The Threefold Cord Keeping of God's People

 "In the first place, God the Father keeps him, -- 'kept by the power of God'; the power that created and upholds the world, keeps the believer. The eternal purpose, love, and grace of the Father keeps him: this is the first cord.

"Again, God the Son keeps him: 'My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.' The covenant engagements, the perfect obedience, the atoning death of Immanuel, keeps the believer: this is the second cord.

"Yet again, God the Holy Ghost keeps him: 'When the enemy shall com in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him' [put him to flight]. The effectual calling, the personal indwelling, the tender love, the covenant faithfulness, and the omnipotent power of the Eternal Spirit, keep the believer: this is the third cord. And 'a threefold cord is not quickly broken' Eccles. 4:12. Exceedingly great and precious promises!"

from Personal Declension and Revival of Religion in the Soul by Octavius Winslow

An Ark For All God's Noahs

From the end of the section "On How to Make God our Portion":

"To prevent mistakes, before I close up this direction, remember that by use of holy means, I only mean such means that God himself has appointed, commanded, instituted, and ordained. As for those means that are of men's inventing, devising, prescribing, commanding, and ordaining, a man may wait till doomsday in the use of them, before ever he will gain God for his portion; and therefore they are rather to be declined, yea, detested and abhorred, than any way to be owned, minded, or used by any that would have God for their portion. Look, as all the worshipers of Baal got nothing by all their wailing and crying out from morning to night, 'O Baal, hear us!' 1 Kings 18, so they that wait upon God in invented and devised worship will never get anything by all their waiting, no, though they should wait from morning to evening, and from evening to morning, and cut and lance themselves till the blood gush out, as those foolish worshippers of Baal did. And therefore, as ever you would have God for your portion, be sure that you wait upon him only in his own ways, and in the use of his own means."

An Ark For all God's Noahs In a Gloomy Stormy Day by Thomas Brooks

©Banner of Truth Trust, 2020, p.224-225 

(First published in London, 1666)

To Take a Bit of Time

Maybe it's the internet and maybe it's human nature and maybe it's both, but people seem to respond (react) to things very, very quickly, especially online. They don't wait for more information or clarification; they hear and respond. It sometimes seems to be the negative things, but I see it with things that look positive as well.

The problems, from what I can tell:

1. The first news is not always all the news, and the news is by nature designed to get your attention. The other stuff, less shocking or more balanced, comes later. A different perspective comes later. The other person's side of the story which may change a lot comes later. A wider angle lens comes later. Background information comes later. But often later is too late and damage has been done.

2. There is a reluctance to change or update the response when new information comes. Either people don't want to admit that they jumped the gun or that they made a mistake, or they have moved on, or they don't care that they have done damage to someone (or some combination thereof).

3. The corrected information never reaches the full audience that the partial or incorrect information has reached.

4. Whether or not there are actual errors in the information, a quick reaction is often based on emotion, not careful consideration or introspection. This makes it very difficult to have any sort of discussion because you're dealing with emotion, not facts.

5. People who respond quickly tend to judge those who wait for more information or to think things through before responding. They view these people as not caring about people or issues, whereas some people prefer to take their time to make sure they have all the facts.

6. Once someone has thought about the issue and is ready to discuss it, the quick-responders view it as old news and don't really care to hear about it. After all, why keep harping on the past?

I'm a quiet processor; I don't often talk to think things through (although sometimes I write it all out, but just for myself). I also don't trust the first news report of things until I have time to investigate and/or talk with the people involved. As a result, I rarely discuss current events as they tend to be less current when I think I have all the information (or I just don't want to try interacting with people who have made up their minds and don't want to be inconvenienced with opposing ideas).

This is not just about news reports or the like; it can be about anything that comes up in life. I like to have some time to process before I talk about things and that means that I have often not been able to talk about my thoughts or feelings because I wasn't ready when everyone else was. I am thankful for people in my life who understand this and who are willing to accept "I need time to process this" and walk with me through the issues when I'm ready, or who just understand that I will need time and will talk when I'm ready, and who are ready to listen when I am ready to talk.

