"Everything that merely progresses finally perishes. Every nation, like every family, exists upon a compromise, and commonly a rather eccentric compromise; using the word 'eccentric' in the sense of something that is somehow at once crazy and healthy... The nation fills up its own gap with its own substitute; or corrects its own extravagance with its own precaution. The national antidote generally grows wild in the woods side by side with the national poison. If it did not, all the natives would be dead. For it is so, as I have said, that nations necessarily die of the undiluted poison called progress." -- G.K. Chesterton, What I Saw in America
Anything that pushes one direction will eventually fall off the edge. Progress is not merely uninterrupted inertia in one direction. Progress of that variety heads over the cliff and like the cartoon characters of old hovers over an abyss momentarily before the bottom drops out. True progress is a matter of taking a step with the left and then correcting with a step forward with the right. This kind of progress navigates the narrow road forward without falling off either of the edges.
The progressive mindset is one of insisting on going forward in a particular direction without considering the problems attending that direction. It insists that better is ahead and demonstrates its faith by plowing forward. It does not account for the kinds of problems present in that direction. It grasps a naive hope that a future without problems exists in going just the one direction. The conservative impulse is to think in terms of compromise and trade off. If I go this way, what problems will be produced. If I solve this, what new issues will arise. This is the impulse of walking ahead with both feet, left then right, right then left, and always straight ahead.
Thursday, December 31, 2020
Wednesday, December 30, 2020
day no. 15,409: Christianity Yesterday
"'Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.' Hugh Latimer once presented a Bible to Henry VIII with the Bible marked at that passage. Hugh Latimer doesn’t write for Christianity Today. He wrote for Christianity Yesterday, a periodical that has fallen out of favor with many of our thought leaders." -- Douglas Wilson, How to Fly Your Cast Iron Kites
When a man draws attention in such pointed fashion to another man's sins, you can rest assured, he isn't doing so without also attempting to motivate that man away from his behaviors. Hugh Latimer was not content with Henry VIII's sins, but more importantly, he wanted Henry VIII to be discontent with his own sins. The reason God sends harbingers is to motivate repentance before it's too late, not merely announce what is going to happen. The reason He tells someone ahead of time something like, "I judge these kind of shenanigans" is to move people away from said shenanigans, not merely to state a fact of future recompense that matches the offense.
This kind of straight, up-the-middle confrontation of sin is often confused today with legalism. If you have the audacity to tell someone that God judges sins, and in particular you will be judged for that sin you are committing without repentance, you are accused of being a legalist. It is en vogue to be in sin. And it is a faux pas to be so bold as to suggest that someone in sin should stop and instead repentantly be in Christ.
When a man draws attention in such pointed fashion to another man's sins, you can rest assured, he isn't doing so without also attempting to motivate that man away from his behaviors. Hugh Latimer was not content with Henry VIII's sins, but more importantly, he wanted Henry VIII to be discontent with his own sins. The reason God sends harbingers is to motivate repentance before it's too late, not merely announce what is going to happen. The reason He tells someone ahead of time something like, "I judge these kind of shenanigans" is to move people away from said shenanigans, not merely to state a fact of future recompense that matches the offense.
This kind of straight, up-the-middle confrontation of sin is often confused today with legalism. If you have the audacity to tell someone that God judges sins, and in particular you will be judged for that sin you are committing without repentance, you are accused of being a legalist. It is en vogue to be in sin. And it is a faux pas to be so bold as to suggest that someone in sin should stop and instead repentantly be in Christ.
Tuesday, December 29, 2020
day no. 15,408: conversion and comfort
"If He gives converting grace, He will also give comforting grace."
-- Charles Haddon Spurgeon, Morning and Evening
Those God converts, He also comforts. That is to imply that those who are converted will come across situations that require ongoing comfort. Conversion is itself a comfort, of course. It provides confidence of eternal salvation in light of one's total depravity. That is a great source of comfort. Yet, while salvation puts an end to that particular source of distress, it invites a whole host of other attendant stresses and difficulties.
Acts 14:22
Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.
God provides ongoing comfort to those enduring the tribulations that come with their conversion.
Everything has problems. If you are unconverted, you have the kind of discomforts an uncoverted person has. However, if you are converted, you now have the kind of discomforts a converted person has. The difference being that the converted person has God to provide them comfort in addition to His provision of their conversion whereas the unconverted has no comfort from God in their unconversion or the problems that attend it.
-- Charles Haddon Spurgeon, Morning and Evening
Those God converts, He also comforts. That is to imply that those who are converted will come across situations that require ongoing comfort. Conversion is itself a comfort, of course. It provides confidence of eternal salvation in light of one's total depravity. That is a great source of comfort. Yet, while salvation puts an end to that particular source of distress, it invites a whole host of other attendant stresses and difficulties.
Acts 14:22
Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.
God provides ongoing comfort to those enduring the tribulations that come with their conversion.
Everything has problems. If you are unconverted, you have the kind of discomforts an uncoverted person has. However, if you are converted, you now have the kind of discomforts a converted person has. The difference being that the converted person has God to provide them comfort in addition to His provision of their conversion whereas the unconverted has no comfort from God in their unconversion or the problems that attend it.
Monday, December 28, 2020
day no. 15,407: shaken and stirred
Acts 4:31
And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
We shake things to purify them. We shake the dust off the rug, we shake the fly off of our leg and we shake the snow off of our boots before we come inside.
We should not live our lives indoors, never getting mud or snow on our boots, but we must not track mud or snow inside our homes. We are to be bold enough to get dirty and respectful enough to keep our interiors clean.
There is a worldly boldness that walks indoors with dirty shoes. It doesn't shake the dust of the world off of it, but instead boldly brings it to the interior. But that isn't godly boldness. That isn't something you need to pray to do. That is the kind of sinful boldness that comes to us naturally.
The kind of boldness the disciples here pray for is the kind that gives them the courage to continue to go out, to mix it up, to get messy and to return home, ready to shake off the mud and the muck of their outing before retreating to the purity of the interior. This kind of boldness requires prayer. This kind of prayer is answered by God in shaking the world, knocking the dust of worldliness off of those disciples bold enough to enter the fray and humble enough to want to return to a honest home.
Hebrews 12:26-29
At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.
And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
We shake things to purify them. We shake the dust off the rug, we shake the fly off of our leg and we shake the snow off of our boots before we come inside.
We should not live our lives indoors, never getting mud or snow on our boots, but we must not track mud or snow inside our homes. We are to be bold enough to get dirty and respectful enough to keep our interiors clean.
There is a worldly boldness that walks indoors with dirty shoes. It doesn't shake the dust of the world off of it, but instead boldly brings it to the interior. But that isn't godly boldness. That isn't something you need to pray to do. That is the kind of sinful boldness that comes to us naturally.
The kind of boldness the disciples here pray for is the kind that gives them the courage to continue to go out, to mix it up, to get messy and to return home, ready to shake off the mud and the muck of their outing before retreating to the purity of the interior. This kind of boldness requires prayer. This kind of prayer is answered by God in shaking the world, knocking the dust of worldliness off of those disciples bold enough to enter the fray and humble enough to want to return to a honest home.
Hebrews 12:26-29
At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.
Sunday, December 27, 2020
day no. 15,406: lifting weights in order to lift heavier weights
2 Corinthians 4:16-17
So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison
Glory is weightiness. It is gravitas. It has a wonderful heaviness to it the way a weighted blanket provides comfort and warmth.
In this life, we have been assigned to carry certain weight. These compare little to the weight of glory we will shoulder for eternity if we are found in Christ. These burdens are bulking us up to bear better weights. These daily weights are helping our shoulders to acquaint themselves with weightiness so that when we meet real weight face to face, we may be ready for it descend more heavily upon us.
