our complacency towards Scripture is solved by...

"In the beginning was the Word..."

Christ, the magnificent word of God.

The complacency towards Scripture in the church is unsettling to me (actually, it is frightening) and that small snippet of the Word (about the Word) makes my case.

The Bible is the written word of God, recorded for us so that we can know God to the fullest extent possible on this side of eternity. And yet, we spend so little time with it. We spend so little time reading and meditating and praying through it that our vision of Christ cannot be a very big one.

I lump myself in this mess. It scares me how little I cherish my time in the Scriptures. And it makes me nervous that the Word doesn't make me tremble in awe more often.

When people saw a vision of God, as recorded in the Bible, they were terrified. They were awestruck. And yet, here we sit with a perfect portrait of Christ in our little, sinful hands and we barely even glimpse at it.

What is the solution? What is the answer to our dilemma?

The most obvious is to read and study and pray the Word more often. But me saying that doesn't do as much as me quoting this:

The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever.
The decrees of the LORD are firm,
and all of them are righteous.

They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the honeycomb.
By them your servant is warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
But who can discern their own errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.
Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then I will be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.

May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

The answer is more than simply telling ourselves (and others) to read more. Much of the answer lies in our speaking the Word into each others lives. So, this week, make it a goal to speak Scripture to each other.

It doesn't even matter how much you know. You might only know a tiny part of John 3:16 or the 23rd Psalm. You know what? Those are part of the definition of God. Speak them. Speak them often.

And, hopefully, our speaking the Word, which pierces to the soul and spirit, will do more for us than any amount of do-better-ism that we can muster.

And so, I urge you to consider how you can urge one another on toward love and good deeds by speaking the living and active Word (which is Christ in written form) to one another.

In Christ who sustains,

-joe

sifting

I don't know if "discover" is the right word, but this verse from Luke 22 has been ingrained in my memory for several years. It has provided immense comfort and, along with a few Psalms, was the sustaining voice that kept me from abandoning everything two years ago.

"Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers."

I encourage you all to put this verse into your hearts, because you won't have much strength to look for hope when those times come. You'll need to have his Word implanted within you.


Take a few minutes and say it out loud about 20 times, write it down a few times, and come back to it every day and do the same for the next few days. When Satan demands to have you and Christ seems absent, pray that he would be merciful and intercede on  your behalf just as he did for Peter.


-joe

matthew's begats

I think I've posted the song before (and probably linked to it several times) but this week "Matthew's Begats" really made Scripture become a little more readable for me.

I'm currently reading through 1 Chronicles and the first few chapters are a bit...cumbersome? They aren't even offical "begats" because it simply lists people, like this "Adam, Seth, Enosh; Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared; Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech; Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth." This could get old really quickly.

But, thankfully, I have nearly memorized Andrew Peterson's tune and I was able to pick my way through much of the text by trying to figure out the lineage of Jesus. It was much better.

My advice: learn to love this song so that you can better appreciate the begats (or the lists, if you will.)



-joe

the rest

So, after posting the quiz we learned yesterday which ones I think are false. (Now, to be a little more clear, the least dangerous is the idea that we can bring heaven to earth. And, for the post-millenialists, I don't think you think in exactly the same way Rob Bell does, but you have a similar problem in my mind.)

I don't know if you were able to figure this out, but out of the remaining statements only one is not found explicitely in Scripture. It is the following quote from Martin Luther in Bondage of the Will:

All things take place by necessity.

He grounds it in Isaiah 46:10-11 among other places. The point is that everything that happens in the world is there for a reason. It is not unnecessary. The bird falling from the next, the hairs on the head and the great tragedy and glory of the cross. All things are necessary and all things make God look glorious.

The rest of these are straight outta the Bible:
From Proverbs 26 come these to conflicting statements. You see, it takes wisdom to apply wisdom from others:

Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself.

Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.

This one comes from John 1, you'll probably recognize the verse previous if you look it up:

We are born again, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

From Jude:

Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.

First John 2:

This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son.

Exodus 4-12 this is repeated several times and quoted in Romans 9:

I will harden Pharaoh's hearts, so that he will not let the people go.

In the end, God is sovereign. He is merciful. He is good. And He is just.

