Leaders Provide

Psalm 145:14-21

"The LORD upholds all who fall, And raises up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look expectantly to You, And You give them their food in due season. You open Your hand And satisfy the desire of every living thing. The LORD is righteous in all His ways, Gracious in all His works. The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them. The LORD preserves all who love Him, But all the wicked He will destroy.  My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD, And all flesh shall bless His holy name Forever and ever."

In God’s design, all authority is established to serve those in their charge.  So when mom is with the kids during the day, she is in charge, and she makes lunch.  When the county commissioners are voted in to office, they go about meeting the needs of the residents.  JC has been given all authority, and He gave us this table, among other things, to meet our needs.  And what is it we need?  Him.  This is eternal life, Jn 17:3, to know the Father, and the Son He sent us.  People need Jesus, like children need parents.  We are lost and at sea without Him.  So come again, and welcome, to Jesus.

9/25/22

Presbytery Leads to Optimism?? YES.

I haven't posted for a bit, because I've been at our church presbytery meeting this week, and then had to catch up on church duties.

Attending presbytery is consistently encouraging.

In my prior denomination, these meetings were consistently DIScouraging, because the faithful were always losing battles to the liberals.

But now I see a dozen and more pastors working to rebuild a Christian culture in church, family, and community.  And we usually meet at a member church's site, and worship with that congregation.  The fact that 150 people came out on a Tuesday night to eat together, pray, chant, and sing Genevan Psalms in a small, blue-collar town, tells me that there are definitely pockets of revival and reformation happening in our land.  Be encouraged!

Don't believe the picture the media presents to you, that everyone believes the leftist woke propaganda, except a few fringe weirdos.  It ain't so.  The church is compromised, and in sad shape - that is true.  But God knows His faithful ones, and they are far more than 7,000 in the USA right now.

Ukrainian Patriots // Another Thatcher // Secular liberalism

 If you want a look into the heroism of the Ukrainian resistance to the Russian assault, this is a great read.

We may have another Margaret Thatcher at 10 Downing Street.  Check this out.

I wonder if King Charles will let her do her thing...

Great article on how Christians should NOT embrace classical liberalism as morally neutral, by a Jewish rabbi.  HT: Al Mohler.  This is the kind of article that proves why we should be okay appealing to our "Judeo-Christian" heritage...

"with Christianity on the wane in America and without Biblical resources to strengthen healthy moral values, we now live in a society of unfiltered liberalism, and it functions like a religion."

Delighting in the Lord

Song of Solomon 2:3-4; 6:2-3; 8:6
Like an apple tree among the trees of the woods,
So is my beloved among the sons.
I sat down in his shade with great delight,
And his fruit was sweet to my taste.
He brought me to the banqueting house,
And his banner over me was love
My beloved has gone to his garden, to the beds of spices,
To feed his flock in the gardens, and to gather lilies.
I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine.
Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm.


In this worship service, especially at this table, we are renewing covenant with our God.  In marriage there are times your relationship is refreshed, revitalized – a date night out, the marriage act itself, a vacation away together, just a really good, long talk.  And you’re closer, more in love again, as we say.  God intends that for us with Him, at this table, in this service.

So, as we sing, “Hasten as a bride to meet Him, and with loving reverence greet Him....  Jesus, Sun of life, my Splendor, Jesus, Thou my friend most tender, Jesus Joy of my desiring, Fount of life, my soul inspiring.”

9/18/22

Abortion Rhetoric // Middle East // A Suffering Ministry // Dante

 Yesterday I drove most of the day.  Here's a rundown of what I listened to.

First, the worst billboard I've seen in a while:

"We just lost the right to choose.  Now what?  Just vote."

What a lie from the pit of hell.  The right to choose what?  If a state legalizes incest for 50 years, it SHOULD take away that "right."  Killing children in the womb should similarly be against the law.  This billboard is a classic case of framing the issue the way you want, to get your way.  What if pro-lifers wised up and tried their own?

"Dobbs put the lives of babies back in our Mitten (Michigan) hands.  Vote pro-life.  Vote NO on Petition 3."  Somebody make a picture of a Michigan mitten holding/cradling a small baby....

