The Love Dare

I am contemplating trying out The Love Dare.

My boyfriend, Matt, has been in Mexico since the 1st and will be returning at the end of the month.  Being apart for a month is - well, interesting.  I am not sure how to describe it.  We hit a really rough spot right before he left and not being able to communicate has been challenging.

But it has also been good.  I've had time to reflect on myself and our relationship and I'm realizing that I'm not a very good friend.  Being a good girlfriend can be far too convoluted, so I try not to make any evaluations on that level.  Expectations vary far too much.

But after reading this blog I realized that if I want to move towards marriage in this relationship (and I do), I need to be a better friend.  And Hyatt's advertisement for a best friend brings out several of my shortcomings as a potential mate.

Enter The Love Dare.

I had already been thinking about this book for a few weeks and in reading Hyatt's article I realized that I need some assistance in becoming a better friend.  While The Love Dare is focused on helping marriages improve, many of the Biblical concepts presented can apply to all sorts of relationships.

But I still worry.  When it says "Love is patient" I find I have a small doubt which asks but how long will I have to wait?  There is a delicate balance between taking the risk in a relationship which allows the opportunity for love to grow and protecting myself by evaluating if this relationship is worth the risk.  I don't want to put my whole heart into a relationship with someone who doesn't reciprocate.

Am I selfish?  Where is the Biblical response to this?  As far as I know, there isn't a clear response because ancient methods of courtship were designed to handle this balance for us.  But in today's society, how do we strike the balance... and is there a Biblical response?

I suppose I should wrestle with this a little more before I decide whether or not to give The Love Dare a try.

(Also, as a disclaimer, in glancing through the different "dares" throughout The Love Dare I realize that there are some dares, such as initiating sex with your spouse, which I would not do.  The Biblical principles involved with those dares are clearly designated for marriage relationships only.)

Day 1 in Acts

I've always heard Acts described as being the story of the early church.  While it describes events relating to the early church, it is hardly a story about the early church.  What I mean is, the early church is not the main character of Acts.

So, who is the main character?  Well, let's think through an outline of Acts...

We begin with Jesus, post-resurrection, pre-ascension.  He talks with the Twelve, reminding them of the things He had told them before.  He reminds them of the "Great Commission" and then He ascends. 

(On a side note, when Jesus ascends, the disciples - and others - stand googlie-eyed, staring at the sky and a couple of angels - uh, men in white robes - come and say, "hey guys, what's up?"  And they say "Uhh... Jesus? (this is said in a perplexed tone filled with bewilderment) He just ascended into the clouds..." (of course they do this without taking their eyes off the sky) and the angels say "in the same way He left, He'll come back."  Most sermons will teach us that Jesus will descend from the clouds.  Could be.  But its more fully supported to argue that "in just the same way" means that He will come unexpectedly, just as He left unexpectedly...  Food for thought.)

So Jesus is gone, and who takes the main spot next?  The Twelve, with Peter at the forefront.  Pentecost happens and Peter and the Twelve preach and many are saved.  Peter remains in the spotlight for a while, but before you start to think Peter is the main character he more or less leaves the story.  In chapter 6 the Twelve select the Seven, two of which are Stephen and Phillip and we find Stephen taking the spotlight and by chapter 7, he is preaching (a very eloquent speech if you ask me!) and becomes the first martyr.  So, Peter is out and Stephen is out.

The story doesn't turn back to Peter, but instead briefly introduces Saul and then we find Phillip preaching.  The narrative then returns to Paul and, with few - if any worth noting - exceptions, follows Paul from then on.

So some argue that Acts is about Paul - his conversion and his ministry.  But that doesn't jive.  He isn't even present, except for a brief mention of his presence in chapters 7-8, during the first 1/3 of the book.  Hard to believe he is the main character.

So who is present throughout?

The Message.  The Message which Jesus reminds the Twelve (which is actually down to Eleven at this point) of before His ascension.  The Message which Peter preaches.  The Message which the Twelve - err, Eleven - preach.  The Message which Stephen and Phillip preach.  The Message which Saul receives and Paul preaches.

