"Humans can be made to infer the false belief that the blend of affection, fear, and desire which they call 'being in love' is the only thing that makes marriage either happy or holy. The error is easy to produce because 'being in love' does very often, in Western Europe, precede marriages which are made in obedience to the Enemy's designs, that is, with the intention of fidelity, fertility and good will; just as religious emotion very often, but not always, attends conversion. In other words, the humans are to be encouraged to regard as the basis for marriage a highly-coloured and distorted version of something the Enemy really promises as its result. Two advantages follow. In the first place, humans who have not the gift of continence can be deterred from seeking marriage as a solution because they do not find themselves 'in love.' and, thanks to us, the idea of marrying with any other motive seems to them low and cynical." - C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters
God's design for marriage is fullness in the forms of fidelity, fertility and festivity.
FIDELITY is faith-filled faithfulness. It is, of course, the idea of remaining faithful to your covenant vows by reserving your eyes, body, mind, aspirations and attentions for your spouse. This obviously precludes giving any of that to any other. But fidelity is more than merely remaining loyal to your spouse, it is the fuel which makes loyalty the aim, not just the consequence. It makes "being married" something to strive for rather than merely settling for "staying married." Many people do not commit adultery or seek divorce, yet 'fidelity' would not be the word that best describes their situation... there is no faith in their allegiance, only fear or fastidiousness. They would never step out or step away from their marriage, but neither do they show much interest in learning the dance steps of actually being married. Fidelity is at its core, faith. It is the belief in the unseen value of what one sees immediately in front of them, it is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
FERTILITY is merry multiplication. It is building and nourishing a culture of life. It produces new life and revives the life of things that wilt. It brings forth fruit and brightens the berries already on the branches. It feeds on God and produces godly jocundity. This, of course, can be accounted for by head counts. A merry marriage will produce more members. Children will be added to the family. More will have the last name and partake in the culture. And the more, the merrier! But it also produces an infectious evangelical desire to spread, to share, to give away what is being so enjoyed. It isn't a 'tight knit, doors locked, lest someone come and ruin our fun' kind of situation, but a 'doors open, invitations sent, table set' kind of hospitality. It wants more children because it means more sharing. It wants to grow in influence and outward expansion because it wants to make more of what it has found so satisfying.
FESTIVITY is godly good will. It is 'feastivities,' enjoying the overflow and flowing over with charity to its spouse. It does away with long lists of grievances and instead finds more opportunity to delight and compliment. by complementing Rather than dwelling on what wants are going unmet, it sees needs it could fill and does its best to meet them. God uses marriage to bring comfort to both spouses, not opportunity for both spouses to be accomplices in each other's sinful selfishness.
Marriage is God's place for practical fidelity, productive fertility and prolific festivity.
Friday, June 19, 2020
Thursday, June 18, 2020
day no. 15,214: partners in crime
"There are two types of women to whom men are attracted. One is ‘readily mixed with charity, readily obedient to marriage, coloured all through with that golden light of reverence and naturalness which we [the demons] detest. The other type is the ‘infernal’ Venus. One whom he desires brutally, and desires to desire brutally, a type best used to draw him away from marriage altogether but which, even within marriage, he would tend to treat as a slave, an idol, or an accomplice. -- C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters
Many men are not merely looking for sexual partners, they are looking for partners in crime. They aren't interested in relationships as much as they are interested in accomplices. They want an agreement by which both parties are allowed to rob something from the other in order to give the other some cheap, fleeting trinket.
1 Corinthians 13:11
When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.
Lust consumes. It delights only in devouring. It does not blush when it licks the plate. It happily undoes whatever good it finds in order to suck it up momentarily. It would rather consume than construct.
Love builds. It invests and sacrifices in order to see something else thrive. It goes without. It delays. It finds gratification and gain in seeing something else satisfied. It cheerfully gives away and contentedly possesses what's left.