Jordan Peterson had Israel's last ambassador on his show, to talk about the geopolitics of the Middle East.  It was very enlightening.  Of course he's biased as an Israeli, but he lays out the pieces on the chess board quite objectively.

Main takeaway: Obama and John Kerry really botched things, insisting on deals with Iran and the Palestinians, when the key to the region is to counterbalance those evil/corrupt regimes with alliances with Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Jordan, etc.  Trump figured this out late, but got the Abraham accords done - peace treaties between a handful of Arab nations with Israel.  A major accomplishment that no one will talk about, because Trump did it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gODDs5Auqfc

Doug Wilson sermon from 2 Corinthians 5, on humility, forgiveness, serving, and suffering in Christian service.  Doug can take a complicated text, make it easy to understand, and then bring you serious Gospel application.

https://www.christkirk.com/sermon/authentic-ministry-5/

Over at Fight, Laugh, Feast, Knox talked with Jason Farley about Dante.

It's long, but there are some real gems in there:

 - Nothing exists for its own sake (including art).

 - Reading Dante, you're supposed to be thinking, "Would I fit there?"  "Is that me, in that circle of Hell?"  "Am I going to wind up there?"

No link - don't think it's up yet.  The podcast is from last week.

Books I'm currently reading

 

God Shows Kindness

 2 Samuel 9:1-8, 11b, 13

And David said, “Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” 2 Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, and they called him to David. And the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” And he said, “I am your servant.” 3 And the king said, “Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God to him?” Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in his feet.” 4 The king said to him, “Where is he?” And Ziba said to the king, “He is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar.” 5 Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar. 6 And Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and paid homage. And David said, “Mephibosheth!” And he answered, “Behold, I am your servant.” 7 And David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and you shall eat at my table always.” 8 And he paid homage and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I?” 

11 So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table, like one of the king’s sons. ...  13 So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate always at the king’s table. Now he was lame in both his feet. 

Mephibosheth is you and me – we are from a line of men that rebelled against the true king.  We are spiritually crippled and cannot bring ourselves to come and bow to the true king.  God brings us to Himself when we cannot.

 

David is God the Father – note how deliberately he pursues showing us kindness.  David says it 3 times to his court, when they have no interest to doing that.  He makes it happen.  Fathers should make kindness happen in their realms.

 

Jonathan is Jesus– God showed Meph. kindness for the sake of Jonathan; God shows us kindness for the sake of Jesus – Jon. is mentioned 4 times!

 

We eat at the king’s table, like one of the king’s sons.

The gifts of God for the people of God...

9/11/22

Point to Him. Not to You.

 John 3:26-30

"And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.” 27 John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. 28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ 29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.” "

We tend to judge success by size.  John’s disciples were worried that “all are going to Him,” leaving John.  But John was happy about it.  That was his goal.  He wasn’t the light of the world; he wasn’t the Christ.  He pointed TO the lamb of God, and men went where He pointed.  That was success.  And that is our goal, too.  As parents, friends, co-workers, use anything God has given you to point to Jesus.  He is the man of the house, who has the bride.  We are doorkeepers and friends who love Him, talk about Him, and announce His arrival.

 

In the movie of life, We are side actors, not starring the main role.  Our job is not to draw attention to ourselves, but to make the main character look good.

 

This reminds us of our need to confess our sins.

9/11/22

No to Hannah-Jones // Culture Wars // Britannia!

 A great refutation of the 1619 Project here.

An excellent short article on how to fight the culture war.

An intriguing, positive take on the British empire, over at Claremont.

Settle Down // The Furnace // Natural Theology

This is a really good sermon on Jeremiah 29.  Kevin DeYoung.  

1. Settle down.  2. Seek the peace of the city.  3. Look to the end with Christ.

Rod Dreher gave a good talk here.

Besides settling down and embedding ourselves in our culture (Jer. 29, above), we also need to be ready to be thrown in a furnace, like Daniel's friends, rather than live by lies about idols that the state or big business try to press on us.  Are we ready to do this?  Wokeness is the beginning of this press, according to Eastern Europeans who saw it happen in their country, under the Soviet Union.

Also in print form in Touchstone, May/June 2022 - "Babylon's Furnace."