So, what is the book of Acts about?  The Message and its spread throughout Jerusalem, Samaria and the uttermost parts of the earth.

Friends, Rejoicing, and Babies

After a great time with one of my best friends the other night, I drove us back to my house where she had left her car.  As we said goodbye, she thanked me for being excited about her pregnancy and the upcoming birth of her first child...

How could I be anything but excited? 

She recognizes that I am older than her... and it should be my turn first (or something like that).  I will admit - it would be easy to think this way.  I should have been married first; I should be the one preparing a baby room.  But I'm not and she is.  She is expecting a baby while my left hand remains naked.  She's right.  It would be easy to be upset, disappointed, and hurt.  It would be easy to feel left out.

But, again I ask... How could I be anything but excited?

Would it be fair of me to try and take her joy away from her simply because I do not have a joy of my own?  Would it be right of me to try and make her feel guilty simply because she has something that I don't?  Instead, I think of the great advice from God on this subject...

Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Romans 12:15

This is the way our friendship works.  That night, she wept with me as I grieved over my singleness (and finding yet another guy who will not be "the one").  We wiped our tears and hugged.  She grieved with me and comforted me.  That night, I rejoiced with her as she placed my hand on her stomach to feel the baby kicking.  We laughed at her story of her trip up the elevator at work and how a co-worker noticed her entire stomach move with the kick of her baby inside.

I may not have a child inside my barren womb.  But I will have the joy of visiting her in the hospital in a few short months.  I will be able hold and cuddle with that bundle of joy.  I'll have the pleasure of visiting her at home and taking care of the little one while she takes a much needed nap or shower.  I'll even change diapers for her.

I am blessed beyond measure.  I may not have a ring on my finger and I may not have children of my own.  But I have two best friends - one who has already given me three little loves and another who will be giving me a bundle of joy in a few short months.  I am blessed because these wonderful friends love me enough to share their joy with me. 

Yes, I am blessed and I will rejoice with my friends as they rejoice.

God Knows

One day last year I spent a day fasting and praying about a situation I was facing.  I learned a lot during the 24-hours that I spent in prayer and fasting.  It was going to be a busy day for me, but I knew that I needed to stop and spend a day seeking the Lord so I spent the time I would have been eating and making my meals in the prayer chapel at my school, praying instead.   

I had already prayed about the situation, but what I hadn’t done was stop. Telling God about my problems is only one half of what should be a two-way conversation.  So, I spent that Wednesday listening.   

Skipping the time I normally spend making my breakfast, I drove to school early and went into the prayer chapel for a few minutes before heading to work.  I unloaded with the same prayers I had been praying.  I boldly pleading with the Lord, asking Him to provide the answer I wanted just like the crowds of people who came to Jesus and boldly asked for physical healing.

After work, I rushed to class like I do every Wednesday.  But instead of spending the following hour and a half hanging out with friends and enjoying lunch, I again headed to the prayer chapel. 

An hour or more of dedicated prayer time is always a great experience for me.  I am always reminded to let my words be few.  I can begin with a laundry list of things I want to tell the Lord about, but I quickly remember an important thing that is easily forgotten:  God already knows.  He already knows all of my inmost needs and desires.  When I spend a long time in prayer, I’m reminded of that. 

Soon, I shut up.  I remember what King Solomon said, “Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God.  God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few” (Ecclesiastes 5:2). 

God is in heaven and I am on earth.  This reminds me of the overwhelming truth that my view is limited, while God’s view is infinite.  He sees the storm while I see one drop of rain.  He is sovereign. 

Part of my time in prayer that day I opened up my Bible and was reminded of the gentile woman who came and asked Jesus for healing for her daughter.  Jesus' response seems cruel as He tells her “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel… It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs” (Matthew 15: 24, 26). 

Amazingly, this Canaanite woman understands what Jesus is saying and does not take offense at this statement (I think I would have!).  She responds by saying, “Yes, Lord; but even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their master’s table” (Matthew 15:27).  Even a crumb from the Lord is a treasured gift, great enough to heal this woman’s daughter. 