In comparison with the eternal weight of glory, these light, temporary glories are as a mist that vanishes with the rising sun. The weight of bearing the dawn cannot compare to the weight of wearing the day and the character we've developed enduring the faded light of the distant stars is preparing us to endure the brilliant radiance of the rising sun.
So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison
Glory is weightiness. It is gravitas. It has a wonderful heaviness to it the way a weighted blanket provides comfort and warmth.
In this life, we have been assigned to carry certain weight. These compare little to the weight of glory we will shoulder for eternity if we are found in Christ. These burdens are bulking us up to bear better weights. These daily weights are helping our shoulders to acquaint themselves with weightiness so that when we meet real weight face to face, we may be ready for it descend more heavily upon us.
In comparison with the eternal weight of glory, these light, temporary glories are as a mist that vanishes with the rising sun. The weight of bearing the dawn cannot compare to the weight of wearing the day and the character we've developed enduring the faded light of the distant stars is preparing us to endure the brilliant radiance of the rising sun.
Saturday, December 26, 2020
day no. 15,405: if women are leading, men are conceding
What leads to women leading? Men. Men failing to lead. Men conceding the weight and responsibility of leading leads to it. Why? Because men always lead. Even in their failure to lead, that failure leads. It is the way God made the world.
Wherever women are leading, men are conceding.
Weak men lead to women leading. I emphasize the point of weak men "leading" rather than make a comment about their failure to lead in order to stress the greater point which is: God made men to lead. So much so, that men cannot not lead. They are always leading. When they fail to lead, they are still leading; they are just doing it poorly. If women are leading, men are conceding. Men are letting it happen. Their passivity is still the dominant decision and driving the predicament.
Judges 4:4-5
Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time. She used to sit under the palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the people of Israel came up to her for judgment
The theme of the book of Judges is that in those days there was no king in Israel and everyone did what was right in their own eyes. In other words, during these days, people did whatever they wanted which included not having a king. So the fact that we find a woman in the place of ultimate authority is not a shocking outcome in a world where every man is already seeking to undermine the way God made the world.
Deborah leading is product of men conceding.
Judges 4:6-8
She sent and summoned Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh-naphtali and said to him, “Has not the Lord, the God of Israel, commanded you, ‘Go, gather your men at Mount Tabor, taking 10,000 from the people of Naphtali and the people of Zebulun. And I will draw out Sisera, the general of Jabin's army, to meet you by the river Kishon with his chariots and his troops, and I will give him into your hand’?” Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, I will go, but if you will not go with me, I will not go.”
Barak, one of the manliest men in that world, the leader of armed forces, won't go to battle without her. His weak sauce, lack of initiative, cowardly passivity led him to concede authority to Deborah. Additionally, he forces a woman into the fray of war in order to assuage his fears. He refuses to fight unless she comes for moral support. So not only is he not man enough to fight in the first place, but he is also perfectly fine with putting Deborah into the line of fire in order to make him feel better about fighting. This is an epic failure of manhood if ever there was one.
But still, this was the way the men of those days were leading. They were leading by conceding and letting women rule. And Deborah here agrees that this concession is shameful.
Judges 4:9
And she said, “I will surely go with you. Nevertheless, the road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.”
Deborah rightfully chastises Barak for his cowardice and concession. To punctuate her point, she confirms that Sisera, the opposing army's commanding officer will be slain by a woman. Later, Jael would slay Sisera and get the glory.
God bless Deborah and Jael, but they should never have been placed into their respective situations. They were lead to them by weak men.
Wherever women are leading, men are conceding.
Wherever women are leading, men are conceding.
Weak men lead to women leading. I emphasize the point of weak men "leading" rather than make a comment about their failure to lead in order to stress the greater point which is: God made men to lead. So much so, that men cannot not lead. They are always leading. When they fail to lead, they are still leading; they are just doing it poorly. If women are leading, men are conceding. Men are letting it happen. Their passivity is still the dominant decision and driving the predicament.
Judges 4:4-5
Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time. She used to sit under the palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the people of Israel came up to her for judgment
The theme of the book of Judges is that in those days there was no king in Israel and everyone did what was right in their own eyes. In other words, during these days, people did whatever they wanted which included not having a king. So the fact that we find a woman in the place of ultimate authority is not a shocking outcome in a world where every man is already seeking to undermine the way God made the world.
Deborah leading is product of men conceding.
Judges 4:6-8
She sent and summoned Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh-naphtali and said to him, “Has not the Lord, the God of Israel, commanded you, ‘Go, gather your men at Mount Tabor, taking 10,000 from the people of Naphtali and the people of Zebulun. And I will draw out Sisera, the general of Jabin's army, to meet you by the river Kishon with his chariots and his troops, and I will give him into your hand’?” Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, I will go, but if you will not go with me, I will not go.”
Barak, one of the manliest men in that world, the leader of armed forces, won't go to battle without her. His weak sauce, lack of initiative, cowardly passivity led him to concede authority to Deborah. Additionally, he forces a woman into the fray of war in order to assuage his fears. He refuses to fight unless she comes for moral support. So not only is he not man enough to fight in the first place, but he is also perfectly fine with putting Deborah into the line of fire in order to make him feel better about fighting. This is an epic failure of manhood if ever there was one.
But still, this was the way the men of those days were leading. They were leading by conceding and letting women rule. And Deborah here agrees that this concession is shameful.
Judges 4:9
And she said, “I will surely go with you. Nevertheless, the road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.”
Deborah rightfully chastises Barak for his cowardice and concession. To punctuate her point, she confirms that Sisera, the opposing army's commanding officer will be slain by a woman. Later, Jael would slay Sisera and get the glory.
God bless Deborah and Jael, but they should never have been placed into their respective situations. They were lead to them by weak men.
Wherever women are leading, men are conceding.
Friday, December 25, 2020
day no. 15,404: as much power as possible
"Beloved, be not afraid of God's power; for by faith you fled to Christ for refuge, the power of God need no more terrify you, than the shield and sword of the warrior need terrify those whom he loves." -- Charles Haddon Spurgeon, Morning and Evening
You want our protectors to be as powerful as possible. If they are good men who are for you, your desire is for them to be as strong as imaginable. At the very least, they must be stronger than the things you are afraid of. If they are not, you rightfully doubt their ability to protect you.
God is powerful. If that power is for you and against your enemies, you can rest well. But if you are in opposition to Jesus, you have good reason to fret for nothing can protect you from Him. Nothing in which you may place your hope has the power to resist Him. Your counterfeit messiahs cannot deliver you. Many won't even try. They will leave you in the moment of need, and those that do stick around will give way to God's strength and offer no refuge from His power.
If by faith you are found in Jesus, the power of God is not a fact that should produce fear, but rather the very basis of more faith. His shield is impenetrable. His sword is unstoppable. There is no evil He cannot resist. There is no
You want our protectors to be as powerful as possible. If they are good men who are for you, your desire is for them to be as strong as imaginable. At the very least, they must be stronger than the things you are afraid of. If they are not, you rightfully doubt their ability to protect you.
God is powerful. If that power is for you and against your enemies, you can rest well. But if you are in opposition to Jesus, you have good reason to fret for nothing can protect you from Him. Nothing in which you may place your hope has the power to resist Him. Your counterfeit messiahs cannot deliver you. Many won't even try. They will leave you in the moment of need, and those that do stick around will give way to God's strength and offer no refuge from His power.
If by faith you are found in Jesus, the power of God is not a fact that should produce fear, but rather the very basis of more faith. His shield is impenetrable. His sword is unstoppable. There is no evil He cannot resist. There is no
evil He cannot overcome.
