God's work in the Bible

“If one looks at the mission of God in the Bible, God wants the whole world to know him as the living God, to come into blessing of knowing him as Creator and Savior. So if the greatest possible blessing for humanity is to know the living God then the greatest possible obstacle for that is to be worshiping false gods."
- Dr. Chris Wright on this video which is really good

Four Generations: the other part

Sherrie, Bethany, Talitha, Louise, and Tabitha

How much do you want?

That Jacob knew to desire and determine to have the blessing of God, in spite of his conniving nature indicates there was some understanding of the "blessing of thy father" (Gen. 28:22).  How much we get may have something to do with how much we desire it; and yet, you look at yourself and have to ask, "Why me?"  God's sovereignty has to be involved as well.  And if He chooses to bless me abundantly above any attitude toward Him or action on my part, I can only be humbly grateful and seek to respond appropriately.

 (a lightly edited quotation from an email from my grandmother)

Four Generations

Matthew, Talitha, Jonathan and Darrell

On His Blindess by John Milton

This poem has come up several times recently due to the last line, but having re-read it, I think the poem is worth quoting and thinking about in full.

"When I consider how my light is spent

Ere half my days in this dark world and wide,

And that one talent which is death to hide

Lodg'd with me useless, though my soul more bent

To serve therewith my Maker, and present

My true account, lest he returning chide,

"Doth God exact day-labour, light denied?"

I fondly ask. But Patience, to prevent

That murmur, soon replies: "God doth not need

Either man's work or his own gifts: who best

Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best. His state

Is kingly; thousands at his bidding speed

And post o'er land and ocean without rest:

They also serve who only stand and wait."

-- John Milton

Jonathan Edwards and "the Perfect"

 Interesting, just came across this while reading one of Edwards' sermons on Heaven... As he preaches from 1 Corinthians 13 on love, he gives the following statement on what "that which is perfect" means.  I have bolded the two components to his view:

There is a twofold imperfect, and so a twofold perfect state of the Christian church. The church in its beginning, or in its first stage, before it was strongly established in the world, and settled in its New Testament state, and before the canon of Scripture was completed, was in an imperfect state - a state, as it were, of childhood, in comparison with what it was to be in its elder and later ages, when it should have reached its state of manhood, or of comparative earthly perfection. And so, again, this comparatively perfect church of Christ, so long as it remains in its militant state, that is, down to the end of time, will still be in an imperfect, and, as it were, in a childish state, in comparison with what it will be in its heavenly state, in which latter it is comparatively in its state of manhood or perfection.

  In other words, Edwards considered both the completion of the canon AND the eternal state to be included in the the "Perfect."  An interesting stance given the raging dorm-room debate of my college days...

(He gives more detailed thoughts as the sermon continues.)

just remembering

Old-fashioned kissing

Carey: The Spread of the Gospel: the Ministers, their Method, their Money

Carey's seminal work, An Enquiry into the Obligations of Christians, to use Means for the Conversion of the Heathens, is my most recently finished reading.  It is not a long work, and much of it is not particularly relevant for today.  But, the forth section is excellent and enduringly relevant.  With that being said, below are some quotations from that final section of the work, which I believe are still deeply meaningful for today.  (Carey's topic was the need  to take the Gospel of Christ to those who did not have access to it; thus, if the reference in the quotations seem vague, that is what is being spoken of.)

The [ministers of the Gospel] must be men of great piety, prudence, courage, and forbearance; of undoubted orthodoxy in their sentiments, and must enter with all their hearts into the spirit of their mission; they must be willing to leave all the comforts of life behind them, and to encounter all the hardships of a torrid, or a frigid climate, an uncomfortable manner of living, and every other inconvenience that can attend this undertaking. ...
 

by all lawful means to endeavour to cultivate a friendship with them, and as soon as possible let them know the errand for which they were sent. They must endeavour to convince them that it was their good alone, which induced them to forsake their friends, and all the comforts of their native country. They must be very careful not to resent injuries which may be offered to them, nor to think highly of themselves, so as to despise the poor heathens, and by those means lay a foundation for their resentment, or rejection of the gospel. They must take every opportunity of doing them good, and labouring, and travelling, night and day, they must instruct, exhort, and rebuke, with all long suffering, and anxious desire for them, and, above all, must be instant in prayer for the effusion of the Holy Spirit upon the people of their charge. Let but [Gospel ministers]  of the above description engage in the work, and we shall see that it is not impracticable. ...
 

In respect to contributions for defraying the expences [sic], money will doubtless be wanting; ...

We are exhorted to lay up treasure in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, nor thieves break through and steal. It is also declared that whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. These Scriptures teach us that the enjoyments of the life to come, bear a near relation to that which now is; a relation similar to that of the harvest, and the seed. It is true all the reward is of mere grace, but it is nevertheless encouraging; what a treasure, what an harvest must await such characters as PAUL, and ELLIOT, and BRAINERD, and others, who have given themselves wholly to the work of the Lord. What a heaven will it be to see the many myriads of poor heathens, of Britons amongst the rest, who by their labours have been brought to the knowledge of God. Surely a crown of rejoicing like this is worth aspiring to. Surely it is worth while to lay ourselves out with all our might, in promoting the cause, and kingdom of Christ.

Carey: The Spread of the Gospel and Prayer

One of the first, and most important of those duties which are incumbent upon us, is fervent and united prayer. However the influence of the Holy Spirit may be set at nought, and run down by many, it will be found upon trial, that all means which we can use, without it, will be ineffectual. ...

The most glorious works of grace that have ever took place, have been in answer to prayer; and it is in this way, we have the greatest reason to suppose, that the glorious out-pouring of the Spirit, which we expect at last, will be bestowed. ...
 

Many can do nothing but pray, and prayer is perhaps the only thing in which Christians of all denominations can cordially, and unreservedly unite; but in this we may all be one, and in this the strictest unanimity ought to prevail. ...
 

We must not be contented however with praying, without exerting ourselves in the use of means for the obtaining of those things we pray for.

-- from Carey's Enquiry into the Obligations of Christians

Rested Running (Isaiah 40:28-31)

   Yesterday morning, our prayer group read and talked through Isaiah 40; it was particularly impacting to see again who God is and who we are at the most basic level, and all of this shown to us in the most gracious and merciful ways: "Behold, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.  He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young." Below are the final verses of Isaiah 40 along with my poetic thoughts from those verses, written yesterday night in the middle of a late-night security shift. :) 

 

Isaiah 40:28-31 (ESV)

Have you not known? Have you not heard?

The LORD is the everlasting God,

the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He does not faint or grow weary;

his understanding is unsearchable.

He gives power to the faint,

and to him who has no might he increases strength.

Even youths shall faint and be weary,

and young men shall fall exhausted;

but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;

they shall mount up with wings like eagles;

they shall run and not be weary;

they shall walk and not faint.

 

        Rested Running  (Isa 40:28-31)

The Lord’s eternal; He’s Creator.

By His own power, He’s Sustainer.

He will not faint; He won’t grow weary.

Praise to our Lord!

We’re not infinite; we’re created.

In our own power, we’re constrained.

We’ll always faint, collapse, grow weary.

 Hope in the Lord!

We anticipate; He is coming.

In His great power, we are running.

We will not faint or e’en grow weary.

Rest in the Lord!

    A summary of these verses might be "The unwearied God is the only one who can keep you from being weary; weariness is a sign that you are running in your own strength.  Run, but do not be weary!"