My point, really is this: It's okay to take time to respond to anything. It's even good to take time to think before talking (or writing). Stop, think, pray, then talk. It will likely save a lot of trouble.

When You Are Speaking With Others

"If she sins, speak of God's forgiveness. If she fails, speak of God's mercy. If she doubts, speak of God's faithfulness. If she suffers, speak of God's lovingkindness. And if she hurts or offends you, remember that as God has been gracious to you in your salvation, you must also be gracious to her -- especially when you speak."

When Words Matter Most

Cheryl Marshall and Caroline Newheiser

Taken From a Paper I Wrote for School

I've been going through papers that I wrote for my Master's Degree lately. This bit here, the conclusion to my last term paper, seems important even for now. I have seen and heard many people focusing entirely on "God is love" to dismiss sins. They argue that a loving God wants them to be happy or does not really see certain things as sinful; that's how unloving people interpret Scripture, or things have changed and those verses don't mean anything now, or it's just the writings of man. They cannot deal with God telling them "no" to their desires because they think it makes Him unloving somehow. Here I try to explain that yes, God is love, but He is more than just that, and His love is so much greater than we sometimes make it.

The paper was written based on a popular book that I am not willing to name (although you may be able to guess if you have any familiarity with popular "Christian" books). I also removed the author's name from my essay. I refuse to give any sort of publicity, good or bad, to authors and books I would never endorse.

Finally, does love win? Yes it does, but not the sort of love ------ describes in his book. His love is too small and too man focused; ------ shows God acting only because his love for man is great, not because God Himself is great, and when he loses focus of God’s overall greatness, he diminishes the greatness of God’s love. ------ also ignores the other characteristic of God. God is love, but God is also just (2 Thess 1:6), holy (Is 6:3), righteous (Ps 7:11), sovereign (Jude 4), wise (1 Cor 3:9), and true (Jn 14:6), to name a few of His character traits. All of these characteristics work together to make up God, and all are equally important. Most problematic, ------- tries to divorce God’s love from His justice and in that he makes a serious mistake and gives a one-sided view of who God really is and what His love is. God’s infinite justice shows the depths of His love as He forgives sins that deserve death and is “the just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Rom 3:26). Yes, love wins, but so does justice. In the end, God wins in all His fullness and glory.

Things that Stuck with Me

 Bits from books that stuck with me....

"Having the money doesn’t make someone bad. It’s when money has them, their focus, their heart, their obsession, that’s what makes monsters."

 “You can’t just sit around and wait for men and women to appear. You have to raise them.”

"God has no problems, only plans."

"A child should be led, not left to wander."

To Think About

I found this quote while researching Richard Wurmbrand; it is from his book Victorious Faith:

“There was once a fiddler who played so beautifully that everybody danced. A deaf man who could not hear the music considered them all insane. Those who are with Jesus in suffering hear this music to which other men are deaf. They dance and do not care if they are considered insane.”

So What About the Children?

 It's a common saying: "Think about the children!" It's generally used to manipulate people into actin in some way, and right now it's used to get people to obey rules about masks and lockdowns and isolating ourselves.

To be clear, I agree that we're supposed to care about children: that's right and good. Children aren't able to take care of themselves very well just yet and as adults, it's our job to do for them what they cannot yet: make sure they have food, clothing, and shelter; teach them what they need to know; protect them from harm when we can. 

And yet...

When I was working, I had students afraid to come into the centre because they might get COVID and maybe die. Some of them didn't want to leave their homes because that was the only place they felt safe.

There were children I didn't recognize without a mask and who didn't recognize me without a mask because we had never seen each other's faces. Teaching was a challenge because they couldn't see my mouth when I was showing them how to make sounds.

On Sunday, we had church in a clearing, somewhere off a back road, surrounded by trees, because they locked up our building and made outdoor gatherings (at least for churches) illegal. A plane flew overhead and my friend had to assure her small son that the plane was too high to see us because he was afraid of being found.

Another friend's son heard sirens one day when they were out and tensed up because he was afraid that they were police coming and all he knows of police is that they arrested his pastor and locked up his church (it was a firetruck and he switched from tense to excited).

