you can. It’s simply a way for your people to know you as a human being, even if you can’t know them back. This is valuable, not because you’re so extraordinary, but because leadership is more than the words you say. If you practice the kind of holiness that your people expect of you, then your life itself opened before them is good leadership—even when you fail.

Conclusion
For most of you, anything you post online will only be a small piece in the grand scheme of your pastoral leadership. But if you can maintain a blog that is both compelling and personal, it can be an important small piece.

It will give you access to your people’s minds and hearts in a unique way by giving them a chance to know you as a well-rounded person. You will no longer be only a preacher and a teacher, but also a guy who had a hard time putting together a swing-set for his kids last weekend. People will open up for you as you open up like this for them. Letting people catch an honest glimpse of your life will add authenticity to your teaching and depth to your ministry."

Loving Jennifer Knapp

2010-04-16T12:13:00.000-07:00

This week I noticed that former Christian Music Artist Jennifer Knapp has announced in interviews that she is a homosexual, yet she also maintains that she is still a Christian. This raises the issue that the church today is going to increasingly be confronted with this. In her interview she says that she remains unconvinced at the often-cited Bible verses condemning homosexuality. It also indicates that she does not attend church.

It is good for those of us in evangelical churches to consider what we will do when faced with a professing brother or sister in our lives that would have her views and circumstances. How do we best love her and minister from a Gospel and Christ centered perspective. How do we maintain a commitment to the truthfulness of God's word and biblical authority, yet seek to demonstrate the love of Christ?

I appreciate Bob Stith's comments:

"What I would want to say to Jennifer and others who may be facing her dilemma in the Christian church is that God really does have a sexual standard," Stith said. "It is based on His creative intent which is made clear in both the Old and New Testament. He did not put forth this standard to enslave us but rather to free us. When God prohibits something He always has something better for us. Unfortunately that concept is often lost in both the church and the world today. All of us are inclined to trust our own instincts and desires more than the revealed will of God. Whatever our desires may be and however right and/or powerful they may seem, God's desires for us must always take precedence. That may not bring immediate gratification but both for us and the Kingdom eternal the ultimate pay-off will be far greater."

The Scriptures seem to be very clear that God does not condone homosexuality (1 Cor 6:9-11; Lev 18:22; 20:13; Romans 1:26-27). So, it would appear that Jennifer Knapp is a professing sister who has been caught in a tresspass. Galatians 6:1 says "Brothers (sisters), if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him (or her) in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted."

This verse reminds us that as believers we belong to a family that should be watching out for, loving and caring for one another. We should have the kind of relationships where we are close enough to know what is going on in each other's lives. When we see our brother or sister sinning we should care enough to come alongside and give loving confrontation. It is interesting how sin is described like a trap or perhaps how the victim is likened to the prey of a ferocious animal. We should have pity and compassion for one caught by sin. 2 Timothy 2:24-26 describes someone who opposes the truth as having been caught by Satan to do his will and needing God to grant them repentance so that they will come to their senses. We are commanded to gently instruct such a one.

There are exhortations for every one of us in Gal 6:1. Besides being commanded to be brotherly in this way we recognize that we need to be spiritual. According to the context I believe that means we need to be walking in, led by, and living by the Spirit so that we too do not fulfill the desires of the flesh, but rather produce the fruit of the Spirit which fulfills the law of love. We have to humbly look at our own lives and deal with our own sin.

With these concepts of gentleness, love, humility, and prayer we can approach our brothers and sisters as family and perhaps they will be restored so that one day they can restore us. If not, then Christ has wisely designed a loving church restoration process in Matt 18:15-17. I pray that Jennifer Knapp has such people in her life.

Fame

2010-02-06T00:22:00.000-08:00

Tonight I drove my four oldest children to the church to meet their rides for winter camp. While there in the parking lot I really enjoyed the fellowship with other adults getting ready to see their children off as well. I was really touched by how each of my children came up at different times, hugged and kissed me and told me that they love me. What a blessing it is to know that and hear it expressed. When I arrived at home I took my wife for a walk. We briskly walked to keep our hearts pumping in the cold air while we enjoyed conversation. We expressed to one another the thoughts and challenges of the day exchanging advice on how to handle tomorrow. Again I reflected how special it was that we have a relationship and can express love. Later I watched "Fame" with my two youngest daughters while my two youngest sons watched "Clifford the Big Red Dog." I noticed how cute the boys were sitting in a chair together with their fresh crew cuts eating snacks and laughing. Downstairs the girls and I were so "inspired" as we watched the talented artists working hard for their dreams. As we all snuggled with blankets I thought how blessed I am to have all of this love in my life. Earlier I called my parents to see how they are with all of the snow storms on the eastern seaboard. They were fine. We discussed the news of the day and finished with that precious ending "I love y'all," "We love y'all too." God is a good God who loves to give good gifts to be enjoyed. He has lavished it on me. My brother is going to have cancer surgery this month, but then he and his family are supposed to come visit. Another opportunity to love and be loved. Life is short. Make sure to let people know you love them, and thank the Lord for all the love He gives.
His fame is glorious.

Looking For Tangible Expressions of Love

2010-01-21T15:20:00.000-08:00

I was just studying Romans 12:9 where it speaks about letting love be without hypocrisy or in other words "genuine." As I apply it to marriage I was wondering whether anyone out there could share some examples of how husbands and wives could tangibly demonstrate to their spouse that their love is genuine. Any thoughts?

Theology of Children

2008-12-24T09:05:00.000-08:00

Here is a little study I did on a basic Scriptural perspective of how we are to view children. Our Bible Study was truly moved as we reflected on what miracles children really are.