More Kevin DeYoung - here some deep historical theology.

What can unbelievers know about God?  God reveals Himself to them plainly (Romans 1), but they cannot receive it (1 Cor. 2).  But to say any thoughts unbelievers have about God will be false theology seems to go a bit too far.

The Silmarillion - a Review

 

The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What a glorious story!

Like a painter who first crafts a detail closeup, and then fills in the whole landscape, Tolkien zooms out from The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy. He deftly fills in the history of Middle Earth from its beginnings to the passing of the elves, shortly after the Trilogy ends.

I’ll confess, much of the middle of the history was encyclopedic, sometimes tedious, and hard to slog through. But the creation account resonates richly with Scripture. And the summary at the end shows with much satisfaction how events led up to Tolkien’s original stories.

The major theme throughout is how the faithful have to work together in unity to recognize evil, and agree to work together against it. Otherwise it will grow and overpower the good.

If you’re a deep fan, you’ve read it already, or should read this straight through.
If you read the trilogy and loved it, then I recommend reading the first and last chapter first. Dip into the rest as you have interest.

4 stars!

View all my reviews

Inclusion Advocates Love to Cancel // Peace or Uprising? // Solutions for a Deranged Culture

This kind of thing needs more exposure, and probably litigation in church or civil courts.

A minority is cancelled while slandered as too "white" for his views.

A Christian professor was removed from a Christian college, for holding to Christian views.

Doug Wilson reminds us that God wants us to pray for civil peace, not an uprising.

So true.

"You can’t vote your way out of something that you sinned your way into."

An issue ago, World magazine featured a Carl Trueman article that captures his latest two books for the normal person.  Check it out, here.

Also, one critique often leveled at him is that he is all critique, with no practical "What do we do now?" solutions.  There's some truth to that, but World got an answer out of him in an interview:

"First, remember that we know how the story ends: Christ and His Church will win. That does not mean my congregation or my denomination, still less my nation, will win. But it does mean that Christ will bring all His own home. 

Second, we need therefore to think long-term. If we think that the success of Christ does depend upon us and should be fulfilled by a week from Wednesday through our efforts, we are setting ourselves up for despair. 

Third, focus on your family and your church. Be a strong community in the present. That is surely a more effective witness than any argument, let alone a silly tweet. Love the people and the place in which the Lord has set you, do the work He has given you to do, and trust Him for the rest."

In the Body, Away from the Lord

2 Corinthians 5:1-10
For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.
Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

The message today is on last things, and this text sets before us our death and judgment, which is part of that.

 

The main point of this text is one that feels too gnostic to some of us.  Gnosticism is the idea that the body – physical things – are bad, or inherently less spiritual.  But verse 1 tells us, this earthly body is a temporary tent.  Vs 2 - While we are in the body, we groan and long to be with the Lord.  It is better to be with the Lord apart from the body, vs 8.  

This is a good corrective, when we think we are correcting past errors, gnostic or pietist.  Don’t try to reinterpret this text into your anti-gnostic lens.  Just believe what the verse in front of you says: 

Being in the body on earth brings burdens, vs 4, but we should remain of good courage, vs 6.  This courage is not a stoic, “I’ll muscle through this, even with my bad back.”  No, vs 8 says this courage is looking ahead to the future when we will be home with the Lord, with the bodily problems of pain, disease and death all gone.

 

So, today, you may need to confess putting too much stock and worry into your physical condition and situation.  God can bless you, even when (especially when) you are frustrated with your body or job or house.

Or you may need to confess giving your physical situation too little thought, to how it impacts your spiritual life, which it certainly does.

  

This reminds us of our need to confess our sins.

9/4/22

Jehu, the Golden Calf, and American Politics

 This here is why I read Touchstone Magazine.

An important read after President Biden's red-lit speech.

A biblical view of politics.

Adoration of the Golden Calf from the Hortus Deliciarum of Herrad of Landsberg (c. 1130 – 1195)

Aaron’s Boys?