I was also reminded of other words Jesus spoke.  “What man is there among you, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he?  If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!” (Matthew 7:9-11)

God has only good gifts to give me when I ask Him.  But sometimes the things which I think are good are not really best for me.  As a good Father, He wants to only give me the best.  And in His sovereignty, He knows what is best for me – even when I think something else might be better.  I am reminded to ask – and sometimes to ask boldly.  But also to lay down my will, just like Christ in the garden before His betrayal.   

God knows what’s in my heart.  He also knows how best to satisfy those longings and desires.

I didn’t get any answers that day.  In a way, I’m still waiting for an answer.  But I gained so much peace from reminding myself that God is sovereign, that God knows, and that God knows what’s best for me.

A question to ponder...

I am currently reading Milton's Paradise Lost.  In Book 9, we receive the narration of the fall - the deception of Eve and Adam's decision to eat the forbidden fruit.  (I carefully craft that, for, according to Milton, Eve is deceived and Adam is not, but instead willingly chooses to partake of the fruit Eve offers).

It opens to me a pivotal question.  See, Adam was created by God from the dust of the ground and thereafter Adam sees God face to face and joins in dialogue with God (We are not informed of the frequency of this conversation, either in the Genesis narrative nor in Milton's depiction, at least not from the parts I have read for class.  Yet, we are informed that Adam had dialogue with God at least once in the naming of the animals). 

Yet, when he discovers that Eve has eaten of the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he chooses Eve over God.  He chooses "death" (whatever that is, I'm not sure that either Adam or Eve would have been able to understand what death was at this point) with Eve over continuing in Eden with God.  How could he do this?

I think the answer lies in the type of relationship which Adam had with God.  I think the answer is quite simply that we have created a heaven out of Eden, painting a picture of Adam having complete and unhindered access to God.  Yet God is not present when the serpent comes to deceive Eve, nor when Adam discovers Eve's offense.  I think this requires us to re-imagine what Eden was like so that we can better understand why Adam chose Eve over God.

The Jacob Epiphany

I am often amazed at the epiphanies which occur at Bible college.  I shouldn't be.  In my heart, I know that I do not really know my Bible and that there is so much more to discover. Yet, in my head I think that I do know enough of the basics so that my paradigm will remain un-shifted.

Today*, my paradigm was not only shifted, it was thrown out the window of a speeding train.

Jacob.  We all know the story.  Abraham and Sarah had a miracle-son named Isaac; Isaac married Rebekah; Rebekah conceived after Isaac prayed for her.  She soon discovered (through a revelation from the Lord) that she was pregnant with twins.  When the time came, out came Esau with Jacob clutching onto his heel.

The boys grow up.  Esau comes home one day and is starving, so he asks Jacob for some stew.  Jacob offers to give him some stew if Esau will sell him his birthright.  Esau agrees.  Time passes, we don't know how much time, and the time comes for Isaac to bestow the blessings before he passes.  Rebekah talks Jacob into pretending he is his brother Esau; Jacob goes in wearing goat hair and receives the blessing from his father.

And he receives the reputation of being a deceiver.  After all, did he not deceive his father into thinking he was Esau?  And he receives the reputation of being a stealer.  After all, did he not steal the birthright from his brother?

Hold up.  Did he steal the birthright from his brother?  Because when you read Genesis 25, it seems pretty clear that Esau sold Jacob his birthright.  There is no stealing involved.  And before you start to defend Esau, notice what the author says about the exchange:

so he [Esau] swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob.  Then Jacob gave Esau the lentil stew; and he ate and drank, and rose and went on his way.  Thus Esau despised his birthright.

Hmm...

As for the deceit, who's idea was it that Jacob go into his father wearing goats hair?

Rebekah said to her son Jacob, "Behold, I heard your father speaking to your brother Esau... Now therefore, my son, listen to me as I command you... so that he may bless you before his death."