Neighbours had a break-in so the police came, and their daughter had to check with mom that the police were there to help them, not arrest them.

One small friend had a neighbour child tell her a big secret: They were having their grandparents over to visit. That's a secret now because you can get in trouble for visiting with grandma and grandpa.

I was telling my friend's young boys about the Berlin airdrop and how the Communists were determined to blockade West Berlin until they gave up, but instead everyone helped them until the Communists finally gave up. The boys were thrilled. We talked about how sometimes, if you wait long enough, the bad guys give up, and one boy sighed, "That would be nice." 

The children are learning to be afraid: of sickness, of death, of not wearing masks, of being in groups, of being arrested, of being found holding church services, of police, of having people over....

We really do need to think about the children. I don't know how to help them or how much help they will need when this is over to start living life like normal people again. I just know that we are hurting them by forcing them to avoid people and keeping them from normal socialization and making grandparents and hugs scary things that can make them sick.

Sermon Notes

 I am a note-taker, especially during sermons (I'm a doodler during staff meetings). Part of the reason is that having something to do helps me focus and writing things down helps me remember. Part of the reason is that I like to review the notes again before the following week's sermon (our pastors generally preach expositional sermons through a book; right now we are in John), and sometimes I like to go back and check something.

Pastor James is an excellent speaker and has an amazing way with words, and I love listening to him preach. Sometimes, though, there are sentences that really stick out for me, things that I want to ponder later, and I write them down on a separate page. 

Here are some of those lines:

No one comes to Jesus through a side door.

The fear and praise of men are compelling motivations for the flesh.

God is God. He determines reality. He is truth.

Hell will be filled with procrastinators.

God's discipline is both loving and redemptive.

Unbelief gets in the way of self-evaluation and objectivity.

There are going to be no missing sheep on the last day.

The practicality of theology amplifies in difficulty.

Sermon Notes

I have been blessed with excellent pastors, and I really enjoy their preaching (even when it hits very close to home and even when it hurts). Over the past few months, there have been a few things that have really stood out in a "that's good and I need to think about that" way. I write these down separately, and now I'm sharing them with you:

Taking yourself out of fellowship is like being at sea with your sail down and waiting for the wind to fill your sail.

God may deliver us from within the trial long before He delivers us from the trial.

There are no inspired writers, just inspired writings.

Everyone is a theologian; the question is, are you a good theologian?

The Spirit bears His fruit in His people, of a lack of the fruit of the Spirit indicates a lack of the Spirit.

The Librarian of Auschwitz

There was a separate, family camp in Auschwitz; no one really understood its purpose, but it was possibly to show off to any Red Cross visitors so they wouldn't know the truth. It was in section BIIb in Birkenau, and it included the block where the children spent their days. Officially, they were running something like a day care, with games and songs and sports. Secretly, they were running a school. Hidden in the floor were 8 books, the entire library at Auschwitz, and they were cared for by Dita Kraus, one of the older children (she was in her teens).

The Librarian of Auschwitz, by Antonio Iturbe, translated by Lilit Zekulin Thwaites, is a novel based on the true events of the family camp and the aftermath. It is rather intense reading, as it describes a lot of the horrors of Auschwitz (including watching someone get hanged and how people died in the gas chambers). At the same time, it's the story of a girl surviving amid the horrors, and the books that she cared for.

This isn't really meant as a review, although I will say that it's a good book and I highly recommend it. Really, it's just that there are two quotes that I'd like to share with you:

First, when Dita fears that she is being watched and that her being the librarian might cause trouble for not only herself but for the others (if the books are found, that's the end of the school, and probably death for anyone involved), and thinks about giving up her position:

"It's easy to commend the hero whose actions are visible. But how to you measure the bravery of those who step aside?"

Later, after the first group of prisoners (including children) have been brought to the gas chambers, she is talking with Miriam, one of the block leaders (Miriam speaks first):

"...They were happy, Edita."
"But it lasted such a short time ---"
"Life, any life, is short. But if you've managed to be happy for at least an instant, it will have been worth living."
"An instant! How short is that?"
"Very short. It's enough to be happy for as long as it takes a match to be lit and go out."