Thursday, December 24, 2020
day no. 15,403: the greater the power, the more impressive the ability to restrain it
"The Lord is slow to anger because He is great in power. He is truly great in power who hath power over Himself." -- Charles Haddon Spurgeon, Morning and Evening
Self-control is one of the fruits of the Spirit. God gives self-control because it is a character He possesses. God is great in power and yet He holds Himself back. He is patient and slow to anger. Although His anger is more righteous and more perfect and therefore more powerful than ours, He restrains it better than we do ours. Our outbursts are less justifiable and yet more readily demonstrated. He successfully stifles greater rage, choosing precisely when to vent and when to restrain. He is great in power because He alone is able to stay His power. The greater your power, the more impressive your ability to hold yourself back.
Self-control is one of the fruits of the Spirit. God gives self-control because it is a character He possesses. God is great in power and yet He holds Himself back. He is patient and slow to anger. Although His anger is more righteous and more perfect and therefore more powerful than ours, He restrains it better than we do ours. Our outbursts are less justifiable and yet more readily demonstrated. He successfully stifles greater rage, choosing precisely when to vent and when to restrain. He is great in power because He alone is able to stay His power. The greater your power, the more impressive your ability to hold yourself back.
Wednesday, December 23, 2020
day no. 15,402: good things inevitably grow up
"There is nothing noble the human heart has ever hoped for or dreamed of that will not be fulfilled." -- Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest
Any noble desire God has placed into our heart or mind will someday be fully realized. We can rest assured that if it was good, it will come to pass. We can place our faith in God's commitment to cause good things to grow up and spring out of everything.
1 Corinthians 3:6-7
I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.
Good things inevitably grow up.
God promises and He provides the incentive and the seeds to that which He fully intends to attend with growth and maturity. No noble idea has been birthed in the mind of man which shall not mature into fruit for God's glory and the good of His people.
Any noble desire God has placed into our heart or mind will someday be fully realized. We can rest assured that if it was good, it will come to pass. We can place our faith in God's commitment to cause good things to grow up and spring out of everything.
1 Corinthians 3:6-7
I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.
Good things inevitably grow up.
God promises and He provides the incentive and the seeds to that which He fully intends to attend with growth and maturity. No noble idea has been birthed in the mind of man which shall not mature into fruit for God's glory and the good of His people.
Tuesday, December 22, 2020
day no. 15,401: anxiety is a false prophet
"Anxiety, after all, is simply living out the future before gets here." -- Kevin DeYoung, Just Do Something
Anxiety is a false prophet. It presumes to be so certain about the future that it acts in perfect accordance with its dire predictions now in the present. It lives out the doom and gloom of its prophecies before they occur, because anxiety has perfect faith in its predictions.
But we don't know the future and should not live like we do.
James 4:13-15
Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”
That isn't to say that your predictions about tomorrow are never on point. But even if they are, what do you gain by being anxious about them now?
When you worry, you suffer twice.
Anxiety ruins today and offers no respite from tomorrow. It makes nothing better and yet makes everything worse and still, knowing this, we turn to it faithfully, reliably, hopefully time and time again. Anxiety has let us down and beaten us down a thousand times and yet we cling to its every word as though it has infallibly benefited us.
We need to repent of our anxieties. Instead of explaining them away or therapeutically muting them, we need to confess them for what they are, unbelief, and repent of them. We then need to believe God and His Word and place our faith in Him and in it.
Only then will we be free to enjoy today and fret not about tomorrow.
Anxiety is a false prophet. It presumes to be so certain about the future that it acts in perfect accordance with its dire predictions now in the present. It lives out the doom and gloom of its prophecies before they occur, because anxiety has perfect faith in its predictions.
But we don't know the future and should not live like we do.
James 4:13-15
Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”
That isn't to say that your predictions about tomorrow are never on point. But even if they are, what do you gain by being anxious about them now?
When you worry, you suffer twice.
Anxiety ruins today and offers no respite from tomorrow. It makes nothing better and yet makes everything worse and still, knowing this, we turn to it faithfully, reliably, hopefully time and time again. Anxiety has let us down and beaten us down a thousand times and yet we cling to its every word as though it has infallibly benefited us.
We need to repent of our anxieties. Instead of explaining them away or therapeutically muting them, we need to confess them for what they are, unbelief, and repent of them. We then need to believe God and His Word and place our faith in Him and in it.
Only then will we be free to enjoy today and fret not about tomorrow.
Monday, December 21, 2020
day no. 15,400: the plague of Christian passivity
"Passivity is a plague among Christians. It's not just that we don't do anything; it's that we feel spiritual for not doing anything. We imagine that our inactivity is patience and sensitivity to God's leading. At times it may be; but it's also quite possible we are just lazy."
-- Kevin DeYoung, Just Do Something
No one should despise passivity more than Bible-believing, God-fearing Christian men and women and yet few people are more passive than Bible-believing, God-fearing Christian men and women. Christians have a peculiar habit of congratulating themselves for taking so long to do anything or for belaboring every decision by subjecting it to never-ending prayers. These are rarely prayers for faith to act on what they know is right or faith to act even if they don't know exactly what is right, but prayers to feel peace about whatever it is that they end up doing.
Many Christians, in fact, act ironically as though God meant for the primary expression of faith to be doubting and second-guessing. There is, of course, a time to pray and many Christians could benefit from submitting their daily decisions to genuine Christian contemplation; but after contemplation, they should, in faith, act. If they have sought wisdom and asked for help in prayer, conceded the possibility of their plans or motives being sinful and discovered no concerns, the best thing for them to do at that point is... something. To refuse to act at that point, is unbelief. It is faithless, lazy, gutless passivity. And that is not, contrary to popular Christian belief, a virtue.
-- Kevin DeYoung, Just Do Something
No one should despise passivity more than Bible-believing, God-fearing Christian men and women and yet few people are more passive than Bible-believing, God-fearing Christian men and women. Christians have a peculiar habit of congratulating themselves for taking so long to do anything or for belaboring every decision by subjecting it to never-ending prayers. These are rarely prayers for faith to act on what they know is right or faith to act even if they don't know exactly what is right, but prayers to feel peace about whatever it is that they end up doing.
Many Christians, in fact, act ironically as though God meant for the primary expression of faith to be doubting and second-guessing. There is, of course, a time to pray and many Christians could benefit from submitting their daily decisions to genuine Christian contemplation; but after contemplation, they should, in faith, act. If they have sought wisdom and asked for help in prayer, conceded the possibility of their plans or motives being sinful and discovered no concerns, the best thing for them to do at that point is... something. To refuse to act at that point, is unbelief. It is faithless, lazy, gutless passivity. And that is not, contrary to popular Christian belief, a virtue.
Sunday, December 20, 2020
day no. 15,399: He reigns and His rules
"Because we have confidence in God's will of decree, we can radically commit ourselves to His will of desire, without fretting over a hidden will of direction. In other words, God doesn't take risks, so we can" -- Kevin DeYoung, Just Do Something
We can have unshakable confidence, radical commitment and freedom from fretting. God is sovereign. We can put our hope and faith in that eternal, unchanging fact. In light of that, we can radically apply ourselves to doing what He has clearly told us in His Word, the Bible. And in doing so, we need not be consumed with fretting and wondering whether or not we are doing what is best. He has told us clearly what is best and He is clearly able to correct any mistakes of judgment or application we make along the way. God hasn't left the fate of the world to... fate. He is in control and He has told us what we need to know: (1) He reigns forever and (2) His rules. In light of that, let's get after it in audacious hope and faith that His Kingdom will come and His will will be done as we do the work before us for His glory and the good of our neighbors.