So Rebekah tells Jacob what to do and Jacob quite simply obeys.  Yet, can we actually say that the idea was Rebekah's?   

...the children struggled together within her; and she said, "If it is so, why then am I this way?"  So she went to inquire of the Lord.  
The Lord said to her,
    "Two nations are in your womb;
    And two peoples will be separated from your body; 
    And one people shall be stronger than the other;
    And the older shall serve the younger."

So it seems that Rebekah gets her idea from God.  Now, this does not excuse what was done either by her or by Jacob, but it does give some perspective.  It seems to be an honest attempt on Rebekah's part to seek after God and His will.  Not that her method was correct, but we should at least consider that perhaps her heart was.

Also, if Jacob owned the birthright, then who does the blessing belong to?  Jacob.  So he is being obedient to his mother, and is trying to get what legitimately belongs to him to begin with.

One final thought... Jacob was not only a willing participant in obeying his mothers' advice; he seems to have wanted both the birthright and the blessing.  Esau, on the other hand, despised these things.  Why did Jacob value the birthright and blessing so highly?  Genesis 25:27 tells us that Esau was a man of the fields and a skillful hunter.  Jacob, in contrast, was a peaceful man, "living in tents."

Esau spent his time in the fields.  Jacob spent his time in the tents... If Jacob was in the tents, who would have been in the tents with him?  His mom... and his family.  Remember, this is not American culture!  Families stayed together - extended families lived together.

So who would have been hanging out in the tents with Jacob?  Very likely his grandfather... Abraham.  It is very likely he would have grown up hearing Abraham's stories of God... and he would have heard of the promises given to Abraham, passed down to Isaac.  And he would have understood that these promises would belong to the child with the birthright.  And Jacob wanted the birthright.

Jacob wanted the promises of God.  Esau despised them.

* This post was over a month in the making - so "today" does not refer to the day that this was posted, but instead to the day that the writing of this post began.
** Much credit is due to Ms. Domani Pothen, who provided these insights during a British Literature class... although I could not tell you how this tied to any of our readings in British Lit, the insight was still greatly relevant to us all. 

Ephesians

This term I am studying Ephesians for Advanced Bible Study Methods.  I'm working on my 15th assignment this term and I just realized that, although God has been showing me a lot, I haven't shared any of it!  So here's just a little glimpse...

"And masters, do the same things to them..." (Ephesians 6:9)

Paul begins to address how being a child of God should look in our outward relationships half way through chapter 5.  Ephesians 5:21 says, "and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ." 

He then demonstrates what this looks like in the marital relationship between husband and wife, then in the familial relationship of parents and children.  He also demonstrates this in the relationship between slaves and masters.

Being subject to one another when you're speaking to slaves makes sense.  Telling them that this means being obedient - that's just logical.  But then Paul tells the masters to "do the same things to them."  Who is "them?"  Their slaves.  What are "the same things?"  Being obedient and being subject.

Hold up!  Masters are supposed to be obedient and subject to their slaves?  Well, that appears to be what Paul is saying! 

Have you ever wondered why God doesn't condemn slavery in the Bible?  Maybe this is why... Because slavery, done God's way, is a beautiful image of our relationship with Him (after all, doesn't Paul choose to be a bond-servant of Christ?).  Slavery the way we understand it today flies in the face of the picture Paul is painting.  But slavery, done God's way, can be beautiful. 

A good purpose

It can be tempting to think that there's an area of my life where things are lacking.  And as I began to pour my heart out to the Lord this morning, I reminded myself that the Lord knows the things I need.  And then I began to ask "if You know what I need, why haven't you given this to me?"

We can do this with so many different areas of our lives.  My car breaks down and I find myself wondering "why haven't You provided the money for the repairs?"  A friend struggles with constant migraines and we wonder "why haven't You provided healing?"  A missionary's husband dies of malaria and I wonder "why didn't You provide the medicine he needed in time?"  The years tick by and singleness continues and I wonder "why haven't You provided a husband?"  A friend's daughter dies of cancer and we wonder "why didn't You provide more time with her?"