I. God wants us to be interested in children.

A. There are more than 8,000 references to children and family related terms in the Bible.

B. There are many stories of children (Samuel, Samson, Ishmael, Isaac, widow’s son, Timothy, Daniel).

II. Children Are Miraculous Gifts From the Lord

A. Miraculous pottery (Eccles 11:5; Job 10:8-12; 31:15; Psa 139:13-16; Isa 29:16; 41:25; 45:9; 64:8; Zech 12:1).

B. God’s good design for filling the earth (Gen 1:28; 9:1)

C. Many children is a sign of God’s blessing (Ps 127:3-5; 128:3-4; Gen 15:5; 16:10; 17:16; 22:17; 24:60; 25:21; 26:4; 28:3; 30:6, 11, 17, 18, 22; 49:25; Exod 23:25-26; Deut 7:13-14; 28:11; 30:9; Ruth 4:11; 1 Sam 1:10-11, 19-20; Job 5:25; Lk 1:13).

D. Having children is seen as desirable (Gen 18:12; 25:21; 30:1; Prov 30:15-16).

E. Parenthood is seen as joyful (Job 29:5; Ps 113:9; Gen 30:13; Jer 20:15; John 16:21; Hosea 9:16; Luke 1:14, 58).

F. It is desirable to have one’s name and family continued on earth (Ruth 4:10; 2 Sam 14:7; 2 Sam 18:18; Jer 11:19).

G. It is good to have children to support parents in their old age (Ruth 4:15; Gen 47:11-12; 1 Timothy 5)

H. They are precious gifts (Gen 4:25; 17:16; 30:6, 20; 33:5)

I. God enables conception (Ruth 4:13; Gen 29:31; 30:22; Ps 71:6; Isa 66;9)

Learning Parenting From the Fatherhood of God

2008-10-22T21:50:00.000-07:00

I. The Concept of God’s Fatherhood

We know theologically from the doctrine of the Trinity that God is a being who exists simultaneously as three coeternal persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

We know that God the Father is a father to the second person of the Trinity, the Son. He also becomes the father through adoption to all who are in Christ. The Spirit within us causes us to cry out to the Father as our Abba, Father.

It is interesting to note also that the other two persons of the trinity operate in ways that can be described as fatherly. Consider the Son. Of Him in Isaiah 9:6 it is said, “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

The last part of the verse are titles or descriptions that those under the reign of Jesus as King are prophesied to give him. As they take counsel from him He will be seen as wonderful. His power will give him the title of mighty God, the result of his reign will establish him as prince of peace, but his care over his people as children will cause them to ascribe to him the title “Eternal Father.” Jesus also tells his disciples in John 14:18 that he would not leave them as orphans. This is interesting in light of the fact that he had just indicated that he would send His Spirit to comfort them and dwell in them. He follows with an indication that he and the father would dwell in them.

So we see in many ways that Fatherhood is integral to who God is and how he treats his people.

It is important for us to realize that human fatherhood is a derived concept. It is not as if God’s fatherhood is merely an anthropomorphic way of communicating with us, but rather that our fathering is reflective of the image of God in man.

It is no surprise that He would bid us in Eph 5:1 to be imitators of God as beloved children. Later in chapter 6 verse 4 when he instructs fathers on how to treat their children that the model for parenting would be God himself. This is similar to the fact that when He instructs husbands and wives on how to live in marriage, that the model they are to follow is Christ in His relationship to the church. God’s plan of redemption comes first and marriage is designed to reflect that Gospel covenant love.

Likewise, in parenting we are mostly called to reflect God’s fatherly care of His children in living out our duties.

This study seeks to learn from God’s Fatherhood the characteristics of parenting. I simply gathered all of the passages that speak of God’s fatherhood and deduced a characteristic about his fatherhood. Amazingly, it turned out to be 26, one for each letter of the alphabet. So, here’s the A to Z.

II. The Characteristics of God’s Fatherhood.

A. God is a compassionate father.

This is seen in direct statements (Psalm 103).

This is seen in his treatment of those in need of compassion.

Psalm 68:5-6 5 A father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows, Is God in His holy habitation. 6 God makes a home for the lonely; He leads out the prisoners into prosperity, Only the rebellious dwell in a parched land.

B. God is a delivering father.

Isaiah 63:15-16 15 Look down from heaven and see from Your holy and glorious habitation; Where are Your zeal and Your mighty deeds? The stirrings of Your heart and Your compassion are restrained toward me. 16 For You are our Father, though Abraham does not know us And Israel does not recognize us. You, O LORD, are our Father, Our Redeemer from of old is Your name.

C. God is a molding, shaping father so that his children are the works of his hands.

Isaiah 64:8-9 8 But now, O LORD, You are our Father, We are the clay, and You our potter; And all of us are the work of Your hand.

D. God is a father who expects the obedience of his children.

Jeremiah 3:19 19 "Then I said, 'How I would set you among My sons And give you a pleasant land, The most beautiful inheritance of the nations!' And I said, 'You shall call Me, My Father, And not turn away from following Me.'

E. God is a father who desires his children’s works to reflect well on Him.

Matthew 5:16 16 "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 5:44-45 44 "But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

F. God is a father who rewards obedience.

Matthew 6:1 Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 6:4 4 so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

G. God is a father who knows the needs of His children.

Matthew 6:8 8 "So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

H. God is a father who is available and approachable for requests.

Matthew 6:9-11 Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10 'Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. 11 'Give us this day our daily bread.

John 15:16 so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.