-joe

great ideas

Yesterday afternoon, shortly after posting my blog, I had a stupendous idea for today's post. But, now, I can't remember it in the slightest. Not even an inkling. I hate it when that happens.

So, instead, I'm going to post something to do with forgetfulness. Because we are people and we forget. A lot. Everyday.

I've been told by some that I have a gift for memorizing Scripture. I try to take the compliment well, but usually it eats me up inside. I might be a little better at remembering things than some, but in reality the reason I remember a lot of Scripture is because I spend a lot of time there. A lot. Everyday.

I try and try to memorize and pack away passages. Sometimes I do it systematically, sometimes I do it to remember something that is important to me personally, and sometimes I do it because it is pragmatic (long passages for sermons.)

And yet, I forget things that are in the Bible all the time. A lot. Everyday.

So, my encouragement for you is not to be discouraged when someone "knows" more Scripture than you, but to become diligent about reading and memorizing Scripture. It is good for you. Make a practice of it. Team up with somebody. Make a goal and attain it. (Set the goal low at first, don't try and memorize the entire book of Hebrews...just the first four verses.) Do it a lot. Everyday.

And don't be discouraged when you forget. And don't be discouraged when you can't remmember a verse, chapter or book. And don't be discouraged if you quote something amiss or attribute it to the wrong person. It's ok. Really, it is. Instead, use those instances to press on towards a greater understanding of God through the Scriptures. Do it a lot. Everyday.

And remember why you are doing it:

Blessed are those who keep his testimonies,
who seek him with their whole heart,

I will praise you with an upright heart,
when I learn your righteous rules.

I have stored up your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.

You rebuke the insolent, accursed ones,
who wander from your commandments.

This is my comfort in my affliction,
that your promise gives me life.

Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies,
for it is ever with me.

Through your precepts I get understanding;
therefore I hate every false way.

The unfolding of your words gives light;
it imparts understanding to the simple.

Let my soul live and praise you,
and let your rules help me.

From Psalm 119 (which is all about God's Word...maybe you should chunk down some if it this week.)

-joe

causation or correlation?

-joe

i'm a sinner...but God is merciful

Matthew 9:13
Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.' For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."

Romans 5:8
but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

1 Timothy 1:15
The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.

James 4:8
Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Isaiah 55:7
let the wicked forsake his way,and the unrighteous man his thoughts;let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him,and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Luke 18:13
But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!'

Matthew 19:24-26
Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God." When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?" But Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

2 Corinthians 5:21
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

1 Peter 3:18
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit

Luke 15:7
Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

-joe

repentance

Psalm 131

A Song of Ascents. Of David.

O LORD, my heart is not lifted up;
    my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things
too great and too marvelous for me.

But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
    like a weaned child with its mother;
    like a weaned child is my soul within me.

O Israel, hope in the LORD
    from this time forth and forevermore.

---

Oh, that we would spend more time thinking of the High and Exalted LORD and less time thinking about ourselves. How much more content would we be?

-joe

how about some scripture

There's nothing like a good chunk of Scripture. Here is one of my favorites from the past few months.

Hebrews 1:1-, 2:1-4, 10-13
Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, saying,

"I will tell of your name to my brothers;
in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise."

And again,

"I will put my trust in him."

And again,

"Behold, I and the children God has given me."

-joe

the first chunk of colossians 2

Last Sunday I walked the Senior High through the first chunk of Colossians 2 (I'll be going over the same thing with the Junior High this coming Sunday.)

Colossians 2

(1)For I want you to know how great struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, (2) that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, (3) in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. (4) I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. (5) For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.

Alive in Christ
(6) Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, (7) rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

(8) See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. (9) For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, (10) and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. (11) In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, (12) having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. (13) And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him having forgiven us all our trespasses (14) by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. (15) He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.


Questions to consider:
1. What is Paul's hope for people?
(Knit together for the purpose of knowing the Gospel more intimately.)

2. Why does he have this hope?
(So that they aren't falsely persuaded.)

3. What is the "good order" and "firmness of faith" that Paul is talking about?
(Behavior that evidences their faith and grounding in Christ.)

