So spricht der HERR

A small clay jar cannot sustain a life

2010-07-23T10:04:00.005-05:00

The self-righteous are like children with small clay jars, looking all across the land to get their jars filled to the top with water. While those who find their righteousness in God are like men with an endless sea of water always before them. They may take a drink whenever they please and it is always provided for them because its fountain is a fountain of living waters.

At the end of the day the self-righteous man’s water will be all used up. Indeed, his life is an endless searching of this water. His small jar is not enough to fill the insatiable desire he has for his own glory and honor and, in the end, his small jar (for its little worth) will break.

He will eventually break down and choke on the dry, sandy air of his own misery. All the while, yards from a vast sea of living water.

Have you not read?

2010-04-30T09:17:00.010-05:00

Many times throughout the Gospels Jesus will ask the Pharisees, "Have you not read the Scriptures?" and He will often follow by interpreting the Scriptures for them. Many times pastors will point out that Jesus is showing the importance of diligent Bible study. There is no doubt in my mind that we are to diligently study the Scriptures, but I don't think that the context of these interactions between Jesus and the Pharisees are emphasizing that wonderful instruction. No, the Pharisees were diligent in their study of the Scriptures. That wasn't the problem. Many had memorized the Torah and the entire Tanakh! That was never the problem; what they lacked was understanding. What they lacked was love. What they lacked was humility.

When Jesus asked the Pharisees, “Have you not read the Scriptures?” He was not making a statement about the importance of studying the Scriptures. He was mocking the Pharisees' pride. In light of the large amounts of Scripture they did know, the dearth of love and practice that should flow from that knowledge was inexcusable and showed a lack of understanding the spirit of the letter; like the man in the king’s palace admiring the soaps in his bathroom, while criticizing the servants who are busying themselves, getting ready for the master to return.

And mind you, Jesus never criticized the Pharisees because they were too liberal or for not taking the Scriptures literally enough... in fact, he condemned them for the opposite.

One of many examples:

Jn 2.18-20
The Jews then said to Him, "What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things ?" Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." The Jews then said, "It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days ?"

So Spricht Der HERR
(Thus says the Lord)

If any of you lacks wisdom...

2010-04-29T09:15:00.008-05:00

From James:

"And let endurance have its complete effect,
in order that you might be complete and whole,
lacking in nothing.

Now, if any of you lacks wisdom,
you should ask from God who gives to all
without hesitation or mocking
and it will be given to you."

Peter Davids writes:

"...perfection is not just a maturing of character, but a rounding out as more and more 'parts' of the righteous character are added."

And, we must not forget:

"Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow."

Amen!!!! Praise be to God! All glory to Him!

ἡ δὲ ὑπομονὴ ἔργον τέλειον ἐχέτω,
ἵνα ἦτε τέλειοι καὶ ὁλόκληροι
ἐν μηδενὶ λειπόμενοι.

Εἰ δέ τις ὑμῶν λείπεται σοφίας,
αἰτείτω παρὰ τοῦ διδόντος θεοῦ πᾶσιν
ἁπλῶς καὶ μὴ ὀνειδίζοντος
καὶ δοθήσεται αὐτῷ.

- - -

Piper...Warren...and Trevin Wax

2010-04-28T12:27:00.004-05:00

This was posted a while back in the context of the Warren/Piper controversy (I feel stupid just using the phrase)... It's applicable to the N.T. Wright stuff and all the other blah blah...

These are sobering words... and may I add:

Sometimes, I think we take ourselves way too seriously. If I could sum up this blog post in two words, they would be: Calm Down.

Trevin Wax says:

Here are a few of my thoughts regarding this controversy:

1. Willingness to learn from people you disagree with is not a sign that you’re waffling on your firm convictions. It’s a sign that you’re steadfast.

Piper knows what he believes. That’s why he can share the stage with someone he respectfully disagrees with. Piper extended this invitation, not because he is waffling on his theological positions, but because he knows right where he stands.

