"I... am not so bored with peace and brotherly love"

In my attempts to read from a variety of orthodox Christian authors, I have recently been working through, among others, Isaac Watts' (1674-1748) The Improvement of the Mind and John Owen's Biblical Theology. In chapter 8, part 1, which is Watt's section on inquiring into the sense and meaning of any writer or speaker, and especially the sense of sacred writings, he concludes with this observation (p. 75).

Lastly, remember that you treat every author, writer, or speaker, just as you yourselves would be willing to be treated by others, who are searching out the meaning of what you write or speak; and maintain upon your spirit an awful sense of the presence of God, who is the judge of hearts, and will punish those who, by a base and dishonest turn of mind, wilfully pervert the meaning of the sacred writers, or even of common authors, under the influence of culpable prejudices.

Then John Owen (1616-1683) wrote the following regarding a controversy of his day:

I, for one, am not so bored with peace and brotherly love that I am willing to rush rashly into a contest which is being fought out with high passions, and which has risen out of a matter of pure irrelevance. I have other things to do.

"Not so bored with peace and brotherly love." I like that attitude. Oh that God would grant a revival of such a spirit today.

Brief Review of "Humility: True Greatness" by C. J. Mahaney

I just completed C. J. Mahaney's little book Humility: True Greatness (Multnomah Books, 2005). I wanted to give it a quick review before it gets shelved.

1. Overall, a reasonably helpful book, directing our attention to a concept lost in American culture and especially our Christian subculture. Written in an engaging, conversational style. Full of personal anecdotes, plus quotes from Christian authors throughout church history.
   
2. I was disappointed Mahaney didn't tackle more "humility" passages with deeper exegesis and exposition (but then again this IS a topical study). I personally prefer doing and reading thorough stricter exegesis. You'll not find much of that here. I longed for the exposing of 1st Peter 5:6 and James 4:10 in particular.
   
3. I hate end notes, of any kind. Even though these end notes were placed at the end of the chapter instead of the back of the book, I still hate turning pages to view quotation sources. I realize it may make formatting a page easier for the printers if they use end notes, but with the technology available to us, please make them footnotes instead.
4. Would I acquire it again? Yes. Would I pay full price for it? No. I would suggest you find a used copy. Is it a "must have" book? No. But it is still reasonably helpful.
   

Humble Parenting

Toward the back of his helpful book, Humility: True Greatness, C. J. Mahaney addresses the topic of parenting. He writes on pp. 157-158:

If you're a parent, I ask you to consider carefully your influence on your children and your responsibility to them. What are your ambitions for them? Almost all parents have ambitions for their children, but how many harbor ambitions for their children that are biblical?

Do your ambitions for your son or daughter include a certain vocation or a certain level of education? Graduation from a certain college? Professional or athletic or artistic recognition? If so, let me ask this: Are any of these ambitions in line with true greatness as defined in Scripture?

And here's a more important question: Are any of your ambitions for your child more important to you than their cultivation of humility and servanthood--the basis for true greatness as biblically defined? Are any of these ambitions more important to you than their learning to serve others for the glory of God? In other words, are you more interested in temporal recognition for your child than you are in his eternal reward?

Ultimately, that's what parenting is mostly about--it's about preparing our children for the final day. All parenting is ultimately a preparation for that day when your child will stand before the judgment seat of Christ and give an account.

Well said, Mr. Mahaney.

Our Sufferings and Our Sin

While reading in C. J. Mahaney's Living the Cross Centered Life, I ran across a quote from Thomas Watson's (c. 1620-1686) The Art of Divine Contentment (written in 1653). For whatever reason, Mahaney's citation did not contain a page number. Aargh! It took me a while to track down a page number in the Soli Deo Gloria edition of Divine Contentment, but I finally did so. I had given Divine Contentment to one of my children as a gift recently, and wanted to highlight the quote for them. Watson wrote:

Your sufferings are not so great as your sins. Put these two in the balance, and see which weighs heaviest. Where sin lies heavy, sufferings lie light. A carnal spirit makes more of his sufferings, and less of his sins. He looks upon one with a broad perspective, but upon the other with a narrow perspective. The carnal heart cries out, "Take away the frogs," but a gracious heart cries out, “Take away the iniquity.” The one says, "Never has anyone suffered as I have done," but the other says, "Never has anyone sinned as I have done. (p. 47)

Helpful words to keep in mind. [On a side note, consider the privilege of the congregation where Thomas Watson and Stephen Charnock shared pastoral duties!]