We can have unshakable confidence, radical commitment and freedom from fretting. God is sovereign. We can put our hope and faith in that eternal, unchanging fact. In light of that, we can radically apply ourselves to doing what He has clearly told us in His Word, the Bible. And in doing so, we need not be consumed with fretting and wondering whether or not we are doing what is best. He has told us clearly what is best and He is clearly able to correct any mistakes of judgment or application we make along the way. God hasn't left the fate of the world to... fate. He is in control and He has told us what we need to know: (1) He reigns forever and (2) His rules. In light of that, let's get after it in audacious hope and faith that His Kingdom will come and His will will be done as we do the work before us for His glory and the good of our neighbors.
Saturday, December 19, 2020
day no. 15,398: five o'clock shadows
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.
It is easier to grow a beard than it is to be a man. It is easier to do things you've seen men do than it is to actually be a man doing his own thing. It is quicker to parrot things men should say and become a parody of a Y chromosome than it is to acquire the substantive character of man by embodying the very essence of what it means to live as though it were a mission assigned to you by God when He gave you a Y chromosome.
Many have succumb to the temptation to aim at the shadow. They prefer the echo to the impetus. They chase the stubble instead of the stature. They opt out of gravitas and fall for anything. They no longer even want the substance. If you tried to pull their man card, claiming they were not a one-woman man (i.e. flirting with the girls at the gym and snap-chatting old female college friends) or claiming that they were not a committed father (i.e. spending all their free time on their hobbies in the garage or on their gaming console in their man caves), they would simply assert that they weren't aiming at anything more in the first place and reject your definition of masculinity and your accusation along with it.
In their mind, they are manly because they know more than one woman who would be willing to sleep with them or because they are a fifth level wizard warrior king in some simulated universe or because they own a gun that looks like the one their childhood G.I. Joe figurine came with. But these things do not a real man maketh. The disagreement is always in the form of the target. You can always ask, "By what standard?" They may be a man by their own definition, but by God's standards, their definition of manhood is merely childish boyishness. They raise their beard-clad brows up to Heaven and shake their tattoo'd fists while holding their assault rifles and God looks down and laughs like He's watching a congregation of babies attempting to cross the Atlantic on a worn out dish towel.
Psalm 2:1-4
Why do the nations rage
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.
It is easier to grow a beard than it is to be a man. It is easier to do things you've seen men do than it is to actually be a man doing his own thing. It is quicker to parrot things men should say and become a parody of a Y chromosome than it is to acquire the substantive character of man by embodying the very essence of what it means to live as though it were a mission assigned to you by God when He gave you a Y chromosome.
Many have succumb to the temptation to aim at the shadow. They prefer the echo to the impetus. They chase the stubble instead of the stature. They opt out of gravitas and fall for anything. They no longer even want the substance. If you tried to pull their man card, claiming they were not a one-woman man (i.e. flirting with the girls at the gym and snap-chatting old female college friends) or claiming that they were not a committed father (i.e. spending all their free time on their hobbies in the garage or on their gaming console in their man caves), they would simply assert that they weren't aiming at anything more in the first place and reject your definition of masculinity and your accusation along with it.
In their mind, they are manly because they know more than one woman who would be willing to sleep with them or because they are a fifth level wizard warrior king in some simulated universe or because they own a gun that looks like the one their childhood G.I. Joe figurine came with. But these things do not a real man maketh. The disagreement is always in the form of the target. You can always ask, "By what standard?" They may be a man by their own definition, but by God's standards, their definition of manhood is merely childish boyishness. They raise their beard-clad brows up to Heaven and shake their tattoo'd fists while holding their assault rifles and God looks down and laughs like He's watching a congregation of babies attempting to cross the Atlantic on a worn out dish towel.
Psalm 2:1-4
Why do the nations rage
and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth set themselves,
The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers take counsel together,
against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying,
“Let us burst their bonds apart
“Let us burst their bonds apart
and cast away their cords from us.”
He who sits in the heavens laughs;
He who sits in the heavens laughs;
the Lord holds them in derision.
Friday, December 18, 2020
day no. 15,397: passions produce pressure
Romans 8:5-9
Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you.
Passions insist on being practiced. When two passions clash, the more intense one will prevail. Our passions are often at war within ourselves, which is the natural state of the regenerated Christian who now possesses two natures: an old man and a new man.
The MCDP defines war as, "a violent struggle between two hostile, independent, and. irreconcilable wills, each trying to impose itself on the other." In other words, war is two opposing wills who both want to win. However, it's not as though we are entirely at the mercy of whatever passion is prevailing upon us at any particular moment. We have the ability to feed the passion we prefer and to empower and equip and outfit it with the firepower it needs to win the battle. Napoleon noted, "An army marches on its stomachs." And so it goes with our passions. The one you feed has what it needs to win its battles.
Galatians 5:16-17, 24-25
Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do... Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.
Passions produce pressure.
Our passions force our hands. We will either crucify our fleshly passions by starving them and doing our very best to murder, NOT manage, them; or we will gratify them by feeding them and subsequently providing them fresh shipments of shells which they will then use to fire upon whatever godly intentions still remain after the dust settles.
Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you.
Passions insist on being practiced. When two passions clash, the more intense one will prevail. Our passions are often at war within ourselves, which is the natural state of the regenerated Christian who now possesses two natures: an old man and a new man.
The MCDP defines war as, "a violent struggle between two hostile, independent, and. irreconcilable wills, each trying to impose itself on the other." In other words, war is two opposing wills who both want to win. However, it's not as though we are entirely at the mercy of whatever passion is prevailing upon us at any particular moment. We have the ability to feed the passion we prefer and to empower and equip and outfit it with the firepower it needs to win the battle. Napoleon noted, "An army marches on its stomachs." And so it goes with our passions. The one you feed has what it needs to win its battles.
Galatians 5:16-17, 24-25
Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do... Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.
Passions produce pressure.
Our passions force our hands. We will either crucify our fleshly passions by starving them and doing our very best to murder, NOT manage, them; or we will gratify them by feeding them and subsequently providing them fresh shipments of shells which they will then use to fire upon whatever godly intentions still remain after the dust settles.
Thursday, December 17, 2020
day no. 15,396: out of nothing... everything
Hebrews 11:3
By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.
The doctrine of God's creation of the world is summarized in the phrase creatio ex nihilo, or creation out of nothing. In other words, out of nothing came everything. God did not build the universe out of pre-existing stuffs. Before the world, there were no stuffs. The very things the world is made of had to first be made.
All that to say, strictly speaking, everything is made out of nothing.
2 Corinthians 4:18
We look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
All that we see is made up of things which cannot be seen. There is an essence of things which cannot be observed under a microscope. Underneath the atoms and particles are the substances out of which those things are made... which is nothing.
Hebrews 1:3a
(Jesus) is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and He upholds the universe by the word of His power.
Everything is made out of nothing. Adam was made from the dust, which came from the earth, which was made by the Word of God. So in that sense, everything hangs on and comes from and continues on by the Word of God. If not for God's Word, there would still be absolutely nothing. So while in one sense, everything is made out of nothing, in another it is more precise even to say that everything is made out of God's Word.
Colossians 1:16-17
For by (Jesus) all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
God is everything. In Him are all things. Anything that is, came from Him. Without Him, there is nothing. Out of Him came everything.
John 1:1-3
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not any thing made that was made.
By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.
The doctrine of God's creation of the world is summarized in the phrase creatio ex nihilo, or creation out of nothing. In other words, out of nothing came everything. God did not build the universe out of pre-existing stuffs. Before the world, there were no stuffs. The very things the world is made of had to first be made.
All that to say, strictly speaking, everything is made out of nothing.
