99 Balloons

Looking Back - Murmuring

"The greater and more abundant the mercy that we enjoy, the greater and the viler is the sin of murmuring."

~ Jeremiah Burroughs

Poop and Fruit

Now that is probably the strangest title for a post that I've done. My students and I are reading through Luke and Acts this week. In our reading I came, again, across this text. "And he [Christ] told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’" (Luke 13:6-9).

Notice the relationship between fruit and manure. No fruit means more manure. Biblically, "fruit" means doing good works or thinking good thoughts. Jesus said, "I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing (John 15:5)." Doing nothing means bearing no fruit. So, the parable in Luke 13 is warning us that doing nothing guarantees more stinky manure. When you lack good works (fruitlessness) you might need some manure. Manure fertilizes the soil. Good soil means more fruit. More fruit means you won't be wasting space in the vineyard or be cut down or cut off.

We all know that in life, "manure happens." Stinky stuff happens to us. What we fail to realize, many times, is that it is God who is doing it for our good. For "those who love God," Paul says, "all things work together for good" (Rom 8:29). God can take stinky, dirty manure and use it for good in our lives. He can use it to grow fruit. He uses it to make us grow and mature. You could say: "no stink, no sanctification." As Martin Luther beautifully put it: "This life therefore is not righteousness but growth in righteousness; not health but healing, not being but becoming, not rest but exercise. We are not what we shall be but we are growing toward it; the process is not yet finished but it is going on; this is not the end but it is the road. All does not yet gleam in glory but all is being purified." Yes, manure happens, but when it does we should rejoice in the Lord of the vineyard because fruit happens as well.

Have to or Get to?

Whichever one of these two phrases you choose to use every day determines your attitude throughout the day toward everything. Do you say I have to or do you say I get to? There are many people who have never been able to have kids or who have lost kids to death or divorce. Do you have to teach and train and nurture and discipline and love your kids every day or do you get to? There was a time when the Bible was only written in a language that only the priests could understand and there were many who died bloody and torturous deaths making that Bible accessible to the common man. Do you have to read and study your Bible, the inspired and living Word of God, today or do you get to? Praise God we get to! There was a time when no one could go directly to the throne of God and make petitions to Him. There had to be sacrifices made, blood poured and priests interceding. Do I have to pray today or do I get to run right through that torn veil into the Holy Place and pray directly to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lord's through faith in the blood-bought righteousness of Jesus Christ my once-and-for-all sacrifice? There are so many things I don't have to do today because Jesus already did them and they never have to be done again. There are so many things I get to do today. Hallelujah!

God make us ANGRY!

Happiness and anger are God-given emotions that must be God-ordered and God-ordained. Anger is not something that Christians should be ashamed of. In fact, many believers today would probably be surprised to find out that we are commanded, in Scripture, to be angry. The apostle Paul says, “Be angry and do not sin…” (Eph 4:26) Right before Paul tells us to be angry he is talking about those who are “darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learned Christ!” (Eph 4:18-20) We need to be angry at sin when we see it but we shouldn’t sin in our anger.

There is so much corruption and sensuality in our culture that has been entertaining us Christians for so many years. There are scenes in movies that we, as Christian parents have seen, that would horrify us if our children were watching them. There are things I have seen on the silver screen, as entertainment, that I would be disgusted if my children had seen them. Rousas J. Rushdoony says “What disgusts God should disgust us.” Why would I be angry if my kids have watched something that I was entertained by? Where was my anger when I was laughing at something that should have made me furious? The response of parents should not be apathy but anger. We can’t cower under the fear of being labeled as hypocrites. Its one thing to stumble but it’s far worse to cause our little ones to stumble. Jesus said “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.” (Mark 9:42)

The problem with America is that Christians are too nice. Christians have been so afraid of anger. Anger is a great and godly emotion as long as you do not sin. It is not a sin to be angry; it is a sin to sin out of anger. As a parent it’s always amazing to me how the same thoughts that would anger me coming from my kid’s mind would be ignored coming from my own. Words that easily slip out of my mouth with impunity are met with wrath if caught through the teeth of one of my kids. Am I saying that my kids should get a free pass? Not at all! I just need to be impartial with my judgment. I shouldn’t stop being angry; I should just be angry more consistently. What we need is an anger that moves us to solutions not to sin.