A Biblical Understanding of the Cross and Humility

While reading through Humility: True Greatness by C. J. Mahaney, I came across this helpful sentence.

The cross never flatters us. (p. 68)

Immediately prior to this sentence Mahaney wrote:

Father, I want to stand as close to the cross as I possibly can, because it is harder for me to be arrogant when I'm there.

How true this is. Our Christian subculture has turned the cross into a shrine of the worth of humanity. How sadly distorted is that view. The only thing we bring to the cross is our heinous sin. There is nothing flattering about sin. The only arrogance at the cross is that which we lay down as part of our sinfulness before a holy God.

How to Respond When Believers Differ

It was John Owen (161-1683) who wrote in his Biblical Theology:

Should the life of Christ within us have no respect for courtesy nor make any due allowance for human frailty? Will neither the response demanded of us by the very nature of the gospel nor regard for human weakness teach us to bear patiently with those who conscientiously hold a differing opinion on matters of secondary importance? We admit freely that the best of men known "in part" only. We do not believe that any saint here has his mind so completely
renewed by the transforming light of the gospel as to have no remnant left of his old darkness and to be liable to no errors. (p. 47)

Wise words.

Talking and Listening to Your Heart--part 3

Our evening Bible study as a family has been through a set of notes I made on the phrase "in his heart" (or phrases similar to that). We have been taking a couple references each night and discussing them around the table.

We found that it is recorded in the Bible that God said or planned something "in his heart" on at least three occasions: Genesis 8:21 (see part two of this series of posts); Psalm 33:11 and Jeremiah 30:24. Psalm 33:11 tells us of the permanence of God's deliberated counsel [`etsah # 6098] and thoughtful plans [machashabah # 4284]. God's will is not a reactionary whim. Rather His will was carefully determined in eternity past and is now being worked out in time, in stark contrast to the feeble plans of man (33:10). Jeremiah 30:24 illustrates much the same concept, though the English word is intent/intention [mezimmah # 4209].

What comfort to know that our God neither reacts rashly nor "wings it" as He governs the affairs of mankind. These counsels, plans, and intents are ruled by His infinite wisdom, holiness, and love.

Wounding One's Delicacy

I found a curious observation by David McCullough of Abigail Adams' response to the morals and modesty (or the lack thereof) of France in 1784. He wrote:

"The opera was more enthralling still, the dancing such as she had never imagined, 'the highest degree of perfection.' At first, she was shocked, but not for long. As she wrote to sister Mary, 'I have found my taste reconciling itself to habits, customs and fashions which at first disgusted me. The dresses and beauty of the performers were enchanting, but no sooner did the dance commence that I felt my delicacy wounded, and I was shamed to be seen looking at them. Girls clothed in the thinnest silk and gauze, with their petticoats short, springing two feet from the floor, poising themselves in the air, with their feet flying, and as perfectly showing their garters and drawers, as though no petticoats had been worn, was a sight altogether new to me. Their motions are as light as air and as quick as lightning.'" (John Adams, p. 307)

How vividly the Bible's teaching is evidenced here (1st Corinthians 15:33). What once shocked her eventually delighted her. Because of a desire to "fit in" with society in France, she abdicated her modesty and wounded her delicacy. How tragic! And yet, how too frequently similar events transpire with us today as well.

Lloyd-Jones on Discouragement

I recently completed David Martyn Lloyd-Jones' book on Spiritual Depression. The book is simply a transcript of a 21-part series of messages taught in the 1960's to Westminster Chapel in London, among which Lloyd-Jones served as pastor. Based on the variety of books I have read over the years on discouragement, and in light of my studies in my D.Min. counseling training, I would say that this book must rate at (or last very near to) the top. I recommend it heartily.