2 Corinthians 4:18
We look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
All that we see is made up of things which cannot be seen. There is an essence of things which cannot be observed under a microscope. Underneath the atoms and particles are the substances out of which those things are made... which is nothing.
Hebrews 1:3a
(Jesus) is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and He upholds the universe by the word of His power.
Everything is made out of nothing. Adam was made from the dust, which came from the earth, which was made by the Word of God. So in that sense, everything hangs on and comes from and continues on by the Word of God. If not for God's Word, there would still be absolutely nothing. So while in one sense, everything is made out of nothing, in another it is more precise even to say that everything is made out of God's Word.
Colossians 1:16-17
For by (Jesus) all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
God is everything. In Him are all things. Anything that is, came from Him. Without Him, there is nothing. Out of Him came everything.
John 1:1-3
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not any thing made that was made.
Wednesday, December 16, 2020
day no. 15,395: a promise ring
"Whether for delight in our quietude, or for strength in our conflict, 'He hath said' must be our daily resort. And this may teach us the extreme value of searching the Scriptures. There may be a promise in the Word which would exactly fit your case, but you may not know of it, and therefore you miss its comfort. You are like prisoners in a dungeon, and there may be one key in the bunch which would unlock the door, and you might be free; but if you will not look for it, you may remain a prisoner still, though liberty is so near at hand." -- Charles Haddon Spurgeon, Morning and Evening
In John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, a book Spurgeon reportedly read over 100 times in his lifetime, Christian ends up in Doubting Castle with his travelling companion, Hopeful. He is held there by the master of the castle, Giant Despair. He remains there, starved, beaten, tempted, and discouraged for days on end. He is there until he remembers a key in his pocket that he received at the Palace Beautiful earlier in his adventures. The key is called, "promise" and as he retrieves it from his pocket, he is delighted to discover that it opens their cages and frees them from Doubting Castle and Giant Despair.
If you do not read God's Word, your key-ring is pretty sparse. The more you read, the more keys you have. The more keys you have, the more locks you can open. The more locks you can open, the less likely you are to be taken captive by any thought other than God's.
God provides a way of escape. He is faithful. He has given us keys in the things He has said that if we were to treasure them, remember them, and carry them with us, would help us navigate and escape any situation or trap that is set for us. There is no lock which His keys cannot open. There is no situation stronger than His words.
God's promises are our keys. And God's promises are fully realized in the form of His Son, Jesus.
2 Corinthians 1:20-21
For all the promises of God find their Yes in (Jesus). That is why it is through Him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put His seal on us and given us His Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.
The entire Trinity is involved in fulfilling the promises, thus providing the keys, that would meet our every need in whatever situation we may find ourselves. God the Son is the Yes to every one of God the Father's promises; and God the Spirit has descended into our hearts to seal these guarantees. Jesus, the Son indwelt flesh in order to fulfill God's promises; in similar fashion, God the Spirit indwells our flesh in order to fulfill and confirm God's promises to us.
In John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, a book Spurgeon reportedly read over 100 times in his lifetime, Christian ends up in Doubting Castle with his travelling companion, Hopeful. He is held there by the master of the castle, Giant Despair. He remains there, starved, beaten, tempted, and discouraged for days on end. He is there until he remembers a key in his pocket that he received at the Palace Beautiful earlier in his adventures. The key is called, "promise" and as he retrieves it from his pocket, he is delighted to discover that it opens their cages and frees them from Doubting Castle and Giant Despair.
If you do not read God's Word, your key-ring is pretty sparse. The more you read, the more keys you have. The more keys you have, the more locks you can open. The more locks you can open, the less likely you are to be taken captive by any thought other than God's.
God provides a way of escape. He is faithful. He has given us keys in the things He has said that if we were to treasure them, remember them, and carry them with us, would help us navigate and escape any situation or trap that is set for us. There is no lock which His keys cannot open. There is no situation stronger than His words.
God's promises are our keys. And God's promises are fully realized in the form of His Son, Jesus.
2 Corinthians 1:20-21
For all the promises of God find their Yes in (Jesus). That is why it is through Him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put His seal on us and given us His Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.
The entire Trinity is involved in fulfilling the promises, thus providing the keys, that would meet our every need in whatever situation we may find ourselves. God the Son is the Yes to every one of God the Father's promises; and God the Spirit has descended into our hearts to seal these guarantees. Jesus, the Son indwelt flesh in order to fulfill God's promises; in similar fashion, God the Spirit indwells our flesh in order to fulfill and confirm God's promises to us.
Tuesday, December 15, 2020
day no. 15,394: the place where the test is taking place
"If I profess with loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the truth of God except that little point which the world and the Devil are at that moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Christ. Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved, and to be steady on all the battlefield besides, is mere flight and disgrace if he flinches at that point." - Martin Luther
It takes no spine to stand up where there is no push back. It takes no courage to have convictions if there is no contention. It takes no strength of will to believe where there is no imposing will.
If you are orthodox in the bunkers and heretical on the battlefield, your strength is weakness and you orthodoxy is lame. If it cannot walk, it cannot get you where it claims to go.
The soldier is tested on the battlefield. To shrink back from bullets is to betray all the training that led up to them. To be orthodox where no one's looking is meaningless if you shirk orthodoxy in the place where everyone is talking. The battle is where the conversation is taking place. Remain orthodox there or you betray orthodoxy everywhere.
Proverbs 24:10
If you faint in the day of adversity,
your strength is small.
You must be faithful where the test is taking place. It makes no difference if you're well-versed and prepared in your office if the examination is taking place down the hall and you fail to show up. You do not pass the test by skipping it. You pass it by being there, prepared and proclaiming in bold objective ink what you say you know when in the comfort of your study.
It takes no spine to stand up where there is no push back. It takes no courage to have convictions if there is no contention. It takes no strength of will to believe where there is no imposing will.
If you are orthodox in the bunkers and heretical on the battlefield, your strength is weakness and you orthodoxy is lame. If it cannot walk, it cannot get you where it claims to go.
The soldier is tested on the battlefield. To shrink back from bullets is to betray all the training that led up to them. To be orthodox where no one's looking is meaningless if you shirk orthodoxy in the place where everyone is talking. The battle is where the conversation is taking place. Remain orthodox there or you betray orthodoxy everywhere.
Proverbs 24:10
If you faint in the day of adversity,
your strength is small.
You must be faithful where the test is taking place. It makes no difference if you're well-versed and prepared in your office if the examination is taking place down the hall and you fail to show up. You do not pass the test by skipping it. You pass it by being there, prepared and proclaiming in bold objective ink what you say you know when in the comfort of your study.
Monday, December 14, 2020
day no. 15,393: sweating your disobedience or sweating in obedience?
"If you reject God's commanding word, you will not receive God's gracious word... the disobedient cannot believe; only the obedient believe." -- Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Discipleship
Disobedience is the functional equivalent of disbelief. The Bible connects the two as being part and parcel, latch and key, bow and string. There is no belief without obedience. Wherever you find disobedience, you find unbelief. Not believing is a sin and Jesus frequently condemns and confronts people for their unbelief, i.e. their unwillingness to believe; or said another way, their willingness to ignore what God has done, is doing, and promises to do.
Hebrews 3:16-19
For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.
Those who were not permitted entrance into God's rest were forbidden, we're told, due to their disobedience. And in the very next verse, we see the case restated as saying it was a result of their unbelief. So disobedience and unbelief are different sides of the same coin. When we put that coin in the slot, nothing comes out regardless of which way the coin was facing. That kind of currency does not spend. Heads or tails, disobedience or unbelief, it all amounts to the same counterfeit coinage.
Hebrews 4:11
Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.