To Think About

"It has often been observed that the Christian life is not a sprint but a marathon. But even those metaphors fail to adequately express reality. The Christian life could better be described as an obstacle course of marathon length. Think of a race course just over twenty-six miles in length. Add to it walls to climb over, streams to forge, hedges to jump across, and an endless variety of other unexpected obstacles. That is the Christian life."

Trusting God, Jerry Bridges, NavPress, 2008, page 186 (emphasis in the original).

A Quick Thought

There are very, very few times when I wish I had twitter. Most of them are when the students say something that really should be shared. In general, I accept that no one cares about my life that much and I don't have anything deep enough to say to make it worth it.

And then there come times when I read things that should be retweeted.

Today I read this from Dan Phillips:

We probably shouldn't speak of the *doctrine* of the virgin birth any more than we speak of the "doctrine" of the assassination of JFK

and...

The virgin (conception and) birth of Jesus Christ is a fact of history, an event; not a doctrine

Think about it.

To Think About

J.I. Packer, speaking of being adopted into God's family:

"There you have absolute stability and security; the parent is entirely wise and good, and the child's position is permanently assured. The very concept of adoption is itself a proof and guarantee of the preservation of the saints, for only bad fathers throw their children out of the family, even under provocation; and God is not a bad father, but a good father."

from Knowing God

Trying For Words

The past couple weeks have been a time of intense emotion for me. Ever since my Worship and Wisdom class, I've been trying to deal with thoughts and emotions that are too big for me to grasp. I haven't spoken much about it before now because I still don't really know that words. In fact, it was only yesterday that I even tried to find the words. I'm still not really sure.

This is what I know: the more I've been studying and learning about God and who He is (as Father, Son, and  Holy Spirit, sometimes together and sometimes as individuals), the greater God has been for me. I've seen glimpses of His glory, of how far above me He is, but it's always been parts of Him. The rest I've been able to keep sort of manageable.

Not anymore. Suddenly I can't keep God nice and manageable; He's too much, too great, too glorious. You know why the Bible says to fear the Lord? Because when you actually see how great He is and how tiny you are, fear is a proper response. This is God and we cannot control Him (and for someone with control issues you can imagine how well I'm dealing with this). No wonder Isaiah was undone and John fell down as if dead. I'm having enough trouble without having to see God.

And yet, at the same time, it's very, very wonderful and there isn't enough of me to worship God the way He deserves. I don't even know how to worship Him. I don't know how to respond.

That's where I'm at right now. I'm going to try working out my thoughts and feelings over the next however long it takes. Hopefully it will make some sense.

New Creation

If you are fruitful and you are connected with the Father, and part of new creation, you will never fit back in original creation.

We don't belong to this world. We don't fit in. We can never fit in.

It's just the way it is.

We belong in the house of the Lord forever.

Right now: we belong with God's family...in the Lord's house, with the Lord's people.

One day: we will be with the Lord.

Here's My Story; You Can Find the Application

Thursday morning was grey and gloomy, but not overly cold (although a bit windy). By noon there was some rain and snow and messy precipitation, but not a lot. Later in the afternoon it started snowing for real, much to everyone's surprise. It turned into a proper storm with a lot of snow covering the slushy, rainy stuff (but not a lot of wind, happily enough). It just surprised everyone; they had said flurries, not a storm!

On the bus on the way to a friend's house after work, I saw something that made me smile. Two young boys (probably about 10 and 12; maybe a bit younger) were riding their bikes (or trying to ride their bikes) home. Obviously, they had ridden their bikes to school that morning when there was no snow, stayed late, and were trying to get home. They arrived at the bus stop about the same time the bus stopped for a passenger. They asked the driver if, please, he would just give them a ride; they didn't have any money, but it was just a block....

Because the bus was mostly empty so there was room at the front for them and their bikes...

And they weather was miserable...

And they were children...

And the driver was a softy...