Defining Love

Love is too often a nebulous term that means something different to different parties engaged in conversation. I would submit the following as a working definition of Godward love:

The fruit of God the Spirit whereby His grace enables us to choose to use our God-given resources to meet the Providentially-arranged needs of others for the glory of God.

The Solemn Joy of Observing the Lord's Supper

We were able to gather as a congregation yesterday. Perhaps that isn't significant to you and your congregation, but we have already canceled three Sunday services this winter. What a joy to be together with God's flock. We observed the Lord's Supper. The entire service was devoted to this. We are anticipating a similar type service once per quarter. Here is the order of service we followed. I would in interested in your comments and questions.

Observation of the Lord’s Supper

January 11, 2009

W/A (Phil)

Prayer (Stan)

Bible reading on Creation—Psalm 104:1-35 (Dan)

Song WC # 52 “I Sing the Mighty Power of God”

Bible reading on the Fall—Psalm 51:1-19 (Van)

Song “Beneath the Awesome Wrath of God”

Bible reading on First Coming of the Christ—Matthew 1:18-25 (Jeff)

Song WC # 199 “Tell Me the Story of Jesus”

Bible reading on Christ’s Death and Resurrection—1^st Peter 1:3-9 (Phil)

Song WC # 97 “He Is Lord”

Prayer (Jeff)

Reading of “One Another” Covenant (Jeff)

Principles for observing the Lord’s Supper (Phil)

Observing the Lord’s Supper

Song WC # 212 “What Wondrous Love is This”

Bible reading on Christ’s Present Ministry—Hebrews 7:23-28 (Jeff)

Song WC # 517 “The Solid Rock”

Benediction—Hebrews 13:20-21 (Phil)

No One Would Have Known, Would They?

I received a package today that I had been waiting for. It was delayed a bit getting to my house, so, quite frankly, I was a bit frustrated that I had to wait so long for it to arrive. And when my mailman friend brought it to the house, I could hardly wait to open the package. I ended up letting my youngest open it instead, because I wanted to show at least a little self-restraint. (Dad's need to set an example, you know).

When it was opened, I walked over to clear away the packing material. There it was. A shiny box appropriately protected this new treasure of mine. Carefully removing the lid to that shiny box I found inside a shrink-wrapped book. Just what I had ordered, or so I thought. That is... until I looked at the accompanying shipping/order form. Wait a second! This isn't exactly what I ordered, but I'd settle for this. This was nice. Real nice. Really, really nice.

I double checked the outside of the box. Then I looked a bit closer and found that they had sent me a similar product, but one of much greater cost. What a bonanza for me, yes?

O how I wanted this to be simply a matter of their generosity. Perhaps they had been out of what I ordered so they sent me this more expensive one instead? Perhaps I should verify things with a phone call? No, not yet. All sorts of excuses flooded my sinful heart. They would never know, would they? Wasn't this God's grace at work by causing them to send me the wrong more expensive item? The providence of God. Who can argue?

Then the question arose: what would be most God-honoring thing to do, whether they ever found out or not? Would I be glorifying Him through receiving something I hadn't paid for?

So I slowly punched in the toll free number into the phone and talked with some polite person out East who verified that, yes, I had indeed ordered item # xxxxA ,and had paid $ xx for it. What did I receive? she asked. It turned out the item I held in my hand was actually # xxxxB and was worth $ xxx. (Actually, the item took on a much greater value the longer it stayed in my hand. It was whispering, "Keep me, pleeeeease.")

How kind the customer service rep was to inform me they would assist me by sending a free shipping label to help me to send the wrong book back. She truly was sorry for inconveniencing me by having shipped the wrong item. The correct one will soon be on its way. Have a nice day! Yeah, you too. Click. (or was that just a slight slam?)

Later, as we talked about things at supper time, the phrase "idol of the heart" arose. Whose idol in whose heart? Dads don't have that problem, do we? Pastors don't have that problem, do we? It's amazing how idols can take the shape of books sometimes.

Thanks be to God for His grace. Thanks be to God for His Spirit. Thanks be to God for His patience. Thanks be to God for His providence.