4. What does it mean to "walk" in Christ?
(To show a growing change of attitude and behavior as you know Christ more.)

5. What is the overriding mark that Paul desires to mark the Colossians?
(Abounding in thanksgiving.)

6. What does it mean to be "filled in him"?
(That nothing else can ever satisfy our longing for complete joy except Christ.)

7. What is the relationship between baptism and circumcision?
(Baptism of the Spirit is something that happens to us and not something we can perform.)

8. What did Christ accomplish on the cross? Why is it important?
(Fulfilled the legal demands. He reconciled us from enemies at war to friends at peace with God.)

-----
Application
1. How can you apply this to your prayer life (for yourself and others)?
(Praying for others to love one another with no ultimate purpose is hard. To pray for someone to be knit together for the purpose of knowing Christ and making Him look glorious gives weight to our prayers.)

2. What will this do to your obedience to Christ?
(Realize that obedience isn't done to earn favor but is done in joy and as evidence to sincere faith. If you're not showing signs of obedience over a long course of time then it is likely that you are not firm in the faith and are still enemies of God.)

3. Relating back to Chapter 1, what are the things that we need to jealously guard about Christ and his image?
(The transactions occurring at the cross, penal substitutionary atonement.)


-joe

week two in colossians

Yesterday evening the youth and I discussed the second half of Colossians 1.

The Preeminence of Christ
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

Paul’s Ministry to the Church
Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.(ESV)

And some questions to think about:

1. Why is it important to understand that Christ is "the image of the invisible God"? How does this relate to the second commandment (Exodus 20:3-6) and Romans 1:21-25?

2. What is the meaning of "for him" in v. 16? How does this relate to salvation in Ephesians 1:11-14?

3. What does it mean for Christ to be preeminent in all things? For him to hold all things together? As head of the church? Firstborn of the dead?

4. What is the gospel of reconciliation here? (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:11-24)

5. How does the phrase "if you continue" relate to John 6:35-40? Does it mean you can fail at continuing?

6. What does it mean to "fill up what is lacking"? Was Christ not sufficient in all things?

7. What is the great mystery and glory that is revealed?

8. How does this change how your view God?

9. How does this change how your view yourself?

10. What does this lead us to do?

-joe

upcoming sermon

My pastor and I are working through the book of Luke and preaching on all the folks that Jesus meets along the way. My first in the series will be Luke 8:40-56Luke 8:40-56

Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him. And there came a man named Jairus, who was a ruler of the synagogue. And falling at Jesus' feet, he implored him to come to his house, for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying.

As Jesus went, the people pressed around him. And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone. She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased. And Jesus said, "Who was it that touched me?" When all denied it, Peter said, "Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!" But Jesus said, "Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me." And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace."

While he was still speaking, someone from the ruler's house came and said, "Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher any more." But Jesus on hearing this answered him, "Do not fear; only believe, and she will be well." And when he came to the house, he allowed no one to enter with him, except Peter and John and James, and the father and mother of the child. And all were weeping and mourning for her, but he said, "Do not weep, for she is not dead but sleeping." And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. But taking her by the hand he called, saying, "Child, arise." And her spirit returned, and she got up at once. And he directed that something should be given her to eat. And her parents were amazed, but he charged them to tell no one what had happened. (ESV)

I know about the tassel (see Numbers 15:37-40) but I would welcome any thoughts on the two miracles. Specifically, I'd like to better understand the 'messianic secret' of Jesus saying to tell no one of the miracles he performed and anything regarding the raising of the dead girl.

I'll be reading Calvin's notes and Spurgeon's (if he has some) tomorrow.

-joe

closing up shop for a month

You may have noticed that I haven't posted in nearly a week (and didn't even do my martyr post for the last two weeks.)

I've decided to take a break from blogging (including reading blogs).

Sometimes you gotta strip away some things to really get a good look at what drives your life. For me, the blogging world is taking too much time away from time with Christ.

I will resume posting on Tuesday, March 3rd with a post on a martyr.

I leave you with the Scripture God used to convict me:

Hebrews 2:1 and 3

Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it...how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?

May we all heed these words and seek Christ so that we do not drift away.