Insularity is often bred by insecurity. When I was in high school, I constantly questioned my teachers about certain affirmations that didn’t add up. I was puzzled as to why certain books were off limits, or why the preaching of many evangelical leaders was forbidden. The more I sought to understand the rationale behind the interdictions, the more I came to understand that it was an insecurity masked by dogmatism that kept us in our cul-de-sac.

It’s ironic, but true: The more you forbid people to read or hear from those outside your circle, the more you communicate the insecurity of your own position. Your followers will eventually entertain this notion: If they think I could so easily adopt another point of view on this matter, maybe their position isn’t as rock-solid and self-evident as they make it out to be.

2. You can disagree with Piper’s choice and yet still love Piper.

3. When you use the word “heretic” to refer to anyone who disagrees with you, you don’t have a good word to use to refer to someone who actually fits the bill.

Can we be slow to label people as heretics? The term “heresy” is generally reserved for cultists and those who deny the Trinity. Jerry Falwell once said that “limited atonement” was a heresy. He was criticized for using the “h-” word so recklessly. Ironically, many of the Calvinists who hammered Falwell shoot he “h-” word at Warren, Falwell, and just about anyone else who isn’t as Reformed as they are.

Rick Warren is not a heretic. You might disagree with his emphasis, the way he does church, or his method of biblical interpretation. But he is a brother. Save the “h-” word for people on their way to hell because of their rejection of clear Christian teaching.

4. Trajectories go both ways.

Some worry about a liberal trajectory in evangelicalism. Rejecting the authority of Scripture is indeed a perpetual danger. We should avoid compromising our convictions about the inspiration of the Bible. We should beware of theologies that would take our focus off Christ crucified and raised for our salvation.

But there can be a fundamentalist separatist trajectory as well. That trajectory, while rooted in a desire for gospel-centeredness, eventually leads to a legalistic separation from brothers and sisters who disagree with us on other issues. The fundamentalist survival mechanism kicks in, and we begin to find our identity in finding additional things to protest.

Once we’re on the separatist trajectory, we exaggerate differences and distinctions in order to provide justification for our group’s existence. We also tend to see “holiness” and “rightness” in terms of the doctrines that set us apart from other Christians, rather than the beliefs we hold in common with other Christians that set us apart from the world.

Piper’s choice of Warren indicates that he is aware of the separatist trajectory and hopes the Reformed movement will not go that direction.

5. Renewal of evangelicalism will not take place without bridge-building.

Evangelicalism is a bigger movement than the Reformed Resurgence. While the YRR movement may signify the beginning of a renewal of evangelicalism, such a renewal will not take place without significant bridge-building.

The evangelical movement has been compared to a village green. If the Reformed simply stand off to the side and castigate those who don’t interpret Scripture the same way, then they will move into increasing irrelevance. Instead, the Reformed need to be part of the conversation – a broader conversation, where “Together for the Gospel” means more than “Together for Calvinism.”

Piper is right to build bridges to the wider world of evangelicalism. Renewal will not take place in a corner, but in all of evangelicalism’s neighborhoods, as gospel-centrality and brotherly love spread through the streets.

6. No matter what we think of Piper’s choice, we could all use a good dose of humility.

There are many who have labeled Piper’s critics were as “out-of-line”, “legalistic”, “angry”, “close-minded”, etc. Perhaps those labels are accurate in some cases.

But let’s not be Pharisaical in the way we call out Pharisees. It’s way too easy for us to be reactionary towards those we see as reactionary. Those of us who support Piper’s decision can be just as self-righteous as those who condemned his choice. We can begin to think, Thank God I’m not like those grumpy legalists!

Not only is there plenty of self-righteousness out there, and I confess that when I look into my heart, I find plenty of self-righteousness in here. We all need the humility that comes from the gospel."

The Light of Dawn

2010-04-20T20:41:00.005-05:00

.

Hear, O sons, the instruction of a father,
And give attention that you may gain understanding,
For I give you sound teaching ;
Do not abandon my instruction.

When I was a son to my father,
Tender and the only son in the sight of my mother,
Then he taught me and said to me,

"Let your heart hold fast my words ;
Keep my commandments and live ;
Acquire wisdom ! Acquire understanding !
Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.

"Do not forsake her, and she will guard you;
Love her, and she will watch over you.