Romans 8:15 15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!"

I. God is a father who is forgiving.

Matthew 6:14 14 "For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

J. God is a father who takes care of His children’s needs.

Matthew 6:26-33 26 "Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? 27 "And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? 28 "And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, 29 yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 30 "But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! 31 "Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?' 32 "For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

K. God is a father who is giving and gives good gifts.

Matthew 7:11 11 "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!

John 16:23 23 "In that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you.

James 1:17 17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.

L. God is a father who gives spiritual things.

Ephesians 1:17 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.

M. God is a father who gives responsibility.

Matthew 11:27 27 "All things have been handed over to Me by My Father;

N. God is a father who reveals truth to His children.

John 15:15 for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.

O. God is a father who is able & ready to protect His children.

Matthew 26:53 53 "Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?

P. God is a father who is kind, merciful and comforting.

Luke 6:35-36 35 "But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. 36 "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

1 Peter 1:3 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

Q. God is a father who loves.

John 3:35 35 "The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand.

John 10:17 17 "For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again.

John 14:21-23 21 "He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him." 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, "Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us and not to the world?" 23 Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.

John 15:9 9 "Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love.

John 16:26-27 26 "In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I will request of the Father on your behalf; 27 for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came forth from the Father.

1 John 3:1 See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are.

R. God is a father who wants to be honored and imitated.

John 5:19-27 19 Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. 20 "For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will marvel. 21 "For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes. 22 "For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, 23 so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. 24 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. 25 "Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26 "For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; 27 and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man.

S. God is a father who teaches.

John 8:28 28 So Jesus said, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me.

T. God is a father who knows and is known by His children.

John 10:15 15 even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.

1 John 2:13 13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father.

U. God is a father who is concerned to bring forth fruit in His children.

John 15:1-2 "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.

John 15:8 8 "My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.

V. God is a father who shares.

John 16:15 15 "All things that the Father has are Mine;

W. God is a father who makes promises and keeps them.

Acts 1:4 Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, "Which," He said, "you heard of from Me;

Acts 2:33 33 "Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear.

X. God is a father who exercises authority.

Acts 1:7 7 He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority;

Y. God is a father who impartially judges.

1 Peter 1:17 17 If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth;

Z. God is a father who has fellowship with His children.

1 John 1:3 3 what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.

Loving Others When Differing on Christian Liberties

2008-10-11T22:03:00.000-07:00

I recently started a series on parenting, but in the first two lessons I covered principles of Christian liberties because there are so many issues where people have strong disagreements on parenting that can cause division. We need to recognize when CL is in play and determine to love each other and strive for unity.

Principles for Christian Liberties

1. You need to decide whether the practice is a Christian liberty.
Questions:
i. Does the Bible address this issue?
ii. Is it contrary to a command of Scripture (1 John 3:4; Ps 119:105)?
iii. Is it contrary to a principle of Scripture?
iv. Is it consistent with having Christ as my Lord? (1 Cor 6:19-20)
v. Is it consistent with Biblical examples? (1 Cor 11:1)

2. You need to decide whether or not you can practice the liberty yourself.

a. You need to determine your own view about the liberty (Rom 14:5).

Helpful questions to consider?
1. Is it beneficial? (1 Cor 6:12)
2. Is it potentially enslaving? (1 Cor 6:12)
3. Will it tend to lead me into sin? (Rom 13:14)
4. Is it beneficial to others? (Rom 14:20; 1 Cor 10:33)

b. You need to make sure that you have the faith to do it (Rom 14:14, 22-23).
c. You need to make sure not to violate your conscience ( 1 Cor 8:7).
d. Can you practice this liberty unto the Lord? (Rom 14:6-9; 1 Cor 10:31).

3. You must recognize that this liberty might not be viewed the same way by others (14:5).

4. You need to give those who differ on this issue the benefit of the doubt that they are able to practice what they do as to the Lord (Rom 14:5-9).

5. You shouldn’t judge or despise your brother for his practice, leave that to God (Rom 14:1-4, 10-13).

6. You shouldn’t argue about Christian liberties (Rom 14:1, 1 Cor 13:5; Phil 2:13; 1 Cor 3:3; 2 Cor 12:20; 2 Tim 2:14, 23-26).

7. You need to use wisdom and discretion in when and where to practice your liberties.

8. You need to have sensitivity for the views of others and a willingness to limit your freedoms for the sake of others.

9. You usually need to make sure that you do not do anything in public that would cause your brother to stumble (Rom 14:13, 21; 1 Cor 8:9-13).

10. You usually shouldn’t practice in public something that another person’s conscience condemns (1 Cor 10:27-33)

11. Make sure to be most interested in edifying others (Rom 14:15, 19; 1 Cor 8:1; 10:24).

12. It is important to try to inform the conscience of the weak and not allow the weak to lead the church.

Praying for Your Children

2008-10-09T17:41:00.000-07:00

One of the ways that we can love our children is by praying for them prayers that are really important. The following is an outline of a study I just led on praying for your children. It also includes the prayers of Paul as models.

I. Pray for Their Salvation (Romans 10:1)

II. Give Thanks

A. For the faith you see (2 Thess 1:3)

3We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged,

B. For the love you see.

and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater;

C. For the perseverance you see.

4therefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure. 5This is a plain indication of God's righteous judgment so that you will be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering.

III. Pray for Christ to be glorified in their lives.

11To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power, 12so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

IV. Pray for their completion in sanctification.

1 Thess 3:9 For what thanks can we render to God for you in return for all the joy with which we rejoice before our God on your account, 10 as we night and day keep praying most earnestly that we may see your face, and may complete what is lacking in your faith?