And as I pour myself out to the Lord this morning, I hear the Spirit speaking Truth to me:
    The Lord gives grace and glory;
    No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.
    O Lord of hosts, 
    How blessed is the man who trusts in You (Psalm 84:11-12)


God does not withhold any good thing from me.  So is fixing my car not a good thing?  Is healing from the migraines not a good thing for my friend?  Is a husband not a good thing?  Is the death of the missionary or the daughter a good thing?

And I realize that this line of thinking is not right.  It makes God the suspect; the fiend instead of the friend. 

If "no good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly," then there are two answers to be seen.  Either I am not walking uprightly or God has a good purpose in each of the situations we may ask about.

The idea I see in "those who walk uprightly" is that if the situations or circumstances are directly linked to a sin, then God may withhold a good thing.  Throughout Scripture we find support which basically boils down to this: We have to live with the consequences of our decisions, good or bad.  (This idea is best illustrated in Galatians 6:7-8).  But of the situations I listed, there was no sin which caused these afflictions.  So that means that the latter must be true:

God has a good purpose in the situation where we may ask "why?"

In our own understanding, there is no understanding.  But God sees a good purpose.  What I need to do is simply rest in this promise.

    Fear the Lord, you His saints;
    For to those who fear Him there is no want.
    The young lions do lack and suffer hunger;
    But they who seek the Lord shall not be in want of any good thing (Psalm 34:9-10)

God likes BBQ

"... the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people.  Then fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the portions of fat on the altar..." (Leviticus 9:23b-24a)

God tried BBQ for the first time... I'm not completely sure he liked it.  I mean, how often do we try things and decide we never want to eat it again?  Though typically, if we don't like it, we don't consume the food in front of us!  But then comes into play the law of repetition...

He does it again in 2 Kings 1, 1 Chronicles 7, and 1 Chronicles 21.  And if we keep Coldstone in the back of our mind, I'd say He doesn't just like BBQ... He's Gotta Have It*!  And in keeping with the law of repetition... the first time, he tried it... the second time shows that He liked it... the third time shows that He loves it... and the fourth time shows He really loves it and has Gotta Have It*!

* The largest size at Coldstone is the "Gotta Have It" size!

Paradigm shift (#2)

I just love the professors who stretch our thinking... 

One of my professors, Dr. Lubeck, is continuously encouraging us to search for the author's intended meaning as we read and study our Bibles... But then I come up with questions like...

In Ephesians 4, Paul quotes/references to Psalm 68... And then Paul provides an interpretation of what "he ascended" means.  Yet, this interpretation does not line up with the psalmist's intended meaning.  So how do we reconcile this?

I wasn't the only one with questions.  How do we explain foreshadowing in the Old Testament?  For example, Abraham's sacrificing of Isaac is often seen as a foreshadowing of Christ's sacrifice...  Can we honestly say that was Abraham's intent?  And here is where things get exciting...

Who is the author of Genesis?  Its not Abraham.  So we're not after Abraham's intended meaning (his thoughts), but the author's.  And the author was Moses (this is debatable by some, but that is not central to this argument...).

So what was Moses' intended meaning?

Genesis is not only a recording of historical facts, it is much more.  Genesis opens with "In the beginning"or in the very first days and concludes with "in the days to come" (Genesis 49, NASB) or at the very end.  So Moses understands that what he is recording is both history and prophecy.

But Genesis is just one book of a much larger book.  And when we look at the Bible in its entirety, we discover in Hebrews that Abraham believed that God could raise his son from the dead.  And if he believed that God could raise Isaac his son from the dead, is not possible that he could have believed that God could raise one of his sons from the dead?

As we study, the intended meaning of the author becomes more and more clear...

(This is a very rough description, so if it doesn't make sense... comment with your questions and I'll do my best to explain better!)

A prayer come true

Being a student at a Bible college, it is really easy to become flippant about the Bible.  Or worse, to become dogmatic about minor points.  Both of these rob joy from the life of the hungering soul.  My prayers have been against this.