He said yes, they could get on the bus. They rode only to the next stop, thanked him, and got off. We all smiled at each other; after all, they were children and we would have done the same.

Just a couple of children who needed a bit of a boost on a miserable day.

On Not Being Silent

Before you read what I have to say, head on over to Biblical Christianityand read what Dan Phillips had to say today. He says it well and he's making me think. After you read him, you can come back and read my thoughts.

Okay? My thoughts are going in 2 directions on this, outward and inward.

First the outward. When the kids want to talk about things, I listen. I let them tell me about school and TV shows and books and dreams and whatever is on their minds. They can tell me the same stories over and over and talk about the same topics everyday and I listen because I love them and even if I'm not interested in the topic, I'm interested in the people talking.
How much more should I want to listen to people who are talking about the bigger things in life. If someone I respect is talking (or writing) about the same thing for the fifth time (and not just whining or complaining but actually thinking) then maybe it's time to listen even more closely. Even if the issue isn't important to me, it is to him, and maybe by listening carefully I can find out why it should be important to me and what (if anything) I can do about it.

Then the inward: If the issues are big enough, what should I be doing? Listening is all well and good, but it won't change anything. The thing is, doing means work. It means knowing and understanding what's happening in the world that might affect my little world. It also means risking and being prepared for arguments and dissent. It's easier to talk about things that people agree about and to talk about the big issues in the safety of a group who agrees with me.
It's easy to rationalize silence, too. I'm a completely unknown person who writes sporadically on a blog with about 7 readers. I'm not about to change the world, and I'm not sure anyone outside of my little circle would even listen to me.
There's a bit of a poem, though, that's stuck with me for years. From "A Litany for Survival" by Audre Lorde:

and when we speak we are afraid
our words will not be heard
nor welcomed
but when we are silent
we are still afraid

So maybe it's time to speak up more and risk not being heard rather than risk not speaking words that need to be said.

Our Influence

I've been thinking, lately, about how much we influence the world around us. I've always thought that I have a small sphere of influence: a handful of blog readers, a Sunday School class, and the rest of the kids at church who come to play. It isn't much, but I'm pretty happy with it. Still. sometimes I'd like to go out and change the world!

Then one of the men at the church said something that got me thinking. He's one of the elders as well as the father of one of my Sunday School boys. He was telling me that his son sometimes comes out with deep stuff that he's learned from me, and that really, I'm influencing future generations. We were interrupted then, so the conversation ended on that note.

So now I'm thinking: in teaching my kids, I'm giving them the knowledge of God that they are going to pass down to their children. By having the girls over for sleepovers and the boys over to watch movies and play with Lego, I'm modeling hospitality for them, showing them a way of living that they might remember when they are adults. And they're watching me, talking with me, listening to me. (Side note: I know their parents, their other teachers, their friends, their pastors, etc. are all also part of this, and I'm not trying to take away from their influence; in fact, this would apply to them as well.)

It makes me feel my responsibility so much more. I'm not only teaching this generation, I'm setting things up for the next ones as well.

Getting Along

"Why can't we all just get along?" This is the rallying cry of those who dislike division and want everyone to be happy and affirmed and tolerant -- it's all about being tolerant.

Well, we can all get along. At work we have 2 Muslims, 2 Christians, and 2 Hindus (although one of them says he's an atheist now) and we all get along just fine. I disagree with friends about whether it's okay to use pictures of Jesus when teaching Sunday School and if women should wear head coverings at church, and we all get along just fine.

"Getting along" does not require total agreement on every point. It is completely possible to disagree with someone and still be friends. It is possible to debate issues and to hold differing beliefs without animosity.

"Being tolerant" does not require total agreement on every point. It means that we disagree but we don't hate each other. It means that I think you're wrong and you think I'm wrong but we're still friends and neighbours and co-workers.

We cannot say that completely contradictory beliefs are both right. A thing cannot both be and not be simultaneously.

Saying that I have to affirm everyone's belief as equally valid is nonsense and very intolerant besides; after all, my beliefs include the belief that non-Christians are wrong. So, if you want to be tolerant and get along...affirm that.