Many men are not merely looking for sexual partners, they are looking for partners in crime. They aren't interested in relationships as much as they are interested in accomplices. They want an agreement by which both parties are allowed to rob something from the other in order to give the other some cheap, fleeting trinket.
1 Corinthians 13:11
When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.
Lust consumes. It delights only in devouring. It does not blush when it licks the plate. It happily undoes whatever good it finds in order to suck it up momentarily. It would rather consume than construct.
Love builds. It invests and sacrifices in order to see something else thrive. It goes without. It delays. It finds gratification and gain in seeing something else satisfied. It cheerfully gives away and contentedly possesses what's left.
Wednesday, June 17, 2020
day no. 15,213: refusing to pay the feeling tax
Q: How can I stop doing whatever I feel like and start doing what God commands?
Feelings are despots. They rule fanatically, flippantly and without foresight. They live in the moment and in those moments they demand every atom pay them attention. They exact taxes from their citizens without restriction. But what if you're tired of their tyranny and plotting a hostile takeover? What is the best way to storm the castle, kill the king and restore the rightful heir to the throne? Begin by refusing to pay the feeling tax. Start there and with the savings begin assembling a rebel army.
James 4:6-8
But God gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
At first, every one of us is ignorant of how much our feelings are driving our lives, decisions, dilemmas, etc... By God's grace, His Spirit begins by revealing to us this reality. This is helpful because previously we didn't even know our hearts weren't trustworthy. But once we realize this is true, we still have a deceitful heart trained by years of habits to contend with and we feel worse, not better. Again, God in His grace, enters in and helps us begin to see in hindsight situations where our hearts were driving and begins revealing to us what we should have done in retrospect. But this only makes us better at repenting of sin, which is another step in the right direction, but not all the way to where we want to be yet. The next step is realizing that you're listening to your heart in the very same moment that you're doing it. This is an improvement chronologically speaking over the previous progress because now you realize you're doing it WHILE you're doing it. But this, again, is not yet the end. It is, in that moment, the ability to trust in God and say, "Yes" to Him and, "No" to self while your self is looming large and at its strongest. This is the place we want to be. To be in temptation, hearing self whisper deceptive sweet nothings and endure the attack by responding, "“Be gone, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve.’" When we do this, the devil leaves us like he left Jesus and angels minister to us as they did Him.
Hebrews 1:14
Are angels not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?
Feelings are despots. They rule fanatically, flippantly and without foresight. They live in the moment and in those moments they demand every atom pay them attention. They exact taxes from their citizens without restriction. But what if you're tired of their tyranny and plotting a hostile takeover? What is the best way to storm the castle, kill the king and restore the rightful heir to the throne? Begin by refusing to pay the feeling tax. Start there and with the savings begin assembling a rebel army.
James 4:6-8
But God gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
At first, every one of us is ignorant of how much our feelings are driving our lives, decisions, dilemmas, etc... By God's grace, His Spirit begins by revealing to us this reality. This is helpful because previously we didn't even know our hearts weren't trustworthy. But once we realize this is true, we still have a deceitful heart trained by years of habits to contend with and we feel worse, not better. Again, God in His grace, enters in and helps us begin to see in hindsight situations where our hearts were driving and begins revealing to us what we should have done in retrospect. But this only makes us better at repenting of sin, which is another step in the right direction, but not all the way to where we want to be yet. The next step is realizing that you're listening to your heart in the very same moment that you're doing it. This is an improvement chronologically speaking over the previous progress because now you realize you're doing it WHILE you're doing it. But this, again, is not yet the end. It is, in that moment, the ability to trust in God and say, "Yes" to Him and, "No" to self while your self is looming large and at its strongest. This is the place we want to be. To be in temptation, hearing self whisper deceptive sweet nothings and endure the attack by responding, "“Be gone, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve.’" When we do this, the devil leaves us like he left Jesus and angels minister to us as they did Him.
Hebrews 1:14
Are angels not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?