"The beginning of wisdom is:
Acquire wisdom ;
And with all your acquiring, get understanding.
"Prize her, and she will exalt you;
She will honor you if you embrace her.

"She will place on your head a garland of grace ;
She will present you with a crown of beauty."

Hear, my son, and accept my sayings
And the years of your life will be many.
I have directed you in the way of wisdom ;
I have led you in upright paths.
When you walk, your steps will not be impeded ;
And if you run, you will not stumble.
Take hold of instruction ;
do not let go.
Guard her, for she is your life.

Do not enter the path of the wicked
And do not proceed in the way of evil men.
Avoid it, do not pass by it;
Turn away from it and pass on.
For they cannot sleep unless they do evil ;
And they are robbed of sleep unless they make someone stumble.
For they eat the bread of wickedness
And drink the wine of violence.

But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,
That shines brighter and brighter until the full day.
The way of the wicked is like darkness ;
They do not know over what they stumble.

My son, give attention to my words ;
Incline your ear to my sayings.
Do not let them depart from your sight ;
Keep them in the midst of your heart.
For they are life to those who find them
And health to all their body.
Watch over your heart with all diligence,
For from it flow the springs of life.
Put away from you a deceitful mouth
And put devious speech far from you.
Let your eyes look directly ahead
And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you.
Watch the path of your feet
And all your ways will be established.

Do not turn to the right nor to the left ;
Turn your foot from evil.

MEMORIZE THIS OR ANY OTHER PASSAGE HERE

.

Andrew Peterson, "High Noon"

2010-04-15T09:05:00.002-05:00

Here's my plug for Andrew Peterson.

One of my many favorite songs by him...

"High Noon"

High noon in the valley of the shadow
When the deep of the valley was bright
When the mouth of the tomb shouted,
"Glory, the groom is alive"
So long, you wages of sin go on,
Don't you come back again
I've been raised and redeemed;
You've lost all your sting
To the victor of the battle at
High noon in the valley
In the valley of the shadow

And the demons, they danced in the darkness
When that last ragged breath left his lungs
And they reveled and howled
At the war that they thought they had won

But then, in the dark of the grave
The stone rolled away
In the still of the dawn on the greatest of days

High noon in the valley of the shadow
When the shadows were shot through with light
When Jesus took in that breath
And shattered all death with his life
Be gone, you wages of sin
Go on, don't you come back again
I've been raised and redeemed
You've lost all your sting
To the victor of the battle
High noon in the valley of the shadow

Let the people rejoice
Let the heavens resound
Let the name of Jesus, who sought us
And freed us forever ring out

All praise to the fighter of the night
Who rides on the light
Whose gun is the grace of the God of the sky

High noon in the valley of the shadow
When the shadows were shot through with light
When the mouth of the tomb
Shouted, "Glory, the Groom is alive"
Be gone, you wages of sin
Go on, don't you come back again
I've been raised and redeemed
All praise to the king
The victor of the battle
High noon in the valley
In the valley of the shadow

Our God is good

2010-04-14T17:06:00.006-05:00

Reflecting on Psalm 23 I wrote this. There is no rhyme or rhythm for now, just my own little prayer to God:

My God walks with me,
I have all I need
Time with Him is soft green grass on a cool summer day
Time with Him is away from the hustle and bustle, in the park
by still, cool waters

He restores to me lost strength
He cares for my ways
My joy is glory to Him
And though sin tempts me
and its traps are all 'round me
I have no fear
for my God walks with me

And the pain of sin
is ever eclipsed by the life in His touch
I talk with my God
and He loves me and calls me His son
and I will dwell with Him
as one of the family
in His great house
forever

Praise God! Hallelujah! Amen!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

How have you experienced God, lately?

(psst, if that question made you feel uncomfortable, I'd like to know why...)

:-)

A Confession and (hopefully) an Encouragement

2010-04-09T12:36:00.022-05:00

I have had to repent of some things in the last week. Here is my confession and a small bird's eye view of what led up to it. I hope you find this encouraging... and, if nothing else, scroll to the bottom and read some very encouraging advice that I've gotten in regards to this issue...