V. Pray for them to love.

1 Thess 3: 11Now may our God and Father Himself and Jesus our Lord direct our way to you; 12 and may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you; 13so that He may establish your hearts without blame in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.

VI. Pray for spiritual knowledge, wisdom & understanding.

Col 1:9For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

VII. Pray for their walk.

Col 1: 10so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously 12giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.

VIII. Pray like this.

Phil 1:9And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, 10so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; 11having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Eph 1:15For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; 17that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. 18I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might 20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

Eph 3:14-21 14For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, 16that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. 20 Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, 21 to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

Patience

2008-07-07T19:04:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm finally back to blogging. Thanks for your patience with me. The last quarter of school was overwhelming for me, but by God's grace we all got through it. The good thing about not blogging quickly though was that I have had 4 months to think and meditate on patience. I have always been amazed that in saving me God has taken a person who was essentially on death row and had no inclination to please him; not only paid my penalty and justified me, but adopted me into His family and is now patiently raising me as His child.

That thought has really intrigued me of late. As sophisticated, intelligent, or strong I may sometimes fancy myself, in reality, to Him I'm always a child. And He is patiently raising me to grow up into a mature man of the stature and image of Christ. His patience is the pattern of patience that my love must display to others.

I find that there are many challenges to patience, and I am speaking of patience toward people, not circumstances. I spend most of my time in an educational environment. It of course requires contact with people on many levels. Patience is the ability to restrain from becoming angry, provoked, or acting toward anyone in an unloving manner no matter what they do.

Challenges to patience take many forms. In evaluating my tendency toward impatience I find that it is not always the same thing that someone does that sets me off. It is rather that it has to do with the state of my heart at any given moment.

As an educator and administrator in theological circles I naturally have requests of all sorts from students, pastors, pulpit committees, other faculty and administration, board members, applicants, donors, potential donors, information seekers, creditors, vendors, etc.

Then as a father of eight I can add requests concerning homeschool, athletic activities, music lessons, hobbies, discipline, desires, college, driving, entertainment, wet pants, bloddy noses, sicknesses, etc.

As a husband I add the desires and needs of my wife and inlaws. As a son and brother there are always considerations for my parents, brothers, neices, nephews, etc.

As a shepherd in the church there is always the constant concern for the many needs of the flock. As a board member for a missionary organization, there are the needs of missionaries, teaching at conferences, fund raising, etc.

As a friend there are friendship considerations; and as a neighbor there are all of those issues that neighbors bring like concern over lawns and fences, parking, trees, parties, children, etc.

And then there are all of those people we encounter through our daily existence, UPS man, postal worker, bank teller, door-to-door salesmen, JWs, Mormans, Store clerks, other drivers, DMV personel, etc.

I am probably forgetting some people, but the point is that there are so many people in my life (which I absolutely love by the way) that there is always going to be someone who does something that is provoking, irritating, demanding, or in some other way calls me to be unselfish. And that is really what it all boils down to. At every moment in relationship to other people I have a choice to make: Am I going to be selfish or am I going to serve?

In my heart I need to continue to go to the Lord, see Christ patiently enduring the cross for me, see the Father's patience for me, depend upon the Holy Spirit, pray to the Lord regularly, especially in those trying circumstances, dying to my own selfish desires.

Meditations on Loving from 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (#1)

2008-04-17T16:44:00.000-07:00

Today I'm meditating on the idea from verse 4 that "Love is patient." What does this mean? This is the passive or restrained side of love. This is a temperament that patiently accepts injuries without a desire for revenge. It speaks literally of being long-tempered, this is a spirit controlled ability to endure the provocations and injustices of people and still be in control of yourself; not responding to people with anger or contempt or any evil impulse. Love can take whatever an enemy commits against them without responding in bitterness.

How do I need to be more patient with reference to people?

The Heart of the Problem Is the Problem of the Heart

2008-03-23T09:05:00.000-07:00

In Judges 16:15 Delilah pointed out that the failure to love in action was a heart problem. I know that is the problem I have. There is something in the way I think or the way I feel that often keeps me from having that commited will to act lovingly in the moment.

Jesus put it this way, "But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witnesses, slanders. These are the things which defile the man. I can readily admit that I have at least had thoughts of all of these sins. It shows me that there is something wretched and vile within me. As Jesus says, I'm defiled.

Meditating on that for awhile is a real eye opener. I have really stopped being amazed at how often evil thoughts or impulses arise. Yet, I also know that the Gospel gives us hope. I am not given the impression anywhere in Scripture that I just have to consign myself to a life of defeat and depression over continually being plagued by and falling to sin. That would be antithetical to the Gospel.

The Gospel offers hope to sinners. And that hope is not just justification and forgiveness of sin. I know that in more defeated times of my life I certainly have found comfort in the doctrine of justification; and what Christ has done for me is certainly motivation to live for Him. But I find that the Gospel also holds out hope for real change in this life as well.

The Bible speaks of transformation. 2 Cor 3:18 says, "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit."

This verse indicates that as I gaze into the glory of Christ I am continually being transformed into Christlikeness. This is the ultimate goal of the believer in regards to change, to be like Christ in heart and thus, speech and action--love.

Paul tells us that he has confidence that God will carry this work on to completion (Phil 1:6). So, we can be sure that God is changing us and that we can change.

I know also that God has given us His Spirit to enable us to manifest this Christlikeness and produce love (Gal 5:22-23). What must change then is our hearts. By the Spirit the heart must be controlled, made gentle, faithful, good, kind, patient, peaceful, joyful, and loving.