-joe

issues with my computer

A thousand apologies for not posting on Sin and the World from 18 Words. My computer at the church decided to really go nuts this week and no longer works for more than a minute or so (long enough to click on "new post" but not enough time to type anything.)

And, unfortunately, I keep forgetting the book at the office and I can't very well right my notes from memory. So, I promise you that the post will come around noon tomorrow (after my morning meeting and before I head to work at the store.) Until then, I leave you with some Scripture. Read the whole thing and then just read the bolded sections:

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.

In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory.

-Ephesians 1:3-14

Amen? Yes. Amen!

-joe

revelation and scripture

First, I must say that Packer writes in a very readable style. He's easy to follow and, though he probably knows more than a few, he doesn't use a huge vocabulary. In fact, in the intro he makes a point to say that he is trying to make these words as knowable as possible without getting technical.

In dealing with revelation he glosses over several aspects including: past, present and future revelation from God and general and specific revelation. I think his basic message is that God has been, is and will continue to reveal himself in a general way to all mankind and in a more specific way to those who hear the Gospel (through the teaching and preaching of Scripture.)

The most interesting point was his summary of what "God was revealing in the biblical period."
1. He was revealing Himself (general revelation, Romans 1 idea)
2. He was revealing His kingdom (through general and specific revelation that he is and was and forever will be the only king and ruler of this world)
3. He was revealing His covenant (I will be your God and you will be my people...and the blessing which flow form that. God is faithful)
4. He was revealing His law (so that we could look and like him)
5. He was revealing His salvation (rescuing his people from Egyptians, Babylonians, foes and troubles and finally from his own wrath through Christ.)

Notice what is not explicitly stated, but is implicit throughout, is that he was never revealing "his love." Does it seem odd that we maintain God's love first and foremost and Packer ascribes only these 5 things and not love to his revelation package?

Perhaps a better way to understand the Gospel would be to view it through these lenses so that God maintains his proper seat on the throne in the midst of salvation.


And then revelation leads, quite easily, into Scripture. He points out that the Scriptures are "the written record of the drama of redemption. The historical books relate it; the sermons of the prophets and apostles explain and apply it, and point to the climax of Christ's coming again; the Psalms meditate on it; the wisdom writings look at life in light of it."

He goes on to discuss, briefly, the reliability of their testimony by inspiration of the Holy Spirit. In it he also talks of the holiness of Scripture and that regarding it as holy does not mean we are committing idolatry (I think Piper had a small paper out on this subject, but I can't locate it. If you know what it might be, let me know.)

He ends with a quote from J.C. Ryle and I will do the same.

You live in a world where your soul is in constant danger. Enemies are round you on every side. Your own heart is deceitful. Bad examples are numerous. Satan is always laboring to lead you astray. Above all false doctrine and false teachers of every kind abound. This is your great danger.

To be safe you must be well armed. You must provide yourself with the weapons which God has given you for your help. You must store your mind with Holy Scripture. This is to be well armed.

Arm yourself with a thorough knowledge of the written Word of God. Read your Bible regularly. Become familiar with your Bible...Neglect your Bible and nothing that I know of can prevent you from error if a plausible advocate of false teaching shall happen to meet you. Make it a rule to believe nothing except it can be proved from Scripture. The Bible alone is infallible..Do you really use your Bible as much as you ought?

There are many today, who believe the Bible, yet read it very little. does your conscience tell you that you are one of these person?

If so, you are the man that is likely to get little help from the Bible in time of need. trial is a sifting experience...Your store of Bible consolations may one day run very low.

If so, you are the man that is unlikely to become established in the truth. I shall not be surprised to hear that you are troubled with doubts and questioned about assurance, grace, faith, perseverance, etc. The devil is an old and cunning enemy. He can quote Scripture readily enough when he pleases. Now you are not sufficiently ready with your weapons to fight a good fight with him...Your sword is held loosely in your hand.

If so, you are the man that is likely to make mistakes in life. I shall not wonder if I am told that you have problems in your marriage, problems with your children, problems about the conduct of your family and about he company you keep. The world you steer through is full of rocks, shoals an sandbanks. You are not sufficiently familiar either with lighthouses or charts.