September 2, 2022 Eleazar & Phineas, son & grandson of Aaron the priest (Num. 25:7) E Hannah, mother of Samuel L Hieu, abbess, Yorkshire c. 657   President Biden made big splashes last night with his “non-political” address to the nation. WGN’s political commentator, who is no conservative, said the speech was clearly political. Biden called out those who identify as super-MAGAs as an existential threat to our democracy. They are radicals, extremists. I am not a MAGA person myself, unless you mean, maybe, just maybe, “make America good again.” The President made it clear that, to him, there is a great divide now between the far-right extremists he fingered and the rest of the citizenry. His vision of the far-right threat is “an America where there is no right to choose, no right to privacy, no right to contraception, no right to marry who you love.” Apparently, pro-lifers are super-extremists. It’s odd that he didn’t include “no right to puberty-blockers for kids and double mastectomies for teenagers [with or without parental consent]” or “no right for medicated men to compete in female sports,” for that is now what “progressives” support and what only “extremists” oppose. The big issue dividing Americans is the nature of nature. If an election were focused on the question of whether children should be treated with puberty blockers, “sex-change” [which is impossible] surgery cheerfully offered, whether young children should be taught the ins and outs of sexual deviancy, I assume that voters who are responsible for the welfare of children would overwhelmingly reject any candidates who support the radical sex agenda. One’s view of the nature of nature is ultimately determined by one’s view of creation. There are two main views: God made the world and us; or we just happened, like the claim Aaron made to Moses about the golden calf: “So I said to them, ‘Let any who have gold take it off.’ So they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!” (Ex. 32:24) This is modern idolatry. There are those who support abortion, transgender surgery on kids who may say at the same time, “God made us all special.” But that god keeps his distance, indifferent or smiling from afar as we bend and manipulate nature without limits other than whatever we want. I would not grieve if neither the current president nor his predecessor ran for office again. I pray for candidates of moral integrity, who understand the Constitution, are willing and able (like Robert P. George) to reason with ideological opponents, dedicated to the sanctity of human life, who can define what men and women are. That seems so basic, commonsense. And, yes—he or she should believe in commonsense, and not lie about the opposition (e.g., “Don’t say ‘gay’”). We need no more idolaters, thieves, murderers, adulterers, liars, or coveters in high office. (Or Tweeters.) No party is fully black or white; no regime is clean for long. The Bible is one long history of persistent sin in high places. Israel, the Northern Kingdom, had broken away from the divinely-sanctioned royal line of David and was in the grips of Ahab and Jezebel. God raised up Elijah and Elisha to speak to Israel; he then saw the rise of the usurper Jehu, who at Jezreel ordered the death of Jezebel and slaughtered the sons of the Ahab, then killed the relatives of Judah’s king Ahaziah. Jehu also slaughtered the followers of Baal and turned their temple into a latrine. He eradicated Baal worship, for a time, but allowed the worship of the golden calf. Hosea prophesied during the reign of one of Jehu’s descendants, before the fall of Israel to Assyria: “yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel.” (1:4) And so he did. Judah was not far behind. What was learned in Exile endured long enough for a Child to be born into a faith ripe for its fulfillment. There is a God who sees America’s present moment, its past, and its future. It is not for us to say which is the greatest nation on earth. Great is the nation whose God is the Lord. Everything else is a golden calf. There is no political path to fidelity which does not place politics below faith and family. Meanwhile, Assyria is watching, waiting.

Yours for Christ, Creed & Culture,

James M. Kushiner Director of Publications, Fellowship of St. James

An Exercise in Memery

 

I'm not really into political memes much, but I can't stop laughing at this one.

Mainly, I want to know what Trump said that made Tucker laugh so hard, I guess...

Memes get a lot said at once, on multiple levels, so they are powerful.

But they are also dangerous, because what's said is mere assertion or assumption, never persuasion.

Memes simply reinforce our priors, and polarize us further.

Much better to read persuasive pieces which sharpen the mind.

Or at least ask yourself, why is this true?  Why am I laughing?

Here are some assertions this one makes.  Pretty sure I agree with all except the last one.

1. A Trump-Tucker alliance is felicitous.

2. The raid was sent by Biden or his cronies.

3. Trump's family is cleaner, and less hypocritical than Biden's.

4. Trump can outwit the deep state's designs on him.