The process of change is called repentance. More on that later.

What Does Biblical Love Look Like in Marriage?

2008-03-11T12:19:00.000-07:00

Recently I was asked about what headship & submission look like in marriage and how I would counsel a couple going through certain problems. Here was my reply that I hope will be helpful to anyone pursuing love.

My counseling these days is very simple. Every problem in marriage boils down to one simple thing: a failure to love. I would not start with role relationships. The glue that holds marriage together, the oil that makes it work without friction, and the cleanser that makes it shine is love. Colossians 3:14 says that love is the perfect bond of unity.

What we all need more than anything is to learn how to love God and our neighbor. Our most opportune neighbor to love is our spouse. What I would do first is work through what biblical love is. There are many places to go for that, but my favorite place is 1 Cor 13:4-8a.

This passage is very familiar to us all, but I think that the key to our lives is to really see the beauty in what is described and desire it, evaluate our lives by it to see where we need to change to be more loving, request the gift of repentance, resolve and try to change, and rely upon God to sanctify us into more perfect lovers. And I would add that love is seen here as actions. Paul makes clear that if you just say you have love, but you don't really have the active love he is talking about then you are just making noise (clanging gong, clashing cymbal).

There are a lot of things listed in this passage, but the first two descriptions of love are the summary of all the others. Love is patient and love is kind. If we could just be patient with each other through no matter what we do and be kind in every action toward others, we would have wonderful marriages.

Patience involves basically putting up with the other person no matter what they do (now of course there are things that have to have legal or discipline, or other types of consequences, but short of those), the overarching passive response is patience. It involves restraint, self-control, and unselfishness. Patience also involves believing the best and hoping for change.

The other side of love is kindness. This is the active side of love. It should characterize our speech and actions. It involves gentleness, tenderness, compassion, mercy, loyalty, faithfulness, etc. It is just treating someone nice in all of the ways that you can do that.

Now the way that Paul proceeds shows us that if we are going to be patient and kind it is going to involve self-denial, a death to self has to occur. This is what I constantly bear in mind each day. How do I need to die right now so that I can love better next time? Just as Jesus' love was displayed in death, I must die to my selfish desires.

He gives eight ways:

1) Love is not jealous, so I need to die to my desires to have what others have or to have no objects of shared affection.
2) Love does not brag, so I need to die to my desire to talk about myself in a way that I get the glory or look better than others.
3) Love is not arrogant, so I need to die to my desire to be made much of or to think of myself as better than others in anything.
4) Love does not behave rudely, so I need die to my desire to act in a way that unnecessarily offends others.
5) Love does not seek its on way, so I need to die to the desire to be dominated by my own preferences.
6) Love is not provoked, so I need to die to the desire to live a frustration free life.
7) Love does not keep a record of wrongs, so I need to die to my desire to hold a grudge, bring up past wrongs, or not forgive.
8) Love does not rejoice in iniquity, so I need to die to my desire to enjoy any sinful attitude or action against anyone.

Finally Paul ends with 4 statements of hyperbole to emphasize that love must dominate our lives by bearing all things, believing all things, hoping all things and enduring all things. Again these are just patience & kindness.

Once I have a couple really working on loving each other by examining themselves, dying to selfishness, and practicing love by patience & kindness, then I show them that God's will for our lives involves being imitators of Him. Ephesians 5 starts with that. Then it goes on to teach how we are to imitate Him in His love, His light (or holiness), and His wisdom. This imitation is accomplished in our lives as we pursue it by being filled by the Holy Spirit (5:18). It is in this context of Spirit produced love, light, and wisdom, being imitators of God and His Son Jesus Christ that we then finally can enter into a discussion of roles. And these roles are simply examples he gives of Spirit filled imitation of God in His wisdom, light, and love.

It is no wonder then that as God says that a husband is his wife's head he simply commands him to love her. I certainly believe that being head in the context implies authority, and there are other passages that make him responsible to lead, protect, manage, oversee, take care of, etc., but what a man first needs to grasp is that his ultimate leadership is to lead in loving--that is--being patient and kind. Then in the context he needs to lead in wisdom and holiness.

I think a crucial thing which is part of that is for him to value his wife as his helper. God providentially arranged that his wife would be packaged with certain wisdom, knowledge, gifts, abilities, talents, interests, and insights, that he would need to accomplish what God has called him to do for the glory of Christ. He must become skilled at drawing these things out of her and unleashing her full potential or he is acting foolishly. This is what I strive for. I don't want to miss anything she has to give.

Now, after all of this, (and even more I would go into), we can talk about submission. I think it is essential to see that in the Greek the word for submit is actually a participle that is in a string of participles that all go back to modify being filled with the Spirit. These are all results of the Spirit's filling. A wife's submission is simply one of God's designed results of her walking in love, wisdom, & light being filled by the Spirit.

She simply treats her husband with love, manifested by patience and kindness, as she understands that God has placed her in a relationship where her husband has authority over her and she is called to respect him as that authority, but it should be kept in mind that she is really ultimately serving the Lord by doing so.

One very important thing to point out is that it is NOT the husbands responsibility to make his wife submit. She must do this voluntarily. This is her responsibility. He is simply called to love her. Likewise, it is not the wife's responsibility to make her husband love her. He has to do that. When a husband will not love her properly she should follow 1 Peter 3:1-6 and seek to win him through love, wisdom, and holiness which manifests itself there by a gentle and quiet spirit which is precious in the sight of God.