Tuesday, June 16, 2020
day no. 15,212: feeeeeelings should be allowed a seat on the bus; just not the driver's seat
"We live in a time where feelings are something we’re extremely obsessed about. And we look at this scene with Christ and we see Him feeling intensely. He’s feeling incredibly intensely. Our feelings should given to God to be confirmed by Him or thrown down! By all means, tell God exactly how you feel, just like Christ does here. Be raw and completely honest. And then add the same phrase, ‘Yet not what I will, but what You will.’ No matter what, no matter how mature you may be, your feelings should never be given the steering wheel. Not even Christ’s feelings in the garden were given control. Christ DID NOT FEEL like going to the Cross. So much that He was weeping tears like blood and begging His Father to spare Him from it… and yet He said, ‘Yet not what I will, but what You will.’ Given that Christ's feelings in a place of difficulty were not given control, why should yours ever be? Why would you ever give your emotions free reign when Christ in this situation didn't? His feelings submitted to the will of God." - N.D. Wilson
Monday, June 15, 2020
day no. 15,211: half and half
Half of our country lives in most of the country while the other half lives in a few cities.
 |
| 'merica: she's a little bit country; she's a little a rock n' roll. |
The country covers the land while the rock n' roll floods the clubs.
Sunday, June 14, 2020
day no. 15,210: hanging there soberly
Hebrews 4:14-16
Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 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.
Note, Jesus did not EMPATHIZE with our weakness. If He had done that, we all would be done for. But because He sympathized with us, we are saved. He kept one foot on solid ground and then entered into our sin to retrieve us. If He had surrendered the solid ground (empathy), we all would have drowned and no one would be saved.
So Jesus became like us, but not completely, but enough to SYMPATHIZE with us.
Hebrews 2:14-18
Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. For surely it is not angels that He helps, but He helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore He had to be made like His brothers in every respect, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because He Himself has suffered when tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted.
If Jesus had merely shouted advice from His solid ground, we would continue to sink in quicksand... quickly. But because He entered into the quicksand with us to make propitiation for our sin, we can be saved. But only because He entered in without abandoning His solid ground. His help truly helped precisely because He had solid ground to return us to. His solid ground became OUR solid ground because He entered in to our situation without abandoning the only situation which could save us. He entered into in without Himself sinning. He related to sinners without sinning in order to relate. He adopted rebels by bringing us into His family, not by hating His Father along with us in rebellion.
"One last point. Remember that, as I said, the right direction leads not only to peace but to knowledge. When a man is getting better he understands more and more clearly the evil that is still left in him. When a man is getting worse, he understands his own badness less and less. A moderately bad man knows he is not very good: a thoroughly bad man thinks he is all right. This is common sense, really. You understand sleep when you are awake, not when you are sleeping. You can see mistakes in arithmetic when your mind is working properly: while you are making them you cannot see them. You can understand the nature of drunkenness when you are sober, not when you are drunk. Good people know about both good and evil: bad people do not know about either.” ― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
Jesus did not become drunk in order to save drunkards, but He was willing to be accused and killed as a drunkard though He hung there soberly. He did not rebel against God in order to save rebels, but He was willing to be accused of treason and murdered by capital punishment as a traitor though He bled there in obedience, not defiance. He did not become bad in order to save bad people, but He was willing to be accursed as a bad man though He died the only good man the world had ever known.
Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 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.
Note, Jesus did not EMPATHIZE with our weakness. If He had done that, we all would be done for. But because He sympathized with us, we are saved. He kept one foot on solid ground and then entered into our sin to retrieve us. If He had surrendered the solid ground (empathy), we all would have drowned and no one would be saved.
So Jesus became like us, but not completely, but enough to SYMPATHIZE with us.
Hebrews 2:14-18
Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. For surely it is not angels that He helps, but He helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore He had to be made like His brothers in every respect, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because He Himself has suffered when tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted.