As a result, we discipline ourselves in obedience as a result of our belief. Our belief manifests itself in our behaviors, our theology comes out of our fingertips. Accordingly, let us work hard to be at rest in Jesus and sweating daily in obedience instead of sweating our eternity due to our unbelieving disobedience.
"Understanding is the reward of obedience. Obedience is the key to every door. I am perplexed at the stupidity of the ordinary religious being. In the most practical of all matters he will talk and speculate and try to feel, but he will not set himself to do.” -- George McDonald
If you want to know God, you need to obey. And the more you obey Him, the more you know Him. If you do not obey, you will not know Him. Some things cannot be understood outside of simple obedience. You do not understand what you have heard until you do it. And the more you do it, the more you understand what you've already heard.
James 1:22-25
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.
Disobedience is the functional equivalent of disbelief. The Bible connects the two as being part and parcel, latch and key, bow and string. There is no belief without obedience. Wherever you find disobedience, you find unbelief. Not believing is a sin and Jesus frequently condemns and confronts people for their unbelief, i.e. their unwillingness to believe; or said another way, their willingness to ignore what God has done, is doing, and promises to do.
Hebrews 3:16-19
For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.
Those who were not permitted entrance into God's rest were forbidden, we're told, due to their disobedience. And in the very next verse, we see the case restated as saying it was a result of their unbelief. So disobedience and unbelief are different sides of the same coin. When we put that coin in the slot, nothing comes out regardless of which way the coin was facing. That kind of currency does not spend. Heads or tails, disobedience or unbelief, it all amounts to the same counterfeit coinage.
Hebrews 4:11
Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.
As a result, we discipline ourselves in obedience as a result of our belief. Our belief manifests itself in our behaviors, our theology comes out of our fingertips. Accordingly, let us work hard to be at rest in Jesus and sweating daily in obedience instead of sweating our eternity due to our unbelieving disobedience.
"Understanding is the reward of obedience. Obedience is the key to every door. I am perplexed at the stupidity of the ordinary religious being. In the most practical of all matters he will talk and speculate and try to feel, but he will not set himself to do.” -- George McDonald
If you want to know God, you need to obey. And the more you obey Him, the more you know Him. If you do not obey, you will not know Him. Some things cannot be understood outside of simple obedience. You do not understand what you have heard until you do it. And the more you do it, the more you understand what you've already heard.
James 1:22-25
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.
Sunday, December 13, 2020
day no. 15,392: taking time with you
"Making memories is the only way to take time with you." -- Paige Van Voorst
The past few years have led Paige and I to implement a number of traditions. Some on the annual level, some on the weekly; some of greater scale, some of smaller. But nevertheless, we have been intentional in creating a culture in our home through making memories. We are making our best effort to provide an inheritance for our children that consists of small things like singing Rebecca Black's, "It's Friday!" every Friday night during Pizza night to larger things like celebrating our Dutch heritage on December 6 with St. Nicholas' Day and wooden shoes and Dutch chocolate to boot (dad joke alert).
"The home is a museum of memories and we are the curators" -- Edith Schaeffer, What is a Family?
I want to take these days with me and I want to provide something worth celebrating and safekeeping for my children. We are doing this through the discipline and delight of making memories and living intentionally in light of Christ for the love of those He has given to us.
"There is something about saying, 'We always do this,' which helps keep the years together. Time is such an elusive thing that if we keep on meaning to do something interesting, but never do it, year would follow year with no special thoughtfulness being expressed in making gifts, surprises, charming table settings, and familiar, favorite food. Tradition is a good gift intended to guard the best gifts." -- Edith Schaeffer, What is a Family?
The past few years have led Paige and I to implement a number of traditions. Some on the annual level, some on the weekly; some of greater scale, some of smaller. But nevertheless, we have been intentional in creating a culture in our home through making memories. We are making our best effort to provide an inheritance for our children that consists of small things like singing Rebecca Black's, "It's Friday!" every Friday night during Pizza night to larger things like celebrating our Dutch heritage on December 6 with St. Nicholas' Day and wooden shoes and Dutch chocolate to boot (dad joke alert).
"The home is a museum of memories and we are the curators" -- Edith Schaeffer, What is a Family?
I want to take these days with me and I want to provide something worth celebrating and safekeeping for my children. We are doing this through the discipline and delight of making memories and living intentionally in light of Christ for the love of those He has given to us.
"There is something about saying, 'We always do this,' which helps keep the years together. Time is such an elusive thing that if we keep on meaning to do something interesting, but never do it, year would follow year with no special thoughtfulness being expressed in making gifts, surprises, charming table settings, and familiar, favorite food. Tradition is a good gift intended to guard the best gifts." -- Edith Schaeffer, What is a Family?
Saturday, December 12, 2020
day no. 15,391: heroic and humble
2 Samuel 10:12
Be of good courage, and let us be courageous for our people, and for the cities of our God, and may the LORD do what seems good to Him.
Let us be brave in our behavior and in accepting whatever outcome God determines to be best. It is better to fight in faith and die faithfully than to fight timidly determined that God must deliver your enemies since you suited up for battle today. Be like Beowulf: heroic and humble, willing to attempt great feats for God's glory and willing to receive defeat by God's providence.
In truth, the Geats’ prince gladly trusted
his mettle, his might, the mercy of God!
Let wisest God, sacred Lord, on which side soever
doom decree as He deemeth right.
-- Beowulf
Be of good courage, and let us be courageous for our people, and for the cities of our God, and may the LORD do what seems good to Him.
Let us be brave in our behavior and in accepting whatever outcome God determines to be best. It is better to fight in faith and die faithfully than to fight timidly determined that God must deliver your enemies since you suited up for battle today. Be like Beowulf: heroic and humble, willing to attempt great feats for God's glory and willing to receive defeat by God's providence.
In truth, the Geats’ prince gladly trusted
his mettle, his might, the mercy of God!
Let wisest God, sacred Lord, on which side soever
doom decree as He deemeth right.
-- Beowulf
Friday, December 11, 2020
day no. 15,390: their presence in the porridge
"There is something of the same idea at the back of the great American experiment; the experiment of a democracy of diverse races which has been compared to a melting-pot. But even that metaphor implies that the pot itself is of a certain shape and a certain substance; a pretty solid substance. The melting-pot must not melt. The original shape was traced on the lines of Jeffersonian democracy; and it will remain in that shape until it becomes shapeless. America invites all men to become citizens; but it implies the dogma that there is such a thing as citizenship." -- G.K. Chesterton, What I Saw In America
America is a melting pot, but if it is to remain America, the pot cannot also melt. America must either mean something or it will mean nothing. If it welcomes outsiders into her border, it must welcome them into something and those added in must be melted into the ingredients in the pot without expecting the pot to change its shape to accommodate their presence in the porridge.
America is a melting pot, but if it is to remain America, the pot cannot also melt. America must either mean something or it will mean nothing. If it welcomes outsiders into her border, it must welcome them into something and those added in must be melted into the ingredients in the pot without expecting the pot to change its shape to accommodate their presence in the porridge.
Thursday, December 10, 2020
day no. 15,389: suffer like a man
"You must keep your head clear. Keep your head clear and know how to suffer like a man. Or a fish, he thought." -- Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea
There is way of suffering that betrays manhood. A man must suffer well. If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small. If you whimper and whine when the suffering comes, your resolve is without resolution.
There is way of suffering that betrays manhood. A man must suffer well. If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small. If you whimper and whine when the suffering comes, your resolve is without resolution.
Proverbs 24:10
If thou faint in the day of adversity,
thy strength is small.
