Priests of our God

What an amazing age we live in!!! As you read the Old Testament, think on the fact that there was no way for anybody to work up to Moses' position or any of the prophets'. Rather the man of God was a man chosen by God to a specific work, usually a servant who would readily obey, but sometimes one whom God had to chastise severely before he would obey.

And what of the others of the nation? Well, they had no opportunity to go near God, ever. In fact, they were given only an indirect access to God through the appointed man of God, whether he was holy or not. Truly, God gave the same way of salvation by grace through faith, but this manifested itself through going to one's representative that he might carry your case before the LORD.

Think on the wonder of having "access" to God through the One Mediator, our Lord Jesus Christ who gave Himself for us, to redeem us! It is incredible that we so rarely think on these things.

Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Rom. 5:2; Eph. 2:18; 3:11-12; Heb. 4:16)

The Shifting Power Base in the World

Hey, this is an interesting article on the changes that are happening in the world's power structure. This earth's major powers used to be seen in nations or international bodies like the US or Russia, the UN and WTO, and so forth. Now, you have countries like India and Brazil, organizations like Microsoft and Walmart. Our old organization and nations are not meeting the challenges for various reasons, and the new ones don't have enough leadership clout.
The article is interesting reading in any case. TTFN

Thoughts from Miles Stanford, again

Thoughts on sanctification by Stanford
"In God and man working together, there is nothing of the idea of a partnership between two partners who each contribute their share to a work. Rather, the true plan is that of co-operation founded on subordination. As the Lord Jesus was entirely dependent on the Father for all His words and all His works, so the believer can do nothing of himself. What he can do of himself is altogether sinful. He must therefore cease entirely from his own doing, and wait for the working of God in him. As he ceases from self-effort, faith assures him that God does what He has undertaken, and works in him."


Thoughts on Faith through trials by Stanford
"You will never learn faith in comfortable surroundings. God gives us promises in a quiet hour; He seals our covenants with great and gracious words. Then He steps back and waits while we believe; then He lets the tempter come, and the test seems to contradict all that He has spoken. It is then that faith wins its crown. Then is the time to look into His face and say, 'I believe, Lord, that it shall be done as it was told me.'"
"Without trials of faith we should all be ruined. These trials give us opportunities of linking on to the mighty promises of God and finding through the trials come blessing that wonderfully glorifies Him, or else, missing God, turns the blessing into a burden that fills the heart with weariness and pain."

Entrepreneurial ministry

Below is a list that Reader's Digest took from sba.gov in their most recent issue. The essential traits for being an entrepreneur:

- Creative
- Innovative
- Driven to achieve
- Persistent
- Energetic
- Inquisitive
- Competitive
- Unafraid to fail
- Hard worker
- Independent
- Self-confident
- Risk-taker
- Visionary
- Problem-solver
- Organized
- Lucky

Obviously, for believers this list has to be revised. However, if you consider the basic requirements of going into a church-building scenario, you are looking at needing to be an entrepreneur. I found the list somewhat thought-provoking. Ponder the list through a Biblical lens... it will show short-comings in your life. And then, just be "lucky." :) Or rather, trust in a Father who loves you and cares for you.

Daily Loaded with Benefits!

Friends, when I thought how to open the New Year in the blog realm, I was reminded of the many thanksgivings which I have to make. It is a truly awesome thing to consider the individual mercies of God upon one's life; for when you stop and look at each one and then consider the manifold grace poured out upon you, you begin to understand afresh the love of God for His beloved sons and daughters. So, below I have given a partial list of what I wrote down elsewhere in thanks to Him.

- Most of all, for that great work of grace by which He made me a child of the Highest, a friend of my Creator, and the temple of my God. - Amazing love, how can it be?
- For a family that loves the Lord God with their whole lives, not perfect, but dedicated to serving Him fully with each area of their lives. And for a heritage filled with an evident abundance of His grace.
- For friends, so many of you who read this are the very ones of whom I do not have words to express the thanksgiving in my heart for the goodness of God in giving me so many choice companions to encourage and challenge me. For Josh, Miriam, Rae, Sam, Jon, Aud, Brandon, the B'rrills, the V'sters, the R'kers, the Gr'ngs girls, Tom, Mike, Jeremy, Joe, and many others. And for a special friend, Ba (Bethany), another gift of grace.
- For a school at which to grow in knowledge of my Lord and His Word. For a country, in which to live a quiet and peaceable life in godliness. For a church that loves the gospel work of Christ.
- For purpose: the gift of an impossible-but-for-God vision that was created through the Word.
- For the immaterial invaluables, peace, joy, hope, the Word, sanctification...
- For the material blessings, food, rest, shelter, education, books...