If so, you are the man who is likely to be carried away by some false teacher for a time. It will not surprise me if I hear that one of these clever eloquent men who can make a convincing presentation is leading you into error. You are in need of ballast (truth); no wonder if you are tossed to and fro like a cork on the waves.

All these are uncomfortable situations. I want you to escape them all. Take the advice I offer you today. Do not merely read your Bible a little--but read it a great deal... Remember your many enemies. Be armed!

-joe

the five solas series: sola scriptura

Few things mean as much to me as a passionate pursuit of the Scriptures to find out everything I can about God and how I should live. So, yesterday evening was a fun one for me...to talk about why Scripture stands as our sole authority for rule and faith.

At the top read these to statements:
Simply put the 5 solas are this:
Scripture alone teaches that it is grace alone that saves through faith alone in Christ alone all for the glory of God alone.

These are the things that stood at the heart of the Reformation and still today stand as the rule of practice in the orthodoxy of the church. They do not represent what is necessary for individual salvation but they do stand for what is the proper means for growth and sanctification in the faith.
--
It is good to begin with some information on how the New Testament came about and why it is valid (if we believe the New Testament is valid, then we assume the validity of the Old Testament.)

I'd recommend going here and browsing around and searching for articles on the New Testament. Unfortunately I can't find my bookmarked pages (I think they are on a different computer).

After knowing that we can trust the reliability of the New Testament we find that it teaches that:

1. Human tradition or wisdom does not equal the Scriptures in matters of faith:
2 Corinthians 2:4-5 and 1 Thessalonians 2:13

2. Since we cannot rely on human knowledge and wisdom, we must rely on the Scripture to show us what it means to be saved:
Ephesians 2:19-20; Galatians 1:11-12; 2 Timothy 3:15-17

3. Scripture also teaches what sanctification means (and that it does not mean an adherence to the traditions of the church.)
1 Thessalonians 4:1; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-15 (for a good article on these passages please check out Greg Bahnsen's article.)

4. Scripture should be used for our own protection against false teaching and as the crucial rule to determine truth:
Galatians 1:6 and Acts 17:11

5. The preaching of the Scriptures (as the point to Christ) is the ordinary means of the Holy Spirit's move to convict and save people.
Romans 10:14-17

6. In all this, however, we must remember that salvation does not lie in Scripture...but in Jesus Christ, to whom Scripture points.
John 5:39-40

So, go read your Bible and know Jesus.

-joe

seeing much in very little

John Piper is one of my favorite pastors, and not simply because he is an excellent speaker, but because it is evident from what he teaches that he meditates on the Scriptures.

Here is something of encouragement to those of us who have, in our own minds, a small amount of 'scriptural knowledge'; that is, we feel as though our lack of "memory verses" either disqualifies us from teaching or limits our own understanding of what God says in his book.

Be encouraged as John writes in a sermon:

But there are several strong forces which oppose our relentless and systematic interrogating of biblical texts. One is that it consumes a great deal of time and energy on one small portion of Scripture. We have been schooled [quite erroneously] that there is a direct correlation between reading a lot and gaining insight. But in fact there is no positive correlation at all been quantity of pages read and quality of insight gained. Just the reverse. Except for a few geniuses, insight diminishes as we try to read more and more. Insight or understanding is the product of intensive, headache-producing meditation on two or three verses and how they fit together. This kind of reflection and rumination is provoked by asking questions of the text. And you cannot do it if you hurry. Therefore, we must resist the deceptive urge to carve notches in our bibliographic gun. Take two hours to ask ten questions of Galatians 2:20 and you will gain one hundred times the insight you would have attained by reading 30 pages of the New Testament or any other book. Slow down. Query. Ponder. Chew.

So, instead of worrying that you don't know enough...sit and study a verse or two for awhile and see how much the Spirit can teach you if you simply let Him.

-joe

great article

I just read another great article at Sola Dei Gloria by PJ Miller. Here he writes of discernment. It is a great article and well worth the read, talking of the witness of believers and those who are 'respectable' in the faith and how we should always seek to test our own interpretations against those already established by the church for the last 2000 years.