If Jesus had merely shouted advice from His solid ground, we would continue to sink in quicksand... quickly. But because He entered into the quicksand with us to make propitiation for our sin, we can be saved. But only because He entered in without abandoning His solid ground. His help truly helped precisely because He had solid ground to return us to. His solid ground became OUR solid ground because He entered in to our situation without abandoning the only situation which could save us. He entered into in without Himself sinning. He related to sinners without sinning in order to relate. He adopted rebels by bringing us into His family, not by hating His Father along with us in rebellion.
"One last point. Remember that, as I said, the right direction leads not only to peace but to knowledge. When a man is getting better he understands more and more clearly the evil that is still left in him. When a man is getting worse, he understands his own badness less and less. A moderately bad man knows he is not very good: a thoroughly bad man thinks he is all right. This is common sense, really. You understand sleep when you are awake, not when you are sleeping. You can see mistakes in arithmetic when your mind is working properly: while you are making them you cannot see them. You can understand the nature of drunkenness when you are sober, not when you are drunk. Good people know about both good and evil: bad people do not know about either.” ― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
Jesus did not become drunk in order to save drunkards, but He was willing to be accused and killed as a drunkard though He hung there soberly. He did not rebel against God in order to save rebels, but He was willing to be accused of treason and murdered by capital punishment as a traitor though He bled there in obedience, not defiance. He did not become bad in order to save bad people, but He was willing to be accursed as a bad man though He died the only good man the world had ever known.
Saturday, June 13, 2020
day no. 15,209: wage war as it was once waged in heaven
Jesus taught us to pray by asking that the Father's kingdom would be made manifest on earth as it already is in heaven.
Matthew 6:10
Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
So this begs the question: what is His kingdom like there? Is His kingdom one of ethereal cloud-like bliss? Is it where all good harps go when they die?
One thing we do know about heaven, it hasn't always been a peaceful place.
Revelation 12:7-12
Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”
There was a time when war arose in heaven. The angels had the ability to reject their Lord and God and some took advantage of the opportunity. These angels numbered one out of every three of the entire angelic realm and their effort was spearheaded by the dragon. The remaining two out of three of the angels, headed by Michael, fought against the dragon and prevailed, throwing the dragon and his coterie out of heaven.
So when Jesus teaches us to pray for God's kingdom to be manifest here as it is already in heaven, He is giving His elect the charge to elbow the devil out, to fight him back and finish the work of following through on the eviction notice already published by the land Lord.
In other words, when we pray for God's kingdom to come here on earth as it is in heaven, we are praying to be deployed upon the front lines. We are praying that God would bless our battles and bring about the same resolution that heaven has already achieved. We are praying that we would see demonic strongholds thrown down and God's victory proclaimed.
Those who conquer here do so the same way they did in heaven -- by fighting in faith for God against evil until all who remain there rejoice in Jesus alone.
Matthew 6:10
Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
So this begs the question: what is His kingdom like there? Is His kingdom one of ethereal cloud-like bliss? Is it where all good harps go when they die?
One thing we do know about heaven, it hasn't always been a peaceful place.
Revelation 12:7-12
Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”
There was a time when war arose in heaven. The angels had the ability to reject their Lord and God and some took advantage of the opportunity. These angels numbered one out of every three of the entire angelic realm and their effort was spearheaded by the dragon. The remaining two out of three of the angels, headed by Michael, fought against the dragon and prevailed, throwing the dragon and his coterie out of heaven.
So when Jesus teaches us to pray for God's kingdom to be manifest here as it is already in heaven, He is giving His elect the charge to elbow the devil out, to fight him back and finish the work of following through on the eviction notice already published by the land Lord.
In other words, when we pray for God's kingdom to come here on earth as it is in heaven, we are praying to be deployed upon the front lines. We are praying that God would bless our battles and bring about the same resolution that heaven has already achieved. We are praying that we would see demonic strongholds thrown down and God's victory proclaimed.
Those who conquer here do so the same way they did in heaven -- by fighting in faith for God against evil until all who remain there rejoice in Jesus alone.
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