O For Consistency

Found a somewhat humorous observation by Joseph Addison Alexander (Princeton professor, 1809-1860) in his commentary on Isaiah. Concerning Johannes Cocceius' (Dutch theologian, 1603-1669) remarks on Isaiah 26:5, he wrote:

No two things can well be more unlike than the looseness of this writer's exegesis and the critical precision of his mere translation. (p. 422)

Before we laugh to long or loud, have you ever found your own exegesis to be sloppy? Ever found old sermon notes and hung your head with embarrassment? How too easily we criticize the workmanship of others, when our own doesn't always measure up. O that God would make us accurate handlers of His Word.

A Song for Our First Grandchild

It has been my privilege to compose songs for various special events in our family over the years. I have especially sought to write something for each of our children upon their birth. When our eldest son was married a few years back I composed something for he and his bride to sing as well. Since the arrival of their first child I have been batting some ideas around for this little one. I completed the music a while back, but the lyrics came together just the other day. Here are are the first two verses with the chorus, along with one of the Bible references that I wanted to communicate in this piece.

Firstborn of Firstborn

1. Firstborn of firstborn and daughter of Eve,

Unto the true God give glory.

He is the Sovereign and Ruler of all,

All through your life give Him glory.

Chorus: Give Him glory, and honor and praise.

Give Him glory through all of your days.

Bow before Him and honor the King.

Sing unto the Lord, give Him glory.

2. Firstborn of all His creation is Christ, (Colossians 1:15-16)

Unto the true God give glory.

By Christ all things were created for Him,

All through your life give Him glory.

Copyright 2009 The Master's Music

If you are interested in the remainder of the poem and music, let me know in an e-mail. I will do my best to get you a copy.

John Owen on Studying Theology (or not)

My long anticipated copy of John Owen's (1616-1683) Biblical Theology arrived this week. Reading the Prefatory Notes made me feel somewhat of a doofus (or dufus, depending on your spelling preference). Apparently it wasn't deemed necessary to translate Owen's Biblical Theology from its original Latin because those who would have an interest in the work itself would want to have it in Latin anyway. (Sort of like, if you think you're smart enough to understand Owen, you should at least be smart enough to read Latin.) But thankfully someone came to our rescue and translated/interpreted this work into English back in 1994.

In Owen's introductory "Epistle to the Reader", he writes:

The counsels of man for those experiencing difficulties in their study of theology are of no use to men who greatest hindrance is themselves! Indeed, the greatest obstacle to all students of theology is an inborn and destructive darkness of mind. Seek to break through that by the power and Spirit of Him who once commanded light to shine forth out of darkness. Without this aid, anyone who invests time and effort on the study of theology will find that he is hunting for the wind with a net!

Even I can understand that. Owen proceeds to explain the various difficulties in studying theology, both with the student and the subject matter itself. I am looking forward to working through this book, even if I do have to read it in English.

And You Thought Your Pastor Had A Long Series of Sermons?

John Ryle (1816-1900), pastor in Liverpool, wrote what is now published as a 4-volume set of Expository Thoughts On The Gospels. In his introductory remarks to the section on Mark, Ryle mentions a pastor from the county of Sussex, (southeast England) one George Petter. Apparently Petter's commentary on Mark consisted of expository lectures he gave to his own congregation in Brede over a course of several years. Just how long was this series of messages from Mark? Ryle writes:

He began to preach on it, June 7th, 1618, and continued preaching on it most Sundays with very little intermission till May 28, 1643. (Mark, pp. v-vi)

Doing the math makes this series essentially 25 years long. On one book of the Bible!

I have written some thoughts elsewhere about lengthy series of sermons. It would appear that this length of series is indeed an anomaly. However, I have to question the wisdom of his feeding the flock of God from one book of the Bible for so long. True, they would probably be masters of the book of Mark when he finished, but what of other portions of God's revelation? I know nothing of the flock of God among which George Petter ministered, nor how long he was their shepherd. But as I begin my 24th year here at Calvary, I simply cannot imagine teaching this flock constantly from the same book of the Bible the entire length of my pastorate.