How do I shatter my pride, fear, and laziness?

More specifically, how can I walk that thin line between becoming a cold and empty dogmatist and an unthoughtful watered-down-gospel preacher that says, 'I don't need your theology, just give me Jesus'? Both, clearly, are not what God has in mind for the servants of His church.

And I have not been doing the best walking that thin line.

Well, this question has been burning in my mind for the past two years and this week I am so excited because the burden is being lifted and the scales are finally falling from my eyes. Hallelujah!

And what burden is this? (a little background)

The burden of being in a constant flux, torn between two convictions that I had always had as a believer but had always learned (mostly implicitly) that one was conservative (thus, right) and the other liberal (thus, wrong).

Well, more accurately, I learned a long time ago that these two were not opposed. What I really have struggled with though is walking between these two camps and trying to get both sides to see not only the good about the other, but also the dangers of both if practiced without the other. So, I was determined to do so by fighting and mocking anyone who disagreed with me...

Let me explain...

On the one hand, I love theology and I believe it is vitally important (essential) that the church hold fast to sound doctrine (2 Tim 4, etc) if the church wishes to be faithful to God and remain strong in this crooked and perverse world.

However, I've been extremely distraught and discouraged with my fellow conservative evangelical brothers and how we treat those whom we disagree with (which I was a part of for so long). I saw so much focus being taken off the gospel because everything became of gospel importance; Calvinism, six-day creation, dispensationalism, cessationism, etc.

All very important topics of discussion, none of which affect one's salvation.

I saw my "camp" becoming very cold, rigid, and arrogant, as if we could say, "We have a monopoly on the Gospel. It is ours and anyone who dares bear the name of Christ must play by our rules or prepare for ridicule." And this is the principle I lived by. If I spoke the truth I could do so whatever way I chose, because, keep in mind, I believed that I had that right... somehow, Scripture was on my side as long as I played within the general consensus of my "camp". And I never questioned that we were "right".

However, to make a long story short, after seeing the deception I had fallen into (as confident young men are so apt to do), I began pointing my arsenal in the other direction. I began calling my "camp", my "people" back to the truth, but not in the kindest of ways. I did this by mocking their arrogance with an arrogance of my own. Like I had done before, I took God's work and made it my own, shaping it and molding it as I saw fit.

Well, then, a few weeks ago, while a lot of other things led up to this, God's Word tore through my arrogant pride:

The Lord's bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will. 2 Timothy 2.24-26

It hit me. I had to ask myself, "Am I being the faithful servant of this passage?" The answer was a resounding 'No!'

I have been in a tug-of-war for the last two years over the importance of having strong theology and at the same time a strong "practice". To start, I reacted against non-conservatives because they were the supposed "enemies" of the gospel. Then, I turned and attacked what I once was, or rather, my "camp".

But it took God's gracious Spirit, through His Word, to break me and make me realize that I was the problem all along. Not the "hard-liner conservatives", not the "liberals", but me. He whispered, "Greg, that's not the point. Go! Love my Word! Live it! Preach it! and enjoy the life I gave you... Always be on the alert and remember your identity in Christ. Be who I created you to be and let me seek justice and avenge where I see fit (Romans 12)."

This has all climaxed within the last week and when I talked with Dr. McDuffee in his office today, that was the straw that broke the camel's back. All glory to God! If you've known me on a personal level I can only presume that you know what I'm talking about with all this stuff... if not...we'll... hmmmm... Were you blind and/or deaf? ;-)

Ok... the principles learned...

Here was his advice to me, more or less:

You want God to show you what is truly important? What the Gospel is really all about?

1. Go to the marginalized, the sick and dying. Reach out to the people that you don't normally get along with. See humanity for what it really is. See the destructiveness of sin. Pray over these things, read the word, practice and repeat and you'll grow in your understanding of how God's servant is to live.

2. When you come into contact with a person you don't like or you disagree with or just makes you uncomfortable: Ask, "What is God doing in this person's life AND how can I be used as a tool of encouragement for the furtherance of that?"