How do we laugh at the things that crushed our Saviour? How are we entertained by the things that caused our Lord to suffer? How can we joke about the things that nailed God’s Son to the cross? Why are we amused by the things that caused Jesus to be accursed? There are so many things in our culture that should anger us and move us to faithful Kingdom service. We need to be angry at sin and sin not. The very things that have been attractive to us are the things that are trying to steal, kill and destroy our children. There is a battle for the hearts and minds of our kids. The enemy in the battle has been masquerading around as our friend for years. We need the kind of anger the Psalmist had when he said “Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you? I hate them with complete hatred; I count them my enemies.” (Psalms 139:21-22)

Looking Back - William Fenner

"Grace comes not to take away a man's affections, but to take them up."

~ William Fenner (1600–1640)

Looking Back - Thomas Watson

"We are called to the enjoyment of the ever blessed God: as if a man were called out of a prison to sit upon a throne.... What is the glory among men, which most so hunt after, but a feather blown in the air? What is it to the weight of glory? Is there not great reason we should follow God's call? God would have us part with nothing for Him, but that which will damn us if we keep it. He has no design upon us, but to make us happy. He calls us to salvation, He calls us to a kingdom."

~ Thomas Watson

Happy Thanksgiving!

"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (1 Thes 5:18)

We ought to give thanks in ALL circumstances. This is a powerful and often ignored command even though it is the will of God in Christ Jesus for us. All circumstances does mean all circumstances. Thanksgiving Day, obviously, is not the only circumstance where we should give thanks. In good times give thanks (do not forget the One who made the good times good). In bad times give thanks (do not forget the One who brings you through the bad times). In happy times give thanks for His blessings. In sad times give thanks for His comfort.

If you truly believe that God is completely sovereign and completely good than you must believe your circumstances are completely perfect. He could be rewarding you, blessing you, training you or testing you. Give thanks in prosperity, give thanks in adversity. Give thanks on the bed of roses; give thanks on the bed of sickness. Our prayers should not be only filled with requests but with thanksgiving. We should praise as much as we petition. We should extol as much as we entreat. God gave us His image, His breath, His world, His Word, His Covenant, His grace, His Spirit and His only begotten Son. Dare we grumble? Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Looking Back - Happiness

"Some people bring happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go."

~ Author Unknown

John Piper's God Exalting Grammar

Edwards - Joy in His Glory

This quote by Jonathan Edwards is described by John Piper as "outside the Bible, probably the most important paragraph in any book." This paragraph inspired Piper's well known phrase: "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him."

"God is glorified within Himself these two ways: 1. By appearing . . . to Himself in His own perfect idea [of Himself], or in His Son who is the brightness of His glory. 2. By enjoying and delighting in Himself, by flowing forth in infinite love and delight towards Himself, or in his Holy Spirit. So God glorifies Himself toward the creatures also in two ways: 1. By appearing to . . . their understanding. 2. In communicating Himself to their hearts, and in their rejoicing and delighting in, and enjoying, the manifestations which He makes of Himself. . . God is glorified not only by His glory's being seen, but by its being rejoiced in. When those that see it delight in it, God is more glorified than if they only see it. His glory is then received by the whole soul, both by the understanding and by the heart. God made the world that He might communicate, and the creature receive, His glory; and that it might [be] received both by the mind and heart. He that testifies his idea of God's glory [doesn't] glorify God so much as he that testifies also his approbation of it and his delight in it."

Jonathan Edwards is saying that it's not enough to just see or testify of God's glory. We must find our deepest satisfaction and joy and pleasure in glorifying Him. That means that if you have to loose your right arm or gouge out your right eye you must, no matter what, get happy in God. It means that you will never be truly happy or satisfied until God is truly glorified in your thoughts and your affections. God is not most glorified when we simply follow His orders or keep our noses clean; He is most glorified when when we, even in our suffering, are satisfied in Him. It's the most glorious win-win history has ever known... God most glorified and me most satisfied forever.

Heb 11:6 says, "And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him." It is not enough to just believe that God exists. You must believe that He rewards those who seek Him. You must believe that He is the greatest happiness of your deepest joy. You must believe that nothing else in this world, not television or sports or vacations or wealth or even family, will satisfy you as much as Him. You must believe that He is and be most satisfied in Him alone. The reward is not that He gives us temporal blessings and wealth; the reward is our joy in Him.