Instead, my prayer has been "Lord, reveal Yourself to me as I study... Help me find You in the midst of writing this paper... reading this chapter... studying this passage..."  It is absolutely amazing when this begins to happen.

I didn't realize the depth of God's answer to my prayers until yesterday.  I was meeting with one of my profs - a brilliant mind who I respect immeasurably - and he asked me why I was interested in Ezra.  I'm not even sure why he asked this question; he knew I was writing a paper on Ezra.  But I answered him anyway.

It started with a paper.  But its not even about the paper anymore.  Its... personal now.  I want to understand it and I'm not going to be satisfied until I have a grip on it.

Turns out, I will write a paper on Ezra.  A 15-page or longer commentary in which I examine the text without the aid of a commentary.  In that paper I will present all the problems (or rather the questions) that arise in Ezra.  But I will refrain from drawing any conclusions.  The conclusions are my own.  And, to be truthful, I will need more time to develop my conclusions. 

I'm sure those conclusions will come out.  They'll probably be a vital part of my application paper on Ezra (a separate paper which comes a week later).  But the prayer is coming true before my eyes... and its so much better than anything I could have dreamed.

Great Conversation

I love how God uses others to shape me.

For weeks, I have been praying (and I continue to pray!) that God will open my eyes and understanding so that I see Him as I study Ezra.  A 21-page term paper which includes a 15-page commentary seems like a really good start!  But my prayer has not been for knowledge only.  I want understanding.  I want God.

I want to see His heart and what He sees.  I want to pursue God as I study Ezra.

Amazing things have been happening as an answer to my prayer.  Really, there are two things, but these two things are happening over and over again and I see each separate event as "another amazing thing!"  (Perhaps miracle, but "miracle" has such a stigma....)

First, excitement.

Typically, whatever I am studying for school is, well, academic.  And when it comes to my devotions, I look for something non-academic so that I can get something which will give me personal application.  When I was in Pentateuch for school, I read John.  When I was in Gospels and Jonah for school, I read Chronicles.  But I am so excited about what I'm learning in Ezra that I find myself reading passages that relate to Ezra in my personal devotion time.

Second, conversation.

Sometimes I bring up what I'm studying (because of the excitement I just mentioned).  Other times, the other person I'm speaking with has actually moved the conversation to Ezra or an idea within Ezra.  And most of those conversations are confirming and sharpening the things I've been seeing.  I walk away from these conversations with confidence that I'm on the right path, and sometimes a little refining of the path as well.

I am so thankful for God's answering of my prayers.  And for the tools (people) He is using in my life to help answer those prayers!  My God is truly amazing.  He deserves my praise!

God's strength and power

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Sometimes I am so thankful for the pain that wracks my body.  Those moments are typically preceded by times when I wish I could be free of pain and live like a normal human being. 

During the times when I wish for healing, I get frustrated.  Recently, the pain has been causing uncontrollable groaning.  I wake myself up in the middle of the night because I am whimpering from the pain and discomfort.  Sometimes, when I'm not feeling prideful, I ask for prayer. 

And sometimes healing comes.  Not complete healing.  And not permanent healing.  But relief comes.  God gives me the strength to do the task in front of me (tonight, the task was finishing a paper and studying for a midterm).  It is in these moments when I feel God's power rest upon me. 

I might still be uncomfortable.  I might still be in pain.  But God's power fills where my weakness fails.

"The Lord gave and the LORD has taken away.Blessed be the name of the LORD." (Job 1:21b)

Relief

Often, we pray for God's healing touch.  And we're disappointed when He doesn't give physical healing.

Or we pray for relief, even temporary relief.  And we're disappointed when He doesn't ease the pain.

Or we pray for explanation, asking God "why?"  And we're disappointed when we don't hear His answer.

But today Ms. Pothen provided poignant insight... when pain comes, "we ought not ask God 'why are You doing this?' but ask questions about creativity: 'What are You creating?'"

This aligns so well with Scripture.

"Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that" God is creating something within you.  What is He creating?  "...knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.  And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing" (James 1:2-4).  Maybe God is creating perfection.  This reminds me of another Scripture.

"...the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you" (1 Peter 5:10).  God is again creating perfection.  And He builds upon that perfection, confirming us as followers of Christ; strengthening us to stand in the midst of life's storms, and establishing us as pillars of faith to which younger believers can cling. 

But I skipped the first part of this verse, which explains how He creates perfection.  See, God creates perfection "after you have suffered for a little while."

Why am I suffering?  Because God is creating something inside of me.

Looking back on my life, I would not trade the pain I've been through.  Some lessons I wish I could have learned an easier way.  But I do not wish to lose the lessons I've learned just to ease some pain that came along the path of learning.  Through the paths I've been on, God has created something.  I'm not perfect, but I'm moving towards His perfection.

I am so weak sometimes because of the physical ailments which plague me.  But that just gives God more room to be strong!  "And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.'  Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.  Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). 

If God can use my sufferings and trials to make me perfect and perfect His power in my life, why would I run from them?  Why do you run from them?  Do the rewards truly outweigh the present pain?

How you answer these questions says one thing; does how you live say another?

Paradigm shift

A piece of what I'm learning in Advanced Bible Study Methods...

Every genre type in the Bible has a specific format which it follows.  Epistles have an opening where the author and receiver are identified, followed by a greeting.  Next comes either a note of thanksgiving or a prayer before the body comes.

The body is characterized by two aspects: an exposition and an exhortation.  In concluding letters, we first see travel information (sending someone, making plans to come, or a wish to come soon) before greetings and/or a blessing.

Look at the epistles in the Bible, you'll see the pattern.

Then, look at 1 John.  Where's the introduction of the author?  Of the receiver?  Hmm.... missing.  Well, where's the greeting?  The prayer?  How about a note of thanksgiving instead?  Hmm... missing.  Since the entire introduction seems to be missing, let's look for the typical conclusion...

Travel information?  Gone.  A greeting or a blessing?  Also absent.  So is this an epistle?

Nope.  Its not.  Its poetry.  And we start looking at all the parallelism (which is the main structure of Hebrew poetry), the "epistle" becomes alive!  Wow, a whole new way to study the book of 1 John.

Tozer's The Pursuit of God

I picked up The Pursuit of God off my shelf a couple nights ago.  I'd read this book years ago.  My highlights and underlines marked many of the pages.  But, admittedly, I'm not sure I was at a point to challenge what I was being told when I read it before.

Reading now, I am surprised at the extent that I have heard this book, and Tozer himself, exalted.  If Tozer's point is "We need the passion of the Holy Spirit in addition to clear teaching from the Word of God," I would see the reason for encouraging careful reading of Pursuit. 

But instead, I come across a statement about sound Bible teachers which seemingly condemns them by saying they are "strangely unaware that there is in their ministry no manifest Presence, nor anything unusual in their personal lives."  Tozer goes on to say that this sound teaching does not satisfy.

I will continue to read, but my impression after reading this first portion of the book is that Tozer wants us to see the Holy Spirit of first import, especially in our teachings and daily relationships with God.  Instead, I want to present the idea that the Holy Spirit and the Holy Scriptures are of equal importance in our lives and relationships with God.

To be sure, the Holy Spirit is a source for passion.  But did not David exclaim in the psalms "revive me according to Your word" (Psalm 119:25) and again "Your word has revived me" (Psalm 119:50)?  God's Word is our foundation.  It is a rock we can stand upon. 

How often have you heard people say or do something contrary to His word with the belief that it was what the Holy Spirit led them to do?

Can anyone rightly accuse David of a lack of passion for God?  And in his passion, he exclaims "Establish my footsteps in Your word" (Psalm 119:133).  May we express the same exclamation.  Truly, the Holy Spirit will not move us to actions contrary to His Word, but our foundation must be found in the Scriptures so that we can rightly discern God's Spirit from our own sinful thoughts and desires.