3. There are two kinds of people: Camp-dwellers and edge-walkers. You are mostly one or the other. Most people are camp-dwellers. These people like it where it is comfortable. They like being around people that agree with them and often they enjoy criticizing the camps around them. Then, there are edge walkers. Edge walkers walk through the camps, learning what they can, seeing the pros and cons from various perspectives. They irritate some people in the camps, BUT, many follow these edge walkers and they see the beauty of God in different ways.

4. God will prepare me for His purposes, whatever they are specifically. I shouldn't try and write my own history.

5. Greg, enjoy your beer when you graduate (ok... he didn't say this, but he would've if he could... Wer wollt Selterswasser nur zu trinken wenn in Deutschland? Niemand...aber Moody profs mussen)

I hope that this post has been an encouragement to someone as this has been a tremendous struggle for me.

"Abba, Father"... Ro 8.15

In Your Service for the Gospel,

Greg

The Value of Church History

2010-04-06T10:20:00.002-05:00

These are some great quotes I found on "theosource"

ENJOY!

John Newton (1725-1807)
"I know no author who is worthy the honour of being followed absolutely and without reserve."

Samuel Davies (1723-1761)
"The venerable dead are waiting in my library to entertain me and relieve me from the nonsense of surviving mortals."

Erasmus (c1466-1536)
"When I get a little money I buy books: and if any is left I buy food and clothes."

Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
"Any man who reads too much and uses his own brain too little falls into lazy habits of thinking."

R. Kent Hughes (Disciplines of a Godly Man, p. 78)
"Men, to deny ourselves the wealth of the accumulated saints of the centuries is to consciously embrace spiritual anorexia."

C. H. Spurgeon (1834-1892)
"He who will not use the thoughts of other men's brains proves he has no brains of his own."

J. C. Ryle (1816-1900)
"[T]here can be no really powerful preaching without deep thinking, and little deep thinking without hard reading."

We've seen this all before (DELETED)

2010-04-06T07:48:00.015-05:00

This post has been deleted... see my post below:

http://sospricht.blogspot.com/2010/04/weary-of-piperwarren-controversy.html

Weary of the Piper/Warren Controversy...UPDATED

2010-04-05T09:39:00.009-05:00

I've deleted the original post that was here.

Every constructive thing you need to know about this controversy can be found here:

Trevin Wax. Kingdom People

Tim Challies

Phil Johnson.TeamPyro

I agree with a lot of what is said in these posts, though not all. My desire for the body is that we handle this situation, and all such situations, first confessionally and creatively before we then jump to criticism.

Blessings,

Greg

Hamann on the humility of Inspiration

2010-03-17T08:41:00.003-05:00

It is part of the unity of the divine revelation that the Spirit of God, through the man's pen belonging to the holy men whom it has led, humbled itself and made itself of no majesty, just as the Son of God did through the form a of a servant, and as the whole creation is a work of the highest humility. Simply to admire in nature God only wise is an offense similar to the affront which is shown to a decent, reasonable man whose worth the crowd estimates according to his cloak.

Johann Georg Hamann (1730-1788)

Biblical Language sites (text and audio)

2010-02-25T17:01:00.009-06:00

Here are just a few websites that I have found helpful for study and I thought I'd compile them here for myself and for anyone interested. Pass it along and please let me know if you know of any others!!!

Click on the underlined descriptions below:

bibelwissenschaft.de--
Septuagint, Biblia Hebraica, Latin Vulgate, NA27, what more do you want?

bible.johndyer.name--
Complete Greek with parsing and Hebrew Bible

greekbible.com--
Greek New Testament with parsing and other helps

bible.logos.com--
Logos Online Bible: English, Greek, Arabic, Spanish, etc.

biblestudytools.com--
Bible Study Tools: A lot of different translations including English, German, French, Dutch, etc.

Greek and Hebrew AUDIO:

(Hebrew Bible: Complete) This is an excellent recording! Highly recommended!

(Greek stuff) This is a great resource. This link will take you to all the information you could ever want on Greek audio recordings. Also on the website are songs in Greek!

(Greek) Randal Buth site

(Greek, Latin, Hebrew) Not the most enjoyable to listen to but it's all there.