What is ultimately at stake in our loving headship and loving submission is the picture of the gospel to the world. Eph 5:32 indicates that marriage is really ultimately about portraying the relationship of Christ to His Church.

So, finally I think that headship looks like this: a husband loving his wife with patience and kindness, leading in loving God and loving others, walking in love, light and wisdom, seeking to promote her growth in grace and wanting to gain from her in every way that God designed her to be a helpmate, recognizing her value as a gift, partner, and co-laborer. Submission relies upon the Holy Spirit to see her husband as her God ordained leader, respect him as that, and in love, light, and wisdom, submitting all that she has and all that she is to her husband to help him in all that God has called him to do. Letting him know all of her wisdom, knowledge, talents, gifts, resources, strengths, weaknesses etc, to complete him yet being willing to let him bear the ultimate responsibility for their family's leadership.

In practice it involves a lot of communication, listening, reading the word and prayer together as we seek to simply treat each other with patience and kindness. There have been a few times where I have had to ask her to just trust me in certain decisions and to ultimately trust God to lead her through me and to deal with me whatever the consequences, but most of the time it involves a mutual agreement.

An Opportunity to Love the Government God Has Given Us

2008-03-07T11:14:00.000-08:00

A California Court just made a ruling that basically outlaws homeschooling in California. This of course affects us and we will be very interested to see what happens regarding the law and the appeals process. Already various homeschool families and legal entities are responding with outrage, fear, legal action, etc. It is understandable. But what is so important is to see that this is an opportunity to love those in authority over us and love those who may not understand why we do what we do. How do we manifest patience & kindness toward the courts, truancy officers, reporters, lawyers, legislators, etc.?

I have posted Al Mohler's blog about this situation below:

A Bolt From the Blue -- A Homeschooling Decision in California

Posted: Friday, March 07, 2008 at 4:08 am ET
Like a bolt from the blue, a California appeals court has ruled that the state's parents have no constitutional right to homeschool their own children. In a flash, a child welfare case that no one had noticed has become a flash point of controversy in the nation. Will homeschooling be ruled illegal in California?

Here is how The San Francisco Chronicle introduced the story:

A California appeals court ruling clamping down on homeschooling by parents without teaching credentials sent shock waves across the state this week, leaving an estimated 166,000 children as possible truants and their parents at risk of prosecution.

The homeschooling movement never saw the case coming.

"At first, there was a sense of, 'No way,'" said homeschool parent Loren Mavromati, a resident of Redondo Beach (Los Angeles County) who is active with a homeschool association. "Then there was a little bit of fear. I think it has moved now into indignation."

From The Los Angeles Times:

Parents who lack teaching credentials cannot educate their children at home, according to a state appellate court ruling that is sending waves of fear through California's home schooling families. Advocates for the families vowed to appeal the decision to the state Supreme Court. Enforcement until then appears unlikely, but if the ruling stands, home-schooling supporters say California will have the most regressive law in the nation. "This decision is a direct hit against every home schooler in California," said Brad Dacus, president of the Pacific Justice Institute, which represents the Sunland Christian School, which specializes in religious home schooling. "If the state Supreme Court does not reverse this . . . there will be nothing to prevent home-school witch hunts from being implemented in every corner of the state of California."

The court's decision states that California's compulsory education statute does not allow for parents to teach their own children as an exemption. Instead, the only teachers qualified to teach children under the law are those with official teaching credentials.

The decision is sending shockwaves across the homeschooling movement nationwide. In California alone, over 160,000 families homeschool their own children. Some believe that the number is actually far higher.

In any event, the requirement of teacher credentials has long been used by the public school systems and teacher unions as a ploy to shut down competition.

In the most important section of the court's ruling, the 3-judge panel ruled that California parents have no constitutional right to educate their own children. As the decision reads [see full text here]:

The trial court's reason for declining to order public or private schooling for the
children was its belief that parents have a constitutional right to school their children in their own home. However, California courts have held that under provisions in the Education Code, parents do not have a constitutional right to home school their children. Thus, while the petition for extraordinary writ asserts that the trial court's refusal to order attendance in a public or private school was an abuse of discretion, we find the refusal was actually an error of law.
The words, "parents do not have a constitutional right to home school their children," are nothing less than explosive. Even as the court's decision is expected to be stayed pending appeal, some parents are already making clear that they will move their families from the state if necessary.

As The Los Angeles Times reports:
Glenn and Kathleen, a Sacramento-area couple who requested that their last name not be used for fear of prosecution, home school their 9-year-old son Hunter because their Christian beliefs would be contradicted in a public school setting, Glenn said. He is troubled by the idea that his son would be exposed to teachings about evolution, homosexuality, same-sex marriage and sex education ."I want to have control over what goes in my son's head, not what's put in there by people who might be on the far left who have their own ideas about indoctrinating kids," he said. If the ruling takes effect, Glenn vowed to move his family out of state. "If I can't home school my son in California, we're going to have to end up leaving California. That's how important it is to me."

This is a controversy that demands the attention of all parents. After all, if parents have no constitutional right to educate their own children, what other aspects of the parent's choices for their own children lack protection? This question reaches far beyond educational decisions.

Learning Love From A Can of Green Beans

2008-03-03T18:24:00.000-08:00

As I sit at the dinner table tonight I know that there is a half empty can of green beans sitting on the kitchen counter that needs to be put away. I cannot quite see it from where I sit, but I know that it is probably still there. Of course there is no guarantee because you can never tell what will happen in this house. I am aware of the green bean can because it has taunted me all day long. I am not quite sure when it appeared or who opened it, who knows maybe I even opened it, but I have seen it several times today in passing and I have remembered it from a distance on numerous occasions.