Wednesday, December 9, 2020
day no. 15,388 continued... molon labe
While reading Douglas Wilson's "Same Sex Mirage" again today, I came across a new term: "molon labe." This is reported by Plutarch as Leonidas' response o the Persians request to surrender their weapons. It is a Latinized rendering of the original Greek which essentially means, "Come and take 'em!" Reminds me of this,
1 Kings 20:11
Let not him who straps on his armor boast himself as he who takes it off.
day no. 15,388: luck comes when you are ready
"It is better to be lucky. But I would rather be exact. Then when luck comes you are ready."
-- Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea
You can do everything precisely right and still not have things work out. You can do nothing right and things can end up working out somehow. But of the two, it is better to be prepared, for then when things begin to work out, you are positioned well to take full advantage of the fortune you find at that time.
-- Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea
You can do everything precisely right and still not have things work out. You can do nothing right and things can end up working out somehow. But of the two, it is better to be prepared, for then when things begin to work out, you are positioned well to take full advantage of the fortune you find at that time.
Proverbs 16:9
A man's heart deviseth his way:
but the LORD directeth his steps.
Tuesday, December 8, 2020
day no. 15,387: build this house
2 Samuel 7:24-29
And you established for yourself your people Israel to be your people forever. And you, O LORD, became their God. And now, O LORD God, confirm forever the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, and do as you have spoken. And your name will be magnified forever, saying, 'The LORD of hosts is God over Israel,' and the house of your servant David will be established before you. For you, O LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, saying, 'I will build you a house.' Therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you. And now, O Lord GOD, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. Now therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you. For you, O Lord GOD, have spoken, and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed forever."
Psalm 90:12-17
So teach us to number our days
that we may get a heart of wisdom.
Return, O Lord! How long?
Have pity on your servants!
Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
and for as many years as we have seen evil.
Let your work be shown to your servants,
and your glorious power to their children.
Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
and establish the work of our hands upon us;
yes, establish the work of our hands!
May God grant us the grace of having our houses established in the Messianic line. While those pre-dating Christ's incarnation could pray in hopes of having their families represented in the lineage of those to whom the Christ would be born, those of us post-dating His incarnation can pray in hopes of having our families incorporated into the lineage of those descending from Christ's lineage by grace and through faith.
May God establish my home as one rooted in His glory and may my children group up knowing Him, satisfied in Him alone and zealous to pursue Him in every endeavor placed before them.
May I see my children marry well and may the fruit of those unions produce children who may receive what was first passed down to me. May I see my children raise their children to know, love and obey God.
May generations of Van Voorsts harvest worship of Jesus because of this generation of Van Voorsts is planting and cultivating worship of Jesus.
God, establish my house for Jesus' glory and my descendants' good.
May a thousand generations of grandchildren inherit the blessings and privileges of homes oriented completely and cheerfully around Christ. Establish Your Name in our household and use our household to establish Your Kingdom here on earth, as it already is in Heaven.
Amen.
Psalm 127
Unless the Lord builds the house,
those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
the watchman stays awake in vain.
It is in vain that you rise up early
and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
for He gives to His beloved sleep.
Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,
the fruit of the womb a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
are the children of one's youth.
Blessed is the man
who fills his quiver with them!
He shall not be put to shame
when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.
Monday, December 7, 2020
day no. 15,386: believe and obey; belief and obedience
"Only the believers obey, and only the obedient believe." -- Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Discipleship
There is no tension between belief and obedience because there is no tension between good friends. Belief and obedience go hand in hand. They are part and parcel.
Paul's great treatise on salvation by grace through faith in Christ's completed work alone in the book of Romans is book-ended by this idea.
Romans 1:5
To bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of His Name among all the nations
Romans 16:25-27
Now to Him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.
His purpose in life was to bring about the obedience of faith in Christ alone for as many as possible. This is merely an extension of the marching orders Jesus left His church in the Great Commission...
Matthew 28:18-20
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
We are obligated to believe in and obey Jesus. Faith is believing Him and obeying Him. Faith does not seek to separate the two. Faith understands the distinction between belief and behavior, but doesn't begin with it. Faith is belief demonstrated in obedience. Its obedience is evidence of its belief. Paul is opposed to dead works. James is opposed to dead faith. They both agree that dead things should be opposed. A living faith works both in the sense that it accomplishes its intended end (salvation) and in that it lives out what it says it believes (sanctification).
There is no tension between belief and obedience because there is no tension between good friends. Belief and obedience go hand in hand. They are part and parcel.
Paul's great treatise on salvation by grace through faith in Christ's completed work alone in the book of Romans is book-ended by this idea.
Romans 1:5
To bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of His Name among all the nations
Romans 16:25-27
Now to Him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.
His purpose in life was to bring about the obedience of faith in Christ alone for as many as possible. This is merely an extension of the marching orders Jesus left His church in the Great Commission...
Matthew 28:18-20
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
We are obligated to believe in and obey Jesus. Faith is believing Him and obeying Him. Faith does not seek to separate the two. Faith understands the distinction between belief and behavior, but doesn't begin with it. Faith is belief demonstrated in obedience. Its obedience is evidence of its belief. Paul is opposed to dead works. James is opposed to dead faith. They both agree that dead things should be opposed. A living faith works both in the sense that it accomplishes its intended end (salvation) and in that it lives out what it says it believes (sanctification).
Sunday, December 6, 2020
day no. 15,385: the way, the truth and the life of the party
Psalm 16:11
You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
God is not an ol' fashioned fuddy, duddy, fun-hater. He is the life of the party. Quite literally. You may have seen the classic church billboard saying, "No Jesus, No peace, Know Jesus, Know Peace." That is true, but it is also true enough to say, "No Jesus. No party. Know Jesus. Know Party!"
The path of life leads back to God.
The presence of His person is fullness of joy. (Acts 3:19)
The place at His right hand overflows with everlasting pleasures.
And who sits at God's right hand?
Jesus.
(Matthew 22:44, Acts 2:33, Acts 7:55-56, Romans 8:34, Ephesians 1:20, Colossians 3:1, Hebrews 1:3, Hebrews 8:1, Hebrews 10:12, 1 Peter 3:22, Revelation 3:21)
Jesus is the life of the party in whom all things were created and all things are sustained. He gives life and sustains life and the life He produces and upholds is abundant, vibrant, enjoyable to everlasting.
Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life of the party.
You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
God is not an ol' fashioned fuddy, duddy, fun-hater. He is the life of the party. Quite literally. You may have seen the classic church billboard saying, "No Jesus, No peace, Know Jesus, Know Peace." That is true, but it is also true enough to say, "No Jesus. No party. Know Jesus. Know Party!"
The path of life leads back to God.
The presence of His person is fullness of joy. (Acts 3:19)
The place at His right hand overflows with everlasting pleasures.
And who sits at God's right hand?
Jesus.
(Matthew 22:44, Acts 2:33, Acts 7:55-56, Romans 8:34, Ephesians 1:20, Colossians 3:1, Hebrews 1:3, Hebrews 8:1, Hebrews 10:12, 1 Peter 3:22, Revelation 3:21)
Jesus is the life of the party in whom all things were created and all things are sustained. He gives life and sustains life and the life He produces and upholds is abundant, vibrant, enjoyable to everlasting.
Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life of the party.
Saturday, December 5, 2020
day no. 15,384: Atticus turns TWELVE!
Atticus,
Twelve years ago on this very day, God allowed your mother and I to welcome you into our family. You were the first to be added to our number. I'm so glad God picked us for each other. I love being your dad.
Twelve years ago on this very day, God allowed your mother and I to welcome you into our family. You were the first to be added to our number. I'm so glad God picked us for each other. I love being your dad.
You are a good big brother. You love your younger siblings and regularly seek out opportunities to interact with them and condescend to their level in order to be part of their lives. You love leading and determining the course of action for a Saturday afternoon with your siblings. You love being outside and when the weather permits, you can often be found outdoors as much as you are allowed. You love spending time by yourself reading and reviewing photos and stories usually about pick up trucks or from past wars. You love tacos and trips to Kansas City to see the orthodontist.