One point of interest to me (although the whole essay was helpful) was a specific verse quote from John 5:31-39. There is a popular theory floating about (popular among those advancing the modern-day Rabbi) that Jesus testimony was confirmed by TWO, those being John the Baptist and God the Father. The claim is that for someone to be considered a rabbi they must receive that authority from two who give them the right. (I forget the Hebrew word that is used, shmirka? maybe). Here, in this passage, we see that Jesus was not affirmed by two, but by four. He lists them as John the Baptist, His works, the Father and the Scriptures. If Jesus only needed two, then why does He list four? Just a thought.

-joe

bible smuggling

So, upon arriving home to Indy this morning I opened my Voice of the Martyrs mail and I found a pamphlet, that I am pretty sure I can reproduce, since you can request them for free. If I find out later that they don't want me to reproduce in full, I'll take this down.
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What about Bible smuggling?-Tom White
In some countries around the world today, it is against the law either to print, sell, import or distribute the Holy Bible or other Christian literature. How should Christians react to this?
The words "against the law" disturb us. Some Christians claim that Bible "smuggling" is wrong because it dishonors scriptures concerning obedience to the government.
How far and into what areas does that obedience extend? The following contrasts are presented to illustrate the gap between historical reality and uninformed judgments.
When the mother of Moses was lovingly hiding her baby in the basket (Exodus 2), one of her church officials knocked on her door and convinced her that her act was "illegal." Realizing her sin, she surrendered Moses to the authorities. He was killed and the Jews remained in slavery.
When Joseph and Mary, the mother of Jesus, were sneaking Him out of Bethlehem at night (Matthew 2), their friends, representing various religious institutions, reminded them that King Herod would be displeased by their illegal act.
They surrendered Jesus. He was murdered with the rest of the children. The angel who had warned and instructed them was informed upon by some irate seminary professors and was tried in absentia and given a five-year prison sentence.
The first few centuries of Christians were very embarrassed that they were called atheist for not worshiping Caesar. They listened to some theological experts who unrestrictedly embraced a few Bible passages about government authority. They turned in their lists of members, gave up their secret (scroll copying) print shops, revealed the addresses of their catacomb meetings and stopped smuggling Bible texts out of the respect to the emperor who claimed to be God. In a few months, Christianity ceased to exist.
During two jailbreaks set up by God (Acts 5 and 12), the apostle Peter told surprised angels that he must respect the authorities and return to jail. The Christians praying with Rhoda never learned of his miraculous release.
When Paul was being lowered in the basket over the wall (Acts 9), one of the men above had second thoughts and grabbing the rope said, "Wait a minute, fellas, are you sure this is legal? Didn't Paul want us to give the authorities our spiritual rights, too?" Paul didn't get a chance to answer. When the basket jerked to a stop, he had fallen out and broken his neck.
When the jailer took the apostle Paul into his home after the earthquake (acts 16), Paul told him that God had made a mistake and they must return to the jail house.
The above illustrations may sound ridiculous or even blasphemous. They are not meant to be. They are based on prevalent attitudes among some Christian circles today about secret Christian work.

isn't that illegal?
As I was giving some high school students a tour of our building describing our work and our five main gaols, one of them kindly asked, "isn't that illegal?"
A representative of one of the largest Bible printing agencies tells an inquirer at a church service that smuggling Bibles to China is "illegal." china is a nation that everyone admits will never have enough Bibles, where there is an estimated 20,000 conversions to Christ per day, a nation where pastors are still beaten and some vomit blood. Giving the Word of God is illegal? We seem to have forgotten that God is legal. Satan is illegal.

toilet paper Bibles
In the '70s, even though we produced photos showing how "officially presented" Bibles had later been made into toilet paper by the Communists in Easter Europe, some organizations refused to sell Bibles to us for smuggling. Therefore, our presses in Europe printed 200,000 Bibles for smuggling to four countries in Eastern Europe.
Some groups still publish that Bible smuggling is "wrong." A few engage in insufficient legal printing inside restrictive nations. WE encourage anyone to gieve also to their worthy efforts, but feel that some of their publicity tells only the "official" story. They cooperate with religious and political officials who beat, kill and imprison Christians now, today. Our news speaks for that other part who have no voice and no Bible. WE are thankful that the Lord uses different parts of His Body to complete His Work.