You might be saying, "Why don't you just get up and put it away?" Well, the reason is that I am certain that between my departure from the table and my arrival at the kitchen there would be some interruption and a string of circumstances that would have my next conscious thought arise in some place like the back yard, garage, street, or head in the refrigerator wondering, "What am I doing here?" or "What was I looking for?"

No, I am not a total lunatic, nor do I have Alzheimer's, I have just been keeping seven of my children for the past five days while my wife is in Alabama visiting her parents. The green bean can has special significance for me for two reasons. First, it represents my own inadequacy and inability to accomplish all that I am called to do in this task. Second, because it teaches me how to love my wife in a more understanding way.

You see, I remember coming home from work one day a few months ago and seeing a half empty can of green beans sitting on the counter. As we were putting kids to bed I passed through the kitchen and mentioned to my wife the presence of the can and asked how long it has been out and whether it should still be put away. She said, "I think it has been there since lunchtime." I remember thinking, "I wonder why she didn't put it away," but I didn't say anything. I knew that she was extremely busy and decided that I would just be understanding and take care of it myself. I thought I understood then, but now I really do understand.

I serve as the Dean of a seminary where I also teach language classes. Last Wednesday I taught & administered seminary education from 7:30 AM to 5:40 PM. Then I took my son to basketball practice and headed home to teach my Bible study. After the study we put our children to bed and then I headed to the SF airport to send my wife to Alabama. I finally arrived home about 1:30 AM. So, needless to say, I started this whole adventure very tired. But that is okay. It dawned on me this week that my wife does this all the time. She is often up early and retires late, constantly working. I was simply feeling what she does regularly.

Then it started. I entered the adventure with the naive thought that I would still accomplish my work from home while homeschooling and taking care of the children. I soon relinquished that dream. Very quickly the realization that this was more than a full time endeavor seized me. Now, five days later as I prepare to pick up my dear wife from the airport I have come to understand her very much better. In 1 Peter 3:7 it says for husbands to live with their wives in an understanding way. This is my endeavor by the power of the Spirit and the grace of Christ.

Walking a mile in someone else's shoes definitely goes a long way to help you understand them and learn how to love them better (being patient and kind). This week I have experienced the types of burdens my dear wife carries - the weight she feels of being concerned with homeschooling seven children . . . are they learning? . . . am I doing a good job . . . is CPS going to show up and take them away . . . am I doing what is the wisest? - the concern over their character . . . reading to them, disciplining, discussing -- holding them accountable for their responsibilities and chores, three meals a day . . . are they eating well . . . giving out medication . . . making sure the guinea pig and the fish don't die . . . the cooking . . . the cleaning . . . getting them to swim team and basketball practice, changing diapers (7 times a day), getting them up, putting them to bed, overseeing their hygiene (brushing teeth, doing hair, getting dressed, taking baths, wearing deodorant), managing the mountains of laundry, the washing, the drying, the sorting, the folding, the putting away . . . living through the very simple constant demands --the questions, the requests, the social agenda of each child, the whining, the rebellion, the hugs and kisses, the hurts, bumps, and bruises . . . being the nurse . . . going to buy necessary clothes, supplies, food, etc. . . . cleaning up spills and bathroom accidents . . . getting them up and ready for church on time, doing pew training, . . . And this list could go on and on. I found that often I experienced unexplained fears and surges of emotion.

While I was at home I didn't even have to concern myself with homeschooling the youngest school age children because she had finished their work up through my days with them. I also did not have to be concerned with pleasing and serving a husband as she does.

Besides all of these things my wife also somehow does discipleship, ministers to people in various ways, answers e-mails, writes a blog, engages in photography, graciously handles interruptions, and TAKES CARE OF ME all while maintaining her spiritual devotion to Christ.

In the midst of my adventure many things went undone. The first thing that went out the window was any time or energy spent on myself. I didn't even think about shaving for four days. It was hard to find time to eat, get dressed or go to the bathroom. The newspapers piled up in the driveway, I cleaned no bathrooms, did not clean out the fridge, did very little yard work, and no extra things around the house. and there is the weight of looking at the things you cannot accomplish like putting away a green bean can. So it was easy to see how some things just never get done.

Let me say here, to exonerate my children, that they were very helpful throughout the five days. They have been taught to do many things, but even then there is the weight of overseeing their work in their responsibilities.

After all of this, it would be an understatement to say that I marvel at how well my wife takes care of all of her charge. She truly is an excellent wife far more valuable than rubies. I feel that many daughters have done nobly, but she excels them all. I will praise her to her face, before the children, and in the gates. But I marvel even more at what Christ can do in a life. I marvel at His grace, because having experienced a small slice of her life I marvel that she would not only be able to do this and do it well all the time, but that it is her choice to do this and she loves it and would choose nothing else. She serves her Lord in this way every day with joy.

I think I understand my wife better and her needs. I need to be constantly vigilant in remembering to pray for my dear wife, to encourage her, to give her rest and breaks, to give her adult conversation, to rescue her out of her burdens, to treat her to dates, to find ways to help her, to support her with the children, to demand nothing, to treat her with extra special graciousness, gentleness, tenderness, and affection.

One last thought that occurred to me during this process was how difficult it must be to be a single parent. My heart is broken to think of doing this all without a partner. Again, how amazing the grace of our loving Lord must be to enable single parents to persevere and even have great joy in raising children without other help. Lord make us all more understanding and compassionate toward each other. Teach us how to minister to each other.

