“The finest men in all the world are not to be found in the warm, genial climates, where the earth has only to be tickled with a hoe, and it laughs with plenty; but the strongest and the most enterprising spirits have been found at the back of the north wind, where there are frosts and ice, and long, dreary winters, and men have a hard struggle for a livelihood. They become really men under that stern training. Now, if there were no thorns and thistles, no struggles and no trials, should we have any brave Christians? Should we have any great and noble souls at all? When did the Church yield her best men for her Lord’s service? It was in the persecuting times, when they had to swim through seas of blood to hold fast the truth of Christ. These are silken days, and we have wretched specimens of Christians everywhere; but if the times of persecution were to come once more, with the rough winds blowing, and the whole sea of the world tossed in tempest, we should then find brave sailors who would put the ship’s head to the wind, and ride safely over the stormy billows in the name of the Eternal God.” Spurgeon, C. H.
From the Thorns and Thistles Sermon, Vol 39.
Christianity
Christianity,Thursday, January 19, 2006
?I looked for him but did not find him.? (Song of Solomon 3:1, NIV)
Song of Solomon is more about looking for your lover than looking for Christ. Nevertheless, Charles Spurgeon meditated on the thought of losing Christ. Not losing in the sense of losing salvation, but losing in the sense of losing sight, or losing the presence of Christ
Have you lost Christ in the closet by restraining prayer? Then it is there you must seek and find him. Did you lose Christ by sin? You will find Christ in no other way but by the giving up of the sin, and seeking by the Holy Spirit to mortify the member in which the lust doth dwell. Did you lose Christ by neglecting the Scriptures? You must find Christ in the Scriptures. It is a true proverb, ?Look for a thing where you dropped it, it is there.?
Spurgeon, C. H. (1995). Morning and evening : Daily readings (January 19 AM). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
I sometimes feel as If I have lost the sight or presence of Christ in my workday. As my pace becomes busy, my thoughts are crowded by all the things I must do. In a sense, I lose peace and become frazzled by all the plans and goals that must be accomplished. How nice it would be to stay with Christ through it all. Perhaps I would feel more relaxed with the comforting presence of Christ. Perhaps I would think more clearly with the wisdom of Christ at my side.
So if I loose Christ in the business, then I will find him in the quietness. But how can I keep quietness during a busy day? I think the answer is prayer. I should pray throughout my day and quiet my inner self and bring the presence of Christ back into my day.
?Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God?s will for you in Christ Jesus.? (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, NIV)
Christianity,Wednesday, January 18, 2006
John W. Peterson and Alfred B. Smith collaborated in 1958 to write the popular hym that paraphrases Psalm 23. The inspiration of this hym has humorous beginnings.
It was written after receiving a letter from one of the descendants of P. P. Bliss, telling of Bliss?s first country school teacher, Miss Murphy, whom he dearly loved. It told of her teaching the class (before they could read or write) to memorize the 23rd Psalm. When the part ?surely goodness and mercy? was reached, little Philip thought it said, ?surely good Miss Murphy shall follow me all the days of my life.? This little incident focused our thoughts on the phrase which became the heart and title of the song.
A pilgrim was I, and a wand?ring, in the cold night of sin I did roam, when Jesus the kind Shepherd found me, and now I am on my way home.
He restoreth my soul when I?m weary, He giveth me strength day by day; He leads me beside the still waters; He guards me each step of the way.
When I walk thru the dark lonesome valley, my Savior will walk with me there; and safely His great hand will lead me to the mansions He?s gone to prepare.
Chorus: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever, and I shall feast at the table spread for me. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days, all the days of my life.
Osbeck, K. W. (1990). Amazing grace : 366 inspiring hymn stories for daily devotions. Includes indexes. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Kregel Publications.
Psalm 23, as well as many other Psalms, are great for times of meditation and prayer. It is so satisfying to think that my Savior Jesus Christ walk with me and guide me besides still waters. I just pray that I don’t go running off in my own direction. If I hold hands with Jesus, all will be good.
Charles Spurgeon had pointed out the word “my” in the text and commented:
The sweetest word of the whole is that monosyllable, ?my.? He does not say, ?The Lord is the shepherd of the world at large, and leadeth forth the multitude as his flock.? If He is a shepherd to no one else, He is a shepherd to me. He cares for me, watches over me, and preserves me. The words are in the present tense. Whatever be the believer?s position, he is even now under the pastoral care of Jehovah.
Christianity,Tuesday, January 17, 2006
I?ve been reading a devotion written by Charles Spurgeon called ?Morning and Evening: Daily readings.? Spurgeon is one of the more famous preachers in Christian history. His writings are filled with passion and rich in lessons. His January 17th, morning entry is on Revelation 14:1.
? Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion? (Revelation 14:1, NIV)
Spurgeon writes:
?Heaven and Christ are the same thing;? to be with Christ is to be in heaven, and to be in heaven is to be with Christ ... ?O my Lord Jesus Christ, if I could be in heaven without thee, it would be a hell; and if I could be in hell, and have thee still, it would be a heaven to me, for thou art all the heaven I want.? It is true, is it not, Christian? Does not thy soul say so?
Spurgeon, C. H. (1995). Morning and evening : Daily readings (January 17 AM). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
So often I contemplate heaven and I think about the problems that will go away. Asthma, allergies, back aches, or frustrations of life will be a thing of the past. I think about how beautiful a place it would be without pollution, traffic, death, or war. I think about how much more perfect my love will be. I will not think or feel any unrighteous thoughts. I will no longer need to seek spiritual growth because I will be perfected.
Perhaps all that is true, but what a thought from Spurgeon?s Daily readings; ?To be with Christ, is to be in heaven!? How great is our Lord that he is the crown jewel of heaven. I feel a little selfish now that I reflect on my own thoughts about heaven. It?s not just a place of ultimate comfort and peace. It is a glorious place to be with our Lord and Savior. It is a place that is illuminated by Christ himself.
?The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.? (Revelation 21:23, NIV)
Christianity,Wednesday, January 11, 2006
” Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,” (James 1:2, NIV)
What a wacky statement this seems at first glance. It almost seems neurotic to be joyful in the face of trials. If I lost my job, the last thing I would feel is joy. Somehow, James is telling us to consider our trials with joy.
When I experience trials, I often treat the situation as if I was struck with misfortune. I often misplace things around the house. I feel like a man with a horrible curse. I’m sentenced to search for my lost items for life. Is this the right attitude?
“because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” (James 1:3-6, NIV)
James is telling us that these trials are for a purpose. It’s not simply bad luck, or misfortune. God has brought these trials so that we may be more mature and complete. I make the mistake of not attempting to defeat the trial. I ignore the trial altogether and consider myself a victim of the consequences. I’m simply someone who has to suffer.
God’s trials are meant to be defeated. William Barclay wrote:
“When Israel came into the Promised Land, God did not remove the people who were already there. He left them so that Israel might be tested in the struggle against them (Judges 2:22; 3:1, 4). The experiences in Israel were tests which went to the making of the people of Israel (Deuteronomy 4:34; 7:19).”
The trials that God gives us are not meant for us to be defeated. They are meant for us to soar and becomes stronger. Like the athlete who lifts weights to become stronger, we lift the weights of our trials to become stronger. As we become stronger, the small trials are more easily defeated and we become more mature.
Christianity,Monday, January 09, 2006
“Book of Daniel” aired Friday night. At first I found the synopsys of this show offensive.
Here’s a little intro from the American Family Association (AFA).
NBC is promoting “The Book of Daniel” as a serious drama about Christian people and the Christian faith. The main character is Daniel Webster, a drug-addicted Episcopal priest whose wife depends heavily on her mid-day martinis.
Webster regularly sees and talks with a very unconventional white-robed, bearded Jesus. The Webster family is rounded out by a 23-year-old homosexual Republican son, a 16-year-old daughter who is a drug dealer, and a 16-year-old adopted son who is having sex with the bishop’s daughter. At the office, his lesbian secretary is sleeping with his sister-in-law.
NBC and the mainstream media call it “edgy,” “challenging” and “courageous.” The series is written by Jack Kenny, a practicing homosexual who describes himself as being “in Catholic recovery,” and is interested in Buddhist teachings about reincarnation and isn’t sure exactly how he defines God and/or Jesus. “I don’t necessarily know that all the myth surrounding him (Jesus) is true,” he said.
NBC considers The Book of Daniel a positive portrayal of Christ and Christians.
Jenn and I tried to watch this show. But let’s put the offensive parts aside. This show is just horrible by any standard. The characters were just a mess and unlike the show “Married with Children” it wasn’t even funny. At least sitcoms have the formula of creating disfunctional characters that make you laugh. This show has plenty of disfunction, but it’s just a pain to watch. We couldn’t survive 45 minutes of the 2 hour premiere.
The reviews around the country are coming in. Try doing a google search on “Book of Daniel Review”. You’ll see a lot of criticism of this show. It’s just a bad show altogether. I don’t think Christians have anything to worry about. I don’t see how anyone can love this show. It’s a big waste of time. If there are people watching show, I think they must be a glutten for punishment. This show is nothing but punishment to it’s viewers.