You keeping getting taller and taller and regularly outgrow pairs of shoes before they are worn out. Your feet are growing faster than their ability to run around. Finneas is going to have some nice shoes waiting for him when he gets as big as you since your feet have moved on to larger boots before the old ones wore out. :) You like exercising and trying to do pull-ups on the bar we bought you last Christmas. You aspire to preach, to lead, to be a husband, to be a father, to leave a legacy, and to live faithfully.
I am proud to be your earthly father, your spiritual brother and your friend. I like you and I like being around you.
You are a fantastic artist. You are growing constantly in your ability to capture perspective on paper. You are a good student, working hard to gain knowledge and grow in wisdom. You always enjoy baptisms at church, remembering yours and wishing you could do it all again because of the joy of remembering your experience. You often raise your hands in genuine worship while gathered at the local church on Sunday mornings. You are passionate and have strong feelings but have yet to develop equally strong abilities to steer them. You are growing in this, however. You are learning as the Holy Spirit gives you the gift of increased self-control. You are a good son and I could not be prouder to be your dad. You often ask to carry my backpack after church, partially to help and partially for the feeling of doing something difficult that makes you feel manly. You enjoy wine on cheeseboard feast days and you enjoy participating in plays that you and your siblings write and perform for mom and me in the basement.
You take God and life seriously and are learning to take yourself less seriously. You are learning how to laugh at yourself and are finding life more enjoyable in the process.
If the years of you living in our home is to be approximately 18 in total, then you have just completed the second set of 6 years. 0-6 and then 6-12. This means you are embarking now on the final 1/3 of your 6 years under my roof. Years 12-18 will be a time of great change and development. You will continue to grow in wisdom, stature and favor with God and with those around you. I am praying for my abilities and wisdom in parenting to grow along with you. You will be the first 12 year old child I have ever had. You will be the first 18 year old young man I watch leave our home someday.
I love you. I am grateful to God for you even now as I type this. My eyes begin to well up with tears of joy and gratitude in thinking about you. I have treasured these days and will continue to. I love having you as part of my life.
Happy birthday, my son.
Here's to turning 12 and to many more years to come.
I love you. Always have, always will. No matter what. Forever and ever. World without end. Amen.
Friday, December 4, 2020
day no. 15,383: lust is a sin not limited to man
"Life is different for men and for women—men love to want, while women desire to be wanted. It is not as though men have a problem with lust and women do not. The two sexes actually have complementary problems with this sin." -- Douglas Wilson, The Seven Deadlies
Men love to want, while women desire to be wanted.
Men like to look, while women like to be looked at.
When a man takes a second glance at a scantily clad young lady on the cover of a magazine, he is giving into temptation... and she already has. The invitation to appear barely-clothed on the cover of the magazine proved too tempting for her to withstand.
Lust is a sin that affects people and it affects them as the kind of people God created them to be. This means, that if God made you a man, you are tempted to lust, but your temptations look differently than if you were a woman. To be more precise, for a man the “look” is at a woman whereas the woman “looks” to see a man looking back.
Men love to want, while women desire to be wanted.
Men like to look, while women like to be looked at.
When a man takes a second glance at a scantily clad young lady on the cover of a magazine, he is giving into temptation... and she already has. The invitation to appear barely-clothed on the cover of the magazine proved too tempting for her to withstand.
Lust is a sin that affects people and it affects them as the kind of people God created them to be. This means, that if God made you a man, you are tempted to lust, but your temptations look differently than if you were a woman. To be more precise, for a man the “look” is at a woman whereas the woman “looks” to see a man looking back.
Thursday, December 3, 2020
day no. 15,382: good, hard, godly, established work
Psalm 90:17
Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
and establish the work of our hands upon us;
yes, establish the work of our hands!
I want to give my hands to good, godly works and I want to receive the grace of seeing the works of my hands established for the glory of God, the good of my family and my own personal growth. God, grant me hands for hard work and good grace to see it established firmly for Your sake, amen!
Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
and establish the work of our hands upon us;
yes, establish the work of our hands!
I want to give my hands to good, godly works and I want to receive the grace of seeing the works of my hands established for the glory of God, the good of my family and my own personal growth. God, grant me hands for hard work and good grace to see it established firmly for Your sake, amen!
Wednesday, December 2, 2020
day no. 15,381: we must be rich towards God
Luke 12:21
So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.
God requires a man to be rich toward God in order to be saved. Therefore, debtors should not find it surprising that they are left off eternal's life guest list. But even if God forgives our debts, we are still just broke people. We no longer have the weight of debt keeping us from being rich towards God, but we're still just broke. Having $0.00 is not being in debt, but it is being broke. So if God requires us to be rich towards Him in order to be with Him, we need more than just our sins forgiven, we need riches deposited into our account. And this is what Christ, by His vicarious, righteous life earned and offers to us.
2 Corinthians 5:21
For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.
Sinners have two problems. They are debtors and they are not righteous. God forgiving our sins, eliminates our debts, but still leaves us unrighteous and broke. So God gives us Christ's paycheck. God imputes our sins to Jesus and He imputes Jesus' righteousness to us. Thus, in one act, God eliminates the problem of our debt and provides the credentials required to enter into His eternal joy.
So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.
God requires a man to be rich toward God in order to be saved. Therefore, debtors should not find it surprising that they are left off eternal's life guest list. But even if God forgives our debts, we are still just broke people. We no longer have the weight of debt keeping us from being rich towards God, but we're still just broke. Having $0.00 is not being in debt, but it is being broke. So if God requires us to be rich towards Him in order to be with Him, we need more than just our sins forgiven, we need riches deposited into our account. And this is what Christ, by His vicarious, righteous life earned and offers to us.
2 Corinthians 5:21
For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.
Sinners have two problems. They are debtors and they are not righteous. God forgiving our sins, eliminates our debts, but still leaves us unrighteous and broke. So God gives us Christ's paycheck. God imputes our sins to Jesus and He imputes Jesus' righteousness to us. Thus, in one act, God eliminates the problem of our debt and provides the credentials required to enter into His eternal joy.
Tuesday, December 1, 2020
day no. 15,380: doomed
Psalm 79:8-11
Do not remember against us our former iniquities;
let your compassion come speedily to meet us,
for we are brought very low.
Help us, O God of our salvation,
for the glory of your name;
deliver us, and atone for our sins,
for your name's sake!
Why should the nations say,
“Where is their God?”
Let the avenging of the outpoured blood of your servants
be known among the nations before our eyes!
Let the groans of the prisoners come before you;
according to your great power, preserve those doomed to die!
We have no hope other than God doing for us what we could never deserve. The one on death row cannot demand a pardon, but he can beg and plead for one. That is the convict's only remaining move. We are that convict. Our iniquities have been tallied and we've been found wanting. Our only hope is appealing to God to discount our sins or count them against somebody else.
Do not remember against us our former iniquities;
let your compassion come speedily to meet us,
for we are brought very low.
Help us, O God of our salvation,
for the glory of your name;
deliver us, and atone for our sins,
for your name's sake!
Why should the nations say,
“Where is their God?”
Let the avenging of the outpoured blood of your servants
be known among the nations before our eyes!
Let the groans of the prisoners come before you;
according to your great power, preserve those doomed to die!
We have no hope other than God doing for us what we could never deserve. The one on death row cannot demand a pardon, but he can beg and plead for one. That is the convict's only remaining move. We are that convict. Our iniquities have been tallied and we've been found wanting. Our only hope is appealing to God to discount our sins or count them against somebody else.
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