Learning Love From Samson and Delilah (Part 2)

2008-03-02T16:14:00.000-08:00

Despite the fact that Samson's three recorded "love" relationships leave very little to be desired regarding an example to emulate, his third fling actually gives amazing insight into the key to genuine love. We have a cycle of Delilah asking Samson how he can be bound; he lies; she tries; he breaks loose. Then Delilah makes this statement: "How can you say, 'I love you,' when your heart is not with me?"

She sees an inconsistency between his saying, "I love you," and his lying. She diagnoses the problem with his inconsistency as related to the heart. It reminds me of Henry Krabbendam who I once heard say in his deep golden voice, "The heart of the problem is the problem of the heart."

Now never mind that the same thing could be said of Delilah, after all she is trying to betray him, but she really does get to the heart of the problem. If you look at the references to the heart in the OT you get the idea that the heart is a way of referring to your mission control center--the place in the core of your immaterial man that includes all of your thinking, willing, & feeling; and action comes from how you think, will, and feel. So we learn from Delilah that the kind of love that we want is one that will start in the heart. She wants Samson to think, will, and feel, about her in such a way that his actions are consistent with his profession of love towards her. Isn't that the kind of love we want to have? Isn't that the kind of love we want to give?

That is the kind of love God has toward us and the kind of love He calls us to and empowers believers to demonstrate in Christ by His Spirit.

Interim Post - Keeping Kids

2008-03-01T00:49:00.000-08:00

I plan to follow up with the Samson story soon, but I am in the midst of keeping seven children while Myra goes to Alabama for five days to see her family. It is times like these when I am reminded what a wonderful, patient, incredibly hardworking woman she is -- a precious gift!

Learning Love From Samson and Delilah (Part 1)

2008-02-25T19:48:00.000-08:00

The Grateful Dead sang a song called "Samson and Delilah," then the Pointer Sisters had a song called "Fire" where they put Samson and Delilah in the same league as Romeo and Juliet, having a love they could not deny. Yep, the Biblical couple has been enshrined as an example of a "love" story. But what was their love like?

To see this love story you have to go to the book of Judges (hee hee!). I recently did a Valentines banquet and got quite a look when I said, "Let's turn to the book of Judges." Well, its a fun story. Basically, we first learn about Samson's kind of love in chapter 14:1 when he "sees" a Philistine woman and tells his parents to go and get her for him. He makes three critical errors in my opinion. First, he spurns his parents counsel. Second, he chooses a wife that will be incompatible spritually. And third, he makes his decision based purely on physical attraction. He says, "She looks good to me" (v. 3).

Let's see how that worked out. Well, He makes his inlaws mad by gambling with them over a riddle. His wife tries to get the answer from him by manipulation through saying he hates her (16a). He puts his parents above his wife (16b) saying, "I haven't even told my parents why would I tell you?" She then manipulates him with tears, crying for seven days (17), which he gives in to. She betrays him to her people (18a). He calls her a heifer (18b).

Samson then demonstrates that he has an anger problem by killing 30 men and taking their clothes to pay off his bet (19); he ties torches to the tails of 300 foxes that burn up the grain fields and olive orchards (15:4-5). The Philistines retaliate by burning his wife and father-in-law, so he eventually kills 1000 with a donkey's jawbone.

Well let's see if his next relationship is any better. Judges 16:1 says that he saw a prostitute and went in to her. Okay, physical based and immoral.

Finally, we get to Delilah. It actually says that Samson "loved" her (16:4). But what does that mean? Let's see. Chapter 16 tells the tale of Delilah being bribed by the Philistines to find out the secret of Samson's strength so that they might know how to bind him to afflict him. Then there is this humorous cycle where she asks him, he tells her a lie, she tries what he tells her, the Philistines lie in wait to ambush him, whatever she tries fails, and he breaks the bonds. As you read the story you can just imagine the Philistines hiding in their house and seeing him awake breaking his bonds and them scurrying out the door.

So up to now we have relationships based on deceit, poor communication, favoring parents over spouse, immorality, majoring on the physical, name-calling, anger, manipulation, bribery--almost everything I've faced in marriage counseling. But I also see that every one of these areas could easily be a temptation for me. I'll explore that later.

About the Blog Title

2008-02-22T19:52:00.000-08:00

Well, today I enter the blogosphere. My wife and oldest daughter preceded me into this world of contact. As I thought about a title that would really characterize my life and interests I was struck with my latest studies of Scripture. I have recently been stirred by the fact that the supreme thing that God calls us to is simply love. Love God, and love my neighbor, even love my enemy. Love my wife as Christ loved the church. Scriptural commands. My love for my brothers and sisters in Christ is supposed to be sooooo pronounced that all men will know I am a student and follower of Jesus by my love for them.

As I pondered these things it dawned on me that when you think of how we are called to be holy, righteous, perfect, blameless, wise, etc., love would fulfill all of these. The problem is that I know that at root I am not loving, I'm selfish. So I guess what I'm saying is that I see in me a deficiency when it comes to loving God or people. Yet, I see love as the most attractive thing I can think of. I do find within me a desire to love. So, what I am doing is getting busy finding out how to love.

Academically I have been in and out of school most of my life. In fact, I have just restarted pursuing a PhD. It will no doubt be helpful in many ways toward my profession, yet my title here is intended to emphasize that the pursuit that really matters most to me is to love God and people. I intend to share studies from Scripture and thoughts about what God is doing in my life toward this goal.

I invite you to join me on this journey as I ponder and pursue love to the highest degree, learning from Him who is the embodiment of love -- my Savior Jesus Christ.