Εὐλογητὸς ὁ θεὸς καὶ πατὴρ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ !!!

2010-02-11T08:30:00.004-06:00

Εὐλογητὸς ὁ θεὸς καὶ πατὴρ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὁ εὐλογήσας ἡμᾶς ἐν πάσῃ εὐλογίᾳ πνευματικῇ ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις ἐν Χριστῷ, καθὼς ἐξελέξατο ἡμᾶς ἐν αὐτῷ πρὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου, εἶναι ἡμᾶς ἁγίους καὶ ἀμώμους κατενώπιον αὐτοῦ ἐν ἀγάπῃ,

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless before Him in love,

Ephesians 1:3-4

Christianity and Postmodernism

2009-12-17T09:32:00.010-06:00

Has the emerging church gone too far? YES.

Have conservative evangelicals misrepresented postmodernism? ABSOLUTELY.

Is there more to this discussion (Christianity in a postmodern world) than pejorative comments and simplistic catch phrases let on? YES.

Then what?

1. Recant belief in the inerrancy of preachers and theologians, 2. pick up your Bible, 3. read it, 4. pick up books written from different perspectives than your own, 5. read them, 6. enjoy the clear conscience that comes from speaking from a genuinely informed opinion.

just an interesting Hamann quote...

"Words, like numbers, receive their value from the positions in which they stand, and, like money, the determinations and relations of their meanings change according to place and time."

- Johann Georg Hamann from Sämtliche Werke, vol. II p. 71

**This post was edited on March 16, 2010

Deconstructing modernism, post-modernism and supplanting them with God's revealed truth...

2009-11-09T18:17:00.005-06:00

...as the only certain epistemology, secured by His Son who humbled Himself as a man and brought us, His elect, hope through a relationship with Him.

Johann Georg Hamann... haven't heard of him?

His writings from over 200 years ago are more relevant today than ever... Here's some info on him:

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/hamann/

http://mcduffee.wordpress.com/category/hamann/

God Bless you and keep you...

Bad Advice for Arminians

2009-01-06T16:21:00.004-06:00

Bad Advice for Arminians

1. Reference verses supporting your position but then refuse to let the surrounding context determine it’s meaning all under the umbrella of "It's the plain reading of the text. What else could it mean?"

2. Accuse your opponent of isolating passages that support his position and then go far outside of the passage being dealt with to passages having nothing to do with salvation and then make the claim that you’re looking at the Bible as a whole.

3. Repeat the inconsistencies of 1 and 2, using #1 when dealing with passages that you feel support your position and utilizing #2 when you can’t deal with the passages supporting your opponents position.

4. Let your philosophy dictate your theology, not the other way around.

5. When your opponent wants to look at what the original author meant by what he said in the language he wrote it in, avoid dealing with the passage by mocking him, calling him arrogant and an elitist and then falsely accuse him of trying to find a hidden meaning in the Greek.

6. Use Greek when you feel you can twist it to your liking but by all means fall back on #5 if you encounter someone who actually knows Greek.

7. Constantly dodge questions by jumping to other passages and then when your opponent asks if you can stay on one passage accuse him of not letting the Bible speak as a whole.

8. Say, “I don’t think a loving God would ever…” without demonstrating so with Scriptural support.

9. Humbly ignore everything your opponent says with responses like, “I don’t follow a man. I follow Christ.” As you quote 1 Cor 3:4 outside of its context.

10. Continue to misrepresent Calvinism.

11. Instead of saying Arminian, say Armenian, and spell Calvinist, Calvanist, in an attempt to display your vast array of familiarity with the subject.

12. Quote Jn 3:16 constantly and stress whosoever as meaning “anyone who wants to believe” without knowing what whosoever was translated from (pas ho [pisteuon]).

13. Avoid talking about the immediate context of any of these passages.

14. Offer the reason that there is no incentive to evangelize for the Calvinist because a love for following God's command to evangelize is simply not enough.

15. Refer to any 5-point Calvinist as a Hyper-Calvinist rather than what they are, which is a... well... regular...Calvinist...*ahem*