breaking the "law"
Can a Christian use deception when confronted with evil? Certainly such situations are plentiful in Scripture. Rahab hiding the spies, etc. Do we write "tourist" on our visa application when our purpose is to deliver the Word of God or do we write "Bible Smuggler"? do you tell a rapist where you daughter is hiding? WE do not need to feel guilty about such deception, just as King David did not feel guilty for acting crazy and slobbering in his beard so that his enemies would release him.
In Cuba, I was sentenced to a twenty-four-year prison sentence under a literature law, which had maximum fifteen-year penalty. They abused their own law. Do we have such Christian/political literature laws in our country? Those who feel that secret Christian work in restricted nations is "illegal" do not realize that those nations' laws themselves would be illegal in our own nation.
Many restricted nations have wonderful religious freedom laws on their books for their publicity value. The former Soviet Union had such laws while imprisoning or murdering Christian leaders. On the other end of the world, police in Vietnam confiscate Bibles in homes, when no such anti-Bible law exists.
We come from 1,000 years of respecting English law. To make statements that smuggling Bibles is breaking "the law" of another nation simply reflects our ignorance of their situation.

the law of love
In an imperfect world there are soul-wrenching questions. We might agree o the fact that William Tyndale had to hide pages of the Bible in bale of cotton to smuggle into England. He was burned at the stake. That is history. Hindsight is comfortable. There is no risk or embarrassment. But what bout hiding a Bible today? This is when the law of Christ's perfect love takes effect.
What would we say to a Vietnamese school teacher who hid her Bible under her skirt when police began confiscating Bibles at a meeting in her home? She had brought many non-believers to Christ using the Word of God. Should she submit? Give the authorities her Bible? The police "represent" the law. We are not discussing Greek and Hebrew and "interpretations" in an air-conditioned Bible class. WE are discussing real life situations today. this school teacher is friend of mine. I have met many such Christians during several visits to Vietnam.
We would probably agree to Christian short-wave radio broadcasts which "smuggle in" the Word of God in spite of the hostile North Korean jamming stations. That is an "easy" decision. NO permission is needed. No life is threatened. Smuggling in the printed Word is not so easy. Korean Christians hide rolled-up hymn sheets inside the walls of their houses. How easy is it for them? "Smuggle" is a negatively loaded word which makes us think of drugs or weapons. Think again.
It is not "legal" to distribute Scriptures or witness about Christ in certain Muslim nations. Jesus said, "God unto all the world." What will we do with that? Can we visit a few "international church buildings" for foreigners or worship only on protected oil company compounds while millions die in the streets without Christ? What does ALL the world mean? currently there is one missionary per one million Muslims.
Paul finally went the legal route to execution and God received glory in Rome. Thomas was speared to death in India. He evangelized "without permission" understanding his spiritual authority when he stepped off the ship. Almost all of the disciples died violent deaths with approval of the authorities. Might we risk a statement saying that their acts were considered "illegal"?
What would we say to Christians (in nations where Bibles are totally forbidden for nationals) who secretly use government-controlled presses to print Christian literature? In such situations (not "situation ethics") there is only one law, the laws of love which begins and ends with God and His sacrifice on the cross. Those who do not receive this message are condemned to hell. Would we tell the Christians to stop printing?