And what other conclusion can be arrived at but that I am unworthy of the least of these mercies. So then, to Him be glory and dominion both now and forever.

Rom. 12: 1 - I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. (ESV)

Reading the Bible in a Year

So, I am going to share my thoughts that I've been having recently about reading the Bible through in a year. I have considered doing it for quite a while now, and so I have been asking various people how they have done it. So, below is the amalgumation of my accumulated ponderings.
1. The major reason to do the entire Bible in a year is to see "the big picture."
2. It is better to do a book at a time and units within a book rather than following a rigid structure. (Read Philemon for one day instead of Philemon and the first two chapters of Hebrews. Or, read Mt. 1-4 and 5-7 on consecutive days, instead of 1-3, 4-6, 7-9.)
3. Read for comprehension not just accomplishment. Thus, it might be necessary to read 5-6 chapters a day but read them for two or three days in order to really get the meaning. (On average you should read 3 chapters a day, to make it through in a year.)
4. Don't try to do Psalms and Proverbs in this format. Read them individually, at night or something. (Or one a day).
5. If you jot down key thoughts from each chapter as you go through, you will have the basis for further study on the passage whenever you go back.

Now, confession is good for the soul, so I must admit: I have decided not to make it through the Bible in 1 year. I think I'll aim for 2 or a little more. The reason is that I don't think that I can do that volume of material yet and still have a comprehension of what I am reading. I think it would quickly fall into a ritual of speed-reading. So, I am planning to take my time in working through, and what's more, I honestly don't expect to go straight through. I think I will skip around and get some variety, but we will see. Let us go on to learn more of meeting with Christ, and let us enhance our knowledge of His Word.

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

At this Christmas season, we consider many things. But when we think of the fullness of God that was born as that helpless baby for the purpose of dying an excrutiatingly painful death to give us full atonement with God, what else can we say. Hallelujah! What a Savior!
Consider this text by Philip Bliss.

Man of Sorrows! what a name
For the Son of God, Who came
Ruined sinners to reclaim.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Bearing shame and scoffing rude,
In my place condemned He stood;
Sealed my pardon with His blood.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Guilty, vile, and helpless we;
Spotless Lamb of God was He;
“Full atonement!” can it be?
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Lifted up was He to die;
“It is finished!” was His cry;
Now in Heav’n exalted high.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

When He comes, our glorious King,
All His ransomed home to bring,
Then anew His song we’ll sing:
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Blogs

OK, I am going to recommend two blogs/articles.

One is on the often maligned Sharperiron site: Dr. Kevin Bauder is doing a series on Fundamentalists and the Theatre. Part 1 is out .

The second is on the Rebelution, again. And there are actually two posts there. The one on "When You Fail at Hard Things" is good (this is part of their series on doing hard things). The one referring to the "Modesty Survey" is also going to be quite good in its outworkings I expect; I haven't done much with it, but it looks like something that might interest some of you, my dear readers, (to quote the old British writers).

Hope you benefit from them.

Google Quote of the Day

The price one pays for pursuing any profession or calling is an intimate knowledge of its ugly side.
- James Baldwin

Think about it for a minute. In any area of life, if you want to be involved with it, you find out more and more of the negatives associated with it.

Relational Theology

"... theology is ultimately relational in nature." 

"At the end of the day, all theological enterprise should ultimately result in a relationship with the One who is the primary subject of all theology - God." - Dr. Horn's notes for NTBT 

John 17:3 tells us that eternal life is wrapped up in "knowing God"; thus, the essence of having eternal life is theology. 

 2 Pet. 1:2-4 - "The primary task of every theologian is to study God's self-revelation in order to know God intimately (life) and live for God acceptably (godliness)." (same source) 

 Two thoughts: 

- If our theology is in our head but not our life, it's not true theology; it's information. 

- We have been given the Holy Spirit to enact our theology; He is the Person of the Godhead with whom we have the closest contact. We must learn to walk in the Spirit and thus live out our theology. Why do we read the Scriptures or the works concerning them? If we do not live them, we have failed.