official--unofficial
When "official" churches or one printing press exists, many outsiders are deceived.
China has a huge Bible press. Yet no other Christian presses are allowed in a nation of over one billion two hundred million people. Christians discovered with their own press in Northern China in the early '90s were tortured and killed. Their homes were dynamited. If the American government only allowed one Christian press in the U.S., would we then raise our spiritual noses in the air and call all other printing "illegal"?
North Korea has two church buildings, Catholic and Protestant, in the capital city of Pyongyang. No other churches exist in the other cities with an estimated underground Christian population of 60,000. If only one Baptist church was allowed in Dallas, Texaas (as was in Moscow for decades) would we call all the other Baptist churches "illegal"?
We hear about "registered" churches and "unregistered" churches in countries where Christians are restricted. WE are told that even in America all churches must be registered with the government. That is not true. The IRS has a fourteen-point criteria for registration to qualify as a "tax-exempt" organization-church. Even without exemption, anyone, anytime can have a church. There is no compulsory church registration in America the way there is in China, Vietnam, Cuba, etc. There is no need to feel guilt when describing the "unregistered church" in some countries. WE do not realize that churches in America go through most legal establishment procedures on a voluntary basis.
Many large denominational operations in the West could receive a greater measure of fellowship and love and a more completed view of Christ if they risk forming contact with the persecuted church, even in areas where they have no official representation. Fidel Castro, the Communist leader of Cuba, had 100,000 Bibles taken to a sugar mill where they were ground up. The leather covers were kept for making purses. A Cuban denominational leader joyfully revealed that at least fifty percent of all Bibles brought into Cuba these last decades were smuggled by man who dared to intervene. It takes both official and "unofficial." We thank God for both.

God's attitude/angelic encouragement
It is good to review and realize the purpose of all of the "illegal" acts in Scripture which God Himself ordained. The purpose is not to protest having a driver's license or paying taxes. It is not to focus all our energy on a government as the great enemy. In the light of centuries of humanity and millions dying without Christ, such a focus can easily become a waste of Christian energy.
In Romans 13:5, Paul wrote that the principle in submission to government was to have a good conscience, citing civil obedience. Would you have a good conscience if you were against sending God's Word to those in closed countries who have not heard? We are accountable to God and the government, but to God first. Early Christians respected Caesar's authority in civil matters but did not submit in matters of worship/spiritual freedom.
For those of us who truly understand this foundation, the statement that Bible smuggling is "illegal" has the same effect as water running down a duck's back. We are usually too busy to worry about it. The idea that it could be illegal to give the Word of God to anyone, anytime, anywhere, nay way who needs and wants it is sad and a trick of the author of illegality--the Devil.
Acts 5:19-20,29 clearly demonstrates God's attitude, God's actions and our response. The angel disobeyed the authorities telling the apostles to continue to speak "the words of life." The apostles, greatly encouraged, said to the council, "We ought to obey God rather than men." Angels throughout the New Testament encouraged men and women to circumvent restrictive situations for the sole purpose of spreading the gospel the same way the Holy Spirit enlightens us today.
Some theologians will argue these Scriptures were special cases for special times. That argument hides the main point. God's attitude is revealed. What do these "legal-spiritual confrontation" sections in the Bible reveal about God's attitude and adaptation toward authorities when they inhibit the spread of the gospel perverting the program of Christ's Great Commission in Mathew 28? God, who is legal, "bypasses" the devil who is illegal and continues with His program.
Perhaps those who declare secret work in restricted countries illegal do not realize or know about the immediate imprisonment or death for Christians today, stretching from North Korea and China across Saudi Arabia over to Algeria. David Barrett reports in The International Bulletin of Missionary Research (January 2000) that there are now about 165,000 martyrs for Christ each year, more than any time in past centuries. We must remember those in bonds as bound with them (Hebrews 13:3). We must "weep with those who weep," but those who "sow in tears will reap with joy."
May God enlarge our vision to reach our neighbors around the world. We encourage all Christian institutions, all believers to follow Christ's greatest commandment--Love your neighbors as yourself. Your neighbors are waiting.
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Extra copies of this pamphlet are available for you and your friends. Write to:
The Voice of the Martyrs
P.O. Box 443
Bartlesville, OK 74005
(First copy free. Package of ten for $1.00 (plus shipping and handling).


-joe

scripture highlights

1 Samuel 12:20-24 (various parts of these verses)
"...Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart...because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself...Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart."
my sin is heavy. but, by the grace of God, i serve Him faithfully. I fear Him. Lord, help me to continue.
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Jeremiah 7:23 "Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you."
i remember a camp song of this, the king james version of the verse, but it has stuck all these years. 12 or more years and it still sits there, a golden piece of Scripture tucked into my heart.
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Psalm 25:7b "according to your steadfast love remember me, for the sake of your goodness, O Lord."
remember me this day God. I remember you, your love on the cross. Displayed for the world. remember the love displayed, God. Be gracious to me.

-joe